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

No one answered her calls, naturally. The room wasn't large, and she hadn't taken two steps before she spotted two message slips on the kitchen counter.

She picked up the first one. The signature read 'Sakurakoji Talent'.

"Huh? Mr. Talent wrote this? But what does this last sentence mean?" she wondered, confused, then picked up the second slip.

"Is this one from Miss Momoka? It says..."

'Nina, by the time you read this, I should already be gone. The moving process has probably already started.'

'I'm going to pick up my wages from work, then I'll hang around the station for a bit before coming back.'

'And, please take my guitar.'

She looked at the guitar, packed in a black bag and leaning against the cabinet. Remembering their conversation last night, she finally understood what was happening.

"Miss Momoka decided to go back after all..." Her expression was complex, a wave of indescribable loneliness washing over her.

Stepping out of the small room into the hallway, she saw movers carrying cardboard boxes.

"Mr. Talent probably knows by now. What's he doing? Didn't he try to persuade Miss Momoka?"

The movers finished quickly and left. She sat blankly in the room for a while longer until she remembered that her own apartment was also being moved today. Only then did she set off, leaving the house.

"Sorry, I'll open the door right away!"

"Ah, yes, please handle the luggage!"

Carrying her guitar, Inoseri Nina jogged towards her apartment. It had started to drizzle, and she apologized to the movers waiting downstairs.

She opened the doors to the apartment and her room, stepping into the empty space, her heart feeling as lonely as the room itself.

She unconsciously put her hand in her pocket, but felt a slippery texture. Pulling it out, she saw it was the concert ticket momoka had signed for her yesterday.

What had been blank before now had "Good luck!!" written on it in marker.

She froze for a moment, then crouched down and opened the guitar case. She took out the somewhat heavy blue electric guitar. Blank spaces on it were also filled with large characters written in black marker: "Give them the middle finger!"

A spark lit up in her eyes. Clutching the guitar, she ran out of the room quickly, leaving behind a promise to the staff as she dashed off:

"I'll be right back!"

Braving the rain, without an umbrella or even a hat, she weaved through the places she and Kawaragi Momoka had walked through yesterday, desperately searching for her.

The textured body of the electric guitar and its strings glinted in the rain—if she didn't take good care of it after today, it would surely rust.

She searched until the dark clouds overhead turned completely black. She had scoured almost every place, but couldn't find the figure of the person she cared about. Her only option was to go to the most likely final destination: Kawasaki Station.

Rain and sweat soaked her red hoodie. The long run had made her legs feel weak. Finally, just as she stepped off the escalator and was about to run again, she stumbled on the platform, her guitar falling with her.

Without time to feel the pain, she picked up her guitar and quickly got back on her feet, searching the station again, but still found nothing.

"I'm sorry!"

A familiar figure and equipment flashed before her eyes. Without thinking too much, she leaned her guitar against the glass wall and approached the duo who had been chasing them yesterday. After a quick greeting, she snatched the microphone.

"Wait! You!" The short-haired, non-mainstream woman whose microphone had been snatched tried to say something, but her voice was immediately drowned out by the microphone.

"Miss Momoka... Miss Momoka!"

"Is this really okay? If you give up, everything will be over!"

"Once you say 'the end,' it really will be the end!"

Her panting voice came through the loudspeaker. Because she had been running so much, she felt dizzy after only a few words, and she lowered her head, gasping for air.

"Are you okay..." The short-haired woman watched her from behind with concern, afraid she might collapse right there on her stage.

Inoseri Nina ignored her. After a brief pause, she continued:

"I'm going to say something incredibly selfish and utterly self-centered!"

"I came here because I didn't want to lose, so I hope Miss Momoka won't give up either!"

"Together! Please, join me and give them the middle finger!!!!"

Not far away, Kawaragi Momoka, who heard her desperate cry, took in her figure. Leaning against the outer wall of Kawasaki Station, she lowered her head, her expression heavy, her fists clenched, her heart once again caught in a struggle.

Further away, Sakurakoji Talent held a cheap umbrella in one hand and a slice of imported watermelon he had just bought from a nearby supermarket in the other. He watched the actions of the two women unfold clearly.

He watched their live performance—one roaring out her feelings, the other wavering between reality and ideals—without a word, simply enjoying the show.

Awkward, so awkward. Doing this in broad daylight was truly mortifying!

Sakurakoji Talent gazed at Inoseri Nina, who had captured the attention of the entire plaza crowd. He felt admiration; this was something that required immense courage, something he couldn't do.

But this was youth!

This time, he'd give Little Sister a 9!

Soon, Kawaragi Momoka made her decision. She walked over from the side, picked up the electric guitar that Inoseri Nina had set down, and played a short riff that caught her attention. She winked her left eye at Nina and invited her with a faint smile:

"You can sing it, right?"

Inoseri Nina's expression shifted from surprise to joy, and she then shouted in reply: "Yes!"

With the accompaniment of the Legendary Duo behind them, they began their final performance of the night.

"So strangely white, so pointlessly long~ The answer is probably just form-fitting common sense, even if my fingertips tremble~"

The familiar voice sang the familiar song, carving out an independent space in this rainy world. The excellent performance immediately attracted many pedestrians to stop and watch.

Sakurakoji Talent ate his fill of snacks, admiring the most spectacular and emotionally explosive performance of the day so far.

However, what he wanted to complain about the most was, why did those two people behind them join in so naturally?

When everything returned to silence, amidst the harmonious scene of the two of them exchanging smiles, Sakurakoji Talent forcefully interrupted, lacking in atmosphere.

"Yo-ho-ho~ Good evening to you both, that was a brilliant performance!"

The two looked towards the direction of the voice, and their eyes widened in surprise as they met that familiar white hair.

"Mr. Talent! Where did you run off to! Miss Momoka almost left!" After the surprise, Inoseri Nina couldn't help but complain loudly.

"Haven't I not left yet? Miss Nina completed the mission very well," Sakurakoji Talent replied with a carefree smile. "Besides, didn't I tell you two I'd see you tonight?"

"Ah..." Inoseri Nina remembered the note. "You really did say that..."

"But, how did you know we were here?"

"Could it be, you predicted this all along?" Kawaragi Momoka asked suspiciously, her expression a little stiff.

"I just believed in Miss Nina's persistence and Miss Momoka's feelings for music. As for why I knew where you were, please consider it a fan's intuition," Sakurakoji Talent put on an innocent look. "See, Miss Nina also knew Miss Momoka would be here."

"I looked in a lot of places and couldn't find you..."

"Well, well, it seems things are temporarily resolved. Seeing as it's getting late, shall we go eat? My treat, I just went to get some more money, so I'm flush again!"

"But before that, you two should change your clothes. You're soaked through."

Inoseri Nina and Kawaragi Momoka exchanged glances and realized that due to prolonged exposure to the rain, their clothes were completely wet, just like their own. As two fools who didn't go home in the rain, they both chuckled.

"Well, whatever, let's go," Kawaragi Momoka gave the command to depart, but she quickly remembered that she didn't even have a place to go back to now.

"Ah, but the house is already checked out, and my clothes and luggage have been sent to the moving company. Nina, I'll have to trouble you from now on." She patted Inoseri Nina's shoulder, grinning and giving a thumbs-up.

"Yes! Leave it to me!" Inoseri Nina readily agreed. "Then let's go to my room to change first. What about you, Mr. Talent?"

"Of course, I'm going with you. I still have to treat you to dinner, so you two should think about what you want to eat first."

"Yata! I want yakiniku!"

"Being picky isn't good, Miss Momoka... How about hot pot?" Inoseri Nina thought it was a good idea, and it would also help ward off the cold.

"Speaking of which, Mr. Talent, didn't you ever think about holding an umbrella for us two? What about gentlemanly manners?" Inoseri Nina's eyes turned cat-like, and she puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"I'm a proponent of gender equality. Besides, in your current state, does holding an umbrella make any difference? I can't possibly get soaked like a drowned rat for the sake of useless chivalry, can I? I didn't even bring a change of clothes, and I can't wear Miss Nina's clothes..."

Image: "Saying you're leaving the group again and I'll beat you to death!", Location: "Images/1756035936-100446961-113764217.jpg"

Volume 1: The Everyday Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies : Chapter 65: Little Knot's Treatment Progress

"Alright! That's enough!" Inoseri Nina quickly interrupted. "I was just saying! You don't have to take it so seriously that you'd even mention wearing my clothes! Isn't that embarrassing?"

"Not at all. Ah, but I can help Miss Momoka with her guitar. If it gets rained on again, it might be ruined?" He pointed to the pathetic blue instrument draped over her.

"That's true." Looking down and seeing the sorry state of the companion she had for a long time, Kawaragi Momoka's gaze gradually died.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! ... I shouldn't have carried it around in the rain!"

An hour later, the three of them sat in the hot pot restaurant with the highest per-person cost that Kawaragi Momoka knew of, comfortably enjoying the pleasant atmosphere.

As various fresh ingredients were continuously served, Inoseri Nina and Kawaragi Momoka's tears of excitement flowed from the corners of their mouths, their eyes darting from one ingredient to another...

"Is it really okay? Bringing us to such a high-class place?" Inoseri Nina felt a little embarrassed, looking up cautiously at Sakurakoji Talent.

"Don't worry about it, just think of it as celebrating Miss Nina's new life and Miss Momoka's rekindled dream and courage. Eat to your heart's content tonight!"

"That's right, Nina. You don't need to worry about this guy at all. It's rare for a rich young master to treat, so why not eat for free!" Kawaragi Momoka carefully scooped a piece of freshly cooked lamb roll from the pot and put it into her mouth, her face full of satisfaction, her tone not at all polite.

"Then thank you." Seeing that Sakurakoji Talent's expression showed no signs of reluctance, Inoseri Nina gradually accepted it.

"Then I'll start," Inoseri Nina said, and then began to pick up her chopsticks. "This is delicious!"

Putting the vegetables dipped in sauce into her mouth, Inoseri Nina immediately showed a happy expression.

Seeing them eat so happily, Sakurakoji Talent, as the host, also felt a sense of pride and began to eat.

"Eat quickly, I have something to say after we finish."

"Something to say?" Kawaragi Momoka asked vaguely, looking at him with a confused expression.

"Could it be that we're splitting the bill?!" Thinking of this, Inoseri Nina trembled like a startled rabbit, feeling uneasy.

"No, no, where are you getting that idea?" Sakurakoji Talent quickly denied it. "It's good news, you'll know after you finish eating."

"Oh, right, because I have something else to do later, Miss Momoka is forbidden from ordering any alcohol."

After saying that, he closed his mouth and focused solely on eating.

The two sitting opposite each other exchanged glances, but after their silent communication, they were completely clueless and could only put it aside for the time being.

After eating and drinking their fill, Sakurakoji Talent called the waiter to pay the bill, and then took the two to a certain place.

Twenty minutes later, the three got out of a taxi and stood in front of a grand-looking two-story detached house with a yard.

"Mr. Talent, where is this?" Inoseri Nina asked curiously.

"This is the house I rented. Since I might be coming to Kawasaki often in the future, I wanted to have a place to stay, so I rented this. I spent the day doing this," Sakurakoji Talent explained.

"Huh?! The whole thing is this big?" Inoseri Nina was shocked, her gaze moving back and forth between the detached house and Sakurakoji Talent. "Not only is this place bigger than the house Miss Momoka lived in before, but it's also much newer. How much is the rent for this place per month..."

Inoseri Nina's eyes gradually became lost in a sea of money; this was beyond her comprehension.

"Don't think about it, it's useless to think about it. Didn't I tell you? This guy is just a rich young master," Kawaragi Momoka interrupted her confused state with a chop to her arm, sounding helpless.

"Well, let's go inside and take a look first." Sakurakoji Talent didn't comment, unlocked the yard gate with his key, and invited them in.

"There are quite a few rooms here; even ten people wouldn't feel crowded. And most importantly, it has a soundproof recording studio!" Turning on all the lights inside, Sakurakoji Talent introduced them to the layout of the new house, his tone quite proud.

This was the reason he chose this place.

Even if they played until they were exhausted, no one outside would notice. Isn't that great? It feels like a secret base; boys should all like this, right?

"The furniture and appliances are all ready; you can move in with just your bags. Doesn't that sound appealing?"

"It feels like a sales pitch... Is it just my imagination?" Inoseri Nina placed her hand under her chin, her mouth curving downwards, her expression unreadable.

"By the way, Mr. Talent, do you need such a big house all to yourself? Isn't it a bit wasteful?"

"And speaking of a recording studio, you can't possibly use it alone, right? Is Mr. Talent a musician?"