Everyone's life path is shaped by their own choices.
If Chisato had never gotten involved, the band might have gained some popularity, but it would never have reached its current explosive level.
They wouldn't have amassed over a million online followers, received an invitation to a major music festival, or had the chance to make a name for themselves overnight.
While fame and recognition seemed like good things on the surface, they also came with responsibilities.
If they chose to move forward, they would have to dedicate even more time and effort.
If they truly wanted to transition from amateurs playing for fun to professionals pursuing music as a lifelong career, sacrifices would have to be made.
Chisato knew he had conveyed his thoughts clearly, so he didn't continue speaking. Instead, he patiently waited for them to process everything.
The first to respond was Hitori.
She didn't need much time to think. In fact, she didn't need to make a decision at all—because she had already made up her mind long ago.
Being able to meet these like-minded friends, being able to stay by Chisato's side like this—she wouldn't mind if this continued for a lifetime.
That was her dream.
Without hesitation, she gently tugged on Chisato's sleeve and intertwined her fingers with his on the table.
Chisato smiled and patted her head. He had more or less expected this from her, but her firm stance still reassured him.
Next was Ryo.
Despite her usual laid-back attitude, she had long since mapped out her future.
"I've always planned to work in the music industry. If, for some reason, I can't perform on stage anymore, I'll switch to working behind the scenes—as a sound engineer or audio technician.
So now that I've finally found such an opportunity, and more importantly, I'm with the people I love the most, there's no way I'm giving this up."
After expressing her thoughts, Ryo leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm with a smile.
Her composed demeanor matched the maturity of her words.
People who seemed unreliable on the surface often had everything figured out in their hearts. It was a common trope in stories and films, after all.
Nijika took a deep breath, clasped her hands together, and spoke with determination.
"I feel the same way. Ever since we officially formed our band, I've known that if possible, I want to keep playing together like this forever, never parting ways."
This was not just her own dream—it was also for her sister. She wanted to carry the dream that her sister had to abandon due to life's circumstances and make it a reality.
Three out of the four girls had already voiced their decisions, leaving only Ikuyo.
She had her head lowered, seemingly still in deep thought. But she didn't make them wait too long.
"What you mean, Suzumiya-kun, is that if things continue as they are, we might be stepping onto a professional path.
You want us to think carefully so we don't make choices we'll regret in the future, right?"
She lifted her head slightly and met his gaze.
"That's right."
Chisato nodded and elaborated on his concerns.
"Becoming a professional band isn't easy—especially since you're still a high school student.
If you take this path, there will inevitably be conflicts between band activities and school schedules.
Your time will become scarce, and your academic performance may suffer due to exhaustion. At some point, you'll have to make trade-offs.
You'll also need to consider how your parents feel about it."
Hearing that last part, Ikuyo slowly lowered her head again.
She had already come to terms with most of the challenges, but the mention of her parents made her heart tighten.
Her family was well-off, her parents had stable jobs and good incomes, and they had high hopes for her future.
Despite that, they had never interfered with her band activities, only reminding her to be careful when coming home late from practice.
But all of that was based on the assumption that her academics wouldn't be affected—that the band was just an extracurricular hobby.
If she decided to go professional now, disrupting her academic path in the process, would her parents still be as supportive as before?
Deep down, Ikuyo already knew the answer.
They would almost certainly object.
Her parents were open-minded, but when it came to education, their views were just like those of most other parents—they firmly believed that studying was the safest path to a stable future.
She couldn't help but feel a little envious of Nijika, Ryo, and Hitori.
Nijika's sister would undoubtedly support her decision.
As for Ryo, they had met her parents before—they were pretty cool and easygoing, so they would surely let her do whatever she wanted with her future.
And Bocchi's family, as long as she was happy, would probably have no objections even if she decided not to continue her studies after high school.
Looking back now, it seemed like she wasn't an irreplaceable member of the band.
Her guitar skills were nowhere near Bocchi's.
She had once thought that her voice was pretty decent, but the moment Chisato sang seriously, he completely overshadowed her.
The atmosphere of yesterday's live performance was undeniable proof of that. Even if she had been in peak condition, she doubted she could reach that level.
Speaking of which, Chisato was truly amazing.
People online were already petitioning for him to release recorded versions of his original songs.
Just one performance had gained him so much popularity.
Maybe this was a sign from fate, telling her to step down as the lead vocalist, to quietly support them from behind as a friend…
"Ikuyo-chan! Your face suddenly looks so pale. What's wrong?"
Pulled back to reality by a gentle shake of her shoulders, Ikuyo saw the deeply worried eyes of Nijika staring at her.
"Nijika-chan…"
Ikuyo softly muttered her name. Instead of answering her question, she slowly turned her head to glance at the others.
The same concern was reflected in their expressions. For some reason, her chest felt tight, and her nose stung slightly.
"Sorry… I just suddenly thought of something unrelated. My head got a little messy."
She forced a smile, trying to brush it off.
Whether Nijika truly didn't see through her pretense or chose to ignore it, she simply smiled as always and patted Ikuyo's head.
Chisato, on the other hand, observed her quietly, deep in thought. Some things couldn't be rushed. It was up to her to sort out her own feelings.
He had already prepared himself to be patient and wait. But just as he was about to settle in for the long haul, Ikuyo suddenly stood up and looked at him nervously.
"Um… Can I talk to you alone, Suzumiya-kun?"
Chisato was slightly surprised but didn't refuse. He nodded and stood up, following her toward the balcony.
As Nijika and Ryo retracted their gazes from the pair, they both turned to look at Hitori instead, unease written across their faces.
Hitori shrank back uncomfortably under their stares.
"W-Why are you both suddenly looking at me like that, Nijika-chan, Ryo-chan…?"
Ryo leaned in and started ruffling her hair.
"No reason. I just think Bocchi-chan is such a pure-hearted girl. It's nice. Please stay that way forever."
"…What?"
Nijika quickly interjected to change the topic.
"Don't mind Ryo. She's always been weird, so saying weird things is normal for her."
"…I see."
"Speaking of which, I wonder what Ikuyo-chan wants to talk to Suzumiya-kun about."
Nijika turned her gaze back toward the balcony. The sliding glass door was closed, so while they could see the two talking, they couldn't hear anything.
Ryo withdrew her hand from Hitori's head and also looked in that direction, speculating.
"Maybe an apology. Even though Ikuyo-chan didn't show it much after the performance, I think she was just holding back for our sake.
She must have been bothered by her mistakes on stage and feels guilty about it."
"Jeez, she doesn't need to take it so hard. None of us blame her for it. We're a team, and as long as the overall result was good, that's all that matters."
"Don't worry about it. Since it's Suzumiya-kun, I'm sure he'll have her smiling again in no time."
"That's true. Suzumiya-kun is trustworthy… in ways we understand and in ways we don't…"
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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