I Just Want A Single Ending!

At the Café.

"And who might this be?"

The café owner glanced curiously at Yamada Ryo, who was sitting across from Kamigawa Saku.

"What do you think?" Kamigawa asked with a calm smile.

"Girlfriend?"

"No, just a friend. Thanks for accommodating us today."

Seeing that Ryo wasn't fazed by the suggestion they were a couple, he casually explained.

"No trouble at all. If anything, I should be thanking you."

With that, the owner headed off to the kitchen to prepare their order.

"Saku, do you come to this place often?"

Ryo had noticed that while other tables were handled by servers, the owner himself had come to greet them—a rare gesture that made her curious.

"Not often, exactly… the owner and I just get along well."

The café was just an ordinary spot, not especially popular, until one day he'd come in to review it and found the food surprisingly good.

So, he'd posted about it on Instagram as a free recommendation.

The place quickly became popular, and since then, the owner had often invited him back to try new items, showing his gratitude by making Saku feel like an honored guest.

Today was no different—he'd been invited to try something new.

Originally, he'd planned to come in the afternoon, but after running into Ryo, he decided to go early.

"Just to be clear, this meal isn't entirely on the house," he said, giving Ryo a little out. "I expect a full review of the taste—no slacking off."

This way, she wouldn't feel like she was freeloading if she had any sense of pride.

"Don't worry, I'm a professional." Ryo flashed a confident smile.

"Good to hear."

After a pause, Ryo looked at him and asked, "How's the band coming along? Did you manage to find a bassist and drummer?"

"Got everyone together, though we still don't have a name for the band."

Kamigawa pulled out his phone and typed a quick message to Nijika Ijichi, letting her know that she could tell Seika Ijichi they no longer needed help finding members.

He'd meant to tell them in person, but being here already, a message would do.

"Seems like everything worked out, huh?"

"From the looks of it, yes."

"So what's your role?"

"Managing things, like handling the band's social media."

"Any other guys in the band?"

"Nope, just me."

Ryo continued, "So, are you still learning bass?"

"Who said I wasn't?" Kamigawa shook his head. "If I was going to quit learning bass, I wouldn't have paid you that advance just now."

"Good—I don't have to give the money back, then." Ryo looked genuinely pleased.

Kamigawa: "…"

After a bit more small talk, the dishes he'd ordered—along with the new items he was supposed to review—were brought to the table.

Kamigawa decided to hold off on more conversation and focused on tasting the food carefully.

Meanwhile, Ryo ate quickly, almost as if she hadn't had a proper meal in a long time.

Remembering the image of her crouching down to eat grass earlier, Kamigawa chose to say nothing.

Once he finished the dessert he was reviewing, he slowly typed out his thoughts on his phone, drafting his review.

---

"So, how was it?"

Once Yamada Ryo finished her meal, Kamigawa Saku opened the voice recording app on his phone and asked her thoughts.

"The taste was…"

Even though she ate quickly, Ryo had paid attention to every detail, giving a precise breakdown of each dessert's pros and cons.

"You're pretty thorough, huh?"

Saku ended the recording and offered her a small compliment.

"Of course."

As they got up to leave, the café owner reappeared.

"How'd you find the new items?"

"Really good. I'll be sure to give them a solid review," Kamigawa Saku replied with a smile. "I'll post a full review on Instagram soon."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

With a discreet gesture, the owner slipped him an envelope.

"Alright, we'll be off, then."

After pocketing the envelope, Kamigawa led Ryo out of the café.

"A bribe?"

Watching him tuck away the envelope, Ryo asked with a straight face.

"It's just standard compensation for the review."

Kamigawa took the cash out, slid it into his wallet, and noticed it was getting a bit thicker.

"You must make a good amount from Instagram, huh?"

Ryo's gaze drifted briefly to the bulk of his wallet.

"Oh? Thinking of getting into it yourself?" Kamigawa teased.

Ryo shook her head. "No, actually, I'm curious—why are you so passionate about running a band account?"

"Eh?"

Her question caught him off guard.

"I remember you once offered to manage our band's social media account, and Nijika turned you down," Ryo recalled. "Now you've started a new band and are handling the account again. Isn't that a bit… odd?"

"Mind telling me why you're so intent on being part of a band?"

Kamigawa laughed and explained, "Didn't I already tell you? I've always been interested in bands, so I wanted to manage one."

"If you're that interested in bands, why don't you play any instruments? You're not even into music appreciation." Ryo continued her questioning.

"Well, I am learning bass now, aren't I?"

"That's only because Kita bought the bass by mistake, right?" Ryo's observation was dead-on.

Kamigawa paused for a few seconds. "Alright, if you think I'm not into bands, then you tell me—why would I be so fixated on joining one?"

"To pick up girls."

Ryo delivered the answer with absolute seriousness.

"Huh?"

Kamigawa was stunned.

"Hold on—why would you think that?"

"Think about it. You're not actually interested in the band, so there's really only one reason left." Ryo elaborated with a completely logical tone. "And in your band, you're the only guy."

"Definitely not! Look at me—" Kamigawa pointed at his face. "If I wanted to pick up girls, I wouldn't need to join a band to do it."

"Let's be real: with my looks, finding a girlfriend wouldn't be a challenge."

"So… you actually are genuinely interested in bands!"

After a long, scrutinizing stare at his face, Ryo looked utterly stunned.

Kamigawa couldn't help but sigh. "Is that really what you thought of me this whole time?"

"I figured you'd try to buy my silence with a big wad of cash," Ryo replied, sounding almost disappointed.