Chapter 192 – Aoki’s Choice

November 30th. Wednesday.

The last day of the month.

Most of his work was already done.

The only thing left was preparing for tomorrow’s live-stream recording.

But aside from that, there was something else—another live concert that had been arranged with KL Productions, a special show that he still needed to prepare for.

So, from a few days ago, Aoki had been busy once again.

That was how this path always went: when it was quiet, the free time stretched so much that he almost wanted to invent things to keep himself occupied.

But when it was busy, he wished the day could somehow be stretched into thirty-two hours...

When he stepped outside, light snow was still falling.

Today, on top of the flurries, a cold north wind blew through the streets.

With a little time to spare, Aoki decided to stop by STARRY once more.

He walked slowly toward the train station, the winter wind biting through his coat.

Even though the breeze wasn’t strong, its chill still seeped straight into his bones.

Most of the people on the street were bundled up head to toe.

Someone like him, wearing only a light jacket, was a rare sight.

He passed through a residential neighborhood, then into the shopping district.

Since it was still early, he wandered aimlessly as he walked.

Even in winter, even with snow falling and the wind blowing, the shopping street was lively—street musicians performing, pedestrians stopping to watch.

He stopped by a sweets shop and bought himself a steaming-hot crepe.

It looked nice.

The taste, however, was disappointing.

The strawberry jam was sour, the sweetness faint, and hidden beneath it all was the unmistakable artificial tang of strawberry flavoring.

After just one bite, Aoki held it in his hand without taking another.

He carried it like that all the way until he reached the edge of the district.

Along the way, he paused beside a street guitarist. The man was playing a song Aoki had never heard before.

The melody was beautiful, but the lyrics leaned a little too heavily on sorrow.

They went:

“Life is like a train. Friends are passengers on the ride.”

“But no matter what, passengers will eventually step off, and in the end, everyone drifts apart.”

Listening for a while, Aoki dropped a 500-yen coin into the guitar case and continued on his way.

Soon after, a little girl selling flowers stopped him.

He wasn’t particularly interested in buying flowers, but he didn’t mind spending a little money—just so the girl could go home earlier instead of shivering out here in the cold.

Unfortunately, the only kind he truly wanted was among the few she was still selling.

But the bitter wind—or maybe poor storage after picking—had already taken its toll.

The sunflowers looked wilted.

By around four o’clock, Aoki arrived at the livehouse.

It was just after school hours, so Kita and the others were already there, practicing like they had been for some time.

What surprised him, though, was that Nijika wasn’t there.

He felt a flicker of curiosity, but didn’t ask about it.

After greeting the others, Aoki slipped into the recording room alone and began his practice.

Practice could be dull—but once immersed, it was one of the best ways to let time pass.

And so, the hours rolled by until six.

When STARRY opened its doors, Aoki put his guitar down, stepped out of the recording room, and—as usual grabbed a mop to help out.

But unlike usual, even as six o’clock came and went, Nijika still hadn’t arrived.

His curiosity grew heavier.

By seven, things hadn’t changed much.

With business light and steady, Kita, Ryo, and Bocchi excused themselves early to make a trip to the instrument store.

Aoki had no need to buy anything, so he declined their invitation to join.

With the shop not too busy, he found a seat and watched the bands performing on stage.

All the while, his mind drifted.

‘The walk home tonight will be colder…’

‘Even wilted, I should’ve bought those sunflowers…’

‘And why? Why didn’t Nijika come to the livehouse today?’

He stared off, thoughts wandering without direction, until a presence at his side pulled him back.

Ijichi Seika, the manager, had quietly walked over.

Aoki looked up at her, faint puzzlement in his eyes.

“Manager Seika?” he asked.

She stood there silently for a moment, hesitating, before finally speaking.

“Aoki…” Her voice carried a trace of uncertainty, but worry quickly outweighed it. “Did something happen between you and Nijika?”

“…Something happen?”

Her words caught Aoki off guard.

But almost instantly, his thoughts sharpened.

“What’s wrong with Nijika?” he asked.

Seika opened her mouth, then closed it again with a sigh.

After a short pause, she finally spoke.

“She said… she said she’s been feeling down. Depressed.”

“Today she even skipped school, which she almost never does. But even at home, she hasn’t come out of her room.”

“I’m worried about her. And since she mentioned it was… about you, I thought you should know.”

Her voice fell quiet.

Listening to her words, Aoki was silent for a moment.

He couldn’t be certain Nijika’s sadness was because of him.

But at the very least—he knew there was a chance it was.

The memory of her reddened eyes from just a few days ago surfaced in his heart.

He thought, too, of all the rumors online, the past of his life being dragged through the mud… things he still hadn’t had the chance to explain to her.

And now…

“I understand, Manager Seika,” Kei finally said, nodding.

He paused briefly, then went on—this time, without hesitation.

It had been nearly a year since he joined Kessoku Band.

If this were the past, he might have hesitated. He might have thought that stepping into someone else’s personal matters would be presumptuous—self-indulgent.

But now, he didn’t want to lie to himself anymore.

Because they were friends.

Because their bond had grown deeper than friendship.

Even if someone accused him of being presumptuous, he would still choose—without a moment of doubt—to face Nijika’s feelings alongside her.

Happiness was meant to be shared.

Sadness needed to be carried together.

And so—

“If it’s about Nijika… I’ll do whatever I can.”