In this crossover anime, I've been bound to two systems.

…………

Chapter Ninety-Six: I'm Serious

After much effort, Chisato Suzumiya finally managed to convince Niji Natsumi that there was no lewd relationship between her and Ichiri Goto.

"So, we really are just friends."

Ichi Nijika breathed a sigh of relief and gently patted her chest.

"It's okay if it's not innocent..."

Suzumiya Chisato looked at Goto Ichiri with a puzzled expression.

"Ichiri-san, what are you muttering about over there?"

"Ah...did I just say something?"

"Yes."

"Well……"

Goto Ichiri panicked and tried to cover her face with her hands, but when she realized that she could still feel the questioning gazes of the other two people in the seats, she simply squatted under the table.

Knowing her personality, Suzumiya Chisato could only sigh helplessly.

Ichiji Nijika gave a confused yet gentle smile, leaning down to look at her, trying to wake her.

"Hey~ Ichiri-chan, your skirt is all over the ground, it'll get dirty."

"Ah...it's okay, I'm tying my shoelaces, you guys chat."

Before you come up with that excuse, do you want to take a look at what shoes you're wearing right now?

Ichiji Nijika raised her head and looked uneasily at Suzumiya Chisato.

She covered her mouth with one hand and slowly moved closer.

"Suzumiya-san, did I do something wrong to make Ichiri-chan angry?"

The girl's approach brought with it the scent of citrus fruits, like those found in a summer orchard.

The fragrance is so refreshing and natural that even with a young girl's delicate face right in front of you, it doesn't arouse any desire.

If I had to choose, the older woman with blonde hair, like Ijichi Nijika, at the bar would be more to Suzumiya Chisato's liking.

"This is a normal reaction for Ichiri-san, you'll get used to it."

Suzumiya Senri waved her hand, indicating that she shouldn't mind.

Just then, he felt his trouser leg being tugged. He looked down and saw Goto Ichiri pointing frantically at the exit of the performance hall.

She wanted to get Suzumiya Senri to quickly decline the invitation that Ichiji Nijika had extended to her yesterday, and then they could leave as soon as possible.

Honestly, are you a shy kid being taken by your parents to visit unfamiliar places?

Feeling a sudden, inexplicable sense of déjà vu, Suzumiya Chisato pulled Goto Ichiri out from under the table and explained the purpose of their visit to Iji Chini Natsumi.

"Did Ichichi invite Ichiri-san to join the band yesterday?"

"Yup!"

Ichi Nijika gently clasped her hands together and said with considerable excitement,

"Yesterday, I was walking down the street worrying about my band's lack of a guitarist when I suddenly saw Ichiri-chan playing on a swing in the park. After talking to her, I found out that she hadn't joined any other bands either. It was like a fateful encounter arranged by heaven! Wasn't it!"

"Well!"

Perhaps it was the overwhelming energy emanating from the other person as they spoke that made Goto Ichiri, who was used to lingering in the shadows, feel quite uncomfortable. As a result, she moved closer to Suzumiya Senri and subconsciously tugged at his sleeve.

"Hey, Hongxia, come here for a second."

Just then, a call came from the bar.

"Excuse me, I'll go for a moment."

Ichi Nijika left with light, quick steps.

This allowed Goto Ichiri, who had been on edge ever since stepping into the exhibition hall, to finally relax and breathe a sigh of relief.

Suzumiya Senri looked at her.

"What should I do? Such a weighty phrase as 'a fateful encounter' came out of Ijichi's mouth. She seems to be really looking forward to it. If I really have to reject her, I feel like she'll cry pitifully. Should I reconsider?"

"Hey! Will you cry?"

"Yes, yes, after all, she's already calling it a fateful encounter. Why don't you give it another try, Ichiri-san? Ichichi-san is a good person, and if you get along well, she might become your next new friend?"

"Can someone like me really become friends with Ijichi-san?"

"If you can become friends with me, then there's probably no one in this world you can't make friends with."

After Suzumiya Chisato said those words with extreme arrogance, Goto Ichiri's initial thoughts seemed to soften a bit, and she looked up towards the bar.

For her sake, and for her own, Suzumiya Chisato intensified her efforts to persuade her.

"Besides, Ichiri-san has always been playing music alone, so he must feel a bit lonely sometimes. If he joined a band, it would be different. Not only could he make friends with the other members of the band, but he could also gain a lot of fans. He might even be surrounded by people asking for autographs or photos."

"Eh—~"

With just a few words, the other party had conjured up the delusions in Goto Ichiri's mind.

She recalled her initial ambition when she first started learning guitar: to be welcomed by others, make more friends, and become a positive and outgoing person!

"Imagine you standing under the spotlight, playing the guitar with unparalleled style, while fans hold up flashing signs with your name on them, shouting your name at the top of their lungs just to make eye contact with you for a fleeting moment, because you are their idol, the person they admire."

"Hey? What are you talking about?"

Nijika Ichichi returned carrying a blackboard.

Still looking somewhat frightened, with her eyes darting around, Goto Ichiri seemed to have made up her mind at this moment, and suddenly stood up.

"I...Ijichi-kun!"

"kindness?"

"Please...please let me join your band! Please!"

"Huh? Wasn't this already agreed upon yesterday? And why are you suddenly using honorifics?"

Ichi Nijika was startled.

"In short, I look forward to your continued support from now on!"

"Ah! Yes!"

Looking at the two girls bowing at a ninety-degree angle in front of her, Suzumiya Chisato revealed a knowing smile.

If every girl around him were as easy to win over as Ichiri Goto, he'd probably be secretly chuckling to himself in his sleep.

"Ichichi-kun, what's with that blackboard you're holding?"

"Oh, this? My sister, who is also the manager of this store, asked me to write a job posting on it so that it can be hung up tomorrow when the weather clears up."

"A job posting?"

Suzumiya Senri's heart stirred.

"Well, the student who was working part-time quit, so we're a bit short-handed. The manager is planning to hire another part-time worker. The normal working hours are from 6 pm to 9 pm. The main responsibilities are ticket checking and making drinks at the bar. The hourly wage is 1,300 yen, and it's settled once a week. Do you have any friends you can recommend, Suzumiya?"

It wasn't a particularly difficult job, and the working hours coincided with the school hours. The salary of 1,300 yuan wasn't bad either. Most importantly, he lived not far from here; it only took him half an hour to get home by tram.

"Can we not be friends?"

Suzumiya Senri points to herself.

Ichika looked at him and suddenly laughed.

"You must be joking again. Suzumiya doesn't look like someone who needs to do odd jobs because she's short of money."

"I'm not kidding this time! I'm serious!"

…………

Chapter Ninety-Seven: You Should Leave the Group

"Avoid...avoid...avoid...!!!"

The pronunciation of one word kept coming back to her lips, her pretty face flushed red, but she couldn't get the next two words out. It looked rather bizarre.

"There's no one else here, you don't need to pretend to be so innocent."

Kasumigaoka Utaha snatched the neatly square package from Sawamura Eriri and put it back in her drawer.

"Who...who's faking it?! I'm genuinely surprised!"

"No one would believe that an artist who draws adult content would stutter and freeze up when they see something like this. The number of times you've drawn this with your right hand is probably well over three digits."

"Who would draw something like this?!"

"Oh, sorry, I forgot you're a fan of humiliation-themed things. It seems you're not really good at drawing these kinds of safety products. I don't think I saw you make Chiri use them in the dream either. You just let him go in directly, right?"

"Stop...! Don't suddenly say things like that! Don't you feel ashamed?!"

Eriri Sawamura's face turned bright red, and she almost blurted out a curse.

Kasumigaoka Utaha, arms crossed, continued to dredge up old grievances relentlessly.

"It wasn't me who was tied up with ropes, blindfolded, and made of a little ball. I was just watching from the sidelines. Why should I be ashamed?"

"Only blindfolds! No ropes! And no balls!!!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha, facing the excited Sawamura Eriri, calmly covered her ears.

“You can shout even louder, so that my mother can hear our conversation. Then, the next time she and your mother meet, they can talk about it.”

"you!……"

Eriri Sawamura stomped her foot angrily, then walked directly to the bedside and sat down with her legs crossed.

"Your skirt is damp, isn't it? Don't sit on my bed, there's a chair over there."

Kasumigaoka Utaha's words only made things worse. Sawamura Eriri snorted and pounced on the center of her bed, rolling around twice as much as she had.

"childish."