Weird, I can't seem to spot this book in any power rankings beside in "All-time".
Oh well..
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At 5:30 PM, they arrived at Shimokitazawa Station after taking the train.
Chisato and Hitori, each holding an umbrella, walked towards their destination.
Shimokitazawa, located in Setagaya Ward, is a small but popular area with young people. The streets are lined with fashion shops, cafes, and bars.
Many years ago, a certain infamous individual single-handedly tarnished Shimokitazawa's reputation, making it a somewhat ironic hotspot (sadly).
For a long time, many people gathered to see the filming locations of a particular work.
They would line up, shout incomprehensibly at a building in Shimokitazawa, and eagerly record and post it online.
But in recent years, that trend has faded. It's rare to see people playing along with those old memes anymore.
Perhaps the hype has died down, or maybe the people who were so enthusiastic back then have moved on with their lives and can't bring themselves to do such embarrassing things anymore.
As they walked, Chisato noticed several exhibition halls with eye-catching signs and walls adorned with trendy English letters and graffiti.
He saw a vinyl record store and wondered if Kazusa, who studied piano, might be interested in such a shop.
"It's just up ahead. Turn the corner and you'll see it."
Hitori pointed ahead.
"Okay."
Chisato nodded.
"Can you tell me more about the person who invited you to join the band yesterday? What was your impression?"
"Ah… well, she has golden hair."
"Mm-hmm, and?"
"She seems very cheerful, not like someone as introverted as me."
"There's no need to add that last part to put yourself down. Is there anything else about her?"
"Also… when she spoke, it felt like she used some kind of magic, making it impossible for me to refuse her."
"Oh, I can definitely say that's your own issue…"
As they spoke, they had already turned the corner.
"It's right there…"
Hitori pointed to a sign not far ahead.
"Ah—"
Chisato touched his chin.
"The shop's name is 'Starry.' That's a great name—sounds gentle and dreamy."
"Thank you!"
As Chisato admired the name, a girl approached them, her voice bright as she thanked them.
Hitori, startled by the new arrival's voice, quickly ducked behind Chisato, as if her brain had detected some sort of danger signal.
"Ah, who are you?"
Chisato looked at the girl who had approached.
"This shop is run by my sister. I overheard what you said, and I appreciate your praise for the name 'Starry.'"
The girl with golden hair had a sunny smile that felt warm and full of energy, even on a rainy day.
Even though her approach was a bit abrupt, it didn't come off as annoying or intrusive. If friendliness were a stat, she'd definitely have it maxed out.
"Oh, isn't this Hitori-chan? You brought a friend along today. Thank you!"
"Ah… yeah…"
Hitori, timidly peeking out from behind Chisato, twitched her little hair strand and, like a snail sensing danger, quickly pulled her head back after a quick glance.
"Hitori-san, since you know each other, at least come out and greet her properly."
Chisato tried to boost the shy snail's confidence with some encouraging words.
Unfortunately, it didn't work.
"Haha, it's okay. I don't mind. I know Hitori is shy."
The cheerful girl waved her hand dismissively, showing she wasn't bothered.
"It's raining outside, so let's head in."
"Alright."
Chisato followed the blonde girl, trailing behind her, and they climbed the stairs beneath the "Starry" sign.
The performance hall was located one floor down. After opening the door, they had to descend another flight of stairs to see the full view of the hall.
The lighting was not very bright but had a cozy atmosphere, with a simple bar area serving as both a water bar and cash register. Behind the bar sat a mature woman with blonde hair.
Besides that, there was a prominent but currently unused stage, an open space, and six or seven small tables at the edges.
As it was Chisato's first time in such a place, he was quite interested and looked around eagerly.
The blonde girl guided Chisato to an empty table and quickly brought over drinks from the bar.
"It's still early, so there aren't many people. It'll get much busier later. If you're interested, you can stay and watch."
"There's a band performance tonight—it'll be quite lively… Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. Hi, I'm Ichiji Nijika, a second-year student at Shimokitazawa High."
"Hi, I'm Suzumiya Chisato, a second-year student at Hōjō University Attached High School, just like Hitori-san."
Chisato shook hands with Nijika, and his fondness for the energetic girl grew.
Although he had promised Hitori to help her decline joining the band during lunch, he secretly thought that if the person was nice, letting Hitori join might not be such a bad idea.
"Chisato-kun is very cool. Are you Hitori-chan's boyfriend?"
"Pfft!"
Neither of the two involved in the conversation reacted much, but Hitori, who had been silently sipping her drink with a straw, couldn't hold back and spat it out.
"I'm so sorry! I'm really sorry!"
She kept nodding apologetically and hurriedly pulled out some tissues from her pocket.
"Oh, it's fine, Hitori-chan. I'll just get a cloth from the bar."
After wiping the table, Nijika's curious gaze shifted back and forth between the two.
Chisato realized he couldn't always be the only one talking, so he turned to Hitori, signaling her to answer the previous question.
"Ah… um… Chisato-kun is my… angel, my savior… Ah! That hurt!"
Hitori, who had been hit with a light jab, clutched her head and shrank her neck.
"You're not just embarrassing yourself but dragging me into it too."
Chisato withdrew his hand and, looking at Nijika with a serious expression, said,
"Actually, I'm Hitori-san's owner."
"Eh!"
Nijika's face turned bright red in an instant, revealing her pure, innocent nature.
"…Nijika, you really believe that?"
Chisato realized Nijika was another one of those who couldn't handle jokes.
"W… Woof?"
Hitori hesitated for a moment and then made a sound like an animal.
"Don't cooperate with me at a time like this!"
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