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18: Street Concert?
🕑 Added 2025-09-23 01:05:44 +0000 UTCNijika noticed that Ryo was acting strangely today.
She was always distracted in class, distracted when chatting, and even when eating, there were no signs of improvement.
During the lunch break.
"Ryo, are you okay?" asked the little angel Nijika with concern.
Why does she look like the heroine of a TV drama whose lover has died? And it's the kind of plot where the lover has been in love for over ten years, only for them to finally get run over and killed by a car.
"I'm fine."
Ryo snapped back to her senses and chewed her food in small bites, her tone as calm as ever.
"But you've been distracted all day today." Nijika recalled Bocchi-chan's speech from yesterday and joked, "Could it be that Ryo is like Bocchi-chan and has someone she likes?"
Ryo was silent for a few seconds, then took a piece of vegetable from Nijika's bento box and put it in her mouth, chewing as she slowly replied, "No."
Since she was too poor, she always ate from Little Angel Nijika's lunch at school… without paying anything, of course.
Nijika was worried she would starve, so she put extra vegetables in the bento every day.
"If Ryo has someone she likes, tell me."
"... Mmm."
Ryo hadn't slept well all night. That villain Toru wrote every detail of their relationship in his apology letter. He also said he regretted not being able to grow old with her, regretted not being able to help her wear a wedding dress. And that after he was gone, she should eat well.
Ryo couldn't take it, when she read it, she burst into tears. Her eyes shed small tears. After all, it had been so hard to hold back and not cry.
She cried continuously until late at night.
She did her best to play the song "Ryo" that Toru gave her as a gift, and then shed tears while playing the bass. Damn it! His music was too good!
After all that, Miss Ryo felt like she was seriously ill. She had actually fallen in love with a fictional character.
What is this, cyber-widowhood? This is too rock 'n' roll!
What's even worse is that now she knows the person Hitori likes is Toru… This could be the beginning of a depression for her.
"There will be more training for Kessoku Band next time. By the way, have you made any progress on the song you wanted to write last time?"
"Yeah, I already have some ideas."
Ryo heard Nijika's voice and felt healed.
As expected, Nijika was the best. Ryo thought to herself how great Nijika was and took another piece of her favorite fried chicken.
"Ah! My fried chicken nuggets! Put them down right now!" The little angel Nijika's eyes turned red because all her nuggets had been eaten!
"Nijika, I love you."
Ryo swallowed the fried nuggets in one gulp, expressionless, without the slightest regret.
After all, Nijika was her best friend and would never betray her over trivial matters.
"So mean! I won't forgive you! Even if you say you love me, I won't give in!"
The little angel Nijika directly picked up the lunchbox from the desk.
Ryo blinked and said sweetly, "I'm sorry."
"I won't forgive you~"
Nijika made a cute face and turned her head away to avoid looking at the puppy-like, pitiful eyes of the other party, otherwise, she would soften.
———
A few days later.
At Live House STARRY, everyone in Kessoku Band was worried about one thing.
Hitori was so shy that even after her first live session, she still couldn't bring herself to play the guitar in front of strangers.
"Bocchi-chan… My sister and PA-san aren't strangers."
Nijika pushed a box in front of her labeled "Ripe Mango."
"You guys still haven't thrown away this box?" Seika Ijichi took a sip of an apple-flavored drink and complained.
The PA-san with long black hair and a fashionable dress on the side said, "Ah, that's so interesting."
"Interesting? Isn't it embarrassing for a guitarist to be afraid of an audience?"
Seika Ijichi, who was sitting on a chair, tossed her empty drink container into the trash can and stood up.
"Do you have your songs ready?" Seika asked somewhat awkwardly.
She was very concerned about Kessoku Band's songwriting progress but was too embarrassed to say it directly.
"Of course, it's already done."
"Well, I have an audition in a week. I hope you can impress me."
Seika Ijichi shook her head and left the practice area arrogantly.
PA also smiled at the Kessoku Band members before following Seika.
After they left...
Hitori climbed out of the box and collapsed on the floor, gasping for air.
"Ryo, we have to make Bocchi-chan braver!"
"Yeah." Ryo nodded.
"Senpai, as far as I know, this might be difficult to fix in a short time. Is there really a good way?" Ikuyo Kita asked worriedly.
The practice room fell silent.
They thought for a few minutes.
"...How about playing outdoors?" suggested Ryo.
Street performances were good practice and allowed them to interact closely with the audience.
But one thing worth noting was that Hitori couldn't play alone, she needed a partner.
"Today is Friday, and there's no class tomorrow. Ryo, your idea sounds good." Nijika looked at Hitori, who was gradually turning black and white, seemingly about to turn to ashes.
"Bocchi-chan, you can't, you can't run away."
"B-but…"
In Hitori's eyes, there were now two devil horns on the little angel Nijika's head.
Ahhh! The angel has turned into a demon… and she's going to be devoured~
"Bocchi-chan, is this the extent of your determination?"
"..."
If it were a normal person, the spark of determination might have ignited.
But Hitori, the timid pink snake, simply shrank back into the mango box and didn't dare come out.
She! Gotoh Hitori! Is a coward!
Red bean paste secret mosaic technique!
"Bocchi." Ryo leaned over to the box.
"Ah… wh-what."
Can't hear, can't hear. Going out to perform is absolutely impossible. She'd die. She really would die. Today, Hitori would rather starve to death! Die inside this box! She would never set one foot outside the live house!
"Your guitar skills have improved a ton lately. If you play out on the street, I'm sure tons of passersby will praise you…"
Before Ryo could finish, Hitori was already lost in her own fantasies, scratching the back of her head inside the box and giggling sheepishly.
"N-no way, I'm not nearly as amazing as the Queen of Rock…"
Nijika: "O▽O"
Bocchi-chan, you're way too easy to handle.
"Ryo-senpai, Nijika-senpai…" Ikuyo Kita said apologetically, "My parents messaged me half an hour ago, telling me to come home on time. Gotoh-san, I might not be able to go with you."
Eh, eh, eh.
Will it really be okay with just me as the only guitarist?
Hitori, Courage -1.
"Um, Ryo," Nijika also looked apologetic, lowering her voice. "Street performances are really troublesome when it comes to moving a drum set, and besides, a lot of what I'm using now belongs to the exhibition hall…"
Wait, what?
The drummer's not coming either?
Hitori, Courage -2.
"Let's do our best together, Bocchi."
Ryo's calm, unreadable face turned toward Hitori… or rather, her box.
…No way, no way!!
If it's just the bassist, then I'll be the one drawing all the attention! But no one cares about the bassist!!
After accidentally telling a bassist joke in her head, Hitori shook her head furiously inside the box, muttering, "…mumumumumu oysters."
She was going to die! As a pitiful little sewer-dwelling creature of the dark, exposure to sunlight meant certain death!
"Waiiiiiii—!"
No one knew what kind of delusion she had, but after letting out a bizarre shriek, the mango box containing Hitori tipped straight over onto the floor!
Bocchi-chan, defeated! Deceased, age 15.
