Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 211, Section 13: "You actually invited Haiyue to be the lead singer! Terrible!"

Leaving the spherical water tank, a small queue of tourists had formed in front of an electronic screen.

"What are they doing over there?" Qian Ai asked curiously.

Masumi immediately turned her gaze to the commentary board: "Interactive game."

—Standing in front of the camera, it captures the patterns on tourists' clothes, generates corresponding images of marine creatures, and projects them onto the screen.

"Hey, that sounds interesting, let's go check it out."

There weren't many people on the weekday, but the photo-taking process was quick, and I soon got to Qian'ai's turn.

The girl in the brown vest looked slightly nervous as the camera pointed at her.

A cute, light brown creature was projected onto the electronic screen.

"This is... an otter?"

To be precise, it's a small-clawed otter.

"Is it because of the color of my vest?" Chiai turned around and looked at Masumi's dark coat. "If it's Masumi-nii, it should be an orca, right?"

"Unfortunately, I guessed wrong."

Masumi looked at the swaying seaweed on the screen and said, "Why does black correspond to seaweed?"

"Okay, it's my turn."

Mami stepped forward in a cheerful mood.

"Emperor Nabo?"

"It's a Humboldt penguin."

Ringed penguins, which live in South America, prefer warm environments.

"Oh, so there are penguins that don't live in Antarctica." Miss Mami learned something new.

Haiyue silently stepped forward; unsurprisingly, it was a jellyfish.

Even though she was wearing black clothes, Masumi wondered if it was because her beautiful legs under the white stockings took up too much of her body proportion.
"Mio-neechan is a shark, which seems to fit the description quite well."

Chiai said meaningfully, catching her soft muttering:
"...It's frightening to see its claws bared, and it also has the characteristic of biting its prey tightly and refusing to let go."

"I can't pretend I didn't hear that, Chiai-chan."

Kurokawa Mio's eyes narrowed dangerously as she took a step forward.

Her legs would lift the hem of her fitted fishtail skirt as she walked, leading people to guess that they were a pair of straight and slender beautiful legs.

"The difference between me and a great white shark is that a great white shark will spare the small fish around it, while I won't."

"Masumi-nii, help me!"

The childhood sweetheart, her face pale, hid behind her childhood friend, shrinking back in fear.

◇

Half an hour later, after the five of them had thoroughly explored all the exhibition halls on the second and third floors, they moved to the SKYSHORE on the fourth floor.

In the open space, you can get up close to animals such as small-clawed otters and Humboldt penguins.

After visiting the aquarium, it was noon.

The five of them had a simple lunch in the coffee shop on the fourth floor.

The menu featured various creatively designed otter-shaped dishes. The children excitedly jumped and skipped to grab their own otter-shaped fries, and then it was Mami's turn.

Hers was cheese, 710 yen, and she also bought a cup of Japanese soft serve ice cream in red and white.

Consuming such high calories at every meal and practicing yoga perfunctorily—is this really an effective way to lose weight?

"Masumi, what would you like to eat?" Kurokawa Mio asked.

"Hmm...steamed bun."

Otter-shaped steamed buns filled with chocolate cream.

"I want an ice cream cookie sandwich."

"Ice cream cookie sandwiches are also good."

"In that case, let's buy both and share them," Kurokawa Mio said with a smirk.

"You two, don't exclude me."

Chiai squeezed between the two of them, puffing out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"What does Qian'ai want to eat?"

"Let me see... chocolate ice cream!"

Like Masumi, Kaigetsu chose steamed buns as a snack.

The round, cartoon otter head was scooped up by the jellyfish girl's tiny palm. She took a bite with a "whoosh," and the sweet taste lingered on her tongue.

Including five soft drinks, the meal cost a total of 5020 yen.

"If it were the Yoshinoya I saw when I exited Sannomiya East Exit, I could probably feed five people beef bowls until they were stuffed," Masumi thought.

"What time is Masumi-nii at the recording studio?"

Qian'ai scooped up the ice cream with a small spoon and put it in her mouth.

"Two o'clock in the afternoon."

"Then it's almost time."

"Yeah, so we'll just take the tram to the recording studio later."

"A recording studio? This is my first time there." Mami said thoughtfully, "I wonder if the sound engineer is easy to talk to? Should I bring a gift?"

"I don't think it needs to be that complicated," Masumi gently shook her head.

"The sound engineer was introduced to me by a senior colleague. I heard he was a very nice person, and the senior colleague specifically told me not to prepare any random gifts."

"I see." Qian Ai nodded in understanding: "As expected of Sister Qian Sui, she seems very reliable."

"I'm more worried about other things than this—"

Masumi glanced at Kaigetsu without making a sound.

"Is it alright, Haiyue?"

"Ok?"

"Recording is very hard work. You have to record in a closed space and with limited time, which can easily make people nervous and impatient."

Masumi said with a serious expression. This wasn't the first time he had brought up similar things with Kaigetsu, but Kaigetsu's reaction was always the same.

"Well……"

Just like it is now.

"At this point, it doesn't really matter whether it's allowed or not," Kurokawa Mio said nonchalantly.

"Was Mio-neechan nervous when she went to record for the first time?"

"Yes," Kurokawa Mio said frankly. "But after seeing my teammates arguing about the arrangement during the recording, all of that vanished, leaving only frustration."

"No wonder they're from a band."

Mami nodded with her arms crossed. Masumi had been puzzled by Mami's fondness for this gesture before, but recently she finally understood.

"Don't feel too burdened, Haiyue."

Masumi tried to soften her tone as much as possible: "We are not a commercial music group, so we don't have deadlines. Even if we can't finish recording this week, we can still come next week."

If you make an appointment in advance.

"Ah."

Haiyue nodded slightly, expressionless. Although it was a calm expression she was used to seeing, Masumi felt that there was some pretense in it.

Go down to the souvenir shop on the first floor of the aquarium, where they sell jellyfish-themed postcards, which are very pretty.

Masumi bought a total of eight tickets.

Besides myself and the girls, there's also Rinne, who missed class, and me, Chitose, far away on Miyako Island.

He planned to give the last one to the recording engineer as a gift.

"Mission accomplished! We took a lot of great photos."

On the soft seats of the tram, Qian Aixin looked at the photos she had taken that day with great satisfaction.

"Chii's photos are amazing! Ah~ this photo was taken by Masumi-kun, right?"

Masumi sighed, "Is my style that obvious?"

"Have."

Asami and Chiai spoke in unison.

Asami: "My eyes can always immediately capture the attractive parts of a girl."

Qian Ai: "But my photos are always out of focus."

"That's where Masumi-kun's (older brother's) problem lies!"

"I'm quite satisfied with the result of this photo," Kurokawa Mio said casually.

After swaying on the tram for about twenty minutes, and walking for about ten minutes after leaving the station, the five of them stood at the door of the recording studio.

The recording studio is not far from Motomachi and is called "Kirakira".

(Note: This means to shine brightly.)
“This name…” Asami rested her chin on her hand, squinted her eyes and said, “It feels like I might run into someone I know.”

Masumi knew who she was talking about: "It can't be that much of a coincidence."

I checked the time on my phone again.

Anyway, let's go in first.

He pushed open the door and said softly:
"—Excuse me, I'm Miyazawa, who's scheduled to record a song at 2 PM this afternoon."

A gentle, feminine face suddenly appeared before my eyes.

"Oh, good afternoon, I'm Miyagi, the one in charge of recording."

With her striking pink-streaked short hair, earrings, and extra-long sleeves covering her hands, could she be a character straight out of a Houbunsha manga?
"Hello, Miss Miyagi."

Several people bowed and greeted him.

"Good afternoon, everyone from Fanxing. Ah, it's still early, let's chat before we start recording."

Her use of the name without the coffee shop suffix makes it sound like the five of them are a band.

It means the anonymous singer's account name hasn't been decided yet.

"Is it okay to drink barley tea?"

"Oh, that's trouble."

"No trouble at all," Miss Miyagi smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Little Aimi, bring the tea!"

"Ok!"

Energetic responses came from inside the recording studio.

Sounds so familiar.

"Please enjoy this delicious, sparkling barley tea... Wait, aren't these my seniors from the Starry Sky?"

The short-haired girl with cat-ear buns opened her eyes wide.

"Little Amy, it's been a long time."

"Long time no see, Asami-senpai! You're just as 'sparkling and captivating' as ever today."

Aimi Toyama – Guitarist of the band Meteor.

She is a lively girl who likes to wear her hair in cat ear (star-shaped) buns and whose catchphrase is "sparkling and captivating".

"Toyama, are you working here?" Masumi asked.

"Yes, 'KiraKira' helps many independent musicians produce albums, and working here is also very beneficial to my band's activities."

"I see... But you're already a senior in high school, right? Are you doing well with your studies?"

"completely fine."

Toyama gave a thumbs-up and grinned, "Because I've decided to see this through to the end on my musical journey."

Oh, just like myself back then, Masumi thought.

Is it true that the closer you are to the microphone, the further you are from the university?
"Oh? So you guys know Aimi."

Miss Miyagi clapped her hands loudly and laughed heartily.

"In that case, I'm relieved."

"I heard that the girl who is the lead singer is entering the recording studio for the first time. If she knows someone there, she should be able to relax a lot."

……is that so?
Masumi glanced at Kaigetsu discreetly. Seeing that the jellyfish girl was still a bit tense, Miyagi chatted with everyone for a while until she felt the atmosphere had eased up before officially starting the recording.

Only Kurokawa Mio and Kaigetsu are allowed to enter the studio; musical instruments will be given priority.

Miss Miyagi was in charge of the shed, while Toyama was adjusting the equipment nearby.

Asami and Chia, two laymen, looked around the recording studio with curiosity and were amazed.

The synthesizer keyboard has already been tuned to the sound of the song demo sent by Masumi.

After a simple adjustment, I gave an OK sign through the glass.

Mio Kurokawa began playing the keyboard part of the song.

"...As expected of Mio-neechan, so composed."

On the black and white keys of the synthesizer, Kurokawa Mio's fingertips came into view.

Now that things have come to this, Masumi no longer feels inferior, or rather, that feeling of inferiority stemmed from her own escapism.

If you have wings, you should fly into the sky.

For those who can only stand on the ground and look up at the sky with longing eyes, this is a very natural feeling.

He supports Mio's music, and Mio supports his dreams.

"You cleared the game in one life, Miss Mio."

Stepping out of the shed, Kurokawa Mio confidently tossed her hair. "Just ordinary."

"Are you satisfied with my performance, Masumi?" She looked at Masumi with a smile.

“Great, Mio.”

"Next up is Ms. Hanekawa."

Miss Miyagi looked at Umizuki, who was resting on the sofa.

The jellyfish girl took off her shoes, put her feet on the sofa, and sat with her knees drawn up to her chest. Her back was rounded, as was her front.

"Haiyue?"

Seeing her absent-mindedness, Masumi called out to her softly.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, no problem."

She seemed to be talking to herself.

"This is really worrying."

Qian Ai frowned slightly, her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt.

She walked into the recording studio without even putting on her shoes.

Haiyue picked up the headphones and put them on.

The silhouette formed by her long, flaxen hair being pressed down by the headphones seemed to have a special feel to it, arousing Masumi's longing.

"Mr. Miyazawa, would you like to listen to it too?" Miss Miyagi sent an invitation.

"May I?"

"no problem."

"I'm causing you trouble."

Masumi nodded and took the monitoring headphones, putting them on as well.

"To be honest, I'm very nervous right now." He was holding a handful of sticky sweat in his palm.

Are you worried about Miss Hanekawa?

"Well... besides the nervousness, an ordinary person might be startled when they first enter a recording studio and hear their own singing."

Singing in a recording studio is completely different from singing in a karaoke room.

It's like a girl washing her face with just water before going out.

The singing produced by the studio equipment is completely unadorned, without reverb or echo, and sounds dry and lifeless.

Therefore, even the slightest imperfection or slightest change in pitch cannot escape the equipment's detection.

Masumi, who was originally quite confident in her singing voice, was inevitably discouraged when she heard her own voice for the first time in the recording studio.

However, this does not mean we can escape responsibility.

"It's something we all have to go through eventually."

Amidst the comings and goings of people, Miss Miyagi remained remarkably calm.

"Then let's begin."

The two stood ready at the control panel, with Miss Miyagi issuing commands like a queen in a recording studio.

◇

Time ticked by, and the two people in front of the control panel frowned more and more deeply, while Kurokawa Mio sat calmly to one side.

The recording studio was incredibly quiet.

Even the lively Chia and Asami were so captivated by the atmosphere that they barely dared to breathe.

Toyama whispered words of comfort to them, telling them to relax.

"—Ms. Hanekawa, please take a rest."

Haiyue took off her headphones, walked out of the recording studio expressionlessly, seemingly unchanged.

"Can not be done."

Miss Miyagi sighed, her voice filled with deep emotion.

The initial audition went well, although there were some minor issues such as unstable breath control and sometimes straining my voice due to nervousness, but none of them were serious.

Masumi and the others weren't going to perform at the Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle); it was just a video website where every netizen could upload videos, and all they needed to do was edit the audio.

Most importantly, Haiyue possesses innate vocal talent. Even in the unadorned environment of the recording studio, the quality of her singing voice remains undiminished.

Amateur skills can be improved through audio editing and vocal coaching, but natural talent cannot be replicated.

However, when it came to the actual recording, the sound quality at the venue suddenly became appalling.

The most direct result was that Haiyue's throat was stiff, and she was so tense that she couldn't sing.

"...Haiyue, is there a reason why you can't sing?"

Masumi asked patiently.

Singing in front of other people... is a bit...

"Is it because of Miss Miyagi?"

Haiyue shook her head quietly, "This song... will be uploaded online... and many people will listen to it..."

"so."

Masumi thought she was being a bit too optimistic; it wasn't surprising that an account with no fame would only get 103 views on its first post.

"I'm sorry...it's all...my fault..."

"That's not true," Masumi said gently. "Take a rest and try again."

"……Um."

Noticing that the jellyfish-like girl in front of her seemed to be in a strained state, Masumi thought for a moment and said:
"If you're really not in good shape, then consider today a rehearsal and we'll try again next time..."

"I can sing!"

From that small body, a sudden outburst erupted, something Masumi never dreamed Kaigetsu would be so excited about. The others nearby fell silent in fear.

"Oh, oh... I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it, it's just..."

Haiyue was also startled, covering her mouth and squeezing out a weak murmur:
"It's my fault... I should apologize..."

"Ok?"

"It's always like this...it was like that back then too..."

"Haiyue? Are you alright?"

Suddenly, the jellyfish girl's soft, murmuring lips stopped moving.

She immediately turned her back to everyone in the recording studio, her legs, wrapped in white stockings, strained forward with all her might, and sprinted away in one breath.

Pushing open the door to the recording studio, Haiyue vanished without a trace in an instant.

It all happened in an instant; the air seemed to freeze.

The sense of reality failed to materialize for a long time, leaving everyone present stunned.

"Huh? The lead singer ran away...?"

After Ms. Miyagi uttered those words in a daze, time seemed to flow again in the recording studio.

"Haiyue! Wait a minute!"

Masumi shouted, her body acting before her brain, and frantically chased after it.

The sound of a car horn.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed on the sidewalk.

Pedestrians on the street cast surprised glances at them.

Masumi reached out her hand to the jellyfish girl who was running for her life, but she was still a little too short.

It's hard to imagine that Haiyue could run so fast with her feet clad only in white stockings.

The thin silk fabric on the soles of my feet seemed to have worn out a bit from running, with a few snags appearing.

"Haiyue!"

Masumi gripped the girl's soft upper arm tightly with her palm, pulling her back.

"Stop, Haiyue."

Masumi, panting, explained, "I didn't mean you were useless. Now that it's been decided that Kaigetsu will be the lead singer, I will definitely stay with you until the very end."

"No..." Haiyue's voice was filled with helplessness: "It wasn't because of that... that..."

"That is?"

She hung her head, looking as if she had been bullied, and remained silent for a long time.

With her attention completely focused on the soft jellyfish-like girl in front of her, Masumi completely ignored the approaching footsteps.

"Haiyue!"

The voice of a third party rang out, his tone filled with relief, anxiety, worry... a complex mix of emotions.

A short-haired girl squeezed between them, and Masumi loosened her grip.

"Haiyue, I've been looking for you for so long, I never expected to run into you here... Are you alright?"

"You are……"

Masumi was taken aback, staring at the short-haired girl in front of her: slender figure, beautiful but indifferent face, and pupils that faintly reflected vermilion.

Was it the girl I met at the convenience store that morning?

"It's you?"

The short-haired girl also recognized Masumi, and her expression softened slightly, but the next moment her face tightened again, and she looked very angry, glaring at him fiercely.

"What exactly do you mean by this?"

"What do you mean?"

Masumi felt confused. Could it be that she thought of him as one of those frivolous guys on the streets of Ikebukuro who would approach girls and pester them relentlessly?

"Don't misunderstand, I'm her friend," Masumi explained.

“Friend? But you were chasing Haiyue the whole time, it looked like you were bullying her, and Haiyue was avoiding you the whole time.”

Her repeated use of "Haiyue" finally brought Masumi back to her senses. Could this person be Haiyue's friend?

"That's not true. She was recording a song when she suddenly ran away from the recording studio, so I chased after her."

Masumi's explanation earned her a sharp glance from the short-haired girl, whose vibrant lips curved into a dangerous arc.

"A recording studio? You actually invited Haiyue to be the lead singer!"

Masumi nodded, somewhat suppressed by her, "That's right... I mean, your attitude has been very..."

Before he could finish speaking, a gentle breeze swayed the short-haired girl's bangs.

A shadow fell over her cheeks as she gritted her teeth and said:

"poor."

(End of this chapter)