Tokyo: Idol Girls have absolutely no bad intentions!

“I’ve looked into it,” Ito replied affirmatively.

According to Ito's plan, the Tokyo Rock Festival would happen to be during a holiday, and since music festivals are such grand occasions, Ito was a little worried about whether Asada could handle it.

So he planned to train Asada's abilities in advance, originally starting with live houses, but Saionji's shop was still under renovation, and other live houses had no reason to accept a team they didn't know.

"Okay, I'll send you an electronic copy of the contract when I get back."

"Thank you for your help." Ito hadn't expected the other party to agree so readily.

“After all, you’re Shinno’s classmates, and besides, this isn’t really a big deal.” Yoshinaga put the contract back into his bag. “So, how do you plan to pay?”

Cash or bank transfer?

"Huh?" Asada was still a little confused, after all, the coffee called 'Tokyo Isn't Too Cold' was really bitter, but she had heard most of it. "Why do we have to pay to attend the music festival?"

"This...this is just paying to work, isn't it?" Asada's voice trailed off, and she glanced at Ito at the end.

This guy knows how to squander money; he's capable of doing such stupid things!

"Mmm..." Asada was fed a piece of Black Forest cake by Ito, which shut her up.

"Don't worry about her," Ito said apologetically, waving his hand after Asada couldn't speak. "How much exactly do you want?"

"40 yen, I guess." Yoshinaga glanced at Asada, whose eyes had suddenly widened. "After all, this music festival is a warm-up for the Tokyo Rock Festival."

"Okay, I'll transfer the money online later."

After chatting for a while, Yoshinaga had to leave early, while Asada and Ito stayed in the cafe.

The coffee shop wasn't crowded; most of the customers were office workers taking a break from their busy schedules.

"Hey, if Asada doesn't like it, don't waste the food!" Ito said, looking at the small cake that Asada had poked and ruined beyond recognition.

"Why do you want to participate in this music festival?" Asada still didn't understand, her little face full of "This is simply incomprehensible".

"40 yen! That's 40 yen! We have to pay someone else to sing?! This... this is so strange."

Her face twitched with heartache, as if the 40 yen had been taken from her secret stash of money.

Ito picked up his coffee, took a sip, and then slowly explained, "This isn't about working for someone else; it's about investing."

"Investment?" Asada was even more confused. She blinked. "Paying someone to work for you is called investment? The Japanese language class didn't say that it's a word with multiple meanings?"

"...Invest in ourselves, invest in our group." Ito felt somewhat helpless. "Think about it, what's our goal right now? It's the Tokyo Rock Festival, right?"

"Huh?" Asada uttered another sound that defied common sense, "You haven't given up on this idea after all...."

Then, seeing Ito's face darken, Asada nodded vigorously.

"Yes, I remember this goal very clearly!"

"The Tokyo Rock Festival, what a huge stage that is! How many eyes are watching? How many amazing bands are scrambling to get on it?" Ito bombarded him with a series of questions. "Do you think we, in our current state, could actually get on that stage?"

"No, is that not okay?" Asada retorted instinctively. She didn't think she was any worse than others. "With your original songs, Ito, why should I worry about this?"

She had subconsciously come to believe that Ito was omnipotent.

"Asada!" Ito's expression suddenly turned serious. "You're the one who wants to become an idol, aren't you?"

"It's...it's me." Asada was stunned by Ito's sudden question.

"So what? Shouldn't you be practicing even harder, even harder, even harder? I don't have an endless supply of songs. We're a team, and you're the lead vocalist. If you're only thinking about relying on me, we might as well pack our bags and disband!"

Ito felt he had spoken too harshly, but he had to.

If Asada only thinks about relying on him, when will he ever be able to retire!

Asada pursed her lips, her eyes slightly lowered, "Then...then we practiced very diligently?"

“Yes, that’s true. Since you’ve said so yourself, let’s resume all-night practice starting tonight.” Ito nodded in satisfaction. “Of course, practice is fundamental, but practical experience is also very important.”

“No matter how well you sing in the recording studio, or how steadily you play in the rehearsal room with just a few of us, it’s completely different from actually standing in front of an audience, facing lights, noise, and all sorts of unexpected situations.”

"You need to get used to the stage, to facing crowds, and to not making mistakes under tension and pressure."

Ito continued, "That music festival was more like a competition, with multiple stages set up in a square, and the audience choosing their favorite stage to listen to."

“And you!” Ito emphasized, “what you need to do is to steal the spotlight from the other performers with your own performance!”

I thought Asada would blink her big eyes and nod enthusiastically, but this disappointing child...

"But..." Asada still felt the pinch, "It's too expensive... and the location is bad, hardly anyone watches it..."

"Nobody's watching?" Ito raised an eyebrow. "Nobody's watching, so there's a buffer period. You can gradually get used to the feeling of being on stage, and even if you make a small mistake, the impact will be limited."

"The real performance begins when you're truly comfortable standing on stage."

He paused, looking at Asada's still pained expression, and continued, "Moreover, this 40 yen isn't just for buying a stage opportunity. It also includes the organizer's publicity, the use of sound and lighting equipment, venue coordination and support, and so on. Ms. Yoshinaga has readily available resources and channels, so we're just hitching a ride."

As Asada Sakura listened to Ito's clear and logical analysis, although she still felt a little heartache about the 40 yen, the resentment of "working for money" dissipated considerably.

She looked down and stirred the horribly slashed cake in front of her, muttering softly, "Well... it doesn't have to be this expensive..."

"That's the market rate, and Miss Yoshinaga probably didn't ask for more because of Shinno."

Ito picked up a spoon and moved the poor cake in front of her to her own side, so that she wouldn't have to "torture" it any further.

Consider it an advance payment of tuition. Think about it, when you shine at the Tokyo Rock Festival, what's this little bit of tuition?

When the phrase "shining brightly" was mentioned, Asada's eyes lit up instantly, as if she could see herself standing under the spotlight.

She pouted, finally stopping worrying about the 40 yen, and muttered softly, "...Okay, you're right. Then...then you have to promise me I can definitely master it!"

"Yes, I promise."

It was already getting dark when I left the cafe.

The evening breeze carried a hint of coolness, dispersing the rich aroma of coffee from the café.

The two walked side by side on their way back to the apartment. The streetlights had just come on, casting long shadows on the ground.

Asada Sakura seemed still immersed in the conversation. After walking for a while, she suddenly spoke in a muffled voice, "Ito..."

"Hmm?" Ito turned his head to look at her.

"You...do you think I'm useless?" Her voice was low, tinged with a barely perceptible frustration. "You don't understand anything, and you still have to spend so much money practicing..."

Ito didn't stop walking, his tone flat: "Now you realize you're useless?"

"Hey!" Asada looked up at him with displeasure.

“Even idiots have their uses.” Ito looked straight ahead, but a slight smile played on his lips. “At least, when you sing, you look completely different.”

"..." Asada was taken aback by this strange "praise," and for a moment she didn't know whether to be angry or happy.

She puffed out her cheeks, deciding to change the subject: "So... what about that variety show? The project Shinno mentioned before? You're really not going to participate? It's 80 yen!"

"I'm not going," Ito replied decisively.

"Why?" Asada asked, puzzled. "It's 80 yen, isn't it? And... and being on TV is so much better!"

“The nature of the two is different,” Ito explained simply. “That was a variety show focused on pranks, a comedic approach. What we need is recognition for our music, not to gain attention by making a fool of ourselves. Although the money is more, if you go in the wrong direction, it will be difficult to turn back later.”

He paused, glancing at Asada, "Besides, do you think you could handle that kind of environment?"

Thinking about the various pranks and unexpected situations that might occur in the variety show, Asada subconsciously shrank her neck and whispered, "...It seems like it's not possible."

She didn't want to lose face in front of the national audience.

"So, let's focus on preparing for the music festival," Ito concluded. "Take it one step at a time."

“Oh…” Asada obediently responded, seemingly convinced.

She looked down at her and Ito's shadows, which stretched and shortened under the streetlights. After walking a while longer, she whispered, "Ito... thank you."

"Thank me for what?"

“Well… thank you for always thinking so far ahead… and…” she paused, her voice even softer, “… thank you for taking care of me.”

The last sentence was almost as faint as a mosquito's buzz, but Ito still heard it.

He paused for a moment, but didn't turn around; he simply gave a faint "hmm."

Asada seemed a little embarrassed and quickened her pace, walking a little ahead of Ito.

The dim streetlights outlined her slender figure, and the evening breeze ruffled a few strands of hair by her ears.

The two walked in silence, one after the other, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed and natural than in the coffee shop.

Just as they were about to turn a familiar street corner, not far from their home—

Asada Sakura's steps suddenly froze.

She seemed to be nailed to the spot, her body tensed instantly, and even her breath stopped for a moment.

Her body, which had been leaning slightly forward and preparing to turn, turned back very unnaturally and abruptly, into an awkward posture that was almost straight, her eyes looking at the ground in a panic.

This abrupt action immediately caught Ito's attention.

He looked in the direction Asada had just been about to turn.

A man stood quietly in the shadows at the street corner.

He was wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit, and his posture was upright and ramrod straight.

The dim streetlights only illuminated half of his body, while the other half was completely hidden in the darkness of the corner.

His face was not clearly visible; all that could be seen was his sharply defined jawline and his meticulously combed-back hair, which gleamed with a cold, hard sheen under the light.

He stood there quietly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the dim light, landing precisely on Asada Sakura.

Ito's heart skipped a beat.

This man's aura was completely different from that of the capable Yoshio Miyako in the coffee shop; it was a kind of oppressive feeling that carried a sense of distance and hidden danger.

But it seems this crisis is only affecting Ito himself...

Asada Sakura kept her head down and walked forward stiffly, almost with her hands and feet moving in unison, as if she didn't see the man on the street corner at all and just wanted to escape the area as soon as possible.

Her shoulders trembled slightly, and her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly.

“Sakura,” Ito called out to her calmly.

Asada's body trembled violently, like a startled fawn, and he stopped in his tracks, but did not turn around, still staring intently at the ground.

Ito ignored her stiffness, his gaze remaining fixed on the man in the shadows.

He stepped forward and stood beside Asada, almost shoulder to shoulder, partially shielding her behind him before slowly turning to the man.