Chapter 90

"We went! Today, Ryo, Rakuna, and I went to Rakuna's grandma's livehouse!" Ichiji Nijika announced their itinerary for the day.

"I had no idea! Rakuna's family runs a live music venue! And it's huge! I was really surprised!"

"It is said that Rakuna's grandmother was once a well-known musician. She owned more than one shop, which included not only a studio but also areas selling CDs, musical instruments, and even a dedicated café and recording studio rental service!"

"Because we visited there at noon and in the afternoon, we came back very early today."

Her sun-kissed, sun-drenched cheeks were filled with excitement as Sakurakoji Talent.

Sakurakoji Talent, recognizing Sakurakoji's rare talent, genuinely took a liking to him and subtly inquired, "Eh~ I see, no wonder Rakuna plays the guitar so well (in a flat, monotone tone)."

"It seems that besides her own talent, she also comes from a musical family (reading in a flat tone)."

"By the way, what's the name of the place you went to today?"

"It's called RiNG, RNG uppercase, i lowercase, RiNG." Ichiji Nijika gestured in the air with her hand.

"I see." He lowered his eyes slightly, preparing to inquire about something that concerned him.

"Speaking of which, there's a coffee shop over there, right? How's the coffee?"

"Mr. Talent cares about this too?" Ichiji Nijika winked playfully. "But I didn't expect that's what Mr. Talent cares about most."

"Could it be that, as fellow food and beverage chefs at a livehouse, they developed a competitive mentality towards each other?"

She made a guess, but clearly she couldn't guess what he was thinking.

Without explicitly denying it, Sakurakoji Talent naturally followed up on her words: "Well, to some extent, I just want to know if my skills are up to par."

"There's absolutely no need to worry about that!" she waved her hand. "The customers who flock here every day have all said so, and we all agree that it's delicious."

"I think Mr. Talent, you could be even more proud and self-assured."

"Thanks."

"Speaking of the food over there—" Ichiji Nijika recalled, "It was pretty good, but it still can't compare to Mr. Talent."

"Whether it's coffee or anything else—especially parfaits!" she exclaimed, her voice becoming even more cheerful as she recalled something.

"Listen to me, Mr. Talent! Rakuna, she kept asking for Matcha Parfait, but after she actually ate it, her expression was so... weird!"

"Hahaha! I really want you to see her reaction back then, it was absolutely hilarious!"

"Sure enough, your cooking has refined her palate. It seems she used to really enjoy the Matcha Parfait there."

"So that's what happened?" Sakurakoji Talent was surprised by this little incident, but he didn't forget what he cared about most.

What kind of people are the staff at that coffee shop?

"She's a very gentle older sister."

"Big sister? Could it be someone with long black hair?"

"No, it's someone with short, blond hair," Ichiji Nijika denied. "Does Mr. Talent know anyone there?"

"No, I don't know them, I was just curious." Sakurakoji Talent shook his head and continued, "In the CD sales area over there, did you encounter any shop assistants who looked about your age?"

"For example, girls who work part-time in high school."

"Hmm..." Ichiji Nijika tapped her chin with her finger, lost in thought. After a while, "It seems not. Although Rakuna told me that sometimes some band students from nearby girls' schools do part-time jobs there, we haven't seen any."

"Oh, I thought there would be quite a few girls like you in this Great Girl Band Era."

"Mo, you're exaggerating. Actually, there aren't that many people in our school playing in bands."

After listening to her explanation, Sakurakoji Talent began to think.

Sure enough, those people weren't there working at that time, just as he had predicted.

The reason he hasn't gone over to meet them yet is partly due to his concern about their identities, and partly because he guesses they're probably not there yet; they'll likely apply after the semester starts.

If it weren't for his workplace, he couldn't very well go to the other person's school or home to visit them, or he would be seen as a stalker.

Not to mention, they attended an all-girls school.

After chatting with Ichiji Nijika for a while, he went to the kitchen counter and began preparing dinner.

Night,

After the hustle and bustle of the Takamine season, Sakurakoji Talent, while wiping a cup, said to her neighbor, "I didn't expect you to come so soon."

Beside him was that familiar beautiful girl with Black Long Straight Hair that cascaded down her back.

Although I talked to her about our relationship yesterday and told her she was welcome to come again, I didn't expect her to be so efficient.

"What, you have a problem with that?" Touma Kazusa lazily lay on the table, peeking out with one eye from behind her arm as she stared at him.

"Of course not, I'd love to welcome you, but you'll have to pay for today's meal yourself, right?"

"Snort."

She gave a soft hum, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

However, judging from the tangible increase in her treatment progress yesterday, he knew that she was probably in a pretty good mood.

Tsk, it seems like his keen senses are gradually being reduced to a tool for checking the progress bar of favorability.

Is that correct?

As he was thinking about these random things, he noticed his phone vibrate in his pocket, so he took it out and turned it on.

[Kogisora Yukina: I've come to visit you! Talent-kun!]

Want to hang out with him? Where should we go?

There's no doubt about this, because Kogisora Yukina didn't know where his home was; there was only one place she could come to.

He glanced at Touma Kazusa beside him.

"..."

Just as he was realizing what was happening and began to feel terrified, she sent him another message.

Volume 1: The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies: Chapter 123 The First Shura Field

[Kogisora Yukina: I'm already at the 'STARRY' entrance, I'll be going in right away]

"..."

Sakurakoji Talent, holding the phone, was suddenly plunged into a time-stop, his mind going completely blank.

Maru-la!!

Doesn't this girl even give him time to react? She's already at his doorstep, how is he supposed to hide?

Although he had long anticipated that this day might come, he did not expect it to arrive so soon.

Looking at Touma Kazusa, who was still half asleep beside him and completely oblivious to his feelings, probably having stayed up all night again, he felt a surge of confusion.

He considered his relationship with both of them to be purely platonic, but whenever he put the two of them together, he would feel an unbearable stomachache—a condition commonly referred to as a PTSD attack.

How should I introduce myself when they meet later?

Before he could figure out the problem, a familiar voice entered his ears, simultaneously attracting Touma Kazusa's attention and making her clear-headed, she looked up.

"Talent-kun! I'm here to play!"

Kogisora Yukina skipped over to the two of them and greeted Sakurakoji Talent.

"Oh, oh, welcome, Yukina." Sakurakoji Talent's eyes twitched, and he responded stiffly.

"What's wrong? You look so stiff." A look of confusion crossed her face, followed by concern. "Are you feeling unwell? Have you caught a cold?"

She hurriedly reached out and touched his head, feeling no warmth, before she relaxed slightly and patted her chest in relief.

"Thank goodness, there's no fever."

Touma Kazusa: "..."

Sakurakoji Talent was constantly observing all of this, said, "..."

Sister, what are you doing?!

Why make such intimate gestures at this time?!

His head was already throbbing, so he instinctively swallowed hard, and beads of cold sweat began to appear on his normally calm forehead.

"Sakurakoji, who is this?"

In the awkward atmosphere, Touma Kazusa broke the silence first, standing up to announce her presence.

"Ah, oh, let me introduce you!" He seemed to have found his way, pointing to Kogisora Yukina: "This is Kogisora Yukina, she's my friend."

"This is Touma Kazusa... she's also my friend, and she's here to visit today."

"Speaking of which, you two are both second-year students at Minejo Affiliated High School. What a coincidence, hahaha..."

Without responding to his awkwardness, the two destined souls met eyes, sizing each other up, a hint of seriousness flashing deep in their eyes.

"..."

"..."

What a cool girl! Kogisora Yukina observed her, mentally comparing her to the girl.

Height... taller than me, uh; style... more mature than me, ugh; breasts... bigger than me!?

Waaaaah...

A sense of defeat welled up inside her; she felt that, as a woman, she had somehow lost out.

What an adorable girl! Touma Kazusa's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. Although there were many pretty employees at the Starry, this girl's cuteness was different from theirs.

How to put it? She has a lively yet serene, Flower on High Mountain aura about her, and her every move exudes youthful energy. You can tell at a glance that she's very popular and well-liked—completely different from me.

The two stared at each other for a long time... but in reality, only a few seconds passed.

This time, it was Kogisora Yukina who spoke first, "Touma Kazusa, right? Oh, you also study in Houjou. What a coincidence."

"Ah, could it be that the acquaintance in Houjou that Talent-kun mentioned before is you?"

She clapped her hands, recalling when they first met, Sakurakoji Talent mentioned that he knew someone studying in Houjou.

Touma Kazusa glanced at Sakurakoji Talent, surprised that he had told her about his past, but why hadn't she heard about him before...? Thinking this, she glared at him fiercely.

"..." Sakurakoji Talent felt deeply wronged. He had only made up a lie on the spot, and it really wasn't about her!

But now he has no way to explain it. If the two of them ask him again, "Who is that person you know?" he really won't be able to answer.

"Hello." Touma Kazusa maintained her aloof demeanor.

Actually, yesterday Sakurakoji Talent had told her that he knew someone in Houjou, but she didn't think it was Kogisora Yukina. After all, an ordinary student wouldn't easily know her home address.

"That's a bit strange." As if she had thought of something, Kogisora Yukina frowned slightly.

"What's wrong?" Sakurakoji Talent asked.

"Um, well," she said a little shyly, glancing at Touma Kazusa, "I was wondering, Touma-san is so pretty, and she's in the same grade as me, so why have I never heard of her before—or something like that?"

"Maybe it's because I was in the Music Department before," Touma Kazusa replied calmly, arms crossed, having calmed down.

"Huh? I see." Kogisora Yukina said in surprise, "I see, that explains it. They've always been quite isolated over there."

"But... before?"

"Next semester, I'll be transferring to the General Department." Touma Kazusa didn't shy away, sighing as she looked towards the center stage.

"Huh?! Why?" Kogisora Yukina exclaimed instinctively, but quickly realized that this was not something she should ask about casually.

"I'm sorry! I was rude! You don't need to answer!"

Touma Kazusa nodded, and indeed did not reply.

"Well, that's the consequence of Delinquent Girl for a long time," Sakurakoji Talent interjected with a smile.

Touma Kazusa frowned and glared at him, then kicked him hard.

"What does that mean?" Kogisora Yukina tilted her head, puzzled.

"You don't need to know, otherwise I'm afraid you'll end up like this one day," he said, rubbing the spot where he had been kicked.