The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

Apart from the last introduction which was obviously an insult, Ping Xin introduced all the people related to this family clearly in just a few words. It seems quite reasonable... right?

"It's just... why are they all pretty girls?"

"Who knows... I was thinking about this too—" Ping Xin looked up at the sky but could only see the ceiling.

"Ping Xin, although we are not from the same school, as the Discipline Committee member, I still want to advise you not to engage in impure relationships with the opposite sex...especially with multiple people at the same time!"

The last sentence is superfluous!

"Don't worry, Master Heishin is still a virgin until today~ Please use the slippers--"

"Wow..where did she come from?"

"You can call my hired maids Shadow. They appear and disappear all the time, and even I can't keep track of everyone's positions at the same time. You'll get used to it—"

And...Delta, stop talking nonsense!"

It's clearly in a bustling area, yet there's a mansion that's completely out of place. There are so many beautiful girls in the house, but the owner is a virgin. They're a master-servant relationship, but there's no sense of alienation. This guy (Ping Xin) is really weird from head to toe...

"Anyway, forget about those boring 'details' for now. Aren't you guys in a hurry for the interview and practice? Then why don't you just come in--"

"Excuse me——" x5

Hirayuko used a classic change of subject. Aside from Ako, the Roselia members, who were arriving here for the first time, picked up the new slippers Delta had just bought and followed Hirayuko in.

"What a huge practice room! Even bigger than the one in the livehouse..."

"And all the equipment here is expensive and high-end..."

“The walls and glass are also soundproof, amazing…”

"Is this where you usually train?"

"..."

Shirogane Rinko, why don't you say something? The other four have already expressed their thoughts, only you are missing. Your OCD is so uncomfortable!

"Let's get started without further ado. Are there any special requirements for the brands and specifications of speakers, synthesizers, adapters, and picks? What about mixing? It's always better to stick with the originals when you first start practicing..."

"No...this is enough. Thank you, Pingxin."

"You're welcome. It's not free anyway. I never lose out!"

"Indeed... it would be unreasonable to not pay for a practice room and equipment like this. How about double the price of a livehouse?"

"Saya, you're still too serious. You might be able to play 'perfect' music this way, but it's hard to make it the 'best' music—

As for the reward, it's just showing me something interesting... It would be even better if I could act as a competitor and put some pressure on the lazy people out there. As long as we all develop in this area, you'll run into each other sooner or later."

"Hiranobu-san... So what does Hiranobu-san envision as the best music?" Although Hikawa Sayo was grateful to Hiranobu for lending them this practice space "free of charge," the difference in musical opinions was another matter.

"My word... I think there is only the best performance, not the perfect performance—

What is the definition of perfection, after all? Is it simply playing in perfect sync with the score? Why then do we need humans to perform the music instead of just playing audio? After all, audio is infallible, unlike humans who can get tired, frustrated, and lose confidence.

"..."

"I think an absolutely perfect performance requires not only the integration of everyone's playing, but also emotion—"

"...emotion?"

"There are a thousand Hamlets in the eyes of a thousand people; the idea of ​​an absolutely perfect performance is a false proposition. Why does the same piece of music feel so different when played by different musicians? Ideals, beliefs, the muscular reflexes honed over years of physical training... but ultimately, it's the emotions that belong only to that person, sublimated from all that has been experienced."

I know that you, Sayo, are now against the idea of ​​striving for mechanical precision and elegance, but why is it that the music Sayo and I play with the same guitar is completely different? Have you ever thought about this question?

Only imperfect people will pursue perfection, but people can only achieve perfection temporarily and cannot achieve eternal perfection. However, how to combine the imperfections (personalities) of yourself and your companions to show the best Yang Chu, this is the goal you should pursue——"

"But...I only have my guitar, and this is the only way—!"

"You're still too impatient, Sayo. It's like something's chasing you. I'm not denying your pursuit of fundamental skills and 'perfection' in your performance. I'm simply sharing my own path with you."

The path I've chosen to integrate technique and emotion isn't necessarily better than yours, but it's true that your current skills aren't as good as mine, right? And there's no harm in learning from me. Everyone starts by imitating others, so why should you feel uncomfortable?

And you don’t just have the guitar now, you have me, Yukina, and Roselia’s companions, right? Although you still have to pass the interview…”

"...Huh—Ping Xin-kun, what you said makes sense. I'll take it into consideration."

"OK—if you have any questions about guitar, you can ask me. I also have a lot of notes from guitar masters here. Although most of them are Western rock, they should be able to give you some inspiration. If you want to take a look, I can lend them to you to take home."

"! Thank you... Sorry, everyone, I took so long. Now let's start the ensemble—"

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

Chapter 100: Are you ready to risk everything for Roselia?!

——!

...! This is amazing... It's completely different from when I play alone at home... I'm so happy! I'm really happy! It's even better than when I'm alone... I really want to play more... With five of us... I want to play!

...this person?! What's going on? I feel like I'm drawn to the keyboard... No, the other people's performances are too. What's this feeling...?!

This feeling... is like I've become one with everyone... and Yukina... just like before...!

"..."

Dozens of seconds had passed since the first ensemble, but the five members of Roselia were still lingering in the lingering rhythm of the music, unable to extricate themselves. No one was willing to disturb the silence.

"Great, great, isn't this great? You can coordinate so naturally on your first performance together. You five should definitely form a band!"

——But Pingxin dared to do it, he never cared!

"I think there's no problem with it, but... by the way, what does Minato think?" Hikawa Sayo spoke actively. The feeling she felt from this performance was something she had never felt in any band before.

*…Is this also a form of NTR?

“…Why? How could such a thing happen… How strange—” Yukina frowned slightly.

"Hey—does that mean... even if it's this good, it's not okay? W-why?"

"Ah... no, there's certainly no problem with the performance, and the technique and expression are also up to par—"

Please do join us, join Roselia.”

Yukina finally came to her senses after hearing Ako's question. She, too, was amazed by the ensemble, just like Hikawa Sayo. She wasn't surprised by the poor coordination, but by how seamlessly they worked together, like a seasoned band.

This place, this song, this instrument, this gear... and the members. It's not about technique, it's not about status; it's the "music" that can only be played under the conditions achieved at this moment...

This is exactly the performance effect that Yukina Minato has been pursuing and dreaming of as a band member for a long time!

"That's...that's great! RinRin is amazing! She's the best! Now we can perform together!"

"Thank you...thank you...but...I played it several times at home...following the video."

*In the original work, when Rinko spoke, she used a lot of "..." in the middle, but this was gradually reduced in the later work.

"Listen to me first, Ayako, Rinko-san... Lisa. With you guys in, let's do a live together. If we can practice three songs in three days, then the day after tomorrow—"

"Wait! I..." Rinko was a little panicked, probably because she was afraid of the huge crowds that appeared in her mind when she mentioned the word "performance".

*Because the stories of Afterglow and Roselia are advanced by a year due to the protagonist, they are more immature than in the original work. This is a secondary creation rather than a smear, right?

"I think you're too impatient, Yukina. You, like Sayo, seem to be being chased by something. Having ambitious goals and strong execution are both good things, but things also require a gradual approach, right?

I think as long as you can first improve your chemistry and technique, that'll be all that's needed—leave the performance arrangements to me, and you just need to do the preliminary work." Sensing that something was amiss and an argument was about to break out, Ping Xin interrupted the conversation.

"But...in terms of time——"

After these several contacts, Yukina gradually began to believe in Hira Nobu's character and ability, but it was not yet to the point of unconditional trust.

"For a month, I will arrange special intensive training for each of you, including daily independent practice and ensemble practice every weekend to hone your coordination.

In a month, I will help you arrange performances at various LiveHouses. If you want to perform on the stages of Summer Music Festival and Future World Fes, your current performances are definitely not enough. Your goal should be to perform on such big stages instead of being limited to just LiveHouses!

Too many unnecessary performances will only slow down your progress. You don't want to present bad music, do you? "

It seemed to be about dreams and the pursuit of her own musical quality. Minato Yukina thought silently for a while and then agreed with Hira Nobu's opinion.

Roselia's first official performance is scheduled for the first Saturday of next month, June 6rd.

"Then without further ado, let's start today's training—"

"Hashidou Madai (Wait), 異议あり (I have objections)!"

As a qualified Sensi (teacher) who had already led a band, Ping Xin could sense from their previous conversations that there was a conflict between their beliefs and ideals. If this "hidden mine" exploded without his knowledge, it would be troublesome. If it was detonated now, the damage would be less.

"...Ping Xin, is there a problem?"

Even someone as aloof as Minato Yuki couldn't help but get angry. Although Ping Xin could always give a suitable reason, it was definitely not a good experience to have someone interrupt you every time you were talking!

"I think before you start training, maybe you could talk about your views on music, or your respective goals and ideals. Otherwise, if there are conflicts later, I think it will affect the efficiency of your practice. What do you think?"

"...That's right, Ako, Rinko... and Lisa, now it's time to tell you about our Roselia goals."

"...Yukina?!" Lisa was a little surprised. Is Yukina going to tell about her father here?

"That's true. That's why I formed a band with Minato. We should really confirm everyone's thoughts here. What Hirayobu said makes sense." Hikawa Sayo agreed.

"Our goal is to get a spot at Future World Fes, and before that, there's the Tokyo summer music festival 'Summer Sonic' that Hiranobu mentioned. To get the former, we need to place in the top three in the year-end qualifying competition, and to get the latter, we need to perform and build up enough popularity.

But no matter which goal we achieve, we must raise the band's performance level to the highest level!"

*I haven't found the exact date for Future World Fes, so I'll set it at the end of the year for plot reasons.

"But it's not that strict. The practice schedule I give you is designed based on the characteristics of each of you. Just practice every day and participate in the ensemble on weekends.

Although everyone’s skills are now at the top of the amateur level, and some have even reached the professional level, they are still far from enough to participate in the two activities I just mentioned—” Ping Xin added.

Although he is easygoing, his teaching requirements are never relaxed and rather a bit Spartan.

"That's it. We don't have time for anything other than music. If anyone refuses now, or if anyone can't keep up later, please leave."

I can only say that Minato Yukina is really very strict~

"Ako, Rinko... Lisa, are you ready to risk everything for Roselia?!"

Chapter 101: Differences and Conflicts (6000)

“All a band needs is technique and an unwavering belief in their goals. Nothing else is needed!”

"I feel the same way. I hope everyone can focus on practicing in the future and not bring personal feelings into Roselia—"

Hikawa Sayo and Minato Yukina perfectly illustrate what it means to say, "I just want to play music, women are a hindrance!", but the last person like this has failed countless times.

"I understand, I understand, but! I think that for us right now, we need to balance honing our skills with unwavering faith, so vitality is also very necessary~"

Should we say it's Lisa Imai, as expected? Lisa's mother has always had a way of coaxing her children.

"...I think so too. Even if we force the five of you to play in perfect unison, like gears, problems will inevitably arise from wear and tear.

I think that increasing your understanding of each other will allow you to work together more tacitly, just like adding the lubricant called 'friendship' to a machine. The performance will definitely be more outstanding. What do you think? "

Once Pingxin, the most credible person in the room, started talking, the other "wolves" and "villagers" were speechless and moved on to the next topic -

"Speaking of which, how did Saya get into music? I know Yukina's father was influenced by him. Lisa's father was in a band with Yukina's father, and they were childhood friends. Ako was influenced by her older sister Tomoe, and Rinko has been learning piano since she was a child and even won an award.

After this round, I found that I know the least about you. You have said more than once before that 'you only have a guitar', so what's going on? "

"I... don't want to talk about this topic--" Hikawa Sayo, who was obviously touched by her sore spot, froze in her expression. She was already a cold beauty, but now she turned into an icy beauty!

"I see... That's true, then let me go first—"

"wait...!"

Shouldn't we usually skip this obviously controversial topic?

But Ping Xin is obviously not a "normal person" in any sense of the word.

"I used to be a useless person, filled with resentment towards the injustices of the world. I even considered suicide several times... But one day, I heard a song. Although I didn't understand the language, the emotion and power contained in the song were transmitted to me as I sang it. From then on, I changed.

At first I just wanted to listen to other songs by this band, then I started listening to other bands and other types of music, and finally I started trying to play them myself.

Okay, next one—"

No, who's going to follow through after you've started like this? This is too heavy, huh?!

But Hikawa Sayo felt that although their paths were different, this person might be very similar to her—

Hikawa Sayo initially started playing guitar just to prove that she was better than her genius twin sister Hina. Both she and Hirayama started playing because of the irresistible "reality".

Maybe this person... Ping Xin's words might be able to understand her!

"...I--"