After being elected as the governor of Tokyo, he will debut as a band!

"Aine? That kid Toyokawa brought here to learn guitar from Pochi?"

"Yes, it's her. Besides her, the members of the band that Xiangzi's sister organized were also present."

"Is Miss Takamatsu Akari here too?"

When Takamatsu heard Aoyama ask her, she moved closer to Aine's phone, wanting to answer.

Ai Yin quickly turned on her microphone and signaled to the others present to mute.

"Haksan."

"Oh, Ms. Takamatsu, you're here after all."

Hiroi Kikuri also turned on her phone on speakerphone, and Aoyama Muto's voice came through clearly even though he wasn't right next to her phone.

Aoyama saw the score of "Spring Shadow" in Takamatsu's composition book last night and was deeply impressed by its solid melody and emotionally rich lyrics.

He was of course unaware that the music for "Spring Shadow" was composed by Toyokawa Shoko, and assumed that the entire song was composed by Takamatsu Akira alone.

Besides her creative abilities, Aoyama also admires Takamatsu Akari's distinctive voice. It's truly rare for a high school girl to possess such a textured and emotionally resonant voice.

This kind of voice has a significant advantage in street performances, and is far more likely to attract passersby to stop and listen than those with sweet, delicate, and refreshing voices.

Aoyama believes that if Takamatsu Akari and her band could stand on the stage of the "Goshicho Cup", they might create an unexpected chemical reaction.

"By the way, Hiroi, I remember you were selected as a preliminary judge by the organizing committee of the 'Gochucho Cup' music awards, right?"

Qingshan asked.

The preliminary round of the "Gigocho Cup" was held on a street stage. The number of audience members, audience retention rate, and audience approval rating were used as the basis for scoring the participating bands. However, considering that the number of audience members and their willingness to stay may vary at different times, the organizing committee also arranged preliminary round judges to ensure fairness. The preliminary round judges were hidden in the crowd to score the bands' performances, assess the situation of the audience, and assign corresponding weights to the three indicators mentioned above for different situations.

比如说晚上7-8点行人多，8点到8点30行人少，8点30到9点30行人又变多，那么在8点到8点30之间表演的乐队，在“观众人数“这一项上，就会获得更高的权重。

Kikuri Hiroi was in charge of this.

"Yes, what's wrong?"

"The preliminary judges have the right to recommend two bands to skip the audition stage. Is that right?" Aoyama had also seen the "Competition Preparation Report" submitted by the Neon Clean Band and vaguely remembered a few key points. "Should we reserve your recommendation spot for Ms. Takamatsu's band?"

“Well…” Hiroi Kikuri’s voice betrayed a hint of hesitation. “Um, Yoshishin-nii, actually, I’ve already thought about where these two spots should go. I’m planning to give one spot to Bochi’s band. After all, it’s a bit too much to ask them to perform 10 shows on the street, plus there are requirements for average revenue per show and the number of complaints.”

According to the regulations, bands without a recommendation must perform at designated venues of the "Street Performance Association" at least 10 times, with an average revenue of more than 3000 yen per performance and fewer than 10 complaints.

"A band?"

Aoyama nodded after hearing this answer.

Boqi was also a promising high school student whom he admired, and he had no objection to giving the spot to her team.

Isogachi Music Awards: Where did the 033 recommended nomination slots go?

On the other end of the phone, Toyokawa Shoko heard the conversation between Aoyama Muka and Hiroi Kikuri and felt a bit complicated.

She hadn't expected Aoyama to have such a good eye for lights...

After all, in her mind, Aoyama and Akari had only met once the night before, and during that time, they hadn't even exchanged more than a few words.

If we were to insist on saying there was any real communication between the two, it would be that, in order to resist the cacophony of Hiroi Kikuri's cover of "Kasuga Kage," Akari sang a few lines of "Kasuga Kage" a cappella as she left the Kugayama Villa. Aoyama then glimpsed her talent from those few words and asked, "Did you write this song?"

In just a few words of exchange, without even a complete back-and-forth dialogue, Governor Aoyama discovered the light's talent.

Toyokawa Shoko sighed inwardly.

Even through the phone, she could almost see the sharp gaze of that young high-ranking official piercing through the clouds, precisely locking onto the most dazzling star in the band.

She wasn't jealous of Akari; Akari's talent was something she discovered first, and now that Akari had gained Aoyama's appreciation, it proved that her judgment was correct.

She just wondered if this new band really succeeded, would Aoyama Toshihiro believe that the person who played the main role was the "light" (a nickname for the band), and would her own contributions in the band become a shadow behind the curtain? Would she be able to achieve her goal of proving her abilities to him?

Shoko glanced at the light that was holding the phone in place of Chihaya Aine. The light was listening intently to the conversation between Aoyama Muto and Hiroi Kikuri, but the look of confusion in her eyes meant that she had not fully understood the core of their discussion.

Her animal-like demeanor instantly dispelled Toyokawa Shoko's inner turmoil.

Unlike Suze, Riki, and Chihaya, Akari is a selfless person, a singer who should be in the spotlight. Her appreciation from Tomoaki Aoyama will only make the band better and better.

As for his own contribution to the band's development... he should trust Governor Aoyama's judgment. As a young high-ranking official who rose to the position of Governor of Tokyo at the age of thirty, he would not turn a blind eye to the merits of those who actually get things done.

Chihaya Aine's phone continued to play the conversation between Aoyama Muka and Hiroi Kikuri.

"One spot went to the Ribbon Band, so what about the other spot?"

Aoyama had no objection to Hiroi Kikuri recommending the "Katsuobu" band to participate in the preliminary rounds of the "Gojōchō Cup," but she didn't have any...

Since there are two nomination slots, why not just give the other one to the band that Gao Songdeng belongs to?

“Regarding the other recommendation spot, I originally intended to give it to SIDEROS,” Hiroi Kikuri’s voice came through, tinged with static.

Anyone else would have already turned off their microphone by now, since the issue she was about to discuss involved another band. But the problem was that Hiroi Kikuri's battle-damaged phone had lost that function months ago. "SIDEROS is the band that Otsuki Yuuko belongs to. You've seen their live performance at Shinjuku Folt, Yoshishin-kun. They have a wealth of experience and excellent skills, whether performing in live houses or on the streets... The reason I didn't give them the spot is entirely because Otsuki is very competitive. She insisted on leading the band to complete the ten street performances required by the competition organizing committee to qualify for the preliminary round. So now I'm planning to give the recommendation spot to Korana."

Although SIDEROS is also a band whose members are all high school students, they have been around for a longer time, performed more often, and even released their own album. As a semi-professional band that has released an album, they are generally a level above other girl bands.

For them, entering the preliminary rounds through the regular channels was easy, and they certainly didn't need any special treatment from Kikumi Hiroi.

In addition, the leader of SIDEROS, the decisive lead vocalist, Yuyuko Otsuki, has a strong sense of control over the band. Although the band members sometimes argue with her because of differing opinions, they are all straightforward rockers. During arguments, they can quickly understand each other's needs, and after the argument, Yuyuko Otsuki can immediately take action to solve the problem. The band members trust her even more. So even if Otsuki refuses to take shortcuts in this competition, those in the band who hold opposing opinions will not harbor resentment towards her. At most, they might argue with her heatedly at a dinner party, but afterwards, they will still follow this reliable leader and continue to move forward.

Let's return to the question of who got the nomination for Hiroi Kikuri.

"You want to recommend Lena?"

Aoyama was not particularly surprised by this answer.

Kaname and she gave a stunning performance at the "Revitalization and Promotion of Popular Art" expert seminar. The guitar skills she displayed in that performance were already at the level of a professional musician, so she has no problem with guitar skills. In addition, Kaname has been following Hiroi around these days, taking advantage of the opportunity to perform as a guest at Sick Hack's main live performance, so she has also accumulated a lot of stage experience. She is definitely a strong competitor in the "Isocho Cup".

The problem is that since Lena doesn't have a band, she has to compete alone, and performing alone in street performances is a disadvantage; she might even be eliminated in the preliminary rounds.

"Yes, but I also considered that it would be a disadvantage for her to perform on stage alone as a guitarist, so I was thinking of finding a band for Xiao Le Nai and then giving the recommendation spot to that band."

Kikuri Hiroi revealed her plans.

"How about we let Miss Kaoru join Miss Takamatsu's band? And then give them your last recommendation spot."

Aoyama's suggestion was like a heavy cymbal, making Shoko feel a tightness in his throat.

The "Gigocho Cup" music awards have received support from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Bureau of Life and Culture and NBC Entertainment, making them a huge event. The bands participating in the competition will inevitably receive a lot of attention. If the band led by Takamatsu Akari can participate and win the preliminary round, even if they fail to advance to the knockout stage, a large number of talent agencies will extend offers to them, and the band will have almost no difficulty in debuting.

If they can advance further through the knockout rounds and reach the semi-finals, they will be able to perform directly in a large venue in the Tokyo area, and Xiangzi's ultimate goal for the band will be easily achieved.

"You make it sound so simple. Xiao Renai is Grandma Tsuzuki's granddaughter. Her vision is far beyond that of the average guitarist. Although Xiao Deng and her band are good, Renai may not be interested in them."

Hiroi Kikuri wasn't very optimistic about Aoyama's suggestion. After all, in her opinion, Shoko and Akari's band was still in its early stages and hadn't even held a single live performance. It didn't seem like the kind of band that could attract Rakuna to join.

"And I remember that Ai Yin is the guitarist in their band, right? Their songs should be arranged for a single guitarist, so they shouldn't need a second guitarist, right?"

"Aren't you on the phone with them right now? Why don't you just ask them directly?"

……

Thank you so much to the generous donor @{"reader_id":"146322","reader_name":"你好～"} for the 5000 cat coins and tons of monthly tickets!

Isokachi Music Awards: 034 Would Rakuna approve of this band?

"...Oh no, I got so engrossed in talking to Yizhen-ge that I completely forgot about this... Xiaoxiang and Aiyin heard what I just said, they'll definitely roll their eyes at me next time they see me..."

Hiroi Kikuri complained to Aoyama Muto, then turned her attention back to the phone call.

"Xiao Aiyin? Xiao Xiang? Are you still on the phone?"

Gao Songdeng, who was closest to the phone, didn't speak, but turned to look at Xiangzi, as if he were a human.

Xiangzi quickly grabbed the phone and replied, "Ms. Hiroi, I'm here..."

"Hey, Xiao Xiang, don't take what I just said to heart. Your dear Hiroi-sister absolutely did not mean to look down on your band."

“You’re overthinking it. Your assessment is quite objective… The band “Deng”,” Xiangzi emphasized, “is indeed still a bit lacking (in terms of playing the stockings).

"That's good, that's good... So what do you think about having Lena as a child?"

Yoro Nai has been appearing at the Starry Night Performance Hall occasionally lately. Xiangzi and Aine have seen her many times, but Xiangzi always feels that they don't click with each other.

Ai-yin gets along quite well with her—every time Ai-yin finishes practicing guitar, she eats matcha ice cream at the bar to recover her energy. At these times, as long as Rakuna is there, no matter how much matcha ice cream she ate before, she will have a cup with her.

It's like a heavy smoker seeing someone else smoking in the bathroom; no matter how many cigarette butts he's just thrown away before opening the bathroom door, he just has to smoke one too.

Toyokawa Shoko knew that whether the Light Band could get Hiroi Kikuri's recommendation and skip the audition process to directly enter the preliminary round depended on what she said next.

“Ms. Hiroi, actually we… have always wanted to form a band with two guitars, but we haven’t found a suitable guitarist yet. If any of you are willing to join the band, we would be very happy to do so.”

After hearing Xiangzi's speech, Chihaya Aine was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant and her pupils dilated in shock.

Good grief, they're coming for me!

What's going on tonight? Su Shi already found Xiao Mu as a backup guitarist, isn't that enough? Are you planning to find another one?

When I get on stage, I'll be neither the lead singer nor the lead guitarist, and even my position as rhythm guitarist is in jeopardy! What will I be doing on stage then? Cosplaying as the second bassist? Won't the audience think I'm just standing on stage listening to a live performance?

During rehearsal, Shiina Ritsuki secretly told Mutsu that she was the guitarist for Crychic, but at the same time, Ritsuki also told her not to worry, as Shoko and Mutsu had already told her that Mutsu would not be joining the new band.

But Aine didn't entirely believe what Lixi said.

Xiangzi isn't the emperor of the girls' band (Kasumi Toyama from the next rehearsal room sneezed), so what she says isn't gospel.

If Xiangzi says he won't let Xiaomu join the new band, does that mean Xiaomu definitely won't join? What if Sushi manages to persuade Xiaomu to change her mind?

In any case, Ai Yin felt that Su Shi's persuasiveness was no less than Xiang Zi's, and his reasoning was much more sound.

Despite Xiangzi's loud and boisterous demeanor and seemingly resolute "I'll hold up the sky if it falls" attitude, he immediately panics when faced with situations that are out of control.

Lixi and Sushi were not students at Hanekawa Academy, so they did not see Xiangzi crying and running in the corridor on the morning that Akari disappeared. Aine went out to help at the time and saw Xiangzi take a solid fall in the corridor, which was even more outrageous than when she first met Akari and tripped over such a big garbage bag.

Chihaya Aine wanted to stop Toyokawa Shoko from inviting Rakuna, but she also knew that inviting Rakuna was tied to qualifying for the preliminary round of the "Gigocho Cup," and with such a significant benefit, Toyokawa Shoko was now impossible to persuade.

We can only wait until Xiangzi finishes this phone call before we can discuss it further.

"That's all for now, Ms. Mitsuki. It's better if we discuss the details in person. Chihaya will send you the location of the dinner in a bit. If possible, could you please bring Rakuna along? And Mr. Hack, would you also be willing to come? I would like to thank him in person for securing this opportunity for us."

Toyokawa Shoko's attitude towards Hiroi Kikuri at this moment was completely different from when the phone call had just started. This was to be expected, as how many people could remain calm when faced with an opportunity that could make them famous?

Originally, Xiangzi's plan to help the Deng's band hold a large-scale commercial performance would require some leverage of the Toyokawa family's connections, but that would inevitably mean bowing down to her grandfather (because Toyokawa Kiyoko married into the family, so the maternal grandfather is called grandfather). In comparison, she found it easier to be respectful to Hiroi Kikuri.

……

After discussing it, Ai-yin, Su-shi, and Li-xi decided to have dinner at a family restaurant that was close to Li-xi's house.

Lixi's older sister used to work at this restaurant and said it was cheap, safe, and delicious. Lixi also considered that everyone was a student and not very financially independent, plus there was someone else coming over for a free meal later, so she recommended this restaurant with low prices per dish.

The others naturally had no objections. Although Su Shi and Xiao Mu were not short of money, they knew that when everyone came out for a meal, it was unreasonable for one person to pay for everything.

Xiangzi breathed a sigh of relief. She had planned to pay for Hiroi Kikuri, Aoyama Muko, and Kaname Rakuna's meals by herself. Although she wasn't exactly strapped for cash, she would still feel the pinch if they chose an expensive restaurant.

After all, we've endured more than a year of hardship.

More than ten minutes after the girls were seated, the restaurant waiters began to serve the dishes one after another, and Aoyama and his two companions finally arrived late.

The two first took a taxi to Grandma Tsuzuki's house to pick up Rakuna. Hiroi Kikuri couldn't drive because she had been drinking, and Aoyama Mukai couldn't drive either because he had to wear a mask. If he was caught on camera driving without a mask, "the Governor of Tokyo driving a drunk woman out at night" would also be a troublesome matter.

When Tsuzuki Shisen heard that the two were looking for a band for their granddaughter, and that Aoyama had a high opinion of the band's lead singer, he became interested and personally drove the three of them to their destination.

Of course, Grandma Tsuzuki didn't go into the restaurant; she just stayed in the car, secretly observing the group.

After entering the restaurant, the group greeted each other and took their seats. Aoyama, being a grown man, felt awkward sitting with a group of young girls, so he opened a table next door, ordered a few plates of home-style dishes and orange juice, and ate there. When he saw Chihaya Aine taking pictures of the untouched dishes that had just been served and sending them to LINE, he also took a few pictures of the dishes. He carefully used a photo editing app to remove all the logos related to the restaurant and then sent them to Suzumiya Hyakubi and his father, with the caption, "The simple taste reminds me of ten years ago."

……

The title seems to be officially appointed, but there were actually some twists and turns.

Igomachi Music Awards: 035 Rakuna, who prefers interesting women to good music.

When Rakuna arrived, she ordered a bowl of soba noodles without waiting for the waiter to hand her the menu. She didn't talk to the other people in the booth, and after the soba noodles were served, she ate them with a look of enjoyment. Only then did she take the sheet music book handed to her by Toyokawa Shoko and start looking at the score.

"Yoshimi, this is the piece we'll be playing at our live performance this weekend. It was composed by Ruyu Yashio from Mofornica. I wonder if you'd be interested in playing the guitar part?"

Although Xiangzi and Le Nai didn't click, they did have some conversations at the Starry Night Performance Hall, and Xiangzi knew a little about her style of doing things and personal preferences.

Kaoru Nai is the kind of girl who is hard to understand. She speaks and acts without restraint, like a wildcat, and doesn't pay any attention to things she's not interested in. Even when others talk to her, she will ignore them or end the conversation with a perfunctory "um" or "oh".

Aside from matcha-flavored desserts (and now buckwheat noodles), the only things that interest her are probably guitars and beautiful melodies.

Based on the above understanding, Xiangzi believed that money, fame, traffic, or grand promises such as debuting in three months and holding commercial performances in large venues within six months would not be enough to sway Yao Le Nai. The only feasible way was to prove to her that he could provide her with high-quality songs.

The song "Reaching for the Sky," which Xiangzi commissioned Monica to write, is definitely considered a high-quality piece even under her strict judging standards.

Good works attract good musicians. In Toyokawa Shoko's view, as long as Rakuna doesn't have a problem with her, it's only natural that she would choose to join their band because of this high-quality piece.