According to the information Rin Amane managed to find online—Gan Hiroshi, affectionately called Grandpa Gan,was none other than the cheerful old man at the neighborhood café.
He was the one who spent his days experimenting with hand-brewed coffee, always looking spirited, always greeting every guest with a warm smile.
Rin never would have guessed that this man was actually a world-renowned cellist.
It was difficult—almost impossible—for Rin to connect the image of a distinguished musician, dressed in a fine suit and performing in a grand concert hall, with the same kindly old man who joked with him every day while proudly fussing over his custom coffee blends at the counter.
But if the articles weren't exaggerating, then Grandpa Gan wasn't just any musician.
He was once considered the foremost cellist of Japan.
And yet, despite being such a celebrated figure,sixteen years ago he suffered a crushing defeat at the prestigious Kohl Cup, the competition recognized as the pinnacle of the cello world.
In this world, the arts and entertainment industry held musical honors even more dearly than they did in Rin's previous life.
One could imagine the weight of that loss.It wasn't just a blow to the Japanese cello community—it was a blow to the entire musical world.
Like watching a national eSports team dominate the home circuit, win the MSI title, secure both spring and summer championships—only to fall apart in the quarterfinals of the World Championship.
The man everyone had pinned their hopes on collapsed.
How many fans must have quit, how many gave up watching altogether, disheartened beyond repair?
As for the details of that performance sixteen years ago, Rin had no way of knowing.What he did know was that Grandpa Gan never seemed to pick up the cello again.
At least, in all the time Rin had spent with him, the old man had never once mentioned it.
And so, Rin arrived at a bold guess—Grandpa Gan's granddaughter, Gan Sayaka, had now become a cellist.
Could it be that her path was tied to her grandfather's unfulfilled dream?
But if so… why had Sayaka attempted suicide?
She hadn't yet realized her own dream.She hadn't yet carried forward her grandfather's unfinished legacy.
So why give up now?
For these questions, Rin had no way to confirm the answers—not yet.All he could do was take things one step at a time.
Though seriously, what an abstract article that had been!Every other line was about reflecting on life, sounding like something straight out of a pretentious philosophy magazine.
He set the thoughts aside and opened the interface that had appeared after the system binding succeeded yesterday.
[Partner List]
[Name]: Gan Sayaka[Identity]: Cellist[Abilities]: Cello A+, Foreign Languages B+, Vocals B, Dance C, Communication C, Learning S[Current Stress Tolerance]: E[SAN Value]: 8[Health Status]: Poor (Very Poor → Poor → Weak → Stable → Good → Excellent)
[Note]: Each time the host raises a partner's stress tolerance, SAN value, or health status by one stage, new rewards will be unlocked.
It was a status screen that looked… well, depressing, to say the least.
So many different ability ratings, and yet Stress Tolerance was listed on its own line—that alone made it clear just how important that attribute was.
And hers was only E.
Well, no surprise there. After all, she had already attempted suicide.
Still—while her mental stats were undeniably low, her abilities were extraordinary.
Her Learning was ranked at the highest possible level, S.Her Cello was an impressive A+.
Rewards or not, Rin believed that if Sayaka could recover her stability, her talent alone would ensure she achieved greatness.
With that in mind, Rin opened the item inventory and clicked on the Beginner's Gift Box provided by the system.
[Obtained: Instrument Skill Selection Card ×1]
[When used, allows the host to choose one of the five common instruments and gain an introductory skill card for it.]
[Note: This is the only chance to obtain a music skill card of this type. Choose wisely.]
A self-selection card, huh?
Rin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Since it was a one-time opportunity, he decided not to use it right away. For now, he'd put it aside.
As soon as he closed the gift box, a new system screen appeared.
[Personal Mission Released—]
[Objective: Perform a piece of music on any instrument and receive praise from at least 10 people.][Reward: Music Memory Enhancement Card]
[Music Memory Enhancement: Enhances all music-related memories stored in the host's mind, allowing the host to easily transcribe compositions based on existing knowledge of music theory.]
[Note: The system will occasionally release optional tasks divided into 'Personal Missions' and 'Producer Missions.' These are not mandatory. Completing them grants rewards, but ignoring them will not hinder future tasks.]
Pretty obvious what this meant.
The task was clearly designed to pair with the self-selection card.
But that wasn't something Rin needed to think about right now.
At the moment, he had school to get to.
Jingzhou Seventh High School.
It wasn't the city's top academy, but it still counted as one of the key schools, a kind of gatekeeper tier.The school adhered firmly to a single teaching philosophy: Health above all, discipline through self-regulation.
Likely because, in the past, several third-year students had buckled under immense pressure and tragically jumped to their deaths. After being formally criticized multiple times by the Education Bureau, the school had since adopted a relatively lenient management style.
For day students like Rin, there was no requirement to attend morning study sessions.He simply needed to arrive before the first class began.
And the first class today was mathematics.
Summer math lessons were always suffocatingly hot, and paired with the subject itself, the classroom air practically buzzed with irritation.
The old ceiling fan clattered overhead as it spun, threatening at any moment to detach and decapitate the students below.
"Rin, don't head straight home after school today."
The boy sitting next to him leaned over, acne scattered across his face, square glasses perched on his nose.
His name was Naoji Xu, Rin's deskmate—and one of his very few friends at school.
"It's our turn on the work schedule tonight."
That made Rin pause.
He and Naoji both worked part-time at a small tea café near campus.Since they were students and only hired as temps, they rarely got shifts.They were usually called in only when business surged or someone else called in sick.
"Do we really have to go?" Rin hesitated.
After all, he had just promised to have dinner with Sayaka that evening.Given her fragile mental state, every extra minute mattered—one delay could mean one more step toward danger.
"What's up?" Naoji narrowed his eyes at Rin's uncertain tone."You've got something better to do?"
"…Something like that."
"Cut the crap. I know you. Your life is just school and home, nothing else."
Then his gaze sharpened suddenly."Hold on… You're not going on a date, are you?"
"Of course not."
"Wait a sec—I remember you said last night you went to a foot spa. Don't tell me you actually picked up some girl there and now you're meeting her tonight!"
Naoji's face twisted with mock horror."Rin, I'm begging you—messing around is one thing, but don't tell me you're seriously getting involved with some masseuse! I know you've got no luck with girls, but that's going way too far, man!"
"You're insane." Rin's eyes stayed fixed on the chalkboard, and he waved his hand in irritation.
He knew Naoji all too well.The guy lived for outrageous jokes, spouting nonsense like some forum troll.
—Bzzz.
Just then, Rin's phone buzzed in his pocket.
Slipping it out under the desk, he saw a notification from "Sunlight After Rain."
It was a video message.
Naoji, of course, craned his neck over immediately.
Rin tapped it open. On-screen, Sayaka held her phone up selfie-style, the camera tilted toward both herself and a pot in the kitchen.
A text message followed right after:
"Rin Amane, how do you turn on your gas stove?"