After school.
Bai Qiu, Goto Hitori, and Kita Ikuyo walked towards Starry together.
Bai Qiu carried his guitar case, lost in thought.
Hitori carried her guitar case, her gaze unfocused.
Kita carried what she believed was a guitar case, her brow furrowed.
Even though she had made up her mind to apologize properly to Nijika-senpai…
Kita still wondered if she could stay as the vocalist.
Not to mention, she had injured all ten of her fingers while trying to learn the guitar, and in the end, she could only make the "guitar" produce a low "hum".
This made Kita Ikuyo feel like she didn't have any talent for musical instruments, and she'd only ever sung in a karaoke setting.
More importantly, her initial reason for joining Nijika's band wasn't pure.
"By the way, Kita, why did you join Nijika's band in the first place?"
Bai Qiu asked suddenly.
Since Ryo was originally engrossed in her light novels, why did Kita join Nijika's band first?
He was quite curious about this.
Kita's footsteps faltered; she hadn't expected to be asked this.
"Actually... actually it was because of Senior Ryo..."
Kita forced a small, embarrassed smile.
She felt awkward about asking Bai Qiu and Goto Hitori for help with conveying the message and helping her make up her mind to apologize to Nijika.
Good girl Kita had no intention of hiding anything.
The main thing was, Kita Ikuyo never hid her admiration for Yamada Ryo!
"But, wasn't Ryo not in the band at that time?"
Bai Qiu looked at Kita with confusion.
"Yes."
Kita nodded awkwardly, then said,
"I became interested in instruments after watching Ryo-senpai's live performance."
"But then Ryo-senpai left the band, though she still works part-time at Starry."
"I heard Nijika-senpai was forming a band and planned to invite Ryo-senpai."
"So... I asked Nijika-senpai."
Kita's eyes sparkled as she recalled the situation.
This way, she could not only see the Ryo-senpai she admired every day, but even be in a band with her!
Bai Qiu smiled and nodded. What Kita did was a clever maneuver to get what she wanted!
"But I didn't expect my guitar skills to be so bad. Even after practicing hard, I still can't make the sounds from the videos."
Kita looked at her ten originally soft and tender fingers, then said in a dispirited and pained tone.
"I definitely won't be able to perform on stage like this."
Glancing at Kita's guitar case, Bai Qiu suppressed a laugh and hinted,
"Could it be a problem with the instrument?"
Right, suddenly, Bai Qiu's eyes lit up.
He could buy Kita's "guitar" first.
Because, rather than letting Yamada Ryo buy it, only for her to sell it off later. Ryo would regularly sell off unnecessary instruments to get money to buy new ones.
It would be better to buy it himself, to keep as a black history souvenir for Kita, and he could also earn some Notes from Lady of Returning.
"The instrument?"
Kita blinked, then smiled.
"No way! I pre-paid my allowance and New Year's money for two years to my dad for this."
"It's definitely my fault that the sound is off, wuuu!"
"What kind of sound is it?" Bai Qiu asked.
"A really low humming sound." Kita answered immediately.
She also wanted someone who understood instruments to answer her questions, but unfortunately, no one around her knew anything.
Bai Qiu finally couldn't help but chuckle.
In fact, before he exchanged for Basic Music Theory, he was also half a newbie.
But he could still distinguish between the sound of a guitar and a bass.
Of course, he could also read staff notation.
"What's wrong?"
Kita asked, puzzled.
Before Bai Qiu could speak,
Hitori also looked puzzled, speaking softly, "That sounds like a bass."
"Kita, you bought a bass," Bai Qiu repeated.
"No way!"
Kita's face was full of smiles as she confidently waved her hand.
"I wouldn't confuse a guitar and a bass."
With that, Kita Ikuyo stopped, opened the guitar bag she was carrying on the street,
and then showed the two of them her brown "electric guitar."
"See? The guitar I bought has six strings. Isn't a bass supposed to have four?"
Kita asked.
"Basses can have six strings too. That's a multi-string bass,"
Bai Qiu explained. To make his point, he looked at Goto Hitori.
"Right, Hitori?"
"Well, it's not a guitar, and..." Hitori observed carefully, then said seriously, "And it's a left-handed bass."
A left-handed bass?
Hearing Hitori's words, Bai Qiu took another serious look at Kita's "guitar."
So,
He seemed to understand now why Kita's ten fingers were injured.
Generally speaking, with an electric guitar, the left hand presses down on the strings while the right hand uses a pick to strum them.
Therefore, the fingers on the right hand usually don't get injured or develop calluses.
"Huh?"
Kita looked confused, her gaze darting around.
She looked at the two of them, then back at her "electric guitar," and then back at the two of them again.
Bai Qiu and Goto Hitori nodded in agreement.
"It's over, this is..."
The rest of the words were left unsaid...
Kita's eyes had already lost their sparkle, and a gray-white soul seemed to leave her mouth.
If Bai Qiu hadn't caught her in time, she would have fainted.
Hitori peeked out from under her bangs, Why didn't I get caught when I fainted?
Fortunately,
Although the blow was heavy.
But compared to Bocchi-chan, Kita Ikuyo recovered pretty quickly.
Bai Qiu sighed, "As expected of a Social Butterfly!"
However, Kita was now also looking gloomy.
"Well, now I've even bought the wrong instrument, not to mention becoming a lead vocalist..."
Kita Ikuyo couldn't help but think pessimistically.
Seeing this, Bai Qiu comforted her,
"So, Kita, it's not that you don't have a talent for guitar."
"It's just that you were practicing in the wrong direction."
That's quite a mess.
"R-really..."
Kita forced a smile.
In her gloomy state, Kita didn't seem as intimidating, giving Goto Hitori the courage to speak.
"I, I can study guitar with you."
Goto Hitori actually took the initiative.
Bai Qiu looked at Hitori in surprise; she was actually being so brave.
"Eh? Really?"
Kita's eyes regained a glimmer of light.
Bai Qiu also praised, "Hitori's guitar skills are amazing!"
The exaggerated tone immediately made Goto Hitori feel elated.
"I, it's nothing special!"
Hitori scratched the back of her head with one hand, her smile widening. "Ehehehe…"
However,
Kita's eyes quickly dimmed again.
"But I can't afford a guitar anymore."
Bai Qiu spoke up promptly, "If it's possible, could you sell the bass to me?"
"Eh??"
Kita was surprised, delighted, and puzzled all at once, looking up at Bai Qiu.
Goto Hitori also looked at him curiously. Isn't Bai Qiu-kun a keyboardist?
Bai Qiu thought for a moment, then explained,
"Actually, I'm also quite interested in guitars and basses, and I was planning on getting one recently."
"Besides, this is a rare Left-handed Bass! I really want it."
With that said, Kita should be willing to sell it to him, right?
"Really?"
Kita Ikuyo was half-believing, half-doubting.
"Really."
Bai Qiu nodded very affirmatively.
"If that's the case, Bai Qiu-kun, thank you so much!"
Kita Ikuyo was overjoyed and cried, tears of gratitude streaming down her face.
At the same time, she silently noted this kindness in her heart.
Next, the two of them discussed the matter of price.
They started arguing.
Bai Qiu wanted to buy it at the original price. After all, he wasn't short on money, and he also had a little something in mind for Notes.
Kita, on the other hand, insisted on a discount. In her eyes, Bai Qiu had been a great help, and the bass was already used. Buying it at the original price would be a rip-off.
So, the two of them discussed and discussed, all the way to the entrance of Starry.
Hitori had listened to them the whole way.
Even though she had been trying her best to make herself invisible, hoping to be ignored.
But now, she felt like she was just in the way.
Who could understand this feeling?
Waaah!
-------------------
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