What's Wrong with Adding Me to All Those Omni-Anime Geniuses?

"Ah..."

Sakurajima Mai wanted to reach out and stop her, but the words stuck in her throat, and she didn't know what to say, so she could only maintain a conflicted and confused expression and movements.

Only after his figure disappeared from sight did she crumple the documents in her hand, leaving behind a haughty "Hmph~" before heading towards the lobby of her upscale apartment.

The moment her left foot stepped into the hall today, at the same time, in the music classroom in Haneoka, Tokyo—

"You've already written two poems?! That's amazing, Little Shoko!"

Chapter 422 Excuses for Skipping Practice.

"You flatter me, Ogura- senpai. Are you satisfied with this?"

Toyokawa Shoko maintained a calm demeanor on the surface, but her Hands unconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt tightly. Her clear, bright eyes were fixed on the person in front of her, revealing a hint of weariness from the pressures of life.

To rush the production of these two songs, she spent almost her entire vacation on them. Apart from not working, she even rushed through her homework.

After all, it's not certain that this will provide a stable income, so we can't afford to lose our only source of income.

Although it's just a very ordinary customer service job, I occasionally encounter all sorts of humanoid creatures who are not fully developed in brain or cerebellum, who are overwhelmed by life and work, and who are troublemakers...

But compared to when I was in junior high school and didn't have the qualifications for part-time jobs, and could only get up early in the wind and rain to deliver newspapers, this kind of job sitting in front of a computer indoors is so much better.

Aside from the fact that her income is not high due to the limited working hours, she is fairly satisfied.

Of course, this basic satisfaction is on a completely different level compared to music, which she truly enjoys doing...

Listening to the simple master tape she made with music software on her phone, Ogura Asahi naturally sat upright in the front row by the window, flipping through the sheet music in his hand—at his level, he no longer needed to deliberately pursue the lead seat.

Wherever he sits, that place becomes the main character's domain!

His crimson eyes quickly scanned the musical staff, and the harmonious arrangement of different instruments in his ears instantly matched the score he had just memorized in his mind.

Hmm? That's how you do it. That's interesting.

Although she Keyboardist, the sound of the Keyboard never overpowers the other instruments; it blends together remarkably well.

The music style is also very refined, with elegance mixed with rebellion; if you call it rock, it is indeed very rock.

The only minor issue is that the lack of teammates for reference makes each position a little more difficult, perhaps due to her desire to give it her all, but it's not a serious problem.

After both audio tracks finished, under Toyokawa Shoko's expectant gaze, he really wanted to say, "I'm sorry, you're still far from good enough. Go back and practice for another two and a half years" -- but unfortunately, it wouldn't be appropriate either.

"You're good enough! As expected of you, Little Shoko! I knew you could do it!"

Ogura Asahi smiled with satisfaction.

"Real?!"

Toyokawa Shoko's tense expression suddenly turned to astonishment, and the heavy weight that had been hanging over her heart finally eased.

"Okay, I'll take both songs. I didn't bring the money with me today. I'll give you the payment when we sign the contract, or you can give me your bank card and I'll transfer it to you later..."

He adopted a professional attitude, trying his best to make her feel that he wasn't joking with her.

"Because the quality is better than I expected, I will add a little more to the price of the basic model."

Although she is not yet a professional player, her skills are considerable, so he will not offer her a low salary.

With this payment, she shouldn't have to worry about money for the time being.

Speaking of which, we need to talk about why the girls in other bands are so poor...

One reason is that they are all amateur players, their fame hasn't been established yet, and other people's offers are relatively low.

On the other hand, they themselves did not want to easily sell their hard-earned, excellent compositions to others.

If they sell them all, what will they sing during their performances?

"Thank you so much!"

Toyokawa Shoko lowered her slender waist and bowed at a 90-degree angle.

A faint mist appeared in her lowered eyes.

The joy of earning money with her skills for the first time made her not even care about how he addressed her.

Now that you've made money, is there anything you want to do or anything you'd like to do?

With a slightly tense expression, Ogura Asahi asked about something that was bothering her.

Toyokawa Shoko paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "No, not yet..."

She admitted that when she first heard the question, the first thing that came to her mind was those four familiar yet resolute faces.

Besides, someone recently approached her, and it would be a lie to say she wasn't tempted, but... does she really still have the right to pursue those things now?

Thinking of this, her eyes dimmed.

Because of her inferiority complex and her circumstances, she has made too many mistakes and hurt too many people.

"Really? Then keep up the good work and try to finish the other poems soon."

"By the way, it seems like the client isn't in a rush anymore, so you'll have to manage the timeline yourself."

"You've been busy composing music lately, haven't you? Are you doing okay with your life and studies? Do you need any help from me?"

Ogura Asahi carefully scrutinized the typical rich young lady (front) with her two braided ponytails in front of her, her gaze slightly veiled.

The die is cast, and he's no longer worried that she'll take the Keyboardist's place from him.

If she can really do it, then all he can say is— Shō God!

However, he truly felt sorry for the child's difficult personality and eccentric pride, yet also angry at his lack of ambition.

Because of this, she was able to silently disband the band without saying a word, amidst a team of four teammates—two rich young ladies and two wealthy middle-class individuals—and go off to deliver newspapers while facing the wall, taking care of her father alone...

Wait, no, sis?

What were your thoughts at the time?

To put it bluntly, your childhood sweetheart could earn several months' salary by simply selling a pair of dance shoes from her room.

That sickly, loveless wife, if you ask for anything, she'll give it to you. Even if you just want the property deed to her Loft Apartment... I feel sorry for Nagasaki's mother for three seconds.

Speaking of which, Nagasaki Sōse's mom is really the hidden super boss, right? Only slightly less powerful than her own mom?

What kind of extraordinary person could have made Nagasaki Sōse penniless due to divorce when she was in fifth grade, and then, in just one or two years, be able to afford that super mansion worth hundreds of millions of RMB when she was in junior high school?

No, so your job every day is to plan bank robberies?

Rather, you'd be faster than robbing a bank; you'd have to rob the head office's vault.

This terrifying rate of making money was only slightly slower than the rate at which his mother made money by investing her allowance in stocks when she was in fifth grade.

As for the Nagasaki family's current assets, he really couldn't imagine what level they reached. They certainly couldn't be less than Mori Minami's, could they?

Sure enough, I should meet with her when I have time. I must make the most of a high-caliber person like Chang Ma!

Oops! I've gone off on a tangent.

In short, if it were him, he would have been lying in bed begging his teammates to take care of him.

Even if you're too proud to do it, it's perfectly normal to ask them for a little money to help you through a difficult time until you find a job—that's perfectly normal.

Why escalate to such a worst-case scenario?

However, they were still young, only in their final year of junior high school, so we shouldn't be too harsh on them.

However, what has changed as a result is irreversible...

"Thank you so much for your concern. I've been neglecting my studies lately... This is really a great help, but I should be fine!"

Toyokawa Shoko's mood eased, she gradually relaxed, and a soft, warm feeling slowly filled her chest.

How long has it been since she felt this kind of genuine care?

For the past year, she has spent every day either dealing with her father's dejected state, cleaning up the troubles he caused, or running into walls and enduring cold stares.

Ironically, she could only find this ordinary yet precious tranquility during her school hours and her leisure time playing the Piano.

Even now, she dares not slack off in the slightest, because if she doesn't study hard, the tuition fees alone, which cannot be reduced, will be enough to overwhelm her—she hasn't earned that much money yet.

"Don't be shy! Despite my appearance, I'm actually a very good student! Why don't you come and give me a tutoring session next time?"

Ogura Asahi took two snacks from the bag he had grabbed while changing clothes in the apartment and handed them to her.

"Here you go, you did a great job this time, this is a 'candy' reward for you!"

"Ha ha..."

Listening to his "outrageous remarks," Toyokawa Shoko smiled bitterly, her pure and elegant appearance revealing a hint of sadness. She truly found it hard to imagine how well someone who skipped classes every day and neglected his studies could possibly excel academically.

"Thanks."

Faced with his kindness, she politely and respectfully accepted it with joy, her body seemingly enveloped in the sweetness of the dessert the moment it touched her.

Images are attached here; please check them after the latest version is released.

"Eh~ So, that means I'll be meeting you guys every day from now on, and then we'll go to the recording studio to practice together, right?"

On the second floor of RiNG, in the familiar coffee shop, Ogura Asahi looked at the four people in front of him with a troubled expression and asked for confirmation.

"That's right!"

Wearing her work Shiina Rikki frowned, crossed her arms, and looked serious on her small face, which seemed to be angry all along.

"Now that we've formed a band, isn't this the bare minimum?"

It was still school dismissal time, and RiNG, Chihaya Aine, Nagasaki Sōse, and the others who had met there gathered here for their daily routine meeting.

Although the band name, costumes, and Mirai goals have not yet been decided, practice has already begun.

"Uh-huh!"

With an expectant little expression, Takamatsu Akari raised her little fist and nodded vigorously.

She was more eager than anyone else to restart the band's activities.

"Well, but I'm quite busy... How about you guys practice first, like Kairin did, and then I can come over and rehearse a few more times when I have some free time? Is that not possible?"

He awkwardly offered his suggestion.

"I swear, I definitely won't hold everyone back!"

"Of course not!"

Before the others could speak, Shiina Rikki immediately rejected the idea, casting a sharp glance at him.

"If you've decided to form a band, you need to be serious! You missed class again today, didn't you? What are you busy with every day?"

She pointed at Chihaya Aine: "You're not actually on vacation every day like this guy said before, are you?"

"It's not that guy, it's Aine Desu!"

Chihaya Aine glared at her disapprovingly and pouted.

Takamatsu Akari's gaze swept back and forth between them as he huddled in, listening quietly.

"I also have a lot of things to do,"

Ogura Asahi crossed her arms and nodded confidently, "For example, studying~ You don't think my grades are so good that I don't need to work hard, right? Actually, I work very hard in private."

"Music is the same. The reason I play so many instruments is because I spend a lot of time practicing every day."

"And then there's clothing. You know, to earn a living, I have to draw a lot of designs every day, and then select the good ones to hand over and sell."

"Besides that, there's teaching Aine-chan to play guitar, helping people record songs, treating children's mental illnesses, dealing with women who have ulterior motives towards me, and complicated social interactions..."

As she recounted her "busy" schedule without seeming to lie, the others fell silent, and some even suddenly felt that bringing him into the band was a waste of resources.

Shiina Rikki also got stuck for a moment; putting everything else aside, his grades were indeed exceptionally good. Reaching that level requires tremendous effort... right?

At least for her, even with great effort, she might not necessarily achieve outstanding results.

A sudden pang of guilt rose in her heart, but it was quickly forgotten.

"Wait a minute! You almost fooled me!"

She leaned closer to him, slammed her hand on the tea table, causing the tea in the cups to slosh around. "If you're really that busy, do you still have time to sneak into other schools every day?"

"..."

The other three also seemed to realize something, and they all looked at him thoughtfully.

"... That was just a way for me to vent and relax because I'm usually too busy."