The next afternoon, which was the first afternoon of Golden Week.
The sun was shining brightly, and the street where RiNG was located was much livelier than usual; the holiday crowds made the air feel bustling.
Amaya Yuu had specifically arrived fifteen minutes early, carrying a bulging eco-bag on his back that contained the “strategic supplies” he had meticulously prepared.
He had thought he was the first to arrive, but upon pushing open the door to RiNG, he saw Shiina Taki already sitting on a chair in the center of the lobby.
This was the first time Amaya Yuu had seen Shiina Taki in casual clothes.
She was wearing a sharp white jacket over a form-fitting black tank top, paired with a light blue denim miniskirt, and a pair of classic black-and-white high-top canvas shoes on her feet, which swayed gently in rhythm with her crossed legs.
As the saying goes, the outfit might be basic, but the person is anything but.
Or rather, the simple attire only served to highlight her natural beauty; the fresh combination of the white shirt and denim skirt could not hide her already outstanding figure and delicate facial features for her age.
The tear mole under the corner of her left eye was a stroke of genius, a brilliant masterpiece.
According to Amaya Yuu’s estimation, it was a conservatively estimated 9, or even 10, on a scale of super-high charm.
She was wearing wireless headphones, her body leaning slightly back against the chair, her clear purple eyes quietly gazing at her phone screen, the whole person exuding a cold, unapproachable air.
Although Shiina Taki was staring at her phone screen while sitting in the chair, her mind was completely elsewhere; she hadn’t even turned on the noise-canceling mode on her headphones.
Therefore, the moment Amaya Yuu pushed the door open, she had already noticed.
She took off her wireless headphones and lowered the leg she had unconsciously crossed, but after doing so, she suddenly didn’t know what to say.
She paused for a moment before speaking in a low, muffled voice:
“…Good afternoon, Amaya-san.”
Unexpectedly, Shiina Taki, who had been so imposing during their first meeting, was actually somewhat reserved in private.
This slight contrast made Amaya Yuu chuckle.
“Good afternoon, Shiina-san.
I didn’t expect you to take this rehearsal so seriously and arrive so early.”
“I’m just used to arriving early,” she replied, looking away with a flat tone.
Amaya Yuu nodded noncommittally and sat down in the seat next to her.
“That’s a good habit.”
Upon hearing this, Taki glanced at him sideways with her purple eyes, chose to remain silent, and put her headphones back on.
But fortunately, the silence didn’t last long.
The glass door of RiNG was pushed open again, triggering a crisp, urgent chime from the wind bell on the door.
“S-sorry!
Am I the last one?!” Chihaya Anon almost rushed in, her long pink hair clinging messily to her cheeks, which were flushed from running.
She was carrying a guitar case almost as tall as she was, and in her arms, she clutched a heavy tote bag filled with effect pedals and sheet music, looking like she was moving house.
“Ha…
ha…” She panted for a few breaths while holding her knees, then looked up, her gaze immediately colliding with Amaya Yuu and Shiina Taki, who were sitting there.
Seeing that Taki was already there, Anon’s face was instantly filled with the words “I’m done for.”
“Sh-Shiina-san!
Amaya-san!
Good afternoon!” She quickly stood up straight, trying to salvage some image, but the weight of the guitar case made her wobble.
“Good afternoon.”
Taki just glanced at her indifferently, her gaze lingering for a moment on that huge guitar case.
She didn’t say anything further and put her wireless headphones back on—the ones she had taken off the moment Anon entered—the meaning was clear: she didn’t want to chat with her.
“Good afternoon.” Amaya Yuu smiled and helped her steady the tote bag that was about to slide off: “Don’t rush, don’t rush, the timing is just right.
Chihaya Anon, your gear looks very professional.”
“Ehehe~” Anon smiled a bit embarrassedly and relaxed slightly, but her eyes couldn’t help but glance toward Taki; clearly, the other girl’s low pressure was putting a lot of pressure on her.
Just then, the door was gently pushed open again, and Takamatsu Tomori timidly poked her head in.
Today, she was wearing a loose, light gray hooded sweatshirt and dark denim shorts, almost as if she wanted to hide herself inside her clothes, and on her back was a canvas bag that looked like it was packed with quite a few things.
Taki, who was to the side, immediately—or perhaps one could even say somewhat eagerly—got up and walked to her side, naturally taking the bag from her shoulder.
“Good afternoon, Tomori.”
“Thank you, Taki-san…
G-good afternoon.” Tomori’s voice was as light as a feather, her gaze sweeping quickly across the room before finally resting quietly on Amaya Yuu.
“Good afternoon, Tomori,” Amaya Yuu responded naturally.
Seeing her dressed like this, he felt it added a bit more softness to her than when she was at school.
Everyone sat on the chairs and waited for a while longer, and then Nagasaki Soyo also appeared, carrying her bass case.
She always seemed to be able to appear precisely at the not-too-early, not-too-late moment.
Today, she was wearing a white short-sleeved top decorated with delicate ruffles at the collar and cuffs, paired with a printed off-white skirt, looking elegant and layered.
“Good afternoon, everyone.
It’s such a nice day.” A flawless, gentle smile hung on Soyo’s face, and her gaze swept lightly over everyone.
“It seems everyone arrived on time; that’s great.”
Taki finally took off her headphones and stood up, concise and to the point: “Everyone’s here, so let’s not waste time.”
She was the first to shoulder her own heavy-looking bag, and in her hand, she carried Tomori’s equally heavy-looking canvas bag, walking toward the practice room area.
Anon hurriedly and clumsily shouldered her guitar case and picked up her tote bag to follow, and Tomori also silently quickened her pace.
Amaya Yuu and Nagasaki Soyo, who were trailing behind, exchanged a smile and followed their footsteps toward the practice room.
On the other side,
The afternoon sun, slanting westward, warmed the glass display window of “Echo Music.”
Togawa Sakiko stood outside the shop door and took a deep breath, as if to replace all the stifling air from that dilapidated apartment in her lungs.
Pushing open the shop door, the wind bell above the lintel emitted a crisp ding-dong sound.
The shop was filled with the pleasant scent of wood and a faint smell of lemon polish, completely different from the noisy office where she usually worked.
“Welcome.” A middle-aged man with black-rimmed glasses and a gentle demeanor looked up from behind the counter with a kind smile on his face.
“Do you need help looking at guitars?”
“Hello, I am here for the part-time job interview; I made an appointment beforehand.” Togawa Sakiko bowed slightly, her voice remaining calm, but her fingertips clasped in front of her applied slight pressure.
The manager nodded knowingly, without much small talk, and started the interview right then and there.
The questions were practical: How much do you know about musical instruments?
Can you handle simple instrument maintenance work?
How would you deal with picky customers?
Togawa Sakiko answered them one by one, her tone steady and her logic clear.
The foundation of the elite education she had received since childhood was undoubtedly revealed at this moment; even though her family had fallen on hard times, the etiquette and knowledge engraved in her bones would not easily disappear.
She could even speak insightfully about the influence of different woods on guitar tone.
The manager listened carefully, nodding with satisfaction occasionally, and even showed an expression of surprise from time to time when Sakiko expressed unique insights.
“Hmm, I understand the basic situation.” The manager closed the notebook in his hand and revealed a gentle smile.
“Our working hours here are relatively fixed, and most of our customers are music enthusiasts, so the environment is relatively simple.”
“If you think the pay is suitable, you can come for a trial shift tomorrow.
Of course, since it’s currently the holiday period, I will pay the corresponding holiday wages.”
Togawa Sakiko was stunned for a few seconds, as if she hadn’t expected it to go so smoothly.
She quickly gathered herself and bowed deeply again: “Thank you very much!
I will work hard!”
The salary for this job was not only more suitable for her compared to the online customer service role, but the pay was also more generous, and the working hours were more reasonable.
Walking out of the shop, the afternoon sun spilled onto her without reservation, bringing a long-lost, real sense of warmth.
She took out her phone, wanting to send a thank-you message to Amaya Yuu, but put it down again after remembering that she didn’t have his contact information.
Togawa Sakiko still had to go to work at another company in the afternoon, so she had to set off toward the train station, her steps a little lighter than when she arrived.