Lonely Rock for the Blind.

"Huh? Kita can't actually play the guitar?"

Nijika looked at Kita Ikuyo in surprise.

"I'm...I'm sorry..."

"No wonder he absolutely refused to participate in the joint training..."

Ichi Nijika suddenly realized.

puff.

The energy drink next to her was opened, and Nekoyashiki Haru inserted a straw, put it in her mouth, and then said while drinking.

"So this new kid was originally a member of your band, but ran away before the show because he couldn't play the guitar."

"You always act like a child, even though we're the same age."

Niji Natsumi looked at Nekoyashiki Haru speechlessly and said.

"How could that be? I'm already a working professional."

"Don't be so smug, you dropout."

On the other side, Kita Ikuyo, who had noticed Nekoyashiki Haru, looked up at the boy.

He has black hair, a slender build, and very handsome features. Even though he's wearing sunglasses, you can still tell he's a very impressive and handsome guy... So why is he wearing sunglasses?

"Um... excuse me, who is this gentleman?"

"Huh? Oh! I forgot to introduce myself."

Ijichi Nigatsu smiled and put a hand on Nekoyashiki Haru's shoulder.

"This is my cat!"

"Ugh!!!"

Kita Ikuyo opened her eyes wide.

"Cat demon!!!"

"...How exactly did you interpret it that way?"

Ichi Nijika sighed.

"No, her full name is Nekoyashiki Haru. She's my childhood friend who just came back recently. I just call her 'cat' because I'm used to it."

"Oh...I see..."

Why am I still a little disappointed?

"Ichi Nijika asked with a frown."

"Because it's not a real cat demon?"

"So that's why it's a cat demon..."

puff.

Nekoyashiki Haru quietly picked up the second can of energy drink, and Yamada Ryo, who was next to her, handed her his own energy drink.

The two quietly clinked glasses.

"But it's really worrying to know you've suddenly gone missing, Kita."

Ichi Nijika looked at Kita Ikuyo and said, and Kita Ikuyo lowered her head.

"Yes... I'm so sorry..."

"Yes, I'm worried about you too."

Yamada Ryo suddenly interjected, and Kita Ikuyo immediately showed a touched expression.

“I thought you were dead, so I set up a memorial tablet for you at home and worship it every day.”

"No, no, don't kill people without permission, you idiot."

"Ichi Nijika, who was standing next to me, complained."

Kita Ikuyo looked at the two joking around and raised her head slightly to ask.

"Um, aren't you two seniors angry?"

"Hmm? Don't be angry anymore. It's not like we two didn't realize we had problems too."

"Ichi Nijika said with a smile."

"And the performance that day is also fine."

Goto Ichiri slightly raised his head.

Have we reached...my topic yet?

Snapped!

"Alas!"

The sudden sound of slamming the table startled Goto Ichiri, who had just raised his head, back down.

"But! I feel so bad about this! Is there anything I can do to make amends?"

Kita Ikuyo said somewhat hastily.

With a soft "pfft," Nekoyashiki Haru opened the sixth can of energy drink, and Yamada Ryo next to him began to applaud with a shocked expression.

Even if you say that, I still don't know what to do right away.

It's difficult for Ichiji Nijika to understand.

"Then you can stay and work tonight, and the rest of you can come too."

On the other side, at the counter, Ijichi Seika suddenly spoke.

"Ugh, so they're already conscripting workers at this hour? And they're even eavesdropping on young girls' conversations... What a creepy and cold-blooded manager..."

Nekoyashiki Haru said with a frightened expression.

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tell you that you didn't finish your Hongxia Cuisine lunch."

"Didn't you already say it?"

"Kitten! What do you mean you didn't finish your food?!"

"No! There's a reason for that, because of that..."

Nekoyashiki Haru put down the seventh can of energy drink and could only start explaining with exaggerated gestures, while Ijichi Nijika looked at him expressionlessly.

Kita Ikuyo blinked as she watched this scene.

It seems... not as scary as I thought?

Chapter Twelve Interesting People

"Little Yili, come out quickly, don't hide inside!"

Ichika Nijika smiled gently at Goto Ichiri, who was biting his nails under the table.

"No work, no work, no work, no work..."

Muttering to himself, Goto Ichiri shrank back a little more under the table.

“Pochi looks like a puppy that's just a month old.”

On the other side, Yamada Ryo squatted down and said with a smile.

"Seriously! Liang, stop making fun of Yili, hurry up and figure out a way to get her out of here!"

Ichi Nijika said to Yamada Ryo, who blinked.

"Climb in and pull out?"

"It's too dangerous to deal with wild animals like this."

Ichi Nijika shook her head.

"So you're treating her like a wild animal too..."

Behind her, Ijichi Seika opened her mouth and sighed, "My little sister can be surprisingly eccentric sometimes."

"...Uh...What are you guys doing?"

Kita Ikuyo tilted her head and looked at all of this, completely bewildered.

"Hmm? Ah... I'm not entirely sure of the specifics, but judging from his voice, it seems like Pochi doesn't want to work."

"Ugh?"

Kita Ikuyo was startled by the sudden explanation from Nekoyashiki Haru beside her, but she quickly recovered. Although what Haru said was a little strange, Kita Ikuyo didn't pay any attention to it.

After all, he seems to be the kind of person who wears sunglasses all the time; even a seasoned party animal would find it hard to do that.

Kita Ikuyo had no idea that the boy next to her was wearing sunglasses because he was blind.

"But why is Goto reacting so strongly to just a part-time job?"

"Who knows? But if you ask me, it's probably because she's afraid of contact with people."

Nekoyashiki Haru nodded.

"Ok?"

Kita Ikuyo looked at Nekoyashiki Haru, waiting for him to continue.

"That kid is extremely socially anxious, you know what I mean?"

"Ah... I did see that, but I didn't expect it to have gone this far."

Kita Ikuyo scratched his head.

"Um, should I call you Mr. Nekoyashiki? No... Senpai, please."

"Why is it 'senior'?"

"Because I'll be working here later, and you should be working here too, right? It's not strange to call you senior."

"Yes, that's no problem. I don't care much about how you address me, you can call me whatever you want. But I'm not just an employee, I can be considered a staff member here."