Girl idols are meant to be exploited!

So Taku Hoshikawa told Xiangzi to be prepared for the performance, but not to have too high hopes.

Let Xiangzi practice in the office, while Hoshikawa Taku took the subway to his destination, [Fanxing] Livehouse.

He originally wanted to take a taxi, but when he thought about the huge expenses that the firm would inevitably face in the future, he resisted the urge to spend money and chose a more economical means of transportation.

The entrance to the [Stars] Livehouse is on the underground floor. Both sides of the stairs are covered with promotional posters of various bands, which are colorful and have a strong atmosphere.

As Hoshikawa Taku walked down the stairs, he glanced at the posters on the wall and suddenly saw a familiar name - [SICK HACK].

This is Hiroi Kikuri's band. She is the bassist and lead singer of the band. She is very dazzling on the poster. It is hard to imagine that she was still singing and playing on the street like a drunk last night.

Taku Hoshikawa thought he could find a promotional poster for "The End Band" on it, but he couldn't find it after searching around.

Is it because their team has just been formed and they haven't filmed any promotional photos yet, or is it because their band hasn't been fully assembled yet...

Taku Hoshikawa didn't know what stage the timeline here had reached.

Pushing open the heavy fire door, the deep roar of the speakers and the sharp hiss of guitar strings rushed towards him, instantly filling his eardrums.

The exhibition hall is not big, but it is more than enough to accommodate one or two hundred standing audience members.

However, there were only more than 30 guests in the exhibition hall at the moment, making it seem a bit quiet.

The girl sitting at the door checking tickets was a girl with short blue hair.

Her expression was a little cold, and there was a cold and decadent temperament between her eyebrows. Although she completed her tasks diligently, she seemed to have lost all interest in life.

"welcome."

She took the money handed to her by Taku Hoshikawa, and gave the change and handed over the ticket with quick movements.

Yamada Ryo!

Taku Hoshikawa had already recognized the other person's identity, but at this moment he did not greet him. He resisted the urge to call out the other person's name and walked into the exhibition hall.

After Yamada Ryo, Hoshikawa Taku saw the remaining members of the "Ending Band" as expected.

Kita Ikuyo, wearing a maid uniform, is cleaning the dishes; Ijichi Nikka is standing behind the bar, busy making drinks.

But the only thing missing was the pink figure he wanted to see the most.

Could it be that......

Xingchuan Taku's heart moved, and he came to the water bar. He looked inside and finally saw the last person who disappeared -

Goto Ichiri, wearing a baggy pink tracksuit and curled up in a corner like a caterpillar, exudes a strong aura of escape.

As if he had noticed Hoshikawa Taku's gaze, Goto Ichiri shrank even more, as if he wanted to hide himself more completely.

At this time, Ijichi Hongxia stood up with a bright smile and came to Goto Ichiri's rescue:

"Sir, would you like something to drink? I'm sorry, but this clerk is shy and doesn't dare to look people in the eye."

"Well, a beer then."

Hoshikawa Taku retracted his gaze and said to Hong Xia.

Hongxia has blond hair and a very tolerant and friendly smile on her face, but when Xingchuan Taku looked at her, what he cared about most was not her cute face, but the ahoge on her head.

The yellow aho-hair on her head stood straight up on top of her head like a triangular pick.

Takuto Hoshikawa almost wanted to pull it off.

After taking the beer from Hong Xia, Xingchuan Taku did not leave. Instead, he stayed at the bar, watching the band performing on the stage and asked:

"There aren't many people in your performance hall. Is it usually this deserted?"

In Hoshikawa Taku's mission, at least one hundred spectators are required to watch in order to complete the mission.

If there were so many people at "Fanxing" every day, then Taku Hoshikawa would have to find another performance venue.

"No, our Live House arranges performances every day, but except for the prime time on weekends, there are usually fewer guests during other times."

“So if you want to enjoy the atmosphere when there are more people, you can come on weekends.”

Hong Xia answered Hoshikawa Taku's question with a perfect smile on her face.

"Can the number of people exceed a hundred on weekends?" Taku Hoshikawa asked again.

"Sir, please don't worry about this. We always arrange famous bands to perform on weekends, and most of the shows are always sold out. If you are interested in attending a weekend show, you can buy tickets in advance."

The person who answered Hoshikawa Taku's question was not Hongxia, but another woman with yellow long hair.

The other person looked more mature, and her facial features were somewhat similar to Hong Xia's.

Especially the pick-shaped ahoge on the top of the head is exactly the same, it looks like an "enlarged version" of Hong Xia.

Anyone who sees it can tell the relationship between the two at a glance.

"Are you two sisters?"

The other person nodded and smiled, "Hello, my name is Ichichi Xingge, I'm the person in charge here, and she's my sister Hongxia. If you have any questions, you can ask me directly."

This was just a polite remark. Ijichi Xingge didn't expect that Hoshikawa Taku really nodded.

"Miss Manager, I really have a question. Can I have a private chat with you?"

Ijichi was a little surprised, but still took Hoshikawa Taku to a deserted place in the corner.

"What can I do for you, guest?"

Taku Hoshikawa did not answer immediately, but looked at the musicians playing on the stage, then smiled slightly, took out a business card from his pocket and handed it over.

"Actually, I'm a talent scout from the Xingchuan Agency. I came here to see if there are any suitable candidates."

Taku Hoshikawa carries two types of business cards with him, one from a scout and the other from the general manager.

What he showed to Yidizhi was, of course, the business card of a talent scout.

Ijichi Hoshika took the business card and her eyes fell on the words "Hoshikawa Idol Agency" on it.

She raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"Hoshikawa Agency... I've heard of your name. But you seem to be keeping a low profile lately. Have you signed any new artists?"

Only some senior executives in the industry knew that Xingchuan Office was on the verge of bankruptcy due to huge losses. A store manager of a small exhibition hall like her would not be aware of these industry secrets.

Hoshikawa Taku didn't deny it and said with a smile, "It's true that they adjusted their internal strategy in the past year, but now they are ready to start over and look for potential artists to sign."

"I see..." Ijichi suddenly realized and had some understanding of Hoshikawa Taku's purpose.

There are band performances in the Livehouse every day, and there are usually five or six bands in one performance.

This high frequency of performances allows scouts to come into contact with multiple performers in a short period of time, making the screening efficiency extremely high, and scouts often appear here.

Yijizhi has been running his shop for many years and has maintained good relationships with scouts from some agencies. If he sees a suitable talent, he will recommend the band to the agency.

Chapter 17: Xiangzi and the End Band perform together

"I understand why you came, but you came at the wrong time. You should come back tomorrow."

Ijichi explained to Hoshikawa Taku.

"Most of the uncultivated gems in the rough are middle school and high school bands who only perform on stage on Saturdays and Sundays."

"The bands that usually perform here are older and have been together for a long time. They either don't want to sign with an agency, or their strength and image are not good enough to attract the agency's attention."

Hoshikawa Taku glanced at the stage.

The band performing on the stage at the moment is composed of three men who look to be in their late twenties.

They performed well and were very dedicated, but they are indeed a bit old.

For scouts, a band like theirs is indeed not worth signing.

"Besides wanting to sign some new talents, I actually have another favor to ask of the person in charge."

Hoshikawa Taku changed the subject and told his real purpose.

"I recently signed an artist who I haven't had the chance to see live yet. If tomorrow's set list hasn't been finalized yet, I'd like to add her name to it."

"Tomorrow..."

Yidizhi Xingge frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and finally shook his head regretfully.

"Sorry, the schedule for tomorrow and the day after tomorrow is already full. If you want to add a performance, the earliest you can do it is next weekend."

"Next week is fine." Hoshikawa Takuya had expected this answer and added, "If you let her go on stage, I'll pay the fees and buy the quota tickets."

“Index votes are just a minor issue.”

Ijichi Xingge waved his hand, his tone suddenly becoming serious.

"Not just anyone can perform on our stage here. We have our own standards. Only performers who meet the requirements will be allowed to perform. If her performance is too poor, it will damage our reputation."

Hoshikawa Taku smiled and said calmly and confidently, "You can rest assured about her abilities. She's a keyboard player, she's been in a band before, and she has experience performing on stage. It won't be difficult for her to pass the standards."

Ijichi Hoshige raised her eyebrows and suddenly interrupted Hoshikawa Taku.

"Wait a minute...you said she's the keyboard player? Are you going to have the keyboard player play solo on stage? Without her other band members?"

"I have only signed her at the moment, and I am also looking for other band members for her. I haven't decided how many will perform on stage yet."

The other party is the person in charge, and we need to know in advance how many people will be performing on stage.

Hoshikawa Taku didn't find it strange that she asked this question.

"How's her technique?"

"She has been playing piano since she was a child, and later also played electronic piano. Her piano playing level is professional, and she can play any style of music with ease."

"What about your age?"

"Sixteen years old, freshman year of high school."

"If it's a keyboard player..." Ijichi Xingge touched his chin, his eyes flickering, not knowing what he was thinking, and suddenly turned his head to look at Hongxia.

"Hongxia, come here!"

"What's wrong?" Hong Xia walked over with a puzzled look on her face.

Yidizhi Xingge's eyes were sharp, and he asked directly, "How are your band's preparations going?"

"Well..." Hong Xia's expression suddenly became a little awkward, and she hesitantly said, "I'm almost ready, but if I go on stage, I might still..."

"Is it because of Pochi?"

"Ah."

Hong Xia nodded, her voice lowering a few degrees.

"Pochi is still a little reluctant to perform on stage. She gets so nervous she can't move once she's on stage. We're trying to find a way to calm her down."

"Are all of you ready except Pochi?"

"Everything is almost ready, and I'm already familiar with the new songs."

Ichichi Xingge nodded thoughtfully, and suddenly made a bold suggestion.

"So...would you mind having a temporary keyboard player on stage?"

“......Huh?” Hong Xia was stunned, her eyes wide open.

"Sister, what does this mean?"

"There's a keyboard player of your age who's very skilled and wants to perform on stage. Since Pochi's condition can't be guaranteed, why not consider having her temporarily join your band and work together on the performance tomorrow?"

After quickly explaining to her sister, Ijichi Hoshika looked at Hoshikawa Taku.

"My sister and her friends have also formed a band. It's just four people, and there's no keyboard player. If you agree to perform with them, you can perform on stage at the show the day after tomorrow."

"She's alone now anyway, so it should be just right for her to perform with them, right?"

Hoshikawa Taku didn't expect that Ijichi Hoshika would propose the idea of ​​co-performing.

"If we add another person temporarily, will the style become inconsistent? Will your sisters and the others agree to this?"

"If she has sufficient skills as you said, she should be able to get used to it in a short period of time. If her skills are not enough, then she won't have to go on stage next week."

Ijichi Hoshika seemed to be serious about her proposal. She even called Yamada Ryo, Goto Ichiri and others over and briefly repeated her proposal to the girls.