I Just Want A Single Ending!

"Here?"

Kikuri instinctively glanced around the room.

"Yes."

Saku confirmed.

"That's tricky. I'm not like Nijika. The livehouse isn't my home." Kikuri understood the limitations well.

Kita Ikuyo and Chihaya Anon could use STARRY's practice room whenever a band wasn't booked because it was owned by Nijika Ijichi's sister.

Not every band could casually borrow a livehouse's facilities.

Want to use it? Sure.

As long as you're willing to pay.

"That's fine. I'll cover the cost," Saku said, understanding her hesitation. "Bringing you back to my place just feels inappropriate. People might misunderstand and spread some weird rumors."

Although he'd once taken Ryo Yamada home alone, he said this now as if genuinely worried about the situation.

"If you're paying, then that's no problem at all." Kikuri looked a little puzzled. "But I'd just be at your place to teach you bass. What's there to misunderstand?"

"If I bring a tipsy woman home, how would that not raise some eyebrows?"

His gaze fell on the half-full can of beer in her hand, adding a pointed emphasis.

"I don't mind."

Kikuri shrugged it off without a second thought.

"But that kind of rumor could damage my reputation as a guy. Having to explain it is just a hassle."

The last thing Saku wanted was for this one heavy drinker to stand in the way of his "single route" ending.

Being male, he already faced enough hurdles in keeping things purely platonic with capturable characters.

If people started gossiping about him bringing home a tipsy woman, it could very well skew their impression of him.

Even if he could explain, it'd still require time and evidence.

And even then, they might not believe it.

Especially given Kikuri's constant drunken state. She wasn't exactly trustworthy.

Two people alone in a room, with one clearly intoxicated—talk about fuel for rumors!

To avoid this mess, it'd be easier to ensure the rumors didn't start.

Besides, setting the practice location here would also give him a natural reason to be around Yahata Umiri. That was the main point.

"You've got a point there. But somehow, it feels like you think I'm really low on the priority list. Like, wouldn't rumors like that affect me more than you?" Kikuri picked up on a hint of his real motives.

Saku maintained a pleasant smile as he replied, "Of course not. You're Kikuri Hiroi, my soon-to-be bass instructor. How could you ever be low-priority?"

If she were a capturable character, he'd welcome her to his place anytime—just like he did for Ryo Yamada or Nagasaki Soyo.

He'd even invite them over to study together.

Those rumors wouldn't bother him; he could just clarify things easily.

But Kikuri wasn't a capturable character.

So there was no point wasting time on trivial complications.

If she wanted to visit, that was one thing.

He'd be fine with that.

"Alright, whatever—so long as you're paying."

Curiosity satisfied, Kikuri let it go.

Saku's points made sense, and since he was footing the bill, she saw no reason to refuse.

"Can I be the one to set the lesson schedule? I'm usually balancing a lot, so I can't guarantee a fixed time," Saku continued.

Of course, he planned to choose times when Yahata Umiri's bands were performing, giving him opportunities to interact with her.

Naturally, he'd sprinkle in a few other times to avoid making it too obvious.

"Sure, that's fine. I'm pretty flexible." Kikuri agreed easily.

"Thanks, I'll be counting on you."

With that, Saku pulled out his wallet, took out a stack of bills, and handed it to her.

"Not sure if this covers lessons for the next while."

"This is more than enough."

She took a quick glance at the cash and immediately accepted it.

This would cover her drink money for months.

"Don't worry, I'll teach you well," Kikuri promised as she carefully tucked the cash away.

She had to hold onto this golden ticket of a client.

"Great. I trust you."

Saku smiled back.

Though he'd lined up Kikuri to teach him bass, he had no intention of letting go of Nagasaki Soyo's lessons.

Since his sessions with Soyo were at night, he'd keep Kikuri's lessons for the day or afternoon—there'd be no conflict in his schedule.

Plus, this gave him a solid reason to explain his rapid improvement on the bass.

After all, he was doubling his efforts, with two instructors.

His skill level now was only natural.

"Well, I've got to get ready now. Enjoy the show."

Having achieved her goal and collected her pay, Kikuri was ready to move on.

"See you."

So, it really was all about the money.

Such a heartless woman!

Luckily, he was equally detached. Little things like this didn't faze him.

During their conversation, Yahata Umiri's band had quietly wrapped up their set.

Watching her exit the stage, Saku felt no urge to stay for the rest of the show.

As for Kikuri's upcoming performance?

Who?

She felt like a character he barely knew.

Clearly, Yahata Umiri was the one who mattered now.

Unfortunately, as an audience member, he couldn't just waltz backstage. Directly approaching her was out of the question.

So Saku stepped back toward the door.

If she wanted to leave, she'd have to pass by him.

It wasn't long before Umiri, bass case in hand, came into view.

"Yahata, your performance was amazing!"

Seeing her approach, Saku acted as though he'd just noticed her, stepping forward with a casual smile.

"Thanks."

Umiri paused, accepting his compliment.

Then, with a hint of hesitation, Saku asked, "Um… if you're free, could I talk to you for a bit?"

---

T/N: I actually hope he becomes good friends with Kikuri! It'd be nice for him to have a friend outside of his targets.

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Transmission complete.