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Chapter 64: Tuesday Afternoon’s Contest Ranking
🕑 Added 2025-08-06 16:12:58 +0000 UTC“Ah… no, it’s not because of you, Aoki-senpai. It’s just… my personality is kind of gloomy... S-Sorry,” Gotou Hitori apologized from across the table, her voice soft and nervous.
“You’re apologizing for that?” Aoki let out a helpless sigh, then gently replied, “I ’m not blaming you or anything. We’ve known each other for a while now, Bocchi-chan. There’s no need to be so tense around me.”
He paused briefly, then added with a bit of a chuckle, “Like just now—do friends really apologize over something like that?”
“Uh… um…” Gotou opened her mouth, but couldn’t quite find the words.
After all, aside from her bandmates in Kessoku Band, she hadn’t really had any close friends.
With almost zero social experience, Bocchi genuinely didn’t know whether friends were supposed to apologize over things like that or not.
Watching her fidget and sneak glances up at him in confusion, Aoki couldn’t help but smile.
Then, catching himself, he gave a quick cough to cover it up and continued, “Friends don’t need to apologize for every little thing
—when you’re close, of course there’ll be minor misunderstandings here and there. But if you keep saying sorry for everything, that’s just exhausting.”
He leaned back a bit and said gently, “So I’d like it if you could be more relaxed around me, Bocchi-chan. At the very least, try not to shake like a rattlesnake every time I speak.”
“...”
‘Friends can just be comfortable around each other… I don’t have to be so stiff…’
Gotou lifted her gaze again, then gave a small, uncertain nod.
“Ah… okay. I-I understand. Th-Thank you, Aoki-senpai…”
And then—
Just as their eyes met again, her nerves flared back up.
She immediately looked down like an ostrich burying its head, returning to full-on shy mode.
Aoki was used to this.
Bocchi had always been this way.
Social anxiety. A fear of crowds. A fear of talking to people.
Ever since he’d first met her, Aoki had quietly hoped he could help her come out of her shell, even if only a little.
But personality doesn’t change overnight—certainly not from just a few conversations.
Still, if his words could make even the slightest difference...
He pushed the thought aside and looked at Gotou again.
“Let’s eat before it gets cold. You didn’t respond earlier, so I went ahead and ordered a few things for you. If there’s anything you don’t like, feel free to order something else.”
“Ah… um, no, it’s fine! Th-Thank you, Aoki-senpai…”
Gotou nodded quickly, picked up her utensils—and then, as if realizing something, peeked at the dishes Aoki had ordered for her.
They were all her favorites.
The exact things she always ordered whenever they ate out as a group.
No way that was just a coincidence.
She sneaked another glance up at Aoki, who was already quietly eating his own meal.
Caught looking, she ducked her head again, flustered.
They didn’t talk much for the rest of the meal.
Once lunch was over, Aoki paid the bill, and they both left the restaurant.
He hadn’t planned to walk around afterward, but since Bocchi was still with him, he asked, “Wanna look around a bit?”
If it were one of the other Kessoku Band members, they might’ve considered it first before answering.
But not Bocchi—she didn’t like being anywhere but home.
She quickly shook her head.
“N-No, it’s fine! R-Really, I don’t want to bother you, Aoki-senpai. I-I’ll just head home…”
August weather wasn’t exactly ideal for strolling around anyway.
Even Aoki felt like he might melt after standing outside for a bit.
So when Bocchi declined, he was more than happy to go with it. He gave her a quick nod.
“Alright. Be careful heading home,” he said, and then turned toward the train station.
It wasn’t rush hour, so the train wasn’t too crowded.
After a bumpy ride, he arrived back at his apartment.
There was no air conditioning, so the room was barely cooler than outside.
He poured himself a glass of water, turned on the old electric fan—the only source of breeze—and was about to settle down with a book when his phone buzzed.
He checked the screen.
A new email.
Aoki rarely used email, and spam never made it through his filters.
So at this hour, there was only one likely sender: PVC Records.
He set his book down, checked the time, and opened the message.
As expected, it was from PVC—the label organizing the “Be Original / Rock Band Project.”
The first half of the email was a generic thank-you note for participating.
The second half, though, got to the point:
The contest rankings were out.
They were listed from bottom to top.
10th place: Dispose — Aoki remembered them. Their guitarist had a major slip-up during the live performance.
9th place: ROMOSSJIN — He wasn’t familiar with them. Must’ve performed after Kessoku Band.
He kept scrolling, scanning the list, but still didn’t see Kessoku Band even in the top 3.
His eyes narrowed as he reached 2nd place.
A stylized “G” with small “es” inside the logo.
Definitely not Kessoku Band’s cute, minimalist logo with the linked-ring motif.
Band name: Ghost Elements — or Ges, for short.
They’d ranked first in some fan-voting rounds. Musically average, but with a massive fanbase.
So they were second.
Aoki held his breath, then scrolled one last time to the very top.
1st place.
He recognized the logo instantly.
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The winning track: “LOSER”
Judges’ scores: 9.8, 10, 9.3, 9.9
Average: 9.5
Band Name: Kessoku Band
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Even though he’d suspected it after seeing the second-place result, seeing the name in black and white still sent a surge of excitement through his chest.
First place.
A ¥600,000 cash prize.
Full funding from PVC Records to produce an album. Marketing support. Exposure. All sorts of hidden rewards.
His mood lifted instantly.
He couldn’t help but smile a little.
The rest of the band probably didn’t know yet.
Without hesitation, Aoki took a screenshot and dropped it into the Kessoku Band group chat.
Then, with fingers flying, he typed:
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[The contest results are in—Kessoku Band took 1st place!!]
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