Tokyo Psychic

"Nina-chan has already introduced herself to me," Ijichi Hongxia proudly placed her hand on her chest. "Even though I'm a drummer, I'm actually good at taking care of others!"

"Hongxia, are you bragging?" Yamada Ryo walked over in small steps and winked at Ijichi Hongxia.

"It's great that there are four people in the band now," Ijichi Hongxia pushed Yamada Ryo away with some embarrassment, and then changed the subject somewhat abruptly.

"Can Nina play keyboard or guitar?" Yamada Ryo actually started calling her by her name.

The cool and pretty girl came up to Jing Serina and asked, "Guitar? Keyboard? Or... lead singer?"

"She probably doesn't know any of the things you're talking about."

"Damn it! You interrupted me." Yamada Ryo frowned and glared at Kurusu Akatsuki with a hint of dissatisfaction. "Even if you're dating, you can't ignore the feelings of the other members in the band!"

"Dating?!" Jing Qinren's voice rose.

"You misunderstood. She and I are in the same club, and I'm the president. Besides, we're basically neighbors in a broad sense. Beyond that, there's no further relationship."

"What? It's not that youthful and rock-n-roll setting?" Yamada Ryo was actually taken aback. He took a few steps back, staring at Kurusu Akatsuki with caution. "This is bad. A single handsome guy like you sneaked into our band full of beautiful girls. You must be thinking of 'starting a harem', right? ...Although it does sound very rock-n-roll."

"Ryo, don't talk nonsense like that!" Ijichi Hongka hurriedly pulled Yamada Ryo's sleeve.

"Hongxia, we must be on high alert—look at him, deliberately hunched over, wearing large square-framed glasses, with messy hair long enough to cover his eyes, and the top button of his shirt deliberately left undone. And he plays guitar... He looks like an experienced 'rocker' at first glance."

"What do you mean by an experienced 'rock man'?" Ijichi Hongxia looked confused.

"Smoking, drinking, tattoos, fighting, and playing with high school girls." Yamada Ryo blurted out some very out-of-line lines, scaring Ijichi Hongka and Ii Serina so much that their faces turned pale.

At this moment, a series of inappropriate laughter came from the stairwell.

A woman who looked very similar to Ijichi Hongka walked down the wall, holding on to the wall. "Ryo, stop scaring them."

She greeted Kurusu Akatsuki enthusiastically, "You're the 'star waiter' who works at Shikenjaya, right?"

"What kind of weird nickname is this?"

"You're quite famous in the high school forums around Setagaya. Young people are calling you 'the once-in-a-millennium beautiful boy hidden in a coffee shop in a secluded alley.'"

The woman introduced herself, "Ichichi Hoshika, the manager of this livehouse, and the older sister of the guy over there."

The store manager looked at Ijichi Hongka and said, "Next, you will begin your first training session as a rock band here."

Yamada Ryo took off his bass and held it in his arms, "Now? I don't mind."

"Wait a minute!" Kurusu Akatsuki interrupted their conversation and took out the carefully folded promotional advertisement from his pocket.

He pushed up his glasses, and the thick lenses reflected the light.

"Can you tell me a little bit about the salary package for working in the band in the future?"

(019.webp)

(020.webp)

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(This weekend update is complete, with two 2k chapters plus three "two-in-one" chapters, for a normal eight chapters. A total of words.)

(There is no income from the new book period, so I am begging for your recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and rewards!!)

030. If the guitar had a soul

When he saw that all the band members were high school students, Kurusu Akatsuki had completely given up the idea of ​​making money by playing music in the short term.

But when he learned that the manager of this livehouse was the sister of the band's drummer, he felt that his second part-time job had been found.

He specifically mentioned the word "salary benefits" in the hope that Ijichi Hoshige, a fellow adult, would understand his implication...

"You're only a high school student, so it's not good to act too mature."

Kurusu Akatsuki's expectations were dashed.

Only then did he remember that he was still a minor. Now, let alone graduating from high school, he couldn't even get a driver's license.

He was unilaterally isolated on the other side of the generation gap of "age".

Then, Ijichi Xingge made a helpless expression. "When are you free? STARRY usually opens at 5 pm. From 5 pm to 10 pm, we need waiters to help with food delivery, ticket sales and merchandise. Outside of that time, we probably only need cleaners."

Kurusu Akatsuki said without hesitation, "I'm free all the time except for 7-8 in the morning. Please rest assured and leave the work to me, Manager!"

Ijichi Xingge was a little shocked, "You're not attending class?"

Yamada Ryo quietly nudged Ichichi Hongka with his elbow and whispered in her ear, "Oh no, he really seems to be..."

"What I meant just now is that as long as the store manager needs me, I can take leave at any time to help." Kurusu Akatsuki realized that he was a little greedy and always reflexively put himself in the role of a "freelancer".

"Won't that affect your studies?" Yidi Chi Xingge showed a slightly embarrassed expression.

"Besides, there's no way the school would approve such a casual request for leave, right? Skipping school?"

"That..." Jing Qinrencai's voice suddenly sounded.

She spoke up to defend her president, "Amamiya-san's grades are top of the grade."

"And he lives next door at Shigenjaya, only a fifteen-minute walk away."

Kurusu Akatsuki, who was considering the words to answer Ichichi Hoshige, immediately turned his head to glance at his follower, tears welling up in his eyes. He unexpectedly found such a loyal and caring general - although he is still young, but with a little training and discipline, he may become the backbone of my "Mental Health Education Department" in time!

After Ichichi Seika confirmed that Kurusu Akatsuki wouldn't miss out on his studies because of Starry, she made a verbal agreement with him. "The hourly wage is 1,800, and you'll get a commission based on the sales of alcohol. The working hours are from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. How's that?"

A base salary of 1,800 yen per hour plus commission from drinks is close to the average hourly wage of nightclub gigolos.

"Isn't the hourly wage too high?" Kurusu Akatsuki asked the store manager cautiously.

Behind every gift there is a hidden price.

Ijichi Hoshika explained frankly, "You're quite famous in the Setagaya district's university forums, so when you work for me, I'll definitely use your fame as part of my external publicity."

Kurusu Akatsuki breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for your appreciation, Manager. I will work hard to match the salary."

"You don't act like a child at all," Yidizhi Xingge was a little displeased with this precocious child. He waved his hand and asked them to take their instruments to the recording studio opposite to practice on their own.

"Remember to come and sign the contract with me when you leave."

The store manager's voice echoed in the living room.

Bang!

The thick metal door of the recording studio closed.

Under the expectant gaze of Ijichi Kouka and Yamada Ryo, Kurusu Akatsuki opened the guitar case behind him and carefully took out an electric guitar with a mahogany body, plain maple top, and rosewood fingerboard.

The pitch-black veneer reflects the light, and the six tuning pegs extend downward with medium-sized frets that cut the air sharply. The huge triangular pickup guard, paired with the rounded cutaway and jade knobs, exudes a cold and bloodthirsty aura in the silence, as if one only needs to hold the pick and casually pluck the strings to awaken this distorted behemoth and make it burst into a hysterical roar.

Recognizing the identity of the electric guitar, the two girls' pupils trembled violently.

Ijichi Hongxia hurriedly pulled Yamada Ryo's hand and shook it repeatedly, her voice trembling, "Liang, Liang, Liang, Liang... That! That is..."

Even Yamada Ryo looked at Kurusu Akatsuki in awe and shock. "The Les PauL Standard-50S EB, equipped with 'BB 1' and 'BB 2' pickups, is an undeniable distortion monster... and it's priced at yen."

At this time, Kurusu Akatsuki, who was holding an electric guitar, was a little dazed.

When the fingers touch the body of the piano, the heavy intuitive feeling hits the soul like a chariot, followed by an indescribable emotion.

Kurusu Akatsuki felt that the remaining "heart" in this body was becoming active, as if it was looking forward to and longing for a satisfying performance.

Even though I had never learned a musical instrument and didn't know how to play it, there seemed to be an excited voice in my heart urging me to "just go for it boldly."

So, he somewhat awkwardly fastened the strap, removed the metal pick stuck in the fretboard, connected the audio cable to the speaker, and then held the guitar in an extremely unstandard posture, "I'm ready."

Ijichi Hongxia looked at Kurusu Akatsuki, who looked completely clueless even to an outsider. She didn't ask, "Can you play the guitar?" but instead asked her friend, "Ryo, I'll leave the bass to you."

Yamada Ryo glanced at Kurusu Akatsuki's right hand, which was holding the pick and didn't know where to put it, and nodded silently.

Then she asked Kurusu Akatsuki, "Amamiya-san, do you usually listen to any bands?"

"...Morfonica and Diamond Dust?"

"If I were to play Morfonica, it would be a bit difficult to handle the violin. Would Diamond Dust's 'Empty Box' be okay?"

"No problem." Kurusu Akatsuki and Isen Rinna both expressed their affirmativeness.

At this time, Jing Serina, who was assigned to the lead singer position, blinked her eyes. She had listened to the song "Empty Box" hundreds of times...she really knew how to sing it.

Kurusu Akatsuki nodded. Even though he knew nothing about electric guitar, he felt a strong sense of confidence flowing from his heart to his fingertips.

He is willing to believe in this power that comes from the heart.

"Well then..." Ijichi Hongxia took a deep breath, then raised the two drumsticks above her head and knocked them three times, marking the start of the performance.

The sounds of drums and bass fell like drizzle in the center of the recording studio.

Surrounded by the sound of rain, Kurusu Akatsuki almost instinctively picked up the pick and moved it across the strings.

Clean and neat strumming, precise and powerful plucking, stable lead guitar, combined with low drum beats, create an ethereal and beautiful melody.

Yamada Ryo and Ijichi Hongka looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other's eyes.

With the addition of confident and steady guitar sounds, the drizzle in the recording studio gradually turned into a downpour, whistling and sweeping over Jing Qinnai's whole body.

After the beautiful prelude...

Jing Serina, who was standing in the lead singer position, hesitated for two seconds for some reason, and it was this hesitation that made her completely miss the lyrics of the first paragraph.

After that, she just opened her mouth slightly, but could not utter a single syllable despite the continuing accompaniment.

She silently lowered her eyes, looking at the tips of her shoes in confusion, feeling indescribable guilt and embarrassment, and then at a loss.

The recording studio quickly became quiet.

The atmosphere was subtly awkward until Jing Qinrencai spoke very softly.

"sorry."

Ijichi Hongxia quickly stood up, "It's okay! Little Nina must not be used to singing in such an occasion. Let's do it again! Ryo, Amemiya, what do you think?"

"No thanks." Jing Qin Rencai raised her head, bit her lip, and glared at Kurusu Xiao with grievance and unwillingness. "It was just a tryout. It seems that I really am not suitable for the band... I... I'm going back to do my homework."

She suddenly turned around, pushed open the door of the recording studio, and ran away in a very embarrassed manner.

Ichichi Hongxia immediately dropped her drumstick and tried to chase after him—

But someone was quicker than her.

Kurusu Akatsuki, carrying a guitar, had already rushed out of the recording studio.

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(I'm catching up on homework. There's a bit too much science and engineering homework. Today's second chapter will be posted later, around 1:30 AM.)

(I'd like to recommend a book by a friend here.)

(Azur Lane fanfiction.)

031. Who will come to save the regrets of your youth

After running out of Starry, Kurusu Akatsuki rushed into a long uphill road in Shimokitazawa with his guitar on his back.

Although Tokyo is located at the southern end of the Kanto Plain and close to Tokyo Bay, it has many ups and downs, both large and small.

Thoughts like vines and weeds spread as he ran with a heavy load. The height difference in front of him made him subconsciously think of Lavenda in the Velvet Room. It was just like her breasts. It seemed that they existed and didn't exist at the same time.

Oh my god, how can this guy Jing Qinrencai run so fast?

Next time when the track and field club is recruiting new members, just kick out Ryuji Sakamoto from the position of vice-president and arrange for Ii Serina to run more often. Maybe she can win some national gold and silver medals for Shujin.

Because he was afraid of accidentally breaking the expensive guitar behind him, Kurusu Akatsuki always had to pay attention to the pedestrians and buildings around him when chasing Isen Renna, and had to deliberately control the amplitude of his movements.

The childish little brat who made him feel angry and funny soon disappeared in the crowded crowd.

He immediately took out his cell phone, found the name [Jing Qin Rencai] in the contacts, and dialed the number.

After a short busy tone, the call was hung up.

Kurusu Akatsuki stood on the busy street and suddenly smiled with relief.

This kind of unlucky and stubborn little brat is really troublesome.

However, it has been a long time since I saw anyone dare to play hide-and-seek in front of the "Mind Thief".

Kurusu Akatsuki held the guitar in his arms and slowly walked into a public restroom that was not covered by cameras.

Impression space, start!

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