My daily life is getting weird because I am caught between being in a band and being an idol.

On his very first day at work, Xiangzi immediately demonstrated work abilities beyond those of a high school student, grasping the work situation in just a few words.

"...Don't work too hard, you still have your studies, right?"

"This is nothing... and it was just a drill, right?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"It's nothing, I'm going back to work."

“She’s a strange fellow, but since she’s so capable, I can leave things to her and go take care of Pastel’s business.”

Chaoyang got up, pushed back his chair, and prepared to leave. He could not possibly forget what had happened in the early hours of the morning.

I called back the number belonging to Iwashita Shima.

"Hello, how are you? Who is this?"

A familiar, almost neutral voice came from the other end of the phone.

Chaoyang, fearing the other party might forget about this incident, immediately brought up what had happened in the early hours of the morning.

"It was me, Hiraishi Asahi, the one who paid for Hiroi's drinks. Last night, or rather, this morning."

"Ah, you're here to ask about the live show, right? Our band will let the manager know when we go to practice this afternoon. If it's convenient for you, you can come over and check out the venue and tickets."

Chapter 73 proceeds gradually.

Chaoyang walked out of the office, and at that moment Xiangzi, who was working in front of the computer, got up.

Although Xiangzi had spoken coldly to Chaoyang in his office earlier, he always maintained a smile and remembered the humility that a subordinate should have when others were watching.

"President, are you going out? Could you tell me what business you're going to be busy with? I'd be happy to help if anyone needs me..."

"You'll come with me."

Xiangzi glanced at the meeting room configuration plan being finalized on his computer.

At the current pace, it should be completed by tomorrow, which is still quite a bit of time.

"I understand, I'll make preparations for going out now."

. .

Why should we grant such a request!?

Xiangzi's eyes widened, his voice filled with dissatisfaction.

"The company is already short-staffed. It seems that just operating this concert is the best we can do right now, and we simply don't have the capacity to take on another one."

Chaoyang and Xiangzi went out and got into a taxi. In the car, Chaoyang told Xiangzi about their purpose and what they were currently busy with. Actually, he wanted to get Pastel* to perform one more show before the currently scheduled performance.

As a result, Xiangzi criticized him.

Chaoyang waved his hand, signaling her to calm down.

"Calm down, Xiangzi. This is just a performance, we don't need to put in much effort. The stage setup and such are none of our business."

Xiangzi interrupted him, his brows furrowed.

"Even so, the corresponding publicity and material preparation still need to be done in advance. These require contacting manufacturers, and they are not dedicated to serving only our company. They will not be willing to do so without additional payment."

"Regarding this, the company doesn't need to promote them additionally. Their situation is different from that of ordinary idols; after all, they're embroiled in scandals. Even if we increase promotion now, it will only attract more criticism. I've discussed this with Qian Sheng. The important thing is for them to achieve redemption... So... I have an idea regarding this performance..."

Ignoring Xiangzi's slightly resistant gaze, Chaoyang whispered in Xiangzi's ear.

After listening, Xiangzi rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment before speaking.

"...Although I really want to say I disagree, that it's too risky, since it's your idea, no one in this company has the right to disobey it. It's not my place to object."

"Although what I said might be a bit harsh, thank you. Actually, one of my purposes in going to Shinjuku FOLT was to first be honest about the situation of the bands that performed on stage, and the second was for this matter."

"What if the other party's boss refuses?"

"Let's try to solve it with money."

"Although you say it so casually, I still have to remind you that the company still has 3 million yuan in debt. Debt-to-equity swap is an option, but no fool creditor would do something like that. In fact, if they could, they would have done it long ago instead of selling it to you for such a low price."

"After that, we'll find a time to gather the creditors together, restructure the debt, and negotiate with them to extend the repayment period, to see if we can make payments every half quarter. After all, if we go bankrupt, they won't get anything."

. .

The taxi stopped in front of Shinjuku FOLT.

This place is on the second basement floor. It's still early, and although the door is open, it's deserted.

As expected of a venue capable of holding 500 people, the interior space was much larger than I had imagined. Several tables and chairs were set up some distance from the stage for people to rest, eat, and drink, and some people were already seated there.

As if hearing a noise, the person stood up, pushed back a chair, and leaned towards the two of them.

"Excuse me, it's still early before ticket sales start. How about you spend three hours somewhere nearby before coming back? Immersing yourself in the world of rock music during the day isn't always a good idea!"

She was a woman whose appearance suggested a bad influence, but whose tone of voice was unusually effeminate.

They must be staff members, right?

"Um, excuse me... I was introduced by a Ms. Iwashita Shima."

"Ah~~ You're the kind-hearted person who saved Hiroi, that idiot? Hiroi Kiku, the special leader of my resident band, always causes trouble for others, so I often have to go and apologize to her and save her... Ah, my name is Yoshida Ginjiro~ Nice to meet you~~ Your girlfriend is really cute~ You're not going to perform on stage either, are you~, you're sure to gain a lot of fans."

"No, I am his secretary."

At this moment, Xiangzi took out Chaoyang's business card and handed it to Chaoyang, who then personally presented it to Yoshida Ginjiro with both hands.

"Really, you're too kind. This isn't a business meeting, no need to be so formal. Just relax. Let's sit over there and talk."

As a tough guy, Chaoyang felt a bit uneasy, but the other person seemed like a good person, so Chaoyang chose to respect him.

"Just call me Xiao Yin from now on~ Just a moment."

Ginjiro returned to the counter and rummaged through the drawers for a while.

"Shima said it would be too pitiful if the entire performance were attended by their fans, after all..."

At this point, Ginjiro thought of SICKHAC's appearance and smiled wryly.

"It's best to be mentally prepared."

If Chaoyang Cai Aiyin heard this here, she would probably back down.

"I understand, I'll tell them... Thank you, Yoshida." "Hmm?"

"Since you're so honest, Yin, we should be honest with you too. Um... our idol group's name is Pastel*."

"Oh my~ What a cute name~"

"that......"

Although Chaoyang was thick-skinned, it was only on the premise of talking about his own shameful deeds. He still couldn't bear to talk about what mistakes those earnest girls had made.

Xiangzi, who was standing to the side, had already prepared relevant news about idols on her phone and handed it to Ginjiro.

But after reading it, Ginjiro still asked with a smile on his face.

"...What's wrong?"

"...After all, they have a history of misconduct. I really want to cooperate this time, but cooperation must be based on openness and honesty. I'm afraid you might encounter unnecessary risks later."

Ginjiro blinked with a serious expression, then suddenly burst into laughter and waved his hand.

"Haha, they decided to invite you guys as the opening act. I just provided them with the venue, that's all. So don't worry. But did you make these cuties lip-sync?"

Chaoyang spoke up somewhat embarrassedly.

"...Although it may sound like I'm shifting the blame, it really wasn't me. I only took over the company after this incident."

Knowing how innocent they were—all just inexperienced trainees with no real talent, simply following orders from the company—I wanted to help them. They shouldn't have had to go through all this!

"That'll do!"

Ginjiro smiled and gave a thumbs-up to the rising sun.

"Here are two hundred tickets~ Please make sure the ticket money is transferred to my account carefully~~"

Chaoyang bowed in gratitude and then said that he had come here today to do the second thing.

"...Thank you so much!... There's something else I'd like to ask you, Xiaoyin, about the performance that day..."

Chapter 74 Maruyama Ayato cried, "Hina, you have no conscience!"

"Phew~ the music is finally in sync~"

"Ano-chan, your guitar playing is finally starting to sound a bit more pleasant~~"

As always, Hinata smiled and bluntly teased Aine.

"That's so unfair! You've already improved so much since the beginning."

Aiyin, already tired from practicing, immediately protested as she put down her guitar.

"Really? I reached your level in about 3 days back then~~"

"I already told you, it's because you're such a genius!"

At that moment, Yamato Maya came out from behind the drum set and stepped forward to defend Aine.

"Actually, Ano-san is also very talented. Normally, very few people can go from not being able to play to a decent level that can be performed on stage in just a few weeks. At least among the people I know, he is definitely not slow."

The Japanese woman spoke thoughtfully.

"Huh? I see... So that makes them relatively geniuses?"

Ai-yin immediately slumped down and sighed.

"Ha... Hina's words have instantly dampened my mood from the praise."

"...So, does that mean Aya-chan's level is considered normal?"

Just then, Chaoyang entered the room. He had overheard the conversation from the outside and naturally opened the door to speak.

"Hina, you're torturing your teammate again!"

"There was no torture, we just found it strange."

Chaoyang explained it to her.

"Feelings about music vary from person to person. Just like some people think idol songs are too noisy and sound like only someone with a mental disability would sing them, and some even think rock music is just noise. To use food as an analogy, some people think Japanese food is delicious, while others think even dogs wouldn't eat it... Of course, the latter analogy is a bit off, but in general, Aya has her own sensibilities and feelings. You can't judge others by your own standards. Aya also has many other qualities that you can't compare to her in..."

"for example?"

This Japanese guy completely missed the mood and actually kept asking questions.

Chaoyang cursed under his breath. Any normal person would know better than to ask any more questions at this point.

"..."

Asahi's silence inflicted tons of damage on Maruyama Aya.

Maruyama Aya said with a wry smile.

"Hmm... I feel... a bit conflicted. I know the producer is speaking up for me, but it feels like he's joining Hina in criticizing me."

I can't help it! Let alone you, even Ano isn't that familiar with you!

"That's outrageous, producer! Putting everything else aside, just in terms of diligence and hard work, none of us can compare!"

After Asahi entered, Chisato, who had originally wanted to avoid the situation, spoke up for Maruyama Aya in order to maintain team unity.

"Yes, I also want to learn from Aya-chan's diligent and hardworking spirit."

Yamato Maya continued.

"And Aya is really good at encouraging people! I was able to join this group because Aya gave me courage and told me not to underestimate myself and to have confidence in myself and to have dreams. I was just a music otaku before, and it was because of her words that I was able to overcome my anxiety."

"Maya-chan..."

Cai was so moved she could hardly speak.

Honestly, unless you're exceptionally talented or incredibly confident, being on Hina's team is enough to make most people feel inferior, especially someone like Maruyama Aya, who has three years of trainee experience. Hina easily surpassed her, and although she wasn't discouraged and was happy for Hina's abilities, she sometimes did doubt herself, wondering if she should continue.

"Waaaaah... I'm so sorry... I'm so easily moved to tears... because I was... losing confidence... and after hearing everyone's words... Waaaaah!"

Chisato quickly stepped forward and gently hugged Maruyama Aya.

"I'm sorry, Xiao Cai. I was a bit anxious before, so I spoke rudely to you. But I have to admit that I'm also being subtly changed by you. No matter what the people around you say or do, you persevere every day."

"Waaaaah, Sen, Sensei-chan..."

"Xiao Cai is really funny~~"