They are really too low!

Upon hearing her mention the name "lamp," Shiina Tatsuki paused slightly as she was wiping the cup.

Chapter Sixty-Six: I've Got My Eyes on You

The sound of the piano filled the room, and the smooth and beautiful notes poured out from under her fair and slender fingers. The girl hummed softly along with the uplifting melody.

Even as the last chord faded away, her shoulders remained slightly tilted forward, prompting Toyokawa Shoko to applaud her.

“Ms. Mana has mastered this piece very well, so I think going on stage next shouldn’t be a problem.”

Faced with Toyokawa Shoko's praise, Junda Mana smiled shyly.

"Don't praise Mana like that, or she'll become arrogant. Mana thinks it's all thanks to Sho that she's learned this much, okay?"

"I'm only responsible for teaching some basic knowledge. If Miss Mana hadn't put in the effort, we wouldn't have achieved this result."

"Hey, isn't Mana trying hard enough?"

"I...I didn't say that."

Seeing Toyokawa Shoko's somewhat embarrassed expression, Junda Mana suddenly burst out laughing, her eyes crinkling with delight.

"It feels like we're being too polite to each other, even though we've known each other for so long."

Toyokawa Shoko knew she was teasing her, and retorted slightly, "Actually, we haven't even met for 24 hours, have we?"

"So Xiaoxiang remembers it so clearly?" Junda Mana was surprised, then squeezed her little fist, "Next time, let's work together to double this number!"

Toyokawa Shoko fell silent. No wonder Hoshino Mi knew her; they had the same kind of personality.

Mana Junda began to hum softly again, her fingers playing a melody.

"Hey, Xiao Xiang, did you make any new friends at school today?"

"not yet."

"Mana has made a friend! She's also a really great idol, and we've both heard each other's songs!"

As Toyokawa Shoko listened to Junda Mana talk about school, she felt a strange warmth and peace of mind. Then, she unconsciously thought of Hoshino Mi and Wakaba Mutsu. Did they also talk about these things like she and Junda Mana?

Probably, since Hoshino Mi seems to be quite adept at making conversation. This is the first time she's seen a man invite her to his home so naturally.

And, incredibly, she foolishly followed along.

Now that it's a new semester, what will he talk about with Wakaba Mutsu?

As Toyokawa Shoko was thinking about these things, she noticed that Junda Mana had somehow sat down next to her, staring at her with her eyes blinking.

In an instant, Toyokawa Shoko's face flushed slightly.

"What's Xiaoxiang thinking about?" Junda Mana asked with a mischievous smile.

"It's nothing," Toyokawa Shoko tried to change the subject. "Weren't you talking about a friend you just met? What's her name?"

“Mana already mentioned her name. It’s Sho who wasn’t paying attention to what Mana was saying.” Junda Mana pouted slightly, but then she immediately smiled again. “How are Sho and Ken getting along?”

Like it was her first time trying to cook alone, Toyokawa Shoko was stunned for a moment, but seeing Junda Mana's eyes, she had no choice but to calm herself down.

Why are you asking this all of a sudden?

"Hehe, because Mana is a little curious, besides practicing piano with Mana, has Xiaoxiang been spending time with Jian these days?" Junta Mana blinked, "And, it seems that Mana hasn't asked how you two met yet."

Toyokawa Shoko was a little embarrassed. She had just thought of Hoshino Mi, but she didn't expect Junda Mana to ask about her and Hoshino Mi so soon.

After a moment's hesitation, Toyokawa Shoko told Junda Mana about the scene of their first meeting.

"So that's all there is to it. Offering an umbrella in the rain sounds kind of romantic." Junda Mana tilted her head, her eyes sparkling. "As expected of Mi, you really know how to handle girls."

Toyokawa Shoko didn't find anything romantic about it, but meeting Hoshino Mi back then probably felt a bit like fate.

However, when they talked about not having met recently and only exchanging messages, Toyokawa Shoko sensed that Junda Mana seemed somewhat disappointed.

“Isn’t that similar to Mana?” Junta Mana puffed out her cheeks. “He’s been messaging Mana lately, but he doesn’t seem to have any intention of visiting her at all.”

Because she wanted to help cover up the fact that Hoshino was practicing guitar, Toyokawa Shoko didn't reveal Hoshino Mi's relationship with Wakaba Mutsu, nor did she mention that Hoshino Mi was now learning music theory from her.

"Maybe they think you're busy with your idol work?" Toyokawa Shoko offered a guess.

Junda Mana is indeed very busy. The reason I was able to practice piano with her today is because it's the start of the school year and Junda Mana doesn't have any work scheduled.

“No, Mana knows what he’s thinking,” Junta Mana suddenly said. “He’s definitely found a new target.”

Toyokawa Shoko paused for a moment, only to see a fleeting shadow of darkness in Junda Mana's eyes before she immediately broke into a sweet smile.

"We've practiced for over an hour without even realizing it. How about we chat and eat something at the same time? It'll be a good way to recharge Mana's batteries!"

Although she had a smile on her face, Toyokawa Shoko felt somewhat uneasy.

It seems like she's being targeted by Junda Mana.

……

After Hoshino finished playing the guitar, Wakaba Mutsu, who was standing next to him, also stopped.

"How are you feeling, Teacher Xiaomu?"

"Yes, you're working very hard."

"It seems there is still room for improvement."

Hoshino checked the time on her phone; today's practice was about to end.

"That's all for today. It's getting late. Teacher Xiaomu probably wants to go home early too, right?"

Ruoye Mu was holding her guitar. She felt that it was too early and it was already over. Could she go back a little later?

However, she didn't say it.

"Was that person your former teammate?" Hoshino asked casually, mentioning the girl on the second floor.

“Shiina Tatsuki,” Wakaba Mutsu said softly, “was a drummer before.”

So he's the drummer, Hoshino thought to herself.

Speaking of bands, Hoshino realized that he had never seen a live band performance. Apart from the guitar, he had never even seen what the other instruments looked like.

"Should we go over and say hello later?"

Hoshino glanced at Wakaba Mutsu, who remained silent, as if to say, "It's up to you."

If Wakaba Mutsu were his girlfriend, Hoshino Mi felt that he would spank her little bottom sooner or later.

"Forget it, let's go out and see what's going on. We finally got a 20% off coupon, so let's at least have a drink before we go back."

Hoshino packed up his guitar and then walked out openly, with Wakaba Mutsu following behind him like a little tail.

As soon as the two came out, Hoshino saw that the girl was still working as a waitress in the cafe on the second floor. She was slightly surprised to see him and Wakaba Mutsu.

Meanwhile, Nagasaki Motoyo, who was pretending to drink coffee, finally saw what the boy she had been longing for looked like, and her eyes sharpened.

However, if Nagasaki Motoyo could shift her gaze slightly at this moment, she could also see familiar figures passing by downstairs.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Band's Drummer

Hoshino had only caught a fleeting glimpse of the girl in the lobby downstairs, but now, seeing her working in the shop again, he felt a pang of emotion.

As expected, it's another beautiful girl. I wonder who will be the visual center of this band.

Hoshino walked to the front desk and looked at the expressionless girl. Despite having long, smooth hair and a beauty mark under her eye, she didn't have that gentle and cute feeling. Her delicate face had too much indifference. Her slightly pointed chin combined with her rounded lines, and the corners of her eyes and eyebrows exuded a certain aggression. At first glance, people would feel that she was an extremely difficult type to get along with.

"What would you like?" Shiina Tatsuki asked as if she were receiving two ordinary guests, showing no emotional reaction to seeing her former teammates.

Following behind Hoshino, Wakaba Mutsu concealed herself slightly, unaware that someone was observing her from the corner beside her.

Hoshino knew that Wakaba Mutsu was not talkative, but he did not expect Shiina Tatsuki to treat Wakaba Mutsu so casually, so casually that it seemed a little cold.

"I want a coconut latte, and she wants a mango juice." Hoshino turned to look at Wakaba Mutsumi beside her, "Mutsumi, would you like some dessert?"

Ruoye Mutsu shook her head. If Hoshino Mi wasn't there, she would have lost all interest in drinking mango juice the moment she saw Shiina Tatsuki.

“Okay, we only need these.” Hoshino turned around and glanced at Shiina Tatsuki’s arm. Because she was wearing a short-sleeved work uniform, her bare arm skin was visible, and it looked fair and tender.

Drummers often have to strike cymbals and drumheads with drumsticks and step on pedals with their toes, so Hoshino noticed that her arms didn't feel too limp; instead, they had subtle muscle lines and looked very healthy and comfortable.

Hoshino shifted his gaze to the girl's plump little chest, on which was written her name—Shiina Tatsuki.

"What are you looking at?" Shiina Tatsuki interrupted Hoshino Mi's scrutiny. "If you place an order now, it will cost 450 yen in total."

"Sorry, sorry, I was just thinking about whether I should say hello to you." Hoshino Mi snapped out of her reverie. "You used to be a drummer?"

"No need for greetings." Shiina Tatsuki glanced at Wakaba Mutsumi behind her.

Although the exact nature of their relationship is unknown, it seems that Wakaba Mutsumi has already told Hoshino Mi about their past.

“My name is Hoshino Mi. As you can see, I’m good friends with Mutsu.” Hoshino Mi said, “We’re currently practicing guitar together, so please take care of me.”

"I can tell that, there's no need to tell me." Shiina Tatsuki was too lazy to know his name. She wasn't Nagasaki Motoyo, and she didn't care about him and Wakaba Mutsumi at all.

[Target: Shiina Tatsuki]

[Intimacy: 2]

[Status: Due to the band's disbandment, I can no longer see a certain person, and I am currently feeling very negative.]

“No, it’s necessary.” Hoshino glanced at her profile panel. “Because you were Xiaomu’s former teammate, and she’s not very talkative, that’s why I came over to say hello.”

"Huh?" Shiina Riki was immediately annoyed. Did he think that he was being polite and that she was being impolite?

"Even if everyone is unhappy because some idiot quit the band, there's no need to pretend we can't see each other now, is there?" Hoshino really felt that this girl was impolite.

"What do you know!" Shiina Riki was even more annoyed. What right did this guy who suddenly appeared have to point fingers at her?

“I really don’t understand.” Hoshino placed his hands on Wakaba Mutsu’s shoulders. “All I know is that she stayed downstairs for a long time. She wanted to go in but didn’t dare to. Someone was pretending not to see her.”

Ruo Ye Mu was somewhat at a loss, not understanding why Hoshino Mi was arguing with Shiina Tatsuki.

Shiina Riki immediately fell silent, but still stubbornly insisted, "What does it matter to me whether she comes in or not? Am I supposed to go up and say welcome to everyone I see?"

"Nobody asked you to do this, I'm just a little annoyed as a friend."

In fact, Hoshino was very unhappy. He knew that Wakaba Mutsu was not talkative. He could understand not greeting him earlier, but now he was ignoring him as well.

Although Wakaba Mutsumi never said it out loud, Hoshino Mi remembered very clearly that Wakaba Mutsumi's distress at their first meeting was not feigned.

It's normal for friends to argue occasionally, but this kind of ignoring and indifference is too hurtful.

Hoshino didn't believe that Wakaba Mutsu could do anything that would cause a cold war, and given that she rarely spoke, it wasn't hard to guess her past behavior in the band.

Therefore, Hoshino seriously suspects that they may not have paid much attention to Wakaba Mutsu.

I never cared about it before, and naturally I won't care about it now.

This provides a reasonable explanation for why Shiina Tatsuki didn't take Wakaba Mutsu seriously.

"So you want to argue with me?" Shiina Riki glared at him.

“I wouldn’t do something so pointless. On the contrary, I find it very strange. In your eyes, what exactly is your band?” Hoshino paused. “A temporary group that broke up on bad terms?”

"It's all that guy's fault! He suddenly and inexplicably decided to quit the band, and in the end, he made Akari so heartbroken!" Shiina Ritsuki gritted her teeth, feeling that Hoshino Mi was deliberately mocking her. "You should ask that guy why he said such irresponsible things!"

"So, this has nothing to do with Mutsu?" Hoshino wasn't as agitated as her. "You're just angry at Toyokawa for quitting the band without permission?"

"What do you mean it doesn't matter? She clearly said that herself!" Shiina Tatsuki said coldly. "She admitted herself that she was never happy when she was with us."

Hoshino paused for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at Wakaba Mutsu, only to find that she had already lowered her head deeply.

"Haha, Lixi, there's no need to be so angry." A gentle and pleasant voice came from the side. "Xiao Mu definitely didn't do it on purpose back then. Nobody wanted the band to end up like that."

Shiina Tatsuki crossed his arms and snorted coldly.

Hoshino turned her head and saw an unfamiliar girl slowly walking towards her. Not only was her voice pleasant, but her smile was also beautiful. She was the kind of girl who would seem gentle and considerate at first glance.

"Sorry, I overheard you talking to Riki, so I couldn't help but come over." The girl showed a hint of apology, then smiled slightly at Hoshino. "Nice to meet you. I am Nagasaki Motoyo, a friend of Mutsu and Riki, and also the bassist of the band."

That's right, seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Nagasaki Motoyo couldn't help but step in.

She had already put the hat and sunglasses she had used as a disguise into her bag, and now she was pretending that she had just run into Hoshino Mi and Wakaba Mutsumi.

If Wakaba Mutsuko asks, Nagasaki Motoyo has already prepared a reason.

Since Shiina Tatsuki works here, it's normal for her to come and take a look as a friend, right?