Chapter 181: "I'll Take Responsibility!" 

Thunderous applause.

Just like Hitori Gotoh's Please Tell Me, Ryo Yamada's Only My Sound had won over the entire crowd.

Amidst the continuous clapping, excited discussions about Kessoku Band began to spread.

A lone wolf bassist with a cold, untouchable aura.

A passionate, energetic drummer.

A main vocalist with a rich voice, doubling as rhythm guitarist.

And a lead guitarist who, despite her quiet presence, possessed remarkable technical skill.

For a high school festival—

A band like Kessoku Band, with members already playing at a Level 2 or even Level 3 professional skill level, was unreal.

To hear this kind of performance here…

It was absolutely electrifying.

The audience was buzzing.

People were hyped.

And up on stage, Kessoku Band met each other's gazes—

And finally, exhaled in relief.

Performing in front of 300 to 400 people was a first for them.

But thankfully—

Everything had gone smoothly.

As the founder of Kessoku Band, Nijika Ijichi stepped forward to thank the audience.

Her words were simple.

She expressed her gratitude for everyone showing up.

Then, she proceeded to introduce each band member in turn.

"That was amazing…"

Watching from the audience, Seika Ijichi whispered.

The stage lights illuminated Kessoku Band.

They looked like they were glowing.

This…

This was the moment she had always dreamed of for her little sister.

Seeing Nijika standing on a big stage, shining like this—

It was perfect.

…Well, almost.

If only that person wasn't here—

"Hic—heh heh heh! That was incredible, Bocchi!"

A loud, drunken hiccup interrupted Seika's thoughts.

And the boozy voice belonged to none other than—

Kikuri Hiroi.

Leaning against Seika, grinning ear to ear.

Her voice was so damn loud.

And with the heavy stench of alcohol coming off her—

People in the crowd were starting to stare.

Seika's face burned in secondhand embarrassment.

"Alright, that's enough out of you."

Without hesitation, she clamped a hand over Kikuri's mouth.

Because honestly—

Instead of feeling touched by the performance, she seriously wanted to throw Kikuri out right now.

"Mmmphhh! Mmm!!"

Kikuri struggled, squirming desperately.

Until—

With all her strength, she managed to break free from Seika's grasp.

The instant she did, Seika's eyes darkened.

"Say one more word, and I'll kill you."

"…Ahem. Ahem, ahem…"

Feeling the genuine, murderous intent in Seika's gaze—

Kikuri took two full steps back, finally lowering her voice.

But even as she toned down, she continued to mumble:

"Still… you noticed it too, right?"

Seika blinked.

Kikuri's usual carefree tone had shifted—

To something more thoughtful.

"The old Kessoku Band didn't have it," Kikuri murmured.

"But now, they do.

And that's exactly why this performance was so damn perfect."

Her voice trailed off.

Then—

For the first time in a while—

Kikuri's half-lidded eyes slowly opened.

Revealing deep violet irises—

Which carried a knowing gleam—

As she turned to look at Minami Shouji.

Seika followed Kikuri's gaze—

And sure enough—

There Minami stood, watching the stage intently.

Seika let out a small huff.

"Of course, I noticed.

I run Starry after all—

It'd be weirder if I didn't notice something this obvious."

Her gaze lingered on Minami for a beat longer.

Kikuri's smirk widened.

"Then you know exactly what I mean," she said.

"That guy—"

"He's the reason Kessoku Band is different now."

They could feel It.

Both Ryo Yamada, the bassist of Kessoku Band, and Hitori Gotoh, the lead guitarist—

Under the influence of Minami Shouji, this unexpected presence in their lives—

Had undergone a drastic transformation.

If one had to put it into words…

"It's about having a short-term goal," Seika Ijichi said.

"And the emotions invested into chasing after something."

Previously, the ones in charge of songwriting and composing for Kessoku Band had been Ryo Yamada and Hitori Gotoh.

They had a long-term dream of making their official debut.

But that goal had always felt distant, vague—

Something too far away to truly grasp.

As a result, while they could write good songs—

They had never been able to create something that could truly move people.

Because songs that reach people's hearts—

Songs that deeply resonate—

Are those where the artist has poured their whole soul into them.

And Minami Shouji's arrival—

Had filled the missing piece in their emotions.

"Please Tell Me" and "Only My Sound"—

These two songs weren't just music.

They were confessions.

Of their attachment to someone.

Of their desire to reach out for something beyond themselves.

That, in itself—

Was what gave people the strength to move forward.

Seika looked over at Minami, who was still clapping.

And she couldn't help but say—

"Minami's a strange guy."

Ryo Yamada—

A girl who had no friends besides Nijika.

Someone who never cared about others' opinions—

Living freely, selfishly, without restraint.

Hitori Gotoh—

Even worse.

From the very first meeting, it was obvious—

That she was crippled by self-doubt.

For a band, that kind of lack of confidence—

Was lethal.

Skill was important.

But if you couldn't even believe in yourself—

How could your music move anyone else?

But now—

Hitori had changed.

Just like Ryo.

There was still a trace of insecurity in Hitori.

But compared to before—

It was so much fainter.

"But at the same time, he's changed too, hasn't he?"

Kikuri Hiroi turned her gaze toward Minami.

He stood there, lost in thought.

Kikuri had already heard the rumors.

About who Minami Shouji had been when he first entered Shuka High.

A boy who could socialize with others just fine.

Who could make friends if he wanted to.

But he had always chosen solitude instead.

Preferring his own company.

Living in his own quiet world.

But after meeting the girls of Kessoku Band—

Even if it wasn't his intention—

Even he had changed.

He had become willing to open up.

To reach out to others.

To connect.

"It's a two-way street," Kikuri murmured.

"And it's leading them both toward something better."

If that was the case—

Then as adults, there was nothing more to say.

Seika sighed.

"All we need to do is watch over them from the sidelines."

"Where this all leads… that's for them to decide."

Neither of them could choose for Minami, Hitori, or Ryo.

That was their own path to walk.

With that thought, Seika and Kikuri turned their attention back to the stage.

By now, the other three members of Kessoku Band had finished speaking.

And finally—

It was time for the lead guitarist to take the mic.

Seika and Kikuri exchanged glances.

They were curious.

After everything that had changed—

What would Hitori Gotoh say on stage?

"Come on, Gotoh-san! It's your turn to say something!"

Ikuyo Kita cheerfully handed the mic to Hitori.

Only then did Hitori finally snap out of her post-performance daze.

She blinked.

"Huh…? Say something?"

"Of course! Everyone else said a few words, so you have to, too! You got this, Gotoh-san!"

Kita flashed a smile, doing a little fist pump to encourage her.

"Eh—?!

W-Wait!!"

The moment the cold microphone settled in her grip—

Hitori's mind went blank.

Her gaze darted toward the audience.

And suddenly—

Hundreds of expectant eyes turned toward her.

Waiting for her to speak.

…This kind of attention.

This… this was a nightmare!!!

If a socially anxious person doesn't have a pre-prepared speech—

Then they literally can't say anything interesting!!!

Panic.

Total panic.

Her mind raced.

What if she ruined everything after such a perfect performance?

She had to say something funny.

Something entertaining.

But what?!

Think, think—!!

If she couldn't come up with something…

Then…

She just had to think about what others would do!

Yes!

What would Ryo-san do in this situation?!

She dug through her memory.

Until finally—

A scene popped into her mind.

That moment when Ryo stood before Akane Shinjo, Chisato Nishikigi, and Takina Inoue—

And without hesitation, she had declared:

"I like you, Minami."

And somehow—

For some reason—

As if her mouth was moving on its own—

Hitori spoke those exact same words.

"T-T-Two-two-year, Class Two… Minami-senpai… I-I like you!!!"

Silence.

Hitori's heart stopped.

Wait.

What?!

WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!

Her expression, hidden beneath her long pink bangs, completely froze.

And below the stage—

The once lively, noisy gym—

Suddenly fell into dead silence.

For just a single second.

And then—

"OHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

The crowd ERUPTED.

The entire gymnasium EXPLODED into cheers.

A love confession?!

On the main stage of the school festival?!

In front of hundreds of people?!

"Who was this girl?!"

"This guitarist was insane!!!"

"What kind of madwoman had the guts to confess on stage like this?!"

Even the most popular, fearless girls in school wouldn't dare to pull something this crazy—

But here was Hitori Gotoh, standing up there—

And dropping a full-blown confession on Minami Shouji of all people—

The top student of their year, the legendary study god of Shuka High.

This was historic.

The entire festival atmosphere suddenly ignited.

Even on stage, Kita and Nijika gawked at Hitori.

Shocked.

Bewildered.

Completely at a loss for words.

"Holy crap… Bocchi-chan…

I had no idea you were such a predator."

Kita whispered.

"N-No… I…"

Hitori's pink hair trembled.

Tears of despair welled in her eyes.

She wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

A Love Confession in Front of the Whole School?

"So cool."

Ryo Yamada gave a thumbs-up.

"Uuuu—!!"

That was the final straw.

The last push that broke Hitori Gotoh completely.

The overwhelming shame and anxiety that had been building up—

All came crashing down at once.

And in the next moment—

With a mournful wail—

She collapsed onto the stage floor.

"Eh?! EH?! BOCCHI-CHAN?!"

"K-Kita! Call someone!"

"Amazing, Bocchi."

"STOP SAYING THAT, RYO! HELP US INSTEAD!"

"..."

The scene immediately descended into chaos.

As for Minami Shouji, the target of this whole confession disaster—

He simply rubbed his temples, sighing—

Before shifting his gaze toward Gotoh's parents.

There they were.

Both Naoki Gotoh and Michiyo Gotoh.

Eyes shining.

Staring straight at him.

...

Minami had mentally prepared himself to catch Gotoh if she suddenly stage-dove in panic.

But clearly—

Fate had other plans.

Instead—

She had skipped all the expected social panic responses—

And straight-up collapsed instead.

…

She awoke to the sight of the setting sun.

Hitori Gotoh's eyes fluttered open—

The light outside the window had already turned a deep orange.

Dazed, she turned her head slightly—

And saw Minami Shouji, sitting at her bedside.

He was reading.

Of course he was.

Minami always had a book in his hands.

Even if she hadn't known his name—

Even if she had only observed him from afar—

She still would have known.

That this was a person who loved to read.

Just watching him quietly—

Somehow…

Calmed her down.

But then—

Memories of what had happened slammed back into her mind.

Oh my god. I confessed. I confessed to Nami. IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE SCHOOL.

Not just a confession.

But a stupid, loud, dramatic one!

WHAT HAVE I DONE?!

Her toes curled inside her black socks—

Her entire body squirmed awkwardly under the sheets.

Uncomfortable.

Embarrassed.

Utterly mortified.

Even just being in the same room with him right now was too much.

She had no idea what to say.

She had no idea how to fix this.

What do I do?! What do I do?!

Panicking, she hid half her face under the blanket—

Leaving only her wide, anxious eyes peeking out.

And then—

Minami spoke.

"Awake?"

His voice was calm.

With a quiet snap, he closed his book—

Before standing up.

"Feeling alright, Hitori?"

And at that moment—

She snapped.

With a sudden burst of energy—

She threw the blankets off, scrambled onto her knees, and shouted:

"I-I'M SORRY, NAMI I!!!"

"I'LL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!!!"

…

Silence.

Minami simply tilted his head, studying her.

Hitori's entire body froze—

As she realized—

Wait. What the hell did I just say?!

"N-No… wait… I mean…"

She flailed her hands wildly, voice cracking, completely losing control of her words.

"That's not… um… Nami, I…!!"

Minami laughed.

Not a mocking laugh.

Not a mean laugh.

Just—

A quiet, amused chuckle.

And then, he spoke.

"It's fine."

"Go back to sleep, Hitori."

"Ah…"

Hitori's voice faded into a small squeak.

Slowly—

She lowered herself back down into the sheets.

Bit by bit.

First her chin disappeared under the covers.

Then her mouth.

Then her nose.

Until only her nervous, peeking eyes remained.

Like a tiny animal hiding in its burrow.

Minami watched, amused.

And then—

He spoke again.

"Honestly?"

"The fact that you were able to say that—"

"In that situation—"

"…I'm actually kind of proud of you."

"Huh?"

Hitori blinked.

Completely lost.

Proud…?

Why would he be proud?!

Didn't she just make a fool of herself in front of everyone?!

Didn't she just cause trouble for him?!

Why would that be a good thing?!

(TL Note: Bocchi used a couple's nickname(Nami) back in the simulator(It was originally Minami-kun), so let me know if I should change the original and put it back to Minami.)