“Are you okay, classmate?”
Gotou Ichiri couldn't catch her breath, feeling like she was about to croak any second.
Yen Xi patted her back, helping her to catch her breath.
“I’m… I’m alive…”
Gotou Ichiri’s expression was exaggerated, as if she had been reborn.
Kosaka Honoka asked nervously, “Do we need to go to the hospital?”
“Nothing that dramatic,” Yen Xi said, seeing right through the issue. “You’re just startled by me.”
Kosaka Honoka pouted in dissatisfaction and said, “What’s so scary about me?”
Gotou Ichiri: Suddenly speaking up is really scary!
And you just happened to hit on her thoughts, even scarier!
Kosaka Honoka’s home was surprisingly close to Yen Xi’s, which was why she ran into her this morning.
The two took the same electric train home, and happened to run into Gotou Ichiri alone in the park.
Gotou Ichiri kept her head down the whole time, listening to their conversation.
She thought to herself, it’s great to have friends like this, anyway, someone like her who only hides in the closet at home, probably won’t make friends like this in her entire life.
“Ah, guitar!”
Another expert?
And a blonde, too!
“Ah, and A-Xi!”
The blonde girl, wearing red boots, quickly walked towards them.
“Ichigeki Honoka.” Yen Xi nodded to Ichigeki Honoka.
The two were neighbors, and since the original owner moved in a little over a month ago, she had received a lot of help from her.
“A-Xi, who are these?”
Ichigeki Honoka asked them both at the same time, but her eyes never left Gotou Ichiri.
Is this love?
“This is Kosaka Honoka, and this one… I don’t know her either,” Yen Xi said.
Ichigeki Honoka was asking about their relationship, but it was a difficult question to answer.
They weren’t friends, but calling them strangers felt too heartless. So she just skipped over it.
“Hello, I’m Ichigeki Honoka, A-Xi’s neighbor,” Ichigeki Honoka said.
“That… this classmate, is that a guitar on your back?” Ichigeki Honoka asked Gotou Ichiri.
Gotou Ichiri didn’t dare to look at anyone, avoiding Ichigeki Honoka’s gaze, and gave a small “uh huh.”
A guitar and bass are similar, Ichigeki Honoka was afraid of getting it wrong so she asked again.
Upon receiving a clear answer, Ichigeki Honoka’s expression became fidgety.
It was probably like the feeling when a friend wants to borrow money but doesn’t know how to bring it up.
“There’s something I need your help with, ah, but it’s okay if you don’t want to… even though it’s okay, it’s really hard for me if you don’t…” Ichigeki Honoka twirled her fingers, and finally clapped her hands together. “Please, come be a temporary guitar player in my band!”
“Huh?”
Gotou Ichiri was lost in the wind, not able to react before Ichigeki Honoka successfully held her hand.
“Thank you so much! Let’s go now!”
“Wait, wait, wait?!!” Gotou Ichiri was in a panic, and even thought she was being targeted by some kind of pyramid scheme.
…
…
“My friend and I started a band, but the guitarist ran away.”
“We’re supposed to be performing on stage soon, so I came out to try my luck, and I didn’t expect to actually find a guitarist!”
On the way to the broadcasting hall, Ichigeki Honoka explained the situation, but Gotou Ichiri was distracted and didn’t listen.
“It’s so unfair to break a promise! It’s totally overboard!” Kosaka Honoka was indignant, defending Ichigeki Honoka.
“I’ve seen that guitarist before, he doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would just break a promise… how come you’re still here?” Yen Xi’s last sentence was directed at Honoka.
“Aren’t you also here?” Kosaka Honoka asked back.
“Because my home is right above the broadcasting hall!”
Kosaka Honoka said, “I’ve never seen a band perform before, I want to go check it out.”
Ichigeki Honoka said with a smile, “Welcome, welcome.”
Gotou Ichiri kept her head down the whole time… well, not the whole time. She followed behind the group and occasionally would sneakily smell the scent of high school girls’ youth on Ichigeki Honoka and Kosaka Honoka.
Completely different from her, the only scent on her was the insecticide from her room’s closet.
Gotou Ichiri anxiously thought: I hope they don’t think they got the wrong person.
Ichigeki Honoka nervously thought: Did I get the wrong person?
“Right, I haven’t asked your name yet…” Ichigeki Honoka suddenly remembered.
“Gotou Ichiri…”
The group reached the entrance of the broadcasting hall.
The broadcasting hall was called ‘Prosperous Star’ and was in the basement, owned by Ichigeki Honoka’s sister.
“Then I’ll head back,” Yen Xi said.
Everyone: “…”
Kosaka Honoka said, “You can’t leave alone at a time like this!”
“But I’m not really interested in bands,” Yen Xi said, spreading out her hands.
“A-Xi, come with us, it’ll be so lonely for Xiao Guo when we’re backstage preparing,” Ichigeki Honoka said.
“Honoka-chan is right, I’m so lonely~” Kosaka Honoka feigned a pitiful expression.
From the park to the broadcasting hall, this distance was enough for two social butterflies to get to know each other and develop a deep friendship.
Yen Xi wasn’t strong-willed, and she half-heartedly went along with them.
At the entrance of the broadcasting hall, Ichigeki Honoka and Gotou Ichiri went to prepare first, while Yen Xi and Kosaka Honoka were stopped.
“Hello, the ticket price is 1500 yen per person.”
The smiling sound engineer said to Yen Xi and Kosaka Honoka.
Yen Xi paid without hesitation, and then looked at Honoka, who was staring blankly.
Kosaka Honoka blinked and asked, “It costs money?”
Yen Xi rolled her eyes and said, “Otherwise how are they going to make money?”
Kosaka Honoka searched in her pleated skirt pocket, finally pulling out a 500-yen coin.
Then she looked at Yen Xi with pitiful eyes.
Yen Xi: “…”
“I’ll pay for it,”
Yen Xi paid for Kosaka Honoka’s share too.
Kosaka Honoka said gratefully, “I’ll pay you back when I get my allowance.”
The two walked into the broadcasting hall.
Because it was in the basement, it gave off a dark and damp feeling.
“Yo, A-Xi, you came too.”
Ichigeki Hoshika saw Yen Xi at the bar and greeted her.
“Hoshika-san.” Yen Xi responded.
“This is… your girlfriend?” Ichigeki Hoshika said jokingly.
“Girl… girlfriend, that’s not true!” Kosaka Honoka explained, her face flushed red.
This was definitely not Kosaka Honoka being instantly won over, but the normal reaction of a pure-hearted girl.
“Hoshika-san, please don’t joke around.” Yen Xi said.
“Sorry, sorry,” Ichigeki Hoshika said, “What would you like to drink? My treat, as an apology for before.”
“That’s too embarrassing,” Kosaka Honoka blinked and asked, “Juice is okay, right?”
Yen Xi: “…”
As expected of Honoka.
…………
PS: Second chapter today, please support!