Girl idols are meant to be exploited!

"Go back and think about your plans for the future. We'll have a good chat tomorrow to see if you want to debut solo or form a band."

As to what identity Xiangzi will debut with, Hoshikawa Taku has not yet decided.

In the original work, she chose Wakaba Mutsuki and others as her teammates, but it is not clear what she thinks in this world and what kind of idol Hoshikawa Taku wants to be.

Maybe she is even thinking about forming a band with some members of CRYCHIC.

Xiangzi herself also needed to consider this issue. She left the office with a worried look on her face, deep in thought.

Watching her leaving, Taku Hoshikawa locked the door of the office and walked leisurely towards Shibuya.

The agency signed its first idol, it was a day worth celebrating and worth finding a place to have a good meal.

The office is very close to the center of Shibuya, and it only takes about ten minutes to walk there.

There are more people in Shibuya at night than during the day.

The streets here are wrapped in colorful neon lights, the colors are intertwined, like a dream.

The signs of street shops are flashing constantly. Some are hung with traditional Japanese-style curtains, while others are modern electronic screens. The two are wonderfully integrated to create a cyberpunk-like night scene.

Large advertising screens rotate between high-rise buildings, playing the latest commercials. The dazzling images are projected onto the faces of passers-by, making them look as if they have walked out of the world of the future.

Somewhat similar to the cyberpunk world, this small area also gathers people of different identities and types.

There are both fashionable and hurried white-collar workers, as well as street-smart young people wearing punk-style jackets and exaggerated hairstyles.

There are pimps wearing suits soliciting customers everywhere, and there are also nightclub girls wearing revealing clothes and posing in a seductive manner.

There are also tourists holding selfie sticks and wandering musicians stopping on the street to sing.

The Shibuya area is always full of music, whether it is pop music played at the door of a store or impromptu music played by street artists, the air here seems to be soaked in traces of melody.

Various music styles intertwine together to form an indistinguishable noise, making it difficult to know where to listen.

However, in this chaotic music, the low rhythm of the bass was particularly clear, like a force that penetrated the noise and caught Taku Hoshikawa's attention.

Attracted by the "powerful" bass sound, following the sound, Taku Hoshikawa came to a girl who was holding a bass and singing beside a flower bed.

Her voice was slightly raspy, yet possessed a languid and soulful charm.

Next to her was an open bass box with a few banknotes scattered inside.

What surprised Taku Hoshikawa was that the girl actually took a break from singing and playing to take a sip of wine.

Her face was rosy, her smile was unfocused, and she looked a little tipsy, obviously having drunk quite a bit.

Although her voice was a little drunken, her fingers still plucked the bass steadily, accurately and smoothly, without any sign of disorder.

Hoshikawa Taku stared at her for a moment, his brows slightly furrowed.

This person... looks so familiar.

Suddenly, his pupils dilated slightly, and a name appeared in his mind.

"Hiroi Kikuri?!"

This girl with light purple hair and a side ponytail is undoubtedly Hiroi Kikuri herself - a genius bassist, a free-spirited yet talented "alcoholic"!

How come she from "Lonely Rock" is also in this world?

Takumoto Hoshikawa thought he was only in the world view of Hen Card, but he didn't expect that there were characters from other world views.

So besides Hiroi Kikuri, could there be anyone else?

Taku Hoshikawa couldn't help but think of a socially anxious pink-haired "Guitar Hero".

Could it be that she is also in this world?

Chapter 13: Livehouse in Shimokitazawa

Even though there were not many people around her, Hiroi Kikuri still plucked the bass strings drunkenly and sang the song with a smile on her face.

It was as if she was not playing for others, but simply singing for herself.

After listening for a while, Taku Hoshikawa took out some banknotes from his wallet and put them into the bass box.

Hiroi Kikuri's performance is worth rewarding herself.

"Thank you."

When Hiroi Kikuri saw the banknotes thrown by Hoshikawa Taku, she nodded slightly and showed a bright but slightly drunken smile.

But soon, she continued to concentrate on playing. To her, the person in front of her was just an ordinary passerby who gave her tips.

Taku Hoshikawa originally wanted to find a place to have a big meal, but he was attracted by Hiroi Kikuri's singing, so he didn't go to eat, but just continued to stand around and listen to her performance silently.

Hoshikawa Taku pondered in his heart.

Since this is a world of anime that integrates multiple worldviews, meeting Kikuri Hiroi may be an opportunity.

Hiroi Kikuri is a true talent. If she could join his agency, with her unique personality and skills, she would definitely attract a specific group of music fans.

It is impossible for such a large agency to sign only Toyokawa Shoko and a few others. Other artists who meet the agency's requirements can also be signed.

"System, does Hiroi Kikuri meet your standards?"

[Hiroi Kikuri is extremely talented and has extremely high potential, making her a very suitable candidate for training.]

The system's answer was just as Hoshikawa Taku had expected.

Like himself, he also wanted to recruit Hiroi Kikuri.

However, given the other party's lazy and slightly self-destructive personality, it may not be easy to get him to sign the contract.

Hoshikawa Taku touched his chin, thinking about how to talk to her without seeming awkward.

When Hiroi Kikuri finished playing a song, she reached out to take the wine next to her again. However, she found that there was not much wine left, only a few sips.

She looked to the side and saw that all the other wines she had bought had been finished.

Since there is no more wine, let’s end the show!

Kikuri Hiroi casually threw the bass behind her shoulder, then squatted down unsteadily, preparing to take out the banknotes from the bass box.

Her movements were a little clumsy, but her face was filled with a satisfied smile, like a child rummaging through her treasure.

When she picked up the banknotes that Taku Hoshikawa had just put in, she tilted her head and looked at it for a long time. Her drunken eyes widened slightly, and she screamed as if to confirm that she was not mistaken.

"Eh? Ten thousand yen?"

She raised the banknote and shook it at Xingchuan Taku, her tone lazy and a little surprised, "This reward is too much, brother, did you give it to the wrong person?"

Hoshikawa Taku smiled and shook his head.

"That's right. I think your performance is worth the price."

Hiroi Kikuri was stunned for a moment, then her mouth opened into a satisfied smile, "Is that so? Then I'll take it without hesitation!"

Without hesitation, she folded the banknote twice and put it into her coat pocket.

There was an innocent joy on her face, and she even hummed a few lines of the melody she had just played and sung.

"Great! With this money, I'll have enough money for the next few days of drinking!"

The wine that Hiroi Kikuri drinks is a cheap wine that comes in a paper box with a straw and costs only 100 yen a box.

Not many people buy this kind of wine. Only the poor old people or the "drunkards" who drink all day long and have a huge demand for quantity will buy it.

Hoshikawa Taku was at a loss whether to laugh or cry when he heard this.

"When you get this money, is the only thing you want to do is buy some alcohol?"

Hiroi Kikuri nodded seriously, as if stating a self-evident fact.

"That's right. For me, as long as there's wine, this world is worth living in!"

As she spoke, she drank the last bit of wine, and the slightly drunken blush on her face became more and more obvious.

Hoshikawa Takumi struck up a conversation with her and asked, "Your songs are pretty good, comparable to those of professional artists. Are you signed to an agency?"

"Office?"

Hiroi Kikuri raised her eyebrows as if she had heard a huge joke. "I am the epitome of a free soul—Hiroi Kikuri! How could I possibly be willing to be bound?"

She raised her head proudly and added, "I have my own independent band, SICK HACK, and I'm the bassist and lead singer."

"You're the lead singer? How do you perform on the streets? Where's your crew?"

"Our band only gets together for group practice and performances. We usually live our own lives."

Hiroi Kikuri's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had thought of something. She took out a ticket from her small bag and handed it to Hoshikawa Taku.

"Hey, my band has a live house performance in Shimokitazawa the day after tomorrow. If you're interested, you can come and see our band perform!"

When a band or artist performs at a Livehouse event, the venue will set a minimum number of tickets required to be sold.

For example, the band is required to sell at least 20 tickets at 2000 yen per ticket. If the band only sells 10 tickets, it must pay for the remaining 10 tickets.

But if the band can sell more than the minimum quota, their extra sales will be split with Livehouse.

Hiroi Kikuri and her band are also well-known among some people. Their quota tickets have been sold out long ago. Now she can get half of the profit for every ticket she sells.

It was for this extra share that Hiroi Kikuri came to sing on the streets.

Taku Hoshikawa took the ticket and looked down. It was a livehouse called "STARRY", and it also had the performance time and specific address.

"How much is the ticket?"

"No need! These tickets were meant to be sold anyway, so just consider it as a thank you gift from you, brother." Hiroi Kikuri said with a smile.

Hoshikawa Taku raised his eyebrows, put away the ticket, and smiled softly: "Thank you so much, I will definitely go to support you."

After bidding farewell to Kikuri Hiroi, Taku Hoshikawa strolled in the night of Shibuya, his fingers gently stroking the ticket.

Originally, Taku Hoshikawa wanted to ask Kikuri Hiroi whether she wanted to sign the contract, but seeing her current state, he didn't say it.

Even if I asked her to sign the contract, she would reject me without hesitation, so it would be better not to make things awkward for me.

If you want to sign Kikuri Hiroi, it would be best to bring her and her band under your wing. This matter requires long-term consideration.

He is now more curious about things than Hiroi Kikuri.

The livehouse called "Fanxing"... If he remembered correctly, this should be the store opened by Ijichi Hongka's sister, Ijichi Hoshika.

I don’t know if the members of the “end band” are all together now.

Chapter 14: Toyokawa Shoko becomes a digital pet?

Now that the first artist has been signed, the next task is to recruit employees for the Hoshikawa Idol Agency.

Taku Hoshikawa originally thought that he would have to follow the traditional recruitment process, posting announcements, screening resumes, and interviewing each candidate one by one to select suitable candidates.

But the system gave Taku Hoshikawa a big surprise.

After completing the novice task, the system unlocks the system interface of the firm, just like a game, dividing the various functions of the firm into panels.

There are currently four panels: [Artist Training Panel], [Office Facility Management Panel], [Task Resource Management Panel], and [Employee Management Panel].

These four panels cover all the key functions of the firm, and Taku Hoshikawa can easily control the operation of the firm with just a few clicks.

[Artist Training Panel] allows you to view each idol's personal status, ability value, training plan, task progress, etc., and even understand their additional attributes such as health, energy, and stress.

Currently, there is only one person, Shoko Toyokawa, in the artist training panel.

Her health and energy levels were both in the green, indicating good performance, but her stress level was a bit high, approaching the orange warning line.

Looking at her condition, Hoshikawa Taku couldn't help but feel a little worried.

If only she were like a Tamagotchi, she'd just need a day off to reduce her stress.

However, Hoshikawa Taku knew that letting Xiangzi rest would only make her more anxious and increase her stress.

Then there is the [Office Facilities Management Panel].

Through this panel, Taku Hoshikawa can manage various facilities in the agency, such as training rooms, recording studios, dance studios, etc.

Upgrading these facilities can improve the efficiency of artist training and enhance the overall working environment of the agency.

However, there is no place where these devices are used yet, so we will skip them for now.