"I'm not interested in this kind of event. Take me home."
"You haven't even experienced it yet, so why reject it outright? At least try it first before passing judgment.
Besides, I'm not feeling too well right now. Yukino, can you really bring yourself to abandon someone who's unwell? What if I run into bad people?"
"…sister, you always do this."
You speak for yourself, make decisions on your own, and never consider how others feel.
"I only do this because it's you, Yukino. I know that no matter what I do, you'll always forgive me. After all, you're my dearest little sister."
Haruno turned back to meet her sister's gaze, flashing a playful smile.
"Don't make such an unwilling face. I remember when you were little, you used to love following me around."
"You just said it yourself—that was when I was little."
"Even if time has passed, our bond and feelings remain the same, right? So cheer up.
Once we get to the music festival, you might even run into one of your favorite stars.
Look, LiSA, who's been making waves with anime songs lately, the boy band Snow Man, or the powerhouse vocalist Hikaru Utada."
Yukino glanced down at the pamphlet in her hands.
"The names you just listed, sister, aren't on the festival's lineup."
"Eh~ Even so, you might still discover something unexpected. It never hurts to keep an open mind."
As the traffic light turned green, Haruno faced forward and stopped talking.
Yukino knew that the moment she got in the car, she had no way to escape anymore. She let out a resigned sigh.
Keeping an open mind, huh…
The sunlight outside was blinding. She had never been to a music festival before, but she had seen videos of them—crowds of music lovers celebrating together.
The place would be packed and unbearably noisy. And she wasn't good with crowds.
They made her feel like she was drowning, unable to breathe.
No matter how she looked at it, there was no way she could look forward to this.
All she could hope for was that her sister would quickly lose interest and let her leave soon.
The music festival, which had been hyped up for nearly two months, finally kicked off with an electrifying atmosphere.
The festival's organizer, Suzuki Ichiro, a man in his forties, walked around the venue with his assistant, a wide grin on his face.
As one of the key stakeholders behind the Suzuki Group, he had a keen business sense.
Ever since another scandal surrounding Johnny & Associates had resurfaced after years, this time spiraling out of control with no signs of being suppressed, he made a decisive move.
He called a board meeting, convinced the majority, and established Suzuki Entertainment Agency. At the same time, he secretly poached talents from the crumbling giant.
And to his credit, he had indeed achieved some success.
Many veteran artists and groups, sensing the impending collapse, severed ties with Johnny & Associates and sought refuge under a new financial backer.
However, a strong entertainment agency couldn't survive on veteran artists alone—fresh blood was just as important.
So, while he worked behind the scenes to recruit established talent, he also swiftly organized this music festival.
On the surface, it was just another public event—using celebrity influence to attract audiences and rake in profits from ticket sales and sponsorships. But there was a deeper motive.
Yes, he wanted to use this opportunity to scout unsigned performers.
If he found promising talent, he'd have his team approach them on the spot. If they were interested, signing them immediately wouldn't be out of the question.
That was why this festival had such a massive lineup of singers and bands. Casting a wide net increases the chances of a big catch.
While audiences were drawn in by well-known stars, Suzuki Ichiro was more interested in those undiscovered gems.
After surveying the venue, he was fairly satisfied. He hadn't come across any performers that completely blew him away yet, but a few were at least passable.
He instructed his assistant to note down those who had caught his attention.
Still, he hoped to find even more impressive talent.
After all, singing was straightforward.
Not in the sense that it was easy to do, but in how simple it was to evaluate.
Unlike classical music, which required a refined ear, even amateurs could tell if a singer had good breath control and a pleasant tone.
In today's world, you could treat audiences like cash cows, but you couldn't treat them like fools.
Only performers with undeniable talent could make people willingly spend money.
So if there was a better option, he would always prioritize them. Settling was a last resort.
But today, aside from the well-established artists, he hadn't encountered anyone truly exceptional.
Then again, the festival had just started—maybe he was being too impatient.
Thinking this, Suzuki Ichiro accepted a towel from his assistant and wiped the sweat off his forehead. Middle age, a sedentary lifestyle—he was feeling it.
After sipping on the goji berry tea his assistant handed him, he squinted at the glaring sun. He decided to take a break instead of wandering around.
But as he passed one of the stages, he found himself stopping.
"Chu! Sorry, I'm just too cute~♪"
"Sorry for being born in this world~"
"Chu! Sorry for being a little too clever~𝅘𝅥𝅯"
"Sorry, does that bother you?"
"..."
Suzuki Ichiro recognized the song.
His twelve-year-old daughter had been humming it non-stop at home recently. The melody was stuck in his head.
He approached the stage and observed the four girls performing.
The lead singer had a nice voice, though her breath control was a bit lacking. Still, overall, the performance was decent.
His assistant quickly pulled up information on his phone and whispered beside him.
"This is 'Kesshoku Band.' They've been quite active online recently. The song they're performing now, 'Sorry for Being So Cute,' is their first original song."
"They wrote this themselves?"
"Yes. And another original of theirs, 'LOSER,' held the top spot on YouTube's music trending charts for a week. The video of their performance has already hit over six million views."
"Do they belong to an agency?"
"No, they're all high school students. They haven't signed with anyone yet."
Suzuki Ichiro nodded slightly without saying a word, but a smirk crept onto his lips.
From his professional standpoint, the band still had room to grow, but the fact that they could write and compose their own music—especially with such high-quality lyrics—was a major plus.
He had just been lamenting the lack of outstanding talent, and now, one had fallen right into his lap.
His luck was almost too good. It was as if fate itself was smiling upon him.
Suzuki Ichiro moved to the side of the stage, intending to watch their performance more closely.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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