Chapter 111: Rain

Nijika responded emotionlessly, "Yes, yes, Hayato-kun, why are you suddenly back?"

Ishikawa Hayato walked into the room and sat at the square table, squeezing between Nijika and Hitori, who were closest to the door.

"Things are pretty much done. I felt someone summoning me, so I came back."

He finished speaking and saw them looking at him with the same astonishment as if he were an alien, but he didn't explain further.

Spotting the photo album on the table, he changed the subject with a nostalgic expression.

"Are you looking at my sister when she was little? She was quite mischievous as a child, always fighting. Even boys didn't dare to provoke her."

As he spoke, he reached for the photo album on the table.

She hadn't anticipated Ishikawa Hayato's appearance and stared at him blankly until he was about to grab the album, then she snatched it away.

Clutching the album, she shouted nervously,

"Brother, get out!"

Ishikawa Hayato was stunned.

"Huh?"

"Get out!"

She was anxious and started hitting him with the album. The heavy-looking cover seemed very threatening.

"Wait, what's going on? Rebellious phase? I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

Ishikawa Hayato shielded himself with his hands, uncertainly asking the four of them.

The four clearly couldn't give him an answer and could only watch as she chased him out.

Then she closed the door and hurriedly began to tidy up.

She took off her slippers and tiptoed silently, gently placing the album in the wardrobe, slowly covering it layer by layer, then slowly closing the box and putting it inside the quilt.

The four looked at her in confusion.

After she finished everything, seeing their expressions, she realized they didn't fully understand the extent of her brother's Pervert tendencies.

She pointed outside, then gestured with her hand as if someone was walking, and then pointed to her ear.

She was implying that Ishikawa Hayato's hearing was so good that he could clearly hear what she was doing through the wall.

Kita glanced around and immediately thought:

'Ishikawa Hayato didn't leave and was eavesdropping outside?'

She was about to go over and scare him, but when she opened the door, she found him leaning against the opposite wall, typing something on his phone.

She turned back, looking at her in confusion.

She pressed her forehead weakly.

After welcoming Ishikawa Hayato back in, Nijika asked Ishikawa Hayato,

"Hayato-kun, are things over there all done?"

"All in order, ma'am, Ishikawa Hayato requests to rejoin the team!" 

Ishikawa Hayato said with a salute after standing at attention.

...

That evening, back at STARRY after two days, Ishikawa Hayato was incredibly excited.

He walked down the stairs and saw Seika sitting at the bar.

Under Nijika's sighing gaze, he excitedly called out in a sweet voice,

"Sister Seika~"

As he spoke, he spread his arms and stepped forward as if to give her a hug.

But Seika turned her head, looking at him expressionlessly.

With her left hand, she deftly pulled out a bottle of pepper spray, its small nozzle pointed directly at him.

Ishikawa Hayato chickened out. His face fell, and he changed direction, his upper body remaining in that state as he walked towards PA-san, who was sitting at a nearby table.

"PA-san~"

PA-san had been watching Ishikawa Hayato since he entered the store.

Seeing him approach, she happily said, holding her phone with one hand,

"Are you going to make a move on your big sister?”

Ishikawa Hayato was stunned.

He turned and walked back in despair to his harem group, sobbing on Nijika's shoulder.

"Nijika, e-everyone doesn't welcome me."

"Yes, yes."

Nijika responded perfunctorily.

She wondered if she had been too kind.

She no longer felt annoyed by Ishikawa Hayato's constant teasing.

...

After a long four hours of work, the five of them walked towards the rehearsal room, chatting and laughing.

Despite the work draining much of their stamina, Ishikawa Hayato saw that the four girls were still full of energy.

Even Ryo, who occasionally yawned during work, now had a serious expression, as if the main event of the night was just beginning.

It seemed everyone was looking forward to the performance in a few days.

What he didn't know was that the previous two days had not been like this.

Hitori saw clearly that when Ishikawa Hayato wasn't around, their conversations became duller, and their enthusiasm waned considerably.

They were missing a central figure who was silly and funny, while also keeping the conversation going with everyone engaged.

It felt less fun than before.

Combined with the worry that he wouldn't return, those two days were truly painful.

And now, feeling the joyful emotions emanating from everyone, Hitori couldn't help but smile.

She was now gradually understanding what Ishikawa Hayato had said before about a once-in-a-lifetime memory.

When everyone gathered happily together, that feeling of nothing happening yet being able to satisfy and thrill one's heart was truly wonderful.

If only it could continue like this forever.

As she thought this, Nijika walked ahead.

Nijika felt that everyone was getting better at their jobs.

Not only could they handle their own tasks, but they were also able to step in and help out at other stations.

However, she increasingly felt that one of them was slacking off too much.

She turned sideways to look at her friends and said seriously, "I feel like Ryo and Hayato-kun are especially lazy when they're together. We should think about separating you two and switching your positions."

"There's no way!" Ryo exclaimed.

"Me! Me, please let me be with Ryo-senpai!"

Kita's idol filter for Ryo was already full of cracks, but her admiration remained undiminished.

She eagerly raised her hand and said.

Seeing Kita so excited, Ishikawa Hayato stroked his chin and thought about his future work position.

He mused, "So that means I'll be in charge of the floor?"

"Hmm..."

Nijika imagined the scene after the three of them implemented their new positions.

Kita would shine brightly at the front desk, blinding customers, while making Ryo completely dispensable. Ishikawa Hayato would dance wildly around the venue like a villainous Spider-Man.

As soon as this desperate image appeared in her mind, she shivered and quickly waved her hands, exclaiming,

"What I said before doesn't count! Doesn't count!"

Chatting and laughing, Nijika pushed open the rehearsal room door.

She suddenly remembered something that had finally arrived two days ago.

At that time, because Ishikawa Hayato wasn't there, she hadn't told everyone, but now that everyone was present, her triangular ahoge perked up, and she eagerly said,

"Oh, I have something to tell everyone. Everyone, wait a moment."

After she finished speaking, amidst four confused faces, she pulled Ryo, the tallest and most suitable as a clothes hanger among the women there, outside.

"What are you doing?" Ryo complained, as if she didn't want to move.

"It's that!" Nijika didn't want to break the surprise so quickly and said cryptically.

"Oh." Ryo responded simply.

The three looked at the closed door in confusion.

As Hitori and Kita were full of questions, Ishikawa Hayato suddenly shouted, "I got it!"

Kita was startled by his voice, jumping in place, her small red ponytail swaying.

"Wah! You scared me!"

Feeling teased, she glared at Ishikawa Hayato resentfully, looking huffy, as if to say, 'If you don't give a real explanation, I won't let you off easy.'

Ishikawa Hayato glanced around and furtively beckoned the two over.

Hitori and Kita were already used to his teasing, but they still cooperated involuntarily.

"Didn't Nijika just say that Ryo is very lazy?"

The two blinked curiously, continuing to listen to his nonsense.

"And Ryo doesn't have any other position to go to, plus Nijika's 'only that' ramark..."

Hitori and Kita's emotions were stirred by his serious expression, and their gazes gradually became earnest.

Ishikawa Hayato suddenly clenched his fist and said solemnly,

"Then there's only one answer! A man's romance—it's to combine, a combination for a super-sized mecha transformation!"

Kita was momentarily stunned, her gaze instantly turning into a black hole as she stared at Ishikawa Hayato.

Looking at her, Ishikawa Hayato had no doubt that if she had a gun in her hand, she would empty the magazine with him as her priorty target.

"It's not that kind of thing!"

While he was teasing the two, Nijika had already pushed the door open and sighed.

Her face was stern, hands on her hips, as if to say, 'This is the important part.'

"It's T-shirts! Because we didn't have any good designs before, the T-shirts were made according to my design."

"This is the result!"

As she spoke, she stepped aside, revealing Ryo behind her.

Ryo also walked forward cooperatively, showing off the T-shirt she was wearing.

"Ta-da!"

Seeing Ryo wearing a T-shirt with the band's logo, Kita's eyes lit up instantly, and she immediately forgot about the earlier commotion.

She hastily pulled out her phone and started taking pictures of Ryo.

"The design is amazing! Did Ijiichi-senpai design all of this herself?"

Ryo also cooperated by posing for her.

After being praised, Nijika put her hands on her hips and smiled proudly, her ahoge bobbing.

"Hmph, I'm quite good at design and drawing, you know."

"Stop chatting, come on, everyone put them on, put them all on."

Ishikawa Hayato looked at Ryo's attire and urged them impatiently.

"That's right, everyone should change into them and see."

Nijika didn't realize Ishikawa Hayato's sinister thoughts.

She said so and walked out of the practice room, retrieving several T-shirts still in their packaging from beside the door.

She returned to the room and handed them out to everyone according to their sizes.

Ishikawa Hayato took the T-shirt, tore open the packaging, and sat in a corner, pretending to admire it.

Like a ninja, he held the T-shirt high, blocking his face, as if to conceal his presence.

Nijika watched with a happy smile as Hitori and Kita took the T-shirts out of their packaging, but then saw them suddenly stop and look to the other side.

Nijika also looked over.

In the corner, Ishikawa Hayato sat motionless.

Does this person have no self-awareness whatsoever!?

Nijika's beautiful red eyes instantly turned pitch black.

She walked over eerily, stood on her tiptoes, and peered over the top of the T-shirt, staring at Ishikawa Hayato, and said in a low, ominous voice, "Hayato-kun~"

"Ah ah ah!"

Ishikawa Hayato was startled by her sudden appearance, and the T-shirt he was holding trembled.

Then, he was grabbed by the collar and thrown out of the practice room by Nijika.

"Girls are changing! You go change outside!"

Nijika yelled and closed the door, paused for several seconds, then suddenly opened it again to add, "And you're not allowed to change in the lobby, go to the restroom!"

After throwing Ishikawa Hayato out of the practice room, Nijika clapped her hands and complained, "Really, I can't give Hayato-kun any opportunities."