I Just Want a Single Ending [247]

“You say it’s a rumor, but to others, that’s not how it looks,” Yahata Umiri reminded him calmly in response to his denial.

“Especially when there’s both witnesses and evidence. Even if you wanted to clear the air, it wouldn’t make any difference.”

“I understand that much,” Kamigawa Saku sighed. “That’s why I don’t plan to address it.”

With so much working against him, clearing up the misunderstanding would require more effort than it was worth—especially in a busy place like a livehouse.

So, he decided to stick to his usual approach: leave it alone.

After all, he didn’t visit FOLT often, and the only target character he could interact with there was Yahata Umiri.

Since Umiri already knew the gossip about him and Hiroi Kikuri was untrue, there was no point wasting energy on clearing it up further.

“You’re just going to ignore it again?”

Umiri’s thoughts drifted briefly to the widespread harem rumor.

“...At most, I’ll just say, ‘Kikuri-senpai and I aren’t dating,’ and let them believe whatever they want,” Saku conceded after a moment of hesitation.

“Fair enough.”

With that, Umiri didn’t press the matter further.

“By the way, has Shiina been going to school this week?”

Saku changed the topic, showing concern for his band’s drummer.

Although she hadn’t messaged him this week about Taki skipping school again, he wanted to confirm just in case.

“She’s been attending, no more absences.”

At this, Umiri turned her head slightly toward him with a curious look. “So, how did you pull that off?”

She knew that after messaging Saku, Shiina Taki had returned to school.

But the details of how that happened were still a mystery to her.

“Nothing special. I just helped her resolve what was keeping her from going,” Saku replied vaguely.

Even though Umiri was close to Taki, matters involving her mental state were private, and Saku felt it was best to keep them confidential.

“I see. It’s not what I imagined,” Umiri remarked, her tone flat and emotionless.

“What did you imagine I did to get her back to school?” Saku asked, curious about her thoughts.

“Used that girl, Tomori, to threaten her,” Umiri answered without a hint of hesitation.

“What kind of person do you think I am?!” Saku couldn’t help but retort.

Although he had indeed used Tomori to pressure Taki once before, he hadn’t resorted to such tactics afterward.

“I just thought that method seemed the most effective.”

Umiri shifted her gaze back to the road ahead.

“I see... Wait a second,” Saku paused, realizing something. “If that’s what you thought, why did you ask me to handle the situation in the first place?”

He frowned. Something doesn’t add up.

“If you thought my approach was so unreliable, why leave it to me?”

“Did I ever ask you to solve Taki’s truancy problem?” Umiri looked at him, her face a picture of confusion.

“Huh?”

Saku froze.

“If you don’t believe me, check our chat logs. I’ve never said anything like that,” Umiri added matter-of-factly.

“...”

Without even pulling out his phone, Saku sifted through his memories and realized she was right.

She’d never explicitly asked for his help—only informed him that Taki wasn’t going to school or attending band practice.

“You acted entirely on your own and resolved the issue yourself,” Umiri concluded.

“That’s true,” Saku admitted. “But you told me about it knowing I’d step in, didn’t you?”

He may not have been directly asked, but her messages had clearly nudged him toward action.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have known anything about Taki’s situation.

“Before that, let me ask you—why did you feel the need to solve Taki’s problem in the first place?” Umiri countered.

[Because I’m the band’s manager.]
[Because I like Shiina Taki.]

Presented with the system’s options, Saku didn’t hesitate.

“Because I’m—”

“Because you’re the manager of Taki’s band, right?” Umiri interjected, finishing his sentence for him.

“That’s right.”

Saku nodded.

In a situation where he couldn’t reveal his pursuit of the single ending, this was the only valid excuse he could give.

[Stamina +5]

“Got it.”

Umiri nodded thoughtfully, her expression contemplative.

“Can you tell me what exactly you’ve ‘got’?”

Seeing her reaction, Saku had a bad feeling.

“I’ve realized how much a manager has to handle,” Umiri explained. “Or rather, I’ve realized how dedicated you are to helping the band members with their problems.”

“I don’t know how other bands’ managers operate, so what I’m about to say is purely my personal opinion.”

Saku braced himself as Umiri continued.

“In my view, a band’s manager exists to ensure the band’s success. When issues arise among the members, it’s the manager’s responsibility to help resolve them.”

“That’s the principle I operate by, which is why I helped Shiina,” Saku explained.

“I just want to take my role seriously—like how a guitarist practices their instrument. That’s all there is to it.”

“Kamigawa, you’re aware I’ve supported nearly thirty different bands as a bassist, right?” Umiri abruptly changed the subject.

“I do, though only about ten of them are still active,” Saku replied.

His knowledge of her career was impressively thorough—typical of a fan.

“Don’t you think the disparity is strange?” Umiri pressed.

“What do you mean?” Saku asked tentatively.

“So many bands don’t even have a bassist, yet your band has a dedicated manager,” Umiri said, her voice rising slightly.

“I’ve seen plenty of amateur, self-formed bands, and to be honest, yours is the first I’ve come across with a manager.”

“How does that relate to what we were talking about?” Saku asked, still confused about her point.

“I’m saying that having you as a manager is Taki’s good fortune,” Umiri concluded.

“No, it’s the other way around,” Saku corrected, smiling gratefully. “Getting to be their manager is my good fortune.”

After all, every member of the band was a target character. For someone like him, trying to raise favorability points, this was the best scenario he could hope for.

“...”

Umiri didn’t respond immediately, instead gazing at him quietly.

It was this attitude of his that made her think Shiina Taki truly was lucky to have Kamigawa Saku in her life.

At least now, Umiri felt reassured about her friend’s band.

Still, she couldn’t help feeling a twinge of envy.

To have someone willing to take on so much responsibility for the sake of the band—and to share the burden of any problems they encountered—it was admirable.

“We’re here,” Umiri said as their casual conversation came to an end, arriving at their shared destination: FOLT.

Once inside, Saku parted ways with Umiri and headed toward the practice room he’d reserved.

Opening the door, he was greeted by the sight of Hiroi Kikuri, her face flushed red.

Scattered around her were several empty boxes of alcohol, and her bass case lay haphazardly on the floor.

“You’re here, Saku,” Kikuri said, wobbling to her feet as if to greet him.

But after a few unsteady steps, she tripped over her own bass case.

“How much have you had to drink?” Saku asked, helping her up.

“Not much—just those few boxes,” Kikuri replied sheepishly.

“Well, that’s... manageable,” Saku muttered with a sigh.

Kamigawa Saku counted the empty alcohol boxes on the floor.

Still within acceptable limits, he thought.

Then, as if struck by an idea, he turned to Hiroi Kikuri.

“Kikuri-senpai, have you heard any strange rumors about yourself recently?”

“Not at all,” Kikuri replied, tilting her head in thought before giving her answer.

“Alright.”

So the rumor really hasn’t spread far enough for even the main subjects to know.

“What’s this about?” Kikuri asked, clearly puzzled.

“Oh, nothing much. Just a rumor that says you and I are dating,” Saku replied casually.

“Oh… wait, WHAT?! Us? Dating?!”

At first, Kikuri responded indifferently, but a few seconds later, she processed what he had said and couldn’t help but raise her voice.

“You think it’s ridiculous too, don’t you, Kikuri-senpai?”

As he spoke, Saku set his bass case down on the floor.

“Y-yeah… it’s ridiculous.”

Though her words were firm, Kikuri’s already flushed cheeks deepened in color, and her gaze repeatedly darted toward Saku.

“Just so you know, clearing up the rumor is a bit too much effort, so I don’t plan to actively deny it,” Saku said as he pulled his bass out and sat in his spot.

“Not… clearing it up?”

Kikuri swallowed nervously, her disbelief evident as she discreetly pinched her thigh.

Ouch!

Not a dream, then.

“But I’ll still state that we’re not a couple, just as a precaution,” Saku added. “What do you think, Kikuri-senpai?”

Since the rumor involved both of them, he felt it was only right to get her opinion before deciding how to proceed.

If she wanted to fully squash the rumor, he wouldn’t oppose her decision.

“Just saying something like that won’t make anyone believe us, will it?”

Even without knowing the full extent of the rumor, Kikuri was well aware that gossip didn’t simply vanish with a denial.

“Whether they believe it or not doesn’t matter. As long as we’ve clarified our stance, we can ignore the rest,” Saku explained.

After a pause, he continued, “Of course, if you’d prefer we make a stronger effort to clear it up, I’m fine with that too. Just keep in mind it’ll take time and energy, and success isn’t guaranteed.”

“It’s fine. You can decide,” Kikuri muttered softly. “It doesn’t really matter to me.”

“Alright then, we’ll go with my approach,” Saku concluded, relieved.

This way, he could avoid wasting unnecessary time.

Not that her reaction was surprising—Kikuri’s carefree personality made it unlikely she’d stress over something like this.

“Mm.”

Kikuri nodded in agreement.

“Alright, now that we’ve got that out of the way,” Saku said, “can we start my bass lesson?”

“Sure.”

With that, Kikuri retrieved her bass from its case and, as usual, moved a chair to sit directly across from him.

“...”

Sitting so close to Saku, Kikuri couldn’t help but think about the bizarre rumor. She averted her gaze, unable to meet his eyes.

Right now, she just couldn’t look at him straight.

Her thoughts kept wandering to… less appropriate things.

“Kikuri-senpai, is something wrong?”

Noticing her distraction, Saku asked with concern.

“It’s nothing. I just spaced out a little,” Kikuri replied.

Setting her bass aside for the moment, she pulled a small can of alcohol from her pocket and started drinking again.

“Drinking to focus, huh?” Saku teased.

He strongly suspected her lack of focus was due to her drinking in the first place.

“Yes.”

Kikuri still didn’t look at him, keeping her head down as she sipped her drink.

The so-called “focus” was just an excuse—she was trying to calm her thoughts and stop overthinking.

“Alright, then,” Saku said, deciding to wait patiently.

When Kikuri finally finished her drink, she seemed much more relaxed.

“Okay! Time to start teaching you!”

Though her voice was full of energy, her eyes still darted around, refusing to settle on him.

“Got it.”

---

Evening, Kita Ikuyo’s Home

Standing in the kitchen, watching her mother prepare dinner, Kita Ikuyo took a deep breath.

After mentally reviewing everything she wanted to say, she steeled herself.

Alright, it’s time. I’m going to convince Mom.

---

T/N: :p the author is apparently not updating anymore so im just gonna upload these last 2 chapters that I have :[[[

This is a fan translation of 我只想要单身结局 by 乐清羽. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!