Chapter 213 – Kita’s Little Secret

Even after the live concert had ended, the buzz around Kessoku Band kept climbing.

December 21st, 22nd.

On Twitter, their name still clung to the trending list, showing no signs of fading.

For Aoki, though, life had—at least for now returned to a fragile calm.

But for one girl, things weren’t nearly as steady…

———————————————————————

December 22nd.

The skies were clear, but the biting cold meant everyone had to bundle up in thick coats.

Kita Ikuyo had been wrestling with her thoughts these past few days.

After the concert, while they were at the livehouse, she had been thinking: Christmas was just around the corner.

And as a girl who had finally sorted out her feelings, Kita decided it was time to act.

Time to create her own chance.

They say if you spend your first Christmas with the person you like, the two of you are destined to become lovers.

Kita wasn’t superstitious.

But… when it came to love, she wasn’t about to take chances.

So—when she had a moment alone with Aoki, she took the leap.

“Kei-senpai, Christmas is coming up… Would you like to go out with me? I want to go to Disneyland. It’s been so long since I last went!”

Kita had made her move. She was fighting for her own happiness.

But—before her plan even got off the ground it was shot down by Kei’s reply, which hit her heart like a cannonball.

“Disneyland… hmm. That might be tough on Christmas. Ryo already asked me to go shopping with her that day—we’re buying a new sound synthesizer. Maybe another time?”

‘Unbelievable!’

So fast! Of course, it had to be Ryo-senpai—her idol and rival.

Was this what war felt like? How cruel!

Kita’s eyes stung with tears.

The thought of not spending Christmas with Kei left her crushed.

Was this… the end of her mission? A failed operation?

No. Kita wasn’t ready to give up.

That afternoon, she arrived early at the livehouse.

She practiced alone for a while until the others trickled in.

Practice hadn’t started yet.

Ryo, Nijika, and Bocchi were chatting.

Kei wasn’t part of the conversation; he sat quietly with a paperback in hand, absorbed in reading.

Kita’s heart thudded.

She was curious about the book, sure—but right now, that wasn’t what mattered.

If she wanted to win in love, she had to attack boldly.

On the battlefield of romance, Ryo-senpai was her enemy.

Kita felt guilty for thinking that.

After all, she already got to see Kei every day at school. She was being greedy.

And Ryo—Ryo hardly ever had one-on-one time with him, right?

But even with the guilt, her resolve hardened.

She had to act.

“Kei-senpai…”

She whispered softly as she edged closer, lowering her voice.

Kei blinked and looked up, confused.

Glancing at the others to make sure they were distracted, Kita swallowed nervously.

“Um… Kei-senpai, I have something to tell you…”

Kei set his book aside and gave her his full attention, waiting.

Kita silently cheered herself on.

“About Christmas… If you’re going out with Ryo-senpai to buy the sound system… could I come along too? I’ve been thinking of getting a new guitar…”

She forced the words out, fighting past the guilt twisting in her chest.

When she looked up, the others had already noticed her whispering to Kei.

But at least—she had said it!

Her heart relaxed a little.

Kei, however, only stared back blankly. He hadn’t caught her words.

“Your voice was too quiet. I didn’t quite hear—what did you just say, Kita?”

A simple, casual question.

But to Kita, it felt like a thunderbolt.

He hadn’t heard?! Did she really have to say it again?

She glanced at the others—Nijika was already watching them curiously, sliding her chair closer to join in.

There was no way she could repeat it now! If Nijika heard, it’d be like laying all of her feelings bare in front of everyone.

Especially after that silly conversation they all had a few days ago about spending your first Christmas with someone you liked.

Maybe she should wait and message him on Line tonight instead…?

Before she could decide, Nijika piped up with her usual cheer:

“Eh? What did you say, Kita-chan?”

She was oblivious to the seriousness of the moment.

“N-no, nothing, Nijika-senpai… If Kei didn’t hear it, then never mind…”

“Ehh? So it’s something you can’t say out loud?” Nijika teased.

But then, a thought struck her—and her voice faltered.

Was Kita… trying to tell Kei something about romance?

Kita froze.

Nijika’s words hit her harder than she expected.

Her guilt flared again, but she shoved it down.

No—she couldn’t keep this a secret.

Taking a deep breath, she screwed her eyes shut and blurted it out:

“I-it’s not something I can’t say! I just… wanted to spend Christmas with Kei-senpai and Ryo-senpai—since I’m getting a new guitar…”

The livehouse went quiet.

Kita could hear her heartbeat pounding.

Ryo, who had been lost in thought about what to eat for dinner, snapped her head up in shock.

Shameless. Utterly shameless!

Nijika, meanwhile, remembered what Kita had said before:

“If you spend your first Christmas with the one you like, you’ll definitely end up together.”

As for Bocchi… she still hadn’t caught on.

The air was thick with unspoken tension—until Kei casually picked his book back up and said:

“Ah, that? Sure, let’s all go together then.”

“Actually, Bocchi, Nijika—are you two free on Christmas? Why don’t you join us too? We can turn it into a celebration.”