My daily life is getting weird because I am caught between being in a band and being an idol.

"I'm going to stop this eccentric guy, Renna!"

"Can you please not take this obviously joking rebuttal seriously, and stop suddenly yelling?"

Ebi V clicked his tongue, startled by Nina's sudden, exaggerated reaction.

"I'm sorry, Tomo-chan."

Just then, Taoxiang, who had been leaning against the wall pretending to be cool while playing on her phone, walked over.

"Can we go outside for a quick chat?... Hmm? Chaoyang, you're here too?"

"Yes, it was a very good performance. I just told them I'd treat you to a celebratory dinner."

Tao Xiang nodded, a hint of gratitude flashing in her eyes, but also a weariness she couldn't hide.

She raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and said softly.

"Thank you. Let's find a place to grab a quick bite later, don't spend too much money."

. .

The six of them went to a family restaurant near the station.

The restaurant had a warm and comfortable atmosphere, perfect for relaxation, but the group became somewhat quiet after sitting down. Even Rencai, who had been full of energy just moments before, was much quieter now.

Chaoyang sat in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over them. He noticed that Taoxiang's expression was particularly cold. Although she nodded in response, there was always a sense that she was absent-minded.

Renna occasionally tried to say something, but the conversation never lasted long. The atmosphere wasn't exactly awkward, but it wasn't exactly lively either.

Everyone was quite polite and didn't order a lot of random things. They each ordered a hamburger steak combo, while Chaoyang decided to order some fries and fried chicken wings.

Once all the dishes were served, everyone finally started talking, saying "Let's eat!"

"...By the way, Mr. Hiraishi, do you have any suggestions for our band name?"

Rencai suddenly asked about the name of the outsider band, Asahi.

Of course, Ebi V-Chi disagreed.

"Wait a minute, such an important thing as the band's name should be decided by us, of course. How can we let outsiders decide it?"

"...It's nothing, we're eating all the food Mr. Hiraishi treats us to now, and he's helped us a lot too, so we're practically family. Besides, these days a lot of groups let the fans decide their names."

Subaru, fearing that Ebisu's bluntness might displease Asahi, immediately added a sentence.

"Hehe, forget it. I don't know much about rock music itself. Besides, since you're an independent band, you should choose your own name. That would be more meaningful."

Just then, Momoka, who hadn't joined the discussion, interrupted and spoke up.

"I have something to say to everyone, and I'd like to ask for your opinions as well. I've been invited to participate in a live event."

Out of town.

"LIVE?"

"Yes, when I first started out, I received a lot of help from the people who invited me, so I plan to go and return the favor this time."

Subaru asked for key information.

"Location?"

"L City, Nagano?"

"It takes about three hours to drive there, not too far, not too close."

Chaoyang had already roughly determined the location in his mind and calculated the time.

"Yeah, we'll go there a day early for rehearsal, and then the show will officially start the next day. We'll come back right after the show. It'll probably be a lot of rushing. I can go by myself."

. .

System notification: A new task has been issued!

Mission Name: A Band of One Man and Five Women's Wild Journey.

Mission Description: Momoka and her bandmates have decided to travel to L City, Nagano for an important out-of-town performance. They need a reliable driver to accompany them and ensure a smooth journey and performance. The host will be responsible for transportation and will also be responsible for maintaining a positive team atmosphere and resolving any potential conflicts or disagreements during the trip. Furthermore, the host needs to gain the trust of the band members during the journey, helping them deepen their understanding of the importance of teamwork.

Mission objective: Successfully escort the band members to Nagano and back to Tokyo.

Resolve conflicts arising from differing ideologies among members on the bus.

Additional task: Have an impromptu interaction with the band members in the car, such as playing a game or singing along.

Collect the band members' personal thoughts on future goals and offer constructive suggestions.

Reward: You will receive 100 yen upon completion of the mission.

System Note: The task difficulty is moderate. Host, please try to maintain a good driving record and avoid traffic tickets.

. .

Even if the task is very rewarding, and even if I shamelessly offered to go along, they would never agree.

Looking at the mission rewards, Asahi naturally felt they were very generous. If it were Mitsuhiko and Momoka, the two of them probably wouldn't mind, but putting Subaru aside, Asahi had actually only spoken a dozen or so sentences to the two new recruits in total.

While Chaoyang was still pondering how to effectively complete the system's task deployment, Taoxiang continued speaking.

“Especially Nina, your studies are more important, there’s no need for you to come all this way with me.”

As Tao Xiang spoke, she casually glanced at everyone at the table.

Upon hearing this, Renna's expression instantly turned defiant. She puffed out her cheeks, as if suppressing some emotion. A moment later, she slammed her hand on the table.

"I'm going!"

Her tone was resolute, even carrying a hint of stubbornness.

"Right, Subaru-chan?"

Nina suddenly turned to check on him, catching Subaru off guard. He could only quickly look up, his face full of a helpless smile.

"Don't suddenly ask for my opinion..."

She paused, glanced at the expressions of the others, sighed, and gave a gentle smile.

"However, since it's Nina-chan's decision, there's nothing we can do about it."

Are you guys serious?

After remaining silent, Hai Lao V Zhi finally put down his water glass and frowned as he spoke.

"So many mistakes in today's performance. You haven't even performed well in this one show, and you're already thinking about going out of town?"

Her tone was tinged with dissatisfaction and disappointment; she had only realized after joining the team that they were all a bunch of people who did whatever they wanted.

However, RUPA, who was sitting next to her, just chuckled and said in a relaxed tone.

"Isn't it precisely because we make a lot of mistakes that we need more performance experience? More stage experience is never a bad thing for us."

Upon hearing this, Ebi V-Chi lowered his head and remained silent for a moment, seemingly finding it difficult to refute, but still reluctantly pursed his lips.

"Since RUPA has said so, then do as you please. However, I still think this decision was a bit hasty."

"...That's it, everyone approves!"

Subaru gave Momoka a playful salute, and Momoka could only respond with a wry smile.

"Ah... I understand..."

Just then, Nina suddenly asked Asahi a question.

"Mr. Hiraishi, would you like to come along?"

"Huh?! Are you out of your mind?!"

Ebi V stood up, slapping the table with both hands. Although, due to his petite stature, the height difference between sitting in the booth and standing on the ground was not significant.

"? It's impossible for them to invite a man, right?"

“Indeed, Nina. My friend only had a van, plus the luggage of 5 people, so it probably couldn’t fit 6 people with their own luggage. And after all, we are 5 women.”

Even the easygoing Momoka wouldn't just nod like that.

Huh? But I hope Mr. Hiraishi can come to our concert... Besides, he's not an outsider... He's already helped us so much...

Asahi listened to Renna's heartfelt words. Although he was grateful that she hadn't forgotten him, he still acted somewhat inconsiderately, just like before.

But 100 million is indeed tempting.

After thinking for a moment, Chaoyang spoke.

"...Speaking of which, my company has a motorhome. How about I drive you there? After all, you're going to perform, so you need to be well-rested. Anyone who drives will get tired, so it's better to let me, someone who isn't participating in the performance, drive. You can all get some rest."

Chaoyang Architectural Firm certainly doesn't have RVs; it's just an excuse for Chaoyang to send them there.

If they agree, go to the rental car company to borrow one.

Chaoyang also knows the daily cost.

It costs around 2 yen.

"A motorhome?!"

Nina's eyes immediately lit up with curiosity.

His face clearly showed that he wanted to sit down.

"Is it like those camping trips you see on TV where rich people go? Thank you so much!"

"Wow, I didn't know your agency had that kind of car. You don't secretly take your idol out for fun, do you?"

Subaru then made a rather cheeky joke.

Believe it or not, Chaoyang actually remembered it. He can rent a motorhome and drive around in the future.

"...Maybe I'll consider it later."

When people heard this, they didn't take it seriously and just joked about it like Chaoyang always does.

"A motorhome?"

Tao Xiang stroked her chin and began to consider it seriously.

Because she had also experienced a long journey and a performance, it was indeed not easy, not to mention that they didn't have much rest time, which was why she originally planned to go alone.

"This isn't about transportation; hey, this way of thinking is just inappropriate!"

"Then let's have five people raise their hands and vote to decide."

When Ebi V heard that there was a vote, her face immediately darkened, but seeing the eager expressions on everyone else's faces, she knew that her opposition would probably be futile. Nina, in particular, even raised both hands, as if afraid others wouldn't see her determination.

"I support it! I support it!"

Rencai's voice was clear and crisp, her face full of anticipation.

"A motorhome trip sounds so interesting! And with Mr. Hiraishi driving, we can rest assured and relax. How great is that!"

Subaru also raised one hand.

"I don't want Nina to cause me trouble."

RUPA nodded slightly, raised his hand, and spoke in his usual gentle tone.

"I have no objection either. Mr. Hiraishi has indeed helped us a lot, so let's consider this a small reward for his hard work."

What slightly annoyed Chaoyang was that Rupa took this as a reward for him.

But objectively speaking... it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a reward for a man to travel with five women.

Unfortunately, to be honest, of all the people he's met so far, he's only really not that interested in Nina Momoka's group.

To be more precise, I had no urge to chain any of them up and lock them in the basement.

If I had to pick one I like, I'd actually prefer Ebi V, who always looks unhappy. She's petite and dresses very cutely.

"None of you are normal!"

Seeing that even RUPA wasn't on his side, Ebi V knew that there was no point in opposing him, so he could only sulk by looking out the restaurant window with a disgruntled expression.

"Now that we have three votes, I'll leave it to you this time, Chaoyang. With you here, I can rest assured from now on."

"?"

When they heard Momoka use a strange way of speaking, both Nina and Asahi were a little concerned.

However, before she could ask any further questions, Momoka had already gotten up and left.

"Was this guy always such a loner before?"