After handing over a bowl of dragon meat miso soup to Kasumi, the regulars of the Midnight Diner began to stir with excitement.
Wearing his usual cap, Uncle Zhong looked at Bai Mo and Kasumi, and couldn't help but say, "Hey, hey, hey, Bai Mo-kun, you can't play favorites like this. Sure, I might not be the prettiest and I'm getting on in years, but with the relationship I have with the owner, I should be able to get a taste of that miso soup too, right?"
"And me too, me too~" laughed little Shou, raising his hand mischievously. "You wouldn't turn me down, would you, Bai Mo-kun?"
Seeing the two of them so eager, what else could Bai Mo do? With a wry smile, he returned to the kitchen and prepared two more servings.
"Please, enjoy~"
"Haha, then we won't hold back!"
As the two began to eat, praises for the dragon meat miso soup came pouring out nonstop, sparking the curiosity of the others. Soon, everyone in the Midnight Diner had a bowl of the soup in hand, savoring each spoonful.
Watching their reactions, Bai Mo couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Master Kobayashi behind the counter—only to be met with a firm thump to the head.
"Hmph! You still have a lot to learn! The customers are ordering food, so stop daydreaming and get to work!"
"Hmph, you're just jealous, old man!"
With laughter and playful scolding echoing through the diner, Kobayashi looked on at Bai Mo working in the kitchen with increasing satisfaction.
Work at the Midnight Diner usually ended around six in the morning. So by the time Bai Mo and the others finished cleaning up, the sun was already rising. After a simple breakfast together, Bai Mo didn't go straight home. Instead, he hopped on his motorcycle and rode to Setagaya's Shimokitazawa district.
Today was Saturday—his day off—and the Light Music Club was having a full-member outing. Their goal? Accompanying Yui Hirasawa to buy her very first guitar.
When Bai Mo received the invitation via LINE in the club group chat, he didn't hesitate to accept. After all, just like food, music was something that couldn't be passed up!
Or rather, isn't it the best to enjoy delicious food while being surrounded by beautiful music? That's what makes life truly soothing.
And since this was a full-club activity, Bai Mo naturally didn't act as a lone wolf.
Shimokitazawa is most famous for its intimate theaters like Honda Theater, a wide range of vintage clothing stores, and a variety of live houses. Because of this, it's often called the "City of Theater" and the "City of Music."
It's no surprise the Light Music Club chose this area—not only is it convenient, but the abundance of live houses made it the perfect destination.
That said, what caught Bai Mo's interest more than the live houses were the local vinyl record shops. In his previous life, he'd always dreamed of owning his own record player. And now that he had the money? Naturally, he planned to treat himself to a great one.
Besides those interests, what left the biggest impression of Shimokitazawa on Bai Mo were two things: "Yajuu Senpai" memes and "Bocchi the Rock!"
He couldn't help but wonder… what sparks would fly if the Light Music Club ever ran into Bocchi?
Too bad Bocchi probably doesn't exist in this world~
After parking his motorcycle, Bai Mo made his way to Shimokitazawa Station to wait. Staying up all night was no big deal for young people—especially not for Bai Mo, whose current physique could go three days and nights without rest if needed.
Checking his phone, it was 8:22 AM—still more than half an hour until the meeting time. Bai Mo, not one to just stand idly under a signboard, instead wandered over to the plaza.
Shimokitazawa's rich culture meant many people performed street music here. Even this early in the morning, a girl with a blue guitar was already playing nearby.
"Isn't it a bit too early for a morning gig?" Bai Mo muttered to himself.
Still, since he had nothing else to do, he stopped and listened.
It was purely instrumental—no vocals, just guitar. This girl was clearly the real deal.
She played three or four pieces in a row before finally setting down her guitar and wiping the sweat from her forehead. Bai Mo pulled a 10,000-yen note from his pocket and dropped it into her guitar case.
"You played beautifully."
Startled by both the praise and the generosity, the girl gave a deep bow. "Thank you! I'll keep working hard! Is there a song you'd like to hear?"
Wait… you can request songs after tipping? Is this what it's like to be a top-tier patron?
Bai Mo thought for a moment. "Sorry, I'm not too familiar with Japanese songs. If possible, could you play something happy?"
"Something happy? Sure, that's easy!" the girl grinned. She picked up her guitar and began strumming again—but this time, she sang as well.
"Even if you're far away in another land, I hope my laughter still reaches your ears!"
Wasn't this…
"A smile in times of confusion, just follow the direction of the song—so long as you can keep smiling!"
This… was that song.
An insert from one of Bai Mo's favorite works by his favorite author.
One of the author's other works was Fullmetal Alchemist, but this particular song was the ending theme of Silver Spoon—a song Bai Mo also loved dearly in his past life.
The song was titled: "Towards the Direction of the Voice."
The upbeat guitar and cheerful vocals felt like they were brushing away all the gloom in one's heart, infusing each listener with a sense of sunshine and fulfillment.
Anyone who heard this song couldn't help but feel a little happier.
"As long as you smile, I'll smile with you. Let this smile carry on, to the next person!"
A happy song, indeed. It was the perfect choice.
When the song ended, Bai Mo clapped lightly.
"That was wonderful."
"I'm glad you liked it~" the girl said shyly. "Would you like to hear it again?"
"No, it's fine~" Bai Mo smiled. "It's not that I'm lost or anything. On the contrary, I've figured some things out, so I just wanted to hear a happy song."
"You've got a great ear though—to pick the perfect song meant for people far from home."
"I just happen to like it a lot too," she said bashfully.
While they chatted, Ritsu Tainaka and Mio Akiyama arrived. Upon seeing Bai Mo, they rushed over.
"Eh? Bai Mo-kun, do you know her?" Ritsu asked curiously. "Is she the guitarist you found?"
"Of course not," Bai Mo laughed. "She just happened to be performing here, so I stopped to listen."
"Ohh, as expected of Shimokitazawa!"
"Ehehe~ Actually, I booked five tickets to LIVEHOUSE SPACE for today! We'll get to see Roselia's performance!"
"Wait, you're going to SPACE?" the girl asked, surprised. "I work there!"
"No way, seriously?!"
"Yep~ You must be going to the 4:30 PM show, right? The one that lasts an hour and a half?"
"That's the one!"
"In addition to Roselia, Afterglow and Glitter*Green are performing too, right?"
"Yep, that's right!"
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T/N:
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