I Just Want A Single Ending!

"It's obviously a great deal. What's this nonsense about the input and output being imbalanced?"

Yamada Ryo was clearly not satisfied with his answer.

"The one losing out here is me, holding hands with you," Kamigawa Saku responded bluntly. "If I wanted to hold a girl's hand, it's not like it would be that hard to find someone."

Being called the most handsome guy in school might sound strange, but it at least hinted that he was popular.

If he were to pretend to be her boyfriend, he'd not only have to spend money buying her a bass but also hold her hand for free. No matter how he looked at it, he was the one getting the short end of the stick.

All the perks would go to her—where was the fairness in that?

"…I've miscalculated."

Staring at his face for a while, Yamada Ryo sized him up without retorting to his latter statement.

They knew each other so well that she almost forgot Kamigawa Saku was actually handsome.

"Still, I'm the one who's losing out by holding your hand."

Despite her words, she wasn't about to believe that he would be at a disadvantage holding hands with her.

She was more attractive than him—plain and simple.

Yamada Ryo brimmed with confidence.

"Anyhow, let's head to my place first."

Kamigawa Saku was tired of arguing about this.

"Alright."

Yamada Ryo replied and followed him into the apartment building.

If I had picked the first option, would it have led to Ryo's route?

While taking the elevator up, Kamigawa Saku replayed the earlier choices in his mind.

After all, there are plenty of galgames where you pretend to be the heroine's boyfriend for some reason, only for the pretend relationship to turn real.

Or maybe Yamada Ryo was just saying all that as a joke?

Either way, he had no intention of agreeing to such a strange request.

---

"Did you get a new bass, or just a new bass case?"

As soon as they entered his place, Yamada Ryo noticed the bass case sitting near the entrance.

"I bought a new bass," Kamigawa Saku answered truthfully.

"What about your old one? Did you sell it?" she asked with a hint of interest.

"I left it somewhere else."

Somewhere else referred to Nagasaki Soyo's place, meaning it was probably as good as gone.

If he tried to take it back, Nagasaki Soyo would undoubtedly ask him why.

"If you're planning on selling it, I hope you'll sell it to me at a discount," Yamada Ryo requested.

"Shouldn't you be saying you'd buy it for a high price in situations like this?" Kamigawa Saku scoffed. "Also, where would you even get the money to buy my bass?"

"Which is why I asked if you'd sell it to me cheaply," Yamada Ryo replied matter-of-factly.

"What kind of discount are we talking about?"

Though he had no intention of selling it, Kamigawa Saku was curious about what price she had in mind.

"How about… 100 yen?" Yamada Ryo tested the waters.

"You think I'm an idiot?" he laughed in disbelief. "Forget it. I'm not selling my bass."

Money wasn't an issue for him, so there was no need to sell it.

And if he did, it certainly wouldn't be for 100 yen.

"Such a shame."

Yamada Ryo sighed, setting her bag down before picking up his bass case.

"Can I take a look at your new bass?"

"Sure. Want something to drink?"

Kamigawa Saku agreed, heading to the kitchen to prepare some tea for her.

"Juice, if you have it," Yamada Ryo answered casually. "I just had a ton of snacks."

"Got it."

---

When Kamigawa Saku returned from the kitchen, he found Yamada Ryo seated on the sofa, examining the bass intently.

"What's up?"

Setting the orange juice in front of her, he couldn't help but ask.

"This bass looks really familiar. I feel like I've seen someone else use it," Yamada Ryo mused, trying to recall. "That person also played a five-string bass like this."

"Are you talking about Yahata Umiri?" Kamigawa Saku guessed, surprised.

"Right, that's her!"

At the mention of the familiar name, Yamada Ryo instantly remembered.

"You know her?" Kamigawa Saku asked, intrigued.

"As a 'bass mercenary,' she's pretty well-known in certain bands. It's hard not to know someone who serves as the support bassist for so many bands and plays at a professional level."

Yamada Ryo took a stance, pretending to play as she casually plucked the strings.

"I've watched her perform live and met her a few times. We're acquaintances at best, but I wouldn't say we're close."

"I see."

With her skill and distinct style, Yahata Umiri could indeed make a name for herself in their circles.

"Speaking of which, how do you know her name? Are you acquainted as well?"

Curious about his easy familiarity, Yamada Ryo looked over at him.

"I'm her fan," Kamigawa Saku admitted after a brief pause. "We're not exactly friends, but I'd say we're fairly well acquainted."

"A fan?"

Yamada Ryo looked surprised.

"What's the problem?" Kamigawa Saku replied confidently. "Can't I be someone's fan?"

"It just… doesn't suit you."

Yamada Ryo nodded. She just couldn't imagine Kamigawa Saku as the type to follow idols.

Come to think of it, she recalled him mentioning some niche band he was a fan of—only for the band to disband right after their first live performance.

Apparently, him becoming a fan was enough to doom a band.

The thought of that made Yamada Ryo smile mischievously.

"I'm a devoted fan of Yahata Umiri, okay? This bass is even the same model as hers, specifically bought to match hers. That's proof enough, right?"

"When did you buy this bass?"

Yamada Ryo glanced at the bass, noting that it looked almost brand new.

"Last Sunday."

"So you've only been her fan for three days?" This time, it was her turn to poke fun.

"No, I was a fan before I bought the bass. I just got the bass recently."

Buying the bass didn't mean he'd only been a fan for a short time.

Yamada Ryo didn't respond, instead continuing to pluck a few notes. Suddenly, she remembered something.

"Hey, didn't you mention that your bass skills have improved recently?"

"Yeah, I did."

Kamigawa Saku admitted it freely.

Yamada Ryo handed him the bass. "Then, play something for me."

"No problem." Kamigawa Saku's lips curved slightly as he accepted the bass. "Just try not to get too impressed."

"Are you saying your bass skills are at a professional level?" she asked, amused.

"Not quite there yet."

With his current progress, he still couldn't claim to have reached professional proficiency.

"Then we're good. I doubt you'll surprise me."

After all, how much time had he even spent learning the bass? There was no way he'd surpassed her.

---

T/N: also holy grail war got blocked :), caught me in a bad time so no reposting here just going to go straight to scribblehub!

Ahem! Gather close, esteemed audience! Do you comprehend the privilege of basking in my radiance? Truly, you're witnessing history in the making—a performance unparalleled in the annals of Fontaine!

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Oh, but wait! You're probably wondering, "Furina, how can someone as magnificent as you need assistance?" To that, I say: why deny mortals the honor of contributing to such greatness? Supporting me is supporting art, and who doesn't want to say they were instrumental in a legend's rise?

Now, off you go. Make your offerings, and perhaps, perhaps, I'll acknowledge you in my next soliloquy!

— Furina ✨