As Nijika and Ryo discussed their thoughts in the living room, Ikuyo stood by the balcony railing, her hands resting on it, gazing into the distance.
She seemed hesitant, not speaking right away.
Chisato mimicked her posture, leaning against the railing and looking forward.
"So, what's so important that you wanted to talk to me alone?"
Ikuyo turned her gaze toward him but quickly looked away again. Some thoughts, once realized, could never be ignored.
Chisato had always been, in her eyes, simply Bocchi's boyfriend, a trustworthy friend to everyone, a genius songwriter and composer—someone who could be described with those kinds of attributes.
But now…
None of that had changed, yet somehow, something had been added to it—something intangible, something that absolutely must not be noticed by him or Bocchi.
"…It's about what you said earlier."
Ikuyo finally spoke, using the serious topic as a way to ground her restless thoughts.
"If we keep going down this path, our free time will be drastically reduced. Since it's an uncertain road, we might face unimaginable hardships. That's what you meant, right?"
"Yeah, that's exactly right. You understand well, Ikuyo. Not everything goes smoothly, and not every story has a happy ending.
That's why I want you all to think carefully before making a decision. The others… well, they're kind of exceptions in their own way.
So you don't need to feel pressured. It's normal to take your time thinking about this."
Chisato's lazy tone was much gentler than his usual sharp and intense way of speaking.
Ikuyo secretly glanced at him. Somehow, the complicated emotions she had been feeling settled down just a little.
"From the moment I first met you, Suzumiya-kun, I've always had this impression… You have such a mature way of thinking, whether it's solving problems or comforting others."
"Is that so? I personally don't feel that way, and no one has ever told me that before.
Could it be that you just find me too handsome and, in your admiration, end up assigning all sorts of positive qualities to me on your own?"
"Hahaha, as if! You narcissist."
Ikuyo couldn't help but laugh.
Meanwhile, the three in the living room who had been secretly watching the situation on the balcony all showed warm smiles of varying degrees.
"Let's head back to our rooms," Nijika suggested.
The other two nodded, following her as they left the living room.
Under the night sky, after laughing freely for a moment, Ikuyo quieted down again. Her expression turned uneasy as she pursed her lips and turned to face Chisato.
"I... I caused a lot of trouble for everyone during the music festival, especially you, Suzumiya-kun. I never properly apologize even after it ended... I'm really sorry.
My mistakes nearly led to an irreversible situation."
Seeing her so serious, Chisato had no choice but to treat the matter with equal seriousness. He stopped leaning against the railing and turned to fully face her.
"Irreversible situation? Ikuyo, what exactly are you referring to?"
"The entire band being dragged down by a lead singer with a hoarse and off-key voice, becoming the laughingstock of the whole festival... something like that."
"That didn't happen, though. Besides, even if you weren't in your best condition, your voice was far from something to be laughed at.
At least to me, there was even a certain unique charm to it, like a matured smoky tone."
"I'd rather not be teased, please."
"I'm the one who should feel troubled. I'm being completely honest, yet you don't believe me."
Chisato sighed in exasperation before bending slightly, lowering his head to bring his face closer to hers.
"Is the lead singer of the band really this lacking in confidence?"
"Ah... no..."
The unexpected close proximity startled Ikuyo, causing her to take two hurried steps back.
She stared at Chisato with a flustered expression, clenching her fists to calm herself down.
"Actually, I did give some serious thought to what you said earlier, and I have my own opinions on the matter."
"Really? So that's why you specifically called me out here for a private talk?"
Ikuyo nodded, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.
"Until now, we had never seen you perform seriously, so we didn't know... But your vocal ability is incredible, Suzumiya-kun.
Saying it's heavenly wouldn't be an exaggeration. Whether high notes or low notes, you control them flawlessly.
So, now that you've had this chance to showcase your talent, I think it would be great if you officially joined Kesshoku Band as the lead singer."
Chisato listened to her words carefully, observing her for a while as if deep in thought. He let out a silent sigh.
"And if I were to become the lead singer of Kesshoku Band, then what about you, Ikuyo?"
"...I would... step down."
With great difficulty, Ikuyo forced those words out.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes... Because no matter how you look at it, Suzumiya-kun, your singing ability far surpasses mine. Yesterday's performance...
You hadn't even rehearsed with the rest of the band beforehand, yet you meshed with them so seamlessly.
Everything points to the fact that you are far more suited to be the lead singer."
If she insisted on putting it that way, then she wasn't exactly wrong.
However, this was far from the outcome Chisato wanted.
"Ikuyo, do you want to leave the Kesshoku Band?"
"..."
Ikuyo nodded.
"And never perform on stage again?"
"..."
This time, she hesitated slightly. But in the end, she still nodded—though Chisato noticed her shoulders trembling slightly.
"Then, from now on, you'll slowly drift apart from Nijika and the others.
Your relationships will gradually fade, becoming distant. One day, you'll stop contacting each other altogether. Are you really okay with that?"
Chisato deliberately slowed his speech, enunciating each word clearly so that Ikuyo would hear him loud and clear.
By the time he finished speaking, he saw that her bright eyes had already begun to mist over.
Looks like he might've gone a little too far, after all.
Chisato made a mental note to reflect on that.
But the fact that his words had shaken her to the point of feeling this much sorrow was actually a good thing—it meant that the decision she had just made wasn't truly from the heart.
"You should take more time to think about it. Don't make such a hasty decision. When it comes to a love for singing, I can't even compare to you.
Have you ever seen yourself on stage while singing? You truly shine like a little sun, radiating warmth and giving people the motivation to move forward.
And I'm not the only one who thinks this way—among Kesshoku Band's fans, this is practically a widely shared opinion."
"No way..."
Chisato couldn't help but chuckle.
"It's okay to have a little more confidence in yourself. What was it you said earlier?
That your vocal ability isn't as good as mine, that you're dragging the rest of Kesshoku Band down? That was the gist of it, right?"
"Yes..."
"But from my perspective, Ikuyo, your performance is actually the best among the four of you. Your guitar skills have improved rapidly, and your voice is clear and bright.
If anything, I think the others have more issues than you do."
"That can't be true! Whether it's Ryo, Bocchi, or Nijika, they're all better than me..."
"Not at all. You're only seeing them through the lens of friendship, which naturally makes you idealize them.
Take my performance yesterday as an example—I actually noticed that each of them had their own flaws. For instance, Nijika's drumming lacked a bit of impact.
Hitori never once had the confidence to lift her head, look at the audience, and smile.
As for Ryo, her performance was passable overall, but even after I worked so hard to build up the energy of the stage, she still kept her usual indifferent expression.
Would it kill her to just show a bit of enjoyment?"
"..."
Ikuyo blinked. It was a little hard to believe.
So in Suzumiya-kun's eyes, Kesshoku Band still had so many shortcomings? Then, in comparison, did that mean she was actually...
"Everyone has areas where they fall short, and everyone still has plenty of room for improvement.
So you don't need to say things like 'I'm not good enough' or 'you should replace me.' After all, I can't even say I love singing.
Yesterday, I got on stage with only one thought in mind—to save the performance."
"...But Suzumiya-kun, your performance was incredible."
"No matter how good it was, my feelings remain the same. I was just a temporary stand-in.
I have some interest in singing, but if you asked me to make it my profession, I wouldn't be able to do it—because I don't love it the way you do."
Chisato took a deep breath. This was the most crucial part.
"So, let me ask you again—do you truly want to quit Kesshoku Band, slowly drift away from Nijika and the others, and never set foot on stage again?
Or were your words just something you blurted out in a moment of guilt and impulse, without enough thought or reason?"
"I... It was the latter..."
"Then what should you say now?"
"I... I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things earlier... In the end, I still want to stay with everyone and keep singing on stage!"
Ikuyo lowered her head pitifully.
She had a peculiar habit when apologizing—pinching her earlobes with both hands.
Was this something she picked up from her family?
It was kind of cute.
"But... but my singing skills, compared to Suzumiya-kun's..."
"Don't worry about that."
Chisato knew exactly what she was concerned about.
"Whether it's breath control, pronunciation, or techniques like breath support, if you don't mind, I can teach you all of it."
"I understand."
Ikuyo took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, they had returned to their usual bright and shining state.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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