If she never wrote again, her loss would be far too great.
It would be best to find a young writer with little fame, preferably someone who had flopped just like him but could still offer genuine guidance.
There really was such a candidate. After thinking for a moment, Machida Sonoko came up with an answer.
She took out her phone and sent Luo Zhen the contact information of a certain writer.
At the same time, she messaged the other person, asking her to take good care of this tender, adorable boy.
With that matter settled, Luo Zhen began walking down the street.
Following the navigation on his phone, he headed toward the Starry Performance Hall, where Nijika and Liang spent their time.
Since Little Ichiri's future was at stake, Luo Zhen felt that he needed to handle this seriously.
He soon arrived at his destination. After paying the entrance fee, Luo Zhen entered without any trouble.
But the moment he stepped inside, he felt somewhat out of place.
The place was practically full of women, and with him standing there as the only boy, he completely stuck out.
Many people nearby stared at him like predators eyeing their prey.
"The performance is about to begin."
The crowd began to move, squeezing together as they surged toward the front.
Luo Zhen was swept forward by the crowd. Frowning amid the press of bodies, he spotted several lewd hands reaching toward him.
Just as he was about to be taken advantage of, someone yanked him away from the crowd.
His head bumped into something soft. Looking up, he saw ahoge hair that floated like levitating potato chips.
"Honestly, those people are crazy."
"You're a boy, so you need to be more careful. It's not that you can't come here, but at least bring someone with you."
The newcomer was Ijichi Hoshika, the owner of the Starry Performance Hall. She promptly gave Luo Zhen a scolding.
At that very moment, Luo Zhen's head was pressed against her chest.
Unexpectedly, it was extremely well-endowed—heavy, soft, and carrying a pleasant fragrance.
Store Manager Big Sis
"Thank you, Big Sis."
Luo Zhen recognized the person before him. She was Ijichi Hoshika, Nijika's older sister, and the owner of the Starry Performance Hall.
They were standing very close together, close enough for Luo Zhen to see her eyelashes trembling slightly.
Her chest was far fuller than he had imagined. Leaning against her embrace, he could clearly feel how wonderful she was.
[Close contact with a woman detected. Physique Enhancement is copying a related skill.] [Acquired "Music Knowledge (Level 1)"]
He hadn't expected the Golden Finger's effect to trigger so easily.
Then again, it had already triggered several times, and his physique had supposedly been improving all along.
Yet just now, he had still been swept away by the crowd.
So had his physique really improved? It felt a little questionable.
Ijichi Hoshika had once been a band member, most likely a drummer or guitarist, though Luo Zhen wasn't entirely sure.
The skill was called "Music Knowledge," but its scope was actually quite broad. Here, its main function was musical appreciation, allowing him to judge a person's musical ability.
After becoming a manager, Ijichi Hoshika had become extremely knowledgeable about all kinds of instruments.
After all, she had to arrange for bands to perform here. Without the relevant ability to judge them, that would be impossible.
Good bands needed special attention, while bands without enough skill couldn't take the stage. There was a threshold for this place. Even a band formed by her own younger sister had to meet a certain standard before it could perform.
Mysterious knowledge flooded into his mind, giving Luo Zhen a deeper understanding of music.
On top of that, the skill's bonuses could also stack with guitar technique.
While Luo Zhen pondered the Golden Finger, Hoshika examined the boy before her.
She hadn't noticed anything when she pulled him over, but now that she looked carefully, she realized he was quite a handsome little guy.
He radiated a bright, sunny aura. That gentle feeling, like being bathed in warm light, felt very familiar to Hoshika.
Hm? Wasn't this just like her younger sister?
Yes, this boy was very similar to her sister.
The boy's body was slender, but when she held him, she could feel a faint firmness. It was the sensation of muscle, and it felt rather nice.
A faint fragrance drifted from him, like carbonated soda mixed with flowers. Hoshika's heartbeat sped up slightly.
"Oi, how long are you going to keep hugging me?"
Hoshika felt a little embarrassed, but she kept her expression taut instead of letting it crumple up.
"Hehe, you're the one who keeps holding me, Big Sis."
Luo Zhen said with a smile. His gentle voice was like a breeze brushing against her face, making her feel calm and at ease.
"Tch."
Only then did Hoshika realize that her arms had unconsciously tightened around him. One hand had even begun drifting downward, about to touch the boy's butt.
"I'm terribly sorry. Ahem, this was an accident."
Hoshika quickly let go. Her gaze began to dart away, and her flushed face looked adorably awkward.
"It's fine. If you hadn't pulled me away, I probably would've been swallowed by the crowd."
"The atmosphere in this place is great. The audience is enthusiastic, and the bands are pretty good too."
Luo Zhen narrowed his eyes, clearly not taking what had just happened to heart.
"Hm-hm, you like this place?"
This was the establishment she had opened herself, so naturally, praise made her feel delighted.
Besides, the boy had sweetly called her "Big Sis," and that left her feeling immensely satisfied.
So Luo Zhen used his Music Knowledge skill to chat with Hoshika.
He calmly analyzed what made the band onstage impressive. He could even point out their flaws and offer suggestions for improvement.
Considering that Hitori might join Bond Band later, and that the band's drummer, Nijika, was the manager's younger sister—
Luo Zhen felt that it would be better to build a decent relationship with Hoshika.
Hoshika had initially only listened casually, but after taking in his words, she nodded repeatedly.
"Your opinions are exactly the same as mine."
Hoshika touched her chin. She actually felt a strange sense of mutual understanding with the boy before her.
"Would you be interested in working part-time at the shop?"
She pressed a hand against Luo Zhen's shoulder, her delicate, beautiful face suddenly drawing close.
Her nose twitched faintly without her noticing. Clearly, she was secretly sniffing the boy's fragrance.
What an intoxicating scent.
Her gaze lingered on the boy's slender, fair neck. It drifted slightly lower, allowing her to see his elegant collarbones.
A strange urge rippled through her heart. She wanted to tightly grip the boy's neck and leave red marks there from her fingers.
She wanted to kiss him and leave hickeys across his collarbones.
Hoshika admitted that she was indeed a little sexually frustrated.
But it couldn't be helped. This boy was so damn sweet that her legs felt a little weak.
Of course, she was only fantasizing casually. She wouldn't actually make a move.
Remembering their intimate contact earlier, Hoshika felt her heart stir restlessly.
"I'll give you the best salary possible. Um... considering that a handsome boy like you would attract more customers—"
"I could probably give you a commission too. Are you interested?"
Hoshika extended an invitation to Luo Zhen.
Without realizing it, the distance between them had grown much closer.
The feeling was truly strange. The boy had a peculiar attraction that made people unconsciously want to draw near him.
"So Big Sis is the manager. Still, I'll pass on the part-time job."
Luo Zhen had no desire to put himself on display.
"Eh? I see. What a pity."
Hoshika sighed and revealed a helpless expression.
"I came here to find a band and see if they need anyone."
"If everything goes smoothly, I'll probably come to the shop often. I can still help out a little."
If Hitori was going to be active here for the long term, he would naturally come along as well.
Helping with some odd jobs would be fine.
"You want to join a band?"
Hoshika raised her eyebrows. She had no choice but to reassess the boy in front of her.
A clean, innocent little thing like him would probably get eaten alive by the wolfish adults in a band.
That sort of thing... absolutely not.
Just imagining it made Hoshika feel that something was wrong.
But after shifting her perspective slightly, she immediately came up with a good option.
"Mm, my younger sister happens to be forming a band right now, and they're short on people. Do you want to take a look?"
Hoshika made a suggestion.
Luo Zhen nodded, then shook his head.
"I'll take a look, but I should make this clear first. I'm not the one joining. It's a friend of mine..."
Luo Zhen finished explaining, making the situation even clearer. Everything he was doing was for Little Ichiri.
The manager nodded. She completely understood the situation.
Then, under her introduction, Luo Zhen met two young girls with blue and yellow hair backstage at the performance hall.
Yamada Ryo, Who Loves Hands
Yamada Ryo looked very cool and composed, sitting with her legs crossed as her eyes casually assessed Luo Zhen, who stood before her.
Of course, that was only how she appeared on the surface. Luo Zhen knew very well that she was actually quite easy to get along with.
She looked like an ice sculpture, but she had a bit of a goofy side. Right now, she was simply trying to look cool because she thought it was stylish and fun.
Ijichi Nijika, on the other hand, was one hundred percent sunshine incarnate, a gentle presence like an angel.
After bringing Luo Zhen over, the manager turned and left, leaving the rest to them.
"I'm Luo Zhen. A friend of mine wants to join a band, so I came to check things out for her."
"She's a guitarist, and she's quite skilled."
He got straight to the point and explained why he had come.
"I'm Ijichi Nijika, and the one pretending to be cool over there is Yamada Ryo. As you can see, our band only has two members."
"There used to be three of us, but we suddenly lost contact with our guitarist."
Before you continue