The bell signaling the end of the lunch break temporarily broke the suffocating low pressure inside class 2-f.
Ai sat in his seat, appearing as steady as a mountain on the surface while reading an original English novel, but in reality, his mind was frantically calculating his “survival rate.”
To his front left, although Yotsuya Miko had turned back to listen to the lecture, the black aura of “resentment” above her head was almost solidifying.
The lead in her mechanical pencil had snapped for the third time; each “click” sounded like a hammer against Ai’s nerves.
In his pocket, his phone was still vibrating.
It was a message bombardment from Goto Ichiri.
Although that social recluse usually hesitated for ages just to send a punctuation mark, her hand speed became surprisingly fast whenever it involved guitars or “Master.”
[Um… if you’re busy, it’s okay…]
[I can record it and send it to you…]
[But… as expected, I still want Master to hear it in person…]
[Uuuu, sorry, I got carried away again…]
[Um… I’ll be waiting for you at STARRY… I’ll wait forever…]
Ai glanced at the screen and sighed helplessly.
Hearing something like “wait forever” from Bocchi’s mouth had surprisingly high destructive power.
Because she really would crouch in that dark corner like an earth-bound spirit until she grew mold.
The bell for the end of school rang.
Ai quickly packed his bag, his movements fluid and without any unnecessary pauses.
He had to take the initiative before Yotsuya could make her move.
“Yotsuya.”
He walked to Yotsuya’s desk, his voice cool.
Yotsuya looked up sharply, the resentment in her eyes instantly transforming into surprise, but she quickly forced it down, turning it into a pitiful expression.
“Fujiwara-kun… are you going to ‘fix the guitar’ again?”
She emphasized the words “fix the guitar,” clearly brooding over this reason.
“Yeah.”
Ai didn’t deny it, nor did he explain much.
For girls with yandere potential, excessive explanations would only be seen as a cover-up.
He reached out and lightly pressed his hand on top of Yotsuya’s head.
“Be good.”
“I’ll bring you pudding when I get back.”
This combination of a “head pat” and a “feeding promise” was the soothing strategy recommended by the system.
It was super effective.
Yotsuya’s face instantly turned red, and her originally tense body softened, like a cat having its fur stroked. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“Then… then I want that limited edition one from the convenience store…”
She muttered softly; although she was still a bit reluctant, at least she wasn’t blackening anymore.
“Got it.”
Ai withdrew his hand, turned, and walked out of the classroom…
Shimokitazawa, STARRY.
The Live House was busier than usual today; it seemed there was a multi-band performance tonight.
Ai walked into the basement with practiced ease.
As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw that familiar pink figure.
Goto Ichiri was huddled in the darkest corner of the bar, clutching her guitar, radiating an aura of “you can’t see me, you can’t see me.”
Beside her, Ijichi Nijika was chatting with her older sister, Seika, occasionally casting a worried glance at Bocchi.
“Ah! Fujiwara-kun!”
The sharp-eyed Nijika spotted Ai immediately and waved enthusiastically.
“You’re finally here! Bocchi-chan has been waiting for you for so long, she’s almost starting to grow mushrooms!”
At the mention of “Fujiwara-kun,” the pink creature huddled in the corner trembled violently.
She slowly turned her head, and those eyes that were always dodging met Ai’s, bursting with a startling light.
“M… Master!”
She tried to stand up to greet him, but because she had been crouching for too long, her legs were numb.
She wobbled like a roly-poly toy and almost fell face-first.
Ai was quick, stepping forward to catch her shoulder with one hand.
“Careful.”
His tone was as cold as ever, but his grip was steady.
“S-Sorry! I… I’m a loser… I can’t even stand steadily…”
Bocchi-chan instantly entered her self-loathing mode, her face turning as red as a ripe tomato, and her eyes began to glaze over as if she had fallen into some strange fantasy again.
“Where’s the song?”
Ai ignored her muttering and cut straight to the point.
At the mention of the song, Bocchi-chan’s eyes changed.
The focus and persistence belonging to “Guitar Hero” returned to her.
“H-Here.”
She pulled a crumpled sheet of music from her pocket and handed it to Ai.
“I… I wrote it while thinking of Master… ah, no! I wrote it while thinking of the feeling of our session that day!” This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Ai took the sheet music.
The handwriting was messy, and some notes were even drawn crookedly, but he could tell it was written with great care.
He scanned the melody.
It was very oppressive.
It started with a low arpeggio, full of loneliness and self-doubt.
But in the chorus, the melody suddenly became passionate and violent, like a gap being torn open in the darkness—it was a longing for light and a cry for “being understood.”
“Go try it.”
Ai handed the sheet music back to her and pointed to the stage.
“Eh? R-Right now?”
Bocchi-chan glanced at the other band members adjusting their equipment nearby and instantly lost her nerve.
“There… there are so many people…”
“Look at me.”
Ai’s voice was low and powerful.
Bocchi subconsciously looked up, meeting those deep black eyes.
“This song was written for me, right?”
Ai asked.
“Y-Yes!” Bocchi stammered in admission.
“Then just play it for me.”
Ai walked to the front of the stage, found a place to sit, crossed his legs, and folded his arms, adopting the posture of being the “sole audience member.”
“Everything else is unimportant.”
Those words seemed to have a magical power.
Bocchi-chan took a deep breath.
She looked at the boy sitting below the stage.
Although he always had a cold face and spoke very little, when she was near him, she felt she was no longer a dark monster, but a recognized guitarist.
‘Play it only for him…’
‘A song that belongs only to the two of us…’
She picked up her guitar and walked onto the stage.
Plugged in, tuned up.
The moment her fingers touched the strings, the socially anxious Goto Ichiri disappeared.
In her place stood Guitar Hero.
*Clang—*
The distorted tone exploded.