Girls' Wishing Tree

Options A and C are barely normal, but what the hell is option B?

Gao Mu complained in his heart.

The system's prompt sounded at the right time: "In order to dispel the host's frustration at drawing a high-level blasting skill, the system provides this option for the host to choose."

You knew I would be upset if I drew the advanced blasting skill?

Gao Mu continued to complain in his mind, but the system entered a "playing dead" state and no longer responded.

Chapter 27: Dryad, Live and Music Girl: 27, Behind the Lip-synching

The next day, Gao Mu finally saw the five members of PasPale together for the first time.

"Wow, this shrine feels really awesome!" The girl with short green hair shouted lively as she entered the shrine. Hearing her voice, Gao Mu also raised his head.

Because Maruyama Aya had contacted him in advance, Gao Mu did not play the instrument but looked at his mobile phone.

The environment of this world is basically the same as that of the previous life, with only two things different.

The first thing I noticed was that the entertainment in this world was very different from the world before I crossed over, especially after World War II, when a significant divergence emerged. Many celebrities who had been active in the previous world were nowhere to be found in this one, and many works from my previous life were not created in this world. Of course, many entertainment works in this world also did not appear in my previous life.

The second point is the possibility of "monsters" in this world. Online discussions of this matter are vague, but discussion of such incidents is much higher than in previous lives. Another near-confirmation is that economically developed countries have established agencies to manage "special events."

In Japan, it's called the "Special Situation Countermeasures Headquarters," publicly claiming to be responsible for responding to disasters like typhoons and earthquakes. However, when natural disasters do occur, they rarely show up. In the United States, it's called the "Area 52 Research Center," publicly claiming to be researching cutting-edge technology. However, when their research list is revealed, they're all full of irrelevant topics like "how to soften hard, smelly socks." Similar situations exist in other countries.

Anyway, no one has come to him yet, so Gao Mu didn't take it too seriously.

She shifted her focus from searching for information and stood up to greet the PasPale members entering the shrine. Like PoppinParty, each of them had a dialog box above their heads, indicating that they were all girls recognized by the system.

"Sakura, let me introduce you. Here are all the members of PasPale. This is the guitarist, Hikawa Hina. She's a great guitar player and she was selected by the agency to join PasPale."

"The shrine maiden is also great!" Hikawa Hina, who was introduced, looked at Gao Mu, and the love in her eyes could not be hidden at all.

"Hina, don't be like this. It will bother Sakura." Cai continued to introduce Gao Mu: "This is our drummer, Yamato Maya. He was originally a temporary drummer introduced to us by the agency, but now he has decided to officially join."

Hinata added, "You can't fake playing the drums, so Maya was the only one among us who didn't play a recording during the last performance."

Gao Mu was a little confused by what she said - she had seen Qiansheng and Eve's performances during the Sakura Festival. She couldn't say they were good, but they didn't lag behind Maruyama Aya either. If Hina and Maya could play instruments, why did these five people put on such an "abstract" performance?

"Um... I have a rather presumptuous question. The five of you don't have any obvious problems with singing or playing instruments, so why did you choose to... lip-sync for your first live performance?"

After Gao Mu threw out this sentence, the girls' faces all looked a little unhappy. She quickly explained: "Because Xiao Cai and Eve asked me to help everyone improve the band's performance, so... I have to find out the whole story."

"Of course we should tell Sakura, but I hope Sakura can keep it a secret for us." Maruyama Aya thought for a while before speaking.

Gao Mu had no intention of spreading PasPale's affairs everywhere: "No problem, I know you all signed a confidentiality agreement."

"It was the agency's request. Before the first Live, PasPale was not prepared at all, including the formation of personnel and band rehearsals. They were not prepared at all." Cai lowered his head and clenched his fists, obviously unwilling to recall what happened that day.

Eve added: "At the time, there were only four of us in the band. We hadn't found a drummer yet, so Maya was a temporary replacement. Qiansheng and I didn't know how to play any instruments at all. We had only been learning for two weeks. I was chosen because of my model background, and Qiansheng was a child star."

Hinai continued, "Even the recorded version of the song was recorded in a hurry. The agency unilaterally decided to move up our debut date and even arranged a large concert for over 10,000 people. Under those circumstances, a normal performance wouldn't have been able to meet the required quality, so the agency asked us to lip-sync and fake the guitar to complete the performance."

Qian Sheng concluded by saying, "During the performance, there was a problem with the equipment, and the audience caught our lip-syncing and fake guitar playing. Now that I think about it, even if there wasn't a problem with the equipment, if someone had watched our performance video, they might still have discovered that we weren't using live audio."

"Is that so?" Gao Mu nodded. The agency was eager for quick success and instant benefits. This kind of thing had happened in the entertainment industry in both his past life and this world. If they were eager to blow up a big bubble to create a false prosperity, then the bubble would eventually burst.

Although idol bands have the prefix "idol", the "band" part cannot be too confusing. If the "band" part is lame, why don't the audience go to watch a group of little idols jumping and singing on the stage?

From her point of view, there is no way to blame the agency - if Maruyama Aya had not been caught lip-syncing and her defense was broken, who knows when her system would awaken.

If she can't awaken the system, she will just be a cherry tree planted in a shrine.

"What are the firm's requirements for you now?" Gao Mu continued to ask.

"The agency... arranged two band lessons for us every week so that we can practice our band parts. And... they asked us not to speak out on social media. We don't have any other activities planned for now."

This has been temporarily shelved.

When your reputation is particularly bad, there is nothing wrong with hiding for a while and then appearing on stage again. However, it is indeed very difficult to get on stage again.

Gao Mu didn't have a deep understanding of playing musical instruments, but she had already thought of a way to help PasPale - these people were all talented girls, and as long as they were helped to regain their confidence, they would be able to shine brightly.

If you complete two tasks at once, you might be able to directly obtain enough shining points to become a great tree demon.

"It's okay, you can definitely do it. You can all arrange a training time and I'll help you check in."

Maruyama Aya immediately said, "Okay! Let's go to the shrine to train after school! We must cheer PasPale up again! After the last Sakura Festival, I will do it!"

Bai Lu Qiansheng turned his face to the side and said, "Besides going to school, I also have to take on my work as an actor."

"Then I'll take on the responsibility of being the temporary bassist." Gao Mu wanted to get this group of people together now. As long as they practiced together, things would definitely develop in a good direction.

Bai Lu Qiansheng glanced at Gao Mu in surprise and said, "Xiaoying, don't force yourself. I will still try to get performance opportunities from the company."

"You have to practice more on your own too." Gao Mu's tone left no room for doubt: "I'll help you take the bassist's position, but you still have to perform on your own. Follow the metronome and practice the songs you are going to perform."

Bai Lu Qiansheng glanced at Gao Mu, then at Cai, and suddenly smiled: "You two really look alike."

"Like...what?" Cai blinked twice, her pupils filled with confusion.

"We are all people who will work hard to pursue our dreams." Qian Sheng extended a pinky finger to Gao Mu: "Pink, I will go back and practice bass well, and you will help me train with everyone else."

"Those who can't do it should swallow a thousand needles." Gao Mu also stretched out his little finger and hooked it with Qian Sheng's finger.

Chapter 28: Dryad, Live and Music Girl: 28, Another Pink Hair

The shrine gradually became lively.

PasPale comes every two or three days. As long as Qiansheng doesn't come, Gao Mu will take out the bass and practice with them, and will constantly encourage each of them in the process.

During the band's rehearsal, Gao Mu discovered that Ricai was a true genius, with impeccable guitar playing and comprehension; Eve's keyboard skills were also incredibly strong for a beginner; and Maya was originally the assistant drummer in the recording studio, so there would be no problem for her.

On the contrary, Maruyama Aya is the one who needs the most practice.

Gao Mu couldn't give much advice on vocal music, but she kept pointing out Maruyama Aya's problems with pitch and rhythm. Whenever she made Aya feel depressed, she would encourage her in the name of "Goddess."

In addition to the girls from PasPale, Lenai also came quite often. She would not contact Gao Mu before coming, and sometimes she obviously skipped classes and would leave on her own after playing the guitar to her heart's content.

The five members of Popipa also knew that the shrine had set up a Space-style training room, and they would occasionally come to play with Gao Mu. Once, they even ran into PasPale who was rehearsing.

They have already performed once at Space and are currently performing at LiveHouseCircle. The song "Sakura Sakura Wants to See You" provided by Gao Mu became a minor hit.

As for "Flowers Bloom in Parting", Popipa did not sing it - Gao Mu provided the original Chinese lyrics, and although they were also marked with romanization, Popipa's group did not perform the song out of respect for the emotional expression.

While in a coma, Miyazono Xun communicated with Gao Mu many times in consciousness, telling her that she could now wake up for about two hours a day. Sometimes she woke up once a day, and sometimes she woke up two or three times. The total waking time was two hours, which was a little more than enough. However, if she wanted to resume her normal life, she would definitely have to wait until her condition improved.

Gao Mu wanted to continue helping her, but the system only gave her one task.

If she could improve her violin playing skills to the intermediate level, Miyazono Kaoru would be able to wake up for another half an hour every day.

In order to help Miyazono Kaoru continue to recover, Gao Mu spends at least ten hours practicing the violin every day, but she has no idea when the system will recognize her playing skills.

PasPale didn’t come today, Lenai didn’t come, Popipa didn’t come, and Deng didn’t come either.

Even Oyama Mahiro and Oyama Minari didn't show up.

Gao Mu leaned against the trunk of the cherry tree, playing the violin leisurely.

She sees people coming to the shrine.

First she saw the headstock of a guitar bag, then pink hair, and finally a little face that looked a little expectant and a school uniform she had never seen before.

More importantly, she saw a dialog box appear next to the girl's head when she stepped over the torii gate.

Gao Mu stopped playing, but before she could say anything, the girl with the guitar on her back circled around her twice: "Oh! You are the shrine maiden who plays the guitar so well! Can you teach me how to play the guitar? I can pay the tuition! I want to form a student union band and perform as the lead guitarist at the festival. It will definitely be very popular! Hehe..."

"Well... this is a shrine, not a music training institution. I heard that LiveHouseCircle provides training for beginners, and the price is quite reasonable." Gao Mu thought the girl was a follower who came here because of the smell of online videos.

Especially since the girl opened her gig bag and pulled out a surf green ESP guitar before she even agreed. She didn't even remove the tag on the headstock or the protective plate on the fingerboard. It was obvious that she had just carried it out of a musical instrument store.

Although the girl with the dialog box next to her head may provide you with shining points, if the other party thinks about performing on the stage as soon as he gets a guitar, his imagination is really too strong.

"Oh, just help me!" The girl shook Gao Mu's arm, showing no intention of giving up.

Gao Mu had no choice but to use the dialog box and said directly in the girl's mind: "You little girl, why are you making things difficult for my shrine maiden? What's the difference between going to a training institution and going to a shrine to learn?"

"Oh?" The girl let go of Gao Mu, took a step back, and then glanced at the situation in the shrine.

Although the shrine is small, it is well-arranged and cleaned. Except for the main hall with the shrine, the doors of the side rooms are all closed. The crowns of the cherry trees in the courtyard almost extend to the eaves of all the buildings in the shrine, which is the finishing touch.

The view is very wide and it is impossible for anyone to hide.

The witch in front of him didn't say anything either.

Could it be... God?

The girl panicked and waved her hands. "Well... there's a difference between learning at a shrine and at a training center! If you learn at a training center, you'll be just average. But if you learn from a shrine maiden who's amazing at playing guitar, you'll be the talk of the school!"

Gao Mu didn't expect that this would make the girl's true feelings blurt out, so he started to persuade her directly.

"You should focus on your own playing, not on who will teach you guitar. When you're just getting started, everyone practices finger mechanics while learning music theory. As long as you have a responsible teacher, you can get started smoothly."

To enhance her persuasiveness, she added a dialogue box: "Do you want others to welcome you because of your music, or to pay temporary attention to you because of your gimmick?"

The girl's face turned pale.

She pursed her lips and held the guitar with the pickguard still intact in her hands.

At this moment, options suddenly appeared.

[Under your guidance, the girl embarked on the path of "learning guitar." Please select the specific direction of guidance:]

[A. The girl will travel to England to hone her guitar playing skills and form a band in a foreign land, but she needs the host to teach her a foreign language.]

[B. The girl will form a band in high school, but someone will take away her lead vocals, and she won't even be able to play lead guitar.]

[C. After graduation, the girl will join a large guitar factory, starting out as a painter and pickup maker in the workshop, and eventually becoming a technical director. However, just as her career is flourishing, she will be exposed as having a crush on women.]

System, why do you always want me to teach these people foreign languages?

Do I look so much like an English teacher?

Gao Mu complained twice in his heart and directly rejected option "A".

So should I choose B or C?

After careful consideration, she chose B.

The reason is also very simple.

Although she is a bit vain, this girl is not that bad. If she hadn't chosen C, she probably wouldn't have fallen in love with women, right?

Well, in this case, her life should be easier.

Gao Mu confirmed the option.

The girl in front of him didn't say anything, nor did she leave. She just held her guitar and thought with her head down.

"I'll teach you how to hold the violin and the basic fingerings, but you can't always come to me in the future. I also have work to do as a witch." Gao Mu thought for a while and added, "Take steady steps and don't aim too high. You can come to me every once in a while and I'll help you."

"Great!" The girl put down her guitar, hugged Gao Mu, and put her cheek against Gao Mu's.

So soft, so tender, so... flat.

Before Gao Mu could react, the girl took out a 10,000 yen note from her pocket and stuffed it into the cash box. Then she held her guitar and looked at Gao Mu like a puppy: "My name is Chihaya Aine, please give me your guidance!"

Gao Mu scratched the spot on his face where the girl had touched him and cleared his throat: "My name is Gao Muying, ahem, today I will teach you the most basic grid climbing."

Chapter 29: Tree Demon, Live and Music Girl: 29. Who is the monster?

Gao Mu spent an hour teaching Chihaya Aion the most basic ways to use the guitar, and then told her the basic maintenance methods of the electric guitar.

Well, it's for the sake of 10,000 yen.

It was getting dark, Gao Mu returned to the training room, picked up the guitar and played a few tunes casually.

With only elementary skills, his guitar playing wasn't very good, barely acceptable. It was a far cry from when he used the Stage Manifestation Card before.

She sighed softly - now if someone asked her to play the guitar, it would be a bit troublesome, and she could only make up a story to refuse.

But if she had to choose again, she would still use the Stage Vision card.

The best meaning of this card is that Xun can wake up for an extra hour every day.

Putting down the guitar, Gao Mu heard footsteps outside. She pushed open the door and walked out, only to find a girl in tracksuit tiptoeing into the shrine, wearing a black cloth hood often used by robbers in TV dramas.

Although it was night, her pink sportswear and the dialog box next to her head were still very obvious.

I saw her sneaking under the cherry tree like a thief, and then... started picking at the bark.

"Stop!" Gao Mu already remembered who she was - the "evil as pus" pink-haired guitarist.

The first time he came, he took a piece of her bark, and then advertised online that his bark was very suitable for use as a pick.

"Huh?" The girl in sportswear stopped what she was doing and put her hands behind her back. "Miko, I... am... I'm here to pay my respects, ahahaha..."

She quickly ran to the shrine, clapped her hands twice, and began to bow, her movements so distorted that she looked like a circus monkey.