"This is our gift to you, Chisato-kun. Thank you for writing such a wonderful song for us and taking care of us these past few days. Please, don't refuse," explained Nijika as they handed over the 10,000-yen bills.
"And if 'Sorry for Being So Cute' generates any income in the future, we'll make sure Suzumiya-kun gets a share," she added.
Hitori looked as surprised as Chisato. It seemed the other three members had made this decision without her.
But rather than being left out, Hitori realized they considered her and Chisato as a couple, so they hadn't felt the need to discuss it with her.
This consideration was part of why Chisato initially chose the Kessoku Band for his project.
Working with kind, thoughtful people meant fewer complications and misunderstandings.
The envelope from the store manager contained 30,000 yen, which seemed to be the same for all five of them.
By handing over two-thirds of their earnings so willingly, it was clear the band valued relationships and partnerships over money.
These are all good-hearted kids, Chisato thought.
"No, the store manager already paid me," Chisato replied, much to Nijika's surprise.
To her, it was only fair that Chisato, who composed the song, should receive extra compensation.
Just as she was about to insist he take it, Chisato's calm words caught her off guard.
"Compared to this, there's something much more important to do now."
"Something more... important?" The three across the table looked at each other, puzzled.
Chisato withdrew his hand from holding Hitori's under the table and spoke more seriously.
"To be honest, this performance was great, but is this all you want?"
Ikuyo tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Don't you want to be welcomed by even more people? Wouldn't you like to perform on a bigger stage, get known nationwide, hold a concert, and hear the cheers of thousands?"
The vision Chisato painted was so grand that Ikuyo and Nijika were momentarily speechless.
"Could we... really do that?" Nijika asked.
"Everything depends on effort. Once you set a goal, give it your all and have no regrets," Chisato said, patting Hitori on the shoulder.
"And as for how I managed to sell over 30 tickets in one day, the answer is right here." He gestured to Hitori.
"Bocchi-chan?" Nijika asked, wide-eyed.
"Yes. She's quite famous online. You know of Guitar Hero, right?"
"Of course! That amazing guitar blogger who never shows her face... ah!"
Nijika froze, a look of realization dawning on her face as she pointed at Hitori in disbelief.
"Bocchi-chan is Guitar Hero?"
The last words came out in a trembling voice.
Covering her face, Hitori blushed deeply and lowered her head.
Chisato nodded.
Nijika let out an excited squeal. "No wonder Bocchi-chan's guitar looked so familiar! I knew I'd seen it somewhere before!"
"The manager mentioned it to me," Chisato said, "and it's thanks to Hitori that the tickets sold out so quickly."
Nijika immediately pulled out her phone to look up Guitar Hero's latest posts.
Sure enough, the most recent one announced the ticket sales, with hundreds of comments from fans saying they'd be there to support.
No wonder the shop was packed today—some people even brought handmade signs for Guitar Hero.
"Bocchi-chan!" Nijika exclaimed with playful indignation. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Give her a break," Chisato replied. "She probably didn't think it was necessary to bring it up."
Hitori nodded in agreement, almost like a bird pecking for grain.
"Back to the main question," Chisato continued. "Do you want to go further, to gain more fans, and even work toward becoming a professional band?"
Chisato's serious tone made it clear that this was important to him. This could be his first step toward real financial success, a significant milestone.
If the band wanted to stay as they were, he'd find another way to achieve his goals. But, as expected, it was clear from their reactions that they shared his ambition.
"My goal has always been to inspire people and bring them happiness through drumming," Nijika said firmly.
"Same here!" Ikuyo raised her hands enthusiastically.
"Playing together like this makes me so happy, and I want to keep doing it!"
Ryo, wiping ketchup from her mouth, noticed the faint smile on Chisato's face. "If you're saying all this, you probably have a few ideas already."
"I do. But it's late, and I still have to catch the last train..."
"Then stay over at my place!" Nijika eagerly suggested.
"We can talk about the band's future and strategize!"
Nijika's next words took Chisato by surprise.
"Chisato-kun, please join the Kessoku Band!"
Though caught off guard, Chisato politely declined. He had too many responsibilities to commit fully to playing in a band.
However, after a bit of friendly pressure from Nijika and Ikuyo, he finally agreed to take on the title of "band manager."
Fine, let them be happy, he thought.
After leaving M's, Chisato walked the girls to the door of Ijichi's apartment, then borrowed Nijika's laptop and headed home.
He wanted to take advantage of the positive momentum from tonight's performance. The plan was to create an official band account to post videos and grow their fanbase.
Once he'd set up the account, updated it with information, edited a few videos, and posted them, it would be late into the night.
But he felt full of energy, driven by the sense that luck was on his side. If all went well, the video of their live performance would gain plenty of views and retweets.
And tomorrow, being Saturday, he'd have them record an official version of the song in the studio and post it on the music site.
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