The message she sent—"This has nothing to do with you, Aoki-senpai, so please don't worry about it"—remained unread for a long time. As Kita
The message she sent—"This has nothing to do with you, Aoki-senpai, so please don't worry about it"—remained unread for a long time.
As Kita stared at her phone screen, rereading the responses from Aoki, an overwhelming sense of frustration welled up inside her.
She had tried so hard, and yet online people were still dismissing everything as just "kids playing house."
Was she feeling wronged?
Of course she was.
The Kita Ikuyo who used to run from hardship would definitely feel crushed by this.
But more than anything, she knew one thing clearly: This had nothing to do with anyone else.
Not with the members of Kessoku Band.
And certainly not with Aoki-senpai.
So when she saw his message—"I'm sorry", along with phrases like "the public pressure you're facing" and "the hardship you're going through"—her heart sank even deeper.
She had already told him: "This has nothing to do with you."
She had already convinced herself she could handle it on her own.
But even now, reading his message, some small part of her couldn't help but hold onto hope.
'That's enough. This kind of hope is the most pointless thing of all. Aoki-senpai has already said what he needed to say. So... that's enough.'
Clutching her phone, lost in a storm of tangled thoughts, the girl sat in silence, her heart in turmoil.
———————————————————————
Meanwhile—
It was 10:35 a.m.
After a bumpy ride and a few train transfers, Aoki finally arrived in front of Kita Ikuyo's house, guided by the address Hinashita had given him.
He had spent most of the trip wavering, unsure whether he was doing the right thing.
But now that he was here, everything felt clear.
Yes, it had been a spur-of-the-moment decision.
And no, it wasn't entirely fair to blame himself for all the pressure Kita was under.
But still—
Even if given the choice again, Aoki knew he'd choose to act on impulse all over again.
He had a terrible personality like that.
He couldn't stand seeing his friends suffer.
So even if all he could think of was a half-baked plan, he'd still try to do something.
Anything was better than just standing by.
That's why...
Standing in front of the door to the Kita household, Aoki pushed all his hesitation aside.
The weather was comfortable today. The breeze brushing against his skin helped clear his head.
Without a second thought, he rang the doorbell.
Kita's father was at work, and her mother happened to be home.
As for Kita herself—if it were a normal day, she'd be studying at cram school around this time.
The timing was perfect.
So he'd say what needed to be said—right now.
Within a minute, the door opened.
A woman who looked relatively young peeked out, slightly puzzled to see him standing there.
"Hello. Can I help you?"
"Good morning, Kita-san," Aoki replied politely. "I'm Aoki Kei, a friend of Kita-san's from school."
Once he introduced himself, recognition flashed in her eyes.
Kita Ikuyo had mentioned this upperclassman before.
Just a few days ago, when Ikuyo had collapsed with a fever, it was this boy who had carried her to the hospital, paid for her treatment, and stayed by her side.
She remembered his name clearly—Aoki.
She hadn't had the chance to meet him that night since she arrived late at the hospital.
She had always wanted to thank him.
And yet, her feelings toward this boy were complicated.
She knew about the band.
She knew her daughter had joined some rock group.
And she knew because Ikuyo had told her that Aoki was the one who had encouraged her from the start.
In fact, she considered him the main reason her daughter had "gone astray."
In her mind, it wouldn't be wrong to say: "It's all his fault."
So when she realized who was standing at her door, her attitude became reserved—caught somewhere between gratitude and disapproval.
"Oh—so you're Aoki-kun. Ikuyo has mentioned you. Thank you for what you did the other day. Please, come in."
She stepped aside, giving him space to enter.
Aoki nodded, thanked her, and stepped into the house.
"Really, we're grateful for your help. That day must have been exhausting for you. Let me make you some tea."
She led him to the living room and gestured for him to sit on the couch.
But before she could walk away, Aoki spoke up, stopping her in her tracks.
"There's no need to trouble yourself, ma'am," he said.
His voice paused briefly.
She froze in place, then turned back to him, eyes narrowing slightly.
She could tell right away that this visit wasn't just a polite thank-you call.
But she didn't yet know what he was here for.
So she waited.
Aoki took a deep breath, then continued.
"Actually... the reason I came today was to talk to you about Ikuyo's academic situation. And also... about her being in the band."
Silence.
Mrs. Kita didn't respond right away, though her expression turned noticeably colder.
———————————————————————
At the same time—
Because she was still recovering from her fever and cold, Kita Ikuyo had stayed home from cram school again.
When she sent her last message to Aoki-senpai, she had just finished breakfast.
Still feeling heavyhearted, she had retreated to her room.
And just moments ago—while heading downstairs to get a glass of water—she heard it.
Aoki-senpai's voice, coming from the living room.
"I came to talk about Kita-san's grades... and her participation in the band."
Her mind went completely blank.
She froze on the stairs, halfway between floors.
'Why... why is Aoki-senpai here?'
———————————————————————
Downstairs, unaware of her presence, Aoki locked eyes with her mother.
She didn't move.
She stood still for a moment, staring at him.
Then, wordlessly, she walked over and sat down across from him.
"Ikuyo's grades... and the band, you say?" She finally spoke.
"Well, as for her grades, let's set that aside for now. But..." She looked directly at him.
"I'm sorry, Aoki-kun. When it comes to her participating in the band, I'm afraid I cannot give my consent."
The tone was clearly firm.
Aoki had expected some resistance, but he didn't anticipate that Kita's mother would be this blunt—so close to a flat-out refusal, just as he feared.
He paused for a moment, then spoke up calmly.
"Kita-san, I understand where you're coming from. Rock music, bands, guitars... it's true these things can affect academics. But your daughter genuinely loves what she does, so..."
"Hobbies and a future aren't the same," she interrupted sharply, her tone rising ever so slightly. "Good grades will ensure she has a stable life. Can a guitar promise her that?"
She didn't try to hide the challenge in her voice—it was clear she was questioning him.
And in truth, she was.
It had been Aoki who introduced Kita Ikuyo to the band.
To say she held no resentment toward him for that would've been a lie.
———————————————————————
Meanwhile, halfway up the stairs...
Kita Ikuyo stood frozen on the staircase, having just come down for a glass of water.
She had been resting at home—still recovering from a fever and was startled to hear Aoki-senpai's voice from the living room below.
When she heard her mother question him so bluntly, her heart tightened.
She knew exactly what her mother was implying, and she was sure Aoki-senpai did too.
But the truth was, none of this was his fault.
Joining the band, practicing guitar—those had been her choices.
And yet, now he was standing there, silently enduring her mother's frustration… because of her decisions.
Why?
Didn't he say he'd respect her space?
Didn't he say it was fine?
He was taking blame that wasn't his to bear, suffering for mistakes that weren't his, simply because he couldn't stand to see a friend struggle.
He could've just walked away… but instead, he chose to be there.
That kind of quiet, selfless kindness…
The small bit of calm she'd regained suddenly crumbled. Her thoughts spiraled into chaos again.
———————————————————————
Back downstairs...
Mrs. Kita didn't stop there.
After a brief pause, she continued with a more composed tone:
"I know what you kids are thinking. But the truth is, your perspective isn't as complete as an adult's.
Sometimes in life, you have to choose between a hobby and a future. When you can't have both, letting go of the uncertain one is often the wisest choice. So on this matter…"
Her sentence trailed off, but her message was clear.
Aoki didn't immediately respond.
He went quiet again, thoughtful.
What even defines an "unstable" path? And who gets to decide which future is "safe"?
Was it really okay to make such a choice for someone else, while ignoring how they truly felt?
He couldn't agree with that.
After a few seconds, he spoke again.
"Even if something has to be given up... shouldn't it be Kita's decision to make? So, Kita-san—"
But just like before, he didn't get to finish.
Mrs. Kita cut in again, her voice firm.
"Children don't understand the burdens parents carry. Just like you don't understand what your parents sacrificed for you, Aoki-kun. That's why our choices tend to be more mature. They're made for the child's own good."
Silence fell again. Aoki took a long, steady breath.
He wasn't upset at her tone—he understood where the bitterness was coming from.
From her perspective, his actions were probably reckless.
But still... would calmly explaining things really change her mind?
He raised his head and looked directly at her.
"Good intentions aren't an excuse to force your beliefs on your child. And..."
He paused.
Before his reincarnation, Aoki had been able to see from his parents' point of view.
He understood the weight behind their decisions.
But now, in this life—he was an orphan.
He'd been abandoned before he turned one.
By the age of three, he was living in an overcrowded orphanage, suffering stomachaches from hunger and drinking cheap, low-quality formula.
His elementary school education had been subpar, and middle school wasn't much better.
If not for studying relentlessly, his path in life might've already been set in stone.
He'd spent seventeen years chasing a stable future, but even so—he had chosen to change.
So how could he possibly "put himself in their shoes" now?
After a beat, he continued.
"And... Kita-san, my parents abandoned me before I was even a year old."
That one sentence stunned her into silence.
Kita's mother froze mid-thought, unable to say another word.
And upstairs, Kita Ikuyo also stopped in her tracks.
She had always known Aoki-senpai's family situation was complicated.
But she had never imagined... he was an orphan.
Her breath caught.
Something ached in her chest—an overwhelming urge to run downstairs and stop him from saying more.
He didn't have to talk about this.
He had spent three months with the band and never once mentioned it.
That meant he hadn't moved past it, no matter how much time had gone by.
And yet now...
He was willingly reopening old wounds.
Tearing them open—right in front of her mother just to defend her.
Just so she wouldn't have to suffer more.
So she wouldn't feel torn between family and music.
He chose to carry the burden alone, without even letting her know.
And in doing so…
Aoki laid his heart bare.
———————————————————————
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