Late April.
Golden Week was about to start.
Inside [FOLT] in Shinjuku, the live house where Hiroi Kikuri and Ohtsuki Yoyoko regularly performed.
In the prep room, Hiroi Kikuri noticed that Toru's water cup even had goji berries and chrysanthemum flowers added to it.
"Little Toru, why did you start drinking green tea lately?"
Taking care of your health?
You are only sixteen. Isn't that a bit early?
"My energy isn't quite enough," Toru replied as he crossed one leg over the other, adjusting the guitar in his hands and looking up.
Physically, he could still manage. After all, after so many simulations, his body was no longer that of an ordinary person.
Mentally, though, that was another story.
With an entire band's worth of girlfriends, he did not get a single day off all week. Especially after learning that they also had simulators, Toru's life became even harder.
In the simulations, he had held post ending scenes a few times, but every time he had prepared thoroughly. He simply could not accept this weird ass development.
And the cheat abilities were being handed out in bulk?
Trashy author, are you sick or what?
"Big sis knows you're busy, but today there's really no other way. Little Ohtsuki suddenly got sick, so only you can fill in," Hiroi Kikuri said. If she had known how tired Toru had been lately, she would never have called him over.
"I'm not talking about that."
There was no way Toru could say it outright to Hiroi Kikuri. That he suddenly got four girlfriends and was secretly entangled with Manager Seika as well. How could he possibly say something like that?
Scumbag, at least have some shame.
"Forget it. Big sis is old and can't understand what you young people are thinking anymore," Hiroi Kikuri said as she casually opened a canned beer. She glanced at Toru, and after seeing that he did not lecture her, she drank contentedly.
Only two cans of beer a day. Little Toru's control issues were way too strong.
Stingy ghost.
Drinking a bit more would not kill anyone.
"Kitahara, if you don't want to help, I can go on stage myself," Ohtsuki Yoyoko said from the corner, wearing a mask. She coughed a few times while speaking. She had pollen allergies recently, then caught the flu yesterday. Her luck was terrible.
"You go on stage?"
Toru said irritably, "Look at how half dead you are. Forget singing, you would probably collapse just trying to play a few chords."
"Hmph."
Yoyoko turned her head away proudly, not refuting him.
"Speaking of which,"
Toru said with some emotion, "It's actually more comfortable getting along with you, Yoyoko. I really hope our friendship doesn't change and that we can be friends for a lifetime."
"Huh?"
Yoyoko let out a confused sound. She rubbed her arms covered in goosebumps, then grabbed her twin tails to block her view as she said, "You're so gross. Why would you suddenly say something like that?"
You're kind of funny, but who would ever fall for you?
Self absorbed narcissist.
Well, your guitar and bass playing are pretty good, but that's not a reason for me to like you either.
Wait a second, why do I care about him so much?
Yoyoko suddenly lowered her head and stopped talking.
Toru did not notice her odd reaction and continued adjusting his guitar. "Golden Week is coming up. Do you have any plans?"
"Ohtsuki dear?"
This was the first time Toru used that form of address.
Ohtsuki Yoyoko was startled and said nervously, "I have a live. I can't go out on a date with you."
I never said anything about a date.
Toru turned to ask Hiroi Kikuri, "What about you, Kikuri sis?"
"Golden Week? I don't really have plans," Hiroi Kikuri said, secretly grabbing another can of beer. She had already downed the previous one. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks. She was someone who got tipsy very easily.
"Hitori and the others said they want to go camping in the mountains together. Kikuri sis, do you want to come?" Toru sent her a subtle call for help.
"Sure."
"Alright. I'll ask Manager Seika and PA-san a bit later too."
Recently, Toru had been a little scared of the four paper wives from Knot Band. Bringing along a couple of outsiders gave him a bit more of a sense of safety.
"That sounds really interesting," Ohtsuki Yoyoko suddenly said.
She had never been camping in the mountains before. Living in Tokyo all this time, she had only gone to the seaside.
"Alright, you're in too," Toru said with a light smile, deciding her Golden Week plans just like that.
Ohtsuki Yoyoko blushed but did not object.
"Is the live going to be okay?" she asked.
"No problem. Only the first day has a schedule. The other six days, the other three members all have their own private lives. I don't need to worry about them," Ohtsuki Yoyoko said, covering her mouth and coughing a few more times. She only hoped her illness would clear up before they went out to have fun.
"Kitahara kun, are you ready? The live is about to start," a staff member walked into the prep room to remind him.
"Ready. I'll be right there."
Toru replied, then left with the staff member.
Hiroi Kikuri looked at Ohtsuki Yoyoko. "Little Toru is pretty good, right?"
"Yeah," Ohtsuki Yoyoko answered subconsciously, then quickly blushed and denied it herself. "I mean, just his face. He looks pretty good."
His personality and everything else are terrible.
On the other side.
Inside [Starry], the members of Kessoku Band were discussing their Golden Week plans.
"The foot of Mount Fuji is nice, but there are a lot of people," Ijichi Nijika said as she flipped through a travel guide, picking potential destinations.
They said they wanted to go camping, but nothing specific had been decided yet.
In order to keep this outing from turning into some strange large scale party, Nijika thought it through carefully. Places with too many people would not work, there would be no atmosphere. Places with too few people would not work either, for obvious reasons.
"Mount Fuji is a no,"
Yamada Ryo said. She was someone who hated crowds.
"What about you, Bocchi chan? Do you have any ideas?" Nijika asked.
"...I'm fine with anything."
Gotoh Hitori had never had much of an opinion. As long as she could have fun together with everyone in the band, she was satisfied.
"Tents, camping food, charcoal, stoves. There's so much to prepare," Ijichi Nijika continued talking about other things. The destination could not be decided yet, but these things had to be bought sooner or later anyway.
"I have all of that at home," Ryo said flatly.
"Ah right, Ryo already has everything," Nijika calculated silently and muttered, "If that's the case, we can save a lot of band funds again."
Managing finances was not easy, especially when there was a woman in the band who spent money without restraint.
"That's great!! The band account's follower count has broken eighty thousand," the lady known as Aiko Sato finally spoke for the first time.
Not far away.
PA-san smiled lightly when she heard that. "They really get along well."
Manager Seika silently drank her apple flavored beverage and did not say anything.