Want to be human, but cube-like

…………

Volume 1: Chapter 144 This is also a facet of the era of the big girl band.

After what could not be called a minor disturbance, the atmosphere in the burger shop gradually returned to normal.

In preparation for the upcoming public ensemble performance, Alex took Aine and Rana upstairs to their bedroom to change clothes.

Xiangzi was left alone in the hamburger shop, bearing everyone's attention.

The guests' enthusiasm came suddenly and went quickly, but after everything calmed down, they would still whisper about what they had just seen and heard, and often some gossipy glances would be directed at Xiangzi standing behind the counter.

She could only grit her teeth, her cheeks slightly flushed, and remain silent, even maintaining that standard smile on her face, pretending nothing had happened as she greeted the guests.

The wait was agonizing. Only when the three men pushed open the door to the stairwell and came out, drawing away most of the attention, did Xiangzi finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Thanks to the performance outfits that Ai Yin painstakingly designed for them yesterday, the three girls' beautiful attire raised everyone's expectations a bit as soon as they appeared on stage.

Ai Yin helped carry Le Nai's effects pedals and other equipment to the hamburger shop on a small cart, while Le Nai carried her guitar and followed behind Ai Yin.

Meanwhile, Alex, who was the strongest, was carrying Ai-yin's guitar and her own keyboard in one hand, and pushing a set of speakers temporarily fitted with wheels in the other, also heading towards the door.

Alex could lift heavy objects with just two fingers. Her effortless movements made some girls unable to help but look at her slender, beautiful hands, blushing and swallowing hard.

Alex and Aine quickly set up a makeshift small performance area on a small patch of open ground outside the hamburger shop.

In fact, not only the three-story building of the burger shop, but also the small open space in front of the burger shop, are all Alex's property. Including the alley behind the burger shop, these areas can be used at her own discretion.

This is what Aine suddenly had the idea to ask if they could perform directly outside the hamburger joint when they were discussing where to set up a spot for the performance last night. This led Shoko to go through Alex's documents again, and that's when they discovered it.

Alex had never paid attention to these things, while Xiangzi never expected that in Tokyo, where land is incredibly valuable, Alex not only owned a property in the bustling city center, but also had such a large plot of land under her name.

Therefore, Xiangzi had considered whether he should put up a few parasols outside the door and set up some long tables and chairs to alleviate the pressure of customer flow during peak hours.

Placing some decorations or plants to attract attention is also a good idea...

At the very least, let's prevent people from focusing entirely on the strange name of the burger shop as soon as they arrive at the door.

And with its exterior design that resembles a dilapidated building, she was genuinely afraid that someone would report or complain that the burger shop's building looked dangerous, thus attracting the attention of relevant staff.

God knows whether Alex's methods of building those structures can withstand scrutiny.

With a soft sigh, Xiangzi suppressed his thoughts and looked out of the shop through the glass.

At this moment, Lena was already standing in her position, having tuned her old guitar, and was about to give an impromptu solo.

Many of the customers who were still in the store also followed. Some sat near the door, but most went outside and surrounded the three people, waiting for the performance to begin.

Looking at Ai-yin holding a microphone and carrying a guitar, Alex standing next to her in front of an electronic keyboard, and Ronai playing an impromptu piece that attracted passersby, Xiangzi couldn't help but feel a hint of envy in his eyes.

To this day, she is still avoiding everything related to the band.

Having known each other for so long, although everyone knows that she can compose and play the piano, Ai Yin and Alex have invited Xiangzi to perform together.

But she rejected them all.

Xiangzi understood that she was no longer able to calm down and slowly enjoy the pleasure of playing music.

When her hands touch the piano keys, she can't help but recall the past and those faces.

I'm reminded of that song, "Spring Shadows."

Even though she had resolutely left the band and cut off all contact with everyone, she still wondered how they were doing.

Even though he really wants to play music with Alex, he always backs down when he receives an invitation.

Even today, she still feels that if she were to form a band with others at this time, it would be a betrayal to them.

Even though she is no longer a member of CryChic.

"So you play in a band...that makes sense."

Just then, a few whispered conversations reached Xiangzi's ears, startling her. She took a few steps closer without making a sound.

"What does it mean?"

Looking quietly in the direction of the sound, I saw two girls chatting quietly not far away.

"I was just thinking how messy their relationship was, but now that I know they're a girl band, it's not so bad after all..."

"What does this have to do with girl bands?"

"You don't understand, do you? That's how it is in bands..."

That's a complete stereotype!

Xiangzi, who was getting a little impatient, rubbed the hem of his apron under the counter with his small hands, venting the dissatisfaction that was slowly rising in his heart.

"And look, that shop assistant, she was looking over there with a resentful expression just now. She probably lost out in the love triangle in the band and got kicked out. But it's a miracle that they can still get along peacefully afterwards."

"This is also one aspect of the era of the big girl band..."

Upon hearing this, Xiangzi, who almost couldn't catch his breath, took a few deep breaths before closing his eyes and pretending that he hadn't heard.

Meanwhile, Ai Yin, who was waiting outside the store to finish Le Nai's impromptu performance so that she could play a cover song with everyone to liven up the atmosphere, was also unable to control the expression on her face.

"Wow... So the shop manager is in the same band as them? Is that why she confessed to both of them at the same time?"

"Won't the band atmosphere become strange in this case?"

"During each rehearsal, will things sometimes get a little...?"

"Ugh! This is too lewd!"

"What about the blue-haired shop assistant? Why was she excluded? I actually quite liked her pairing with the shop manager..."

"I like this one too!"

"Is it because you can't play an instrument that you can't join the band and are being rejected?"

She had prepared a speech to introduce the burger shop during the hosting segment, but after listening to these random guesses, Ai Yin couldn't help but blush.

These rumors are getting more and more outrageous!

…………

P.S. I haven't watched episode 9 yet. Everyone's comments have made me hesitant to watch it. But I've already cut ties with the original series, so I'll just treat it as entertainment. If you look at it from another angle and don't overanalyze it, it should actually be alright.

Volume 1: Chapter 145 Is it someone's birthday?

If we ignore the gossip, then this small public performance can probably be considered a great success.

Suppressing the embarrassment of being whispered about the romantic relationships within her team, Aine quickly took over the hosting duties after Rana finished her short impromptu performance. Having previously formed a student council band at school and possessing experience in hosting and performing on stage, she was able to manage to keep the situation somewhat under control.

After a few brief opening remarks and a simple introduction to the burger shop and today's special offers, I immediately started singing my first cover song.

If they don't start soon, Aine is starting to worry that someone might suddenly ask what the relationship is between the three of them, and Aine really doesn't know how to answer that.

They used a recently popular cover song to create hype, followed by an original advertising jingle for their burger joint.

The catchy and upbeat melody made many passersby hum along, and some even took out their phones to film it.

The encore segment concluded with a cover song, bringing the day's performance to a successful close.

After successfully attracting more new customers to the burger shop with this concert, Xiangzi was so busy that he had no time to pay attention to the increasingly outrageous rumors. Alex had just put the equipment back when Xiangzi sent her back to work in the kitchen.

Even Ai-yin couldn't escape this predicament. Before she could even change out of her performance costume, Xiangzi, who was also sweating profusely, asked her to help with simple tasks like packing drinks and fries.

Only Lenai was there. She slowly carried her guitar back upstairs and changed her clothes.

Having just finished her performance, she seemed quite pleased with herself and casually found a seat by the counter. Lena held a cup of matcha milk that Aine had poured for her in her spare time, idly leaning on the counter, gently biting the straw, watching the three of them bustling around, looking very content.

……

Time flew by, and evening finally arrived.

"call……!"

Exhausted and unable to straighten her back, Aine wiped the table in front of her clean, casually tossed the wet towel onto the back of the chair, then let out a long sigh, sat down, and slumped onto the table.

"it is finally over!"

She raised her head and cheered, then slumped back down, pressing her face against the still slightly damp tabletop, seemingly unwilling to get up at all.

"Thank you for your hard work. I'm sorry to trouble you again today, Ai-yin."

Xiangzi, who had just turned the sign on the door around, came over after making sure the shop door was closed. He bent down slightly and said softly.

"Ah...it's okay~"

Raising one hand and waving it swayed gently, Ai Yin said with a smile.

"I'll just consider it a chance to experience part-time work in advance and gain work experience."

She casually mentioned it.

"I'll settle your wages with Alex later."

Xiangzi said very seriously.

"Hmm? Is that so? Thanks a lot then~ I've been a bit short on allowance lately~"

Ai Yin didn't refuse. She straightened up, stretched her shoulder muscles slightly, and replied happily.

Since it involved money, Aine, who had high emotional intelligence, understood that there was no need to make unnecessary excuses.

"Hungry~"

Lena, who had been watching them work all afternoon, raised her hand to speak.

"Little Lena, you just sat there all afternoon!"

Seeing this, Ai-yin immediately sat up angrily, one hand on her hip.

"I haven't even said I'm hungry yet! And didn't you have a matcha mochi this afternoon, Xiao Le Nai?"

Hearing Aine say that, Lena pursed her lips and thought for a moment.

"Aiyin, are you hungry?"

She tilted her head and asked.

"Gurgle...I'm hungry..."

Upon hearing this, Ai Yin clutched her lower abdomen and slumped onto the table for a moment.

"Dinner should be ready soon, I'll go check on it."

Seeing that both of them said so, Xiangzi nodded and walked towards the kitchen.

She and Alex didn't think anything of it. Having worked at the burger joint for so long, they were used to it. Every day, after serving the customers, they wouldn't start thinking about their own dinner until nightfall.

Around this time each time, Xiangzi would close the shop door, and Alex would just be able to come out with dinner.

However, it seems a bit late today.

Perhaps it's because we need to prepare enough food for two more people?

Xiangzi made a guess.

"Xiangzi! Can you come and help carry these trays out?"

However, as soon as she turned into the kitchen, she saw Alex take a huge cake out of the refrigerator and place it next to the stove.

"Huh? Why is there a cake?"

A sudden thought struck Xiangzi, who stared in astonishment at the cake, which had a simple design but exquisite details, and asked.

"It's a Valentine's Day cake!"

Alex turned around, placed the dishes that were just ready to be served on a plate, and handed them to Xiangzi.

"I read that people say that in addition to chocolate, there is also cake for Valentine's Day, so when I was making chocolate today, I also made a cake and put it in the refrigerator."

She said with a slight smile.

This is what she saw in the related keywords last night when she was searching for Valentine's Day chocolates.

Compared to Valentine's Day chocolates, Valentine's Day cakes don't have a specific shape or meaning, and there are fewer recipes to choose from.