They are really too low!

"Ahem, everyone, please be quiet. This lady is very shy." Hoshino handed a piece of candy to the little girl who had been clamoring for more. "Please be polite to her. Would you all like to hear her play the guitar?"

"I want to hear it! I want to hear it!"

"Hey, Mikako, what's a guitar?"

"Idiot, a guitar is a guitar!"

"Guitar! Guitar!"

"Stop arguing, everyone be polite, I'm very shy!"

Although the children were still chattering, their voices had quieted down considerably, as some little girls even tried to help keep quiet after receiving candy from Hoshino.

However, Hoshino could tell that this was the first time Wakaba Mutsu had faced such a noisy onslaught from a child. The girl sat nervously and confusedly in her chair, probably unsure of how to react.

“Don’t be nervous, these are all audience members and judges I personally invited,” Hoshino Mi said quietly to Wakaba Mutsumi. “Just act like usual, there’s no need to be too formal.”

Are these children the audience and judges?

It seemed that Wakaba Mutsu understood what he meant, but not completely.

"Who here can sing?" Hoshino asked with a grin, looking at the group of children. "My sister said that she needs children who can sing to play the guitar."

"I can! I can!" Two or three children eagerly raised their little hands, their eyes shining brightly.

Hoshino casually pointed to a child, and the child immediately stood up.

Children generally have a strong desire to perform and show no signs of embarrassment; they may even pretend to use exaggerated, high-pitched voices.

"Lost, lost kitten, where is your home? When asked where its home is, it says it doesn't know."

This is one of Japan's classic children's songs, which kindergarten children all know. When someone starts singing, the children next to them sing along, eventually turning into a random chorus.

Wakaba Mutsu glanced at Hoshino Mi and found that he was still grinning.

The girl finally understood, and she took out her guitar, which immediately aroused the children's curiosity.

"Sister, your guitar is so big! Is it very heavy?"

"So this is a guitar!"

"My sister's is pink! So cute!"

"Sister, could you play it for me?"

Just as it was the first time that Wakaba Mutsu had encountered so many children, these children were also seeing a guitar for the first time, their eyes full of curiosity. The little girl from earlier even took the initiative to come over and sit next to Wakaba Mutsu.

"Play it for us! Everyone wants to hear you play the guitar, big sister!" Hoshino chimed in from the side.

Looking at the children's eager eyes and then at the shameless Hoshino, Wakaba Mutsu began to pluck the strings, and the clear music once again caused a sensation among the children.

Wow, sister is amazing!

"Does your sister play everything? Can she play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'?"

"I don't want 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,' I want to play something else!"

"Does your older sister know how to play 'I'm Sorry for Being So Cute'?"

Yes, just one note from Ruoye Muku was enough to impress the children.

Watching these noisy children was a very strange and novel experience for the girl.

Upon hearing someone mention "I'm Sorry for Being So Cute," Mutsumi Wakaba instinctively played a melody.

Sure enough, the children became even more excited.

As the first child began to sing along to the melody, it quickly turned into a large chorus.

Yes, this song is so popular that kids everywhere can sing it.

After she finished playing, they wanted Wakaba Mutsu to play some other songs. Wakaba Mutsu was initially unmoved, but seeing the children become excited and happy because of her melodies, she seemed to be touched in the atmosphere. She swayed her body gently, as if in rhythm with the music, and unconsciously revealed a smile.

Soon, she saw the children stop, and even Hoshino was looking at her, whispering among herself and a few other children.

"Look everyone, didn't she just smile?"

"I saw it! I saw it!"

"This shows that everyone's efforts have paid off. We successfully made the shy older sister smile. Let's give her a round of applause!"

"Slap slap slap—"

When Momoko saw Hoshino Mi leading a group of children in clapping, she finally couldn't hold back anymore. Her face slowly flushed red, and she bit her lip lightly as she glared at Hoshino Mi.

"It's okay, you have a beautiful smile." Hoshino smiled. "This just means you're happy being with us."

He was indeed quite pleased to hear that, and Ruoye Mu couldn't refute him.

What do you all think of the older sister's playing?

“It sounds great!”

"Were you happy just now?"

“Super happy!”

"Is your older sister cute?"

"Super cute!"

Hearing this, Wakaba Mutsu couldn't help but gently nudge Hoshino Mi with her leg, signaling him to stop talking.

"Don't be nervous, relax. We're just praising you." Hoshino Mikoto smiled. "Because you really played well, otherwise everyone wouldn't be so happy."

Ruoye Mutsu was stunned for a moment. She suddenly remembered that Hoshino Mi had brought her here because she said in the practice room that her skill level was limited and she couldn't play the emotion she wanted.

“I don’t know what kind of feeling you’re looking for. Maybe it’s the feeling Beethoven had when he composed his Symphony No. 5?” Hoshino said. “But even if you’re playing a children’s song, people will still be happy. So don’t be too shy. As long as you play it, someone will definitely like you.”

Even if she plays a children's song, will anyone be happy because of her melody?

Looking at the group of young listeners, Ruoye Mutsu seemed to see her younger self, who also seemed to have the same way, watching others play the guitar with shining eyes.

Chapter 42 You can call me by name

While Momo was still thinking about what he had said, Hoshino was looking at her with a serious expression.

"Alright, now it's your turn to praise everyone."

Ruo Yemu's brain suddenly went blank. She was actually asked to praise someone. How should she praise someone? What should she say?

"Don't be shy. If a child compliments you, you should compliment them back. That's how you become a polite older sister."

As soon as Hoshino finished speaking, the children around her started chattering excitedly, looking at Wakaba Mutsu with great anticipation. They noticed that Wakaba Mutsu seemed unable to speak, and some children were cheering her on.

"Sister, don't be afraid!"

Ruoye Mu pursed her lips. It seemed that she had been completely regarded by the children as a shy and introverted older sister, an older sister who needed to be taken care of.

"Everyone... sang very well just now... I'm very happy," Wakaba Mutsu said softly.

As soon as he finished speaking, Hoshino and the children clapped their hands together and shouted "Yay!" as if they had accomplished something extraordinary.

Seeing their expressions, Ruo Yemu felt a strange sense of relief, even though she was clearly embarrassed. It turned out that it was so easy to say it.

It's strange, is it because you feel so relaxed when you're with children?

If Ye Mu looked at Hoshino Mi's face in confusion, why was she so happy just by hearing her voice?

"Big brother, are you two dating?" A little child noticed that Wakaba Mutsu was peeking at Hoshino Mi, as if he had discovered something interesting.

Ruoye Mu was somewhat embarrassed; she wasn't very good at dealing with this kind of problem and could only place her hopes on Hoshino Mi.

However, Hoshino only paused for a moment, then looked at Wakaba Mutsumi with great uncertainty.

"Um, what's our relationship now?"

Ruoye Mu panicked immediately. What did those words mean? The girl's little mind couldn't process it at all.

“We’re friends,” Wakaba Mutsu whispered, thankfully there was this universal term of address.

Then, remembering that Hoshino had said before that the two were friends, Wakaba Mutsumi felt a little happy again.

The children seemed particularly disappointed by this answer.

"The older brother is so handsome, and the older sister is so beautiful, why aren't they a couple?"

"Thank you for the compliment, but my sister and I are indeed friends." Hoshino smiled. "Big brother is still single and doesn't have a girlfriend."

Upon hearing this, some people immediately looked at Hoshino with sympathy.

Are you friends who play guitar together?

"That's right, this lady taught me how to play the guitar."

"Can we listen to the older brother play the guitar?"

"Okay, okay, but you're not allowed to laugh at me."

Soon, the children covered their ears, thinking that Wakaba Mutsu's guitar playing was better, and pestered Wakaba Mutsu to play the guitar.

Once the children had finally gone home, Hoshino sat down next to Wakaba Mutsumi with a relaxed expression.

"Was that on purpose?" Wakaba Mutsu knew that although Hoshino Mi's technique wasn't particularly good, it wasn't bad enough to make a child cover their ears.

"Of course, it's just to prevent you from arguing with me," Hoshino replied nonchalantly.

"Why would I argue with you?" Ruoye Mutsu didn't quite understand what he meant.

"For example, you might think that children have no aesthetic sense. No matter who is playing the guitar, they will think it's amazing and treat it as a fun thing."

Hearing Hoshino say that, Wakaba Mutsu turned her pretty face away; she wasn't that petty.

"They may not know your skill level, but they think it sounds good, and that's enough." Hoshino smiled. "What do you think, teacher?"

“I still don’t understand.” Wakaba Mutsu was silent for a while. “I’ve heard of true love, and it makes me very envious.”

"Why does the teacher want to learn guitar?" Hoshino asked.

If Ye Mu lowered his head, Hoshino would turn his gaze. The slanting sunlight shone through the treetops, and the setting sun was hazy and dim in the clouds, which suddenly reminded him of a scene he had seen before.

"You remind me of a girl who couldn't speak and often had to express herself through paper and pen. Every time she talked to someone, she had to write, which was very troublesome, but she enjoyed it."

Ruoye Mutsu seemed to understand, and she appeared even more flustered, clutching her guitar.

"This is the first time I've seen you smile. You actually look better than I imagined, but thinking back on it, there's nothing particularly special about it."

Wakaba Mutsu kept his head down, looking like a turtle hiding in its shell.

"Don't do that, it makes it sound like I'm bullying you." Hoshino sighed softly. "Seriously, I think you're really amazing, a professional-level guitarist."

"I...I don't know how to express my thoughts," Wakaba Mutsu finally spoke.

“The fact that you said that already expresses your feelings,” Hoshino smiled slightly. “The key is not the expression itself, but taking the initiative to speak up.”

"I might say the wrong thing."

"It's okay. If no one listens to your explanation, I will listen patiently."

"It's not enough to just sound good... My guitar can't... express the emotions they convey."

"But you just laughed."

"Eh?"

"If you can laugh, it means you're expressing your own emotions. Did you initially play guitar simply because it made you happy?"

"But……"

"No buts, that's enough, because someone was very happy just now because of your guitar."

If Ye Mu felt that no matter what questions she raised, Hoshino Mi could catch them steadily and throw them back without missing a single one.

"Be more confident. You're my teacher." Hoshino seemed to see what she was thinking. "Your insecurity and inner turmoil make me feel insecure too."

Ruo Yemu was slightly taken aback, staring intently at the boy next to her.

“Of course, it’s okay if the teacher isn’t satisfied.” Hoshino Mi said in a particularly relaxed tone, “If you want to play a truly moving piece, I’ll stay with you until you do.”

He described it simply, as if it were just a trivial matter.

However, what Ruoye Mu saw in his eyes was confidence, and a strong belief in her.

It's strange. Even she herself doesn't have that kind of confidence, so why would Hoshino believe that she can play it?

If Ye Mu felt her heart beating a little fast, a feeling different from when she was in the band, but a stranger feeling, she couldn't help but stare at Hoshino Mi's face, but then her heart would beat even faster, and she could only awkwardly look away, but her eyes would still steal glances at Hoshino Mi from time to time.