People are in animation, but they can connect to reality

A white, wet towel rested on Deng's forehead to cool him down, and next to it, like yesterday, were ice cubes the size of rock candy. Asagi moved a small stool to sit beside Takamatsu Deng's bed. He reached out and touched Deng's forehead with the back of his hand; the warmth was slightly warmer than his own.

He removed the towel from Gao Songdeng's forehead, placed it in the basin beside him to rinse it again, and then placed it back on Gao Songdeng's forehead. He then took a piece of ice from the bowl and placed it near Gao Songdeng's mouth. Gao Songdeng opened his mouth slightly, revealing his small white teeth, looking very well-behaved.

"So cool." Deng smiled with a wink.

The door creaked open. Deng's mother came in with a tray of steaming hot drinks and some snacks. She stood by Deng's bed and winked at her daughter, as if giving some kind of order.

She only stayed for a short while, gave Gao Songdeng some daily concerns, and then carefully left the room.

Asagi sat by the bed, watching over Takamatsu Deng, who tilted her head to look at him. The atmosphere around them was very quiet, and time flowed slowly like clouds blown by the breeze.

"I'll come see you tomorrow." At around 6 o'clock, Asagi was about to leave. He stayed an hour longer today than yesterday. When he got up, the lamp on the bed suddenly spoke,

"I'm much better now and can go to school tomorrow."

Asagi hesitated for a moment, then spoke, "Your mother asked you to rest for a few more days, and I think Deng should rest more too."

"Why?" Deng was puzzled.

"Preparing for the joint live show must be tiring. You're exhausted. If that's the case, you should get some more rest. If you don't take good care of yourself, you'll have even harder things to do in the future. You can't do it without a healthy body."

"I see. I understand. I'll take good care of myself and sing better songs." Deng gently pulled up the bed sheet to cover her face, revealing a pair of shy eyes. Because she was afraid that the towel on her forehead would fall off, her movements were very light and cautious.

Over the next two days, Asagi visited Takamatsu's home as usual. Deng was able to get out of bed and was walking around the house happily. When Asagi arrived at Deng's room, Deng was practicing "Gurenge."

She was not very satisfied with her performance in the last show, so she kept practicing at home.

"Asaki, here you are again." Deng happily put out two small stools, and she and Asaki sat around the small table in the room.

Asagi touched Deng's forehead to make sure the fever had subsided.

"He seems to have recovered and can go to school. Li Xi and Su Shi were also very worried during this period."

"Asaki promised me not to tell them?" Deng lowered his head, a little dissatisfied.

"This kind of thing can't be hidden. It's not something to be embarrassed about, so there's no need to conceal it. Besides, isn't it normal for everyone to find it strange that Deng hasn't been to the LiveHouse "RiNG" for several days? Aine is a person who has a hard time keeping secrets. She gets nervous when she lies, and then her eyes become wandering and her expression becomes flustered. Aine can't keep a secret at all." Asagi explained.

"I don't want to make them worry." Gao Songdeng said in a low voice.

"I know." Asagi smiled slightly. He pulled out a stack of what looked like manuscript paper from his bag and handed it to Takamatsu. The manuscript paper contained the characters from Demon Slayer he had been drawing recently, all for Gurenge no Kamen RPG.

Deng had been pretending to be strong, and Kami would have mercy on him if he saw that. Since Deng had tried so hard, he should have done something.

Gao Songdeng took the manuscript and looked at Asagi in confusion. Asagi gestured for her to continue reading.

Soon, Gao Songdeng opened the manuscript paper, and on it were sketches of characters she didn't recognize. Although she didn't recognize them, she thought they were very beautiful and amazing.

Chapter 286 Harvesting a Lamp

Deng held the manuscript paper and read it page by page, becoming increasingly engrossed. Asagi brought up the topic appropriately.

"Does Deng like these characters?"

Deng was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Qianmu. Then, she looked at the characters on the manuscript paper again, this time more carefully and meticulously than before.

"Well, it's beautiful." The lamp replied in a weak voice.

"I plan to make them into PVs to promote 'Gurenge'." Asagi said his plan.

This was his purpose, the reason for his visit. Deng and the others had a much lower starting point than MMK and the others, and couldn't attract much attention. Although they had performed many live shows, they had always been playing solo at the LiveHouse "RiNG".

If they want to become famous instantly, it is not enough to just rely on MMK to take them to joint live performances. For example, they need to cause a sensation on the Internet.

PVs are a perfect fit. The world lacks youth anime, so Asagi uses them to spark online discussion and excitement. A whole new genre emerges, a whole new model, something no one has noticed.

"Here, Deng, take a look." Asagi handed Takamatsu Deng his phone and opened a two-minute video he'd found. The world has always had animation production technology. It's just been confined to children's comics, and the potential of the youth market has gone unnoticed.

Therefore, Asagi wasn't worried about being exposed. He had already found sufficient excuses. His own drawing skills were readily available online, and the corresponding software was readily available. However, he lacked a voice actor, so Asagi had to edit the PV.

Deng took the phone with a confused expression on his face. However, when the PV played, Deng's eyes were involuntarily drawn to it.

"How amazing." She held the phone in her hands and couldn't help but admire.

The phone showed a battle scene between Tanjiro and an oni. Takamatsu Deng certainly couldn't understand the story. She just saw the jumping screen and the new video format, which was enough to shock her.

"Is all this made by Asagi?" Deng stared with his eyes wide open and his mouth so wide that the teacup could almost fit in.

"It's really amazing. It feels completely different from the cartoons I've seen before. It's something I've never seen before."

"I'm glad you like it." Asagi nodded in satisfaction. "I'll find a time to record Deng's singing live. Then I'll upload it online as a promotional video. That way, CRYCHIC's reputation will grow. Many more people will notice Deng, identify with him, and like him."

Asagi reached out and touched Deng's head. Although they were the same age, Deng and Nina both gave off a weak and childlike vibe. It seemed that Nina was older than him.

However, when Asagi wasn't paying attention, Deng started crying. Her tears kept coming out of her eyes and she couldn't stop them at all. Seeing this, Asagi was completely stunned. Didn't Deng like him rubbing his head?

I made a mistake without realizing it. When Asagi was a little flustered and thinking about how to calm Deng down, Deng said,

"Why do you have to go to this extent for me? I'm not worthy of Asagi doing this." Deng sobbed and kept wiping away tears.

Asagi was speechless for a moment, unable to think of a good reason.

"I'm a useless person, timid and cowardly, and I don't know how to speak. Not only did I bump into Asagi when we first met, I ran away without even apologizing. A girl like me shouldn't be worth anything at all. Why are you helping me like this?" Deng raised her head and looked at Asagi, her eyes filled with both anticipation and fear.

At this moment, Deng was in a very complicated mood. On the one hand, she wanted to know the answer, but she was also afraid that the answer would not be what she expected. She was both timid and bold.

"I'm not very good, not as pretty as Aine and Su Shi, and I can't speak. I'm just an ordinary girl that you can meet anywhere on campus. I..." Deng cried and talked to herself.

Takamatsu Deng and Asagi were also feeling mixed emotions. He racked his brains to think of the correct answer.

"Because we're friends," Asagi said softly. He then glanced at Takamatsu's expression, which didn't change much. This answer definitely wouldn't work; it would only get 20 points, not even a passing grade.

So, he thought about it and spoke slowly, "Maybe it's because I want to get something in return from Deng-san."

"Some kind of reward?" Gao Songdeng responded.

"Yes," Asagi nodded, "I think highly of Deng-san. I think Deng-san has great potential and is very valuable. He is totally worth my investment."

"invest?"

"Yes, investment." Asagi smiled slightly and said embarrassedly, "I want to make a lot of money, far more than anyone can imagine, and then accomplish something big. To do this, I need a lot of friends, or companions. I chose Deng-san."

"I think Deng is a very reliable person, someone I can trust with my dreams. Whether it's her clumsy side, her simple side, or her kind side, she attracts me. When I saw Deng, a voice echoed in my mind, as if a god whispered, 'She will be your companion.'"

Then, Asagi breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's amazing, but also absurd. You might not believe this, but it is what it is. I hope you can stand by my side, be my reliable companion, and become my important friend."

As he said this, Asagi looked at Takamatsu Deng with a sincere look, and in a pleading tone,

"Can I get a response from Deng? Can I even hope for Deng's help?"

As I said this, I felt incredibly ashamed. I really didn't know where I came up with such a statement. I looked harmless on the surface, but there was a demon living deep down inside.

Gao Songdeng felt inexplicably happy and excited.

"If you can help Asagi-san, just ask me. I'll do whatever it takes." Takamatsu's voice was so faint it was almost inaudible, her cheeks flushed, and her head almost buried in her shoulders.

Although it sounded sincere, the atmosphere in the room became awkward. At this time, Deng's mother happened to walk in from outside. As soon as she entered the door, she realized something was wrong and quickly retreated.

Chapter 287 Shining in the Storm

"Is everyone there? Can I trouble you with something?" After returning, Asagi opened his phone and sent a message in the MY ALL group.

"Yeah." Nina replied.

"Yes." 486 followed closely behind.

"What's the matter?" Rupa and Ebizuka Satoshi gave basically the same answer.

“?” MMK’s reply was even simpler.

Fortunately, everyone responded to Asagi's message immediately, so he didn't have to wait any longer.

"Something happened to Xiao Deng recently. He was probably subjected to violence." Asagi briefly recounted on the phone the maliciousness that Takamatsu Deng had encountered and his recent condition.

Rencai hated this kind of thing. She asked with concern, "Is Xiaodeng okay now?"

"Yeah, it's much better now. But I'm planning to do a live show this Sunday night. Can you guys spare the time?" Asagi asked. The band is now under the management of Shiomi Miura, who is in charge of business development, live performances, and event planning.

Miura Shiomi was a professional, while Asagi was a complete novice. Leaving this matter to Miura Shiomi was the best option. Asagi's workload had been significantly reduced. MY ALL no longer required him to worry about anything; everything was already on track. He only needed to provide the music and share the profits.

"Huh? Sunday night? What kind of format will it be? How long will it take?" Miura Shiomi, who had been lurking for a long time, finally snapped out of it. Currently, this part of the business was under her management, so this kind of thing required Miura Shiomi's consent.

"It wasn't very long, around 7 o'clock, at the LiveHouse 'RiNG', and the stage time was only about 20 minutes, just like a normal live performance."

"What about LiveHouse "RiNG"? In this case, the live here can only be postponed. I will discuss with the store manager there to postpone the time a little bit, and also adjust the order of performance. This way, we will be in time." Miura Shiomi pondered for a while and answered simply.

This week, they performed several times at various live venues, with Saturday and Sunday being the most important performance dates, as these are their days off and wealthy office workers have time to come and see live shows. Because of their participation, tickets to these venues' live shows are selling out quickly, and the venue managers are using them as their signature products.

Although I understand that those stores are trying to capitalize on their popularity, it's a win-win situation, and the commissions given by live stores are much higher than before. There are even store managers who find them through their channels and hope that they can perform in their live stores.

"So reliable." Asagi chuckled.

"Oh, oh, we made a lot of money this week. Ms. Miura is planning a live concert in a venue for a thousand people. Soon we will be able to hold a solo concert in a bigger place." Nina excitedly told Asagi about the band's current progress in the chat group.

“There will be a lot of people coming to see us, it’s really amazing.”

"Regarding this, I have some questions I'd like to discuss with you, Asagi, in private."

When Asagi was surprised by Nina's words, he actually received a private meeting with Miura Shiomi.

"Regarding the live performance in the 1,000-person arena, are you still planning to bring the CRYCHIC band along?"

"Is there a problem?" Asagi asked.

Miura Shiomi's expression was serious when she asked this question. If CRYCHIC were to appear in such an event, it would cast a negative light on the band, as if they were forcing a cheap sale on their fans, like a bundled product.

"The problems are huge and numerous. If it's a PK10 match, fans will be very interested. They like to see their band beat other bands and attract neutral audiences. However, fans don't like their band to be a wedding dress for other bands, nor do they want their favorite band to share too much traffic with other bands. Appropriate help is fine, but excessive and unrealistic requests will make them feel disgusted and dissatisfied."

"CRYCHIC has great potential, but their qualifications are far from enough. Standing on this kind of stage might hurt them rather than help them. Forcibly elevating their current status might cause a negative reaction. This is what I'm worried about."

"Also, we don't have a good reason to convince the fans. If they could sign with our agency, the fans might understand."

Miura Shiomi's words were clear. CRYCHIC isn't currently big enough to stand on such a grand stage. If their performance doesn't wow the crowd and win the hearts of the audience, they'll be seen as trading off their skills, not relying on their own strengths, and thus receive negative reviews.

"I understand." Asagi replied.

"Feel sorry."

"I understand what Ms. Miura is worried about. Ms. Miura has done nothing wrong."

After his private chat with Miura Shiomi, Asagi sent the new song he had prepared to the group chat. "Shining in the Storm," the song from Gundam Story.

"Hey hey hey hey, there's a new song? That's fast." Rencai was very happy to see the new song.

"That's way too fast! One song a month is unimaginable," said Miura Shiomi, who was equally surprised. As a professional manager, she doesn't believe that the faster a song is released, the better. The best approach is to release new songs within a reasonable timeframe.

"I don't think releasing new songs should be so arbitrary and haphazard," Miura Shiomi said, pouring cold water on Asagi. "The fans' anticipation, the pressure of post-production, the market cycle of each song, and the fans' spending power are all important considerations."

"Ah! Ms. Miura's words are too official." Nina was a little disappointed.

"Don't worry about that, Ms. Miura. This song is something I wanted to use to encourage Xiao Deng, so there's no need to be so serious. I will provide the band's new songs as requested by Ms. Miura."

"Hmm?" Miura Shiomi was about to open her mouth to retort. She didn't approve of such wasteful behavior. Composers have a limited time limit for composing. If they push themselves too hard, their inspiration will soon be exhausted.

"It's okay, Ms. Miura, we trust Asagi."

"Do not worry."

"That's it."

"No need to worry, he can come up with the music anyway."

MMK, Rupa, 486, and Ebizuka Satoshi all spoke up in support of Asagi. Seeing that everyone seemed completely indifferent, Miura Shiomi thought for a moment and gave up.

"Please everyone, this Saturday, please have Renai sing to encourage Xiao Deng."

Chapter 288 Catch Crychik

After school on Saturday, Asagi, Takamatsu Tomori, and Chihaya Aine went to the LiveHouse "RiNG" together. The LiveHouse "RiNG" is also a well-known live venue nearby, and many famous idol bands have performed here.

Live performances at the LiveHouse "RiNG" require advance reservations, which are arranged by the staff. You'll also encounter some lesser-known bands who choose this venue for practice.

When Asagi and the others arrived, Suyo and Riki were already waiting for them in the hall.

"Deng, are you well now?" Li Xi was eager to ask about Gao Songdeng's health as soon as they met.

"Yeah." Gao Songdeng nodded.