Tokyo: The evil god doesn't want to be the top star

But after all, she is an "official member" who has participated in a single, which means that she has a large number of loyal fans who are willing to spend money to make her famous.

Having her as the guest singer for Cheng Band is tantamount to a dimensionality reduction attack on a stage like the "Campus Singer Contest" where student contestants are the main players.

Chapter 116 Special Guest

2024-07-13

"By the way, Shibata, after the performance, Ms. Terada will be on stage to promote the single "You Are My Favorite" which will be released soon by their new group "Tetsudo AK"."

Matsumoto gave instructions to Shibata in a relaxed tone.

"That's no problem, the students will surely be eager for her to say a few more words..."

"But, forgive my ignorance, what is the group "Tetsudo AK"? Why haven't I heard of it before?"

Thinking that he was about to become an "insider", the more knowledge about the industry the better, Shibata Makoto asked curiously.

As for the other party taking the opportunity to "promote the song", this is a very common social practice.

"'Tetsudo AK' is a new group formed by selecting the best members from our J-company's AK-style girl group and S-company's railway-style girl group..."

"This flagship project was not released until last month, and we have started recording the single album in full swing. Our goal is to win the sales champion of this year's 'song release season' and the 'best single of the year'..."

"The news that Bethesda's new top star Yayoi Tsuki is 'deaf' has caused a lot of buzz. So far, there has been no official response, and I haven't heard of any plans for her to promote new songs. I guess it's true."

"In this year's music market, without Yayoi Tsuki, Bethesda will definitely not be able to dominate like in the past two years. People in the industry secretly believe that "Tetsudo AK" has already won the championship in advance."

Matsumoto covered his mouth and explained quietly.

In order to ensure purchasing power, "Tetsudo AK" has crammed in 20 active female idol members, who have been busy running around in various activities these past two days to promote the upcoming new single.

They would naturally not miss the "Eleventh District Campus Singer Contest", an event that completely overlaps with their fan base.

Matsumoto took this opportunity to help Shibata Makoto with his debut plan, which was really killing two birds with one stone.

"I see... With the help of Senior Terada, we will definitely take first place in this round..."

"Xia Fan, just wait and admit defeat..."

His heart was gradually filled with the joy of "winning in advance", and Shibata Makoto showed his signature bright smile.

……

[Faith +1...Faith +1...Cumulative Faith Value: 7143]

"What's going on? Wasn't the rate of increase in faith value declining before? I didn't do anything these two days, so why did it rebound? The audience's mood is as unpredictable as stocks..."

At the gate of Tokyo University of the Arts, two hundred meters away from the gymnasium, Xia Fan, wearing a white shirt and white pants, was pushing an electronic keyboard, standing under a cherry tree with a puzzled look on his face.

He clearly had no new works revealed, so why did his faith value, which had been "decreasing marginally", increase by more than a thousand in just a few days?

"Xia Jun, sorry for the wait."

Behind me, I heard a polite greeting from a young girl.

"No, I just got here too."

Xia Fan turned around and found it was Horie Tsubasa.

Today she was wearing a pink sailor suit and a pleated skirt, paired with white stockings and pink round shoes. She looked youthful, sweet and charming...

"So, this is your costume for today's performance?"

Together with his white shirt and white pants, they perfectly formed a "couple performance outfit".

"It is indeed a performance costume, but today, in addition to the two of us, there is another 'special guest' who will be performing together..."

"Wait here, she should be here soon."

Horie Tsubasa looked down at his watch.

"Aren't we competing as a duo? How can we add someone else midway?"

Xia Fan listened with curiosity.

"Didn't you read the competition rules? For the second round, we have to invite a guest singer."

"This is also a traditional feature of the Tokyo University of the Arts campus. Most people will take this opportunity to invite seniors from the same department or those who have already graduated and are good at singing to return to school and perform on stage to liven things up together."

"Of course, some people will invite professionals they know. Anyway, the judges only score the contestants' performances, not the guests, and the organizing committee is also happy to see someone improve the quality of the performance."

Horie Tsubasa explained to him seriously.

After all, the "Campus Singer Contest" is a campus activity with no prize money and very low commercial nature. Compared to competitiveness, the competition system is actually more fun, so the "backing singer guest" segment is retained.

"I don't mind if three of us perform together..."

"But I haven't been told the repertoire, and we haven't rehearsed it. If I add an unknown guest now, won't it mess it up?"

Xia Fan shrugged indifferently.

After the auditions, Horie Tsubasa never asked him to rehearse the second round of repertoire.

Even if he took the initiative to send a message to ask, the other party would just brush it off with words like "No need to rehearse" or "Leave it to me".

Anyway, the Inagawa Group, which believed in "Akagami", had been destroyed by the police, and his only purpose in participating in the competition was to help Horie Tsubasa with "treatment", so he just let the other party arrange it.

"Of course there's no need to rehearse. Because the song we're going to sing today is the song produced by 'Xia Fan', your own song..."

Horie Tsubasa winked playfully.

"My song... Hey, you're not going to sing 'Gururenhua', are you?!"

"I have no problem playing that song, but my voice will definitely break if I start singing..."

Hearing her say this, the painful memories of his audition to sing "Red Lotus" once again flooded into Xia Fan's mind.

"It's okay. Xia Jun, just be responsible for the handsome accompaniment and harmony this time, and leave the solo part to me and the 'special guest'."

"Also, the song you want to sing is not "Red Lotus"..."

“…It’s Sakura.”

As soon as Horie Tsubasa finished speaking, a familiar-looking white commercial vehicle drifted coolly around the corner and braked suddenly in front of the two of them.

The car door opened, and a girl wearing a pink beanie, the same pink sailor suit as Horie Tsubasa, a pleated skirt, and round-toed leather shoes, walked down timidly.

Even the spring breeze that carried the cherry petals seemed to want to bully her. It suddenly became stronger and lifted the hem of her skirt...

"ah!"

The girl exclaimed with her head down, and before the hem of her skirt was blown up by the wind, she skillfully held it down with both hands.

But the cute little round hat on her head spun in the wind, flew high up, and fell right in the direction of Xia Fan...

"hat……"

The girl looked up and found Xia Fan, who was dressed in white, not far away, just raising one hand to the sky and catching the hat.

"Xia Fan... Horie... Sorry for the long wait... Long time no see..."

She trotted forward and nodded hello to the two of them.

"The golden highlights suit Xia Fan very well!"

Noticing Xia Fan's new hair color, Xing Ming Hanajian clasped her hands in front of her chest and exclaimed excitedly.

"I got this hairstyle for work... Hanami, why are you here, wearing the same clothes as Horie?"

Xia Fan gently put the small round hat back on the other person's head.

"Ah, thank you... I'm here because..."

Chapter 117 One Chicken, Four Ways to Eat It

2024-07-13

"Because Hanami is the guest singer for our competition today. By the way, I specially invited her, and I also mailed her the performance clothes in advance."

"Since we are going to sing 'Sakura', how can we not have the original singer?"

Horie Tsubasa blinked at Hoshina Hanami and answered first.

The two women had exchanged contact information at the premiere of "Cursed Blade" and seemed to have kept in touch privately.

"But isn't Hanami busy shooting a promotional project out of town? Wouldn't it be too much for him to rush back to Tokyo from Osaka..."

Xia Fan still felt that it didn't seem real when Hoshina Hanami suddenly appeared.

“It’s an honor to help out with the singing.”

"Hori sent me the audition performance video, it was really great. Horie's stable singing skills with changing voice lines are beyond reach..."

"Also, I never knew that your electronic keyboard, Xia Fan, is so amazing!"

As if she remembered something, Xing Minghua puffed up her face and looked at Xia Fan with a little resentment.

"So, I also want to be able to sing on stage with Xia Fan. Besides, I didn't rush back to Tokyo on purpose this time..."

Meeting his clear eyes, she shyly lowered her head again, and her voice gradually became so loud that only she could hear it.

"Hey, college students in the ivory tower, long time no see..."

Higashino Hidekichi, with his shirt collar open to his chest, walked down from the driver's seat of the nanny car.

"As expected of a famous art school, it's filled with youthful hormones, and it reminds me of when I was 18..."

"Remember, when you were eighteen, you were held back in high school and became a school bully, forcing people to eat 'toilet bento' every day, right?"

"I want you to manage."

Tachibana Ryoko, whose leopard print dress was lifted high by her strong muscles and whose thick lips were painted brightly, got out of the car while arguing with Higashino.

"Uncle Higashino...President Tachibana...why are you here too?"

Xia Fan was stunned by what he saw.

"I'm sorry to be two old people acting like light bulbs here. But we are here to work seriously..."

Higashino Yoshihide put two fingers together and waved them at Xia Fan in front of his forehead.

"Brother Xia Fan, long time no see. You look so handsome with your blond highlights..."

"Ah, this surprised expression, didn't Xiaohua tell you about it?"

"It was her suggestion. Tokyo University of the Arts and the neighboring Ueno Park are both famous places for cherry blossom viewing. We can take advantage of the early blooming of cherry blossoms and the opportunity of the campus singing competition to gather students and come here to shoot a 'special project'. By the way, I can be your guest singer and promote 'Sakura'. It's really killing three birds with one stone."

Tachibana Ryoko pulled Xia Fan aside familiarly and started talking to him.

"No... maybe, one chicken, four ways to eat it?"

Having said that, he winked at Xia Fan ambiguously.

"What you want to say is, killing three birds with one stone, right? Ahem, let me introduce these two. Although they don't look like each other, they are indeed the presidents of the entertainment agency..."

Xia Fan introduced Higashino and Tachibana to Horie Tsubasa.

"Is this your competition partner? With this figure and this appearance, she is definitely an S-level amateur!"

"Miss, are you interested in developing a career in the entertainment industry? Our T agency specializes in cultivating idols for boys and girls. We have abundant resources and channels, as well as a no-responsibility base salary. Within a year, you will definitely become a big star..."

Tachibana Ryoko activated her "amateur radar" and began to recommend her own company to Horie Tsubasa.

"You have a colorful life, both in school and outside of school..."

Higashino Yoshihide came close to Xia Fan, glanced at Horie Tsubasa and Hoshina Hanami who were wearing "couple outfits" with him, and poked him with his elbow in a teasing manner.

"Well, I don't know what you're thinking, but it's not that. I'm just a keyboard player forced to do the job, and these two are the protagonists on the stage."

Xia Fan spread his hands helplessly.

Also wearing a pink sailor suit, the petite Hoshina Hanami looks pure, beautiful and cute...

Horie Tsubasa, with her impressive curves, is pure, energetic, and full of charm...

The same "performance costume" was worn by two people in completely different styles.

"Dear students, the contestants are about to enter. Please line up at the yellow line..."

At the same time, a notification sounded from the loudspeaker in the direction of the gymnasium.

"Let's go, it's time to wait in the wings."

"By the way, I deliberately used the 'priority adjustment right' and chose to perform after Shibata-senpai's 'Seikiku Band'."