As I dozed off during lunchtime, I felt a gentle pat on my back, and a familiar voice disrupted my peaceful nap.
"Nakasone-kun~"
I reluctantly opened my eyes and turned to Soumei, who was looking at me with amusement.
"What?" I mumbled, still half-asleep.
"Uwah... What happened to your eyes? Did you even sleep at all?" he asked, genuine worry in his voice.
I rubbed my eyes and shot him a puzzled look, "What do you mean?"
He let out a sigh, took out his phone, and swiftly snapped a picture. Then, he turned the screen toward me.
"Look at yourself."
I reluctantly peered at the screen. To my surprise, my eyes were adorned with noticeable dark circles and bags. Well, I hadn't noticed that before. Maybe staying up late studying was too much.
I was never studious anyway.
Maybe it's because of Tsukishi-san's determination, I also got caught by her.
"Heh, I guess I got a bit carried away," I admitted with a half-hearted smile.
Soumei chuckled, "You really need to take care of yourself, Nakasone-kun. Don't burn the midnight oil too often."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll keep that in mind."
Easier said than done.
I leaned back in my chair during a rare moment of relaxation, idly scrolling through my phone as lunchtime drifted by. Among the sea of social media posts, a familiar face caught my eye.
"Hm?" I murmured, tapping on the image for a closer look. "Isn't this Kirigaya Touko? She's the bassist of Morfonica, right? Or was it RAS? Ahh, I can't remember..."
With a shrug, I clicked on her profile and noticed a red "Live" icon superimposed on her profile picture.
"Oh? She's live?" I raised an eyebrow with curiosity. "Let's see what she's up to."
I tapped on the icon, and within moments, Kirigaya Touko's livestream began playing. She was seated in what appeared to be a cozy room, her electric guitar resting against her shoulder. As she greeted her viewers with a warm smile, I couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity.
"Hey there, everyone!" she chirped, her voice cheerful and inviting. "I thought I'd hop on here and play a few tunes for you all. Hope you're ready to rock!"
Ohhh~ I remember now she's a guitarist for Morfonica... Geez how could I forget about that...
For starters, I should follow her... toko_photo1216
I quickly clicked the follow button, becoming one of Touko's newest followers. Almost immediately, she noticed the notification and her eyes widened with a bright smile.
"Oh hey~ if it isn't the part-timer-kun from CirCLE! Hello!"
My cheeks flushed at the unexpected shoutout. "Uh... H-Hello there!"
Touko's playful tone continued, "Oh? NakiKyo is your username? How cute~"
I felt a heat rising in my cheeks as I quickly typed out a response, "Stop that!"
But it was too late. The chat erupted with excited comments and speculation.
"Who's that?!"
"Is this your boyfriend?!"
"toko-chan has a boyfriend!?"
As Touko's chat exploded with comments, she giggled and laughed.
"Hey hey, calm down, guys! NakiKyo here is just a friend from CirCLE! No need to freak out, haha~"
The chat buzzed with excitement as Touko's words only seemed to fuel the fire. Meanwhile, I could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment. The last thing I needed was to become the center of attention in Touko's livestream.
Trying to play it cool, I typed out a response, "Yeah, just a friend, nothing more! Just here to support the life."
Touko grinned mischievously at my response. "Aww, you're too modest, NakiKyo! But seriously, thanks for joining the stream!"
I couldn't help but smile at her infectious energy. "No problem! Your live streams are always entertaining."
The chat continued to buzz with activity as Touko interacted with her viewers, sharing stories, answering questions, and even showing off some behind-the-scenes glimpses of Morfonica's practices.
Despite my initial embarrassment, I found myself getting caught up in the lively atmosphere of the stream.
Touko flashed a playful wink at the camera. "Alright, guys, I'm here to do a music livestream."
"Oh yeah everyone~ Morfonica will do a live band soon~ Please attend!" She flashed a wink again.
is she a Moe or Gyaru? Pick one already.
The comments section exploded with excitement, filled with messages of support and adoration for Morfonica and Touko herself.
"We will definitely go there!"
"I love Morfonica!"
"Touko-chan!"
Meanwhile, I was engrossed in watching Touko's live performance, her fingers expertly strumming the guitar strings as she played along. I couldn't help but be captivated by her performance.
Just then, Soumei appeared beside me, peering over my shoulder at the screen. "Oh? You're interested in gyaru?"
Caught off guard, I quickly minimized the stream and turned to face Soumei. "I was just... uh... checking out some music streams. Touko from Morfonica was live."
Soumei raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Ah, I see. So, are you a fan of Morfonica?"
I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, they're pretty talented. And Touko's streams are always entertaining."
"Just look at her go," I muttered to myself, marveling at Touko's skill.
And so I watched Touko's livestream during lunch, little did I expect to encounter her in person just a few hours later, standing right in front of CirCLE Livehouse.
"Hm?" I blinked in surprise.
What the hell is she doing there?
Touko's eyes lit up as she spotted me, and she greeted me with a bright smile. "There you are, Kyocchi~"
Kyocchi?
She rushed toward me, her energy infectious. "Heya~ Thank you for listening to the stream."
"Yeah," I replied, returning her smile.
A moment of silence passed between us, and I shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to say next.
"Soo~ I'm gonna go to work now..." I began to walk past her, but she reached out and grabbed my hand.
"Uhm!"
Surprised, I turned back to face her, my eyebrows raised in question.
"W-What is it...?"
Touko hesitated, her gaze dropping to the ground. "U-Uhm... What did you think of the stream?"
I paused, caught off guard by her sudden vulnerability. "It was... good," I replied tentatively, offering a reassuring smile.
"B-Be honest!" she insisted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Did she... catch on?
I sighed, realizing she wanted genuine feedback. a real one.
"It's not bad, and not good either..." I admitted, my gaze shifting away.
"So that's why you stopped watching me mid-way, huh..." Touko's voice was tinged with disappointment, and I felt a pang of guilt.
"Eh?! You noticed that?!"
She nodded, her expression slightly sullen. "Sorry," she murmured.
"No worries~ I know I suck at it, but you know? Practice makes perfect, right?" Touko attempted to brighten the mood with a hint of optimism.
I couldn't help but chuckle at her resilience. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"I-I gotta go now then..." Touko released my arm and bowed politely before turning to leave. However, something compelled me to stop her.
"Wait."
She froze in her tracks, her eyes widening in surprise. "W-what is it?" she asked, turning back to face me.
I hesitated, feeling a rush of embarrassment and shyness wash over me. Slowly, I gathered my courage and spoke up.
"I don't mind... helping you out. After all, you're with your guitar right?" I gestured toward the guitar bag slung over her shoulder.
Touko's eyes lit up with excitement, her smile growing wider. "Really?!"
"Yeah," I replied, trying to match her enthusiasm.
"Really!? Really?!" Her excitement was contagious, and I couldn't help but smile in response.
"Yes," I affirmed, nodding slightly.
Touko's grin widened even further, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. "Thank you, Kyocchi! You're the best!"
I chuckled, feeling a warmth spread through me at her genuine appreciation. "No problem, Kirigaya-san. Let's head inside and get started, shall we?"
With a nod, Touko eagerly followed me into CirCLE Livehouse, her guitar bag slung over her shoulder and a newfound sense of determination in her stride. As we prepared to practice together.
As Touko strummed her guitar, I watched her closely, nodding in approval at her progress. "You're doing quite well right now," I remarked, "though maybe a little practice at home could be even better. But you know what I mean."
Touko grinned, her eyes shining with determination. "Hahaha, right then! Thank you, Kyocchi~"
I smiled back, feeling a sense of satisfaction at her enthusiasm. "No problem," I replied, "just keep up the good work."
With renewed determination, Touko continued to play, her fingers dancing across the strings with increasing confidence. As the melody filled the air, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in her improvement.
After a while, we took a break, sitting together on the stage steps as we caught our breath.
"You know," Touko began, her voice thoughtful, "I never expected you to offer to help me like this.
"Well, you seemed like you needed a hand,"
"Yeah! Thank you~"
I felt a flush of embarrassment at her gratitude, but I quickly brushed it off with a casual wave of my hand. "Hey, no biggie."
And I just got infected by her gyaru slang.
Touko nodded, her smile widening. "Right. Well, I'll definitely practice harder now, thanks to you."
Just then, the door swung open, I turned to see the members of Morfonica entering.
"Huh? Touko-chan? You're here early?" Mashiro asked, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Oh~ Shiro and everyone! You're all finally here!" Touko exclaimed, her smile widening as she stepped down from the stage to greet them.
"What are you doing with Nakasone-senpai?" Futaba asked, curiosity evident in her voice.
"Oh~ Just talking about stuff~ right? Kyocchi!" Touko turned to me with a playful wink, causing my cheeks to flush slightly.
"Right..." I replied, feeling a bit awkward under the Morfonica members' scrutiny. "I better get back to my post."
With that, I made my exit, feeling their gazes on me as I walked away. As I reached the door, I stole a glance back at them, seeing them settling into their practice routine.