"Gotou-san," Akira said casually, "I want to buy a guitar. Would you help me choose one?"
Bocchi froze. "Y-you could d-do that alone..." she muttered, doing her best to avoid social interaction at all costs.
This is Bocchi.
"But wouldn't anyone want help from someone experienced with guitars?" Akira smiled.
Mahiru nodded in agreement.
"If I were Kurosawa-kun, I'd do the same."
Pressed from both sides, Bocchi—naturally weak to social pressure—felt cornered. She wasn't strong enough to say no, especially with two people watching her like that.
Akira even considered teasing her with a, "Then this would make it a date!" but quickly thought better of it. Bocchi probably wouldn't survive that line.
Under the intense combined gaze of Akira and Mahiru, she finally gave in.
"W-when do you want to go, Kurosawa?"
"Tomorrow's the weekend, perfect timing. What about you?"
"I-I have to check with my band first..."
Mahiru raised an eyebrow. She's in a band?You're not alone, Mahiru—we're all surprised.
"Alright then, Gotou-san. Once you confirm with your band, send me a message, and we'll pick a time that works for everyone."
Utterly drained by the sudden ambush of social interaction, Bocchi simply nodded in silence.
System crash detected.
While Bocchi entered reboot mode, Akira continued strumming casually on her guitar. Then, looking at Mahiru, he asked:
"Would you like to come with us, Shiina-san? I know it might be boring just watching me browse guitars, but after that, we could grab something to eat. What do you think?"
[You're on fire today, my guy.]
Mahiru noticed it too.Not just Akira's talent in cooking or guitar—but his personality, his emotional growth. He was slowly becoming someone brighter, someone lighter.
With a warm, signature smile, Mahiru replied,
"Of course, Kurosawa-kun. I'd love to."
Akira internally celebrated.Thank goodness. And even better—she didn't tease me by calling it a date.If she had… I'd probably have to take this a lot more seriously.
And so, in that quiet, unused classroom, we leave behind three scenes:
A pink-haired girl melting into a puddle of nerves.
A golden-haired girl smiling at the wall for no reason.
And a boy grinning as he messes around on a guitar, blissfully unaware of the chaos he's causing.
Few words were spoken, but the outcome was clear.
The day passed.
And with that, the weekend arrived.
Tomorrow, Akira would go shopping for a guitar.But what awaited him might be more than just strings and wood…