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Chapter 33: As Expected, the Screening Result
🕑 Added 2025-07-30 20:33:01 +0000 UTCLet’s set aside Kita Ikuyo’s little “romance detective” game for now.
As for the Kessoku Band’s ensemble practice…
Nijika had arrived early to start rehearsing at the store.
After Aoki Kei and the others showed up, they practiced for a while, and around 2:30 PM, Bocchi-chan finally arrived, fashionably late as usual.
Just like they had discussed earlier, after a bit of group practice, Aoki Kei performed a solo of "Lemon".
For Nijika, Ryo, and Kita—who already knew Kei's true identity, it was impressive but not shocking.
Bocchi, on the other hand, was completely blown away.
She looked like she had just witnessed a miracle.
Kei had clearly improved.
His breath control, pitch, and timing were all miles better than when he first tried singing "Lemon".
His vocal skills were solidly in the “proficient” tier now.
After ensemble practice and a bit of solo performance, they continued rehearsing until about 8 PM, then everyone began to head home.
Aoki Kei had never been skilled at cooking.
His apartment was small and not well ventilated, so frying or stir-frying would fill the whole place with greasy smoke.
To avoid the hassle, he usually ate cheap convenience store bento or grabbed something simple outside.
On his way back from the livehouse, Kei picked up a discounted fried chicken bento—the kind that's marked down during late-night hours.
It had probably been made around noon, and by the time he got home, the crispy coating was soggy and soaked with sauce.
Still, Kei wasn’t picky.
As long as it filled him up and didn’t taste awful, he didn’t complain.
He wolfed it down in a few bites, quickly cleaned up, and returned to reading his book: “100 English Phrases for Daily Memorization.”
“God will not let down those who have talent and effort.”
That line stuck with him—he liked the idea.
Kei believed he had just enough talent to pass, and while he didn’t go as far as hanging from rafters to study, he had seen the 4 a.m. sun over Shibuya more than once.
For some reason, the line made him think of Yukinoshita Yukino and her over-the-top confidence.
His competitive streak kicked in, and he focused even harder on the book.
...
By 10 PM, his eyes were starting to droop.
He put the book away, washed up quickly, and went to bed.
————————————————————————
The Next Day – Sunday
Tokyo’s June weather was unpredictable.
The previous day had been all sunshine and blue skies, but today, thick clouds rolled in, looking like they might burst at any moment.
They had planned a live performance screening at STARRY today.
Even though Kei had requested not to perform himself, he still showed up on time to evaluate the band’s progress.
The forecast said rain all week, so just in case, Kei brought along a clear plastic umbrella he’d bought for a few hundred yen at a convenience store.
By the time he arrived, the girls had already beaten him there—they were prepping on stage, seemingly ready to start early.
Not wanting to interrupt their focus, Kei quietly slipped over to the side where store manager Ijichi Seika was sitting.
He grabbed a stool and sat down next to her.
Seika glanced at him briefly, then turned her attention back to the stage where Kessoku Band was setting up.
But then, eyes still on the stage, she asked:
"Kei, what do you think of their current skill level? Are they ready to perform live?"
"Huh?"
Kei looked at her, puzzled.
He set down his guitar bag and blinked.
"Aren’t you the manager of STARRY? You’re asking me?"
Seika was caught off guard for a second but quickly replied:
"I’m worried they’re not feeling enough pressure. Their technique still needs polish. What if they mess up during the live performance?"
Kei cut in before she could go on.
"It’s normal for a band’s first live to have mistakes. A bit of pressure is fine, but too much could backfire. They’re all motivated on their own. Sometimes it’s better not to push them too hard."
To him, the most important thing in a band was having fun—even if they were aiming to go pro and make money from music, a healthy, relaxed atmosphere came first.
Even though Kei himself was under pressure to win recognition or risk an unstable lifestyle—he didn’t want to pass that burden onto the girls.
After a pause, he added:
"Besides... Seika-san, didn’t you already reserve a performance slot for Kessoku Band? You're just being tsundere about it. You act tough, but you're soft inside."
Seika froze, clearly about to say something, but then sighed and swallowed her words.
"They’re just about ready. Let’s see how they do."
————————————————————————
After a short wait, the live screening began.
The song was "That Band." Nijika started things off with a strong drum intro.
Then Bocchi’s guitar and Ryo’s bass kicked in.
Kei listened intently while mentally noting their flaws:
Kita’s guitar work was still shaky—some of her transitions and timing weren’t clean.
Nijika sometimes rushed her drum tempo or fell behind.
Bocchi occasionally lost sync with the others, subtle but noticeable.
Ryo, as always, was a bit too absorbed in her own groove and didn’t mesh perfectly with the group.
Flawed, yes—but they still sounded like a real band.
Most outsiders wouldn’t catch the imperfections.
Unfortunately, Ijichi Seika was no outsider.
As the song wrapped up, Nijika brought the drums to a clean stop, panting slightly from the exertion.
She looked toward Seika with anticipation.
"So... how was it, Sis?"
"Gotou isn’t syncing well with the others. Kita makes little mistakes on guitar. Nijika, your timing’s off sometimes. And Ryo’s a bit too in her own world."
She repeated almost everything Kei had just mentally observed.
The girls visibly tensed.
But then Seika added:
"Still… for a band that hasn’t been together long, you’re doing okay. I’ll give you a pass."
They had passed the screening. All their hard work had paid off.
"Yes!!" The girls broke into relieved smiles. Kita even let out a bright cheer.
"Congrats," Kei said, clapping twice.
He’d expected this outcome—but still, it felt good to see them happy.
Still, he couldn’t shake the unease in the back of his mind.
Their performance had plenty of flaws.
And there was just over a month left until the deadline for the PVC Records Original Band Project.
The band was improving, but not fast enough.
Could he really lead Kessoku Band to a win?
No more doubts now.
He’d already made his choice.
He gave his head a little shake to clear his thoughts.
Whatever happens, we’ll find a way forward.
