Chapter 173:Bocchi: I'm Willing to Be Deceived by Him!

The strumming of the guitar echoed through the live house, sending a wave of sound rippling across the venue.

The previously lifeless atmosphere seemed to stir in response to that single chord.

At the very least, many audience members who had been distracted by their phones now shifted their attention back to the stage.

And at the center of it all, Hitori clutched her guitar tightly, her fingers dancing across the strings.

A guitar solo rang out.

The notes were precise, the melody sharp, it was a performance so skilled that even those unfamiliar with music could tell how impressive it was.

The sound of her playing seemed to clear away the heavy atmosphere lingering in the room, leaving behind nothing but the raw, stirring music. The girl who always hid in the shadows, the Bocchi who never sought attention under the spotlight, she now radiated a brilliance unlike ever before.

After a brief moment of shock, the most experienced member, Ryo Yamada, snapped back to her senses and turned toward drummer Nijika Ijichi.

Their eyes met for a split second and then, with a firm nod, they understood.

At just the right moment, the beat of the drums kicked in, seamlessly blending into Hitori's guitar solo.

Next came the bass, intertwining perfectly with the rhythm, creating an incredible harmony.

Watching Bocchi play, Ikuyo Kita's eyes sparkled with admiration.

"The band, the song they performed…"

"To me, it was like a loud, resounding laughter."

"To me, it was as piercing as a railway crossing alarm."

The song erupted, almost like a shout, yet it was perfectly timed, blending seamlessly with the performance.

Miyako, who had been leaning beside Haruto just moments ago, slowly straightened her posture, looking toward the stage in astonishment.

It was like a completely different band from the one before.

'The bass is so heavy, but the reverb is flawless. The three instruments are practically showing off their skills. The melody and tone are a bit niche, but the performance is so perfect that even if it's not my taste, I can feel its charm. The most stunning part is the lead guitar. The difficulty of the piece is way above standard, yet it's played flawlessly—it's like witnessing a stage hero in action.'

Analyzing from a professional standpoint, these conclusions surfaced in her mind.

For a moment, she even forgot that she was in an underground band showcase. The stage presence was so strong that it wouldn't be out of place for a rising star in the mainstream music industry.

"Open your eyes and face the title of loneliness."

"Accept it in your heart, that lofty impulse."

"Now, deep in my chest, I confirm the sound of my own heart."

"I don't want to listen to anything else."

"Except for the sound of my own voice."

Through the song, it felt as if one could hear the cry of a soul.

At this moment, it was as if the entire world had been reduced to just the sound of this band.

As the song ended, the final guitar solo echoed throughout the venue, leaving a lingering resonance in the hearts of the audience.

After what felt like an eternity, the vocalist, realizing she should make an announcement, hurriedly spoke,

"This was our second song, 'That Band.' Thank you all for listening, thank you so much!"

As they bowed at the end, an enthusiastic round of applause erupted from the audience.

Despite the small number of people, the applause was unexpectedly loud. On stage, the four girls were drenched in sweat, their breathing heavy and ragged.

But in their eyes burned a bright light.

As the band exited backstage, a blonde girl suddenly burst through a side corridor, grabbing Haruto and dragging him toward the back.

Haruto smiled and let Ijichi Nijika pull him along.

Miyako, shaking off her shock, sighed with a wry smile and followed them backstage.

As they pushed open the door, the sound of conversation inside immediately came to an abrupt halt.

And then, before they could react, someone rushed forward.

"Waaaah! You're such a good person! I thought it was all over! It was all thanks to your cheering that I managed to hold on!"

Hitori clung to Haruto's leg, wailing miserably.

Even though this guy had suddenly disappeared.

Even though this guy had tricked her out of money.

But he had come to support them!

He was actually a good guy!

I'm gonna cry!

During the storm, their first-ever performance had plunged into despair.

The heavy atmosphere had led to repeated mistakes.

Standing on stage playing the first song, Hitori had nothing but the thought: This is the end.

Then, that voice of encouragement rang out.

Now, she was writhing on the floor in a contorted mess, sobbing in despair.

"If it's you, I don't mind being tricked! Waaaah!"

Before things spiraled completely out of control, Nijika pried Hitori's fingers off Haruto and dragged her away.

Then, standing in a row, Nijika, Kita Ikuyo, and Yamada Ryo all gave Haruto a deep bow.

"Thank you so much."

They couldn't deny it, Haruto's shout of encouragement had reignited their courage to play.

He had completely pulled them out of the abyss.

Haruto waved his hand dismissively.

"No need to thank me, I didn't do much. If anything, it was Bocchi who brought you all back."

That guitar solo on stage was like divine intervention, waking everyone up completely.

A shining Hitori was far more of a hero.

Hearing the praise, Hitori cried even harder.

"Uwaah! He complimented me! You're such a good person! Here, take my entire life savings, please continue to support me…"

As she spoke, Hitori pulled out a small piggy bank and held it out toward Haruto.

Ijichi Nijika: !

Haruto, without hesitation, reached out to take it.

Saito Miyako: !

Immediately, Nijika yanked Hitori away, shouting, "Don't fall for it! Wake up!"

Meanwhile, Miyako grabbed Haruto from behind, trying to talk him down, "President, please act like a decent person!"

And so, the situation finally returned to normal.

After dragging Hitori away for a serious lecture, Ikuyo stepped forward, standing firmly in front of Hitori with a stern expression.

"Even if you helped us, you can't just scam Hitori out of her money! That's too much! You even borrowed money from her before! How could you take advantage of her like this?!"

Haruto shrugged.

"But she said she was okay with being scammed."

Ikuyo choked on her words, then furiously shouted,

"That doesn't count! Hitori isn't very bright, and she's a shut-in who can't handle the cruelty of society! Her words can't be taken seriously!"

Haruto looked at her with admiration.

Wow, she really said it.

She actually said it to her face.

And just as Ikuyo realized the absurdity of her words, she turned to look at Hitori in horror.

Hitori, who had been slumped in Nijika's arms, was now completely gray, looking utterly devastated.

"Wait, no, I didn't mean it like that! That was just an excuse to stop you from getting scammed! Please don't fade away, Hitori!"

The three bandmates scrambled to rescue their fading friend.

Haruto watched the chaos unfold with a smirk, barely holding back laughter.

Miyako, on the other hand, just rubbed her temples, feeling an immense headache.

Why was it that her boss had everything; good looks, talent, even personality, yet he just had to have this wicked sense of humor?

This kind of behavior…

Ugh, it was unbearable!

After finally reviving Hitori, Ikuyo turned back to Haruto with a furious glare.

Miyako quickly stepped in to defuse the tension.

While explaining the situation, she casually pulled out a thick stack of yen bills from her wallet and stuffed them into Hitori's hands.

Hitori: !

Hitori stared at the wad of ten-thousand-yen bills in her hands, her eyes spiraling like a hypnotized cartoon character.

(T/N: Remembered a funny scene were Yato got slapped by bills by some dude to buy his regalia XD.)

The other three girls were just as stunned.

They had originally thought Haruto was some kind of professional scam artist. After all, how else could someone trick a person into willingly be scammed?

But now, their entire worldview was being rewritten by the sheer extravagance of this act.

Ikuyo hesitantly asked,

"Uh… just who are you people?"

Please don't tell me they're some kind of criminal syndicate here to abduct us and harvest our organs…

Miyako pulled out a business card and handed it over.

Then, she formally introduced herself:

"I'm Saito Miyako, president of Umbrella Entertainment. Our company primarily manages idols and artists. I know this might not mean much, but stars like Ai Hoshino and Mai Sakurajima are signed under our label. And this man here is Takamine Haruto, the sole shareholder behind Umbrella—in other words, the real boss."

The four girls blinked in unison.

Huh?

What company?

What shareholder?

What boss?

Aside from Hitori, the other three had all at least heard of Umbrella.

After all, being in a band meant brushing up against the entertainment industry. And in today's entertainment world, Umbrella was the most renowned name.

Even more than actual celebrities, this outlier of a company had an insane reputation.

And even though Hitori didn't keep up with industry news, she had definitely heard of Ai Hoshino.

Her little sister often watched Ai's concerts at home.

Over time, even someone as reclusive as Hitori had become familiar with her name.

But all of that was just something distant, something seen in passing online. Something they never expected to suddenly appear before them.

The impact was equivalent to seeing an actual alien in real life.

And after a long silence, Ikuyo was the first to break down into a full-blown scream.

"'Umbrella'? That famous Ai's Umbrella company!? I'm a huge fan of Ai!"

Nijika also spoke excitedly,

"It's the top company in the industry! A total powerhouse… But why would such big company come to watch our performance?"

In reality, what she really wanted to ask was, why would such a rich man(young master XD) trick Hitori out of her lunch money?

But after a moment of thought…

Clearly, this guy really hadn't had any money on him at the time. That was the only explanation for why he borrowed from Hitori. Otherwise, it wouldn't make any sense…

This guy was so rich that they couldn't even begin to imagine the extent of his wealth.

There's no way he would go out of his way to scam Hitori out of a few thousand yen, right?

…Right?

People wouldn't, at least, they shouldn't do something like that…

Yeah, this had to be some kind of misunderstanding!

However, if Haruto had known what was going through Nijika's mind, he would have shamelessly responded, 

"I totally wanted to scam Bocchi!"