After-School Secret Base: Bocchi-chan's Special Adult Lessons - Rooftop Solitude and a Dangerous Voice

The door made a sound. It probably wasn't locked today either. That alone brought a small sense of relief. Goto Hitori let out a quiet breath, then slowly pushed open the rooftop door. The October wind rushed in all at once, tousling the bangs of her short black bob. Squinting, she walked over to her usual spot in front of the fence. This was the rooftop of Souai Private High School. The school sat atop Otowadai, a hilly area on the north side of Sou City, and from the rooftop you could see the town pretty well. Straight ahead was the white main school building where she'd been in class just a little while ago, and beside it, connected by a covered walkway, was the special wing. That building was full of rooms like the music room and science labs—places nobody went after school. Sou City wasn't some big metropolis. It was an ordinary town of about 400,000 people, with a number of auto parts factories. A single river ran through it, and near the station there was a huge music store called Kurosawa Instruments. When her guitar cable broke, that's where she bought a new one. Though Hitori had only started going there recently—before that, she'd just ordered online. Because talking to store clerks terrified her. She leaned against the fence. The iron was cold. The chill seeped through the black pleated skirt of her uniform. She clutched her pale blue cardigan tightly and hugged her knees. She'd run away again. It happened just after school, in the hallway. Her classmate Arisu had called out to her. "Hey, Goto-san! That live video is blowing up everywhere. The one from the culture festival—your guitar playing was seriously amazing." Those words had made her so happy. Right in the center of her chest, a warmth had spread. But. The next moment, every gaze around her flooded into her awareness. The murmur of the hallway, the glances of other students passing by. The group of girls whispering behind Arisu. (They're looking at me.) Her throat locked up. She tried to make a sound, but only air came out. Her fingers started trembling. Her heart pounded wildly, and her mind went completely blank. "Um, Goto-san?" When Arisu tilted her head, Hitori was already running. She turned down the hallway, careful not to bump into anyone, but fleeing all the same. She thought she heard something behind her, but she couldn't make it out. (Again. I couldn't say anything again.) She climbed the stairs and came to the rooftop. This place, with no people, was the only place she could breathe. The town of Sou City was dyed orange by the evening sun. In the distance, she heard the sound of a train running. The wind brushed against the white walls of the school building, gently swaying Hitori's pale blue cardigan. Crying silently, Hitori thought to herself. (It's only while I'm playing guitar that I feel like I can truly be there. But once I stop playing, I go back to being nobody—just Goto Hitori.) The Kessoku Band's culture festival live had gone really well. Nijika on drums, Ryo on bass, Ikuyo on keyboards. That day, everyone was there, and as long as she was focused on the sound of her guitar, she could even forget that she was a loner. The audience was all smiling. Clapping along. A huge round of applause rang out, and Nijika patted her on the back from behind— But it was over now. Once it was over, it was back to this. (Even if I'm good at guitar, in the end, I'm just...) Tears fell onto her knees, staining the black fabric of her pleated skirt. She didn't wipe her deep brown eyes, just kept her head down. A tear traced a path near the small mole on her left cheek. That's when. From behind her, she heard a voice. "Do you come here often?" It was a low, unhurried voice. Hitori flinched and spun around. Forgetting even to wipe her eyes, she saw a tall figure. The backlight of the setting sun made it hard to see at first, but the shadow took a step closer, and his face became visible. Ijichi Shogo—a senpai from the class next door. 183 centimeters tall, lean and towering. His long, jet-black hair was casually tied back, and his eyes were deep crimson. Despite his sharp gaze, right now he seemed somehow composed. He was a student council officer, popular throughout the entire school, always surrounded by people whenever he walked down the hallway. She'd heard he could play guitar too. ...Why was someone like him on the off-limits rooftop? "S-sorry, I'll leave right away!" Hitori tried to stand up. Nearly tripping over her own feet, she clutched her cardigan closed. But Ijichi-senpai just slowly drew closer, positioning himself as if blocking her escape route. "You don't have to run." That voice felt like it reached straight into the depths of her chest. Her heart skipped a beat. (What is this feeling...?) Senpai's expression was a little different from the gentle smile he showed everyone. His mouth was smiling, but his crimson eyes were quiet, looking down at Hitori as if measuring something. The sun had mostly set, and shadows stretched across the rooftop. The wind was colder than before, softly swaying Senpai's tied-back hair. "I saw the culture festival live." Hitori lifted her face. "Your guitar playing—it's the real deal." The meaning of his words slowly sank into her mind. (He looked at my face while praising me.) She'd been told "you're good at guitar" before. But no one had ever looked directly at her and said it so clearly. No one except her mom. Her tears stopped. Deep in her chest, a warmth far stronger than before spread gently. At the same time, she noticed something in Senpai's face she'd never seen before. His voice should have been kind, but a small light flickered in the depths of his crimson eyes. (He's not... normal, is he...?) "...Is that... so." That was all she managed to say. Her voice trembled, so small it embarrassed even her. Senpai paused for a moment, then extended one hand. "Want to do some special practice with me?" That hand was large, with beautiful fingers. Fingers that played guitar. Hitori's heart leaped violently. (Practice? What kind? Guitar?) But she felt there was another meaning hidden beneath those words. Gentle, yet something was different. The outstretched hand was still, waiting for her with certainty, as if knowing she wouldn't run. Hitori stared at her trembling hand. Her own fingers were thin, looking like they might break at any moment, having never once grasped anything. Even so. (I want this person to acknowledge me more.) The moment she thought that, her body moved on its own. Trembling, slowly, her hand reached toward Senpai's palm. Before their fingers could touch, the wind blew again. The orange sunset had shifted almost entirely to purple, and the temperature on the rooftop was dropping. In the town of Sou City, lights began to flicker on, one by one. From somewhere, the sound of a guitar could be heard. Was it from the music room in the special wing—or from somewhere farther away, their band's studio? But right now, this hand before her eyes felt more important than anything else. Her fingers reached the point where they were almost touching, and stopped. Senpai's mouth twisted slightly. It wasn't a smile—it was an expression as if confirming something. "Are you scared?" His voice was different from before. A little lower, the kind of voice that spoke directly to the depths of someone's heart. Hitori caught her breath. She was scared. But there was something that scared her more. Staying forever unacknowledged by anyone, with only her guitar as a friend, crying on this rooftop for the rest of her life—that was far more terrifying. She stretched her trembling fingers just a little further. Just a little more. (If I take his hand here, something will change.) That premonition alone filled her chest to bursting, and tears threatened to spill again. But this was different from the way she'd been crying until now. It wasn't sadness—it was a hotter, more restless feeling she couldn't yet put a name to. Senpai said nothing, just waited. That silence was strangely gentle, and yet dangerous. Hitori's fingers touched Senpai's hand— Just then, the school chime rang in the distance. The final warning bell. It was almost time to go home. But the two on the rooftop didn't move.

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Episode 1

Name: After-School Secret Base: Bocchi-chan's Special Adult Lessons
Author: Novelia

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