A guide to survival in a heavy girl's world

Chihaya Tetsuya truthfully recounted the results of his negotiations with Mori Minami.

"Besides that, if there's anything you forgot to take from home, I can tell your housekeeper and he'll bring it to you as soon as possible."

"..."

The unexpected tolerance made Wakaba Mu's expression gradually change from nervousness to confusion.

If she hadn't known Chihaya Tetsuya's personality beforehand, she would have even thought that he was joking with her.

"From what she said, it seems that after witnessing the changes that took place in Xiangzi after he left home, she also has certain expectations for your growth."

Chihaya Tetsuya explained:

"Of course, I'm not sure if she has other plans, but at least you've gotten rid of the 'runaway' premise. In other words... you can live here without any psychological burden from now on."

"..."

Hearing this, Ruo Yemu's nerves, which had been tense all the time, relaxed instantly. She was surprised by the indescribable sense of relief.

"...Thank you, Chihaya-san."

Wakaba Mu bowed his head to Chihaya Tetsuya and said:

"I do feel a lot more relaxed."

"To ask you, who has always lived in that kind of environment, to suddenly make a decision that goes completely against your parents' wishes is a bit too radical no matter how you look at it."

Chihaya Tetsuya said with a smile.

"The same goes for your lifestyle. You must be feeling very uncomfortable right now, right? Suddenly arriving in an unfamiliar environment, and then being told you can live your life as you please... Just thinking about what to do next is probably something you'll need to stay up all night thinking about for several nights."

"!"

After hearing this, Ruo Yemu's eyes suddenly lit up, and then she immediately nodded.

"Yes! Although I have accepted Xiangzi's invitation...but other than that, I have no idea what else I can do next."

"It's normal. I felt the same way when I first arrived at Chihaya's house."

Chihaya Tetsuya leaned back on the sofa and said in a slightly nostalgic tone:

"To be suddenly told you don't have to work on a roster and can freely manage your time... For someone who's never experienced free time, this sudden liberation initially brings more distress than relief. Not to mention that the reason you left home was to escape your original environment, and beyond that, you don't really have a specific goal of your own."

"……Yes."

Ruoye Mu pinched the corner of his clothes again.

"Although there is still the premise of helping Xiangzi, but... apart from this, I haven't had time to think of anything else..."

At this point, even with her mother's permission, the confusion in her heart has not been resolved.

She is completely different from Xiangzi, who is determined in her goals, and Su Shi, who has clear demands. This puppet girl, who has just broken free from the strings, has not yet found the motivation to make her move again.

Therefore, her eyes would always involuntarily fall on Nagasaki Suyo, trying to learn her positivity and initiative.

But... she is not Nagasaki Suyo after all. Right now, she still cannot understand the reason that drives Nagasaki Suyo to become so proactive.

On the other side, Chihaya Tetsu also thought for a moment, then he continued:

"It's really hard to find what you want to do in a short period of time, so if you really can't adapt to your current life, you might as well hand your 'strings' back to someone you can trust until you find what you want to do."

Out of a sense of responsibility and also out of sympathy for those who have experienced similar situations, Chihaya Tetsuya said:

"If you don't mind, Miss Ruoye, I'll take on the role of 'pulling the strings' for the next period of time. How about that?"

22

Chapter 22 The first thread.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Mr. Mu!"

“Ai, Aine-san, that name is a little…”

"Just kidding. Anyway, thank you for being my guitar teacher!"

Facing Wakaba Mutsu, who was not very good at joking, Chihaya Aine smiled and said:

"It's really hard to practice on my own, and our band member Lenai isn't very good at teaching. I'm even considering signing up for an instrument class!"

"As a reward for Mr. Chihaya, this is nothing."

Wakaba Mu shook his head slightly.

"But... I've never taught anyone before, so I don't know if I'm good at being a teacher..."

"It's okay, it's okay. You have to try it before you know anything!"

Chihaya Aine said very calmly:

"The reason I asked you to teach me guitar is so you can try things you haven't done before, so don't be too reserved. Just teach me with the same attitude as if you were participating in a club activity!"

"But, you guys are going to Yokohama this weekend to participate in the Summer Zodiac Live, right?"

Although his expression and tone were no longer tense, Ruo Yemu's attitude was still very serious.

"On a stage of that level, if we don't perform well, it could very well affect the reputation of [MyGO!!!!"..."

"Well, that's true, but we're just a backing band that appears as an Easter egg during the encore."

Chihaya Aine said:

"According to Toyokawa-san, she seems to be using this segment to slightly blunt the feeling of being looked up to by the audience, so all she asks of us is to perform at our best."

"Even so, the error rate must be reduced to the lowest possible level..."

As Wakaba Mutsu said this, he looked at the guitar in Chihaya Aine's hand.

"Last time at [RiNG!!!!], you made the most mistakes of the entire band, and the main reason for the faster tempo afterwards was because you were too excited and unconsciously sped up your playing. Even if Xiangzi's request for you was just to 'perform as usual,' performing at that level will only lower your reputation in the industry. You're aiming for a 'mainstream debut' next, right? If that's the case, you absolutely can't mess up this live."

"That's true..."

Seeing that Wakaba Mutsu, who was usually taciturn, actually said so many words in one breath, Chihaya Aine immediately gave up the idea of ​​continuing to talk back.

"Ahem, then, let's start practicing now!"

"Well, let's get started."

Wakaba Mutsu said this as he straightened his sitting posture.

"Let me first listen to see how good your playing is."

……ten minutes later……

"……I see."

Wakaba Mu looked at Chihaya Aine for a long time before saying:

"It seems like after that live... you've been working really hard."

After hearing this, Chihaya Aine's eyes widened in surprise.

"Eh? Can you actually hear that?"

"kindness."

Wakaba Mutsu nodded slightly.

"The main thing is that your technique has improved significantly. Compared to the live performance that day, your technique is much more sophisticated, and your rhythm is much more stable."

In Wakaba Mu's own experience, such obvious improvement in basic skills must be achieved through a lot of practice.

In less than a month, she was able to achieve progress that would take others several months or even a year to achieve. It seems that her attitude towards the band... is far more serious than she lets on.

"...Is that so? That's great."

After hearing Wakaba Mu's evaluation, a relieved smile suddenly appeared on Chihaya Aine's face.

"This way, we shouldn't be holding everyone back like last time."

"..."

After hearing these words, Wakaba Mu's eyes looking at Chihaya Aine couldn't help but change again.

So, ever since the formation of the band [MyGO!!!!!!], Chihaya Aion has been perceived as lacking in talent. Chihaya Aion herself has never denied this, openly and generously admitting it. However, upon closer inspection, for someone who values ​​appearances, this impression is undoubtedly harsh and difficult to accept. The psychological pressure she endures beneath her carefree exterior is something only she knows.

Just like the growth that I am witnessing now, how much unknown effort has she put in?

“Aine-san, you really…”

"Ahh, wait, I know what you're going to say, Mu!"

But before Wakaba Mu could finish her words, Chihaya Aine immediately interrupted her.

"While it's certainly a happy thing to be recognized by others, I also know that this little progress has only taken me from a beginner to a proficient one."

Chihaya Aine smiled awkwardly and touched the back of her head:

"I'm easily carried away by success. If I were to be praised by a guitarist as talented as Mu, I would definitely lose my fighting spirit. Until my level is completely up to par with everyone else, I can't easily accept your praise. So, please point out my mistakes first! If you have any compliments, please save them for after the live!"

"……I see."

Ruoye Mu was silent for a while, then nodded.

Her evaluation of Chihaya Aine gradually changed.

Before this, although Chihaya Aine's guitar skills were not very high, no one had ever questioned her position and significance in the band.

The reason is simple, simply because she is Chihaya Tetsuya's sister.

For this band that was successfully formed with the help of Chihaya Tetsuya, Chihaya Aine can continue to stay in the band even if she does nothing, and enjoy the favor of Chihaya Tetsuya under the envious eyes of everyone.

But in reality, Chihaya Aine wasn't simply squandering the advantages of her status. Just like her progress, which she never deliberately showed off to anyone, she had been quietly working hard to make herself worthy of all the privileges she had received.

"You don't have to go this far, and no one will force you..."

"Although I am indeed a vain and lazy person. But even so, there are still things that I cannot give up no matter what."

Chihaya Aine said:

"In order to not become a child who only accepts his care, and to occupy the closest position by his side, this level of effort is necessary. So, let's continue, Mu."

"……kindness."

In other words, it was to become someone worthy of Chihaya-san's affection...

Wakaba Mu first secretly memorized this sentence in his heart, and then continued to tutor Chihaya Aine in guitar.

Looking at Chihaya Aine's focused and serious expression, a transparent string was lifted silently.

23

Chapter 23: The runaway daughter’s girls’ meeting.

When Wakaba Mu returned upstairs, it was already around eleven o'clock in the evening, and Nagasaki Suyo had just changed into her sleeping clothes and was about to return to her room.

"You've been practicing for so long."

Nagasaki Sushi, who was wearing a sleeping suit, looked at Wakaba Mutsu who had just returned with some surprise.

“I guess Aine didn’t cause you any trouble, did she?”

"……not at all."

Wakaba Mu gave a negative answer.

“She has a serious attitude and learns quickly.”

"That's it."

After hearing Wakaba Mu's comments, Nagasaki Suyo nodded without surprise.

"Indeed, that girl may seem unreliable, but she's actually quite intelligent... and she's been practicing piano very diligently since the live performance."

Ruoye Mu blinked immediately after hearing this:

“…Does Suyo also know that Aine-san is practicing secretly?”

"I knew it since her first day of extra training. Or rather, she was the one who kept telling me not to tell anyone."

Nagasaki Suyo curled her lips and said:

"You said you'd wait until you've learned enough before showing it to everyone, but you clearly just wanted to surprise everyone during the official rehearsal... What's wrong, Mu? Why do you look so surprised?"

“Because I always thought Suyo looked down on Aine-san…”