"Onii-chan, please, return to the light! Even if you've obtained the power of black magic, don't give up on yourself! The partners of justice are waiting for you!"
"I say, what kind of reaction is this..."
Miyazawa Yuu had clearly solved the problem perfectly, but the imoutos, along with the Busujima sisters, had staged a collective mutiny. This caused Yu to twitch an eyebrow and take a step toward the girls in annoyance.
That one step was all it took. Fearing they would be brainwashed by black magic, the girls scrambled back in terror, huddling into the corner of the room!
One by one, they stared with wide eyes like startled baby owls, their bodies trembling slightly. At this moment, their "plastic sisterhood" was on full display.
Busujima, the only college student present, was actually using little Rin as a human shield, shrinking into the very back. Rin, seeing the tide was against her, grabbed Akiko to use as armor plating.
Akiko followed suit by shielding the weak Lin Xuena in front of her. The terrified junior glasses-girl had no choice but to pull an inverted cross necklace out from her collar, transforming into a devout believer.
"Stay back! Evil spirits, begone!"
"Enough, all of you! A magic button that makes people fall in love with you and obey unconditionally does not exist! Neither does hypnosis!"
Looking at them, Yu felt like he was seeing the scumbags when they first entered school; they seemed to have faced the same dilemma back then.
However, unlike these trembling girls, those guys chose to rely on their superior numbers to intimidate or silence witnesses. Perhaps that was the true difference between ordinary people and scumbags!
"Really?"
Her long eyelashes wet with tears, Lin Xuena opened her eyes piteously and glanced at her sister, who was still in a daze. Even if she believed Yu-Onii-chan had no ill intent, she couldn't help but be afraid.
Turning a bristling sister into a compliant kitten in five seconds—even if their father brought out the ancestral hardwood paddle, he probably couldn't achieve such instantaneous results. And he said it wasn't hypnosis!
"Then, my sister?"
"She's just a simple idiot, isn't she? I just figured you glasses-girls are probably starved for affirmation, so I flattered her a little..."
"Hehe~ Hehehe!"
Hearing the giggling of someone still immersed in her own world, Yu helplessly pressed his hand over his eyes, his heart feeling as if ten thousand "grass mud horses" were galloping across the plains.
In truth, he initially just wanted to please Yukiko so she would change her mind and at least not be an enemy of the band.
As everyone knows, people emphasize what they lack. Given that Yukiko Hayashi had been harping on her lack of presence since the moment she appeared, he naturally chose the most likely path to success.
He just didn't expect this girl to have such high attack but zero defense. His slight effort was already the limit of her endurance—he had literally flattered her into a daze!
"Hey! Wake up, Yukiko-san. Look at my fingers—how many are there?"
"Huh? Ahem, stop messing around!"
Snapping out of her blissful reverie and seeing four fingers extended in front of her, Yukiko's brain stalled for two seconds before she violently slapped them away!
But even though her reason had returned, she had, in fact, enjoyed it immensely. Right now, clutching her long skirt, her eyes looked like she wanted to kill someone, yet her flushed cheeks completely failed to project any killing intent.
Moreover, after that stunt, she couldn't really stay angry anymore; she could only secretly curse her own lack of willpower.
"In any case, I've thought about the band thing. Since Xuena wants to play, let's keep it from Mom and Dad for now..."
"Hell yeah!"
Taking off her glasses to cheer, Yukiko's sharp eyes caught a metallic glint in her sister's mouth.
In a flash, she grabbed Xuena's little tongue, frowned sternly, and physically plucked the fake tongue stud from her mouth. She then put her hands on her hips and said solemnly, "But I can't let you guys run wild on your own! I must supervise the discipline!"
"Ehh~ Sister, if you want to play with us, you can just say so! So dishonest..."
"Xuena! I am your older sister! Which side are you on, you brat?"
With a terrifying gaze, she pried Xuena's mouth open. The entire area behind Yukiko's glasses turned into an unobservable void—it looked like she was ready to "execute justice" on her own kin!
"Now, now~ don't make things hard for Xuena. Actually, we really do need a backstage manager!"
"Backstage manager?"
Her expression shifted instantly from gloom to indecision. Yukiko wanted to be the center of attention, and the role of backstage manager required her to interface with everyone—that seemed to suit her perfectly!
"Since you put it that way, I'll reluctantly take the—"
...
Ten minutes later, standing in the spotlight of everyone's attention, a bewildered Yukiko Hayashi had turned into a "Red-Hot Overheated Lambo" because that bastard Miyazawa Yuu actually made her act as a human sheet-music stand!
"Hey! Yuu! What kind of backstage manager is this?!"
"Eh? Isn't a backstage manager just for chores? Buying lunch boxes, packing equipment, that sort of thing. We don't have those needs right now, but we're short a music stand..."
"That doesn't mean I should be the one doing it!"
She really wanted to plaster the sheet music and the folder onto Yuu face, but after gnashing her teeth and gesturing for a while, she realized the drummer's seat was too far back—she couldn't reach him!
"Heh~"
Hiding behind the two guitarists, Yu squinted his eyes and let out a heartfelt, mocking, "scummy" smirk. His "Scumbag Index" shot straight into the stratosphere!
"Yoshi! Everyone ready, the first coordination rehearsal begins... Three! Two! One!"
The drumsticks tapped together three times above his head. The bass and drums—lacking much experience in cooperation—instantly fell out of sync. Fortunately, everyone's foundation was terrifyingly strong, allowing them to slowly adjust and bridge the gaps.
Watching the amateur band's tune gradually unify, Yukiko sighed and no longer thought about how to smack Yu.
Although she didn't have the chance to shine on stage, this feeling of being watched by everyone... was actually quite nice?
"Thump!"
Three minutes later, as the final drum beat fell, Yu stretched his wrists and rested the sticks on the drumhead. He confirmed with the honorary captain, Busujima Akiko: "How was it? Aside from the rhythm coordination, any big problems?"
"Mmm-mmm... I can only say, as expected of us? It was practically perfect, except..."
"Hmm? Except what?"
"Nothing..."
Her small gaze was immediately driven back by the fierce light in her sister's eyes. Akiko really wanted to ask if her sister had completely forgotten her bass techniques!
Is university really that good? Her sister was a shut-in who lived for the bass during high school, but after entering university and transforming into a gyaru, it felt like she had been overhauled from head to toe with new parts!
"Right! No problem. Just a few more days of practice and we should be able to match many girl bands. But we still need a Livehouse that accepts newcomers..."
"I'll go find one. As long as the skills are solid and people are willing to buy tickets, we should be able to book a slot somewhere other than the major venues."
Voluntarily raising his hand to take on the job, Yu stood up and threw on his jacket, ready to show the backstage manager the meaning of "grinding"!
As for whether he could find a suitable stage, Livehouses in Tokyo were as common as craters on the moon. Although many had closed due to the economic downturn, plenty were still in business.
Compared to girl bands of varying quality, this temporary band of theirs had the advantage of a harmonious atmosphere and decent chemistry—plus, their individual abilities were terrifyingly strong!
Of course, he was the weak link. After all, his playing came purely from his muscles memorizing every step of the instructional videos.
In short—Brain: "Did I learn it?"
Hands: "Shut up, you stupid, muscle-deficient organ. Bow down to your Forearm Grandfather!"
"Then we'll leave it to Yu-Onii-chan. Also, Sister, please hurry up with your 'rehab.' Livehouses usually require a week's advance booking to get a slot..."
"When we get home, go straight to your room. Remember to bring a washcloth to stuff in your mouth~"
"No personal threats, Busujima! Also, I've discovered a major problem!"
With half his body already out the door, Yu turned back and solemnly voiced a question that shouldn't even exist for a band—what was their band's name?
That's right! Although they had decided to form a band, until now, Miyazawa Yuu still didn't know the name of his own band!
"Hiss... about that~"
"If you can't think of a good name, how about calling it 'Carrying the Girls to Rank Up'!"
Seeing Akiko hesitate, Yu's "abstract" genes flared up. A rotten idea that would ruin the girls' ears immediately popped into his head.
"That's terrible!" x3
"I'd rather not go on stage than have a name like that!"
"Motion seconded!"
"You guys are so bothersome..."
Yu stared at the utterly disgusted girls with dot-eyes, sighing and mourning his brilliant concept that died before it could take flight. It fit the theme perfectly!
Not wanting to hear his grumbling, Akiko originally wanted to just use her previous band's name as a memorial. But looking around at the uniquely assorted, "cobbled-together" members, she suddenly felt like laughing for some reason.
"Molten Flow! It's decided! Our band is called 'Molten Flow'!"