An hour after Sako shed her tears, we were at a music store in front of Kichijoji Station.
After Sako had sniffled in the classroom and said, “I mean, it's been a while since I played bass, so I need to change the strings...”
Ichikawa had clapped her hands together and replied, “Oh, in that case! Let’s go to the music store together!” That was how this happened.
“Strings cost 4,000 yen...”
“Whoa, you could eat beef bowls about 15 times for that price...”
“Heh, are beef bowls really that cheap?”
The speakers, in order, were Sako, me, and Ichikawa.
“Sako-san, do you already have the bass itself?”
“My pa... my father had a bass he used at home. I used it in middle school, too.”
“Whoa!”
As Ichikawa listened happily, Sako began to explain with a bit of embarrassment. By the way, didn’t she almost say 'Papa' just now?
“My parents are music geeks, and they buy instruments like they’re collectors.”
“If I remember correctly, wasn't that Jazz Bass you used worth about 300,000 yen?”
“Jazzbe?”
Ichikawa tilted her head.
“Jazz Bass. It’s a type of bass. Look, the ones hanging over there. All of those are Jazz Basses.”
I explained while pointing at the Jazz Basses on the wall.
“But we aren’t playing jazz, are we?”
“Jazz Basses are used for things other than jazz, too. I don't know why, though.”
“I think my father said they were originally made for jazz, but people started using them for other genres more and more,” Sako added as she picked up the strings.
“Sigh, what a waste of money...”
“Don’t worry about it, Sako.”
I watched Sako head to the register looking gloomy, and I went to pick out some drumsticks for myself.
After finishing our shopping, we left the store.
There, Ichikawa hopped and raised her hand.
“Thank you both for today! I look forward to working with you, Sako-san! My house is this way, so I’ll be going now.”
Wait, what? Does amane-sama live in Kichijoji?
“Ah, right. Good work.”
Sako accepts things pretty quickly.
“See ya!”
With that, Ichikawa walked off to the left of the store.
“She lives in Kichijoji, huh.”
“Eh, Takuto, you didn’t know?”
“Wait, did you know?”
Asked in a toneless voice, I tilted my head.
“It comes up in her lyrics, right? ‘The famous boat where couples break up if they ride it together / Every time on the way home, I squeeze my hands and pray.’ That’s about Inokashira Park.”
Huh...?
“...Sako, you really do listen to her a lot.”
“...Shut up, die.”
Your words are too harsh, Sako-san.
As we talked and walked toward the right of the store in the direction of the station, there was an ice cream shop nearby.
“Ah— I want ice cream... but I just spent a lot of money, so I can’t...” Sako muttered, and I tried to soothe her.
...To think the day would come again where I’d walk beside her like this.
As I was feeling strangely sentimental, I heard an unfamiliar voice.
“Ah, Sakosh!”
“Oh, if it isn’t Hasu.”
“Ah... Erina, and Kenji.”
There, in front of the ice cream shop, stood a girl with pink-beige hair in fluffy twin-tails eating ice cream, and a boy wearing a flat baseball cap.
I knew the girl with the fluffy twin-tails eating chocolate ice cream. Erina Koumi, the somewhat frivolous class representative from my class.
I didn’t know the guy well, but since he was wearing a flat cap, he was probably from the dance club.
“What are you doing?”
Erina-san was talking to Sako.
The dance club must be off today, so they’re out on the town.
Most students from Musashino International High School hang out in Kichijoji, anyway.
They probably haven’t noticed me.
It would look bad for Sako if people saw her walking with someone like me.
Skill 《Stealth》 activated...!!
I instantly erased my aura and turned into Passerby A.
Just as I tried to walk away pretending to be a stranger...
The bag hanging on my shoulder was pulled back hard.
“!?”
I turned around to see Sako glaring at me.
“Honestly, don't just wander off on your own,” she whispered, leaving me momentarily speechless.
“Oh my, it’s Konuma-kun. I didn’t notice you at all! Oh? Do you and Sakosh have a connection?”
Why does Erina-san know my name?
No, get it together, me.
I’m not Konuma, I’m Onuma.
In other words, Erina-san isn't calling me.
Therefore, I don't need to answer this question.
As I remained silent following that logic...
“Wait, are you ignoring me?! Ouch!! That hurt, that really hurt!”
Erina-san held her chest and put on a show.
“Ah, er, oh, sorry...”
So that ‘Ouch’ was the sound effect for being stabbed by silence.
“What, Hasu, are you friends with this guy? How do you know each other?”
The guy called Kenji spoke to Sako with a half-smirk.
“Just childhood friends,” Sako replied expressionlessly.
Wait, Sako-san, are you still talking like that? You're going to lose friends. It’s okay for me since I don’t have any to begin with, though.
“Childhood friends?! Whoa, that’s so cool! I’m so jealous! Erina doesn’t have any childhood friends!”
“Hmm, is that so. You guys seem like you’re from different species, though,” Kenji spat out.
See, Sako-san, people get mad when you’re with me...
“Oh, that’s right. Konuma-kun, did Yuri give you back your 5 yen?”
“5 yen?”
Asked by Erina-san, I reflexively tilted my head.
“Huh? Yuri sent a LINE saying she forgot to give 5 yen change at her part-time job. But Erina didn’t have Konuma-kun’s contact info.”
“Ah, right.”
So that was the fake reason Azuma used to try and get my LINE. Wow. If I only heard that part, it makes me sound like a super popular guy.
“I received it properly.”
“I see, I see! That’s good then!”
She slapped my shoulder repeatedly with her hand that wasn’t holding ice cream.
Seriously, do these people not realize that these actions are like lethal weapons to guys like me? We introverted, loner high school boys are monsters of self-consciousness who remember a tiny bit of body contact forever.
“Erina, you’re loud. Hasu, let’s go to karaoke after this.”
Kenji-kun (tentative), who had been grumpy for some reason, invited Sako to karaoke.
Wait, are Erina-san and Kenji-kun not dating? Am I in the way of a date?
“Ah, sorry, I have something I have to do at home today.”
Sako unexpectedly turned him down flat.
“Hmm— what is it?”
Erina-san seemed interested and peered into Sako’s face.
“...Instrument practice.”
“Instruments? Are you joining the Rock Club?”
“Yeah, but I'll prioritize the Girls' Dance Club.”
Sako tilted her head by a fraction of a millimeter.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s totally fine! Kenji does it too, right?!”
Oh, he does?
“...Yeah.”
Whoops, it seems his grumpiness level just went up another notch. This guy is constantly in a bad mood.
What, does he hate Sako?
“I mean, Hasu, even when I told you to come watch my band, you said you weren’t interested and never came. Now you’re going to play yourself? So you are interested.”
No, that’s not it. He’s sulking.
“Well, my interest came back, I guess. And that only happened just now...”
“Hmph, well, whatever...”
He doesn't seem like it’s ‘whatever’ at all...
“So, who are you doing the band with?”
To Kenji-san’s question...
“With this guy, and Ichikawa-san.”
“Hey...”
Sako answered way too easily.
I mean, it was bound to happen sooner or later, but...
“Hah...? Can this guy even play an instrument?”
See, Kenji-san is getting angry...
“Takuto can do anything.”
“Ta... Takuto...?”
Ah, sorry, my name is Takuto...
“It’s his name.”
“I can tell that much from listening.”
Kenji-san is becoming incredibly displeased.
Then, Erina-san closed her eyes for just a second before saying,
“Ah, Konuma-kun! I had something to talk to you about regarding the upcoming ball games tournament! Erina is in the same class as Konuma-kun and the class rep, after all! Let’s go to McD's for a bit, McD's!”
“Huh? What?”
Along with a sudden, explanatory line, Erina-san grabbed my arm and started walking.
“Just come with me for a bit.”
She whispered in my ear so the other two couldn’t hear, and I headed toward McD's while stumbling over my own feet.
“Wait, Erina.”
“Hasu, just let them go.”
I could hear the two of them talking behind us.