Based on everything Asakura Kaito had been able to dig up online, Kanou Hana—Mizuno Kanade's grandfather—was exactly who he thought:
That old man.
The one who spent every day in the café experimenting with pour-over coffee, always energetic, always smiling at every customer like the warm, friendly old man from next door.
Kaito never imagined that he was actually a world-famous cellist.
No matter how he tried, he simply couldn't merge the image of a concert-hall legend in a tailored suit performing on a grand stage… with the same old man who teased him daily while confidently tinkering with his strange blended-coffee inventions.
If the articles weren't exaggerating, then…
Kanou Hana was once the Number One Cellist of the Flower Nation.
And yet—Sixteen years ago, in the globally prestigious Cole Cup, representing the very highest standard of cello performance…
He was utterly defeated.
In this world, the entertainment industry seemed to place even more weight on musical accolades than in Kaito's previous life.
He could imagine what a devastating blow it must have been—
A blow not just to Flower Nation's cello community, but to the entire music circle.
Like the LPL sweeping domestic championships, winning MSI, taking Spring and Summer titles…only to get eliminated in the quarterfinals of Worlds.
The ace everyone placed their hopes on had fallen.
How many players would uninstall the game?How many fans would swear off tournaments forever?
As for what exactly happened sixteen years ago, Kaito had no way of knowing.
But he could tell one thing:
Kanou Hana must have stopped playing the cello afterward.
At least, in all the time Kaito had known the old man, he had never once mentioned it.
And so, Kaito formed a bold theory—
Mizuno Kanade, Kanou Hana's granddaughter, had become a cellist.
Was it connected to the dream Kanou Hana himself never got to fulfill?
But then—Why did Mizuno Kanade want to end her life now?
She hadn't even achieved her dream yet.She hadn't even helped her grandfather resolve his lifelong regret.
Why give up now?
Kaito had no way to confirm any of this yet.
All he could do was move forward one step at a time.
Man… this article really was dramatic.Every paragraph went "let us reflect deeply," like something straight from a cheap inspirational magazine.
Kaito closed the webpage and opened the system panel—the one that had appeared when the binding succeeded yesterday.
[Partner List]
Name: Mizuno KanadeIdentity: CellistAbilities:
Cello A+
Foreign Languages B+
Vocal Music B
Dance C
Communication C
Learning S
Current Stress Tolerance: ESanity Value (SAN): 8Health Status: Very Poor(Health tiers: Extremely Poor → Very Poor → Poor → Stable → Good → Excellent)
Note: Every time the Host improves the partner's Stress Tolerance, SAN Value, or Health Status by one tier, a new reward will be unlocked.
Another status panel that screamed "this person is not okay."
So many ability stats—yet the system had placed Stress Tolerance on its own separate line.
That alone showed how critical it was.
Only an E.
Well, she had attempted suicide. That said it all.
But even though her mental and health-related values were abysmal, her actual skill stats were incredibly strong.
Her learning ability was S-rank.Cello was A+.
Forget rewards—Kaito genuinely believed that if Mizuno Kanade could regain her footing, her talent was enough for her to achieve something remarkable.
Next, he opened the inventory and clicked on the system's Beginner Gift Pack.
[Obtained: Instrument Skill Selection Card ×1]
After use: Choose one of five common instruments and receive its Beginner Skill Card.Note: This is the Host's only chance to obtain a music skill card of this kind. Choose carefully.
Choose an instrument, huh?
Kaito tapped his finger thoughtfully.
Since he only had one shot, he wouldn't use it yet. Not until he needed it.
As soon as he closed the gift pack, a new panel popped up.
[Personal Mission Issued]
Objective: Perform a short piece on any instrument and receive praise from at least ten different people.Reward: Enhanced Music Memory Card
Music Memory Enhancement:Enhances all music-related memories in the Host's mind. With it, the Host can easily write music scores based on his theoretical knowledge.
Note: The system will occasionally issue optional tasks—either Personal Missions or Producer Missions. They are not mandatory. Completing them grants rewards; ignoring them does not affect future missions.
Obviously.
This mission was meant to pair with the instrument selection card.
But none of that was something Kaito needed to worry about right this second.
Right now, he needed to get to school.
At Jingzhou Seventh High
As a school that wasn't top-tier but still considered a "gatekeeper" level key high school, Jingzhou Seventh High maintained one strict educational belief—
Health first. Self-discipline above all.
Probably because the school had previously had multiple incidents of senior students jumping off the building due to stress, and after getting warned by the Education Bureau several times, the school's management had become much more relaxed overall.
For commuting students like Kaito, he didn't need to attend morning reading.He only needed to show up before the first period.
The first class today was math.
Summer classrooms were always stuffy, and when it happened to be math, an additional layer of collective irritation filled the air.
The old ceiling fans creaked in slow, dangerous rotations, as if they could fall at any moment and chop off the students' heads.
"Oi, Kaito. Don't go home right after school today."
The boy sitting beside him—glasses, a few pimples, slightly nerdy expression—leaned over and whispered.
His name was Nakamura Itsuki, Kaito's deskmate.One of Kaito's very few friends at school.
"They put us on the schedule for tonight. We're working."
Kaito blinked.
He and Itsuki had a part-time job at a tea restaurant near the school.Since they were students—and part-timers at that—they were rarely scheduled. Only when the place got unusually busy, or when someone called in sick, would their boss summon them.
"…Do we have to go?"
Kaito hesitated.
Because he had already promised Mizuno Kanade they would have dinner tonight.And with her unstable mental state, even one extra hour could mean an extra degree of danger.
"What's wrong?"Itsuki narrowed his eyes."You got something important?"
"Kinda."
"Important? You?"Itsuki scoffed."I know your daily route. Home, school, home again. What on earth could you possibly—"
He suddenly froze.
Then his eyes widened with dawning horror.
"No way. No freaking way. Asakura Kaito… don't tell me… you're going on a date?!"
"How would that even—"
"Hold up. Didn't you say you went to a foot massage place last night? Don't tell me you met some spicy chick there and now you're going on a secret rendezvous!"
As he spoke, Itsuki's expression grew progressively more terrified.
"Kaito, listen! We can joke, we can mess around, but you can't seriously get involved with girls from foot massage parlors! I know you're single, I know no girls ever talk to you, but even if we're desperate, we can't be that desperate!"
"…I swear you're mentally ill."
Kaito stared at the blackboard, waving him off with clear irritation.
He knew Itsuki far too well.The guy lived online, constantly speaking in explosive forum-slang nonsense.
A certified terminally-online creature.
Bzzz—
At that moment, Kaito's phone vibrated in his pocket.
He took it out under the desk.
A message from "Sunshine After Rain."Mizuno Kanade.
It was a video.
Of course, Itsuki immediately shoved his head closer.
Kaito tapped it open.
On screen, Mizuno Kanade held her phone selfie-style, filming herself and the kitchen stove behind her.
She added a caption:
"Kaito, how do you turn on your gas stove?"