The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

"Because I am just a finished 'fake', and you are like a young bird just ready to soar into the sky with an unlimited future. Your talent and hard work are genuine 'real things'..." Ping Xin's tone was filled with a hint of envy, but he still offered his blessings to the slightly immature girl in front of him.

"At least right now, I think you are stronger."

Yukina's recognition.jpg

In the final voting results, Ping Xin maintained a 1-vote lead until the end.

"It seems that this time it's me..."

"Wait, don't give up so quickly. Ms. Marina, have you confirmed that the [box] is really [empty]?"

"Eh? But I should have touched them all..."

"The number of people is wrong... Don't underestimate my brain. The vote count and the total number of people are missing a key [1]! Yukina, you are a woman who is aiming for the top, so don't give up easily!"

Ping Xin walked to the small table that was set up temporarily, turned the ballot box upside down, and then shook it gently like a cocktail.

One second, two seconds, three seconds... Ping Xin grasped everyone's gaze, breathing, and thoughts. They were witnessing. Although they didn't know what was happening, they still witnessed it. They just wanted to see it to the end!

"It's really out? The last vote!" an audience member couldn't help but exclaimed.

"Now that I have grasped the [Future] in my hands... then this final vote is up to you, Ms. Marina—"

"(gulps)... Is-so the final result is... a draw?!"

The audience erupted in unexpected cheers - from Yukina Minato's all-out singing at the beginning to Hirayuma's surprise performance, as well as the little interactions between the two on stage and the final reversal, it was truly a precious experience... Whether it was the majority of Yukina fans present or the small number of passers-by, everyone enjoyed it thoroughly.

Oh, right, if I'm discovered that I'm just enjoying the melody and don't actually understand the lyrics, my career as a viewer will be over, right? Oh, let's just use a loud voice here to get by—

"Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore!" xN

"...I think it's okay. What does the solitary singer say?"

"..."

Seeing the cheers and the unanimous cries of "Encore!" from the audience, Yukina felt a surge of emotion she hadn't experienced before. She usually arrived and left on time, like it was her job, oblivious to everyone else, completely focused on her performance. But today's performance seemed completely different. The ordinary, unassuming enthusiasm of the audience infected her, making her want to go wild too.

"...We're all waiting for you, Yukina—"

"Are you ready to follow my lead?" Youxina took the microphone and waved to the audience.

“Oh——!”

"...Then let's end with a more upbeat song. Singing it for the first time after getting the lyrics must be a new experience for you."

Hiranobu handed over his phone. This song should be just what Yukina needs right now. After briefly scanning the lyrics, Yukina took the in-ear monitor Marina handed her. Normally, even at small live performances, she wouldn't rely on such "external devices," focusing solely on her performance, but to put a perfect end to today, she decided to make an exception.

Maybe...she meant...it might be nice to be "willful" like this occasionally—

“…Then please listen to 『言って。』——!”

*Original singer: ヨルシカ

Really... So this is what you wanted to tell me, to speak out your heart.

Now I think I can understand...

As Hirayuko's guitar played, Yukina also started singing. For musicians, there is no better way to represent a handshake and a reconciliation than this.

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

Chapter 77: Lunch Time of the Living Group

Amid the audience's enthusiasm, Taikuni's Hiranobu and Yukina performed together for an encore. With the audience reluctant to leave, the "battle" finally came to an end. Being in the band is just a hobby; eating and drinking is life. At this moment, the group was on their way to the restaurant.

"Minato-kun...there's nothing I can fault with your singing. It's more perfect than anything I've ever heard—I want to form a band with you!

Also, I want to participate in Future World Fes with you. By joining you, I can surely move towards my ideal—the pinnacle!

"It's great to be in a band with you, Hikawa-san. Can I start booking a recording studio? I don't want to waste time—"

"Agreed, do we have any other companions now?"

——At the end of the team, Yukina Minato and Sayo Hikawa were conspiring loudly, having formed a united front.

"No, there are only two of us at the moment. We also need a bass and a drummer to take care of the rhythm, as well as the most important keyboard player in the band."

"But didn't Hirayuki-san say before..."

After Hikawa Sayo's speech, everyone's eyes turned to Hirayobu, and the man leading the way suddenly felt uneasy...

"Anyway... let's go in first... If we talk about it after we order, we can make the most of our time. Since we're both efficient chefs, you understand, right?"

"I see... Wow—we're actually here?! Pingxin, are you lost? This is the 'Qianlong Pavilion' where meals cost anywhere from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yen!!"

As a hottie, Lisa Imai had naturally heard of "Qianlongge," a restaurant that frequently appeared on various charts, shows, and magazines. She was so shocked that her tone of voice was a little strange. However, when she looked around in surprise, she found that no one else noticed anything strange except her.

Hirayoshi had invested in this business, needless to say. Ako and Rinko had just been here a few days ago for a "buffet," so they were only surprised by the numbers. Once you get used to freeloading, you lose the ability to be surprised. Meanwhile, Minato Yukina and Hikawa Sayo were music enthusiasts, one saying, "I can only sing," the other, "I only have the guitar." With their simple personalities, they believed in Hirayoshi—

After all, they couldn't possibly be brought here to wash dishes, right? Perhaps they were auditioning for a resident band or something like that. It's safe to say that people with "musical brains" really think differently. As soon as they walked through the door, they were met by the waiter who had been waiting for a long time.

"...Please follow me. Your reserved private room has just been cleaned. Ms. Shirogane and Ms. Udagawa already have a profile of your food preferences and dislikes. Would you both like to follow that standard today? And for the rest of you, when you go upstairs, you can scan the QR code on the wall to create your dietary profile. The kitchen will recommend dishes based on your preferences and avoid ingredients and flavors you dislike."

Please rest assured that our information is for internal reference only. Even the chef can only see a string of numbers, and we will never disclose your privacy—" The waiter explained everything that needed to be said clearly while taking the few people upstairs.

"...Today's food preferences will be the same as usual. Who is today's chef?"

After pulling out chairs for a few people, the waiter standing by replied, "It's Chef Caesar."

"...Chef Caesar is from Italy, so why not have pasta and pizza today? Remember not to order any fruit pizza, or Chef Caesar, with his explosive temper, might just come up and confront you."

Caesar is not a very rare name in Italy, after all, people don't have to worry about taboos. In short, just remember that this is not Gattuso with big chest muscles, but a blond, blue-eyed middle-aged chef.

"Pingxin, it's up to you to decide. I just want to get to the next topic quickly."

She has never cared much about Tomoki Minato.

"...I agree with Minato-san. After all, do we really need to come to a place like this to talk?"

Hikawa Sayo, she only has the guitar.

"Yukina-san and Sayo-san, the food here is delicious. Right, Rin-rin?"

“…That’s indeed the case.”

It was now two against two on the field, and everyone else's attention was focused on Lisa Imai—

"Ahaha... I'm fine with it, as long as the workload isn't too high. Um... Pingxin-kun, are you not worried about the expenses? (whispering)" Lisa, who was sitting between Yuki and Pingxin, asked in a low voice.

She was the only one among the people present who would consider such a question—

Sure enough, only Lisa's mother would worry about my wallet. Although it was my own suggestion to come here, she really... Anyway, I cried to death!

"...Don't worry, Ms. Lisa. I'm quite familiar with the management here. Every time I come here, they basically only charge me for the ingredients and the chef's cooking fee. It's a huge discount."

Although he always recorded the original price and deducted it from the dividends, it was better to say it this way, right? After all, Ping Xin (self-proclaimed) was not the "rely on billions to get close to people" route, so he made up a white lie, which was easier to accept than saying "I am the "Iron Man" or "I know the man in red armor."

"...Enjoying delicious food is part of enjoying life. People who can't relax their minds and bodies in their daily lives often find it difficult to experience positive emotions.

So having a good meal will also help you in your pursuit of the musical path. Perhaps... you can consider this as part of our bet, Yukina. And eating well is better for continuing training, right, Saya?

After Ping Xin said this, no one objected. He was very good at using someone else's name to deceive others.

"You can scan the QR code on the wall to create your own personal diner profile. Lisa should know how to use it, right? So, please help them."

"Leave it to me~"

After knowing that Ping Xin did not come here forcibly, Lisa Imai felt relieved and returned to her previous relaxation and easy-going attitude.

"Then, we'll bring them a pasta dish based on their personal preferences, and a few pizzas in various flavors, in small, regular sizes, so they can eat more easily... Oh, and remember to bring up a special honey grapefruit tea for soothing throats...

Yazi ordered chips? Then switch to fries. I want two dipping sauces: sea salt and ketchup... And the salad should be a vegan salad that's light on the fat, and the dressing should be low-calorie. After all, the pretty girls here have to pay attention to their appearance... And I'll still go big on the portions, as usual. You guys can do whatever you want... Fill my pizza, lasagna, and polenta with cheese. You know me (whispering). That's about it...

After Ping Xin skillfully placed his order, it was finally time for conversation. From their expressions, it was clear that Ping Xin's choice of restaurant, the dishes he ordered, and the speed with which he took orders all suited their tastes, so it was time to get down to business.

After the waiter left the room, Ping Xin spoke up, "Now, let's get started on today's topic. First of all—"

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

Chapter 4000 Intelligent Matching ()

"...So, first of all, our bet—do you agree to the outcome of a draw, Yukina?"

"That's the truth. I have nothing to say."

Okay, it was fun chatting!

"...That's right. So, according to my bet with Bang, I will officially serve as your advisor from now on until your band successfully performs on the Future World Fes stage. Please be patient with me~"

After (thinking he) got to know each other better, Ping Xin gradually began to let himself go, and at least now he still looked normal.

"Lisa, I want to apologize to you, too—I'm sorry I ignored your feelings before."

After experiencing the series of events that just happened, Yukina, who finally sang a new song on the spot, finally understood what Hiranobu wanted to convey to her, and finally realized that she had ignored Lisa because she was too distressed.

"Come on, Yukina, we're childhood sweethearts, right? Besides, I'm used to being left behind by you. After all, it's been about a hundred times, hahahaha—"

I didn't expect you to be this kind of Yukina, are you also a king of failures?!

After mentally complaining about a joke that no one in this world currently understood, Ping Xin continued to push the topic forward.

"...You two were discussing where to find the remaining members, right? To be honest, I already have some rough candidates in mind."

"...Isn't it true that we still need teammates who are both talented and ambitious? The preliminaries for this year's Future World Fes are still two or three months away, so we need to at least form a band and perform a few shows before then to build up enough popularity. While it seems like we have plenty of time, we still have to consider whether we can find suitable members, how the band will gel, and so many other factors..."

Hikawa Sayo's answer was very serious. This is exactly the problem they must face on the road to their goal.

"It would be best if it could have a certain influence overseas. I heard that whether the censorship in recent years has contributed to the exchange of world music will also be one of the reference criteria." Minato Yukina added.

"...I see—I think I understand. Well, that's settled then. Let's move on to the next topic. Do you think it's better to discuss participating in the summer music festival first, or finalize the practice schedule?"

"?"

"??"

"???"

"What, are you talking about Yazi?"

"..."

The remaining five people except Ping Xin looked at each other, all of them were equally confused, and they all felt that they had missed not just one episode but an entire season.

Seeing the confused looks on their faces, Ping Xin took a sip of tea and suddenly realized: "Don't worry, I definitely won't join in. After all, our styles are different..."

And if he were in a band of beautiful high school girls, not only would others want him dead, but Hirayuko himself would want to die...

"Please wait a moment, Hirashin-san, at least explain yourself a little more clearly."

Hikawa Sayo rubbed her brows. If she couldn't keep up with the pace when talking to Ping Xin, her blood pressure would easily soar.

"I see... you've already found someone?"

Yuki was surprisingly quick to understand, or maybe she simply didn't think anything of it?

"...That's it—don't you think it's quite fateful that there are exactly five people present, excluding me as the advisor?

What's even more coincidental is that the responsibilities of the five of them are clearly divided and there is no conflict. If that's the case, why not just form a band here?!"

Ping Xin stood up from his seat and opened his arms, as if embracing fate itself.

Udagawa Ako, who was awakened, was the first to react and said, "Ako has always been a fan of Yukina-san - so please, let Ako join too!"

"But, the term 'fate' is a bit too... "

The serious Hikawa Sayo could not agree with such unfounded superstition, but she did not lose her temper right away.

"I see. Is this...Ayako the person you mentioned recommending before, Hiranobu?" Yukina asked, remembering what Hiranobu had said before.

"Minato-kun?!"

Even Hikawa Sayo herself didn't expect that the most "serious" person was actually herself——

"...Saya, I know you're anxious, but don't worry, let me explain in detail--"

Seeing that Hiranobu was not joking, Sayo, who was afraid of meeting unreliable companions again, gradually calmed down her excitement.

"First of all, Ms. Udagawa Ako's drumming skills were developed by me and her sister, and from a technical perspective, they're definitely at the professional level. While I'm still a relatively unknown person, you've probably all heard of my 'teaching experience' with the girl band Afterglow, which has become quite famous in this area lately—"

The five of them originally came to me to learn performance techniques, and even some of their early repertoire was provided by me, even though they had already mastered the skills after their independent live performances a few days ago.