After school.
Hotaru, Gotou Hitori, and Kita Ikuyo walked together towards Starry.
Hotaru carried a guitar case, lost in thought.
Hitori carried her guitar case, her gaze unfocused.
Kita carried what she thought was a guitar case, her brows furrowed.
Although she had made up her mind to apologize properly to Nijika-senpai.
Kita still wondered if she, like this, could still stay on as the lead singer?
Not to mention that after practicing guitar so much that all ten of her fingers were injured, all she could produce from her "guitar" was a deep "buzzing" sound.
This made Kita Ikuyo feel that she probably had no musical instrument talent, and her singing was only at the level of having sung in karaoke.
The most important thing was that her original intention for joining Nijika's band was impure.
"By the way, Kita, why did you want to join Nijika's band back then?"
Hotaru suddenly asked.
Since Ryo-senpai was engrossed in her light novel back then, why would Kita have joined Nijika's band first?
He was quite curious about this point.
Kita's steps faltered; she hadn't expected to be asked that just now.
"Actually… actually, it was because of Ryo-senpai…"
Kita forced a smile, saying it with great embarrassment.
For Hotaru and Gotō-san, who helped her relay the message and encouraged her to apologize to Nijika.
Good girl Kita had no intention of hiding anything.
Crucially, Kita Ikuyo had never concealed her admiration for Yamada Ryo!
"But Ryo-senpai hadn't joined the band yet at that time, had she?"
Hotaru looked at Kita, puzzled.
"That's right."
Kita nodded awkwardly, then said,
"I only became interested in musical instruments after watching Ryo-senpai's street performance."
"However, Ryo-senpai later left the band, but she still worked part-time at Starry."
"I heard that Nijika-senpai was forming a band and intended to invite Ryo-senpai."
"So… I asked Nijika-senpai."
Kita recalled the situation at the time, her eyes turning into stars.
This way, she could not only interact with the Ryo-senpai she admired every day but even have a chance to be in the same band!
Hotaru smiled and nodded; Kita's move was a roundabout way of achieving her goal!
"But I didn't expect my guitar talent to be so bad; even with diligent practice, I still can't produce the sound from the videos."
Kita looked at her ten originally soft fingers, speaking with both dejection and pain.
"There's no way I can perform on stage like this."
Glancing at Kita's guitar case, Hotaru suppressed a smile and hinted,
"Is it possible it's the instrument's problem?"
That's right, suddenly, Hotaru's eyes lit up.
He could buy Kita's "guitar" first.
Because, rather than letting Yamada Ryo buy it and then she would resell it later. Ryo-senpai regularly resells unneeded instruments to buy new ones.
It would be better to buy it himself, keep it as a memento of Kita's embarrassing past, and also earn some musical notes from Lady Gui Lai Qu Xi.
"The instrument's problem?"
Kita was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said,
"No way! This is a brand new one I bought after getting two years of allowance and New Year's money in advance from my dad."
"The sound isn't right, it must be my problem, boo hoo!"
"What kind of sound is it?"
Hotaru asked.
"A very deep buzzing sound."
Kita immediately replied.
She also wished someone who understood musical instruments could answer her, but no one around her knew.
Hotaru finally found it hard to suppress his smile.
Actually, before exchanging for [Basic Music Theory Knowledge], he was also half a novice.
But he could still distinguish between guitar and bass sounds.
Of course, he could also read sheet music.
"What's wrong?"
Kita asked, puzzled.
Before Hotaru could speak,
Hitori also said, weakly and confusedly, "That sounds like a bass."
"Kita, you bought a bass."
Hotaru repeated.
"No way!"
Kita smiled, confidently waving her hand.
"I'm not so clueless that I can't even tell the difference between a guitar and a bass."
Saying this, Kita Ikuyo stopped, unzipped the guitar case she was carrying right there on the street,
and then showed them her brown "electric guitar."
"See, the guitar I bought has six strings, isn't a bass supposed to have four strings?"
Kita said.
"Basses also have six strings; this is a multi-string bass."
Hotaru explained, and for more credibility, he looked at Gotou Hitori.
"You'd say so too, wouldn't you, Hitori?"
"This, isn't a guitar, and…" Hitori observed, then said seriously, "And it's a left-handed bass."
A left-handed bass?
Hearing Hitori say that, Hotaru carefully looked at Kita's "guitar" again.
In that case,
he seemed to understand why Kita's ten fingers were all injured.
Generally speaking, electric guitars are played with the left hand fretting the strings and the right hand using a pick to pluck the strings.
So the fingers of the right hand usually don't get injured or develop calluses.
"Eh?"
Kita looked somewhat bewildered, her gaze darting around.
She looked at both of them, then re-examined her "electric guitar," then looked at them again.
Hotaru and Hitori nodded affirmatively.
"It's over, this is…"
Before she could finish her sentence…
Kita's eyes had already lost their sparkle, and a grayish-white soul floated out of her mouth.
If it weren't for Hotaru catching her in time, she would have fainted on the ground.
Hitori peered through her bangs, wondering why she wasn't caught when she fainted.
…
Fortunately,
although the blow was severe.
Compared to Bocchi-chan, Kita Ikuyo's recovery speed was quite fast.
Hotaru sighed, truly a social butterfly!
However, Kita now also had a gloomy expression.
Well, now she even bought the wrong instrument, let alone being a lead singer.
Kita Ikuyo couldn't help but think pessimistically.
Seeing this, Hotaru comforted her,
"So, Kita, you don't lack guitar talent."
"You just practiced in the wrong direction."
And quite ridiculously wrong, at that.
"Is, is that so…"
Kita forced a smile.
Gloomy Kita seemed to have lost much of her intimidating aura, giving Gotou Hitori the courage to speak.
"You, you can learn guitar with me."
Gotou Hitori actually offered proactively.
Hotaru looked at Hitori in surprise; Hitori was actually so brave now.
"Eh? Really?"
A glimmer of light returned to Kita's eyes.
Hotaru also praised, "Hitori's guitar skills are amazing!"
His exaggerated tone instantly made Gotou Hitori feel lightheaded.
"No, not really!"
Hitori scratched the back of her head with one hand, her smile widening, "Ehehehe…"
However,
Kita's eyes quickly darkened again,
"But I can't afford a guitar anymore."
Hotaru promptly said, "If it's okay, would you sell the bass to me?"
"Eh??"
Kita was surprised, delighted, and confused, looking up at Hotaru.
Gotou Hitori also looked at him strangely; isn't Aki-kun a keyboardist?
Hotaru thought for a moment and began to explain,
"Actually, I'm also quite interested in guitars and basses, and I've been planning to get one recently."
"And this is a rare left-handed bass! I really want it."
He hoped Kita would be willing to sell it to him this way!
"Really?"
Kita Ikuyo was half-skeptical.
"Really."
Hotaru nodded with certainty.
"If that's the case, Aki-kun, thank you so much!"
Kita was overjoyed and shed tears of gratitude.
At the same time, she silently kept this kindness in her heart.
Next, the two began to discuss the price.
They started to argue.
Hotaru wanted to buy it at the original price, as he wasn't short on money, and he also had a hidden motive for the musical notes.
Kita, however, insisted on a discount. In her eyes, Hotaru had helped her a great deal, and the bass was already second-hand, so buying it at the original price would be a disadvantage for him.
So, the two discussed and discussed all the way until they reached the entrance of Starry.
Hitori had listened the whole way.
Although she had been trying to minimize her presence, hoping to be ignored.
But now, she felt superfluous again.
Who understands this feeling?
Wuwu ┭ ┮ ﹏ ┭ ┮
-----------------------------------
Can't stand the cliffhanger?
Skip the wait – read the newest chapters right now!
👉 pat*eon*com/DaoistRoeoNQ
Be ahead of everyone else. The story doesn't wait – why should you?