At the end of October, the green branches on the streets gradually turned yellow, and the hot weather slowly became cooler, the feeling of autumn growing stronger.
After the summer vacation ended, Chisato's school life resumed as usual, uneventful and just as ordinary as before.
After Kazusa left, he officially inherited the music classroom, spending his lunch break there every day with Hitori.
As for the "STARRY" entertainment company, after Kudou Miyoko's involvement, its development pace was slow but it was indeed moving forward, bit by bit.
Regarding Kudou Miyoko's suggestion of finding a manager for the Kesshoku Band, Chisato had thought about it deeply for a long time.
At first, he was somewhat resistant to the idea, as he didn't trust anyone other than himself with the Kesshoku Band.
The four girls were rather inexperienced in the ways of the world, and he always worried they would be taken advantage of once out of his sight.
However, until he thought of the perfect candidate.
If he could persuade that person, his worries would be gone.
The candidate was already decided, and now it was a matter of persuasion.
This person had their own life and career, and their path was mostly set.
It would likely be hard to convince them to step out of their comfort zone, but even if it was difficult, it was worth a try.
Chisato had spent several days gathering information to increase his chances of persuading this person, and he was now fully prepared, hoping for a positive outcome tonight.
After school, Chisato and Hitori left the school gates and headed to the familiar STARRY Hall.
At this time, the lights on the sign outside the hall were still off. It wouldn't be until around 7 PM, after most people got off work, that the place would start to come alive.
As they pushed open the door and entered, a sweet scent of cream filled the air.
"Ijichi-chan, Suzumiya-kun, you're here! I bought some cake on the way. There's some for you too, come eat with us!"
Nijika greeted them warmly, while Ryo, with her mouth full, waved her hand at them.
Since their school was nearby, they often came here during their free time.
Chisato waved his hand to tell Hitori to join the others while he smiled and headed toward the bar counter.
Seika was sitting there.
In front of her was the store's revenue ledger, and she was holding a pen to her temple, looking troubled.
Chisato had been casually gathering information about her in the past few days and now understood the cause of her expression.
At the end of the month, she had to tally up the store's materials and drink stock and accurately calculate the revenue for the month.
While not particularly difficult, it was a tedious process that required patience and attention to detail.
However, Seika was not particularly patient.
After working on something monotonous for too long, she was bound to start zoning out, and Chisato had also heard from her sister that "my older sister has always struggled with math since she was in school."
Knowing this, Chisato understood how best to help her.
"Manager, let me help," he said, putting down his bag and moving to her side. He took the ledger from her and grabbed the pen from her hand.
Seika looked at him thoughtfully.
"You're suddenly being so nice, huh?
I've asked you before to help with the accounts, but back then, you gave me a ruthless refusal, saying, 'This is the manager's job,' and went on about how I'd have to do it myself if you weren't here someday...
so you didn't want to help me," she remarked, a little suspicious.
It was great to have someone else help with something troublesome, but Seika couldn't shake the feeling that Chisato was up to something.
"Things are different now," Chisato said with a sheepish smile, trying to ease her concerns. "I've changed my mind."
Seika propped her chin up and looked at him. "Oh? Tell me more."
"It's simple. Learning is endless. I feel like I have a lot of shortcomings, so I think everything is worth trying."
Chisato pulled over a nearby stool, quickly using the calculator to work out the numbers, then wrote them down in the ledger.
"Nice words, huh? You're actually serious about this?" Seika was skeptical.
The more she interacted with Chisato, the more she realized how slippery he could be.
Although she didn't have to worry about his character or him causing her harm, she couldn't afford to be too careless.
For instance, the last time, he had half-persuaded and half-coaxed her to go with him to Ikuyo's house and make promises to her parents.
She hadn't realized how awkward it would be sitting on that couch while being stared at by the parents.
It would have been fine if he went alone, but he had insisted that with an adult present, his words would be more convincing.
Now that she thought about it, he was right. But being dragged around by a kid her sister's age, even if it was for a good cause, still didn't sit right with her.
"Aren't you going to show your sincerity to Hitori-chan instead? I don't need it," she teased, stretching and grabbing a can of beer, preparing to leave.
"But anyway, thanks for helping. After you finish with the accounts, could you also check the stock of drinks in the warehouse? I'll treat you to oden tonight."
"Wait, Seika-nee, don't go yet, I have something to talk to you about."
"Oh?"
Seika gave him a mischievous smile.
"I knew it! You're finally going to show your hand, huh? Go ahead," she said knowingly.
"It's not a big deal. I'm just a bit lost about my future and wanted to talk to you about it," Chisato confessed.
"You're confused about your future?"
Seika couldn't hold back a laugh.
"Writing songs, attending various events with them, founding an entertainment company, and gradually getting it on the right track...
you've even used the name of my shop for it. All of this is hardly something someone who's confused about their future would do."
Perhaps realizing that the topic she introduced was somewhat forced, Chisato coughed.
"Let's stick to the facts. While it may seem like I'm busy now, some things you only understand after doing them. It's like you, the shop owner."
"Me?"
"Yes, even though you run an exhibition hall and make pretty good income now, don't you sometimes think, 'What if I didn't run the shop and worked in another field?'"
"Heh, if I didn't run the shop, would you support me?"
"Sure."
Faced with Seika's half-joking remark, Chisato stopped writing and turned her head to look at her, giving her a serious gaze.
Seika froze for a moment, then gave him a sharp glare. After that, she grabbed a can of beer, tilted her head back, and took several gulps.
The cold alcohol calmed her mood. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"So, what exactly do you want to say?"
Chisato didn't directly respond.
"I heard from Nijika that you used to form a band, right?"
"Ah, yes, that was a long time ago. Why bring this up all of a sudden?"
"I heard that at that time, because of the band, you didn't have much communication with your family, and your relationship with Nijika wasn't as harmonious as it is now."
After a brief silence, Seika shook her head slightly and sighed.
"Nijika really tells you everything, huh? What else did she say?"
"She said that during the time when your mother passed away, it was you who supported her.
After you learned of her dream to enter the music festival scene, you left the band, opened this shop, and worked hard to support her dreams by replacing your late mother and contributing to the household finances."
"She said you sacrificed your own dreams to pave the way for your sister. Nijika is really clear about this, and in my eyes, you're a very cool person."
"Wow... I can't believe you could say such embarrassing things with a straight face. It gave me goosebumps."
Well, it seems the emotional approach didn't work much on the shop owner, so I'll change my method. Time to be more direct.
"Actually, there's been an idea in my mind for a long time, though it might sound sudden.
But I want you to consider whether, with the current material conditions, it's time to revive your old dreams."
"You want me to re-debut and form a band? Suzumiya, do you know how old I am now?"
"Dreams aren't tied to age."
"That's something only someone your age could say. I don't have the energy or the mindset to get back on stage now."
Seika looked at the hall, watching her sister, who was laughing and joking with friends.
"At this point, I'm satisfied just watching Nijika step forward toward her dreams like this."
"Just quietly watching... I see. Everyone has their own ideas. I really envy Nijika for having such a great sister."
"Even if you flatter me like this, you're not going to get any tangible benefits."
"That's sincere; I don't have any ulterior motives. But after hearing what you just said, I've come up with a new idea."
"Huh?"
"Is watching quietly really enough?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well... not being satisfied with just watching from the sidelines and silently supporting your sister's development, but actually standing by her side, participating, and helping her move forward with the dream you entrusted to her… something like that."
Seika clearly froze. Her gaze dropped from Chisato's face to the ground, then became vacant, as if lost in thought.
After waiting patiently for a while, she snapped back to reality.
"I see. After such a long detour, this was your goal all along."
Seika didn't show any displeasure. Chisato smiled and shrugged, admitting it, then continued,
"If possible, I don't want to trouble you, but the reality is, as a male, it's really not ideal for me to stay around them all the time.
As their popularity increases, if some ill-intentioned person snaps a photo and twists the situation, it could lead to a messy scandal, which would be very troublesome."
"So?"
"So if possible, I'd like to ask you to look after them as their manager. You're the only person I truly trust."
"You really know how to say nice things..."
Chisato's proposal caused Seika to waver. She took another sip of her beer.
"I can't give you an answer right away."
She didn't refuse, but didn't immediately agree either, politely stating that she needed time to think. After all, it was a significant choice for her future life.
"It's fine, take your time. I hope you'll agree, but even if you don't, I'll still look after them as I always have. That won't change, so don't worry."
Chisato understood. To him, the fact that Seika was willing to consider it meant he was already halfway to success.
As for Seika's concerns, he understood them well. The first issue was the Starry Hall.
If she agreed to be the band's manager, her focus would be divided. In that case, he'd need to find someone to fill her role at the hall.
That wouldn't be too hard to solve. The sound technician, Miss PA, was reliable, familiar with the shop, and had a long-standing friendship with Seika.
Whenever she wasn't available, he could leave the shop's management to her without any issues.
Chisato felt that Seika would figure this out easily, so he didn't need to mention it.
And there was another thing. While his proposal was nice, as an adult, Seika's concerns weren't just about dreams or passion.
She would be focused on practical matters, like tangible income and future potential.
In short, Chisato had to make her understand that working with him wouldn't leave her at a disadvantage.
Such matters couldn't be proven with words alone, so Chisato had already planned to show her the reality of the situation.
Nothing is more convincing than seeing something with your own eyes.
"As for my proposal, take your time considering it. But this weekend, I hope you can make some time."
"What's up?"
"I got them a gig, it's a performance at an amusement park, and I'd like you to come see it."
"They perform almost every night at Starry Hall. Is it necessary?"
"It's not about watching them perform, but about seeing the current state of Starry Entertainment Company's development."
"?"
Though somewhat confused, Seika nodded and agreed.
Mainly because she had no other plans for that weekend.
"Alright, it's settled then."
"As usual, should I drive?"
"No need. Unless it's something special, you won't have to drive in the future."
Chisato smiled. He believed that after this weekend, and with Nijika's help, Seika would make the decision he wanted.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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