Loneliness and Rock and Roll with Band Observer

Although it is a virtual image, the degree of restoration is extremely high.

The father's aggressive expression and arrogant attitude are also vividly reflected in the 3D model.

"Yes." Togawa Haruna said calmly, "According to what we heard from Shenming Library, this seems to be part of the operation strategy."

"…This is really hard to evaluate." Togawa Nobuhiko did not hide his sarcasm, "It is just like its stupid parent company. It seems that Akihiko really lacks the necessary business acumen when it comes to choosing a career."

Haruna seemed to want to say something, but in the end she didn't.

"So?" Nobuhiko continued, "What are you going to do about this?"

"...My plan has not changed." Haruna shook her head. "I won't do anything until things really become irreversible."

"Oh..." Nobuhiko nodded thoughtfully, "Then why did you specifically tell me this?"

Togawa Haruna suddenly stood up from her virtual chair.

"Father," she tried to control her tone of voice, "Forgive my stupidity, I cannot understand the exact meaning of your words."

"That's exactly what it means. If you don't plan to do anything, why bother to inform me?" Nobuhiko answered as a matter of course.

"...Don't you care about Akie's situation at all?" Haruna tried hard to suppress the urge to shout out.

In response, Nobuhiko just shook his head and laughed it off: "Haruna, your mood swings are so obvious that they can be seen on your avatar at a glance. This is a fatal flaw in negotiations."

After saying this, he raised his head and met Haruna's eyes with the sharp gaze of a bird of prey.

"Although you are not in Tokyo, you want to know Akie's situation at any time, so I will give you the authority and resources to arrange it as you wish."

"Your...Aki'e's mother. She is worried about Akie's safety, so I have arranged for someone other than you to ensure that she will not encounter any real danger."

"As for Akie herself, what she wanted was 'freedom' - so I gave her complete freedom! Is there anyone in this world who is more open-minded than me..."

When he said this, Nobuhiko's original momentum seemed to have been drained away by three points.

“…Father?”

Togawa Nobuhiko lowered his head slightly, making it impossible to see his expression.

After a long silence.

"...After summer vacation, I will go to Tokyo." Togawa Haruna said, "Please approve it."

Togawa Nobuhiko was silent for a moment.

"...I have no objection." Nobuhiko waved his hand, "Do what you think you should do."

His avatar gradually became blurry and finally disappeared.

The line was cut off, and Togawa Haruna took off her holographic suit and felt a sense of melancholy in her heart.

She took out her cell phone out of habit and after confirming that there were no new messages, she sighed softly.

Chapter 64: Review

At the same time, Togawa Akie was sorting out everything that had happened so far in her mind.

She had always been accustomed to using the "yin corner" to position herself, but suddenly she realized that interpersonal relationships in her daily life have gradually occupied an important position similar to that of a light novel author's job.

Although she is still a nobody in her class, her network of relationships inside and outside the school has expanded to a level she never dared to imagine before.

Moreover, this kind of interpersonal relationship is not as simple as just friendships between high school students.

Needless to say, the relationship with the library is natural; and the members of the band are not just friends in the context of high school girls, but also "partners" in a business sense.

Although the other members of the Ending Band still knew nothing about the second half of this relationship, it was conceivable that with the launch of the commercial operation plan after the premiere, the influence of the library on the Ending Band would only grow, Akie thought.

I had to deal with the commercialization plan of the library and the relationship between ending the band itself, and strike a balance between my personal interests and the ideas of other members. From my point of view, this is a responsibility that I have to bear...

Thinking of this, Qiu Hui felt that the guitar bag strap on her shoulder seemed to have inexplicably become three points heavier.

That's basically how things ended up for the band.

The situation on the other side is much more casual.

By pure chance, I was drawn into the band formation plan of Nagasaki Suyo, a student of Tsuki no Mori.

"I will temporarily serve as a keyboardist as a supporting musician until the real keyboardist is determined." Although this is the other party's excuse, this reason is actually not so tenable.

The other party's purpose may be to use me as a springboard to get close to her old friend from middle school, Takamatsu Deng. Qiu Hui made the above judgment.

There may be many emotional entanglements behind this matter, and she is not sure whether she should get involved in it.

But no matter what, as long as she has some energy left after completing her main job and ending the band, she still hopes to do a good job there and seize this sudden opportunity.

Since the other party might need her help because of Takamatsu Deng, she was happy to do him a favor.

Tsukinomori Girls' Academy is a school for young ladies from a prestigious family. If I could use this favor to build up some connections there, it might come in handy at some point.

This is a casual move that may not be useful. But if you put in a little more effort in your spare time, you may get unexpected results at the critical moment.

"..."

Thinking of this, Qiu Hui shook her head helplessly.

Everything is spent within one's means and calculated carefully, even interpersonal relationships have to be weighed.

Although I am still out of touch with my family, I seem to be thinking more and more like my father without realizing it.

Sure enough, they will win in the end...

"……Um?"

The message alert interrupted Qiu Hui's thoughts.

After taking out his phone to check, he found that the message was from Chihaya Aine.

"Where is Senpai now? Are you free?"

"Somewhere in Shimokitazawa," Akie typed. "Now I'm struggling with what to eat for dinner."

“That’s perfect!” Aine sent many emojis, “Actually, I recently found a really good store, if you’re interested, how about coming along? I’ll take a good seat and wait for you!”

Qiu Hui was shocked. When was the last time someone her own age invited her to dinner? Or had there ever been such a thing?

"Let me ask you in advance. What are the prices at this store?"

If you get there and find out the price is too high and then run away, that would be really rude! Be sure to ask clearly in advance!

"As for the price, I don't think it's too high, right?"

After that, she quickly sent a second message.

"You are in another band now, right? Even so, you agreed to come as a keyboard player. I want to express my gratitude, so how about I treat you to a meal?"

Aiyin wants to treat us?

"Please send me the address." Qiu Hui replied without hesitation.

The other party took the initiative to offer to treat us!

Although I still feel a little flattered, this is a free dinner that won’t create too much moral pressure even if I eat it! It’s free!

The economic temptation completely overwhelmed Qiu Hui's reserve, making her make the decision without hesitation.

"Great, I'll wait for you at table 17 over here!"

Aine sent the location information of that restaurant.

Qiu Hui focused her attention on the address and name of the restaurant.

"It's not too far from here. It's very quick to get there by train. The name of this store is... why is it all in katakana?"

It's impossible to understand!

Qiu Hui wasn't even sure what language these katakana originally corresponded to.

The only thing she was sure of was the last word in the long list of names. Probably "Bistro".

If I had to say, it would probably be an affordable western restaurant. After all, Aine also said that "the prices are not high".

But even if it is an affordable Western restaurant, it is much higher than my usual dining standards!

Anyway, let’s take the train now!

Arriving at the destination, Qiu Hui noticed the storefront sandwiched between two office buildings.

Judging from the size of the entrance, it seems like a roadside shop.

There was no menu at the door, nor was there anyone to greet people. There were artistic photos of dishes on the French windows next to the door, and although they made people's appetites grow, there were no prices on any of them.

...no price tag?

Qiu Hui suddenly had a bad feeling.

But now that we are here...

Qiu Hui pushed the door open and walked in with gritted teeth.

There is only a staircase leading to the second floor. On the matte black wall, there are modern paintings with bold and avant-garde brushstrokes. On the copper plate label under the painting, the name of the work and the author are printed in gold-plated font.

Walking up to the second floor with some trepidation, Qiu Hui discovered that although the entrance to the first floor seemed narrow, the second floor was a different world.

What comes into view is the large dining area that is cleverly divided. The dining seats are neatly arranged between the simple and artistic partitions, presenting a wonderful sense of space that is integrated yet independent.

Soothing and dynamic music comes to my ears, and I can clearly feel the direction of the sound source.

The modernist style that emphasizes calmness and clarity is organically intertwined with the old European classical atmosphere lingering in the details, giving Qiu Hui a sense of shock that is not only limited to the artistic sense, but more importantly in the economic sense.

…Just looking at the decoration, you can tell it’s definitely going to be very expensive!

During the jazz performance by the resident pianist, Qiu Hui felt an unprecedented sense of shakenness.

Hey, Aine-san, may I ask if you used what evaluation system to make the judgment that "the price is not high"?

Chapter 65 Interaction

Akie looked for table number 17 where Aine was while observing the surroundings.

Although the decoration and atmosphere give people a strong sense of economic oppression, there does not seem to be as many rules as a real high-end restaurant.

The customers were dressed in all kinds of clothes, and there seemed to be no dress code or anything like that. There were no attentive waiters, and there was no solemn atmosphere that was unique to high-end restaurants.

Walking past a table of people that were bursting into laughter, Qiu Hui did feel a certain... casual feeling that belonged to an affordable restaurant.

“Senior! Over here, over here!”

Akie turned her head and noticed Aine’s body leaning out from the low partition wall.

The other person waved his hand with a smile on his face, a big gesture that you wouldn't normally make in a high-end restaurant.

Akie walked over nervously and sat down opposite Aine, noticing that this table happened to be quite close to the resident pianist and the bar.

“What’s wrong, senpai?” Aine asked, “Do you feel nervous?”

"...I haven't been to an occasion like this for a long time." Akie looked around, "I'm a little uncomfortable with it."

She returned her gaze to Aine in front of her and noticed that she was also casually wearing her school uniform.

“This is a menu… ah, but there are only words on it and no pictures.” Aine took the menu and handed it to Akie, “Senior, if you are interested in something but don’t know what it is, you can ask me.”

"...No pictures?" Akie's ominous premonition became stronger.

She flipped through the menu, not caring about the names of the dishes written in katakana, and her eyes went straight to the price tags...

"..."

"……this."

“This?” Aine came closer and looked at the menu. “Ah, are you talking about this dish? Actually, I don’t know what the first part of this sentence means, but it’s probably the name of the sauce, right? It has a sweet taste, and it goes really well with the texture of the grilled scallops…”

"No, I mean..." Akie pointed to the price tag on the back, "...this price."

The price of just one appetizer is almost as much as my entire day's food expenses!

Ms. Aiyin, do you really think this price is not high?

"Hmm? Any problem with the price?"

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Aine seemed to have suddenly realized something and quickly changed her words.

"Ah, come to think of it, you may not have been here before, so you don't have any idea of ​​the dishes. If you don't know what to order, can you leave the ordering to me?"