Makima had already walked over and was just about to open the door.
Gotoh hurriedly spoke up."Um… Miss Makima, who exactly is here?"
"Hm?" Makima tilted her head with a meaningful smile. "Of course, someone Bocchi is familiar with."
"Who… who is it?"
"You'll know once you see them."
Hearing this only made Gotoh more nervous.
She could never quite read Makima's personality, nor could she tell what she was planning now.
A part of her even wondered if Makima's earlier kindness had been nothing but an act.
Maybe the person outside was actually here to kill her.
Seeing Gotoh looking like she was about to face an enemy, Makima's smile grew even more amused. She waved her hand casually."Relax. It's the girls from Kessoku Band."
"Eh?" Gotoh froze.
"You haven't set foot in the practice room for more than three days straight. They're worried about you," Makima explained.
"I just told the manager at STARRY that you were staying here, and the girls immediately rushed over to check on you."
"Oh… so that's how it is." Gotoh let out a long sigh.
Makima had tricked her.
Her expression was tinged with clear annoyance.
"You're really cute, Bocchi~" Makima's voice lifted ever so slightly.
Before today, Gotoh would never have dared to joke with her idol like this.
But after everything that had just happened, she felt bolder than before, even finding it a little fun to see Gotoh flustered.
And Gotoh's mild annoyance quickly melted away with just that one word "cute."
"Cute… come on now… no way…"
She had rarely been called that by anyone outside her parents, so her face flushed almost instantly, though she could not stop the corners of her mouth from lifting.
It was hopeless. She was the type who floated away with just the slightest compliment.
Makima opened the door.
"Good afternoon, Miss Makima," came Nijika's voice first from the hallway. "Sorry to bother you!"
"It's no bother at all. Come in." Makima's reply was just as polite.
"Thanks so much."
Nijika stepped inside, spotted Gotoh lying on the sofa, and immediately waved with a bright smile."Bocchi! How are you feeling?"
"What do you mean, how am I feeling?" Gotoh blinked in confusion.
"We heard from Miss Makima that you've been seriously ill and haven't been able to leave for three days. Are you feeling better now?"
"Ah… yeah, I'm better."
Gotoh could only go along with Nijika's story.
It made sense. There was no way Makima would tell them she had spent the last three days confronting devils.
Still, it was a questionable excuse.
After all, who gets sick and stays at another woman's place for three whole days instead of their own home?
It was the kind of thing that was bound to cause misunderstandings.
"So Bocchi's back on her feet." Ryo entered second. "Actually, we've been talking these past few days about possible merch ideas for the band."
"Oh right, that's what we came for!" Nijika pulled a yellow wristband from her sleeve. "We thought, if we ever get famous, we could sell these to make money!"
Thinking about future fame already felt a bit early to Gotoh.
"Too bad you recovered, Bocchi. That means the pricing idea won't work," Ryo said, shaking her head.
"Hey, I wouldn't have agreed to that even if Bocchi was still sick!" Nijika protested.
"What exactly are you talking about?" Gotoh asked, still lost.
Nijika explained, "We designed wristbands in yellow, blue, red, and pink to match our hair colors. Ryo had this crazy idea that if you kept missing shows, we could play the sympathy card with fans, make the pink wristband a limited edition, and sell it for ten times the price."
"It's a solid idea," Ryo muttered, pouting.
Never mind that they didn't even have fans yet, Gotoh thought to herself.
"Speaking of which, where's Kita?" Nijika turned toward the door.
Then she saw the scene at the entrance.
Makima was standing in the hallway without moving aside, blocking Kita's way.
"Uh, so…" Kita said cautiously, "you must be Miss Makima, right? It's nice to meet you…"
Usually bright and cheerful, Kita was good at talking to people.
But under Makima's watchful, almost predatory gaze, she could not help but feel uneasy.
"You must be the band's new member. I haven't seen you before," Makima said, her tone cool.
"Ah… yes, I just joined three days ago. You can call me Kita."
"Let's step outside for a moment and talk."
"Eh? But…"
"Come."
Makima gave her no chance to refuse, taking her firmly by the arm and pulling her outside.
"Whoa… so that's how it is," Nijika said with a click of her tongue. "This must be a mature woman's intuition. Sharp enough to recognize a love rival instantly."
"What?" Gotoh blinked in confusion.
"Bocchi, come on, have a little self-awareness," Nijika sighed.
"I still don't get it. What's going on between Kita and Bocchi?" Ryo asked.
"Heh, never mind if you don't understand." Nijika smirked. "Love is complicated. Best we don't get involved."
Gotoh could only listen, utterly bewildered.
So this was what the gossip sessions of high school extroverts felt like.
It really was hard to understand.
Behind the apartment building.
Makima dragged Kita into the courtyard.
"Hey, let go of me." Kita's voice suddenly turned firm.
Makima released her grip without argument.
When she turned around, it was clear there was a scar across Kita's face, and her eyes now looked eerily like Makima's.
"What are you doing in the human world?" Makima asked bluntly.
"Hmph. Why should you care?" The War Devil, using Kita's body, smiled coldly. "Seeing you really ruins my mood, dear Miss Control Devil."
"I don't understand your motives," Makima said. "Why join Kessoku Band? Why get close to my Bocchi?"
"Your Bocchi, huh?" The War Devil sneered. "So she really is the Chainsaw…"
"I'm warning you. Don't get any ideas," Makima said, her voice like ice.
The War Devil only laughed. "Spare me, Makima."
"We're devils of the same rank. Your powers don't work on me, and your threats mean nothing."
"Now that I've confirmed her identity, things will be much easier."
"Heh… better protect her well. Otherwise, you'll soon be looking at Bocchi's corpse."