By the time he got to the library, Kita Ikuyo was already there.
She must've arrived quite a while earlier, as she was quietly working through a set of practice problems, her head bent low.
Aoki walked over, greeted her briefly, and noticed that she was solving math problems.
He didn't say much—just gestured for her to continue.
Once she finished the set about five minutes later, he began the lesson.
Using the problems she had just worked on, he started explaining the relevant math concepts.
Aoki's tutoring was—without a doubt excellent.
Probably thanks to his constant self-study and natural talent, he was able to explain most concepts in a way that was simple and easy for Kita to understand.
Compared to her previous tutors, he was clearly on a different level.
Kita's comprehension was strong as well.
Judging by her current progress, Aoki figured that if she kept this up, her grades could seriously improve by the time the new semester started.
But aside from the tutoring, their personal interaction remained minimal.
Aoki stuck strictly to the subject matter.
If Kita didn't bring something up, he wouldn't either.
As for Kita—perhaps due to lingering guilt or uncertainty, she focused all her energy on studying, rarely initiating conversation.
That quiet, distant atmosphere between them had stayed unchanged... until around noon.
Just as Aoki wrapped up the last topic and began packing up his books, ready to say a quick goodbye like always, Kita Ikuyo suddenly spoke.
"Um… Aoki-senpai."
He paused, halfway out of his seat, and looked at her.
There was a slight, almost imperceptible hesitation in her voice.
She had wanted to talk about the day he came to her house—but now that the moment had come, she found herself unable to say it out loud.
If she simply thanked him, it might seem odd and raise questions.
But if she revealed that she knew, it would open a whole new door she wasn't ready to walk through yet.
So instead, she changed the topic.
After a pause, Kita looked at him and asked, a bit hesitantly:
"Aoki-senpai… whether it's composing, guitar, singing, or piano—you're good at everything. And you've had offers from other, really impressive bands before, right? So… why did you choose Kessoku Band?"
It was something she had been wondering for a long time.
He clearly had better options.
And she knew he was serious about going professional—he'd said as much himself.
But even as she asked, a part of her immediately regretted it.
This topic always made her anxious.
Even though he had once promised he wouldn't leave the band, she still worried: What if one day he changes his mind?
Aoki blinked in surprise, then caught on quickly.
"Ah… because of all the stuff online lately—you're worried I'll jump ship?"
He stopped packing, sat down again, and looked at her.
Right on the mark.
Kita hesitated, then nodded slightly.
And then, perhaps thinking it was better to just ask everything while she had the courage, she added:
"It's just... you clearly want to aim higher, and joining another band might actually help you do that. So why—why stick with us?"
That question...
Aoki fell silent for a few seconds, then looked directly at her.
Before joining Kessoku Band, his dream had been to get into Tokyo University and become a civil servant.
But after joining, that dream had slowly shifted—toward one day performing at Budokan, together with the members of Kessoku Band.
These two goals—becoming a public servant and performing at Budokan—were never meant to coexist. One came after the other.
So—
"It doesn't matter how good I am at guitar, vocals, piano, or composing. Going pro, making money from music, climbing higher... none of that was ever part of my original plan."
"I remember—back then, you asked me if I wanted to join a band. You invited me to join Kessoku Band. I rejected you right away, didn't I? At that time, I had my whole life mapped out, I was going to be a civil servant."
"And then things changed. I joined the band."
A brief pause.
His gaze stayed on Kita as he continued—finally, saying what he had kept to himself for so long.
"The real world is harsh. I know there'll come a day when one of us leaves the band because of reality. Because dreams and hobbies—they don't pay the bills."
"But if we can actually earn money from this… then maybe things could be different."
"I know that sounds corny, but it's the truth. That's why I told everyone I wanted to go professional—not because I had a 'music dream,' but because I don't want any of us to be forced to give up because of life."
"So yeah—if it weren't for Kessoku Band, none of that professional stuff would matter to me at all."
"I never had a 'music dream.' If I had to name one… it used to be becoming a civil servant. But now... it's standing on the Budokan stage—with you, and everyone in Kessoku Band."
He stopped for a moment, then added with a faint, embarrassed smile:
"Geez… that sounded way too sappy. Just pretend you didn't hear that, okay? Anyway, I'm not going anywhere. Kessoku Band's compensation plan works fine for me."
Kita fell silent for a moment.
She opened her mouth but said nothing.
Then, after taking a deep breath, a soft smile spread across her face.
"I understand, Aoki-senpai. Don't worry—everything you just told me, I won't tell anyone else."
Aoki nodded. "Nothing else you want to ask?"
Kita blinked, looked at him as he stood up again, and hesitated briefly.
Then she said quietly—
"Thank you, Aoki-senpai."
"…Thank you?"
"Mhm. Thank you."