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Chapter 23: Do You Think You Still Have a Chance?
🕑 Added 2025-07-30 20:23:02 +0000 UTCAlthough the process (and the outcome) wasn't exactly ideal, Aoki Kei still managed to become an official—well, sort of official member of the Service Club.
Hiratsuka-sensei had mentioned, “With Aoki Kei joining, it'll be easier to handle requests,” but once Yukinoshita Yukino agreed to the arrangement, Hiratsuka did everything she could to make it easier for Kei.
In the end, it wasn’t much different from what Hiratsuka had initially promised: no need to show up on Mondays through Wednesdays, just attend club activities on Thursdays and Fridays for about 30 minutes.
That was all.
Once everything was settled, Hiratsuka left the Service Club room.
Even though Kei didn’t have anything urgent to do afterward, he didn’t hang around either.
After a brief word to Yukinoshita, he left as well.
Rather than heading straight back to his apartment, Kei first made a stop at the bar Morke where he had been working.
There, he explained his situation and future plans to the manager, apologized simply, and collected his final paycheck.
Only then did he board the train back to his apartment.
With that, Kei officially quit both of his part-time jobs.
It may have been a bit impulsive, but he definitely felt lighter afterward.
Besides, judging from how things were going, the music route clearly had more long-term potential for making money.
He had around 400,000 yen left.
With no more income for now, that would only last him about two months.
The pressure was on.
Still, time was somewhat on his side.
After unlocking his door and stepping inside, Kei noticed the room had gotten a bit more humid with the rainy season approaching.
He didn’t give it much thought.
He dropped his bag, changed out of his uniform, and pulled out his phone.
Now that he had decided to participate in PVC Records’ “Be Original / Rock Band Project,” there was no room for hesitation.
With his mind made up, Kei began outlining his plan.
Step one—and the most critical one: Join Kessoku Band.
Just a few days ago, he had declared that he wasn’t interested in joining them.
But for the sake of his future, and given that they were the only band members he really knew, Kei had to go back on that promise to himself.
Step two: Once he was in, he’d work to improve the band’s overall level.
That meant helping the girls individually, getting used to their styles, and improving their synergy as a team.
The contest wouldn’t start for another month, and submissions would be accepted for a full month after that.
So with two months of preparation time, it should be more than enough to raise the band’s game.
Step three: Choose a song that suits Kessoku Band and has the best chance of winning.
This one could wait. With two months to work with, Kei could afford to take his time and pick carefully.
Having sorted out his goals, he sat down in his room and started acting on them.
At the moment, Yamada Ryo was the only one in Kessoku Band he had contact with.
So he shot her a message.
Aside from their late-night chat the other day, they had exchanged a few more messages. They weren’t exactly close, but at the very least, they were friends.
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[Aoki Kei]: Yamada-san, do you think I still have a chance?
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He figured she was probably working at STARRY right now, so he kept the message vague.
To his surprise, the message was marked “read” almost instantly.
A second later, Ryo replied—with a confused-looking Slicetaro meme.
Caught off guard by the lightning-fast response, Kei quickly followed up with a more specific message.
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[Aoki Kei]: To join Kessoku Band, I mean. Do you think I still have a shot?
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The “weird bassist” didn’t respond right away.
A few seconds passed before a message popped up:
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[Weird Bassist]: No chance, suki-san. I already rejected you on everyone’s behalf. If you really want in, you’ll have to pay a 2,000 yen membership fee.
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Before Kei could even react, another message followed:
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[Weird Bassist]: Leave it to me.
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“...”
Kei stared at the screen in silence, then replied:
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[Aoki Kei]: Seriously though, if my appearance at live performances is a problem, I can stay off-stage. I can still offer input on guitar technique, and maybe even help out with arranging songs.
[Weird Bassist]: If you want to join, just come to the live house and tell Nijika. But about that 2,000 yen fee...
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It was obvious the message wasn’t finished, but after that, Ryo went quiet for a bit.
A little puzzled, Kei waited.
Then, after a short delay, another message came through:
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[Weird Bassist]: The manager caught me chatting during work. My paycheck got docked hard. Suki-san, you better make it up to me when you show up at the live house later.
[Weird Bassist]: Back to work.
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Reading her message, Kei couldn’t help but picture Ryo giving him a deadpan look with a hint of resentment in her eyes and the image made him laugh.
Without hesitation, Aoki Kei sent back the same “laughing geisha” sticker that Ryo had sent him a few days ago.
She didn’t reply, but the message showed as read.
He put his phone away and glanced out the window.
It was still early—the sun hadn’t set yet.
If he left now, he’d make it to STARRY with time to spare.
Ryo wasn’t wrong.
If he really wanted to join Kessoku Band, all he had to do was drop by the livehouse and let Nijika and the others know.
Honestly, he could’ve just asked Ryo to pass the message along for him.
But something like this felt like it should be done properly.
So, brushing off the lazy thought, Kei made up his mind.
After a few quick messages to Ryo, he grabbed his things and stepped out of his apartment.
Around 4:30 PM.
It wasn’t quite rush hour yet, but some of the nine-to-fivers with lighter workloads were already trickling out from work.
This was Tokyo, after all—especially bustling Shibuya.
Even outside peak hours, the streets were always teeming with people.
Walking from his apartment to the train station, Aoki Kei suddenly felt oddly reflective.
Just yesterday, around this exact time, he’d probably been finishing up a shift at the convenience store, heading home, bone-tired.
And now, barely a day later… he was free. Almost strangely light.
Though, calling himself "free" might be a bit of a stretch.
After all, if he couldn’t help Kessoku Band make a splash in the Be Original project within two months, he’d be out of money and possibly back to a very rough life.
So no, the pressure hadn’t vanished. But it was still miles better than when he’d first arrived in Tokyo, clueless and broke.
He took a deep breath and shook off the overthinking.
Two months. Not a lot, but not too little, either.
He boarded the train and headed for Shimokitazawa.
When he pushed open the door to STARRY, the live hadn’t started yet and the place was still empty.
At the bar, Ijichi Seika glanced up from her laptop at the sound.
Her expression turned mildly curious when she saw Kei, but after a brief pause, she lowered her head again.
Clicking away at her keyboard, she spoke up without looking:
“So? Aoki the guitarist. What brings you to the store today?”
Ryo was sweeping the floor, Nijika was straightening the chairs and tables, and Kita and Bocchi were busy with their own tasks.
Still, they’d all looked up when they heard the door open and noticed his arrival.
Kei stood at the entrance, just about to answer, when a faint blue light flickered in front of his eyes—suddenly, a translucent screen popped up.
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[Ijichi Seika has asked you a question. Please choose your response.]
[Option 1]: Ask her if she really docked Ryo’s pay. If she confirms, compensate Ryo for the "friend fee," the "band entry fee," and the deducted wages.
(Reward: 200 points, Proficiency in Vocal Technique)
[Option 2]: Explain the PVC Records “Be Original” project and share your intentions honestly.
(Reward: 200 points, Proficiency in Composition)
Option 3: Give a sincere explanation, and tell Ijichi Seika you want to officially join Kessoku Band.
(Reward: 200 points, Choose 2: Basic Drawing Skill, Basic Cooking Skill, Basic Driving Skill)
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