Baku and his team, DemontailDuella (Daka’s father), Mondo (Bondo’s father), and Gomoto (Makoto’s father).destruction
Baku wasted no time, immediately helping those in need. Bella, the team’s healer, moved quickly, tending to the wounded.this battle had taken its toll.
Meanwhile, Hajime and the Music Clubhospital
At the Hospital
Hajime found himself in an unusual position—relaxing on Sockoo’s lap.soft warmth
Storyshift, his sentient swordvisibly jealous.small chuckle.
But even in this peaceful moment, his mind refused to rest.
Flashbacks haunted him.
Did he make the right choice?
The weight of his decision pressed down on him.
Then—SMACK!
"Ow!"grabbing his forehead."What was that for?!"
Sockoo, her usual mischievous smirk"There’s no point worrying about whether you were right or wrong. The fact is—you did everything you could. That’s enough."
Hajime blinked, still rubbing his forehead. "...But what if—"
"No ‘what ifs,’ Hajime.""I get it. He was my cousin. So was Dark. But Izaya was far too gone. No matter what you did, he wasn’t going to change. And Dark… he just needs to understand that someday."
Hajime looked at her, searching for any doubt in her expression. But there was none.
After a long pause, he sighed and finally nodded. "Yeah… you’re right."
Sockoo closed her eyes and smiled. Then, suddenly, she raised her voice. "How long are you all going to spy on us?"
From the hospital entrance, laughter broke out.
The entire Music Clubgrinning mischievously.
"Busted!"
"Man, Hajime, you’re really getting spoiled there."
"I mean, I’d take that spot if I could—"elbow
The room erupted in laughter.Jokes were exchanged, teasing continued, and for a brief moment, it felt like everything was back to normal.
Hajime, still feeling the weight of his memories, wanted to say something.what he had been thinking.
But as he watched their smiling faces of Daka,Sockoo,Rizra,Bondo,Emily,Amy,Angel,Yosuke,Makoto,Storyshift and Yu, their carefree energy,
It didn’t matter.
No matter how much he doubted himself, no matter how heavy his past weighed on him, in the end—
He was still Hajime.
Hajime of Music Club.
And with that thought, he smiled
Characters
Hajime Nata:17
Asuka Itsuki (Sockoo):15
Daka Rock;15
Rizra Hamamori:16
Makoto Nyjma:16
Emily Magicheart:15
Dark Itsuki:16
Bondo Bushida:16
Amy Psiche:16
Angel Holy:15
Yosuke Thorn;’=-y”16
Yu Maderuma:15
Streetka Itsuki:17
Ichika Hamamoto:15
Izaya Itsuki:19
Baku Hamamoto:56
Duella Rock:57
Mondo Bushida:56
Bella Hamamoto:55
Gomoto Nyjma:55
The Music Clubhospital for a week,
allowing their bodies to recover from the grueling battle. Even after their wounds healed, the emotional weight lingered.
When they finally returned to school,none of them could focus.
The words on the board blurred together, the teacher’s voice faded into background noise, and the memories of the battle—and what they lost—hung heavy over them.
After school, they all gathered at the Music Club room
But as soon as they opened the door—
They saw Dark packing his things.
Hajime's breath hitched. His body moved slightly as if he wanted to step forward and ask what Dark was doing,paralyzed him.
Sockoo noticed."What are you doing?"
Dark didn’t stop packing. His movements were calm, controlled.
But there was an underlying tension"I'm quitting the Music Club. And leaving the school."
The room fell silent.
Everyone stared at him, shocked.
"What?!""Dark, come on. Think this through. You don’t have to do this."
"I've already decided."
Rizra, arms crossed, scoffed. "Let him do what he wants. It’s his choice. His regrets, his consequences."
Dark walked to the door.
Just before stepping out, he stopped beside Hajime.
The tension in the room thickened.
Dark turned his head slightly, his eyes shadowed. "Mark my words, Hajime."venomous resolve.
"I will make you suffer for what you've done."
Hajime remained silent. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t respond.
He just watched
And just like that—
The Music Club lost a precious member.
Hajime gritted his teeth,
“Damn it…”“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”knuckles bleeding even more
“This is my fault… All of it! If I had just—”
“Stop.”
Daka grabbed his wristfirm yet concerned."Don't do this to yourself, Hajime."
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
"Yeah,"calm."Dark made his choice. Whether he regrets it or not, that's on him. Not you."
"I get why you feel this way,""but beating yourself up won’t bring him back."
Hajime trembled
Meanwhile—
Storyshift, who had been silent this whole time, suddenly flared up with energy.Her presence crackled like an unchained storm.
Her blades surged wildly out of her“That bastard! Threatening Hajime like that?! I’ll go after him and teach him a damn lesson—”
She turned toward the door, ready to chase Dark down.
But before she could,rushed forward and grabbed her arms.
"Let me go!""I’ll make him regret saying that to Hajime—”
"Stop!""You're just gonna make things worse!"
"This isn't the answer!""Hajime wouldn't want this!"
Storyshift struggled for a few more seconds, her blades uncontrolled—
but then, she caught a glimpse of Hajime.
He was silent,
Her flames dimmed.
She clicked her tongue, yanking her arms free from Makoto and Emily. “Tch.”crossed her arms,"Fine. But if Dark tries anything, I won’t hold back next time."
The room was tense.frustration, sadness, and uncertainty.
Hajime finally let out a slow breath.
He didn’t know what would happen from here.
But one thing was clear—
Dark was gone.. A Few Months Later – Graduation Week
The final week of school had arrived, but for Hajime,graduation week.
The Music Club had gathered in their clubroom,
“Technically, this is also Storyshift’s sendoff too,”"Since she’s following Hajime wherever he goes."
“Damn right,”“I go where he goes.”
“You make it sound like I have no choice,”
The room was filled with laughter and conversation.set up a music playlist,his usual awkward self,
Sockoo, meanwhile, was grinning at Hajime."So, how does it feel, Mr. Graduate?"
Hajime thought for a moment before shrugging. “It doesn’t feel real yet.”
Rizra smirked. “That’s ‘cause it hasn’t hit you yet. Just wait till you’re actually walking across that stage.”
Everyone laughed at that, but in the back of Hajime’s mind, he still felt the weight of everything that had happened over the past few months.
Even with all the happiness in the room—Dark’s absence was still there.
But he pushed those thoughts aside, at least for tonight.
“Let’s just enjoy this,”“At least for now.”
Sockoo tilted her head in curiosity. "Hey, Hajime… how old are you again?"
Hajime, sipping his drink, casually responded, "Eighteen."
Sockoo’s eyes widened in realization. "Wait—weren’t you seventeen, like, a few months ago?"
The entire Music Club stopped what they were doing, turning their attention to Hajime.
"Wait, wait, wait,""Did we miss your birthday?"
Hajime blinked, only now realizing that they actually did. "Oh… yeah, I guess so."
Sockoo, looking guilty, asked, "When is your birthday, anyway?"
"January 29."
Sockoo’s face fell. "We really missed it!"
Everyone in the club reacted, some groaning, others feeling bad. Emily
clapped her hands together, looking guilty. "Hajime, why didn’t you tell us? We would’ve thrown a party!"
Hajime just shrugged. "It’s fine. I don’t really celebrate my birthday, anyway."
The room was silent for a moment… and then, out of nowhere, Makoto stepped forward and socked Hajime in the arm.
"Birthday punches!"
Hajime immediately glared at him. "Oh, you little—"
Before anyone could react, Hajime kicked Makoto straight to the ground.
Makoto lay there groaning, "UNCLE! UNCLE!"
Hajime took a deep breath, calming himself down. "Sorry. It’s a habit."
Makoto, still on the floor, wheezed, "That is a dangerous habit, dude."
Meanwhile, Storyshift
"I don’t get it,""Why do people celebrate birth?"
Sockoo, taking a sip of her drink, looked at Storyshift and smiled. "It’s a way of appreciating the day someone came into the world. It’s a celebration of life, of another year of memories, challenges, and achievements."
Storyshift tilted her head. "But if that’s the case, wouldn’t we be doing this every single day? After all, someone is always having a birthday somewhere in the world."
The room went silent for a moment. Amy"…Yo, that’s kinda deep."
Angel"If we celebrated every birthday in the world, we’d never stop partying."
Makoto, still rubbing his sore arm from Hajime's kick, groaned.
"That sounds exhausting. Imagine throwing billions of parties every day."
Rizra crossed his arms."That’s why we just celebrate the ones close to us. It’s more personal."
Storyshift seemed to process this, then nodded. "So it’s about cherishing those you care about?"
Sockoo smiled. "Exactly!"
Hajime, watching the interaction, smirked. "Alright, alright, let’s stop with the deep thinking and get back to the party. It’s still my sendoff, you know."
The Music Club cheered, raising their glasses in a toast. Storyshift, still a bit confused, just went along with it, but deep down, she was starting to understand the meaning behind it. Makoto leaned over to Hajime with a mischievous grin. "Hey, Hajime, you’re 18, right? That means you can drink now."
Before Hajime could even react, Rizra smacked Makoto upside the head."We’re underage, idiot!"
Makoto groaned, rubbing his head. "C’mon, c’mon, I snuck in some alcohol. One sip won’t kill anyone.""Besides, Hajime’s technically legal now, so it’s fine."
Hajime hesitated, staring at the bottle. He wasn’t really a drinker, but something about the way everyone was looking at him made him feel pressured. Even Storyshift
"Fine, just one sip,"
Sockoo's eyes widened in worry."Wait, Hajime, maybe you shou—"
But it was too late. Hajime had already taken a sip.
The room went silent as they watched him lower the bottle. At first, nothing happened. Then, suddenly—
"PFFFFFT—"
"OHHH MAN,""WHY DIDN’T ANYONE TELL ME LIQUID COULD TASTE LIKE FIRE?"
Sockoo sighed and buried her face in her hands. "I
to stop you…"
Makoto laughed."Yo, no way, he got drunk off one sip?!"
Rizra facepalmed."This is embarrassing."
Hajime, completely unaware of his state, started making the corniest jokes possible.
"Hey, hey, guys,""What do you call a fish that knows magic?"
Everyone stared.
"A… TUNA WIZARD."
The room was filled with a painful silence. Amy physically cringed.
"Hajime, stop,"
"Oh! Oh! What about this one!""Why did the scarecrow win an award?!"
Makoto sighed. "Why?"
"Because he was outstanding in his field!"
Blue flames dripped from his mouth like drool every time he laughed,
"HAJIME, STOP SPITTING FIRE!""YOU’RE BURNING THE FLOOR!"
Makoto fell over laughing."Dude’s literally crying fire! This is peak comedy!"
Emily waved her hands in panic."Wait, wait! We need to sober him up before he burns the whole place down!"
Storyshift, watching this madness unfold, blinked."So… alcohol makes people act strange?"
Angel sighed."Yeah. And apparently, in Hajime’s case, it makes him a dad-joke spewing flamethrower."
Sockoo grabbed Hajime by the shoulders and shook him. "Snap out of it! Stop talking before you make another pun!"
Hajime, dazed, just giggled. "Sockoo, Sockoo, wait! I got another one!"
"NO, YOU DON’T!"
Before anyone could stop her, Storyshift, still curious about the effects of alcohol, grabbed the bottle from Hajime’s hand and took a sip.
"Huh… it just tastes weird,"
Everyone froze.
"Wait, WAIT—""STORYSHIFT, NO!"
It hit instantly.
Her eyes became hazy, and her entire body wobbled.suddenly went wild, spinning in erratic patterns and slashing at the air uncontrollably.
"Uh-oh,"
Storyshift giggled in a dazed mannerechoing with glitch-like distortions"Ohhh, woooahhh… everything is spinny~!"
One of her swords nearly took off Amy’s head.
"DUCK!"
Emily yelped, shielding herself with her staff."Somebody stop her before she slices us all into pieces!"
Storyshift wobbled unsteadily, looking at her hands like they weren’t hers."Whoa, my hands look like they’re in slow motion! But also fast motion! What kind of magic is this?!"
Bondo grabbed a couch cushion and used it as a shield."Bro, she’s gone! She’s out of it!"
Meanwhile, Hajime, still extremely drunk, was laughing uncontrollably."HAHAA— LOOK AT HER GO! SHE’S A SWORD TORNADO!"
Rizra smacked the back of Hajime’s head."IDIOT, DO SOMETHING! SHE’S YOUR SWORDS!"
Hajime, still giggling, tried to stand up but immediately stumbled."Wha— oh, right! Uh… Storyshifffffft, chillll—"
Before he could finish, one of the swords zoomed past and sliced a table in half.
"That was my favorite table!"
Sockoo groaned, grabbing Hajime and shaking him."SOBER UP AND FIX THIS!"
Storyshift suddenly pointed at Sockoo."S-Sockoo! Why are there… two of you? Wait, three of you? Wait, why is everything… SPINNING?!"
Her swords suddenly all froze in the air, shaking violently like they were about to explode.
Emily gasped. "Oh no, if they go out of control at once—"
BOOM!
A massive shockwave sent everyone flyingfilled with blue and gold slashes cutting through the furniture.
When the dust settled, everything was in ruins.
Storyshift stood in the middle of the room, completely dazed, her swords floating lifelessly in the air."…Whoa."
Hajime, lying upside-down on a broken couch, just laughed."AHAHAHA! BEST PARTY EVER!"
Sockoo stomped over to him and Storyshift, glaring."No more alcohol. EVER."
The next morning…
Hajime groaned as he sat up, clutching his head."Ugh… what the hell happened…?"felt like it had been hit by a truck, his head pounding like a drum.
He looked around. The room was in absolute ruins.sliced in half, the walls were covered in burn marks and sword cuts, and the floor had blue flame scorch marks everywhere.
Storyshift was sitting next to him, her eyes spinning in a dizzy swirl."Uuuughhh… why does my head feel like it got slammed by a million swords at once…?"
"Because you got drunk and turned into a literal tornado of death,"
"Never again,"
Sockoo, arms crossed, glared at Hajime and Storyshift."You two are banned from drinking. Forever."
Hajime sighed, rubbing his temples."Yeah… probably for the best."
Storyshift, still dazed, mumbled,"Why do people drink if it just makes you feel like dying the next morning…?"
"I was wondering the same thing,"
Makoto snickered weakly."Because some people like the chaos, man. And last night? That was peak chaos."
Hajime sighed again, looking at the destroyed room."We’re gonna have to clean all this up, aren’t we?"
"Damn right you are,""Start moving, drunkards
