Twenty minutes earlier.
When the two of them pressed her about her "relationship with Makima," Goto kept her lips sealed.
After a glance at the clock, Nijika gave a helpless shrug and sighed. "Alright, let's drop it for now."
"In a bit, another band will be here to perform a few songs. We're expecting maybe twenty or thirty audience members, so we'd better get ready to welcome them."
Ryo nodded and began preparing drinks.
Seeing they had finally given up on prying, Goto let out a quiet breath of relief.
She had been working at the live house for several days now, and was already used to helping out with prep, so she naturally joined in.
Before long, the band Nijika mentioned arrived.
They stepped onto the stage to tune their instruments, and a few minutes later, the audience began to file in one by one.
It was clear these people had come specifically to see this band.
Though the crowd was only twenty or thirty strong, and the show was free, for a band that had never played a proper gig before, it was still something to envy.
Most people who came to see rock bands were, unsurprisingly, young.
But in the middle of the crowd, one figure stood out.
A middle-aged man in his fifties, wearing a black trench coat and a fedora. Everything about him seemed a little out of place in the rock scene.
Goto couldn't help but feel curious. She leaned closer to Nijika and whispered, "Um… is it normal for someone like that to… come to a show?"
"Ah, it happens once in a while," Nijika replied.
"Rock isn't just for young people, you know. Some older fans can really get into it. I've even seen gray-haired grandpas headbanging to the beat."
"I see…" Goto gave a slight nod.
But for some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Staring at the man's back, an unshakable sense of foreboding crept over her, like something bad was about to happen.
Thump…
Goto's eyes widened slightly.
She had clearly felt her backpack shift.
Pochita… bumped me?
What does that mean? Is he trying to warn me?
Unable to figure it out, she glanced around, then said to Nijika, "Um… I need to go to the bathroom."
"Oh, it's fine. Everyone's watching the show right now, so it's not busy. Go ahead," Nijika said.
"Thanks…"
Goto slipped into the restroom.
Once inside, she pulled her bag off her shoulders and unzipped it.
"Pochita, what are you trying to tell me?"
The small dog with a chainsaw protruding from his head poked out and barked twice.
Goto's eyes went wide.
"Are you serious?"
"Woof! Woof!"
"How could this be…? Wait… is this my fault? Did I put them in danger?"
She bit her lip, frustration flickering in her eyes, but soon her expression hardened.
"I have to do something."
She slung her bag back on and returned to her spot as if nothing had happened.
The band finished after just two or three songs, and the crowd began to disperse.
The middle-aged man left with the others.
"Um… sorry, I need to use the bathroom again," Goto quickly told Nijika.
"What's with you today, Bocchi?" Nijika blinked. "Did you drink too much water or something?"
"Maybe…"
"Whatever. Go ahead. The show's over, so it's fine."
Goto thanked her and slipped into the departing crowd, following the man outside.
Weaving through people made her uncomfortable, but for the sake of everyone in the band, she forced herself onward.
Once outside, she quickly spotted the man and quietly tailed him.
A high school girl following an older man? No one would believe it if they heard.
The last time she had tried following Kita, she had failed miserably. This time, she was far more cautious, keeping her footsteps soft and her distance steady. The man never noticed.
After a few minutes, he reached a deserted street.
Goto took a deep breath. "Um… excuse me…"
The man jolted slightly, clearly startled.
She fought to keep her voice steady. "I'm… uh… a staff member at STARRY… and I… wanted to ask you something…"
"What is it?" he asked, puzzled.
"Why did you… come to today's show?"
"Obviously because I like the band. I may be older, but I still have a wild heart."
Silence fell between them.
Then, behind him, he heard her voice again.
"You're lying."
"What?" His brow furrowed.
He hadn't wanted to make trouble, but since he'd been noticed and even confronted he decided he'd have to deal with her.
His eyes hardened, already thinking of how to kill the girl.
"I told you, I'm just a regular old rock fan…"
The man slowly turned around.
"You shouldn't be asking questions you don't huh?!"
The sight before him was nothing like what he'd imagined.
He had expected to see a timid, fragile girl one he could strangle with one hand.
He had only gotten half of it right.
The pink-haired girl was timid, and she was small.
But the creature she held in her hands was utterly terrifying.
Bzzzzt!
She yanked the cord, and the chainsaw roared to life, driving straight toward him.
"Aaagh! Ugh"
Agonizing pain tore through him. Halfway through his scream, his voice died, as the chainsaw bit deep into his chest and tore into his lungs.
His vision blurred. His body collapsed.
Through the haze of dying, he heard her trembling voice.
"I'm sorry… I'm really sorry… I didn't want to kill anyone…"
"But for everyone's sake… I had to…"
"It's okay… it'll be okay…"
"Even in death… you still have residual value."
…
After disposing of the body, Goto returned to STARRY.
Acting as though nothing had happened, she slipped back into the ordinary atmosphere.
Until Makima stepped out from the back room, ready to leave.
Goto called out to her.
"Makima-san."