The performance ended, and the audience dispersed.
The four members of End Band also went their separate ways.
Of course, this didn't mean the band was breaking up.
It was just that Ryo's grandmother suddenly fell ill, and she had to rush back to take care of her.
Also, Hitori had spoken so much today that she ran out of energy and fled as if she had fire wheels on her legs.
So, Hotaru and Nijika were left standing still.
Nijika forced a smile: "It's okay, Hotaru-san, even if it's just the two of us..."
Hotaru looked at Seika, who was glaring at him from the side.
"Um, my neighbor is sick, so I need to go back and take care of her too."
With that, Hotaru also ran off.
Sorry, Soyo-san.
"Eh!! Wait... Hotaru-san."
Nijika stood rooted to the spot, on the verge of tears.
The celebration and reflection meeting she had just proposed had now turned into her and her sister cleaning up together.
...
Hotaru arrived outside Starry.
Hitori and Ryo had already vanished without a trace.
He looked up at the sky; it was already pitch black.
However, the neon lights of the houses along the street emitted dazzling brilliance, illuminating everything.
The light pollution in big cities is really severe; it's hard to see the stars in the sky like this!
Hotaru thought, quite out of place.
But this did not affect Hotaru's mood.
Hotaru was currently in high spirits, as today's harvest was abundant.
First, he successfully joined End Band with Hitori, then he facilitated Ryo's joining of End Band, then he played piano for the three of them, supervised their practice, and now watched the live performance...
As a result, Hotaru received a large number of note rewards, and his current note balance directly reached over 15,000.
With a pleasant mood, he bought some food on the way and returned home.
Upon arriving at his doorstep, Hotaru glanced at Soyo's clean and tidy doorstep next door, feeling a slight twinge of apology, then entered his own home.
That night, Nijika created a Line chat group that included all four of them.
The group name, also the band name, was temporarily set.
...
The next day, it was still a normal school day.
Walking on campus, Hotaru saw many clubs already recruiting new members.
Art Club, Literature Club, Chorus Club, Wind Instrument Club, Far East Magic Nap Combination Club...
It just seemed like he hadn't seen the Light Music Club.
This also led to Hotaru being gently asked by many enthusiastic senior students along the way if he wanted to join their clubs.
Hotaru sighed, the club activities here are really developed; in China, you'd only get this treatment in college.
Although the senior students were very charming, Hotaru still heartlessly refused.
However, when he returned to the classroom, he still had quite a few club recruitment flyers in his hand.
With a "thud."
Hotaru placed the flyers on the desk.
Yui on the left was easily attracted.
"What's this?"
Yui asked with a curious face.
"Club flyers, aren't you paying attention?"
Hotaru sighed lightly; seeing her expression, he knew Yui hadn't gone to the Light Music Club yet.
It seemed he would still have to personally intervene and get Yui in there.
"Soga!"
Yui seemed to suddenly understand, then picked up the flyer and admired the pictures on it with great interest.
Seeing Yui's interest, Hotaru asked:
"Yui, aren't you planning to join any club?"
Hotaru looked like a bad uncle trying to trick a little girl with candy.
"But, Hotaru hasn't joined a club either, has he?"
Yui retorted.
"Cough cough, we're different."
Yui puffed out her cheeks, "How are we different?"
"I said I'm going to form a band."
Hotaru said righteously.
"But, I've never seen you bring an instrument to school."
Yui had a look that said, 'I don't believe you.'
Hotaru was speechless for a moment.
Could he really not out-talk a mere Yui?
"Didn't you keep complaining that it's boring after school?"
"That's because Hotaru, you never play with me after school, and K-On! has to go to the student council."
Yui complained with a hint of resentment.
"If you join a club, someone will play with you, and maybe there will even be desserts and snacks every day."
"Really! So clubs can have free food?"
Yui got excited; if that was the case, then she must have missed a lot of delicious food before!
"That's right, there's something called club activity funds, and the funds can be used to buy whatever you want to eat."
Hotaru continued to coax her.
"Then I want to join a club!"
Yui said happily, and Hotaru nodded in satisfaction.
"Honestly, Hotaru, you should have told me about this earlier... Hmm... This one will do."
Yui continued, pulling out a flyer.
Hmm? Hotaru was stunned, she had already decided? Hotaru took the flyer.
"Far East Magic Nap Combination Club?"
What kind of strange club was this? It sounded odd, but Hotaru also felt a little familiar with it.
Yui nodded, "Hehe, I think this is very suitable for me, so I can sleep and eat delicious food."
"No."
Hotaru immediately retorted.
"Why?"
Yui pouted angrily, staring at Hotaru.
You're the one who told me to join a club, and you're also the one who won't let me join.
Even if it's Hotaru, I'll still be angry!
Hotaru awkwardly coughed, "The people in this club are all chuunibyou, it's not really suitable for you."
"Chuunibyou? What's that?"
Yui looked confused.
Tomori on the right also seemed to be attracted by this term she had never encountered before and turned her head.
Seeing this, Hotaru thought for a moment, then said mysteriously:
"That's a kind of... blah blah blah... illness that starts in the second year of junior high, referring to adolescents with certain pathological self-consciousness."
"In short, there's no good food in this club."
Hotaru didn't forget to emphasize.
Yui listened patiently at first, then, after hearing it all, she slumped onto the desk with a look of disappointment.
"Is that so!"
Hotaru smiled slightly; all he had to do now was tell Yui that he knew which club had good food, then take her to the Light Music Club, and it would be perfect.
Yui saw Tomori looking over and asked with a curious expression: "Tomori-chan, haven't you joined a club either, just like us?"
Hotaru also looked at Tomori, thinking the same thing.
After all, this child spent all day researching her little gadgets and only occasionally communicated when classmates spoke to her.
Tomori shook her head and said somewhat shyly:
"Actually, I joined the Astronomy Club."
"But the senior students from before have all graduated, so now it can only be considered a hobby group."
Hotaru and Yui exchanged glances, both surprised.
They hadn't expected that Tomori, who seemed so quiet, had already taken a step ahead of them and left the 'go-home club.'
Yui sat up again, "Astronomy Club, that sounds like fun."
And Tomori-chan is in it too, so joining seems pretty good.
Hotaru felt his eyelids twitch slightly, as if things were developing in an unpredictable direction.
Tomori's eyes lit up when she heard this, "Do Yui and Hotaru-san want to join? I'm the only one right now, so I'd be very happy if you joined."
After saying that, Tomori looked at the two with sparkling, expectant eyes.
Danger!
Those eyes, like a little penguin, could get hurt at any moment.
Hotaru couldn't even bear to refuse, and just as he thought Yui would go along with it.
"Is there good food?"
Yui asked.
"No... there isn't."
Tomori shook her head; because it had been downgraded to a hobby group, the Astronomy Club no longer had club funds to buy delicious food.
"Then I'm not joining."
Yui gave an 'ehehe' smile; she still wanted to find a club with good food and fun things to do.
And astronomy, for her, was too advanced.
Tomori was a little disappointed but still smiled: "Mm, it's okay..."
"What about Hotaru-san?"
The pressure was on Hotaru.
Her unblinking, light-golden eyes were right in front of Hotaru, and he could even see the patterns within them.
And his own reflection.
Hotaru only felt that Tomori's gaze looked even more pitiful than before.
Yui, tell me, how did you manage to refuse so decisively, so heartlessly?
No! Yui, how could you refuse Tomori!
"Actually... I'm quite interested in astronomy."
"Really! Then do you want to join?"
Tomori suddenly leaned closer, clasping her hands in front of her chest.
"Please, allow me to join."
"Mm!"
Next, Hotaru and Tomori naturally started chatting about constellations.
Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Cetus...
And Hotaru wasn't completely ignorant.
He knew about Altair and Vega.
Tomori smiled radiantly, looking very happy.
Sure enough, if it was Hotaru-san, he could understand her!
Seeing Tomori like this, Hotaru suddenly felt that his joining was worth it.
Tomori's excited and lively voice easily attracted the attention of the surrounding classmates.
Everyone looked over.
It's Tomori-san, one of the class pets.
They hadn't expected Tomori-san to be like this.
Usually, when they chatted with Tomori-san, they felt she was a bit reserved and it was hard to connect with her.
Sure enough, Hotaru-san is amazing.
Looking at the two who were so close, Yui felt a little uncomfortable.
Indeed, with such profound topics as constellations, she couldn't insert herself into the conversation at all.
What was this inexplicable feeling of sadness in her heart?
Could it be, this is what being isolated feels like?
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