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Chapter 90: Chisato’s Heart Treatment and Other Matters
🕑 Added 2025-02-09 01:04:15 +0000 UTCA support member—
Was essentially a non-permanent band member.
Someone who helped out when needed,
But wasn't officially part of the group.
Nijika had clearly noticed that Minami didn't want to join Kessoku Band—
So she had offered this alternative.
This way,
When they introduced the song,
They could still credit him as their support member—
Allowing Minami to retain his creative rights.
Hearing this,
Minami looked at Nijika for a long moment.
He hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
And judging by Nijika's expression,
If he refused,
She likely wouldn't accept I Don't Want to Die in Loneliness.
Minami shook his head.
No wonder she was called "Great Angel Nijika" in online forums and video essays.
Even in this life,
He could feel how much she truly cared for him.
After thinking for a moment,
He dropped the hesitation and nodded.
"Alright."
"That's great!"
Nijika let out a breath of relief.
Finally getting his agreement,
She and Kita cheered together.
Meanwhile,
Ryo, who had been listening silently,
Was now seriously considering...
How much she could exploit Minami's new "junior status".
As for Gotoh Hitori—
She couldn't stop glancing at Minami-kun.
Even though he was only a support member—
Didn't this mean she would get to see him more often?
Probably... right?
I-I'm his senpai now, right?
Since Minami-kun is in the band now,
Wouldn't it be totally normal to use my senpai privileges to ask him to spend more time with me?!
R-right?!
Hitori's blushing face peeked out from under her bangs.
She started giggling to herself.
Minami, completely unaware that two girls were already plotting their "senpai privileges" against him,
Would probably just laugh it off even if he did know.
To him,
Being a support member was no big deal.
At most,
His name would just be attached to the band,
And unlike Hitori,
He wouldn't have to pay for venue fees.
It didn't affect him much—
So he figured he might as well accept.
And besides—
There was an advantage for him too.
He glanced at the four girls of Kessoku Band.
Right now,
They were still inexperienced in rock music.
But in the simulations—
They were on a whole different level.
In the future—
Hitori Gotoh would become Japan's top guitar queen.
Any guitar model she played would sell out instantly.
Yamada Ryo would become a true bass prodigy.
Her cool, androgynous beauty and masterful bass skills
Would captivate both young and old fans alike.
As for Kita Ikuyo and Ijichi Nijika—
There was no need to even explain.
A drummer and a vocalist were irreplaceable in any band.
Nijika, the social genius,
Would become a drum legend.
Kita, known for her unmatched talent in both singing and guitar,
Would grace the cover of Rockin' Japan magazine.
Even though their future nicknames were all incredibly cringe,
It was still a fact—
That Kessoku Band would dominate Japan's music scene.
By then—
There would be countless musicians
Begging to become their support member.
But right now?
Minami was getting in before they blew up.
Being a support member,
Even if he wasn't official,
Came with a lot of perks.
But before all that—
"Since I'm a support member now…"
"That means I have the right to upload content on Kessoku Band's video channel, right?"
Minami asked bluntly.
Yes.
Monetizing online videos was one of his top priorities.
Ever since buying a mini-fridge,
Plus his habit of buying books,
His savings had already dried up.
Right now,
He barely had 30,000 yen left.
At Japan's cost of living,
That was just enough to survive the rest of the month if he was extremely frugal.
But it was only the beginning of June.
If he didn't start making money online soon,
He'd probably have to start foraging for wild vegetables like Ryo.
(Yes, in the original manga, Yamada Ryo actually foraged for wild vegetables.)
Before that happened,
He needed to upload his first video.
Kessoku Band should have already set up their video account.
So as their support member,
Borrowing their platform was perfectly reasonable.
And later—
If their popularity skyrocketed,
Their success might even boost his own earnings.
If worst came to worst,
He could still take Seika's job offer.
Minami had already planned it all out.
His backups had backups.
There was no way he was starving.
And to him,
His request was completely logical.
So as the leader of Kessoku Band,
Nijika naturally didn't see any issue with it.
After all, the current Kessoku Band was nothing like the nationwide sensation they would become in the simulation.
Right now, their follower count on social media was only in the single digits—
And all of them were just people from Starry.
To make things worse,
Because Kita Ikuyo was passionate about skincare and makeup,
She often uploaded beauty tutorials and videos to their band account.
Which made their entire channel look less like a band's page—
And more like a beauty influencer's account.
So having Minami upload some actual music content was definitely a good thing.
Seeing no issue with it,
Ijichi Nijika nodded immediately—
"Of course! Uh… Minami-san, I'll send you the band's account password through LINE later… is that okay?"
"That's fine."
Minami nodded before turning to PA-san—
"PA-san, the video I asked you to edit should be done by now, right?"
"Mhm~"
PA-san's elegant black hair framed her face as she smiled playfully—
Her cat-like eyes narrowing.
"I followed all of Minami's requests while editing."
"Give me a second—I'll send the video file now."
Minami patiently waited.
A few moments later,
A new message popped up in his LINE chat—
Along with a video attachment.
The file size wasn't too large,
Likely because PA-san had cut out the unnecessary parts—
Like their pre-performance setup.
Which was perfect.
His phone was already packed with study materials,
And he rarely cleared out old files.
So his storage space was nearly full.
"Thanks, PA-san."
Minami let out a relieved sigh.
Now that he had the video,
And Nijika would be sending him the account login soon—
The Starry Hall matters were temporarily settled.
Which meant it was time for the next step.
Minami glanced down at his phone screen.
He was waiting.
Waiting for Nakahara Mizuki's call.
Based on what he knew about her,
Minami was almost certain she would reach out to him first.
And when that happened—
He could pass off the universal cure to Chisato.
But there was always the possibility—
What if Nakahara Mizuki suddenly had doubts?
What if she hesitated,
Thinking it was too risky to rely on some mysterious spirit medium she just met?
No one could say for sure.
Thinking about this,
Minami shook his head.
If Riko-Riko didn't call him—
Then he'd have no choice but to visit them in person.
But in that case—
His words would lose credibility.
Since the image he left in Nakahara Mizuki's mind was someone mysterious,
Suddenly showing up uninvited might break that illusion.
As he waited,
Minami casually uploaded the outdoor performance video to Kessoku Band's account—
Then stopped thinking about it.
He simply continued waiting.
From the time Gotou Hitori started her shift,
Until she clocked out.
From hanging out with the band,
Until he finally returned home alone.
Yet, even as the night dragged on—
His phone remained silent.
Staring at the unchanged screen,
Minami sighed.
So in the end—
Words alone weren't enough to earn someone's trust, huh?
Placing his phone on the table,
He began thinking about what to say tomorrow—
When he visited Riko-Riko in person.
And as if responding to his thoughts—
RING—!
The sudden ringing sound echoed through the quiet room.
On his screen,
A number without a contact name was displayed.
It wasn't from Hitori or any Kessoku Band members.
And it definitely wasn't from a Japanese phone carrier.
However, for Minami, who had experienced simulated memories, this string of numbers was actually not unfamiliar.
It was none other than the phone number of Mizuki Nakahara from "Lycoris Recoil."
"It's finally here."
Minami let out a sigh of relief.
He hadn't expected Mizuki Nakahara to remain this patient.
But considering that this matter concerned Chisato Nishikigi's body, it was completely reasonable for the members of "Lycoris Recoil" to proceed with caution.
The call had finally arrived.
Yet, contrary to his earlier anxiety, Minami no longer felt as impatient.
First, he stood up, walked over to the sink, poured himself a glass of water, and gulped it down.
Once he felt that enough time had passed, he acted as if he hadn't been deliberately waiting for the call, picked up his phone, and answered:
"Hello? This is Minami's Spiritual Mediation Office."
Minami's voice was calm and gentle, transmitted through the phone's speaker for all the members of "Lycoris Recoil" to hear.
"Huh…?"
Hearing the voice, Chisato Nishikigi, who was sitting near the phone, blinked in surprise.
"What's wrong, Chisato?"
Takina Inoue was listening intently to the conversation when she heard Chisato's reaction and couldn't help but turn back to look at her.
"Ah… nothing… It's just that this voice sounds kind of familiar."
Chisato tilted her head slightly, lost in thought, looking somewhat adorable.
Moreover, the name "Minami" reminded her of a song she had heard during an outdoor concert.
The song "I Don't Want to Die in Loneliness"—a melody filled with despair and heartbreak, yet ultimately finding hope—had really resonated with her.
Even now, trapped in such a dire situation, she felt an inexplicable connection to that song.
Just as she was about to say something—
"Shh—"
Mizuki Nakahara raised a finger to her lips and shot a glance at Chisato, who had been about to speak. The latter stuck out her tongue playfully in response and made a funny face, causing Mizuki to shake her head helplessly.
"I'm still talking here."
Clearing her throat, she then spoke into the phone, "Sorry about that, Master Minami, we had a little situation just now..."
"It's fine, Miss Nakahara."
The young man's calm voice came through from the other end, as if he had already anticipated this.
"I imagine that sitting next to you right now are the other members of 'Lycoris Recoil,' correct?"
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Mizuki Nakahara coughed several times upon being called out so directly.
Then she turned back to look at Takina and the others, lowering her voice.
"Well? Amazing, right? He hasn't even met you guys, yet he already knows you're here."
"Chisato's voice already gave it away just now."
Kurumi, who was lounging at the "Lycoris Recoil" bar counter, casually playing on her phone, voiced her opinion.
But as soon as she said that, the voice from the other end of the call spoke again.
"That's true. I already heard Miss Chisato Nishikigi's voice earlier. But, Kurumi, I also know that right now, you're lying at the bar counter playing on your phone."
"Eh?!"
At these words, Kurumi, who had been lazing around with a tired expression just moments ago, widened her eyes in shock.
Takina even ran outside to double-check that there was no one spying on them from outside.
Kurumi's eyes widened further in disbelief.
Although they had already learned about Minami's abilities from Mizuki Nakahara, experiencing it firsthand was something else entirely.
To confirm someone's identity from afar, even knowing that Chisato was the one who had spoken earlier?
This was beyond the realm of an ordinary spiritual medium!
Even Takina, who was a staunch atheist, couldn't help but question whether the world truly harbored abilities beyond human understanding.
As the majority of "Lycoris Recoil" fell into a stunned silence, unsure of what to say next—
One person, however, was an exception.
Chisato Nishikigi, her eyes sparkling with excitement, reached for the phone and cheerfully spoke up:
"Is that Minami-san? So Minami-san also works as a spiritual medium? That's so interesting!"
She greeted him with enthusiasm, "I was worried you were some kind of weirdo, but turns out you're Minami-san!"
"It's me, Chisato! You remember, right? The really cute girl you met after your outdoor performance!"
Her voice was filled with excitement.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, Minami could only shake his head helplessly.
He had deliberately lowered his voice.
Even Takina hadn't noticed anything off.
Yet—
His attempt to remain mysterious was completely foiled by this perceptive young girl.
