[STARRY Live House]
"I just feel like… there'll be pathetically few people in the audience tomorrow," Kita Ikuyo pouted, listlessly lying on the table in the practice room, her expression visibly gloomy.
The performance was tomorrow, and yet the sky was so overcast it was ridiculous. The TV was also broadcasting news about an incoming typhoon.
No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like a storm was brewing.
Kessoku Band had only recently formed. They had no fame, let alone any fans.
If they just happened to run into such a terrible typhoon and stormy day… even with your toes you could tell that for a debut performance, it'd be a catastrophic blow to their popularity.
Even though Kita had invited quite a few friends to come watch the performance tomorrow, that was under the assumption that the weather would be normal.
After all, how many people would be willing to brave a typhoon and heavy rain to watch a performance by an unknown band?
"Well, well, maybe it won't be that bad?", Nijika was also a bit disappointed, but as the band leader, she was used to putting on a positive front. She still tried to cheer up and think optimistically, "Like… maybe the typhoon will suddenly turn away, and tomorrow will still be a bright, sunny day?"
"The probability of something like that happening is way too low, right?"
Off to the side, Useless Ryou was holding a cup of hot water, sipping it slowly. Upon hearing that, she couldn't help but retort, "Rather than hoping for the typhoon to turn, you might as well pray that some passing god suddenly shows mercy and blesses us with clear skies."
Nijika scratched her cheek. She was about to say, "Where would you find gods in this world?", but remembering their experience in the town of Hoori, she didn't dare say it out loud and instead muttered uncertainly, "There probably… wouldn't be such an approachable god, right?"
"Of course not," Yamada Ryou shrugged, "So, the typhoon won't turn, and the weather won't clear up."
"Ryou, you're way too negative… even weather forecasts aren't always right, you know?"
"No, it's you who's too idealistic, Nijika," The blue-haired girl stretched lazily, "Rather than wasting energy thinking about these unrealistic things, we should think about how to give our best performance tomorrow. At the very least, we can't let the already limited audience, who braved the rain, be disappointed."
"Ryou-senpai is right!", Kita also perked up again, pumping her little fist in encouragement, "Anyone willing to come see our show in typhoon weather must truly love music. Even if the weather affects our popularity, we have to give them the best live experience."
Even Bocchi in the corner pursed her lips and nodded vigorously.
Seeing that the band's mood had finally turned positive again, Nijika thought for a moment, just about to say something else, when the door to the practice room suddenly opened.
Everyone's attention turned toward the person entering. Kaito raised an eyebrow, "Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"Nijika," Yamada Ryou didn't answer his question but instead looked at her bandmate with a serious face and said, "The approachable god has appeared!"
Ijichi Nijika: "..."
The girl blinked, then quickly caught on, "You mean, Kaito-kun?"
Useless Ryou nodded solemnly.
Nijika gave her a helpless look, a bit at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
'Although Kaito-kun indeed possess powerful supernatural abilities, he can easily exorcise even cursed gods, changing the weather isn't that simple. That is something only a true god can do, right?'
It wasn't that she didn't believe in Kaito, but this kind of thing just sounded… a little too fantastical.
This wasn't some light novel, like "My Classmate Who's Super Popular is Secretly a God", even just imagining it felt like science fiction, didn't it?
And yet, Ryou's words somehow received unanimous agreement from everyone.
Not only Bocchi, but even Kita, who had been a bit shy after seeing Kaito, forgot all about modesty. All of them looked at the figure standing at the door with sparkling eyes.
To the girls, the name "Kaito" was undoubtedly synonymous with reassurance.
No matter how terrifying or hideous the evil spirits or cursed gods were, just seeing his silhouette brought an overwhelming sense of security.
Even though they knew it was unlikely, deep down they still instinctively harbored a small hope.
'As long as Kaito-kun is here… maybe, just maybe, a miracle really will happen?'
"Well, rain is perfectly normal, let's not trouble Kaito-kun with this~", Perhaps thinking such a request would be asking too much, Nijika quickly tried to smooth things over, "As long as we try our best, it doesn't really matter how things turn out. Like that saying… do your best, leave the rest to fate?"
That might be the right mindset, but Bocchi's clear blue eyes still dimmed, like a gemstone that had lost its luster.
"Actually…", Seeing his pure, adorable clubmate looking so dejected like a pink hamster, Kaito paused for two seconds, then spoke honestly, "If it's just stopping the rain, I really can do that."
Nijika: "?"
Kita: "!"
Ryou: "?"
This time it was Useless Ryou's turn to be shocked, 'Wait, you can actually do that?'
She had only been joking around like usual, she hadn't actually expected anything.
"Boyfriend-kun," Ryou's suspicious eyes darted up and down his figure, "You're not actually some kind of god, are you?"
"What if I said I am?"
"Then there's only one answer!", Ryou casually picked up a glow stick, snapped it in half, pressed one hand to her chest, and declared solemnly, "I shall pledge my allegiance to you!"
"Speak human," The blue-haired girl cleared her throat, "Do you need a shrine maiden? Just feed me and I'm good."
"But…", Next to them, Kita said blankly, "Shrine maidens… are supposed to serve gods, right?"
The so-called "serving," of course, meant the literal kind of serving.
In Japan's traditional culture, shrine maidens were the possessions of the gods. Everything they had naturally belonged to the gods.
Whether it was their souls… or their bodies.
"Then isn't that even better… ahem, I mean, one must have professional ethics," Useless Ryou somehow pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her tears as if on the verge of crying, "Since I've decided to become a shrine maiden, I must naturally shoulder a shrine maiden's responsibilities."
"So even if the god commands me to offer up my pure body, as a shrine maiden, I have no right to refuse. Please treat me like a dirty rag you've thrown away, I'll clean myself up and return to the god's side once more…"
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