——STARRY Live House, on the 24th——
"Dio-nii, what is rock music?"
Seven-year-old Jolyne Cujoh asked this question.
"Rock music means showing up late, leaving early, and skipping school. I play rock, and I'm proud of it." Dio raised an eyebrow and let out a laugh through his nose, teasing, "Right, Ryo?"
At her words, Yamada Ryo crossed her arms and nodded seriously, holding up three fingers. "That's right. A rock musician only needs to do three things in life: smoke, drink, and chase gi— Ow!!"
Thud!
"What on earth are you two saying to a child!!!" Ijichi Nijika gave Yamada Ryo a karate chop, then turned and glared at Dio with a dangerous smile. "Dio~ Speaking of which, the band is still missing a keyboardist. I heard Fujiwara Chika has been playing piano since she was little. Learning the keyboard should be a piece of cake for her.."
"Guh…" Dio silently swallowed.
Nijika can be really scary sometimes…
Even though she's usually so easy to talk to…
After being threatened, Dio felt a bit depressed. He had already been depressed before coming here, but now it was depression multiplied by depression. In short, he was extremely depressed!
Bringing Jolyne here wasn't because he wanted to hide anything. It was simply because he wanted her to experience new things instead of always staying cooped up in Morioh.
Yes! That's exactly it!
It definitely wasn't because he didn't want that drunkard to misunderstand him as lonely and pitiful!
Today wasn't the best day for a concert. The weather forecast on TV over the past few days had been constantly reporting heavy rain and a small typhoon.
Under these weather conditions, even fans who had paid for tickets would cancel their plans out of concern for travel safety.
But today's weather was perfectly clear. The sunlight felt warm and comfortable rather than scorching, and the gentle breeze made going out extremely convenient.
Kessoku Band's four members had been happy about it for a long time, believing that the teru teru bozu they had made by hand had actually worked.
But was that really the case?
Dio lifted his eyelids and watched Enrico Pucci at the bar with great interest. He was currently buying drinks from Pa-san.
So he even has the ability to change the weather. Pucci, you really are something else.
Before long, Pucci walked over slowly with a tray holding three glasses of orange juice and a few sweets. Without hesitation, he sat down beside Dio.
He first handed the orange juice to Dio.
"Thanks, Pucci. I was the one who invited you to the concert, yet you still paid for snacks. This should have been on me." Dio took the orange juice and downed it in one go.
Pucci shook his head. After serving as a priest in prison for so many years, he was quite well-off. He immediately said, "It's nothing."
That's right. The ticket Dio bought obviously wasn't for himself to watch. What kind of band manager has to buy a ticket to watch his own band's concert? He would be laughed at if word got out.
It also couldn't be for Jolyne, since STARRY didn't allow such a young child to enter alone. Today Jolyne had only entered through the back door as Dio's junior.
Therefore, this wandering ticket had naturally been passed on to Pucci.
The topic returned to the weather. This wasn't the result of Dio asking the sprites for help. It was something he had casually mentioned about the weather after handing the ticket to Pucci.
Upon hearing this, Pucci immediately patted his chest and said he would handle it. He made an international call to Green Dolphin Street Prison and declared the matter settled.
Thinking of this, Dio pulled his thoughts back and looked at Pucci and Jolyne.
Pucci wore a gentle smile as he placed the tray on the table in front of Jolyne. He took one glass of orange juice for himself, and the rest was all for Jolyne.
"Thank you, Uncle Pucci!" Little Jolyne smiled sweetly, looking well-behaved and sensible.
Pucci patted Jolyne's head. The smile on his face seemed even brighter as he comforted her, "Don't worry about it. Those who have attained enlightenment are always happy. Eating delicious sweets today is simply your fate."
Hmph hmph hmph…
We won! We won!
Jotaro Kujo, you probably never imagined that your beloved daughter would become your weakness!
She has already been won over by me and my best friend!
Pucci thought this as he watched Jolyne Cujoh weaving a Möbius strip with thread.
"You're pretty good at handling kids, Pucci." Dio teased. "How about letting you take Jolyne out to play for a whole day next time?"
Pucci smiled and accepted. "Of course. If you need it, my friend."
While the two were talking, Dio's expression suddenly changed. He sharply turned toward the entrance.
"Little Bocchi, I'm here~~~~" Hiroi Kikuri appeared swaying from the doorway, still completely drunk and disheveled.
When we meet again, that alcoholic stench of yours lets me recognize you first.
Goto Hitori subconsciously called out, "Ah… Big Sis…"
"Tch, little Bocchi, Big Sis." Dio held quite a grudge against the way the two addressed each other. "These two's way of addressing each other, boxer briefs, boxer briefs… how truly lowbrow.."
At the same time, Ijichi Seika also frowned and silently clenched her fist, muttering viciously, "That damn drunkard…"
Hm? ×2
The two looked at each other. Both saw fighting spirit in the other's eyes and nodded heavily.
No words were needed. A single glance was enough for them to understand each other. This was the combined power of golden-haired characters!!
...
The concert went smoothly without any incidents. The brilliant performance made more people remember the name Kessoku Band.
Therefore, after Dio said goodbye to Pucci and sent Jolyne back to Morioh, time was skipped and they quickly moved on to the celebration party.
"Everyone worked hard. Cheers!"
Inside the izakaya, everyone sat around a low table filled with food. Several glasses clinked together crisply.
Currently seated like this: Dio was next to Ijichi Seika. Across from them were Nijika and Goto Hitori. To the left were Yamada Ryo and Kita Ikuyo. To the right were their target Hiroi Kikuri and the unaware Pa-san.
"You all really worked hard today. This meal is on me. Drink up." Ijichi Seika crossed her arms and gave a lukewarm compliment. "Today's performance was pretty decent."
"Hey hey, Seika, if you're treating, don't compete with this Dio, alright?" Dio leaned forward, resting his fingertips on his chin and tapping his knuckles lightly. "At the very least, I'm the band's manager. Shouldn't I be the one offering to treat at a time like this?"
Seika?!
Calling her by name directly?!
Manager, you really are sneaky about big things!!
I like Mr. Brando's type too, you know!!
Pa-san, fellow member of the "women's worries alliance," instantly noticed something off about the form of address.
"Thank you, Nee-san, Dio." Perhaps because of the joy from the successful performance, Nijika didn't notice anything strange. "But none of us drink. Why did we specifically come to an izakaya?"
Because for a drunkard, the feeling of being able to look but not drink is really uncomfortable. ×2
The two remained expressionless on the surface while the same thought surfaced in their hearts.
"The food at this izakaya is really good."
"After all, it's the place this Dio suggested."
At this, Kita Ikuyo, who often attended mixers, asked the question Pa-san had been wondering about: "Sensei, your relationship with the manager seems… pretty good? Did you know each other before?"
"We've known each other for a while." As he spoke, Dio picked up a piece of grilled meat with his chopsticks and put it in his bowl. Then he looked at Ijichi Seika and chuckled. "Seika and I hit it off right away. We discovered we have a lot of common interests."
"Eh, is that so?" Kita Ikuyo felt something was off but still nodded.
"Wuuu, Senpai, I want to drink. Just let me order one bottle." Hiroi Kikuri threw herself onto Ijichi Seika and hugged her, looking pitiful as she started acting spoiled. "I like Senpai so much~"
She can still order more food?
Yamada Ryo, who had been focused on eating, twitched her ears.
She silently scooted closer to Dio and covered her mouth with her hand, lowering her voice. "Dio, I want to order another medium-rare Kobe beef steak. The sauce has to be premium black pepper, and also a Kyoto Kosaka chicken…"
Veins popped on Ijichi Seika's forehead. She pushed Hiroi Kikuri away in disgust with one hand. "Pay for it yourself! And stop sticking to me, damn it!"
Dio grabbed Ryo's earlobe and pulled her back. "Don't even think about it! Someone who can only eat grass because she bought a bass deserves to starve to death!"
Hiroi Kikuri and Ryo lowered their heads at the same time. "Yes——"
This level of teamwork… it's exactly like a married couple scolding their child. They haven't already taken that step, have they?
Pa-san suddenly lost her appetite.
World-famous painting: Goto Hitori was still trembling.
On the other side, seeing that acting spoiled didn't get her any alcohol, Hiroi Kikuri's eyes turned red. She hugged Goto Hitori and started bawling. "Bocchi~ You're still the nicest to me. I really do like you the most!"
"Eeeeh!!!" Goto Hitori was startled, her brain crashed, and she could no longer reboot.
Bocchi?
Well done. This woman really has been provoking me. Just to provoke me, she even said such a childish nickname out loud.
Dio selectively ignored the soul drifting out of Goto Hitori's mouth and turned to start serving food to Ijichi Seika. "Oh~ Seika~ Try this."
"…Thank you…" A faint blush flashed across Ijichi Seika's face before quickly returning to calm. "…It's delicious."
Seika… Is he calling me that…
Suddenly using a nickname and feeding me… Little Dio is really thoughtful…
A handsome guy who hits all the right spots is still too lethal for a thirty-something woman desperate to get married.
Although Ijichi Nijika was a bit slow, that didn't mean she was emotionally clueless. The moment the name "Seika" left his mouth, she realized something was wrong.
She blinked. The snack on her head bounced up and down as she quietly scanned the two of them back and forth.
Oh ho, Nee-san is finally about to have her first spring!
Nijika felt very relieved in her heart. Ever since their mother died in a rear-end collision, the strong Nee-san had given up on her band to take care of her when she was little and instead opened this live house.
What Nee-san had lost wasn't just rock music…
So, Nee-san's love life… as the closest little sister in the whole world, let me help you!
Mm-hm. Dio's expression is the same as usual. No obvious shy reaction to the intimate act of serving food. Love level first judgment: SSS-rank super strong demon king!!!
Nijika looked at her own sister again.
Let's see… outwardly calm but with slightly red earlobes, the girlish reaction of subconsciously not daring to look at Dio, and those hands with nowhere to rest under the table. Nee-san's love level is…
Outwardly a BOSS, but inwardly just a small fry by the roadside!!!
Who goes straight from Flower Fruit Mountain to challenge Erlang Shen!!!
You can't skip the leveling-up process in between!!!
Ugh, should I just give up on the grounds that Nee-san shouldn't be an old cow eating young grass?
Nijika fell into inner conflict.
Time is fair. After the celebration banquet filled with undercurrents, it ended when Goto Hitori couldn't bear the pressure and said she needed to go to the bathroom.
The sky gradually darkened. STARRY shone in the night sky. Goto Hitori escaped outside the izakaya, feeling the pleasant evening breeze. The tension in her heart scattered quite a bit with the wind.
Thud thud thud…
Goto Hitori looked in the direction of the footsteps. A large golden retriever entered her view.
"Ah… Dio… Why did you come out too?"
"I came out to get some fresh air. Don't you think it's a bit stuffy inside?"
Not just a bit stuffy. Goto Hitori, who had been squeezed in the middle and nearly couldn't breathe, nodded frantically in her heart.
"It's been getting cooler at night lately. Wear more or you'll easily catch a cold and fever." Dio took out a candy from his pocket, tore off the wrapper and put it in his mouth. He took off his hat and ruffled his own hair, muttering, "I was thinking… maybe I made a bit of a big deal out of nothing."
"Eh?"
"Even though I hate drunks, I have to admit one thing—she really did help you overcome your social anxiety to some extent by taking you to do street performances." Dio gazed at the moonlight and let out a long sigh. "At the celebration banquet, I also confirmed that this woman genuinely wants to help you. So what's the point of me competing with her?"
Dio complained, "It's really unfair. You girls, no matter which stranger you meet, they're all people who approach you with good intentions."
"Eh… Eh… Um… N-no…" Goto Hitori was at a loss.
So the gunpowder smell I felt wasn't my imagination…
"Ask whatever you want to ask."
Only then did she lower her head and ask softly, "Um… Dio, why are you doing this kind of thing?"
"No no! What am I even saying? How self-centered of me. Someone as outstanding as Dio definitely isn't doing it for a nobody like me, a grasshopper that no one cares about! Hehe…" As soon as she finished speaking, Goto Hitori regretted it. She quickly shook her head, laughed awkwardly, and started denying herself.
"No. I'm doing it for you, Bocchi."
Those light words landed and completely froze Goto Hitori in place for a long time.
She slightly opened her mouth but couldn't utter a single word.
"The first time I saw you, this Dio knew that for you, the hardest thing is opening your heart." Dio held up one finger and wagged it, then continued, "You need to understand one thing, Bocchi."
"Even when surrounded by the deepest darkness, that darkness will eventually give birth to light."
As he spoke, a dazzling light bloomed in Dio's hand. (It's a light sprite!)
Under the glow of this light, Dio's face became completely visible in the pitch-black night sky. Goto Hitori could clearly see Dio's long hair flowing in the wind.
So dazzling, and so desirable.
"You have already transformed and grown."
Dio's voice rang out in the night sky.
Thump! Thump!
In a person's life, there are always a few brave moments.
In the past, Goto Hitori would always become nervous from her violent heartbeat, unable to breathe, and choose to run away.
But this time, she could clearly feel her heartbeat reminding her that the time had come when she could no longer run away and had to be brave!
She tightly closed her eyes, grabbed Dio's hand, and even though she was still trembling, her stammering words couldn't hide her determination: "I…
The reason I was willing to try street performances… was all because Dio encouraged me!
Because that day Dio said, 'Trials' are meant to be overcome and completely resolved!
I believe that only by defeating my childish past can I truly grow!"
What happened after that, Goto Hitori couldn't remember clearly. The only thing she remembered was, after opening her eyes, the smiling corner of Dio's mouth.
Today's winner: Hiroi Kikuri's crushing defeat
(Why would an event where you can't drink happen at an izakaya!!!)