I_LOVE_RICE+

V5 Chapter 28: The Ever-Blooming Pure White Flower

[The night Gotoh Hitori refused your invitation, you immediately crossed city lines from Shimokitazawa to Yokohama. With swift, decisive action, you showed up at her doorstep, where the Gotoh family helped you get a chance to speak with her face-to-face.]

[You boldly expressed your feelings to her.]

[Even though you didn't say the words "I like you" outright, the sincerity and gravity in your words had a power far greater than a direct confession. To Gotoh Hitori, it was enough to...

V5 Chapter 27: My Guitar Hero, and Mine Alone.

[During your date, you happened to run into Togawa Sakiko.]

[She, too, had strong feelings for you, and immediately noticed Gotoh Hitori by your side. A hint of sadness flickered across her beautiful face, but in the next moment, she wore her usual warm smile toward you and even took the initiative to greet Hitori politely.]

[Togawa Sakiko was always confident, she approached you openly and sincerely. Strong-willed yet composed, elegant beyond ordinary people. A talented composer ...

V5 Chapter 26: Where's My VR Simulation?

Where's my VR simulation?

Kazami Haru frowned instantly, he had never encountered this before. With over thirteen simulation attempts under his belt, he thought he could use "VR simulation" freely. So even in a situation like this, he remained calm. But now, something unprecedented had occurred.

The option was gone...

[Because you didn't make a choice in time, the simulator has automatically advanced.]

[As if the two people before you know you too well. Just as you und...

V5 Chapter 25: All or Nothing

[You chose to accept her gesture.]

[Overjoyed, Kita Ikuyo sat beside you with a cheerful smile, resting her smooth chin in both hands as she watched you eat her lunchbox bite by bite. After you finished every last grain of rice, she blushed and eagerly volunteered to do the dishes and clean up.]

[With how passionately devoted she was, it was like she had become your personal "one-day maid."]

[She was just too cute, you couldn't bring yourself to refuse.]

"Okay, wait a ...

V5 Chapter 24: Like Riding Several Boats at Once

"Why do you say that?"

Haru raised an eyebrow at the meaningful comment.

Yahata Umiri, who had suddenly turned cryptic, didn't answer him right away. Instead, she pulled another can of KISS coffee from her bass case but after trying twice with her fingernail, she still couldn't open it.

Unable to watch her struggle anymore, Haru reached over and helped.

If he didn't step in, she'd probably tear a hole in the can with her "Iron Fist of Fury" next.

"Thanks."

...

V5 Chapter 23: Now This Is Seriously a Mess

Click.

The lock of the luxury apartment door gave a crisp sound as it opened. A golden-haired girl in a baseball cap stepped inside, shutting the door behind her with a complex expression.

Her pretty face still carried traces of panic she couldn't hide. The trained smiles and poise she maintained as an "idol" seemed to have completely dissolved into thin air.

Misumi Uika had already forgotten what she was supposed to be doing. She couldn't ...

V5 Chapter 22: So Great, Truly Great

Before she realized it, most of her youthful summer vacation had already slipped away.

But for Misumi Uika, an idol from the group Sumimi, this rare break was anything but relaxing. In fact, her workload seemed to have only increased during the vacation. Her schedule was crammed from morning till night with nonstop tasks and events.

This kind of repetitive work might have become "routine" to her former self.

But lately, for reasons she couldn't quite name, s...

V5 Chapter 21: For a Lifetime

The moment the summer fireworks festival ended, it also marked the complete passing of this year's summer.

In the background, the faint sizzling of barbecue could be heard, an unmistakable crackling that accompanied the rich aroma of high-grade wagyu beef fat, mingling with curling white smoke. The golden drippings that landed on the grill mesh created a triple sensory pleasure: sight, sound, and smell.

Across from him, a blue-haired girl tightly gripped her chopsticks, eyes fixed...

V5 Chapter 20: Taking a Step Forward

"Mm…"

Holding her phone and standing still, Takamatsu Tomori looked like a lost little animal, unsure of where to go.

She had separated from Taki, who was worried about her, to try and meet Kessoku Band. But by the time she reached the backstage area, the performance had already ended, and the band had left.

With that, she was left without a goal, without a direction.

Now what?

She'd come all this way to the festival, yet she hadn't achieved anything. She had s...

V5 Chapter 19: This Shameless Pink Fox

"Ahaha... what a coincidence, Soyorin~"

"Ara~ I'm not fond of that nickname, you know?"

Nagasaki Soyo narrowed her shining blue eyes the moment they ran into each other.

Despite the gentle aura she radiated, her smile 'unchanged from usual' carried a chilling undertone that made Chihaya Anon shiver instinctively. Whatever excuse she had prepared suddenly caught in her throat.

Truth was, Soyo had only just realized this pink-haired menace was with Kazami Haru. Not that ...

V5 Chapter 18: Springtime Warmth.JPG

Since the celebration party was scheduled to start only after the Summer Fireworks Festival wrapped up, Kazami Haru used the time to message Chihaya Anon, planning to invite their "Creative Director" as a show of thanks.

The meeting spot? Right beneath a shrine gate sign near the festival grounds.

Maybe it was because of how striking Haru's performance had been as the keyboardist on stage, but he hadn't even stood there ten minutes before getting approached by multiple groups of g...

V5 Chapter 17: This Isn’t Tiger Vanguard Either?

This live show was clearly different from every performance they'd done before.

The moment Kita Ikuyo pulled open the curtain and stepped onto the stage with her guitar in hand, she was met with a sea of people surging from all directions. It was nothing like their gigs at STARRY, where the audience topped out at a few dozen. Now, there were hundreds, maybe even over a thousand, and the shock of that scale hit hard.

Chaotic murmurs rippled through the crowd, ringing in her ears. K...

V5 Chapter 16: What an Astonishing Number

PS: Going on vacation, Advanced chap, I'll resume on next wednesday~ Peace <3

Kazami Haru emerged from the crowd with a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. He hadn't expected the main stage performance outside to be

Kazami Haru emerged from the crowd with a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. He hadn't expected the main stage performance outside to be that lively, just the number of spectators alone had packed the entire area around the massive stage.

As soon as he re...

V5 Chapter 15: Harumi↑ Harumi↓

Kazami Haru reflexively gave Yahata Umiri's hand a light squeeze after hearing her speak. The sensation of her smooth, cool, and slightly firm skin registered immediately.

He had only grabbed her hand to prevent getting separated again but somehow, he had ended up holding Umiri's hand instead of Takamatsu Tomori's?

Oh no… and he just squeezed it too. That felt way too awkward.

"..."

But Umiri didn't seem to care at all.

She really was the most dependable bro ev...

V5 Chapter 14: Are We Still Starting a Lifelong Band or What

"Haru?"

Takamatsu Tomori's soft voice held a hint of confusion as she gently tugged on his sleeve. Clearly, she looked quite different from usual today.

Her light ash-brown hair was adorned with a pure white satin ribbon, and her delicate silk kimono added a graceful elegance to her figure. A pale gray bow cinched her slender waist, and the embroidered sleeves of her kimono swayed gently like drifting clouds.

Shyly raising her small, pale hand, her soft amber eyes shimmered ...

V5 Chapter 13: You Black-Hearted Merchant

Beep—

The girl with light blue hair slowly hung up the phone. Feeling relieved, she let out a long sigh. Her smooth, shiny hair and the light ribbon fluttered gently with her steps.

She walked slowly towards a quiet, secluded street, her sharp gaze enough to make people avoid her.

"So, it's..."

Togawa Sakiko, deep in thought, suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her amber eyes noticed a poster on the wall, with only 3 words at the top: [Summer Fireworks F...

V5 Chapter 12: Speak Up!

To be honest, Haru hadn't expected it to be so cozy inside.

Bocchi's closet wasn't even the size of a single tatami mat, but it was compact and fully functional. Somehow, she'd managed to fit her guitar, a laptop, and even installed a hook on the wall to hang her headphones. Posters of bands were taped up where she could still see them.

Compared to her actual room, this tiny space felt more like her true home.

"This is... kind of amazing," Haru muttered from the far side, im...

V5 Chapter 11: When do you feel most relaxed?

After seeing off the well-fed girls one by one, Kazami Haru finally found himself alone. The clock had just struck ten.

Just as he was about to clean up, take a shower, and hit the bed, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket, followed by the distinct ringtone of "Blooming Blue Snowflower."

Haru thought maybe someone from dinner had forgotten something. But when he took out his phone and checked the screen, it wasn't any of the three: Sakiko, Ryo, or Mutsumi.

The caller ID ...

V5 Chapter 10: Did You All Plan This or What?

"..."

Clad in an apron, Wakaba Mutsumi stood frozen in place, her eyes locked onto the icy beauty across from her: blue-haired, tear mole gracing the corner of one eye.

Both were typically stoic in expression. But the moment their gazes met, something shifted. A flicker of recognition, of surprise, passed over their faces.

Yamada Ryo struck by the domestic image of Wakaba Mutsumi who looked frankly like a housewife, furrowed her brows at the unexpected sight. Her amber eyes,...

V5 Chapter 9: Is She Supposed to Be His Newlywed Wife or Something?

Togawa Sakiko was in a fantastic mood today.

Actually, ever since she last parted ways with Kazami Haru, her spirits had been unusually high and today, on the promised day, that excitement had turned into pure joy. So much so that even going to her usual grueling customer service job felt lighter, and her steps on the street practically danced on air.

All the fatigue and frustration from the soul-crushing "Black Company: Overtime Edition" seemed to vanish under this wave of antici...

V5 Chapter 8: I Saw an Angel in Shimokitazawa

Shimokitazawa at noon—

A fine misty rain rustled softly as it fell on the dry ground. Despite the intense heat and blazing sun just this morning and at noon, the sky on this Sunday afternoon had turned into a hazy grey under the weight of thick humidity.

Who would have guessed the weather would shift so dramatically in just half a day? The sudden downpour came so abruptly that most people didn't even have time to prepare.

But, of course, Kazami Haru wasn't...

V5 Chapter 7: Uika Understands

Wait, Why are you crying?

The food didn't even glisten, glow, or anything!

Kazami Haru looked helplessly at Uika, who suddenly started shedding pearl-like tears. To him, his Lv.5 cooking skill didn't seem that different from Lv.4, he never expected such an intense reaction from his "judge."

He was even starting to wonder if he did accidentally slip something strange into the food.

"S-Sorry—!"

"I didn't mean anything by it! It's just that... Haru-kun's cooking i...

V5 Chapter 6: Oh No, We've Been Caught

Uika-san, the super idol of Sumimi, just asked him if he wanted to have dinner together?

Haru couldn't believe it. They had just exchanged Line IDs and suddenly things were progressing this fast? Straight to dinner?

Even if they were bandmates now, this was moving a bit too quickly.

But more importantly, there was another issue.

If he and Uika were seen dining together in a public place, her golden silk-like hair alone would be enough to attract attent...

V5 Chapter 5: How Dare You Use My Magic Against Me?!

A new day dawned once again.

Kazami Haru had already submitted the entry form for the Summer Fireworks Festival, and to his surprise, it was approved in less than a day. Not only that, they'd successfully secured a performance slot on the main stage.

Even more astonishing, the Kessoku Band had been assigned the 9 PM time slot.

Sure, it wasn't the prime 7 PM golden hour, but for a newcomer band like theirs, 9 PM was practically a dream come true.

Haru had expected they'...