"Whoa, there really are quite a lot of people..."
When Asakura arrived at Starry, he found that there were already quite a few people waiting there.
As he handed his ticket to Ijichi Seika, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"Because Kessoku Band has done some warm-up performances in some lives before, they have actually accumulated a certain number of fans."
While collecting the ticket, Ijichi Seika said, "This is just a drizzle; after this live, their fans will only increase further."
This store manager probably intended to speak with an official business tone to make herself appear more impartial, but in Asakura's view, she unexpectedly had a smug, triumphant feeling.
If she had a tail, it would definitely be cocked up proudly right now.
"The manager really does love her sister~" The sound engineer lady on the side showed a somewhat mischievous smile.
"Not at all, this is a professional judgment based on experience!" Ijichi Seika retorted without hesitation.
"Is it really necessary to be tsundere at this point?" Asakura couldn't help but complain.
"Oh, even Takuma-kun knows the manager is tsundere?" The sound engineer lady said, feigning surprise.
"It's more like, is there anyone in Starry who doesn't know about this?"
Asakura responded with a deadpan face.
"How annoying! PA, if you keep making fun of me, I'll deduct your pay! And you, little brat, don't laugh! You too—if you keep making fun of me, get out!"
Ijichi Seika said, turning angry from embarrassment.
"Are you going to drive away their fans when your sister's band is holding its first live?" Asakura said, feigning great shock.
"No way, no way, no way?"
"Guh..."
Ijichi Seika let out a voice lacking in confidence.
As for the sound engineer lady, she said leisurely, "Manager, you wouldn't want any problems with the sound when Nijika and the others take the stage, would you?"
"Ugh..." Starry's 'tsun-tsun-tsun' surrendered; she slunk away: "I'm going to take charge of the drink counter..."
"Manager, you ran away, so who's going to collect the tickets?" the sound engineer lady asked.
"Isn't there a laborer right there?"
Ijichi Seika looked toward Asakura.
Asakura pointed at himself with a bewildered expression, making a 'Me?' face.
"To be honest, Starry is always short-staffed. Usually it's fine since Nijika and the others help out with odd jobs, but when they need to be on stage, hands become tight..." Ijichi Seika looked at Asakura's well-trained (actually not really) physique: "Do you want to come work for us?"
Asakura, who was considering recruiting part-timers for his own Rabbit House to alleviate his own labor shortage, felt a sense of 'reversing the heavens' like Alibaba digging people from Tencent.
"Oyster, I also have my own business to attend to."
Asakura shook his head: "However, if it's just helping out with tickets today, that wouldn't be a problem."
"Then I'll leave it to you, Fan No. 1!" Ijichi Seika patted his shoulder.
"Entrusting me with such an important task like collecting money, you really trust me..." Asakura couldn't help but complain.
"The manager is just like that; she says this person is no good and that person is no good, but in reality, she's very easy to trust others." The sound engineer lady said with a smile.
"Hmph, I have my own considerations too!" Ijichi Seika said, dissatisfied.
"Indeed, I don't know if it's a case of 'birds of a feather flock together,' but the people around the manager are surprisingly all good folks." The sound engineer lady continued.
"Are you praising me?" Ijichi Seika squinted and asked.
"Sodayo." The sound engineer lady's tone was as if she were coaxing a child.
Meanwhile, Asakura felt that her pronunciation was subtly familiar.
It should just be an illusion.
"What's with that disgusting look in your eyes?" Ijichi Seika suddenly noticed Asakura smiling at her and couldn't help but frown and ask.
"How should I put it..." Asakura also looked at the interaction between the two with a warm gaze, "After seeing too many ugly faces intertwined with schemes and interests, I feel that this world is still beautiful being able to feel this here."
"Why use that tone as if you just attended some dirty gathering of adults?"
Ijichi Seika was asked with a bit of a creepy feeling.
"...There are some things that are better not to know too much." Asakura said with a mysterious smile.
"What's with that weird pause?!" Ijichi Seika was shocked.
"Takuma-kun... ah, it's okay for me to call you that, right?" The sound engineer lady looked at Asakura.
"Yes, no problem." Asakura nodded.
"You seem like the kind of boy who would buy 'Black Suit' to wear to a funeral and carry a black umbrella, standing silently and seriously to one side, finally leaving quietly, right?" the sound engineer lady said.
"Isn't that just Chuunibyou!"
Ijichi Seika's expression became disdainful.
"Sodayo." Asakura smiled happily.
The sound engineer lady's expression froze for a moment; instead, it was Ijichi Seika who clicked her tongue and said 'What the,' thinking that boys just like this kind of thing. She then headed toward the drink counter.
At this time, someone else hurried into the livehouse.
"Sorry, am I late? Hiroi-san's live shouldn't have started yet, right~"
The three people present looked toward the guest together.
A green dress, wearing a strange coat, and that head of somewhat messy purple hemp braids.
It was Hiroi Kikuri.
"Eh, why is it Takuma-chan?" The drunken Hiroi Kikuri was also stunned when she saw Asakura.
She muttered to herself: "Could it be that my homing instinct allowed me to go to Takuma-chan's house instead of Starry?"
"Why would your homing instinct lead to my house?"
Asakura unceremoniously grabbed her cheek and twisted it hard.
"It hurts, hurts, hurts!!"
"Are you sober now?"
"If there were a bowl of warm and mild-flavored clam miso soup..."
"... (Anger)"
"Don't pull with both hands! I'm awake, I'm awake, completely sober now!"
She broke free from Asakura's 'Double Cheek-Pulling Torture' and, while rubbing her face and whimpering, fished out her ticket and handed it to Ijichi Seika.
"Senior, I've also come to see Nijika-chan and the others' concert~ although it seems like no one is going to sing."
"You'd better not throw up in my store." Ijichi Seika took the ticket and warned seriously.
"...This is a trial!"
"Get out!"
"Eh, is senpai going to drive away their fans during Nijika-chan and the others' first live?"
"Why does it feel like you've become so smooth-tongued lately, who exactly did you learn that from..."
A certain someone on the side shifted his gaze guiltily.