Chapter 79: Friends Only Bring Pain

【Ono Mika: We're waiting for you at the Sunny Band Club】

【Qingshan Li: It's in the past】

He needed to tell them the Student Council's decision regarding the Sunny Band Club.

Also, regarding the exorbitant property tax and maintenance fees for the new house, he had to tell the Ono Sisters.

Qingshan Li took out his mobile phone to check on Japanese property tax matters.

Although he had lived in Japan for nearly seventeen years, he had never had the opportunity to learn about this aspect.

How pitiful, Qingshan.

After checking, he found that indeed, many noble families sold their old homes and moved into apartments after the elderly passed away.

Of course, besides property tax and maintenance fees, there was also the inheritance tax, which was even harder to accept than both.

"A house isn't necessarily better the bigger it is." Qingshan Li muttered to himself.

No, wait, why blame the house? Why not consider his own reasons? Had he really worked hard to earn money all these years?

Although reality was heavy, the jokes from his past life still made Qingshan Li's steps light.

Sunny Band Club, knocking on the door.

"Come in!"

Qingshan Li opened the door.

"Qing Shan Jun, we're betting on what you did looking at my photo last night." Bass Sakurako said.

"I'll come back later." Qingshan Li closed the door.

"Come back, we need you to answer!"

If Mikami Ai invited him now, Qingshan Li could even prepare the club application himself.

He pushed the door open again and entered.

"Miyuki, you're here too?" Qingshan Li asked.

"I joined too, now I'm the provisional lead vocalist~" Ono Mizuki made a scissor hand gesture at her right eye.

The embodiment of sweetness!

"I advise you not to join clubs casually." Qingshan Li walked to the edge of the sofa, and Ono Mika made room for him.

"Why?" Ono Mizuki asked, puzzled.

"The Student Council is checking club members' attendance rates."

"Why didn't I receive a notification?" Agatsuma Haruka asked doubtfully.

"Is it because the Sunny Band Club is no longer a club?" Ono Mika guessed.

"."

"I see, then, Miyuki, it's fine for you to join the Sunny Band Club, as long as you guarantee the Choir Club's attendance rate." Qingshan Li said.

Ono Mizuki was also a member of the Athens Philosophy Research Club, but that should be fine, after all it counted as a direct club of the Student Council.

"Too tragic." F·Rino said covering her face.

She was very suited to covering her face, because when covering her face, her arms would clamp her chest.

To avoid always looking at her chest, Qingshan Li spoke up: "However, there is good news, the Student Council President promised that as long as we can hold a performance with an audience exceeding fifty people before the end of May, they will allow us to revive!"

"That's a piece of cake!" Bass Sakurako was already certain of victory.

"Is the Seiten Band that impressive?" Ono Mizuki couldn't help but admire.

"We'll dress as bunny girls!" Bass Sakurako said proudly.

Qingshan Li really wanted to see Ono Mika dressed as a bunny girl, an elder-sister-type bunny girl.

If adding the sweet little bunny Ono Mizuki.

No, his Cosmo was about to explode!

"Little brother, are you having impure thoughts?" Agatsuma Haruka suddenly leaned in.

"That probably won't do." Qingshan Li leaned back calmly, creating distance, "Although the Student Council President didn't state it explicitly, she also hinted that unconventional methods are not allowed."

"What about letting friends come?" Ono Mizuki proposed.

"Friends... should be fine." Qingshan Li nodded after thinking.

"We have seven people here, call up friends, then let friends call up their friends' friends, fifty people should still be very simple!" Ono Mizuki said excitedly.

"I can call at most two." Qingshan Li said.

"I also only have two, and one of them might not have time." Ono Mika said.

"What about you?" Ono Mizuki looked at the other four.

They didn't speak.

"Haha, so everyone has friends?" Drummer Gu Mumi said scratching the back of his head.

"."

"The Student Council President didn't limit the number of performances, meaning we can perform several times, let everyone gradually understand our strength, then do a good promotion, believe, by the end of May, there will be quite a few people coming to listen to you sing!" Qingshan Li said.

"I want to clarify, I'm not without friends, my friend is Agatsuma Haruka." Bass Sakurako said.

"My friend is Sakurako." Agatsuma Haruka also explained.

"My friend is Mumi." F·Rino said, not knowing if it was true or just following the trend.

"Are we friends?!" Drummer Gu Mumi said in disbelief, "Aren't we family?!"

". Although what you said is very moving, but for now at least let us be friends." Bass Sakurako refused the family's invitation.

"Can we skip the topic of friends?" Qingshan Li said.

Everyone stopped speaking.

After a moment of silence, Bass Sakurako raised her index finger and analyzed very calmly:

"Junior Student, musicians are all like this, you see—Mio Akiyama of 'Afternoon Tea Time Band After School,' her only friend is Ritsu Tainaka, and Ritsu Tainaka's only friend is Mio Akiyama, right?"

Agatsuma Haruka added: "That's right, and Hitori Gotoh, the guitarist of 'Kizuna Band,' she has no friends at all, but in the end she became friends with the band members, meaning friends in a band are also friends!"

Ono Mizuki and Ono Mika made eye contact, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

Mio Akiyama?

Ritsu Tainaka?

Hitori Gotoh of 'Kizuna Band'?

Who are they?

And what's with all these band names? After school something-or-other?

"There's some good news," Qingshan Li continued, "starting from May 4th, to prepare for the Ball Games Tournament, all students must come to school every afternoon, so we have plenty of time to show our strength."

F·Rino spoke: "Qing Shan Jun."

"Alright, I get it, you all have friends, from now on, we three are friends with you four!"

The four finally stopped talking.

Unknown whether they felt pitied, so sorrow surged like a river and they had nothing to say, or whether they were moved.

"Even when showing strength, strategy matters," Qingshan Li said. "First is the design of the performance costumes, so the audience knows who you are—just write 'Seiten Band' on white T-shirts, then add a color representing each of you. Second is the songs—what songs do students like these days?"

"'Zakyo.'" Agatsuma Haruka answered instantly.

"Huh?"

"'I Once Thought of Ending It All.'" Bass Sakurako said.

"Do high school students these days listen to this song?"

"'She Once Lived.'" F·Rino whispered.

"What's that"

Ono Mika lightly tugged Qingshan Li's sleeve, and Ono Mizuki secretly punched him.

After leaving the Sunny Band Club, before the two could speak, Qingshan Li accused Ono Mizuki first: "It's all your fault, Mizuki, why suggest asking friends for help? You've put me in the awkward position where nothing I say is of any use!"

"I-you." Ono Mizuki was speechless, then said, "Beautiful Girl Transformation!"

She took off her bookbag and swung it at Qingshan Li like an axe.

Boarding the train, unusually heading home early, all three had seats.

"I didn't expect Haruka and them to actually have no friends." Ono Mika finally couldn't help but sigh.

"Senior Agatsuma is in your class, right, sis?" Ono Mizuki didn't understand why she didn't know.

"Mm—" Ono Mika recalled, "Everyone studies during breaks, during lunch break she seemed to go to club activities, and after school too—I never really paid attention to her before."

Qingshan Li still held that view: better not talk about friends anymore.

"By the way," he pretended to remember something, "I met Mikami Ai at noon, and she told me the house is completely ready."

"Really?!" Ono Mizuki immediately showed an excited smile.

Ono Mika also looked forward to it.

"However, there's still some money to give her."

"Money? What money?" Ono Mizuki asked.

"Property tax and maintenance fees, totaling 6.1 million a year."

Just like people who have no friends when the topic of friends comes up, the two fell into silence.

"Yesterday, shouldn't have spent money recklessly." Ono Mika said faintly.

—System, do you buy lottery tickets?

The system ignored him.

(Chapter End)