"..."
Wearing her black-and-white waitress uniform, Yamada-san was now leaning drowsily on a broom, her golden eyes half-closed in sleepiness. With the stillness around her, her already delicate features looked even more stunning.
Her long, black lashes fluttered lightly, as if she might fall completely asleep the next second.
A wild waitress who could sleep standing up had appeared.
"Wake up. Where's Nijika now?"
"Let me sleep a little longer…"
Yamada Ryo barely opened her elegant eyes and then naturally leaned her head on Kazami Haru's shoulder. Her blue hair, which covered half of her face, fell loosely over his neck, bringing a faint scent of shampoo and her own fragrance.
Since she was still half-asleep, such a close gesture wasn't unusual.
But for Kazami Haru, it packed quite a punch.
"..."
Looking at Yamada-san, who had once again used him as a pillow, Kazami Haru didn't quite know what to do.
Truly the daughter of a wealthy family, her nutrition must have been top-tier.
Usually dressed in unisex-style long dresses and sleeves that covered her skin, her loose clothing didn't give away her figure.
But with even slight physical contact, it was clear how well-shaped she was.
This woman... she had to be doing this on purpose, right?
Leaning her head on him was one thing, but she even grabbed onto the edge of his clothes to stop him from moving away.
If Bocchi and Takamatsu were not watching from behind, Haru might've pinched her nose or soft cheeks just to see if she could really keep pretending to sleep.
While Bocchi was used to Ryo's antics, little Tomori became visibly flustered.
She didn't know who this beautiful girl was, but wasn't she standing way too close to Haru?
But did she really have the right to say anything?
Tomori didn't know whether Kazami Haru still liked her like he did in her memories. She wasn't even a band member, and they didn't have that "forever in a band together" promise.
If she spoke up selfishly, would she just be troubling him?
The more precious something was, the more scared she felt.
Tomori was suddenly lost in anxiety. No matter how panicked or uneasy she felt inside, she couldn't act.
"Ah! Ryo, you're dozing off again!"
"And you're leaning on Haru-san! You're going to make him uncomfortable, get up!"
The door to STARRY opened again, and a blonde girl walked in, arms full of snacks and drinks.
Her arrival lit up the room like warm spring sunlight.
Ijichi Nijika puffed her cheeks adorably, handed some snacks to Bocchi to hold, and strode over to peel Ryo off of Kazami Haru.
...
"Sorry you had to see our band members being so unreliable! But we're serious when we rehearse!"
"Here, have a drink."
With an apologetic smile, Nijika sat down at the small round table and gently offered Tomori a can of Monster energy drink that Ryo had cracked open herself.
Now wide awake, Yamada Ryo no longer looked sleepy at all, she had clearly been faking it.
She had just wanted to see how Kazami Haru would react to Kita's presence.
"Th-thank you…"
Tomori carefully held the drink in both hands and took a cautious sip. The sudden burst of carbonation caught her off guard, a novel experience.
The smiling, gentle blonde girl gave Tomori a feeling of warmth and ease, like a maternal embrace, much like how Soyo made her feel safe.
"You're friends with Bocchi and Haru, right? What's your name?"
"Takamatsu… Tomori."
"Tomori-chan! What a lovely name!"
"I'm Ijichi Nijika, a second-year at Shimokitazawa High and the drummer in our band! And this girl here, who might seem cold, is Yamada Ryo, she's in my class and our bassist!"
Just a bit of interaction was enough for Nijika to see what kind of girl Tomori was.
She didn't shy away from eye contact like Bocchi, but her slow speech and hesitant tone suggested she was always considering others.
She seemed a little pessimistic, a bit lonely… probably not good at socializing either.
"You might feel a little nervous visiting for the first time, but don't worry!"
"We all welcome you! Even if Ryo seems cold, she's actually very easy to get along with!"
Watching Nijika bond with Tomori, Kazami Haru couldn't help but admire her silently.
Truly the most energetic and gentle "Mama" of the band. With just a few words, she eased Tomori's nervousness and gently drew her in without being overwhelming.
I really want to marry, Nijika.
"You guys… you play in a band with Haru?"
"That's right! Haru-san is our keyboardist and also composes for the band!"
Tomori froze at those words, sitting there in stunned silence.
Sensitive to emotions, Nijika immediately realized something was off. She must've said something wrong.
As she struggled to think of how to smooth things over, Yamada Ryo suddenly lifted her head.
"Although Haru calls himself a ghost member…"
Crunch
Ryo casually chomped on some chips from the stash Nijika had bought, glancing sideways at Haru.
"Ghost member?"
Tomori tilted her head in confusion, it was a term she hadn't heard before.
"It means I'm not an official member. I have work and other commitments, and sometimes help out other bands too, so I can only join occasionally for performances and rehearsals."
"In return, I help with composition and band management."
"If anything, I'm more like a manager."
Haru glanced at Ryo, who was sneakily trying to take snacks from his bag. She didn't stop, even under his glare, and gave him a cryptic smile instead.
Just as he was about to fight her for the snacks again, Tomori's hesitant but hopeful voice reached his ears.
"Then… would you be willing… to form a band with me too, Haru?"
"Together… for life."