Chapter 149: Afternoon (Part 1)
Even on the way back, Nijika was still angry, her arms crossed, completely ignoring Ishikawa Hayato’s pleas, even though he had deliberately sat beside her.
As for Ryo, she sat in front, silently wiping away tears.
With a bump on her head, she would be responsible for cleaning STARRY’s restrooms for the next week.
After a long while, Nijika finally let go of her anger.
But she still ignored Ishikawa Hayato and asked Hitori, who was in the last row.
“Bocchi-chan, is it really okay?”
Hitori’s gaze shifted from Ishikawa Hayato.
She wasn't so obsessed as to stare at Ishikawa Hayato all day, but she was curious how much longer he could talk.
From the moment Nijika showed her angry expression, Ishikawa Hayato had been using all sorts of classic phrases to apologize.
His vocabulary ranged from mythological fables to modern poetry, almost all-encompassing, making one marvel.
It was only because Nijika had a good temper that she let him ramble.
If it had been anyone else, this car would have already exploded.
Hitori asked, puzzled.
“What?”
Nijika asked with a hint of worry.
“The music festival performance.”
Although it had been said once, Hitori had been appeased by Ishikawa Hayato that time.
But lately, seeing how much fun Ishikawa Hayato seems to be having, she’s a little worried about Hitori.
Hitori hesitated for a moment and replied.
“Ah… that, it’s fine.”
Nijika pressed on, asking.
“Really? We’re going to Shinjuku for it.”
“Mmm…”
Hitori recoiled slightly, and Kita beside her showed a worried look.
But she still gritted her teeth and said, “I… can…”
Nijika reminded her once again to prepare early.
“There will be a lot of people this time.”
Hitori's pupils quaked, but she quickly calmed down.
“It’s okay…”
For some reason, when Nijika heard Hitori’s assurance, she had a feeling that Hitori would definitely be able to do it.
She breathed a sigh of relief and encouraged her.
“Then let’s do our best.”
After Hitori replied with a somewhat gloomy yet happy expression, Nijika turned back to Ishikawa Hayato and said.
“Hayato-kun, if you make any more noise, I won’t forgive you.”
Her words immediately made Ishikawa Hayato, who had been softly chanting during their conversation, close his mouth.
Suddenly, the car fell silent.
Once it quieted down, Nijika, gradually calming, suddenly realized that their excessive playfulness earlier might have been another expression of the excitement hidden in their hearts.
She then thought of Hitori’s reaction just now and wondered if Ishikawa Hayato had done that to cooperate with Ryo.
But she only thought about it for a moment before letting it go.
After all, she couldn't guess Ishikawa Hayato’s actions or thoughts unless he explained them.
Stopping her thoughts there, Nijika felt the atmosphere was perfect at this moment and couldn't help but set higher expectations.
She reminded the four, saying, “Everyone!”
The four immediately looked at her, and she said.
“Then let’s shine at the music festival and instantly become a very famous band!”
The next moment, the quiet car cabin suddenly became lively again, filled with cheers and exclamations.
...
The so-called hellish training is training conducted with the belief of seeing hell.
If it were some bands, they probably would have forgotten their purpose in half a day and gone to heaven for tea.
But Kessoku Band was different.
They could even happily play music and explore more musical possibilities during this rigorous training.
Even so, after the five of them pieced together a mysterious performance titled “Summer Purgatory,” listening to that song filled with shivers and despair, they all fell silent.
For more than ten days, they practiced every morning, started working part-time in the evening, and after their performances, they practiced again until late at night.
They practiced day and night like this until there was only one day left before the rehearsal.
Listening to the terrifying music they had just recorded, the five realized the problem.
Even if they enjoyed practicing, doing the same thing continuously would still accumulate stress.
After “Summer Purgatory” finished playing, Nijika, with cold sweat on her face, looked at the four and said.
“We’re going on stage the day after tomorrow, so how about… everyone takes a day off?”
While the others were still hesitating, Ryo, for some unknown reason, opened her phone and replayed “Summer Purgatory.”
In the torrent of super-fast music, Kita sang:
“Every day without the sun, tomorrow’s…”
Kita heard the embarrassing impromptu lyrics and quickly went to press the pause button.
She shouted.
“Rest! Please let me rest for a day.”
Ryo’s action must have been in favor of resting.
Nijika then asked the two who hadn’t given their opinions yet.
“What are Hayato-kun and Bocchi-chan’s thoughts?”
Hitori glanced at Ishikawa Hayato and quickly averted her gaze.
“I think a day to rest would be good too…”
After she replied, Ishikawa Hayato followed up, saying.
“Yes, everyone, let’s adjust our mindset and prepare for tomorrow’s rehearsal.”
...
After deciding to rest, the five no longer had any thoughts of forcing themselves.
They quickly stopped practicing and packed up their instruments.
The most eager to pack her instrument was Kita.
She quickly put her guitar into its case.
Seeing that the others were still packing, she took out her phone and began to announce her resurrection to her friends.
At that moment, it was as if countless messages, in the eyes of the four, condensed into a visible ray of light that converged towards her phone.
This light scared Hitori into hiding by the wall.
After Kita’s burst of positive energy, Nijika, who saw her actions was reminded of an important matter she forgot to bring up.
Nijika awkwardly spoke up, “Kita-chan, I just remembered, please also post to announce our upcoming performance.”
Kita, who had been suppressed for a long time and was finally liberated, smiled brightly and waved her phone with a matter-of-fact expression.
“Of course, such an important thing has already been posted!”
“Quite capable, aren’t you?”
Ryo looked at her in surprise.
Before, they were all excitedly carried away by being able to participate in the music festival, and then it was continuous practice.
Under these circumstances, Kita could still remember to manage the band’s account, which only goes to show her capability.
Ignoring Kita happily shouting, “Ryo-senpai, I did well, didn’t I?”, Ryo gave a perfunctory response.
Ishikawa Hayato opened his phone and clicked on Kita’s account to take a look.
Even though she practiced every day without stopping, she still maintained daily updates on Instagram.
Ishikawa Hayato then opened the band account.
Indeed, Kita had already posted the news of their upcoming music festival appearance, and judging by the time, it was on the very day they first learned the news.
It’s just… Ishikawa Hayato looked at the comments below the announcement, sighed, and said to the others.
“But it seems there’s a bit of a problem. Someone commented: ‘This is really great, the band is still active, it’s really great it didn’t turn into a beauty blog.’”
The two “really great”'s in the one comment fully expressed the commenter’s relief.
The four looked blankly at Ishikawa Hayato, then their gaze shifted to Kita’s dazed face as she took out her phone to look.
“Huh?”
After confirming the comments on the band's social media account, Kita immediately hugged her head and squatted on the ground.
“I’m sorry!”
…
Because even Seika couldn’t stand how hard they had been working recently, when she heard they were going to rest, she generously gave them a holiday.
This day, Ishikawa Hayato returned home before sunset for the first time in a while, and finally having dinner with his family made him very happy.
However, this meal was not entirely peaceful.
As Ishikawa Hayato sat down at the dinner table, he noticed that several dishes that night were his favorites.
There was stewed meat that looked extremely sweet, with a slightly sticky broth, brightly colored sweet and sour eggplant, mixed vegetables with sweet salad, and fried tofu with miso soup.
Perhaps his mother realized they hadn’t eaten dinner together much recently.
After he informed the family he would be home for dinner a while ago, she specially changed all the dishes to sweet ones. Ishikawa Hayato was so touched that he didn't even speak nonsense.
He repeatedly exclaimed how delicious it was.
However, he didn't notice Ishikawa Hibiki’s slightly displeased look beside him.
After the meal, Ishikawa Hibiki complained to her parents about her brother beside her.
“Brother has been carrying a lot of girl’s scents on him lately.”
Ishikawa Hayato was surprised; he hadn’t smelled any girl’s scent on himself.
He didn’t know if Hibiki was just saying things or if she really smelled it.
If it was real, then it was the legendary happy olfactory fatigue.
Ishikawa Hayato completely ignored her complaint and said cheerfully.
“After all, I, your brother, am very popular.”
Seeing Ishikawa Hayato’s shamelessness, Ishikawa Jinpei snorted coldly, his voice filled with the pure love faction’s disdain and jealousy towards the harem faction.
He endured for two seconds, but still couldn't stand Ishikawa Hayato's smug expression.
He gritted his teeth and reminded him,
"Kid, let me tell you, girls are very good at disguising themselves. Don't be fooled by their cute expressions and delicate actions in front of you. Once they get jealous, they won't hesitate to fight viciously behind your back."
Ishikawa Hayato was startled.
Disguise? Jealousy?
Compared to his own family, he was more focused on the situation at the dining table. He glanced thoughtfully to the side and carefully took a sip of soup.
"A bit scary, isn't it?"
Ishikawa Hibiki pouted, suppressing her anger as she looked at her father.
She didn't know if it was his recent comment about girls, or if he had hit a nerve, but she put away her guilt and anger, put on a cute smile, and turned the conversation to her father.
"Dad, how do you know so much? Dad is so amazing!"
It was rare to hear such a sweet voice from his daughter and see her bright, cute expression directed at him.
It instantly made Ishikawa Jinpei's soul fly to the ninth heaven.
He immediately got carried away, completely ignoring the caution in his heart.
He looked up at the sky and boasted with a wide-open mouth,
"Of course, Dad also had a lot of girls who liked him back then! Hayato is just taking after me in this regard."
Ishikawa Shizuka didn't expect her foolish husband to actually fall for the bait.
She sighed and joined the game.
She gently raised her hand, even feigning cuteness by resting only half her arm on the table, and looked at Ishikawa Jinpei with admiration.
"Husband, I have a question."
Ishikawa Jinpei, who still hadn't sensed anything amiss, turned his head.
"Hmm?"
"Didn't we meet in junior high? Which girls liked you back then?"
The moment his mother raised her hand, Ishikawa Hayato shifted his dinner a little closer to him. After doing so, he immediately looked up, gazing expectantly at his father, who was teaching him by example with his life.
He hoped his father would teach him how to get out of such a situation.
But he only saw beads of sweat rolling down Ishikawa Jinpei's face.
In front of him, there was a daughter with an expression of admiration and curiosity, and a wife who was calm yet slightly puzzled, wanting to hear his "heroic" tales.
He understood what it meant to hide a dagger in a smile.
This was a smile where he could truly feel the cold edge of a blade.
'Save me'
Ishikawa Jinpei frantically sent a look to Ishikawa Hayato.
But Ishikawa Hayato, seeing that this person couldn't give him any examples to learn from, ignored him and internally simulated how he would save himself if such a situation arose.
However, after thinking about it for a while, he realized that Hitori probably wouldn't let him fall into such a predicament.
If it were Nijika, begging her would make her relent.
Kita? Does she even have combat power?
As for Ryo-san… she would indeed cause a chaotic scene and enjoy watching him struggle.
But that would only happen if someone else wanted to confront her.
Nijika wouldn't, Hitori wouldn't, and Kita wouldn't confront Ryo either.
It seems his own harem is as stable as iron.
Ishikawa Hayato nodded in satisfaction, happily watching his father being simultaneously suppressed by his wife and praised by his daughter, making him feel like he was caught between a rock and a hard place.
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