Chapter 107: Footsteps

Today, Ishikawa Hayato was again at the front desk with Ryo.

Ishikawa Hayato checked tickets, while Ryo slacked off.

Only when Ishikawa Hayato went to the restroom or for other matters would Ryo take over.

The two worked together with excellent synergy.

After the initial rush of people had subsided, during the lulls when only one or two people would enter at a time, Ishikawa Hayato thought back of what had just happened. 

Facing forward and looking at the half-open door, he said to Ryo, "Ryo, I'm really grateful to you."

"You could have handled it better yourself."

Ryo's tone carried a slight hint of displeasure.

She resented Ishikawa Hayato's gratitude for something she felt she had done wrong.

"That has nothing to do with it. I was touched by your support, Ryo."

Ishikawa Hayato's voice was relaxed.

He seemed completely unconcerned, neither by what Ryo had said to his past friend nor by her slight slight annoyance.

Their gazes met, and there was a pause in their conversation.

After a long moment, Ryo finally asked:

"Hayato, will you one day also say, 'I'm tired of it,' and then leave?"

"I can't promise that."

His answer made Ryo gasp slightly.

But he continued, "I should have many ways to make a living in the future, so I'm not worried about that aspect of life."

"Let me think, hmm, if the band becomes like Ryo's previous band, or if communication among us decreases, or if two or three people get tired of it..."

Ishikawa Hayato spoke, then suddenly smiled, looking back at Ryo.

"Oh no, it seems there are quite a few possibilities."

Ryo also realized how foolish her question was.

"Then, accomplice, promise me you won't leave the band one day without any reason."

"Okay."

He raised his hand, his voice solemn and serious.

"I promise Ryo that I will absolutely not leave the band without informing Ryo."

"I believe you."

Ryo's seemingly emotionless voice resonated in the air for a long time, reaching Ishikawa Hayato's heart.

....

Despite when it was time to close up for the night, after quickly cleaning up the shop after the revelry, the five of them walked together towards the practice room.

Ishikawa Hayato noticed that although they tried to act normal, their worries and thoughts had not disappeared with time.

They entered the practice room.

Taking out their respective instruments, Ishikawa Hayato connected the amplifier cable to the keyboard and plugged it in.

He casually tested the sound a few times, then said to Nijika:

"Nijika, I need to take two days off."

"Hmm?"

Nijika looked up in surprise.

"To take care of something," Ishikawa Hayato replied vaguely.

"Hayato... you don't have to help someone who doesn't like you..."

Hitori said, her head down, her gaze on the floor, hugging her Guitar tightly.

Nijika, Kita, and Ryo looked at Hitori with slight surprise, then glanced at Ishikawa Hayato.

Seeing his surprised expression, they realized Hitori wasn't wrong.

They hadn't expected Hitori to be so perceptive.

After recovering, Nijika also advised:

"That's right, Hayato-kun, you have to cut ties cleanly."

Ishikawa Hayato looked at Kita's and Ryo's reactions, seeing that they also strongly agreed with what the other two had said.

"Even though you say that, you all seem quite concerned about it."

The four of them froze, looking at each other.

In this pause, Ishikawa Hayato pulled out a white lab coat from somewhere, turned around, and put it on.

As the white coat fluttered, he let out an exaggerated laugh, his back to the four of them.

"Hahahaha! A pervert's life cannot have regrets. Leader, please let me go!"

Ryo suddenly said at this moment:

"Isn't that cruel to Hongo?"

Hayato Ishikawa knew that if Tsubasa Hongo found out that the task she’d been entrusting him with for so long—one he’d failed to accomplish—was simply because it might affect the others’ moods, and that he’d acted on a whim, she would be very resentful.

He turned back, feigning mystery, and said:

“I’m going there with hope, after all.”

Ryo looked at him but didn't ask further.

Seeing that Ryo was also silent, Nijika helplessly glanced at the other two, and seeing that they also had no way to deal with Ishikawa Hayato, she said to Ishikawa Hayato:

"Alright, but..."

She spoke halfway, and Kita continued, raising her index finger to emphasize the importance of her words.

"You absolutely have to come back to me. I won't allow you to be taken away."

Ishikawa Hayato looked at the two of them in surprise, admiringly saying:

"They actually coordinated!? A beautiful combo!"

Ryo glanced at the clock above the practice room and said to the playful group:

"It's late, let's practice quickly."

...

Evening, on the way home.

Kita was thinking about what Ryo had asked during practice.

She had asked Ishikawa Hayato what the rules Hongo Amane mentioned were, and also about her interpretation of the statement: 'Is it wrong to care for those around you?'

Ishikawa Hayato honestly explained the rules, then added:

"You could say it's wrong, or you could say it's not wrong. I know a lot of people—some aren’t even in Tokyo—and I can't possibly care for each and every one of them."

"And she thinks I ran away from her, which is why I'm not looking after the club. The truth is, I think it's reached a dead end. If I help her, it would just be a meaningless waste of my time."

ーReturning to the present.

Kita looked at Ishikawa Hayato beside her.

His face held a relaxed and pleasant smile, and his eyes scanned their surroundings, as if he could never tire of looking at the street.

His mood was not affected in the slightest by the afternoon's events.

As they walked, his hair swayed slightly.

Kita suddenly noticed that Ishikawa Hayato's hair had grown a bit longer. Was he changing his hairstyle?

She didn't ask.

The longer she interacted with Ishikawa Hayato, the more she felt that he was completely different from the person she had initially learned about through third party information.

The guardian deity of Kawaguchi City students, who single-handedly eliminated all delinquent groups in Kawaguchi City, virtually eliminating all elements that lead to robbery and bullying, an invincible pervert.

But in her eyes.

He was just someone who would subtly sexually harass band members, was quite... handsome, incredibly strong, learned things quickly, had excellent grades, was reliable in his dealings with people, liked to play strange imitations, and fully expressed his individuality.

'Oh, and he’s has a harem, and it seemed Ryo-senpai was already falling for him.'

Thinking of this, she suddenly remembered Hongo Amane's words from the afternoon, and a few worries couldn't help but surface in Kita's heart.

'Would he take responsibility?'

"Um, Kita, I know I'm handsome, but don't keep staring at me like this. It doesn't look good on the street."

Ishikawa Hayato endured for a while before saying this to Kita, who had been staring at him.

Kita suddenly snapped back to reality.

She realized she had been unconsciously looking at Ishikawa Hayato for a long time, and now both Hitori and Ishikawa Hayato were looking at her.

She immediately panicked, worried that the two of them had figured out what she was thinking. 

She quickly mumbled indistinctly:

"I... I just noticed Ishikawa-kun, your hair has grown! Are you going to grow it out?"

Ishikawa Hayato was surprised that his intention to grow his hair long had been noticed.

"Yeah, I'm planning to grow some bangs."

He said, pinching the hair on his forehead, feeling it still wasn't long enough.

"I'm not in a sports club anymore, so I wanted to change my image."

He turned to Hitori next to him and asked, "Hitori, what do you think?"

Hitori was caught off guard by his sudden question.

Her tongue tied for a while before she managed to say:

"Hayato... Whatever Hayato wants to do is fine.”

Ishikawa Hayato was left helpless at her answer. 

He leaned closer to Kita, nudging Kita's arm with his own, and said:

"Kita, what score would you give Hitori's answer?"

Kita gave Ishikawa Hayato a disdainful look.

"Inciting discord isn't good, you know."

Although Kita's answer was very subtle, Hitori immediately understood that her answer was a 0-point answer!

Just as she was flustered and didn't know what to do, Ishikawa Hayato patted her head and looked down at her.

"But Hitori, your bangs are a bit long. Do you want to trim them?"

Panic appeared in Hitori's eyes. She seemed very hesitant but still said:

"Eh, ah, um, okay."

Seeing her reaction, Ishikawa Hayato lightly flicked her forehead with his finger.

"Never mind."

Kita smiled slightly, watching their interaction, but also noticed that they were approaching their parting point. Her gaze lingered on Ishikawa Hayato for a moment before she said:

"You two are really lovey-dovey, aren't you? I'll head off first."

"Be careful on your way."

"I know~"

After Kita left, Ishikawa Hayato and Hitori walked quietly towards the station for a while.

Ishikawa Hayato was just wondering whether to chat with Hitori about something when he felt Hitori's hand seemingly move subtly towards his.

He smiled and took her hand.

He was thinking that Hitori was getting bolder now, and he even felt a little happy, when he saw ahead.

On the night road, a couple walked extremely close to each other, their arms intertwined as they held hands, chatting happily.

They crossed paths with Ishikawa Hayato and Hitori.

Ishikawa Hayato even overheard them talking about dinner that night, and going to a yakiniku restaurant next time.

Next to him, Hitori hesitated, unsure whether to speak up.

She looked up at Ishikawa Hayato and saw that he was also looking at the couple she had noticed earlier.

She thought for a moment and leaned closer to Ishikawa Hayato.

Ishikawa Hayato snapped back to reality.

At this moment, Hitori's arm was touching his waist, and he felt his arm vaguely brush against Hitori's chest.

Because the distance was too ambiguous, he wasn't even sure if he had touched her.

This feeling made him alert.

He looked at Hitori, but she had her head down, her bangs covering her eyes, making it impossible to tell if she did it on purpose or by accident.

Hitori suddenly spoke at this moment.

"Hayato, I'm sorry... I didn't dare to speak up for you this afternoon."

Hearing Hitori’s thoughts, Ishikawa Hayato felt quite pleased. 

He slightly tightened his grip on Hitori's soft little hand and asked with a smile, "Didn't you?"

He watched Hitori look up with a surprised expression and continued, "Although Ryo's voice was loud and clear, I still heard Hitori say something like, 'Don’t force others to do things they don’t want to do.’"

Ishikawa Hayato was not making it up.

He had indeed heard it.

However, that voice was truly smaller than a mosquito's buzz, so much so that Hitori herself probably wasn't sure if she was just thinking it or if she had actually said it out loud.

Hitori's surprised face quickly broke into a smile, and she happily leaned towards Ishikawa Hayato.

Ishikawa Hayato froze for a moment, took a sharp breath, and looked up at the sky.

The bright moon hung high in the night sky, illuminating its surroundings.

Tonight’s moon was as soft as a marshmallow.

If you pressed a finger against it, it would collapse quickly like a lunar eclipse, and then immediately return to a perfectly round full moon once you let go.

He really wanted to knead it!

His hands made terrifying creaking sounds as he squeezed them.

Hitori seemed oblivious, leaning against Ishikawa Hayato for a while, then remembered something and said to Ishikawa Hayato, "Hayato, I've decided. Next semester, I want to live with you, and I've already told my mom and dad."

Ishikawa Hayato, who had originally intended to confirm with her soon, withdrew his words after hearing the latter half of Hitori's sentence.

"Alright then, at the end of summer vacation, we’ll look for a place to rent together over here.”

"Mhm!"