A super great writer in the second dimension

　"Sorry, I didn't bring my wallet..."

　'It's all just timidity and hesitation.' Sanzenin Arashi felt a surge of annoyance. Wasn't his attempt to close the distance by taking the opportunity to fight back backfire?

　"It's alright, I'll do it." Sanzenin Arashi took out a 100-yen coin.

　"Try twisting it." He said, frowning.

　According to the original script, this was the time to hold Eri's hand and play gashapon together to increase their affection, but the timing was completely wrong.

　'So, it seems there's a price to pay for enjoying welfare benefits?'

　The image of Ayase Eli in her underwear lingered in my mind. The girl's body was without an ounce of fat, and her skin was white and smooth. It was a pity that I never had the chance to touch her.

　"Then I shall respectfully accept your offer." Ayase Eli took the coin, inserted it, and a gashapon fell out.

　After disassembling, there is a pair of plastic pendants covered with silver-gray paint, shaped like the letters A and K.

　The theme seems to be collecting all five AKB48 symbols to make a complete set.

　This pendant set is very popular among fans, and people often spend seven or eight thousand yen to collect the whole set through gashapon (gacha) games.

　"Is this considered good luck?" Ayase Eli asked curtly. "How about I give this to you..."

　As she spoke, she placed the letter K into Sanzenin Arashi's hand.

　Ayase Eli's attitude actually gave Sanzenin Arashi a sense of reality, and he cheered up and took Eli to browse the merchandise shops inside.

　Looking at the dazzling array of merchandise, printed with images of cute girls, including pencil cases and notebooks, it would be incredibly embarrassing to use them directly in public. However, for die-hard AKB48 fans, each item is an essential item.

　Some people even assembled their own battle suits from the merchandise, wore them, took photos, and posted them on Twitter.

　Aren't these die-hard fans, who are often seen as brainless by outsiders, the pillars that build the idol's monument? They're just loving those people in their own way. Humans really are creatures that can't understand each other properly, just like Ayase Eli at this moment.

　"That's amazing!" the girl couldn't help but exclaim.

　Those pencil cases would cost at most a few hundred yen on the market, but now the merchandise is priced at over a thousand. Is this the value of an idol? Just one piece of merchandise is worth this much.

　“I didn’t mean for you to see these things,” Sanzenin Arashi shook her head.

　The look of envy in Ayase Eli's eyes was fleeting, but Sanzenin Arashi caught it.

　Seeing the girl he had admired in his past life make such an expression, a surge of anger welled up inside him.

　Almost suddenly, Sanzenin Arashi said, "AKB48 has five teams: Team A, Team K, Team B, Team 4, and Team 8. There are hundreds of girls together. This is also the AKB Cafe, and the surrounding area is the most complete. But how many girls' faces did you see?"

　I observed for a while, and there are probably only thirty of them. There are hundreds of other team members, but you can't even see the area around them.

　Being an idol isn't a glamorous profession. It doesn't mean that when you stand on stage, many people will be watching you. Rather, even if you're standing in a dazzling spot, you have to be prepared that no one is watching you. No matter how awkward it is, you have to finish what you're supposed to do. Even if there's no one at the concert, you have to stand up and finish the song.

　If your only goal is to perform on stage, then becoming an athlete is a better choice.

　..

346. The Ambition of Entertainers

　Koji Wada is an entertainer, an entertainer worthy of being used as a textbook example. His rendition of "Butterfly," the theme song for Digimon, evoked childhood memories for so many when that line about "infinity" came on.

　In fact, he once formed a band and did street performances. He would stand alone on the roadside with no audience in front of him, but he could still sing a song with great emotion.

　No one supported him, no one listened to him sing, yet he persevered until his first single was released and entered the Oricon Top 50.

　At that time, Japan was in the golden age of record sales. Any one of the top 50 records on the Oricon chart would be ranked in the top three even today. Koji Wada's career in the entertainment industry gradually began to improve.

　However, at this time, he had to withdraw from the Japanese music scene due to illness, leaving behind only the popular song "Butterfly".

　Digimon fans are outraged; without Koji Wada's opening theme, the anime just doesn't feel right.

　Many people began to protest, demanding that the singer be replaced.

　Koji Wada's achievements may not be considered huge success, but he is a rare singer with a strong appeal. Looking at the Japanese entertainment industry, very few people can achieve this level of influence.

　Finally, in 2013, Koji Wada made a comeback, and the Butterfly was re-released and put on sale again.

　Many people thought that Koji Wada was about to reach the pinnacle of his career again, but they were wrong. The Butterfly reissue only sold a few hundred copies, a result that can only be described as a complete failure. Faced with this sales figure, Koji Wada, who continued to sing even though his voice was hoarse and who continued to sing even though no one was listening to him, shed tears of resentment.

　The idol industry is such an unreasonable place. Many people are good at singing and acting, but when faced with an empty audience, how many of them can finish a song?

　Who can put on a smiling face while acting?

　When the girls in AKB48 see their peers and even their juniors eating fancy bento boxes while they're just chewing on cucumbers, will anyone come to their rescue?

　of course not!

　Ayase Eli has a Honoka, and Kousaka Honoka will properly tell her what true effort is. She is lucky, and even in this situation, she still feels envious of others. Sanzenin Arashi can only roll her eyes.

　“This…” Ayase Eli would have been incredibly intelligent in ancient times, so of course she understood the meaning behind Sanzenin Arashi’s words.

　“Thank you for telling me so much, Mr. Aoyama. I had never thought about these things before. But is it really necessary to do these things to become an idol?” Ayase Eli couldn’t understand: “If you’re an idol, why do you have to scheme against each other behind the scenes? I have no interest in idols like that.”

　Sanzenin Arashi narrowed his eyes. He naturally wouldn't buy any AKB merchandise. The two quickly sat down at the dining table, having requested a couple's seat. However, Ayase Eli was still immersed in what she had just said and had no energy to think about the current situation.

　"Less scheming, more friendship; less darkness, more sunshine," Eli Ayase said slowly. "Mr. Aoyama is like a colorist."

　Arashi Sanzenin opened his mouth. He knew the phrase "lost and found," but he had never seen it from this perspective.

　Is it really possible for a high school girl to say something like, "To gain is to lose, to give up is to gain"?

　Sanzenin Arashi didn't say much, as if he had said all he needed to say. Thinking is more important than words. Sitting here and chatting with Ayase Eli, isn't this also Sanzenin Arashi's way of thinking? Seeing this two-dimensional girl standing in front of him, the feeling in his heart is something that no one else can understand.

　Even Ayase Eli was flattered. She didn't know why she, an ordinary high school student, could be valued by Japan's most successful young people and even say such things.

　However, she probably didn't know that when Sanzenin Arashi looked at her, although his eyes were calm, his heart was completely the opposite.

　The two people's ideas were surprisingly similar.

　To prepare for the evening's performance, Sanzenin Arashi said goodbye to Ayase Eli after dinner and rushed to the Asahi TV studio. Each piano is like a child to a performer, requiring careful consideration of every nuance. Besides, things had progressed enough with Ayase Eli; there was no need for further explanation. As that barrier was broken down, Sanzenin Arashi simply pulled her hand away.

　Arashi Sanzenin loves everyone in μs, and that's why he won't let his emotions disrupt this trajectory.

　Just like Ayase Eli said, less scheming, more friendship.

　Ultimately, the sadistic girl, Sanzenin Arashi, needs to be in top form to perform this divine anime song. If she just randomly runs off and plays it, while it might sound good to the audience, she won't be able to honestly say that she truly loves anime.

　Upon arriving at Asahi dai, Sanzenin Arashi received an entertainer's pass from a staff member and hung it around her neck. She went straight to the music room, found the piano, tuned it slightly, and then took out the sheet music for "Final Demon Girl".

　Naturally, you can't say anything about the final ghost girl during the performance. The name written on it is still [unオーエンは比女なのか? 】

　The original score of the piece has been completely altered, to the point that it could be considered a completely different piece, at least in terms of difficulty, reaching the limit that Sanzenin Arashi can currently accept.

　This sheet music currently represents the highest level of skill that Arashi Sanzenin has achieved on the piano.

　The moment my fingers touched the cold piano keys, my mind went completely blank, and the first note floated out from the register, thus beginning my life as a performer.

　Ultimately, the fact that Sanzenin Arashi modified the sadistic girl to this extent shows that his purpose was no longer just about a song.

　What if an anime song won the highest honor in the piano world?

　The ambition behind this piece goes far beyond what it appears to be; it is a piece that only Sanzenin Arashi can play.

　Judging solely from playing technique, Sanzenin Arashi may not be as good as Li Yundi, but his hand speed is unmatched.

　The technique, built solely on hand speed, combined with the unique nature of this piece, can be said to have been tailor-made for him.

　Ultimately, even when the "ghostly girl" (a nickname for a female musician) took it out, Li Yundi was unable to play it. His finger muscles couldn't handle the number of notes on the score. Similarly, musicians who lack exercise couldn't do it either.

　When the last note was played, Sanzenin Arashi's face was covered in sweat, but his eyes held an ambition that no one could understand.

　..

347. An incomprehensible performance

　After leaving the music room, Sanzenin Arashi wiped the sweat from her forehead. Playing at super-fast speeds is a very mentally taxing thing. Anyone who has seen a concert knows that when pianists play, their "chuunibyou" (adolescent delusions of grandeur) attitude, their immersion in their own world, can even look ridiculous.

　I stretched at the doorway, and a man dressed in a tuxedo walked over. He had a name tag for entertainers hanging in front of him, which read "LIYUNDI" in pinyin and was also marked with a pseudonym.

　Sanzenin Arashi sized up the man. He was quite handsome with fair skin, but his belly was a little chubby. This man was Li Yundi, who dominated the top ten of the online music sales charts.

　He travels all over the world performing, and people in Taiwan are very proud of him. However, he is actually from Chongqing, China, and has about 20 million followers on Weibo, making him a world-class celebrity.

　However, this person doesn't have any star aura. In fact, most artists are like this. It is precisely because they are so immersed in something that they can't extricate themselves that they can achieve such great success. Li Yundi is undoubtedly a piano enthusiast.

　The two exchanged a few words at the door. Sanzenin Arashi spoke fluent Chinese, which was his native language from his previous life, and his Mandarin was even more standard than the other person's, making the conversation much smoother. Originally, this world-class musician was just going to say hello. He didn't have a translator with him, and his Japanese wasn't very good either. However, once the two started talking in Chinese, Sanzenin Arashi discovered that this person was actually quite talkative.

　There seems to be so much to say about the piano.

　Li Yundi truly deserves his reputation as the only Asian to win the Chopin Music Prize, the highest honor for pianists. His words were quite insightful for Sanzenin Arashi.

　Even in the middle of the game, Sanzenin Arashi showed the opponent the final version of the sadistic girl's score, but didn't get any advice. In many fields, masters don't 'help' each other. It's similar to writing novels. Everyone has their own style, and their strengths are completely different. It's enough to just give your own evaluation.

　This piece is really hard on your hands.

　After receiving this evaluation, Sanzenin Arashi gave up the music room and let the other party 'warm up'.

　After buying a can of coffee from the vending machine in the photography studio, Sanzenin Arashi heard someone calling his name.

　"Qingshan, here."

　Turning my head, I saw it was Kazuyoshi Morita, the veteran MC.

　Good afternoon, Tamori.

　"How's the music preparation going?" The old man in sunglasses was quite concerned about the show: "I was quite surprised when they suddenly said we'd be performing an original piece."

　"I just played it once in the music room, and it felt pretty good," said Sanzenin Arashi.

　Upon hearing this, Kazuyoshi Morita breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "Did you run into Mr. Yundi?"

　Sanzenin Arashi smiled and shrugged, "He said my new song is hard on the hands."

　“I really envy this kind of conversation…” Morita Kazuyoshi looked longingly at him: “To have a pleasant chat with others in your favorite field. But you know how the idol industry is in Japan. Everyone is used to scheming against each other, so it’s rare to find someone who can be so frank.”

　When a new song is released, even a third-rate idol wouldn't say something like "it hurts my voice." They would mostly just compliment each other. However, it's quite admirable that two musicians could say something like that between them. Kazuyoshi Morita is quite envious of this.

　"I am the MC of a music program myself, and the interaction between you is as peaceful as a paradise."

　Sanzenin Arashi smiled but didn't say anything.

　Filming for the program began quickly.

　For this special music project, Sanzenin Arashi saw many popular singers, including Takuya Kimura, who was absent last time, as well as 16 members of AKB48, led by Rino Sashihara. Johnny's Samp also performed.

　These are all superstars whose albums have sold two million copies.

　After giving a perfunctory greeting, Sanzenin Arashi sat backstage and waited.

　Piano performances should not be interrupted.

　This unwritten rule in the music industry also prevented Sanzenin Arashi from appearing directly. This wasn't being harsh; Li Yundi, who followed him onto the stage, hadn't even eaten lunch, all to ensure he was in top form for his performance.

　In the world of boxing, people don't eat before a match.

　Perhaps this is the spirit of a craftsman.

　"Next up, please welcome Arashi Aoyama from Nico Nico Douga."

　After the female host and Tamori's voices rang out, Sanzenin Arashi walked forward from behind the stage, facing the camera with a smile and a wave, but her steps were very steady, creating an elegant image.

　The popular celebrities sat on the sidelines clapping, while Sanzenin Arashi sat down at the piano.

　Among these people, Li Yundi is probably the most unique.

　Most of the other artists and audience members were smiling, but he was the only one looking at them with a scrutinizing gaze.

　After all, he himself couldn't play Liszt's "La Campanella" at the age of sixteen. He had just looked at the score for this performance, and to be honest, he was sweating bullets. This kind of ultra-fast score usually appears in electronic music. It sounds fast, but there aren't that many notes. Piano music requires techniques like vibrato to enrich the content of the piece, while electronic music doesn't.

　This means that in the end, the "ghostly girl" (a nickname for a female character) needs to play the song at a speed so fast that her hands are almost invisible.

　And... that doesn't mean the performance will sound good.

　When his fingers touched the piano keys, Sanzenin Arashi would empty his mind. He didn't care what was happening around him; he just kept playing the keys to bring out the thoughts in his mind.

　His fingers moved faster and faster, and gradually, Sanzenin Arashi no longer even knew what he was playing.

　He felt like he was blind typing on a keyboard with his eyes closed.

　Five minutes passed quickly.

　He removed his hands from the piano keys, making a gesture similar to a martial artist finishing their practice.

　When he opened his eyes again and stood up to bow, an eerie silence fell over the room.

　Turning my head, the most eye-catching person on the scene was undoubtedly the adorable Rino Sashihara. At this moment, she was resting her chin on her hand, covering her mouth, and staring blankly ahead.

　Li Yundi sat in the chair and looked over, puzzled.