They are really too low!

"Are you still in contact?" Hoshino asked the question as a matter of course.

“No.” Ruoye Mu shook her head first, then hesitated for a moment, as if she remembered someone, “Su Shi and I… went to the same school.”

Although Toyokawa Shoko told Hoshino Mi the general situation, she did not mention their names. Hoshino Mi only knew that Toyokawa Shoko and Wakaba Mutsumi were not only childhood friends, but also classmates at the same school.

Could the Sosei that Wakaba Mutsu mentioned be the bassist that Toyokawa Shoko mentioned back then?

“Su Shi…she’s been in contact with Xiao Xiang,” Ruo Ye Mu said. “She wants Xiao Xiang to go back.”

“But Toyokawa-kun didn’t agree.” Hoshino thought for a moment. “What does the teacher think? Playing in a band should be fun, right?”

Hoshino remembers the expression on Toyokawa Shoko's face when she mentioned the band. Her happiness and pain were not faked. For them, it must have been an unforgettable memory.

However, Wakaba Mutsu fell into a long silence.

"Sorry, I asked too many questions. I was just curious about what kind of band you were in before." Hoshino came back to his senses. His little teacher wasn't completely emotionless; he probably held a grudge too.

Ruoye Mu shook her head. It wasn't Hoshino Mi's problem; it was just that she hadn't sorted out her feelings.

It seemed that he wouldn't get anything out of her, so Hoshino didn't take it to heart.

After finishing her coffee, Hoshino was thinking of asking her if she wanted something to eat, but the teacher was already planning to go home, saying that her family would be back in the afternoon.

And so, the two could only say goodbye here.

Watching Wakaba Mutsu's departing figure, Hoshino Mi wondered if she should learn more about their band, as it might be helpful for her strategy.

Chapter Forty: What is Emotion?

This week, Hoshino Mi has been practicing guitar at home, and occasionally she will go to the practice room with Wakaba Mutsu to practice together.

Toyokawa Shoko: You've learned so quickly in just a few days.

Hoshino: It's all thanks to Wakaba-sensei's excellent teaching.

"Toyokawa Shoko: Your way of addressing her is a bit too formal. Mutsuko has always been confused by it (laughs)."

Hoshino: Can I call him Mutsumi too?

Toyokawa Shoko: Okay, try it next time and see how Mutsu reacts.

Hoshino: That feels a bit too shameless.

Toyokawa Shoko: Tsk, so you do have some self-awareness.

After practicing guitar, Hoshino would chat with Toyokawa Shoko, not only sharing their guitar learning progress but also exchanging a few casual words.

Like the strawberry parfait that Toyokawa Shoko mentioned last time, she did invite Hoshino to meet her once, but the two still met very few times.

Because it seemed that Toyokawa Shoko had recently found another job, she didn't say it out loud, and Hoshino Mi didn't ask any further questions, unless she wanted to tell Hoshino Mi.

"Shoko Toyokawa: Did you buy the books from the list I recommended last time?"

Hoshino: I bought it today.

"Toyokawa Shoko: Very good. Music theory needs to be studied systematically. Keep it up! (?＞?＜)☆"

Hoshino: However, there are quite a few parts that I don't understand.

"Toyokawa Shoko: You can send it to me to take a look."

Hoshino: That's exactly what I was thinking.

Shoko Toyokawa had composed music in a band before, and with her understanding of music theory, she was more than capable of handling beginners like Mi Hoshino.

Sometimes, Hoshino Mi would find her troublesome, but the girl didn't take it to heart at all.

According to Toyokawa Shoko, she was already teaching Junda Mana, so adding Hoshino Mi wouldn't make a difference.

……

On the other side, Toyokawa Shoko looked at Hoshino Mi's notes and felt a little touched.

She thought the boy might just be playing around, but he seemed quite serious.

It's strange, no one forced him to learn this. Just learning some basics is enough to handle most situations.

Although she didn't quite understand, Toyokawa Shoko still told Hoshino what she knew, and she really intended to repay the favor from last time.

Besides these, Hoshino asked some questions about the arrangement.

"Hoshino Mi: I didn't know that arranging music involves so many things. No wonder you suggested that I learn a musical instrument."

"Shoko Toyokawa: My advice won't be wrong, but why are you suddenly asking this? Do you want to write your own song?"

Hoshino: Yes, that's the idea.

Toyokawa Shoko: If you really have this idea, I can give you some advice when the time comes (laughs)

Hoshino: Okay, Toyokawa-sensei.

"Toyokawa Shoko: Do ​​I have to call my senior 'teacher' too? Doesn't that seem a bit much?"

Hoshino Mi: Mr. Kosho?

Toyokawa Shoko: Hey, it's not like you can just change the way you address someone!

"Hoshino Mi: Calling him Sho directly is too embarrassing."

Toyokawa Shoko: ……

Toyokawa Shoko felt her cheeks burning. Although she knew he was just joking, it still felt strange to be called by a boy's name.

Also, he was the one who insisted on shouting, so what is he ashamed of?

She's the one who should be ashamed and complaining, right?

Toyokawa Shoko sent Hoshino Mi an "cannot hear" emoji to express her current mood.

"Toyokawa Shoko: Hoshino-senpai, don't make me roll my eyes at you."

Hoshino: I want to see it.

"Toyokawa Shoko: Are you a pervert?"

Hoshino: Why was this my first reaction?

"Toyokawa Shoko: There's no reason why. Anyone who wants to see a girl roll her eyes is a pervert and not a gentleman at all."

"Hoshino Mi: Now that you mention it, I'd like to hear your voice now."

Toyokawa Shoko: ←_←

"Hoshino: Actually, I feel that text chatting is inconvenient. Can we call each other next time?"

Toyokawa Shoko glanced at her room subconsciously. Even after tidying up and cleaning, it still felt particularly dirty, especially since she could hear noises from next door—her father was watching a noisy TV series.

She knew that making a phone call would be more convenient, as complex music theory couldn't be explained in just a few words.

However, Toyokawa Shoko didn't want Hoshino Mi to know what was going on here, nor did she want Hoshino Mi to hear the sounds coming from here.

Toyokawa Shoko rejected Hoshino Mi's proposal.

Hoshino Mi: Okay, next time when I've learned it enough, I'll play it for you live.

Hoshino: I almost forgot, don't tell Mana that I'm learning guitar.

Looking at the last message Hoshino sent, Toyokawa Shoko inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

However, she seems to have guessed correctly; Hoshino Mi is very likely learning guitar for Junda Mana's sake.

Toyokawa Shoko found it strange. The latter was a popular idol, and even if Hoshino Mi wanted to learn guitar, there shouldn't be any opportunities to perform on the same stage, right?

The girl looked at her chat interface with Hoshino Mi. Recently, she only chatted with Hoshino Mi. Every day after finishing work, the first thing she did when she got home was to take out her phone.

After seeing the cherry blossom photos Hoshino shared with her, she took photos of the same cherry blossoms the next day and shared them with Hoshino.

Hoshino talked to her about what games she had played that day, and she listened. Although she knew nothing about games, she would tell Hoshino about what happened that day in return.

What surprised her even more was that she would also discuss supermarket discounts with others. Hoshino was happy to share recipes with her, teach her how to make a delicious and simple meal, and also impart various life tips to her.

Before she knew it, Toyokawa Shoko found herself becoming close friends with Hoshino Mi, someone she could talk to about anything.

Toyokawa Shoko finds it hard to describe this feeling, as if she has to charge her phone as soon as she gets home from get off work, otherwise she feels uncomfortable and is always thinking about her phone.

Chatting with Hoshino was a rare moment for Toyokawa Shoko to relax, and she would even ignore the sounds from next door.

I wonder how Xiao Mu and he are getting along. Maybe I should go and see them both next time, Toyokawa Shoko thought to herself.

……

In the practice room, Wakaba Mutsu looked at Hoshino Mi's serious expression.

How's my training going?

"can."

Does that mean you barely passed?

"For a newcomer, that's impressive."

Hoshino nodded contentedly; his favorite thing was hearing Wakaba Mutsu's praise.

"From a professional perspective, what level does your teacher think you are at?" Hoshino was very curious. He had only met one guitarist, Wakaba Mutsumi, and didn't know the level of the others.

"I can't." Wakaba Mutsu looked down at his guitar. "The best thing is being able to express your own emotions through your playing."

"To project emotions?" Hoshino felt this was a bit abstract, but he could understand the idea. "How do you define 'injecting emotions'?"

Ruoye Mu shook her head; she didn't know either.

Hoshino hesitated for a moment, then tentatively said, "Although I don't know what kind of emotion you mean, I think you played very well."

“It’s different.” Wakaba Mutsu pursed her lips. “I don’t have that ability.”

Hoshino wasn't quite sure, because the girl seemed a little insecure.

She clearly has superb skills, so what is she insecure about?

"How about we give it a try?"

P.S.: I'd like to recommend a book called "In the Starry Sky, Exia Has Came Knocking!"

Chapter 41 You Also Have Your Own Audience

Wakaba Mutsu looked around at the street with a confused expression, while Hoshino Mi was buying something next to her.

"Here, have one." Hoshino handed the crepe he had bought to the girl next to him.

Holding the crepe, Wakaba Mutsumi stood there blankly, not knowing what she was doing, until she saw Hoshino Mi take a bite, and she followed suit and took a bite as well.

"Is this delicious?"

Wakaba Mutsumi nodded, with white cream residue on the corner of her mouth, a reaction that Hoshino found quite amusing.

"Have you been here before?" Hoshino asked casually.

“Occasionally.” Ruoye Mu doesn’t go out often unless her family takes her.

“I’ll take you somewhere,” Hoshino said confidently. “There should be a lot of listeners there.”

Ruoye Mu was a little confused, but she still followed Hoshino Mi. Seeing Hoshino Mi eating as she walked, she followed suit and gently bit into her crepe.

A short while later, Hoshino brought Wakaba Mutsu to a park.

Although the place looked secluded, a lot of children gathered there, making a lot of noise around the children's facilities. Only a few adults sat on a bench not far away, presumably their guardians.

"Teacher, you sit here, I'll be right back."

If Ye Mu didn't quite understand what Hoshino was going to do, he saw him excitedly run to the children's camp, gesture for a while inexplicably, and then start handing out the candy he had just bought, causing a sensation among the children.

When Hoshino returned, he was followed by seven or eight chattering children.

Wow, you're so pretty!

"Big brother, is that a guitar she's carrying on her back too?"

What is a guitar?

"Big brother, this candy doesn't taste good, I want to get a different one!"

"Sister, sister, can you play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'? Big brother says he's the best at playing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,' and I can sing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' too!"

As soon as the children saw Wakaba Mutsu, they surrounded her, chattering away so much that Wakaba Mutsu was at a loss and could only look to Hoshino Mi for help.