I Just Want A Single Ending!

"Um…could you explain what exactly is going on here?"

There was just too much to process, and Saku couldn't decide where to even start. The bold welcome banner hanging from the house, Bocchi's eccentric get-up, and that odd comment he'd overheard…

Boyfriend and girlfriend?

Did that mean…him and Nijika?

This was too much! He considered Bocchi a friend, yet here she was, treating him like some boyfriend figure.

How could she betray his trust like this?!

"…"

At this moment, Bocchi's mind was a complete blur. Just seconds ago, she'd been relatively pleased with her grand welcome ceremony, thinking it had gone off without any major slip-ups.

But now? Everything had fallen apart.

"My…my sister was just making things up!" she stammered. "I only told my family that my friends would be visiting. That's it!"

Bocchi fumbled for words, desperately trying to dispel any bizarre misunderstandings they might have. Sure, she'd maybe fibbed about having a boyfriend on the internet to seem cool, but she had never gone so far as to say it in real life—especially not to her family!

And now that she had actual friends, those online lies didn't count anyway…right?

"I think I get it," Nijika said gently, showing no signs of judgment. "Either way, thank you for going through all this trouble for us."

"Oh, you're welcome. It was…it was the least I could do." Bocchi blinked, nearly tearing up from their patience and understanding.

"But, um," Nijika continued in a whisper, "could we maybe go inside first? Standing out here like this feels a bit awkward."

"Oh! Yes, yes—come in, please!" Bocchi's eyes widened, realizing she'd completely forgotten the basics of welcoming guests. She quickly stepped aside to let them in.

"Sorry to intrude," Saku and Nijika said in unison as they entered.

They slipped off their shoes, finally stepping up into the entryway.

"Oh, and here's a little something we got for you," Saku added, reaching into his bag to pull out a beautifully wrapped box of sweets. "Just a small gift. I hope it's something you'll enjoy."

"Thank you so much." Bocchi gratefully accepted the box, marveling at the sophisticated packaging. She was used to budget snacks and treats, but this was something else entirely. It wasn't like she could just walk into a fancy shop and get something like this for herself.

Before they could continue their chat, Bocchi's parents, her younger sister, and their dog emerged from the living room, all eyes on the newcomers.

"Look! See? Those two are my sister's boyfriend and girlfriend!" Bocchi's younger sister pointed at Saku and Nijika, introducing them to her parents with absolute confidence.

"…"

Saku could immediately sense the odd, perplexed stares from Bocchi's parents. He quickly jumped in to clarify.

"Ah—please, don't get the wrong idea! We're only here as her friends, not as anything like, uh, a boyfriend or girlfriend. We're just here to hang out."

"Oh, so that's all it is. You gave us a bit of a scare!" her parents sighed in relief.

"Yes, I thought it was strange—our Hitori, having a boyfriend or girlfriend."

Her parents visibly relaxed, as if something outrageous had just been avoided.

"…"

Bocchi could only stand there, completely unable to protest.

---

After settling into the living room, Bocchi's father, Naoki Gotoh, couldn't help but let out a heartfelt sigh.

"It's just so moving—I never imagined I'd actually see the day when one of Hitori's friends would come visit her at home."

"Right? When she first said she'd have friends over yesterday, I figured it was more likely just a fantasy or wishful thinking." Bocchi's mother, Michiyo Gotoh, nodded in agreement, looking equally astonished.

"But I did tell you both their names!" Bocchi muttered, clearly referring to the big welcome banner that she couldn't have put up alone.

"Throwing together a couple of random names is easy," Naoki shook his head. "I wasn't going to believe our daughter suddenly had real-life friends that easily."

Nijika smiled politely, sensing the surprise in the room. "I apologize if we showed up unexpectedly or caused any inconvenience."

"Oh, not at all! We're just thrilled you're here," Michiyo said, waving her hand. "If anything, it's us who should be worried about not being the best hosts."

"Just one question," Naoki interjected, his curiosity clearly getting the better of him. "You two aren't from some kind of… 'rental friend' service, right?"

Bocchi froze on the spot. As absurd as it sounded, it was something she could definitely see herself doing under the right circumstances. What kind of image did her parents even have of her?

"No, no, not at all!" Saku quickly assured him, sitting a little straighter. "We're real friends with Bocchi, I promise. There's nothing 'rental' about it."

"Phew, good to know." Naoki gave Saku a once-over, his curiosity still not entirely satisfied. "Though I'll admit, I thought you were a girl when she mentioned your name."

"Why would you think that?" Saku was puzzled. His name practically screamed male.

"Well," Naoki said with a shrug, "the idea of her having any friends at all was already surprising enough—imagining a boy as one of them was just beyond what I could believe."

"I did tell you he was a guy," Bocchi muttered, a bit weakly, feeling a bit underestimated.

"Oh! I think I understand why her sister mistook him for Hitori's boyfriend," Michiyo chimed in as if a light had just gone off in her mind.

"Why's that?" Saku and Nijika both perked up, genuinely curious about the misunderstanding.

Michiyo simply exchanged a knowing look with her husband, who took a moment to process it before nodding in realization.

The reason was simple: Bocchi had no idea that her family shared her streaming account, which meant her occasional comments about having a "super handsome boyfriend" were very much public knowledge. And with Saku fitting the description of "super handsome," it had been easy for her little sister to jump to conclusions when Bocchi mentioned that a boy would be visiting.

As for Nijika being mistaken as her "girlfriend," that was simply chalked up to her role in Bocchi's band.

Naturally, Naoki wasn't going to spill the beans. He chuckled, smoothly changing the subject instead. "Well, when we heard from our youngest that her 'boyfriend and girlfriend' had arrived, we almost believed she'd managed to get both at the same time."

"Wait—did you two actually believe that?" Nijika asked, surprised.

"Why not?" Naoki said with a nonchalant grin, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Our daughter's in a band now, after all."

"Haha…" Nijika chuckled awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

"That makes sense," Saku mused. Earlier, he'd been puzzled as to why her parents might fall for something so outlandish. But with a reason like that, it was no wonder.

The stereotypes around band life seemed to make everything a little more plausible. No matter how outlandish something seemed, it somehow felt perfectly normal.

In a way…that was kind of awesome!