Chapter 53: Concealment

As the first customer stepped through the door, the staff quickly transitioned from a relaxed state to a serious one.

Then, customers began to increase steadily, gradually making the originally spacious venue lively.

At the front desk, Ishikawa Hayato efficiently checked tickets for each customer, while also listening to the joyful theater coming from the bar.

Customer: "Hello, I'd like a Coke."

Nijika: "Okay~ Bocchi-chan, Coke."

Hitori: "Coming right up."

Customer: "I'd like ginger ale."

Hitori: "Coming right up."

Nijika: "Bocchi-chan, you're being very rude to the customers!"

Hitori: "I... I, I'm not mentally prepared yet!"

Hitori was truly amusing to watch, but unfortunately, he couldn't see her situation from his angle.

However, he could tell from the customers' knowing smiles towards her that the farce over there was very captivating.

Ishikawa Hayato, with a gentle smile, checked the ticket of a female customer whose face was slightly red and dared not look him in the eye, then his gaze swept around.

He happened to see Kita, unobstructed by the crowd, standing diagonally opposite, guiding incoming customers and answering questions about the performance.

He looked back and saw Ryo standing behind him, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, dozing off.

'This woman truly was...'

He was a little worried about her future.

Just then, hearing approaching footsteps, Ishikawa Hayato retracted his gaze and looked at another female customer who had arrived.

He hadn't noticed during the last performance, but during this part-time job, he suddenly realized there seemed to be more female customers here.

"Hello, are you here to see that band's performance?"

He asked with a polite smile.

The female customer, meeting Ishikawa Hayato's gaze, seemed stunned, then blushed and whispered.

"Excuse me, do you have a band?"

Ishikawa Hayato was slightly taken aback by the unexpected question.

Behind him, Ryo, hearing this, roused herself a bit from her doze. She opened her eyes and looked over.

At this moment.

Ishikawa Hayato, sitting at the front desk, had taken off his school uniform jacket to reduce trouble, wearing only a white undershirt.

He sat up straight, but the clean white shirt still had some wrinkles, and the thin shirt outlined the boy's slender and clean figure.

Even Ryo, who already knew his true nature well, had to admit that when he didn't reveal his true self, his clear and pure appearance was extremely attractive.

Realizing this was a rare opportunity, Ryo gently kicked Ishikawa Hayato's chair.

Ishikawa Hayato didn't look back, but gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Their thoughts instantly aligned at this moment.

'This is a great opportunity to poach fans!'

Ishikawa Hayato smiled and replied to the female customer.

"Yes, the band I'm in is the Kessoku Band. We don't have any performances scheduled at the moment, but if you’re interested, please keep an eye out for us in the future.”

...

After confirming the situation with several bands backstage again, Seika walked out of the rehearsal room.

She first focused her gaze on Kita by the side of the stage, watching Kita cheerfully answer a customer's question with a bright smile, then nodded in satisfaction and took a few steps to the side.

She looked towards the bar, where her adorable sister was handing drinks to customers, and beside her was Hitori, swaying as she made drinks due to overwhelming pressure.

There were no problems here either.

Then, she walked forward again.

But before she even reached it, she heard a sound from the front desk, where no customers were exchanging or buying tickets.

Ishikawa Hayato: "I have a bad feeling. Is the manager coming over? It's almost time to take it off, isn't it?"

Seika: !?!

What did these two do?

Ryo: "No, this is an excellent opportunity. Early fans of a band are very important!"

Ishikawa Hayato: “If that’s the case, why did you tear the note down?”

Ryo: "Hayato, you're the main force."

Ishikawa Hayato: "You're just afraid of being scolded by the Manager!"

As they spoke, Seika had already walked to the front desk.

She looked expressionlessly at Ryo, who was holding a sticky note, and Ishikawa Hayato, who had a label with 'Kessoku Band' stuck to his chest.

Ryo noticed someone approaching, looked up, but froze when she saw who it was.

"Ah..."

Ishikawa Hayato also heard the approaching footsteps in this somewhat noisy underground space, and turned his head with a professional smile.

Then.

"Ah..."

He also froze.

"You two..."

Seika lowered her head, clenched her fists, suppressing her anger...

A moment later.

Kita secretly glanced beside her.

Beside her, Ishikawa Hayato stood perfectly straight, chest out. His pristine white shirt and handsome face seemed to add a touch of freshness to this gloomy performance space.

However, he had a sign hanging around his neck.

'Toilet to the right.'

This sign instantly shattered his clear demeanor.

Some customers saw him and felt a sense of familiarity, but upon seeing the sign on his chest, they immediately bypassed him by two or three steps, full of questions.

But this pervert didn't care at all, still wearing an elegant, professional smile.

Kita had witnessed everything that just happened. She admired Ishikawa Hayato's selfless dedication to the band, but her body still subtly moved away a bit.

Maintaining a stranger's distance from Ishikawa Hayato.

She looked at the bar again.

Inside the bar, Nijika, with an awkward smile, met her gaze, then immediately looked away, wearing a pitiful expression as if she had no idea what to do with her older sister and Ishikawa Hayato.

As for Hitori, she was already hiding under the bar, completely unaware of the situation.

As fewer and fewer customers came in, Kita, looking at Ishikawa Hayato close by, felt the time was right and gradually couldn't hold back, wanting to explain the class matter to him clearly.

But at the same time, she felt a strange worry and hesitation, a feeling that was extremely familiar to her.

She felt as if the self who had avoided the band in the past had returned.

After hesitating, she carefully glanced at Ishikawa Hayato and, mustering her courage, moved a small step closer to him.

Before she could say anything, Ishikawa Hayato spoke.

"Kita, did you get into trouble again?"

Kita was startled, immediately looking around as if to hide, but noticed that her location could be easily seen by Ryo and Nijika, so she quickly reverted to her usual expression.

She didn't want the seniors to know about this, and the courage she had just mustered was instantly scared away by Ishikawa Hayato.

Just as she was thinking of avoiding the topic.

Ishikawa Hayato suddenly turned his body and looked far towards the stage.

"The band is coming on."

Kita turned around and looked at the stage, seeing it empty, full of questions.

As she wondered, Ishikawa Hayato said.

"Go on, if you want my help."

As his voice fell, as if in sync with him, the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed.

Amidst the fans' clamor, the stage side door opened, and several young men walked out, making final adjustments to their instruments on the semi-dark stage.

Kita didn't know if Ishikawa Hayato had noticed her nervousness when speaking to Ijiichi-senpai and Ryo-senpai, and deliberately said that.

He seemed to be in control of everything.

She looked at Ishikawa Hayato's profile in the dim light.

This handsome, casual, and cheerful man beside her inexplicably gave her a sense of security.

She secretly moved another small step closer to him.

After hesitating, she said.

"I'm sorry, Ishikawa-kun... When school ended today, a classmate in class asked if you and I were dating, and I said yes..."

Ishikawa Hayato didn't comment on this, but instead asked.

"It wasn't intentional, was it?"

Kita hesitated, her gaze shifting to the concert stage, looking at the lead singer adjusting the microphone on the dark stage.

"No."

She said softly and awkwardly.

"Then it's fine. Since we agreed, I'll help you. That's a pervert's promise, you know."

In the darkness and noise, Ishikawa Hayato's not-so-loud voice reached Kita's ears very clearly.

His voice was charmingly frivolous.

Kita glanced at the boy who kept saying 'Pervert', her expression odd, yet her lips curled up slightly.

The stage lights came on.

Amidst the lead singer's loud greeting, "Hello everyone, we are the Alexandism Band."

She inexplicably wanted to try saying something, to practice.

Amidst the noisy scene, I'll discreetly try...

"Ishikawa-kun..."

She turned her head and, in the much brighter space, saw the tag hanging on Ishikawa Hayato's chest.

As if sensing her gaze, Ishikawa Hayato's eyes also shifted from the stage to her.

Looking at Ishikawa Hayato's eyes, and then at the sign on his chest that read 'Restroom to the right.'

Kita's mouth closed with a click, like a jammed mechanism, and she silently stepped back two paces.