"That won't be necessary!"
Gotou Hitori shrieked, clutching her guitar and stiffly backing away.
"…A strange customer." Griseo murmured, tilting her head.
"To paint you, I need to understand you deeply. Without enough 'color,' I can't complete the picture." Her curiosity toward Hitori had grown.
"Can you tell me about yourself?"
"Ah… I'm Gotou Hitori, a first-year at Shuka High School!"
"And then?"
"…"
"…"
An awkward silence filled the studio.
Griseo didn't feel awkward.
Which made Hitori feel even more awkward.
(Ahhh, what do I say? My life's so plain. Nothing special, no clubs, no friends… I'm always alone…)
Hitori's expression sank as she began muttering to herself.
Griseo didn't interrupt. She simply listened.
Hitori recounted how her lack of courage had kept her from seizing opportunities. Over time, she became a solitary child.
During school trips, she only exchanged snacks with the teacher.
She didn't join any clubs.
After school, she went straight home.
The only messages she received were mass tags: "@everyone."
To escape that loneliness, she practiced guitar six hours a day.
Three years passed.
At the culture festival, she couldn't perform.
She had no band.
Not even a single friend.
Hitori buried her head in her arms like an ostrich.
(How do I talk about such a failure of a life…)
"…You're done talking." Griseo gently reminded her.
"…"
Hitori didn't respond. She just sank deeper into the table.
Griseo poked her arm. "If you don't have any friends… can I be your first?"
"Eh?!"
Hitori shot up like a startled kitten.
"You-you-you-what did you just say?!"
"I didn't say anything…" Griseo flinched, waving her hands.
But Hitori grabbed them firmly.
"No, you definitely said something!"
She hugged Griseo tightly.
"You said you wanted to be friends, right? Right?!"
Hitori was desperate.
She'd practiced guitar, tried small gestures at school—anything to connect.
But nothing worked.
Now, someone had reached out to her.
She was so moved she nearly cried.
If she missed this chance, her life might stay the same—quietly failing.
"Hmm…"
Griseo nodded, still not fully grasping Hitori's reaction.
"But… didn't you say you have a band? And a performance tonight?"
"That's because the guitarist ran off and they asked me to fill in. Oh no!"
Hitori panicked.
"I was supposed to meet Nijika at the exhibition hall, but I just wanted a drink and somehow ended up here. I need to hurry!"
Despite her anxiety, she'd made a promise and she wouldn't break it.
Shimokitazawa Station.
Nijika stood waiting, blonde hair catching the light.
"Hitori!"
She waved as Hitori approached.
No sign of worry on her face.
Hitori sighed in relief. Time must flow differently between worlds.
To Nijika, she hadn't been gone long.
"But… who's this child?"
Nijika looked at Griseo curiously.
"This is my, my…"
"I'm Hitori Sister's younger sister. You can call me Griseo." she said naturally. "I heard she has a performance, so I came to watch. I hope I'm not a bother."
Griseo didn't have social anxiety.
"Oh wow! I didn't know you had such a cute little sister!"
Nijika beamed.
"You're not a bother at all. In fact, with you here, Hitori might perform even better!"
(Absolutely not!)
Hitori screamed internally.
They arrived at the exhibition hall.
The neon sign read: Starry.
Just like Griseo's battle suit Starry impression in Fire Moth.
Perhaps this was fate.
The venue was semi-underground—not large, but cozy enough to feel lively when filled.
"We're here!"
Nijika introduced the band members.
"This is our bassist, Yamada Ryo."
She gestured to a short-haired, blue-haired girl.
"And this is our miracle guitarist from the park! Without her, we'd be lost tonight!"
"You've worked hard. Let's practice," Ryo said calmly.
Inside the practice room.
Hitori was hyping herself up.
(If they hear my guitar, they'll be amazed… right?)
She took a deep breath.
"Let's start!"
"Come out! The performance is about to begin!" Nijika pleaded.
Hitori was hiding in a trash can.
"This place is perfect for me…"
She'd lost hope.
Her last performance had been a disaster.
"I can't do it!"
"Don't say that! It's a makeshift band. I'm not that good either."
Nijika tried her best to encourage her.
It didn't work.
So she turned to backup.
"Griseo, help! What do we do if she won't come out?!"
Griseo paused, setting down her half-finished painting.
It showed the concert stage.
But it was empty.
"Hitori Big Sister, you're the protagonist. If you don't go on stage… I can't finish my painting. It's my first one for my new friend."
"I-I…"
Hitori was overwhelmed.
"Are we pushing her too hard?" Ryo sighed.
"Maybe..." Nijika said gently. "I'm sorry, Hitori."
"No, no! I'm actually really happy you came to find me…"
Hitori said quickly.
"I've wanted to be in a band for so long… I just couldn't find anyone."
"Wait-you're agreeing to perform?!"
Nijika lit up.
"But… I'm still scared. I can't handle the audience's gaze…"
"If you're too scared, just perform from inside here."
Ryo pulled out a cardboard box.
"Ah… is that really okay?"
Griseo's brush froze.
She watched the protagonist climb into the box.
"Ah! This feels just like home my usual guitar space!"
Hitori transformed instantly.
"…Where do you usually live?" Nijika muttered. "I'm starting to think we should call the police."
Words like girl imprisonment floated through her mind.