Aspiring to be a girl in a band

She knew that although Lena was willful, she also listened to her grandmother.

Since Lena herself chose not to take the shortcut, she didn't say anything more, but simply asked.

【So, what are you going to do, Lena?】

There seemed to be a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

It took Arakawa Kirika some time to receive Rakuna's reply.

【Mist Flower, can you teach me?】

it is as expected.

Arakawa Kirika shook her head; she had already guessed that Rakuna would say that, but...

A strange sense of unease welled up in Arakawa Kirika's heart; she didn't think she could be a good teacher.

"If Lenai wants to learn, I can hire a team of private tutors for you, guaranteeing that they are top experts in each subject... Is that alright?"

But Lenai copied and pasted the same meme she had posted before, the one with a hint of resentment.

【Mist Flower... How clumsy.】

A hint of displeasure flashed across Arakawa Kirika's brow.

This was the first time someone had dared to call her "stupid," but since it was Le Nai who uttered that word, she could only choose to forgive her.

[If it weren't for the teachings of Wuhua... I guarantee I wouldn't have been able to learn it.]

...Upon reading this reply, Arakawa Kirika showed a wry smile.

How can this adorable guy say such things with such confidence?

call……

Arakawa Kirika put her phone aside and then looked up at the scenery outside the window.

In the distance, clouds drifted slowly across the sky, while nearby, tree branches swayed gently, rustling softly in the breeze.

After letting herself drift off for a few minutes, she picked up her phone again, typed a message, and sent it.

When will such adorable little Lena begin her "tutoring" life?

Is Wuhua home now?

Of course I am.

"I'll be right there."

The simple words couldn't hide Lena's excitement.

Arakawa Kirika was quite certain that, given the cat's agility, she would probably see Ryuna appear beside her very soon.

After ending her conversation with Rana, Arakawa Kirika slowly sat up from the sofa and stretched her neck.

Then she turned her head and looked towards the piano.

With her permission, Toyokawa Shoko is also working on composing a new song today.

Xiangzi's expression showed he was very engrossed, and he would occasionally press the piano keys with his fingers, as if confirming something.

Arakawa Kirika slowly walked to Xiangzi's side, feeling a sense of déjà vu about the scene before her, as if it had happened not long ago.

She bent down slightly and looked at the sheet music in front of Xiangzi.

“Ave Mujica…”

It wasn't until he heard Arakawa Kirika's voice behind him that Xiangzi seemed to wake from a dream, snapping out of his creative state and turning around to look.

"What... are you doing? It's not time yet."

Xiangzi's expression was somewhat tense, and his eyes kept glancing at the wall clock next to him.

The time she referred to was, of course, the time she had agreed upon with Arakawa Kirika, a time when they could move around freely.

"I know."

Arakawa Kirika found Shoko's wary expression amusing. For a moment, she even had an urge to... pin her to the ground, but since she was a woman of her word, she could only suppress her desire for the time being.

Arakawa Kirika casually replied, then her eyes fell on the significantly enlarged characters on the paper.

"Ave... is it derived from the Latin word for praise or celebration?"

"Mujica... Carnival? But the pronunciation makes it easier to think of raccoon dogs, which is the so-called 'birds of a feather.' Using this as a band name? Are you trying to say that the members are all 'accomplices'? I didn't realize you were so chuunibyou, my dear Dark Xiaoxiang."

Arakawa Kirika's tone carried a calm, playful quality.

Xiangzi could clearly sense that this guy was flirting with her, but... she couldn't refute it.

After all... her design had been seen through at a glance, and upon closer reflection, the band name she had chosen did indeed carry a slightly embarrassing connotation.

But Xiangzi still glared fiercely at Arakawa Kirika.

It's like saying—what do you think of my aesthetic sense?

Volume 1: Chapter 172 Stress Response

Arakawa Kirika naturally ignored Shoko's angry glare and continued speaking.

"Now that the band name has been decided, does that mean you've already finalized your personnel arrangements?"

When faced with Arakawa Kirika's question, Shoko's momentum immediately deflated like a frostbitten eggplant.

“The other members have all been confirmed, but… I haven’t sorted things out with Chu Hua yet. My application to meet with Chu Hua’s agency was rejected.”

Xiangzi sounded very disappointed. It would have been better if she hadn't been able to persuade the firm's management, but her request for a meeting was rejected, and she didn't even have a chance to speak, which dealt a heavy blow to her spirits.

"Is that so? Then keep up the good work."

Arakawa Kirika looked at Xiangzi with a dejected expression, said nothing, but turned around, moved a chair, and sat down next to Xiangzi.

Eh?

Xiangzi was a little surprised.

This person... actually didn't choose to ridicule her at this time.

Xiangzi blinked, making no attempt to hide his surprise.

"To mock others when they fail is just too low-class."

Arakawa Kirika saw through Shoko's expression and understood what he was thinking, so she silently offered an explanation.

This guy...

The words from before still seemed to echo in his ears. Xiangzi looked at Arakawa Kirika in disbelief, as if he were seeing her all over again.

Lately, she's been constantly redefining her own understanding.

Just as Xiangzi was surprised, Arakawa Kirika suddenly seemed to have thought of something, and a sly smile appeared on her face.

"As for me, I prefer to mock others when they have just succeeded and are full of pride, so I'll pour cold water on you after your band is formed."

Seeing this, Xiangzi withdrew his surprised expression, then turned his head away unhappily and clicked his tongue.

Tsk... Give me back my feelings of being touched.

……

Time passed by, second by second.

Arakawa Kirika sat quietly beside Shoko, without saying a word.

Xiangzi remained motionless, seemingly feeling that Arakawa Kirika sitting next to her was affecting her creative enthusiasm.

"How long are you going to stay?"

In the end, Xiangzi couldn't help but speak first.

"What are you talking about? Do I need to remind you? This is my house now. I am free to sit wherever I want and for as long as I want."

Arakawa Kirika gave Shoko a disdainful look.

Xiangzi bit his lip, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end it turned into a sigh.

Her fingertips brushed across the piano keys, but then suddenly withdrew.

Xiangzi's eyes widened slightly, as if he had suddenly remembered something.

"You haven't seemed to see Mu lately... it seems."

Xiangzi asked cautiously.

"so what."

Arakawa Kirika frowned. Hearing that name from Shoko's mouth caused a moment of turmoil in her mind.

Fortunately, she was very good at putting on a poker face, so even Xiangzi had a hard time noticing that Arakawa Kirika's expression was different from usual.

"Mu, I miss you so much."

At that moment, Xiangzi recalled the time when he invited Mu to join the team.

Mu agreed to her request without hesitation, but... at that time she felt that Mu's behavior was a little strange.

It's like... suddenly aging many years.

That's really strange.

Despite being a beautiful young woman in the prime of her youth, Xiangzi sensed a feeling of decay in Mu.

On the day of the fireworks festival... what exactly happened between Arakawa Kirika and Mutsuki...? She was very curious, but she didn't dare to ask.

All she knew was that Mutsu was waiting for Arakawa Kirika to find her.

But Arakawa Kirika deliberately refused to see Mutsu during this time.

"Ok, I know."

Arakawa Kirika simply nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Seeing Arakawa Kirika's indifferent expression, Shoko suddenly felt very angry.

For Xiangzi, the last thing he wanted to see was Mu get hurt.

But Arakawa Kirika has been unusually kind to her lately, while deliberately ignoring Mutsu's presence.

This stark contrast only intensified Xiangzi's sense of guilt.