As it turns out, guitarists really do have a natural talent for escape.
Ever since Bocchi-chan had fled from Anon's house yesterday, Kazami Haru had only received occasional replies to his messages. Even her "Guitar Hero" YouTube channel, which usually uploaded on a fixed schedule, hadn't posted anything all night.
Yeah, she was really scared.
Haru had explained everything to the two girls afterward, that what happened was just an accident caused by Bocchi tripping while holding her guitar. She'd run away simply because she was overwhelmed.
Ikuyo Kita, ever understanding, realized it was just a little misunderstanding on her part.
After all, Bocchi would never betray her behind her back, right?
To make sure Bocchi didn't feel too stressed, Kita even sent a few gentle messages to check on her.
…Which Bocchi immediately interpreted as threats and intimidation.
After a flurry of panicked apologies, she decided not to respond at all.
"She really is peak social anxiety. Just a little bit of physical contact and she bolts. If Bocchi ever became someone's girlfriend, she'd probably faint from embarrassment before a kiss could even happen."
"Wonder if she'll even show up to the band team-building today."
Haru lounged lazily against a wooden bench in a park, mumbling to himself.
It was Saturday, the day the band Kessoku Band had scheduled both their promo video shoot and some team bonding.
Nijika had set the meeting time for 10 AM at Mapichi Park in Shimokitazawa. Since Haru didn't have much to do at home besides watering flowers, he arrived half an hour early.
Every time he thought about what happened at that pink-haired girl's house yesterday, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"…Though honestly, it wasn't so bad for me."
After all, he was the one who got to hold her in his arms, twice.
After those moments of "catching her," Haru had fully understood the greatness that was Bocchi-chan.
He hadn't held many girls before, but even so, he could confidently say that Bocchi's softness was on a whole other level, like hugging a premium-grade plush pillow.
An asset some less-endowed girls could only dream of!
Of course, that wasn't the most important part.
What mattered was that his simulator's usage count had just gone up because of it.
[The Ultimate Romance Simulator]
Host: Kazami Haru
Skills: Piano Lv2 / Music Theory Lv3 / Barista Lv2 / Guitar Lv3 / Love's Cuisine Lv2 / Endurance Lv3
Items: Random Identity Card / Nijika Ijichi IF Route Card /
[Master Pianist Kazami Reina] 10-Minute Trial Card
Simulation Count: 3
"Just holding her twice gave me two more simulations?"
Haru looked down, deep in thought. To start a new simulation, he needed enough simulation points and to get those, he had to interact more closely with the target, creating a frustrating little loop.
It was clearly designed that way to force him into getting closer to people.
Real classy, this system…
"Hm?"
Out of boredom, Haru opened his phone and saw a new LINE message.
The sender had a profile icon of a panda named "Mr. Pan," its angry expression giving off the vibe that someone owed it 300 million yen.
There was only one person in the MyGO group chat who would use that kind of icon.
His so-called bro: Shiina Taki.
[How's the composing coming along?]
Even without seeing her face, Haru could practically feel her glaring at the screen, fingers impatiently tapping the table.
If he dared say "I haven't started," she might fly into a rage and tear him to shreds.
"Looks like I'll have to use my part-time-free time to get to work…"
"I haven't even made a folder yet, and now I'm feeling the pressure."
Though he had nothing to show for it yet, Haru quickly typed out a reply that read:
[Going smoothly.]
Not just for MyGO—Kessoku Band needed a new track too. They had their first live coming up, and without a new song, all they'd be able to play was Wisteria Bird.
Crunch~
While chewing on a cucumber-flavored chip, Haru was still mulling over the arrangement issues.
He hadn't even grabbed a second chip before a pair of long, slender fingers silently reached into the bag.
Slap!
With perfect timing, Haru grabbed the sneaky hand.
"So stingy."
A cool voice came from behind him. It was a serene, pale girl with mid-length blue hair covering one eye.
Around her neck hung light green Bluetooth headphones. A punky metal earring glinted on her exposed earlobe, and a small beauty mark beneath her golden eye added to her mysterious allure.
Ryo had somehow crept up behind him, trying to snatch chips without being noticed.
Caught red-handed, she instantly covered her eyes and pouted pitifully.
"Haru, I haven't eaten in three days..."
"Could you really let a stunning beauty starve on the street?"
Haru's face remained unchanged as he smiled flatly. "Is that so?"
"She even said if you share some snacks, she'll agree to any request."
When fake-crying didn't work, Ryo pulled out eye drops and used them in plain view to create teary, puppy-dog eyes.
Any request?
That… was a little tempting.
If Nijika had said that, face bright red, he probably wouldn't have hesitated to say yes.
But sadly, this was Yamada Ryo.
"Haha~ yeah, I don't buy it."
He couldn't believe a single word this bassist said.
Not when she still hadn't paid him back the money she borrowed. Trusting Ryo was like believing Shiina Taki had a secret crush on him.
Seeing his deadpan resistance, Ryo pouted.
"Really won't budge?"
Her voice softened, and suddenly Haru felt a gentle pressure on his left shoulder.
A delicate fragrance lingered in the air. Her blue hair lightly brushed his neck, tickling his skin and making him freeze up.
At some point, Ryo had rested her chin on his shoulder.
"…."
Haru's eye twitched. He hesitated.
If this were inside a simulation, and this devious woman dared pull something like this, he'd make sure she paid for it, thoroughly.
Unfortunately, this was real life.
In the end, he reluctantly handed over the cucumber chips.
"Hmph~"
She smiled, victorious, knowing exactly how effective her tactics were.
Snatching the chips from Haru's hand, she stuffed them into her mouth without a hint of shame, like she feared leaving even a single crumb for him.
Once she finished, she even licked her lips, unsatisfied.
"Got any more?"
"You saw for yourself. That was the last of it."
Ryo's gaze flicked toward the corner of Haru's mouth, where a tiny chip crumb still lingered.
Her golden eyes sparkled with a strange gleam.
"That's not entirely true."
Haru's calm façade cracked slightly.
This shameless woman, after getting what she wanted, didn't retreat but instead, she leaned in even closer.
Yet she somehow maintained just enough distance to avoid full intimacy.
That delicate gap made things all the more dangerous.
Ryo's lips curled into a playful smirk, inching even closer. Warm breath brushed against his skin, and the air between them thickened with tension.
Just as she was about to close in—
"Haru-kun! Ryo-senpai! Ciallo～(∠?ω<)⌒★"
A wild Ikuyo Kita appeared at possibly the worst possible time.
Today, Miss Kita was dressed in a loose, pure white short-sleeved jacket, a strappy tank top tied neatly over her fair shoulders, and an orange cinched-waist mini skirt paired with loafers and little white socks.
Her eyes sparkled with vibrant energy—her youth and beauty on full display.
"Hm…"
Kazami Haru gave a subtle nod of approval, his eyes admiring Kita's long, lean legs that were free of any excess fat. Her smooth, fair skin practically glowed in the light, very different, but equally as captivating as Ryo's alluring black tights.
He wasn't a leg-fetishist. Just your standard, healthy pervert.
As for Ryo, her expression had long gone cold. She quickly returned to her default poker face, one hand in her skirt pocket as she silently watched Kita.
That chilling, half-squinting glare made Kita instinctively shiver down her spine.
"Ah... uh~ Am I early or something?"
"Looks like Nijika-senpai and Bocchi-chan aren't here yet?"
Kita smiled brightly, radiating her usual cheer. But upon seeing Haru's awkward expression and Ryo's icy demeanor, her normie sixth sense—the ability to read the room—kicked in hard.
A sudden, inexplicable panic rose in her chest.
What was this?
That weird "Did I just interrupt something?" energy.JPG
Ryo continued to stare silently, saying nothing, yet somehow making Kita feel like a bug under a magnifying glass. She even had the urge to bolt on the spot.
It was a primal kind of fear, not something easily suppressed.
Sweat began forming on her smooth forehead. After all, she had pulled that little "tiger versus wolf" stunt not long ago. Facing Ryo again made her feel… just a little guilty.
C-Could she have figured something out?
But I haven't said anything…!
Some time later, Nijika Ijichi finally arrived, walking with light, springy steps.
"Sorry, sorry! I saw Bocchi-chan hiding nearby, too scared to come closer, so I had to coax her over. That took a bit…"
She sounded a bit sheepish as she explained. Behind her was Bocchi, clinging timidly to her back.
As always, she wore that tragically styled pink-and-white tracksuit, paired with a black miniskirt. But maybe from spending so much time around stylish girls like Nijika and Kita, she was starting to accept that tracksuits and pleated skirts weren't the only way to dress.
For Bocchi, that was serious character development!
Ryo blinked. "Bocchi, why were you hiding?"
"Well, it seems that during their practice session, she tripped and purely by accident fell into Haru-kun's arms. She got so flustered she ran off immediately…"
Even Nijika looked a bit helpless explaining it. It was such a strangely convenient event.
Falling into someone's arms by accident? What kind of shojo manga setup was that?
"I tried to stop her, but she was out the door before I could react."
Haru still couldn't believe how fast Bocchi had slipped away, like an eel.
"…"
Ryo narrowed her eyes at Hitori Gotoh, then quickly looked away.
Bocchi… wasn't a threat.
Based on all the info she had, Bocchi was the type who "stayed close but never made progress."
If Ikuyo Kita had been the one to "accidentally" fall into Haru's arms, now that would've been a whole different story. But Ryo figured Bocchi's incident was just dumb luck.
Meanwhile, Bocchi had no idea what everyone was thinking.
She was too busy sneakily glancing at Kita.
And when she saw that bright smile, she practically jumped in place.
Everyone was misunderstanding! She hadn't run away because she was embarrassed!
She had run because she thought Kita-san would go full psycho from betrayal and stab her with a smile! That's all!
"Wait… room? Did Kita-chan and Bocchi go to Haru-kun's house to practice guitar?"
Nijika tilted her head, clearly intrigued. Her question also caught Ryo's attention.
Kita, seizing the moment, let a gleam flash through her eyes. She smiled and answered casually:
"Nope! Haru-kun mentioned he was teaching another girl, the guitar, remember? So we just went to her house to practice."
"Her house?"