Yui waved her hands frantically. "No way! I can't let everyone help me with something like this!"
"Hehe, what's the big deal?"
Ritsu slung an arm around Yui's shoulders and grinned. "Let's just treat it like a club activity!"
"What do you all think? Any objections?"
Mio sighed helplessly and glanced at Tsumugi and Sato. "I don't really mind, but…"
"Part-time job?" Tsumugi's eyes sparkled.
"Yup!"
"I want to do it!"
"Uh…"
Seeing Tsumugi so eager left Ritsu a little dazed, even doubtful.
Wait a sec, I'm pretty sure I said 'part-time job,' not a trip to the amusement park, why is she so excited?!
On the other side, under Mio's slightly anxious gaze, Sato paused to think. He didn't have much going on in the next few weeks, working part-time with everyone didn't sound too bad.
Eventually, Sato nodded as well.
"Th-thank you, everyone!"
Yui was nearly in tears, deeply touched. She looked like she might offer her life in gratitude.
Everyone else responded with a collective look of please don't.
"Sato, have you picked your guitar yet?"
With Yui's situation momentarily settled, Ritsu turned back to Sato.
"Not yet. I'm still looking. You guys go browse a bit more."
"Alright. Don't take too long."
"Got it!"
After everyone scattered, Sato returned to staring at the wall of guitars. Yup, his intermittent decision paralysis was kicking in again.
"So many choices... headache…"
He sighed and walked slowly along the display wall, all those beautiful guitars only making things worse.
Thud!
Suddenly, he bumped into someone without noticing.
"Sorry!"
Startled, Sato turned around and reached out a hand to help the girl who had fallen.
The unfamiliar girl hesitated for a moment, then took his hand and stood up.
He bent down to pick up the beret she had dropped and handed it back to her.
"No need to apologize, it was partly my fault too."
The unknown girl lightly brushed off her skirt and accepted the hat, her voice calm and expression neutral.
Sato was surprised.
How had he not noticed her at all with his usually sharp awareness? Was he that absorbed in looking at guitars?
"Is something wrong?"
Maybe he'd been staring too long. The girl looked up at him, puzzled.
Although there was clear confusion in her eyes, her expression barely shifted, still composed and quiet.
"No, nothing."
Sato nodded apologetically and averted his gaze.
Then he frowned, subtly studying the girl like he was trying to recall something.
She gave him a strange look, then scanned the music store around her. With a sigh, she murmured:
"Forgot about me again, huh…"
And then she walked straight out of the store.
Sato stood there, watching her leave with a furrowed brow.
Something about her felt oddly familiar.
White beret, white dress, pale pink cardigan…
Wait!
Suddenly, it clicked. His eyes widened as he stared in the direction she left.
Could she be... the "fateful girl" Ryuya (OC friend of MC) once mentioned meeting at Detective Hill?
He hadn't paid close attention earlier, but now that he thought about it, she really was the cute type.
Delicate, clean-cut features, average height, porcelain skin, curves in all the right places...
The more he thought about her, the more perfectly everything seemed to fit.
And yet, there hadn't been any stunning first impression. It was only in hindsight that her beauty became clear, something hauntingly unforgettable.
"So… Ryuya was telling the truth?"
Sato rubbed his temples and fell silent.
When Ryuya had told him that story, he'd chalked it up to adolescent fantasy.
But now, he imagined that girl standing on a hill under a clear sky, cherry blossoms drifting through the air, hands pressed to her fluttering white skirt…
"Yeah. That really would be beautiful."
With the vivid imagination of a light novel writer, Sato could almost see it, an image so breathtaking it felt real.
Now, he finally understood Ryuya's obsession.
Still, his stance hadn't changed.
This was a great story and an enchanting beginning but it wasn't something you could rush or half-bake. If the final work wasn't perfect, it would tarnish the beauty of it all.
So better to leave it for now.
Or rather… save it for later.
"What's beautiful?"
Sato snapped out of his thoughts. When did the others get back?
Ritsu and the others were now standing beside him, giving him strange looks.
Sato glanced away, eyes drifting to the wall of guitars. "I meant the guitar."
Guitar?
Everyone turned to look at the display wall.
Ritsu put her hands on her hips and nodded. "Yeah, they are pretty."
"They're cute too!" Yui chimed in cheerfully.
"Cute?"
Everyone turned to look at her.
Yui pointed to the 250,000 yen guitar from before and declared, "That one's Gitah!"
Ritsu's mouth twitched. "That's not even yours yet. You already gave it a name?"
"Hmph!"
Yui pouted. "It will be mine!"
"Heh, not so fast!"
Ritsu's eyes lit up with mischief. She tugged Sato's sleeve and said, "Hey Sato, have you picked yet? If not, how about that guitar?"
Sato looked over, confused then froze. Wait a minute… wasn't that Gitah?
He turned and saw Yui looking at him with teary puppy-dog eyes. Her expression screamed, Please don't!
"Y-You're so mean, Nohara-kun!"
Sato: "…"
"What's that got to do with me? Relax, I'm not buying that one."
Yui's face lit up again. She grinned and scratched her head. "Nohara-kun, you're a really good person."
Everyone else: "…"
Your loyalty is way too flimsy!!
In the end, Sato chose a sleek black guitar worth 120,000 yen, and their trip to the music store came to a close.