Does gravity make me stronger?

When Hachiman arrived, Aine and Takamatsu Akari had already arrived.

The former had become quite familiar with the band after spending a month together, while the latter, having only met them a few days prior, wasn't as awkward at the moment.

Two of the remaining three band members, Shiina Tatsuki and Kaname Rakuna, walked into the Starry Night band side by side a little over ten minutes later.

As soon as Ryuna entered, Ijichi Hoshika was taken aback for a moment, then strode forward and excitedly ruffled the girl's hair: "It's you, Ryuna-chan, long time no see."

"Sister Xingge, it's been a long time."

It has an NTR vibe!

Ijichi Seika's younger sister, Ijichi Nijika, watched this scene with suspicion and couldn't help but ask, "Sister, are these musicians you know?"

"Half, I guess."

Hongxia was even more confused by this strange description, but fortunately, Ichika Hoshika explained in time: "This child is the granddaughter of a LiveHouse owner I know. She has taken good care of me and is someone I am very grateful to."

"Ugh?"

As a high school student, Nijika naturally didn't understand much about Ijika Hoshika's history of struggling in society. All she knew was that the grandmother of the girl named Kaname Rakuna had been kind to her older sister.

"Lenai, you're in high school now, right?"

Ijichi Hoshika's voice was incredibly gentle, even with a slight lisp.

Everyone laughs at Nagasaki Sosei, but everyone is Nagasaki Sosei...

"Third year of junior high." Yoru Nai said expressionlessly, enjoying having her hair stroked.

"Really? Time flies..."

Kaoru didn't seem very interested in Ijichi Seika. After a brief chat, she quickly ran up to Hachiman and stared intently at the boy who was working.

"What are you going to do..."

Feeling a chill run down his spine under the girl's gaze, Hachiman put down the broom.

Kaname smiled and shook her head, then grabbed Hachiman's sleeve like a child: "Want to join our band?"

"No, thank you..."

Despite Hachiman's repeated rejections, Rakuna persisted in pestering him, even resorting to physical violence.

It started with the sleeves, then the hands, and then...

"Hey, don't touch me there! No! Ugh~"

Just as Hachiman was about to be completely devoured by this airheaded koala, Aine noticed what was happening and rushed over: "Rakuna-chan, we're about to go on stage, don't disturb Hachiman's work."

"Mmm, ah~"

"Okay, here's some candy for you."

Aine once again displayed the composure of a veteran Pokémon trainer, unhesitatingly taking out a sencha candy and putting it into Yoru's wide-open mouth.

Meanwhile, Shiina Riki, who was still wearing her Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy uniform because she hadn't had time to go home, stormed up to Hachiman in a rage.

"Hey, what are you thinking? Calling us here to perform at a time like this?!"

Having gotten used to his older sister's aggressive attitude after their last encounter, Hachiman responded with ease.

"Aren't you a band?"

The implication is that Hachiman helped Shiina Tatsuki get the performance opportunity, but instead of being grateful, Shiina verbally abused him. In short, it was a complete mess.

"But you have to consider the atmosphere! Our bassist isn't even here, how are we supposed to go on stage!"

Although he often tells bass jokes, Shiina Tatsuki knows very well that a band cannot be without a bass, which is why he was so rude to Hachiman.

"If Nagasaki-san comes today, let her go."

"What if you don't come?"

"I've prepared an alternative for you."

"Clap!"

Hachiman clapped his hands, and a girl with a blank expression immediately came forward to greet him: "Lord Hachiman, may I ask what brings you here?"

What are you doing here?

Shiina Tatsuki stared wide-eyed at the scene, puzzled: "What kind of cosplay are you guys doing?"

"It's a misunderstanding, let's start over... Ahem, this is Yamada Ryo, who has finished her band duties. She can be your band's temporary substitute bassist."

"she..."

Shiina Tatsuki stared at Yamada Ryo with a blatantly suspicious gaze. If it were anyone else being looked at like that, they would probably feel offended, but who was Yamada Ryo?

Instead of feeling uncomfortable being stared at, she simply puffed out her chest confidently and flicked her bangs.

"Ten thousand yen per hour."

"???"

Shiina Tatsuki looked at Hachiman, who coughed lightly and explained, "I've already paid, please use it as you like."

How's your bass playing?

“You are the challenger!” Yamada Ryo said, arms crossed and chin raised.

"???"

Yamada Ryo's eccentric personality made Shiina Tatsuki feel a little uneasy, but fortunately, after a brief rehearsal in the practice room, he discovered that this guy did have something special about him.

"First published on 705u.com - Book Club"

At least her overall level is much higher than Su Shi's when she was in a state of decline, but it's not so clear whether she is better or worse than her childhood sweetheart.

In any case, it's more than enough to handle this performance.

The only drawback is...

Until the performance began, no one saw Nagasaki Motoyo, so it was assumed that she had probably stood them up.

Backstage, Yamada Ryo breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew, thank goodness the bassist didn't show up, so I got the extra performance fee."

"..." Hongxia rolled her eyes, wondering why she could meet such a terrible teammate.

Aine, who was about to go on stage, nervously clutched her chest, while Takamatsu Akari gripped the microphone tightly, both of them clearly feeling very frustrated.

"Su Shi..."

"Tomorin, do we still want to go on stage?" Ai asked timidly, already having second thoughts.

"We must go. We need to grow stronger before Su Shi returns..."

Takamatsu clenched her fist and was the first to step onto the stage. The determination in her eyes made Aine, who was following behind her, feel a little unfamiliar. It was as if the child who had always lagged behind had suddenly grown up. Complex emotions churned in her heart.

Thinking back to what Hachiman had said to her that morning, she felt even more uneasy.

Su Shi and the others used to be in the same band; only Kaname and I were outsiders...

But so what? Crychic has disbanded, and now I'm the guitarist for that band.

Therefore, we cannot desert our posts here, and we cannot allow others to look down on us.

Su Shi, watch closely, I will definitely become a better guitarist than that girl!

Ai Yin silently held her guitar, her eyes gradually brightening. Under the spotlight, this incomplete band stepped onto the stage.

Chapter 125, Section 123: Ambushed by the Mutou people

Among all the livehouses in Shimokitazawa, Shinseki's popularity is not the worst, but it can only be considered average.

In addition, today is Monday, the day with the fewest visitors, so there were very few audience members. Including the band members who were sneaking off and not working, there were less than twenty people.

But it was precisely this slightly chilly atmosphere that made everyone on stage breathe a sigh of relief.

"Lights, let's begin."

Shiina Riki, sitting behind the drum kit, started playing the drums, followed by the bass and guitar.

At the beverage station, after Hachiman finished serving the last customer his drink, he also had a free hand to enjoy Takamatsu Akari and the others' songs.

Just like last time, they sang "Walking with the Blue Sky," and compared to their previous chaotic performance, their teamwork has definitely improved a lot now.

The only drawback is that Ryo Yamada, who plays bass as a substitute, always seems to be immersed in his own world, making it difficult for him to cooperate. Sometimes, he even turns his back to the audience while playing.

Perhaps this is a characteristic of bass guitar, but Hachiman still felt that it was impolite to the guests.

"Amazing!"

Listening to the performance by the group at the beverage counter, Goto Ichiri couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

This piqued Hachiman's interest.

He was just an ordinary listener who could roughly distinguish between what sounded good and what didn't, but when it came to analyzing it from a professional perspective, he could only babble.

"Is this level considered very impressive?"

"Ai-chan has only been learning for less than a month, and she can already play the piano on stage. Someone like me with a quirk like me could never do that."

Goto Ichiri lowered her head with a hint of self-consciousness. It had taken her three years to take this step onto the stage, but Aine had accomplished it in just one month.

Indeed, the gap between people is even greater than the gap between people and operators.

Hey, who are you calling an OP?

"But isn't Goto-san going on stage to perform either?"

"But I was wearing a mango box..."

Ah, this...

Yes, when the band first finished performing on stage, Goto Ichiri was still in mango box form.

Her biggest wish is to remove the mango box for her next performance.

Hachiman froze instantly, racking his brains for words to comfort Goto Ichiri, and could only manage a forced smile.

"Well, how should I put it, don't mind?"

"Yes, I'll do my best!"

Goto Ichiri pounded her chest vigorously, and her way of cheering herself on was quite adorable.

Soon, the music ended, and scattered applause filled the venue.

Overall, it was a very exciting performance. None of the band members made any major mistakes, and the audience's reaction was quite positive.

However, Gao Songdeng was not satisfied with the results he had achieved.

"Motor, motor..."

Takamatsu Akari's anxious expression served as a wake-up call for Hachiman.

Tomorrow, Nagasaki Motoyo must be present.

To ensure that Nagasaki Kame can come, he needs to go to the Moon Forest in person tomorrow.

But this raises a problem.

He promised Xiangzi that he would bring her to Fanxing tomorrow.

So, should we take Shoko to the Moon Forest to find Nagasaki Motoyo, or go to the Moon Forest and then return to Haneoka to pick up Shoko?

Hachiman decisively chose the latter.

There was no particular reason, it was just simple fear.

Hey, what are you afraid of?

The person who asked this question should be slapped.

"Phew, that felt great!"

After coming off the stage, Yamada Ryo wiped his sweat from his brow, placed his bass on the shelf where the instruments were stored, and then swaggered out to Hachiman.

"???" Hachiman.

"Water." Yamada Ryo.

Hachiman excitedly poured a glass of ice water: "Ah, the water's here."

Don't use memes you don't know how to use; it'll just be awkward.