Yamada Ryo's answer made Ijichi Nijika overjoyed.
Ryo had band experience and had performed many times.
With Ryo, tonight's performance would surely satisfy the audience.
And also greatly surprise her older sister.
"That's great! Ryo!"
Ijichi Nijika excitedly spread her arms, and just as Yamada Ryo thought Nijika was going to give her a hug, Nijika instead went to Tsuchigumo Hotaru and bowed deeply.
"Thank you so much, Tsuchigumo-jun, thank you for convincing Ryo. I don't know how to thank you enough."
Nijika looked at Tsuchigumo Hotaru with a blush, as if asking if there was anything she could do.
"It's nothing," Tsuchigumo Hotaru said calmly.
After all, to some extent, he might be the culprit behind Yamada Ryo's obsession with light novels.
"If you need any help, be sure to tell me."
Nijika said seriously again.
Tsuchigumo Hotaru nodded.
Nijika then looked at Ryo, "By the way, Ryo, where's your bass?"
"Wait."
Yamada Ryo went back to her room to get her bass.
After Ryo left, Nijika couldn't help but worry if Tsuchigumo Hotaru would lose the signed book to Ryo.
If that happened, should she stop them?
Nijika's expression was a little embarrassed.
Seeing this, Tsuchigumo Hotaru asked, "What's wrong, Nijika?"
Nijika replied, "Um, Tsuchigumo-jun, is a signed edition very precious?"
So Nijika was worried about this.
Tsuchigumo Hotaru smiled mysteriously, "I have quite a few signed editions."
"Eh… Is that so?"
Nijika was a little surprised but also relieved.
And when Gotou Hitori heard this, her heart jumped.
She accidentally fell into Ryo's pile of books.
"Ow, ah!"
She also wanted a signed edition.
Gotou Hitori made a noise, and Nijika quickly helped her up.
"Are you okay, Hitori?"
"Ah, I'm fine…"
Nijika helped Gotou Hitori up and then picked up her guitar case for her.
Just then, Nijika suddenly thought, Hitori probably doesn't have a band, does she?
Look at this child, so shy.
"By the way, Hitori, would you like to join my band?"
If she had Hitori as a guitarist, as long as Ryo also agreed, her band would start to take shape!
"Ah… ah ah…"
Gotou Hitori's body instinctively almost made her blurt out "Hai!"
Fortunately, she stopped in time.
"You don't have to be so nervous, Hitori."
"Ah, no, it's that I've already agreed to form a band with Tsuchigumo-san."
Gotou Hitori looked at Tsuchigumo Hotaru to explain, embarrassed to face Nijika.
"Eh! Is that so…"
Nijika was first a little regretful, but then became surprised.
"Oh! So Tsuchigumo-jun is also forming a band!"
Come to think of it, she hadn't asked earlier.
Ijichi Nijika scratched her head in embarrassment.
But this was also because too many things had happened since they met.
"What instrument does Tsuchigumo-jun play?"
Nijika asked curiously.
"I play the electronic keyboard," Tsuchigumo Hotaru replied.
"It seems… I've never seen Tsuchigumo-san bring an instrument to school."
Gotou Hitori also asked curiously.
"Cough cough… Because there's no chance to practice at school."
Tsuchigumo Hotaru explained, and the two believed him implicitly.
Actually, that wasn't the case; Tsuchigumo Hotaru just thought that it would be quite troublesome to carry an electronic keyboard every day on a crowded train.
Moreover, an electronic keyboard case isn't as obvious as a guitar or bass case.
It's a long and wide rectangular shape, and carrying it doesn't have the cool, stylish feeling of carrying a guitar case.
An outsider might not even know there's an electronic keyboard inside.
People on a crowded train during rush hour might just secretly complain that you're taking up so much space.
So, Tsuchigumo Hotaru, who advocated for light travel, simply didn't bring it.
As a result, he still hadn't brought an instrument back to school.
"How many people are in Tsuchigumo-jun's band?"
Nijika asked, and at the same time, a glimmer of hope couldn't help but arise in her heart.
She hadn't expected Tsuchigumo-jun to be a rare keyboardist.
It was well known that in a band, keyboardists were very scarce and in demand.
Ryo's previous band didn't have a keyboardist either.
"Right now, it's just me and Hitori."
Tsuchigumo Hotaru replied, and Gotou Hitori nodded mechanically.
"If possible…"
Tsuchigumo Hotaru and Ijichi Nijika spoke at the same time.
"Do you want to form a band together?"
The two asked in unison, with great synchronicity.
As their words fell, Tsuchigumo Hotaru and Ijichi Nijika both smiled.
The meaning was self-evident.
"Hitori, what do you think?"
Tsuchigumo Hotaru deliberately asked.
Gotou Hitori, of course, fully supported it.
Forming a band with people she already knew was much better than meeting new people.
Just then, Yamada Ryo walked over, carrying her bass.
Nijika said excitedly and animatedly, "Ryo, I've already formed a band with Tsuchigumo-jun and Hitori! You should join us too, okay?"
"That way, our band will be complete."
The three all looked at Yamada Ryo.
Yamada Ryo glanced at each of them, a smile playing on her lips.
Ijichi Nijika was full of hope.
"Is that so… I'll think about it."
"Ryo, Tsuchigumo-jun is…"
"A keyboardist."
Yamada Ryo said lightly.
"How did you know?" Nijika was very surprised.
Did he just hear it? Tsuchigumo Hotaru was also very surprised.
Or did he naturally have the aura of a keyboardist?
"A hunch."
Yamada Ryo said proudly, feeling Gotou Hitori's somewhat admiring gaze.
"Then Ryo, you can think…"
"Alright, I'm in."
"…about it."
Nijika was still thinking of giving Ryo a little more time, but Ryo immediately spoke again.
Ijichi Nijika: "Wait, Ryo, what's going on with you?!"
Yamada Ryo asked proudly, "Am I the last one to join? Does that make me the coolest?"
Nijika was slightly helpless, knowing she had been teased by Ryo again.
"Then, let's go back and practice…"
Nijika was about to speak but was interrupted again.
"Want to try it? The keyboard."
Yamada Ryo suddenly looked at Tsuchigumo Hotaru and asked.
Tsuchigumo Hotaru looked puzzled, then nodded.
Yamada Ryo seemed to want to test Tsuchigumo Hotaru's skill level.
…
So, Yamada Ryo led them to a room.
The room was clean, spacious, and tidy.
Only a very prominent piano stood out.
This was Yamada Ryo's mother's piano; Ryo's mother was a piano enthusiast.
However, compared to the piano, Yamada Ryo preferred the bass.
"Wait, Ryo, isn't this a piano?"
What about the keyboard? Nijika raised her doubts; Ryo wasn't going to prank them again, was she?
"They're pretty much the same."
Yamada Ryo said casually.
Tsuchigumo Hotaru's eyes, however, lit up, and he confidently stated that it was no problem.
Since he himself said so, the three watched from the side, all curious about Tsuchigumo Hotaru's skill level.
Tsuchigumo Hotaru approached the seemingly very expensive piano.
He bent his knees, sat up straight, straightened his forearms, slightly curved his fingers, and closed his eyes.
Tsuchigumo Hotaru couldn't help but feel a little excited; this would be his first time playing the piano.
But, coincidentally, the skill he had exchanged for was Lv2 Piano.
Now, he could perfectly display 100% of his ability.
Tsuchigumo Hotaru opened his eyes, and a flash of light seemed to pass through them.
The black and white keys were pressed in a continuous, alternating motion.
The piano sounds, accompanied by the movement of his fingers, entered the ears of the three people beside him.
Tsuchigumo Hotaru played the familiar "Ode to Joy."
The piano music flowed elegantly and lingeringly, like a stream, enchanting everyone. The dancing notes drifted around the room, slowly tugging at the heartstrings of the three, and their emotions ebbed and flowed with the melody.
"How… how amazing!"
Ijichi Nijika's mouth was open in surprise.
Yamada Ryo and Gotou Hitori nodded frantically.
This was already close to professional level, wasn't it?
The girls present were all musically inclined, and although Tsuchigumo Hotaru only played a simple piece, they had already sensed the extraordinary level of Tsuchigumo Hotaru's piano skills.
And this was a piano; surely Tsuchigumo-jun (or Tsuchigumo-san) would find the electronic keyboard even easier.
While feeling fortunate to have such a teammate, they also couldn't help but ask themselves if they could keep up.
As for Tsuchigumo Hotaru, he was immersed in the world of his performance.
He now felt he was the "strongest"!
As for Beethoven, Mozart?
They were just mortals who lived in an era without him!
Of course, this was just Tsuchigumo Hotaru's self-perception.
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