So many geniuses in anime! What's wrong with me joining?

Yamada Ryo and Ichiji Nijika, who had practiced before, found it relatively easy. Sakurakoji Talent, who chose the song, also had no problems. The issue was with the other few...

"Shizuka-chan, OK?"

"Who do you think I am? This kind of thing is no challenge for me."

"That's good then."

"Sakurakoji-san, Kanau, are you two alright?" Ichiji Nijika retracted her gaze from Hiratsuka Shizuka, her brow furrowed as she looked at the two on her side, a bit worried.

"No problem, I've heard this song before." Sakurakoji Talent played a short riff, indicating he was okay.

Kanau didn't say anything. After looking at the sheet music, she hugged her guitar tightly, her small fingers flying across the fretboard. The vibrating strings shook the entire room as she spontaneously launched into a solo of the song's climax.

Even after she stopped playing, everyone seemed to still hear the lingering echoes.

"Is this kid... incredibly talented?" Yukino Shita Hiyori's eyes widened as she nudged Hiratsuka Shizuka beside her, who was equally stunned.

She thought she was already a genius, learning anything instantly. She never expected this girl to be even more formidable on instruments!

"Amazing! Kanau! You played so well!"

Ichiji Nijika rushed in front of her, excitedly shaking Kanau's arms up and down.

"Did you play this song before?" Yamada Ryo was also astonished.

She never imagined that this child, who usually only cared about eating and looked so cute, actually possessed such skill! She had misjudged her!

Kanau shook her head, somewhat displeasantly pulling her hand out of Ichiji Nijika's grip. "No, it's the first time today."

"Huh? You can play this well on your first try?!"

"No way!"

"Did you memorize the sheet music too?!"

The others, who were adjusting their instruments, turned to look at her in shock, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Kanau hugged her guitar, tilting her head covered in silver hair slightly. Under their gaze, she remained unfazed, not understanding why they were so excited. Wasn't this normal?

Sakurakoji Talent merely sneered inwardly, remaining silent.

See! He was right! This world was indeed abnormally insane!

Was she even human?

What normal person could memorize sheet music they saw for the first time and play a flawless solo without a single pause or hitch on their first attempt!

You dare say you're not cheating?!

What was even more infuriating was that not only did she have extraordinary musical talent, but she also had several popular livehouses waiting for her to inherit, making her come from a privileged background with no weaknesses.

And besides Kanau, were any of the others simple characters?

One was the heir to immense wealth, a large corporation, and local gentry landowners, intelligent and capable since childhood, learning anything quickly;

Another came from a family that owned a hospital, was doted on since childhood, had extremely high bass skills, and no other flaws besides a tendency to borrow money;

One, despite coming from a very wealthy family, with enough pocket money to buy several luxury cars, capable both physically and musically, learned in both arts and combat, chose to become an ordinary teacher;

Even Ichiji Nijika, who seemed the most ordinary, was academically excellent, skilled in all household chores, and had the backing of her secretly wealthy, younger-brother-loving sister.

Most importantly, they all possessed exceptionally high beauty that surpassed ordinary people!

They were all one hundred percent talented beauties! They were already several steps ahead of others from the moment they appeared.

Isn't that infuriating?

He could gather a few people like this casually, and who knows what others outside were like... How were ordinary people supposed to live?

Without some special ability, it was embarrassing to even try to establish oneself in this world.

In such a world, what was wrong with him having a little talent, a slightly special family background, or a slightly above-average appearance?

Why did this world have to keep targeting him!

The more he thought about it, the angrier Sakurakoji Talent became. There were so many geniuses in various anime, what was wrong with adding one more? (The author finally gets to the point, let's give them a good whipping!)

Despite his countless internal complaints, he maintained a calm and composed demeanor on the outside.

"Alright, since everyone is fine, let's start the rehearsal."

"Wait! What about the lyrics? Who's going to sing?"

Ichiji Nijika raised her hand, posing the most crucial question. The instruments were no longer an issue, but the most important role, the vocalist, had not yet been decided.

Or rather, there wasn't a vocalist here at all!

"This is simple." Sakurakoji Talent, Yukino Shita Hiyori, and Hiratsuka Shizuka exchanged glances, their eyes conveying a shared understanding, and answered in unison:

"We'll sing together." x3

"Huh?" Ichiji Nijika looked at the three with confusion.

"It's mainly for entertainment anyway. Whoever wants to sing can sing together when the time comes. Just think of it as a cultural festival performance! Understand?" Yukino Shita Hiyori closed one eye, gesturing to Ichiji Nijika.

"Oh! I see!" Ichiji Nijika clenched her left fist and smacked her right palm, her face dawning with realization.

"Then let's begin!"

"Oh, oh!!" X N

Author: Oh, oh! Time to sleep!

Volume 1: The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies : Chapter 34: The First Stage Performance

Time passed, and the night outside grew deeper, as Starlight's performance neared its end.

With each band that finished their set, a thunderous roar of cheers erupted from the concert hall outside. After several rounds like this, it was finally their turn to take the stage.

During the intermission, the members of the previous band helped them move their instruments onto the stage—mainly the drum set, which was incredibly heavy and difficult to move.

"Good luck!"

"We'll be watching carefully from the back!"

"Don't be nervous, everyone has a first time."

"..."

After helping move the instruments, the members of the previous band smiled, cheered them on, and then jogged back to the backstage area, waving.

On the wide platform, elevated slightly above the ground, only Sakurakoji Talent and his bandmates remained, along with two prominent drum sets, a keyboard, and several speakers and microphones.

The bass amplifier was an Ampeg SVT Classic and an Ampeg SVT 810E, the guitar amplifiers were a Marshall JCM900 4100 and a Marshall 1960AV 4x12, and there were also several small monitor speakers to assist the musicians.

Coupled with professional lighting and sound systems, it had to be said that while STARRY wasn't a large Livehouse, it was certainly very professional, and its popularity was understandable.

"Hello everyone, we are the last band performing today. Since we were formed on the spot, we don't have a name yet."

"Because these two guests lost a game to me today, I've dragged them up here as a penalty game."

Sakurakoji Talent picked up the microphone, gave a brief introduction, and then pointed at Hiratsuka Shizuka and Yukino Shita Hiyori.

Veins pulsed on Hiratsuka Shizuka's temples, her lips and brows twitching upwards, feeling as though she was being publicly executed. Yukino Shita Hiyori, on the other hand, stood up, spread her arms wide, and energetically blew two passionate kisses to the audience below, eliciting a few faint shrieks.

"Wow, is that person a staff member here? From behind the bar."

"Mhm! So he can play instruments too? I only knew his food and drinks were delicious!"

"Not only that! Aren't those two behind him a maid and a waitress?"

"As expected of STARRY's employees! Everyone has hidden talents!"

"Speaking of which, there are two drum sets!"

"But is this really a penalty for losing a game? What game was it, and why have I never heard of this segment before?"

"That's not the point! Don't you think their looks are a bit too high? Why are they all beautiful? They could rival professional idols!"

"Really, I hadn't noticed before, but now that I look closely, it's quite something."

"No, no, the guy hosting is wearing a mask, so we don't know if they're all beauties yet, right?"

"I have a feeling they will be too!"

"Ah! Isn't that girl with silver-white hair holding a guitar on the side super cute?!"

"..."

Before the performance even began, a considerable discussion had already erupted below the stage.

Sakurakoji Talent felt relieved by this; at least there wasn't the awkward situation where the audience would start leaving as soon as an unfamiliar band took the stage.

"Due to time constraints, we only had time to prepare one song, so we'll be saying goodbye very soon."

"However, we still hope to bring you a small auditory feast."

"So, let's begin with the last song of the night!"

Sakurakoji Talent nodded towards PA, signaling that they were about to start. PA gave an OK gesture, indicating she was ready.

Sakurakoji Talent took a deep breath, and at a certain moment, suddenly raised his left hand, giving the signal to start, and began to sing loudly.

His nimble fingers danced on the keyboard like a performer, creating the song's prelude along with his vocals.

"Even if the sky is high, even if my wings are torn to shreds, I won't fear taking flight, and burn this immortal bond."

"Fly to the sky fire bird."

His clear voice, accompanied by the crisp auxiliary keyboard notes, slowly unveiled the narrative logic of the song. Through the speakers, the entire basement was once again enveloped in stereo sound.

After the prelude, the powerful beat of the instruments suddenly struck, gradually and forcefully driving the atmosphere to its peak, and then at a certain moment, igniting the mood of the entire space!

When the lyrics were sung again, it was no longer just Sakurakoji Talent's voice, but also the occasional chorus from Hiratsuka Shizuka and Yukino Shita Hiyori. Although clearly not professional-level, their voices blended together with a unique charm.

The other three, lacking confidence in their singing voices, only dared to join in during the "lalalala" parts in the middle.

The immense vibration made the audience below's scalps tingle, their mouths involuntarily forming 'O' shapes, their pupils shining with a watery glow, and a strong sense of emotion rising in their hearts—this was the charm of a live performance!

The two thousand yen was well spent!

"Isn't that 'Fire Bird'? Roselia's signature song!"

"Yeah! They're my favorite band! I can't believe there's such a surprise tonight, double-stanning fans are ecstatic!"

"I didn't expect them to perform so well, they're not worse than the bands before at all!"

"Right, right, they called it a penalty game, I thought it would just be some amateur improvisation, but it sounds so good!"

"Mr. Dessert's voice is really good! It's different from Yukina's, but both have their own charm!"

"..."

The five-minute set quickly came to an end. After a final flurry of drum beats, the song concluded with a vibrato-laden guitar solo, and the venue returned to a brief silence.

Then, "Whooo--!"

"Amazing, I love you guys!"

"Just form a band already! I'll be your fan!"

"Encore! Encore!"

The quiet space was once again filled with cheers. Facing the enthusiastic audience below, the few people on stage exchanged glances, revealing relaxed and natural smiles. This feeling wasn't bad.

Waving goodbye to the audience below, they each left the stage with their instruments, signaling the end of the day.

"Shizuka! What did you think? Feeling all fired up?"

"Do you think I'm like you? But... it wasn't too bad, I guess."

"Right, right? So, wanna come again next time?"

"Even if I do come, I'm coming alone. I'm never going out with you again!"

"Ehh~ That's so mean!"

Yukino Shita Hiyori and Hiratsuka Shizuka bickered and shoved each other as they walked down the stairs. Sakurakoji Talent and Ichiji Nijika, working as staff, began clearing stage props along with the other bands.

Seeing that they had no intention of continuing, the audience members showed a hint of disappointment. However, since it was an extra performance, there was nothing more to say, and they gradually began to leave.

"You guys were amazing! Is this really your first time performing as a team?"

"Your skill level is nowhere near ours, and in some aspects, you're even stronger. It's quite discouraging."