I Just Want A Single Ending!

This bonus chapter is a small gift—may it bring you a touch of tranquility.

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W-Wait a minute! What exactly are you two doing?"

The sight before her instantly sobered Kikuri up; she was no longer tipsy at all.

"Nothing much, really. Yahata-san was just giving me a bass lesson," Saku replied calmly.

They hadn't done anything remotely intimate, but from Kikuri's tone, you'd think she'd caught them doing something scandalous.

"She's teaching you bass, and you call that 'nothing'?!" Kikuri whimpered. "We agreed that I'd be the one to teach you!"

If Umiri stole this teaching job from her, Kikuri's income would take a serious hit.

Not to mention, she'd already spent most of Saku's advance payment. If he demanded a refund, she'd have no way to pay him back.

She couldn't let anyone steal this precious gig.

"I was just filling in since you weren't here," Umiri replied, packing up her bass.

"Now that you're here, I'll head out."

"…Yeah, you'd better," Kikuri said, clearly wanting her gone.

She was now regretting ever introducing Umiri to Saku; it felt like letting a wolf into the henhouse.

"Oh, right. Here's my contact info," Umiri said, pulling a card from who-knows-where and handing it to Saku.

"If you have any bass questions, feel free to message me. Or if Kikuri-senpai's ever late again and I happen to be free, I can sub in for her."

"Thank you so much."

Saku accepted the card, pleasantly surprised, though inwardly puzzled.

What was going on?

Throughout their lesson, he'd done nothing but focus on learning bass.

Why was she being so nice to him all of a sudden?

It felt oddly… generous.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kikuri grumbled. "I'm Saku's bass teacher!"

"It's just in case." With a shrug, Umiri walked past her and out of the practice room.

The reason for her kindness was simple.

Saku was a natural.

She was always thrilled to nurture another talented bassist.

And teaching a prodigy? Super easy—they picked things up in an instant, with a level of feedback that made teaching a breeze.

Finally, she'd realized why her conversations with Saku flowed so easily and why their interactions felt so comfortable.

It was because they were both bass geniuses.

And geniuses attract each other.

Once the door closed, leaving only Kikuri and Saku in the room, she immediately pressed him, "What's going on with you and Umiri? Why'd she suddenly decide to teach you bass and act all nice?"

Although he'd briefly explained earlier, she still wanted the full story.

"Well…"

Seeing her curiosity, Saku gave her a quick rundown of what had happened.

"Oh, so that's what happened…"

Kikuri visibly relaxed after hearing the explanation.

But she still felt a bit uneasy and asked, "Are you sure she didn't say something like, 'Don't let Kikuri-senpai teach you bass—just let me do it from now on'?"

"Positive."

After he confirmed it, Saku asked, "Are you really that worried about her taking over your role as my bass teacher?"

"Yes," Kikuri replied, nodding firmly.

"Then why were you so late?" he asked with mock annoyance.

The question was part of his strategy to make it seem like his time with Umiri hadn't been intentional, just a matter of circumstance.

"Sorry!" Kikuri quickly apologized, "I'll do anything to make it up to you if you'll forgive me!"

"There's no need to go that far; I already forgave you."

As tempting as her offer sounded, Saku wasn't the kind of guy to take advantage of someone in a tight spot.

In fact, if she hadn't been so late, he wouldn't have had such a long, enjoyable lesson with Umiri, nor would he have scored her contact info and her offer to help.

If anything, he owed Kikuri a thank-you.

"That's a relief."

Seeing he had no intention of replacing her as his teacher, Kikuri finally relaxed.

"So, let's get back to the bass lesson."

Feigning an eager interest in bass, Saku urged her to start.

Come to think of it, he'd had a lot of different bass teachers, hadn't he?

First Ryo, then Soyo, followed by Yahata Umiri, and now Kikuri.

It was like he'd collected all the best tips from each of them.

"Got it."

Kikuri agreed and reached behind herself for her bass case, only to find it wasn't there.

"Huh?"

Where was her bass?

Why couldn't she find it?

"Wait… did you forget to bring your bass?"

Seeing her fumbling, Saku realized the problem.

"…Sorry, I forgot my bass! Please forgive me—I'll do anything!" Kikuri apologized again, sounding desperate.

Saku couldn't hold back his exasperation. "Do you realize how often you say, 'I'll do anything'? Isn't that a little too casual?"

If he took her words at face value, he'd already earned himself two "do anything" favors in just a few minutes.

"Well, I said it, and then you forgave me easily…" Kikuri scratched her head, looking sheepish.

Saku narrowed his eyes, giving her a playful glare. "So, as long as I forgive you, you'll do anything, huh?"

"Um… well…"

Seeing his change in tone and expression left Kikuri flustered and unsure of how to respond.

Was she supposed to push back? Or should she go along with it?

Just as she hesitated, Saku voiced his "request": "If you'll do anything, then change how you address me. Stop calling me 'Little Saku'!"

With his words, a silence fell over the practice room.

"…That's it? That's all you want?"

After a pause, Kikuri asked, cautiously testing his response.

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T/N: SAKU IS A KIND MAN OKAY! HE'S NOT LIKE OTHERS

Ah, Reader. You've stayed for the bonus chapter—how delightful.

Even amidst the quiet of eternity, there's joy to be found in shared moments like this.

If you wish to offer your strength, step forward: [patreon.com/WiseTL].

Each effort helps to shape a world where such moments can thrive.

— Ei