Invitation

She hesitated a bit and said, "But... our band has just formed, we need to practice, we don't have time for a trip..."

'Oh, I see... But that's not a big deal.' Homura thought calmly. He said, "Mugi, you said earlier that you are in Light Music Club, right?"

"Huh?" Tsumugi was taken aback for a moment. "Yes... I did say that."

"From what you said, I could tell that you've been paying attention to me recently... So, have you heard of my circle's work?"

"'Your Name.'? I have heard of it, but... is there a problem?"

"Of course, it's about the game's music! Haven't you noticed who's in charge of the music in games?"

"Ahh!" Tsumugi exclaimed, startling the other three girls who were drinking tea.

"Finally realized, huh?" Homura shook his head speechlessly. Wasn't this girl too clueless?

"You can still practice even if you go, just treat this trip as training... And I'll be there to help you personally. Now you have no reason to refuse, right?"

"...I still need to ask everyone's opinion."

Homura's mouth curled up slightly. Asking Yui and Ritsu was no different than instant yes, it would be strange if they didn't want to go on a trip and have fun.

"Then there's no problem. How about this afternoon? You should know the location of your own villa, right?"

Actually, she herself didn't even know!

"Umm... We'll let you know once we decide," Tsumugi said hesitantly.

"Great! I'm looking forward to your good news! Bye-bye, Mugi!"

"Bye-bye."

Tsumugi stared at the screen of her phone. After a moment of silence, she turned to her friends and said, "Everyone! Do you want to go on a trip and have fun together?"

"Trip and have fun?" Ritsu's eyes instantly lit up. "Really?! I want to go, I want to go!"

"I want to go too!" Yui raised her hand enthusiastically.

Mio quickly stopped them, "Wait a minute!"

She looked at Tsumugi, "Mugi... What do you mean by that? Didn't we agree to practice? And Yui has just started learning the guitar, we can't just skip training, can we?"

Yui slumped dejectedly on the table.

"Akiyama-san, we were invited by Homura-niisan to go together just now..." Before Tsumugi could finish her sentence, someone immediately interrupted.

"Homura-niisan! Is he your-- Ouch!" Ritsu covered her head, tears welling up, and looked at Mio with watery eyes. "Mio! Why did you hit me again!"

Mio cracked her knuckles, ready for a fight. "What do you think? Don't just say without thinking! Some things can be really hurtful when said out loud!"

"Ahh... sorry..." Though mischievous, Ritsu admitted her mistake honestly.

"It's okay, actually, I was against it at first too. But Homura-niisan said we can treat it as training, and he will also help us with our practice."

The more she spoke, the brighter her eyes became. If Homura were here, he would definitely understand that it was because she had never experienced a trip and stayed overnight with other people before, so she was very interested in it.

"Help us?" Mio became curious. "Is your brother some kind of musical genius?"

"He's probably really talented," Tsumugi thought for a moment and said straightforwardly, "His full name is Minamiya Homura, the popular Minamiya-sensei. This time, he's planning a trip with his circle and wants to invite us to join."

Silence fell... The room immediately became quiet, except for Yui, who blinked her eyes in confusion. Both Ritsu and Mio were dumbfounded!

"You... said who?!!!" Ritsu confirmed in disbelief again, "Minamiya-sensei? The one who drew Monthly Girls? The extraordinary Minamiya?"

Tsumugi nodded quickly.

"I'm in!" Mio grabbed Tsumugi's hand.

Tsumugi: "..."

It happened so quickly... But as she looked at the hand that had caught her, her face turned slightly red. It was unclear what she was thinking as she revealed a mysterious smile.

Yui: "???"

===

A few minutes ago...

Homura, who had just hung up the phone, was feeling quite delighted.

What an unexpected gain! He had thought they were still working part-time to buy a guitar. But since they were already practicing, it meant they had finished buying it.

'I guess they must have worked on their day off, right?'

Homura, who was in a great mood, simply followed the conversation and extended a direct invitation. Moreover, based on his understanding of Hirasawa Yui, Tainaka Ritsu, and Akiyama Mio, it was certain that they would agree to go.

Suddenly, there were four more people added to the mix. He definitely had to 'report' to the girls later.

With that in mind, he decided... why not invite everyone who could be invited? So he made a call again.

"Kotori... what are you up to? By the way, our circle is planning to go on a trip and have fun. I want to ask if everyone from Muse wants to join?"

Kotori didn't quite catch his meaning for a moment. After a while, she awkwardly whispered, "Homura-kun, I'm afraid that won't be possible... Yesterday, we just recruited Nico-senpai into Muse, and with everyone present today, Ayase-senpai and Umi-chan are already acting like strict instructors. They absolutely won't allow us to go on a trip."

"Plus, we're planning to hold a concert in Akihabara at the end of the Golden Week, so we don't have time either."

Homura scratched his head. "Akihabara? Why there? Is it because of you, Kotori?"

"While that's partly the reason, it's also about helping Umi-chan and Hanayo to overcome their shyness... and, believe it or not, they expect me to write the lyrics. It's too much for me to handle..."

Kotori, writing lyrics? That must be that song, 'Wonder zone', right? It's better to lend her a hand so she doesn't struggle too much with the lyrics.

"Did you enjoy working part-time there, Kotori?"

"Huh? Um... I guess I did." Kotori fell silent for a moment, and their lengthy conversation caught the attention of the other members of Muse.

"I always feel like I can do anything as long as I wear that outfit. As long as I'm in Akihabara, I'll have incredible courage. If I want to change myself, that place will surely accept me, right?"

Homura smiled. "The lyrics have just come out from your mouth, haven't they?"

"Eh? Ehh?!!!" Kotori jumped in surprise!

"No need to think about complicated things. Just express your feelings and thoughts about Akihabara in softer sentences. That will be the best lyrics."

"I see..." Kotori murmured to herself, then became excited. "Thank you, Homura-kun. You've been a great help!"

"No need to thank me." Homura asked again, "So, are you all coming? We can treat it as a recreation or training, and it's also a good opportunity for everyone in Muse to get to know each other better, address each other by first name, and such. It'll be beneficial for Muse, you know?"

"But... isn't it your circle's activity? Is it really okay for us to go?" Kotori seemed hesitant like Tsumugi earlier and confused by his words.

"No worries, I borrowed a hot spring villa from someone, and I also invited other people besides my circle, so let's consider it a big gathering of my friends."

Kotori: "..."