InsomniaWL

Chapter 47: Wild Thoughts and the Test Results

“That song… I originally sang it for Ijichi-san.”

Those words were impossible to ignore.

After hearing them, Nijika found herself at a loss for words—unsure of what to say, or even what to think.

Even as Aoki Kei turned and walked out of STARRY, she still hadn’t come back to her senses.

It wasn’t until her older sister nudged her and said, “Hey, snap out of it,” that Nijika finally returned to reality.

Her face still flushed red, she forced hersel...

Chapter 46: Aoki Kei Offers a Serious Explanation

Although it might be a bit inappropriate given her age and professional role, Hiratsuka Shizuka had, in fact, seen "Gushing Over Magical Girls."

Let’s put the anime aside for now.

After getting thoroughly scolded by Hiratsuka-sensei and being ordered to rewrite his essay, Aoki Kei finally left the staff room.

As mentioned during his time at the Service Club, there was about one week left until the exam he’d bet on with Yukinoshita Yukino.

Then, roughly a m...

Chapter 45: The Service Club's Battle Began From the Very Start

Aoki Kei couldn't help but feel wronged under the heavy, resentful glare from Hikigaya Hachiman.

Turning toward Hiratsuka-sensei, he gave her a puzzled look.

After declaring, "Aoki, you're in charge of escorting Hikigaya," she paused.

Noticing his confusion, Hiratsuka continued with an explanation.

"This brat has no respect for me whatsoever. I assigned the class an essay titled Reflecting on High School Life, and do you know what he turned in?"

She paus...

Chapter 44: Love Detective Squad: Episode 1!

In Tokyo, around 9 PM.

Nijika lay on her bed, wide awake and feeling just a little bored. With nothing better to do, she idly scrolled through her phone.

For who-knows-what time now, she tapped once again on that PV from the vinyl record label about a rock band project, letting it play while she stared at the screen in a daze.

The video was halfway through when her phone suddenly buzzed.

A message.

She opened LINE to see two new messages from Kit...

Chapter 43: Misunderstandings, Heading Home, and the Love Detective

Yamada Ryo considered her relationship with Aoki Kei to be… well, pretty decent.

In Japan, only people who are close use first names or nicknames.

So the nickname “Suki-san”—taken from the “Kei” (介) in Aoki Kei’s name was kind of a big deal.

If Aoki Kei ever asked if he could call her “Ryo,” she probably wouldn’t say no.

But suddenly calling out her name in the middle of a crowded street like that...

To be honest, it felt a little awkward, e...

Chapter 42: Rikka, Save Me!

The so-called “life consultation” ended up being more like a one-sided roast session where Hiratsuka-sensei got emotionally wrecked.

After that… the whole week passed by without incident.

Kei went to school and came home like usual.

He also kept up his band training at the live house.

On a side note, thanks to the song “So I Gave Up on Music” going viral again on Yutube, [STARRY] saw a surge in popularity too.

Plenty of curious...

Chapter 41: A Little Talk About Life

Calling it a “life ta;l” felt a bit too formal.

But the problem was, Hiratsuka-sensei didn’t look like she was joking.

Aoki Kei couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d done something wrong—something bad enough for her to come at him with this kind of serious energy.

He mentally reviewed everything he’d done since enrolling at Shuuka Private High School.

Aside from some minor disagreements with Yukinoshita Yukino, he was sure he hadn’t caused any real troub...

Chapter 40: Uploading Music and a Life Talk

As promised to Nijika, Aoki Kei planned to re-record the song “So I Gave Up on Music”—the one he performed on stage at STARRY—and upload it to YouTube in the next few days.

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Sunday.

Unlike Saturday, he woke up much earlier.

With nothing better to do in the morning, he went for a few laps around the park.

On the way back, he rewarded himself w...

Chapter 39: As Long As Everything’s Fine

Around 8 p.m.

In the small 1R apartment he rented, the wooden table had been pushed aside, and a neatly laid futon now sat next to it.

Aoki Kei stood in front of the room’s only window, his gaze resting on the night sky outside.

Even at night, the city lights never truly dimmed.

The city lights still flickered in the distance, and even though his apartment was in a so-called “slum district,” the surrounding buildings were brightly lit.

As a result, not a si...

Chapter 38: Nijika and the Orange Soda

After Aoki Kei’s performance, another band took the stage.

But because his set had left such a powerful impression, the atmosphere didn’t quite pick up again.

Once the second band finished, STARRY began ushering people out and preparing to close for the night.

Unlike their usual routine, the girls didn’t stick around to practice afterward.

One by one, they headed home.

Still, the mood wasn’t as heavy as it had been right after the live show.

Even Bo...

Chapter 37: So I Gave Up on Music

After a quick conversation with manager Ijichi Seika about performing a solo piece on stage, Aoki Kei’s request was granted.

His skills spoke for themselves, and since there was still a slot open, the manager—though hesitant—agreed.

And so, just a few minutes later, Aoki Kei stepped onto the stage with his guitar in hand.

The stage, which was spacious enough to accommodate an entire band, felt almost too wide now that it was just him standing there alone.

There w...

Chapter 36: Expressing Through Song and Music

Even in early June, the rain still carried a chill—when it landed on your skin, you could feel its cold bite.

It was Saturday, the sky was overcast, and the temperature outside hovered around 20°C.

Because it was the weekend, Aoki Kei didn’t wake up particularly early.

He stirred around 9 a.m., and since it was already late, he skipped breakfast.

After a quick wash and tidying up his small rental apartment, he settled in to read the novel he’d been working throu...

Chapter 35: Things About the Band (with Secrets)

After school that afternoon, Kita Ikuyo headed alone to STARRY in Shimokitazawa.
Other than Nijika, the rest of the band hadn’t arrived yet.

After a moment’s hesitation, Ikuyo decided to share with Nijika what she had found out at lunch from Hikigaya Hachiman—about Aoki Kei.

Nijika fell silent upon hearing the news.

After a long pause, she finally spoke with a conflicted expression:

“Since Aoki-senpai doesn't want the band to know... Ikuyo-chan, maybe for no...

Chapter 34: A Band Full of Secrets

Kessoku Band passed the audition, and their performance was tentatively scheduled for next Saturday—one week from now.

Before the live show, though, each band member had to sell five tickets.

Since Aoki Kei had no intention of performing on stage, this requirement didn’t apply to him.

The weekend passed by in a flash.

The new week brought dreary weather.

Clouds hung low over the sky almost constantly.

Monday was uneventful.

Aoki Kei focused on his...

Chapter 33: As Expected, the Screening Result

Let’s set aside Kita Ikuyo’s little “romance detective” game for now.

As for the Kessoku Band’s ensemble practice…

Nijika had arrived early to start rehearsing at the store.

After Aoki Kei and the others showed up, they practiced for a while, and around 2:30 PM, Bocchi-chan finally arrived, fashionably late as usual.

Just like they had discussed earlier, after a bit of group practice, Aoki Kei performed a solo of "Lemon".

For Nijika, Ryo, and...

Chapter 32: Love Detective

“‘Lemon’... the original version?” Kita Ikuyo blinked, momentarily confused.

Yamada Ryo nodded beside her.

“Yeah. The composition and lyrics were all written by Suki-san.”

“Huh?” Kita’s eyes widened with disbelief.

The original creator of that song was right next to her? That felt way too surreal.

After all, Lemon wasn’t just popular—it had exploded across the internet within two weeks of its release.

It wasn...

Chapter 31: A Date? A DATE?!

“!”

Kita Ikuyo froze the moment she heard Yamada Ryo confirm it.

After quickly turning back to her friends and saying, “Sorry, something came up. You guys go ahead without me,” she briskly walked…..more like jogged over to the two of them.

“A-Are you guys really dating already?! H-How long has it been?” she asked, glancing between Yamada Ryo and Aoki Kei.

Aoki Kei, a line of exhaustion visibly twitching on his face, shot a glare at the true culprit—Yama...

Chapter 30: A… Date?!

The next day—weekend.

Aoki Kei woke up early. With not much else to do, he picked up the book “100 Essential English Phrases for Daily Use” and began reviewing.

Thanks to provoking Yukinoshita Yukino the previous day, he had received a reward from the system: the [Language Learning Aptitude].

Since gaining this skill, reading the phrasebook had become significantly easier.

With his learning pace now accelerated, Kei decided it was time to move forward wi...

Chapter 29: A Promise for Tomorrow and Plans Put in Motion

Thanks to Yukinoshita Yukino’s provocation, Aoki Kei readily accepted the wager she proposed.

The terms were simple: whoever ranked higher in the next school exam would be declared the winner.

If Yukino lost, she would have to offer a proper, formal apology.

Kei didn’t really care about the apology itself, nor whether it was formal.

What mattered to him was dignity.

Having something you’ve put your heart and soul into dismissed by others—no one with a shr...

Chapter 28: When It Comes to the Top Student, It’s a Bet

As Aoki Kei’s words hung in the air, Yukinoshita Yukino stared at him one part confused, two parts shocked, and three parts stunned. Unlike

As Aoki Kei’s words hung in the air, Yukinoshita Yukino stared at him one part confused, two parts shocked, and three parts stunned.

Unlike before, the system's response was instant.

Just as his final word landed, a crisp notification chimed in his ear:

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Chapter 27: Mercy Is the Last Thing You Need for an Enemy!

“Hey... Aoki,” Hachiman Hikigaya hesitated slightly as he followed Aoki Kei down the hallway. “All those people talking about you... Doesn’t it bother you at all?”

Aoki adjusted the guitar case on his shoulder and shrugged.

“What could it possibly do to me? It’s not like their gossip will peel my skin off.”

Whispers, judgmental stares, and careless chatter that completely ignores how others might feel—these things can eat away at a person without them even ...

Chapter 26: Kita Ikuyo Suddenly Shines

Ever since joining Kessoku Band, Aoki Kei’s daily life had become noticeably more relaxed.

He no longer needed to spend most of his time working part-time jobs, and now had much more freedom in how he spent his days.

Sure, the consequences of that choice might hit him two months from now, but Aoki Kei didn’t care.

He chose to enjoy the present.

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“The beauty of life ...