Chapter 155: Noise (Part 2)
They arrived at Shinjuku FOLT.
Watching various distinctive small groups walk into the venue, they felt like they had seen their companions and followed behind those bands.
However, before they could even enter the store, a small car stopped a few steps ahead of them at the entrance.
Ryo got out of the car with her bass.
She looked around and was about to take out her phone when she saw the four people with instruments behind her.
She waited for the four to walk over before speaking.
“You’re late.”
As her voice fell, Ishikawa Hayato looked down and saw that Nijika’s hand was already clenched into a fist.
But she still suppressed her anger, only showing a hint of resentment as she forcefully retorted.
“What right do you, the one who overslept, have to say that?!”
Ryo ignored her and, after a few seconds, walked into the store.
Ishikawa Hayato looked at Nijika, whose blood pressure was steadily rising, and chuckled as he patted her shoulder, gently nudging her to signal that she shouldn't argue with Ryo.
And so, the five of them walked towards the store.
After confirming their identities and entering, they saw the floor filled with musicians carrying instruments, and the three who had never experienced such a scene were dumbfounded.
Generally speaking, those in artistic fields tend to be more confident, as those without confidence would have long since gone back to a more conventional path.
Of course, those who are just playing around are an exception.
They are also the more individualistic outliers.
And when nearly a hundred people were gathered in the performance hall of a livehouse, the aura they exuded, for a moment, had the sharp feeling of an army before going to war.
Although everyone inside was chatting and noisy, it somehow made people feel that way.
Hitori was the first to react.
Her eyes spun in their sockets.
“Ah… ah ah…”
She only trembled twice before, to Ishikawa Hayato’s helpless expression, suddenly bursting like a balloon, leaving only a Hitori brand deflated balloon skin.
Kita heard Hitori’s explosion beside her and looked over in surprise, but she was used to it, and someone would take care of Hitori, so if she went over, she might even be unwelcomed.
She naturally let Ishikawa Hayato handle Hitori’s situation and turned to Nijika and Ryo, saying,
“There are so many people. Are all these people here musicians?”
Nijika looked quite excited, and she said with a big smile,
“Yes, these are all the bands performing here.”
“Performing here?”
Kita could tell Nijika hadn't finished her explanation.
“As I said before, this music festival has over a hundred bands participating. These are just a small portion.”
In the crowd, Ryo’s tone was so flat that it made her seem a bit annoyed.
Nijika was already used to her like this and didn't mind her.
Instead, she comforted Kita, who was experiencing such an event for the first time.
“Hmm, but this music festival doesn’t have any special rewards, so we can just perform as usual.”
Nijika’s words were overheard by a girl who hurried past them.
The girl paused for a moment, but then quickly moved on.
...
At the same time, Kita exclaimed in surprise, “How amazing! We can actually join such a large-scale music festival?”
On the other side, near the three, Ishikawa Hayato looked at Hitori, whom he held in his hand, and began to think about how to tease her.
He looked left and right and then shook Hitori.
She swayed like a piece of paper with his movements.
After thinking for a moment, Ishikawa Hayato stroked his chin and said,
“Hitori seems to have lost all her air. At this point, I just need to blow into her, right? Where should I start?”
Hitori, in a daze, heard his words and suddenly trembled.
Her seemingly weak eyes instantly opened, and her beautiful, vibrant blue eyes looked around animatedly.
After regaining consciousness, she stared blankly at Ishikawa Hayato for a moment before realizing what was happening.
“Tha… tha… that!”
Ishikawa Hayato smiled and patted her head in her confusion.
But Hitori wasn’t completely confused as she lowered her head, her small mind racing frantically.
Just then, a muffled voice came from a distance.
“Ah~ Hitori-chan, Little brother, you guys are participating too.”
Ishikawa Hayato followed the voice and looked over.
Hiroi Kikuri emerged from the crowd, looking as drunk as ever.
The other three also noticed Hiroi Kikuri’s arrival, and as they watched her approach, they all sighed.
They had just arrived and they already encountered someone very troublesome.
“Also? Hiroi-san, are you participating too?”
Ishikawa Hayato asked, puzzled.
Hiroi Kikuri seemed pleased to see them there and waved her hand as she walked towards them.
“No, no.”
After she finished speaking, she pointed her thumb backward and said, “I’m the one responsible for the opening announcement here.”
“The opening announcement? So Hiroi-san will be on stage to open the event later?”
Kita asked incredulously.
She hadn’t expected someone who looked drunk every day to have such a position.
To open an event, one must at least have either popularity or status.
This person didn’t seem like someone many people would like, so it must be status.
“That’s right! I didn’t expect you all to come. I’ll cheer for you on stage later, yay~”
Hiroi Kikuri squinted her eyes, swaying as she held up a peace sign.
“Absolutely not! That’s too embarrassing! Please, absolutely do not do that!”
Nijika quickly shouted to stop her.
“Is that so?” Hiroi Kikuri seemed to give up.
Kita was completely stunned by her words.
After Nijika stopped talking to Hiroi Kikuri, she carefully moved closer to Nijika, covering her mouth with her hand as she whispered to Nijika,
“Could it be that this really is just a very ordinary music festival…?”
“Haha…”
Nijika chuckled awkwardly at her words.
She knew what Kito was trying to say—the organizers must have had some issues if they’d chosen someone like that to be in charge of the opening announcement.
She whispered back to Kita, “Don’t let her appearance fool you—her band is actually quite famous in the indie scene.”
Hiroi Kikuri then turned to Ishikawa Hayato and Hitori, sighing with a boozy breath.
“Oh, I just saw Hitori-chan and came right over. Hey, Hitori-chan, what are you doing?”
Ishikawa Hayato only turned his head when he heard Hiroi Kikuri's question.
Behind him, Hitori was desperately opening her mouth, taking huge gulps of air.
He helplessly slapped his forehead and walked over.
He approached Hitori, who had slowly stopped her strange actions.
Hitori saw him and immediately panicked, “Hayato… I…”
Watching Hitori, full of little schemes yet acting in a clumsy way, Ishikawa Hayato suppressed his laughter, looking at her, both silly and cute.
“I’m sorry, I went too far with the teasing just now.”
He apologized, pressing on her shoulders, and Hitori paused, then lowered her head again.
Her bangs covered her upward gaze, leaving only others’ legs in her sight, and the surrounding noise lingering in her ears.
But as she looked down at the ground, wondering if she had done something wrong again, she suddenly felt a kiss on her forehead, through her hair.
She was startled and looked up at Ishikawa Hayato, who was slowly standing straight, watching him smile gently.
After realizing what he had done, she was happy, but her legs gave out, and she completely collapsed, only to be supported by Ishikawa Hayato.
Hiroi Kikuri stared blankly at the two, her drunken smile gone, and exclaimed,
“You two really don’t care about anyone else, do you? Are high schoolers this bold nowadays?”
To reiterate, there were hundreds of people standing in this not-so-large venue, and these two completely ignored everything around them as they showed affection.
Hitori heard her words and collapsed even faster.
“That’s right, this is the life of modern high schoolers.”
Ishikawa Hayato said confidently, holding Hitori, who had turned to jelly.
As Nijika sighed and was about to deny it, a girl with brown hair, pigtails, and a woman’s blazer over a small dress walked over.
She frowned slightly and said to Hiroi Kikuri,
“Sister, I’ve been looking for you forever. Why are you still here?”
Hearing a rather impolite voice beside her, Hitori immediately snapped back to reality and looked over.
Hiroi Kikuri’s drunken smile returned when she saw the newcomer.
“Oh, Ohtsuki-chan, is something wrong?”
“The opening is about to start! Stop chatting with others and go get ready!”
That somewhat rough voice immediately scared Hitori into leaning closer to Ishikawa Hayato, but the moment she leaned in, she revealed a perverted smile.
She instantly felt at ease, a blissful expression on her face.
Although the venue was unfamiliar and the people here were terrifying, there was nothing to fear when she was next to Hayato.
But Hitori’s actions seemed to have been noticed by the girl named Ohtsuki.
She turned to look, seemingly glaring at Hitori before averting her gaze.
Hitori naturally noticed it and trembled.
She was glared at?!
Had she done something wrong?!
At this moment, Ishikawa Hayato, who was holding her, spoke.
“What’s wrong? Do you have a problem?”
Even though Hitori wasn’t facing Ishikawa Hayato directly, she could feel his terrifying aura.
But that aura didn’t need to be felt to be observed.
The strong-willed girl in front of him was instantly intimidated and took half a step back.
“No…”
“Little brother, don’t be so harsh on my junior.” Hiroi Kikuri intervened, trying to mediate.
Nijika noticed the situation and quickly walked over to pull Ishikawa Hayato back.
"Hayato-kun, what are you doing!"
Ishikawa Hayato's intimidating aura immediately dissipated, and he softened, whispering to Nijika with a wronged expression,
"She glared at Hitori."
At such close proximity, Hiroi Kikuri also heard him, and she waved her hands repeatedly, saying,
"No, no, Ohtsuki-chan is always like that. Let me introduce you, this is Ohtsuki Yoyoko, the vocalist and Guitarist of SIDEROS."
She then introduced the others to Ohtsuki Yoyoko,
"Ohtsuki-chan, these are the members of Kessoku Band I told you about."
Nijika, with great composure, also apologized to Ohtsuki.
"I'm sorry, our keyboardist caused you trouble."
Normally, one would pull the person involved to apologize, but Nijika did not do so at this moment.
"No, it's fine,"
Ohtsuki replied with a hint of arrogance.
"I just think that people who rely on others and harbor romantic feelings can't make good music."
After she finished speaking, she quickly walked away.
Hitori, who had been indirectly singled out, didn't mind.
She was indeed like what Ohtsuki Yoyoko said.
Playing the guitar was her only hobby, and making good music was still a distant dream for her.
Her greatest happiness was simply walking down a path where she could envision herself living well.
But even so, she was still a bit down.
Ishikawa Hayato, this time, said nothing.
"Oh dear... I messed up. I wanted Ohtsuki-chan to get to know everyone."
Hiroi Kikuri rubbed her head and said apologetically,
"That kid just has a really sharp tongue. Hitori-chan, don't take it to heart."
Hitori nodded.
Just then, Ryo walked over with her phone and said,
"Is that the quite popular SIDEROS?"
"That's right," Hiroi Kikuri replied happily.
"Then she's Ohtsuki Yoyoko, who started her band three years ago but kept firing members, and now all her members are first-year students."
Hearing Ryo's calm, seemingly emotionless addition, Hiroi Kikuri's expression stiffened.
The five others, moreover, looked completely horrified, as if they wanted nothing more to do with her.
"That... that's because there's a reason..." Hiroi Kikuri frantically tried to explain.
Just then, a man with long hair tied in a ponytail, heavy dark circles under his eyes, looking somewhat gloomy and in his 30s, called out to Hiroi Kikuri in a very displeased voice.
"Hiroi, time's up."
He quickly walked over and pulled Hiroi Kikuri away, complaining,
"If it weren't for Ohtsuki-chan, I wouldn't have found you!"
Seeing him approach with such a fierce expression, Nijika nervously retreated, and Ishikawa Hayato subtly stepped in front of her.
"Damn it..."
Hiroi Kikuri, being dragged away, let out a frustrated sound because she couldn't properly explain, but she gradually moved further away.
After the commotion ended, the five stood in a semicircle, looking at each other.
"It feels like being around Hiroi-san makes us disliked by association..."
Ishikawa Hayato looked over the others with a complicated expression.
The girls felt utterly exhausted for various reasons even before the rehearsal had begun.
Nijika, with a face full of guilt for causing them trouble, said,
"Let's stay away from her next time..."
"Mm..."
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