Female Supremacy Integrated Anime: I Only See You All As Friends

Luo Zhen's words trailed off, his voice trembling faintly, a pitiful look on his face.

Senior Xing Ge finally snapped back to reality. She hadn't expected this either.

"Sorry, Little Zhen, my hand just moved on its own. I don't know why it happened."

Xing Ge pulled her hand away, but she didn't let go of Luo Zhen. She still held him close, her gaze turning wary as she looked at Shi Yu.

"It was just an accident. Little Zhen already said it's fine."

Shi Yu forced an awkward smile.

This shop owner really was a nuisance. If she weren't here, she could have kept enjoying herself.

Still, the gains were considerable. Tonight's material was set, and she'd experienced enough stimulation. Inspiration was surging forth. She'd have a good time when she got home tonight.

Luo Zhen truly didn't mind. He reached out, tugged at his collar a few times, then pointed toward the stage.

"Thank you, Senior Xing Ge. I'll be more careful from now on. For now, Bond Band is about to go on stage. Let's watch their performance."

Xing Ge really did mean well for him. She was a good person, and Luo Zhen felt a warmth in his heart.

So he spoke words of gratitude, feeling that the distance between him and Xing Ge had shrunk a little.

"Senior Xing Ge really gives a sense of security. If you were a girlfriend, your 'girlfriend power' would be off the charts."

In the normal world, it would be "boyfriend power." In this female-dominated world, it was "girlfriend power."

Hearing Luo Zhen's words, Xing Ge blushed all the way to her ears. She scratched her hair awkwardly.

"Don't say stupid things like that. Just watch the show."

A flicker of irritation stirred in Xing Ge's heart. She didn't know what was wrong with her.

Watching Luo Zhen and Xing Ge laugh and joke together, Shi Yu's heart bled inside.

Damn it. It seemed she'd used the wrong approach.

Even though her little moves had scored her some small advantages, a thick wall seemed to stand between her and Luo Zhen.

More than physical contact, she craved a collision and friction of souls with him.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Luo Zhen stopped her with a look.

That gaze carried many meanings, and Shi Yu was momentarily speechless.

The performance on stage officially began. The original plot had been broken. Hitori had joined Bond Band ahead of schedule.

Moreover, Luo Zhen's influence on her was obvious. She was indeed a bit braver. She didn't use a mango cardboard box to hide herself. She revealed herself completely.

A new band. Only a few people watched with expectant eyes, and a large portion of them were even classmates of Hongxia and Ryo.

They came to show support, giving plenty of face.

They took a deep breath, introduced themselves, and after their opening remarks, began to play.

Xing Ge watched without blinking. This was about her little sister's dream, so she was very excited, even nervous.

Her arms tightened a little, pulling Luo Zhen closer.

Luo Zhen once again touched Xing Ge's soft chest, like a winter hot water bottle, warm and wonderfully pleasant to the touch.

The three on stage began to play. Hitori took a deep breath, focused, and started to perform.

Yamada Ryo was on bass. She seemed to have no presence, but the moment the song started, she sensed something was off.

Hongxia's pupils darted around. Her drumming was noticeably weak.

"It's over."

Xing Ge pursed her lips. It had only just begun, and she already saw the ending.

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Failed Performance

The root of the problem was mainly in their chemistry. The band's coordination was a complete mess.

The trouble started with Hitori. When she stood on stage, her first thought was of Luo Zhen.

When she felt nervous, she only focused on Luo Zhen.

Then she saw a strange sight. Luo Zhen was held in the shop owner's arms, and on the other side stood a big-chested fat woman.

In the twisted reversal of this female-dominated world, this was practically a "hellish tableau."

It was like, in the normal world, a guy seeing his pretty girlfriend flanked by a blond playboy and a fat creep.

Hitori nearly fainted. Luckily, Luo Zhen's gaze was clear, his eyes full of encouragement.

Otherwise, Hitori would have thought a "doujin plot" was unfolding.

A blond woman, a big-chested fat woman, a little girl, a dark-skinned gyaru—these were all common figures in doujins. She had to be careful.

Their eyes met for a moment, and Hitori understood that nothing had happened.

The blond shop owner was Hongxia's sister. She should be a good person. She was just standing with Luo Zhen as an adult and senior, casually resting a hand on his shoulder. There was no problem.

Luo Zhen had been encouraging her the whole time, which made Hitori's heart grow more excited.

And then... she overperformed.

Of all times, she had to fully display her guitar skills right now.

It was supposed to be a band ensemble, but it turned into a one-woman show by Hitori.

The situation grew strange. The bass had little presence to begin with, and Yamada Ryo was actually struggling to keep up.

Hongxia, who should have been laying down a strong rhythm to steady the band's coordination, felt lost.

Wait, Little Bocchi, you were actually a Guitar Immortal?

"Wow, this guitarist is amazing, really high-level."

"But this is a band jam, and now it's her solo show. Isn't that a problem?"

"A failed ensemble, but a successful solo. Whatever, seeing a guitar performance like this is worth the ticket price."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Senior Xing Ge sighed helplessly.

Her sister's debut performance was a complete failure. She'd have to think of a way to comfort her later.

What? Didn't she say earlier she wouldn't comfort Hongxia and would let her toughen up?

Are you kidding? The situation was different, alright.

Failing like this? And seeing Hitori's incredible skill on top of it? It would probably shake Hongxia's resolve.

Getting a strong teammate was certainly a happy thing, but if the gap between them was too wide, the band would run into problems.

Xing Ge let go of Luo Zhen. Now her head was starting to ache.

"Worried about Hongxia?"

Luo Zhen asked, seeing through Xing Ge's thoughts at a glance.

"Yeah, this kind of situation is the hardest to handle."

The gap was real. Improving skill wasn't something that happened overnight. Should they ask Hitori to hold back? Lower the intensity of their performances?

If things went on like this, with their abilities never balancing out, the band might just fall apart.

Or, should they kick Hitori out and find a new member?

Somehow, that felt like it would lead to an even worse outcome.

"I'll go comfort her for you. There are some things Senior Xing Ge can't bring herself to say, right?"

Luo Zhen smiled and volunteered.

"Yeah, you're right. Communication between young people will probably go more smoothly."

Xing Ge steadied her nerves. It was fine. As long as they handled it properly, there was no need.

No need for "slippery slope" thinking. If she assumed everything would go wrong, there was no point in trying at all.

"Senior Xing Ge should have a little more faith in Hongxia. I'm sure she'll be fine."

Luo Zhen patted her shoulder and hurried toward the backstage area.

Kasumigaoka Shi Yu reached out her hand, but the words she wanted to say got stuck in her throat.

Xing Ge crossed her arms, still seeming somewhat displeased with her.

"Haha, looks like everyone's busy. I'll be going now."

Staying would probably yield nothing. Shi Yu quickened her pace and left.

Before Luo Zhen even entered the backstage area, he saw Yamada Ryo buying a drink. She looked pretty carefree.

But Luo Zhen still caught a hint of melancholy in the corner of her eyes.

"The performance was a mess, but it's no big deal. We just need to work on our coordination afterward."

Luo Zhen offered her some comfort, though it was probably unnecessary.

Ryo just waved her hand.

"You think it's fine too?"

Seems like Ryo had a lot of faith in her bandmates.

"Ah, I forgot. I don't have any money to buy drinks."

Yamada Ryo's melancholy was actually because her pockets were empty.

Of course, she was also pretty concerned about the performance issues.

Luo Zhen chuckled, pulled out his wallet, and paid for her.

"You'll have to pay me back later."

Luo Zhen put on a straight face and said half-jokingly.

"Wasn't this your treat?"

Ryo muttered, then took a drink without any hesitation.

"Of course it's my treat. Even though the performance had major problems, I'd say we've already taken an important step. Cheers to that step~"

Luo Zhen might be fond of money, but he wasn't stingy enough to quibble over every little thing.

Be nicer to Senior Liang, spend a bit more money on her, and she'll keep an eye on Hitori for you.

Even though Hongxia was around, Luo Zhen felt that Liang was actually more reliable... was that right?

Luo Zhen couldn't always be there, of course, but even if he didn't do this, Liang would definitely look after Hitori anyway.

"The runaway guitarist, the new partner who just joined—I knew from the start it would fail."

"But I made up my mind long ago: no matter what, I have to walk my own path and not lose my individuality."

"Even though the first battle was a crushing defeat, at least it had character. I kind of like that. That's enough."

Liang felt the chill of the canned drink.

"Senior Liang is really cool."

Luo Zhen said with a chuckle. So she definitely wouldn't have any problems.

"Of course."

She accepted the praise as it came, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Let's go see Hongxia.

Carrying the drinks and Liang, Luo Zhen entered the backstage room. Hitori had already transformed into an abstract form like a cyberpsycho.

"Ah... at times like this, nothing you say to her gets through."

Luo Zhen remarked. Liang crouched down and poked Hitori on the floor with her finger.

Hongxia's face was always smiling, but she didn't say a word.

Luo Zhen handed her a drink. Hongxia blinked, then finally spoke.

"Little Bocchi's skill level is extremely high. I'm having trouble keeping up."