The spotlights illuminated the recording studio.
Kurusu Akira, who didn't understand music theory, squatted beside the black coffee table, looking at the blank musical staff in front of him with an expression of frustration comparable to constipation.
The beautiful girls of the band surrounded him.
Kawaragi Momoka looked at the pristine, blank staff in front of him and felt a headache. "I thought you had already written the song."
Yamada Ryo looked thoughtful. "Amamiya-san actually doesn't know how to compose?"
Ijichi Nijika hurriedly waved her hand at Yamada Ryo. "In recent years, that software that lets you add music to compose has become very popular... Besides, we aren't a professional band, so it's normal not to know how to compose!"
Kawaragi Momoka, who had been a professional singer but was indeed not very good at composing, felt a bit offended.
At this moment, Iseri Nina, who completely didn't understand what everyone was talking about, stared awkwardly at the ceiling.
Togawa Sakiko showed a thoughtful expression. "Amamiya-san must be the type who 'can easily play melodies he thinks of, but doesn't know how to express them with theory,' right?"
Kurusu Akira recalled the cheat-like ability of the Dioscuri, pondered for a moment, and then put down the pencil in his hand. "It's true that I can only play a few melodies, and I've thought of the matching lyrics."
Togawa Sakiko nodded seriously and then looked at Kawaragi Momoka beside her. "Then could we ask Kawaragi-san..."
"No, no, no, I can't," Kawaragi Momoka hurriedly waved her hands. "I'm not good at transcribing music."
Yamada Ryo, who also counted as half a professional singer, pulled a lollipop from who knows where and stuck it in her mouth, chiming in indistinctly. "Then we can only use computer software to help create the sheet music. Let's study the song Amamiya-san wrote after we finish rehearsing—I remember Kawaragi-san also prepared a piece?"
Kawaragi Momoka generously handed over her newly written piece to the current band... She uploaded the sheet music exported from the software to the group chat on her phone.
[I'm Nobody]
Togawa Sakiko read the lyrics, and her expression changed subtly.
Iseri Nina, who had been pacing back and forth by the wall, also saw the lyrics filled with emotions of struggling against adversity, and her eyes widened instantly.
Kawaragi Momoka began to teach Kurusu Akira, who couldn't read sheet music, how to play it.
It had to be said that this guy was indeed a "musical genius"; basically, as long as it was played in front of him once, he could replicate it without a single error.
Kawaragi Momoka felt several times that his volunteering to be the rhythm guitarist was a bit "beneath him."
But Kurusu Akira always firmly stated that he was cut out to be a rhythm guitarist and would never be the lead guitarist.
After all, this position allowed for slacking off and staying hidden. As long as he avoided the timing of "full attractiveness release," he could minimize the chance of becoming a big hit on the internet.
About half an hour later, the band, having become slightly familiar with the song, was ready to play in the recording studio.
"1, 2, 3..." With a brief countdown, Ijichi Nijika raised her drumsticks and tapped them above her head, signaling the "start."
Immediately, a crisp piano sound rang out, followed by the pre-recorded sound effects that approximated a fusion of whistling and Irish bagpipes.
Iseri Nina's lowered, softened voice was transmitted to everyone in the recording studio through the microphone.
"Never influenced by anybody"
"Never becoming anybody I laughed, thinking it a dream"
"Numbed by the weakness I had forgotten"
In the gradually rising tone, the low, footstep-like drumbeats, the cymbal sounds like the tail end of a pigeon whistle, and the clean guitar strumming all gradually joined in, combining into an invisible yet powerful hand. It was like a torrential downpour, making Iseri Nina unable to help but let out her voice, shouting along with the excitement rising from the depths of her heart.
"Even if I'm alone."
"I believe in myself."
"Every time I get hurt, I just need to sing!"
The moment the three-minute performance ended, the recording studio was filled with groans.
Unlike the lead singer, whose mood remained high and who was immersed in the world of the lyrics, the girls holding their instruments looked at each other. Playing a brand-new song, their coordination seemed a bit disjointed.
"The lead singer is fine," Kawaragi Momoka suddenly said. "The voice is very clear, the emotions are full... Nina is very talented."
Iseri Nina hurriedly turned her head away, giggling shyly.
Kurusu Akira strummed the guitar with his pick. "Iseri's cold hasn't fully recovered yet, let's sit down and rest for a bit."
"Then... shall we continue?" Ijichi Nijika asked awkwardly. In the previous performance, she had missed the timing to hit the cymbals several times, and because she got anxious after one mistake, it led to multiple premature drum hits.
Yamada Ryo, who was closest, was so startled that she played a wrong note.
The drummer, acting as the "foundation" of the melody, kept making mistakes, the bassist followed by plucking two or three wrong notes, and the rhythm guitarist and lead guitarist in front inevitably went out of tune.
Even Togawa Sakiko, who had considerable "talent" in music, inevitably had to press a few wrong keys, led astray by the out-of-tune drums and bass.
However, she looked around, and in her heart, she was actually a bit surprised.
Although playing an unfamiliar song for the first time led to many mistakes, if one looked closely, it was clear that everyone in the band except Ijichi Nijika seemed very talented and capable—even when the drummer made a mistake, the bass and guitar were trying hard to find a way to correct the rhythm. Overall, it didn't sound too jarring, but the song was still too unfamiliar to the band, so even trying to save the rhythm proved a bit difficult.
Then she glared at Kurusu Akira beside Kawaragi Momoka; this guy was playing wrong notes on purpose.
When everyone in the recording studio was out of tune, Kurusu Akira could precisely play the most correct melody... Then, as if to blend into the group, he immediately started strumming randomly, dragging the lead guitarist beside him, who was trying hard to save the rhythm, off-course time and time again.
Kawaragi Momoka, as the biggest victim, gave him a glare that was a mix of annoyance and amusement. "Let's play it again. Everyone, be careful this time. Making mistakes isn't scary. What's scary is not being able to correct it in the shortest time possible after making a mistake."
In the recording studio's wall clock, the minute hand ticked forward, one notch at a time, until it completed a full circle, and the hour hand moved up one notch.
Ijichi Seika, who was making promotional posters on the computer behind the counter in the hall, suddenly heard a loud "bang."
The young band stumbled out of the recording studio like zombies.
"Practicing new songs is just like that," Ijichi Seika said, looking at them and shaking her head helplessly. "More instruments can certainly provide stronger appeal to the performance, but they also increase unstable factors during practice and performances."
Yamada Ryo patted Ijichi Nijika on the shoulder, by way of comfort.
Right until the end, this drummer would still make small mistakes in inadvertent places.
To play an unfamiliar song for the first time and expect a girl who was persisting purely out of interest and hobby to perfectly keep up with this group of talented monsters who were practically professional debuts or already near-professional level was really asking too much.
Tomorrow is Saturday. Everyone in the hall agreed to meet at STARRY at two in the afternoon tomorrow, then dispersed. Yamada Ryo and Iseri Nina had to go home to do their homework, while Kurusu Akira and Togawa Sakiko had to work at the shop.
Kawaragi Momoka needed to go back to Chiyoda to find a new part-time job... This morning, she, who could only drive automatic, was put into a manual transmission truck and almost sent the boss supervising work in the warehouse to another world with one step on the gas pedal. It seemed her job as a delivery driver had come to an end.
Seeing that Kurusu Akira and Togawa Sakiko had gone to find their staff uniforms, Ijichi Nijika found her sister, looking somewhat distracted.
Suddenly, a ticket was handed to her.
"There will be three newly formed bands like yours in the shop later. Want to listen to their performance?" Ijichi Seika knew clearly what level her sister was at. Perhaps it was enough as an amateur or enthusiast, but to keep up with the rhythm of her current band members, she had to practice much harder.
In the past, they had built rapport through popular songs, but now, suddenly facing completely unfamiliar songs, the difference in "talent" was starting to become clearly apparent.
But rock is always a team effort. As long as one is willing to put in the corresponding time and energy, one will definitely not drag the team down during a performance.
Ijichi Seika knew that her sister was a very responsible girl and would definitely practice hard to catch up with her friends.
She was just a little worried that Nijika's confidence would be hit, and she would become discouraged.
Ijichi Nijika took the ticket. "Newly formed bands..."
"Generally speaking, they are all 'full of flaws'," Ijichi Seika summarized with a cold face.
"Even with very familiar songs, they will play them clumsily and go out of tune everywhere. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they are 'all playing their own thing'."
"Huh?"
"In other words, Nijika can have more confidence in herself. Um, your sister actually means this." I don't know when, but the ghost-like sound engineer seemed to have emerged from behind Ijichi Seika and quietly patted her best friend's shoulder.
"Hey, PA, you..." Ijichi Seika pressed the sound engineer onto the seat with some dissatisfaction, letting her continue making the posters in her place, then stood up and walked to the other side of the counter to arrange the day's work for the two high school students who had already changed into their uniforms.
----------------
When it was time to get off work, it was already close to eight in the evening.
Recently, Kurusu Akira had gained a high reputation among the female customer base at STARRY. To take care of the physical and mental health of minors, Ijichi Seika strictly required him to finish work before eight o'clock.
The Phantom Thief counted the operating funds in his pocket—a full 143,400 yen—and his mood immediately became exceptionally bright.
He only wished he could work for another two hours, sell a few more bottles of champagne, and earn a fortune.
He rented a bicycle at the intersection near STARRY, preparing to ride directly to Shibuya to solve his dinner for the day.
Let's have a good meal to reward myself.
After all, the novel publication was progressing in an orderly manner. Editor Gaen reported the situation to him in Line every day. It was said that the staff responsible for distribution at DB were very optimistic about the prospects of this book.
Kurusu Akira would probably become rich soon.
...
A bicycle sped through the cherry blossom avenue, the tail of the bike stirring up circles of cherry blossom waves flying toward the neon-lit Shibuya. A high school girl carrying shopping bags on the side of the road grabbed her companion's sleeve, gazing at the impressive, gloomy-looking boy on the fleeting bicycle. Beside him, Tokyo was bursting with colorful, rain-like cherry blossoms at the end of the season. A few cherry blossom petals fell into the open canal, swept away by the rushing water into the vast ocean in the distance.
-
[Phantom Thief broke into "Wada Beef Bowl House"]
[Phantom Thief purchased "Supreme Luxury Beef Bowl Set"]
[Phantom Thief's mood, + 20]
[Phantom Thief's mental state, + 10]
[Assets - 3200?]
[Current assets remaining: 140,200 yen]
-
Stepping out of the Gyudon restaurant, Kurusu Akira noticed that the number of urban men and women on the streets of Shibuya at night had truly increased. He often saw refreshing fashionistas, dressed in the latest seasonal trends from Vogue with impressive accessories, occasionally appearing at the entrance of high-end restaurants or next to luxury store display cases, only to suddenly disappear into the crowd.
The overall style and rhythm of a city ultimately depend on the people living in it. As a Shibuya that has experienced multiple cultural impacts, its way of life and culture still retain the complex sense of time after wars and transformations.
Finely grinding sushi, cherry blossoms, capital, Bushido, and skyscrapers into colorful fragments, then sprinkling the dazzling glare of neon lights as seasoning into a highball glass of the dim night sky to mix a sweet and sour red wine symbolizing prosperity—this is probably Shibuya in Tokyo.
The Phantom Thief walked with his hands in his pockets, moving aimlessly with the crowd.
Suddenly, an advertisement playing on the screen of a business building caught his attention.
[The genius young painter, Kitagawa Yusuke, following his masterpiece 'Sayuri,' once again presents a brand new work, 'Jushiro with the Fox Mask'!]
These two paintings... they are truly beautiful, with strong tension and color contrast. Even as an outsider, Kurusu Akira couldn't help but exclaim from the bottom of his heart upon seeing the paintings of this high school student his age.
'That guy, his name is Kitagawa Yusuke, right? He seems like a very pure person, completely absorbed in painting.'
Kurusu Akira felt the intense gazes focusing on him from all around, which made him a little annoyed.
Although he was still wearing his Shujin school uniform, having just worked at the Livehouse, he had unconsciously straightened his back, and his messy hair was carefully combed, revealing an overly gentle and handsome face. However, combined with those sharp eyes, he immediately exuded the dashing and neat demeanor of "Okita Souji," while also possessing an unnameable fragility. But compared to a sickly swordsman like "Okita Souji" who truly existed in reality, he should be more like the "illusory" swordsman "Himura Kenshin" from "Rurouni Kenshin," after artistic refinement and beautification!
Such a sudden appearance of a beautiful young man made it difficult not to attract the attention of passersby.
Under the frequent gazes of tourists, this young man was like an epiphyllum blooming on the street, fleeting. Everyone knew its lifespan was short and fragile, but that brilliant and tragic beauty was like the fireworks that explode across the sky on summer festival nights each year, instinctively drawing people closer, wanting to retain this transient beauty.
Many loves died due to unspeakable advances. Perhaps there were chances for success, but they were abandoned due to inferiority and shyness. Girls only realized with a jolt of strong regret, like a sword digging into their hearts, after they had gone far away.
But it doesn't matter.
Someone is already taking action.
On the road beyond the pedestrian walkway, a high-end car slowly decelerated.
The car window opened, and a hand suddenly reached out, as if to grasp Kurusu Akira's figure, gripping tightly.
It was a thin, strong hand, with long, distinct fingers, almost pathologically pale, covered in calluses everywhere, where only sweat had flowed countless times; having endured paint, erasers, and charcoal pencils; countless recurrences of inflammation; only years of tightly gripping a paintbrush would leave such marks.
The palm pressed against the car door, five fingers gripping the handle, and a pair of deep blue pupils stared intently at Kurusu Akira, who was slowly passing by outside the car window.
Finally, the owner of these eyes called out, "Master, please stop the car."
"Is there something urgent?"
"Yes. Please hurry." This was a sense of urgency Madarame had never heard from his mouth, as if flames were scorching him from all directions, and any slowness would turn him into pale ashes, scattered.
"I understand." Madarame instructed the driver to pull over. The car door opened and closed, and to the sound of hurried footsteps, the seemingly frail boy sprinted down the street.
...
Having experienced the bustling prosperity of Shibuya, Kurusu Akira was ready to go home and figure out how to produce sheet music for his songs using software.
Suddenly, he heard a boy's shout from behind him.
"Please, please wait!"
The panting boy supported his knees with his hands, stopping behind Kurusu Akira.
Kurusu Akira knew at first glance that this was a very troublesome person.
He was a slender, tall high school student with deep blue short hair and eyes, wearing expensive luxury brand casual clothes. After meeting Kurusu Akira's gaze for a second, he awkwardly swallowed and then politely bowed deeply, "My name is..."
"I know you, Kitagawa Yusuke, the genius painter." Kurusu Akira had his hands in his pockets, leaving only a solitary back for the other person.
"I apologize for disturbing you!" Kitagawa Yusuke took a deep breath, his stammering words filled with passion and obsession, "You must be the one, the one I've been dreaming of and searching for... the subject, in short, please, you must become my..."
At this moment, Kitagawa Yusuke thought of painting this young man as his model, and immediately a tingling, current-like sensation spread from within, climbing up his spine and rushing to his brain. His muscles spasmed, his vision blurred, and his heart accelerated. It was an indescribable anticipation, as if he had stepped onto the stairs leading to the art sanctuary, each step forward and upward a breakthrough, shedding all that was stale and foolish.
The intense tremor made him incoherent, finally turning into a flurry of gestures. This 1.8-meter-tall art student struck a pose on the street similar to the Ginyu Force's entrance in "Dragon Ball."
"Become your painting model?" Kurusu Akira's eyes twitched. He suddenly dared not turn his back on this guy, quickly turned around, and stared at him with a look of surprise and uncertainty.
"Exactly!" Kitagawa Yusuke took a step closer, his eyes seemingly burning with fire, "I haven't painted a truly satisfying work yet... But from you, I feel a passion that others don't possess. No, it's perfection!"
He was like someone contemplating a perfect work of art, a miracle painstakingly carved by a master.
Then, Kurusu Akira took two steps back with a hint of disdain.
"You'd better calm down. I'm a high school student. After school, I have club activities and a part-time job. I don't have time to be your model."
"Part-time job?" Hearing this, Kitagawa Yusuke's voice became even more excited. He spread his hands and gestured to Kurusu Akira, "No problem! I can give you this amount... Please, be my painting model!"
The Phantom Thief was stunned for a moment. "You artists are so rich?"
"My master and senior apprentices are very rich. They should be happy to give me a sponsorship fee to commission you as a model—Aieeee!~ Master, why?!"
Behind Kitagawa Yusuke stood an elegant old man. "I apologize, my unruly disciple has caused you trouble."
Saying this, the old man pressed Kitagawa Yusuke's neck, pulled him back, and then handed a gilded business card to Kurusu Akira. "Regarding the modeling, you can consider it carefully before replying. There's no need to make a hasty decision because of his rashness."
Then he glared at the genius painter in his hand, "Yusuke! Aren't you embarrassed enough?!"
"Before art... ugh ugh ugh..." Kitagawa Yusuke was dragged away by the old man.
Kurusu Akira looked at the gilded business card in his hand, which read "Madarame Dojo," with a phone number below.
He really did encounter a "Dojo."
Kurusu Akira found his bicycle locked by the roadside and rode it back to Yongen-Jaya.
----------------
PM 9:45.
The busy workday ended.
After washing up, Kurusu Akira sat on his bed, watching the laptop's boot animation, and began to recall the experiences of this week.
After tomorrow's band practice, he would prepare to leave for Kawasaki.
Thinking of this, he took out Line and found Iseri Nina.
[Kurusu Akira: "Iseri, we have club activities this weekend. Let's put band practice on hold for now."]
Iseri Nina replied with three large exclamation mark emojis.
[Iseri Nina: "Club activities... is it that again?"]
[Kurusu Akira: "You'd better get used to it soon."]
[Iseri Nina: "Um... are we going to Chiyoda again this time?"]
[Kurusu Akira: "No, this time we're going to Kawasaki."]
Kawasaki? The two of them?!
In the bedroom on the first floor of the Sakura Residence, Iseri Nina, who had just taken a sip of cold medicine, almost choked to death.
She clutched her neck, desperately pounded her chest, and even rolled around on the bed, finally recovering.
The commotion was a bit too loud, prompting Sakura Sojiro to come over and knock on the door to remind her.
"Go to bed early."
Iseri Nina reluctantly agreed, then turned off the light, and lay on the bed, coughing and rolling around.
Her phone was plugged into the charger on the nightstand, and on the lit lock screen, the timestamp ticked away little by little.
...
AM 4:00, all the outermost streetlights in Yongen-Jaya went out.
The neighbor's Siamese cat, Nina, sat by the window of the LeBlanc attic, impatiently batting at the window.
After a while, the window opened, and Kurusu Akira, with dark circles under his eyes, angrily picked her up by the scruff of her neck, carried her down from the attic, and put her back onto the dark street.
...
After four in the morning, the streetlights would go out, and at seven, the bakery would open to sell breakfast. So, life was probably just like this: sleeping well, waking well, days passing quickly, time peeling away layer by layer, unknowingly.
After a peaceful Saturday, the band members, who still needed time to gel, decided to schedule their first street performance for the following weekend.
----------------
[April 27, 2022.]
[Days remaining until the Kawasaki trip: 0.]
The TV in the shop was playing the behind-the-scenes footage of the last episode of "Kamen Rider Revice." The host's feigned relaxed voice echoed in the shop, and one could faintly imagine the audience's curses through the screen.
Iseri Nina and Kurusu Akira sat relaxed in their chairs, drinking hot coffee. The warmth rising from their stomachs and spreading to their limbs made them want to stretch their bodies, and then—
Yawning and stretching are indeed contagious.
The two of them, one after the other, expressed the morning's laziness and comfort. The former stretched like a lazy cat, while the latter's joints made soft scraping sounds, like a dagger being sharpened on a whetstone.
Today, Iseri Nina's outfit was a white T-shirt paired with a blue-gray checkered short skirt and an open-collared dark blue wool cardigan. Her makeup-free face looked childish and cute, and her clear, innocent, lake-blue eyes exuded a sense of naive charm. A dark gray beret lay on the adjacent chair. From her clothing to her makeup and demeanor, her overall look emphasized a cat-like vivacity and lightness.
Kurusu Akira couldn't help but sigh, if this girl could just be quiet, she would indeed be a beauty.
Sakura Sojiro was clearly at work; the faint sound of coffee beans being ground could be heard through the earpiece. He waited a moment before asking, "You said earlier... where are you traveling with your classmate today?"
"Kawasaki City."
"Hmm, Kawasaki, it's a good place."
He looked at Kurusu Akira with gentle eyes. "Be careful on the road."
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