The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

"So... do you want to bet?"

"...Is there any need to gamble on an open-book exam? Also, it's not over there, it's over here."

In contrast to Asakura Toru, the person speaking now had an extremely impatient tone and a sour expression. Although a small part of it was annoyance at the wanderer who didn't consult the map and said, "I think I can take a shortcut this way," the greater part was indeed due to her inner resistance.

I came here just to prevent him from getting desperate and attacking anyone other than Toru—

After telling herself this, Enka's heart wall becomes thicker by +1.

Chapter 2 Please call me Producer when I'm working

When Enka finally impatiently grabbed Toru's neck and began to lead the way, the four of them soon arrived at the agency (unnamed) that would serve as their base for the next few years.

"Excuse me~"

But after opening the door, there was no commander sitting in a chair with a thoughtful look, no frog alien who liked Gundam, no strange religious group shouting FFF, in fact, there was not even a single person in sight.

"Wow~... It's so big, and the furniture and everything looks brand new... Is this our office?"

"Ahaha~ I found the sofa!..Hina (I) am going to lie down here!"

The curious Toru Asakura, the reserved Koito Fukumaru, and Enka Higuchi who was starting to get annoyed because she couldn't figure out the way forward, the most excited and suitable person along the way was actually Hina Ichikawa who pounced directly onto the sofa.

As someone who also possesses a figure that surpasses her peers and a naive personality, Ping Xin can more or less predict her logic of action. This soft sofa that won't be so hard that it compresses people into steel plates after climbing on it is prepared for this purpose.

"Wait...Hina-chan! We can't do that, right? It's so rude!"

"Eh~...but a sofa is a place for people to sit and lie down, right? Besides, this is our office, so why not~?"

"Mmm... delicious~"

Asakura Toru came to the coffee table and poured himself a pot of hot tea. Looking at the steaming tea, it seemed that it had just been brewed. He poured two pieces of sugar from the jar labeled "sugar cube" and added them. The pleasant aroma spread.

"Wait, what's up Tou-chan?"

"Asakura...give me a drink too."

"Enuka-chan too!?"

Higuchi Enka, who had just been sitting next to Koito, also found a place to sit and ordered a cup of tea. I didn't want the sweet treats he offered, but I could take the initiative to get his things for free. I can only say that she knows the difference.

"Toru-senpai, Toru-senpai, Hina (I) want one too~!"

"Okay...ah, do you have any snacks, here?"

"Who knows... check in the kitchen?"

"Wait...everyone, this is so rude!...I don't care!"

After Fukumaru Koito was caught feeding Enka a lot of snacks under the table, she quickly defected and became the top member of Group N. If she can't beat them, she'll just have to join in. Otherwise, why would she be left alone watching everyone eat and drink? At worst, we can just apologize together later!

So after being told this, Fukumaru Koito joined Koei's evolution (doubtful)

"Oh, you're here already? I've cleaned the rest of the place too~" said the man who came in from outside.

“Eh…who?”

......

...

..

"Hello everyone, nice to meet you. I'm the producer assigned by Hengxin Group to assist "ノクチル" (noctchill) with her idol activities. You can call me ProducerX."

"...letter?"

“…You can call me Producer, Mr. X, or just ProducerX.”

"Is..Nobu-chan?"

"...Please call me Producer or Mr. X during working hours, thank you!"

"Ahaha~ He's the guy who's really good at making things. Hirashin-san is our producer, right? But what's with this weird headgear? How interesting~!"

In the end, he chose to remain silent. He had thought he could get away with it easily, but how could you have figured it out, Tou? I clearly hadn't told anyone!

And if it's a childhood sweetheart bond, shouldn't you choose to cooperate with me and remain silent at this time!?

"...Well, without further ado, now that everyone has enjoyed the welcome tea and snacks, please follow me and get acquainted with our future workplace—"

Ah, we've changed the subject, the four of them thought at the same time.

"This is an expensive sofa." Ping Xin pointed at the sofa.

"Aha~"

Ichikawa Hina, who was lying on top with a pillow in her arms, shook her feet.

"This is a delicious snack." Ping Xin pointed to the tea and snacks on the table.

"Uh-huh!"

Although Fukumaru Koito's mouth was stuffed with Enka, she still tried to respond.

"This is a home theater set and there are also various classic discs and Blu-ray resources." Ping Xin pointed to the extra-large LCD TV on the wall and the cabinet next to it filled with classic film and television works.

"Oh...Great!"

Asakura Toru smiled and gave a thumbs up, maybe she is also a Kuuga fan.

Finally, he pointed at himself—

"This is En... Enka's producer, EnP for short."

"?"

Higuchi Enka appeared unmoved on the surface, but everyone could feel the question mark over her head.

Ping Xin stopped joking and went on to introduce the kitchen, which had a large refrigerator for snacks and frozen drinks, and a lounge with beds, tables, cute dolls, game consoles and other stress-relieving items.

Then, outside, there were the other rooms in the building, such as the spacious dance studio with gleaming floors and the soundproof studio with microphones that could simulate a real recording environment.

Although they couldn't be called the biggest or the best, they were small but complete, with everything they needed. And after half a day of hard work, they had already been arranged in a proper manner.

"Since you're all still students, our training and work hours are mostly concentrated after school and on weekends. If you need to change your schedule, please inform me or other relevant personnel in advance. Got it?"

"Good~"

"I-I know!"

Ping Xin nodded, clapped his hands to attract the attention of the remaining two people who were not listening to him at all, and continued:

"Then for the first mission... please decorate the office to your liking—"

Although I worked a long time today to make this place look great from scratch, this is just my personal preference. So please feel free to change the layout and furnishings here, and feel free to bring some favorite decorations from home.

"Aha~ Then Hina, I will bring You Kuma over later!" Hina, who was lying on the sofa and feeling a little sleepy, suddenly got up and said.

"Um...posters or something?"

"Then I'll bring some books I like too!"

"..."

"Haha, as long as it doesn't affect normal work and disturb other people, then that's all I have to say today. Everyone can disperse~"

Pingxin clapped his hands, ending the conversation. The so-called idol profession was one where most of the time they had very little free time, but when they were busy, they were constantly on the go.

But no matter what, they are still students and children, and it is not easy to balance study, life and idol work. Therefore, he wants to use such small details to make them feel comfortable and at ease.

"Okay~" x3

Chapter 4000 Alice Found Her Home ()

"Ah, shouldn't you go that way?"

"Brother... Starting today, I'll also be attending the high school department of Shengxiang Middle School. Do you remember?"

"Oh~oh~... Come to think of it, it's true. I'm finally able to go to school with my sister. I'm so happy—"

This is a lie. How could this man forget such an important thing?

It's like that, that... When your child or younger brother or sister hides his/her hands behind his/her back and walks over to you with an effortless and hidden look, even if you have guessed it or seen the insignificant gadget in the mirror behind him/her, you will still pretend not to know and try to make him/her happy, right?

When they entered the school gate on the first day of school, the large group of six people, including Hiranobu, his sister Matoki Asuka, his girlfriend Asuna Ichinose, Karin Kadotate, Akane Murokasa, and Miganelu, naturally attracted attention.

The freshmen were still chattering and discussing in low voices, but the second and third year students had already smiled knowingly, and in fact, they would privately touch their heads where their hair was gradually decreasing, wondering when the Heike family had gained a new wife.

"Speaking of which, Xiao Xiao, have you decided what you want to do after entering high school? Although I've always asked you to help me manage work matters, it's actually not your responsibility."

"No, brother, please let me continue... because I want to help you too."

The brother and sister walking side by side only needed to look at each other to know that what the other said was true. This was the tacit understanding accumulated through years of companionship day and night. It was as if they knew the result in advance but still said these words.

"Is that so... Then please continue to help this useless brother of mine, Xiaoshi."

"Well, leave it to me, Brother-sama."

The conversation ended here, and at this moment someone happened to break into the brother and sister's space——

"Hour--!"

It was because of her childlike, energetic, slightly shrill, yet recognizable voice, and her loud voice, regardless of the occasion. Even after just two words, Hirayuki knew the visitor was Kurosaki Koyuki, a friend he had made in the third grade when he was a child.

"Xiaoxue, shut up...don't ruin my good thing!"

“Ehhhh…scare—!”

Xiaoxue, who was incredibly excited to see a friend she hadn't seen for half a month, was frightened by Xiaoshi's reaction and trembled in fear. Although he's a mischievous child who doesn't understand the mood, it's still a bit pitiful...

"Good morning, Xiaoxue. I was just talking to Xiaoshi about something important, and your sudden loud shouting really scared me~"

With one hand pressed against his chest, the other expertly patted Kurosaki Koyuki's head. After years of stroking cats, dogs, bears, large fish, and even his girlfriend, Hirayuko had become a master at head-patting. So, with just two simple strokes, Koyuki recovered from her fright.

"Next time, be mindful of the situation before you yell. Xiaoxue likes fun things, but she's not a bad kid who plays annoying pranks, right? Xiaoshi isn't really angry either, and she still likes being your friend."

"Really, really?"

"...I know Xiaoxue doesn't mean any harm sometimes, but my eardrums don't think so."

Although she was still somewhat angry when she spoke, Xiaoshi didn't seem to want to let this valuable talent and rare friend go. She had just managed to create a good atmosphere with her brother, but he was still angry... Unconsciously, her face turned gloomy again.

"Ahhh...ah, I'm sorry (whispering)." Kurosaki Koyuki was about to run away like before, but under Hiranobu's caress (?), she apologized sincerely. She lowered her head and apologized quietly.

"...Ha—Come on, we're still in the same class this year, so if you need to catch up on your holiday homework, come over quickly."

"Haha, it turns out that you were still my friend when you were little~!"

Although the friendship between the two of us is great, please do your homework carefully, Kurosaki Koyuki—

Then I'll find a way to find someone to supervise her, for example...give her the role of a worrying mother!

Ping Xin suddenly came up with the best solution. This kid is so cute, why not use him as a laborer (crossed out)... ahem, it would be a shame if he didn't join the student union!

"Well, that's it... But I might not be able to come back after school today, so let Xiaoshi take Xiaoxue to the student union. It just so happens that Yuuka, Noah, and Liyin have never been to our house before, so they are not very familiar with Xiaoshi. It will be easier to get things done after getting to know them here-"

Just like that, the two who hadn't seen each other for a long time met again under such unexpected circumstances...

......

...

..

"...It's been a long time since we last met, Lady Isabella. I never thought we would meet again in this way."

"That's what I should be saying... Alice, you survived."

On the rooftop of Shengxiang Middle School, a woman with black hair and red eyes was having a conversation with a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. The topic of their conversation was naturally not about Kurosaki Koyuki, who had just hit the giant cushion and fallen to the ground and was now applying medicine in the student council room, but rather some conversational words between old friends.

Seeing the girl before her, whose expression was equally blank but whose aura was noticeably gentler and more lively, Tiao Yue Liyin's gaze was filled with mixed emotions. Although it was those red eyes that had frightened Xiao Xue and made her scream, they were something Xiao Xue was all too familiar with.

"Not really. Lady Isabella—Alice died in Victoria, and the one here now is my brother's one and only maid, Asuka Batoki."

Lifting the hem of her skirt, she curtsied gracefully. It seemed she was still respectful, but it was completely different from before. After all, before, she had to kneel or even lie on the ground to show respect to her master.

"Is that so... Then you can call me Tiaoyue Liyin, that's my name here. Isabella is dead, but not because of her stupid family, but because of her mother."

"Yes, I understand—"