Lucas Amaki and the others hailed a taxi and returned immediately.
They entered the basement.
When Lucas opened the door, he saw Nijika and Kita gathered around a trash can.
Seeing this, Lucas sighed and rubbed his forehead helplessly.
"Lucas, why are they gathered around a trash can?"
Qiao Yu asked in confusion after seeing the scene.
"Uh, how should I put it… there's actually someone inside the trash can."
"Someone?"
"There's a Gotoh-san in there."
"Huh?!"
Lucas didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Kita-san, Nijika, please step aside."
He walked up and spoke to Kita and the others, then lifted the trash can lid. Inside, a young girl was squatting silently.
"Gotoh-san, please come out for a second. I need to talk to you," Lucas said gently.
"…Mm."
Gotoh Hitori, squatting in the trash can, had been fully immersed in her own world. Only after hearing Lucas's voice and seeing the lid open did she begin to come back to reality.
Slowly, she climbed out of the trash can.
Lucas glanced around—everyone was present. He had been planning to explain everything that had happened over the past few days. But when he noticed Ryo chewing grass alone in the corner, he was confused again.
He had thought Ryo was a cold and distant type. How could she be so… bizarre?
"Uh, cough… Ryo, can you come over here?" Lucas called.
"Okay," she replied, still chewing casually.
...
Lucas was speechless.
"Qiao, you come too."
"Sure," Qiao Yu replied, walking over.
"Give me the guitar," Lucas said.
Qiao Yu handed the guitar to him.
"Kita-san, here—your guitar."
As soon as Lucas took it, he handed it to Kita.
"Huh…? Amaki-san, you got it so fast."
"What's wrong?"
"A little too fast…"
"..."
Lucas didn't know what to say.
"But Amaki-san, how much did it cost?"
"23,000 yen. The shop owner rounded off the difference for me."
"?!"
Kita looked at the guitar in her hands, then back at Lucas in shock.
"When the band starts making money and gaining popularity, you can pay me back with earnings from our performances," he said.
"Next, I'm going to talk about what we'll be doing over the next few days."
"Kita-san, make sure to train seriously with Gotoh-san. If there's something you don't understand, don't ask—because, well, you've seen how Gotoh-san is."
"Got it!" Kita said with a smile.
Lucas turned to Nijika and Ryo.
"Nijika, Ryo—you two need to build good chemistry. After observing several band performances over the past few days, I noticed the strongest link tends to be between the drummer and bassist. After I got to know you both, I've been quietly watching how you interact."
"Gotoh-san, you…"
Lucas hesitated. Among everyone here, he probably understood Gotoh Hitori the best. But even so, he didn't know what to say in moments like this.
"Amaki-san… is something wrong with me…?"
"Gotoh-san, just follow what Kita and I said earlier, and work on building chemistry with everyone."
"Now, let's talk about the band's direction."
"This performance is public, but it won't generate much buzz. We're performing here in this underground space, so naturally, people will come by. If we can get some passersby to stay and enjoy the show, it'll help build an audience. The next time we sell tickets, there might not be many people—but it'll be a start."
"Don't worry about the prep—we've got someone helping us."
Lucas paused to take a sip of water.
"Uh, Amaki-san, who's the backup you're talking about?" Nijika asked, raising her hand.
"You'll find out tomorrow."
"And logistics? Don't worry about that either. I don't think I've introduced him yet."
"This is Qiao Yu, a good friend of mine. With him around, logistics are covered."
"Hello, my name's Qiao Yu," he said, glancing at Lucas.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ichiji Nijika."
"She's Yamada Ryo, bassist."
"She's Ikuyo Kita, guitarist and vocalist."
"And she—"
"No need to introduce her. I know who she is," Qiao Yu cut in.
"I'll be handling logistics moving forward," he added.
"Thanks," Lucas replied.
He glanced at his phone—it was already past eleven.
"Nijika, we'll officially start tomorrow. It's late."
"Mm."
Lucas walked ahead, slung Gotoh's guitar over his shoulder, and gently took her hand.
"Let's go, Gotoh-san."
"A-Amaki-san, y-you… why are you holding my hand…?"
Gotoh Hitori mumbled softly, stunned that Lucas was holding her hand in front of everyone.
"It's fine."
"Let's go, Qiao," Lucas said to Qiao Yu, then led Gotoh out of the underground space.
Nijika and the others watched them leave.
"I noticed it at school too—Amaki-san is really nice to Bocchi-chan. I didn't expect it to be this obvious."
"Amaki and Bocchi-chan have opposite personalities. It's a good match."
***
"My hand's soft, isn't it?" Lucas joked.
"Gotoh-san, I'm sorry about earlier."
"N-No… it's okay…"
"L-Lucas, I… I know you didn't mean anything by it."
She wasn't sure if Lucas did it on purpose or not.
But when he held her hand… she didn't feel like pulling away.
"Gotoh-san, I might not be able to take you home today. I've got something else to handle."
"N-No… it's okay… I-I can get home by myself."
And so, Lucas and the others returned home.
When Lucas arrived at his place, he saw the door open and the lights on.
"Looks like Hoshino Suzumu's here."
He stepped inside and heard water running in the bathroom.
He tossed his bag aside and collapsed onto the sofa.
After a while, Hoshino Suzumu walked out, wrapped in a towel.
Her hair was wet—and half her chest was exposed.
Wait.
Chest?!
"Oi, Hoshino Suzumu! Wrap that towel properly!"
"Hm? What's the big deal? Why so flustered?"
Hoshino looked at him, puzzled.
Wasn't this normal?
"No! You can't just show up like that in front of a guy our age!"
"But it was the same when we were kids, wasn't it?"
"That was then. We're not kids anymore," Lucas snapped back.
After Lucas's scolding, Suzumu reluctantly pulled her towel up.
"There. Better?"
Lucas nodded in satisfaction.
"Oh, right. I've got something to ask you."
"What's up?"
Suzumu sat down and grabbed an apple.
"I'll tell you later. I'm going to cook dinner first."
"When did you learn to cook?"
"This morning."
Lucas tied on an apron and walked into the kitchen.
"Great. I haven't eaten either."
***
"Don't just sit there—come help carry the dishes."
Lucas Amaki poked his head out from the kitchen and called to Hoshino Suzumu, who was sprawled on the couch with her phone.
"Oh, alright."
Suzumu reluctantly set her phone down and trudged into the kitchen—only to stop dead in her tracks.
"Why did you make so much food?"
Five dishes steamed on the counter, colorful and fragrant.
"It's just a welcome dinner for you. Now help me carry them."
Lucas handed her two bowls of rice and headed out first. After a few trips, everything was laid out on the table.
"I'm digging in," Suzumu declared, sitting down.
But just as she reached for her chopsticks, she noticed Lucas already chewing on a piece of meat.
"Hey, manners much?"
"What? If we were in China, my classmates would've stolen food off my plate by now."
"…"
"Whatever, eat up."
They ate in silence for a few minutes until Suzumu suddenly perked up.
"Oh right—what was that thing you wanted to tell me?"
Lucas paused, chopsticks mid-air. He'd nearly forgotten.
"Didn't I say I'm the band's manager now? I need you to help me set up a proper training plan. Ideally, you'd come guide them in person."
"You're dragging me into this too?" Suzumu gave him a look.
Lucas grinned. "You can run it however you want. I'm technically a music major, but I've only studied theory. I'm useless when it comes to practical band stuff."
"Perfect. That kind of background is exactly what I need."
"???"
Suzumu squinted at him. "Did you lose brain cells?"
She reached out and touched his forehead. No fever. Just nonsense.
"Get lost. You're the crazy one," Lucas muttered, brushing her hand away. "So, are you in or not? If not, I'll help you pack. You can move out tonight."
"Wow, you really forgot all about me the second you got a girlfriend. Now you're kicking me out? Should I call your dad and snitch?"
Wait. He hadn't told his dad yet.
No… his mom probably had.
"Psh. What would I be afraid of?"
Right as Lucas said that—
"Hey, Uncle…"
"Sister, I was wrong." His tone flipped instantly.
"What is it, Suzumu?"
"Oh, it's nothing, Uncle. I just missed you."
"Haha, I see. You know Lucas is back in Japan, right?"
"Yup. I'm staying at his place."
"That's great. Your aunt said Lucas found a girlfriend. I want to meet my future daughter-in-law when I visit."
"Haha, of course, Uncle. I'll hang up now."
"Alright. Take care, you two."
"Okay~"
Suzumu hung up and smirked at Lucas.
"So? Still wanna kick me out?"
"I wouldn't dare…"
Lucas sighed. He hadn't expected her to actually call his dad. His mom must've told them about Gotoh Hitori already. But why were they so quick to accept it?
Nothing had even happened between him and Hitori!
"Remember to take me to meet my sister-in-law tomorrow," Suzumu said, not missing a beat.
"…"
"Fine. But you're also coming with me to help train the band."
"Excuse me? I only asked to meet your girlfriend."
"Well, your sister-in-law's in the band."
"…"
"You manipulative brat."
"C'mon, you're my dear sister, Hoshino. You wouldn't refuse me, right?"
"…"
"Lucas Amaki, you're ruthless."
"But… for the sake of meeting my sister-in-law, I'll go."
"Thanks, Sister."
After dinner, Lucas washed the dishes and handed her a spare key.
"I'll show you your room. If you need anything, I'll grab it tomorrow."
"Got it."
Suzumu followed him to a guest room. When she opened the door, she froze.
It was soft pink. Cozy, frilly, and… very not masculine.
Lucas blinked. Why is this room so girly? I'm a guy…
Then he remembered something his mother, had once said:
"When you bring your girlfriend home, she can stay in this room."
He'd protested back then. But now a girl was staying here… just not the kind she meant.
Suzumu stared at him.
Her look said it all: What kind of guy has a pink room like this?
"Don't look at me like that. This was my mom's idea. She said it was for my future girlfriend."
"Well, I guess that didn't go as planned."
"Feels like you're implying something."
"?"
Lucas blinked. She's just a transfer student… right?
"If you don't like it, we can change the wallpaper tomorrow. But tonight, you're stuck with it."
"Fine. I'll deal with it."
She stepped inside and pulled the door mostly shut—leaving a tiny gap.
"So you won't try to peek. Now scram."
"…"
"Alright, alright. Just help me with the band tomorrow and I'll owe you big time."
Back in his room, Lucas opened his laptop and created a new folder.
With Hoshino Suzumu's expertise, he could identify the band's weak points and develop effective training. Combining her real-world insight with his academic knowledge from Beijing University of Culture and Arts would make a solid foundation.
With Qiao Yu managing logistics, the band was in good hands. Now he just had to fine-tune things.
Then came ticket sales.
A single misstep here could cost them everything. Even selling half the tickets would be a huge success for a new band.
But they still lacked funds. He could cover them for now… but not forever.
Asking Mom for help wasn't ideal, but maybe—
[Mom, I need your help.]
[Mom: ?]
[It's about your daughter-in-law.]
[Mom: What happened to Hitori?!]
[She's fine. Her band's just short on funds. I'm managing them. My allowance covers the basics, but I need more if I'm gonna survive. And Suzumu's here too.]
[Mom: Are you trying to get me to invest?]
[As expected of my mom. You always see through me.]
[Mom: Fine. But after summer break, you're bringing Hitori home to meet me.]
[Huh? Weren't you coming to Japan?]
[Your grandfather wants to meet her.]
[Ugh… okay.]
[Mom: I'll wire the funds to your card. Don't forget Hitori.]
[Got it.]
Lucas set his phone down and groaned.
His grandfather wanted to meet Gotoh Hitori?
He had no idea how to explain that to her.
If he didn't bring her, Grandpa would be disappointed. But if he did…
No way Grandpa would be mad his grandson had a girlfriend, right?
I'll deal with it later. Summer's still far away.
He renamed the folder:
[Dream]
Then he shut his laptop, changed into pajamas, and went to bed.
***
I'm losing interest in the story 🫠