Chapter Text
It’s a beautiful day outside.
Birds are singing, flowers are blooming… and a certain blue haired bassist can be seen quietly humming a tune to herself as she made her way to STARRY.
It has been two years now since Kessoku Band has been fully assembled. The band has achieved a lot of milestones since then. From auditioning in front of their leader’s older sister to the eventual release of their third album, it seems the path to Budokan is not such an unattainable goal after all. Even their presence at social media has been booming for a while now thanks to the efforts of their extroverted band member, the support of their record label, and the endless retweeting of their music videos by their live house manager.
All in all, life is good and if they keep up their good work, perhaps they would be able to perform at Japan’s biggest stage one day.
'That’s not all though.’ , thought the empty headed bassist as a contented smirk crept up her face. A few months ago, an event occurred that rapidly changed the trajectory of her peaceful life. That event being her confession of love to their dorito-haired drummer after their performance in a huge concert. The memories are still vivid to her to this day. The bombastic cheers of the crowd, the happy faces of her bandmates, and the flushed face of her would-be girlfriend as she took her hands and confessed her love to her with as much sincerity she could muster.
Needless to say, Ryo’s relationship points with Nijika proved to be sufficient enough for her to kiss her on the lips right then and there.
After that, things have been going very smoothly for them these past few months. Her parents has been extremely supportive of their relationship, even going as far as to urge them to spend some time in a room by their loneso- ‘ Okay no, some things are just not worth remembering’ , Ryo grimaced as she remembered the endless teasing they got from her parents when they asked to meet Nijika.
Bocchi and Kita have been very happy for them as well, with the latter even earnestly recommending them trending dating spots they could go visit. Ryo was relieved that Kita did not take her confession to Nijika badly. It seems that whatever romantic feelings Kita had for her eventually fizzled out and turned into a mutual admiration for a friend.
‘Come to think of it, Bocchi and Ikuyo have gotten very close for a while now’, mused Ryo as she remembered the times when Kita would take Bocchi to a far away place after band practices that even she and Nijika didn't know about. Well it’s not really her place to interfere if the red and pink duo did not want to disclose the exact status of their relationship yet. Though Nijika would undoubtedly be overjoyed if they would get to have double dates in the future.
Ichiji Seikai, the older sister of Nijika and resident tsundere manager of STARRY, also gave her blessings to their relationship… Though not without kindly reminding Ryo first what would happen if she ever dared hurt her sister. Not like she would ever dream of doing such a thing. Especially when she knows Nijika would most likely strangle her to death first if something like that ever happens.
Life is good for one Ryo Yamada. Unbothered, moisturized, happy, in her lane, focused, flourishing, and with a cute girlfriend to boot.
However..
Lately, the bassist has been facing a big dilemma. A dilemma that may permanently alter her relationship with Nijika as well as her position in the band itself..
Ryo Yamada is being accused of being the bottom in their relationship.
That’s right. The great Ryo Yamada, the revolutionary bassist of Kessoku Band, is being accused of being the bottom in their relationship.
Preposterous! Insane! Utterly baseless!
Ryo’s mind started to wander about a certain incident that incited this misunderstanding. They were practicing rather vigorously for a big performance at STARRY. After a particularly intense practice session, they agreed to take a small break in order to get their bearings back.
A few days ago..
“Ryo-senpai, please get the drink for us!” Kita whined at the useless bassist who was lying glued to the couch, too exhausted (or perhaps too lazy) to even look at the girl who was hovering over her.
“Ikuyo, the couch is calling to me. It won’t let me go from its embrace.”
“But Ryo-senpai! You’ll end up being too spoiled at this rate!” Kita put her hands on her waist, which unwittingly made her look like a mother hen scolding a disobedient chick.
Ryo internally sighed knowing that she would have to resort to using her ultimate move in order to not leave the soft and soothing paradise that is the couch.
“But Ikuyo I’m too tired right now, ” She paused before she looked straight at Kita’s eyes, flashing her a look filled with unshed glistening tears that gave her off an image of pure innocence and naivete. “Please get them for me?”
“Ghk-” Kita sputtered out, unable to look away from the look that Ryo was giving to her. She tried to gather all of her will power to flash her Kita-aura, hoping that it would be able to outshine the pureness of the puppy look that her first crush was using on her. But try as she might, she found her resistance steadily crumbling away before shattering completely.
Kita sighed as she accepted her defeat with her grace and dignity intact, “Okay Ryo-senpai. But next time-” her words were interrupted with a sudden sound coming from Ryo’s direction.
Bonk!
“Oww” Ryo held her head as crocodile tears flowed down her face. Kita stared dumbfounded as she saw Nijika bonking Ryo with unbelievable speed. Said girl was currently staring disapprovingly at her fake-crying girlfriend as she emulated Kita’s mother hen pose.
“Ryo you can’t keep making Kita-chan do things for you! And don’t you dare say any excuses. I saw you exploiting Bocchi-chan’s kindness the other day too!” If Kita’s scolding was like that of a mother hen, then Nijika’s were more akin to a lioness reprimanding her naughty cub. Such is the power of the leader of Kessoku Band.
“But Nijika, the couch will be too lonely without me.”, the cub in question sat up and tried to use her bewitching eyes on her girlfriend. Alas it was not meant to be as Nijika shut her down with a glare that can put even the Manager on her knees. But Ryo was not willing to back down, engaging in a staring contest with Nijika that not even the gods could interfere in.
Kita sweatdropped as she watched the two before looking at Hitori who was sitting at the back for guidance. However the guidance she was looking for would not be found in their pink haired guitarist as she found her slowly melting into sludge from the thought of their band disbanding because of the enchanting allure of a couch.
‘She’s not backing down huh.’ Ryo thought as her staring contest with Nijika continued. She smugly smiled as she saw Nijika desperately trying to keep her eyes open, victory becoming more certain for the bassist for every passing second. Nijika silently fumed upon seeing Ryo's smug smile before an idea came to her mind.
Ryo watched confused and scared as Nijika leaned in to whisper something to her ears, slightly shivering from how her girlfriend’s warm breath washed over her.
“Get the drinks for us and I’ll give you a kiss,” Nijika paused before she said something that made Ryo’s heart skip a beat. “A french kiss on the lips”, Nijika added, her voice lowering in a way that made Ryo all hot and bothered. Blood rushed to her face as her cheeks lit up like a ripe tomato. Her heart hammered in her chest from feelings that she could not describe, feelings that only Nijika could make her feel. She weakly nodded and quickly stood up to get the drinks for her bandmates.
Not because she doesn’t want Nijika to see her blushing like a school girl or anything! But because her cute girlfriend made her an offer that she could not possibly refuse!
Kita sighed, a bit tired from assembling Hitori back to a functional human being. While the pink haired guitarist improved a lot in her social skills over the time that they spent together as a band, she still has a tendency to revert back to her…. bocchiness in stressful situations. Despite this however, she could not help but be amused at her friend’s silliness.
‘Some things just don't change- hm?’ Kita quietly giggled before becoming confused as Ryo quickly passed by her with a flushed expression on her face. Seeing Ryo’s usual cool expression being broken shocked her for a moment before realizing the one who most likely caused it when she saw Nijika’s similarly flushed expression.
“Hehe seems Nijika-senpai worked her magic again. I wonder how you do it every time she’s being stubborn?” Kita prodded Nijika, unable to resist teasing her as the drummer's cheeks continued to steam red from being questioned so relentlessly.
“Ryo just needs the right motivation sometimes that’s all.” Nijika crossed her arms while avoiding looking at her friend’s eyes. A useless effort as her action only egged on Kita further.
“Motivation? I wonder what kind of motivation was that?”
“M-maybe… it’s something naughty?” Hitori boldly added with a small smile on her face as she too could not resist teasing her band leader.
“B-Bocchi chan?” Nijika exclaimed, shocked at Hitori saying something so bold. Her involvement with the band has greatly improved her social skills, enough that she was able to talk to strangers on her own without even stuttering once. That fact made Nijika greatly proud of her progress but also incredibly mortified that she would have enough courage to join the public mutiny that Kita is spearheading now!
“Eh? I didn’t hear a no from you Nijika-senpai!” Kita joyfully added as she saw HItori join the teasing, a cat-like grin spreading in her face from the sheer fun she was having.
“Geez! Stop it already!” The mortified Nijika shook her head as steam erupted from her ears, making the pink and red haired duo giggle from their leader’s adorable reaction.
Meanwhile, Ryo lamented how she could not wipe the sweat off her forehead as she struggled to balance four huge drinks on one small tray. Maybe not asking the manager or PA-san for help was a bad idea but they seemed preoccupied trying to deal with a certain drunk bassist-who-must-not-be-named.
Thankfully, her trip to the band’s room was a short and an accident-free one. Realizing that she won’t be able to open the door with her hands lest the drinks come spilling down to the ground, she opened her mouth to shout for her bandmates to let her inside the room. Just as she was about to do so however, she was distracted by faint murmurs coming from inside the door.
Logic told her to just ignore the murmurs and just get on with her task but something was telling her to listen to the voices first. Was it mere curiosity or the calling of the plot? Who knows? But what Ryo knows is that she needs to sate this curiosity before it bugs her to no end. Ryo leaned her ear closer onto the door while carefully balancing the tray of drinks in her hands. It was an uncomfortable pose and Ryo would have stopped trying to listen in before she heard something that horrified her to the core.
“Nijika-senpai, is Ryo-senpai a bottom?” Kita questioned in a tone so sweet and innocent that it sent shivers down Ryo's spine. A bottom? Her? The ultra awesome bassist of Kessoku Band? The one who did that super awesome confession a few months ago?
“A b-bottom? W-what even is that?” She heard Nijika stutter out. Ryo leaned closer to the door to listen in, both curious and terrified to know Kita’s reasons on why she believes that she is a bottom- she almost gagged just from thinking of that word.
“Oh you know! The receiver! The tamed! The subdued! The one who gets leashed during se-” Kita exploded, excitement gushing out of her being as she blurted out her words at speeds that could not be comprehended before Nijika cut her off. “We haven’t even done that yet!” Nijika yelled, sounds of hissing steam coming from her direction as proof of the heat her face is under.
It is true. The farthest they’ve ever gotten are the occasional kisses and touches that Nijika gave to her and vice versa. There were times when Ryo would try to take the initiative to take a step further but something within her would always make her back away.
It’s not as if she doesn’t want to do the deed with Nijika or anything. It’s just that the sight of her girlfriend looking at her with a flushed and lusted expression, her legs quivering from desire, and the way she would pin her down so assertively- wait NO she’s not the one getting pinned down! - would always leave her too flustered to do anything further. Thankfully Nijika was always understanding, content in just cuddling together after particularly intense sessions. Although the lack of relief did leave Ryo feeling bothered at times. More specifically, in the area between her legs-
Shaking her head to drive away her increasingly obscene ruminations, Ryo decided to listen in more to her bandmates' talk. Nijika’s embarrassed shrieking did not seem to deter Kita’s interrogation much at all which left her to dread what questions the shrewd vixen is going to ask next. Fortunately just as she thought that the interrogation was about to continue, she heard a light cough interrupt it.
“K-Kita-chan I don’t think you should accuse Ryo-san like that,” Hitori lightly scolded Kita in a manner so unlike her usual self. ‘That’s my Bocchi! I knew I raised her well.’ Ryo internally rejoiced at Hitori’s moment of bravery, hoping that she would put a stop to these baseless accusations that Kita were throwing around so haphazardly.
Her hopes however were dashed upon Hitori’s next words. “I mean, what if she’s a pillow princess instead ehe” Hitori giggled like a mischievous goblin as she decided to feed the fire more instead of stopping it entirely. A small price to pay in order to get back at her friend who shamelessly drained her wallet since time immemorial.
“Bocchi you too?! ” Ryo could not see it but she could almost imagine Nijika melting into a puddle from embarrassment. A fact that she would have found funny had she not been so struck speechless by Hitori’s betrayal. ‘No no! I raised her wrong! Bocchi bad! That’s bad!’ Ryo freaked out internally while thinking of the reasons of why Hitori would throw her under the bus like this.
‘It must be because of the karmic debts I gathered from leeching off of her’ Ryo grimly realized as sweat dropped down from her forehead. Perhaps this is a sign from the gods that she should start paying off her debts to Hitori lest she receives karmic retribution… or a bonk from her girlfriend.
‘However, I can’t allow this to continue anymore’ She straightened up with a determined gaze in her eyes, eager to save her girlfriend from the mutiny spearheaded by her friends and save her own reputation from being further tarnished by bottom allegations!
Remembering that her hands are too occupied to open the door on her own, Ryo shouted for Nijika to let her in. Not even a second later, the door opened wide open revealing a flushed Nijika with her hands on her hips. “Geez what took you so long!” Nijika whined while Ryo carefully studied her appearance. Flushed face check. Tingling Dorito check. Scolding girlfriend look check. All of these factors confirm one single truth.
‘Yep, she’s just as cute as ever’ Ryo held a small smile on her face before replying, “Sorry for being late. I got lost in the path of life.” She knows it’s one heck of a lame excuse but it’s one that made Nijika smile so she wasn’t too worked up about it. Nijika huffed one more time and urged her to enter, giving her the opportunity to take a look at the two betrayers who were sitting innocently inside the room.
“Ah, welcome back Ryo-senpai! Hitori-chan and I were just talking about some stuff here!” Kita greeted her as cheerfully as ever with Hitori nodding rapidly at her side. Ryo narrowed her eyes, analyzing Kita’s face for any signs of weakness but found none as her Kita-aura proved to be as impenetrable as ever.
But Ryo knew that behind those innocent eyes lies a surprising amount of shrewdness. ‘ I know what you truly are’ Ryo imagined Kita thinking behind those eyes, judging her, indicting her of being the bottom in her relationship with Nijika. Her? The coolest girlfriend in the world? The incredible bassist who people go crazy for in their concerts? The undisputed best girl in the entire anime?
Her pride could not allow it. Such baseless allegations are absolutely incomprehensible to the one Ryo Yamada. But confronting her bandmate about it now will only make her look in-denial to everyone in the room and she is not in-denial!
If she can’t protect herself with words, then she needs to do it with her actions. As such, she could only think of one way to turn this situation around.
To prove her wrong.
With her resolve strengthened, Ryo fearlessly met Kita’s eyes before giving her a simple nod. In her mind however, she was already thinking of a plan to protect her standing in this band and defeat the bottom allegations. Thousands of plans were being conjured at this very moment, all for the single purpose of proving one simple truth.
That Ryo Yamada is NOT a bottom.
Ryo sighed after reliving a whole flashback sequence of the incident that started it all.
After that incident, the bassist went on to search for ways on how to prove her dominance over her cute girlfriend. She searched for tips from enlightened strangers online, hoping to get a glimpse from their sheer knowledge in romance.
She even went on to buy and read dozens of Shoujo mangas, which she didn’t expect to actually enjoy, in search of tropes that she could use well in her mission.
And she found many of them that she could not wait to try on her girlfriend.
Ryo smirked as she finally saw STARRY in the distance, eager to enact her plan upon her cute girlfriend.
With an overused Shoujo trope that has made countless readers (no she’s definitely not included) squeal like hopeless maidens in love.
A way to make Nijika blush like a hopeless school girl and single handedly prove how cool of a girlfriend she is to everyone who dared to besmirch her name.
The Kabedon of Love.