Tokyo: Oreimo

"Remember to apply it a few more times afterward. If it still hurts tomorrow, it's best to go to the hospital to see a doctor."

After putting the ice pack back, Ryosuke dragged a chair over and sat down opposite the girl.

"Uh-huh....."

Shizuka nodded haphazardly, but in reality, she didn't hear a single word.

Ryosuke didn't notice the other person's panic and pulled a notebook out of his backpack.

"The reason I contacted you this time is actually to collaborate on a few new songs, because I felt they would suit you quite well, so I got in touch with you."

That's a fact. Judging from her singing ability alone, Shizuka Hayakawa is absolutely excellent; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to serve as the lead vocalist of the DC idol group.

This small group has recently gained a lot of popularity in the industry, especially after the airing of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" and the popularity of its theme song.

The most direct manifestation of this is that songs played in offline KTVs rank among the top three in various music libraries, becoming so popular that they have gone viral.

According to Shinpei Ito's previous communications, the company is already speeding up the production of the OST, and a considerable amount of royalties will be deposited into Aniplex's accounts.

She's become a star, in just a year and a half. Although it's inseparable from the songs she provided, he'd heard from her manager how hard Hayakawa Shizuka had worked.

Ryosuke thought for a moment and then handed the notebook to Hayakawa Shizuka.

The girl opened her notebook, which contained several song lyrics, but no sheet music.

"Same as always, Takashiro-kun, humming it?"

"Hmm, shall we start with this one?"

As Ryosuke spoke, he handed the other person a pen to draw musical notation, and casually pointed to the song on the first page of the notebook.

—White Album.

This is the theme song for the first part of White Album, but it appears as an introduction in the prologue of the second part. It's a pretty good song.

It's also the only song that will be included in the demo version, so its importance is self-evident.

Ryosuke started by humming the intro, while Shizuka Hayakawa wrote down the melody in her notebook.

Five minutes later, the practice room fell silent.

Shizuka Hayakawa also stopped writing.

"Would you like to do it again?"

Ryosuke was worried that the other party had not recorded everything, so he made a suggestion.

But the idol girl in front of him shook her head and winked at Ryosuke.

"Could you please bring me the guitar over there, Mr. Takashiro?"

"Ok?"

Ryosuke did as he was told.

Holding her guitar, Shizuka Hayakawa gently plucked the strings, and the sound of the guitar echoed in the practice room.

The intro flows out like water. The original intro was played on an electronic keyboard, but when played on a guitar, it has a unique flavor.

Ryosuke looked at the other person in surprise.

Is she planning to sing it in front of me?

So, Ryosuke leaned back in his chair, said nothing, and just quietly watched the girl.

She started singing.

...

"Every day that slips by is gradually becoming more and more frequent."

"The affection between us still lingers."

"Even though we can't meet, I don't feel lonely."

"Although I can force a smile, there is a sigh mixed in."

The lyrics were sung aloud, accompanied by guitar playing.

This is a ballad, not as intense as "No, Thank You," and it's completely different from Madoka's theme song.

It's a completely different style.

As she sang, Hayakawa Rumi suddenly felt that the song was as if it were describing her relationship with Ryosuke.

Even though we can't meet, I don't feel lonely...

'But sometimes, you really do feel lonely, Takashiro-kun.'

As the melody played, her heart felt like a calm lake suddenly filled with a light drizzle.

Becoming famous doesn't seem to be as good as I imagined.

At least if it weren't for the idol profession, I could probably see this person every day.

Chapter 164 Unrequited Love

Clear singing voices echoed in the practice room.

Sunlight streamed in through the window as Hayakawa Shizuka stared intently at Ryosuke.

"I didn't show her the script, but that look in her eyes... she's really into the role."

Ryosuke listened with great admiration.

This song is not difficult to sing in terms of vocal technique alone; what is difficult is the emotion it contains.

The idol girl in front of me did this perfectly just by reading the lyrics.

Being looked at with such eyes by a beautiful girl, Ryosuke felt quite strange, as if he had experienced the same feeling with Hououin Saori.

"I always have this illusion that I'm liked?"

He was amazed. No wonder he was an idol. If he could do this on stage, the audience below would probably be completely captivated.

No wonder DC idol groups have grown so quickly.

As the last note of the song faded, the lingering sound of the guitar strings slowly dissipated in the practice room.

Shizuka Hayakawa's fingers remained on the strings, not immediately moving away.

".....How about it?"

The girl finally looked away from Ryosuke, looking down at the guitar in her arms, her cheeks flushed.

She had been staring at the other person for the entire duration of a song, something she would never normally dare to do; it was too embarrassing.

"That's amazing! You were able to sing it after I just hummed the melody once."

Ryosuke clapped his hands, a smile on his face.

Shizuka Hayakawa couldn't help but feel secretly pleased by the praise.

She felt a sweet warmth in her heart, sweeter than any cheer after a concert.

Shinpei Ito often praised her, praising her good pitch and her rapid progress. After praising her, he would pat her on the shoulder and say, "Keep up the good work."

But those compliments never make my heart race.

Ryosuke only said it casually, but she felt her ears burning.

"Hehe..."

She intended to say something polite like "thank you" or "no, thank you."

But when the sound came out of her throat, it turned into this soft, snickering sound.

She became even more shy after saying that, wishing she could bury her face in the guitar.

"Shall we start the next song?"

Upon hearing Ryosuke's words, Hayakawa Shizuka lowered her head and flipped through the notebook on her lap.

On the second page, the song title was printed: "Unrequited Love".

.......

After that, Ryosuke and Shizuka Hayakawa spent the entire day in the practice room until sunset.

In addition to a few songs, the background music and sound effects for White Album 2 have also been confirmed.

Because he didn't remember it very clearly, he relied on the idol girl's musical abilities and gradually reproduced it until Ryosuke was satisfied.

"Thank you for your help today, I won't bother you any longer."

Ryosuke saw that it was getting late and prepared to leave. If he left now, he could still make it home in time for dinner.

He zipped up his backpack and stood up.

The light outside the window had changed from the bright midday light to the orange-red of evening, bathing the entire room in a warm hue.

"Gaocheng-kun..."

Hayakawa Shizuka's voice sounded from behind.

Ryosuke turned around and saw the girl still sitting in the chair, holding the guitar in her arms, her fingers unconsciously resting on the strings.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

"what happened?"

Faced with Ryosuke's question, Hayakawa Shizuka felt uneasy.

She recalled what Asakura Mirai had told her yesterday: 'Be brave. We don't see each other often enough, so you can't afford not to take the initiative. Shizuka is so cute, no man could bear to reject you.'

Yes, be brave, who knows when we'll meet again.

Hayakawa Shizuka mentally encouraged herself.

"Um... Takashiro-kun, would you like to have dinner together?"

After saying that, the girl immediately looked down at the guitar, her face burning red.

"You've written so many songs for me, at least let me treat you to something..."

Her voice grew softer and softer.