In Aoki's impression, most famous rock bands, in any country, rode to fame on original albums.
So when Nijika asked how to seem more like a band, he answered, "Write something original."
Because she'd stumbled across his YouTube, Nijika knew Aoki was "suki-san." If the writer of "Lemon" advised Kessoku Band on songwriting, it could only help.
But since he hadn't brought up his account—and he never showed his face in the videos—she decided not to out him.
"Hmm—if it's original, Ryo can try arranging, and like I said, Bocchi can try lyrics. But… we've got a problem." Nijika grimaced. "We don't have a vocalist. None of us—Ryo, Bocchi, or me—feel confident singing on stage. So even if we write something…"
"Kita-san should be good at singing, right? Want to join Kessoku Band?" Aoki asked.
"Eh? Me?" Kita panicked, then shook her head furiously. "No no no! I mean, I do sing but… I already ran away once at a crucial moment. I can't join and cause more trouble…"
"It wouldn't be trouble," Nijika said softly.
Bocchi was too anxious, lost in how to thank Aoki. Ryo had gone back to spacing out.
After a pause, Kita still refused. "I'll support you from the sidelines. But joining… I shouldn't."
Seeing her waver, Aoki pressed gently. "On the way here you said you wanted to join a band because you admired a certain senpai. The chance is right here. Why give it up?"
He'd hit the motive dead-on—Kita wanted to be close to Ryo. She faltered.
He glanced at Nijika and followed through. "And everyone wants you. We need a rhythm guitarist and a vocalist. If you work at it, you can do both."
"And," he added, looking at Bocchi, "you can learn guitar from Bocchi. She's good."
"Ah… me?" Bocchi squeaked.
"C-could I… really?" Kita looked at Bocchi with shining eyes.
Bocchi looked between Kita and Aoki, at a loss. With those pleading eyes on her, she couldn't say no. "I-it's… fine…"
And that was that. Kita joined Kessoku Band—again.
With that settled, the topic returned to original music.
Ryo, back to her default of propping her chin and gazing into space, didn't say much.
"After we have a vocalist, we need a song," Nijika said. "Let's talk division of labor, how to compose, and—what style?"
Aside from Ryo and Aoki, the other three joined in.
Bocchi's voice trembled, but she said, "I… um… after Nijika asked me to write, I've been trying at home. But I can't pin down our sound. I tried imitating the kind of pop that's huge with high schoolers now. I don't know if that's okay…"
High-school-pop?
Aoki wasn't sure what was trending now, but he doubted it fit the band's eventual flavor.
Before he could weigh in, he noticed Ryo, who'd been listening quietly, lean in a fraction.
"Pop, huh…" Nijika pondered. "Pop could work too. If we don't know our sound yet, learning from others is a place to start!"
Aoki caught a tiny change on Ryo's face. Her gaze dropped again, and she sighed, almost inaudible.
He understood. Ryo prized individuality. She'd left a previous band when they started chasing trends.
He took a breath. "Rather than chase pop blindly, you should find your own voice. Kessoku isn't just another same-sounding trend band. Whether arranging or writing, you should walk your own road first."
Ryo, who'd lowered her eyes, blinked and looked up at him. Individuality. Style.
Her eyes brightened, just a little.
-------
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