After lunch, Seika gave a casual remark of "Not bad" before patting her slightly bulging stomach and heading back to her room.
It had been a while since she felt so full, and this time, it was by her own choice.
She had long grown tired of eating her sister's cooking every day, but now, after tasting Chisato's unique flavor, she was utterly satisfied.
Nijika took the initiative to clean up the table, and Ikuyo stood up to help carry the dishes to the kitchen sink.
Hitori also wanted to help, but she was promptly pressed back into her seat.
Judging by the situation, it seemed she had a history of making things worse rather than helping, and thus was being subtly rejected.
Now that everyone was awake and the kitchen was close to the living room, they could still talk while working. There were indeed some matters that needed to be discussed properly.
"About the song and the live video we uploaded yesterday..."
As soon as Chisato finished phrasing his thoughts in his mind and opened his mouth, Ikuyo, who was washing dishes, immediately perked up with excitement and cut him off.
"Suzumiya-kun, you saw it too, right? It's unbelievable—it's blowing up! In just one night, the song shot straight to the top of the charts!"
"And, and! The number of fans following our channel has doubled!
Not only are there tons of comments, but we also received some insane donations! Last night, I saw someone drop over 100,000 yen in one go! 100,000 yen!"
"There are so many fans saying they want to visit Starry to see our live performance up close. Some even pre-purchased tickets online in advance!"
"Tonight is going to be super lively!"
"But we also have to consider safety issues. If too many people show up and we don't have enough staff to manage the crowd, it could become a serious problem."
"Ah, true!"
Chisato watched as the two in the kitchen exchanged words, their faces radiant with smiles that, for a moment, seemed even brighter than the sunlight streaming in through the window.
He helplessly turned his head and glanced at Hitori beside him.
She was also grinning foolishly with her eyes half-closed, clearly in a fantastic mood, both mentally and emotionally.
The only one who seemed unfazed was Ryo.
She maintained her usual indifferent expression as she tapped away at her phone, even letting out a small yawn. It looked like she hadn't slept well.
That, at least, brought Chisato some relief.
Even though three members of the band were still dazed from the sudden flood of good news, at least the bassist was keeping her head straight and hadn't been completely swept away by the excitement.
He used to think she was just an idiot—always spending her entire allowance the moment she got it, shamelessly mooching food from others, and when that failed, resorting to eating edible roadside weeds.
But now, he realized he might have been wrong. Maybe he should start viewing her in a different light. Perhaps, from now on, he could even discuss things with her.
Taking a closer look, her skin was fair, and her features were quite delicate.
If she could maintain a composed expression all the time, she could indeed be considered beautiful—just as the fans had said.
Just then, oblivious to the shift in Chisato's perception of her, Ryo slowly turned her head and met his gaze.
"Um, about tonight... I might have to take a sudden leave and won't be able to join you guys."
"Oh? What's the matter?"
Chisato asked with concern, instinctively assuming she wasn't feeling well. The others also turned to look at her with concern.
"It's nothing, really."
Ryo lowered her head again, looking at her phone.
"A fan asked to meet me tonight at a hotel in Shinjuku, saying they want to buy me a full set of music equipment."
"…"
Thinking she was someone he could trust—what an idiot he was!
Chisato let out a weary sigh.
"Delete that suspicious guy and stop contacting him."
"Eh—"
"Eh, my ass! That guy is clearly up to no good! He even asked to meet at a hotel—how have you not realized this yet?!"
"Ah… now that you mention it…"
"…"
Chisato clutched his chest. He felt so exhausted.
"Nijika, that idiot..."
"Don't worry, Suzumiya-kun. I'll take responsibility for keeping an eye on her."
The dishes were quickly washed, and the five of them gathered around the table once again.
Ikuyo placed her laptop in front of her, where their personal homepage continued to climb in popularity.
After a whole night had passed and under Chisato's guidance, they had finally calmed down from their over-excited state and were now ready to listen quietly.
"There's actually a very important issue in front of us. If we don't address and resolve this issue, the band's activities might not be able to progress any further."
Chisato crossed his hands on the table and spoke seriously.
He had given this much thought before speaking, but the response he received wasn't quite what he expected.
The four girls in front of him simply smiled gently, looking at him with absolute trust, as if he were their undisputed leader.
They were as obedient as four well-fed kittens curling up after a meal.
"No problem. Whatever Suzumiya-kun needs us to do, we'll do it."
Nijika voiced the thoughts of the other three.
Ever since he had appeared like a hero yesterday, saving their disastrous live performance from falling apart, their attitudes toward him had subtly changed.
He was the one who first recommended Bocchi to them, allowing their band to form.
Then, he wrote songs tailored to them, marking their first real step forward.
He wrote the lyrics, composed the music, and even managed their fan community, arranging everything in advance for the music festival.
All these things made them believe more and more that Chisato was someone they could trust—someone who was truly... capable of anything.
However, Chisato shook his head.
"This isn't a decision I can make for you. This concerns your future, and I don't have the right to decide that. You need to make this choice for yourselves."
"Our future..."
"Making your own decisions…"
The weight of the conversation suddenly increased. They exchanged glances, each noticing the concern in the others' eyes.
Seeing their reactions, Chisato decided not to keep them in suspense any longer and spoke in a slower tone.
"You've seen it yourselves. Yesterday's live performance turned out pretty well, and the videos you uploaded afterward gained significant attention."
He deliberately phrased his words carefully, avoiding excessive praise to keep them grounded instead of letting them get carried away by excitement.
"The organizers of the music festival also recognize your talent and have personally reached out to discuss a potential contract.
All of this is undoubtedly the result of your hard work.
You have every right to savor this moment, but before that, there's a more important question you need to consider—are you truly ready to take this step?"
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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