"That's true. When it comes to playing the guitar, I do have enough skill for stage performances," Kazama Haru nodded in response.
"Indeed. Someone like Kazama-kun wouldn't lie about such a minor matter."
Togawa Sakiko smiled with relief, as if affirming her judgment of character.
"Kazama-kun, you know, more than your guitar talent, what I need most is the absolute, irreplaceable chemistry we share—something no one else can replicate—and the spiritual support you can offer me."
Perhaps finding such words a little embarrassing, Sakiko subtly averted her gaze from Kazama Haru, and her voice unconsciously softened with a hint of tenderness:
"For someone as outstanding and gentle as you, even with your extraordinary drink-mixing skills, that small coffee shop is definitely not your final destination."
"What you need is a grander stage, and Ave Mujica is the perfect vessel for you."
Sakiko's gaze unconsciously fell upon Kazama Haru's attire—still that faded, light yellow hoodie.
Soon after they first met, she had keenly deduced, through observing Kazama Haru's clothing and habits, that he, like her, was in dire need of money; otherwise, he wouldn't be working so intensely while still a student.
Since Kazama Haru had pulled her back from the brink of collapse, she also wanted to use her own strength to help him escape the mire of life and bring him along as this starship of hers prepared for launch.
With this thought, Togawa Sakiko added, "We will debut in the mainstream in the shortest possible time. That way, Kazama-kun, your life will surely undergo a drastic change, and you'll no longer need to do those grueling, repetitive jobs."
As she spoke these words to Kazama Haru, her tone carried a hint of allure that even she hadn't noticed.
Kazama Haru silently sighed in his heart. Sakiko truly lived up to her noble background, with the blood of a great capitalist flowing through her veins; she was an expert at painting grand visions.
No wonder the girls from the C Band were so thoroughly "charmed" by her that they still hadn't recovered.
Hearing this, everything was more or less as he had expected. Sakiko indeed wanted him to be Ave Mujica's guitarist.
"Togawa-san, I'd like to ask, in your vision, how many band members will there be in total?" Kazama Haru asked to confirm an important fact.
After a slight pause, Sakiko replied, "For a small band, five members are usually optimal. That's also my expectation for Ave Mujica's lineup."
"So, besides Wakaba-san and me as guitarists, there must be at least a drummer, a bassist, and a vocalist—the usual setup…" Kazama Haru counted on his fingers.
"Togawa-san, are you the vocalist?"
"Sakiko is the keyboardist," Wakaba Mutsumi interjected quietly from the side.
"That is correct, desuwa," Sakiko picked up, explaining, "Just as you said, bass and guitar are also indispensable components of Ave Mujica."
"Wait, then who will be the vocalist?"
Kazama Haru looked at Wakaba Mutsumi across the table, who silently shook her head.
"That's right, Kazama-kun, I want you to be our vocalist," Togawa Sakiko said—a line that was within expectations.
This made Kazama Haru completely confirm that, due to his appearance, Togawa Sakiko had lost her reason to contact Misumi Uika, and thus had no reason to ask her to help her forget everything.
This… wasn't good.
Kazama Haru rubbed his temples, a headache brewing. Squeezing out Chiharu was not what he wanted to happen.
But at the same time, he didn't want to refuse the invitation to establish Ave Mujica with Togawa Sakiko. This was an important opportunity to form bonds with the other band members.
If it were anyone else, facing this choice, they might be confined to the role of guitarist, forced to choose between two options.
But Kazama Haru was different. If he wanted to, keyboardist, bassist, vocalist… he could perfectly fulfill any role in a short amount of time.
Following this line of thought, he could also intervene in the band's development in another equally important capacity, one that the future Ave Mujica would desperately need: as the band manager.
"I'm sorry, Togawa-san, I cannot join your band as a guitarist."
Kazama Haru picked up the steaming coffee cup, the warmth hitting his face, subtly obscuring his expression.
"Although the vision you described is very enticing, I believe I've already told you that I've formed my own band at school, so…"
"Of course I remember, but even so, I hope Kazama-kun, you will choose my side!"
One moment she seemed to be seriously considering it, the next she suddenly refused outright. Kazama Haru's sudden change of expression made Sakiko instantly reveal a surprised and anxious look, her hands under the table clenching into fists.
"Kazama-kun, please trust me. The promise I made to you is by no means an empty dream."
"Just like Wakaba Mutsumi-san here, the other members of the band will only be masters with years of live performance experience. As a band, this lineup is absolutely rock-solid."
"For you right now, Ave Mujica is the more rational choice compared to a casual, amateur band!"
She said "rational," but Togawa Sakiko's emotions at this moment seemed quite agitated, her chest heaving violently beneath her white silk blouse, and her raised voice drew glances from surrounding customers.
"No, Togawa-san, calm down, that's not what I meant!"
Kazama Haru quickly made a "shushing" gesture.
He had only intended to use the other band as an excuse to naturally introduce his idea of joining Ave Mujica as the band manager.
But he hadn't expected Sakiko to interrupt him with an unexpectedly intense emotion before he could even finish, not allowing him to continue.
Reminded by him, Togawa Sakiko finally realized her rudeness as if snapping out of a trance, her eyes lowered, lips tightly pressed together, silently blaming herself for her impulsiveness.
For a young lady like her, who valued etiquette, it was the first time she had actively interrupted someone speaking.
Would her past self have done something so irrational?
Togawa Sakiko's face flushed crimson, unable to understand why she had become so flustered specifically in front of Kazama-kun.
Seeing that she seemed to have calmed down considerably, Kazama Haru continued from where he had left off:
"Togawa-san, as I just said, I already have another band. Although I'm very grateful that you value me so much, the bonds there are also something I cannot easily let go of."
"But this does not mean that I don't want to witness Ave Mujica's growth with you."
"Eh? What do you mean…?" Togawa Sakiko raised her eyelids in surprise.
She had thought that after her earlier slip in composure, Kazama Haru would be even more resolute in not working with her, but now, hearing him, it seemed there was a twist in fate.
"Togawa-san." Gazing into the girl's dazzling, golden eyes, Kazama Haru slowly spoke: "If you are willing to trust me, would you allow me to join Ave Mujica as the band manager?"
Togawa Sakiko was stunned by his words: "Band… manager?"
"That's right." Kazama Haru nodded affirmingly: "After hearing Togawa-san's vision for the band, I think it's wonderful. Like you, I also want to witness the entire journey of the band from its inception to reaching the highest stage."
"But Togawa-san, have you ever considered that such grand ambitions actually require ample energy to sustain them?"
Kazama Haru gazed at the girl's delicate face; besides being pleasing to the eye, he could clearly observe faint traces around her eyes left by excessive fatigue.
"Even when we were working part-time before, I felt that Togawa-san always liked to push herself too hard."
"If I'm not mistaken, in your future band work, you also intend to use this desperate conviction to force yourself to be both a musician in the band and completely handle all other logistical and liaison work, right?"
Togawa Sakiko's pupils suddenly constricted, and her shoulders instantly stiffened.
She hadn't expected Kazama Haru to pinpoint her thoughts so accurately.
For a conventional commercial band, the performers and the logistical staff should be separate.
But for Sakiko, after the changes in her family, she had unconsciously grown accustomed to bearing responsibilities beyond her age.
This subconscious reflection in the band was an overabundance of responsibility, always wanting to take on all the work herself.
This was also a significant hidden danger that would later lead to Ave Mujica's disbandment.
Kazama Haru was unaware of her inner turmoil at the moment, and softened his persuasive tone: "For someone your age, carrying so many tasks is not conducive to growth."
"Since Togawa-san is willing to share such an important project with me, this precious trust is enough to drive me to genuinely want to help you share some of the burden."
"All work outside the stage, I will be responsible for. As for Togawa-san, you only need to fully enjoy the stage."
"One person to amplify the light on stage, another to be the shadow behind the scenes. Only when we stand as two halves of the same whole can we truly call this a partnership, right?"
Watching his gentle smile, Togawa Sakiko felt a sudden pang in her nose, and her vision was instantly blurred by an uncontrollable surge of tears.
To hide this embarrassing expression, she hastily lowered her head, biting her lip tightly, trying to force back the surging bitterness, but her throat was so tight she couldn't make any sound.
Didn't she promise herself not to be weak anymore? How could it be now…
How can I let you…
Sakiko almost instinctively wanted to refute Kazama Haru's request, but her words caught halfway, still stuck in her constricted throat.
Was she going to defile his good intentions again?
That was absolutely not her intention; she just wanted to enjoy the stage with him.
But, joining Ave Mujica as a band manager was indeed Kazama-kun's own wish.
Ah… so it was really like this.
Her subconscious, arbitrary refusal of his good intentions just confirmed that she was indeed the kind of person who tried to be strong, as he had said.
He had discovered this even before she did.
"…"
"Kazama-kun, you are a very strange person, desuwa. If you keep this up, you'll spoil me."
With an irrepressible, muffled sob, Sakiko's tense shoulders slowly slumped.
The taut string in her heart also quietly snapped.
She didn't look up, only gently rested her forehead on her folded arms, and nodded with all her might.
Watching her in such a fragile state, Kazama Haru, like the quietly observing Wakaba Mutsumi beside him, couldn't help but be momentarily lost in thought.
Accompanying this soft mood, the system's notification chimed at the opportune moment.
[Successfully joined Ave Mujica as Band Manager. Rewarded with 10,000 Wish Points.]