"Nohara, down here!"
Just as Sato was still staring up at the signboard, Ritsu and the others were already standing at the entrance to the basement stairs.
"Coming!"
He responded and followed them down.
This music store was located in the basement. As they descended, soft music began to echo faintly in their ears.
On the way down, Ritsu eagerly introduced the place to Yui.
"This is a large chain store called 10GIA,one of the biggest music store chains in all of Japan. If your instrument breaks, you can get it serviced at any of their branches without paying a service fee… though you still have to pay for parts."
Warm lighting illuminated the basement, revealing rows and rows of musical instruments.
"Wow!"
Yui gasped at the sight.
Bathed in the amber glow of the soft lights, and surrounded by gentle music, shelves were stacked with an array of dazzling instruments.
"Sugoi!"
With a shout of excitement, Yui was the first to dash into the store.
The others quickly followed.
"So many guitars!"
"Ahem, that's a bass."
Sato, trailing behind, paused for a moment before clearing his throat.
To be fair, guitars and basses did look quite similar at first glance, especially to someone unfamiliar with instruments.
"Huh? What's the difference?"
Yui asked, puzzled.
"Think of it as the difference between six strings and four."
Sato tried to explain simply that there were plenty of technical distinctions, but it was better to keep it basic for someone like Yui.
"Oh!"
Yui nodded and continued admiring the instruments with gleaming eyes.
Ritsu and Mio exchanged looks, both sighing internally. Yui really was unbelievably airheaded…
"You two head to the guitar section. We'll browse elsewhere for a bit."
With that, they split up to explore.
As one of the largest music chains in the country, the store had a vast selection. Besides instruments, there were also magazines, sheet music, and textbooks neatly displayed.
But the biggest section by far was dedicated to guitars.
Sato brought Yui over. Hundreds of guitars were arranged in rows, each a different make and model.
"So… so many guitars!"
Yui gasped again, crouching down to examine them closely.
But then she spotted the price tags. Her expression froze.
"So expensive!"
"Well, that can't be helped. This store mostly sells mid-to-high-end guitars. The prices are bound to be higher."
While Yui continued browsing, Sato also admired the vast array hanging on the wall, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
There were so many here, even he couldn't help but be thrilled.
Before this, he had already given his old guitar to the younger brother of the Koshigaya family, so he didn't currently have one himself.
"Found one you like?"
After a while, Sato turned to ask Yui, who was still crouched on the floor.
"Nope."
Yui shook her head and moved on to look further in.
Sato glanced toward the back and warned, "Those ones are even pricier, they're the premium models."
"I'm just looking!"
"Nohara, Yui. Have you picked one yet?"
Just then, Mio and the others came over.
"Ah! This guitar is so cute!"
Suddenly, Yui let out a delighted squeal and squatted in front of one particular guitar.
"Huh? Did she finally pick one? Wait... whoa, that's pricey!"
Ritsu walked over curiously, crouched down to see the price, and was instantly shocked.
"250,000 yen?!"
Even Mio couldn't hold back a gasp, covering her mouth in disbelief.
"Hm? Is that expensive?"
Tsumugi, who had come up from behind, tilted her head in confusion after glancing at the price.
Sato gave her the side-eye.
Yep, definitely a rich girl.
Yui sighed helplessly as she looked at the price. Her gaze lingered on the guitar, clearly enamored.
The edges of the guitar were a deep crimson, fading into a yellow wood grain at the center. A warm, inviting gradient. It was, indeed, very charming.
"Yui, maybe take a look at some of the others?"
Mio suggested gently. She could tell Yui really liked it, but for high school students like them, this kind of price was just too steep.
Yui looked around, clearly disappointed. "But this one's just so cute..."
Though her way of picking instruments might be frustrating, it was understandable. After all, she was a teenage girl. What's wrong with liking something cute?
"I could lend you the money, but with your current income… you probably couldn't pay it back," Sato said with a sigh.
Hisss—!
Ritsu sucked in a breath, staring at Sato in disbelief.
Wait… what did she just hear?
"Sato, you're this rich?! Don't tell me you're a… a rich heir too?!"
"Well, my family has a modest bit of land, but I wouldn't call myself an heir. This money, I earned it myself..."
"Sugoi!"
Ritsu's eyes went wide, and then her expression changed to a fawning smile.
She rubbed her hands together and chuckled. "So, Sato, how about we strike a deal? There's this pedal I've been eyeing… Ow, ow, ow! Mio, let go!"
Mio dragged Ritsu away from Sato with a dark expression.
"That pedal costs a ton, Ritsu. If you borrow money, how are you going to pay Sato back?"
"I'll get a part-time job and work it off!"
Ritsu declared with determination.
Then, an idea hit herm as her eyes lit up.
"Right! We could work part-time to help Yui buy the guitar!"
"Huh?"
Yui, still squatting, stared at Ritsu blankly. A few seconds later, her brain finally caught up.
"W-We can't possibly..."