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Chapter 94: A Battle Without Justification or Standing
🕑 Added 2025-08-17 15:00:13 +0000 UTCDuring his morning jog, Aoki carefully considered his next steps.
First, there was the matter of the uproar on social media.
He hadn’t yet come up with a solid solution. As he’d thought before—laws don’t apply to the masses.
When everyone is misinformed and spreading rumors, there’s no real way to hold anyone accountable.
So, for now, he’d set that aside. It wasn’t the most urgent problem.
But that didn’t mean he’d ignore it forever.
Aoki had a few ideas in mind, and once he finished the second task, he was determined to shut the rumors down completely.
The second problem was far more delicate—Kita Ikuyo’s family situation.
It was much more complicated than online gossip.
But surprisingly, this was the problem Aoki had a more concrete plan for.
First, he needed to talk to Kita’s mother—there was no doubt about that.
But talking alone wouldn’t solve anything.
Anyone can spout words, but Aoki knew he couldn’t rely on persuasion alone to convince her.
He needed leverage.
From what Kita had told him, her mother had cracked down on her because her grades had plummeted.
That was the reason she was banned from playing music.
So Aoki decided to tackle it from that angle.
This version of Shuchiin High was clearly different from the one he’d seen in the anime.
With people like Yukinoshita Yukino and Hiratsuka Shizuka, and more importantly, its academic performance—Shuchiin was among Tokyo’s top schools.
And Aoki?
He was currently ranked number one in the entire second-year class.
If he used that status to offer tutoring to Kita, it was unlikely her mother would refuse.
As for his teaching ability...
He wouldn’t call himself a genius, but after years of self-study, he was confident his teaching was at least as good as any average cram school instructor.
If he could talk to Kita’s mom, convince her to let him tutor her daughter, and buy Kita some extra free time—that would be a win.
The plan sounded simple, almost crude.
But once in motion, he knew there would be hurdles.
Still—
“When the cart reaches the mountain, there’ll be a road.”
The decision was impulsive, but Aoki wasn’t worried about that. He was prepared for trouble.
As long as he treaded carefully, he could avoid disaster.
So—
By the time he finished his run and returned to his apartment, the plan was more or less in place.
It was just past 6:30 a.m.
He wasn’t sure about Kita’s current condition.
According to Nijika, she had left the hospital after getting her IV yesterday afternoon. That was good.
Now that she was out, he messaged Nijika privately.
If Kita knew what he was planning, she’d probably stop him.
So he had to work around that—and get the information he needed from someone else.
Nijika gave him Kita’s home address.
Kita’s mother didn’t work in the mornings—her job started in the afternoon.
That meant she’d likely be home and available for a conversation.
And Kita herself would be in cram school around that time, so there was little risk of bumping into her.
Perfect.
He decided to visit around 10 a.m.
Before that, though, he needed to talk to Kita about tutoring—just to plant the seed.
Around 7 a.m., guessing she was awake and had eaten, he sent her a message:
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[Hey Kita, just thought of something—if you ever want to improve your grades, I can help.]
[I’m ranked first in our year, and honestly, I’m probably better than any cram school teacher.]
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About ten minutes later, she replied:
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[KIta Kita]: “Tutoring... It’s okay, you don’t have to go out of your way. You’ve already helped me so much—teaching me guitar, helping me sing…”
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Since he had his phone right next to him, he replied quickly:
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[It’s no trouble. And if your grades improve, it’s good for the band too. You’ll be in a better state, and your practice will pay off more.]
[Just come see me when you have some time. I’m free anytime.]
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It had a bit of a "decide first, explain later" vibe to it.
Kita hesitated for a moment, then relented:
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[KIta Kita]: “Got it. Thank you, Aoki-senpai.”
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Then, after a few seconds—before Aoki could even reply—another string of messages popped up:
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[KIta Kita]: “Oh, and… thanks for the other night too.”
[KIta Kita]: “I ended up saying a lot of weird stuff… please just forget it all, okay?”
[KIta Kita]: “Also, you don’t have to worry—I’m totally fine. I’m used to this routine now, and the stuff online doesn’t bother me. So! Really, don’t worry!”
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When she first joined Kessoku Band, Kita was a fake guitarist who ran away from pressure.
Back then, she probably thought, “As long as I’m living my youth, that’s enough.”
But she’d changed.
Now she was trying not to worry anyone.
She kept her problems hidden.
She wasn’t backing down from hardship—she was choosing to carry it all herself.
In her original life, she probably wouldn’t have had to bear this much.
It was Aoki’s presence that had shifted her path—and in some way, the pressure she now faced was his fault.
His goal of making Kessoku Band professional had unconsciously pushed everyone to work harder.
Unlike the original story, where things were more lighthearted, now there was a real weight behind every decision.
There were upsides—but also downsides.
And unfortunately, it seemed Kita was the one shouldering the downsides that Aoki had intended to carry himself.
His thoughts churned as he tapped his screen again.
“I’ll take care of the rumors.”
“And about the pressure you’re under…”
“Whether it’s your struggles or your stress, I know they’re at least partly my fault.”
“I’m sorry.”
He took a deep breath and hit send.
Then he turned off his screen and stopped looking at his messages.
Setting his phone aside, he sat there for a while, letting his thoughts settle.
Eventually, he took out some scrap paper from his backpack and started jotting down how he’d talk to Kita’s mother about the band.
When the clock hit ten, and he’d mapped out the conversation in full—
Aoki stepped out of the apartment.
He had no right, no justification. He was an outsider.
But with absolute determination to succeed—
He boarded the train and headed for his destination.
