The azure sea, but a lonely, fulfilled life.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Goto Ichiri opened his eyes and stared blankly at Hikigaya Hachiman: "It's one of my few friends whom I haven't seen in a long time."

There's no need to say the word "few," Goto-kun.

"You, how did you get here?" Goto Ichiri said in a panic, accidentally biting the tip of his tongue.

"I've come to see you because I need your help with something."

Help? Is there anything she can do to help him? Lending him money might not be an option, as Liang-senpai has already borrowed his allowance for this month.

"What's up……"

“I would like to ask you to sell me…” Hachiman thought for a moment and then slowly said, “Four music tickets.”

Upon hearing this, Goto Ichiri's eyes lit up instantly.

Chapter Fifteen: Confession?

Goto Ichiri was very distressed.

When she came to Izu with other band members, she left her parents far away in her hometown, as well as her senior, Kikusato, who had always helped her, and two fans who supported her. This situation led to her being unable to sell any of the tickets she had allocated for her new performance in another city.

Once again sneaking into the sports storage room, she chose to squat down in the sanctuary where only Boqi would feel at ease. The heavy weight in her pockets felt like mountains pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.

With a blank stare, she counted on her fingers the people she could sell her tickets to. After a second, she looked up.

"No."

Yes, there wasn't a single person there!

She hasn't made any new friends since she arrived here. She originally wanted to try selling the tickets to that kind-hearted person who looked fierce but was actually quite gentle, even at a loss. However, not long ago, when Nijika asked about the ticket sales, Ryo-senpai said that she had sold them all, and one of the buyers was Hachiman-kun...

The thought of being beaten to it kept swirling in her mind, and then the day arrived when the performance was about to begin.

Goto Ichiri clutched her head in anguish. What should she do? What should she do? Tonight was the performance, and she hadn't sold a single ticket. Even though the band had become popular and had a lot of supporters online, she just didn't have the courage to approach people in real life who wanted to listen to their music!

Why does the word "pickup line" even exist? Why would someone suddenly strike up a conversation with a stranger? Wouldn't it be awkward? If they were rejected, they'd feel like dying, right? Their life might be over.

Oh, her life is already over.

Goto was pale-faced. She was thinking that she should pour a bucket of water on herself later and then use the excuse that the tickets got wet and couldn't be sold to get out of the way.

However, this might mean she would have to pay for the ticket herself. But the initial idea was to pay out of pocket, so she would actually make more money that way.

She's really a useless person. Mom, Dad, Izu is so scary, flirting is so scary.

Just as Goto Ichiri was about to crash, heavy footsteps came from outside the warehouse. The moment she heard the sound, she crouched down to protect herself and shrunk her figure.

Don't find her, don't find her.

If someone discovers her hiding in the sports storage room, it might reach the teacher's ears, and she would likely be questioned.

That would be terrifying (*?????)

As she covered her ears, the footsteps gradually stopped.

Has he left? Goto Ichiri dared not open her eyes.

The shadow, like a tall sapling, covered her body. The person hadn't left and was still standing in front of her. She was doomed (╥╯﹏╰╥)?.

"Goto-kun, it's me."

The voice sounded so familiar. Goto Ichiri squinted her eyes slightly, and only after seeing that the person who came was someone she knew did she dare to open her eyes wide.

"Hikigaya-san."

Hachiman smiled and hummed in agreement.

"I need your help with something."

"……What's up?"

"Could you please sell me four tickets to tonight's concert?"

Four tickets to the concert!

The other person's figure suddenly grew taller, and holy light shone on his head, making his handsome face look so dashing. Goto Ichiri was a little stunned at this moment. This was simply an angel incarnate who was even better than a good person!

But then she suddenly remembered that the other person had already bought a ticket from Senior Liang, and she licked her lips lightly: "But, didn't you already buy a ticket from Senior Liang?"

I'd like to invite a few friends to come along.

Oh, I almost forgot, although the other person is of the same kind, they are not lonely.

...Would they still be considered the same kind?

At that moment, a feeling of betrayal welled up in her heart, and so Goto Ichiri made a decision!

He immediately pulled out four tickets from his pocket and presented them with both hands: "Ticket price: four hundred yen."

"Four hundred yen? Isn't it five hundred?"

"Huh?" Goto Ichiri exclaimed in confusion. "Since this is our first time performing in Izu, the ticket price is very low, only four hundred yen."

The price will rise to 2,000 yen for the second performance. Nijika said that she wanted to prove here that the band's strength is greater than its fame, so she deliberately set the ticket price very low, at 400 yen per ticket.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." He took out a custom-made penguin-shaped wallet, a gift Komachi had prepared for his birthday two years ago, from his pocket, unzipped it, and took out 1,600 yen.

As he handed it to the girl, he couldn't help but think of the heavily made-up blue-haired girl at the social event. He wondered if she had raised her own price or if all the tickets she sold were priced higher. If it was the former, then it was truly frustrating.

Taking the ticket from Goto Ichiri, Hachiman looked at the girl squatting in the corner: "It may be presumptuous of me to ask, but Goto-san, are you planning to stay here for the rest of the time?"

"I feel very safe here."

Someone like her is better off staying in a dark place, where she won't bother others or be bothered by them.

Hachiman Hikigaya scratched his head. If you say he didn't see it, he wouldn't care. But he did see it, and she still considers you a friend. How could he really bear to leave her here?

Moreover, if a passing student notices the door is open, goes in to check, sees the girl, and might mistake her for a thief, then report it to the school, which would be troublesome.

"If you don't mind, could you come for a walk with me?"

His part-time job fell through tonight, and he didn't have anything else to do but give them the tickets before the concert started.

Why not take this opportunity to learn more about your "idol"? After all, not every fan can get so close to their idol in real life and even have a conversation with them.

Goto Ichiri looked up and blinked. Was he inviting her?

A boy and a girl going out together—that's the essence of youth.

youth……

Her youth...

Hachiman Hikigaya's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the girl before him, who was twitching strangely as if infected with a virus.

"Hey, Goto-kun, what's wrong?"

[Warning! Warning! Youthful war criminals are attacking!]

(Commander, what should we do?)

In the brain storage area of ​​Goto Ichiri, a group of tiny figures who looked exactly like her were nervously staring at the blood-red words on the big screen. This was the highest level red alert, the ultimate event that was said to be absolutely impossible!

(Calm down, soldiers!)

Xiao Yili, dressed in military uniform, had a solemn expression. She looked at the other Xiao Yili and waved her hand.

(This is a trial! If we win, we will have the experience to deal with such dangers in the future! So we must not panic! We must overcome it!)

(But what if we fail, sir?)

(I would never consider such a thing! I'd rather commit seppuku!)

"I'm sorry, I was too complacent. I will now return to my hometown."

"What bad thing did you associate it with?"

He hurriedly snatched the utility knife that the other person had pulled out from somewhere, intending to use it to cut his seppuku. Before his stomach even opened, he was already in excruciating pain.

Hachiman looked at Goto Ichiri, whose face was ashen, and said softly, "Goto-kun, aren't we friends? It's normal for friends to go out and have fun together."

This is a half-truth, half-lies. He doesn't know if it's normal for friends to go out together, but since he came here, no matter where he goes, there are always two idiots with him, so it's also possible that it's true.

It's normal for friends to go out together; indeed, Kita-chan has mentioned this before.

"Besides, I also want to learn more about Goto-kun (my idol)."

He really wanted to introduce her to Shan Yan.

I want to know more...

Eh?

Goto Ichiri's face suddenly turned red. Was this a confession?

Chapter Sixteen: My One and Only Boyfriend

No matter how close I get to a girl, I never feel any romantic feelings. That's me, a man like a fierce bear, Hachiman Hikigaya.

-

Considering the girl's overly sentimental personality, Hachiman thought it over and decided against casually strolling around the shopping street where the event was currently being held. He also didn't like crowded places, as that would expose the mold on his body too thoroughly.

The two walked along a deserted, secluded path. No one knew where the path would lead. Below them, long, slender ivy lazily bent against the wall, and large, leafy trees cast dappled shadows. A plump sparrow perched on a branch, its chirping breaking the silence.

Hachiman isn't good at talking to girls, and he can be a bit slow on the uptake sometimes. However, he has learned some social etiquette with Komachi's help.

If you, who took the initiative to invite the girl out and are in control, don't say anything, the atmosphere will become incredibly awkward, and you might even leave a bad impression on her.

No fan wants to be disliked by their idol, so he chose to start the conversation with rock music, which fits their identities and can serve as a connection.

"When did Goto start learning rock music?"

If a person wants to do something well, the first thing is to do it, the second is to have passion for it, and the third is to persevere while maintaining passion. With just these points, even if you don't reach the pinnacle, you will be much better than the average person.

"Me? Rock and roll... it started in the first year of junior high."

The pink-haired girl, whose voice was barely audible, poked her finger, trying hard not to recall that terrible memory. In order to make friends and form a band, she would practice for six hours every day after school, thinking that she would become famous after mastering her skills. But the truth was that she was still alone until the end of junior high school.

Such memories are heartbreaking no matter how you look at them, so it's better to just forget them. But every time I think about it, they suddenly resurface in my mind one night, becoming a dark chapter in my life.

"Back in the first year of junior high? That was impressive."

It's been six years since then, which is really impressive. It's amazing that I can still be interested in the same thing after six years.

Thinking back to when he was in the first year of junior high... never mind, I don't want to think about it anymore.

Looking back on the past will only make you regret it to the point of wanting to die.

"Hehehe, it's nothing, it's just a small thing, not worth praising, hehe."

The girl who was praised smiled innocently; her emotions were surprisingly easy to understand.

"That's really amazing. You must have put in a lot of hard work to have mastered the guitar."

Although he found the education policy of blindly praising others foolish, he wasn't her parent, so he didn't need to care about that.

The girl was still smiling, and the corners of her mouth even turned up a little more. If she had wings, she could probably fly up to the sky and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun.

It seems his rhetoric wasn't as bad as someone said, like that of a three-year-old. He was really hurt when he first heard that. If he could, he would like to change his age to four so he could do many things that are restricted to people under three.

The shadows stretched and twisted as the sun shone on them, creating a stark contrast with the dark reflections. Goto Ichiri's snow-white skin, exposed outside her old-fashioned tracksuit, was so bright that even Hachiman was momentarily dazzled by the sudden brightness, though it was only out of the corner of his eye.

He had seen girls with fair skin before, but none of them were as fair as her, to the point that it seemed unnatural to him. Had she never been in the sun?

Once he made that connection, Hachiman couldn't help but picture the other person opening their lips, revealing their fangs, timidly grabbing someone's arm, saying, "I'm going to eat now," and then biting down on it without even breaking the skin.

Surprisingly, it has a cute feel to it. Speaking of which, many anime on TV Tokyo now feature plots that transform supposedly ferocious animals into cute creatures. Is this considered a trend?

Speaking of which, rock music is also very popular.

"Goto-kun, you're very trendy."

Having figured this out, Hachiman sighed and said, "The saying 'birds of a feather flock together' is indeed true. If you think like that, you might even become a popular term yourself."

Hearing his words, Goto Ichiri responded in confusion, "She's popular? What does that mean? Does it mean she's as popular as a trendy item?"

Doesn't that mean he likes it too...?

White steam rose from her head, and the girl's face was as red as a ripe apple, with a blush spreading from her cheeks to her neck, as beautiful as a magnificent painting.

His light blue eyes had turned into mosquito coil eyes, constantly swirling around, making his head spin.