NABC Page 67
Page 67
"Yeah, I didn't expect that mascot named Macaron to know punk songs. He looks pretty professional, but I wonder how well he sings..."
"..." Isuzu raised an eyebrow slightly, glancing at the two beside her with some surprise—both Aresa and Schutz's excited smiles seemed genuine, even their eyes were shining brightly, like concert fans staring intently at Macaron on stage, eagerly anticipating his performance...
(Yes, back then, most of the people who came to the Macaron Musical Theatre were parents with young children. They only came to listen to songs because they couldn't resist their kids' demands. At that time, Macaron mostly sang nursery rhymes to win over the children...)
Isuzu pondered for a moment, then put away the smoothbore musket that she had already taken out halfway, and looked approvingly at the two people on the stage.
(I didn't expect Macaron to think of this. It seems I was indeed a bit too strict with them before. After the concert, I'll try to expand this place...)
If Macaron could know what Isuzu was thinking, he would definitely cheer and chug several bottles of beer in a row. In fact, he didn't think that much. He just had the idea that "this might be my last performance" and was ready to let loose and do whatever he wanted. Compared to those soft and uninspired nursery rhymes, he preferred energetic and passionate punk songs and rap songs!
However, luck is also a part of ability!
"Next, let me sing you a song called 'Centuries,' where are your cheers? Let me see your arms!"
A husky yet magnetic voice boomed through the microphone, and with a casual strum of the guitar strings, the performance began!
Ten minutes later, at the entrance of the "Macaron Musical Theatre".
"Wow...it's been so long since I've sung this well, Long! Sorry for making a fool of myself..." Macaron, still in his punk-style outfit, didn't have time to change, and slightly embarrassedly swiped the back of his head: "Feeling your cheers, I got a little carried away, hehe..."
“Mr. Macaron, please don’t say that!” Schutt slowly shook his head: “Even in the Kingdom of Great Britain, it’s rare to see such pure punk rock as you! I hope you can persevere, and one day your musical theater will be packed!”
“Yes! I even filmed your performance and posted it on 360.com. It’s already getting a lot of views and comments! A lot of people are asking questions like ‘Where is this?’ I’m sure it won’t be long before people come all the way to your musical theater to hear you sing!” Alessa excitedly shook her phone and eagerly moved closer to Macaron, showing her the comments below the video one by one.
[That was amazing! Almost no one can sing such authentic punk and rap songs anymore. I definitely have to go see it live next time!]
[Amagi Radiant Park? Isn't that where the Muse concert was held? Even a random mascot in that park can have such a hot stage presence and amazing performance. I really regret not going!]
[I'm in Gan Hui Li right now! "Macaron's Musical Theatre"? Thanks for sharing, I'm on my way!]
The video was only posted online for a few minutes, but it already had hundreds of views and more than a dozen comments—all of them supportive and positive!
"Th-thank you..." Even as a former hoodlum and sergeant, Macaron couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion, his eyes welling up with tears. "Being liked and supported is the greatest encouragement for me! Oh, by the way, I have two little things here for you dragons!"
As she spoke, she rummaged through the white fluff for a while before finally pulling out two palm-sized, long strips of paper: "I originally thought no one would come, so I only asked Isuzu for two concert tickets... I'll give them all to you!"
"Muse's concert will definitely be more spectacular than mine, so I hope you can go see Dragon!"
P.S.: There will be another update later. Updates will resume starting today!
Chapter 0186 The Message from Duanmu Yizi! (Fourth Update, Please Subscribe)
"By now, quite a few people should have gotten their concert tickets, right?" During the lunch break, Baili Xiao sat in a chair with a glass of chilled juice she had just taken out of the refrigerator, imagining the scene of "countless people rushing to enjoy all the facilities," and couldn't help but smile with a "pleasant" expression.
"Eek! Are you thinking of some naughty idea again?" Eriri glanced at the former with a hint of disdain, and took a step back as if to put on an act: "You must be thinking about the scene of everyone fighting tooth and nail for tickets, right?"
"How can you say that?" Baili Xiao stared at Eriri with meaningful eyes, shrugging as she gently reminded her, "I wonder who it was that, after most of the people had run out, exclaimed, 'Ah~ finally we can rest!' If you have to say that Yamada Elf's suggestion was a bad idea, then the person who 'enjoyed' it should also be considered an accomplice, right?"
"Ugh..." A muffled sound came from her nose, and Eriri's breath hitched. She turned her face away, unwilling to meet Baili Xiao's gaze—the person the latter was talking about was none other than the guy named "Sawamura Spencer Eriri"!
(What can I do? There are just too many people! Even if Kasumigaoka Utaha and Shiina Mashiro share the workload, they'd have to "break" their hands just to sign everyone's names, right?)
Out of their own pride, light novel authors (illustrators) would not allow themselves to use "machine-printed signed light novels" at their new book launch events (only on the day of the launch). That would be a kind of "blasphemy" to both their fans and readers, and to their "child" [Your Name].
Of course, while this persistence has garnered praise and recognition from a large number of fans, it also brings both physical and mental torment—when your wrist aches so much that you feel like it's about to break, and you look up to see an endless line of people waiting for your autograph, you'll understand that feeling...
"Brother... is your hand really alright?" Kasumigaoka Utaha's worried gaze fell on Hyakuri Xiao's wrist—the signing event for the light novel "The Monkey King" was handled by Yamada Elf and Hyakuri Xiao. Yamada Elf was already slumped on the sofa, while Hyakuri Xiao had signed far more copies than anyone else present, yet he sat there as if nothing was wrong... No matter how you looked at it, Utaha couldn't help but think, "He must be forcing himself to stay upright, right?"
"Don't worry, my wrist has undergone high-intensity training. This little thing is no problem for me." Baili Xiao smiled slightly and waved his hand to indicate that he was fine. He had a drawing speed much faster than Eriri, Mashiro and others. Over time, his illustration work had already adapted his wrist to the high-intensity work state. Signing "light novels" was a piece of cake for him.
"As for you guys... I agree with 'insisting on signing your own autographs,' but you should also do it within your limits. I believe the readers wouldn't want you to injure your wrists because of 'signing autographs,' right?" Baili Xiao took a sip of juice and glanced at everyone in the lounge.
"Relax, relax, we know what we're doing." Eriri replied casually, glancing around before her brows furrowed in confusion. "Where are Muse and the others? Still in the training room? Don't they get a lunch break?"
"I just passed by the training room and heard some noises inside." Shiina Mashiro sat quietly in the corner of the sofa, first glancing at Yamada Elf beside her, who looked utterly dejected, then picking up a piece of Baumkuchen from the table and taking small bites—this was already her third Baumkuchen, but after expending so much energy that morning, she didn't feel full at all...
Every time she hands a signed copy of "Your Name" to a reader, Mashiro will softly say "Thank you for your support" in the same tone—for her, this is a huge drain on her energy!
"Mashiro, remember to drink more water in this hot weather." Hearing Baili Xiao's instructions, Mashiro nodded slightly, sucking on the breadcrumbs on her fingers as she pushed the plate containing the remaining Baumkuchen in front of him: "Teacher."
"It's alright, I've already eaten." As Baili Xiao spoke, the image of Latifa involuntarily flashed through her mind—after seeing everyone busy in the studio, Latifa, as the first princess of "Red Maple Paradise," personally cooked her best cola cookies for everyone... To be honest, they tasted really good, so much so that Baili Xiao took the time to eat several: "~You guys rest here first, I'll go check on how Muse is progressing. The real protagonists today are them!"
...
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight..."
As he approached the training room, he could clearly hear the sound of clapping coming from inside. Bai Lixiao smiled, but abandoned his original idea of "going in to take a look." At the entrance of the training room, he unexpectedly encountered Akane Akasaka and Sonoko Machida. They seemed to be discussing something and did not notice Bai Lixiao's arrival.
"Miss Sonoko, you look so furrowed, has something happened?" Bai Lixiao's eyes swept over Machida Sonoko's almost furrowed brows, and he was startled, but he didn't show it on his face. He maintained his smile and asked softly, "Is it related to the concert?"
"Phew! It's Hyakuri-kun. Please, next time you get close, don't make a sound at the very end, okay?" Machida Sonoko visibly shuddered, patting her chest and giving Hyakuri Akira a resentful look. "It's nothing serious, it's just... Yoko just called. Apparently, our concert this time not only attracted a huge number of media outlets, but also the management of Amagi..."
Akane Akasaka looked at Hyakuri Akira with a half-smile, and continued from Sonoko's words, "Judging from Yoko's words, they seem to be interested in cooperating with us. Hyakuri-kun, this time your move is quite significant!"
P.S.: As a reward for my full recovery after surgery, won't you guys give me some monthly tickets? (I won't ask for donations, but at least give me a monthly ticket, right? After all, everyone who loves anime is a very "lovely" person!)
Chapter 0187 The Concert is About to Begin! (First Update, Please Subscribe)
"Miss Yizi, don't rush, speak slowly." In the conference room specially used to discuss the future "strategy" of the amusement park, Baili Xiao placed a cold drink next to Duanmu Yizi. He originally wanted the latter to catch her breath before speaking, but he couldn't control his curiosity and took the initiative to ask: "From what Miss Yizi is saying, the management of Gancheng has contacted you?"
After downing most of her cold drink in one gulp, Duanmu Yizi let out a heavy sigh and a wry smile appeared on her face: "Yeah, I was quite surprised at the time. Logically speaking, it's highly unlikely that the management of a city would proactively approach a team like ours to discuss cooperation...emmm, no matter how you look at it, it seems like the opposite..."
Duanmu Yizi's words resonated deeply with Akane Akasaka and Sonoko Machida—they were well aware of the power of the management in various cities, and it could be said that even large multinational corporations were unwilling to offend them easily.
Just like the anime and manga mecca where Baili Xiao and others reside, the main focus is on developing anime, manga, and games (ACGN) culture to drive the city's economic development—even when Baili Xiao rose to fame within the city, becoming incredibly popular, no "management" officials seemed to contact him...
Of course, Amagi is completely incomparable to the holy land of anime or the idol city—(Amagi is one of the vassal cities of the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a third-rate city at the very bottom of the list, while the latter two are cities with completely independent sovereignty, which is no exaggeration to call them countries!).
"That's probably why Gan Cheng contacted us first. After all, a city like Gan Cheng doesn't have any industries to be proud of as its pillar industry. It's understandable that he came to us in order to introduce anime culture."
Duanmu Yizi's words seemed to imply that she was making excuses for the "management" of Gancheng, but Machida Sonoko didn't care about that. Instead, she excitedly asked, "So? What did you talk about with them?"
"Who gave me the right to speak?" Duanmu Yizi gave Yuanzi a reproachful look, then turned to Baili Xiao with a charming smile: "This kind of thing should definitely be handled by Baili-jun. Of course, I also know that Baili-jun has a lot of things to attend to today, and I explained the reasons to them. They expressed their understanding and proposed 'scheduling the meeting for Baili-jun's free time,' which is quite a concession..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Duanmu Yizi stared intently at Baili Xiao with anticipation. Not only her, but also Akane Akane and Machida Sonoko also turned their attention to Baili Xiao—everyone was waiting for his answer: would he "talk" or "not talk"?
Baili Xiao lowered his head and thought for a moment, then slowly smiled and said, "In that case, let's schedule it for tomorrow after the concert ends. I won't miss this opportunity to promote anime culture!"
"Right now, my most important task is to make Muse's concert as perfect as possible. That way, I'm sure I can gain a relatively dominant position in tomorrow's negotiations, right?"
...
Time passed slowly, and the daytime of August 31st seemed to drag on for some—around four o'clock in the afternoon, Baili Xiao received the news: "The remaining two thousand tickets have all been sent out!"
At 5 PM, the book launch events for "Your Name" and "The Monkey King" officially ended! The Radiant Convention Center slowly closed its doors amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd—they knew perfectly well that when the doors reopened, it would signify the arrival of "Muse's First Concert"!
At 7 p.m. (aeej), the sky over Gamcheon began to darken slowly. Colorful neon lights lit up one after another, both in the city and the suburbs. In Gamcheon Amusement Park, streetlights lit up one after another, illuminating the dim streets. Combined with the shadowy figures moving under the dim lights, the amusement park looked like a haunted house.
"Hi hi! This is an exclusive live stream from Shinazugawa Bunko, and I'm your host for today, Machida Sonoko!" At the amusement park entrance, Machida Sonoko straightened her clothes slightly, cleared her throat, and nodded to the cameraman: "Today we've come to Amagi, located in the Kingdom of Great Britain. I'm sure you all know why we're here, right? Yes, it's for the idol group Muse's first concert!"
Many media outlets expressed a desire for exclusive interviews regarding the concert, but Akane Kousaka, at Hyakuri Akira's behest, completely refused, granting the exclusive interview rights to Sonoko Machida. Other media outlets only received broadcasting rights at best—unlike other professional media channels, Shinazugawa Bunko wasn't the best choice; in fact, any other media outlet could be considered superior... But what could he do when Sonoko Machida was one of the earliest followers of Hyakuri Akira? Hyakuri Akira wasn't willing to easily relinquish anything that could increase his own visibility!
"It's 7:15 p.m. right now. As you can see from behind me, there are already countless people lingering in the amusement park, all waiting for the concert to officially start at 8 p.m.! As is customary for concerts, people will enter half an hour in advance, at which time everyone can follow the camera and see the scene inside the venue."
"Are you wondering why the amusement park is so dimly lit? I think that's an atmosphere that Teacher Baili deliberately created. Something surprising is about to happen!"
"Well...that being said, I'm sure everyone in the live stream knows about my relationship with Mr. Hyakuri and his team, right? That's right! I'm one of the people who knows the inside story!" Machida Sonoko made no attempt to hide her pride, and her smug smile that said "I know the inside story, but I'm not telling you" made many people's gums itch, but they were helpless against her: "Please look forward to the concert! Mr. Hyakuri has put in a lot of effort to prepare a very grand opening ceremony for everyone this time!"
"Well, let's wait and see!"
Chapter 0188 The Personnel Left Behind and Kato Megumi! (Two Chapters, Please Subscribe)
"Sagiri! Are you done showering? Hurry up, it's almost 7:30!" Inside the [Huaxia] studio base, Hashima Izumi shouted towards the bathroom. After thinking for a moment, she got up and ran to the refrigerator, taking out a considerable amount of drinks and snacks—she didn't want to waste a single second after the concert started!
"Hmm, coming!" A soft response came from the bathroom. A moment later, Izumi Sagiri, wearing pink pajamas and with water droplets still clinging to her silver-white hair, appeared in the room.
With a dry towel draped over her head, Izumi Sagiri dried her hair while sitting on the bed in a cute duck-like pose, her eyes fixed on the computer screen: "You didn't miss anything exciting, did you?"
"No, Ms. Sonoko is still hosting the program." After pouring a juice into a glass and placing it next to Izumi Sagiri, Hashima Izumi shook her head and said this—for them, Machida Sonoko was someone they knew all too well, so watching her host a live broadcast was naturally not something "exciting"...~...
"That wretched Eriri! No matter how we ask her, she just won't tell us about the concert arrangements, making us wonder here for ages..." Izumi Sagiri pouted and complained, while Hashima Izumi next to her couldn't help but smile wryly—the former's "fear of going out" meant she could only stay at the studio, while the latter was there as a "caregiver"—she also stayed behind.
That's why the two, who weren't involved in the "concert production project," were incredibly curious about the concert arrangements. Every few hours, they would contact their friends in Amagi via mobile phone. Among them, they contacted Eriri, who was also an illustrator, the most. Muse was in the middle of intense training, so they definitely couldn't disturb her. Kasumigaoka Utaha and Yamada Elf were busy planning the release of their new book, and as for Shiina Mashiro... even if they asked her, with her concise way of speaking, she probably wouldn't be able to describe the whole plan clearly.
The two of them unknowingly ignored the existence of "Baili Xiao". Even though they knew that the latter would definitely give them a detailed description, they did not want to bother him for such a small matter. The busiest person at this concert was undoubtedly Baili Xiao!
So, after eliminating the colleagues from various studios, Izumi Sagiri set her sights on Eriri. But... to her surprise, Eriri, with the air of someone who's been there, made no attempt to hide her smugness as someone in the know, saying, "Huh? A concert plan? That's a really huge project. Even I, who know the inside story, am starting to look forward to it!"
And after Izumi Sagiri slightly lowered her head and compromised, saying, "Eriri, can you tell me?", Eriri actually chose to dodge the question! She just talked about some meaningless things, such as "Princess Latifah's croquettes are pretty good, you guys can take a few back with you!"
How could Izumi Sagiri not harbor resentment after all this?!
"Next time! If Hyakusei-sensei goes out again, I'll definitely go with her! No matter what, I'll go with her!" Izumi Sagiri picked up the glass of orange juice, her eyes sweeping over the golden orange pulp floating inside. She seemed to be imagining Eriri's smug smile, and her face immediately hardened. She then gulped down the entire glass in a few large mouthfuls...
"Drink slowly, it's so cold, you'll..." Before Hashima Uehi could finish her advice, Izumi Sagiri curled up on the bed, one hand holding the cup and the other clutching her head, letting out a painful groan: "Ugh..."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, in a house with the surname "Kato" on the doorplate.
"Ah Hui, don't stare at the computer for too long, it's bad for your eyes." Ah Hui's mother's voice came from outside the door. Kato Hui responded softly, "Mom, it's Muse's concert today, I'll go rest after I finish watching it."
"Muse? You mean the idol group from Hyakusei-sensei's studio?" Megumi's mother said as she opened the door and sat down next to Kato Megumi. "The whole studio went to Amagi this time for Muse's concert, right?"
"Mm." Kato Megumi nodded, turning the computer screen slightly towards her mother—she believed that with Muse's cuteness, even her mother would be willing to watch the entire concert!
0 ····Requesting flowers···· ·········
“Ah Hui…” Hui’s mother’s gaze did not fall on the screen, but instead looked at her daughter’s fair and pretty face: “I’m sorry to have wronged you.”
Kato Megumi was clearly taken aback by the sudden words and looked at her mother with some confusion: "Mom, why did you say that?"
"I know you really wanted to go to Amagi with Hyakusato-sensei and the others, but you didn't tell me because you didn't want to worry your mother anymore, right?" Megumi's mother reached out and lovingly stroked Kato Megumi's cheek, sighing softly in her heart. For Megumi to go to Amagi, she would have to ask for leave from Toyonosaki Academy, which required her help... The last time she took leave for a trip, Megumi's grades had already dropped several places, and her mother had complained slightly at home, saying things like, "Megumi, I don't object to you joining Hyakusato-sensei's studio, but I still hope you'll prioritize your studies..." For various reasons, Megumi probably gave up going to Amagi this time.
…
As a mother, Megumi's actions were not wrong, and as a daughter, Megumi Kato's actions were not wrong either—it's just like the old saying goes, "You can't have your cake and eat it too!"
“Mom, you’re overthinking it.” Kato Megumi slowly shook her head and smiled slightly. “Even if I go to Amagi, I won’t be able to help Hyakusato-kun much. Besides… after the entrance exams, I’ll be a third-year student.”
Even so, Kato Megumi dared not meet her mother's gaze—even the most ordinary parents possess an unparalleled skill called "no one knows their child better than their parents," and she didn't want to personally verify the existence of this skill through her own experience...
"Ahui, once you're in third grade, Mom won't be involved with you anymore. Compared to school, you'll definitely learn more from Teacher Baili, and it'll be more relevant to society. Even if you don't come home every day then, I won't..."
"Hi~ Hi~, I know, Mom! Look, the concert opening ceremony has started!" Fan.
Chapter 0189 Concert Opening Ceremony! (Third update, please subscribe)
Amid the expectant gazes of everyone following the concert online and in real life, the minute hand finally crossed the mark marked "6" (entry at 7:30)!
"Da da da da!" As if by prior arrangement, the sound grew louder as one light after another lit up, turning the night sky of Gan Hui Amusement Park into a rainbow of colors!
Dozens of high-powered searchlights illuminated the area beneath Red Maple City, shining directly into the sky and showcasing the city's grandeur and imposing size to all. Unlike its appearance during the day, the city was even more awe-inspiring at night!
On the Ferris wheel, colorful lights lit up one after another, and from a distance, it looked just like a giant colorful wheel slowly turning.
The lighting equipment covering the entire bottom shines through the azure ocean surface, creating an aurora-like blue color in the sky, constantly changing its shape with the ripples of the water.
As night fell, the Gansu "373" Hui Amusement Park revealed its nighttime splendor to the audience and even people from all over the world for the first time, and it was truly breathtakingly beautiful!