Their restricted abilities are refreshed every week.

"Mr. Fengchuan, although I know you like Beethoven's "Moonlight" very much, you still have to control yourself in public," Shirakawa Haru found it very interesting that the usually smart and capable Xiangzi had become a little dull.

Such changes are not bad.

"I'm sorry, President." Shoko Toyokawa looked into Shirakawa Haru's eyes seriously and said.

"Just be careful next time." Shirakawa Haru suddenly had some doubts. "Since Toyokawa-san likes Beethoven's 'Moonlight' so much, then Toyokawa-san must have a strong resonance with 'Moonlight'. But it seems that Toyokawa-san has never been in a relationship, right? If we judge based on Beethoven's mood when he composed this piece, Toyokawa-san doesn't fit the mood of this piece."

Shirakawa Haru was a little curious. Although liking music was a personal matter, there weren't many complicated things involved in liking a certain piece of music.

Just like young lovers in high school, they may not have considered the future at all. They just think that the other person is pleasing to the eye and good-looking, so they confess their love to each other and then become lovers inexplicably.

Appreciating classical music requires a basic understanding. First, you need to understand the time and context of the composer's creation, as well as the composer's emotional journey. Only then can you understand the emotions expressed in this piece of classical music. Although Xiangzi has never been in love, her emotional journey is definitely consistent with the three major movements of "Moonlight."

So she was treating something as her object?

Toyokawa Shoko fell silent. She lowered her head and thought for a while, then suddenly raised her head, stretched out her beautiful neck, and said to Shirakawa Haru with an expressionless face:

"It's all in the past. Back then, when we were young and naive, we formed a band with our best friends. We thought we could happily play keyboard and piano in the band for the rest of our lives, and that life would be perfect. We'd wake up in the same room with the band members in the morning, discuss which restaurant to go to for lunch at noon, rehearse in a relaxed atmosphere in the afternoon, and discuss what our future would be like in the evening..."

"But such beautiful things are only fleeting. Only the fatigue and pain of reality are real. Every time I come home from work and lie in bed, when I think of the band, I don't recall how wonderful it was. Instead, I think about the brand of the instruments there, how much they could sell for, and how many servings of fried rice and bento I could buy without discounts."

"I want to live a better life, I want to eat what I want, I want to drink a glass of hot milk before going to bed, I want lots and lots of money, I want a better future, and as for anything else, please get lost."

"That I could control my own future—that's what the president promised me. That's why I took time off from work to walk with him through the summer days of Tokyo, to discuss contracts with sponsors, to ride the train together, and to enjoy Beethoven's 'Moonlight' together."

Toyokawa Shoko's tone was so depressing that it was impossible to speak.

Shirakawa Haru noticed that her slender arms were drooping.

From his perspective, he found that Shoko Toyokawa's arms were too thin, even to the point of being a little abnormal.

"I'm Toyokawa Shoko," she whispered, her voice so soft that even she couldn't hear it. "I have the surname 'Toyokawa', so no matter what, I can't despair. I will take back everything I've lost by my own means, no matter what the cost!"

Oh no, this is Xiaoxiang’s awakening.

Shirakawa Haru's attribute value is very high, because even if she can't hear what Xiangzi says, he can hear it clearly.

If I don't do something, I'm afraid Xiangzi will become evil.

But what should he do now? Baichuan Qing didn't know. Although he had been a slave in his previous life, he had never been in love, and he was even more isolated from love in this life. After all, he didn't think he would fall in love with anyone. Although he had many female friends around him, none of them had an ambiguous atmosphere with him.

Since you don’t know what to do specifically, just follow the atmosphere!

At this time, Shoko Toyokawa's arms were shaking, perhaps because she thought of something, her palms suddenly spread out weakly, and the two small white headphones in the palms fell down.

Shirakawa Haru quickly caught the headphones and then returned them to the frightened Xiangzi.

"Thank you," Xiangzi took her earphones from Shirakawa Haru's hand, but found that there was only one, "President, didn't you catch the other one?" But then, she saw Shirakawa Haru waving her hand, on which was her other earphone.

"Actually, I want to listen to Beethoven's 'Moonlight' too, but I don't have headphones with me, so can I use Toyokawa-san's?" Shirakawa Haru said earnestly, "Only on the train. I want to listen to the same music as you."

"Only on the tram."

Toyokawa Shoko said softly.

It was very strange. She obviously hated sharing things with others, especially boys, but when she lent her things, she was not as upset as she had imagined. Instead, she wanted him to borrow it for a while longer, as if her relationship with Shirakawa Haru could be maintained forever by a small pair of headphones.

"Thank you!" Shirakawa Haru said with a smile, then he put on his headphones. Beethoven's music poured out of the headphones for a moment. The music was so beautiful and moving that it was almost enchanting. He suddenly realized that listening to music alone was different from listening to it with someone else.

He turned his head to look at Toyokawa Shoko and felt that she was thinking the same thing as he was.

Because the frequency with which she swiped her fingers on the phone changed.

The speed and gestures a person uses to browse information are actually the same as when writing a signature. When you notice a significant change in someone's speed and frequency, that person is most likely distracted and thinking about something else.

Shirakawa Haru wanted to talk to Toyokawa Shoko, but he didn't know what to say.

He knew that Toyokawa Shoko might want to say something to him, but she was hesitant to speak.

So the two of them walked through the first movement of "Moonlight" in silence, wanting to talk to each other.

Chapter 5700 Limited Date Part ()

The train that Shirakawa Haru and Toyokawa Shoko took was not very fast, and more than an hour had passed when they arrived at Chiba Prefecture Station.

If they took the express train, they would only need to go to six stations and take more than half an hour to reach Chiba Prefecture.

They got off the tram at two o'clock in the afternoon, which was the hottest time of the day. As soon as they got off the tram, they could clearly feel the fierce heat wave coming towards them.

In such hot weather, the atmosphere when the two of them were enjoying music together on the tram just now completely disappeared. Beethoven's "Moonlight" is passionate and intense. It is not so refreshing and cannot keep people comfortable in such hot weather.

So the two of them were sweating all over. Shirakawa Haru returned the headphones to Toyokawa Shoko, and Toyokawa Shoko's face was as cold as when he first met Shirakawa Haru this morning.

"It's so hot... Toyokawa-san, should we go to the convenience store and buy some popsicles?" Shirakawa Haru asked Toyokawa Shoko tentatively. He didn't directly ask for two popsicles, but he didn't think Toyokawa Shoko would refuse him. He realized that after Toyokawa Shoko came out with him today, her relationship with him had improved a lot, or more accurately, they had gotten to know each other better. "Or do you want the same thing we had this morning?"

"No need... Never mind."

Shirakawa Haru was asking her if she wanted to buy him a popsicle, and Toyokawa Shoko thought that even though Shirakawa Haru didn't say it explicitly, she knew he meant it. She was hot and wanted a popsicle, but since Shirakawa Haru bought it for her, she didn't want it, but since he bought it for her, she wanted it.

Shoko Toyokawa subconsciously wanted to refuse, she frowned, and then agreed.

She suddenly realized that rejecting Shirakawa Haru's proposal and invitation had become a subconscious instinct for her. To put it in a good way, this instinct meant that she wanted to keep to herself and not want to have more contact with him; but to put it in a bad way, it was emotional.

She didn't want to get emotional.

"Buy me one, too. I want the same salt water popsicle you bought me this morning."

This kind of popsicle is made of salt, sugar, starch and water, and has much lower calories than ordinary cream popsicles or chocolate popsicles. At the same time, because people will sweat and lose water when walking on the streets in summer, this kind of salt water popsicle can just replenish the salt needed by the human body.

It was cheap; the price of one chocolate popsicle was enough to buy at least five saltwater popsicles. It was cheap, but the joy it brought her was not. Toyokawa Shoko suddenly remembered the prize she had won while eating the popsicle that morning. When she saw the words on the wood, she was so surprised that her heart beat faster.

This was her second good fortune after the huge changes in her life.

The first is that I can meet Shirakawa Haru.

At this time, the wooden stick was still lying in her bag.

"Toyokawa-san, this is for you." Shirakawa Haru trotted over from the store across from Toyokawa Shoko, holding the plastic wrapper of the two popsicles in his hand. He was so cautious, as if he would be frozen by the chill as soon as he held the popsicle itself. "Eat it quickly before it melts."

It was then that Toyokawa Shoko realized that Shirakawa Haru had already gone to buy popsicles, and she had just been looking at his back and letting her mind wander. She suddenly wanted to knock her head, sighing inwardly, wondering if the scorching heat had burned her brain. Why was she so sentimental now, always thinking too much? She felt that this was Shirakawa Haru's fault. But even if it was her fault, she still thought it was Shirakawa Haru's fault because she hated him.

"Thank you, President." However, what she thought in her heart and what kind of person she was had nothing to do with reality. Toyokawa Shoko took the popsicle handed to her by Shirakawa Haru, thought about the packaging bag with joy, and waited for a small happiness. She thought to herself that it would be great if she could win the prize again.

But it doesn't matter if she doesn't win the prize. She doesn't ask for much. She is like a flower or a grass. She only needs a little water and air, and plenty of sunlight. Although she may encounter storms or heavy snow occasionally, she can persevere.

Shirakawa Haru found a taxi at the intersection outside the station and got in with Toyokawa Shoko.

It is hard for taxi drivers to drive in such hot weather. Shirakawa Haru could see that the driver waited until the passengers arrived before turning on the air conditioner, because when he and Xiangzi got in the car, the temperature inside the car was still very high, and the first thing that came out of the air conditioner was hot air.

They took a taxi and soon arrived at the door of the ECHO Music Store. Before getting off the car, Shirakawa Haru thanked the driver. The driver was in a good mood and quickly said, "You're welcome." He just wanted the driver to take care of his business next time. He also said, "Next time you take my car, I'll give you a discount."

Although she might not be able to ride in this driver's taxi again in her lifetime, Shirakawa Haru especially enjoys this kind of happy atmosphere with others.

ECHO Music Store's decor is incredibly stylish, showcasing a blend of classic and modern styles. The moment you enter, you can sense the richness of piano music cascading through the store. Everywhere you look, you're greeted by framed signatures of internationally renowned pianists adorning the walls. The precious solid wood flooring is laid as if it were free, and the finish is exceptionally high-quality. In the center of the store, a massive raised platform holds a Hamburg-made Steinway D274 Spirio Record piano, surrounded by standard D274 models. While they appear similar in appearance, a discerning buyer can instantly tell that the standard Steinways are guarding the Spirio Record piano in the center, like courtiers guarding the supreme ruler in a royal palace.

If you move your eyes away from the piano display area, you will find that the decoration style is slowly changing towards a modern style. There are Bösendorfer 290 Emperor, Fazioli F308, Yamaha CFX, and even Roland electronic pianos and keyboards.

After moving your eyes, you will see a completely modern decoration. The lines there are simple and solid, but you can tell from the interior materials that the store manager spent a lot of money to select them.

There is a music room with huge glass windows in that area, where a band is rehearsing.

The store manager slowly walked out from behind the ECHO counter. He asked a waiter to sit at the counter in his place, while he took Shirakawa Haru and Toyokawa Shoko to the reception area.

Sitting in the reception area, Shirakawa Haru and Toyokawa Shoko had two cups of black tea and cookies in front of them, and the store manager was sitting opposite them.

"Let me introduce myself first. I'm Matsuo Nakaji, you can just call me Matsuo." The store manager first gave his own name. Even though he knew that the two Hinomori students sitting opposite him couldn't possibly not know his name, he still did it.

Exchanging names is the most important and first step in human interaction. ECHO's store manager, Mr. Zhang Matsuo, obviously cares very much about this meeting with Shirakawa Haru.

After all, the chairman of Hinomori had told him that he didn't need to ask him about anything that happened during the contract signing period, and he could just discuss it with Shirakawa Haru.

If Shirakawa Haru was not the chairman's illegitimate son, then his abilities would be so strong that even Chairman Hinomori would favor him.

Manager Matsuo handed Shirakawa Haru a contract sheet that listed the prices of various musical instruments and the discounts he would offer as a sponsor.

"Please, Mr. Shirakawa, please read the contract," said Manager Matsuo, not looking down on Shirakawa Haru due to his youthful appearance. Instead, he treated him as his equal. He cherished the opportunity to collaborate with Hinodemori Gakuin. "This is the only offer I can make as the manager of ECHO."

"Okay, I understand." Shirakawa Haru carefully examined the contract again and again, and found that he had almost no role to play in this negotiation. The contract drafted by Manager Matsuo was so perfect that he could hardly find any fault with it.

Even if it were possible to pick out some parts that could be modified, Shirakawa Haru would be nitpicking, which would not only disrupt the signing of the contract, but might also ruin Hinomori's reputation in the musical instrument circle of Chiba Prefecture.

The musical instrument circle and the music circle have a high degree of overlap, and these two circles themselves are not large. The owner of a music store you see on the street may know a certain music professor at the affiliated university.

"The contract was drafted perfectly. From this point of view, Mr. Matsuo is a very successful businessman."

Mr. Matsuo was obviously very pleased with Shirakawa Haru's compliment.

Then, Manager Matsuo began to tell Shirakawa Haru and Toyokawa Shoko how he had worked his way up from an ordinary graduate of a music university to now owning one of Japan's leading Steinway stores.

Matsuo talked a lot with the two of them. Since the signing of the contract was a foregone conclusion, he breathed a sigh of relief.

This is the best way. You can make money without losing money, and at the same time you can become famous in Tokyo. It is a win-win situation.

Shirakawa Haru and store manager Matsuo were having a very pleasant chat, but just as Shirakawa Haru was about to sign the contract, a loud shout suddenly came from outside the reception area.

The progress of signing the contract was interrupted.

"It's all my fault. I can't be myself... No, I can't be the keyboard player in your band. From now on, you might as well just treat me as dead!"

The three people in the reception area heard the news and rushed to the lobby, where they found two girls with unique clothing styles standing at the entrance of the basement. They were both wearing the same style of clothes, and the hems of their T-shirts were obviously cut short, revealing their fair skin. They wore woven fabrics made of dried and fresh flowers on their heads. The taller girl also wore a blue crystal necklace and held a microphone in her hand.

They were obviously a pair of band members who were having a conflict. The taller one was the lead singer and perhaps also the leader of the band. From the words of the thinner girl, we could tell that she was probably the keyboardist of the band.

Shirakawa Haru suddenly turned her head and looked at Toyokawa Shoko. Her expression was a little stiff, even to the point of disgust.

"Mr. Shirakawa and Ms. Toyokawa should also know that we have a basement at ECHO. That area is where I help new bands realize their dreams."

Manager Matsuo watched the two with interest. He realized that Ms. Toyokawa might also be a member of a band. She'd been staring intently at the piano and keyboard, oblivious to the other instruments in the shop. And while she was negotiating the contract with Mr. Shirakawa, her fingers had been tapping the table. Ah, then, it made sense why Ms. Shoko would have that expression when she saw the band members arguing. Perhaps these things had happened to her, too.

I have to say that store manager Matsuo has a very sharp intuition. He basically figured out Toyokawa Shoko's mental journey and experience just by relying on a few expressions and analysis of the current situation. This is a reflection of his ability.

"But once seeds are buried in the soil, they don't necessarily bloom or bear fruit. They might not even sprout. Even if they do, they're always 'occasionally' destroyed by the glare of flames, wind, or rain." The store manager waved his hand, preparing to speak to the two girls and try to ease the tension. "You're standing before a seed that might not even sprout."

"Excuse me, what happened to you?" The store manager asked in a relaxed tone, his expression so gentle that it seemed as if he could tolerate everything.

But the slender keyboard player did not acknowledge his friendship and just remained silent.

Obviously, even when the girls were in conflict, the keyboard girl still maintained her previous habit of being the one to negotiate with others.

"I'm so sorry to bother you, the manager...and these two..." She suddenly realized that the manager was having a business discussion with someone else, so she quickly bowed to the people present, "I'm so sorry to bother you, the manager and these two."

"We're all friends, and we're members of the same band. If you have anything to say, we can talk about it slowly."

The store manager still looked very patient and continued to try to be a mediator.

The tall lead singer explained the conflicts within his band to the store manager. Basically, several members of the team have very prominent personalities and have considerable strength and achievements in the field of their respective instruments. As a result, no one is willing to submit to the other. Yesterday they said the drummer was too fast, today they said the guitarist's movements were too timid and restrained, and tomorrow they said there was a problem with the composed song and that some part needed to be modified.

Originally, these conflicts could be hidden under the leadership of the main girl, but the slender keyboard player was in poor health and her spirit could not remain stable all the time, so she was unable to withstand the pressure, and then even the remaining members started to attack each other.

It was not until the slim keyboard player girl ran out the door that they calmed down and regretted their actions.

"You mean, it's all my fault, right? It's my bad personality, it's my problem, it's me, it's all my fault!" The keyboard girl suddenly burst into tears, and the tears flowed from the corners of her eyes, across her clothes, and shattered into rainbow colors when they fell to the floor.

"I admire you so much and like everyone so much, but you just don't understand anything." After roaring, she didn't give the home girl a chance to grab her arm and ran away from ECHO quickly.

"I'm sorry..." The home girl's eyes were reddening, and tears seemed to be brewing, but she held it back and apologized to the three people again, "I'm really sorry."

At this time, another girl walked out from the basement. Judging from her dress, she should be a member of the tall lead singer's band.

"Have you found her?" Her expression was a little anxious, but mostly filled with shame. "We've realized our mistake. We shouldn't have yelled at her so loudly. She works so hard and even cheers us up when everyone else is feeling down."

"She ran away." The host girl sighed, her eyes determined, but her tone was quiet. "We'll talk about the apology later, but in ten minutes we're going on stage for our first live performance. For the future of the band, we have to go on with this live!"

She took a deep breath, as if swallowing all her sorrows:

"I'm not only responsible for her, but also for you. We've been rehearsing hard for so long, and this first live performance must go on no matter what."

"But without a keyboard player, the live show won't work, right?" the girl said awkwardly. "Or, forget it. I can't leave all the problems to you."

"There's nothing we can do," the lead singer said. "In this situation, we can only ask for help. There are many people at the entrance of ECHO who support other performances."

"But those people's skills are not good enough, right?" The girl frowned tightly. It can be seen that she must be a very strong person under normal circumstances. Only in this situation would she be at a loss and lose her backbone.

"There's nothing else to do. This is the only solution."

"If you can't find someone to support your live performance, you can try inviting me. I'm very confident in my skills. Even if it's a difficult piece, I can play it rigorously after just one glance."

Shoko Toyokawa walked towards the two worried girls in the band and tried to negotiate with them.

She sighed in her heart, not knowing why she chose to wade into this muddy water. Perhaps it was because she saw the shadow of Group C in these girls. She remembered that she and everyone else were so happy at that time. Not only did they successfully gather like-minded people together, they even held a Live performance.

Just because of my own problems, I separated from everyone else.

Looking at the wavering expressions on the girls' faces, she suddenly thought about how everyone was doing now and how they were living.

Mu was growing cucumbers. Like Deng, she didn't enjoy interacting with others. She left immediately after she left. Was Deng still as unsociable as before, even introverted? She wanted to tell Deng that he was truly gifted, like Sinclair's painting in Demian: a bird gestating in an egg. Once you crack the egg and spread your wings, the world is yours to roam. She wondered if Lixi still spoke so harshly in her daily life. She knew she was a gentle person. Although she wouldn't show it outwardly, she secretly valued everyone above all else. Sushi was still blocking her door every day, and she wanted to tell her that it was impossible for her and them to go back to the way they were.