"...Still no reply."
Sitting at his desk, Ren Suzuki wore a mildly puzzled expression.
Although Hitori Gotoh often took a long time to respond, it was unusual for her to leave a message unanswered all the way until the morning homeroom.
On top of that… she seemed to have arrived at school much later than usual.
Could she be out sick today?
The thought crossed Ren's mind briefly.
But not long after, the familiar figure he'd been waiting for quietly slipped through the back door and what Ren saw left him more shocked than he'd ever been since arriving in this world.
…From Hitori Gotoh's Perspective…
On the way here, I attracted so many stares.
Well, that's to be expected, right? A high school girl walking around with a guitar case on her back it's pretty rare. Of course people would be curious.
It was a little scary, sure. But just thinking about why I brought this guitar to school today… there was no room left for hesitation.
Because this guitar wasn't for them.
Yes, I do want to show everyone what I can do. I do want to be liked, to be acknowledged.
But today… this guitar is here for one person, and one person only.
The sidewalk, the train station, the walk to school.
The school gate, the shoe lockers, the hallway.
My steps were a little slower than usual, but I still made it to my destination.
How would he react when he saw me like this today?
Would he be surprised? Impressed? Suspicious? Or maybe he wouldn't care at all?
Ahh… I'm getting nervous again.
No. I can't back down after finally working up the courage.
Before going in, I should take a few deep breaths.
In out… in out…
3, 2, 1
…
"...G-Good morning, Suzuki-kun."
Under Ren Suzuki's stunned gaze, Hitori Gotoh greeted him in a voice so soft that only the two of them could hear.
Before Ren could even respond, she quickly retreated to her seat, carefully placed the large guitar case beside her desk, and, just like always, began rummaging through her bag for today's textbooks.
"...Huh?"
The boy sitting next to Ren also noticed what she'd brought with her.
"That… that's a guitar, right? No matter how you look at it."
"Yeah, I think so."
"Wait, does that girl know how to play guitar? Seriously? Come to think of it… I don't even know her name."
"…"
Ren didn't continue the conversation.
Not because of some possessive instinct, but because he'd carefully thought this through.
For someone like Hitori Gotoh, who hadn't yet overcome her self-doubt, it would still be impossible for her to casually interact with outgoing classmates.
Bringing unnecessary social attention to her now would only make things harder for her.
(Still… I'm impressed she managed to bring her guitar to school in her current mental state.)
It seemed today's lunch break would be a major turning point in their relationship.
And as for the thing she'd never been able to say he was pretty sure he already knew what it was.
…
"As you can see, Suzuki-kun… I can… well, I can play a little guitar."
During lunch break, Hitori Gotoh cradled her guitar in her arms as she spoke to Ren.
"My skill level isn't anything amazing… but… um… I think it's at least… passable…"
"I thought so."
The moment he saw the guitar case, Ren had pretty much guessed what she wanted to say.
"So why didn't you tell us back then? You really wanted to show everyone, right?"
"I was afraid no one would believe me… or that no one would care at all…"
"Even so, isn't it still better than saying nothing?"
Ren sighed with mild exasperation.
"Wouldn't it have been better to at least leave the impression that you can play guitar, instead of just being ignored as someone with no standout qualities?"
"I… I've thought about that too."
Hitori Gotoh hunched her shoulders.
"If I don't do anything, then yeah, none of the bad things I imagined will happen… but nothing else will change either."
"But back then, I was just too nervous. I couldn't get my voice out no matter how hard I tried… and by the time I finally calmed down, everyone had already looked away."
"Sigh…"
For once, Ren Suzuki didn't maintain his usual polite smile. Instead, he wore a rare expression of frustration, like he was looking at wasted potential.
This girl every part of her was overflowing with a sense of wasted opportunities.
She had the looks of an idol, yet she buried them under long bangs and a shapeless tracksuit.
She had the guitar skills that would easily earn her admiration, yet she never dared to show them because of irrational fears.
Now that he knew her secret, Ren's understanding of Hitori Gotoh was finally complete.
He had seen through all her contradictions. He understood exactly what she longed for and what she feared most.
If he wanted to clear the "capture," all he needed to do now was listen to her play, praise her unconditionally, and give her constant validation.
It wouldn't take long before this girl who craved recognition and attention more than anyone would completely rely on his approval and easily become a "puppet" at his command.
But that wasn't what Ren Suzuki wanted.
He didn't just want to "capture" her. He wanted to help her break free from her self-doubt and loneliness to help her gain the strength to face the future, even after heartbreak.
With that in mind, Ren dropped all traces of his usual gentleness and looked directly, seriously, at Hitori Gotoh.
"Gotoh-san."
"Y-Yes!"
"Would you let me hear you play a little? Of course, it's not that I doubt what you just said I just want to see your actual skill for myself."
"N-No problem!"
Hitori Gotoh nodded eagerly.
"Actually, the reason I brought my guitar today… was because I wanted you to hear me play, Suzuki-kun."
"I see…"
"And… um, I'm still too afraid to show myself in real life, but I actually post my practice videos on YouTube. If you're interested… you can check them out there too."
"Oh? You have videos online too?"
Ren's curiosity visibly spiked.
"What's your channel? I'll go subscribe later."
"It's called Guitar Hero. I've got about thirty thousand subscribers, so it should be pretty easy to find…"
"Guitar Hero, huh… Got it, I'll check it ou … Wait, what?"
When Ren heard that familiar name, he instinctively let out a startled sound.
In that moment, disconnected pieces in his mind suddenly clicked together.
Guitar Hero.
Ijichi Nijika.
The band.
The missing guitarist…
…
"I… I think I just found the answer I've been looking for."