Work Text:
Part time job, band practice, driving school.
Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school.
Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school. Part time job, band practice, driving school.
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KIta: [Are you doing okay, Ryo-senpai?]
The bassist slumped head first into the table, wrapping her arms around her forefront and covering her face. It was as if she was trying to shield herself from the non-existent racket surrounding her.
Ryo: [My head doesn’t work anymore….]
It was already evident that Ryo was not her usual self today—well, at least not in her optimal condition—just from her recent actions.
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A few minutes earlier
Ryo: [I hope you enjoy the show— ☆]
Ryo handed tickets to the patrons with a beaming smile, contrary to her typical deadpan expression and ‘cold’ attitude.
Kita: [Senpai’s serving customers with a smile…!!]
Nijika: [Did she break from having so many things pile up on her at once?!]
━━♫(✦)♫━━
The bassist was acting very strangely, but in the end, she is still Ryo. Something must’ve occurred to cause this change in her, and this change also only occurred because she is Ryo.
Nijika knew this, which only made it all the more concerning. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if one were to say she’d be an expert when it came to the empty-headed bassist. Having pretty much taken the role of Ryo’s caretaker, the one who’s always there to clean up after the bassist’s shenanigans, the one who’s there to help her with schoolwork when its too much for the hollow cavity inside her skull to handle, and being the only one to keep up with her hijinks in general—Nijika was aware of her antics. Her idiocy, her indifference, but also her compassion. She knew the individual that is Ryo Yamada. Perhaps too well.
Ryo is a lazy and airheaded loner. It’s no wonder she’d feel overburdened by the immense workload she’s had lately. “Why did she even take driving classes in the first place?” Nijika wondered what could’ve caused something so out of left field, but then again, it is Ryo. A lot of things didn’t make sense when it came to her. Nijika shook her head.
“Seriously, I shouldn’t be thinking about that right now!! More importantly—”
—More importantly, it’s clear that Ryo was overwhelmed. She can’t let this go on, she’s taken the mantle of Ryo’s caretaker after all—albeit not deliberately at first. That doesn’t matter, Ryo is her responsibility now, and it’s not like she wants to complain about it. In fact, you could even say that Nijika…
“Anyhow.”
Nijika: [That’s it!! How about we all go on a one-night trip? At times like this, it’s best to experience a change in scenery!]
It was the first thing that came to mind, but it was practical. A plan that hit two birds with one stone—no, three birds in actuality. A one-night trip would be enough to give Ryo a sufficient break from the massive workload she’s taken, and it’d also be enough to be a refresher from the monotonous loop she’s had on the daily. And it also gives the band an opportunity to spend time together! It’s the perfect plan!
Kita: [That sounds fun! I’m totally on board! But where do we go? We’re saving for a car so we’re short on money so…]
Nijika: [Guh—]
“Maybe the plan wasn’t so perfect after all.”
Ryo: [Come to think of it, my family owns a villa by the sea…]
Hitori: [The sea?!?!]
You could practically hear the guitarist screaming from the thought of not only going outside, but to the beach of all places. Well, that was if she did say anything about it. But being as socially inept as she is; she started melting into a puddle of pink slush instead. Ignoring the oozing liquid on the ground that is Bocchi—
Nijika: [That’s it!! That’s exactly it!!]
Nijika had almost forgotten that Ryo’s family was rich, with how irresponsible the bassist was when it comes to money, and how she’s almost always broke, it’s really easy to forget.
—And so, courtesy of Ryo’s mother who took them there, Kessoku Band’s members found themselves in a villa just by the sea.
They ended up doing a lot of things, a lot of fun too. Obviously because of the fact that they were by the beach, they all went swimming first.
Kita wasn't able to contain her excitement and had already worn her swimsuit beneath her casual clothes, stamping out the need to go to a dressing room. Nijika on the other hand,
Kita: [Ijichi senpai's swimsuit's high-waisted design is so cute…!]
Nijika looked a bit sheepish after hearing this comment.
Nijika: [Ah… well. I ate a bit too much over summer break and got a bit fat. So I wanted to hide my physique~]
Ryo was wearing a see-through coat over her swimsuit, also exposing her abs with great style. Fitting of her usual outward appearance, giving off a feeling of maturity. You wouldn't catch Nijika saying this out loud, but admittedly, the outfit did make Ryo look kind of—
“Anyhow.”
Nijika: [Even though you're the least disciplined of us all…]
Nijika stared at her with cat-like eyes.
Hitori then proceeded to finish changing into her swimsuit, which was a…
Nijika: [—That's a bee costume.]
At this point, Nijika's eyes had borderline morphed into horizontals. This wasn't uncharacteristic of Bocchi, but still—
Kita: [There was no way they were selling that!!]
The day continued on quite chaotically. They also ended up having BBQ. Ryo—being the slacker that she is—refused to help out with the preparation at all, with the excuse that she already had enough [BBQ Points]* because her family prepared the ingredients, much to Nijika's annoyance.
Unfortunately for Hitori, she only had 2 [BBQ Points]*, and ended up eating charcoal.
And with that, their day off had finally come to an end. For most of them, anyway.
*︎︎︎︎ BBQ Points are based on how much you help in preparation of the BBQ. The more points you have, the more you get to eat!
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Here's how it was. There were two futons, enough for two people to occupy each. And so, they were split into pairs, Hitori and Kita were to sleep together on the first futon, and Nijika and Ryo were left with the second.
And that's how Nijika ended up lying down whilst staring at Ryo's face. She was fast asleep.
She'd never really given it much thought before, but Ryo was beautiful. It's common knowledge though, you can ask a random person and they would agree that Ryo was indeed handsome looking.
However, being this close to her, this is the first she'd really come to appreciate her facial features. It was funny, normally when you look at Ryo, you'd get a sense of maturity, experience, capability—despite that being the complete opposite of her personality. But looking at her sleeping face, even she manages to look cute…
Nijika stopped her thoughts and looked away from Ryo, shifting her position and facing the door instead.
“I'm probably just tired, it's been a long day…”
“...”
“I should go to sleep,”
She was not able to sleep.
Ryo: [Nijika.]
A faint whisper, so faint in fact, that Nijika almost didn't hear it. Briefly, Nijika thought she was simply hearing things, but that thought would be swiftly shot down by a second whisper.
Ryo: [Nijika.]
The whisper was a bit louder now. No, that's not it—the whisper was closer.
“Oh, so now she's awake.”
Nijika internally rolled her eyes. She was way too tired to deal with whatever her dimwit of a friend was up to now. “Friend?”
Either way, Nijika decided to continue pretending to be asleep and ignore her, she was too exhausted to entertain her right now.
Well, she wouldn't have.
Nijika felt arms wrap around her waist, enclosing her in a tight embrace. She could feel Ryo's breathing by her nape, and a phantom feeling of lips coming to contact with the back of her neck.
Ryo: [Nijika.]
Nijika could feel the blood run down her cheeks.
Ryo: [—I love you.]
[—]
Nijika: [ DUMB BASSIST !! ]
Nijika shouted, aiming for the bassist's forehead and striking with maximum power—or that's what would've happened. Unfortunately, as much as Nijika wanted to knock the life out of Ryo, she couldn't. Not only because it'd wake Bocchi up, but also because she was too flustered to put any strength into the attack.
Opting for the more peaceful option, Nijika turned to once again face the bassist. She must want something really bad if she went this far pestering Nijika just for her attention.
Nijika: [What is it this time…?]
Ryo: [—]
Ryo: [Nothing, really.]
Once again with the deadpan expression. It made a vein pop out of Nijika's forehead.
Ryo: [———]
Ryo: [Thank you.]
Nijika: [Huh…?]
Ryo's voice was different this time. If it were anybody else, they wouldn’t have noticed a thing. Ryo sounded the same as she always did, but to Nijika, it sounded very different. Being by her side for so long, she notices whenever something's off with Ryo. And right now, she could hear something else in her voice, something only Nijika has heard the most of—sincerity.
They were rare, and that side of Ryo only mostly came out when she was comforting Nijika. But when that sincerity comes out of the blue, she really doesn't know how to respond.
Ryo: [Thank you, for today. I needed that.]
Nijika: [It's nothing, it's nothing…! You don't have to thank me, I also had fun, you know. It's not every day that everyone gets to hang out outside of band practice…! And it was the best opportunity! So I obviously…! I had to take it, y'know how it is…]
Ryo simply smiled at her. A genuine smile.
Once again, something probably only Nijika has the privilege to see. She would be lying if she said the sight didn't make her heart skip a beat at least once.
But Nijika was too absorbed in her dialogue to notice that, unable to handle such heartfelt words from Ryo out of nowhere, she just started spouting whatever came into her mind.
Ryo once again wrapped her arms around Nijika's waist, this time pulling her closer. Now their faces were inches from touching.
Ryo: [You know, I was serious when I said that I loved you.]
Nijika: [W-What are you on about—]
And before Nijika could finish her question, Ryo's hand was already on the back of her head, and she was pulled into a kiss. It was a simple kiss, just the surface of their lips touching still, no movement, nothing more. But if Nijika was already blushing red earlier, this time she feels like she could melt and turn into a sludge of yellow liquid.
“—Has Bocchi-chan rubbed off on me…?”
Nijika knew Ryo. This was a fact resulting from the amount of time they had spent together. And so, it would only be logical to think that because of this,
—Ryo would in turn, know Nijika.
And that's true, she knows what makes Nijika happy, she knows what makes her sad, she knows what makes her flustered. She knows when she's sulking—although it's really obvious when she is. And she knows that Nijika understands her too, that they both possess the same knowledge of each other, how they act and how they react. And lastly, she knows just how dense Nijika can be.
And thankfully, pushing Nijika's buttons is Ryo's specialty.
There really wasn't any particular reason as to why she decided now would be the perfect time to do this. But she could, and so she would. Right here, it's her chance to finally make Nijika understand.
"I love you," Nijika has heard that phrase from Ryo multiple times now, yet she'd never really taken it into consideration. She always thought of it as a means for Ryo to mooch off of her, and she wasn't entirely wrong about that. It is something Ryo would do.
Which is why—
After what seemed like an eternity, their lips parted.
Ryo: [—I love you.]
—which is why she needed to convey it some other way. If words didn't work, then maybe actions will. There's no way someone would be dense enough to think a kiss doesn't mean something.
For a split second, Ryo could see an undescribable emotion on Nijika's face—no, she knew what it was. It was longing. Nijika didn't say anything, she just stayed silent and looked into Ryo's eyes, as if to say,
"I love you too."
So badly, Nijika wanted to say it. But she couldn't. It's like her lips were tight shut with super glue and were then chained with a padlock. But—
Ryo: [—I know.]
Maybe they really knew each other too well. If it weren't because of Nijika's obliviousness to Ryo's feelings, they'd be able to communicate without talking.
They still are able to do that psychic-like communication, but not when it came to topics like this. Not when Nijika wasn't yet aware of how Ryo thought of her.
Ryo: [It can't be helped, I'm too charismatic. You falling in love with me was bound to happen anywa—]
Nijika: [ IDIOT BASSIST !! ]
She would've screamed and attempted to hit her again—but she still couldn't do that, she'll wake the others up. So instead, all she did was slap the bassist in the arm.
Still, Nijika knew she was a blushing mess. It never really occurred to her that Ryo thought of her this way. Sure, she always said “I love you,” but that was it. She didn't think much of those times, brushing them off as her just being Ryo.
But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Despite looking cold-hearted on the outside, Ryo was very emotional when it came to things she cared about. And one of those things she cared about was honesty. She even left her previous band over such a silly thing like their songs becoming more ‘superficial’ and being less from the heart. That's probably also why she was always blunt and straightforward when it comes to everything she says, disregarding whatever others might think.
—Everything Ryo says is what comes straight from her heart.
So why was it that Nijika failed to realize that Ryo loved her? Despite how many times it's been shoved into her face.
Well, it doesn't matter now.
Nijika inched her face closer to Ryo, being the one to initiate this time.
Nijika: [Can I…?]
Ryo: [Always.]
And once more, their lips met. This time, it wasn't just simply about coming into contact. It was about taking hold of the other person and keeping them, never letting go. Nijika kept on Ryo, desperately. And before she realizes it, Ryo's tongue was deep inside her mouth. Then comprehension came, which made Nijika start drippi—
Kita: [Everyone! I finished preparing for the test of courage!]
The door to the room slammed loudly, followed by a booming voice.
Kita: [The nighttime activities start…]
[—]
Kita: [...........now…]
—They will not talk about what was witnessed in that bedroom.
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Nijika: [That's all for today! Good job everyone!]
Nijika said while clapping. With today's band practice over, Hitori and Kita started to make their way home.
Kita: [We'll be going now! Ijichi-senpai!]
Kita yelled from the entrance to STARRY, Hitori behind her smiling back at the upperclassmen.
Nijika: [I'll see you both tomorrow then!]
Ryo: [Bye-bye.]
Ryo sent them off with a small wave.
Ryo almost always stayed back at STARRY after band practice, giving herself more alone time with Nijika, and it never really affected Kita. Well, maybe at one point seeing Ryo and Nijika acting all familiar with each other did make her feel a sting in her poor maiden’s heart, especially after the incident at Ryo's villa. But, that's a thing of the past now,
“After all, it was precisely because of that that I was forced to realize—”
Kita had been too absorbed in her thoughts and hadn't realized that Hitori had already started making her way up the stairs. Finally coming back to her senses, Kita hurriedly tried to catch up to her.
Kita: [—Hitori-chan! Wait up!]
—Right, it was because of that that Kita Ikuyo was forced to realize her true feelings.