Joker's Band Game Story

Although his parents often work and travel away from home, they still haven't forgotten their son and specially spent money to buy him a helmet so he could enjoy his trip.

"Huh? But the helmet should have been delivered by Saturday, right? You haven't been logging into the game these past two days, have you?"

Takamaki An was surprised; she hadn't expected Amamiya Ren to suffer such a huge loss.

But Ren Amamiya simply waved his hand: "This isn't a game about fighting strength. It's okay to enter a few days later, or rather... it might be better to enter a few days later."

Ren Amamiya absolutely refused to believe that this game was just a simple game of make-believe. With so many advertisements and promotions beforehand, he already knew what the game was really like.

Perhaps it's better to learn more about the game. I heard that during the closed beta, the in-game currency was pegged to the Japanese yen. Maybe I can find better part-time jobs here in the future.

Part-time jobs in real life are actually quite tiring. Every time, you have to go to various unfamiliar places. In particular, getting into an all-girls school is a big headache for him. Those willful young ladies would never think about how a boy can get into an all-girls school and perform with them.

However, most performances are still held in professional venues, such as RiNG, which is a pretty good place.

There's a girl in the story who's like a cat, and he's always bothered by her talking about this and that, which makes him feel helpless. He doesn't understand why she's so curious about him.

"Then you'd better hurry up and get into the game. I was hoping to play a piece with you in the game."

"Sure, so are there any character IDs or anything like that in the game?"

Amamiya, remembering the mention of IDs, immediately smiled and said, "Of course I have one! My name is 'Panther,' so don't forget to add me as a friend!"

"Sure...we have an early meeting."

As Amamiya Ren was speaking, she noticed the homeroom teacher entering the classroom and immediately gestured for Takamaki An to turn around and prepare for the morning meeting.

He had just overheard his classmates talking about this game. Is this game... really that great?

Chapter Two: I don't smoke or drink, so I will...

"Hey~ No way, A-Lian, you didn't even get that helmet? That's such a shame!"

In RiNG, the shopkeeper, Rinko Maji, is talking to Ren Amamiya about the helmet. When she learns that Ren didn't receive the game helmet, she looks shocked.

"I don't know, maybe the staff made a mistake somewhere."

Ren Amamiya wasn't particularly concerned about the matter, but these words immediately put Rinrinko on alert. She placed her hands on Ren's shoulders and rocked him back and forth: "No way, Ren! How can someone as amazing as you not try this game?! You have to play! You have to join our RiNG team!"

"So RiNG also gets a cut in this game?"

Ren Amamiya keenly sensed Rinrinko's attitude. Why was she so eager to have him join the game? There must be something fishy going on!

"It's not really about taking a cut; RiNG is involved in the game itself!"

Rinrinko understood immediately when she saw that Ren Amamiya seemed completely clueless; he definitely hadn't bothered to find out anything.

Since that's the case, she should give Ren Amamiya a proper explanation of the game and let him understand what kind of game it is.

Everyone in this world enjoys music, but enjoying music comes at a cost.

An ordinary audience member who simply wants to listen to music and relax won't spend much money. But what if they want to attend a concert? Especially a band performance, which requires buying a ticket to enter. More importantly, even if you pay, you're not guaranteed a good seat.

The performance venues vary, and each time you want to see a performance, you have to take a special bus or even a high-speed train to other cities to see the show.

Furthermore, if you want to experience various musical instruments, you can only do so by going to different stores, but this experience only lasts for a few minutes.

Even learning requires considerable costs, which poses a barrier for everyone.

But with the advent of games, all of this is no longer a concern!

In the game, you can stand in your preferred spot at any concert and enjoy a clear, up-close performance by the singer or band. You can use various musical instruments for free, experiencing different brands without any issues. You can even learn to play alongside a simulated teacher, observing others' techniques and playing styles, and receiving a score based on your own performance.

Overall, with just one purchase, you'll never have to worry about music again for the rest of your life; this game can solve all your problems.

"If that's the case, then this gaming helmet is being sold too cheaply."

After listening to Rinrinko's introduction, Ren Amamiya suddenly felt that the price was a bit too cheap.

The gaming helmet costs 200,000 yen, a price that is hard for many people to accept. Unless they are dirt poor, they would grit their teeth and buy one for their child.

The official website even offers installment payment options of up to 24 months, making it possible for even working professionals to afford this helmet.

The price is high, but if used correctly, it becomes a small expense. For one thing, a good musical instrument might cost more than this helmet, but it can be used easily and freely in the game, which alone makes it worth the price.

In Ren Amamiya's opinion, this thing should sell for at least a million, just like the game pod, to barely break even.

That's right. In addition to gaming helmets, there are also gaming pods. Their functions are only slightly more than those of gaming helmets, allowing people to enter the game inside the pod without having to wear a stuffy helmet.

However, it's so inconvenient that it makes people feel that 200,000 would be a better deal than 1 million.

"Yes, this 200,000 is such a bargain. I bought one too, and I'll enjoy it when I get home tonight."

When Rinrinko mentioned the helmet, she couldn't help but look infatuated, it seems that the helmet has successfully captured the heart of this shop manager.

Just how alluring is this helmet?

"But if players can enjoy using musical instruments in games, won't the manufacturers of those instruments cause trouble for the games?"

"It seems they bought the rights to use the musical instruments, so visitors can try them out for free!"

"I think they're more like they're just trying to make a quick buck and then run away, otherwise they'd be working way too hard."

Ren Amamiya shook his head. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the game company was losing too much money. Was it really appropriate to be so greedy?

As soon as he finished speaking, a waiter slammed a drink down next to him, the sound of which startled Rinrin.

"Here's your coffee milk, sir."

The dark brown-haired waitress standing next to Ren Amamiya was looking at him with a cold and disdainful expression. Ren Amamiya didn't even look at her, but knew who she was and simply smiled and replied, "Arigato."

"Lixi! Show some respect to the guests!"

Rinrinko immediately reminded Riki when she saw that it was Riki. Although this was not the first time, she felt that she still had an obligation to remind the other party to be mindful of his behavior.

"I see."

But clearly, Lixi didn't listen to her at all. She always said she understood, but she always made the same mistake again.

And every time, the target is Ren Amamiya, as if she has a grudge against him.

Seeing Shiina Ritsuki return to the kitchen, Rinrinko apologized to Amamiya Ren, feeling embarrassed: "I'm so sorry, Ritsuki..."

"It's alright, it's just a childish temper."

Ren Amamiya didn't mind Shiina Ritsuki's temper at all, but his words made Rinrinko find them somewhat amusing.

She reached out and patted Ren Amamiya's head: "Really, Ren, you're not that old, are you? Why do you look so old?"

As she said this, she couldn't help but sigh. Ren Amamiya was only a second-year high school student, yet he acted as calmly as an adult.

Hmm... Aside from being a bit overly obsessive about music, he's usually a nice guy.

But perhaps this is precisely the characteristic of musicians; they take music seriously, and sometimes they are quite good at it.

Feeling her head being stroked, Ren Amamiya gently patted Rinrinko's hand away with the back of her hand: "I'm not Rinna, leave these little tricks to her."

"Hey~ you're so cold, A-Lian."

Seeing Ren Amamiya's expression, Rinko couldn't help but pout and mutter, "But you really don't intend to agree to the boss's suggestion?"

"No."

Ren Amamiya's answer was unusually firm.

RiNG's manager is Rinko Maji, but she's just an employee; she has a boss behind her.

However, the boss doesn't usually manage RiNG's revenue, so you'll generally only see Rinrinko here.

"Bell~"

The doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of a customer. Rinrin immediately greeted the customer: "Welcome! It's been a while, Hailin."

"Yes, today is just a performance."

Hachiman Kairin gave a soft "hmm," and her gaze fell on Amamiya Ren, who was sitting at the bar.

So she walked over to Ren Amamiya and sat down next to him: "Do you have a performance today too?"

"I got stood up."

Ren Amamiya shrugged, calmly sipping his coffee milk: "I only found out when I got here that the performance was canceled today because the lead singer was sick. Since I'm already here, I might as well stay a while before leaving."

As he spoke, Ren Amamiya glanced at Hailin's clothes.

The black jacket paired with a red lining and a silver-gray mini skirt looked quite sexy, revealing her fair and firm thighs.

Her Martin high-heeled boots were also quite fashionable, making her already 1.58-meter height appear even taller, giving her a somewhat mature and sophisticated look.

She wore a small black decorative choker around her neck, with a dark silver chain below it, which rested perfectly on her collarbone, dividing her V-shaped collarbone in two.

She also wore light makeup, showing how much she valued this performance. Or rather, she valued every performance; as a band mercenary, she simultaneously supported thirty bands.

However, when it comes to true mercenaries, they can't compare to Ren Amamiya. As far as Hailin knows, there are no fewer than sixty bands that have collaborated with Ren Amamiya. But no matter which one it is, they will only call on him when they have no other choice, since his fees are not cheap.

But you get what you pay for. Amamiya is good at all positions in the band, whether it's guitar, bass, keyboard or drums, he has no problem with them. He is also good at less common instruments like the trumpet, not to mention his singing ability.

However, bands generally wouldn't invite him to be the lead singer, since the lead singer is one of the band's defining characteristics. If that characteristic is gone, they would rather not perform than choose Amamiya to replace him in this important position.

"Does it look good?"

Hailin asked Amamiya, and she also noticed that Amamiya Ren was looking at her clothes.

Facing Amamiya's gaze, she was neither nervous nor shy; instead, she frankly asked for his opinion.

This answer immediately changed Rinrinko's expression to (0m0), and she seemed to be curious about the relationship between the two.

"Pretty rock and roll."

Ren Amamiya's response was completely devoid of any discussion about beauty; instead, it focused solely on rock music.

This answer also caused Rinrinko's expression to turn (0n0), as if she was very dissatisfied with his answer.

But Hailing simply nodded slightly: "That's good."

She's actually quite happy?!

Rinrinko's eyes widened even more. She looked at Hailin's lips, which even showed a slight upturn, and couldn't help but wonder if she was a little out of touch with the thought process of these rock musicians.

Does that mean that being called "quite rock and roll" is a great compliment in their minds?