Chapter Text
Nijika had never expected leading a band to be easy or anything, but things definitely went in a direction that she hadn’t anticipated. Especially with her bandmates.
For example, their vocalist and social media minister, Kita!
Kita running away was worrying, and there was also the matter of her inexperience, but Nijika didn't regret having her in the band! Especially as she saw her passion and her skills grow! Although, she could be a tad irresponsible when it came to certain things. (Nijika privately wonders what would happen if she were to be separated from social media for some time. Nothing good, that’s for sure.)
Bocchi was also pretty amazing!
Granted, she hadn’t left the best first impression. But, once she got more comfortable with the band, and once she pushed herself out there, inch by inch, that's when Nijika knew her fears were unfounded. That’s when she knew that Bocchi would be the one to bring her dream to the forefront. Even if she could be quirky sometimes, with how often she would come to the wildest conclusions or the way she would curl up on herself once something triggered her, “Youth complex,” she would always have the band’s back.
And then, there was one last person. The first who was sought out by Nijika, and had been by her side for so long.
Ryo was a lot of things, most of them troublesome. Blunt, weird, lazy, and with an unmatched ego, Ryo was undeniably unique. Only she could say the stupidest things with the blandest expression, only she could shamelessly extort money from Bocchi and Kita without thinking twice, and only she…
…had managed to steal Nijika’s heart.
God, weren't feelings supposed to be easy? Why did Nijika have to fall for the annoyingly scummy bassist? Sure, the way she played drew Nijika in like a moth to a flame, and sure, Nijika always liked to hear Ryo rant about the differences between J-Rock and American rock, how western bands have a blues influence clear in their music, so on and so forth, and sure, their back-and-forth was surprisingly fun, and sure, her presence could be generally soothing when she wasn’t being irritating, and sure, she could be endearing and surprisingly cute at times, but…
Nijika didn't know where she was going with that.
Ah, either way, it didn’t matter! Her bandmates were doing good, and they were slowly and surely taking the first steps towards making it big with their album. Was there anything more Nijika could ask for?
Nijika softly hummed a song from her band, Karakara, as she watched the miso soup cook. The sun was shining through the window, promising another day of clear skies. With nothing requiring her immediate attention, Nijika continued to think about her plans for the day, if there were any exams she needed to study for, what activities the band was going to do today, and so on.
So Nijika didn’t notice the person coming her way till she wrapped her arms around Nijika’s stomach. Blood rushed to her cheeks, but she kept her eyes on the stove, only allowing herself a small smile.
“Nijika…” Ryo groaned, sounding twice as drowsy as usual. All she could do was put all her weight on Nijika, using her as a personal crutch.
“Rough start today, huh?” Nijika asked, taking a glance at Ryo. Her eyes were shut tight, her hair was unkempt, and her movements were sluggish and bereft of her usual confidence and poise. Nijika turned back to the stove. “Breakfast is about ready, so take a seat, okay?”
As expected, Ryo didn’t listen to Nijika. However, what happened next was indeed somewhat unexpected: Ryo used the meager amount of strength that she had to pull herself up to Nijika’s ears. She whispered into her ear, making Nijika’s cheeks go redder. “...Kiss...”
…Oh. I should have guessed. Nijika felt her heart beat just a little bit faster. Taking a quick peek over her shoulder, she looked at Seika, who looked completely oblivious.
…I guess one kiss wouldn’t hurt right now…
She turned off the stove and gently took Ryo’s hands off her shoulder. Turning around, she cupped Ryo’s cheeks and drew her in for a kiss.
At first, Ryo, dummy that she was, didn’t kiss back. However, she soon started to reciprocate in kind, her lips were as soft and familiar as ever. Nijika let herself be lost in the moment just a tiny bit as she let the kiss drag on longer than usual, the sensation as pleasant as always.
After the ten-second mark, Nijika pulled away, cheeks flushed, butterflies in her stomach and wearing a slightly lopsided smile. “Was…Was that enough for you?” she asked softly.
Ryo opened her mouth to respond, before she visibly stopped herself, the two neurons in her brain somehow managing a connection. Suddenly slumping down, she clung to Nijika again. Her eyes were half-lidded as she spoke deliberately slowly, and with a fake exhaustion that even a child could see through. “...No. Three more kisses should wake me up.”
Nijika snorted and quickly pecked Ryo’s cheek, allowing her one last bit of leeway before sending her packing. “You’re lucky you even got one. Now go sit down so I can serve you breakfast, weirdo.” She couldn’t keep away her slight smile, though.
Ryo obeyed her for once, though she looked a bit too smugly satisfied. Nijika let her thoughts wander as she prepared to lay the table.
Honestly, she didn’t know how Ryo got this close to her. Not that she was complaining at all, but… she’d thought of Ryo by her side originally, true, just not romantically. With her school, band, and Starry to juggle, Nijika had thought that dating was sort of a pipe dream But one day, it just changed in an instant.
Nijika didn’t even remember what exactly prompted it either. One moment, she was watching something snuggled under the blankets with Ryo on a cold, stormy night; the next, Nijika had the pleasure of having her first kiss stolen in the blink of an eye.
They also didn’t talk about their relationship and just assumed that things were different now. Not that they acted any differently than normally did. They hung out, bantered, and fought exactly the same.
It’s just that they now usually ended up kissing after.
Their relationship hadn’t really changed the band dynamics much, either. (Although she did have to deal with Kita being oddly overzealous in her congratulations and Bocchi freaking out and thinking that she had missed the obvious for a long while)
Nijika sighed, taking out the plates and serving the soup for everyone. Guess I can’t really complain, huh? It’s not like I regret anything about it in the first place. The band is doing well, everyone is getting along, and I’m closer to Ryo now more than ever.
Yeah, things were pretty good.
There were many things that Hitori had endured throughout her life that had been a great challenge for a meager existence such as hers. Things that were the antithesis of an introvert such as herself, things that would have ground her to dust a year ago, now instead bringing her to her knees.
Yes, more than ever, she was being tested on all fronts! Even now, she was being tested as she now had to deal with…
“Say Ahhh~!” Kita said, grabbing a piece of her food and bringing it to Hitori’s mouth. Her affectionate gesture and wide smile made her sheer presence the equivalent of looking at the sun from three inches away, forcing Hitori to resist the urge to melt and fade away into ashes.
Keeping up with her girlfriend!
Oh god, Hitori thought dating would be way easier! Every single one of those cringy romances that Hitori had forced herself to watch made relationships look so effortless. Just confess your feelings, and everything will go well. You’ll be so in love with each other that you’ll be able to read their minds, keep up with them in everything, and be so compatible, it’s like you’ve met your soulmate!
But they never accounted for how bright Kita could be! Or for how weak Hitori could be to someone like Kita! It felt like every time Kita smiled at her, hugged her, or any other thing that made Hitori’s heart beat out of her chest, she felt years shaved off her life. In fact, Hitori had already prepared her will just in case she perishes in the next year or so.
However, never let it be said that even a lower life form like her couldn’t try to keep up with her girlfriend!
So, tucking her hair behind her ear, face as red as a beet, Hitori closed her eyes, and opened her mouth, willing herself to not explode.
She was immediately rewarded when Kita followed up, putting the treat into Hitori’s mouth. Hitori couldn’t see Kita’s expression, but she was willing to bet that Kita’s smile would vaporize her on the spot, so she didn’t take that risk.
“Thank you so much for letting me do this, Hitori-chan!” Kita cheered, her tone as peppy and uplifting as always. The sun continued to assault them as they ate lunch on the roof together, further adding to Kita’s overwhelming energy. “This isn’t too uncomfortable for you, is it?”
“N-No…” Hitori muttered, shaking her head. There was a small, wobbling familiar smile present on her face as she looked at Kita. “I-It’s just that… this is my first time doing something like this, s-so I’m a little nervous.”
“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that, this is my first time too!” Kita reassuringly said, making Hitori swivel her gaze to Kita in surprise as she took in the almost unbelievable statement.
“E-Eh? Haven’t you done this before? Like, with one of your friends?” Hitori asked.
“Well, this isn’t something you can do with friends, you know?” Kita quickly said with a small pout on her face, those emerald eyes doing Hitori’s soul in, making her want to squirm endlessly. Glancing downwards, Kita looked at her lunch, and poked her fingertips together, with a small, shy smile. “...I just remembered that was a thing that couples do, and I wanted to do it with you.”
Wait, it was?! Oh god, was Hitori being negligent in her girlfriend duties?! Should she have looked up romantic activities to do with Kita?! Was her youth complex preventing her from absorbing the knowledge that was so commonly known to others?!
I-I need to make it up to her! Hitori thought to herself in a panic, knowing what she needed to do. Her graceless fumbling as she picked up her food almost made it seem she had none of the dexterity one should have from playing guitar in a closet for three years straight.
“U-Um, s-say ahhhhh…” Hitori weakly muttered as she tried to mimic Kita’s action. On her face was a smile that would have been more in place in a B-movie horror film, or on a gorgon.
Or course, Kita, as used to Hitori as she was, didn’t freeze up in fear. Hitori was instead rewarded with Kita’s eyes lighting up in joy, a blend of mild surprise and happiness apparent to see. Kita didn’t hesitate as she leaned forward, opened her mouth, and let out an “Ahh…” at Hitori’s request.
Okay, the first step was done! Now all Hitori needed to do was actually follow through! How hard could that be?
…Don’t mess it up, don’t mess it up, don’t mess it up, don’t mess it-!
“Ah,” Hitori said as she indeed messed up, managing to drop her food less than an inch away from her goal, failing at the last possible second, as was typical of her.
…I should’ve brought my mango box… Hitori bemoaned, now wanting nothing more than to hide her face forever.
Luckily for Hitori, Kita didn’t seem to mind at all. She giggled a bit as she brushed off the bits of rice, shooting Hitori a quick smile as if waving off her bunder. “Well, that was a good try at least, Hitori-chan!”
“A-Ah, sorry I couldn’t do it right…” Hitori apologized, her gaze now firmly attached to what remained of her lunch. She debated if it was worth the risk of failing again to try to be romantic, even though it went against her entire nature.
“No, no! Please don’t worry about that! I’m just happy that you tried for me!” Kita hurriedly reassured. Her nice red hair swished while she shook her head. Kita quickly scooted closer to Hitori, turning her cheeks an embarrassing shade of red. “I know I can be…a little overeager when it comes to us. So…if I’m pushing you too far, or if you really don’t want to do anything, please tell me. I won’t be upset.”
Oh. Hitori wasn’t quite expecting that.
Truth be told, their relationship, and how it came to be was a little complicated. Hitori remembers staring at Kita for a bit longer than was appropriate. Hitori remembers the small affectionate gestures that grew longer and more frequent. Hitori remembers the excuses Kita made, all to spend a little more time with her. Hitori remembers how she started to miss Kita’s presence more, as tiring as her optimism and aura could be at times.
It all came to a head when Kita decided to spend a day with just her. A typical hangout between friends that had quickly developed into something more, something that was uncharted territory for both of them and something that had shocked Hitori to her core after it was all said and done.
A date.
She wasn’t sure why Kita had decided to confess to her, but all she was sure of was that her cheeks had been as red as scarlet as she took in Kita’s words. She remembers her heart beating out of her chest as she forced an answer out. She remembers stopping Kita, who had seemed all but sure Hitori was going to turn her down.
Given their current situation, Kita’s fears were unfounded.
There was also the matter of how public they should be as well. Hitori would rather be crumpled up into a paper ball than show anyone her relationship, but when it came to the band, she didn’t have a choice, given how quickly Kita accidentally spilled the beans. At least the two reacted well, with Nijika giving a quick congratulations, alongside a smug Ryo, who claimed she knew Kita was about to make a move. (And that Nijika owes her a thousand yen?!)
Hitori stared at Kita, face still a little red. She took a moment to look at her hands, trying to collect her thoughts again before she spoke. “I… I never had a chance to experience any of this, um, before… S-So this is all really new to me…” Hitori muttered, taking a deep breath and doing her best to get her meaning across to Kita, who had been a welcome part of her life. “B-But… being here with you, trying new things with you, and being by your side is fun… I-I want to keep doing new things with you, Kita-chan…”
Risking a look at her girlfriend, Kita looked surprised, with a bit of red dusting her cheeks as she watched Hitori carefully. More blood seemed to rush to her cheeks as Hitori mustered up her courage, putting her hand over Kita’s and squeezing gently. “So all of this is okay, I-I don’t mind…”
Kita’s stare didn’t relent. Hitori briefly panicked for a moment before Kita donned a warm smile that was only reserved for her, making Hitori’s cheeks flare up by a notch or ten. “...Okay. That’s good to know. In that case, let’s just enjoy our time here, okay?”
Hitori muttered out a confirmation. They chatted about anything and everything, nothing interrupting their moment. The bright rays of the sun, or the birds chirping somewhere out of sight continued onwards.
As soon as the two were finished with their lunch and the bell rang, they prepared to get to class.
Or they would have, had it not been for Kita gently stopping Hitori. Kita’s hands caressed her hair carefully as she leaned in close, making red appear on both of their cheeks and making Hitori’s heartbeat rise to 130BPM in an instant. Hitori knew exactly what Kita wanted to do. “...Can I?” She whispered to Hitori, her quiet voice sending shivers down Hitori’s spine. Meekly, she nodded, closing her eyes in preparation for Kita’s lips.
Kissing wasn’t as magical as those trashy romance shows liked to portray. It wasn’t like the universe fell around them, it wasn’t like angels were singing a chorus as they kissed, and it wasn’t like it was anything big.
It was still really good though.
Hitori took in everything she could as Kita’s lips met hers. The perfume she was wearing, a smell akin to a rose. The way Kita’s hair tickled her cheeks just the tiniest bit. The gentle pressure on her mouth that Hitori did her best to respond in kind with. The small, pleased hum that made its way out of Kita’s mouth that made Hitori’s chest feel funny. The feeling of Kita’s hands, placed firmly on her cheek. She took it all in.
Unfortunately for the two, time waits for no one. So once Kita stopped the kiss, she took Hitori’s hand, leading her to class. “Come on, Hitori-chan~” She beamed, her mood being uplifted further, as impossible as that should be.
“Ah, okay…” Hitori disappointedly muttered, wishing that their kiss could last just a bit longer.
Well, that was the end of that. The day was pretty normal as it always was. Hitori suffered through her classes, she tried her best to study for her exams knowing full well that she would get a failing grade anyways, and so on. As soon as the school day ended, Hitori and Kita walked over to Starry, hand in hand.
And then, something interesting happened in Starry.
“Ijichi-senpai, this isn’t exactly related to our band activities, but can I ask about something?” Kita asked, getting the band's attention. They had all been discussing their plans for the day as always before Kita spoke up.
“Hmm? Yeah, sure thing, Kita-chan! What do you have in mind?” Nijika said, tilting her head.
“Well, we’re probably going to be really busy with our album, and I don’t want to just spend all our time together practicing, so…” Kita started, looking a little more excited as she spoke.
Yeah, it’ll probably be really bad if we just practiced all the time… Hitori thought to herself, bracing for whatever extroverted event Kita would suggest. It might be a little out of my comfort zone, but-
“Senpai, what do you think about Kessoku Band doing a double date?” Kita finished, all but jumping in her seat. Her words knocked the metaphorical winds out of Hitori’s metaphorical sails.
HUH?!
Nijika seemed to be taken aback as well, although not to Hitori’s level as her cheeks turned red. “U-Um, a double date?”
“Yeah!” Kita exclaimed. She rushed over to the startled Hitori to hug her arm, who was rendered as stiff as a statue while she recovered from the shock in her system. “Me and Hitori-chan, and you and Ryo-Senpai! That sounds like so much fun, don’t you think?”
“That sounds like us hanging out with extra steps,” Ryo spoke up for the first time today. Her gaze was flat as she watched Kita bounce around with so much energy.
“It’s not! We get the best of both worlds! We get to be romantic with each of our partners, and we all get to spend some time together! Come on, it’ll be so amazing!” Kita defended, desperately trying to sell the idea to the rest of the band. The pink doll in her arms had no response.
“Well, I guess that doesn’t sound bad…” Nijika said. She put her hand on her chin, as her eyes flickered over to Ryo briefly, a slight smile appearing on her face unbidden. “You know what, sure! I don’t mind giving it a try!”
Oh no, oh no, oh no! This was worse than I could have imagined!
It already took Hitori an insurmountable amount of willpower to prepare a date with Kita! She had to think about everything bad that could happen. She had to practice common scenarios that she would have to deal with on a date. She had to be sure to not appear unsightly so Kita didn’t wise up and suddenly break up with her!
But with a double date, it was double the trouble! Now there was more pressure on her! Now she had to come up with more scenarios for possible failure! Now she risked ruining Nijika and Ryo’s relationship! What if it actually becomes really awkward, too? What if it turns out that those two were better at dating than Hitori was and she had to face her own inadequacy?!
This is too much!
Hitori, still stuck in that empty void that she called her mind, was only barely aware of Nijika speaking up to address her. “Ryo, Bocchi-chan, what do you-?”
“Sorry, my parents say I can only have one date per week. So I can’t go on a double date.” Ryo quickly deflected. Her face was as unchanging as it always was, yet, it gave off the vibe of a liar.
“What sort of arbitrary rule is that…?” Nijika muttered, stunned at how quickly she opted out of the idea.
“Senpai, please? I know it’s new to all of us, but I think we'll all have fun!” Kita pleaded, looking desperate. She paused for a moment, before she spoke again, back on the attack. “If you want, I’ll even pay for your part, so-!”
“We’ll have the best double date.” Ryo cut her off in record time. She swung an arm around Nijika’s shoulders pulling her closer in the literal blink of an eye, stone-faced as ever.
“Wha-?! That’s what convinced you?! You don’t even pay for our dates!” Nijika exclaimed. Her face was red in both embarrassment and outrage, as she did her best to drill a hole in Ryo’s face through her glare alone. Tellingly, she made no move to remove Ryo’s arm.
I get what Kita is going for, but if we’re all going to be together, a double date would bring an introvert like me to my knees! I know she’s excited about this, but I need to say no! She said that she wouldn’t be upset if I told her that I didn’t want to do anything, so all I need to do is say no. Just say-!
“Hitori-chan? What about you? Are you excited too?” Kita asked, facing Hitori. Now with all of that energy, hope, and affection being sent her way, alongside those bright green eyes drilling a hole in her resolve, she had no chance. As she lost all the steam she built up, she went with her instinctual response…
“Ah, yes...”
Truly, Hitori was her own worst enemy.
Kita, now having confirmation from all the members of the band, truly started to shine with the energy of ten suns. There was a wide smile that wouldn’t go away as she started to go on and on.
“Now all we need to do is think about where we’ll all be going and when! Maybe a cafe? Oooo, I heard there’s some places here that advertised a special couples deal! Maybe that could be our first stop! Oh, and we have to figure out when we’re all free! If we plan ahead of time, maybe we’ll get a chance to do even more things together! And-”
“Er, Kita-chan, I really appreciate your enthusiasm,“ Nijika laughed nervously as she cut off Kita’s eager rant, looking mildly overwhelmed by her energy. “But maybe we should plan this out another day. Sis might get on our case if she found out we’re just talking about dates instead of the band.”
“Oh, my bad!” Kita looked a bit sheepish. “Okay, another day then!”
Meanwhile, Hitori slumped in her seat, as she resigned herself to future problems. I hope everything goes well…
Ryo, despite her earlier excuse, seemed to be completely accepting of the idea as soon as she took Kita’s bribe. Her arm was still around Nijika’s shoulders, with no sign of it moving anytime soon.
As for Nijika herself, she focused on Hitori, looking a little thoughtful.
The day went on as normal for Nijika after that. They went on to practice, they prepared themselves for Starry to open, she congratulated Bocchi as she managed to serve fifteen customers in a row without hiding under the counter, (A new personal best for her!) she waved goodbye to Kita as she left, acknowledged that Ryo would stay over again for the fourth time this week, and that was it.
Well, except for…
“Ah, Bocchi-chan!” Nijika yelled out, running to catch up to Bocchi, who had been the last to leave. The lights of the vending machines and the street lamps illuminated the two in the dark streets.
“A-Ah, Nijika-Chan?” Bocchi asked. She seemed a little concerned about Nijika’s sudden approach, probably still worried about the small mess she had made today during her shift.
“Hey! Sorry to keep you from leaving,” Nijika started. She didn’t want to be the reason Bocchi had missed the last train, so she decided to get to the point. “I just wanted to ask you something really quick before you left, since I didn’t get the chance earlier. Can I?”
Bocchi hesitantly nodded, worry still plain to see on her face. With that, Nijika spoke again. “So, is the double date idea too much for you?”
“E-Eh?! How did you…?” Bocchi exclaimed, flinching back a bit.
“Well, it was… sort of obvious that you didn’t want to go,” Nijika said with a small chuckle. Bocchi squeaked, apparently not aware of how obviously she wore her emotions on her sleeves. She fixed Bocchi with a concerned look, softly speaking. “I was kind of worried that we pushed you into this, and I didn’t want this to be uncomfortable for you, so…”
“O-Oh! No, y-you didn’t push me into this at all! Kita-chan even told me that if I didn’t like something she was doing, she wouldn’t be upset if I told her I didn’t want to do it!” Bocchi belted out, arms outstretched wildly as she frantically corrected Nijika. “I’m just… scared of ruining things for everyone, I guess...”
Ah, so that’s what it was about.
It was pretty clear over time that Bocchi tended to pay attention to others, attentive to their needs and emotions in ways that still surprised Nijika even now. Be that when she noticed how hard Kita was practicing before she joined their band for real, or when Nijika herself felt a little bummed out when Ryo was in a funk and hadn’t come to Starry, even being the one to start their impromptu performance in Ryo’s house, getting her to open up.
So no surprise to hear that Bocchi seemed to be more worried about everyone else, not thinking about her own discomfort.
Nijika took Bocchi’s hands, which were grabbing the ends of her tracksuit, into her own. There was a warm smile present on Nijika’s face as she squeezed gently. “Listen, it’s really nice of you to think about us, but you’re part of this too, you know? It wouldn’t be good if you didn’t enjoy yourself here, so don’t be afraid to talk it out. And don’t worry about ruining it for us either! Just as long as we all have fun together, that’s what matters!”
Bocchi reacted, not by stammering, shyly nodding, or something like that. Instead, her eyes were locked onto their hands. There was a slight blush present while she spaced out.
Feeling her ears getting a little hot, Nijika quickly let go, embarrassed. “U-Um, so yeah! Don’t be afraid to talk about it with us, okay?”
Bocchi, after snapping out of her dazed state, slowly nodded at Nijika, red still apparent in her cheeks. “O-Okay…” she simply said, apparently robbed of her ability to speak more.
“A-Alright!” Nijika said, a little awkwardness in the air coming from Bocchi's reaction and her own blunder. Perhaps she was a little too forward. “Well, I shouldn’t keep you waiting! See you tomorrow, Bocchi-chan!”
And as Bocchi waved goodbye to her for the second time that night, Nijika made her way over to Starry, trying her best to push away the intrusive thought in her mind that went something like…
Bocchi can be really cute sometimes, huh…