“Whatever you want.” Touma didn’t really care about the account’s name.
After all, he had never intended to live Sakiko’s life forever.
He was only here to reap all kinds of buffs and rewards, while making the experience go a little more smoothly.
Watching his own hands type the word “Oblivionis” as the account name, Sakiko felt an inexplicable surge of excitement.
Just then, another message arrived from Matsugi Ririko.
A new band from Tsukinomori had come looking to buy a song.
The lyrics had already been sent over, and the payment would be 100,000 yen.
“Time to get to work, Maestro Sakiko.” Touma opened the composition software.
“Oh, right.
Let’s get started.” Sakiko snapped back to reality and quickly began guiding him.
While following her instructions, Touma quietly picked up her approach to composing.
By the time today’s experience period ended, Touma returned to his own body.
He checked the time.
It wasn’t even seven in the evening yet.
After opening his chat with Sumita Mana and confirming the interview’s time and address, Touma headed out.
After taking the train and walking for a while, he arrived at her apartment and rang the doorbell.
A series of light footsteps came from inside, and the front door opened.
Standing there was…
Sumita Mana?
“Good evening, Asai-kun.
Come on in.” Sumita Mana greeted him with a bright smile.
Though puzzled, Touma nodded and stepped inside.
“Good evening, Ms.
Sumita.” The apartment was quite spacious.
Only a fairly well-off family could afford a place like this.
But even after entering the living room and taking a seat, Touma didn’t see anyone besides Sumita Mana.
“What about your friend?” he asked in confusion.
Sumita Mana brought over a teapot and two cups, placed them on the table, then pointed at her own face with both hands and smiled.
“That friend is me, of course!” Seriously?
People on the internet joked all the time about “asking for a friend,” and today he’d actually run into it in real life!
Wait…
This idol wasn’t planning something strange, was she?
He had plenty of confidence in his appearance.
At school, he’d easily rank among the more handsome boys.
Thinking that, Touma instinctively became more guarded.
“Don’t look at me like that, Asai-kun.
I really do want to learn the piano!” Noticing his wary expression, Sumita Mana puffed out her cheeks slightly as she explained, “I didn’t tell you directly that day because I was worried Ui-chan would overhear and it might cause some trouble.” “I’ll only be teaching piano.” Touma nodded.
Seeing that, Sumita Mana sighed helplessly, poured him a cup of tea, and placed it in front of him.
“Please, Asai-kun.” Instead of drinking it immediately, Touma set it aside.
“Let’s discuss the details of the piano lessons first.” “Huh?
You’re willing to teach me?” Sumita Mana looked pleasantly surprised.
“Of course.
I don’t really have any reason to refuse.” Touma nodded.
Hearing that, Sumita Mana clasped her hands together, delight flashing across her eyes.
“That’s wonderful.” She then began explaining the details.
“First, about the location.
I bought this apartment a long time ago, but for the past two years, most of my work has been in Tokyo.
I usually only come back to Osaka and stay here during concert tours.” Bought?
Touma was stunned.
Although it wasn’t in the city center, an apartment of around one hundred square meters had to cost at least forty to fifty million yen.
Did being an idol really pay that well?!
“So I’d like to ask if you could come to Tokyo to teach me piano!” She hurriedly continued, “Of course, I know you have plenty of things to do in Osaka, like school.” “So you’d have to travel back and forth between Tokyo and Osaka, and each trip takes at least four hours.” “That’s why, if you’re willing to come, I’ll raise your hourly rate by a lot.” She rattled everything off in one breath, afraid something might go wrong.
When Touma first heard he’d have to travel to Tokyo, he had been ready to decline.
But the moment he heard “higher hourly pay,” his interest returned.
“How much per hour?” “Fifty thousand yen an hour, two hours a day.” Sumita Mana first held up five fingers, then switched to two as she smiled.
She added, “Sometimes my idol work gets too busy, so I won’t have time for lessons.
On those days, you won’t need to come.” One trip would earn him 100,000 yen?
Touma suddenly felt as though he were being kept.
No, this was a resource he’d obtained through his own ability and connections!
A round trip, including the lesson itself, would only take about six hours.
The two hours spent traveling could easily be handled while in experience mode.
After weighing the pros and cons, Touma agreed without hesitation.
“Sure.
No problem.” “That’s great, Asai-kun.
Thank you so much!” Sumita Mana happily stood up and gave him a small bow.
“Um…
I have lots of donuts in different flavors.
Would you like some?” She hurried into the kitchen, came back with a bag of donuts, and smiled.
Touma shook his head.
Eating too many of those made his teeth hurt.
The two of them discussed a few more details about the lessons before Touma finally left the apartment.
Sumita Mana would let him know when the lessons would officially begin.
After the boy left, Sumita Mana returned to her bedroom, threw herself onto the bed, hugged her donut-shaped pillow tightly, and rubbed her round cheeks against it.
“Yay…” Savoring the lingering sweetness of the donut in her mouth, her eyes filled with anticipation for the future.
She was certain she was simply happy because she was finally going to learn the piano.
There definitely wasn’t any other reason.
Back in his rented apartment, Touma couldn’t shake the feeling that everything involving Sumita Mana had been strangely surreal.
Something about it felt off.
Still, he didn’t dwell on it.
As long as it didn’t negatively affect him, that was enough.
Just then, he noticed a message from Misumi Hatsune on his phone.
She said that sumimi would be returning to Tokyo the day after tomorrow, so she wanted to invite him to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant at seven o’clock tomorrow evening.
Touma replied: “No problem.” To be honest, ever since reincarnating in Japan, he still hadn’t had sushi.
This was the perfect opportunity to finally give it a try.
Nothing noteworthy happened that night, and before long it was six o’clock the next morning.
To make the best use of his time, Touma entered Sakiko’s body as soon as he woke up.
He found himself lying in bed under the covers.
There was no voice in his mind, so Sakiko’s consciousness was probably still asleep.
This time, he didn’t intentionally wake her.
Instead, he walked over to the computer and checked on the new song’s progress.
Quite a bit more had been completed.
It seemed Sakiko really had worked hard the previous night.
After washing up, Touma headed out and made his way to Tsukinomori Girls’ Academy.