No one would notice.
No one would care.
Confident and strong.
That's who she was—the great and unshakable lead guitarist and vocalist of SIDEROS, Yoyoko Ohtsuki.
Exactly!
The idea that she'd be shaken by yesterday's open-air performance and came here to spy on Kessoku Band was utterly ridiculous!
She was Yoyoko Ohtsuki, remember?
The lead vocalist and guitarist of SIDEROS, a hugely popular up-and-coming metal band with over 10,000 followers on Twitter!
There's no way she'd waste her precious practice time to come observe some small-time Kessoku Band—right?
"Are you here to see that band perform today?"
"Ah, K-Kessoku Band."
Wearing casual clothes, Yoyoko Ohtsuki replied stiffly to the dark-haired ticket attendant.
And yet—here she was.
Staring at the ticket in her hand, her lips twitched.
"Well... I'm here already! It's not like I think Kessoku Band's that great, or that this Minami Shouji guy is all that impressive. But since I came, no harm in just taking a peek! That's right!"
Her disguise was flawless. Even if someone saw her, there's no way they'd recognize her as SIDEROS' lead guitarist and vocalist.
With her confidence back, she stepped boldly into Live House Starry.
Then—
"Eh...? Yoyoko-chan?"
"Wha?!"
The moment she stepped inside, without even a chance to look around, she heard the last voice she wanted to hear.
A purple-haired older woman bounded toward her.
It was Kikuri Hiroi, the very woman she'd been obsessing over for days.
Why now?! Why now of all times is Kikuri here?!
Yoyoko almost choked.
After all that work overcoming her own tsundere awkwardness, the very first person she runs into is the one she absolutely didn't want to see!
"It's Yoyoko-chan, right? I knew it!"
Wrapped in a scarf, Kikuri Hiroi cheerfully approached.
"N-No... I think you've got the wrong person..."
Yoyoko, in full disguise and makeup, still tried to deny it.
"Huh? Why won't you admit it, Yoyoko-chan? Don't tell me you're a fan of Kessoku Band too?"
"I am NOT!"
Being misunderstood by her beloved Kikuri-senpai was the most unbearable thing for Yoyoko.
She didn't care about blowing her cover; she had to explain herself—now!
"I just happened to see one of their members' outdoor performances yesterday, and it really shook me. I couldn't sleep, kept thinking about it, so I came over to check it out. Please don't misunderstand, Kikuri-senpai!"
"That's a hardcore fan right there!"
"No it's not! I'm not a fan!"
Face beet red, Yoyoko defended herself.
She just really liked that boy's music from the outdoor show—nothing more.
So why did Kikuri-senpai have to call her a fan?!
As she fretted—
A figure approached.
A handsome young man with tousled hair, calm eyes like a tranquil autumn lake.
He was too familiar.
At a glance, Yoyoko immediately recognized him from yesterday's video.
Caught completely off guard, her mind blanked for a moment. Then, as if on instinct, she pulled a signature board from her bag and thrust it in front of the dark-haired boy.
"Please, give me your autograph!"
"Huh?"
Startled, Minami Shouji leaned back slightly as the autograph board was pushed toward him.
He had just come over to tell Kikuri Hiroi to quiet down.
Instead, he found himself with a signature board in his face.
A little confused, he took it anyway.
"Are you a fan of Kessoku Band?"
Gulp—
Damn it!
Why did I pull out the autograph board on reflex?!
She had originally planned to casually ask for a signature and play it cool!
Now Yoyoko Ohtsuki was stuck, internally cursing her own impulsive move.
Hearing Minami Shouji's words, she didn't know how to respond.
If Kikuri Hiroi hadn't been standing right there, she could've easily asked for an autograph under the guise of a fan with no pressure.
But now...
"I-I'm not a fan of Kessoku Band! I just wanted an autograph, that's all!"
"..." Minami Shouji.
Her textbook tsundere response made Minami glance over at Kikuri Hiroi.
The look in his eyes said it all:
'This is your friend—deal with it.'
"Uhh—"
Feeling the pressure of that stare, Kikuri Hiroi sheepishly took two steps back and quickly raised her hands in protest:
"N-no, it's not like that! I really do get along well with this girl... but she came here on her own today. Her name is Yoyoko Ohtsuki."
"...Alright."
One glance at Kikuri's flustered face and Minami could tell she wasn't lying.
So he didn't press further and turned to introduce himself:
"Nice to meet you, Ohtsuki-san. I'm Minami Shouji."
Then he continued:
"You wanted an autograph from Kessoku Band, right? I'll pass this board to them and get it signed for you."
He accepted the board, thinking that was the end of it.
However—
As he took the autograph board, Yoyoko Ohtsuki stared at him with a puzzled look, like something didn't add up.
This confused Minami.
His words had been totally normal, right? Why was she looking at him like that?
Seriously... anyone associated with the drink-happy Kikuri Hiroi probably wasn't going to be easy to deal with.
"Is there something else, Ohtsuki-san?"
"No... um... aren't you a member of Kessoku Band?"
She was genuinely confused.
She'd discovered him through Kessoku Band's YouTube channel and knew how skilled he was on the guitar.
But his earlier phrasing made it sound like he wasn't part of the band, which seemed odd.
"Ah, I see."
Realizing the mix-up, Minami smiled and explained:
"I guess Kikuri-senpai didn't mention it. I'm not an official member of Kessoku Band. I'm just their support member."
"Just a support member, and you're that good?!"
Her voice jumped an octave.
Unlike Minami's calm demeanor, Yoyoko Ohtsuki's crimson eyes went wide.
She hadn't expected that.
A support member was like a backup—not an official bandmate, just someone who helped during performances when needed.
But she'd heard him play yesterday. His skill level alone was worthy of any band's main lineup.
And yet in Kessoku Band, he was only support?
Then what about the rest of the band's skill level?
Terrifying.
At first, Yoyoko had only been interested in Minami Shouji. The band as a whole didn't concern her.
Now? She felt real pressure.
She never imagined that Live House Starry in Shimokitazawa was hiding such a monstrously skilled band.
"I definitely need to see them in action..."
She removed her glasses—the ones she used for disguising during makeup—and got serious.
Judging from the info she'd picked up, Kessoku Band could easily be a rival for SIDEROS down the line.
Now she was intrigued.
Minami turned to Kikuri Hiroi, suspicious:
"What's going on here?"
"Ahaha... I think her competitive spirit kicked in. That's just how Yoyoko-chan is."
Kikuri chuckled.
Thanks to quitting alcohol recently, and with Minami's nutritious meals, her complexion was rosier and healthier than before.
"Competitive spirit?"
Minami glanced again at Yoyoko Ohtsuki, who was looking determined now.
Then it clicked.
He recognized her face after the glasses came off.
The lead vocalist and guitarist of SIDEROS.
Even though he hadn't read the later parts of the Bocchi the Rock! manga, with Kessoku Band preparing for the 10-Generation Music Festival, he'd researched well-known youth bands in Tokyo.
Yoyoko Ohtsuki's band, SIDEROS, was one of the top names on that list.
A rapidly rising star among indie bands this year, SIDEROS had built a strong following in Shinjuku, racking up over 10,000 online followers in no time, and was fully capable of holding independent live shows.
Likewise—
They were considered one of the strongest contenders in the upcoming 10-Generation Music Festival.
If Kessoku Band wanted to take the crown—
Then SIDEROS, a metal rock band, would be a major hurdle they simply couldn't avoid.
Are they seeing Kessoku Band as a rival now...?
Minami Shouji rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Then, he noticed the previously composed Yoyoko Ohtsuki suddenly turn her head, her face blushing as she looked at him.
"Um..."
"Hm?"
"Could I... maybe trouble you to sign this first?"
She pointed at the autograph board in his hand, her voice tinged with shyness.
"You want... my autograph?"
Minami looked puzzled.
"Yeah."
Yoyoko nodded earnestly.
"Here."
It wasn't a big ask, and for Minami, it was no trouble at all.
With neat, clean handwriting, he signed the board and handed it back to her.
"Thanks... um... Minami-san, I really like your playing style."
Receiving the board, Yoyoko Ohtsuki spoke from the heart.
"Ah, thank you. I appreciate that."
Minami smiled in return.
He had a good guess why she came all the way here.
Probably because of those outdoor performance videos on YouTube.
No wonder she'd mistaken him for a core member of Kessoku Band.
But... oh well.
He looked toward the stage, where Kessoku Band was about to start their set.
He figured he'd clarify things after the show.
Meanwhile, Yoyoko noticed the performance was about to begin.
She tucked the signed board into her shoulder bag like a precious treasure, then looked up at the stage.
While she had mostly come for Minami Shouji's autograph, it was a little disappointing not to see him perform.
Still, getting to see the band that didn't even "need" someone of Minami's caliber? That alone made the trip worth it.
Holding her breath, she looked up and focused completely on Kessoku Band's live performance.
And then—
"Eh?"
Yoyoko stared in disbelief at Kessoku Band, who were now bowing on stage, her pale-pink lips slightly parted.
Her shocked expression wasn't because the band exceeded expectations—
It wasn't that the performance was too good.
Instead—
"This is just... okay?"
She blurted out, face full of confusion.
Yoyoko Ohtsuki had assumed that Kessoku Band, who didn't "need" Minami Shouji as a full-time member, must be on another level—something deep and unfathomable.
But after actually hearing them play...
She realized she'd been way off the mark.
Kessoku Band's performance...
It wasn't bad.
But it wasn't amazing either.
It was decent, had its highlights, but didn't remotely compare to the feeling she'd gotten from Minami Shouji's outdoor performance.
They felt like a band still finding its footing—developing, but not quite there yet.
It was far from the "unfathomable" or "perfect performance" she had expected.
Just then, the members of Kessoku Band finished packing up their equipment and stepped off the stage.
Still in a state of confusion, Yoyoko Ohtsuki finally spoke up:
"Hey, are you guys seriously kidding me right now?"
"Huh?"
The girls, who had just come down from the stage, looked confused as they faced Yoyoko, who had suddenly appeared before them.
"What's with the 'huh'?"
Yoyoko really couldn't comprehend it.
She stared at the members of Kessoku Band, unable to hold back any longer:
"Why on earth are you guys not using such a powerful support member?!"
She pointed directly at Minami Shouji, standing off to the side, her voice full of disbelief:
"If you just used Minami-san, Kessoku Band's strength would obviously reach a whole new level, right?!"