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V4 Chapter 9: Even My Part-Time Job Is Chasing Me
🕑 Added 2025-05-27 06:39:05 +0000 UTCFor crying out loud… even my part-time job is chasing me down.
Kazami Haru stood before the LiveHouse with a slightly complicated expression on his face. After wandering around all morning, he'd somehow ended up back here. Beside him, Yahata Umiri remained perfectly composed, casting a glance his way.
"Kazami-kun, thank you very much for agreeing to help."
Cool and poised as ever, Umiri casually carried her instrument case and spoke in her usual flat tone.
"No need to thank me. I expect payment, of course."
"What kind of payment?"
At that, Yahata blinked and looked like she was seriously considering the question.
Haru raised an eyebrow and said, "Chocolate pudding."
"I see."
It was just a small favor, and Haru didn't have anything planned today anyway.
Besides, it was a nice way to repay the chocolate pudding she'd given him earlier.
As for the favor: she needed help with a performance.
The band Yahata was backing up had run into trouble, their lead guitarist had missed the train.
Worse, their slot for today's Live was near the beginning.
By the time the guitarist made it, the performance would probably already be over.
The band was about to give up entirely… when Haru, a "wild" freelance keyboardist, just happened to be standing next to Yahata. A sign from the heavens, basically.
Yahata had seen Haru play before, during a past Live at STARRY where she was supporting another band.
Back then, when the band's rhythm fell apart, Haru held steady and saved the show with his impromptu solo and top-tier keyboard technique. That's when Yahata had realized just how good he really was.
With Haru around, there was no problem, he could even cover for a missing lead guitarist.
"Kazami-kun, should I borrow a keyboard from the staff?"
"No need. Mine's been at RiNG this whole time."
Haru glanced toward the rehearsal room and sighed inwardly.
Shiina Taki had rented the rehearsal space for half the month to prep for their upcoming Live. Her drums, his keyboard—they'd stored everything there to save time.
As long as they were on-site, they could hop on stage anytime.
Haru didn't think the first time he'd get to enjoy that convenience would be while backing up Yahata Umiri, of all people.
"I see. That makes things easier."
Yahata nodded. Her calm green eyes barely moved as she glanced at the black-haired boy beside her.
"Oh? Haru-kun?"
The voice belonged to Ririko, aka Matsugi Ririko-san, the ever-reliable RiNG staff member overseeing today's Live.
She immediately noticed Haru walking in with Yahata Umiri.
She was familiar with nearly every band member who came through here and Haru, as the "approved owner" of Raana the RiNG cat, was especially memorable.
But today, he wasn't with Taki… instead, he was with the mercenary bassist Yahata?
Weird. How is he on good terms with every girl?
Since the last time he played Live with CRYCHIC, Haru's musical skills had skyrocketed. Thanks to his "Trial Card" and new experience, his raw keyboard level was now consistently above Lv.3.
With his live experience and refined technique, he could rival even pro-level performers.
Yahata led Haru backstage and exchanged a few words with the three band members in need. Then she casually handed Haru a sheet of music, the song they'd be performing.
Her steady green gaze locked onto his face.
"Kazami-kun. Is thirty minutes enough?"
"Let me see."
The moment things turned serious, Haru's usual calm sharpened.
His black eyes scanned the sheet, laser-focused. Without even looking at the keyboard in front of him, he began playing a flawless sequence of notes—an 8/3 rhythm, with smooth transitions and no hesitation.
"Whoa, this guy's amazing!"
"Right? He looks our age but plays like that?"
The band's drummer stared in disbelief. Even the vocalist nodded along.
Haru held the sheet music in his left hand, his right dancing over the keys without once glancing down.
It was unreal.
No matter how familiar you were with the layout of the keys, you couldn't just play perfectly without looking. Especially with a brand-new score.
Yet in less than a minute, Haru had already played through the intro flawlessly.
"…"
Yahata Umiri silently observed his profile, her serene gaze flickering with interest.
As a hired bassist, she'd read the sheet beforehand and was fully prepared, but Haru had been dragged here on the spot with zero warning.
He hadn't prepared at all, he simply glanced over the sheet and instantly memorized it.
Then, after one trial run, he could play it fluidly without a mistake.
Impressive.
Even with experience in thirty different bands, Yahata had never seen a keyboardist like this. His quick adaptability and skill were even more shocking than she remembered.
"No issues. Let's head to the stage."
While Yahata was still processing, Haru had already finished the entire piece and turned toward the group.
His words, calm and steady, carried a strange power.
Almost instantly, the other members found themselves aligning to his tempo. Even Yahata gave a small nod.
Showtime.
Despite the last-minute lineup, the band's performance was carried by Haru's keyboard, which flawlessly replaced the absent lead guitar. He even had the awareness to help correct the rhythm guitarist's mistakes.
He and Yahata moved in perfect sync, as if they'd practiced together for years.
In truth, this was their first time playing together.
But it didn't feel that way at all.
The Live set was only 15 minutes, but their powerful performance drew huge applause. The band, who had been ready to give up, was ecstatic.
"Thank you so much! Please, take this!"
Beaming, the band's vocalist handed Yahata a tea-colored envelope containing their support fee.
All thanks to Haru and Yahata, the band had been saved from disaster.
"Confirmed. Thank you."
Yahata accepted it with a professional nod, her face as calm as ever.
Cold-blooded mercenary U-chan, as cool as ever, took the cash and turned without hesitation.
"Kazami-kun. This is your share."
She immediately pulled out half the fee and held it out toward Haru, her movements smooth and fluid like a premium chocolate commercial.
"Thanks. I'll gladly accept it."
Haru took the cash without protest.
In Yahata's eyes, agreeing to help on such short notice was already a big favor. If Haru hadn't accepted payment, she would've felt it deeply unfair.
Turning down compensation at this point would only make the ever-cool Umiri feel awkward.
Normally, Yahata Umiri kept a certain distance from others. Maybe it was because she didn't like owing people anything. Most of her conversations stayed strictly surface-level.
"Hm?"
Haru glanced at the amount of money he'd just received and blinked in surprise.
It was almost as much as what he made working a full shift at the café.
And this was only half the payment.
All he did was play on stage for fifteen minutes. Just for that, he was walking away with a solid payday.
Suddenly, being a "music mercenary" seemed like really good money.
Yahata, catching onto his expression, casually remarked, "It's only because you helped out that the pay was a little higher this time."
"Music really is expensive, huh."
Haru smirked with a slightly amused expression, lightly teasing the idea.
Noticing the subtle shift on his face, Yahata lifted her deep green eyes to study him. The ends of her dark bangs swayed gently with the motion.
Her voice remained cool and level as she said—
"Being able to play freely without pressure… I imagine it helped clear your head a bit."
"?"
Her words, vague yet oddly precise, made Haru raise an eyebrow ever so slightly.
Just like she said, he did feel much better.
Maybe it was because performing let him immerse himself fully in the music. Feeling his heartbeat sync with the drums, hearing the reverberating sound through his ears, feeling the notes wash over him like waves, it had a kind of cleansing effect.
Yahata seemed to have picked up on the shift in him and was gently pointing it out.
But without waiting for a reply, she simply changed the subject, pulling out her phone with her usual straightforward manner.
"Kazami-kun. Want to exchange LINE info?"
If Haru hadn't known Yahata was a "brother among brothers," he might've misunderstood that line as flirtation.
"I'd like to ask for your help again sometime."
No hesitation. Clear and direct.
It perfectly reflected her upfront and honest nature.
Yahata rarely connected with people on a deeper level. Outside of her classmate Shiina Taki, she didn't really engage meaningfully with others.
But after one session of playing together, she felt something in Haru's music, something she'd never felt from any of the thirty bands she'd supported.
Call it curiosity. Or maybe something more.
She felt a resonance.
"I see."
Haru chuckled, imitating her tone.
Maybe he really was suited for this "mercenary" keyboardist gig.
Unlike guitarists, who were a dime a dozen, bassists and keyboardists with wide musical ranges were rare and perfect for live support roles in multiple bands.
"Not adding me?"
Yahata tilted her head slightly, a bit confused by his silence.
Adding now!
Seeing her cold-yet-candid demeanor made Haru feel oddly relaxed. Without hesitation, he took out his phone and added her on LINE.
"Thanks. I'll contact you later."
Yahata nodded once, packed away her bass, and turned to head toward her next gig.
But just before she walked off, she stopped and glanced back over her shoulder.
"Oh, right. Kazami-kun."
"That earring really suits you."
Haru: ...Huh?
Wait a second. Why do I feel like my "brother" image is starting to get shaky?
The Next Day
"Nnngh~"
A sweet, sleepy voice slipped out of the girl's lips.
Chihaya Anon rubbed her bleary eyes. After a good couple days of rest, her fever had finally broken. Sitting up, she stretched her slim body and arched her back.
Her silky pink hair tumbled over her pale shoulders, slipping down to her chest, revealing a delicate curve along her collarbone.
"Alright! Fully recharged!"
Anon raised a triumphant fist and grinned energetically.
"Can't believe I was out cold for two whole days just from a fever…"
"Mom said Kita-chan and Haru came to visit too… but I don't remember any of it."
Just thinking about how she missed such a perfect opportunity made her puff out her cheeks in frustration.
Why is my body so weak?!
All she did was sneak in a little kiss on the cheek during Haru's visit and boom! Instant cold! Two days wiped from existence!
She'd been planning to use this recovery period as a chance to deepen their connection under the guise of "being looked after"… but it all got ruined in the dumbest way possible.
Not that she minded catching Haru's cold.
But why did her brain have to be so fogged up during his visit?
If only she'd been more aware, she could've totally snuggled up and teased him a little. Haru, ridden with guilt, wouldn't have had the heart to refuse!
"Ughhh… I'm such an idiot!"
A flustered Anon grabbed her pink hair and gave it a chaotic fluffing.
Still, she vaguely remembered parts of a "dream" she'd had while feverish and the frustration started to ease a little.
She couldn't remember the whole thing, just snippets.
But she knew it had been sweet. She could almost feel Haru's warmth around her, like she'd really been in his arms, kissed and comforted.
It was even better than her old "prophetic dreams."
"Hehe…"
"No, no! I can't just live in my fantasies!"
Shaking her head like a bobblehead, Anon slapped her cheeks to refocus and leapt out of bed.
A woman who gets lost in her cravings is a pathetic one!
Instead of spending every night in dreamland with her "boyfriend," she needed to work harder in real life and claim Haru for real! Only then could she enjoy the spoils of her victory without guilt!
Just thinking about it filled her with determination.
"I haven't practiced at RiNG for two days… Let's check the group chat!"
Curious, Anon—also the group's chat admin—opened her phone and scrolled through the messages.
Nothing.
She blinked, confused.
Normally by now, Shiina Taki would've posted something—like a reminder for group practice or an update on training plans.
But today, there was nothing.
"Weird… What's Taki even up to?"
Frowning, Anon quickly sent two messages to the band group chat:
[Tokyo Anon: @everyone I'm fully recovered from my cold! Ready to train anytime again! Let's resume band uniform design and ops! How's everyone else doing? cheeky JPG]
[Tokyo Anon: @Shiina Taki, Rikki~! No practice today? I haven't heard the new song yet either!]
A moment later:
[PenguinIsCute: Welcome back, Anon-chan]
[Nagasaki Soyo: Welcome~ Looks like both you and Haru are fully recovered! But Taki-chan's been buried in composition the last couple days. Not sure when we'll be practicing again.]
"Huh?"
Anon tilted her head, exposing her cute little fangs.
"Rikki's still composing?"
A sudden chill ran down her spine.
She didn't want to jump to conclusions, but…
Taki had taken over practice duties when Haru got sick. Now that Haru was better, it had already been two days with no word from Taki.
"This can't be good!"
Anon, suddenly anxious, opened her private chat with Haru and began tapping frantically on her screen.
