Lonely Rock: Love Songs Dedicated to the Stars

"you shut up!"

Ijichi Hoshika used one hand to try to cover her thighs by pulling at her skirt, while threatening Hiroi Kikuri with a katana-like gesture in the other.

Kenzaki Yuuma looked at her outfit and felt a genuine flutter in his heart, but there was also another, inexplicable emotion. Following this emotion, he took off his coat and wrapped it around Ijichi Hoshika's waist, covering her thighs.

"That's true, these clothes don't suit me right now..."

Ijichi Seika thought he didn't like her current appearance, but Kenzaki Yuuma interrupted her, then stood in front of Seika, blocking Hiroi and PA's view. He leaned close to Ijichi Seika's ear, his breath tickling her.

"Don't show it to those two."

Only the two of them could hear the sound, but that was enough.

Chapter 12 Of course I don't regret it

After Hoshika and PA changed their clothes back, the four of them sat together around the table. Hiroi was still drinking, and she pulled out several more boxes of Oni Slayer Sake from somewhere.

"Does Kenzaki-senpai have any photos of himself in his uniform from before?"

"By the way, I'd also like to see Kenzaki when he was young."

Kenzaki Yuuma didn't want to respond to Hiroi and PA's curiosity. However, Ijichi Seika took out her phone, opened her photo album, and found a picture of Kenzaki Yuuma.

The photo shows Yuuma as a high school student, completely different from how he looks now. He has a sunny smile, no highlights in his hair, and is wearing his school uniform with a neat hairstyle, unlike his messy look now. He's clearly the kind of model student teachers love. The photo shows Yuuma standing at the school gate; it was taken by Hoshino when he graduated.

The three looked at the photo, then at Kenzaki Yuuma. Although it was the same face, was it really the same gloomy man with obvious dark circles under his eyes, a terrible complexion, white highlights on his forehead, and a hairstyle so casual it looked like he woke up the day before? Not to mention the obvious marks on his neck after he took off his jacket; he didn't look like a good person at all.

Does Manager Kenzaki smoke?

PA suddenly asked Yuma this question out of the blue.

"I don't smoke. Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"It's a stereotype, I guess."

"It's best to forget those stereotypes as soon as possible."

Kenzaki Yuujin could guess what they were thinking. After all, her lifestyle had changed a lot in the past few years because of the band, so it was normal for them to have this impression of her.

Why didn't the two seniors take a group photo after graduation?

"Because Xingge repeated a grade for two years."

"That's what Kenzaki Yuuma said." Ijichi Seika didn't deny it and nodded.

"Speaking of which, was Kenzaki-senpai a handsome, sunny guy before? How did Ijichi-senpai end up with him? Someone like him must have had no shortage of suitors, right?"

Upon hearing Hiroi's question, Hoshika seemed to recall the past. She glanced at Kenzaki Yuuma discreetly and then began to recount how the two met.

At that time, Ichi Seika had not yet formed a band, but she had already joined the light music club. One day during lunch break, she heard piano music coming from the brass band's activity room as she passed by it.

She peered out the window and saw a boy playing the piano. Although he was sitting, she could tell he was quite tall, with long, slender, and nimble fingers. She listened intently until the music stopped before snapping out of her reverie.

'What the heck? I actually encountered a handsome guy playing the piano alone in the activity room? This kind of scene only happens in novels and anime.' Ijichi Hoshika thought to herself, and then she tried to sneak away, but Kenzaki Yuuma had already spotted her.

"Um, I'm sorry, I used the piano without permission."

Kenzaki Yuuma, who had just transferred to the school, assumed that the girl outside the window was a member of the brass band. He had just used the brass band's piano without permission, and she must be very angry now, so he decided to apologize first.

"It's okay, I don't mind."

"Really? But I'm still sorry for causing you trouble. Also, if it's alright, may I join your club?"

Kenzaki Yuuma really enjoys playing the piano because he likes the feeling of his fingers aching while practicing, though he doesn't know why. He wants to join the brass band simply because it's the only place in the whole school with a piano.

"Of course! Come with me."

Ichi Seika's idea was simple: she wanted to recruit this talented but lonely newcomer into the light music club to play the keyboard.

A few minutes later, Kenzaki Yuuma was pulled into the activity room by the seniors of the Light Music Club.

"I want to join the brass band..."

"It doesn't matter, we're all musicians."

The strong drummer captain enthusiastically grabbed Yuuma and interrupted him, and then, under the persuasion of the club members, Kenzaki Yuuma finally joined the light music club.

Ichika Hoshika's seat was in the back row of the classroom. After lunch break, she lay on her desk, gazing absently at the bird's nest in the tree outside the window, lost in thought. Before class started, the homeroom teacher opened the door and entered the classroom to announce that a transfer student would be joining the class.

"Hello everyone, I'm Kenzaki Yuuma. I love piano and tokusatsu. Please take care of me in the future."

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Ichiji Hoshika suddenly looked up at the podium.

Kenzaki Yuuma, who had been pulled into the light music club during lunch break, was standing on the podium at that moment. He saw Iji Tomoka and smiled and nodded at her.

Kenzaki Yuuma is quite tall, so he was placed in the last row, right next to Iji Tomoka.

'What kind of light novel plot is this?' That's what I was thinking, but since she was sitting next to me, I should still greet her. 'Oh, so you're a transfer student.'

"Ah, yes, what a coincidence. Ijichi-kun, please take care of me from now on."

Please take care of me.

Ichi Seika's narration ends here.

"Sister, why did you stop talking?"

The four members of the band had somehow arrived at the performance hall and stood behind Xingge, listening intently as she told her story. PA listened with great interest, her hands supporting her chin, while Yuma reminisced about her youth. As for Hiroi, she fell asleep halfway through the story.

"We're about to open for business, let's get to work."

"Huh? My sister is so boring."

Hongxia and the others started cleaning the performance hall, while Youzhen and Xingge moved to the bar. The two of them sat on the stools next to the bar, watching the band playfully ending their performance.

"Do you regret joining the light music club back then?"

Ijichi Seika suddenly poked Kenzaki Yuuma's face.

Would you be angry if I said I regretted it?

"..."

She fell silent. Yuzhen thought that if she said "I regret it," she would definitely throw a tantrum. She was almost thirty years old but still acted like a child. Yuzhen chuckled softly.

"I won't regret it."

"Sincere?"

"of course."

Taking advantage of the fact that the others were not paying attention to them, Kenzaki Yuuma quickly ducked down and approached her, but she dodged him.

"If we hadn't joined the light music club back then, the two of us might not be standing here together."

"A tired trope from light novels. But given your family background and abilities, you might meet someone even better. Aren't you sure you won't regret it?"

"So, what is your definition of 'better'?"

Ijichi Seika and Kenzaki Yuuma stared at each other, his smile now gone.

"More beautiful than me, younger than me, gentler than me..."

Ichi Seika tried to give an example, but he interrupted her.

"And then what? If there are better ones than them, should I continue to regret it?" Kenzaki Yuuma put his arm around her shoulder. "There may really be 'better ones,' but the Ijichi-san in front of me is definitely 'the right one.' Besides, you are 'the best' to me."

"Such corny love words."

"I'm only telling you this."

In fact, Kenzaki Yuuma is completely incapable of saying sweet nothings.

The next morning, after getting up, Hongxia went to the bathroom to wash up. She glanced at the laundry basket and noticed that there was an extra uniform inside. Judging from the style and size, it was Xingge's school uniform from when she was in school.

When Nijika sat down at the dining table, Kenzaki Yuuma had already finished making breakfast and brought it to the table. Then he put the bento box he made into Nijika's bag. Later, while the three of them were eating breakfast together, Nijika asked about the school uniform.

Swallowing the rice in her mouth, Ichiji Hoshika responded to Nijika's question: "Yesterday, Hiroi brought two JK uniforms and said he wanted to see what I would look like in a high school uniform, so I tried them on. After I came back, I wanted to try on my old uniform, so I took it out and wore it, but it's a bit small, and my belly button is showing."

“I can testify that what she said is true.”

Kenzaki Yuuma echoed from the side.

"But why wash it if you only wore it once?"

No one responded to Hongxia anymore; the two adults finished their breakfast and went out.

Chapter 13 A Small Gathering at the Food Court

It's only early summer, but the midday sun is already scorching. In the food court, Kenzaki Yuuma, Ijichi Seika, and PA are drinking their beverages with gloomy faces.

The incident began this morning when Kenzaki Yuuki suddenly brought his parents to Kenzaki Yuuma's shop. Kenzaki's parents saw Yuuma looking distressed as he sorted through various accounts behind the counter at the family restaurant. STARRY was under renovation, so Ijichi Hoshika happened to be helping him. Then, Hoshika's pen fell to the ground, and as she picked it up, her head rested against Yuuma's arm. This seemingly intimate moment was witnessed by Kenzaki's parents.

Actually, Yuuma wasn't too tired lately. He looked pale because his back had been hurting a bit. After going to the hospital for a checkup, the doctor just told him to take it easy. He couldn't possibly not understand that, so he hadn't been staying at Ijichi's house for a while.

In short, Kenzaki's parents clearly saw Yuuma and Hoshika's intimate behavior, so they took over Yuuma's work and sent the two of them off on their date. Hoshika didn't forget to drag PA, who was sitting in the corner of the restaurant drinking and scrolling through her phone, along with her when she left.

"So why did you have to bring me along? Kenzaki-sensei's place has air conditioning and drinks, you know."

After PA finished speaking, she used a toothpick to pick up a cooled takoyaki and put it in her mouth.

"I pulled you over as soon as I came to my senses. Anyway, it's my treat, so don't complain." Ijichi Hoshika glanced at Kenzaki Yuuma while biting her straw, then winked at PA. She and Kenzaki Yuuma had been dating for so long but had never had a proper date, so she subconsciously pulled PA over to help.

"Seriously, store manager, you're with Kenzaki every day, so why are you afraid to come out with him at a time like this?"

"If you keep nagging, I'll dock your pay."

Kenzaki Yuuma, who was sitting next to them listening to music with headphones on, did not hear their conversation.

Food courts are noisy places, especially on the weekend. Next to them, several kids were playing video games at one table; another table seemed to be occupied by a group of high school girls, who appeared to be talking about seeing a classmate who had just escaped from London a couple of days ago; and there was a family having lunch there. In short, there was all sorts of noise.

"Big brother, could you help me retrieve the ball?"

Two little girls' balls rolled under Kenzaki Yuuma's chair. The two girls ran behind Kenzaki Yuuma, and one of them gently tapped his arm. Yuuma, wearing headphones, couldn't hear what they were saying, so he took off his headphones and turned around.

"what?"

He just wanted to ask the two little ones what was wrong, but his mouth was faster than his brain. Plus, when he turned around, both Ijichi Seika and PA looked over, which scared the two kids into crying.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"No, I was wrong too. I'm sorry, I scared them and made them cry."

Fortunately, the child's parents were reasonable and took the child away without saying much.