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Chapter 63: Say Something... Anything... Hurry...!
🕑 Added 2025-08-05 15:49:06 +0000 UTCThere was no doubt about it—Hitori’s mom had definitely gotten the wrong idea.
Aoki wanted to explain himself.
Unfortunately, Hitori’s mom didn’t give him the chance.
Grabbing her husband and younger daughter by the hand, she decisively delivered her "We won’t intrude any further" line.
Then turned around and walked straight out of the family restaurant—leaving her beloved eldest daughter behind without a second thought.
Watching her brisk exit, Aoki’s confusion turned to shock… which then morphed into helplessness… and finally gave way to resignation.
Honestly, this kind of thing happening to him? He was almost used to it by now.
Beside him, Bocchi-chan was still in full-on ostrich mode, mentally dissociating and clearly not aware that her mother had just abandoned her there.
She just stood there with her head down.
After a brief silence, Aoki tried to bring her back to reality.
“G-Gotou-san, let’s sit down, okay?”
No response.
Unfortunately, Gotou Hitori was still lost in her own world, completely ignoring his presence.
He waved a hand in front of her face, called her name multiple times—“Gotou-san, Gotou-san!”—until finally, finally, she snapped out of it.
“Let’s sit, yeah? Are you in the mood for anything in particular?” he asked, handing her the menu.
She sat down beside him almost automatically, then blinked as reality slowly set back in.
Still dazed, she murmured, “Huh?” and looked around—only to realize her family had completely disappeared.
“Ah… eh?”
Her words trailed off again.
A moment ago, she’d had the comfort of her family nearby.
Now she was suddenly alone—stuck eating lunch with Aoki-senpai—right after her mom had casually shared her private, lazy-at-home confessions with him…
She didn’t even respond to his question.
Though she was slowly returning to her senses, her anxiety was already surging back.
Having known Bocchi-chan for over two months now, Aoki had a pretty good grasp of her social anxiety.
On a normal day, she might’ve been able to hold a decent conversation with him.
But given today’s unexpected run-in, the awkward small talk with her mom, and the whole "public execution" vibe from earlier… yeah.
Her being this tense was totally understandable.
But they couldn’t just sit there in silence forever.
Though he hadn’t paid much attention during their last Kessoku Band dinner outing, Aoki still remembered some of Bocchi-chan’s favorite foods and general tastes.
Figuring “I’ll just order what I remember she liked—if she doesn’t want it, we can change it”, he raised his hand to call a waiter and ordered a mix of dishes that matched her preferences.
First came the dishes he ordered for himself, followed shortly by the set he’d ordered for her.
Aoki had gotten a hamburger steak and poached fish for himself, and for Bocchi-chan, he ordered a slightly spicy grilled set with some side dishes.
When the food arrived, he pushed her share toward her.
Even with all her social anxiety, Bocchi-chan couldn’t help but notice his intentions.
She glanced down at the steaming dishes in front of her, then slowly looked up at the boy across the table.
Her voice trembled, but it carried unmistakable gratitude as she softly said,
“Th-th-thank you… Aoki-senpai.”
“No problem,” Aoki replied with a small shake of his head. “As long as you like the food, I’m happy.”
They lapsed into a brief silence.
Aoki, thinking “She’s probably uncomfortable with this kind of quiet atmosphere”, decided to eat quickly and get her out of there as soon as possible.
So, he didn’t say another word.
Across the table, Bocchi-chan stared at Aoki as he quietly ate.
Her mind, however, was a whirlwind of thoughts.
‘You can’t just stay quiet in this situation, right?’
‘We’re friends! We’ve talked normally before! This is just an accidental lunch, no big deal!’
‘But being alone out in public… just the two of us… that’s pressure!’
She glanced at her grilled meal… then sneaked a look at Aoki’s face.
Then back to the food.
Then back to him again.
This continued on repeat, her brain slowly melting from overthinking.
‘I have to say something... Anything!’
With her mind spinning uselessly, she finally decided to break the silence—no matter how.
She didn’t know what to say.
She didn’t even know how to start.
But she had to speak up.
So, acting on pure desperation, she blurted out,
“A-A-Aoki-senpai—!”
Then… silence.
She’d said his name, but had no idea what to say next.
Aoki paused mid-bite and looked up, puzzled, locking eyes with her.
Their eyes met.
She froze.
Mouth half-open, she had no idea how to follow up.
“U-uh… ah…” she stammered.
Her mind blanked under the pressure.
The S.S. Bocchi was on the verge of sinking, internally screaming the same words on repeat:
‘Say something… anything… please…!’
Then suddenly—pop!—a random thought surfaced in her head.
No time to question it. Aoki was already giving her the most painfully awkward look in the world.
So, on impulse, she spat it out without thinking:
“A-A-Aoki-senpai, do you… d-do you watch that show? The, uh… that variety show on NTV? ‘Monday Late Show’?”
……
Silence.
And then… realization.
‘What did I just say?!’
She had called his name. Stuttered like mad. Then asked if he watched a random late-night variety show?! WHAT?!
‘Why would you even bring that up?!’
Meanwhile, across the table, Aoki’s expression said it all.
Even more confused than before, he looked at her like she’d just asked him to explain quantum physics in song form.
You call his name with all that buildup… and this was your question?
He sighed softly and gave a wry smile, choosing not to comment on that bizarre topic.
Instead, he leaned forward slightly and asked,
“Gotou-san… Actually, scratch that. Bocchi-chan—is it okay if I call you that?”
“Y-y-y-yes! I-it’s totally fine!” she stammered, nodding frantically like a bobblehead.
“Alright then, Bocchi-chan...” Aoki smiled gently. “You don’t have to be so nervous around me. I’m not the type to bully my bandmates, y’know?”
