Teacher Daxiang, please teach me how to play Kasuga Shadow!

Looking at Xiaoxiang who was about to flee in a hurry, Ayano shook her head with amusement, but followed her out of the hotel building.

The two people's directions are not exactly the same. Since Xiangzi's work for the day is almost done, the contract must be drafted by someone who has studied law professionally. She can just go home and prepare the arrangement of her debut song.

of course

There is also a problem with Wakaba Mutsu.

Ayano realized that Xiangzi had really learned bad things today. He actually used two unconfirmed people as bait to trick Teacher Meowmeng, who seemed difficult to deal with but was actually a bit silly in her eyes.

Looking at Xiaoxiang who was walking beside her and they still had a long way to go, Ayano took the initiative to move over and hold his arm.

But before she could say anything, Xiangzi spoke first.

"It's finally about to begin..."

"Yes."

"Is Aine really not going to be with us?" Xiangzi hesitated for a moment, but finally asked this question.

"You really want her to come along?"

"To be honest, I don't want to..." Xiangzi thought about it and decided to tell the truth. However, she was a little afraid to look at Ayano's face after she finished speaking. "If I say this, you will think I'm going too far, right?"

"Really? I just feel that it's great that you're finally open with me..."

"......"

Is this good? Xiangzi didn't know whether this was a good thing or not. She couldn't even explain why she didn't want it.

To her, Ayano was indeed a very special person. It was very easy to get along with her normally, and she didn't need to think about those heavier things all the time during their little quarrels.

When she needs to face problems, the other party can give her courage.

What Xiangzi was most grateful for was not that Ayano came to see her today, but that after coming to see her, she gave her enough opportunities to talk to herself and did not take the initiative to take care of everything for her.

This is a kind of trust in her and also "no reservations" towards her, so it is precisely because of this that Xiangzi feels that he should also be no reservations towards Ayano.

But now she is still not sure what identity she should use to face Ayano.

She really longed for this beauty, but she also felt that Ayano didn't want her to be too greedy; she hoped that one day she could be completely independent, but she also felt that Ayano would not really let her go.

But everything is enough at this moment. Her weakness is safely kept in Ayano's home, while the toughness on the other side can grow freely outside.

"I'm going to go see Hachiman Kailing first. It's my turn to cook tonight. You and Aine should just wait for me to come back."

"it is good."

We parted ways without saying much, because anyway... we would meet again when we got home.

More than 20 minutes later.

After getting off the train, Ayano walked for a while and was still thinking about Xiaoxiang's determined figure today, and his sudden soft and tender appearance as a young wife when he returned home.

It's like watching her pet cat gradually sharpen its claws. Hmm... I just wonder when this kitten will learn to scratch her a few more times?

The corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up into a faint smile, but she, who was unaware of her own charm, didn't notice that because of her breathtakingly beautiful smile, many couples passing by suddenly started quarreling.

She didn't walk for too long after getting off the bus. She hadn't been to this coffee shop very often, but she had heard Xiangzi mention it once before. Although Xiangzi might have forgotten it herself, Ayano, who had an amazing memory, would never forget it.

Ayano, who was about to reach the entrance of Yuze Coffee Shop, temporarily put the two people at home out of her mind. After all, the person she was going to face next might not be easy to deal with.

——How can a girl who can move back and forth between 30 bands be someone who is easy to fool?

The key point is that Ayano is not sure whether anything will happen if she goes over like this.

After all, Hachiman and Riki are friends, and I... well, am I Riki's friend?

Ayano, who was unsure whether her photo and identity would be exposed, decided to take a two-pronged approach.

If she is recognized, she will admit it directly. If she is not recognized, she will assume that the other party knows her name but not what she looks like. In this case, she can make up a fake name and then learn from Xiaoxiang to trick the person over first.

Want to regret it later? No way!

While thinking this, Ayano walked into the Yuzawa Coffee Shop and found the table number that Hachiman had just sent her a few minutes ago.

When Ayano walked forward, she realized that the girl sitting in the booth gave her a very subtle feeling.

He looks very good. Just looking at his expression, he looks a bit like Li Xi. It really is true that birds of a feather flock together.

"Are you...Polaris-senpai?"

When Hachiman Kairin saw Ayano, she stood up politely. It was obvious that she didn't know the girl in front of her.

Of course, from her point of view, Ayano was dressed so maturely, and her height and temperament made her look like an older sister, so Hailing used more honorifics when speaking.

"You're welcome, just call me by my real name."

"Excuse me, Senior..."

"My name is... Tateishi Kanon."

Chapter 164 Hey, I'd better take the initiative to hang the street lamp (still 16)

"Hello, Tateishi-senpai, my name is Hachiman Kailing."

"You don't have to be so polite." Acting childish might be difficult for Ayano, but she is very good at pretending to be a queen. "Hai Ling, just call me Sister Tateishi, or you can call me Sister Polaris like Takki."

"Then I'll call you Sister Lishi."

Hachiman Kailing nodded, shook hands briefly with Ayano, and then sat back in her seat.

She was a person who would never show her thoughts on her face. Although she felt a little pressure sitting in front of Ayano, the other person's every move gave her a sense of maturity and stability, making her feel that she was someone who was easy to get along with.

"Sister Lishi, I want to know why you called me out?"

"Um……"

Ayano felt a little embarrassed. Why was this guy in front of her just like Ruomai, who liked to ask this kind of questions right away?

However, unlike Ruomai, Hai Ling in front of him only had some confusion in her eyes, and did not have the shrewd and calculating feeling of Ruomai.

"Because my friend, Vega, needs to set up a commercial band, and she needs me to find an excellent bassist, and I happened to hear Takki mention you."

"Takki...you mean Shiina Riki?"

"Ah, her name is Shiina Riki?" Ayano felt that her current face really looked like the female villain in the movie.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were going to form a band before I came here. If it was a band..."

"Don't rush to refuse."

Ayano turned around to thank the waiter who brought her the coffee, and helped push the portion belonging to Hailing in front of her.

"Sister Hailing, I believe you must have seen many quarrels and breakups between bands, right?"

"..."

Hachiman Kailing paused, said nothing, and no different expression appeared on her face.

But to be honest, Ayano's words did bring back some memories for her, and just as the other party said, she had seen too many disputes caused by different reasons.

She has been moving between countless bands, from young new bands to more mature and successful old bands. She has witnessed many complex and subtle emotional entanglements caused by the collision of musical dreams and reality.

In a band, everyone is the protagonist of their own story.

Music, which should be a bridge connecting hearts, has also become a magnifying glass that tests human nature and exposes differences.

Sometimes, it is a difference in the persistence of musical concepts. Some people pursue pure artistic expression, while others pay more attention to the acceptance of the audience, that is, the market; sometimes, it is a clash of personalities. The combination of impatient and slow-tempered people, the confrontation between fiery passion and calm self-control may become the fuse of conflict.

Ayano in front of her seemed to understand what she was thinking, and said while drinking coffee:

“It’s very common that when a band starts to gain some recognition, all sorts of temptations creep in.

Some people yearn for a bigger stage, while others are content with the status quo. This difference is often more difficult to reconcile than any musical discord.

Of course, personal life pressures and emotional fluctuations will also be unconsciously brought into the band, affecting the team atmosphere."

"Indeed."

"You may have seen a lot of these, or your friends may be going through them right now, but I think since some things are unavoidable, it's better to think about how to deal with them from the beginning. What do you think?"

"It's hard."

"It's indeed difficult." Ayano didn't deny it. "Since you're such a straightforward person, I won't beat around the bush and just be straight with you."

Under Hailing's fixed gaze, Ayano paused for a moment before continuing:

"Our band's musical style has already been decided. It will be a darker style of gothic metal music. Once the style is determined, it will not change. This is also the basic logic of commercialization.

Secondly, we signed a formal contract, which included a base salary and a share of the profits from digital albums, live tickets, and merchandise. With these benefits, there were naturally responsibilities, like being unable to be absent without special reasons, and paying a hefty penalty for leaving the team.

"Yeah." Hai Ling nodded but didn't express any opinion because she knew Ayano in front of her had something else to say.

"Finally, I want to say that everyone in our band is carefully selected. We will also need to conduct an assessment of your abilities, Hailing, to ensure that everyone in the band is of a professional standard.

This is the only way to debut in the shortest possible time. Of course... the result is that there might only be interests involved between us, and not much emotional connection. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Are you trying to say that although conflicts are suppressed due to the contract, the opportunities for conflicts to arise also increase?"

"Yes, I must tell you this in advance."

Ayano's face was devoid of the smile she had before, replaced by a serious expression. "But in other words, conflicts can also be opportunities for us to understand each other, and perhaps a contract can be used to turn opportunities into gains."

"..."

Seeing that Hailing seemed to be a little moved, Ayano continued to speak with more strength:

"For those of us who are together for profit, it's natural that we don't understand each other, so conflicts are inevitable. What I mean is... after these conflicts arise, we also have time to stop and resolve our differences. Only through the collision of each other's ideas can we understand how others think.

For other bands, it is very likely that they would go their separate ways easily if they encountered disagreements, without even giving each other a seat.

There is no chance to talk about the inner thoughts.

But here you have to come even if you don't want to. Although the contract limits everyone's freedom, from another perspective, only this absolute thing can twist us emotionally together, and in the end, because of our emotions, we completely become a whole."

Ayano felt that what she said later was getting more and more ridiculous. She could even interpret the capital clause of compensation for breach of contract in this way. Oh... she really had to hang herself on the street lamp for a while.

However, it is obvious that once others are drawn into the logic she has established, it is indeed difficult for ordinary people to discover other factors that she has overlooked.

“Steel is forged over and over again to become what it needs to be. External and internal pressures can also be the catalyst that truly brings a band together.

And to be honest, after meeting Hai Ling, I felt that with you, our band might be able to become more united.”

"I?"

Seeing Hachiman Kailing's puzzled expression, Ayano smiled and said, "Yes, because you have seen so much and have watched it as a bystander, naturally you can often step out and analyze everything from a rational perspective."

"What a straightforward compliment."

"Isn't it?" Ayano supported her face with one hand and said with a smile, "And I think Hailing-sister has a very good personality. She seems to be a very stable and not very emotional person.

By the way, how about I give you a test on the spot?"

"What's the test?"

"For example, let me tell you right now that my name is not Tateishi Kanone, but Mizushima Ayano.

It's not like I didn't know Li Xi's identity, I just kept it a secret from her and chatted with her. We were even teammates in the same band before, so what would you think and do?"

Chapter 165 Shameless Enough, I Joined! (1/2)

"I want to hear your reason for lying to Lixi."

"Oh? Instead of being surprised that I lied to you, you're surprised that your good friend Li Xi lied to you?"

Ayano looked at Hailing, who did not show much anger or surprise after her self-destruction, but instead calmly asked her the reason after a brief silence. She became more and more interested in this girl.

Even if I deliberately answered with such a critical answer, the other party had no intention of arguing with me.

Is it because I have been putting myself in the position of a bystander for a long time, so I don’t care so much about my own feelings anymore?

Although this type of person is reliable most of the time, if something really happens to make her sad, it may be more difficult for her to deal with it than other people.

"Actually, I didn't know I wanted to deceive her intentionally."

After observing Hailing and forming a basic judgment of her, Ayano began to explain, "Riki's attitude towards me is actually quite complicated. Although it may sound a bit self-boastful, she probably has some psychological burdens for a genius like me."

"It's not boasting."

Hai Ling interrupted Ayano's words appropriately, "Ritsuki told me about you. Judging from her description, the keyboard player who can compose music should be you, right?"

"Not necessarily. Maybe it's Toyokawa Shoko." Afraid Hailing didn't know, Ayano added, "Shoko was Riki's earliest band member."

"You know her?"

"She is my teacher, how could I not know her?"