Back in the studio, Nijika leaned in close to Hitori, who was wiping down her guitar, and whispered something.
Ryo, carrying her bass, came out after Ikuyo.
She sat down beside Chisato, grabbed the potato chips he was eating, and looked through the glass into the recording booth at Hitori. Then, without warning, she asked:
"President, do you like whipped cream?"
"...?"
Chisato looked at her in confusion, trying to figure out the purpose behind this sudden question.
Ryo maintained her usual calm and expressionless demeanor.
"Don't worry. I don't have any ulterior motives. I'm simply curious about your preferences, President."
"I see."
Chisato snatched his potato chips back and popped one into his mouth.
"I don't dislike whipped cream. I can eat it on cakes just fine. If you want a direct answer... I guess I do like it."
Ryo nodded thoughtfully as she licked her fingertips.
Though the chips had been taken back, there was still a good amount of seasoning powder left on her fingers—that was the essence. No way she'd waste it.
"What about chocolate syrup?"
"Same."
"Strawberry jam?"
"That's acceptable too."
"You're really not picky, huh?"
"...What exactly are you getting at?"
"..."
Ryo stared intently at her glistening fingers, not answering.
The next moment, she turned her head to look at Chisato and reached toward the hem of his shirt.
"If you're thinking of wiping your hand on my clothes, then you can forget about attending the celebration party."
Chisato's light tone carried a veiled threat.
Ryo, having been caught at her weakness, froze mid-reach. After a brief inner struggle, she reluctantly drew her hand back and moved it toward her own skirt.
"Wait."
Chisato grabbed her wrist.
"Honestly, I can't with you. As a girl, you should at least have some basic self-awareness."
He said in a tone full of disdain as he pulled a tissue from his pocket to wipe her fingers clean himself.
Ryo didn't resist, simply feeling the grip on her wrist and watching him wipe her hands.
"Here, take this. From now on, stop licking your fingers after eating. Wipe them properly."
"No can do. If I lose my natural qualities, the soul of Ryo will die."
"...Don't say such confusing stuff."
"But... I think I can kind of understand how Ikuyo-chan feels now."
"...?"
"President, don't say I didn't warn you—don't get too close to your female subordinates. If it turns into an office romance, it'll only end in misfortune."
Ryo spoke solemnly.
Chisato looked at her, exasperated.
"Thanks for the warning... but maybe you should stop watching those brainless workplace dramas."
Ryo shrugged indifferently and stood up.
"I'm going to shower too. Oh, right… Christmas is coming. President, make sure you prepare a proper gift."
So that's what she was getting at after all. Fair enough.
"What do you want?"
"..."
Ryo didn't answer. Her hand gripping the bass strap tightened slightly.
Chisato was puzzled.
"What's wrong? If you won't tell me, how would I know? Is it that collaboration model bass you added to your shopping cart?"
Ryo took a soft breath and smiled faintly.
"Not for me. It's for Bocchi-chan. She's noticed you've been neglecting her lately, and she seems a little down about it."
Down?
Chisato looked through the glass at Hitori. She was chatting with Nijika, a gentle smile on her delicate face.
At a glance, there was nothing unusual.
"Hitori told you that herself?"
Ryo nodded.
"When?"
"Can't say."
"What exactly did she say?"
"Can't say."
Ryo's expression was serious, with a look that clearly said this wasn't up for discussion.
"I'm friends with Bocchi-chan. As her friend, I can't betray her. Just giving you this heads-up is already a huge exception."
"No room for negotiation? Look, you've already broken the rules a bit—what's a little more?"
Chisato reasoned with her patiently.
But Ryo responded only with a firm shake of the head.
"It's a matter of principle."
"…"
Great, now she's pulling out the 'principle' card.
Since that was all she was willing to say, there was nothing more to do…
Just as Chisato gave up on pressing further, Ryo remained standing there, staring at him, not showing any intention of leaving.
Chisato glanced at her, then followed her gaze downward—at himself. After a few moments, he seemed to realize something.
He passed her the rest of the chips he had left.
Ryo silently walked over and took them, munching as she mumbled through the crumbs,
"What Bocchi-chan told us while you and Seika were away… crunch crunch… Oh, and by the way, my suggestion to her was to give herself to you as a gift.
Ikuyo suggested she act more clingy and create as many one-on-one opportunities as possible. Nijika's advice was to invite you out shopping during free time to create more shared memories."
Yamada "Can't Stop Myself" Ryo puffed out her cheeks like a human hamster,
"Don't tell anyone I was the one who told you."
With that, she said no more and turned to leave the recording studio, leaving Chisato sitting there alone in a daze.
Shaking his head at the walking disaster, he turned his gaze back to Hitori.
Now that Ryo had brought it up, Chisato reflected on recent events and realized that he had been a little distant toward Hitori.
From his own perspective, since they went to the same school, saw each other every day, and could cuddle and kiss in the music room Kazusa left behind, there seemed to be nothing wrong.
But from Hitori's point of view, their relationship had been stagnant since they officially got together—no real progress, no emotional deepening.
Considering it from her side, it wasn't surprising she might feel neglected.
Chisato silently reflected on this and began thinking of ways to make it up to her.
Maybe Ryo's suggestion was worth considering. With Christmas coming up, giving her a carefully chosen gift might be the best move.
Then, if the mood was right afterward, doing something romantic might help lift her spirits.
But when it came to deciding what to do specifically… planning such things in advance always made Chisato feel awkward.
If possible, he still preferred that kind of natural, go-with-the-flow development.
Still, now that the issue had been exposed, he couldn't ignore it.
Knowing Hitori's reserved nature, if she kept everything bottled up, there was a high chance her slowly opening personality would shut down again.
When Nijika and Hitori came out after turning off the lights in the recording room, Chisato, full of inner turmoil, greeted them with a smile as if nothing had happened and went together with them to the president's office.
After the other two finished showering, they all sat down to study seriously.
The semester was coming to a close.
If they didn't get decent grades on their finals, not only would it be a problem for them personally, but for Ikuyo and especially Chisato—who had made grand promises to her parents—it would be unacceptable.
Around ten at night, Chisato personally escorted Hitori home, while the other three got a ride from the company driver.
In the taxi, Chisato carefully observed Hitori's expression and demeanor as she spoke. If Ryo hadn't warned him, he wouldn't have noticed anything out of the ordinary.
But now that he knew everything, it didn't matter anymore.
It was time for him to act.
Of course, no matter how perfect the plan is, once reality changes, things rarely go smoothly.
On December 24th—Christmas Eve—
After Kesshoku Band, backed by STARRY Hall's talent agency, released their new song online, it received an even stronger response than expected.
The internet exploded, and entertainment news outlets rushed to cover it.
Clearly, having a legitimate team backing you made all the difference. The group saw explosive popularity growth.
After finals, the four members of Kesshoku Band were drowning in job offers.
Chisato's planned surprise for Hitori had to be put on hold.
Until after New Year's.
With his wallet now bursting, Chisato decided to reward them by changing the originally modest dinner outing into a full-blown five-day, four-night training camp at a ski resort in Sapporo.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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