The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

Red and White Song Contest.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Even if you don't, it's great to just listen to it as BGM. After all, this world is really crazy about music, and only talented and extremely popular talented people can perform on the Red and White Song Festival.

So, from 19:15 PM to 23:45 PM, the Hirashin family also watched the Red and White Songs Festival, contributing a precious little to the ratings. In comparison, "Road to Adol" was just a minor hit, far from being a truly national program.

Anyway, let's set a small goal first: send one or two teams up there next year to show up. Even if it's just to warm up the crowd, young people are just as hot-tempered as they are, which is perfect for warming up the crowd, Ping Xin thought.

There were still 0 minutes until midnight. Fortunately, everyone here had unique skills, and the time passed quickly after each person sang a song. The only thing that surprised Pingxin was that his father could actually sing, and surprisingly well. He had every reason to suspect that this was also a skill he had honed in his daily life in order to avoid the (human) times (before) (obvious) needs (holy). He was worthy of being the king who single-handedly wiped out the local supernatural forces.

Staying up until 00:00 in the morning, listening to the clock on TV and watching the fireworks exploding over the city, Pingxin felt very calm in his heart. He liked such a stable life and happiness.

Like Yanguo, Dongguo people also send each other text messages to celebrate the New Year. Generally, young people use mobile phone apps, and couples and families may chat on the phone. In more traditional families and in certain social situations, many people also use greeting cards to express their feelings, but for them, there is no need for such a thing.

"Happy New Year, Ping Xin brother!"

"Happy New Year to Yazi and everyone...Here, this is this year's red envelope."

Hei Xin took out a stack of red envelopes that were about to burst and distributed them to everyone. Except for the different styles of the red envelope covers, the contents inside were the same. Each one contained about dozens of Fukuzawa Yukichi (10,000 yen bills).

If he really wants to spend money, he usually prefers to give checks or bank cards as they are more convenient. Of course, he can give more, but considering that children generally lack self-control, he gives a relatively generous amount but not enough to cause any trouble. New musical instruments, school trips, and band activities in the new year are all places where money is spent, and no matter how hard it is, the children must not suffer.

Taking advantage of the rising interest, the younger generation of the shopping district, such as Mitakeran and Ako, who had previously visited, naturally also paid a visit to the elders, Henghe and Fujiwara Kanon. Although they had disappeared for several years and had recently reappeared from nowhere, they were still respectful to Hiranobu, even if it was just for his sake, not to mention that they were all good children.

"..."

Pingheng is usually taciturn in front of outsiders. In Pingxin's words, he's just pretending to be a master, even though he's a master at it. He's also a master at handing out red envelopes. Unlike Heping's usual cartoon-style, cutesy designs, Pingheng's red envelopes are the classic Yan Country red, a joyous red.

The matching gifts he gave were even more substantial, with gold, silver, and jade trinkets to choose from. After silently pointing out the strange things one by one and then publicly dissing his father for giving away things dug out of the ground, Udagawa Ako's eyes lit up and she really insisted on choosing those objects dug out of the ground. Fortunately, he could now exorcise demons with ease, so he let everyone go and let everyone choose whatever they wanted. After all, no one here would feel bad -

Besides his "legitimate income" from expeditions, Pingheng also received a lot of gifts from various strange enemies, friends, and collaborators. Pingheng has no other interests except becoming stronger, and those who want to please him have tactfully turned their attention to his brother and wife, which is why he has a lot of jewelry. (Even Westerners would immediately mistake his uncle for a woman, Pingheng really laughed.)

In addition, their family also has quite a lot of assets, in other words, they have mines, and a lot of them! So naturally, these little gadgets that are readily available to them are not of much concern to them.

The final balance is reached by Fujiwara Kanon, Hiranobu's mother. Compared to his father, who always has a stern face and wears a black trench coat year-round, his mother, whose every move exudes a mature feminine demeanor, is naturally more popular.

Although the smile on her face is always a fake business smile, it is undeniable that Fujiwara Kanon does have a natural affinity, and this trait also became the opportunity for her to meet her father.

"You can just call me Xiangyin sister, you're welcome. After all, we are all friends and sisters like Xiaoxin, so it's okay to treat me like your mother and act like a spoiled child~"

As everyone knows, although this family looks like a bunch of people, they basically have some small special features. When introducing themselves, they deliberately concealed their surnames and just called themselves "Xiang Yin". In the East Country where seniority is strictly respected, they are undoubtedly very close, even too close. But when you hear what she said next, it seems reasonable.

Besides the nickname "Kanon-san," Hirayuki's mother's appearance received widespread praise. After all, girls are often concerned about their age and appearance, and this minor "flaw" actually makes her seem more approachable. It's clear Hirayuki's playful social skills have been a lesson for her, as they're all family, so it's no shame.

Although Fujiwara Kanon seemed a little too enthusiastic in contrast, and kept asking questions like a matchmaker checking the household registration before a blind date, she still became the leader of the children with her high emotional intelligence. Even a tsundere twin-tailed girl like Ichigaya Arisaki developed some affection for her, so you can imagine how high her affinity is.

As for the fact that she quickly became friends with the children in the shopping street, neither the father nor the son was surprised. After all, she was a kind of village beauty in the East Country... Although neither the father nor the son of the Heike family dared to say this.

She had clearly abandoned her last name a long time ago and only used Kanon or her English name Connor when she was around. When people called her Mrs. Ping or Ping Kanon, she didn't object but accepted it. However, Ping Xin knew that she still had feelings for her family deep down.

The father and son of the Heike family were responsible for serving tea and food, and preparing some snacks respectively. They did not feel regretful but felt free when they were isolated from the girls' group. It would be even better if there was some excitement to watch in such a situation. It can be seen that the personalities of both of them are also hereditary and sinister.

"Good evening~" Asakura Toru pushed the door open and walked in as if no one was around. Ping Xin seriously suspected that she would not be so casual even when she returned to her own home.

"...Asakura, it should be Happy New Year now." Enka's complaint was still so timely.

"Happy New Year, congratulations on the red envelopes." Xiaoyi's Yan Mandarin was a little hot on his lips.

"Ahaha~ Happy New Year everyone~" Hinana's voice was the loudest and her way of speaking was very unique, which immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the room.

"Ah, it's the four from noctchill!"

Ako blurted out the answer immediately after discovering it, as children often do. This, however, put a strain on Ping Xin, the adult, as everyone present was looking over. If this had happened somewhere else, it would have been hard to say. But considering Ping Xin's reputation and the four of them feeling relaxed, as if they were back home...

Come quickly!

It needs to be explained that the girls in the band have no direct contact with noctchill except for Pastel*Palettes and Hikawa Sayo who have participated in the show, and Pingxin did not force them together. After all, their business directions are quite different.

We knew each other when we were young, but we lost contact later because our family went abroad.

After we met, I started supporting their idol activities and we have a good relationship.

Their family lives nearby, about a 10-minute walk away, so it makes sense to visit them in the evening.

Ping Xin tried to explain the rationale of the four people's presence in three sentences, but it was obvious that this could not stop the gossipy women from goingssiping. It was not until Fujiwara Kanon, Toru, Enka, and Koito revealed a lot of "dirt" about his childhood that they temporarily calmed down.

"So, Heishin-ge has been weird since he was little... He's always different."

I want you to take care of it!

Anyway, after chatting and replying to New Year's greetings, Hirayukoshi and the others made a promise to go to Hatsumode together. Although it was just a whim of Asuna at first, Hirayukoshi also wanted to experience this kind of "meaningless" thing occasionally, and...

Forget it, just don’t say it.

Chapter 4000: First Visit ()

Wearing new underwear to greet the sunrise on the first day of the new year, this is the romance of men...?

A sudden whim to play a joke faded as quickly as it came. He washed up, put on a brand new outfit, and then donned an apron to prepare breakfast. Toast, fried eggs, and grilled bacon; fried dough sticks, steamed buns, and sweet soy milk; and rice, grilled fish, and miso soup—three distinct breakfasts, all ready to go.

"This grilled fish...delicious~!"

"Haha, actually I'm a little confident in my control of the heat."

The breakfast was not big in portion, and the emphasis was on quality over quantity. Of course, this was also due to the fact that the whole family had eaten a lot last night. Since the quantity was not large, it naturally did not take much time. After about 30 minutes, the group was ready to go out.

"Asuina, where are we going today?"

"Inari Shrine!"

No, so which Inari Shrine is it? There are several shrines dedicated to Inari, even in Tokyo. So which one is it?

"Delta, the driving task is left to you."

"Yes."

If you want to become a qualified boss, the first thing you need to learn is how to bring out the abilities of your subordinates, and now is the time to bring out their subjective initiative!

......

...

..

It turned out to be normal for Pingxin to dislike Hatsumado, because there were so many people there, just like the bustling tourist attractions during the long holidays in Yan Country, which reminded him of the unpleasant memories in the Tokyo subway.

In this world, the rich always have privileges, and the very rich have extraordinary privileges. If they don't have them, they can just use their money to create them. Therefore, Heishin casually throws away tens of millions of yen. If this money were converted into physical form, it wouldn't just be a waste of money, but a devastating blow. And it would have a real impact. At least for now, the deputy at this shrine is very enthusiastic about them and keeps talking about them.

As mentioned before, wealthy people in modern times often have power, or at least are very close to power, so how to receive such distinguished guests is also a science.

Fake guests: They take themselves seriously when they spend hundreds of thousands of yen at a time and like to make excuses.

Real guests: come once a year, tens of millions each time, not much to do and well-educated

Ping Xin's approachable attitude left a good impression on the female manager. Of course, there were also some off-field factors such as their last name, Ping.

Hot news: Minamoto, Taira, Fujiwara, and Tachibana are the four most prominent surnames in the Eastern Kingdom. The ancestors of those bearing these names all rose to prominence, at least reaching great power. The most powerful families may not be based in Tokyo, but those with the deepest roots are undoubtedly in Kyoto.

These young people might be the descendants of a large family who have come out to see the world. They should say hello to Fujiwara no Kaoru...

After leading Hiraishin and his group through the VIP channel to the quieter inner area, the deputy manager took his leave first. However, the group did not care. After all, there were several more lovely shrine maidens who came out to receive the guests. Regardless of whether the tens of millions of yen was worth spending, it at least formed a sharp contrast with the group of (part-time) shrine maidens outside who were mainly aunts.

"The miko costume is so cute!"

"Dear guests, if you need it, our shrine can also provide services and experience of dressing up as shrine maidens."

Wow, you seem to be very skilled in your business and even come to sell me something. If I ask you to provide a quiet room, how will you respond?

Ping Xin thought about it and felt that the other party would most likely agree, as long as the other party was not an old antique who didn't care about material things at all. However, he was not interested in deliberately stirring up some nonsense.

Skilled professionals often provide excellent service. At least everyone was pleased with the service provided by this shrine maiden. Well, everyone was happy, except for the little girl, Nero, who was being taken care of. Except for the custom-made kimonos being discarded and everyone opting for the cheap, mass-produced ones, nothing happened. The world was complete, with only the designer suffering.

Ping Xin doesn't want to be a wizard, and he's not a (hidden) henpecked husband like Pingheng, so he hangs around outside and works part-time as a guide. Otherwise, it would be difficult for his acquaintances to get here through the crowds.

As several shrine maidens stared in amazement, Hirayuko let in nearly 30 women of varying styles one after another, acting familiar with them. Otherwise, it would be hard not to think he was a scalper. After a while, they gradually got used to it, though they still felt a little uneasy. Tens of millions of yen for a high-level VIP ticket spread out among just a few dozen people didn't seem like much. Could this even be a group buy?

I came to the Inari Shrine to take advantage of the situation. You should know that the god who is in charge of business is enshrined here. I don’t know whether to say that he is "sincere" or has "pure faith".

"Young man, you're going a bit too far—"

......

...

..

Most temples in Yan Country have bells, and since the Tang Dynasty, this kind of culture has also been passed on to the East Country. The reason why I say this is not a waste of words, but because Asuna suddenly wanted to come to the shrine just to ring the bell.

However, the New Year's bell at 00:00 is usually rung by the temple abbot and the shrine's incense master, and it would be too late even if they flew over at that time, so the group later agreed to go to the shrine for Hatsumode (the first visit of the New Year).

While the bell rings regularly, ordinary tourists are, of course, forbidden from even touching it. To possess the power to do as you please, you must pay, so it's pay and get. It's true that tens of millions of people can listen to the bell and attract a group of people to enjoy the lively and peaceful worship. They're not scalpers, but they're happier than those who eat rotten rice. But this happiness is interrupted by someone.

"Why does this old man say that?"

"You let so many people in, and most of them are women. I'm afraid it will break the rules."

"They are all good children."

Judging from Ping Xin's tone, he doesn't seem to be the type who can't get an erection after turning 30, but rather treats them as his sisters. Although the training system seems a bit perverted, it at least looks quite heartwarming. If there weren't so many people admitting defeat, he would definitely have a better impression of Ping Xin... until he heard the next sentence.

"I told the manager who led the way from the beginning that 'a friend would be coming over later'. If anything goes wrong, it's not entirely our fault. We also have to share the blame for poor supervision."

"...This young man is quite humorous. How could someone of your status do such a thing?"

"It's always better to be careful when you go out. Even though Tokyo is half my backyard now, it doesn't stop weeds from growing."

Leveraging the insidious information he'd gathered from the parallel world's Xianjuan Shou, along with technology and inspiration gleaned from other worlds, Hengxin Group had once again achieved a significant leap forward in strength. So, Pingxin wasn't exactly boasting this time. In the past, he'd sometimes resorted to leveraging the power of the Xianjuan family, a powerful ally, to stir up trouble, but one day, that wouldn't be necessary.

The white-haired old man who was called by the manager was not angry but looked at Ping Xin with interest. If he was young, he would have slapped him long ago, but firstly, he felt inexplicably familiar with this young man, or in a metaphysical way, he had a good impression of him; secondly, he was no longer at the age of acting on impulse, his children were married and his grandson should be that age; thirdly... this was the first time someone did that, and to be honest, it was quite interesting. He was also very curious about this young man.

How could a seemingly unfamiliar member of the Heike family, perhaps a new generation that has emerged in Kyoto in recent years, dare to speak like this?

"This young man doesn't look like someone who would speak nonsense, but he looks very unfamiliar to me. I wonder which family he is from?"

"Although the old senior has white hair, he is still in good health, full of energy, and his demeanor is extraordinary. I wonder where this senior came from?"

The big fox and the little fox smiled at each other, and then no one spoke again.

On the one hand, he was wondering which family this young man who was suspected of using a false name was from, and on the other hand, he was wondering when his wives would come -

"Ciallo~...Guess who I am~?"

While the person who greeted her was also full of energy, she wasn't as blazingly hot as Asuna, the sun that orbited the Earth daily. While she didn't use the familiar brainwashing catchphrase and even deliberately changed her greeting, the fact that she didn't even use voice-changing technology made Hirayuko feel a little slighted. So, being a serious gamer, he decided to give her a little "punishment."

So he didn't say anything, but directly touched the pair of bare hands covering his face——

First, her hands are smaller than her own. Her fingers are long and slender, and her skin is smooth. Her nails are neatly trimmed and meticulously polished. They're beautifully crafted without any prickly feeling. Their nails feel smoother than most, likely due to some coating.

Although Hina is not that interested in so-called fashion, she has always been very keen on dressing up, so this pair of soft and smooth hands with nail polish... are definitely not hers.

After all, Hinana is left-handed. Even if she doesn't have calluses on her left hand from writing or daily life, she shouldn't have calluses on the writing part of her right hand. Could it be a trick where one person does the talking and the other does the physical work?

After a brief moment of thought, Hirashin gave his answer: "...the one who spoke was Hina, and the ones who extended their hands... were Toru and Enka, one hand each, right?"

"Bingo!...Ahaha~ Hina (I) said Hiranobu could guess it, right~?" Although she lost a round in the "mini-game" competition, Hina was smiling happily.

"Brother Pingxin is amazing, how did you guess that?"

Because it was just a little love game, Fukumaru Koito didn't stop them from messing around. Instead, he watched with amusement, even asking questions out of curiosity. Ever since Hiranobu explained that Koito's strength lay in her learning ability and that she should focus on daily accumulation, she's been constantly "curious~," which is really reassuring.

"The answer is actually very simple. Hina is left-handed, while Enka and Toru are both right-handed, so she's ruled out first." Hirashin stroked Koito's head and continued, "As for Koito, her height and hand size can be eliminated. These are based on actual data."

Ignoring the strange look from the old man next to him, Hirashin continued to explain, "As for Enka and Toru...while both of their hands feel great to the touch, there are actually differences."

"...abnormal."

"Hey, tell me about it~"

Enka and Toru's reactions remained the same, but fortunately, Hirayuko was already used to his wife's cold words and his "good brother's" wild imagination, so he acted like a complete man.

"Enuka and Toru are of similar height and weight, so the idea of ​​them coordinating an 'attack' is a very deceptive move, but it's not without flaws."

Seeing that Ping Xin was actually reasoning seriously, the old man was speechless but also became curious... However, none of the four people paid attention to him, and Ping Xin deliberately "let him go" just to make him watch carefully and then jump in his face.

"Because Enka's and Toru's nail polish feel different."

Hina usually paints Toru's nails, just as Ichikawa Hina used to think of her senior when she bought makeup. While she sometimes asks Hiranobu to paint her nails "as a lazy person," most of the time he refuses outright. They can discuss it privately, but he doesn't want to break the rules at the agency.

As for Enka... that's even easier to analyze. Well, because he applied it himself.

"But it's also possible that my nail polish technique wasn't up to par, so the left and right sides feel different~?" Hinana pressed on.

"I've already assumed this situation. Another way to break through is by smelling..."

"abnormal!"

"..."