Chisato simply bought two boxes of sushi and a few bottles of milk for lunch. The four members of the band didn't have large appetites, so they didn't eat much.
Someone's phone was playing soft music in the background. They leaned back on the sofa, closing their eyes for a brief rest.
The afternoon would be the same as the morning—constant practice, with no breaks.
After all, this was their first time officially participating in a music event, and they had no choice but to give it their all and prepare thoroughly.
Once Chisato finished cleaning up the table, he received a call from Iroha.
After greeting the others and letting them know he was heading out to pick her up, he temporarily left the shop.
The moment he left, the remaining three members all glanced at Hitori, their gazes subtle yet complicated.
They all knew exactly who Chisato had gone to pick up. They hadn't forgotten what they had occasionally witnessed outside before—
The reality that the one who had to stay in the shadows in this relationship was actually Bocchi.
It was hard to believe, but it was a truth she had admitted herself.
That day, when she confessed everything to her bandmates, neither Ikuyo nor Nijika explicitly expressed any opinions after Hitori spoke up.
However, just because they hadn't commented on it didn't mean the situation didn't exist.
And now, with Chisato's official girlfriend coming over, Hitori was still acting so calm—
In a way, they had underestimated her.
Watching Hitori casually lean against the sofa, waving slightly to Chisato before closing her eyes and falling into a peaceful nap, the three of them all had the same thought.
"Would this count as Bocchi's first direct confrontation with Chisato's official girlfriend?"
Ryo leaned closer to the other two, lowering her voice so as not to disturb Hitori's nap.
Her expression, however, wasn't one of concern—rather, it was anticipation.
She was fully embracing the role of an eager spectator in this drama.
After all, this was a real-life love triangle—two girls interested in the same person, with an open and hidden battle about to unfold before their eyes.
How could that not be exciting?
She had considered the possibility that Hitori's personality might put her at a disadvantage, but this was Starry, the territory of their band, Kesshoku Band.
Even if that girl lost her temper and tried something drastic, they wouldn't just stand by and watch.
Besides, Chisato wasn't the kind of guy who would let the two of them actually start fighting in front of him.
With all these factors in mind, Ryo concluded that, no matter how tense the situation got, it wouldn't spiral too far out of control. So, she remained completely at ease.
"Who knows? I do feel bad for Bocchi, but this was her own choice. There's nothing we can do about it."
Ikuyo glanced at Hitori beside her, her expression somewhat strange.
"But, I have to admit, she's gotten much braver recently.
She knows full well that Chisato is bringing his official girlfriend here, yet as the… uh, later arrival, she's showing no concern at all. Look, she's even sleeping so soundly."
Nijika shook her head.
"That's unrelated. She's only sleeping this deeply because she stayed up late practicing guitar at home. Didn't you see how she made mistakes in practice this morning?"
"That's true."
"As for what's about to happen… there's no point in us worrying about it as bystanders. In the end, it's their problem, and they have to deal with it themselves.
The only thing we need to do as friends is support Bocchi when she makes her decision."
Ryo smiled warmly, though there was a trace of loneliness in her expression. She reached out and ruffled Nijika's hair as she stood up.
"You've grown up."
"Idiot Ryo, what kind of old grandma just possessed you?!"
…
Chisato stood at the train station exit, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone when he heard light footsteps and a familiar humming from behind him.
He turned around, and sure enough, it was Iroha.
She wore light makeup today, carrying a small shoulder bag, dressed in a simple T-shirt and denim shorts.
For a brief moment, Chisato's gaze was drawn to her fair, radiant legs.
Iroha jogged over with a smile, stopping in front of him while taking quick breaths. She fanned herself with one hand before greeting him.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Senpai."
Chisato studied her carefully. She looked far more energetic than she had sounded during their phone call earlier.
"W-What is it?"
His open and direct gaze made Iroha a little self-conscious.
She slightly parted her lips, twirling a lock of her hair between her fingers and turning her head to the side—though her eyes still secretly peeked at him.
As the gentle breeze stirred her silky, elegant hair, Chisato shook his head without answering her question. Instead, he asked,
"Went to the salon?"
"Eh?"
Iroha blinked in surprise. Her big, brown eyes clearly reflected her delight.
"Senpai, you noticed?"
"Yeah, it's a subtle change from before. But it looks nice—it suits you."
"Thanks! But wow, you're amazing for noticing. I actually got a hair treatment two days ago, and you're the first one to realize."
That was a lie.
Unlike Hitori or Kazusa, Iroha was outgoing and sociable, with plenty of chatty friends at school.
Many people had noticed her small change and complimented her, including a certain upperclassman she often used to conceal her true feelings.
But none of their praise mattered as much as Chisato's words just now. The emotions they stirred within her were on an entirely different level.
So, she wanted to give his compliment a special meaning.
Nobody else noticed—only you did.
However, Chisato showed no reaction to her words. He merely gave a small nod, then turned around, gesturing for her to follow.
Iroha pursed her lips, trying to suppress the smile that kept creeping onto her face.
She quickly caught up and walked beside him.
"By the way, Senpai, working on a Sunday must be tough, huh?"
"I'm not working during the day. I'm at the shop for something else."
"What is it?"
"You'll see soon enough."
"Oh…"
The weather was quite hot today, and the sun was shining brightly. Before heading out, Iroha had applied sunscreen, but she still disliked walking in direct sunlight.
If she had known, she would've brought a parasol. Maybe that could've helped her get a little closer to Senpai.
But then again… Senpai probably wouldn't want to stand under a parasol, would he?
While she mulled over various thoughts, Chisato suddenly came to a stop.
He pointed to a dimly lit sign in the distance.
"That's the place. My part-time job."
"Oh, it looks nice."
But if that's his workplace, why stop here?
"The store doesn't have much to offer you. Let's stop here—I'll treat you to some ice cream."
Right beside them was an ice cream shop.
Considering Chisato's wallet, Iroha only ordered the most basic milk ice cream. Even so, it cost over 800 yen.
She figured that was probably about an hour's worth of his part-time wages. As she licked the tip of her ice cream, she wondered how she could return the favor.
"Senpai, you bought four of them. Can you really finish them all?"
"Are you an idiot? Obviously, these are for other people."
"Hehe."
Even though he insulted her, for some reason, she still felt happy.
"Senpai, you seem to get along well with your coworkers."
"Coworkers, huh…? You could say that. You've met them before—the four girls you saw the day I helped you practice for your date."
"Uh…"
They had arrived at the entrance of Starry Hall, but Iroha suddenly stopped in her tracks.
After that day, Chisato had messaged her, saying the crisis was temporarily averted and that she didn't need to worry at all. But how could she not worry?
After all, Chisato had never explained his relationship with them. From her perspective, those four girls were undoubtedly his targets—ones he had already won over!
Setting aside what had happened before, today, she had dressed lightly and deliberately come with a different mindset, hoping for something to happen between them.
But if those four girls were present, she wouldn't have any chances at all! She couldn't just make a move in front of them—that would definitely get noticed, and who knew how they would react?
"What's wrong? You look pale. Did you eat the ice cream too fast and get a brain freeze?"
Noticing that Iroha hadn't followed, Chisato turned around and asked, concerned.
Iroha bit her lip and steeled herself.
It had been hard enough to get him to meet her—she couldn't just back down out of fear.
TV shows and novels always portrayed band members as reckless, smoking, drinking, and acting like delinquents, but with Senpai around, no matter how bad the situation got, she wouldn't be in any real danger, right?
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she replied, "It's nothing."
With that, she braced herself and followed Chisato into Starry Night.
The interior was just as she imagined—walls covered in cryptic graffiti, a faint smell of alcohol in the air.
The space was large but not messy, with the empty stage being the most eye-catching.
Surrounding it were speakers, a microphone stand at the center, and a tangle of cables below.
But more importantly, she didn't see the four girls Chisato had mentioned.
"Wait here for a bit," Chisato said.
"Oh… okay."
Following his lead, Iroha sat at the bar, placing her bag beside her.
She watched curiously as Chisato entered a room, only to return in less than a minute.
When he sat down next to her, she blinked and pointed toward the room, hesitating before asking.
"They're busy preparing for a music festival. Time is tight, so they'll be practicing in the recording room all afternoon. Why, do you want to go in and say hi?"
"N-No! They're so busy, I wouldn't want to disturb them. Maybe another time!"
Iroha waved her hands frantically.
What a joke—she was trying to avoid them, not walk straight into their den!
Chisato grabbed the napkin holder from the bar and placed it in front of her, pointing at the corner of his own mouth to indicate she had ice cream on hers.
Blushing, Iroha quickly turned away to wipe her mouth, embarrassed about her appearance.
In doing so, her movements inadvertently revealed the smooth curve of her upper thighs—borderline between thigh and hip.
Chisato remained expressionless as he stood up, walked behind the bar, tossed some money into the register, and grabbed two bottles of soda before sitting back down.
"Shhh—"
As he twisted the cap, a sharp fizz escaped, filling the air with a fresh lemon scent.
"Alright, let's get to the real topic. What trouble are you having with your love life now?"
Chisato started the conversation, reminding her that she had used this as an excuse to call him out today.
Iroha hesitated for a moment, straightened her posture, and her demeanor shifted—taking on a hint of melancholy.
Her delicate fingers reached out cautiously, gently tugging at the hem of Chisato's shirt.
"I really don't know what to do anymore, Senpai…"
Even knowing she was likely acting, her expression was so disarming that it was impossible to dislike her—this was her natural talent.
"What exactly happened?"
"After following your advice, I made an attempt… but it didn't seem to work."
"What do you mean?"
"I asked Senpai out and spent an entire afternoon with him, but there wasn't even a hint of romance. No progress at all."
"That's surprising."
Chisato openly looked her up and down, only stopping when her cheeks flushed slightly.
"I may not be the best person to say this, but Isshiki, you're actually pretty cute."
"Cute, huh…"
It was nice to hear, but if possible, Iroha wished he would use other words—like sexy, beautiful, or charming.
"If you've clearly expressed your feelings, showing your desire to get closer, and he still hasn't reacted at all, then maybe the issue isn't with you—it's with him."
"Him…?"
"Yeah. Maybe your Senpai already likes someone else, which is why he's ignoring your advances."
Chisato spoke meaningfully as he gently took her hand, which was still gripping his shirt, and placed it lightly on her knee.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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