My love is abyss mode

Chapter 145 Conspiring with the Cat (4.4K)

After helping Shirakawa Momo choose various musical instruments, the three of them, guided by the saleswoman, went to a soundproof room on the 7th floor, where an electric piano, synthesizer, arrangement keyboard, and workstation filled the space.

"Um, I'd like to go take a look at the drumsticks first."

Shinkai Shiona reached out and tugged at Kuronuma Kiba's sleeve, her innocent face blossoming into a sweet smile as she said in a coquettish tone, "The types here should be more complete, right?"

"Go ahead." Kuronuma Kiba waved his hand, indicating that she could do as she pleased.

With permission, Shinkai Shiona left under the guidance of the sales assistant to go downstairs and choose new drumsticks.

"Students with poor grades have too many stationery items."

Shirakawa Momo glanced at her retreating figure, muttered to herself, walked to the electric piano, and asked Kuronuma Kiba, "Have you figured out how to ruin your own life?"

"Absolutely not."

"Useless man."

"Have you thought it through?" Kuronuma Fang asked in return.

Shirakawa Momo's golden eyes glared at him, signaling him to be quiet. She raised her hands and stroked the wooden keys of the electric piano, then took a deep breath.

The next second, her slender, bony fingers danced nimbly across the keyboard, and a melodious tune floated in the air, as if dazzling golden notes were bursting from her fingertips and striking the heart.

If this were a street performance, even passersby who knew nothing about music would stop and watch for the captivating melody.

Kuronuma Kiba's gaze involuntarily focused on Shirakawa Momo's delicate profile. Her skin was so white it was almost cold, her bright golden eyes were focused, and her shoulder-length black hair swayed gently, vaguely revealing the outline of her small and exquisite ears.

In the oppressive atmosphere created by the melody, she stands straight in front of the electric piano, bursting out with a 190 BPM rhythm that is completely out of place with her petite figure, full of tension.

PA——

After the monotone melody of the prelude ends, there is a pause, followed by a dense series of notes in the high register, drawing the listener into another world.

Everything around her seemed incredibly distant, her vision blurred, only the silhouette of Shirakawa Momo typing on the keyboard was clear, as captivating as Aphrodite emerging from the sea.

As the last note faded into the air, she turned her head and looked over, ignoring Kuronuma's slightly dazed gaze. She took out her phone to calculate the exchange rate and commented softly, "As expected of a Bösendorfer piano sample, it's a pity the price is too high, 2100 US dollars, which is more than 30 yen at the current exchange rate."

Black Swamp Fang, who just thought keyboard warriors were burning money, now thinks this price is very cheap.

"If your budget is too tight, I'll buy it for you."

He walked up to Shirakawa Momo, habitually reaching out to pinch the back of her neck, staring intently at her thin pink lips: "I've figured out how to provoke Shionai."

"Let go! Ugh—"

Shinonome Shiona carried two new pairs of drumsticks, her steps light as she walked across the bright marble floor. Turning the corner, the image of Kuronuma Kiba and Shirakawa Momo kissing in the soundproof room was reflected in her turquoise eyes through the glass.

Her steps faltered, her happy smile frozen on her face. She stared blankly at the scene in the distance, tilting her head slightly.

Am I in the way again today?
I'll probably be disliked.

Leaving now might salvage the situation a little. It would be better to send a message to Ya later to let her know that I'm going home first.

As Shinkai Shionai turned to leave, she saw the sales assistant following her and immediately changed her mind.

He would definitely be unhappy if someone disturbed his teeth.

"Um, Miss Yana, could you take me to see the drum set?" She flashed a bright smile and walked towards the saleswoman, giving Kuronuma Fang some time.

Shirakawa Momo, nestled in Kuronuma Kiba's arms, saw Shinkai Shiona's reaction through the glass, pushed his chest away forcefully, and frowned, saying, "It doesn't seem to work."

"As expected." Kuronuma Kiba shrugged indifferently.

When they were camping, Shinkai Shiona slept next to him and Hatsushino Ryo without any stress reaction, so there's no need to worry about now.

"Then you still-"

"I just really want to kiss you."

"dross!"

Seeing that Kuronuma Kiba was speaking frankly, Shirakawa Momo raised her leg and gently kicked him, her ears turning red with shame and indignation.

This was the first time the two had kissed in such a public place, and it wasn't even "service time." This despicable guy actually used this as an excuse to "get a freebie"!
"If you can't solve Shionai-chan's problem today, you're dead!" Shirakawa Momo stomped on his foot again, still not satisfied, and turned to walk towards the workstation to adjust the arrangement keyboard.

"Don't be angry, I'll pay for everything today, how about that?"

Kuronuma Kiba spread his hands, a playful glint in his eyes as he looked at her: "As for Shionai, do you think it would be useful for me to tell her directly?"

“Simply resorting to harsh words will definitely not work.” Shirakawa Momo’s tone was quite certain. Shinkai Shiona had lived with her for so long that her resistance was already at its peak.

"What if I do something excessive to her?"

How outrageous is it?

"Let her go hungry." Kuronuma Fang thought for a moment and gave his answer decisively.

Shinkai Shionai has a huge appetite, and because of her past experiences, her biggest fear is going hungry.

If she could recall some bad memories, she might hate herself, remember how good Matsuzaka Kanon was to her, and then turn over a new leaf.

"What's her favorite food?" Kuronuma asked.

"do not know."

"We happened to be in Ginza, so we took Shionai to a fancy restaurant for lunch, but we didn't let her eat; she could only watch us eat."

"Are you a devil?" Shirakawa Momo looked at him with an incredulous gaze, seemingly wondering why Kuronuma Kiba could say such a thing without any pressure.

This isn't just a matter of being hungry; you can't eat right in front of you, and there are probably other customers in the restaurant giving you strange looks.

"I think there's no problem; I can definitely make Shionai feel the malice."

"Too cruel."

"She was also cruel to Kanon."

Faced with Kuronuma Kiba's persistence, Shirakawa Momo had no words to refute, and so the plan against Shinkai Shiona was finalized. After Shirakawa Momo finished trying out the instruments, the two went downstairs together and found Shinkai Shiona and the sales assistant in the drum set area.

Shinai Shiona sat on a drum stool, her legs encased in white stockings peeking out from under her irregularly shaped skirt. From the side, her slender waist contrasted sharply with her outrageously large breasts, making even her chestnut-brown twin ponytails appear exceptionally sweet.

She used her newly bought drumsticks to play a simple melody, and the drum shell, made of six layers of birch wood, produced a bright and clear tone.

Shirakawa Momo watched Shinkai Shiona's impressive posture and clicked her tongue in disdain, immediately uttering a sarcastic remark: "Stage Custom Birch, a mid-range professional drum kit, is being wasted on her."

"So drum kits are expensive too." Kuronuma Kiba's gaze fell on the price tag: $1500.

He suddenly realized that what was truly expensive might not be the musical instruments, but rather the land price in Ginza and the Yamaha brand itself.

However, there's no reason to prevent Shinkai Shionai from running away halfway through, so $1500 isn't too expensive.

"Do you like it?" Kiba Kuronuma walked up to Shiona Shinkai and asked with a sly smile. "This is a jazz drum set. The DTX562K is more suitable for stage performances. It costs around $2000."

Momoshiro Shirakawa understood his thoughts. Standing beside Kiba Kuronuma, she crossed her arms and cooperatively asked Shiona Shinkai, "Kiba is planning to give you a drum set, do you want it?"

"Yes!!!" Shinkai Shionai raised her hands holding drumsticks high, her face full of surprise, her blue eyes sparkling.

"I will cherish it and make sure it doesn't get dusty!" she solemnly promised Kurozuma.

"Okay, but I have a condition."

Kuronuma recalled the prank video he had seen online, and the corners of his mouth curled up even more maliciously, his eyes revealing an undisguised sharpness: "Today, you will stay with me and Momo the whole time, no matter where we go, and you are not allowed to say a word."

"I'll obey orders as long as it's what the tooth wants, even without a drum set."

Shinonome tilted her head, looking puzzled. Her simple mind couldn't understand his purpose, so she simply stopped thinking about it and obeyed unconditionally: "If Kiba thinks I'm in the way, I can go home by myself."

"No, you have to stay by my side all day."

Seeing her gaze grow increasingly strange, Kuronuma felt a sense of unease and quickly changed the subject: "You can shut up now."

Shinonome Shionai nodded emphatically, making a "zipping" motion with her fingers in front of her moist pink lips, staring intently at him with an obedient look on her face.

Kuronuma Kiba looked away from her innocent face, turned to Shirakawa Momo, and patted her head: "Have you decided what to buy?"

"Are you really going to buy me an electric piano?" Shirakawa Momo raised her face to meet his gaze, a hint of dissatisfaction showing in her golden eyes.

Is this scumbag trying to pay for that kiss with money?
She quickly dismissed the thought; although Kuronuma had a terrible personality, it shouldn't be that bad.

It's hard to say.

"Let me confirm why you have this idea. Tell me the truth." Shirakawa Momo carefully observed his expression and asked in as calm a voice as possible.

"I already told you, I'll pay for all the expenses."

"What's your reason? Because you took advantage of me just now?"

"How can you say it's taking advantage of us? Aren't we very close friends?"

Kuronuma Kiba put his arm around Shirakawa Momo's thin shoulder, pulled her into his embrace, and affectionately rested his head on top of hers: "Besides, if the band can't make back this much money, you'll have to go back to working, right?"

If possible, he would prefer that Shirakawa Momo have time to do what she likes, rather than being busy and tired from the trivialities of life.

"Tch." Shirakawa Momo turned her face away to look at the neatly arranged drum set.

Seeing her ears peeking out from between her hair, flushed a beautiful pink, Kuronuma's smile turned smug: "I sometimes find that your expressions are really cute."

"roll."

Shirakawa Momo kicked him, breaking free from his embrace. Her golden eyes turned coldly to the saleswoman who had been watching, and she asked in a low voice, "We have a lot of things to buy. Are there any special offers?"

Even when someone else is paying, she doesn't change her frugal habits. She negotiates the price carefully with the sales assistant and even registers for a brand membership.

Having finally obtained a satisfactory price, Shirakawa Momo carefully reviewed the bill before handing it to Kuronuma Kiba.

"Go pay the bill." She said this in a tone that said, "As a cat, I am the master." Her bossy attitude made people want to teach her a lesson.

"Liang and I tried it out in the rehearsal room last night, it was pretty good, don't run away later."

Kuronuma Kiba reached out and pinched Shirakawa Momo's nape, carefully admiring her embarrassed and annoyed expression before looking at the bill.

[DTX562K, drum kit, $2000]
[P-515, Portable Electric Piano, $2100]
[CLP-785, digital piano, $5300]
[MODX8+, workstation synthesizer, $1440]
Besides Shinkai Shiona's drum kit, Shirakawa Momo spent over $1 on her own, even choosing the best model for the arrangement keyboard, showing how much she cares about the band.

With the discount, Kuronuma Kiba ultimately spent 130 million yen, and for the first time he clearly realized just how wealthy the Hatsushino family was.

I have 1 million yen in pocket money every month, which is more than I can spend.

Ginza doesn't seem to be that expensive.

With this in mind, Kuronuma Kiba and Shirakawa Momo left the Yamaha flagship store side by side, while Shinkai Shiona, with her hands behind her back, followed half a body length behind them with light steps.

The purchased musical instruments will be delivered to the LiveHouse by a dedicated person. After greeting Shirakawa Momo and Inada Masaru, she asked Shinkai Shiona, "What do you want to eat for lunch? It's on Ya. Don't try to save him money."

She knew Kuronuma Kiba's thoughts all too well; only by going to the shops that Shinkai Shionai wanted to eat at would the effect be good enough.

When food was mentioned, Shinkai Shiona instantly perked up. Since she couldn't speak, she gestured wildly, her emerald eyes sparkling, captivating all who saw her.

Thinking that Shinkai Shionai would only be able to watch from the sidelines later, Kuronuma Kiba couldn't help but grin wickedly.

Shirakawa Momo felt sorry for Shinkai Shiona, and her voice contained a slight sigh: "Let her speak."

"No." Kuronuma Fang refused decisively, a cruel glint in his black eyes.

Seeing that the two didn't understand what she meant, Shinkai Shiona took out her phone, opened the map, selected a nearby barbecue restaurant, and handed it to Kuronuma Kiba.

The time displayed in the upper left corner of the phone screen is 10:58 AM, which is still early before lunchtime.

"Are you hungry right now?" Kuronuma Fang asked.

"Mmm~ Mmm~" Shinkai Shionai responded with a soft, nasal voice, gently shaking her head.

"Let's find a place to play for a while. It's a rare opportunity to come to Ginza." With that, he took Shirakawa Momo's hand and walked towards the Ginza 4-chome intersection, the heart of Ginza, which was not far away.

We strolled around until 1 p.m., and along the way, I bought some Japanese sweets from Kimura-ya for Shirakawa Momo. While learning about various luxury brands with her introduction, I casually bought a few bags that Shinkai Shiona was very interested in. Finally, I bought a few Pokémon collaboration T-shirts at Uniqlo before the three of us went into the yakiniku restaurant that Shinkai Shiona had chosen.

Upon entering the shop, a female waitress with her hair styled in a Hime-style hairstyle and dressed in an elegant kimono greeted them sweetly and led the three of them through the corridor to a private room.

While the waitress lit the grill and poured tea and water, Kuronuma Kiba handed the elegant menu to Shinkai Shiona and said to her in a kind tone, "Order whatever you like, don't be shy."

Seeing his gentle gaze, Shinkai Shiona began to feel a surge of self-satisfaction. She opened the menu and gestured to the waitress, holding up her fingers to indicate the number of portions—she was truly hungry now.

Only Shirakawa Momo knew what Kuronuma Kiba was up to. Her gaze drifted to the oil painting hanging on the wall, unable to bear seeing Shinkai Shiona's excited and jubilant expression.

After ordering, it didn't take long for the waitress to bring over a variety of colorful ingredients, mostly high-end cuts like ribeye and beef tongue, but also classic grilled items like onions and green peppers.

Kuronuma Kiba picked up a piece of beef and spread it out on the grill, revealing his true colors to the expectant Shionai: "Shionai, you said this morning that you would obey any order I give you, right?"

“Mmm.” Shinkai Shionai nodded emphatically, her emerald eyes just beginning to light up, but then dimmed again upon hearing his cruel and heartless words.

"In that case, you don't need to eat lunch today."

Seeing Kuronuma's serious expression and the metallic glint in his black eyes, Shiona Shinkai paused for a moment, then nodded silently, leaning back in her chair to show her attitude.

The beef sizzles and releases its oil under the high temperature of the grill, emitting a delicate and tempting aroma. The edges of the green peppers are tinged with a golden brown, making them look quite delicious.

As Kuronuma Kiba picked up a perfectly cooked piece of beef and handed it to Shirakawa Momo, unpleasant memories surfaced in Shinkai Shiona's mind.

The joyful dinner atmosphere, the awkwardness of not being able to fit in, the hunger rising from my limbs, my vision gradually blurring, and the sound of merciless cursing seemed to echo in my ears again.

Shinkai Shionai gradually lost her focus, staring at the oven. The shadows that had long since vanished began to spread back like a tide, and the black mist in the surrounding air condensed into sharp malice.

(End of this chapter)