Momoi Taro wants to form a "don" brother duo, but it's a music anime.

"Excuse me, is Mr. Momoi here right now?"

In the end, she decided to contact the other party under the name of Momoi Taro, since she was only guessing about Toyokawa Shoko's situation.

"I saw Mr. Momoi come in earlier, and I just happened to be passing by, so I thought I'd drop by and say hello."

"I see." Chu Hua smiled brightly. Su Shi watched as she hid something in the cabinet behind her. "Taro won't be here for a while. If you don't mind, would you like to come in and sit for a bit?"

"Yes, then I won't stand on ceremony." Su Shi secretly breathed a sigh of relief; it was so good that she wasn't treated as a suspicious person.

But they've already started calling each other by name? They're really close... Su Shi felt a little jealous, but now wasn't the time to think about that.

So she went in calmly and changed into the guest slippers.

Then, she glanced at it briefly and sure enough, a brand new bass was placed on the shelf not far away.

She put down her violin bag and sat on the sofa. Sanjiao Chuhua placed two cups of tea in front of Su Shi and herself.

She hesitated slightly about how to introduce herself... If she said her real name, it would be easy to be misunderstood, but she was also reluctant to say her sister's name.

If I only tell them my surname... wouldn't that seem too cold? No, if I explain it to them, maybe they'll understand?

With this hopeful thought in mind, Mikami Hatsuka introduced herself to Nagasaki Motoyo: "Nagasaki-kun, nice to meet you. My name is not convenient to say for some special reasons, so just call me Mikami."

Su Shi revealed a knowing look. As expected of the lead singer of a popular group, even though the secrecy was practically nonexistent, it was still done, wasn't it?

"Is Triangle practicing bass?" Su Shi tried to strike up a conversation with the other person; having a common topic would be ideal.

"Well, I've only just started practicing, I'm still a beginner. I don't play very well yet," Mitsumi Hatsuka said frankly.

"Does Nagasaki-san also play musical instruments?" she asked, her gaze involuntarily falling on the violin case that Suze had put down.

"Yeah, I'm currently playing bass in a band called Mygo," Nagasaki Motoyo said with a smile.

"What a coincidence." Mikasa looked at Nagasaki Motoyo with increasing curiosity.

Nagasaki Motoyo's heart skipped a beat. This might be the best time to test the other person. She made a quick decision, took out her phone, and opened the photo with the most people in the photos she had taken of other Mygo members.

Then, she showed it to Mitsuba Hatsuka: "This is our band. We just had a live show recently. The reviews seem pretty good."

"Hey~" Misaka Hatsuka poked her head out with interest and said with a smile, "Then, let me see."

When she saw the photos Nagasaki Motoyo showed her, she paused slightly in surprise. A familiar face appeared in the photos, and the person's name blurted out:

"Xiao Xiang?"

Sure enough, Nagasaki Motoyo narrowed her eyes. This Misaki Hatsuka knew Xiaoxiang, but there seemed to be something strange about her.

Lixi-chan also said that she and Misaka Hatsuka are classmates. No matter how shocked she is by Xiaoxiang's appearance, she shouldn't completely ignore her classmate.

Of course, it's also possible that he's such a homebody that he has no memory of anyone in his class.

But judging from this person's demeanor, it shouldn't be that bad. Su Shi remained calm, simply smiling as she said:

"Hey, do you know our band's keyboardist, Triangle?"

"Hmm... We used to play together when we were little, I wonder if she remembers me now."

Upon hearing this, Nagasaki Motoyo became even more confused. That day, Toyokawa Shoko clearly seemed about to call him directly.

If you're looking for Taro, you can ask him over the phone to clarify things and avoid interrupting your practice.

In other words, Xiangzi clearly called her, but she didn't answer the phone? However, Xiangzi's behavior the next day didn't seem like he had failed.

The doubts are piling up. Nagasaki Motoyo stroked her chin, looked at the bass guitar that Mikami Hatsuka had put down, and asked:

"So, how's Triangle's bass practice going? Have you encountered any difficulties?"

"Hmm...not very smoothly." Mikasa Hatsuka gave a bright smile, almost like a silly grin: "Taro is teaching me very hard, but it seems like things aren't going very well."

"Can I listen for a little while?" Su Shi cautiously made the request. Sankaku Hatsuka was a little surprised, but she still gladly accepted Su Shi's request.

She picked up the bass from the living room and played "Here, the World".

But... it really is strange.

Because, to Su Shi, it felt like they weren't familiar enough. Not in the sense of complete unfamiliarity, but rather...

Without frequent formal performances, the piece seemed unfamiliar, as if it were merely an etude, rather than a piece for a formal stage performance.

When the triangular chorus finished playing, Su Shi clapped enthusiastically, saying, "Great job! I can feel how much practice you've put in."

"Haha..." Chu Hua smiled brightly, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. After a brief moment of smugness, she lowered her head and said:

"But Taro always manages to find so many faults in me."

“Mr. Momoi has always been very strict.” Suze smiled gently, her narrowed eyes slightly opening: “But he is also very reliable.”

When Sanjiao Chuhua saw Su Shi open her eyes and her expression become even gentler, she was slightly taken aback. Then, she smiled back and said:

"That's true. Taro is just that kind of person."

Mikasa Mikasa developed a strong liking for the girl in front of her. She not only knew Taro, but also Sho, and they seemed to have a good relationship.

She knows both of her only two friends in Tokyo, and they have a good relationship. So, wouldn't that mean...?

"Um...?" Mikasa Hatsuka mustered the little courage she had. Tell her, tell her, tell her she wants to be friends with her.

"Is it...?" Su Shi tilted her head slightly, preparing to listen to Chu Hua's words.

"No... um, okay..." Chu Hua blushed and couldn't say a word for a long time. Su Shi just tilted her head and waited quietly.

As if deflated, her tense body relaxed, and she said softly, "Um, could you give me some pointers on bass?"

I can't say it, I can't say it. How can someone who can't even tell others their own name have the audacity to ask others to be their friend?

"Hmm... my bass isn't very good either, but I think..."

Su Shi smiled gently and agreed to the other person's request. Then she picked up the bass:

"For example, this part could be done better this way."

Nagasaki Motoyo gave a short demonstration and then sought feedback from Mikami Hatsuka: "This would be much better, wouldn't it?"

"Really?! Su Shi is amazing!" Misaka Hatsuka exclaimed in surprise.

"Hmm, it's alright." Su Shi smiled and narrowed her eyes, thinking to herself:

[Just now... what she wanted to say wasn't this, was it? What could it be?]

And... if it's Sankaku Chuka, they shouldn't be short of money. The location of this house seems to be one of those cheap areas; judging from the signs of age, it's been lived in for quite a while now.

It's really strange... It's almost as if the person in front of me isn't Mitsumi Hatsuka, but someone else who looks a lot like her...?

Su Shi's eyes widened slightly, startled by her own thought. Wait, this looks exactly like Mitsumi Hatsuka herself!

But if that's the case... then everything makes sense, right?

As she explained to Sanjiao Chuhua, she secretly speculated in her heart.

Ding-dong, ding-dong—

After an unknown amount of time, the doorbell rang again.

Misaka Hatsuka glanced at the time, smiled gently at Su Shi, and said, "It looks like Taro is coming. I'll go open the door."

"Okay, take care." Su Shi maintained a gentle smile as she watched Chu Hua leave.

Su Shi noticed that Chu Hua didn't immediately walk out the door. Instead, she took a pair of brand-new slippers from the counter in the distance and something else that she didn't know what it was before she went out.

The doubts are growing, and as a teenage idol, the triangular Hatsuka in front of us is rather unrefined.

It's not that the girl in front of her, Chu Hua, is sloppy or anything... but Su Shi hardly saw any trace of cosmetics or skincare products in her rather small house.

As a very popular idol, this kind of thing should never have happened.

Sanjiao Chuhua, carrying slippers and something hidden in her palm, jogged to the door. Then, she glanced guiltily in Su Shi's direction.

After confirming that Su Shi wasn't looking this way, she quietly opened her own phone: "Taro, good afternoon, you're here right on time again today."

She looked ahead, waiting for the person to speak...

#30 People who have been caught in the rain

"Taro, good afternoon. You're here right on time again today."

"Yes, after all, we made an appointment." The person who came was none other than Momoi Taro himself. He hurriedly left the coffee shop and came here.

"Don't waste any more time, keep up the good work in today's practice." After saying that, Taro tried to go into Misumi Hatsuka's house.

Sankaku Hatsuka quickly stopped her, saying, "Ah, wait a minute."

"Hmm?" Taro was a little confused by Hatsuka's actions, but he stopped moving forward.

Sanjiao Chuhua smiled at this, then bent down, tore open the packaging bag of the slippers in her hand, and violently ripped off the fixing thread.

She looked up at Taro with a bright smile and said, "I thought about it, and since Taro might come here often, it would be better for him to have his own pair of indoor shoes, so I bought them. I don't know if you like this color."

Taro looked down and saw that they were a pair of very ordinary slippers, but the color was not so ordinary; they were peach pink.

A slight smile appeared on his lips as he said to Chu Hua, "Ah, I like it very much."

"I'm glad you like it." Chu Hua stood up, her smile widening. Then she touched her pocket, took something out, and held it in her palm. "And... Taro, reach out."

Taro was a little confused, but he nodded and stretched out his hand as instructed, his palm naturally open.

Mikasa Hatsuka grinned and spread her fist into a palm, placing it on top of Taro's hand. Taro felt a hard object in his palm.

Soon, Mikasa withdrew her hand, and Taro looked closely and saw that there was a bright silver key in his palm.

He looked at Misaka Chuka with a puzzled expression, but she simply explained with a smile:

"Has Taro been coming over quite often lately? After practice yesterday, I went and got a spare key made. Here you go, so you won't have to ring the doorbell."

Mikasa's smile was full of sincerity and trust. Taro nodded, not bothering with any formalities with Mikasa, and put the key away.

"The key? I understand, I'll accept it without hesitation."

Seeing Taro accept the gift, Mikasa's smile widened. She stepped aside and said to Taro, "It seems like someone Taro knows came over today. His name is Nagasaki Motoyo."

"Su-se," Taro said after a moment's thought, as he changed into the slippers Hatsuka had prepared for him, "Her bass playing isn't bad; you could learn from her."

“Yes, I’m thinking of doing that too.” Misaka Hatsuka smiled, but then her mood turned a little down: “But I can’t even introduce myself.”

"Why?" Taro asked, puzzled. "Can't I just say it normally when introducing myself?"