STARRY felt very off today.
That was Yamada Ryo's first thought upon arriving at the recording studio.
This kind of thing wasn't some sixth sense—it was simply something anyone whose eyes weren't blind could see.
At some point, several slogans and posters had been added to the recording studio. They read things like "Borrowing Money Is Shameful, Not Repaying It Is Punishable by Death", and "Don't Let Borrowing Money Ruin Your Life", and the most outrageous one was "Borrow Again and I'll Make You Fly Like Feng".
Yamada Ryo only gave them a couple of quick glances before completely ignoring these mental attacks.
Kita Ikuyo and Goto Hitori weren't practicing guitar today either. They were holding a poster and muttering to themselves, as if memorizing something.
Out of curiosity, Yamada Ryo silently put down her bass and took another extremely casual glance, finally seeing the contents of the poster clearly.
"The Five Great Band Oaths?" Yamada Ryo was stunned for a moment.
"Ah, it's Ryo-senpai!" Kita Ikuyo heard Ryo's voice and noticed Yamada Ryo behind her. She enthusiastically held the poster out in front of her and explained, "Nijika-senpai gave this to us. She said we have to memorize it."
"Even though I don't really understand why, if Senpai says so, there must be a reason!"
Kita Ikuyo smiled brightly. Her intense Kita energy nearly killed the gloomy Goto Hitori beside her.
Kita Kita!
Bathed in sunlight, Goto Hitori shuddered and began reciting the Five Great Band Oaths with a trembling voice:
"The Five Great Band Oaths... If you can't play guitar, you can't be a guitarist... If you borrow money, remember to repay it... If you join the Light Music Club, bring black tea and snacks... Don't obtain an education beyond technical college... Play in a band and have fun playing..."
"Haha, these are really weird, right? Just the fourth one alone doesn't apply to us, and the first one seems to be hinting at the old me..."
Kita Ikuyo could no longer laugh. She had turned into a second-generation Bocchi-chan right before their eyes.
Yamada Ryo's not-very-developed brain began to turn. Amid the densely packed Five Great Band Oaths, she only read two words: repay money!
A trap!
This was a trap!
It was obvious this was Nijika's trap targeting her to make her repay the money!
How could there possibly be such a thing as having to repay borrowed money? Isn't that strange?!
"Yo, Ryo."
"You finally came."
Yamada Ryo's body trembled. She slowly turned around.
Ijichi Nijika stood behind her with one arm crossed over her chest, the other hand waving in greeting.
"Let me remind you of something terrifying. You borrowed money from Bocchi-chan last month and still haven't repaid it, right?"
Nijika's voice was as friendly and lively as ever, but to Ryo at this moment, it only felt terrifyingly cold.
Under this atmosphere, Ryo made her choice.
"You give road oil!"
Unlike at the beginning of the month, Ryo truly had no money at this point in time. Even today's lunch had been wild vegetable rice.
Watching Yamada Ryo's retreating back as she fled, Nijika felt helpless but didn't chase after her. She simply complained.
"Ah! Seriously! Ryo, you idiot!"
Ryo successfully escaped to the recording studio door.
Then she opened the door and rushed out headfirst.
Although she didn't understand why Nijika hadn't come after her, being able to escape was great. Freedom awaited outside the door!
Thud!
Ryo ran straight into Diego, who was blocking the door.
The two stared at each other.
Yamada Ryo spoke with a slight tremor in her voice. "D...Dio, actually I was just about to find you to recite the Five Great Band Oaths."
"Is that so..." Diego rubbed his chin with one hand and held up five fingers. "Since I'm back, I'll naturally be making new rules. If you can answer correctly, I'll let you go."
"The Five Great Band Oaths!"
Hearing this, Ryo's spirits lifted. She immediately stood tall and shouted loudly, "If you can't play guitar, you can't be a guitarist! If you borrow money, remember to——"
Repay my ass!
Seeing Yamada Ryo freeze in place like a skipping CD, Diego placed his hand on her shoulder and gently persuaded her. "A heart of integrity must not be extinguished. You must help and take care of the socially anxious Bocchi. All under heaven are friends. There may be misunderstandings between friends when it comes to money, even disagreements, but these are all insignificant."
"Listen to me. As long as you repay the money, you'll still be a good kid. Only then can you overcome your past soft and weak self."
After hearing this, Ryo clearly looked moved.
Immediately after, she took out a small wallet from her clothes.
No way, she actually repaid it.
Diego himself hadn't expected such a ridiculous plan to actually make Yamada Ryo repay the money.
Yamada Ryo opened the wallet, revealing its completely empty interior. Then she turned it 180 degrees and shook it hard.
"Even if you say that, I really don't have any money."
Yamada Ryo's expression was calm.
"Bastard, where's your band spirit?!"
"I threw that kind of thing away the moment I joined the band!!!"
...
Under Diego's introduction, the four members of Kessoku Band gradually became familiar with Frieren and Mabel.
"Ta-da——!"
"Since it's going to get cooler in a few days, I made band hoodies!"
To keep the conversation from going cold, Nijika took the initiative to have the band members change into black hoodies embroidered with "Kessoku Band" and introduced them energetically to the two.
"The designs are also slightly different according to everyone's style!"
"Oh—— Not bad." Frieren gave a very serious evaluation. "There's also a snail style. Very novel design."
"Eh... What snail——"
Before she finished speaking, Nijika's peripheral vision noticed Goto Hitori curled up in the corner wearing a hoodie.
Unlike the half-sleeves, the hoodie could wrap up her entire upper body. When Goto Hitori curled up and lay on the floor, she looked just like a snail that had retreated into its shell after being stimulated by salt.
"It's a hoodie snail!!"
Yamada Ryo found a pack of salt and held it above Goto Hitori's head, calmly asking, "Will a hoodie snail still move after you sprinkle salt on it?"
"It'll die!" Kita Ikuyo crossed her hands and placed them under her lips.
At this moment, Mabel leaned close to Yamada Ryo and asked in a lowered voice, "Ryo-san, I heard from Dio that in Japan's entertainment industry, people who are cute and sing well can swim in money for their entire lives..."
Money?
Could it be that you too...
Ryo and Mabel exchanged glances.
Kindred spirits!
"Theoretically, that's correct." Ryo raised an eyebrow. Her eyes were instantly occupied by money as she rubbed her thumb and index finger together, speaking with great interest. "But if you ask me, developing like that is too slow. If we could create a Kessoku Band SNS and upload sexy swimsuit photos of Bocchi-chan, the band's popularity would instantly reach its peak..."
"Don't you have any self-respect?!"
Before she could finish, Nijika immediately spoke up to stop her.
"If you keep saying things like that, you'll lose friends!"
"Hmph hmph hmph. You actually took it seriously. Nijika is so H."
"You bastard!!"
Only after Nijika's explanation did Mabel understand that the actual income of a girls' band wasn't that high.
So Mabel asked the question she cared about most. "Then how much is Dio's monthly salary?"
"Uh... A bag of apples?" Nijika looked troubled.
Had Dio ever actually received a salary?
Crap. The only image in my head is him frantically stealing snacks from the counter...
"Who's looking for me?"
As if to confirm Nijika's words, Diego appeared with an apple in his mouth.
He finished the apple in a few bites and let out a sigh. "Free apples really do taste the best after all!"
"So cheap..."
Mabel complained inwardly.
Diego seemed to sense something and said expressionlessly, "You were badmouthing me, right?"
Before anyone could answer, Diego waved his hand and took several more apples out of a small bag.
"Well, but since I'm Dio and I'm merciful, I won't stoop to your level. Anyone else want an apple?"
"...I do." Ryo silently raised her hand.
Diego tossed an apple into Ryo's hand and teased, "How pathetic, Ryo. You didn't eat grass for lunch again today, did you?"
Eat grass?! So the real income of a girls' band was this dire?!
Mabel's body trembled. The idea of looking for a job instantly vanished without a trace.
"Sooner... sooner or later, everyone will be eating grass just like me." Ryo ate the apple while delivering a curse with no intimidating power whatsoever.
"What a vicious woman..."
Today's victory or defeat: Diego, defeated!
( Cursed by the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Ryo )