I Just Want A Single Ending!

"My place is…"

Hitori Gotoh was about to give her home address instinctively but stopped herself at the last second.

"W-wait a second, why are you guys planning to come to my house?" she stammered. "I live two hours away by train from here!"

Kamigawa Saku began explaining carefully, "Because we're planning to help you get comfortable with performing by taking it one step at a time."

"First, you'll play guitar in a place where you feel most at ease—in this case, your home, for just the two of us. Then, once you're used to that, we'll gradually change up the location to somewhere with a few more people."

"Once you get comfortable again, we'll switch to another place. The goal is to keep playing in different spots so that you can slowly get accustomed to performing for others."

"And eventually, it'll lead up to a live show where you'll feel ready to play in front of an audience."

Considering her severe social anxiety, Saku and Nijika didn't expect her to adapt to performing for a crowd overnight. They were fully prepared for this to be a long-term effort.

"I see…"

Hitori could find no reason to argue.

And even if she wanted to, her lack of verbal finesse meant she couldn't come up with anything convincing.

So, she quietly gave them her address.

"I live at…"

Initially, her hesitation was rooted in the fact that she'd never had friends over before.

But now that she thought about it, wasn't having friends willing to come to her house a good thing?

This was the kind of high school life she'd always dreamed of!

Plus, she'd finally be able to prove to her parents—and her sister—that she, Hitori Gotoh, actually had real friends, not just imaginary ones.

But now that the prospect of friends visiting was real… what should she prepare to welcome them properly?

This definitely needed some careful thought.

---

The next morning.

"Over here!"

Under a large tree, Kamigawa Saku waved over to Nijika Ichiji, who was also carrying a bag.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Nijika jogged over, a little out of breath.

"Not at all—I just got here, too."

Saku replied with the classic line that always came with a meetup.

"Shall we head out?"

"Sure."

Without much more small talk, the two made their way toward the nearby train station. Since they were planning to visit Bocchi's house, they'd agreed to go together.

After all, a two-hour train ride was a long time to sit in silence. It would be much better to have someone to talk to along the way.

Settling into a spot on the train, Nijika started the conversation. "So, how's your band going, Saku? Everything working out?"

"Well…"

Saku thought for a moment.

There was Kaname Raana, who'd joined unexpectedly.

Takamatsu Tomori, who dreamed of being in a band for life.

Shiina Taki, who joined just because of Tomori.

Then Nagasaki Soyo, who was bent on getting Togawa Shoko to join the band too, though her reasons were still unclear.

And, of course, Chihaya Anon, who'd initially just wanted a band for fun but now suddenly seemed to be in it for the long haul.

Finally, there was himself—the "manager" who wasn't really into bands but just wanted to befriend everyone and enjoy his high school days to the fullest.

"Pretty smoothly, I'd say," Saku answered with a smile.

"That's good to hear."

Nijika nodded, clearly relieved, then added, "If you ever run into any trouble with band stuff, feel free to reach out. I may not have tons of experience, but I'd be happy to give any advice I can."

[No way I need your help]

[Thank you, that means a lot]

'What kind of tsundere option is the first one supposed to be? Am I supposed to be some kind of tsundere protagonist?'

Amused by his own internal monologue, Saku softly replied, "I'll keep that in mind."

[Stamina +5]

"And if it's not band-related, you can still come to me. I'll do whatever I can to help," Nijika added, giving him a gentle smile.

"Thanks. I really appreciate it."

Saku felt genuinely touched and was rewarded by the system with +3 stamina.

"Alright, lead the way," Nijika said once they were off the train.

"Leave it to me."

Saku pulled out his phone and opened the map app. Having marked Hitori's location in advance, he was confident they wouldn't get lost.

"I wonder what kind of house Bocchi-chan lives in?"

As they walked, Saku struck up a casual conversation with Nijika.

"I think she mentioned once that the cardboard box feels cozy, almost like home—it makes her feel safe or something like that."

"A cardboard box, huh? But the houses around here all look like regular family homes."

The image that sprang to Saku's mind was of a small, cramped apartment.

"Who knows? Bocchi-chan says some pretty quirky things, and half the time, I don't even understand what she's talking about," Nijika chuckled.

"We should be almost there."

Just as Saku finished speaking, they both spotted a large banner with black letters against a white background, hanging on the wall of one of the houses.

The banner read, Welcome Kamigawa Saku and Nijika Ichiji! I hope you enjoy your visit.

Nijika noticed the banner at the same time.

"Wha—?!"

Both Saku and Nijika called out in surprise simultaneously.

"This… this is the place, right?" Nijika asked uncertainly.

"It must be. It's got both our names on it."

Saku was equally bewildered, never having encountered anything quite like this before.

"Having our names up on a big sign like that just feels… weird," Nijika muttered, feeling strangely self-conscious.

"Yeah, we should probably ask Bocchi-chan to take it down. It's a little too… noticeable," Saku agreed.

"Agreed. Well, let's ring the bell."

Nijika stepped up to the door and pressed the doorbell.

"Bocchi-chan, we're here!"

"Ah… j-just a second!" came Hitori's anxious voice from inside.

A moment later, the door opened, and before either of them could step inside, Hitori Gotoh appeared decked out with star-shaped sunglasses, a fake mustache, and a sash over her shoulder, holding a party popper in her hand.

"W-Welcome!" she stammered, pulling the string of the popper.

A shower of colorful confetti rained down over Saku and Nijika.

"Y-Yeah… welcome!"

"…"

Both Saku and Nijika stood frozen for a moment, taking in the scene before them.

Then, another voice rang out from deeper inside the house.

"Mom, Dad! Big Sis really did bring her boyfriend and girlfriend over!"

At that, the three of them—Saku, Nijika, and Hitori—looked at each other, utterly speechless.

---

Translator's Note

Hi, besties! I'm here to share my latest translation, Godfather Owl: Guardian of Batman! Picture this: a young, in-training Bruce Wayne traveling the multiverse with his super mysterious (and a fraud) owl god father!. Their first stop? The magical world of Harry Potter! You just know there's going to be drama, action, and perhaps the birth of the strongest Batman!

Oh, and guess what? I've got even more stories coming your way this week, so stay tuned for all the fun. As always, thank you for being amazing—your support means the world to me. Love ya, and happy reading! (I don't actually love ya)

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!

If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]