Chapter 673 660: I'm Going to Give You a Good Interrogation

"Is this the hotel you booked?"

According to the phone navigation, after arriving at the address provided by Nijika, Asakura looked at the old, run-down little hotel in front of him, turned his head, and looked at the blonde girl in the back seat with an inscrutable look: "...I heard that all the money Hitori earned working at Starry was handed over to you?"

"Don't look at me with that kind of eyes! I didn't embezzle Bocchi-chan and the others' money! But running a band is just really expensive!"

The Doritos chip on top of Nijika's head wobbled endlessly as she mumbled in utter frustration: "Even practicing in Starry's rehearsal room costs money. Besides that, equipment maintenance and care are major expenses. It's a bit better now, but back then there were ticket quotas too, so joint lives and the like didn't make any money at all. Producing our own CDs and merchandise costs a lot of money as well... So when it comes to transportation and lodging fees, we definitely have to save wherever we can."

"I see." Asakura turned around and nodded: "No need to explain. As you know, I trust you very much, Nijika."

Liar.

Nijika made a silent face at Asakura's back.

Then she realized Asakura was looking at her through the rearview mirror and had caught her face-making dead to rights. Her cheeks couldn't help flushing crimson as she pulled Yamada Ryo—who was still muttering in her sleep, 'That grass isn't edible...' 'Mushrooms? Why mushrooms?'—and got off the car.

As it turned out, Nijika was actually pretty reliable.

Although the hotel looked from the outside like it could turn into a horror movie set at any moment, the inside felt decent enough; at least it was cleaned properly.

Having sat in the car for most of the day, the sky had long turned pitch black. Moreover, in a sense, maintaining a single posture in a car seat for nearly four-plus hours could hardly be called rest—if anything, it was close to a form of torture. Thus, the members of Kessoku Band couldn't wait to go rest.

Only Nijika, after finishing the check-in procedures, asked Asakura with some concern: "Then what about Asakura-kun and Kawaragi-san? Are you staying here too?"

"Although I wanted to stay in a slightly more luxurious hotel, since Hitori is staying here, I'll stay for a night too then." Asakura spread his hands.

"Then can I stay in a luxury hotel?" Momoka raised her hand and asked without any psychological burden.

"Of course you can," Asakura answered, and just as she made a 'Hooray!' gesture, he added: "But for any hotel other than this one, I won't reimburse the accommodation fees."

And so Momoka instantly withered: "Then I'll stay in this one too."

"...I say, the salary at Rabbit House isn't low, right? And it includes room and board... Where on earth did you spend all your money?" Asakura asked, looking at her somewhat speechlessly.

"Every time after I finish drinking... the money on me vanishes into thin air... and strange things appear in my room, like super expensive mineral water and the like..."

Momoka stared blankly up at the dirty ceiling with void-like eyes.

At any rate, everyone temporarily checked into the small hotel—

"No, wait a second for me," Asakura interrupted the narrator who was about to transition scenes: "Why aren't Hitori and I staying in the same room?"

"Because I've already booked the rooms." Nijika answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I'll pay extra to book a double room." Asakura said decisively.

"There's a live show tomorrow! Please don't add unnecessary mental and physical burden to our band's guitarist." Nijika blushed and refused to back down: "Besides, Hitori is still just a student. Don't you think living directly together is a bit too fast, Asakura-kun?"

Sorry, already devoured completely.

Asakura's expression showed neither joy nor sorrow, not letting the band's mother figure detect a single thing amiss.

At any rate, everyone temporarily moved into the small hotel.

Late at night, feeling a bit hungry, Asakura went out to forage for food.

Shops in Japan close fairly early. If you want to resupply at night, you can only go to 24-hour convenience stores or vending machines in various corners.

However, just as he walked out of the room, he received information from the snakes keeping watch—ever since discovering that this world was not all that peaceful, whenever he went to an unfamiliar place, he would always place one or two snakes in ventilation ducts or sewers as lookouts just in case.

The hotel hallway was very narrow.

The wall plaster was peeling off a bit, and the light bulb emitted a dim yellow light, flickering as if it might go out at any moment.

The night was already deep, and there was almost no sound in the whole building, except for the occasional 'click' of the vending machine downstairs.

Asakura pushed open the door to the rooftop.

"Creak——"

The door hinge made a somewhat grating sound, and the cool summer night wind rushed in all at once, washing away the stuffy, hot air inside the hallway.

The rooftop was not large, surrounded by rusty iron railings at the edge, with some cracks in the concrete floor. In the distance was the night view of Sendai—lights scattered about, not particularly prosperous, but very quiet.

Hitori was curled up by the railing.

Her shoulders were hunched, as if afraid of being blown away by the wind. Her long pink hair was gently lifted by the night wind, then quietly settled back down.

If not for the girl's teary-eyed appearance, it would actually be quite a beautiful scene.

"Kuma-kun..." Snot and tears were about to fall from Hitori's face: "Waaah..."

"'Felt a bit hot so came out to catch the breeze'... Well, it really is a bit unbearable without even an air conditioner."

"Ah-waaah, ah-waaah..."

"'Then the door suddenly shut and couldn't be opened'? The hinge of this door isn't quite normal; you do have to be careful."

"Ugh-eeee-oof..."

"'Scared of being locked on the rooftop all night, catching a cold and missing tomorrow's live'? It's okay, haven't I come now?"

"Why did Kuma-kun know I was here?" The girl sniffled and asked.

"Our minds are connected as one!" Asakura said loudly and solemnly.

Because this solemn and deadpan demeanor combined with his pajamas fluttering in the cool summer night wind looked strangely comical, the girl couldn't help bursting into laughter, blowing a snot bubble in the process.

"Kuma-kun is really amazing... If only I could be as amazing as you." The girl mumbled softly.

Asakura walked over to her side, not standing too close, nor too far—just at the distance where he could hear her clearly without making her nervous.

From time to time downstairs came the distant sound of cars, which then faded away with the Doppler effect, leaving the air quiet once more, with only the erratic gusts of the night wind.

After a while.

"If you have something on your mind, you can tell me." Asakura said: "Although it's probably 80% useless... After all, Hitori, most of what you think about is just worrying over nothing and wildly consuming yourself with anxiety... but speaking it out always makes yourself feel a bit better."

"...Kuma-kun is always able to speak so bluntly."

"Mm."

"I... actually feel a bit... unreal..."

She looked ahead with lifeless eyes, her voice somewhat intermittent, "Like... suddenly being thrown to... somewhere else... Yesterday still at Starry... Today already in Sendai..."

"And... still... have to perform."

"I thought you were already used to it." Asakura said: "After all, you've performed at Starry many times."

"Lately... everyone toward me... seems to have become... full of expectations... Sometimes... they even call my name..."

"Mango Kamen?"

"It's Bocchi!"

"Neither of those is a name, right?"

"Kuma-kun... you're so mean."

"Haven't you already experienced me being even meaner?"

"Ah-Wahhh..."

"'I want to experience even more', is that it?"

"I-I didn't say that at all!"

"I know." Asakura grinned at her, "That was me talking."

"...Even though I've already let Kuma-kun... see a part of me... completely bare..."

"How could appreciating something wonderful just once or twice ever be enough?"

"...If it weren't used in this kind of context... Kuma-kun's sentence would sound pretty normal."

"So you don't like it when people call you by your name?" Asakura asked.

Hitori froze for a moment, only then realizing the topic had returned to the main track.

"Everyone says... I'm super amazing... and things like that..."

Her shoulders shuddered slightly: "But... that isn't me..."

Asakura turned his head slightly to look at her.

"That's only... because..."

She bit her lip, her voice dropping even lower, "Because... magic..."

"It's a curse," Asakura corrected.

The girl's cheeks puffed out slightly: Is a mistake on a minor detail like that really worth arguing over?

"Without that... I'm just... a useless person who can't do anything right..."

She said softly: "I can't even tell magic and a curse apart..."

"Although you might have misunderstood something," Asakura said: "After Kita joined, didn't your role in Kessoku Band become that of a normal guitarist?"

"...Mm. Though because of that, a lot of the audience members were pretty disappointed..."

She said in a low voice: "In the beginning, some of my old fans even hurled pretty harsh abuse online. During that period, Nijika and the others wouldn't let me look at the comment section of the live shows posted on the internet."

Good job, Ichiji (younger sister). Asakura gave a mental thumbs-up.

Otherwise, Hitori's heart and determination might have shattered long ago.

"But that's actually for the best," Asakura said seriously: "Because 'Guitar Hero' isn't some external power—it's a part of you, a skill you mastered through endless practice."

"...I thought getting good reviews was also because of magic... ah, the power of the curse."

"No such thing... Although I do think the curse is part of your strength... What the curse [Song] can magnify is only your singing voice." Asakura said, "If anything, you've been practicing the guitar since way back, haven't you? You should have a bit more confidence in yourself."

Hitori looked down at her hands.

Her fingers, carrying the calluses unique to a guitarist, curled inwards slightly.

"But back when I played together with Nijika and the others for the very first time... it turned out to be a total disaster... my confidence went boro-boro (completely tattered)..."

Her voice carried a hint of a helpless, feeble smile.

"It's normal to be nervous the first time; after doing it a few more times, you'll get slick."

"...Are Kuma-kun and I talking about the same thing?"

"It's also normal to be nervous performing out of town for the first time." Asakura ignored the girl's somewhat strange look and continued with a clear conscience, "It's normal to feel like you don't deserve to stand up there too. But you can actually relax a bit more and think about what comes after..."

"...After?"

She looked up at him.

"Hitori, because of your nervousness, you mess everything up. You get tripped by the speaker cable, break your guitar, rip your stage outfit, and the show ends up with a white-and-blue bowl view and a total chaotic mess." Asakura said.

"Ababababa..."

Just hearing this much made Hitori shiver all over, as if she had personally witnessed that tragic scene with her own eyes.

She clutched her head in her hands.

"And then? Would I give up on you just because Hitori messed up a single show?" Asakura asked at an unhurried pace.

"Eh, wouldn't you?"

She poked her head out and actually asked back very seriously.

"..."

Asakura was amused to the point of laughter by her reaction.

"Ah-Wahhh... don't pinch my nose."

"In Hitori's heart, was our relationship really that fragile? Then I'll have to give you a good chiseling... ah wait, give you a good interrogation!"

"Neither of those options sounds any better! If anything, interrogation sounds even scarier!"

"Kukuku, tasty little cake—wait no, Hitori, cooperate a bit and act a little more scared, will you?"

"...If it can make Kuma-kun happy... it feels like no matter what happens, it's fine... A-Anyhow!" With her eyes shut tightly and looking completely ready to accept whatever came her way, Hitori's small face flushed crimson. As if gathering every ounce of courage in her life, she used the bravest attitude to produce the softest, most timid voice, whispering super quietly: "Anyhow... we are already... boyfriend and girlfriend... aren't we?!"

"Hitori, cute."

"Ah-wahhh..."

"Hitori, let's get married!"

"I-Isn't that a bit too early... At least wait until graduation..."

"Can't wait. How about we start the interrogation right today then!"

"The punishment got moved forward?!"

With a loud 'bang'.

The door to the rooftop was thrown open heavily from the inside.

"You're being too loud!" With her face flushed red, Nijika walked over furiously and yanked Hitori away: "The soundproofing in this hotel is super poor, think about other people for once! And I already said there's a live performance tomorrow, so tone it down a bit for me!"

"Ah~reee~" Gotō Hitori was dragged away tearfully.

Asakura didn't stop her.

After all, he wasn't interested in broadcasting live to the entire building either, and Hitori indeed needed a better state of mind to face tomorrow's performance.

However, before Nijika left the rooftop, Asakura called out loudly to her: "Nijika."

"What?"

"If Hitori messes up tomorrow's performance, will you blame her?"

"Of course I will."

"..." Hitori's expression withered instantly: "A-As expected... I really am..."

"After all, reflection meetings are part of a live show too. If we fail this time, we just make up for it next time." Nijika continued: "A guitarist as incredible as Bocchi-chan—there's no way I'm letting her go."

"Thank you, Nijika!"

"Why is Asakura-kun thanking me?"

"Guh-Wahhh... Thank you... Nijika-senpai..."

"Waaaaah! Bocchi-chan, don't hug me like that either! Your snot and tears are all wiped on my clothes now!"