Someone Who Seems Familiar

Inside the store, all kinds of instruments were displayed on rows upon rows of shelves.

"So many guitars!"

"That's a bass," Luo Yu explained from behind her.

"Huh? Isn't it a guitar? It clearly looks the same." Yui Hirasawa asked blankly. "What's the difference?"

"Just think of it as one having four strings and the other having six."

Luo Yu felt that anything more complicated would probably be beyond Yui Hirasawa, so she explained it simply.

"Well then, Luo Yu, take Yui to look at guitars first. We'll check out the other places." Ritsu Tainaka said.

"Alright. Have fun. Let's go, Yui. We'll go tune guitars together."

"Okay!"

Afterward, the group split up to browse around.

When they reached the guitar section, Yui Hirasawa let out a cry of surprise.

"So many guitars!"

"This time, they really are guitars."

Yui Hirasawa immediately bent down and started closely inspecting the guitars.

"How is it? Is there one you like?"

"They're all so expensive!"

"Can't be helped. This is a big store, after all. These guitars aren't low-end either. Do you want to keep looking?"

"Ugh... I guess I'll keep looking."

While Yui Hirasawa picked one out, Luo Yu browsed as well. Although he wasn't lacking instruments himself, since he had made the trip to an instrument store, it felt like he would have come for nothing if he didn't take something home.

"Ah! This guitar is so cute!"

Yui Hirasawa crouched in front of a guitar and let out a small gasp.

"Have you picked one?" Ritsu Tainaka popped up and asked.

At that moment, Mio Akiyama and Tsumugi Kotobuki also walked over. It seemed the girls had finished their tour of the instrument store.

"Is this the one you want, Yui?" Ritsu Tainaka asked Yui Hirasawa in front of her.

"Mm! I want this one."

"But this guitar costs two hundred and fifty thousand yen."

"Ah, really... Then it's beyond what I can afford."

"Hm? Is two hundred and fifty thousand yen expensive?" Tsumugi Kotobuki tilted her head and asked in confusion.

"Not really," Luo Yu answered Tsumugi Kotobuki.

"Gasp!" Ritsu Tainaka sucked in a breath. "Luo Yu, I noticed this a while ago. Ever since you brought that guitar to the club last time, you've never taken it home. Aren't you afraid it'll get stolen? And if you don't mind me asking, how much does your guitar cost?"

"How could something that valuable be so easily stolen at school? Besides, even if it were stolen, it wouldn't matter. I have several more at home. This guitar isn't expensive, only four hundred thousand yen." Luo Yu said indifferently.

What? Not afraid of it being stolen? Four hundred thousand wasn't expensive?

"Tsumu-tsumu is one thing, but why are you so rich too, Luo Yu? Are you some wealthy young lady as well?"

"Rich young lady, my ass." Luo Yu said irritably. "At least call me a young master."

"Got it, young master." Ritsu Tainaka gave him a salute.

"Alright, quit messing around." Luo Yu thought about his family's circumstances. "My family is indeed pretty wealthy, but all my money was earned by myself."

"Hehe, young master." Ritsu Tainaka smiled fawningly.

"Ugh... That's disgusting. Act normal, Ritsu." Luo Yu nearly got goosebumps.

"I saw a hi-hat cymbal just now. Young master, do you think you could..." Ritsu Tainaka rubbed her thumb and index finger together, "reimburse me a little?"

"Ah! Ow, ow! Mio, let go of me."

"Ritsu!" Mio Akiyama pulled Ritsu Tainaka away from behind with a dark expression. "If you make Luo Yu pay, when are you planning to pay him back?"

"I'll slowly pay it back with part-time work." Ritsu Tainaka pouted. Then her eyes lit up. "Right, part-time work! We can work part-time and earn money to help Yui buy her guitar!"

"Huh?" Yui Hirasawa came to her senses and said, "Wouldn't that be too much trouble for everyone?"

"Well, we'll treat it as a Light Music Club activity." Ritsu Tainaka said with a grin.

Mio Akiyama looked at Tsumugi Kotobuki and Luo Yu. "I don't have any objections, but what do Tsumu-tsumu and Luo Yu think?"

"Part-time work!" The young lady's eyes sparkled. "I want to go too!"

"Then let's do it! Oh!"

"Oh!"

"Won't you ask for my opinion?" Luo Yu asked helplessly.

"Ehh~ Can you really bear to watch the four of us beautiful girls work ourselves to the bone outside while you play at home alone?" Ritsu Tainaka covered her face with both hands and pretended to cry.

"I can!" Luo Yu showed no mercy. "I've been pretty busy lately."

"How could you?" Ritsu Tainaka said dejectedly.

Looking at the dejected girls before him, Luo Yu sighed. "Alright, stop looking so down. I really don't have time lately. How about this? I'll buy this guitar for Yui first, so we won't have to worry about someone else buying it before us. You can take your time working, and Yui can pay me back once she has saved enough."

"That works, I guess." Ritsu Tainaka muttered with a pout.

As If An Old Acquaintance

"Thank you, Luo-Luo! This is great! Jita, we won't have to be separated." Yui Hirasawa stared foolishly at the guitar.

She had already given it a name.

The group exchanged glances, each seeing a trace of helplessness in the others' eyes.

"But two hundred and fifty thousand yen... I wonder how long we'll have to work before we can pay it back. I wonder if we can get a discount?" Mio Akiyama voiced her concern.

"If it comes to it, we'll go bargain with the clerk."

"Ritsu. The last time, you made the clerk cry."

"Because I really wanted that drum set."

"Um... what is bargaining?" The young lady raised a question about the unfamiliar term.

"It's using hard work and determination to overwhelm the other party so you can get what you want." Ritsu Tainaka clenched her right fist, shut one eye, and explained to Tsumugi Kotobuki.

Someone was feeding the young lady false information here.

"That sounds amazing. It feels so admirable." Tsumugi Kotobuki exclaimed.

"Let's go. Yui, bring Jita with you. We're going to pay. Is there anything else you want to buy?" Luo Yu asked the girls.

"Nope, let's go."

At the checkout counter.

"We'll take this guitar." Luo Yu pointed at Jita and spoke to the clerk.

"Hello, that will be two hundred and fifty thousand yen."

"Luo Yu, wait." Tsumugi Kotobuki suddenly spoke up, interrupting Luo Yu as he was about to pay.

Luo Yu was somewhat confused, but he stopped and asked, "What is it, Tsumu-tsumu?"

"Can I try?"

"Try what?"

"Bargaining."

"Then go ahead and try."

Is the famous scene about to happen? Luo Yu's lips curled slightly as he agreed to Tsumugi Kotobuki's request. Now let's see what you can do, young lady.

"Yeah! Go, Tsumu-tsumu!" Ritsu Tainaka cheered from behind.

Then Tsumugi Kotobuki smiled at the clerk. "Could you make the guitar a little cheaper?"

"Huh?" The clerk made a confused sound.

Then Luo Yu saw the clerk take a step back as though startled.

She recognized Tsumugi Kotobuki's identity.

The clerk picked up a calculator, punched in some numbers, and held it out to Tsumugi Kotobuki with both hands.

"Then... how about this?"

Tsumugi Kotobuki glanced at it and continued smiling. "A little cheaper~"

In the end, Luo Yu only paid fifty thousand yen for Jita.

Just as expected of you, young lady. Luo Yu sighed inwardly. You really showed no mercy when fleecing your own family.

"Tsumu-tsumu, you're amazing! How did you do that? You actually bargained it down from two hundred and fifty thousand to fifty thousand!" On the way home, Ritsu Tainaka asked Tsumugi Kotobuki excitedly.

"That store is actually part of my family's chain," the young lady said with a smile, revealing a shocking truth.

Aside from Luo Yu, who had known already, the other three girls were all extremely surprised.

"Tsumu-tsumu, thank you." Yui Hirasawa spoke earnestly to Tsumugi Kotobuki.

"This way, I'll be able to pay Luo Yu back very soon."

"I'm not in a hurry." Luo Yu waved his hand. "You can pay me back whenever you want."

"The train has arrived. I'll be heading off first. See you all tomorrow."

After saying goodbye to the girls, Luo Yu parted ways with them, ending today's trip to the instrument store.

That night, at Luo Yu's home.

"Die! All of you, die! God said humanity's existence was a mistake. All of you, die!" The Sixth Herrscher lay on the ground.

Bang! A gunshot ended the Sixth Herrscher's life.

Kevin knelt on the ground, nearly breaking down.

It was all wrong. It was all my fault! I was the one who got everyone in this city killed.

I shouldn't have hesitated.

In front of his computer desk, Luo Yu diligently typed away.

The second volume was nearly done too. Luo Yu stretched lazily.

"Prometheus, what do you think of what I wrote? Doesn't it match the facts pretty well?"

"Captain, the records show that Kevin did not kneel on the ground at the time," Prometheus corrected him.

Luo Yu said, "You have to embellish a novel a little, don't you? Wouldn't kneeling better convey Kevin's feelings at the time?"

Prometheus: "..."

This is a little boring! Kazuto and Kazuma both said they had something to do tonight. Playing games alone isn't much fun either. Forget it, I'll keep writing if I've got nothing else to do. I should try to finish Flame Chasers as soon as possible. After all, the truly heartwarming plot has to be Honkai Impact 3rd.

"Prometheus, I'm going to keep writing. Remember to remind me when it's midnight."

"Understood, Captain."

A flurry of keyboard tapping rang out.

"Alright, that's all for today's lesson." Hiratsuka Shizuka closed her textbook.