In a world where girl bands had never taken off and even proper idol anime were few and far between, what came to mind when people thought of singers?
Cheap T-shirts, ripped jeans, and denim vests made from the same material as the jeans.
Oh, and maybe long hair, too.
Something like Music Up, which Chen Xiao had watched in his previous life.
You could say that, apart from the very biggest stars, most singers in this world looked like Brother Sharp with a filter slapped on.
Girl bands?
The one with long hair might be the closest thing to a girl in the entire group.
Of course, that wasn't to say there were no female singers at all.
But compared to the vast number of male singers, female singers were practically an endangered species.
Those who made a name for themselves were already wildly famous, while those who didn't usually gave up after a short while because they saw no future in it.
So the singers ordinary people could find were almost always men.
That was what Ding Jiafang thought, too.
As far as he was concerned, no matter how well-connected Chen Xiao was, the singer he found would either be some novelty act singing "Grilled Gluten" or a friend with a bit of singing experience.
He could accept either option. After all, it wasn't as though nobody had ever bombed onstage before.
But this guy...
This guy had brought four gorgeous girls!
Was one of them his girlfriend?
A beautiful girlfriend and her three beautiful best friends?
...Then I really am going to duel you. Seriously!
"A-Xiao, these ladies are...?"
Ding Jiafang asked, forcibly suppressing his jealousy.
"They're..."
Chen Xiao found himself at a loss for words.
He actually wanted to say they were all his wings-his girlfriends-but that would definitely blow up his entire social circle. Until he could ascend to Mars and become an astronaut, he couldn't openly admit it.
But he was also afraid of hurting Nijika and the others.
After all, in anime and novels alike, plenty of conflicts between the male and female leads started with precisely this kind of bullshit misunderstanding.
"Hello, we're A-Xiao's friends."
Nijika Ijichi stepped forward with a smile and greeted him politely.
"Oh! Hello!"
It was super effective!
Ding Jiafang, who had been single since birth, had his defenses breached instantly. Even the flames of jealousy in his heart died down for the moment.
Thank you, great angel of Shimokitazawa!
Chen Xiao secretly gave Nijika Ijichi a thumbs-up.
Nijika Ijichi: Hehe~
If it had been those Azur Lane Shipgirls whose heads were filled with nothing but their Commander, Chen Xiao, they would probably have been showing off their rings by now. There was no way they would have been this restrained.
Azur Lane Shipgirls: Don't lump us all together!
Surely... perhaps... probably... possibly... only some of them would do that!
"A-Xiao, I had no idea you knew so many pretty girls. Seriously, man. I'm jealous. I really am."
Having recovered a little, Ding Jiafang pulled Chen Xiao aside, gave him a light punch in the chest, and spoke through gritted teeth.
"Th-that many?"
At those words, Chen Xiao thought of the entire display cabinet of figurine girls back home and suddenly began breaking into a sweat.
"Anyway, where's that friend of yours who can sing? If they've bailed, I really will have to drag you up there to embarrass yourself with me!"
Ding Jiafang looked around, but he couldn't see anyone apart from Nijika Ijichi and the others.
Clearly, it had never once occurred to him that the pretty girls beside Chen Xiao were in a band.
"Ahem! Jiafang, let me introduce you... This is the guest singer I invited for you."
Chen Xiao brought Ikuyo Kita over.
"Hello! My name's Ikuyo Kita!"
Since her name didn't produce that "coming and going" pun in the language of Shenzhou, Ikuyo Kita introduced herself to Ding Jiafang quite openly.
It was just that her smile was so cheerful, as intense as direct sunlight, that it nearly left Ding Jiafang feeling as inadequate as Bocchi.
Did such a perfect, youthful girl really exist?
But I needed a singer!
"Dude, you can't seriously expect this to fool anyone, right?"
Ding Jiafang pulled Chen Xiao aside again.
Although Ikuyo Kita's sheer extrovert energy left him speechless, he couldn't just have her go onstage and act cute the whole time, could he?
"Relax. Kita's the lead singer of the group!"
Chen Xiao answered proudly.
"Group? Lead singer?"
Ding Jiafang froze for a moment, then caught on and pointed at Nijika Ijichi and the others.
"They're in a band?"
Chen Xiao didn't answer. He simply nodded.
"This is the first time I've ever seen girls playing music... Is this really going to work?"
Ding Jiafang scratched his head.
Wait! What had Chen Xiao just called Ikuyo Kita?
Kita?
That sounded awfully familiar.
Was she his girlfriend, then?
But she was so tiny. Wasn't that kind of illegal?
Before Ding Jiafang could ask any more questions, however, the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.
He took it out and checked it.
It was a message from the backstage staff.
[Catnip, where are you right now? Your act is coming up!]
"Crap! It's almost my turn!"
Alarmed, Ding Jiafang hurriedly led Chen Xiao, Nijika Ijichi, and the others backstage at the convention venue.
"Catnip, who are these people...?"
The young woman working backstage looked utterly baffled when she saw Ding Jiafang arrive with a whole group.
"Uh... Th-they're here to perform! Yes, that's right! This is the singer I invited! The others are her friends."
Ding Jiafang hastily explained.
This young girl?
The staffer's first reaction upon seeing Ikuyo Kita was amazement, followed by doubt.
"Catnip... Are you sure you want this young lady to go onstage?"
Ding Jiafang hesitated for a moment at that, then looked at Chen Xiao beside him.
"Just leave it to me!"
Without waiting for Chen Xiao to say anything, Ikuyo Kita, who was already prepared, stepped forward and flashed the staffer a cute smile.
"Wow..."
The staffer froze for a moment.
Then, realizing she had lost her composure, she quickly raised a hand and pretended to cough.
"Ahem. Understood. So this is..."
"My name's Ikuyo Kita."
A four-character name?
"All right, Miss Kita. The host will announce your name shortly. Please follow our instructions and go onstage to perform when it's your turn."
With that, the staffer led Ikuyo Kita to the backstage area on the other side of the stage to wait for the host to call her name.
"Phew... I can breathe for now."
Only then did Ding Jiafang, who had been tense this entire time, finally relax-or at least relax for the moment.
"Aren't you overreacting a little?"
Chen Xiao teased him with a laugh.
"And Catnip... So that's your screen name? Now I've got to track down your account..."
"Hey! Don't stalk my profile!"
Ding Jiafang grabbed Chen Xiao's hand and begged him not to search for his account.
It was simply far too steeped in anime fandom.
He didn't dare show it to anyone outside the same circles. If Chen Xiao spread it around, he would really have to spiral into space at escape velocity!
[Next, please welcome Miss Ikuyo Kita, invited by Catnip from AC Station, to the stage to sing...]
"Oh! Is it Kita's turn already?"
The two of them stopped fooling around at once.
But halfway through the host's announcement, his voice suddenly cut out.
[What do you mean the equipment for playing the backing track isn't working right now? Ah... Miss Ikuyo Kita, would you prefer to sing without it, or have Catnip cancel this performance?]
Ding Jiafang: ?
Wh-what just happened?
Before you continue