Strategy for Dealing with Problematic Girls Chapter 40 40: Who Will Be the Girlfriend for a Day?

"Ikuyo, you did great in today's performance, especially since you've only been playing guitar for three months!"

Kita Ikuyo's mouth opened so wide she could almost fit her cup in it, and her whole body went rigid as if her joints had been welded shut.

Kikuri Hiroi cheerfully poured herself a full glass of sake and belatedly asked, "Ikuyo... who's that?"

Kita Ikuyo's entire art style devolved into a black-and-white stick figure doodle, like a child's drawing, with mismatched features and a shattered expression. The ice cubes in her drink clinked together from her trembling.

Seeing her reaction, Kikuri Hiroi had a mont of realization. So the 'Ikuyo' Ryo ntioned was Kita. Everyone at STARRY always called her Kita, so she thought that was her first na. She never expected 'Kita' to be her surna.

"It's Kita!"

"Aahh! I really dislike that na, I've been trying to hide it!" The reason Kita Ikuyo disliked her na was because of the Japanese puns when read separately: Kita (ca), Ikuyo (let's go), which sounded like a bad joke.

This is also the reason Jhin called her 'Kikuri Hiroi' a long ti ago.

As if unable to handle the shock, Kita Ikuyo walked over to the corner near Jhin and Hitori Gotoh with a broken laugh, curling up into a squat. "My full na is Kita Kita..."

While the others tried to figure out how to console the depressed Kita Ikuyo, Nijika quietly called Jhin and Hitori Gotoh outside.

"Nijika, what's wrong?"

"Bocchi-chan, you're actually guitarhero, aren't you?"

Nijika's words seed to carry so kind of magical power. Even though they were standing outside the izakaya, all Hitori Gotoh could hear right now was her own heartbeat and the chirping of cicadas.

W-w-what do I do? Should I deny it to Nijika or admit that I'm guitarhero?

Jhin solved the problem for his troubled girlfriend. His answer was simple and clear.

"Yes."

Jhin! You can't do this to ! I wasn't ntally prepared to tell Nijika and the others about this yet!

Hitori Gotoh felt that her considerate boyfriend had suddenly beco a lot less considerate, revealing the secret she'd been hiding just like that.

"Um, I didn't an to hide it. I wanted to change my personality before telling everyone. Nijika... are you devastated to find out that guitarhero is ?"

"Not at all. I'm really happy that you're guitarhero, Bocchi-chan. Rember how I told you I had a dream?"

"Yeah."

Nijika looked up at the brilliant starry sumr sky. The warm, orange light and cheerful laughter from the izakaya behind her made her feel that now was the ti to tell these two her real dream.

"When I was very young, my mom passed away, and my dad was never ho, so my sister was basically my only family."

"After my sister started her band, she took lonely little to a live house, and I fell in love with rock bands right then and there."

"Seeing like that, my sister chose to leave her band and built the live house, STARRY, for ."

"So my real dream is to form a popular band for my sister and myself, to make STARRY's na known far and wide."

In reality, when Nijika actually started forming a band, the difficulties she encountered were far greater than she had imagined. mbers, fa, money—all of these were challenges.

But ever since she t Hitori Gotoh, the gears of fate finally seed to start turning. Every ti they were in a crisis, the one who broke the deadlock was Hitori Gotoh—just like her online na, she was a guitarhero.

And Jhin couldn't be overlooked either. Whether it was recomnding Kita Ikuyo rejoin the band, silently supporting them from behind the scenes, or even during today's performance when she had lost all confidence, he was still there giving them encouragent and applause.

"So, I'm truly happy that you're guitarhero, Bocchi-chan. And I'm also very grateful for Jhin's support."

Nijika's eyes lit up with a beautiful hope for the future, and a sweet smile graced her lips. "Ryo wants to start fresh with this band and make our own music."

"Kita loves the feeling of everyone working hard together to achieve a goal."

"This band carries all of our important dreams."

Moved by her words, Hitori Gotoh revealed her true feelings to Nijika. "As the guitarist, I want to make Kessoku Band, which everyone treasures, the best band ever!"

"It would be great if your performances could be as amazing as they are in your videos, Bocchi-chan," Nijika remarked with a sense of relief.

Hitori Gotoh imdiately beca timid again, ducking her head and hiding behind Jhin, clutching the corner of his shirt. "I... I'll do my best..."

Seeing her like this, Nijika chuckled. She understood they still had a long way to go before Hitori Gotoh could perform on stage as brilliantly as she did in her videos. She tiptoed cheerfully back into the izakaya, leaving the remaining ti to the couple.

Witnessing this morable conversation again as a bystander, Jhin was content. A small realization dawned on him: wasn't everything he'd done up to this point for the sake of protecting their story?

"Jhin..." Hitori Gotoh started to speak but hesitated. The night breeze blew her bangs aside, revealing her watery blue eyes. A blush crept onto her fair cheeks, creating an endearing sight that made one's heart skip a beat.

Jhin's deep, magnetic voice reached Hitori Gotoh's ears. "Were you about to talk about our date?"

"Yes..."

Hitori Gotoh practically buried her head in her chest. Bringing up the topic of actively asking Jhin out on a date again was like crossing an insurmountable chasm for her. Luckily, her boyfriend was understanding enough; otherwise, if she hadn't managed to say it this ti, she would have never mustered the courage to bring it up again.

Jhin fixed her ssy bangs and gently squeezed her beet-red ear. "Alright then, get a good rest tomorrow. How about I co pick you up at your place the day after?"

"Y-You can decide. I... I don't really go out much."

Hitori Gotoh felt like her heart was about to leap out of her throat from Jhin's small gestures, but at the sa ti, she enjoyed the intimacy they conveyed. Unable to resist, she launched a sneak attack on Jhin with her pink lips.

"Ooh~ Bocchi-chan, how bold!" Kikuri Hiroi was sitting by the entrance with a glass of sake in her hand, seemingly enjoying their interaction as a side dish for her drink.

The rest of the partygoers were also hiding by the doorfra, peeking out one on top of another like a human totem pole. Who knows how long they'd been watching the two of them.

"See, I told you! Bocchi-chan looks shy, but if the mood is right, she can do so surprising things."

"True! It looks like Bocchi-chan was the one who made the first move last ti, too!"

"Huh? So she's done this kind of thing before?"

"I've got a picture right here."

"Ryo, you actually kept it?"

The massive amount of information in her friends' conversation, combined with being caught sneak-kissing Jhin, successfully caused Hitori Gotoh to emit a large cloud of steam from her head and pass out from embarrassnt.

"Hey, what if you guys make Bocchi-chan too scared to see the day after tomorrow and our date gets canceled?"

Faced with Jhin's question, the group just laughed sheepishly. They had only co out to check because Jhin and Hitori Gotoh were taking so long, but they ended up getting hooked on watching, only to be exposed by a drunk and tactless Kikuri Hiroi.

A glint appeared in Ryo's eye as she gave a thumbs-up. "If that happens, just have Nijika or Kita substitute for Bocchi-chan and be your girlfriend for a day."

"Great idea... not! Why don't you go?"

"If Jhin's paying, I wouldn't be opposed."

"...Hey, don't tell you're broke again."

"You guessed it."

___

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