Omnibus Anime: In a Music Anime, Relaxed and Happy

He guessed that the person must be troubled. Since they were wearing the same school uniform, they were likely a classmate.

Although he didn't look like the type to purchase expensive musical instruments, Toyokawa Shoko decided to step forward and offer her help.

Bai Qiu turned his head slightly. What met his eyes were side-ponytails tied from sky-blue hair, a delicate face, and pale golden eyes.

"Are you a shop assistant?"

If it weren't for the fact that he clearly saw her wearing a work uniform, he would have thought he had run into some wealthy young lady from a prominent family.

Bai Qiu sighed inwardly. High-end shops really were different; even the shop assistants possessed the temperament of a young lady.

And... Miss Shop Assistant, are you a Succubus?

To think she could make his heart, which had been as still as stagnant water, beat a little faster—though that was about it.

Despite being amazed by the shop assistant's appearance, Bai Qiu quickly regained his composure.

Right now, he only had eyes for an Electronic Keyboard. Besides, it was perfectly normal for girls in a Music Anime to be beautiful.

He had to learn to adapt.

Thinking about it this way, Bai Qiu felt it was quite reasonable.

Beside him, Toyokawa Shoko blinked, waiting for Bai Qiu's response.

"Are there any Electronic Keyboards suitable for a beginner?"

Bai Qiu turned his head to look at her, offering a polite and friendly smile.

"A beginner? May I ask, do you have any experience learning the piano, or are you starting directly with the Electronic Keyboard?"

Toyokawa Shoko pondered for a moment before asking.

Bai Qiu thought about it. When he redeemed his rewards, he had redeemed Lv1 Piano.

Generally speaking, those who have learned the piano.

Often find it relatively easier when picking up an Electronic Keyboard.

After all, the two share quite a few similarities.

Of course, if there were an option for Electronic Keyboard next time, he would definitely redeem the Electronic Keyboard skill directly.

"I suppose I've learned a little bit of piano."

"I see..."

Toyokawa Shoko mused for a moment, then walked over to the shelf opposite and pointed at a specific instrument.

"If you have studied piano before, I would recommend this Yamaha Electronic Keyboard, the PSR-F52."

Toyokawa Shoko introduced it, feeling that this model might align well with Bai Qiu's budget.

"This electronic keyboard is highly acclaimed among beginner keyboardists, and the price is 70,000 yen."

Bai Qiu approached the electronic keyboard, intending to try it out.

However, his gaze was caught by another electronic keyboard with a blue body nearby.

So, Bai Qiu asked, "What about this one?"

Toyokawa Shoko replied, "This model is the PSR-E383. Its performance is upgraded, and it is also more lightweight."

"But because it is a custom blue edition, the price is quite high—150,000 yen."

"To be honest, I don't really recommend it."

She shook her head slightly. Most electronic keyboards have black bodies, and this PSR-E383 carries a premium mostly due to its rare color.

In her eyes, it wasn't worth it.

If it were the her from before, it naturally wouldn't have mattered.

"However, you can try playing it," Toyokawa Shoko said with a gentle smile.

Try playing it? After all, this was his first time getting his hands on one, and Bai Qiu was quite looking forward to it.

As he placed his fingers on the keyboard.

Even though there were no particular songs in his mind, his fingers seemed to possess muscle memory, subconsciously sliding across the keys.

The movements couldn't be called particularly fast; after all, it was just a simple test, and Bai Qiu intentionally kept them under control.

A soft melody began to ring out slowly, [?], [?], [?], [?]...

Toyokawa Shoko listened patiently while carefully observing the movements of Bai Qiu's hands, feeling slightly surprised in her heart.

Although there were some signs of unfamiliarity, his fundamentals were very solid.

To have this level of skill after only simple study.

It was already quite good.

The sound came to an abrupt stop.

Bai Qiu felt that the touch was quite good.

"I'll take this one."

He spoke softly, having made his decision.

Nothing more to it, he just liked the color blue.

Toyokawa Shoko was stunned. This was too decisive—was he not even going to haggle?

She had assumed that after testing the instruments, Bai Qiu would have chosen the first one.

There were many customers who did that; plenty of people just wanted to satisfy their itch to play.

"No... would you like to reconsider?"

The moment the words left her mouth, Toyokawa Shoko felt a faint sense of regret.

What was she saying!

Her salary here was actually tied to the performance of the goods she sold.

The more Bai Qiu spent, the higher the commission she would receive.

But considering that he was also a student, Toyokawa Shoko didn't have the heart to let him spend money unnecessarily.

Bai Qiu sensed Toyokawa Shoko's goodwill and chuckled softly, "Mm, this is the one. Thank you for your help."

"If there's a chance next time, I'll trouble you again."

"Mm... alright."

Toyokawa Shoko didn't try to persuade him further.

It seemed he wasn't short on money.

Printing the receipt, scanning the code, checking out, and slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Bai Qiu walked out of the music store, feeling satisfied.

[Purchased the Electronic Keyboard recommended by Toyokawa Shoko, obtained 300 Notes.]

Bai Qiu couldn't help but stop in his tracks and glance back at the store.

So he could obtain Notes this way? And he could even encounter a "Music Girl" who met the system's standards? Did that mean he would have to come here to shop often in the future?

Still, considering she was working part-time at a music store, it seemed quite normal.

Toyokawa Shoko, was it? A nice-sounding name.

It felt like he had seen it somewhere before.

Never mind, he would head home first.

Bai Qiu resumed his stride, feeling somewhat impatient to get home and play.

Stepping out of the bookstore next door was a girl with short blue hair that covered half her eyes, a tear mole visible beneath the corner of one.

Yamada Ryo was clutching a stack of books that towered over her head.

Bai Qiu carried his Electronic Keyboard.

Both were currently immersed in the joy brought by their purchases.

Driven by a rocker's intuition, Yamada Ryo happened to glance at Bai Qiu and the instrument case in his hand.

A rectangular bag—that had to be an Electronic Keyboard.

Not a bass, then... nothing to worry about.

The two brushed past each other just like that.

Chapter 5: Bocchi-chan, I've Already Become Your Shape

A week had passed since Bai Qiu bought the Electronic Keyboard.

This also meant that Bai Qiu had spent a week at this school.

During this week, Bai Qiu had not yet taken the initiative to approach Goto Hitori or Kita Ikuyo.

Mainly, there hadn't been any suitable opportunity.

Moreover, in his memories, the main storyline of Kessoku Band didn't kick off that quickly.

Besides, school had just started, and everyone was quite busy.

However, Bai Qiu noticed that he encountered Kita Ikuyo quite frequently on campus.

After all, she was a sunshine girl of "normie" status, kind to others and extremely popular.

Her reputation had already begun to spread.

Usually, she could be found in popular spots where girls gathered.

Her fiery red hair was always very eye-catching.

Other than that, this didn't mean Bai Qiu had done nothing this week.

On the contrary, Bai Qiu had spent the week very productively.

First of all, he had sorted out some miscellaneous information.

For instance, Kita Ikuyo was in Class 1.

Akiyama Mio, Tainaka Ritsu, and Kotobuki Tsumugi were all in Class 2.

He and Yui were in Class 3.

Goto Hitori was in Class 5, located at the very corner of the hallway, and her seat was in the back row.

Furthermore, Bai Qiu had also learned some information regarding the System.

For instance, the System Mall could be refreshed, but refreshing required Notes.

The first refresh cost 100 Notes.

Notes were not easily obtained, and Bai Qiu did not have any particularly urgent needs at the moment.

Therefore, he did not refresh it.

Then, there were the skill levels: Lv1 was equivalent to a beginner's proficiency.

Lv2 corresponded to an amateur level, Lv3 to a professional standard, Lv4 to a master level, and Lv5 was perhaps the level of a once-in-a-century or once-in-a-millennium prodigy.

Moreover, the strength granted by the System at each level could be considered the peak of that respective tier.

The most important discovery came when Bai Qiu found that as long as he listened to the tracks Goto Hitori uploaded to her Guitar Hero account, he could obtain a small number of Notes; he could not obtain them simply by idling.

He would get as few as two or three Notes, or as many as seven or eight, with a rare few giving over a dozen Notes.

It seemed to be related to the quality and popularity of the video.

Each video could only provide a reward once.

Although the amount was small, the sheer volume made up for it!

When he first discovered this, Bai Qiu was quite excited, filled with enthusiasm and passion.

Guitar Hero, my hero.