A guide to survival in a heavy girl's world

"That's nothing... Compared to this, I should find a chance to see that child again."

Chihaya Tetsuya said:

"Aine, can you help me arrange a date with her?"

"This... might be a little difficult."

Chihaya Aine's tone became a little conflicted.

"According to Li Xi, that child is like RiNG's stray cat; she could appear and disappear at any moment. Just like how she wandered into our recording studio today, no one can really grasp her 'living habits.'"

"Since she said she wants to play in a band with you guys, she's going to come find you guys eventually, right?"

"But she never exchanged contact information with us after that, and even left without paying after eating Lixi's matcha parfait!"

"Eh? Is there really nothing wrong with a child like this..."

After hearing Chihaya Aine's description, Chihaya Tetsuya couldn't help but shook his head.

No wonder Shiina described it as a stray cat. This free-spirited behavior of talking to itself and being completely unable to communicate does indeed feel like a cat.

"So what should I do? I could make loose-fitting clothes based on height and a rough description, but as a designer... I really don't want to make something so sloppy."

"Hmm, let me think about it."

Chihaya Aine suddenly fell into deep thought.

"How about luring her in with some treats first, and then taking the opportunity to snap a picture?"

"This is exactly how you photograph wildlife. Would this method really work on humans?"

"Then wait until she suddenly locks the door next time she comes to the studio, and then I'll call you urgently?"

"We'll probably be arrested early for false imprisonment before then, right?"

"Well, after all, the easiest way is for you to come to [RiNG] and check on us every day, brother."

Chihaya Aine said:

"Just think of it as a quick stroll through. You don't need to stay too long. When she shows up, you can observe her every aspect with your own eyes, right?"

"...Do you go for a walk every day?"

Chihaya Tetsuya thought about it for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"That's not a problem. And I just happen to have something I want to confirm with Shiina-san... Well, let's do this. Starting tomorrow, I'll go to [RiNG] every day to see if that 'stray cat' will show up."

"Yeah! I'll keep an eye on her here too!"

In this way, after a series of "rigorous" discussions, the Chihaya siblings formulated this "stray cat catching plan".

Testimonials

As the title says, this book will be officially on the shelves from today.

Before we get started, let's get down to business. To thank everyone for their support of this book, I'll be doing a week-long (or longer) update event. I hope you enjoy reading it. After the event, I'll adjust the update schedule as much as possible to ensure you have a better reading experience.

Okay, now let’s start the acceptance speech.

My few regular readers probably all know that I'm a writer who doesn't really care about results. Even when my last book only had double-digit follow-up readers, I still managed to finish it before starting the next one. So, first of all, don't worry about my integrity or whether this book will be postponed.

Secondly, I would like to implore everyone here to support the first order of this book before you start supporting it. This will bring me great encouragement and also urge me to write more and better.

Next, I would like to thank all the big guys (bloodthirsty giraffes) who are active in the forums and book review areas. Your complaints have added a lot of fun and motivation to my creative process, and also greatly improved the reading experience of this book. I am really grateful to you. I have read all of A Thousand Wonders of Buildings, and I will take your opinions as a reference and apply them to this book.

Finally, I would like to express my special thanks to Mr. Amulelei for the gift of the silver treasure chest. In addition to wishing you good health and all the best, I also hope to use this book to repay your support and encouragement.

The people of this country can tolerate me and not make money by committing sins.

I would like to pay tribute in advance to the parents who subscribed to this book. I am really grateful for your support.

I wish you all a happy viewing and pleasant chat.

Chapter 17: Darkness Burning in the Brightness (First Order Request)

The next day, when Chihaya Aine and Chihaya Tetsuya appeared at the RiNG recording studio, everyone's reactions were different——

Takamatsu Deng was naturally very welcome to his arrival, while Shiina Riki subconsciously straightened his sitting posture, looking as serious as if he was in class.

As for Nagasaki Suyo, she frowned slightly and began to observe Chihaya Tetsuya silently...

"Like I said in the group chat before, in order to catch that stray cat and also to draw the design for us as soon as possible, my brother has been coming here every day to take a look!"

Chihaya Aine said:

"If you have any ideas about the costumes, you can always tell my brother!"

"Please rest assured, I usually draw designs in the cafe and won't disturb your practice."

Chihaya Tetsuya added:

“But if you have any questions about clothing, you can always come and see me… Well, I’ll be heading to the cafe next. Aine, keep practicing.”

"Yes!"

Chihaya Aine smiled and nodded.

"I'll message you if any stray cats come!"

"Oh, I see."

Chihaya Tetsuya nodded immediately after hearing this. However, when he was about to turn around and leave the recording studio, he suddenly found that Takamatsu Deng was staring at him closely, his eyes seemed to be waiting for something -

"...Takamatsu-san, too. Keep practicing."

"!yes!"

After receiving a response from Chihaya Tetsuya, Takamatsu Deng's originally tense face suddenly showed a happy smile.

"I'll work hard."

........................

When Chihaya Tetsuya left the recording studio, the states of Chihaya Aine and Takamatsu Touma were obviously completely different from before. Although there was no change on the surface of Shiina Ritsuki, her expression was obviously much more focused than before.

After seeing the reactions of her companions one by one, Nagasaki Suyo's vigilance intensified again.

Sure enough, under the influence of that man, everyone is gradually gathering together and gradually developing into a complete and independent band.

This is not okay.

Her preparations were not complete yet, and she couldn't let them reach a consensus so quickly.

So, what can they do to deepen the gap between them and Chihaya Tetsuya?

Nagasaki Suyo's gaze slowly swept over the other three people.

And then, when she saw the sparkling earrings on Takamatsu Deng's ears, a brilliant inspiration suddenly popped up in her mind.

"Chihaya-san, you seem to be very concerned about the light."

Nagasaki Suyo suddenly smiled and said:

"Not only did he give Deng a pair of earrings, he even went out of his way to cheer her on. It felt like he was treating her like another younger sister."

"!"

After hearing this, Gao Songdeng covered her mouth in surprise, and then a visible blush began to appear on her cheeks.

"Chihaya-san's sister..."

She murmured softly, her eyes flashing with colors that made it difficult to discern emotions.

Just as Nagasaki Suyo thought, such an evaluation would definitely make Deng very happy.

But on the other hand, as her real sister, Chihaya Aine should also feel a little jealous about this——

"Hmm? Another sister?"

However, after hearing Nagasaki Suyo's comments, Chihaya Aine, who had always lived under the favor of Chihaya Tetsuya, couldn't help but tilt her head and showed a thoughtful expression.

"This level of care is nothing to him. Kneeling on his back, patting his head, and chatting with him from time to time are his most powerful skills!"

"Knee pillow, pat head..."

After hearing these words, Gao Songdeng's face suddenly became a little redder than before.

Just by imagining that scene, she felt her heartbeat begin to speed up uncontrollably.

On the other side, after seeing Takamatsu Deng's face suddenly flushed, Shiina Riki immediately scolded Chihaya Aine in a serious tone:

"Hey, don't feed the lamp such weird stuff!"

"Eh? Did I say anything weird?"

"Of course! Putting aside the head pats, the knee pillows... and so on, it's too early for the lights!"

Shiina Riki couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed when he was halfway through his speech.

"We should at least wait until Deng becomes an adult before we talk about that kind of thing!"

"Huh? These should be fine for a high school student... So Li Xi is such a conservative type!"

Chihaya Aine blinked in surprise:

"And isn't the premise of this topic just now about siblings? It's normal for siblings to do these things... Wouldn't Li Xi want to act like a spoiled child with his sister like this?"

"Of course not!"

After hearing this, Shiina Riki immediately refuted without hesitation:

"Don't think everyone is as shameless as you!"

"No, shameless?!"

After hearing Shiina Riki's response, Takamatsu Deng felt as if he had received a severe blow. He squatted on the ground powerlessly, hugging his knees tightly with his hands.

"Is that so? So I'm a shameless person..."

"Huh? A light?! Wait, I wasn't talking about you just now!"

Seeing Takamatsu Deng's extremely depressed look, Shiina Riki hurriedly explained to her:

"I, I'm talking about myself! I wouldn't want to do these things with my sister!"

Seeing Shiina Riki's hurried explanation, Chihaya Aine couldn't help but ask again with a curious tone:

"If my sister can't do it, what about my brother? If Li Xi had a brother, would he want to do these things to him?"

"This one……"

Although Shiina Riki really wanted to confront Chihaya Aine directly as usual, considering that Deng had just been hit hard by her answer, she had to answer more carefully next -

"Well, after all, I don't have a brother, so I can't imagine that kind of scene."

Shiina Riki stammered and said:

"But, if my brother was an adult like Chihaya-san... maybe... I would really want to try to rely on him... probably."

After hearing this, Chihaya Aine couldn't help but curl her lips and said:

"Why are you being so vague? It's normal for a little sister to act like a spoiled brat! So you don't have to worry about it, Deng!"

"Yeah! Thank you, Aine."

"You're showing off here because you have a brother... Can't you learn to be more low-key and steady like your brother?"

"I only show off my brother to you guys! In a way, I'm already quite low-key!"

"I really don't understand your judgment criteria!"

“………………Huh?”

Looking at the three people who were no different from usual, Nagasaki Suyo couldn't help but feel deeply confused.

Why didn't Chihaya Aine feel jealous of Takamatsu's preferential treatment? Didn't she have a bit of possessiveness towards her brother?

Also, why didn't Li Xi, who was always overprotective of Deng, feel alert to what that man did? Wasn't she worried that Deng would be kidnapped by that man?

However, although the reactions of the three people were completely beyond her expectations, she still managed to interrupt the rehearsal properly.

As long as their rehearsal progress remains stagnant, the band will never truly become a whole.

“…We can’t wait any longer.”