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

Although she had decided not to use her business card, she still thanked him and introduced herself.

"My name is Sakurakoji Talent, just call me Talent. I think I'm about the same age as you, so you don't need to be so formal."

"Huh? Mr. Talent is around my age? Are you also a high school student?" Inoseri Nina's expression was shocked, and she looked at him with disbelief.

"About that, although I'm not attending classes," Sakurakoji Talent nodded.

No way?

Inoseri Nina screamed inwardly. As a high school student, why is he so mature and composed? He's nothing like me, like he's from a different world. Is this what it's like in the big city? Big cities are so scary!

She couldn't help but fall into deep self-doubt until the train's announcement sounded.

"We are approaching Shin-Kawasaki Station. Passengers alighting at this station..."

Seeing that she was still standing there blankly, Sakurakoji Talent couldn't help but remind her, "Moshi moshi, Miss Nina, you can get off soon."

"Huh?" Inoseri Nina snapped back to attention and asked, "But the announcement said Shin-Kawasaki, not Kawasaski yet. Isn't Kawasaski the next station?"

"No, no, no, the JR Yokosuka Line doesn't have a Kawasaski station at all," Sakurakoji Talent shook his head and denied. "If you don't get off here, you'll end up at Yokohama Station."

"Is that so!" Inoseri Nina suddenly understood. "Thank you! Mr. Talent, thanks to you, I won't miss my stop again!"

"Well, let's get off together later. Do you need me to accompany you to where you're renting your place?"

"No, I can do it! Thank you for your concern!"

"Alright, that's fine too. Good luck with everything from here on."

"Hai!"

After getting off at Shin-Kawasaki and exiting the station, Inoseri Nina returned the power bank to Sakurakoji Talent. After seeing him off, he glanced at his phone. It was time for dinner.

There were still more than 3 hours until the next fixed event. It seemed he would have to wander around and kill time. He wondered how long he would be out on his own. Looking at the weather, it might even snow or rain later.

He looked up at the sky. Although it was quiet in Tokyo, one side was snowing, and the other side hadn't shown any signs yet, but there was a feeling of dark clouds gathering.

In any case, for now, he would have dinner first.

Speaking of eating... Sakurakoji Talent's eyelids drooped slightly, and he let out a soft hum, thinking of a good idea. It seemed he could visit another location before his evening performance.

Half an hour later, using the map on his phone, he arrived at a chain restaurant closest to Kawasaski Station. The sign had a striking yellow and green color scheme, with the words 'Yoshinoya' clearly written.

He pushed open the glass door and entered the small restaurant. The first thing he scanned was not the tables and chairs inside, but the kitchen in the back, where staff were constantly busy moving back and forth.

With just one glance, he saw two familiar figures, one tall and one short, both wearing masks.

After confirming the location, he walked in and approached the cashier.

"Welcome. What would you like to eat?"

"One large beef bowl, and a bottle of Happy Water."

"Understood. We'll prepare it for you right away. Please find a seat for now."

Although slightly surprised by his appearance, the short cashier with curly black hair efficiently processed the order and gestured for him to sit down.

Sitting at the central long table near the kitchen, Sakurakoji Talent occasionally glanced into the kitchen. Both individuals were wearing rather indescribable green uniforms and green hats, silently working on their respective tasks.

He wanted to strike up a conversation, but he didn't have any particularly good topics to discuss.

Do I just have to wait for the right moment?

Not long after, a tall, short-haired girl with slightly tanned skin brought his order and gently placed it in front of him.

"Here is your meal. Please enjoy."

"Thank you."

The corners of Sakurakoji Talent's eyes softened as he returned a warm smile, which seemed to surprise her and make her momentarily dazed.

"No, not at all!" But she quickly recovered, gave a slightly hasty bow, and left.

Interesting, Sakurakoji Talent smiled faintly as he watched her leave, but he couldn't quite understand why she reacted that way. It couldn't be because she's never seen a customer smile at her, right?

Focusing on the drink and the bowl in front of him, he elegantly picked up the slender black chopsticks and put the fried rice mixed with beef into his mouth bit by bit.

Well, it's just that. The taste of ordinary fast food.

Image: "Majestic Little Sister", Location: "Images/1755867819-100446961-113756490.jpg"

Volume 1: The Daily Life of a Beehive: Chapter 61: You Sold Me a Disc, Didn't You?

"Thank you for your patronage!"

After finishing his meal and paying, Sakurakoji Talent patted his slightly full stomach and walked out of the restaurant amidst RUPA's friendly greeting.

He didn't imitate the Little Sister and offer a polite reply to the kind and cute waitress. He felt like something was missing.

It wasn't even 8 o'clock yet. It was still too early to go see mmk's performance. Sakurakoji Talent put down his phone, intending to go on a pilgrimage around Kawasaki for the remaining time. That being said, this amount of time would only be enough for him to go to the Tamagawa River and take a look at his old home in Tokyo across the bridge.

At night, the Tamagawa Riverbank was deserted except for a few scattered streetlights. Only the modern long bridge in the distance was dotted with sparks of light.

Behind him lay the bustling metropolis filled with billions of dreams, a complete city that never slept, forming a stark contrast with the dimness on this side.

One river, one bridge, divided this land into two clearly distinct halves.

Sakurakoji Talent mused, If I had a different life, in which city would I be now? What profession would I have? For what purpose would I be rushing around?

"Ah, it's about time, we can go over now."

The walk ended, and his reflections on reality concluded simultaneously. Regardless, thinking about these things now was meaningless; he just needed to focus on what he was doing in the present.

Twenty minutes before 10 PM, he arrived at the central east exit plaza in front of Kawasaki Station. Seeing that the protagonist hadn't appeared yet, he found a spot by a glass wall, leaned against it, closed his eyes to rest, and waited with his arms crossed for the story to begin.

Perhaps he was a bit tired from walking all day, as he almost fell asleep. Ultimately, a guitar sound amplified through a loudspeaker woke him up.

He opened his rosy eyes, covered his mouth, and yawned. He looked in the direction of the sound.

The guitarist with chestnut-brown long hair wore a simple black hoodie and black pants. She didn't look fashionable, nor did she have the bright, pretty look of ordinary girls. However, her beautiful features combined with her sharp movements made her look very heroic and spirited. She stood before the microphone, adjusting the blue electric guitar in her hands. From his observation, the model should be a Psychederhythm Psychomaster.

Yo, isn't this Miss Momoka! Out selling yourself late at night? Sakurakoji Talent rested his chin on his hand, smiling faintly as he awaited her performance.

After the soundcheck, Kawaragi Momoka stood before the microphone. She took a visible deep breath, and after a short, simple guitar melody, the singer began.

"It's strangely white, it's so long~ The answer is probably just conventional forms, even if my fingertips tremble~"

Her clear, moving voice, accompanied by straightforward, unhesitating guitar playing, seemed to break through the dimensional barrier, transporting listeners to another world. Compared to Little Sister's version, it possessed a unique charm of its own.

Still the classic Empty Box, sounds good, Sakurakoji Talent silently gave his approval.

Speaking of which, besides this song, I don't know any other songs Miss Momoka has created. Is she going to sing Empty Box for an hour or two, until Little Sister follows the sound here? he couldn't help but think.

However, his thought was quickly cast aside because...

His peripheral vision suddenly and keenly caught a flash of familiar, vibrant red in the crowd. Staring intently, Sakurakoji Talent froze. Standing there was none other than Miss Inoseri Nina, whom he had parted ways with just a few hours ago. She was currently gazing at Kawaragi Momoka's performance with a look of intoxicated admiration, her eyes twinkling like stars, full of fangirl worship.

Wait, why are you here?

Logically, shouldn't you only have seen the message at 10:40 PM and then rushed over? You should have appeared no earlier than 11 PM.

However, after a moment of confusion, he immediately understood the problem.

Is this my fault?!

Because he had helped her avoid missing her stop for the second time and solved the problem of her phone dying by using his power bank, she should have successfully retrieved her key and placed her luggage in her new apartment by now.

Damn it! His lips twitched slightly as he bit the nail of his left thumb, his face showing an expression of miscalculation.

I was hoping to gain some favor with Miss Momoka before she arrived. Looks like I can only do it in front of her now. You're forcing my hand!

"You are Kawaragi Momoka, right?"

As the song ended and during the quiet interval before she started the next one, Sakurakoji Talent interjected at the right moment, interrupting with his voice.

"Huh?" Kawaragi Momoka turned her head, looking at the stranger beside her who had made the sound, her expression puzzled. "I am. May I ask who you are?"

Her first reaction was a bit startled by his attire, after all—Who in their right mind wears huge, dark sunglasses late at night?

"I'm your loyal fan!" Sakurakoji Talent took off the sunglasses he was using as an eye mask and explained with slight excitement, "That Empty Box just now was really good!"

"Thank you," Kawaragi Momoka's expression was calm. She didn't seem overjoyed that he called himself her fan.

That kind of reaction was only for newcomers who had just entered the industry. For someone like her, who was about to burn out and retire, it no longer mattered. Although she was surprised by Sakurakoji Talent's appearance after he took off his sunglasses, she wasn't particularly excited.

"Well, I just happened to be in Kawasaki today, and I coincidentally saw your post on SNS about performing here today. I think this is fate!"

I feel like I've been using this excuse too much lately, haven't I? Although he showed no outward signs, Sakurakoji Talent reflected inwardly.

Will it be okay to keep lying about being a fan of whoever I meet? I won't get struck by lightning, right? It should be fine; after all, there's no rule saying a person can only have one idol. Having a few more is normal.

However, rather than worrying about being struck by lightning, he felt he should be more careful about the real-life repercussions he might face if he was discovered for stealing someone else's lines.

"Is that so," Kawaragi Momoka smoothly pulled out a square card from her bag and said the classic line, "Then, can you buy a CD?"

"Of course," Sakurakoji Talent replied with a shallow smile. He then took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out all the brand-new Yukichi bills inside—over a dozen of them—and handed them to her, "Please give me a hundred copies first."

"???" Kawaragi Momoka stared blankly at the sudden large sum of money in her hand, speechless. She was so shocked she couldn't speak. Her previously calm and composed demeanor was instantly shattered, and she looked at Sakurakoji Talent as if he were a monster.

What the heck? Bro? What are you doing?

She just wanted to jokingly tease those fake street fans who were unwilling to pay by offering CDs, but today she met a true Diamond Dust fan?

"Um, I don't have that many CDs on hand right now..." Kawaragi Momoka said vaguely, looking at the large sum of money in her hand, her heart filled with desire.

Why! If I had known, why didn't I prepare more stock in advance!

"Is that so? What a shame," Sakurakoji Talent said with a hint of regret. "But it's okay, I'll buy as many as you have. The remaining money will be a tip for your song just now. I really liked the song!"

"Huh?" Kawaragi Momoka, who thought he would take the money back, was shocked again. No, is he this generous?

She didn't know whether to accept the money or not, standing there unsure of what to do.

Fortunately, at that moment, Inoseri Nina, who was standing further away, found an opportunity and trotted over, joining the fray.

"Um, are you Kawaragi Momoka?"

"?" Kawaragi Momoka looked at the second person who had approached her tonight. "Yes, and who are you?"

"I'm your fan desu," Inoseri Nina said, her movements unusually awkward. "A fan of Diamond Dust... Miss Momoka!"

"Is that so? You are too..." Kawaragi Momoka felt like she was hitting the jackpot tonight. Otherwise, why would she meet two fans so quickly? Sometimes she wouldn't even see a few in an entire night.

Could it be that heaven knows I'm retiring after tonight, so they sent them to see me off on my final journey?

"Um... I really, really love your songs, Miss Momoka."

"I came to Tokyo from the countryside today... no, Kawasaki, because I was inspired by that song."

"I see."

Kawaragi Momoka responded somewhat dazedly, but she thought the girl didn't believe her.

"It's true! Really... I probably listened to it a thousand times on repeat by myself." After earnestly explaining, Inoseri Nina added in a low voice, "After seeing your SNS, I learned you'd be performing here today, and I felt it was fate."

"..."

Kawaragi Momoka looked back and forth between Sakurakoji Talent and Inoseri Nina, her gaze mixed with a hint of suspicion. Why are your lines so similar? Are you two teaming up to trick me?

Sakurakoji Talent put his hands behind his head, looked away, and whistled nonchalantly.

"So? Are you here to buy a CD too?" Kawaragi Momoka asked Inoseri Nina.

"Ah, yes! Of course!" Inoseri Nina hurriedly took out her wallet, preparing to pay.

"Wait, wait! I was just kidding! This gentleman has already bought all the CDs here!" Kawaragi Momoka quickly stopped her, pressing down on her hand as she reached for money.

"Huh?" Inoseri Nina finally looked at the third person present—Fan culture is terrifying. Then her eyes widened, and she said in disbelief, "You're! Mr. Talent?"

"Yo! Fancy meeting you here again, Miss Nina." Sakurakoji Talent smiled and waved, as if he had just noticed her.

"Mr. Talent! What are you doing here?!"

"Probably for the same reason as you?"