Although, officially, End Band's leader was Nijika, that dynamic had begun to shift.
Not at the music festival, but long before that—ever since Chisato had written their first song. From that moment on, they had gradually started seeing him as their true leader.
However, no one had ever explicitly stated this, and Nijika had no complaints about it. She was never the type to be obsessed with authority or to insist on standing above others.
If anything, Chisato's presence had been both a surprise and a relief for her.
Not only did he take the weight of leadership off her shoulders, but he also boosted the business of Starry, a shop that was incredibly important to her, increasing its revenue several times over.
While not entirely due to him, at least 80% of the credit should go to him.
At this stage, Chisato wasn't thinking too deeply about these things.
After making his suggestion to the members of Kesshoku Band and seeing that they agreed, he immediately dialed Seika's number.
The call didn't last long.
He briefly mentioned that Kesshoku Band would be attending an awards ceremony and asked if she could come along, just like on the day of the music festival.
The band was composed of four members—Ryo, an eccentric who could do unpredictable things at any moment, Hitori, who was socially anxious, and Ikuyo, who, when excited or happy, would sometimes become uncontrollable, her eyes sparkling like stars.
Only Nijika could be considered somewhat reliable.
But expecting her to take care of the other three alone was a bit much, so Chisato made this request to Seika.
In exchange, he would take care of all the shop's affairs for the day so she wouldn't have to worry about anything.
After hearing his request, Seika didn't agree immediately. As expected, she voiced her doubts.
"If you're that worried, why don't you go yourself?"
Chisato responded smoothly,
"Because I'm different from Nijika and the others.
I don't have the resolve to step onto the stage formally and make a career out of it. I'd rather stay behind the scenes and support them quietly."
"I see… But you could still go with them and just not go on stage, right?"
"If I actually went with them, there's no way that would happen. They'd definitely drag me up there, no matter what."
"Drag…?"
"Manager, are you imagining something indecent?"
"Shut up! I get it, I get it. There's a buffet at the event, right? I'll just take the opportunity to have dinner. Anything else?"
"Nope. Thanks, Manager. Good night, Manager."
"Saying 'good night' is unnecessary. Don't casually say that to women from now on."
With that cryptic remark, Seika hung up the phone.
Meanwhile, the moment Chisato started the call, a cautious Utaha had quickly leaned in, listening for any female voices.
Now reassured, she relaxed and nestled back into Chisato's embrace.
She echoed Seika's last words,
"She's right. Aside from us, you really shouldn't show any unnecessary concern for other girls. They might get the wrong idea and think you're interested in them.
And since you're so soft-hearted, if that actually happened, it would be a huge problem."
Chisato set his phone aside and wrapped his arms around Utaha, his fingers slowly tracing the delicate contours of her soft figure.
"I think you're exaggerating a little."
"You're probably the only one who thinks that."
"Hmm… Utaha, there's something I want to talk to you about."
"No. I'm not feeling well today, so I don't want to use my mouth. But if you really can't hold back, I can use my hand—"
"Stop!"
What the hell was that?
Then again, I only had myself to blame. I was the one who taught her these things.
Still… Why did I feel a strange sense of accomplishment?
Chisato pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"It's not about that. It's something serious—about my plans for the future."
"Oh, is that so?"
Utaha, who had just been reaching downward, retracted her hand. They were long past the phase of embarrassment.
Their relationship had already reached the stage where they knew each other inside and out, so this was nothing. She casually asked,
"Chisato, are you thinking of starting your own business?"
"Starting a business… Something like that. But if you want me to define it exactly… I don't really know if it counts as a business."
"Well, just tell me about it first."
"To put it simply, I plan to focus most of my time on Kesshoku Band for now. I might even start an entertainment agency."
"Yeah, that's about what I expected."
"You already guessed it, Utaha?"
"Well, you've been paying a lot of attention to them lately. And even though I don't listen to music much, the songs you've written are amazing—even I was impressed.
You definitely have talent in this area, so it's only natural that you'd consider heading in that direction. It's similar to my situation."
Utaha explained her reasoning, though she still couldn't resist boasting about herself at the end. But that was just part of her charm.
Chisato nodded.
"Yeah, it's pretty much like you said. I want to take this path.
My goal is to accumulate enough money before I retire at thirty—enough for us and the next generation to live comfortably without worries."
"Retiring at thirty, huh?"
"Is there a problem with that?"
"No, I think it's fine. But honestly, Chisato, you don't have to work so hard. Eriri and I could totally…"
"Utaha."
Chisato gently interrupted Utaha before she could continue speaking.
Utaha shrugged helplessly, muttering under her breath, "Being a househusband isn't so bad either," before falling silent.
"To be honest, I used to think about things like, 'How great would it be if a rich woman could take care of me for the rest of my life?'
But now that I've met you all, I don't have that kind of thought in the slightest.
A man should fulfill his responsibilities rather than hide behind a woman and shirk what he ought to do."
After saying that, Chisato lowered his head and met Utaha's eyes.
"Sorry if that sounded too chauvinistic. I didn't mean to belittle your abilities."
"Not at all. Hearing you say that makes you sound really cool—so cool that, despite my stomach still aching a little, I strangely feel a bit excited.
I take back what I said earlier. Now, even my mouth is completely fine."
"..."
Chisato stared at Utaha for a moment. He noticed from the slight curve of her lips, as if she were holding back laughter, that she was playing with him.
He lifted her chin.
"So, you're only teasing me like this because you know that you're feeling unwell and I wouldn't do anything to you, huh?"
"Oh my, you've figured it out~"
Utaha lightly tapped her own head, acting unusually cutesy.
"Alright, I'll stop messing around. What are your plans for the band from here on out?"
"My general plan is to write songs for them while they perform. Then, we'll distribute the profits fairly."
"I'm not very knowledgeable about this kind of thing, so I don't think I can give you much useful advice."
"That's fine. I have a clear plan in mind. I just wanted to let you know that I might be a bit busy for a while. I hope you understand."
"Of course. A man should focus on his career, and a considerate woman wouldn't get in the way. I'll also mention it to Eriri when I see her at school tomorrow."
"I'm counting on you. It's getting late. You should rest."
"Are you sure you don't want to? Look, even little Chisato is so excited. Isn't it bad to hold it in?"
"Sleep! We'll settle this in a few days."
Chisato pinched Utaha's cheeks, making her let out a muffled, indistinct sound. Then, he turned off the lights, hugged her, and lay down.
In the pitch-black bedroom, Utaha quickly closed her eyes with a satisfied smile, finding a comfortable position before drifting into sleep.
Meanwhile, Chisato lay awake, thinking about the more complicated issue of Yukino and the request she had made that night, unable to fall asleep for a long time.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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