236: Accidental Discovery

My bad, this should be yesterday's chapter. I will also upload the promised 10 chapters last sunday on today..

_____

"Hey, Yukino, why are you here?"

After seeing her sister's feigned surprise and realizing that the person sitting opposite her was not their mother but a strange man of similar age to her sister, Yukino understood that she had been deceived.

"Miss Yukinoshita, may I ask who this is...?"

"She is my sister, Yukinoshita Yukino."

"Hello, I am Miss Haruno's friend."

Faced with the enthusiastic greeting from the obviously nervous man, Yukino didn't know whom to sympathize with more.

"I'm just passing by; you can continue eating."

Facing her sister's threatening gaze concealed beneath a smile, Yukino chose not to expose her lie on the spot. 

Instead, she simply wanted to turn around and leave. She had no desire to play the role of a meaningless tool and couldn't bear the awkwardness of continuing to help after being deceived.

In her opinion, this was undoubtedly an incorrect method guided by faulty thinking, and it was absolutely wrong.

But Haruno was already prepared.

"Wait a minute, Yukino. I happened to get this from a friend earlier. I thought you would really like it, so I asked for it. Since I happened to see you, I just wanted to give it to you."

Haruno extended her slender right hand, revealing a metal hanging ring on her finger, attached to a small panda stuffed toy with a fierce expression.

Yukino, who had just been resolute and extremely angry, seemed to be held back by something invisible. 

She stood there motionless, staring at the Mr. Panda doll in her sister's hand, her eyes blinking cutely.

Yes, that's right; the girl named Yukino had absolutely no resistance to the "Mr. Panda" series of merchandise, and her love for them could even be described as fanaticism.

Not to mention, the small doll pendant that Haruno was holding was different from the styles generally available on the market. It was dressed in a red festive coat and a matching red hat.

In other words, this was a limited edition that could only be sold through special channels. For fans, its value was self-evident.

Seeing her innocent sister so easily captivated and rooted to the spot, Haruno wore a relaxed smile on her face.

She understood that Yukino was struggling internally. What she wanted her sister to help with now conflicted with the principles she had always adhered to, but it didn't matter. 

She had a backup plan.

"I bought this while I was out earlier, so I'll give it to you too."

After rummaging through her bag, Haruno pulled out an exquisite cat pendant with fluffy fur.

"..."

Yukino's cheeks turned noticeably red, a natural reaction when she encountered cute things.

It was completely stable now.

Haruno came to this conclusion in her mind.

After a brief silence, Yukino reached out and took the two pendant dolls from her sister's hands, just as Haruno had expected.

…

After the meal with Youko and her daughter in the restaurant, Chisato returned to the Starry Exhibition Hall to start his career as a part-time worker again.

Tokyo is a bustling metropolis, and the deeper you get into it, the easier it is to be dazzled by its feasting and excitement.

While Chisato was working, he took a moment to open his own system and check it.

Now, three heroines have been registered. 

Among them, Kazusa and Hitori's favorability had risen to four hearts, while Yukino, whom she had only met a few times, had not progressed at all in terms of affection.

The evil system was similar. It had also unlocked three heroines who could be simulated. 

Utaha and Eriri were now in real-life situations, so there was no need to continue the simulation. 

As for the remaining Iroha...

In fact, Chisato's feelings towards her were quite complicated, and he always felt a faint sense of guilt. 

He didn't want to continue the simulation anymore; who knew what unexpected situations would arise if he performed the simulation again, which made him anxious.

After being recognized by Iroha in the supermarket, he realized that her neighbor was Yukino, and that Youko knows Yukino's sister, Haruno.

Chisato's current situation could be described as being trapped in a quagmire. 

There were wolves in front of him and tigers behind; he was just waiting to die if he didn't move, but anyone who dared to move might die faster.

However, even in this predicament, there was still good news.

Chisato initially wanted to write songs and build publicity for the band,, trying to find a way to make the four members famous before officially entering the industry.

He began to work more formally instead of just goofing around. 

By earning money and sharing the workload, he ended her working life and gradually moved toward the upper class of the rich, living a low-key life. His idea was progressing smoothly, albeit slightly.

"Someone came to us and said they hope we can feature this milk drink in the next uploaded video to promote their products!"

Around nine o'clock, after part-time work ended, in Nijika's room, Hitori sat beside Chisato as Ikuyo announced the good news with great excitement.

Chisato looked at their happy faces and displayed an overly surprised reaction that could be described as frightening, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a variety show.

"Chisato-kun, your reaction is too exaggerated."

Ryo and Nijika simultaneously rolled their eyes and complained silently.

"Who said that? I'm genuinely happy. This is probably the first time we've received money from advertising since founding the band."

"It's not just you; it's us!"

As the band leader, Nijika quickly corrected Chisato's statement.

"Without Chisato-kun's help, the four of us would never be where we are today!"

Ryo and Ikuyo nodded seriously.

As for Hitori, she knelt beside Chisato during the conversation, stretching out her little fists and gently tapping his thighs to relieve the fatigue accumulated during work, much like a caring little wife.

The rest of the band was initially uncomfortable with it, but they were now used to it.

"Okay, although I have helped a bit, my ability is still limited. The most important thing is your own efforts. God rewards those who work hard. Please continue to work hard in the future."

In response to such an overly modest statement, Nijika puffed out her cheeks, wanting to refute it, but Chisato didn't give her that chance.

The advertising fees placed on the small table in front of her totaled one million yen. Chisato pushed it forward.

"In short, don't give me my share this time; just put it directly into the band's public funds. Expenses such as replacing instrument accessories, dining out, small gifts for fans, and band uniforms will all come from there."

"In that case, my share will be the same."

Hitori immediately raised her hand to accept her boyfriend's proposal—there was no doubt about it.

Nijika and Ikuyo were also swept up by this atmosphere and made the same decision.

Ryo was the only one looking sadly at the banknotes in the center of the table. 

Before her outstretched hand could touch the money, she was frightened back by Nijika's intensely staring cat eyes.

In this atmosphere, Chisato, who was usually not in a bright mood due to his difficult situation, rarely laughed out loud.

"By the way, how are you preparing the soundtrack for 'Loser,' the song I mentioned last time?"

"Ah, about that..."

As the band members exchanged uneasy smiles, it was Nijika who finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Chisato-kun. This song is a bit difficult. Ryo and I haven't slacked off during this time, but we still can't achieve the effect we want." 

"We're not satisfied with ourselves, so we thought we would never be able to pass it at your level. That's why I didn't tell you."

She looked apologetic but still clenched her fists with determination.

"However, please give us some more time, and we will definitely complete the arrangement as soon as possible."

"You don't have to work so hard. You're still students and need to take care of your studies."

Chisato smiled softly and took out a USB flash drive from his pocket, placing it on the table and sliding it to the center.

"This is for you."

"What's this?"

"I asked someone I know to create a demo of 'Loser' that matches my expectations, including the music scores for various instruments and the rough melody I sang along with." 

"You should be able to help after listening to it."

Chisato didn't go into much detail; he patted Hitori's head and stood up.

This cute little kitten would spend the night at Nijika's house to celebrate receiving the advertising money, but he couldn't join them.

Not to mention whether it was appropriate for him, as a man, to be among girls, there was still a woman in black stockings at home who had prepared a meal and was waiting for him to return.

"It's getting late, so I'll go back today. You guys have fun."

Chisato said goodbye to everyone. Hitori was going to take him to the station. 

After some persuasion, kisses, and caresses from him, the little kitten slowly climbed the stairs with her weak legs.

After Hitori, her cheeks still abnormally red, returned, the first thing everyone did after the band ended was to insert the USB drive left by Chisato into the computer and listen to the audio files.

Five minutes later, silence fell over the small room.

The expressions of the four band members were subtly different, but there was no doubt that they were all a little shocked.

Harmony, rhythm, timbre, intro, melody...

These elements combined to form a complete whole. No matter how you looked at it, it couldn't be considered just a demo!

With the feeling that Chisato conveyed in the music, it was entirely feasible to release this directly.

The only slight drawback was that the soundtrack was obviously produced by music software—it was too mechanical and lacked the fresh, natural feeling of real instruments.

However, the score was fully provided. If Chisato wanted to, he could have had it scored by a professional.

Now, he had given all this to the band as if it were free of charge, selflessly.

What did it mean for him to do this?

The silence in the room lingered.

Colorful fireworks and cannons meant for celebration were placed by the door, and the snacks and sodas bought in advance were piled on the desk.

But at this moment, no one felt like celebrating.

"Everyone, let's wait to celebrate until later. The recording studio is empty now. Chisato-kun has worked so hard; we can't let his efforts go to waste," Nijika said, standing up and clenching her right fist to show rare leadership.

The other three stood up, picked up their instruments, and nodded in unison.

…

Chisato got on the train, feeling a little confused as he watched the group chat filled with the band's positive and uplifting messages directed at her.

Since he couldn't figure it out, he decided not to dwell on it.

In fact, the content on the USB drive he had just given was not something he had commissioned a friend to help with; it was something he had taken the time to create in private.

All he had used was a simple laptop and recording equipment.

Thanks to his master-level knowledge of music theory, achieving this level was not that difficult. 

It took his only a few hours from start to finish.

As for why he didn't want to release the songs himself, the reason was simple.

Now, he had four girls around him to consider, and he also had to focus on his studies. How could he find time to expand his career? 

It was better to leave it to the band to release it once it was completed and let them handle various aspects after the song was released. 

Staying behind the scenes would undoubtedly allow him to manage his own affairs and wait for the benefits.

Now, there was no need to think about disbanding for the time being. They had gone through this experience before and believed nothing would go wrong this time.

So, what he needed to consider now was the issue of staying home and waiting for her.

She had made up his mind to have a showdown with her, but figuring out how to start was a problem.

After struggling and thinking all the way, Chisato took the elevator upstairs. 

As he opened the door to her home, coincidentally, the door to Yukinoshita's house next door opened at the same time.

"I'm going to buy some beer, Yukino. Do you need anything?"

As she said this, Haruno put on her shoes and walked out of the entrance.

Chisato met her gaze.

Haruno was momentarily stunned but then smiled.

"Yo!"

She raised her hand in greeting.

"..."

Chisato bowed her head slightly in response.

Utaha, who was inside, seemed to have heard the commotion and took the initiative to open the door.

The extremely sexy lace pajamas she wore were also seen by Haruno.

"What's wrong? Why are you standing at the door when you get home?"

Utaha noticed Haruno nearby but still spoke calmly.

Chisato said nothing, did not look in the direction behind her, and walked directly into the entrance hall, closing the door behind her.

"Wow~"

Haruno seemed to have discovered something extremely amusing, and her smile grew wider.

Yukino, who stood midway in the entrance hall, wore an increasingly cold and disgusted expression.

_______

30+ advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta

_______

If any of you noticed an error, please point it out in comments!