The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

The meaning of basic skills is to let your body remember how to play. If you have to think about or even count the scales on the spot every time you change guitar chords, it is impossible to play beautiful music. Roselia's guitarist Hikawa Sayo is a solid musician who focuses on honing her basic skills.

If the purpose of fundamental skills is to teach your body how to play and how to "strike" an instrument, then the purpose of rhythm is to teach you the right timing and rhythm to "strike" accurately and effectively. To use a martial arts analogy, fundamental skills are like fundamental movements. These movements, executed at the right time, angle, and with the right speed and force, are the perfect combination of the two, creating a complete martial art and a complete technique.

Most musicians use a tool called a "metronome" when practicing. As the name suggests, a metronome is a machine that helps you keep the beat. Before there were electronic metronomes running on mobile phones and computers, people even needed to buy special metronomes.

Take guitar, for example. Every note in a piece is planned, so you can't play more or less, and the rhythm must be just right. Simply plucking with the right hand and alternating chords with the left is fine, but what if, within a four-beat phrase, you plucking up and down four times on beat 4, and then muting the second beat? Playing each note at the same interval while also playing the chords in the left hand is a complex task, and some musicians may need months or even years to master both hands.

Back to the "rhythm" itself, in fact, the existence of rhythm is to tell you how to complete a task in the most accurate and labor-saving way - this is universal in everything, just like in sports or e-sports, people often say "being brought into the rhythm of xxx".

Ichinose Asuna and Kadotate Karin are still in the early stages of learning chords and practicing plucking. Meganelu can perfectly copy with her Sharingan, and the reason why Murokasa Akane hasn't made any noticeable progress on the electronic organ for several days is because she hasn't found her own rhythm, and lack of rhythm is fatal for any musician.

"...You know what? This piano is the one my mother has used since she was a child. It has been by her side since the first day she started learning piano."

Ping Xin touched the piano in front of him, and his eyes revealed an emotion called "nostalgia". It might be that he was missing someone who is no longer with us, but it is also possible that he was just recalling those beautiful and happy days.

"That - it's really an important thing... I'm very sorry." Murokasa Akane lowered her head.

Hearing this, she felt even more ashamed. After all, as a part-time maid, she knew a little about what had happened to Hirayobu. With both her parents missing and their whereabouts unknown, the fact that someone had lent her such a memorable piano was a testament to Hirayobu's trust and expectations.

"What's there to apologize for? After all, the responsibility of keyboard player was 'imposed' on you by the willful Asuna and me. If there's any apology, it should be from me, right?"

"But......"

"Let's play four hands."

"Eh?!"

Pingxin placed his hand over Zhuyin like a thick roof that protected her from the wind and rain and kept her warm, hoping that this contact would give her strength, courage and confidence, just like his parents and the director of the orphanage in his previous life had done.

"Piano Duet is a form of piano performance. It generally refers to a performance in which two people play together on the same piano. This form of performance can cultivate good musical expression through the process of joint learning and cooperation."

“But I play it terribly…”

"It doesn't matter. After all, neither I, my parents, nor anyone else can play the piano since we were born. This method has been effective. My mother used this method to teach my father, who had no musical foundation at all." Ping Xin said with a smile.

Is this a hint?!

Murokasa Akane blushed and nodded. No matter what, her duty as a "maid" was to fulfill her "master's" [wishes]. No matter what~

Chapter 4000: Someone’s conversation is being eavesdropped on every day. I won’t tell you who it is ()

When people have a goal to focus on, time often passes very quickly. However, the closer they get to achieving that goal, the closer they get to their "results," the slower time passes.

After five days of instruction from Hirayuki, it was Saturday, June 6th. Hirayuki realized he'd forgotten his travelogue again, and after a night of overtime, even his superhuman physique was exhausted. After all, he wasn't completely inhuman yet. What woke him from his deep sleep was a phone call from Roselia's drummer, Ako Udagawa.

"What should I do, Hirashin-san? It seems like Yuki-san is quitting the band!"

"...Nani?!"

This matter started from a few minutes ago——

"Sorry for the wait, Linlin. There are so many people here. Let's meet somewhere else next time."

"Ah... no... it's okay..."

Ako Udagawa and Rinko Shirokane, who was holding a keyboard, met somewhere. Since they had their regular performance on Sunday, they made an appointment to meet at Hirashin's house today, Saturday, and practice playing together. For those who strive for perfection, there is no such thing as too much practice.

Because their homes were in the same neighborhood but not very close, they decided to meet in front of the "Hazawa Cafe," a popular place among nearby young people, especially students from Hanaoka Girls' High School and Hanasakigawa Girls' High School.

Because of its excellent service quality and food quality, coupled with Pingxin's large-scale publicity and advanced brand marketing methods, even on Saturdays and Sundays, students who live nearby come to have a drink and some delicious desserts to enjoy a leisurely afternoon tea. In addition, it is located in a shopping street, so the flow of people nearby can be said to be very large.

Although she was in a crowd at the moment, the socially anxious Shirogane Rinko did not feel panic, and even her usual "..." was less than usual. There were three reasons for this -

Firstly, she had her close friend Ako Udagawa by her side. Secondly, after several performances, she'd learned that as long as she had her own instrument, the keyboard, she didn't pay much attention to the crowd around her. Thirdly, it was Hirayuma's little "help" earlier in the performance. Shirogane Rinko had benefited greatly from her previous experience playing Wheel of Fortune at the arcade. She realized that the gazes of the crowd could bring not only pressure but also encouragement and appreciation.

Hirayuko's use of wave manipulation to manipulate her emotions gave her a false sense of courage. However, after diligently dancing with her friend Ako on the Dance Dance Revolution platform and being watched and praised by fellow gamers, and after performing several times in front of various audiences, Shirogane Rinko has become much braver than before. Even though it was initially just a false gift from Hirayuko, through her hard work, it gradually became true courage.

Sometimes you are afraid simply because you think you are afraid and you should be afraid.

Just like humans have an instinctive fear of deadly creatures such as snakes and scorpions that is inherited from their ancestors, but some people can still overcome it through acquired efforts and even keep them as pets. Some things can be achieved through hard work after taking the first step.

"Speaking of which... I redesigned Roselia's costume again... Last time, due to time constraints, it was a bit rough... This time, I added some details that better reflect Roselia's style and personal characteristics..."

"Really? That's great! Then let's go to Hirashin-san's house and tell everyone the good news, and make Yukina-san, Lisa-senpai, and Sayo-san happy too!"

Udagawa Ako happily hugged Shirogane Rinko, and such a pure and loving interaction made the passers-by around smile knowingly. After all, cute children are always favored, let alone two cute children?

"Um......"

"Speaking of which, Rinko, you really do like everyone. You even redesigned your performance costumes!"

"Everyone at Roselia...we're all friends...we had a lot of fun playing...we want to give the audience an even better performance...it would be great if everyone was satisfied...Ako?"

The two were walking and talking when Linzi suddenly noticed that her companion had suddenly stopped and was standing in the distance.

"...Linlin, is that over there...?"

Following Ako's finger, Shirogane Rinko spotted Yukina Minato, wearing an off-white long-sleeved top, a dark, hip-hugging skirt, and a black butterfly hairpiece. And... a strange woman in a Western-style dress? Sensing something wasn't right, Udagawa Ako followed, and Shirogane Rinko, clutching her keyboard, followed suit.

*Miss Super Strength is happy +1?

"Xiao-Xiao Yazi... stop peeking..."

"Rinrin, hush—Yukina-san will find out."

"It's not good to follow others without permission..."

"After all, practice is about to start. Aren't you curious about who the suited girl is that Yuuki-san insisted on seeing even though she was late for practice? Maybe she's being threatened, or even a stalker! If that's the case, we're the only ones who can help her now!"

It was clear that Udagawa Ako's chuunibyou had worsened, though perhaps this was due to Hiranobu's "teaching by example." After all, his paranoia was the most extreme among the group. However, her voice had clearly gone beyond the realm of "quiet." While Shirogane Rinko muttered, "Following is wrong," she was still concerned that Ako's words were true, so she immediately pulled her back into cover.

When the two men stuck their heads out again a few seconds later, Yukina had already walked some distance away and seemed not to have noticed, so the two men followed her again and walked into a luxuriously decorated high-end hotel. It happened that the owner of this hotel never judged customers by their appearance, so the doorman was quite lenient.

The two successfully entered the hotel lounge. In order to hear clearly the conversation between Yukina and the woman in the suit, Ako wanted to get closer, but Shirogane Rinko held her back.

"I... still feel that this is not good..."

Moreover, the man in the suit did not give the impression of being a stalker or a kidnapper. After all, there were cameras everywhere in the luxuriously decorated hotel. If a real evil person with ulterior motives really wanted to meet, he would definitely not choose such a place.

"We still have practice today, so please give me a little more time..." Yukina's voice came from a distance.

"I'm very sorry. The person who came to greet you before was a big fan of yours, so he rashly promised to [wait forever]. But for our company, this is just a 'business', and business is time-sensitive, Miss Minato."

Though she apologized, her tone lacked any trace of apology. The suited woman's heart was revealed from the moment she spoke. A businessman's respect depended on the other party's value. It was clear she didn't believe Minato Yukina was valuable enough to warrant their company's "concession." Or was this part of her rhetoric?

"No... Can't I really bring my teammates along..."

"Have other companies approached you? If they offer more attractive conditions than ours, then we'll give up. You have to think carefully. As long as you accept our company's 'invitation', you can step onto that dream stage. But - it's only for you."

"...I haven't been approached by any other companies yet..."

After hearing this, the expression of the woman in the suit did not change, but the subtle details in her expression showed her current confidence and arrogance - what is the most feared thing in the market?

monopoly!

As long as he is monopolized, it means that he has the final say on the issuance volume and price of such items, and all downstream manufacturers and customers are strangled by him and can only look at his mood.

They say shop around, but what if there aren't three, or even two, but only one? The woman in the suit felt like she had a sure win. All she had to do was sign the renowned "Lonely Songstress" and a dedicated team would be assigned to run the "Minato Yukina" merchandise.

In fact, the company's assessment is that the entire band is valuable. After all, they include guitarist Saya Hikawa, whose striking appearance but volatile personality can be difficult to get along with; bassist Lisa Imai, who grew up with the singer Yukina; Ako Udagawa, who has an equally sweet and adorable appearance and voice and is associated with the recently popular girl band Afterglow; and Rinko Shirokane, a "child prodigy" who won gold medals in piano competitions as a child. With proper management, these unique personalities can be transformed into visible "value"—in other words, into attractive "Fukuzawa Yukichi" (10,000 yen bills)!

The terrifying beast called capital will not stop sucking until it has squeezed every last drop of their "blood" (value) out of them - she definitely wants to take all of Roselia into her pocket, but she can't say that now. This is also one of the little tricks of "bargaining". After all, the more she saves, the more she earns, the more she can put in her pocket~

"So, should we participate as Roselia in the 'Death Match' where even professional bands would fail, or take the official main stage with us as 'Diva Yukina'...that shouldn't be a question, right?"

The woman in the suit took a sip of cappuccino, indicating that it was safe. At the same time, her attitude towards Yukina became more casual and contemptuous. After all, would you make friends with the fish on the chopping board?

"I......"

Yukina Minato couldn't offer an answer. She'd been working towards Future World Fes. to prove her father's music was "right" and to get him to laugh and talk about it again at home. On one side was her father, and on the other was a teammate she'd only been with for less than two months. It should have been a no-brainer, so why did she hesitate?

Fortunately, the call was connected during the brief time she hesitated. If she couldn't make a choice, someone would naturally give her the answer -

"Since you are so insincere, Miss Minato, I..."

"If Yuki doesn't have any 'sincerity' then why don't you just get out of here? Auntie, our cappuccino is a commodity, but our lead singer is [not for sale]."

A man dressed in a suit and tie, giving off the stereotypical image of an "urban elite," walked in respectfully. He was the hotel manager, so he wasn't exactly courteous to everyone; after all, welcoming guests was the job of his staff. Even more surprising was the fact that the object of his respect wasn't a single guest present; in fact, "it" wasn't even a person, but the phone in his hand.

"...Ping Xin?"

"Brother Pingxin?!"

Yukina Minato screamed in surprise, and Ako Udagawa and Rinko Shirogane who was sitting next to her, who also screamed, were discovered by Yukina and the woman in the suit. Yukina turned her head away feeling a little guilty.

That’s right, Ping Xin is the big brother that the two little ones chose, the object of respect from the luxury hotel manager, and the one who just “called the other person auntie when they first met”—

As soon as he heard the call from Udagawa Ako, Hirashin calmed down immediately. After asking about the general course of events and their current location, Hirashin consulted Gamma, the shadow maid who was his second agent and was responsible for industrial operations.

Then it turned out he was fully owned by this hotel, and it was mainly used to entertain various business partners and potential investors who needed financial support. It can only be said that his influence in Tokyo had indeed grown unknowingly to a level that even he could not have imagined...

"If this is a business deal, as you say, then what are your terms? You said you'd send Yukina to the world-class music stage, the Future World Festival. What are the terms, the price? Are you here for charity or to chase after celebrities?"

"..."

It was then that Yukina Minato realized that she was the only one whose "value" was being measured and who had paid the "price" in this so-called transaction from beginning to end. Ultimately, it was because she was too naive about the ways of the world.

After all, ever since her father, Mr. Cou, disbanded the "Dao Xin Po Po" band for commercial reasons and completely gave up his music career, she has been quite disgusted with so-called "commercial music". But now she has been caught by the "bait" thrown by a purebred commercial company and become a fish on the chopping board, and she almost became one of them. This is ironic.

"...Unknown gentleman, what have I done to make you so disrespectful that you're even unwilling to call me 'Miss'?"

"Okay, no problem, auntie. As for me... maybe you can call me Mr. X. As for the reason... you want to poach my people and you ask me?!"

Ping Xin always regards those who want to harm his relatives and friends as enemies.

So what if she was a woman? So what if Ping Xin himself was socially anxious? Not to mention on the phone, even in person, he would still press her like this—

No matter who it is, no matter what kind of person it is, no matter what kind of existence it is, no one can take anyone away from him!

Chapter 50: Roselia’s Disbandment Crisis?

Although Hirayabu had been called out by Yukina Minato and Ako Udagawa and had his real name exposed before, the hotel manager's respectful attitude, the name that was obviously not from his country after the exposure, and the name "Mr. X" that seemed to have been heard somewhere all made the woman in the suit very wary.

"Mr. X, we haven't found any company or organization that Roselia or Ms. Minato Yukina belongs to. I wonder who you are?"

Facing Yuki's relentless pressure and Hirayuko's cautious approach, the woman in the suit, a true example of bullying the weak and fearing the strong, received scornful looks from the crowd. But she didn't care. After all, in Tokyo, the economic hub of the East, a single brick could bring down a tycoon. If she offended a tycoon, the company might not be ruined, but she certainly would be!

"They're the band I personally sponsor. Do you still have a problem with that? Or do you think I'm in no position to negotiate with you and can only be slaughtered by you like that silly girl over there?"

The more mysterious and powerful Ping Xin was, the more she dared not speak loudly. The same was true for Minato Yuki at this time. Children who made mistakes had to be scolded.

"I understand... So what's your price? Our professional team can negotiate the specific price with you privately..."

"Private negotiation? Price? Puff—"

Yukina Minato, would a company that treats you like a commodity really be so kind as to keep their promise and send you to the Future World Fes. stage without asking for anything in return?

"Next time, be more careful and sober. You won't be able to encounter such a lucky opportunity as meeting me a second time... Even if you really get on that stage by this means, will your father be happy? Will you be able to prove anything? By then... will your music really still be 'your music'?"

After teaching Yuukina a lesson, Hirayuki connected to the internal camera through the software and saw her expression as she lowered her head in reflection. He nodded with satisfaction and continued.

"'There's a buyer, there's a seller.' Even if Yuki sold herself, what kind of price would you offer? Performing on the Future World Festival stage? Isn't that something the person in charge of management should do? If she sells herself, she'll have to help you count the money, right?"

"Please be respectful, Mr. X. We come here with sincerity!" Seeing that if she offended Ping Xin, not only would the business be ruined, the woman in the suit quickly retorted.

But I didn't expect that such a weak rebuttal would only make Ping Xin laugh——

"Hahahahahaha—sincerity? Ah... sincerity... Can you translate for me what the hell sincerity means?! You're not even talking about benefits and are unilaterally pressuring Yukina to make the choice you want. Is that considered 'sincerity'?"

...Stop trying to make people laugh! That kind of rhetoric is enough to fool those ignorant children. Don't embarrass yourself in front of me. This is your last chance—

Show us your sincerity... I promise I won't interfere with your words this time, and I'll let Yukina make the final choice."

The older child, Toukina, who had been scolded so much that she couldn't even lift her head, looked up in surprise. After all, Hirashige had repeatedly dissed Toukina, treating her like a brat with no self-care ability or social experience. She had thought that Hirashige would be the one giving her "advice" and commanding the overall situation like before, but she hadn't expected Hirashige to actually give her the final say...

Thinking about it this way, she really doesn't seem like a mature leader. Ping Xin is the one who considers many things and prepares everything for them, just like those overly doting parents. Perhaps... after today, they should try to be 'independent' -

"...Huh, I see. Then please speak, this... very 'sincere' aunt."

"Ahahahaha..."

Seeing Youxi calm down after exhaling and learning Yan Country's "Yin Yang Magic" without any guidance, Ping Xin laughed out loud on the other end of the phone. The two of them worked together to severely hit the opponent's mentality, and at the same time forced the opponent to pay the bottom price he had prepared.

Her fair face, originally from years of sitting in an office and taking care of her beauty regimen, was now livid and reddened by the two men's anger. One wondered if she had high blood pressure or heart disease, she would have passed out. Fortunately, her body was well-maintained thanks to her money, and even a little weight was hidden under her suit. It seemed that this time they wouldn't have to go to the police station to take a statement.

"After discussion, we've decided... We can accept all of Roselia's members and guarantee you'll be able to perform on the Future World Fes."

"...That's different from what you just said, 'Auntie' (Obasan)"