On the rooftop, Shin sat in the middle, with Hitori Gotou on one side and Megumi Kato on the other.
If anyone else saw this, they'd probably feel a mix of envy and jealousy at Shin's cozy scene of having a girl on each side.
But on closer inspection, Hitori Gotou was seen as a strange girl with her head perpetually down, dressed unfashionably, and Megumi Kato… well, people probably wouldn't even notice her.
With that perspective, even if someone saw them, Shin likely wouldn't inspire any envy.
Despite both Hitori and Megumi being beautiful girls, they wouldn't attract much attention for various reasons, leaving Shin to enjoy the moment alone.
"Do you play the guitar, Gotou-san?"
During lunch, Megumi glanced with interest at the guitar case beside Hitori.
The guitar on Hitori's back was certainly noticeable in some ways, yet her aura of social anxiety kept most people from approaching her.
With Shin as the bridge between them, Megumi found herself asking.
"Y-yes!"
Hitori, mid-bite of her rice ball, trembled with excitement.
Finally… someone had asked her about her guitar!
Even if the other girl was Shin's girlfriend—and though Shin intimidated her a bit—this was still a first step!
Earlier that morning, a crowd of classmates surrounded her, bombarding her with questions, but the topics all revolved around Shin. No one mentioned her guitar.
"Would you like me to play something for you?"
As Hitori asked, her heart fluttered nervously, afraid of being rejected.
Part of her was showing off; after all, she had confidence in her guitar skills. Her videos uploaded under the username "Guitar Hero" had gained quite a following online.
Maybe, just maybe, even Shin would look at her differently after hearing her play?
Though Hitori was still afraid of Shin, she couldn't help but feel curious about this scary person who had dared to talk to her.
It was one of those self-doubting quirks of social anxiety—when people show a little interest, weird thoughts pop up.
After all, the "three great illusions of life" don't just apply to men.
"Alright, if you're offering, Gotou-san, please go ahead."
Megumi, always kind-hearted, nodded, giving Hitori some encouragement.
Seeing this, Hitori perked up, quickly opening her guitar case and pulling out her guitar.
The guitar had been well-maintained, though there were signs of age—Shin recalled that Hitori had inherited it from her father.
Guitar in hand, Hitori's demeanor shifted. She turned to face Shin and Megumi, a confident smile lighting up her face.
And then, it faltered.
In the brief moment before starting, she realized she'd never performed in front of others.
As a girl too shy to be seen, she usually played hidden away in her room.
Though she'd performed once with Nijika Ijichi's band, she had been hiding in a cardboard box then.
But now, with both Shin and Megumi watching her directly, her legs turned to jelly.
"Still as lacking in confidence as ever, huh?"
Shin sighed, chewing on a sausage from his lunchbox as he looked at Hitori.
"Bocchi, if you don't play properly, I'll smash your guitar."
"Ara, don't you think that's a bit much?"
Megumi, hearing Shin's words—which sounded less like encouragement and more like a direct threat—smiled awkwardly.
Hitori's expression looked as though her soul had left her body. Shin's words seemed to add pressure rather than relief.
"This is what we call 'breaking to rebuild.'"
Shin looked at Hitori, smirking slightly.
"Alright, start playing. This will help build your confidence in front of others."
In a way, teasing Hitori was somewhat entertaining. She was almost like a stress-relieving pet. It seemed like Ryou Yamada hadn't been wrong in calling her "Bocchi."
Looks like I just found another reason to keep coming to school—to tease this "pet."
"I… I understand."
Though her face looked as if she'd just suffered a severe blow, Hitori didn't dare to test if Shin was joking.
After all, she clearly remembered seeing two yakuza bowing respectfully to Shin at the bar last night.
"So… here goes!"
…
A few minutes later, Hitori, feeling utterly drained, slumped onto the bench, leaning against Shin.
Though she knew her behavior was somewhat inappropriate, she simply lacked the strength to pull away from him.
It was the most stressful performance of her life, but thanks to that pressure, she completed her first live performance in front of others.
After she finished, her whole body felt weak, and as soon as she sat down, she instinctively leaned against Shin.
"That was amazing, Gotou-san! Your guitar skills are impressive."
Megumi clapped, generously giving her encouragement.
She wasn't just being polite—Hitori's performance was indeed outstanding.
Though Megumi didn't know much about guitar techniques, she could still tell good music from bad.
"It was indeed good; you do have some strengths."
Shin felt Hitori's weight against him and nodded, offering her a bit of reassurance.
Her guitar skills were no joke, definitely beyond most high schoolers.
Shin even half-wondered if her "Stand" would be something music-related.
After all, one way to awaken a Stand is by deep expertise in a particular skill.
In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4, there was even a chef who gained a cooking-related Stand through intense culinary dedication.
"Hehe…"
Although still fearful of Shin, Hitori couldn't help but smile upon receiving his praise.
With the usual strictness suddenly softened by a single compliment, Hitori felt comforted.
Seeing her expression, Shin could tell what she was thinking.
Come to think of it, isn't this a form of PUA?
As he took the last bite of his hamburger patty, Shin thought to himself.
To be continued…
Artoria Pendragon disappears…
Iskandar comes to challenge Zuke for the final fight!
Surprisingly, Irisviel still has not turned into a lesser grail?!
It takes 8 minutes for Zuke to fly from Japan to London?!?!?!?
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