Chapter 180 — A Subtle Discomfort, and the Sour Tang of New Growth

When it came to radio appearances, Aoki honestly wasn’t very interested.

The last time he took part in one was still fresh in his memory, and it wasn’t an experience he was eager to repeat.

But whether Kessoku Band should take part in a broadcast or do promotional work wasn’t a decision he could make alone.

So when Fujita raised the question, Aoki thought for a moment before replying that he’d need to discuss it with the others first before making a decision.

That was why, at around five o’clock that afternoon, instead of enjoying the break he’d planned after finishing business talks.

He headed to STARRY once more—this time to meet his bandmates after they were done with school.

The train ride was a bumpy lull.

November had brought winter with it, and the days were already growing short.

Through the train window, neon lights spilled across the city.

Aoki had always liked the night view.

He remembered, back when he had first arrived in Tokyo, sitting in a train just like this and gazing out at the same dazzling cityscape.

Back then, his thoughts had been simple but determined:

‘One day, I’ll change my future here in this city.’

Looking at it now… he supposed he already had.

A year ago, no matter how hard he tried, he never would have imagined his life turning out this way.

He hadn’t changed his fate through grades or exams—instead, he’d chosen a path he had never touched before.

His circle of friends had grown, his life had shifted…

All in all, things were heading in a better direction.

Well… aside from the tangle of personal relationships forming around him, and certain feelings from certain girls that he didn’t know how to respond to.

[Next stop, Hachimanyama Station. Hachimanyama Station.]

The announcer’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

He got off, left the platform, and walked down the street for five minutes.

On the way, he stopped briefly to oblige a fan’s request for a photo.

STARRY wasn’t open yet at this hour.

Standing outside the door, he knocked twice before pushing it open.

Behind the counter, Manager Seika looked up, saw it was him, and simply gave a nod without further comment.

After greeting her, Aoki glanced around the room.

As expected, the four girls were already there having finished school early and come straight to STARRY.

From the corner of the store, Kita Ikuyo spotted him and lit up, waving him over enthusiastically.

He walked over, pulled up a stool, and sat down.

Before he could even catch his breath, Kita was already leaning forward, eyes sparkling.

“Good afternoon, Kei-senpai! You weren’t at school today—something new going on?”

“Ah… yeah.” He gave her a small nod and decided to ride the flow of the question.

“This morning, I had some free time, so I went to KL Corp to discuss our collaboration. It’s official now—‘I Once Thought About Ending It All’ will be the theme song for their short film.”

A quick bit of good news.

“Whoa! That’s gonna make us so much more popular!” Kita clapped her hands together, making a cheerful pachi pachi sound.

“Congrats. …So, what about the payment?” Yamada Ryo’s first thought, naturally, was the money.

Aoki shot her a faintly exasperated look before explaining the details of the contract.

The reaction was instant.

Two million yen in base pay, plus six percent royalties.

The number stunned them. KL Corp’s offer was absurdly generous.

Sure, Japan’s entertainment industry generally paid musicians and bands well for collaborations, but Kessoku Band had only been around for less than a year.

In most cases, especially given Japan’s deep-rooted seniority culture, a newly debuted band would be expected to accept less than the standard rate something practically taken for granted.

But here… not only was KL Corp not offering less, they were paying more..far more than what many already-established bands or independent artists received.

Given that, their shock was understandable.

For Aoki, though, the news came with a different feeling of headache.

He hadn’t realized before, but now that he did, it was clear.

The message from KL Corp was obvious.

A friendly gesture, yes—but also an invitation for deeper cooperation.

And it wasn’t just about being nice.

Most major companies had their eyes on Kessoku Band right now.

By offering such a generous deal, KL Corp wasn’t just extending a hand—they were effectively taking on part of the pressure from other corporate players and making their stance clear: We’re on Kessoku Band’s side.

And a simple friendly gesture was one thing.

A “burn-the-ships” kind of gesture… was something else entirely.

First, KL Corp’s approach carried a clear message—it felt like they were tying Kessoku Band to them with a rope.

Second…

The bigger the favor, the greater the debt. If KL Corp ever needed the band’s help down the road…

The more Aoki thought about it, the more it made his head hurt.

After a moment, he decided to stop.

No matter how you looked at it, even if you exaggerated it to the heavens, KL Corp was still just… an animation studio.

For now, he’d put that aside.

That left the matter of the radio invitation.

He paused in thought.

Ryo’s expression was unreadable as she silently looked at him.

Kita’s eyes blinked brightly in his direction.

Bocchi, meanwhile, seemed lost in the idea of that massive payment, still not quite back on earth.

As for Nijika…

She had her head slightly bowed, clearly caught up in her own thoughts.

Aoki decided not to read into it, stopped himself from mixing his own emotions into the moment, and simply spoke.

“Putting payment aside for now—the invitation from KL Corp is about the same as the one for ‘Fireworks’ before. One radio appearance, one live performance. They’ll pay an appearance fee, and it’s good exposure. What do you think? Interested?”

His eyes moved from one girl to the next.

There was a moment of silence.

Then, after what seemed like quick deliberation, Ryo spoke first.

“I don’t really care either way. But if it’s good for our exposure and they’re paying, we should probably do it.”

Bocchi hesitated for a beat before nodding firmly.

“I—I’m fine with it too! I… I can handle that kind of situation now!”

Two voices answered, and the air grew still again.

After a few seconds, Kita spoke up, her tone tinged with hesitation.

“I’m fine with it too… but, Kei-senpai, what about you?”

She glanced at Ryo beside her, then added with a curious look,

“If they ask weird questions again like about dating within the band—you’d still have trouble answering, right?”

Aoki blinked.

So did Ryo, though she shifted her gaze between Kita and him with a faint spark of interest in her eyes.

Bocchi didn’t quite follow.

From her perspective, it seemed like one of those things you could just… explain clearly.

Nijika, though—

The question snapped her out of her daze.

She looked up at Kei, as if waiting for his answer.

“…”

After a few seconds of silence, he sighed.

Looking at Kita, his expression said ‘How exactly am I supposed to answer that?’

“It’s not like every radio show is entertainment-focused. We’re not going to get that kind of question every single time. And even if it gets awkward… we can still find a way to get through it.”

“Staying cool under fire is a very commander-like move,” Ryo deadpanned, giving him a thumbs-up. Kei shot her an unimpressed look.

Kita drew out an “Ohhh,” her expression saying guess you can bluff your way through it, while privately thinking, Honestly, you could just say you’re dating me on air and I’d be fine with it.

Bocchi didn’t say anything.

Nijika, on the other hand—

She looked from Kei to Kita and Ryo.

She wanted to echo their agreement, to say she was fine with it too.

But when she opened her mouth, she realized… she didn’t know what to say anymore.

The feeling inside her was becoming painfully clear.

That sour ache in her chest from yesterday—it was sharper now.

The more she understood her own heart, the more hesitant she became, unsure of how to face it.

That faint, almost unnoticeable ache like the tender sprout of something new—was small, but it was putting down roots deep inside her.

“Nijika? Nijika? What do you think? About the radio?”

Kei’s voice broke through her thoughts.

She looked up, meeting his gaze.

For a moment she froze—

Then, after a few seconds, she finally answered.

“Ah… yeah, I—I’m fine with it, Aoki-senpai.”