Rin not only sings on the streets often but also writes her own songs. Combined with what she just said about already having plans, her goal is fairly easy to guess.
According to her, she sings on the streets for two main reasons: first, to train her singing and performance skills, and second, to gather feedback from passersby on her original songs.
Additionally, since she has loved singing since childhood, it also serves as a way for her to relax.
"By the way,"
Since original songs came up, he asked with some curiosity:
"How is Miss Shimizu's 'Unfinished Dream' coming along?"
"Mochizuki-kun still remembers the title?"
Rin's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Unfinished Dream was a song she had created on her own, and if she remembered correctly, he had only heard it once, that night when he gave her advice.
"I'm quite confident in my memory."
He smiled without explaining further.
Rin replied:
"I've revised it a few more times since then. But..."
She pursed her lips slightly.
"I've talked to a few companies, and most of them want me to debut as a vocalist or idol singer."
In other words, compared to her songwriting, they believed her voice and appearance were stronger.
Honestly, hearing this, Akira didn't think there was anything wrong with their judgment.
Objectively speaking, setting aside vague ideas like "potential," based on what Rin had shown so far, her songwriting ability was indeed weaker than her other strengths.
But ability was one thing. Personal desire was another.
Just like how the original owner had trained in drawing from a young age, yet still chose to draw manga in the end.
...and even paid the ultimate price for it.
At least Rin, for now, looked mentally and physically healthy. In that regard alone, she was already doing much better.
So he asked:
"Then, do you want to debut as a singer-songwriter?"
"No,"
To his surprise, Rin shook her head, looking a bit embarrassed.
"At first, I thought as long as I could debut as a singer, that would be enough. But reality isn't what I imagined."
When a company first suggested she debut as a vocalist, she had happily agreed.
But after learning more about the contract details, she realized the restrictions were extremely harsh.
Not just professionally, but even her daily life would be controlled.
On top of that, the contracts lasted at least five years, and breaking them would result in severe penalties.
She rejected that offer.
But after meeting several other companies, she discovered that these kinds of restrictions were actually standard practice.
And for idol singers, the restrictions were even more extreme.
At this point, even Rin couldn't help but complain:
"It's like being a slave. This isn't the kind of singer I imagined at all."
"Yeah, I get that."
Akira nodded in agreement.
Compared to this, the entertainment industry back home felt much more flexible.
That said, although she had rejected multiple offers, she had learned something important in the process—
Among all types of singers, singer-songwriters tend to have the least restrictive conditions.
Some talented ones could even avoid long-term contracts altogether and instead work with companies through cooperation agreements.
And that was the kind of path she wanted.
"...So now I'm trying to create on my own."
"I see."
After hearing everything, Akira had a clearer understanding of the girl in front of him.
Yes, she had acted a bit rashly by negotiating with companies without fully understanding things.
But she wasn't blinded by their promises. She saw the problems clearly and firmly rejected the temptation of fame and profit.
That was commendable.
Looking at it this way, his earlier worries about her might have been unnecessary.
As for becoming a singer-songwriter...
"I think you might actually succeed."
"Thank you."
Rin smiled and nodded, though she still sighed softly.
"It's just that writing songs is much harder than I expected. Those seniors who can write great songs are really amazing."
"That's true."
Akira agreed. In any field, creators who can consistently produce good work are impressive.
After that, the topic naturally returned to her original songs.
Rin looked at him and said:
"It's still not perfect, but... would you be willing to listen to the revised version later?"
"Of course."
He nodded immediately, then added:
"But let's be clear first. Don't expect too much useful advice from me this time."
"Eh? Why?"
Seeing her confusion, he shrugged.
"Aside from liking music, the most experience I've had is learning guitar for about a month as a kid. Beyond that, I know basically nothing."
"Honestly, the advice I gave last time was just guesswork. I was even worried I might've misled you."
"I see..."
Rin thought for a moment, then let out a small laugh.
"I understand. Mochizuki-kun is a very gentle and considerate person."
"...Is that a compliment?"
"Of course."
She nodded without hesitation, then looked at him directly.
"But don't worry. I'm not someone without my own judgment."
"I listen to what others say, think about it carefully, and only take what I find useful."
"So..."
When talking to me, you don't have to worry so much.
"Is that so?"
Looking into her clear eyes, Akira understood the meaning behind her words.
He smiled slightly.
"I understand what Miss Shimizu means."
"And I think that description fits you just as well."
Rin blinked.
"...Is that a compliment?"
"Of course."
As if echoing each other, the two exchanged smiles, and the distance between them seemed to shrink a little.
"By the way, you also learned guitar?"
"That was when I was a kid. Now it's basically..."
He nodded, then paused in thought.
More precisely, it was in his previous life, during elementary school.
Back then, he had actually taken it seriously. His teacher had even praised him for learning quickly.
But he was still a kid. His fingers hurt, and without anyone pushing him to practice, he gave up in less than half a semester.
However, thanks to his "cheat," those long-forgotten memories resurfaced clearly.
Following those memories, he mimicked holding a guitar and strummed the air a few times.
...It didn't look very impressive.
Well, he had only been a beginner anyway.
At least he still remembered where to place his fingers for basic notes.
But Rin, watching from the side, suddenly lit up.
"Was that Romance de Amor?"
"You can even recognize that?"
He raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Rin smiled, clearly impressed.
"Of course. It's a classic beginner piece."
As she spoke, she mimicked playing it as well.
Even though it was just in the air, her movements were smooth, elegant, and full of life, as if she were truly playing.
Compared to that, his earlier attempt looked stiff and outdated.
Were they really playing the same piece?
For a moment, he wasn't sure whether to admire her skill or her perception.
As they continued walking through Akihabara, their conversation naturally shifted toward anime and manga.
Akira was surprised to find that Rin didn't just read shoujo manga, but also shonen works—and even followed Shonen Jump.
No wonder she reacted so strongly earlier.
Currently, her favorite series was One Piece.
"It's One Piece?"
He looked a bit surprised.
"I thought you'd prefer Shaman King."
"I like Shaman King too," Rin said, her tone brightening, "but I also really love One Piece."
Her eyes sparkled slightly.
"The recent part where Nami asks Luffy for help is amazing!"
"Yeah, that scene is great."
Akira smiled knowingly.
It was one of the most iconic moments in the early story.
Eiichiro Oda's ability to move readers emotionally had always been top-tier.
And honestly, this era—and even the next decade—was still his peak period.
...Wasn't that peak a bit too long?
Could he also be cheating like me?
In any case, current readers of One Piece were truly lucky.
The only downside was—
Seeing the ending wasn't guaranteed.
After all, even more than twenty years later, there still hadn't been a clear ending.
A bit of a dark joke, but true.
After finishing their meal, they continued walking together.
Perhaps because their interests aligned, even though this was their first long conversation, neither felt awkward or bored. The atmosphere remained relaxed and comfortable.
Since Rin still had a performance later, she didn't eat much.
Akira, on the other hand, was full.
"By the way,"
Rin suddenly said:
"Besides Unfinished Dream, is there any song you'd like to hear?"
"Not necessarily, but..."
He thought for a moment.
"How about Turning the Wheel of Destiny?"
Turning the Wheel of Destiny is the fourth opening theme of Detective Conan, released on September 17, 1998, written and performed by Sakai Izumi—a very classic anime song.
Rin's eyes lit up instantly.
She made an "OK" gesture, her expression turning slightly playful.