Crossover Anime: Winning over Misako Amamiya at the start

[Reward Obtained: Presence Perception (Ability to accurately perceive the strength of the presence of surrounding people)]

[Special Skill Unlocked: Presence Resonance (Establish a special mental connection with objects with low presence)]

“From now on, your photos will include pictures of us as a couple,” Chen Xiao suddenly said.

Kato Megumi looked up at him.

Chen Xiao took the opportunity to kiss her again, imprinting this promise into her heart.

As night deepened, Kato Megumi fell asleep, exhausted.

Chen Xiao gently pulled her arm away from where she was resting her head and walked to the window.

Under the moonlight, his expression was one of enjoyment and contentment.

The phone screen lit up; it was a message from Chihaya Aine: "Senior, will you be coming to the music club rehearsal tomorrow?"

Chen Xiao glanced back at the sleeping Kato Megumi and replied: 【Of course.】

Chen Xiao found the novelty brought by Kato Megumi very interesting.

The next day at noon, Chen Xiao stood at the agreed-upon station exit and watched Chihaya Aine run towards him.

Her long pink hair stood out in the sunlight, and her eyes behind her black-rimmed glasses sparkled with excitement.

"Senior! You really came!" Chihaya Aine stopped in front of him, slightly out of breath.

Chen Xiao reached out and plucked a cherry blossom petal from her hair: "I won't go back on my word."

A faint blush rose on Chihaya Aine's cheeks as she turned and led the way: "This way, our school is at the next intersection."

The gate of Haneoka Girls' Academy was much simpler than Chen Xiao had imagined.

As a boy, he should have been stopped by the gatekeeper, but Chihaya Aine skillfully fabricated the identity of an off-campus music instructor and easily got away with it.

"Do you often bring boys in?" Chen Xiao asked, raising an eyebrow.

Chihaya Aine quickly shook her head: "No way! Senpai is the first..." She paused, her voice lowering, "because I really need Senpai's advice..."

The music classroom was located at the far end of the third floor of the old school building. When Chen Xiao pushed open the door, he saw a girl with short, silver-black hair sitting in the corner flipping through sheet music. Hearing the noise, she looked up, her cat-like eyes warily scrutinizing Chen Xiao.

"Hey! I've brought a guest!" Chihaya Aine excitedly introduced, "This is Chen Xiao, the senior I told you about!"

Gao Song Deng closed the sheet music, his voice barely audible: "...Hello."

The classroom was filled with a faint woody scent, and sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting striped shadows on the floor.

"Your club only has two people?" Chen Xiao looked around. There were several hand-drawn posters on the wall and a few musical instruments piled up in the corner.

Chihaya Aine scratched her head sheepishly: "Because the club was just established...and it's always hard to get a girl band together."

Takamatsu suddenly spoke, her voice still very soft: "Aine, you said you wouldn't bring outsiders here casually."

“But senior isn’t an outsider!” Chihaya Aine ran over and squatted down next to Takamatsu Akari. “He’s really amazing, you’ll see once you hear him!”

Chen Xiao casually sat down in front of an electronic keyboard, his fingers gliding across the keys: "Why don't you give a performance first? Let me see your skill level."

Takamatsu Akari hesitated for a moment, then finally picked up the microphone and stood in the center of the classroom. Chihaya Aine picked up her guitar, took a deep breath, and said, "Well... let's begin."

Chen Xiao frowned as the intro began.

Takamatsu Akari's voice is ethereal and unique, with an explosive power that belies her appearance, but Chihaya Aine's guitar rhythm is noticeably unstable, and she stumbles over several complex chord transitions.

The whole song is like a bicycle with a flat tire on one side; it can barely move forward, but it could tip over at any moment.

"Stop for a second." Chen Xiao raised his hand to signal before the chorus, "Aiyin, there's something wrong with your F chord fingering."

Chihaya Aine was stunned: "Huh? But that's how the teacher taught it..."

"Come here." Chen Xiao patted the spot in front of him. "I'll demonstrate for you."

When Chihaya Aine sat down in front of him with her guitar, Chen Xiao immediately wrapped his arms around her from behind, placing his hands on hers. This position brought the two almost touching, with Chihaya Aine's back pressed tightly against Chen Xiao's chest.

"You need to position your hand like this..." Chen Xiao guided her fingers to press in the correct position. "Do you feel like you've reached 200? It's easier to exert force at this angle."

Chihaya Aine's ear tips turned red at a visible speed, and her fingers trembled slightly: "I...I felt it..."

Takamatsu Akari stood to the side, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper. When Chen Xiao's hand accidentally slipped onto Chihaya Aine's wrist, she finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Aine, we should practice."

Chen Xiao then released Chihaya Aine, but before leaving, he whispered in her ear, "You smell like strawberries, very sweet."

Chihaya Aine froze on the spot until Takamatsu Akari tugged at her sleeve and brought her back to her senses.

The performance that resumed was much smoother than before, but Gao Songdeng's eyes remained fixed on Chen Xiao, full of wariness. After the performance, Chen Xiao applauded and praised, "Deng's voice is very distinctive, and Ai Yin still has a lot of room for improvement."

"Can you be our advisor, senior?" Chihaya Aine's eyes lit up. "Just one guidance session a week would be fine!"

Takamatsu Akari suddenly looked up: "Aine!"

“I think it’s a good idea,” Chen Xiao agreed with a smile, ignoring Gao Songdeng’s objections. “However, I have one condition—”

He walked up to Gao Songdeng, bent down to look her in the eye, and said, "You need to open your heart to me. Music requires trust. If you're always wary of me, we can't work together."

Gao Songdeng took a half step back, but ultimately nodded slightly.

When I left the girls' academy, the sun was already setting.

Chihaya Aine insisted on escorting Chen Xiao to the school gate, chattering incessantly the whole way.

"Senior, you're amazing! I've practiced that glissando technique for ages and still haven't mastered it..."

"Deng doesn't usually talk to boys much, but today she actually agreed to her senior's suggestion..."

"Would next week at this time be okay? I'll prepare your favorite drink..."

Chen Xiao listened to her rambling with a smile, and as they were about to part, he suddenly asked, "Why did you choose me? With your qualifications, finding a professional guitar teacher wouldn't be difficult, would it?"

Chihaya Aine stopped in her tracks, unusually quiet for a few seconds: "Because... Senpai is the first person to listen attentively to me play an entire song." She looked up, her eyes so pure they were startling. "Others either interrupted halfway through or were distracted... Only Senpai watched every movement of my fingers."

This answer surprised Chen Xiao. He recalled that his initial purpose in approaching Chihaya Aine wasn't pure; it was merely to attract Kato Megumi's attention and, ultimately, to win her over.

Chapter 107 Controlling Kasumigaoka Utaha! Taking Down the Entire Mago Team

“There’s no need to wait until next week,” Chen Xiao suddenly said, gently plucking the strings. “If you want to learn guitar, I can teach you now.”

Chihaya Aine looked up in surprise, her eyes wide behind her black-rimmed glasses: "W-Now?"

"Okay." Chen Xiao put the guitar back in her hands. "Let's go to your place, it's quieter there."

Chihaya Aine's face flushed instantly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt: "This...this isn't appropriate..."

"What?" Chen Xiao leaned closer to her, his voice low. "Don't you believe me?"

"No!" Chihaya Aine quickly shook her head, her long pink hair swaying as she did so. "It's just... the house is a bit messy..."

Chen Xiao had already stood up and took her hand in a way that left no room for refusal: "Lead the way."

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two. Chihaya Aine walked ahead, occasionally turning back to make sure Chen Xiao was still behind her, like a wary yet curious little animal. Her home was in an ordinary apartment building, with a nameplate reading "Chihaya" hanging on the door.

"I...I'm back..." Chihaya Aine whispered as she pushed open the door.

Chen Xiao followed him in, discreetly surveying the space. The living room was neat and cozy, with several band posters on the walls and music magazines scattered on the coffee table. Contrary to his expectations, it wasn't cluttered; instead, it reflected the owner's meticulous attention to detail.

"Mom and Dad are away on a business trip..." Chihaya Aine put down her schoolbag, her voice even softer, "Would you like something to drink?"

"Water is fine." Chen Xiao sat down naturally on the sofa. "Where's your guitar?"

Chihaya Aine hurriedly brought over drinks, then ran into the room and brought out a sky-blue guitar: "This, this is my treasure..."

Chen Xiao took the instrument, inspected it, and tuned the strings: "Not bad. Let's begin."

For the next two hours, Chen Xiao displayed unprecedented patience. He corrected every fingering mistake Chihaya Aine made, demonstrated every complex chord, and even wrote simplified etudes for her.

"Why do you want to learn guitar?" Chen Xiao suddenly asked during a break.

Chihaya Aine held her water glass, her eyes darting around. "Because... I want to be seen by more people." Her voice trailed off. "At school, I always felt so ordinary... but if I were someone playing guitar on stage, I'd definitely be remembered..."

Chen Xiao gazed at her lowered eyelashes, then reached out and lifted her chin: "You know what? You're anything but ordinary."

"Eh?"

“Your eyes light up when you talk about music.” Chen Xiao’s thumb gently stroked her cheek. “You learn things quickly, but you lack confidence. And…” He paused deliberately, “you are very cute.”

Chihaya Aine's face turned as red as her hair: "S-Senpai..."

"Call me by my name." Chen Xiao leaned closer to her, his breath brushing against her ear. "I want to hear you call me by my name."

“Xiao…Xiao-senpai…” Chihaya Aine’s voice trembled.

Chen Xiao chuckled, not correcting the way he addressed him. He picked up his guitar again: "Let's do it again, this time I'll help you."

He sat behind Chihaya Aine, wrapping his arms around her and placing his hands on hers. This position allowed Chihaya Aine's back to press completely against his chest, and they could clearly feel each other's heartbeats.

"Relax..." Chen Xiao whispered in her ear, guiding her fingers to press on the strings, "Feel the flow of the music."

Chihaya Aine's body was initially stiff as a board, but with Chen Xiao's patient guidance, she gradually relaxed. Surprisingly, her playing suddenly made a qualitative leap, and the previously stumbling pieces became smooth.

"I...I did it!" As the song ended, Chihaya Aine turned her head in surprise, her lips almost brushing against Chen Xiao's cheek. She hurriedly stepped back, but almost fell because of the sudden movement.

Chen Xiao quickly put his arm around her waist: "Be careful."

They were inches apart, their breaths mingling. Chihaya Aine's eyes were watery, her lips slightly parted, as if waiting for something. Chen Xiao slowly lowered his head.

"I...I'm going to take a shower!" Chihaya Aine suddenly broke free from his embrace and rushed into the bathroom as if fleeing.

Chen Xiao looked at the closed bathroom door, a playful smile playing on his lips. He got up and wandered around the room, his gaze sweeping over the neatly arranged CDs on the bookshelf—mostly pop bands, but with a few classical guitar albums tucked away in the corner; the notebook spread out on the desk was filled with guitar tabs and his thoughts; several hand-drawn band posters were pasted on the bedside table, one of which had been repeatedly revised, seemingly depicting the lineup of her dream band.

The most striking item is the framed photo on the bedside table—a picture of Chihaya Aine standing on an empty stage, holding a guitar, her smile shy yet expectant. It bears a striking resemblance to, yet is completely different from, Kato Megumi's solo photograph.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped. Chen Xiao quickly returned to his seat, pretending to have been tuning the piano. Chihaya Aine walked out wearing loose loungewear, her hair still dripping wet, and she smelled sweetly of strawberry shower gel.

"Um... it's getting late..." She lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers. "Senior, would you... like to stay for dinner?"

Chen Xiao glanced at the completely dark sky outside the window and smiled, "Okay."

Dinner was curry rice, hastily prepared by Chihaya Aine. Although simple, Chen Xiao ate it very attentively. After dinner, he offered to wash the dishes, and Chihaya Aine blushed and said she wanted to show him something.

She brought out a thick scrapbook from her room, filled with band clippings and performance photos she had collected, each page carefully marked with the date and her thoughts.

“I’ve loved music since elementary school…” Chihaya Aine said softly, “but I never had the courage to actually learn it… until I met Akari, who said my voice was perfect for singing…”

Chen Xiao turned to the latest page, where there were several blurry photos—a profile of him playing guitar on campus, with the caption "I want to become as amazing as my senior."

"Taking pictures of me without my consent?" Chen Xiao raised an eyebrow.

Chihaya Aine hurriedly explained, "N-no! It was taken by chance... I..."