I Just Want A Single Ending!

Was it possible that marrying Kamigawa Saku could eliminate all her future worries?

Hiroi Kikuri found herself pondering this thought.

For starters, he was undeniably easy on the eyes—enough to make anyone's heart race.

Not to mention his wealth. The fact that he could casually buy a mountain of expensive cosmetics as gifts showed just how well-off he was.

The more she thought about it, the more Saku seemed like an ideal marriage prospect.

The only catch was… his age.

He was just a high school freshman, barely fifteen or sixteen.

And herself?

She'd graduated from college ages ago.

After a quick reality check, Kikuri had no choice but to let go of her absurd little fantasy, sighing as she opened the bottle Seika had returned to her, drowning her thoughts in more alcohol.

The idea of marrying Saku was nothing more than a passing daydream.

It was entirely unrealistic—there was no way he'd be interested in her.

Besides, their relationship was barely more than casual acquaintances. Bringing up marriage out of the blue would be outright strange.

"Saku, what do you think of Kessoku Band?"

At that moment, Yamada Ryo suddenly spoke up, cutting through the conversation.

"They're great."

Saku replied without a moment's hesitation.

A band full of potential romantic leads was about as ideal as it could get for him.

Ryo took the opportunity to extend an invitation, "In that case, would you like to join us in Kessoku Band?"

"Eh?"

Saku was taken aback.

[Accept]

[Decline]

The system options appeared immediately.

"Hold on a second! What's the meaning of this? I'm still right here!"

Chihaya Anon's reaction was immediate and intense.

Recruiting their band's manager right in front of her—was she serious?

If Ryo was going to invite Saku, at least do it when Anon wasn't around! Did she really think she'd just sit there and take it?

"Sorry, Ryo didn't mean it that way,"

Nijika Ijichi quickly apologized, casting Ryo a warning look. "What's gotten into you? Why would you say that out of nowhere?"

"Well, if Saku were our manager, we wouldn't have to worry about money,"

Ryo replied bluntly, with no attempt to hide her intentions.

After all, playing in a band was expensive, and ticket sales alone weren't enough to cover it.

Not to mention, renting a professional studio, producing albums—it all cost a fortune.

If Saku, with his apparent wealth, joined, he could easily handle those expenses.

Ryo remembered that Saku had once shown interest in joining Kessoku Band, only to be turned down by Nijika. She hadn't wanted to bother him back then.

Now, though, Ryo felt the time was right to revisit the topic.

Back then, she hadn't known the extent of Saku's resources, so she'd been too quick to give up on him.

But now that she understood his financial means, of course, she wanted him in the band.

Saku didn't quite know how to respond.

Was this that classic saying about life's ups and downs, "Thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west"? Don't look down on the poor youth?

The only problem was, he'd never been poor!

"Could you not say that kind of thing in front of him?" Nijika couldn't hold back her exasperation. "What do you take a band manager for? Even if he joined our band, he wouldn't be paying for everything."

"This has to be Ryo-senpai joking around, right?"

Ikuyo Kita tried to smooth things over as well.

If Ryo was serious, her impression of Ryo would certainly take a hit.

Gotoh Hitori, however, remained silent. In truth, she'd love for Saku to join the band.

Her reason was simple: it'd mean seeing him more often and having more opportunities to interact.

Saku was the first friend she'd made like this, and she wanted to hold onto that.

Yes, that was it.

"In any case, whether it's a joke or not, you shouldn't make those kinds of comments,"

Nijika said, casting another glance at Saku. She then formally apologized, "I'm sorry, Saku. Ryo's been hitting the books pretty hard lately, and she's a bit out of it. Please forgive her."

"It's alright; I don't mind."

As her friend, Saku knew Ryo's personality well enough not to take such things seriously.

She could be ridiculous at times, but she was still a good person overall.

Her remark was easily dismissed as a joke.

After all, if she really had such intentions, she wouldn't have said it in front of everyone.

If she spoke up like that, it was almost guaranteed that Nijika would step in and shut it down.

"And Ryo, apologize to Saku." Nijika hadn't forgotten to prompt her.

"Sorry."

Ryo apologized without any resistance.

She'd lost again—succumbed to Nijika's authority once more.

With the situation resolved, Saku naturally wouldn't consider joining Kessoku Band.

Managing two bands would be far too demanding.

It was better to keep things as they were and just help out as a friend.

[Stamina +10]

With the tension diffused, Chihaya Anon breathed a sigh of relief.

If Ryo had managed to recruit Saku right under her nose, it would've been humiliating.

Losing her manager in front of everyone? She'd never accept that.

Luckily, the worst didn't happen, and all was well.

There was no denying Saku's popularity.

Thankfully, she'd had the foresight to recruit him as her manager early on.

Otherwise, the two of them might never have crossed paths in this way.

Well done, me!

The more she thought about it, the prouder Anon felt of her early decision.

"So, does this mean you're ready to accept the cosmetics now?"

Saku brought the conversation back on track.

"What do you think, Seika?"

Nijika looked to her sister for guidance.

"Why are you asking me? If you want to keep them, go ahead. I won't object."

Seika knew her limits in situations like this.

She could only influence her little sister; Chihaya and the others weren't hers to manage.

And PA-san was a whole other story.

"Are you saying you don't want yours?" Saku pointed out, reminding her that he'd prepared a set specifically for her. "Everyone else has already decided to accept theirs."

"Hm?"

Ikuyo blinked in surprise.

When did they agree to that?

"...Fine, I'll take it, then."

After Saku's little nudge, Seika offered no further resistance.

---

Oh, hey there, Traveler! 🍃 My friend here is the one bringing these stories to you—quite the talent, wouldn't you agree? If anything feels off, just give them a nudge—they're always happy to make things even better.

Now, don't forget to take a moment to rest! Grab a drink (perhaps something as refreshing as Mondstadt's finest), and let the stories whisk you away.

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Here's to more adventures and endless inspiration~ 🎵