Chapter Text
(Nijika's POV)
I'm walking home with Ryo one day after school when I see that girl in pink on the swings. She looked pretty lonely, sitting on the swings by herself! I hope she finds some company to entertain her.
I see that girl again, sitting exactly the same way she was a few days ago. Maybe she has some kind of routine with a friend? I don't know though, 'cause it doesn't look like she's waiting for someone. Huh.
Every day I keep seeing her again and again, but I never get the chance to do anything!
It'll be okay, though, because today's the day I talk to the mysterious pink girl! Ryo's already leaving when I'm packing my backpack after school.
"Heyy, Ryo!" I call out to her. "Don't leave me just yet!!"
"Bye, bye. I'll see you tomorrow." She leaves me behind without another word! And we don't even have school tomorrow. What's she talking about??
After I pack my things, I remember my plan for today. Right! I'm gonna talk to Pinky today. She's always sitting on the swings, it's almost like she lives there! I never see her anywhere else, anyways.
I'm just about to turn the corner where the playground is, and just as I thought, she's here! Well, obviously. It's not like she's ever not been there before.
She doesn't notice me yet when I take a step towards her on the bark, so I call out to her. "Heyyy!! You're here again!"
The girl looks up at me and freezes on the spot. She doesn't say anything, but she starts looking around as if I'm talking to someone else.
"I'm talking to you, silly!" I point at her when she looks back at me, and I walk up to her, jumping over the railing surrounding the swing set.
"M-M-M-M-Me?!" She points at herself, shivering like an ice cube!
Wait, ice cubes don't shiver.
"Yeah, you!" I strike a grin and sit on the other swing next to her, pumping my legs back and forth to start gaining momentum. "What's your name? I'm Nijika Ijichi from Shimokita Elementary, 4th grade! You're wearing the same uniform."
I start going higher and higher as the swing takes me on a ride through the air. I almost mistake Pinky's voice for the squeaking from the chains attached to the poles.
"H-Hitori Gotou. Shimokita Elementary. 3rd grade." She just sits still on the swings, looking at the ground like she was talking to it.
"So you do go to the same school! What class are you in, Hitori-chan?" She seems to flinch at me calling her that, but she doesn't say anything about it.
"C-Class B."
"Hey, that's right next to mine! How'd the 3rd-grade classrooms get put next to the 4th-grade classes, right?" She doesn't say anything else to that, but whatever. Maybe she's just shy. "How come I never see you?"
"Well, n-no one ever r-really sees or t-talks to me, so it's pretty n-normal," she meekly says. Her voice gets quieter every time she talks!
"What?? How could someone not notice you? No one I've seen has such pretty pink hair like yours!" I stop swinging to get a look at Hitori-chan again.
"Ehehehehe well..." She breaks into a grin and rubs the back of her neck.
That's the first time I've seen her smile.
I'm walking to school in the morning and I see Bocchi-chan in front of me. She's wearing the school uniform today!
I sneak up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. Her guitar gets a little bit in the way, but she still tenses up. "Bocchi-chan, good morning!"
I release her from my grasp and take her hand before walking beside her.
"A-Ah! Good morning, Nijika-chan." She looks away from me, but I know it's just a habit she can't break. "How are you this morning?" she asks, sparing me a glance.
"I'm doing pretty good! What about you?" I lean toward her direction. "You ready for your first day of high school?"
Bocchi-chan's never ready in situations like this, but I ask her anyways.
"Y-Yeah!!" She pumps her free hand into a fist in the air to show her "excitement." It's kinda cute though. "I'm just glad it's gonna be with you, though..."
I giggle at her words as we continue walking. It's been a long time since we've walked all the way to school together. "Yeah? I'm gonna be by your side the whole time too. So don't worry about it. Ryo's gonna be here too."
Seemingly on cue, Ryo appears behind us. "Yo, Bocchi, Nijika," she says, raising her hand before walking next to Bocchi-chan and me.
"Ryo!"
We all walk in silence together as we continue on. I keep my grip on Bocchi-chan's hand when we turn a corner. Most of the time, she slips out into another episode, and it takes way too long to snap her out back to Earth. But when I hold her hand, it happens less often.
Basically, it's been a normal thing for both of us.
"So, we have guitar, drums, and bass for the band, right?" I bring up the band for our conversation. "What should the band name be?"
Ryo looks at me with the smuggest smile I've ever seen on her. "Kessoku Band," she says with a thumbs up.
"Ehhh? Be serious, Ryo!" Zip ties of all things?
"I am being serious." She stares at me blankly. "It's genius."
I swear, Ryo comes up with the stupidest things sometimes.
"That just sounds like a bad pun!"
Bocchi-chan speaks up. "W-What about something like 'Scorching Rhythm?'"
"Doesn't that sound kinda hardcore?" It sounds like something from a metal band. Dunno if we'd do something like that.
"It's rock," Ryo says as if it explained everything.
"That's not rock, that's metal. And don't justify everything with rock!" I yell at Ryo for her dumb antics.
She just looks away from Bocchi-chan and me. "So I'm assuming we're sticking with Kessoku Band?"
Dang. She really flat-out ignored that one.
"No, we're not." We turn a corner and the school gates come into view. "Here, let's talk about this later at lunch. We can meet up in my classroom. I'll text you which class I get." I release Bocchi-chan's hand as we part ways to the different buildings.
"Good luck, Bocchi-chan!" I give her a wave. "You'll do great!"
"See you later, Bocchi."
It's lunch, and Bocchi-chan and I are talking while we wait for Ryo to buy food from the cafeteria.
"So, Bocchi-chan, how'd your classes so far go?" I lean against the desk with my elbow. Bocchi-chan managed to ask the guy who sat in front of me - even if both of them were freaking out - if she could borrow his seat during lunch. He said it was okay, saying something about how his friends were in a different class, so she could use his seat anytime.
Ryo got the same class as me again and also somehow managed to snag the seat next to me. I think she bribed our teacher with her "new-school-year" allowance.
Bocchi-chan unwraps her bento and takes her chopsticks. "They went okay. The homeroom teacher forgot about introductions," she says. "I thought I could get away with it, but someone in my class pointed it out..." A tear appears in her eyes and she smiles in disappointment.
"Aww... It's okay though, Bocchi-chan! It'll be good practice every year, though, am I right?" I flash her a little good luck grin and take a sip of my boxed orange juice. "At least people will know who you are."
"Y-Yeah..." She takes a piece of onigiri. "It went so much better than last year, though. I didn't freeze up or anything!"
"See? Good job!" I congratulate her for her efforts. She really has gotten so far since 3rd grade. While she still can't make eye contact with people, she goes into "Bocchi episodes" less often and can have moderately normal conversations.
Ryo comes back from the cafeteria. She doesn't have anything in her hands, though. "We talking about Bocchi's classes?" She sits down at my desk and trails her hand over Bocchi-chan's food.
I slap away at her hand. "Hey! Weren't you just at the cafeteria? Why don't you have anything? And what took you so long?" I throw questions at Ryo in several directions, but she has one answer for all three.
A tear sheds from Ryo's eyes as a handkerchief seemingly appears out of nowhere in her hands. "I was gonna go to the cafeteria, but I somehow ended up at the guitar store and bought a bass."
Typical Ryo.
"Oh, how tragic," I say sarcastically, nudging my food away from Ryo's side of the desk. I saw this coming from a mile away.
"So, I guess you don't have any choice but to lend me some foo-" Before she can finish I immediately stop her in her tracks.
"Nope! You spent your money on that bass instead of food, so no food for you today. And don't eat someone else's food without permission!"
I watch her sigh in defeat before looking at Bocchi-chan's food, eyeing a certain piece of tamagoyaki.
"Well, then. Bocchi, can I-"
"Hey!" I shout again.
Geez, she's always jumping all over the place.
One thing surprises me though when Bocchi-chan speaks up.
"Ryo-san, you could have some of my food if you'd like..." She gestures the tamagoyaki in Ryo's direction.
"Really?!" Ryo and I ask simultaneously.
Ryo immediately takes a piece of Bocchi-chan's food. "Man, Bocchi, you're a lifesaver," she says and begins to chow down on her definitely not earned meal.
"How fortunate of you to have some kind friends to repay your debts." I stare at her in annoyance.
"I know. It's the best," she says already almost done eating.
I give her a glare before waving it off. It has been a daily occurrence for the past... 7 years or so.
"Anyways, I was thinking we should have another guitarist for the band. And maybe vocals too..." I say, returning to more important matters.
"I would sing, but I would just overwhelm the crowd and leave you two in the dark." Ryo crosses her arms smugly and closes her eyes, her food completely downed.
"Sounds more like you're too lazy to sing." My voice gets her to open one of her eyes, but she closes it once I stop speaking.
"And that, too." She continues her "above-all" attitude.
"Ugh. Bocchi-chan, any thoughts?" Bocchi-chan definitely was thinking throughout the whole time. She just never says it aloud.
She snaps out of a daze. "E-Eh? Well, I think we could also have some sort of matching outfits for the concerts."
Right! Band outfits. "Oh yeah! That could work, too."
"Excellent, Bocchi." Ryo comes back to Earth and grounds herself.
"T-Thanks."
"We could make T-shirts with the band name on them." I rest my hand on my chin in thought. Something simple, though..." Various logos on a white T-shirt fill my imagination. I can see the three of us wearing it while we perform. How would we get it printed out, though?
"Yes, it'll say Kessoku Band," Ryo says, going back to the band name.
Not this again. "It will not!"
"I-I kinda like it, though..." Bocchi-chan says.
No! Bocchi-chan, don't fall for Ryo's jokes! "Ehhhh?? Really, Bocchi-chan??"
"Um... Yeah! It's cute and sounds cool," she says with a content smile.
"It shows our 'ties' in the band." Ryo stifles a laugh at her own pun. I ignore it to prevent further bad humor.
"Well... If there are no other ideas, I guess we could stick with it. But only for now." At least it'll get one less problem out of the way.
Ryo pumps a fist in success.
"Moving back to ideas, I was thinking we could hold some kind of street performance or play at STARRY to find another member," I remember Onee-chan talking about ways to find band members with stories of how she found her own.
"We might just get some rando who thinks I'm cool and has no idea what they're doing," Ryo predicts, leaning back into her chair.
"Why does it have to be you specifically? Anyways, we can hold auditions, too."
"S-Street p-performances??" Bocchi-chan stutters, her social anxiety kicking in.
I give Bocchi-chan a smile of reassurance. "Yeah! It won't be too bad. It'll be no different than playing in STARRY, right?"
"But there are so many people..." She starts to shrink into the seat she's sitting in.
"It'll be okay," Ryo says. "We might not even pick up an audience anyways." She shrugs and crosses her arms, deep in thought.
"T-That's even worse!" Bocchi-chan exclaims, flinching at the possibility.
"Right?" I use this as a chance to convince her to keep going with the band. "So don't give up on us now, Bocchi-chan!"
Defeated, Bocchi-chan reluctantly agrees with a weak "Okay," before going back to her lunch.
Everyone has been practicing for a while but today was our very first day to practice! Ryo and I were both caught up with other stuff but whenever we're both free Bocchi-chan always somehow gets stuck into some kind of situation with her family, something about how Futari wants to play with her.
But anyways, we're here at the studio in STARRY and everyone is getting set up. We played together before back in middle school but never one of our original songs.
I eye Bocchi-chan as she sets up her guitar, fixing up her pedalboard and whatnot. I think she caught me staring 'cause she gave me a scared glance before going back to her setup, more intimidated than before.
Well, that's not the best situation.
"Are you guys excited to practice?" I ask, attempting to lighten up the mood.
Ryo, for one, waves a hand to herself. "Yes. We will all play one of the songs I so professionally composed. It's too good for the real world," she brags.
I just roll my eyes and turn my attention to Bocchi-chan, expecting an answer. We lock eyes. She gives a weak "Y-Yay!" that she always did and pumped her fist in the air. I match her movements but with a lot more energy.
"Yay!" I say with a grin on my face. She smiles softly in return, and I consider that a success.
Once everyone is finished setting up we go through some of the songs slowly and we surprisingly sound great playing together. I think it's because we've known each other for a long time so we've already got "ties" in the band.
Oh god, I'm picking up Ryo's jokes too.
When we first started playing together everyone had trouble staying as a unit, especially Bocchi-chan. I mean like, really, really, out of place. She just played her own thing while Ryo caught up in her own world and I couldn't find the groove or anything and it was just a mess. But this time, after practicing those song covers for a while we already have a pretty solid foundation. I think playing together on Bocchi-chan's OH!TUBE channel helped as well.
The song ends on a sustained note and silence fills the room. I cheer and wave my drumsticks in the air. "Great job everyone! It sounded really good, too."
"It's a masterpiece," Ryo says. She wasn't wrong for once.
"So, a-are we going to have another band member, too?" Bocchi-chan asks. I think she might have been thinking about that recently.
"Yeah! Holding a street performance somewhere in the area to get a crowd is probably the easiest way for us to get a new member," I explain. "I'm gonna have to ask Onee-chan how everything works and stuff and good places and times to play."
"I-I don't think I-I c-could handle a-another person I don't k-know." Bocchi-chan starts to shrink into the corner.
"Hey, if you managed to survive meeting Ryo, you'll be able to handle the rest of the world! Don't worry about it!" I say, knowing Ryo wouldn't take offense at all. Actually, she takes it as a compliment.
Ryo flashed a thumbs up. "It's true. I am the weirdest person you'll know." I knew it.
"I hope so..." Bocchi-chan's gaze drops.
"It'll be okay!" I reassure her again and smile at her, locking our eyes. "We'll be just fine. Our 4th member will also be new to us so you're not alone." I hop out of my drum throne to get ready to leave.
Bocchi-chan visibly relaxes a bit before beginning to also close up for the day. "A-ah, well. G-G-Good work, everybody!!" She says with her back facing away from us, probably from embarrassment. It's kind of cute.
Everyone else also starts to pack up for the day.
Our first performance was obviously not the best. Bocchi-chan almost stopped playing midway after having some kind of life crisis. Most of the time we were following Ryo's lead since she composed the song and knew it the best out of the three of us, but it was extra difficult when we only had instrumentals, so we really had to push our limits to sound good.
We ended up playing in front of one of Onee-chan's old friend's stores near some of the more rural parts of Shimokitazawa so not a huge crowd stopped by to see us.
Still, some people came to watch, just for a little bit.
"Thanks for listening everyone! Also, if you're interested, we're holding auditions for a second guitarist, vocals as well. Just stop by the live house STARRY or come talk to us to apply!" I raise my drumsticks in the air as everyone takes a breath after playing at least 3 songs for the day.
Naturally, since the performance was over, most of the audience began walking along the sidewalk to continue with their day. But there was a certain redhead in the audience who stayed behind, just kinda staring at us in awe.
Maybe she'll audition!
We were all packed up as I took the last of my set onto this drum truck that you can drag around with wheels. I have no idea what it's called but we have it.
Just as I suspected the girl with red hair, who was wearing what Bocchi-chan would describe as "extroverted, trendy, seishun attire," walked up to us, gripping a tote bag on her shoulders.
"Um! Excuse me."
We all looked at her expectantly.
"I would like to join your band. I can play guitar and do vocals!"
Her words sent us all into a cheer - okay, well mostly me; Ryo and Bocchi-chan just stood there - and I yelled "Success!"
"You guys said you would hold auditions, right?" The girl was already writing down her number on an index card.
She handed it to Ryo. "My name's Kita! Just text me and we can set a date and time for the audition." She kind of doesn't acknowledge us, mostly looking Ryo in the eyes. She smiled and did a little head tilt. "It's nice to meet you!"
"Likewise. Thank you!" I say.
We headed our separate ways.
(One of the two parties went into a panicked spiral right after splitting, however).
"It worked! I told you: a street performance is perfect for getting members." We're on our way back to STARRY as the sun is starting to set.
Ryo pumps a fist to her chest. "See, someone would fall for me and join."
I stick my tongue out a little to fake a gag. "Yeah, right."
"Exactly. It was definitely love at first sight." She has her usual calm expression but was totally enjoying the moment.
"Lucky you, hmm..." I sarcastically say.
We decided to hold the auditions 3 weeks after Kita-chan had given us her number, which was farther away than I had initially planned. I guess she had already been super busy.
Anyhow, today is the day we get to see Kita-chan play for her audition.
So we waited.
And waited.
I texted her to double-check if she was coming.
No answer.
"Huh, maybe she put down the love glasses and gave up on you, Ryo," I say to her, setting my phone down on the table.
"T-There's no way." I'm pretty sure Bocchi-chan was referring more to the fact that Kita-chan didn't show up, but maybe she's supporting Ryo's delusional possibilities.
"I'm so heartbroken. Treat me to dinner for my misery?" Ryo fakes a cry and gives me her signature "pay for me" puppy eyes.
Why did I surround myself with weirdos?
"Yeah, no."
We waited a bit more.
She never came.
"Well, I guess stuff happens like that, sadly. Everyone's dismissed for the day. Feel free to go home." I wave everyone off and stand up from my seat.
Ryo and I start to leave, but Bocchi-chan is a little hesitant before complying and leaving the live house too.
(Bocchi's POV)
I guess that Kita girl really did flake out on us.
Nijika-chan and Ryo-san were already thinking of holding another street performance to get more audience.
God, I couldn't handle that many people watching me. Out in the open, too? Where they could see me in all directions? What if there's someone in the crowd who was a band member and would take us down?!
I shake my head. It's for the band, so I can't give up now!
I grip my guitar case strap in determination on my way home. My worries don't fade away, though.
What if we can't find anyone for our band? Am I really gonna have to sing after all? Are we going to break up before even starting? What if-
"Excuse the inconvenience, but Train A coming from Station XX will be delayed about 2 to 3 hours due to mysterious failures!" I hear the PA system ring out a voice amid my panicked spiral.
Well, that's just splendid. And what's with the oddly vague explanation?
Great, now what am I going to do? It's already around dinnertime and my train's going to be late, not to mention the extra 2 hours just to get home, too.
I whip out my phone and assess my options.
The easiest fix is to text Nijika-chan or Ryo-san if I could drop by their place for the night since the train is a no-go.
Surely they'll let me stay over for just one night. They would understand, right?
But then again, I could just wait for the train and kill some time walking around or something. It's only for 2 or 3 hours, nothing too long.
I could probably just stay at Nijika-chan's place while I wait.
Right! That could work.
I open up Nijika-chan's contact to initiate my plan.
Hitori: Hello. It seems my train has been delayed for 3 hours. Would it be acceptable if I was able to stay over at your place while I wait for my train?
Right after I sent the text Nijika-chan already read it.
Nijika: Of course! Do you need to stay the night? I have some extra clothes that can fit you if you need to borrow.
Eh?!
That wasn't the plan!
I quickly type up another message to protest against Nijika-chan's generosity.
Hitori: No! That's okay. I just need a place to kill time for a little bit.
Hitori: No need to go out of your way for me.
Nijika: Don't worry about it! I can help anytime!
Nijika: Are you coming right now?
I stand up from the bench I was sitting on and prepare myself to go to Nijika-chan's house.
Hitori: Yes. Thank you.
Nijika: Of course! Let me know when you're here.
I switch away from Nijika-chan's messages to my parents to tell them I'm going to her house.
It had been a while since the last time I went to Nijika-chan's house.
But every time I go into her room it looks more like Ryo-san's, with all her clothes she bought on impulse and CDs I know Nijika-chan would definitely not buy.
It had always been a weird bond they have, I suppose.
I lay atop Nijika-chan's bed with my legs hanging off the edge as I waited for her to get drinks. I stare at her blank ceiling, bored being alone in someone else's bedroom. My eyes flutter close for a few seconds when I start losing consciousness.
"Bocchi-chan!" I hear Nijika-chan's voice ring out from the open door, bringing me back from my sleepy trance. "I brought iced tea if that's okay."
She's holding a tray of two glasses with ice and a pitcher of tea.
"Thanks, Nijika-chan." I get up from my position on her bed rather lazily and plop myself at the center table.
She pours a glass of tea and hands it to me before serving her own. "Have you eaten dinner yet?"
I take a small sip before setting it down. "Yeah. I ate a little bit on my way here."
She nods in return.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay the night? I mean, you're gonna be out for a while if you wait for your train." Nijika-chan asks me. I can hear the subtle bit of concern in her voice. "You seem tired, too. You shouldn't stay out for that long."
She sounds like a doting parent.
"I-I can't possibly take up your time for the whole night." I raise my hands up in defense.
"Yes, you can, Bocchi-chan! Do you not want to?"
I quickly oppose the idea. "Of course not, Nijika-chan! It's just that it might be difficult to have a sleepover when I don't have anything prepared and I just invited myself to your house..." I gaze at the ground.
Nijika-chan just smiles and shifts around closer to me. "Well, we don't have to get everything planned for a sleepover! Plus, you're one of my best friends so it's no big deal."
I lift my head up, but before I can get another word she places a finger on my lips. "Nope! You want to stay over the night, yes?"
I just nod in return in a blushing mess from the unusual proximity.
"So, you're staying over the night. No excuses! I'm sure your parents wouldn't mind on a Friday night," she says, shutting down every explanation I had prepared.
Well then, I can't really argue anymore. Maybe this will be fun.
"Okay..."
"Great! Now that you're here for the whole night." She stands up and looks in her closet, filled with trinkets and unused items unlike mine. "I'm pretty sure I have an extra futon here somewhere. It was the same one you used last time."
I watch as Nijika-chan digs around the pile of mess before pulling the futon. "There we go! Ah." She walks to her wardrobe and pulls out some fresh clothes. "Here. You can wash up in the bathroom. I already took a bath so it's all yours."
She hands me the clothes before returning to setting up the futon. I murmur a small "Thank you," before heading out to the bathroom.
When I return back to the bedroom everything is already set up for me and I see Nijika-chan sitting on her bed on her phone, frowning.
"Is everything okay?" I ask meekly, sitting on the floor next to the futon.
"Oh, Bocchi-chan!" She acknowledges me and sets down her phone, gaining back her usual nonchalant smile, but it looked more strained than natural. "Everything's alright. I'm just disappointed that Kita-san didn't show up today for the audition. It might be harder to get a guitarist and vocalist than I had thought."
She looks down solemnly, losing the grin on her face.
"It'll be okay." I quickly say, knowing what Nijika-chan would do if it were me saying that. "We'll find another guitarist out there eventually. Maybe we just happened to get some bad luck along the way." I reach out for her hand and squeeze it gently.
She squeezes mine in return with a soft smile and traces her thumb over my knuckles. "Yeah. You're right."
We both lock eyes for a moment before I realize what I had actually done.
I snap my hand away from hers and can feel my face burning up. "A-Anyways, did you want to talk some more before sleeping?"
"Hmmm." She places her hand on her chin thoughtfully, ignoring the previous events. "You seem pretty tired, so we should sleep soon."
I fight the sudden urge to yawn to avoid further proving Nijika-chan's point. "I guess you're right."
I did want to talk for a little longer, but she was right, I am tired.
"It's okay, though. We can talk until one of us falls asleep!" she says like she was reading my mind, standing up.
"Yeah..." I watch her as she takes off the hair tie she uses every day from her hair.
She places the hair tie on top of her wardrobe, which also happens to have more of Ryo's trinkets. Her hair flows down below her back, probably even longer than my own hair, but she definitely still trims her bangs while I'm here who hasn't been to the hair salon in ages.
I realize I started staring a little when Nijika-chan's face appears in right front of me. "Bocchi-chan?" she asks with a teasing grin.
"Gah!" On reflex, I bounce back from the closeness. She sits on her knees next to me, that misleading smile still present.
"Something wrong?" she asks, resting her chin on both of her hands.
I never had the chance to look at Nijika-chan in a more relaxed fit. The way her tresses lazily fall down her shoulders, and how her triangular ahoge floats above her like a halo. She really does look a lot like her sister with her hair down. It looks so silky smooth...
I don't answer her question, and without thinking I lean forward and grasp at a handful of her blonde locks. "Bocchi-chan?"
It really is that soft, too. I run my hand down ever so meticulously, examining every strand closely. Her hair is so straight, too. When I comb through it softly, no tangles or anything is blocking my fingers from just flowing down. Ever since we met she always had the same hairstyle and-
Wait.
I snap back into reality.
What happened?
I find myself treading my fingers through Nijika-chan's hair, and she's looking at me a little flustered, but also I think a hint of mischievousness. WAIT!
As fast as I can I jolt my hand away as far as I can from her presence, my back hitting the edge of Nijika-chan's mattress. God, what have I done?
Words start to bubble up in my throat and I'm just about ready to vomit apologies and self-punishments.
Seemingly, Nijika-chan is able to talk first.
"Wait-wait-wait-wait Bocchi-chan! It's okay! It's okay!" She waves her hands profusely in front of my face, but I can already feel myself melting into a puddle. "Bocchi-chan?! Bocchi-chan! Come back to me! It's okay!"
Ah, maybe this is what I deserve for touching Nijika-chan's hair with my nasty hands. Maybe I'll spend the rest of my life as a water flea, maybe even below that, too. Goodbye, Kessoku Band. We had ended before we could even start. Perhaps that's why-
"Bocchi-chan!" Before I fully convert to a liquid, I can feel a soft hand grabbing my own. Oh, Nijika-chan's hand.
"Ah," I say calmly before the events catch up to me. "Oh! I'm really, really sorry, Nijika-chan! You see, I-really-just-wanted-to-feel-how-your-hair-felt-but-I-was-too-afraid-to-ask-and-stuff-so-I-unconsciously-went-for-your-hair-I'm-truly-sorry-I-will-now-cut-my-hands-off-for-my-sins-and-"
"Hey, hey, hey! It's okay!" she says, gripping my shoulders and shaking them lightly. "Snap out of it, would 'ya, Bocchi-chan?"
"Eh? Ah, yeah..." I lower my gaze. "Sorry, again, Nijika-chan..."
"Hey, don't worry about it! You just wanted to feel my hair, right?" Nijika-chan grins and comes even closer to me, turning around on her knees and giving me full access to her hair.
"A-Are you sure?" I say, not daring to move a millimeter.
"Mhm!"
I know I shouldn't, but she insisted, right? Awkwardly, I take some of Nijika-chan's hair again and eye it closely like before. I make sure not to tug on it too hard so I don't essentially start pulling Nijika-chan's head off - if that could ever happen. I wonder if it smells as good as it feels.
I hesitate for a second, before very quietly bringing her hair to my nose, sniffing it slightly. Vanilla? No, maybe something closer to-
"So, Bocchi-chan," Nijika-chan says, sending me back to Earth and immediately going back to combing her hair. My fingers slightly graze her back while doing so. "What are your hopes and dreams for the band?"
My dreams? Haven't we had this conversation before? I almost wanted to ask, but instead, answer her question. "I want to make the band the best it could ever be. Why do you ask?"
"Hmmm. Not much of a reason, really." She shrugs. "I hope our 4th member also has hopes and dreams to cherish, so we can all put them into Kessoku Band."
After Nijika-chan speaks we fall into a comfortable silence. I continue to tread my fingers through Nijika-chan's hair, and she doesn't seem to dislike it, either.
At one point I feel my eyes growing heavier and sleep is catching up with me. Nijika-chan notices and turns around from her position. "Ready to go to sleep, Bocchi-chan?"
I can't help but yawn quietly. She takes this as a yes before standing up to turn off the lamp. I savor the feeling of Nijika-chan's hair before settling into the futon.
"Lights out."
We both are laying down facing the ceiling covered by our blankets.
"Hitori-chan, do you remember when we first met?" Nijika-chan's voice asks.
Hitori-chan. "Huh? Yeah, of course. Why?"
"Earlier I was also thinking of something else, like what would've happened if I hadn't met you that day. Would Kessoku Band still exist then?"
"I think if I wasn't approached by you that day you would still have found me somehow."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You've always had a gravitation towards gloomy people, after all." I let out a small chuckle.
"Hehe. You're right, Bocchi-chan."
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"Bocchi-chan?"
"Yeah?"
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"Do you remember my dream?"
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"I want to make our band popular for Onee-chan and make STARRY even more famous!"
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"Yes."
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"Do you think it'll ever come true?"
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"Bocchi-chan?"
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"Goodnight, Bocchi-chan."
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"Yes. It will. I know it will."
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Next Chapter: Kita is found