When Chisato stepped off the stage, he was immediately greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm.
Compared to what Kesshoku Band had experienced after their morning performance, what he was facing now could only be described as gentle treatment.
The moment he stepped off the stage, he was instantly surrounded.
Nearly half of the people were reporters, either for print or video, with several microphones practically shoved into his face as they tried to interview him.
The other half consisted of enthusiastic audience members who had been moved by his singing. Most of them wanted autographs or photos.
In short, the scene was utter chaos.
The rest of the band had it easy. They weren't the focus of the performance, so after stepping down, they safely retreated to the side.
They could only watch, exchanging helpless glances, as Chisato was surrounded by the crowd, sweating profusely.
Only Chisato, trapped in the middle, truly understood the ordeal.
One hand clutched the brim of his cap, pulling it low to avoid being captured in full view, while the other protected his body.
God knows why there were people taking advantage of the chaos to grope him—a grown man, no less.
Whether intentional or accidental, he couldn't tell. Given the situation, he couldn't resort to force; otherwise, he would have long since broken through the crowd using his professional-level combat skills.
In the end, it was Seika who made a dramatic entrance, living up to her title as the "Demon King of Ochanomizu."
Like a hero, she grabbed a folding chair from backstage and banged it against a nearby steel pillar, producing an ear-splitting noise.
Then, with an imposing presence, she forced her way into the stunned crowd and pulled Chisato out, standing guard in front of him like an immovable fortress.
With her intervention and the subsequent efforts of the belatedly arriving staff, the commotion finally began to settle.
By then, it was already past five in the afternoon.
They had been delayed by over an hour.
"Alright, you guys shouldn't head back behind the stage for now. The place is crawling with reporters and fans watching your every move.
Just rest here until it's time for the performance. I'll go get you something to eat, so don't wander off."
In the parking lot, Seika, who had at some point tied her hair into a neat ponytail, spoke in the tone of a parent giving instructions to a child.
After finishing, she slammed the van door shut and walked off.
After she left, the four members of the band inside the van simultaneously turned their gazes toward Chisato.
For a moment, silence filled the air. From the end of the performance until now, they finally had time and space to be alone together like this.
On stage, they had so much they wanted to say to Chisato, so many questions they wanted to ask.
But now that they finally had the chance to speak, for some reason, none of them could bring themselves to be the first to open their mouths.
Their emotions were extremely complicated. This stalemate lasted for nearly two minutes before Chisato broke the silence.
"Sorry for taking the stage without consulting you guys first."
Before anything else, he placed his hands on his thighs, lowered his head slightly, and offered a makeshift apology.
But the moment Chisato spoke, things took an unexpected turn.
Before Hitori—who was closest to him emotionally—could even respond, Ikuyo, who had endured so much pressure and ridicule on stage, felt a lump rise in her throat.
Her body moved before her mind could catch up, and she suddenly burst into tears.
"Uwaaaah!"
Like a child who had been holding back her grievances until she saw her mother, she threw herself into Chisato's arms, wrapped her arms around his waist, and sobbed uncontrollably.
Chisato had never expected that speaking up would lead to this.
His hands froze awkwardly in mid-air, unsure of what to do.
In this situation, pushing her away seemed wrong, but not pushing her away also felt inappropriate—he was caught in a dilemma.
Meanwhile, Hitori's reaction was nothing short of spectacular—like a deer caught in headlights.
Her mouth opened slightly, her expression blank, and her left hand reached out uncertainly, only to stop in midair without making any further movement.
She looked as though she wanted to say something but was completely unable to get the words out due to the atmosphere.
Nijika was the first to notice this. As the band's leader, she was usually responsible for guiding and taking care of everyone.
She could understand Ikuyo's need to vent her emotions after making mistakes on stage, but she also understood just how complicated Hitori's feelings must be at that moment.
So, to prevent any cracks from forming in their friendship, Nijika made a swift decision.
"Uuuuuuuhhh—!"
In the next moment, another person clung to Chisato.
Nijika let out a cry no weaker than Ikuyo's. But unlike Ikuyo's outburst, hers was more of a tearful celebration.
Thanks to her initiative, the atmosphere shifted from awkwardness to warmth.
It became nothing more than a heartfelt celebration among bandmates who had successfully completed their performance.
Nijika even took a quick peek at Hitori's face. As expected, her expression had calmed down significantly, and she no longer looked as shaken.
Seeing that this trick worked, Nijika immediately nudged Ryo with her foot. In a situation like this, the more people involved, the better. The more chaotic, the better.
Thus, a moment later, Ryo also joined the fray.
However, she had a different agenda—pure comedy.
With Chisato's upper body already occupied by Ikuyo and Nijika, and with no room to move in the cramped van, she opted to grab onto his thigh and wail.
"Uuuuuuuhhh~ uuuuuuuhhh~ uuuuuuuuuuuhhh~!"
There was no real emotion, just awful acting.
Her exaggerated display caused Hitori, who had been frozen in place, to burst into laughter.
Her laughter, in turn, helped ease the tension in the van, especially for Ikuyo.
Once Ikuyo had finally vented all her emotions, she realized the position she was in with Chisato and immediately recoiled like a startled rabbit.
"Ah! Ah…!"
Her face turned bright red as she looked at Chisato, stammering for words. In the end, she turned to Hitori instead, bowing deeply.
"I'm so sorry, Bocchi-chan!"
"Eh?!"
Hitori was completely taken aback.
"Ah, um… no, wait… why are you apologizing?"
"Because I got carried away just now… with your boyfriend… I…"
"She's right! I need to apologize too! I'm really sorry, Bocchi-chan!"
Nijika also joined in on the apologies.
Hitori became even more flustered.
"N-no, no, no… I didn't mind at all!"
"I really regret it… Hugging someone else's boyfriend, even in a moment of emotional distress, is completely inexcusable! So… please punch me, Bocchi-chan!"
"Me too! Hit me in the face! I won't be able to forgive myself otherwise!"
"Please don't do this…"
Faced with the overwhelming sincerity of their apologies, it was now Hitori's turn to be on the verge of tears.
Meanwhile, watching all of this unfold, Chisato decided there was nothing to worry about anymore. With that, he let out a sigh and looked down.
"Hey, Ryo."
"Hmm?"
"You can let go of my thigh now."
Ryo looked up at him with clear, innocent eyes.
"Sorry, but this thigh gives me an overwhelming sense of security. I've decided I'm never letting go."
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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