Chapter 172

Liang glanced out the window without saying a word.

Ishikawa Hayato glanced at her delicate chin, then lowered his head to start eating. But he had only touched his knife and fork a couple of times when Liang said something.

"You're acting strange today; you're not usually this flustered."

Mentioning this reminded him of his terrible sleep last night, and Ishikawa Hayato covered his mouth, unable to resist yawning.

"I'm not used to sleeping in hotels, and yesterday when I took Kita back to Shimokitazawa, there was nowhere for me to sleep."

He then remembered that he had already told Ryo about his relationship with Kita, and wondered why he had been so flustered just now.

And Liang's smile just now—could it be that he saw through it all along and was deliberately teasing him?

"Is that so?"

She looked at him with a cool, indifferent gaze and spoke casually.

"Then come to my house."

Her every move, every shift in her gaze, was excessively calm, possessing a serene beauty.

Ishikawa Hayato stopped himself from stuffing the meat into his mouth, his heart skipping a beat.

He put down his fork.

Is it a cold room?

"Guest Room"

Just as Ishikawa Hayato was exhaling, he heard Ryo say something else.

"We agreed you wouldn't climb into my bed, but you can sleep in my room if you want. However, you'll have to deal with any trouble that comes your way."

From now on, if anyone dares to call my wife trash, I'll beat them up!

Also, I'll cover all the meals after things cool down!

Ishikawa Hayato understood that Ryo was referring to her parents as trouble, but as a pervert, how could he be afraid?!

Ishikawa Hayato coughed lightly and said in a serious tone.

"Unfortunately, I've lost my way home, and I'm planning to Shimokitazawa for another night."

"Then forget it."

"Feel sorry."

In order to have a chance to sleep in the cool room, Ishikawa Hayato immediately backed down.

After finishing lunch and paying the bill, the two left the restaurant and headed towards the stars.

Don't ask who paid the bill; everyone knows.

After being disturbed by Ryo's outburst, Ishikawa Hayato gradually came to his senses. As they passed a clothing store, he said to Ryo...

"I'm going to buy some clothes."

But as soon as he finished speaking, he saw Liang extend his hand.

She said.

"If we go to the stars like this, I can hold your hand."

Ishikawa Hayato glanced at Ryo, whose expression was calm; she knew very well the consequences of her actions.

That's true, Ryo isn't as cautious as Kita.

She can pretend when she wants, and she's not afraid of being exposed when she doesn't.

Having regained his senses, what did Ishikawa Hayato have to fear? He took Ryo's hand in return and walked to her side.

Their hands were clasped together, their arms pressed together.

Liang glanced at their hands clasped together, then at him, a faint smile appearing on her face.

After finishing his meal, Ishikawa Hayato waited for Ryo for a while. Ryo was walking slowly the whole way, so it was clear that the two of them were going to be late. But seeing her like that, Ishikawa Hayato wasn't in a hurry.

The two walked towards the stars in a way that appeared intimate, yet without exchanging a single word.

When they reached the stars, Liang finally let go of their hand.

Ishikawa Hayato glanced at her, then went along with her.

Upon entering the store, Ishikawa Hayato walked ahead, greeting everyone with a loud laugh.

"Come quickly to welcome the arrival of God!"

As he spoke, he flipped over and jumped down the stairs, leaping into the venue with a high-scoring gymnastic move.

He looked at the referee.

"So slow!~"

Nijika, who had been sitting at the table waiting for ages, finally heard Ishikawa Hayato's voice and got up to call out in annoyance.

She was never late before, so her sudden lateness today made her start to worry.

Ishikawa Hayato glanced around the shop; Kita and Bocchi had already arrived, while he and Ryo were the last to arrive.

That's normal, considering they dawdled for quite a while.

As he looked at the two of them, Bocchi and Kita were also looking at him.

Kita n't surprised that he was still wearing yesterday's clothes, while Bocchi blinked and lowered his gaze thoughtfully.

Only Nijika looked puzzled when she saw that he was still wearing the band's T-shirt.

"Why is Hayato-kun still wearing his band T-shirt today?"

After she finished speaking, she walked down the stairs and greeted Liang, who was walking towards them.

"Good morning."

Nijika glanced at Ryo, who had come in with almost no time difference from Ishikawa Hayato, and then at the clothes that Ishikawa Hayato hadn't changed. She blinked blankly twice.

Her brain was so overloaded that even her ahoge (cowlick) fell down.

"You... what's going on with you all? How did you all get here together?!"

She seemed to have misunderstood and shouted in confusion.

Ishikawa Hayato looked at Ryo, and knowing what had just happened, he knew what Ryo was planning to do.

Seeing Ishikawa Hayato's nonchalant attitude, Ryōken spoke up.

"The falcon slept at my house last night."

"Eh!!"

At the table, the three girls let out an incredulous scream in unison.

Ishikawa Hayato glanced at Ryo, who had an expression that said, "It's your turn to speak," and he helplessly shrugged.

"I had some business to attend to in Shimokitazawa last night, and it was too late to get back."

Liang witnessed firsthand how this person could get away with things without lying, but she had long known this about him.

Therefore, her question will only give him the opportunity to answer yes or no.

Hearing Ishikawa Hayato's calm reply, the others suddenly realized that they might have been making a big fuss.

"Oh... I see."

Nijika accepted the answer.

After all, he probably couldn't get into any other people's houses here except Liang's, and she knew that Liang's parents were also at home, so nothing could possibly happen.

Upon closer reflection, there's really no need to be too surprised.

And even if she really did something, what could she possibly say at this point?

She put the minor incident aside, looked at the slightly flustered other two, and steered the conversation forward.

"Let's discuss which record company we should choose next."

The five people took their seats in their usual positions.

It was only then that Kita noticed that Ishikawa Hayato seemed to have been sitting on the same side as Ryo the whole time.

Ishikawa Hayato noticed that she was being looked at, and she gave a displeased snort.

Nijika watched this scene blankly.

But soon, Ishikawa Hayato stood up, his excessive smile vanished, and he spoke seriously.

"First of all, I think we need to change our topic today."

Seeing his seriousness, the four of them put aside their own thoughts, entered a serious mode, and looked at him with renewed focus.

"How?"

Nijika asked in confusion.

"I think today's topic should be broader; we should consider the future direction of our band—whether we become an independent band or a signed band with a record company."

Ishikawa Hayato glanced at the four surprised people and chuckled softly.

There is more than one choice.

He took out his phone and continued speaking.

"Furthermore... this morning I asked the record companies that contacted us to send over their general requirements and contract terms so we could make a preliminary assessment. I think the emails should arrive soon."

142. Team

The group did not underestimate Ishikawa Hayato's abilities, but they were still quite surprised to see him so decisively move the discussion a step further towards a more complete outcome.

Unlike the three who were overjoyed at the prospect of their band being signed by a record company, Nijika had done her homework and had some understanding of the signing process and the band's situation after signing.

But it was far inferior to Ishikawa Hayato's swift and decisive action.

Ishikawa Hayato opened his phone and, as expected, received the email.

After all, today is a workday, and working people don't have summer or winter vacations.

He said this amidst the expectant gazes of the four people.

"I received their email, and I'm forwarding it to everyone now."

Since they didn't bring their computers this time, they had to go through the trouble of looking at the information separately themselves.

They took out their phones with anticipation, carefully reading the replies from each record company.

Seeing that they were starting to seriously learn about the situation, Ishikawa Hayato also began to learn about real record companies and the industry.

He quickly reviewed all the record companies' requirements for them, as well as their initial plans for their development.

Although no figures were mentioned, the arrangement reveals the record company's view of them and how they would be used.

Yes, how to use it.

Most people hope they will temporarily suspend their studies and take advantage of this current momentum to produce more music and embark on tours.

They aim to convert traffic to the greatest extent possible; what happens after that depends on their own capabilities.

All of that is fine, but the main concern for Ishikawa Hayato is the assignment of a dedicated record producer.

This request is actually quite reasonable. After all, band members should focus on their own things, such as making songs and playing music.

However, the record producer is responsible for controlling the album's style, budget, track selection, schedule, and everything else.

They naturally have the right to make demands and changes to their songs to make them easier to sell.

He glanced at Liang.

Liang swiped the screen casually, or rather, somewhat carelessly, but there was a hint of annoyance in his expression.

The others also looked at the emails on their phones, their brows gradually furrowing.