I play wind instruments in Kansai.

After a moment of contemplation, Hitomi Shiraishi said in a low voice, "Bang Dream."

"what is that?"

"Anime featuring an all-female band."

"I don't know if they have them here."

This is an anime that is limited to a specific circle and online community. At least, I rarely hear people discussing this anime, but I heard that it is quite popular in the neighboring country.

Passing by the Pokémon Center, there was a giant Snorlax plushie in the window. Hitomi Shiraishi stood there and murmured, "So fat and cute."

“Indeed, but it’s quite troublesome to bring it home,” said Gongling Wang.

"Mm." She nodded in confirmation and pulled Gong Lingwang along as they continued walking inside.

I finally found the Bang Dream merchandise in a small shop, which was basically just a few rows of shelves and a display wall.

Hitomi Shiraishi stood in front of the shelf, her legs straight, and reached out to pick up an acrylic standee with a pink girl on it.

Gong Lingwang didn't recognize him, but he felt like he had seen him somewhere in real life.

She looked at the other grains of millet, but put them all back. Gong Lingwang glanced at the price tags and found them to be inexpensive, only two or three hundred.

"Don't you like it?" he asked.

"I like it," Shiraishi Hitomi said softly.

"Then why don't you want it?"

She didn't answer, but just continued browsing in the store, leaving Gong Lingwang with no choice but to follow.

Finally, she stopped at the pendant shelf in the corner, where a white resin rabbit stood with one ear upright and the other drooping, holding a mini guitar in its hand.

It feels hard to the touch and is polished very smooth.

“It looks good,” she said.

Miyamine nodded; the price tag said 500 yen.

Hitomi Shiraishi only bought one item before going to pay. Since the amount was small, she paid for it herself.

If you go out with a girl and she only buys 500 yen worth of things and then leaves, it's very likely that she realizes you're not going to pay for her and is trying to save face by grabbing something to pay for it.

But Shiraishi Hitomi is the only one who wouldn't make Miyamine Nozomi have such thoughts.

As soon as she stepped out of the store, she handed over the pendant.

"This is for you."

"For me?" Gongling Wang was stunned for a moment.

A serene smile appeared on Shiraishi Hitomi's lips: "Yes, it looks nice hanging on my backpack, and I can see you faster."

".......Thanks."

I granted her request and corrected the time to five o'clock.

Things were going too smoothly, which made Miyamine Nozomi begin to feel guilty.

Hitomi Shiraishi's requests were all too simple, each one resembling a trivial everyday matter between lovers.

Miyamine Nozomi even hoped that she could make some excessive requests.

For example, "I know your family is very wealthy, so please send me expensive gifts from time to time."

Or, "Take off your shirt, I want to take your picture."

But Miyamine Nozomi understood that Shiraishi Hitomi could never say such a thing. She was an extremely kind and innocent girl who only had a superficial understanding of many things.

Don't you like it?

Seeing that Miyamune's expression was somewhat complicated, Shiraishi Hitomi tilted her head slightly and asked.

"No, I like it very much." Gong Lingwang smiled, put the pendant into his pocket, and said, "Is there anything else you want to buy?"

Hitomi Shiraishi gently shook her head, her soft hair swaying with the movement:

"No, I was thinking of giving you something I like, and it's enough that you accept it."

"Well."

Miyamine Nozomi's heart raced uncontrollably. The feeling she had when she was with Shiraishi Hitomi was something she couldn't experience when she was with Yanagi Yuuto.

However, both have their merits, and in the end, it is Miyamine Nozomi who is most shameful to compare the two.

"I will give you gifts in the future too."

"It's as if, to prevent Shiraishi Hitomi from imbuing this gift with any special meaning, it's like the exhibits in Osaka Castle," Miyamine Nozomi said.

"In exchange, I hope you can accept this."

Hitomi Shiraishi blinked, her lips moving thoughtfully, but she didn't utter a word.

As the two walked out of the store, they ran into An Hejun, who was carrying several shopping bags, and Kohinata Hina, who was empty-handed.

It seems that Senior Anhe knew what to buy before she arrived, and she acted very quickly.

An Hechun is tall and has a beautiful face. She is also wearing a Western-style uniform, which makes her look energetic and attracts the attention of many boys around her.

When they discover that such a girl has come to Gongling Wang's side, especially when there is another girl by his side who is as exquisite as a doll, they will feel envious.

"Why have you two been walking alone?" An Hechun asked.

"I didn't buy any clothes, I just went to stroll around the area."

Miyamine Nozomi spoke in a calm tone, but then she noticed Kohikana staring at her.

"Isn't Hinata-san buying clothes?"

“I didn’t come to Osaka to buy clothes,” Kohinata Hina said softly.

An Hechun said with a smile, "I came to buy clothes, and she came to buy a euphonium."

"Buying musical instruments?"

Gong Lingwang glanced at Bai Shitong beside him and began to actively promote,

"The Shiraishi family sells musical instruments; you can buy them from them. I do too."

Kohika Hina straightened her back, striking an upright pose, and said, "Do you think that's possible?"

It seems that in her eyes, she would rather buy musical instruments in an unfamiliar place than go to a girl's shop where she stole her best friend's boyfriend.

"Can't we use the school's public musical instruments?"

Miyamine Nozomi remembers that Kohika Hinana was carrying a public musical instrument, a silver-white, thick-tubed euphonium.

An Hechun's tone suddenly softened, and she said softly:

"Because she didn't make it into Group A, the instruments in the brass band are given priority to Group A members, and unsurprisingly, her instrument was given to Yamada Shinobu."

"Did Daidouji-senpai say that, or Tanihana-senpai?" Miyamine asked.

"No one said it, but that's what everyone thinks. It's a kind of unspoken agreement from the past, right? However, the department is indeed ordering new instruments, but we don't know when they will arrive."

Regardless, having your own instrument brings peace of mind, without worrying about it being 'snatched away' by someone else.

"But thick-tube horns aren't cheap at all. Are you sure you want to buy one yourself?"

Euphoniums are expensive; even the entry-level model costs over 400,000 yen.

Among the euphoniums in the wind section, the YEP-621 is a very popular model, priced at over 700,000 yen.

Its characteristics include a mellow and full tone with a rich bass range, making it the first choice for most students.

"My family supports me."

Kohika Hina said in a calm tone,

"But since brand new ones are too expensive, I thought I could buy a second-hand one, which would be much cheaper."

Musical instruments generally hold their value well; a good condition used 621 can fetch over 500,000 yen.

"Do you want a 621? I have some at home, whether it's brand new or used, Hinata-kun can try it out," Shiraishi Hitomi suddenly said.

Miyamine looked at her with some surprise. Whenever the topic of her family selling musical instruments came up, Shiraishi Hitomi became much more talkative.

Kohinata felt a little uncomfortable under Shiraishi Hitomi's innocent gaze, but she didn't want to give in, so she turned her face away and whispered:

"No."

"Hmm... If you want, you can come and try it." Shiraishi Hitomi didn't insist.

"Okay, okay." An Hechun handed the shopping bags to Gong Lingwang and said, "Is there anything else you want to buy?"

Gongling Wang involuntarily took the bag:

I don't think so.

"Didn't you buy anything for Liu Mu?"

"...I've already bought it before."

"Let's go then, no need to waste time." An Hechun took out his phone and looked at it, saying, "It's almost three in the afternoon."

After leaving the department store, the group headed to a Yamaha music store not far from Shinsaibashi.

The logo features a dark blue background with white lettering, and Yamaha's classic tuning fork design is embedded in the center of the letters.

The store is quite large, with all-glass display cases and bright lights inside, but there weren't many customers.

Stepping into the store, the coolness of the air conditioning and the aroma of musical instruments rushed over you.

The aroma of wood, lacquer, rosin, the metallic scent of brass instruments, and the unique paper and ink smell of the instruments blend together to create a peculiar flavor.

Anhe Jun seemed to be quite familiar with the female staff here and quickly won them over. Kohi Xiangyin was quite polite when facing strangers.

She kept nodding and bowing; she seemed more suited for the job than the female shop assistant.

Gong Lingwang strolled around, where a grand piano was placed on the three steps.

It was simply the most eye-catching instrument in the store. The black lacquer reflected a silky sheen under the spotlights, and the white keys were as white as ivory, without a speck of dust.

Gongling Wang stood to the side, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at the piano.

"Can you play the piano?" Hitomi Shiraishi asked from beside him.

"I can barely do it."

Gong Lingwang was bored and his hands were itching to do something. Just then, a female shop assistant in a tight-fitting uniform walked by.

"Excuse me for interrupting, may I play the piano over there for a moment?"

The female shop assistant stopped in her tracks. The young man in front of her had delicate features, and a very cute girl was with him.

In the minds of most people, piano skill is directly proportional to age, while boasting is inversely proportional to age.

Even so, the female shop assistant still smiled and tried to remind Miyamine Nozomi, nodding slightly as she said:

"This piano is a CFX, which is extremely delicate in its touch and can amplify both technical superiority and flaws. It is certainly suitable for beginners to play, but if you are an expert, then there will be no problem."

"Okay, I'll give it a try."

Miyamine Nozomi intended to put the shopping bag on the ground, but Shiraishi Hitomi took it from her.

The female shop assistant hesitated for a moment, but still smiled.

Gongling Wang sat on the piano bench at a height that was miraculously just right, and the difference was immediately noticeable the moment his fingers touched the keys.

The paper and wood wind instrument section plays an upright piano, and the keys feel heavier, not stiff, but with a more substantial feedback.

The first finger landed on the C key, and the key travel was very smooth.

Then E and G, the three notes joined together to form a C major triad, the sound waves spread out from the center, circled around the store, and landed in Miyamine Nozomi's eardrums.

He let go of her hand, not yet having decided what to play, but when he glanced at Shiraishi Hitomi, a musical score popped into his mind.

The saleswoman thought that was all there was to it, and immediately tried to approach him to pretend to sell him the piano, but actually wanted him to get up and leave because he was embarrassed.

As soon as she took a step, Gong Lingwang's fingers pressed down, and the moment the keys fell, a melody flowed through the quiet shop.

It is the piano version of "I'm Sorry for Being So Cute," which was once popular on short video platforms.

The piano version of this piece is very fast, and it is not easy to play it lightly and accurately; it requires considerable control.

But under Miyamine Nozomi's fingers, and on this grand piano with its delicate touch, every distinct note seemed to be carefully wrapped, carrying a playful elasticity.

Lively music filled the shop, attracting the attention of the few customers scattered around. When they discovered that the player was a teenager, they all looked on in surprise.