Even without turning around, he could tell who it was from the voice and words.
He looked back.
Light blue short hair; exquisite features; a face expressionless yet as pretty as art.
Just as he expected—Yamada Ryō.
"If Nijika heard you say that, she'd bop you with a drumstick," Kai deadpanned.
Ryō blinked, ignored the jab, and changed the subject. "Aoki-san, here to buy an instrument?"
"Mm. A guitar…"
He trailed off—and realized that while Ryō was unreliable in most things, she knew instruments inside out.
And she'd heard him play. She knew his level. If he asked her to help pick—
He looked at her; a little spark lit in his eyes.
"Your scheming look is obvious…" Ryō took half a step back, deadpan.
"Nothing nefarious," he said, smiling politely. "I just wanted to ask a small favor."
"If it's borrowing money, sorry, I…"
"Not money." He cut her off. "You know instruments, right? Could you recommend a guitar that suits me?"
Ryō tilted her head, faintly puzzled. "Me? Your guitar's better than mine."
"Uh… I can play, but I know nothing about gear…"
"I see…"
Interest flickered in her blank face.
After a brief think, she asked, "Any requirements?"
It was the same question as the clerk's—who, seeing they knew each other, tactfully stepped aside.
Kai answered, "Budget around ¥60,000. I want something durable, sturdy body, solid build."
"…?"
Ryō looked him up and down like he was odd.
"Aoki-san, no matter how sturdy, you can't use a guitar as a shovel or pickaxe."
"That's not— I just want durability," he said. He paused, then added, "But… being shovel-able does sound rock 'n' roll, digging mid-set…"
Ryō said nothing, then gave him a silent thumbs-up.
With a ¥60,000 budget and "durable" as a requirement, she turned to the guitar wall.
After a moment, she pointed at a blue one. "Try this? Not expensive, sturdy enough, and it sounds good."
For someone so lazy, she got strangely verbose about instruments.
He followed her finger, then nodded. As flaky as she could be, when it came to gear, she was serious—no reason to doubt her.
He pointed the model out to the clerk, confirmed the size, took a new one, and paid.
So fast even Ryō looked a little stunned.
"Don't you want to think it over?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I'll try it first. Your pick should be fine. For me, if it makes sound, it's good."
The trust was oddly unearned—they'd spoken maybe twenty sentences total.
But she didn't dwell on it.
Her eyes drifted to the price tag—¥46,000—and then to the bass display… and back to him.
Light flashed in her eyes. "Aoki-san, your budget was ¥60,000, right? You'll have some left?"
He'd just taken the bagged guitar from the clerk when he couldn't help twitching a smile.
"Your ulterior motives are showing," he said.
…
They stepped out—Kai with a new guitar, Ryō with… a brand-new bass.
By now, he was re-evaluating whether he really wanted to become a corrupt politician. If a country's leadership could be swayed by a girl's watery eyes and a plea—no backbone, no convictions—that country was in trouble.
Then again, most Japanese politicians seemed to be like that anyway. After a moment's waffling, he firmed up: maybe being a leech required this qualification. Which meant agreeing to lend money after a weaponized pout was actually the right decision…
He took a breath and checked the time: a little before four.
STARRY's live started at five. End wasn't first up, but it wouldn't be long.
And before that, he had to find a girl in pink tracksuit, alone on a swing in a park near Shimokitazawa…
He glanced at the bass-burdened, slow-walking Ryō. "Don't dawdle, Yamada-san, or we'll be late."
Leaning on the fact that she owed him, he'd roped her in as backup—though not the most reliable helper.
"How about you go ahead? I'll catch up. If I don't…"
He ignored her mutter, pulled up Google, and searched for parks around Shimokitazawa.
Then, by elimination, he circled three targets.
-------
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