Chapter 20: The Bride’s Radiance at the Wedding Banquet

Where exactly had things gone wrong?

Minami Shouji pondered deeply.

For both him and Kessoku Band, salvaging their first botched performance and gaining audience approval should have been the best possible outcome.

But thinking about it endlessly wouldn't provide any answers.

Minami Shouji decided to continue watching.

Perhaps, in the events that followed, he would uncover the truth.

[With the first performance officially over, Kessoku Band returned to their normal lives. You continued learning guitar under Gotoh Hitori's careful guidance, and thanks to your strong learning ability, your skills improved rapidly.]

[Your technique, once filled with minor flaws, had now become polished. Both your skills and stage presence matured day by day. In terms of pure guitar proficiency, Gotoh Hitori was now only slightly ahead of you.]

[Everything seemed to be progressing in a positive direction. However, being immersed in the band's environment, you soon sensed something was off.]

[Ijichi Nijika had been talking to you much more often lately—mainly about matters concerning Kessoku Band.]

[This struck you as odd. As the band's founder, Ijichi Nijika should naturally be its undisputed leader. So why was she suddenly so concerned about your role?]

[As the band's leader, she should be the one understanding her members—so why was she coming to you with these questions?]

[After their previous failure, Yamada Ryo and Kita Ikuyo practiced even harder, but you noticed something off in their sound—it was as if they had lost something essential.]

[Gotoh Hitori was the same as always, silently following you and listening to you speak. But when she was with Kessoku Band, she seemed more reserved and cautious than before. Her smile was no longer as natural.]

...Had the whole band shut themselves off?

Minami Shouji stared at the changing text, taking in the subtle shifts in the band's atmosphere since their first performance.

Kessoku Band had once been a lively and energetic group.

With Ijichi Nijika and Kita Ikuyo keeping the mood bright, Yamada Ryo occasionally dropping sharp-witted remarks, and Gotoh Hitori's socially anxious antics, the band had been filled with a youthful vibrance.

But now, Minami Shouji could clearly feel that energy fading at a visible rate.

A Growing Unease

[Sensing the uneasy atmosphere within Kessoku Band, you wanted to do something before their second performance.]

[You tried various methods, but none of them worked. The girls were all kindhearted—they recognized your concern and even thanked you during a group dinner.]

[You became close friends with Yamada Ryo, Ijichi Nijika, and Kita Ikuyo.]

[Deepening friendships should be a good thing, but you felt no joy, because under this suffocating tension, Kessoku Band's second performance was fast approaching.]

[This time, there was no typhoon. Ijichi Nijika and Kita Ikuyo invited their friends, and Gotoh Hitori's parents came to watch.]

[Before the performance, Ijichi Nijika asked you to simply watch over them quietly. You agreed.]

[But deep inside, your sense of unease only grew stronger, even as everything proceeded as usual.]

[Kessoku Band's second performance began.]

[As you feared, without your support to keep them in sync, the already unstable Kessoku Band struggled through their second performance. By the end, the venue was completely silent.]

The Aftermath

[After the performance...]

[You saw Ijichi Nijika and Kita Ikuyo forcing smiles in front of their friends.]

[You saw Gotoh Hitori burying her head low, trying to disappear as her parents comforted her with words of encouragement.]

[You also saw Yamada Ryo sitting alone in the corner, holding her bass in silence, lost in thought.]

[Despite the failure, Kessoku Band continued their activities.]

[But you could feel the change in the air.]

[The four members of Kessoku Band found it increasingly difficult to align their schedules. They spoke less and less, and you often had to step in to fill the gaps in rehearsals.]

[The microphones, effect pedals, and drum set in the practice room slowly gathered dust.]

[One day, Ijichi Nijika called everyone together. With tears streaming down her face, she announced the disbandment of Kessoku Band.]

[Kessoku Band was over.]

[No one asked Nijika for a reason. Watching her cry, there was no need to.]

[After the band's breakup, Gotoh Hitori spent less and less time with her guitar. Eventually, she abandoned it completely and focused on studying for exams.]

[Yamada Ryo did not give up her bass, but as someone in the same school year as you, she too had to prepare for exams. She frequently visited your home to ask for tutoring sessions alongside Gotoh Hitori.]

[Because of this, you also put your guitar aside to focus on helping them with their studies.]

[Yamada Ryo started paying more attention to you.]

[Your relationship with Yamada Ryo deepened.]

A Life Without Music

Yamada… you really…

From start to finish, Yamada Ryo had remained unchanged.

Minami Shouji rubbed his forehead and sighed lightly before continuing to read.

[Yamada Ryo was actually a capable student, but she struggled to balance bass practice and academics, which resulted in her average grades.]

[Gotoh Hitori, however, was different. She had an extraordinary gift for guitar, but when it came to academics, she was completely lost.]

[Despite the countless hours you spent tutoring her, Gotoh Hitori's grades were only barely passable.]

[She blamed herself for wasting your time and effort, feeling guilty for not improving more. You reassured her that it was fine and comforted her.]

[Before you knew it, your high school years came to an end.]

[As expected by everyone, you passed the entrance exams for the University of Tokyo with ease.]

[Yamada Ryo enrolled in a well-regarded arts university in Tokyo, where she continued her studies in bass and music.]

[During this time, she stayed in touch with you, still paying close attention to you.]

[As a university student, you continued to tutor Gotoh Hitori, who had just entered her senior year of high school.]

(In the anime, Gotoh Hitori and Kita Ikuyo are first-years, while Yamada Ryo and Ijichi Nijika are second-years.)

[One year later, under your guidance, Gotoh Hitori studied tirelessly and was accepted into an ordinary university in Tokyo.]

[Even after entering university, she never picked up the guitar again.]

[You never tried to persuade her otherwise—because both of you knew the reason why.]

[One year after entering university, you proposed to Gotoh Hitori.]

[She accepted.]

[At the wedding banquet, Gotoh Hitori looked absolutely stunning—]