Girl idols are meant to be exploited!

Hiroi Kikuri scratched the back of her head, her expression clearly a little embarrassed.

She wanted to say something, but was stuck for a moment, and turned to look at Hoshikawa Taku helplessly.

"Well, I know what the problem is...but I can't put it into words..."

She wrinkled her nose in distress and looked like she was about to cry.

Hiroi Kikuri is almost two completely different people when she is sober and intoxicated. If she doesn't drink, she almost loses her "desire to express herself". Even if she knows what the problem is, it is difficult for her to say it out loud.

"You want to drink, right? There's no wine, only coffee."

Taku Hoshikawa had already prepared a cup of coffee for her.

"Ah, coffee doesn't help me at all, I have to drink alcohol!"

Hiroi Kikuri waved her hands in protest.

"Stop talking nonsense, just drink if you're told to."

Under the pressure of Taku Hoshikawa, Kikuri Hiroi took the coffee with a look of despair and drank it down reluctantly.

The bitter taste made her wrinkle her whole face, but her condition remained unchanged.

Seeing this, Hoshikawa Taku handed over a second cup.

Then came the third cup.

"Do you want to drink more? I'm about to burst..."

Halfway through drinking, Hiroi Kikuri even ran to the bathroom, and when she came back, her eyes began to look a little dazed.

However, Hoshikawa Taku had no intention of letting her go and calmly handed her the fourth cup.

Hiroi Kikuri drank it with a look of despair on her face—

Finally, as she drank the last sip of coffee, a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, her eyes sparkled with a strange luster, and her whole aura suddenly became excited and high.

"Is Hiroi-senpai...drunk?"

Jing Serina looked at Hiroi Kikuri in amazement, unable to believe that someone could get drunk just by drinking coffee.

Hoshikawa Taku chuckled and patiently explained, "Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that temporarily suppresses fatigue and increases excitement. When consumed in excess, the brain becomes overstimulated, resulting in symptoms similar to being drunk."

Although this state may make people feel a little uncomfortable, for Kikuri Hiroi, it seems that this state is her "comfort zone".

For her, what is important is not the alcohol itself, but the "stimulation" that can make the brain excited and inspiration burst out.

Including the cup of coffee she drank in the morning, it was a total of five times the amount of coffee, which barely allowed her to get into this state.

Compared to just one can of beer, the difference is indeed quite big.

However, the so-called "addiction" must be cultivated step by step to be effective. As long as drinking coffee is useful, it can be used as a substitute for alcohol.

As everyone watched, an excited Hiroi Kikuri suddenly clapped her hands and said in a clear voice, "I know what the problem is! Momoka, your arrangement... although the melody is beautiful, it's too conventional. To put it bluntly, you're just following a 'formula'!"

"You want to express 'freedom', but your chords, rhythm, and transitions are too conservative!"

Hiroi Kikuri waved her hands, gesturing and explaining, "For example, in this chorus, you focused too much on a smooth transition. You should have the bass push hard and the guitar suddenly lose control. That way, there's a sense of explosive power!"

"Don't think about 'taking your time to express your emotions'. It doesn't matter if the melody gets out of control for a moment! As long as that outburst is genuine, the audience will feel your heart...!"

Hiroi became more and more excited as he spoke, pointing out several areas for improvement.

Every word she said was very constructive. Taoxiang nodded and quickly wrote down her opinions.

After a brief adjustment, Momoka picked up the guitar again.

This time, her movements became faster and more powerful, and her fingertips slid across the strings as sharp as tearing the air!

And when the chorus comes, the guitar explodes and the melody gushes out violently, as if the long-suppressed emotions pour out in an instant!

Even though it was a little out of control, even though the harmony was a little broken, the distinct and fiery vitality was incredibly real, completely new compared to the gentle and cautious tone before.

Hiroi Kikuri nodded with satisfaction, a rare smile of relief on her face.

"Momoka, don't you know how to change it? Then why did you write that formulaic, assembly-line arrangement in the first place? It has no unique characteristics at all!"

Hearing this, Kawahara Momoka scratched her cheek a little embarrassedly and said softly: "This is our first new song since joining the agency, and it's also the song we'll use as the main hit in the future... I think it should fit in with the mainstream style..."

She paused, then added with some annoyance, "But, Senior Hiroi, you're right. By following the mainstream too much, we lose ourselves. Fans don't want to hear the same old stuff."

In fact, Momoka Kawahara has never set limits for herself. She can handle both lyrical and rock music.

What really makes her stand out is the almost instinctive "restlessness" in her melody, the feeling of violent collision with the soul - this is also the reason why she can deeply attract Jing Qinrenna.

But she was too hesitant in composing this time, and only thought about making the song "beautiful", which weakened her most unique elements.

Of course, she vaguely understood how to change, but without Hiroi Kikuri's words of advice, she would never have been able to make up her mind.

Momoka Kawahara is a genius. She quickly made decisive adjustments to the other parts of the song. The rhythm became more ups and downs, and the melody had a sense of impact.

Even Hiroi Kikuri couldn't help but give a thumbs up after hearing this: "That's more like it, that's the feeling!"

Taoxiang was also satisfied with the modified parts.

However, she knew that the music had just been arranged and was far from being suitable for performance on stage, and the parts played by each instrument needed to be modified.

She discussed with Jing Serina: "When we meet up with Xiao Subaru tonight, the three of us will practice this song together and decide on the drummer's part. As for the bass and keyboard parts, we can adjust them later when we have a chance..."

"Huh? The bass is the underlying logic of the band, how can it be changed at the last minute?"

Hiroi Kikuri slapped her thigh and volunteered, "Today I'll be merciful and practice with you! You know, I'm a super high school-level bassist!"

After saying that, she excitedly picked out a finely crafted bass from the equipment rack in the practice room and tuned it skillfully.

"bring it on!"

Seeing Hiroi getting ready, Kawahara Ki Momoka also cooperated with her, picked up the guitar again and prepared to play together.

She originally thought that it was her honor to play with the talented Kikuri Hiroi, and that she would be able to arrange the music more effectively.

However... as soon as the music reached the chorus, the two of them stopped almost at the same time.

“…Something’s wrong.”

“That’s totally out of place.”

Hiroi Kikuri and Kawahara Ki Momoka looked at each other and both smiled helplessly.

Momoka smiled bitterly and said, "Hiroi-senpai... your playing is too unique, your style is too prominent... if you can't hold it back a bit, our coordination will be completely messed up."

Hiroi also knew her problem. She scratched the back of her head sheepishly: "I know that too, but that's just my personality style. I can't change it even if you ask me to..."

Hiroi Kikuri and Kawahara Ki Momoka are both the souls of different bands. Their brilliance is too bright, and neither of them can easily lower their voice to match the other.

They are like two top female stars in a movie who refuse to give in to each other and both want to be the only female lead, and are reluctant to make even the slightest compromise.

This is their usual performance style and it is difficult to change.

What's more, now Hiroi Kikuri is in a state of extreme excitement due to excessive caffeine, and it is almost harder than climbing to the sky to ask her to restrain herself.

Just when the atmosphere was a little tense, Taku Hoshikawa clapped his hands slowly, attracting everyone's attention.

"In that case...why don't you let Lupa and Xiaozhi come over and fill in temporarily?"

He smiled and suggested, "They are two people, one is a bassist and the other is a keyboardist, and they are just right for your band."

Chapter 244: Lupa, you actually "backstabbed" me!

"Huh? We're going to ask Xiaozhi and Lupa to join our band?"

Hearing Hoshikawa Taku's proposal, Jingqin Renna frowned and an expression of resistance suddenly appeared on her face.

"No, Lupa is fine, but the girl next to her has a bad temper with me. I feel like I can't get along with her..."

Hoshikawa Taku didn't expect that Nina would be so resistant. In the original work, although there were some minor frictions between them, they were still friendly. But now it has reached the point where they don't even want to see each other's faces.

Hoshikawa Taku reluctantly advised, "We're not asking them to join permanently. They're just temporary replacements. You two are both artists at the agency. You see each other all the time. There's no need to be disgusted with each other, right?"

Momoka Kawahara has a pretty good relationship with Satoshi and the others, and they usually say hello when they meet, but Nina and Satoshi clash, which makes her a little helpless.

She actually thought that Taku Hoshikawa's suggestion was good, but since Nina didn't want to cooperate with Satoshi and the others, then forget it. She still respected Nina's wishes more.

She said to Hoshikawa Taku with some regret: "Mr. Hoshikawa, since Nina doesn't want to cooperate with Xiaozhi and the others, then forget it. I will find a way to find other musicians to help. Don't worry, I will definitely compose a good song within the specified time..."

Ninai originally didn't want to cooperate with Satoshi, but when he saw Momoka reject the proposal to consider her feelings, he felt mixed emotions.

She spends every day with Taoxiang, so how could she not know how many friends Taoxiang knows in the band circle?

Even if Taoxiang could find someone willing to help, she would probably have to put down her attitude and talk a lot, which would take a lot of energy and time.

There was clearly an option within reach right now. With just a nod of his head, he could immediately advance the work progress. But he refused because of his personal feelings, delaying the band's progress...

I don't know any music theory, I can't help Taoxiang and I'm just causing trouble. Is this really okay...

"Wait a moment!"

After struggling for a while, Renai finally made up her mind, "There's no need to look for anyone else, just look for Xiaozhi and Lupa!"

"Nina, you..."

Momoka looked at Nina with a bit of surprise.

"I'm not the kind of person who only cares about my own feelings and doesn't consider the overall situation."

Nina smiled, feeling somewhat reluctant, but still said to Hoshikawa Taku seriously, "Mr. Hoshikawa, please invite them both. I promise that when I meet Satoshi, I won't take the initiative to cause trouble for her..."

"Nina, you've grown up too."

Taku Hoshikawa rubbed the little girl's head with satisfaction. It seems that the "thorns" on her body would sometimes retract.

Although Nina had already agreed to cooperate with Satoshi and the others, in order to save her face, Momoka still asked her to stay in the practice room, and she went with Taku Hoshikawa to ask the two of them for help.

Lupa is Taku Hoshikawa's assistant. When Taku Hoshikawa asked her for help, she naturally agreed with a smile without hesitation.

As for Xiaozhi...

"Huh? You want me to be a replacement musician for Jing Qinren's band? I'm not going!"

Sitting in the recording studio, Xiaozhi pointed to the row of expensive professional recording equipment in front of him and refused with confidence, "I have a serious job here too, and I don't have the time to do anything else."

Xiaozhi is the studio supervisor of the recording studio. Since the business of Xingchuan Agency expanded, different musicians come to make reservations in the recording studio every day. She is responsible for recording, mixing, post-production sound editing and other work for these musicians.

There are at least one or two guests making reservations every day, and sometimes the schedule is even fully booked.

After all, the recording studio of Xingchuan Office is the most professional one in the industry, and the price is reasonable. As its reputation grows, there is an endless stream of musicians coming to make reservations.

Although it can be very busy sometimes, Xiaozhi likes this job very much.

This is much better than when she was serving dishes at Yoshinoya. Every musician who came did not underestimate her age and called her "teacher" with respect, which made her feel particularly accomplished.

Taoxiang stood at the door and looked at Xiaozhi's serious rejection. Although she felt a little regretful, she nodded wisely and prepared to turn around and leave.

However, at this moment, Lupa suddenly picked up the appointment sheet that Xiaozhi had deliberately hidden on the corner of the table and said slowly, "Xiaozhi, the appointment sheet shows that there are no appointments this afternoon. You are free and have plenty of time to help."

“Lupa you…!”

Xiaozhi's eyes widened. He didn't expect to be "backstabbed" by his own people.

Taku Hoshikawa is the manager in charge of the entire company. He doesn't know much about these specific business operations. Only his assistant Lupa knows the details.

Xiaozhi originally thought that Lupa would cooperate with him and get away with it, but he didn't expect that she would actually expose his excuse for rejection...

Lupa bent down, placed his hands on her shoulders, and gently advised: "Xiaozhi, you have the afternoon free anyway. Taoxiang and the others are contracted artists just like us. There may be opportunities for cooperation in the future. There is no need to refuse so decisively, right?"

Seeing that he couldn't hide it anymore, Xiaozhi pouted angrily and said bluntly:

"Let me be frank. I hate that Jing Qin Rencai! Every time I meet her, she always has a sour face and glares at me with displeasure. I'm not that kind to help someone with such a bad attitude!"

Xiaozhi is very vindictive.

She still remembers that after having dinner at Yoshinoya, Jing Serina gave her the middle finger.

Also, this guy never apologized!

Xiaozhi was still angry, but he was not so kind as to help.

But... Xiaozhi hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Hoshikawa Taku.

"Manager, I personally am reluctant."

She frowned and said awkwardly, "But if you're 'ordering' me to help them, I will accept the job..."

Xiaozhi has great respect for Hoshikawa Taku.

Hoshikawa Taku gave her the job she loved, allowed her to meet Master Sakamoto, and also helped her realize her dream of performing at a music festival and forming a band...