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As the song ended, ghost Senpai quietly appeared in the corner.
"…Kitahara-sama, you're finally here!"
Seeing Kitahara Makoto, ghost Senpai's previously gloomy expression instantly brightened, as if a lost puppy on the street had seen its owner again. If she wasn't afraid of the positive energy emanating from Kitahara Makoto, she probably would have pounced on him directly.
"Senpai, I'm sorry, I encountered something incredible this weekend…"
Kitahara Makoto briefly explained the reason for his disappearance over the weekend.
"It's fine, it's fine." Ghost Senpai's eyes sparkled, "As long as Kitahara-sama is alright… Kitahara-sama won't disappear again, right?"
Kitahara Makoto promised: "No, I won't."
Ghost Senpai sighed in relief: "That's good…"
Kitahara Makoto: "If I'm not free to come over in the future, I'll definitely tell you in advance."
Ghost Senpai: "…"
Kitahara Makoto turned to look beside him, only to see that Togawa Sakiko's shocked expression had not yet faded. He asked with a smile:
"Togawa Sakiko, was my performance just now up to par?"
"You…" Togawa Sakiko took a deep breath, biting her lower lip lightly with her pearly teeth, and said with a complex look in her eyes, "Does Kitahara-kun want to become a professional pianist?"
Overwhelm.
During the performance just now, Togawa Sakiko witnessed what it meant to be overwhelmed by talent.
What is talent?
Taking e-sports players as an example, no professional player becomes stronger through training camps; they are invincible from the start, overwhelming everyone upon their debut, and are eventually signed by professional teams.
At this moment, Togawa Sakiko saw this kind of talent in Kitahara Makoto.
In just over ten minutes, Kitahara Makoto went directly from a rookie to a beginner, successfully playing a piano piece, and more importantly, he was actually able to evoke emotional resonance… Besides genius, Togawa Sakiko no longer knew how to describe him.
Togawa Sakiko knew very well that her piano skills were decent among her peers, but she was too far from being a true genius.
Countless people around the world learn piano, but only a few can ultimately leave their mark in history. However, at this moment, Togawa Sakiko suddenly saw this possibility in Kitahara Makoto.
Even if it was only a possibility, not a certainty, it still surpassed the vast majority of pianists.
A thought suddenly emerged in Togawa Sakiko's mind:
"My talent isn't enough to become a world-class pianist, but perhaps I can become the woman behind a piano master…"
Ptooey~
Togawa Sakiko's pretty face flushed slightly, and she quickly dispelled the thought in her mind.
"Don't think nonsense!"
"Relying on others will only make me weaker and weaker, I must be strong!"
"Besides, I'm only a partner with Kitahara-kun, and the girl he likes is clearly Hitori-chan…"
Kitahara Makoto naturally didn't know why Togawa's face suddenly turned red, and he said casually:
"I'm not interested in piano."
"Eh?" Togawa Sakiko looked over blankly, "…Not interested?"
"The main reason I wanted to try it just now was because I had never touched a piano before and was a bit curious." Kitahara Makoto said truthfully, "Also, Togawa Sakiko's finger was injured, and I wanted to see if I could help. I really don't have much interest."
Togawa Sakiko's eyebrows furrowed quickly: "Kitahara-kun has super high talent, it's such a pity to give up like this. If you continue to train, you might become a world-class pianist."
Kitahara Makoto shook his head again: "Togawa Sakiko, don't say anymore, I really don't have much interest."
Too much!
He has such great talent and ability, yet he says he's not interested in piano, it's really too much!
"I'll be frank." Kitahara Makoto pondered for a moment and chose to tell the truth, "Actually, I don't have such high piano talent; I just used an item earlier."
Togawa Sakiko pursed her pink lips in confusion: "Item… what do you mean?"
"It's this."
Kitahara Makoto had no intention of hiding it. He pointed to the keychain at his waist and briefly explained the keychain's effect.
Although he had never touched a piano, he knew very well that to become a world-class piano master, even with the item's attribute bonus, he would definitely have to put in countless effort and sweat.
Kitahara Makoto's goal in this life was only one: to make money, lie flat, and enjoy a happy life, not to seek hardship for himself.
As for musical dreams… he really didn't have any.
Why must he join the girls' band?
Wouldn't it be better to just be the girls' sugar daddy!
Besides, he had another consideration.
Perhaps a certain optimized item would come in handy during exorcisms. As an exorcism partner, Togawa Sakiko would definitely see other items in the future. Instead of being secretive, it was better to be open about it now.
"Can a keychain really be that magical?"
Togawa Sakiko's beautiful eyes widened, her pretty face filled with disbelief.
Kitahara Makoto said softly:
"If you want to know if it works, Togawa Sakiko, just try it and you'll understand."
"Then I'll try?"
Togawa Sakiko's pretty face unconsciously showed a look of anticipation; she had clearly subconsciously believed Kitahara Makoto's words. All this time, Kitahara Makoto had never lied to her.
But at this moment, an incredibly resentful voice softly echoed in their ears:
"When you two are being lovey-dovey, can you consider my feelings?"
Togawa Sakiko snapped back to reality, her pretty face quickly flushed, and she quickly stepped back half a step, putting distance between herself and Kitahara Makoto:
"We weren't being lovey-dovey, we were just talking about serious matters!"
"Nijika-senpai is getting anxious, Togawa-san is getting anxious," ghost Senpai tilted her head and looked over. "Lies don't hurt people, only the truth makes people anxious."
Togawa Sakiko: "..."
Biting her lower lip in annoyance, Togawa Sakiko took a deep breath and turned her pretty face to look out the window: "The academy is about to close. Let's leave the academy first and go shopping with ghost Senpai. We can talk about other things tomorrow."
Kitahara Makoto nodded: "Then we'll try again tomorrow."
"..."
There wasn't much to say about what happened next; it was just shopping and eating.
It's worth mentioning that the only person who could be possessed today was Togawa Sakiko. Bocchi-chan and Kita didn't come over, after all, everyone has their own life and can't come to help every day.
While shopping and eating, Kitahara Makoto's phone suddenly vibrated, receiving a message from Ijichi Nijika.
"Kitahara-kun, did Hana say she was hungry today?"
Kitahara Makoto: "..."
Oh no!
He had completely forgotten about the Beast Eared Girl!
Seeing that Kitahara Makoto had read the message but didn't reply, Ijichi Nijika quickly sent another message, surprisingly guessing the truth at once:
"Kitahara-kun didn't forget Hana, did he?"
Looking at the message, Kitahara Makoto inexplicably felt a sense of guilt.
It was like secretly dating other women while his wife was working hard outside and his daughter was crying for food at home… The problem was that Nijika-senpai wasn't his wife, and the Beast Eared Girl wasn't his daughter, so where did this feeling of guilt come from?
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