Wakaba Mutsuki looked around at the surrounding streets in confusion while Hoshino Miru was buying something nearby.
"Here, take one." Hoshino Miru handed the crepe he'd bought to the girl beside him.
Wakaba Mutsuki held the crepe. Not knowing what she was doing, she stood blankly in place until she saw Hoshino Miru take a bite, then she also took a bite.
"Is this good?"
Wakaba Mutsuki nodded. White cream remained at the corner of her mouth - this reaction made Hoshino Miru find it quite interesting.
"Do you come here often normally?" Hoshino Miru asked as if making casual conversation.
"Occasionally." Wakaba Mutsuki didn't go out often unless her family brought her.
"I'll take you to a place." Hoshino Miru looked very confident. "There should be many audience members there."
Wakaba Mutsuki was somewhat confused but still followed beside Hoshino Miru. Seeing him walk and eat, she also imitated him, gently biting her crepe.
Soon, Hoshino Miru brought Wakaba Mutsuki to a park.
Though the place looked quite secluded, many children were gathered here, noisily surrounding the children's facilities. Only a few scattered adults sat on benches not far away - probably accompanying guardians.
"Sensei, sit here. I'll be right back."
Wakaba Mutsuki didn't quite understand what Hoshino Miru was going to do. She just saw him excitedly run to the children's camp, inexplicably gesturing for a while, then beginning to distribute the candy he'd just bought, causing a commotion among the children.
When Hoshino Miru returned, seven or eight chattering children followed behind him.
"Wow, onee-san is so pretty!"
"Big brother, is what she's carrying on her back also a guitar?"
"What's a guitar?"
"Big brother, this candy doesn't taste good - I want to change it!"
"Onee-san, onee-san, can you play 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'? Big brother said he's best at playing 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,' and I can also sing it!"
The children, upon seeing Wakaba Mutsuki, immediately surrounded her. All kinds of chattering voices made Wakaba Mutsuki feel flustered. She could only look helplessly at Hoshino Miru.
"Ahem, everyone don't make noise - this onee-san is very shy." Hoshino Miru stuffed candy into the hands of the little girl who'd been insisting on changing candy. "Be polite to onee-san. Does everyone want to hear her play guitar?"
"Want to hear! Want to hear!"
"Hey hey, Mikako, what's a guitar?"
"Idiot, a guitar is a guitar!"
"Guitar, guitar!"
"Don't make noise - everyone be polite. Onee-san is very shy!"
Though these children were still chattering, at least the volume decreased considerably. Having received Hoshino Miru's candy, some little girls even tried to help command everyone to stay quiet.
However, Hoshino Miru could tell Wakaba Mutsuki was facing children's noisy offensive for the first time. The girl sat on the chair nervously and confusedly, probably not knowing what kind of reaction to make.
"Don't be nervous. These are all audience members and judges I personally invited." Hoshino Miru whispered to Wakaba Mutsuki. "Just like usual - you don't need to be too formal."
These little children were audience members and judges?
Wakaba Mutsuki seemed to somewhat understand his meaning, but not completely.
"Who here can sing?" Hoshino Miru was already smiling at this group of children. "Onee-san says she needs children who can sing to play guitar."
"I can! I can!" Two or three children eagerly raised their little hands, their eyes particularly sparkling.
Hoshino Miru randomly pointed at a child who immediately stepped forward.
Children generally had a desire to perform, with no embarrassment at all. They'd even affectedly pinch their voices.
"Lost, lost little cat, where is your home? Ask it where home is, it says it doesn't know~"
This was one of Japan's classic children's songs that kindergarteners all knew. When someone sang, the children nearby also followed, eventually becoming an inexplicable chorus.
Wakaba Mutsuki looked at Hoshino Miru and found him still smiling.
The girl finally understood. She took out her guitar, immediately arousing the children's curiosity.
"Onee-san, your guitar is so big - is it really heavy?"
"So this is a guitar!"
"Onee-san is pink - so cute!"
"Onee-san, can you play it?"
Just as Wakaba Mutsuki was encountering so many children for the first time, these children were also seeing a guitar for the first time. Their eyes were full of curiosity. The little girl from earlier even actively came over to sit beside Wakaba Mutsuki.
"Play a bit - everyone wants to hear onee-san play guitar." Hoshino Miru egged her on from the side.
Wakaba Mutsuki looked at the children's eager eyes, then at the thick-skinned Hoshino Miru, and began plucking the strings. The clear guitar sound once again caused a commotion among the children.
"Wow, onee-san is so amazing!"
"Can onee-san play everything? Can you play 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'?"
"Don't want 'Twinkle, Twinkle' - onee-san should play something else!"
"Can onee-san play 'Sorry for Being So Cute'?"
Yes, Wakaba Mutsuki had just played a bit and already made this group of children think she was particularly amazing.
Watching these incredibly noisy children, for the girl, this was a very strange yet fresh experience.
Hearing someone mention "Sorry for Being So Cute," Wakaba Mutsuki instinctively played a section of melody.
Sure enough, the children became even more excited.
As the first child began singing along with the melody, it immediately became a chorus.
Yes, this song was also popular enough that children all over the streets could sing it.
After playing, they wanted Wakaba Mutsuki to play other songs. She had originally felt nothing, but watching these children become excited and happy because of her melody, in this atmosphere, she also seemed somewhat moved. She gently swayed her body as if matching the music's beat, unconsciously showing a trace of a smile.
Soon, she saw the children stop. Even Hoshino Miru beside her was looking at her, whispering with a few children.
"Everyone look - did she just smile?"
"I saw it! I saw it!"
"That means it's everyone's accomplishment. We successfully made the shy onee-san smile - applause!"
"Clap clap clap—"
Wakaba Mutsuki watched Hoshino Miru lead a group of children in applause. She finally couldn't hold on anymore. Her face slowly flushed, lightly biting her lip as she glared at Hoshino Miru.
"It's okay - you look good when you smile." Hoshino Miru smiled. "This only proves you're happy being with us."
Saying it like that, she was indeed somewhat happy. Wakaba Mutsuki actually had no way to refute him.
"What does everyone think of how onee-san played?"
"Super good!"
"Were you happy just now?"
"Super happy!"
"Is onee-san cute?"
"Super cute!"
Hearing the last part, Wakaba Mutsuki couldn't help but lightly bump Hoshino Miru's leg with hers, telling him not to continue.
"Don't be nervous, stay calm - we're simply praising you." Hoshino Miru smiled cheerfully. "Because you really did play well - otherwise everyone wouldn't be so happy."
Wakaba Mutsuki was stunned. She suddenly remembered that Hoshino Miru had brought her here because she'd said in the practice room that her level was limited and she couldn't play the emotions she wanted.
"I don't know what emotions you want, perhaps the feeling of Beethoven creating the 'Symphony of Fate'?" Hoshino Miru said. "However, even if you play children's songs, there will be people who feel happy, so don't be too shy. As long as you play, someone will definitely like you."
Even if she played children's songs, would people feel happy because of her melody?
Wakaba Mutsuki looked at this group of little audience members, as if seeing her past self. She seemed to have looked at others playing guitar with eyes shining like this too.