Chapter 115: Hitori Gotoh's First Kiss Is Me, Daniel! (Patreon)

With a little display of his skill, Daniel naturally joined Kessoku Band as guitarist and vocalist.

It also effectively replaced the spot Ikuyo Kita used to hold.

Daniel planned to give Kita some special tutoring later, though. Once she learned piano, she could become the band's keyboardist.

That way they'd have a drummer, a bassist, a lead guitarist and vocalist, a rhythm guitarist, and a keyboardist. A band with nothing missing.

Granted, everyone else's skill level was nowhere near his.

But if Daniel wanted, raising their level was easy. Hypnosis and Dream Baku could both be put to work on learning music.

Besides, he'd come back to this world to relax in the first place. In his previous life he'd only been an ordinary person, and he'd never formed a band.

Starting one now just for fun was a fresh experience for him.

"So let's practice that song from earlier. Want to try performing it on stage later?"

Daniel lifted Hitori Gotoh off his lap and put the question to the others.

They were all tempted, but Nijika spoke up, a little worried.

"But a song takes a lot of practice. If we go on stage today, we definitely won't be in sync. Sis wouldn't agree to it, either."

"Hmph hmph, as expected, I understand Boyfriend-kun best. Since he's saying that, he must have a way, right?"

Daniel chuckled. "Exactly. Leave convincing Seika to me. As for practicing the song, why don't you two carefully think back on the rhythm of that piece?"

Nijika and Hitori Gotoh did as he said without thinking. Then they found that the song's rhythm seemed carved into their minds. Even how to play together surfaced in their heads.

It felt as though they could simply pick up their instruments and do it.

"Huh? Wh-what's going on? Has the Guitar God appeared?" Hitori Gotoh cried in astonishment, clutching her little pink head.

Nijika looked amazed too. Ryo Yamada, on the other hand, didn't panic in the slightest. She'd been expecting Daniel to pull some trick on them.

Daniel smiled mysteriously. "Let's practice first. I'll tell you once we're done."

With Daniel leading, everyone began to practice.

Backed by Hypnosis, Nijika and the others improved at an astonishing speed. Daniel also used Hypnosis to confine Hitori Gotoh's social anxiety to off the stage.

As soon as she picked up a guitar and stepped on stage, Bocchi-chan would go from socially anxious to a social terrorist.

When the song ended, their coordination was seamless. It could rival those national-level bands!

"I played that, and I wasn't nervous at all just now. Could it be… the Guitar God is actually Mr. Daniel?"

Hitori Gotoh stared at Daniel in shock.

Daniel didn't hide his power. "That's right. So, how do you like a life this smooth, like you're using cheat codes?"

The moment he told the truth, Bocchi-chan's face changed colors five times in a single second. Then she hugged her guitar and collapsed onto the floor in a twitching fit of excitement, startling everyone.

She even muttered to herself, "Hehe, Futari, Mom, Dad, I've made something of myself~"

"I'm in the same band as Kami, hehehe, the Guitar God~"

Everyone watched Hitori Gotoh, lost in her own fantasy, in speechless silence.

"Honestly, Bocchi-chan is way too scary," Ryo Yamada griped instinctively.

"Okay, okay, it hasn't been easy for little Hitori. Let her be happy for a while," Daniel said with a smile at the corner of his mouth.

Seeing that Hitori was fine, Nijika sat back down behind the drum kit. She stared at the two drumsticks in her hands, sinking into thought.

In truth, she knew that with her ability she could never make it to Budokan. However hard she worked, with her lack of talent she could barely keep up with Ryo.

As a child, Nijika hadn't liked bands at all. Back then her sister was busy with her band every day and paid no attention to her, her little sister, or to the family.

Only after their mother died did her sister take her to see a live show to help her out of the shadow of her loss, and that was what pulled her out of it.

Afterward, her sister left the band to take care of her. That was why Nijika wanted to form a band now, to keep performing on stage in her sister's place.

And now, thanks to Daniel, she could go even further down this road.

"Thank you, Daniel-kun. Um, may I call you Yoru?"

Before Daniel could answer, Ryo suddenly gave her a wary look. "Nijika, are you trying to steal my man from me?"

Nijika's cheeks flushed red in an instant. "Ryo! What are you talking about?!" she cried, embarrassed and furious.

"Pfft, just kidding. You reacted so strongly, Nijika. But it's fine. This guy is a playboy anyway. He says he's staying with me in the band, but from where I'm standing his surroundings are no different from a harem."

"If you're willing, I can share my boyfriend with you. All I ask is that you lend me money afterward and don't make me pay it back!"

Ryo Yamada said it with her usual scumminess.

Before she could finish, Daniel rapped her on her little blue head.

"You'd sell me off just to borrow money? Ryo, are you asking for another lesson?"

"Ugh, I'm sorry, Boyfriend-kun. But aren't I helping you too?" Ryo Yamada stuck out her tongue, not reflecting in the slightest.

Watching the two play off each other, Nijika's face grew hot enough to fry an egg on.

"Okay, stop saying weird things, you two!"

"Weren't we going to perform? Hurry up and wake Bocchi-chan. I'm going to talk to my sister!"

With that, Nijika bolted out the door, leaving the two of them looking at each other, along with Hitori-chan wriggling on the floor.

"Aren't you in a hurry? That was a great chance just now. You should've just come clean and kissed her. Nijika wouldn't have been able to take it."

Ryo offered her suggestion, looking as though she had his best interests at heart.

Daniel smiled, unconcerned. "I'm plenty full today. Next time."

"As long as nobody comes running through the rain, drenched, saying she's quitting the band and that playing in a band was never fun, I've got plenty of time to get close to her."

Ryo narrowed her eyes. She had a feeling Daniel was talking about something that had really happened. "There's a band like that?"

"The world is big and full of wonders. But they probably haven't broken up yet. One of these days, I'll take you to see that band that blew up after a single show."

"Trust me, it's a lot of fun," Daniel suggested to Ryo Yamada.

Naturally, the already scummy Ryo Yamada was intrigued. "That's a promise, then. Remember to take me."

When they finished chatting, the two tried to wake Hitori Gotoh on the floor, but Bocchi-chan, immersed in her own fantasy, looked like she'd have a hard time snapping out of it.

But Hitori Gotoh like this was cute too. Daniel felt a stir of temptation and wanted a taste of dessert.

"Let me. I guarantee a cure."

Daniel had Ryo Yamada step back and crouched down in front of Hitori Gotoh. He cupped her little head in his hands, aimed at those rosy, bouncy lips, and stole her first kiss.

Sure enough, they were soft, sweet, and fragrant, just as he'd imagined.

He really liked the fragrant, soft Hitori.

Woken by the kiss, Hitori Gotoh's brain stalled for a moment, then went straight to a blue screen, shut down, and she fainted.

Ryo Yamada couldn't help remarking from the side, "Looks like your method is still too stimulating for Bocchi-chan."

"No problem. Do it a few more times and Bocchi-chan will get used to it!" Daniel had faith in human adaptability. It was definitely not that he was a little hooked and wanted to kiss her a few more times.