manynovel Page 76
Page 76
"Hmm—interesting." Lena looked at Taro's sheet music and couldn't wait to familiarize herself with it on her unconnected guitar.
Taro stood in the center of the practice room, silently watching the members familiarize themselves with the sheet music. Whenever Aine or Nyanmu made a mistake, he would immediately step forward, clearly and accurately pointing out the error and explaining the correct method.
Judging that the time was up, Taro's expression suddenly changed. He clapped his hands loudly, the clear, resounding sound instantly drowning out the noise in the practice room and drawing everyone's attention. "Alright! Ladies and gentlemen!" he declared arrogantly, "That's enough familiarity with the score! Come on! Let's start practicing right now! Practice!"
A powerful burst of music then began.
But the music abruptly stopped. Ai Yin, looking slightly flustered, stuck out her tongue and scratched the back of her head helplessly: "Ah... what a mess. Sorry."
“It’s normal for this to happen during the first rehearsal,” Hai Ling said calmly, putting down her instrument. As a support musician who had experienced countless similar situations, she was already used to it. Although her words of comfort sounded rather perfunctory.
"Let's start with the previous two phrases again—" Taro had already prepared himself for the practice process to not go smoothly, so he raised his voice again without hesitation.
Then, the band members continued practicing until 6 p.m. After repeated practice, their rhythms finally synchronized, achieving a harmonious state.
"Well then, that concludes today's practice." Taro said, gently placing the tomahawk keyboard in the corner of the room. He turned around, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone present, and added in a calm tone, "After you get home, don't neglect your individual practice. Also, after this live performance, you all need to undergo systematic physical training."
“You know, CiRCLE live shows usually last a long time. Your current physical condition is far from meeting the requirements,” he continued, his voice devoid of any emotion.
Looking at Nyanmu and Aine, who were drenched in sweat from the long, intense practice, Taro's expression remained unchanged, maintaining an objective and calm attitude. After saying these words, he decisively turned around and walked straight towards the door of Room VII (8) (2) (8), ending today's practice.
"Wait—Taro!" Aine bit her lower lip, rushed forward, and grabbed Taro's arm tightly. Her fingertips were slightly white, revealing her inner tension.
Taro turned around and saw Aine's cheeks twitching slightly with resentment, her voice trembling noticeably: "Taro, I think we should cancel our plan to go to Smile Amusement Park tomorrow. The performance right now... is completely unsatisfactory..." As she spoke, her gaze unconsciously lowered to the ground, her breathing becoming somewhat rapid.
"is this okay?"
Taro's question silenced the air. Rakuna tilted her head and looked at Aine. She remembered how happy Aine was that day when she changed her mind by offering five matcha parfaits in exchange for it.
Miao Meng stopped wiping her sweat with the towel and looked at Ai Yin. She remembered that when Ai Yin massaged her that day, she had given Ai Yin a sweet smile when she agreed to her plan.
Even Hai Ling, who seemed completely indifferent, remembered that day when Aine sat there waiting for her to come out, and how Aine happily waved to her when Liu Yiqiyi 2VIII Si 罒玉 came out.
Taro, in particular, would proudly show off his progress to Aine on his phone every time the project made progress, even outlining the route. So he was well aware of how much Aine cared about this.
Ai Yin took a deep breath and forced a smile, but the curve of her lips looked strained: "Well... I'm a little unwilling."
Then, she suddenly raised her hand and slammed her hand on her chest, making a loud thud. "This plan was originally intended to help everyone in the Dong Brothers group get along better! But, I'm a member of the Dong Brothers group,"
Her gaze swept over Le Nai, Miao Meng, and Hai Ling in turn, her tone gradually becoming more forceful. "If we let something like this delay the band, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse? Sunday is the start of the live performance, right? We only have one day free left, and instead of practicing, we're going to the amusement park? That idea itself is strange!"
Hearing Aine's resolute statement, Taro gave a genuine smile: "There's no need to worry about that. Everyone's schedule is free tomorrow. We can practice a little more after we finish sightseeing. According to your plan, it will be over by six o'clock, right? We can practice then. Today's performance was already quite good."
"But..." Aine bit her lower lip hard. Today, she had practically been dragging the team down. Because she couldn't stop thinking about tomorrow, she couldn't concentrate during practice, making her the one holding everyone back.
“That’s right, Aiko~” Meow Dream said, standing up and walking to Aine’s side. She gently patted Aine’s body, which was stiff from being too nervous. “I’m perfectly fine tomorrow. We can have fun and then come back to practice.”
She's lying. The work she canceled today was something she and the other party had agreed to make up for tomorrow night.
However, seeing her daughter's worried expression, she couldn't remain indifferent. So, she secretly decided to compress all of tomorrow night's work into tonight's all-nighter. Even though doing so might leave a bad impression on her partners.
"Aine, are you alright?" Lena put down her guitar case, jogged up behind Aine, and mimicked Aine's actions from last night, gently wrapping her arms around Aine's waist from behind. Last night, when Aine hugged her like that, Lena felt an indescribable joy, a joy that even surpassed the joy of eating the matcha parfait.
But she didn't understand where this happiness came from. At this moment, she also didn't understand why she was doing this; it was just that Aine looked very unhappy. So, she simply wanted to make Aine happy again.
"I agree. Today's practice was quite sufficient. It's just that Chihaya seemed overly anxious."
Hailing, carrying her bass case, walked past the four people gathered together. She went straight to the practice room door, pushed it open, and then turned to Ai-yin, saying those words. After saying that, she left the practice room.
"Aine, matcha candy." Lena, who was pressed close to Aine, casually reached into Aine's pocket with her hand that was originally wrapped around Aine's stomach, and groped for the candy inside.
She temporarily released her arms from Aine, deftly tore off the candy wrapper, and then hugged Aine again. Next, she raised the hand holding the candy and gently placed the green matcha candy against Aine's chin.
Seeing Ryuna's actions, Aine's previously tearful expression instantly relaxed, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned upwards, finally transforming into a smile filled with helplessness and doting: "Little Ryuna, you... really..."
Ai Yin tilted her head back slightly, adjusted the angle of her chin, and gently opened her mouth, taking the matcha candy that Lena had placed under her chin into her mouth in one bite.
"So sweet..." Aine murmured indistinctly, releasing her grip on Taro's hand. She raised her slightly trembling hand and gently wiped away the red and moist corners of her eyes, carefully removing the remaining tear stains.
Lena tilted her head in confusion, her little hand once again nimbly reaching into Aiyin's pocket, accurately pulling out a candy, deftly tearing open the wrapper, and stuffing it into her mouth to slowly chew.
"Aiyin, you're a liar."
As usual, only a faint sweetness and a strong matcha flavor filled her mouth. It didn't seem as sweet as Aine had said, did it? Rakuna licked her lips, tilted her head, and mumbled the words indistinctly.
Taro stood there, his gaze fixed on the servants' relaxed conversation. A slight upward curve appeared at the corners of his lips, a faint smile of satisfaction naturally spreading across his face. However, the smile vanished instantly when he turned his gaze toward the doorway.
"Well, I have something to do, so I'll be going now." After saying this, he immediately turned and walked towards the door. Today was the day Momoka and Renna moved into his house, and he still needed to go and help out with some things.
"Ah, Taro." Aine's voice rang out again. Taro stopped at the sound and turned to face her.
Ai Yin's eyes were slightly red, but a clear smile appeared on her lips. She raised her right arm and gently swung it twice: "Have a safe journey."
Taro paused slightly, glanced at the three servants, and smiled slightly at them. Then he turned and left, calmly saying, "I'm going out."
Miaomeng glanced at Aiyin, sighed softly, and patted Aiyin's shoulder, everything understood without words.
Lena tilted her head in confusion, gently released her arms from around Aine, went back to pull her small suitcase, and mimicked Taro's actions, saying to Aine, "I'm going out."
Ai Yin was taken aback for a moment, then returned a bright and gentle smile: "Hmm~ Little Renai, have a safe journey."
Miao Meng sighed helplessly again, picked up her belongings, and then walked to Aine's side once more. She gently patted Aine's shoulder and said, "Aiko, it's a long and arduous journey to win over my family's general."
"Hey~ I wasn't thinking about that. Meow-meng, you misunderstood." Aine's eyes darted away, her face slightly flushed, and her cheeks puffed out, revealing her dissatisfaction with Meow-meng.
"Yes, yes, yes." Meow Dream replied perfunctorily, waving to Aine, "Well then, I'm going out too~"
"Have a safe journey." Aine's gaze softened even more. Indeed, joining the Dong Brothers group was wonderful.
Episode 21, Part 1; Qilu Yinzhen Er 9, Practice
"Mr. Momoi, thank you so much." Nina looked at Taro, her voice filled with sincere gratitude.
Not far behind her, Momoka was confirming the final details with the moving company employees, and standing next to Momoka was a smiling, unfamiliar girl with long, straight, smooth black hair—Anwa Subaru.
"Anwa Subaru-yo-nice to meet you~!" Her speech was light and bouncy, brimming with natural energy. Her bright eyes looked directly at Taro, and she playfully made her signature peace sign.
“Subaru is our band’s drummer,” Renna added from the side. Although she’s calling him Subaru now, the two of them had a big argument before.
After listening, Taro simply nodded calmly, his face expressionless, as if he had just heard something completely ordinary.
"However, we really feel bad for bothering you so late." Tao Xiang came over after finishing her business there, her tone clearly apologetic.
"Don't worry about it, I'll go help," Taro replied simply.
He nimbly leaped onto the truck bed. Without hesitation, he went to the back and easily lifted the largest and heaviest pieces of luggage, one in each hand, before smoothly and steadily jumping back to the ground.
Under the astonished, frozen gazes of everyone around him, he tirelessly and efficiently cleared the mountain of cardboard boxes from the carriage with incredible speed. It was like watching a video sped up three times.
"Ms. Momokura, Ang... um, are all the deliverymen in Tokyo... really that... that amazing?" Witnessing Momoi Taro's work scene where he was so fast that he could only be seen as a blur, Nina's Kumamoto accent was revealed.
"Well... I guess... he's the only one who's special?" Momoka answered hesitantly and uncertainly. She had lived in Tokyo for quite some time and had met her fair share of deliverymen, but none were as outrageous as Momoi Taro. It made her wonder if this was still the everyday world she knew.
Having witnessed firsthand Momoi Taro's actions, which were completely beyond common sense, An and Subaru, who had been trying to maintain a cheerful smile, froze completely.
Thanks to the combined efforts of Taro Momoi and the two moving company employees, the mountain of cardboard boxes visibly diminished rapidly. In just about half an hour, everything had been meticulously sorted and neatly moved into the two rooms Taro had prepared for Nina and Momoka.
Momoi Taro even took the time to prepare dinner for the three of them who had been busy all night. Although the dishes weren't particularly lavish or luxurious, each one exuded an enticing aroma and had a bright color, making them very appetizing just to look at.
During dinner, Taro Momoi casually asked Momoka, "Have you made a final decision about the band's development in Tokyo?"
Momoka shook her head slightly, her tone tinged with helplessness: "It's too early to make a decision. Our band has absolutely no plans for commercialization at the moment. We chose Tokyo mainly because the music scene here is more vibrant, and the rental fee you offered is quite favorable, which will make it easier for the band to sustain itself."
Upon hearing Momoka's reply, Nina, who had been focused on eating, stopped. She looked up, staring directly at Momoka, her lips slightly parted, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
"Do you have any performance plans recently?" Taro then asked.
"Yes, we've arranged a performance at a venue in Shin-Kawasaki," Momoka replied cheerfully. "That's practically the perfect stage for amateur bands; they can go straight on stage without needing an audition."
"Well, the bass part just needs to use the pre-recorded track," Anwa Subaru said with a laugh, teasing Momoka.
Taro glanced at Nina but didn't say anything.
They were quite full and satisfied... though that's what we said, basically only Momoka drank alcohol. Taro wasn't incapable of drinking, he just didn't really like it. However, the food was very well received by Nina and Yasuhiro.
Finally, Nina took on the heavy responsibility of escorting Momoka back to her room. Although Taro originally wanted to take Momoka upstairs by himself, for some reason, Nina strongly objected. Taro didn't investigate further and left the task to Nina.
Afterwards, Taro took An and Subaru home. It was their first time meeting, and they weren't exactly acquainted. Along the way, An and Subaru racked their brains, trying to strike up a conversation with Taro—about their favorite music, their usual behavior—while Taro only answered when asked, otherwise remaining silent… In short, it was all awkward small talk.
Anyway,
Now, let's turn back the clock to the early morning of that day.
Among those who requested leave, not only were members of the "Dong Brothers Group" absent, but everyone in the "Dong Giant Dragon Flame Group" also requested leave. This was because Li Xi sent a message yesterday that the final version of the sheet music had been finalized, so everyone requested leave.
After all, the preparation time for this live performance was extremely tight, leaving them only two days. Of course, this was ultimately Li Xi's responsibility.
If Lixi had finalized the score earlier, everyone would have had much more time to practice, and wouldn't be practicing in such a frantic way now. However, everyone from Dong Julong Flame is very understanding of us...
That's why she became even more determined to give her all in this live performance and perform at her best to repay her teammates for their understanding and support.
In the practice room of the Dragon Flame Group in RiNG.
The members of the Dragon Flame Group huddled together. Riki distributed the newly printed sheet music to the other three. She stood aside, watching them read. Wakaba Mutsumi and Nagasaki Motoyo intently examined the score, occasionally picking up their instruments to try out a few measures.
Only Gao Songdeng seemed a little lost. She looked at the sheet music carefully again, and after a brief hesitation, she finally mustered up her courage and said to Lixi, "Little Lixi... is my sheet music wrong?"
Upon hearing Deng's words, Lixi immediately approached her with concern, looked at the sheet music in her hand, and asked gently, "Where? Deng, do you think there's a problem? Point it out to me."
The commotion over there clearly attracted the attention of Su Shi and Ruo Ye Mu, who were still looking at the sheet music. The two looked over with inquisitive eyes and then looked at Gao Song Deng and Li Xi with some concern.
Gao Songdeng carefully examined the sheet music in her hand once again. Her brows furrowed slightly, and her tone was filled with confusion and uncertainty: "The sheet music... is almost all from last time, right..." She looked up at Li Xi, her eyes full of confirmation, and her voice revealed a hint of unease: "It has hardly been revised..."
Li Xi gently turned her head, avoiding Deng's direct gaze, her voice soft and soothing, "Deng, you just need to sing well, the rhythm is fine as it is. The layers of the song are enough." Clearly, this was a statement meant to comfort Gao Song Deng.
Upon hearing this, Deng involuntarily lowered her head, a strong sense of guilt welling up inside her—she knew that her guitar skills had limited the richness of Li Xi's arrangement.
But soon, she raised her gaze again, her voice soft yet unusually firm: "Little Lixi... next time, my guitar will definitely make your piece shine."
Upon hearing Deng's promise, Lixi was slightly taken aback at first, then a look of relief flashed in her eyes. She nodded vigorously, her voice full of confident encouragement: "Deng, absolutely no problem. I believe in you."
A barely perceptible smile appeared on Su Shi's lips. She spoke softly at the right moment, her tone gentle yet urging: "Shouldn't we start practicing soon?"
"That's true, everyone, let's start practicing." Lixi returned to her seat on the drum set without hesitation.
A powerful burst of music began—
“The rhythm isn’t quite right yet, let’s try again.” Li Xi said with a frown, her fingers unconsciously tapping the edge of the music stand, her voice filled with obvious frustration.
"Isn't it because of one person? Were they still revising the sheet music just two days before the live performance?" Su Shi closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. They had been practicing for a long time and were already a little tired: "That's about enough, everyone is exhausted."
After saying that, she slowly opened her eyes, looked at Lixi, and when she saw his pale face, she let out a soft hum.
"Tsk..." Li Xi clicked her tongue, but she still shook her head. However, she quickly lowered her gaze, sighed helplessly, then raised her head, nodded reluctantly, and announced, "I know, let's rest for half an hour first."