The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

Even after nearly two and a half years together, Pinxin still has a slight scar on his face. While his "weak woman" nature certainly played a role, he figured no one wanted to be scolded by a truly angry Ba. While he certainly was a self-destructive wretch back then, it wasn't that bad, was it? Still, he had to thank her. After that, he had Shi use her parents' connections to hire a professional maid. Otherwise, Shi's future growth and development might have been affected by nutritional imbalances, leading to problems. After all, Asuka and Ma were both very picky eaters and headstrong.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's get started on today's practice. Hirayuki-kun, thank you so much for always lending us the soundproof room for practice free of charge."

"...You don't have to be so polite. After all, I am half your master, right?"

Besides, we've all been friends for so long, it would be awkward to talk about this any more. In fact, Ping Xin and the five of them have known each other for more than two years. Otherwise, how do you think a person with social anxiety can get along so well with so many beautiful girls at the same time?

Coming out to smooth things over were Tsugumi Hanazawa and Cha-hai Cha-yi, the most ordinary of the five, so ordinary that Hirayuma felt a sense of familiarity. Do you understand the pain of not being able to freely customize your own personality even after traveling through the world, and being limited to the default skin of black hair and dark eyes?!

However, Ping Xin, who loves rock music, has a very "free" aesthetic. Even if he is very normal at the beginning, he may do some weird things later out of curiosity. Perhaps this is the reason why he uses the "default" appearance.

Although Tsugumi Hanazawa's appearance and talents are relatively ordinary, she possesses no particularly outstanding talents. However, precisely because of this ordinary nature, she has become a hard worker. She never gives up on anything, no matter how small, and is dedicated and meticulous in everything she does. She is truly an "ordinary hard worker" and a "great ordinary person." One of her specialties is being able to quickly identify the brightest star after training. Although her family owns a cafe called "Hazawa Coffee," she doesn't like black coffee.

In fact, when the five of them decided to do something to maintain contact with each other, it was she who took the initiative to initiate the idea of ​​"forming a band". Every time there was a quarrel between the members, she was the one who always remained neutral and sober to prevent everyone from doing things they would regret because of a momentary impulse. Every time the five of them were confused, she was always the first to take the step, even if the road ahead was full of fog.

In short, while she may not be particularly impressive, she's the de facto spiritual pillar of Afterglow. Her existence is practically no different from the true leader's. Because of her resemblance to Hira Nobuyuki in his previous life, he's shown special care and taught her numerous musical instruments and study techniques, making her his number one disciple—this is the common man's final struggle! (?)

*Except for the younger sister, those from Asuka Ma are specially marked.

Seeing several people quickly start chatting and joking, it really is "as usual (Itsmooth Communication)", as always, it makes people feel relieved. Thinking of this, Asuka Maheishin couldn't help but laugh out loud. Every socially anxious person is a person with a rich heart. They may have endless interesting stories hidden in their hearts, but there is no one to share them. When they meet the destined person, they will bloom with a strong and dazzling light——

"What's wrong, brother? Are you feeling unwell?!"

Seeing his brother suddenly laugh so disgustingly, Shi couldn't help but ask worriedly.

"...Nothing, I just remembered when they decided to form a band and came to me to become their apprentices. We were all so green back then, especially Lan, who actually cried back then—"

It's just an old trick. When you want to suppress the hotness of an issue, the best way is not to block it harshly, but to throw out another hot topic to divert people's attention. This trick, which was commonplace in the past, works so well in this simple world no matter how many times it is used, just like saying there is a Batmobile on the roadside in "North Park".

"Wulusai (so annoying)!"

The girl with highlighted hair who was named, a strong-willed girl with a personality similar to the flat-headed guy in Ping Xin's previous life, quickly interrupted him.

In fact, despite her withdrawn and tough exterior, Mizukami is actually very afraid of loneliness, and therefore values ​​her family and friends, especially her four childhood friends.

After entering junior high school, the students' interactions with each other gradually decreased due to class separation. She was the first to notice this dwindling communication. Unable to cope with the situation, she often skipped classes to write poetry on the rooftop. This was how she caught the attention of Aoba Moka, and how the five of them eventually came together to form a band.

But most people at her age would probably just write about grief and dark stories, right? I didn't expect her to actually express her emotions through poetry. She truly lives up to being the only daughter of a century-old flower arrangement family...

After a brief recollection, someone sighed like a middle-aged uncle. After being interrupted by the verbal attack, Ping Xin showed an expression like an old father who was disliked by his daughter.

"...After two and a half years of practice, your playing skills have reached a professional level. What remains is some personal style and, most importantly, the experience of playing on the big stage. These still depend on your own efforts, everyone in the Sunset Red Band—"

"Seriously, we're not some 'Sunset Red' band, we're 'Afterglow'! We were so serious before, and everyone was so moved, why did you ruin the atmosphere at the end?!"

The person being complained about is Uehara Himari, who was not mentioned before among the five childhood friends. She has pink twintails and emerald green eyes. She is the most feminine member of the entire Afterglow, the hottie with the most trendy dressing style, and is also the (nominal) captain.

He is a cheerful and kind-hearted person, but he often ends up wasting his time because he cannot read people's expressions. In other words, he cannot read the atmosphere (act according to the atmosphere).

She has a low tear point and cannot resist touching stories. She is impulsive and often forgets to take things. This kind of impulsive girl always makes people worry about her, especially Fei Mali's weight.

She loves chocolate and often worries about her weight gain. Her simple-minded nature often makes her the target of teasing (persecution) from the other band members. They specifically single out a certain Mocha because he jokingly claims, "I don't gain weight by eating so much because all the fat is transferred to Hi-chan." Hi-chan considers him her biggest enemy: "Mocha, who eats so much bread and doesn't gain weight, is my biggest enemy!"

*Original words

However, Hirayukoshi saw this as a blessing in disguise. After all, her figure, or more precisely, her breast volume, was the best among the five. If she hadn't met Ichinose Asuna, Kadodate Karin, and Murokasa Akane in class today, three equally advanced students, she would probably have been one of the best among Hirayukoshi's acquaintances. It could be said that the fat had gone where it belonged, and she hoped that she could maintain this figure and not suddenly develop sideways.

"...By the way, I have some good news to tell you before practice—"

So much has happened today that I almost forgot what I was doing. As an amateur music lover in my past life, I'm still a music enthusiast in this life. You could say that music is the connection between these two worlds. I usually search for relevant information online and, in my free time, I go to livehouses to watch smaller performances.

After a while, even those with social anxiety can build good relationships with store managers, staff, and other music-related workers. They have to work both online and offline, and both hands must be strong, so naturally they can also hear some gossip.

LiveHouse: A type of indoor studio originating in Japan, suitable for enjoying live music up close. Even student bands can perform there if they meet the requirements. Many famous bands have performed in LiveHouses in their early years, and there are also many cases where unknown bands were discovered by scouts after performing in LiveHouses and became famous overnight.

"...Summer Music Festival, have you heard of it?" Ping Xin brought up the topic.

"Of course. The summer music festivals held in the suburbs of Tokyo in recent years have become a true summer festival for musicians. Not only do they feature many emerging musicians, but each event also features some heavyweights, including international singers and bands. It's truly a truly exciting event."

"Could it be that......"

The five girls, each with their own unique characteristics, all stared at Ping Xin, as if expecting something - but in fact, someone was secretly following behind him, ready to stop Ping Xin and give him a good scolding if he "talked nonsense".

"...Yes, I have a way for you to perform on stage. If it's a stage of this scale, you should be able to gain many fans and gain valuable experience. What do you think? As a rare opportunity, I wonder if any of you ladies are interested in giving it a try?"

Ping Xin is always so excited when it comes to music-related topics. His social anxiety gradually cannot suppress the restless soul in him - if he is really a person who can't take a single step because of social anxiety, the world will look very different. Ping Xin has already changed the fate of many people and even the entire world without knowing it, but he is not aware of it at the moment.

"Great!" Fei Mali started celebrating in advance before she even understood the situation. She is indeed the most fun...optimistic member.

"But things shouldn't be as simple as you say, right?"

No, I could actually have nominated you, but wouldn't that be boring? A rough gem needs polishing to reach its most beautiful brilliance, and you're one of those precious gems I've found. It's a shame there haven't been any bands as young and promising as them in the same generation. Hirayuko firmly believes that only competition can bring them to their full potential. From now on, I'll look for candidates...

Then you just try your best and dance in my palm, hehe!

With his strong ability to control facial expressions, Ping Xin rarely lets people know that he is distracted or mad. Today is also a day when his mental state is not very healthy~

"That's right, you understand me very well~ Although I can help you get a place, but... "

The five of them stared at him, then swallowed their saliva in unison. Seriously, could you please not do this? It was making them all a little nervous...

Ping Xin stopped keeping the secret and continued, "However, such a valuable stage spot is limited. Aside from those invited directly by the organizers, it's up to the individual participants to decide who gets it. And the opportunity I've secured for you is... the preliminaries! As long as you perform well in the preliminaries, I'll guarantee you a spot at this year's Tokyo Summer Music Festival."

"Great!"

"It's on fire!"

"Mocha-chan is also getting excited~"

"I will work hard!"

The four excitedly looked at Mizukari, who had remained silent. After seeing her childhood friend's fighting spirit, Mizukari also made a decision.

"Isn't that good? Practice hard and perform, just like usual."

"Okay~~ It's decided then! The five of us [Afterglow] will pass the preliminaries together, then perform on the stage of the Tokyo Summer Music Festival and let the world see our performance. Everyone, join me in shouting the slogan - えい! えい! おー!"

*Ei!Ei!Oh!, an interjection used by Eastern people when forming a circle or cheering.

But the crowd fell silent. The other four band members and childhood friends showed no interest in joining her in the outcry. It was no wonder, after all, it was quite embarrassing to do something like that in front of people you knew... They all turned their backs and pretended to look around.

Ping Xin, who was originally preparing to record the video, put down his phone with a look of disappointment and poured a bucket of cold water on them.

"But the events you've participated in before were primarily student bands, and they were small. The competition you're planning to participate in is completely different in scale and atmosphere. Frankly, it's not even on the same level. If you don't want to falter in the preliminaries and the official performance, you'll need to practice and work hard to gain performance experience."

"That is to say?"

"Of course it is—devilish training, you know... Congratulations, as a Sensi (teacher), of course I've prepared advanced training for you. Ever since I helped you develop solid basic skills two and a half years ago, I've rarely arranged training for you. This is a perfect opportunity for me to witness your growth."

The five childhood sweethearts smiled at each other. They didn't look scared at all, but instead seemed to be remembering something good. After all, the experience at that time has now become one of their precious memories.

"Then let the horse come over!"

"Very good, indeed, Miss Mizukari, the most distinctive, unique, and strong-willed of the five..."

Mizukami, who was still immersed in the joy of being suddenly praised, instinctively felt something was wrong, and felt a chill on her back as if someone was about to stab her in the back.

"Yeah~~"

"Ho~ho~ho~, you made a very cute sound, Ran~"

"Mo-ka-!"

Although he wanted to add fuel to the fire and watch the fun, Hiranobu sighed and issued the final judgment.

"Mizukane, please bear with me for a bit. The new song I've arranged for you this time is a little demanding on the singer's skill level, but if it's you, I think it should be no problem, right?"

How could Mizukuri, a strong-willed (tsundere) and bad (crossed out) person, bow down before Hirayuko? So she waved her hand and said with great force, "Come on."

Well, I just wonder if she will grit her teeth and cry while singing "Lostowan's Cry", "Asnoyosora Sentry Class", and "Tian No Weak" in the future. I'm really looking forward to it~~

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

Chapter 14 Phone

"Huh~ Rest, rest. It's called hellish training, but we're cranking up the intensity on the first day. Everyone's working hard, but it's really tiring anyway... Yeah~"

Fat Mary (crossed out) Uehara Himari was startled when the refreshing drink just taken out of the refrigerator was pressed against her face.

"Sorry, sorry. Here, drinks."

Although they said sorry, there was no apology in the slightest. Although they were all acquaintances and didn't need to be so polite, it was obvious that teasing Feimali had become a common practice among them. After all, she was the most fun to tease.

"3Q, Ba."

"By the way... did you see Lan? She was singing non-stop during practice just now. She needs to stay hydrated."

"That's right... Then I'll go ask Brother Pingxin if he has any suitable drinks. After all, Lan doesn't like sweet things, even though chocolate is so delicious."

Fei Mali complained as she picked up a piece of chocolate from the snack tower on the coffee table and put it in her mouth.

Haha, it’s because you keep eating these high-calorie snacks that you gain weight——

As usual, Tomoe Ueda complained in his heart, then waved his hand and went to find Aoba Moka and Hanezawa Tsugumi.

After searching for a while, Himari finally spotted Asuka Hirayobu in a corner of the large mansion. Why wasn't the light on? Most of Hirayobu's body was submerged in the darkness, creating a scene that strangely resembled a scene from a horror film.

I'm not going to wait until I get close to him to find out he has no head, am I? He's not going to say, "Can I borrow your head?" or something like that...

"...Ms. Scarlet Mary."

"Ah-uh..."

In the empty mansion, there was only a lamp lit at regular intervals. In the dim and silent space, Feimali was startled by the sudden sound behind her, but unfortunately her mouth was covered before she could scream.

"Ms. Fei Mary, I'm Xiao. I'll let go later, but I hope you can keep quiet—"

Do people in your family walk without making any noise? This floor is all marble... Although a little confused, Fei Mali nodded in agreement. Although their communication with Shi Shi during the past two and a half years of their relationship was relatively rare, most of the time she just stood by and watched or gave passive responses when called upon, which once made the sociable Fei Mali feel frustrated.

But since she's Asuka Maheishin's sister, she should be trustworthy...right? Could it be that the siblings are actually monsters hiding in the city? Because she enjoys touching stories and is often (passively) exposed to urban supernatural and fantasy themes, Himari's imagination has been blown away.

"Huh—, but why can't we call him? Could it be that Ping Xin Ge always talks about... Internet Depression Time? But I don't think he's any different from usual... uh—maybe a little different?"

"...It would be best if you could go and see it in person. With that, I'll take my leave."

"Ahahaha... okay."

So, it turns out these siblings have quite a few unique personalities. While the older brother is aloof and reserved when they first meet, once they get to know each other well, he'll be able to talk non-stop, spouting off self-destructive quips, making fools of himself, and even engaging in stand-up comedy. He's a completely different person before and after getting to know each other. Meanwhile, the younger sister is a poker-faced woman with no visible emotion. She seems to be a constant presence in every encounter, yet they know very little about her. She never seems to discuss her own past, but instead constantly dwells on her brother's affairs. The five are now convinced she's a suspected brother-con.

But then again...why maid outfits? Since they both have the same last name, Asuka, they should be siblings. While one has black hair and dark eyes, the other has blonde hair and blue eyes, seemingly unrelated, this isn't exactly a strange thing in this world. After all, everyone's appearance (compared to Hirashin's previous life) is relatively free-flowing, so explanations like skipped generations or recessive genes are also plausible.

So why the maid outfit?! Is she from the main family, a branch family, or even an illegitimate daughter? After all, building such a grand mansion in this location requires more than just wealth and power. The relationship between these two isn't pure siblings, nor master and servant, nor is it something in between. So, what is it...

Entering a state of imagination, Fei Mali completely forgot about the "urban legend" (imaginary version) just now, and instead picked up the script of the feud between wealthy families. It's a good thing she hadn't been brainwashed by Korean dramas, otherwise her imagination would probably be filled with elements such as "wrong child reported", "car accident amnesia", and "the love and hate entanglements of the previous generation".

As she walked, Fei Ma Li thought that the "purity" of the Seven Steps Poem was far inferior to hers. When she reached Ping Xin and saw his face clearly in the dim light, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"What? Your head is still there~"

"?"

I'm not some tribal leader's squinty-eyed subordinate, nor am I some magical girl's senior, nor am I some high school slut who relied on his looks to get laid and eventually "split up" and ran off. If my head isn't on my body, where else could it be? His mind was filled with complaints, but Ping Xin remained silent. This time, the reason wasn't his usual social anxiety, but rather that now wasn't the time for stunts. Ping Xin gestured to Fei Mali to press her ear against the door to pass the "eavesdropping" dice check.

"Shh—be quiet."

Fei Ma Li was bewildered. Why had Overheard suddenly started? Was this about to start a palace fight (a mini-edition of youthful palace fighting)? She pressed her ear against the door, but heard nothing. Then, pressing harder, almost as if she were melting her face into it, Fei Ma Li finally heard something.

Is this... Lan's voice? What is she doing in there?

“…I already told you, this is…!”

Who are you talking to?

"Stop telling me what to do!"

Did you have a fight?!

"...I told you everything! I told you it doesn't matter!"

Who is the other party?

"That's all. I still have to practice with them later. I'll deal with the rest when I get home tonight."

"......well--"

Mizukari, who had just hung up the phone, let out a long sigh, seemingly troubled by something. Meanwhile, at the other end of the corridor, Moka, who was searching the large mansion for someone, also noticed this—

"...orchid?"

"...Sorry, I'll be right back."

Mizukami responded after washing her face in the sink and opening the door. As for the corridor...it was naturally empty.