BanG Dream: The Unexpected Part-Timer

Just be honest

It's now afternoon, and I find myself seated in a chair, engrossed in my laptop.

Before leaving for the beach, I had the foresight to bring my laptop with me, given our mission of creating a summer song.

As the rest of Poppin'Party sang and worked on the new summer song, I diligently recorded their performance on my phone, ensuring we had a record of their creative process.

While I was engrossed in my laptop, carefully analyzing the audio, someone suddenly placed a water bottle next to my laptop.

"Hm?" I glanced to my side, noticing it was Ichigaya-san. "Thanks."

"...What are you doing?" Arisa leaned in closer to take a look at my laptop.

Woah, her face is really close...

I couldn't help but feel a bit flustered as Arisa leaned in closer to inspect my laptop. Her curiosity seemed genuine.

"Oh, um, I'm just going over the recordings from earlier. Trying to get a sense of the song."

Arisa's eyes were focused on the screen, her brow furrowing slightly as she listened. "Sounds like you're really serious about helping us, Nakasone-kun."

"Well, I did promise, didn't I?"

She smiled, leaning back a bit. "Yeah, you did. We appreciate it."

She muttered, "Glad you are... honestly, this is the first time we've actually struggled with creating a song."

"What did you say?"

"It's nothing."

She nodded then grabbed a chair from somewhere, placing it beside me as she continued to observe.

"W-What... Watching me work is kind of... you know."

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence, with only the ambient sounds of the beach reaching my ears.

Just then something reminded me.

That awkward encounter with Arisa when she had caught me watching something I shouldn't have.

My mind involuntarily flashed back to that moment.

"Forget everything you saw... Got that?"

My heart had raced at her chilling words, and I had quickly agreed, eager to put that awkward situation behind me.

Shaking off the memory, I refocused on my work, hoping that this time, I wouldn't stumble into any strange situations.

The room remained quiet, but I looked at Arisa who seemed lost in thought as well, her gaze fixed on something beyond the laptop screen.

"Is something on your mind, Ichigaya-san?" I ventured to ask, breaking the silence.

She blinked as if coming back to the present. "Oh, it's nothing, Nakasone-kun. Just thinking about our song, that's all."

I nodded, but there was a lingering curiosity about what she might be hiding.

"Tell me," I insisted, not looking away from my work.

"Tell me what?" Arisa replied, seemingly reluctant.

"Tell me what you're thinking about the song."

She hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "It's missing something..."

My eyes widened as I turned to face her. "Really?"

She quickly added, "Don't get me wrong! Everyone's performance is perfect! Kasumi's voice and her guitar, Saaya's drum beats, Rimirin's bass, and O'Tae's guitar were all on point, but..." She glanced up at me. "I feel like there's something missing. So, please don't tell everyone about it," she finished, looking away.

I smiled and leaned in slightly. "If that's what you're thinking, you must be quite observant, huh?"

She seemed surprised. "Eh? What do you..."

"Because I've been feeling the same way."

R-Really? So, I'm not the only one?"

I nodded. "You're not the only one who thinks something's missing. Maybe Toyama-san, Yamabuki-san, Ushigome-san, and Hanazono-san feel the same."

"I'm glad," she said, a bit of relief in her voice. "I was getting a bit anxious."

"Don't worry about it. We'll figure it out together. I'm here to help, aren't I?"

She smiled, and I smiled back. I turned my attention back to my laptop. Suddenly, she placed her phone next to it.

"What's this?" I asked, glancing at her.

"It's not like I want to," she began, her face slightly flushed. "But we need you for our song. So, tell me your email address..."

I couldn't help but smirk. "Just be honest already~"

"W-What do you mean by that!?" she replied, flustered.

I took her phone, entered my LineID, and handed it back to her. "Here you go."

"T-Thanks..."

"Now go, shoo, leave me alone with the work."

"S-Shut up! I'm leaving!" She walked away with a tsundere attitude, leaving me alone to continue my work.