After school, Hayato went to STARRY as usual.
As soon as he entered the store, he met Nijika's gaze, which had quickly darted towards the door.
The anticipation in Nijika's eyes flickered, then turned into a gentle smile.
"Hayato-kun, you're here quite early today."
Hayato should have been the one to say that. Nijika and Ryo-senpai's school was clearly further from STARRY, and their school's rules were stricter, yet today they both looked like they had been waiting for a while.
How did they manage that?
Nijika's gaze made Hayato hesitate. He had originally planned to control the plot, making sure Nijika would pull Bocchi into the Band.
After all, he couldn't be sure if he were to pull Bocchi in himself, whether the Band would undergo any changes.
It wouldn't be good if the relationships between them changed.
"To be even earlier than a Pervert like me, you two are truly amazing."
Hayato covered his face with splayed fingers and walked down the steps one by one with an air of pride.
Nijika smiled helplessly, then stood up.
"Well, now that Hayato-kun is here, let's start practicing, everyone."
She didn't ask Hayato anything about his meeting with Kita today.
"Mm."
Ryo-senpai also nodded and stood up.
"Wait!" Hayato extended his hand.
"Hm?"
The two turned their heads and looked at him, who had walked behind them.
"Actually, I met Kita today."
Hayato finished speaking, but Nijika's face didn't show much happiness.
"Mm."
She responded calmly.
"Here's an apology video from her."
Hayato took out his phone from his pocket and showed the video he had originally planned to show Nijika on the last day.
Designing and arranging other people's actions was hard for a Pervert like him to get used to.
Only when he stopped considering those things did he feel like himself.
And there were plenty of ways to get Bocchi into the Band.
"Hm?"
Nijika and Ryo-senpai exchanged surprised glances, then looked at Hayato worriedly, wondering if he had done anything excessive to Kita.
Hayato didn't mind their gazes, placed his phone on the table, and started playback.
"Ryo-senpai, Ijiichi-senpai, I am very sorry!..."
Kita appeared in the phone video, looking unharmed and unthreatened.
She seriously explained her reasons for joining the Band and various other causes, and sincerely apologized for her impulsive actions, her reluctance to explain, and her pretense of being experienced.
After watching, Nijika wasn't angry; instead, she seemed relieved, immediately regaining her cheerful demeanor.
"Oh, I see. You should have told us sooner."
The radiance of an angel!
Hayato was moved to tears.
However, he also tried to get the plot back on track.
"Also, Kita's hand was more seriously injured today, and she even had dark circles under her eyes."
"Could it be!"
Nijika immediately thought of a possibility and looked at Hayato with a shocked expression.
Hayato nodded.
But Ryo-senpai said.
"We should remind her that her hand will get damaged."
"Mm mm, I'll tell her right away."
Nijika hurriedly took out her phone and quickly tapped on the screen.
"I already told her."
Hayato smiled and put his phone, which had finished playing, back into his pocket. "Speaking of which, Leader, would you like to try waiting for our Band member?"
Leader?
Nijika looked at Hayato in confusion, then realized he was referring to her.
Hearing Hayato's words, she broke into a brilliant smile, a warm smile that seemed to illuminate this underground space into a paradise. She bounced on her toes joyfully, her ponytail swaying slightly, and said with a youthful spirit.
"Of course!"
..."But don't expect Kita to play very well."
Entering the rehearsal room, Ryo-senpai reminded the two.
"Indeed, no matter how much she practices, it's impossible to learn anything significant in just over a week..."
Nijika said, but as if thinking of something strange, her gaze involuntarily glanced at Hayato, who was constantly striking various poses beside her.
"As long as you transcend humanity and become a Pervert, there's nothing you can't do."
Hayato, who had completely let go of himself in front of the two, said proudly.
"Kita-chan probably can't do that, right?"
Nijika sighed, but she didn't seem to mind at all.
"It's okay, most Bands' first performances are disasters. We just need to move forward step by step."
As she spoke, she walked forward little by little.
Hayato walked up and patted Nijika's shoulder.
"Although it might be a bit rude, Nijika will definitely become a good mother in the future."
Nijika just blinked blankly after being teased.
"Why?!"
How did she go from being a wife directly to a mother?
Then she realized that these two Band members seemed to have hearts of steel and didn't need her comfort at all.
Her words were spoken to wooden dummies.
While feeling mentally exhausted, she also felt a sense of relief; it was good that everyone was so strong.
"Well then, without further ado, let's start practicing."
"Oh~"
Hayato's loud voice instantly enlivened the atmosphere.
And so, Hayato's life began: acting like a Pervert at home in the morning, keeping to himself at school during lunch, acting like a Pervert at STARRY in the afternoon, and studying alone at home in the evening.
A week later.
In the evening, the Ishikawa family was eating dinner.
Jinpei looked at his son, whose eyebrows were smiling, and had a bad premonition.
Generally speaking, his son always smiled, but only when he started calling himself a Pervert or doing Pervert things did he smile so happily.
He had a feeling that someone was about to have terrible luck.
"Hayato-kun, don't do anything illegal."
After he finished speaking, he noticed Hayato's anticipation practically gushing from his heart, as he said with a smile, feigning difficulty,
"Oh, what should I do?"
At the dinner table, the other three shivered and collectively put down their bowls and chopsticks.
No living creature dares to eat in dangerous situations, and humans are no exception.
The person opposite Jinpei, straightened her neck, not daring to turn her head, and mouthed silently,
"Go call the police quickly!"
Their parents, sitting opposite Hayato, read her words from their daughter's mouth shape but dared not speak, only expressing themselves with their eyes.
"They can't control this guy!"
"Don't push the danger onto public institutions!"
Finally, the three looked at each other and decided.
They clasped their hands together.
Namu.
Although they were joking around like this, Jinpei was very confident in his son and proud of him.
Years ago, when he and his wife had conflicts due to their poor relationship and lived apart,
it was their 7-year-old son who lectured them.
Even though he was lectured by a child who was only a few years old, and his own son at that, he inexplicably felt no anger.
After all, Hayato-kun's words at the time were too shocking..