They all have hidden attributes!

It was indeed burnt, and had a unique bitter taste.

On the bright side, the fact that Uesugi Maya, who is good at cooking, could only serve this kind of dinner tonight means that she has entered the process of adopting a stray cat.

"Midnight, what do you think of the band?" he asked casually.

"You should know this very well."

"A tool to defeat Sister Xing."

"Yes," Uesugi Maya said without any hesitation.

Even now, for her, the nature of the band remains unchanged; it's merely a tool.

"At the band meeting tomorrow morning, I will explain about the band's first live performance."

"Live, isn't that too fast?"

Makoto Takahashi looked up with great concern, only to see Maya Uesugi with a serious expression, speaking in an unquestionable tone:

"Even without original songs, playing some popular songs can help improve stage presence. Getting used to the stage is something you should do as early as possible."

It sounds reasonable, but considering Shiraishi Junka's timid personality, the band's performance since its formation, and the still not-so-harmonious atmosphere, Takahashi Makoto still felt that she was being a bit too eager for quick results.

"What do you think about Sister Xing's standards?" he asked indirectly.

What Tachimi Yuki values ​​is not the band's achievements, but whether they can touch people's hearts. From this perspective, whether or not a live performance is held is not important.

Maya Uesugi understood the unspoken meaning in Makoto Takahashi's words and still insisted: "Now that we've started, I won't let the band play house in the rehearsal room forever."

"Ok."

"I will reconsider the matter of original songs. Regardless of the band's philosophy, performing on the biggest stage is proof that original songs touch people's hearts."

“That’s true,” Makoto Takahashi nodded in agreement, pondering whether there were any pressing issues within the band.

His attitude towards the band is actually quite simple:

Regardless of our reasons for gathering together, now that the band is formed, we naturally hope to create wonderful memories together.

“I’ve already made contact with the LiveHouse. The target is 40 tickets. If we can’t meet that, we’ll have to buy them ourselves,” said Maya Uesugi.

Has the time been set?

Makoto Takahashi hadn't expected her to act so quickly. Seeing Maya Uesugi nod, he suddenly had a bad feeling: "You're not planning to go sell tickets by yourself, are you?"

"Is there a problem?" she asked in a matter-of-fact tone.

"It's better for everyone to work together when it comes to selling tickets. After all, this isn't just your band."

"Really? Then why do I do most of the work by myself?"

The crisis that Takahashi Makoto had overlooked due to his carelessness has surfaced, and now Uesugi Maya's words are completely irrefutable.

"I'll go with you, as a friend." He could only try his best to salvage the situation.

Chapter 72 The first step is always bumpy

July 26th, the first day I became friends with Maya Uesugi.

Under the clear summer sky, Makoto Takahashi and Maya Uesugi walked side by side across the intersection where the green light had turned on, stepping on the shadows cast by the roadside trees, toward the tram stop.

Because Maya Uesugi had a habit of jogging in the morning, the two rarely went to school together.

Today is special; it's probably a memorable day for both of them.

Maya Uesugi deliberately chose to go for a morning run downstairs from her apartment building. She also bought breakfast at a convenience store. After taking a shower back at her apartment, she changed into a beautiful black dress and went to wake Makoto Takahashi up.

Because she woke up so early, Makoto Takahashi was not fully awake.

As soon as he boarded the red tram carriage, he sat down on a bench and dozed off sleepily, saying, "Wake me up when we get off."

"You've already eaten breakfast, why aren't you awake yet?"

Uesugi Maya took out disinfectant wipes from her pocket, wiped the handrail, and after holding it to steady herself, she looked down at him with disdain in her eyes: "I heard that boys waste their energy doing meaningless things at night and stay up for a long time. Do you do that too?"

“Meaningless things?” Takahashi Makoto looked up at her slender waist, which could be encircled by one hand. After a moment of reaction, he remembered that Uesugi Maya had a hidden [pure] attribute.

The meaningless things she was referring to were probably ■■.

"No, I was watching anime last night and accidentally watched the whole thing in one go."

Makoto Takahashi raised his hand and yawned, his gaze falling to the slender calves peeking out from under the skirt, their elegant curves so straight they made one want to touch them.

"Instead of watching anime, why not bring your bass home and practice instead?" she said coldly.

"The bass and the violin case together weigh at least 10 kilograms, which is too heavy."

"I admit that your self-study progress is very fast, exceeding my expectations, but the more proficient you are, the better."

“Even if you say that, I don’t want to carry my bass around every day.”

Amidst the chatter, the red carriages of the streetcar moved along the tracks, stopping and starting, traversing the complex city streets, until they arrived at Waseda Station, where Tsurumizawa Academy is located.

The car door opened, and Maya Uesugi stepped out first, with Makoto Takahashi following closely behind. His sleepy expression made him look like a boyfriend who had been dragged shopping by his girlfriend on a holiday.

After passing through the ticket gates and exiting the tram station, it's about a 5-minute walk to the gates of Tsurumi Sawa Academy.

Under a clear blue sky, two black luxury vans were parked by the roadside. Several girls who insisted on wearing their college uniforms during the holiday gathered together and chatted, their faces full of happy smiles.

As the two approached, they both fell silent, staring at each other with stiff expressions and rather unfriendly gazes.

Uesugi Maya completely disregarded the stares that were focused on her, crossed her arms, turned into the academy gate with a cold face, leaving behind her aloof figure.

"Is there anyone in the academy you haven't offended?" Takahashi Makoto asked.

"I consider myself their benefactor."

"Their eyes look like they want to kill you."

"Ha, just a bunch of stray dogs."

Uesugi Maya sneered, her caramel-colored eyes filled with disdain: "They are the main force of the kendo club, and they are leaving for Fukuoka today to participate in the Jade Dragon Flag competition."

"No wonder they seemed a little scared." Makoto Takahashi nodded in sudden realization.

"Am I not their benefactor?" Uesugi Maya asked in surprise.

Judging from her tone, she actually thought so.

Makoto Takahashi pursed his lips speechlessly, nodded, and said, "If you say so, then so be it."

"Please correct your attitude."

"To be honest, it's hard for me to comment."

The club was taken over by Hell Girl for a whole semester, and when they tried to take it back, they were humiliated. In the end, they took back the kendo club that Uesugi Maya didn't want, just like picking up trash. It was a really bumpy road.

I don't know when the badminton team will depart; the national tournament seems to be in August.

"It's time to start preparing for the archery club's competition," Takahashi Makoto thought to himself, turning his gaze to the jogging group on the playground. He asked Uesugi Maya, "Why has the brass band been running every day lately?"

"Aerobic exercise can effectively improve lung capacity."

After explaining succinctly, she coughed lightly as if remembering something, and deliberately put on a cold face, saying, "I contacted the chairman last night, and you don't need to participate in the archery competition."

"Hmm?" Takahashi Makoto turned around and looked over.

Under his bewildered gaze, Uesugi Maya raised her hand to touch her burning ear tips, and casually tucked a strand of long black hair that had fallen beside her face behind her ear:

"Kyudo is now just a niche hobby, it's such a waste of your time and energy. With your artistic talent, you could have used that time to rest and have fun, it wouldn't have been a waste."

Did Uesugi Maya actually exercise her privileges as a young lady for her own sake?

Makoto Takahashi had long known that she had a bad relationship with her family. Her parents' topics were completely off-limits. She hated birthdays and had even said that her father would never call her by her name.

Acting in this situation is truly baffling; one doesn't know what to say.

"I'll order a cake to be delivered to you later as a reward," he said tentatively.

"Oh."

Uesugi Maya sneered, casting a disdainful glance at her: "It's good that you appreciate it, I don't like wishful thinking."

Entering the special building, I went up the stairs to the 5th floor corridor, where I could hear the sound of a drum kit.

The rehearsal room was not closed. Kashima Reiko, who arrived first, sat on the drum stool and practiced double jumps with the metronome.

The increasingly intense sunlight streamed through the narrow windows of the rehearsal room, outlining the delicate lines and features of her face, while casting shadows below her shoulders.

Her emerald eyes sparkled against the backdrop of her cool, black wolf-tail hair.

Makoto Takahashi walked in and raised his hand to greet her: "Good morning, Reiko-senpai."

Kashima Reiko looked straight at her, said "Good morning," then turned her gaze to Uesugi Maya, nodded in acknowledgment, and continued practicing.

"Senior, do you know when the badminton team departs for the major competition?"

"Tomorrow is the final training session."

"so."

There was still some time before the rehearsal time set by Uesugi Maya, so Takahashi Makoto picked up the guitar case that Tachimi Yuki had given him yesterday, opened it, and took out the blue lacquered electric bass inside.

The beautiful V-shaped body design and high-quality texture make it seem somewhat out of place in the rehearsal room converted from a warehouse, making one want to take it to a bigger stage.

How do you play a 6-string bass?

Makoto Takahashi looked up at Maya Uesugi, who picked up the music theory book that was lying on the chair, opened it, and replied without looking up, "Practice the 4th string first."

Is the 6th string more difficult?

"What do you think?"

Maya Uesugi raised her face, giving him a look that seemed about to insult him. Makoto Takahashi wisely shut up, put his bass back in its case, took out his phone, and started searching for tutorials online.

"I underestimated you; you actually know how to use the internet."

Uesugi Maya still managed to humiliate him, complaining, "Next time, for such a simple question, please just ask the AI."

"Yes, yes," Takahashi Makoto replied with a yawn.

A little after 8 o'clock, Shiraishi Junka walked into the rehearsal room.

Her outfit today still gives off a free and easy, laid-back vibe. The loose khaki linen T-shirt paired with wide white straight-leg pants looks perfect for a relaxing and comfortable vacation.

Upon seeing Makoto Takahashi, Junka Shiraishi immediately gave him a gentle smile: "Good day, Makoto."