Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 53 20. "Band"

Masumi sat at the window seat in the family restaurant, staring at his folded hands, and it felt like a very long time had passed.

Hanekawa Kaizuki sat on his right, her head resting on the glass window, squinting her eyes in fear of the light, her eyelashes trembling softly, as if she was half asleep.

The sound of someone sipping a drink through a straw came from beside me.

He glanced to his left, where bubbles were clinging to the sides of the glass of melon soda. He saw Mami stirring the straw, causing the bubbles to pop up.

"Well... let me introduce it to everyone."

After a brief silence, across from him, Kuon Mirai looked at him with eyes that always gave people a gentle impression. Her snow-white throat rolled as she softly introduced herself:

"This is Toyama-senpai from the band."

Masumi and Asami's eyes were fixed on the boy next to her.

His facial features were delicate, and his skin was surprisingly fair. However, there was no expression in the depths of his sparkling black eyes, as if there was an unconcealable melancholy that gave him a dead look.

How should I put it... This kind of looks and temperament, coupled with the artistic atmosphere of playing musical instruments, is indeed very popular among adolescent girls.

His obsidian eyes stared straight at them, his face expressionless, seeming very cold and arrogant.

Just as Masumi was thinking this, the boy who had been indifferent a second ago suddenly smiled without any warning and said in a clean and refreshing boyish voice:

"Hello! My name is Toyama Aimi. I'm a third-year student at Hanakawa High School and the guitarist for the band Meteor."

The moment the corners of his lips curled up into a smile, the boy's entire demeanor changed. Then he suddenly stood up from his seat, leaned out from the table, and looked at Mami with sparkling eyes.

"I was just about to say this, this senior is so beautiful! She's simply a super beauty who sparkles and makes your heart beat faster!!!"

Then he looked at Hanekawa Kaizuki again, and the depths of his eyes were sparkling and bright as stars.

"And this senior, he's as pretty as a doll, and he's also quite 'sparkling and heart-warming'!"

Masumi: "..."

Asami: "..."

Hanekawa Haiyue: "zzz..."

What's with that look?

The image of the cold and arrogant handsome boy just now is gone.

Also, what is "sparkling and heart-warming"?
Kuon Mirai blushed and tugged at the boy's clothes: "Senior Toyama, don't do such weird things. We are all girls."

Wait! Girls...?!

Masumi blinked.

If you think about it carefully, the name "Aimei" does not sound like a boy's name.

Thoughts quickly cooled and solidified like heated glass, and Masumi's gaze subconsciously fell on Toyama's leaning body.

Although she dresses in an androgynous style, her soft, cat-like limbs and slightly undulating curves are definitely not the body type a boy should have.

"...Are you a girl?" he blurted out.

"Uh...yeah." Toyama asked confusedly, "What's the problem?"

"Hey! It turns out that little Amy is a girl. Let me see her!"

Mami's happy voice came from the air. She stretched out her palm and pinched the confused Toyama's cheek, and heard a "pa pa pa" sound.

"Hmm~ What a beautiful child, I actually mistook her for a boy."

"You have beautiful eyes. Smile for me again."

"Senior..." Although Toyama was confused, he cooperated with Asami's actions.

A guest pushed open the glass door, and the twilight air naturally slipped into the room.

The fiery red sunset made Masumi squint his eyes.

In the blurred vision due to the glare, Toyama's hair was dyed brown against the light, and it was fluffy and made her look like a puppy sniffing around, nestled in her big sister's arms.

"Sorry, everyone, this is just Mr. Toyama's personality." Kuon Mirai showed a troubled expression.

Masumi shook his head: "It doesn't matter, Seno is still the same."

He glanced at the two people who were chatting animatedly. To others, the two people chatting harmoniously did not look like they were meeting for the first time at all. They seemed to have a good relationship with each other.

It's probably rare to meet another person who is on the same wavelength as you.

Retracting his gaze, Masumi looked at Kuon Mirai and asked carefully, "Um... the band that Toyama just mentioned... who is it?" "Ah... About this, I actually didn't mean to hide it from you all."

Upon hearing this, Jiuyuan Wei waved her hands in panic, her snow-white throat trembled slightly twice, and then she slowly began to speak.

The incident started with last year’s Beigao Cultural Festival.

"Because the original lead singer of the light music club was sick, I was invited by a friend to practice for a while and then perform on stage."

"Although I was a novice and was very nervous because it was my first time on stage, my classmates were very supportive. It was an unforgettable memory for me."

Masumi nodded upon hearing this.

On the stage of the high school cultural festival, people don’t demand the same level of quality from the band as professionals. As long as they can liven up the atmosphere and leave some traces of youth, that’s enough.

“Although I started out just to help a friend, after getting in touch with guitar, I found that I really enjoyed singing and playing guitar.”

"So you're planning on forming a band?"

"Ah."

Kuon Mirai nodded slightly, then shook his head and said, "After the academy ended, the members of the light music club still came to me as usual. Since I had been borrowing my friends' guitars, I used the pocket money I had saved and the advance I received to buy myself a guitar in January of this year."

"Toyama-senpai came to me after that."

"Invite you to join their band?"

"Well, Toyama-senpai's band is called Meteor, and it's also a band formed by female high school students. In March of this year, after the lead singer left Kobe for further studies, he invited me to join as the lead singer."

"Mirai's voice is incredibly captivating!" Toyama chimed in. "The last time I went to Kita High School's cultural festival, I was instantly captivated by her voice. It's immature, but it has that sparkling, heart-warming charm."

So…what does it feel like to be “sparkling and exciting”?
"Please enjoy your large order of French fries."

The waiter put the fries on the table carefully.

"Thank you!" Toyama smiled and began to chew French fries one by one.

"Well...if you don't mind." Jiuyuanwei hesitated and took out three tickets from his wicker messenger bag. "Please come to our show on Tuesday night."

"Eh?"

Masumi took the ticket she handed him and placed the other two in front of Asami and Hanekawa Kaizuki.

"Oh? Has it reached the point where you can perform at a LiveHouse?" Asami was surprised.

"It's just a three-song performance with other bands during quiet periods like Mondays and Tuesdays."

Toyama explained while chewing French fries, "We had a special performance during prime time on weekends and holidays. It's something a high school amateur band like us can't even dream of. Besides, it's because I work part-time at LiveHouse and I'm familiar with the owner. He was willing to open up to us after listening to our audition."

"But I just want to have fun playing in a band."

"Is this so..."

Masumi thought for a moment, took out a total of 2500 yen in bills from his wallet, and handed them to Kuon Mirai.

"Oh, that's not necessary." Jiuyuan refused subconsciously.

"Please accept this. Although you are familiar with the store manager, you also have a ticket quota, right?"

"Eh? Well, thank you, Mr. Masumi."

Kuon Mirai thanked him softly.

"Mr. Masumi is also in a band, right? I heard Mirai mention it before."

Toyama asked in a nonchalant tone, but even though it was a question, she didn't wait for his answer as she stuffed her cheeks with chips like a hamster chewing sunflower seeds, covering her face with a satisfied smile.

"Mmm~ French fries are delicious! It would be even better if there was white rice."

"..."

She looks like a very simple and mysterious girl.

Speaking of the uncanny, Masumi thought of the mysterious girl he picked up on that rainy day and subconsciously glanced to his right.

"……band."

Hanekawa Kaizuki woke up at some point, looked at the ticket in front of her, and murmured softly in a voice even lower than usual.

The floor-to-ceiling windows dimly reflected her indifferent expression.

　French fries and white rice go well together. The author usually eats them this way. I recommend that book lovers try it.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)