In this crossover anime, Yoshikage Kira longs for a peaceful life.

That's strange! Does this really make sense?

Hirasawa Yui tilted her head, looking rather naive.

Why does Kita-kun look so dejected?

Kita Ikuyo couldn't help but complain:

"Because I'm really devastated! Why is it that only your videos get so many views?"

Ichiji Nijika looked at the two of them with some surprise:

Do you know each other?

Yui Hirasawa nodded proudly:

"Hey~ We're in the same class! Class E, Grade 1!"

"Huh? I remember Kita was a student at Shuchiin Academy..."

Nijika Ichiji subconsciously looked at Ikuyo Kita, who nodded at her.

Nijika Ichiji opened her mouth slightly.

So, is this Light Music Club actually a club of Shuchiin Academy? And are all these kids in front of me rich young ladies?

Ritsu Takai complained:

"Don't say what's on your mind!"

However, Tsumugi is indeed a wealthy heiress. Without the villa she provided, they wouldn't have been able to continue their stay together. The cost of the stay alone would have been unbearable, not to mention the astronomical price of the exquisite pastries and black tea consumed during the stay…

Akiyama Mio's gaze swept over the three members of the band as they finished, and she murmured to herself:

"Speaking of which, it's a bit dangerous that they're all cute girls!"

But it's not bad either.

Instead of monopolizing the person you like, isn't it better to let yourself like the person the person you like likes, and thus expand your social circle?

Ichiji Seika didn't participate in the girls' discussion. Instead, she retreated to the vicinity of the bar and stared at Kira Yoshikage with a scrutinizing gaze:

"So, you are a Pillar Man?"

She saw it clearly: the masked K-On! girl's skill level was decent, but only decent—

It's better than the band that ended, but only slightly better.

Their skill level wasn't originally high enough to garner such attention; the credit ultimately goes to the lyrics. The lyricist known as 'Pillar Man' is the key to this group's success!

That 'Pillar Man' is absolutely a genius in the truest sense!

As the only male who came here with the Light Music Club members, Yoshikage Kira naturally became her prime suspect.

"No."

Yoshikage Kira vehemently denied it.

"Oh."

Ichiji Hoshika looked away, without much suspicion.

After all, in her mind, high school students are all the type who can't help but show off, especially in front of a beautiful older sister like her.

Since Yoshikage Kira denied it, it means that it is most likely not him.

That's a bit of a pity.

Otherwise, if we could get that 'Pillar Man' to write lyrics for Nijika and the others, wouldn't these kids be able to become a famous band?

Chapter 172 Law: Mio, are you awake?

McDonald's by the roadside in Shimokitazawa, Setagaya Ward.

Ritsumi Tainaka took a refreshing sip of her iced cola, a wave of coolness washing over her.

"Hmm~, I'm alive again!"

Hirasawa Yui stuffed fries into her mouth, her little face puffed up like a hamster's, and mumbled:

"I actually think it's very enjoyable."

Ritsu Tainaka tilted her head and grabbed a French fry from Tsumugi Kotobuki's plate:

"I'm happy, but I'm also very tired. I never feel this way during regular training!"

"Because we don't train at all normally."

Boqi lowered her head, weakly refuting in her heart.

Normally, they just eat snacks and drink black tea, and even during training camps, they're mostly just playing around; training is just a random occurrence. But STARRY is a livehouse, and their standards for performances are much stricter than usual, so it's no wonder that their first experience was exhausting.

Since its inception, the Light Music Club has almost always been playing around, with very few ensemble performances and practice sessions, and has never had any truly high-intensity training.

However, if we only consider musical level, the Light Music Club is undoubtedly superior to the End Band. Even though the End Band's training intensity is several times that of the Light Music Club, and even though each of them works very hard, their level is still not as good as the Light Music Club, whether it is solo or ensemble.

The most typical examples are Yui Hirasawa and Ikuyo Kita.

Just a few months ago, they were complete novices, unable to even read sheet music, and had only been playing guitar for a maximum of three months.

If we're just talking about practice time, Kita Ikuyo spent at least three times as much time practicing as Yui—as someone who once guided Kita Ikuyo and Hirasawa Yui, Pochi-chan believes she has the right to speak on this point.

However, often, hard work doesn't guarantee a reward.

Kita Ikuyo practiced three times as much as Hirasawa Yui, but Hirasawa Yui's level was at least three times that of Kita Ikuyo. This was because Yui possessed perfect pitch, and her talent far surpassed Kita Ikuyo's from the very beginning.

Even if Kita Ikuyo works very hard, she will find it difficult to reach Hirasawa Yui's level.

In addition, the Light Music Club also has Yoshikage Kira helping with the lyrics...

Goto secretly glanced at the couple sitting across from each other at the other table. Kira-kun writes lyrics for the Light Music Club, so it must be because of Mio, right? They were all strangers at the beginning, so how did they end up together?

There was absolutely no warning. Or is it just that love comes so suddenly to high school students who are already into popular relationships?

I'm so sorry! After all, someone with social anxiety like her will never have such an experience in her entire life!

Goto felt a little sad. Everyone else in the light music club and the end band was a normal person, so why was she the only one who was an outcast?

The girl, her pretty face slightly flushed, lowered her head slightly.

"Kira-kun, Pochi-chan has been peeking at us the whole time."

Yoshikage Kira asked, somewhat puzzled, "Aren't they all looking this way?"

Even though his back was to everyone else, he could still keenly sense their gazes.

Not only Bochi-chan, but also Yui, Ritsu, and Tsumugi were watching them.

That's normal; after all, people are naturally curious.

Even if we're not sitting at the same table, I'll still want to keep an eye on what they're doing from time to time, and I can't help but peek.

But why single out Pochi-chan?

"It's different~"

Akiyama Mio took a sip of her drink and whispered, "Kira-kun, do you know why Pochi-chan joined the Light Music Club?"

Yoshikage Kira: "Wasn't Ritsu forcibly dragged in?"

"Nah."

Mio Akiyama muttered under her breath, "Is that how Kira-kun sees Ritsu? To be honest, the reason Pochi-chan joined the Light Music Club is entirely because of you~!"

Kira Yoshikage was slightly taken aback, but quickly understood the reason:

Because of her social anxiety, Boqi couldn't even communicate normally with other classmates, but deep down she still longed to make friends in high school. Since she couldn't fit into the popular social circles, she could only look for classmates who were also socially awkward or withdrawn.

And naturally, Yoshikage Kira was the best target. After all, in the first month, Yoshikage Kira gave the impression of being aloof. People with similar attributes tend to attract each other, and just as people who are popular have their own circles, people with social anxiety can certainly have their own little groups to stick together for comfort.

However, the rumors in the class spread so widely that everyone thought he was a delinquent—although this was not an image that Kira Yoshikage deliberately created, he was happy to have some peace and quiet and did not want to waste time explaining to others.

Given his 'delinquent' status, getting Bochi-chan to initiate a conversation with him would be an impossible task. Even if it were a roundabout way, like joining the same club to find common ground and become friends, it wouldn't be a choice Bochi-chan would make willingly.

Moreover, she shouldn't have known at all that Yoshikage Kira was in the Light Music Club.

So, this is mostly thanks to Jing Ke'ai.

Unlike ordinary students who believe rumors, Hiratsuka Shizuka knows very well that Kira Yoshikage is not a problem student. His aloofness is simply because he is overwhelmed by the burdens of life and has no time to make friends or enjoy his youth.

In contrast, Boqi's problem is actually bigger—because she is genuinely socially anxious and truly withdrawn.

In order to help Yoshikage Kira make friends, Shizuka Hiratsuka forces him to join a club.

In order to help Pochi overcome her social anxiety, Hiratsuka Shizuka chose to have her join the same club as Kira Yoshikage, attempting to achieve two goals at once.

For some unknown reason, Hiratsuka Shizuka never mentioned this to Kira Yoshikage.

It sounds a bit outrageous, but it's very much in line with Shizuka Hiratsuka's style of doing things.

But there's still a problem...

Yoshikage Kira asked in confusion:

"How did you know?"

Given Pochi's personality, she probably wouldn't tell others on her own initiative, so how did Mio find out?

"Of course I could tell."

Akiyama Mio smiled, revealing adorable dimples on her cheeks. "Kira-kun, if you observe carefully, it's actually quite easy to guess what girls are thinking~!"

Looking at the girl's bright smile, Yoshikage Kira calmly took a sip of iced cola.

It wasn't that he didn't believe Akiyama Mio's judgment, but rather that he had a different opinion. Girls' thoughts might be easy to guess, but they change very quickly. Often, even if he could guess what they were thinking a second ago, he couldn't guess what they were thinking the next second.

For example, right now, he's unsure of Akiyama Mio's true intentions.

Although it sounds like jealousy, Yoshikage Kira thinks it's unlikely. Mio has already accepted the fact that there are many bird nests in one tree and wouldn't be jealous over something so trivial.

Moreover, even if Pochi joined the Light Music Club because of him, such behavior shouldn't be interpreted as unrequited love.

So, what is Akiyama Mio implying?

Is he implying that he can drag Bochi into this too? Or is he suggesting that he can wipe out the entire Light Music Club?