InsomniaWL
patreon
Chapter 116: A Strange Shift in the Air After the Change in How They Address Each Other
🕑 Added 2025-08-26 15:00:15 +0000 UTCRyo didn’t have much to say about the social media plan—but she was very curious about why Kita suddenly started calling Aoki “Kei-senpai.”
Bocchi seemed a little reluctant about taking photos and uploading them online, but since it was for the good of Kessoku Band, she was quietly trying to mentally prepare herself.
As for Nijika...
A change of subject doesn’t change what’s already in your head.
Even though Aoki handled the situation decisively, Nijika couldn’t help but feel curious.
No—“curious” wasn’t quite the word.
It was more like… a strange and inexplicable feeling in her chest.
Still, no matter what she was thinking deep down, now wasn’t the time to bring it up.
After drifting off in her head for a second, Nijika quickly snapped back to focus and chimed in, “If we’re going to post photos on Twitter, I’m okay with that too. But come to think of it, we’ve never taken a proper group photo since Kessoku Band was formed.”
“Wanna go take a few outside?” Ryo offered, short and to the point, but her tone clearly showed she was on board.
Kita and Aoki both nodded in agreement.
Then, everyone turned their gaze to Gotou Hitori.
“……”
The girl hesitated.
Looking at Bocchi across the table, Aoki spoke gently, “Bocchi-chan, don’t force yourself. Uploading pictures to Twitter isn’t something we have to do.”
But he clearly underestimated her resolve.
“N-n-n-no, it’s fine! If it’s just taking some pictures outside and uploading them, I-I’m okay with that!”
After a moment of inner struggle, Bocchi suddenly blurted it out in a burst of determination.
Startled for a moment, Aoki looked at her serious expression, then simply nodded,
“Alright, since we’ve got time today, let’s get the accounts set up and submit the documents. Then we’ll head out and snap a few photos.”
Setting up the accounts wasn’t particularly difficult.
They used the icon Nijika had designed before—a symbol representing the bond of Kessoku Band—as the profile image.
The username was simply “Kessoku Band.”
What made the process annoying was the paperwork required for official verification.
Personal ID, career history, all kinds of bureaucratic stuff had to be submitted.
As they worked through all that, Nijika used her older sister’s PC in the shop to upload the 打上花火 (Fireworks) MV that the Fireworks production team had previously emailed them.
The video title was straightforward, clearly stating the resolution, content, and performers:
———————————————————————
【4K Quality / “Fireworks” MV – “Fireworks” / Performed by Kessoku Band】
———————————————————————
Since the account was brand new with no followers or promotion, the video didn’t get any views at first—but that was fine. Building a fanbase takes time.
As for who would manage the accounts—
Since Aoki had prior experience, everyone agreed to leave it in his hands.
He didn’t hesitate and readily accepted.
Once that was all handled, they grabbed their things and headed outside for the photo shoot.
They started with a few group shots on the streets of Shimokitazawa, then decided to go over to Shibuya’s famous scramble crossing for more.
Along the way, they picked up some cold drinks.
At the moment, neither the Fireworks collaboration payment nor the PVC project rewards had been transferred yet.
And now that it was mid-month, Ryo’s finances were starting to get tight.
She almost asked Aoki to lend her some money for a drink—but one look at Nijika’s disapproving stare made her abandon the idea, dramatically pouting for show.
Sighing, Aoki tried to calm Nijika down, and finally gave in and bought Ryo a drink as well, despite Nijika’s exasperated face.
Eventually, they arrived at Shibuya Crossing.
The area was bustling, as always—one of the most iconic intersections in the world.
Perfect for some social media-worthy snapshots.
They carefully picked out good angles and snapped several more photos.
Once they felt they had enough, they returned to the livehouse around 4 p.m.
With the account creation and photo shoot complete, and nothing urgent left to do, they uploaded the photos to Kessoku Band’s official Twitter account and headed home one by one.
Even as Aoki left STARRY, Nijika—who had been feeling a strange tightness in her chest since earlier—never brought up the question she couldn’t quite put into words.
After catching the train back to his apartment, Aoki logged out of the Kessoku Band YouTube account and switched back to his own: suki-san.
He thought for a moment, then posted an update to help promote the new Kessoku Band accounts.
In the post, he introduced both the Twitter and YouTube accounts, added the links, and ended with:
“We’d really appreciate it if you gave us a follow.”
And after posting it, he closed the site and walked away.
But just a few minutes later...
The suki-san YouTube account was, by all metrics, a major force in Japan’s pop music scene—with nearly two million subscribers
So naturally, any update he posted drew massive attention.
Fans quickly noticed the links.
They clicked into the new Kessoku Band Twitter account—only to see the photos posted earlier that afternoon.
For the first time, people got a clear look at everyone involved—not just suki-san, but the full lineup of the all-girl Kessoku Band.
The clarity of the images far surpassed the blurry ones that had floated around before.
So when Aoki posted that update...
All the buzz that had been quietly building about Kessoku Band exploded into full-blown internet wildfire.
