He felt a trace of helplessness.
What exactly had he come here for, anyway?
Sure, he did have the idea of finding piano-related work—but at this stage, he absolutely did not want to get tangled up with an agency.
Whatever. He was still technically an amateur for now. He'd just play however he normally played.
With that thought, Asai Yu chose a relatively difficult piece—Flight of the Bumblebee—and began to play.
His fingers skimmed across the keys at blistering speed. The scales and notes surged forward like a swarm of startled hornets suddenly taking flight, their wings beating so fast they blurred into a single buzzing roar.
The technical difficulty of the piece wasn't extreme, but for ordinary listeners, the sheer shock value on a first hearing was more than enough.
Misumi Uika stood frozen at the side, her mouth hanging open.
"Wow… that's amazing—"
A distinct sparkle flashed through Sumita Mana's brown eyes as well.
The manager's reaction, however, was far calmer. She was mildly surprised, nothing more. In the industry, this level could only be described as upper-mid tier.
Asai Yu continued playing with full force—when suddenly, a familiar system voice rang out in his mind.
[Piano Level lv1 → Piano Level lv2]
[Piano Level lv2]
…Huh?
A breakthrough on the spot?!
Level 2 piano skill—did that mean his playing had officially crossed into professional territory?
His hands paused for just a split second before continuing.
Yet in that brief hesitation, he suddenly realized his understanding of Flight of the Bumblebee had leapt to an entirely higher dimension.
Speed, stamina—both had improved noticeably. Even the finer details he used to struggle with now appeared crystal clear.
Enjoying the novelty of the breakthrough, Asai Yu still deliberately finished the piece at roughly his previous "amateur" level.
He'd always mocked novel protagonists for conveniently breaking through in the middle of a fight. Turns out, when enough quantitative change piled up, qualitative change really did just… happen.
"Well, it was decent, but—" the manager began to comment, only to be interrupted.
Asai Yu shook his head. "Hold on. There's one more."
Without waiting for her reply, he pressed the first key.
After just a few notes, the manager's expression grew serious. She leaned in, listening intently.
What piece is this…?
A moment later, her eyes widened in shock.
Chopin's Winter Wind Étude?!
This piece wasn't easy—at all.
And that proficiency, that control…
Was this really the same boy from just a moment ago?!
This was completely beyond amateur level. This was unmistakably professional—someone who'd undergone serious training.
Had she misjudged him earlier?
Uika and Mana didn't fully grasp the technicalities, but their absolute pitch told them one thing clearly: This piece was on a completely different level from the previous one.
When the final note faded, Asai Yu lowered his hands, reasonably satisfied.
He'd always struggled with this piece before. After breaking into the professional tier, though, it suddenly felt much more manageable. There were still minor flaws, but nothing that truly mattered.
He stood up and turned around—only to find the manager's face uncomfortably close to his.
"Would you be interested in joining our agency?" she asked, her gaze sincere.
What she valued wasn't just his current skill, but his potential. From those two performances alone, she'd caught the unmistakable scent of a genius.
To be honest, Asai Yu had no intention of signing with an agency right now. Too restrictive. Especially when he still had the system to consider.
The group returned to the dressing room.
Asai Yu laid out his conditions plainly.
"I generally only have time between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. in the evenings—and even then, it's not always guaranteed. If you can accept that, then we're fine."
The manager's face immediately showed hesitation.
"That might be a bit…"
Seeing this, Mana quickly stepped in.
"Then how about I talk things over with Asai-san first?"
After a brief moment of thought, the manager nodded in agreement.
Soon, only Asai Yu, Mana, and Uika remained in the room.
"Thanks—you really helped us out back there, Asai-kun."
Mana clasped her hands together, her tone full of gratitude.
"If Saori-san had found out about all that, my freedom at the agency would've been seriously restricted."
"It was nothing," Asai Yu replied casually.
If anything, he was in a good mood—his piano skill had jumped significantly, after all.
"Um… Asai-kun, do you really need piano-related work?" Mana asked curiously.
"More or less. If it's between 7 and 10 p.m., that is," he answered.
At those words, an image of a certain blue-haired girl flashed through Uika's mind.
Come to think of it… Sakiko-chan is really good at piano too.
I wonder how she compares to Asai-kun.
"Oh! Speaking of which," Mana said with a smile, raising a finger, "I actually have a job that would be perfect for Asai-kun—and it's piano-related."
The two of them discussed the details carefully.
In short: Mana had a friend who wanted to learn piano and was looking for a private instructor. The offered pay was 20,000 yen per hour, and Asai Yu could try it out first.
Naturally, Asai Yu had a lot of questions—did he need certifications, for example? The conditions sounded too good.
Mana assured him none of that was necessary, since he was her personal recommendation.
Receiving such a favor through her connections, Asai Yu felt genuinely grateful.
Before anything else, though, there would be an evaluation of his teaching ability. The time and place were settled: two weeks later, at an apartment in Osaka's Nishi Ward.
Asai Yu decided to give it a shot. If it worked out, even better—it would save him from constantly running to instrument shops just to test his skills.
After chatting a bit more, Asai Yu left the dressing room and prepared to leave the live house.
That was when Uika chased after him.
"Asai-kun! I still really feel bad about everything… If you have time, could I treat you to a meal?"
Given her sincerity, he saw no reason to refuse.
"Sure. Two weeks from now. You're an idol, so your schedule's tighter—just arrange it yourself."
"Okay! Thank you so much!"
Uika finally felt a weight lift off her chest.
After saying goodbye, Asai Yu returned to his rented apartment.
At 10:30 p.m., he once again slipped into Togawa Sakiko's life.
"Awake?" Sakiko asked.
"Yeah. Slept like a rock," Asai Yu replied, glancing at the six or seven lines of sheet music on the computer screen.
"I thought it was strange yesterday," Sakiko said slowly.
"Can you arrange music even while you're asleep?"
The question had been lingering in her mind ever since.