Crossover Anime: I'm Kasumigaoka Utaha's Brother

Page 74

In his previous life, the most famous virtual singers in China were Luo Tianyi, Yue Zhengling, and Yan He. As Yue Zhengling's brother, Yue Zhenglongya was not well known to many people. Of course, given Baili Xiao's past level of "otaku" status, it would be very easy for him to identify who the "strange man with black and white hair" was at first glance!

"Xiao Guo, here, this is yours! Little Bird! Let me see yours... Oh right! It's this!" To celebrate the great success of Muse's first concert, Yue Zhengling had already selected gifts for the members of Muse and put them in a suitcase while they were in Idol City (there were also gifts for Baili Xiao and others). At this moment, she could hardly hide the smile on her face as she kept taking out gifts of all sizes from the suitcase and handing them to everyone.

Standing to the side, Yue Zheng Longya watched his younger sister mingling with the members of Muse, occasionally letting out screams like "Ah! So beautiful!" "Aya! Thank you!" "Right?! I told you you'd like it!" He couldn't help but shake his head, turning his gaze towards Baili Xiao's direction, a wry smile appearing on his face—to avoid being impolite, he had already removed the sunglasses he had been wearing: "Teacher Baili, let me introduce myself. I am Yue Zheng Ling's older brother, Yue Zheng Longya. This visit was somewhat rushed; please forgive any inconvenience..."

When they got off the plane, it was almost dinnertime. To avoid disturbing Teacher Baili and the others' meal, Yue Zheng Longya suggested, "Let's eat first and then set a time to visit." However, Yue Zheng Ling objected, saying, "Why so many formalities? Just go!" and added, "If you're not going, then I'll go by myself!"... And so, things turned out as they are now...

(Sure enough, I've disturbed you...) Le Zheng Longya glanced casually at the dining table and sighed heavily in his heart. As the future successor of the Le Zheng Group, he never thought that he would "clumsily" meet with the person he was about to "cooperate with" without "pre-arranged a time"!

"It's alright, this is a private occasion, you don't need to be so formal." Baili Xiao smiled slightly and gestured to the sofa next to her, "Please sit down... By the way, have you had dinner? If not..."

"No need to trouble yourself, we've already eaten!"

"Did Sister Hui make curry today? Wow! That's great! I'm starving after rushing around on the plane all day!"

Before Baili Xiao's question had even finished, the brother and sister, whose surname was "Lezheng," gave their own answer—a completely opposite one!

"Ugh!" Yue Zhengling's smile froze abruptly. She turned her head and glared fiercely at Long Ya, who of course glared back at her without backing down: "~Teacher, since my brother has already eaten, let's not worry about him!"

She paused for a moment, then took out an exquisite gift box labeled "Kato Megumi" from the box and walked to Kato Megumi's side with a fawning smile: "Hey, Megumi-neechan, is there one for me?"

"Wait here for a moment." Kato Megumi smiled slightly, reached out and gently stroked the former's black hair, then got up and walked towards the kitchen.

Watching his younger sister mingling so well with everyone in the studio, Le Zheng Longya felt a pang of "annoyance" and "regret" for the first time—(If only he had come another time!)

Unlike Yue Zhengling, who came to the studio for a different reason, Yue Zhenglongya came not only to "see the studio environment and get to know Baili Xiao and others so that he can entrust his sister to them with peace of mind," but also, to a greater extent, to discuss cooperation with Baili Xiao—Muse's meteoric rise contained enormous business opportunities!

Since it's business, it naturally needs to be formal—schedule a meeting time in advance, send a formal invitation, choose a meeting location appropriate to your status, etc.

(But, but everything is because of Aya...) Muttering to himself, Le Zheng Longya sighed helplessly, his face turning ashen. Le Zheng Ling was his sister. Even if he messed things up, could he just fire her like an employee?

"Alright, sit down first. Although Aya hasn't joined the studio yet, we all consider her a member." Seeing that Le Zheng Longya couldn't hide his embarrassment, Baili Xiao took the initiative to help him out: "Judging from your expression, it seems like there's something you want to say to me, Guang?"

"Yes, first of all, thank you, Teacher Baili, for your careful guidance of my sister. Secondly, I would like to discuss with you whether it's possible..."

"Let the muse endorse the musical instruments produced by our Lezheng Group!"

P.S.: I had some things to take care of back home for the past two days, but I've finished dealing with them. I'll resume updates starting today and try to post as many updates as possible!

Chapter 0211 What should an idol singer do?

"Endorsement?!" As soon as Long Ya finished speaking, Yue Zhengling stared blankly at him—she had never heard of her brother having such a plan!

“Yes, Muse’s status in the idol industry is quite high now. Although it doesn’t seem to have reached its peak yet, I think it won’t be long before most of the big companies come to Baili-sensei to discuss endorsements… I think I should be the first, right?” Le Zheng Long’s fanged eyes looked at Baili Xiao, who nodded slightly. His gaze swept over Honoka and the others present, and he asked softly, “So? Are you interested? Let’s make it clear beforehand that all the fees you receive from the endorsement are your personal earnings. I will not participate.”

"Huh? Huh? So that means..." Yazawa Nico's eyes lit up as she stared intently at Baili Xiao, seemingly unable to believe what he had just said: "Can I use that money however I want?"

"It shouldn't be 'I,' it should be 'we'!" Baili Xiao smiled and corrected Nicole's slip of the tongue, slowly extending a finger: "However, as a condition, you have to promise me one thing."

“It doesn’t matter! Why would we not listen to the teacher?” Yazawa Nico nodded vigorously, seemingly unconcerned. Sitting next to her, Tojo Nozomi lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then smiled with interest—she noticed a different tone in Baili Xiao’s voice and became intensely curious about “that matter”: “Teacher, can you tell us what it is?”

“You can accept endorsements, after all, even idol singers can’t make money entirely from concerts and album sales, but I hope... you don’t forget why you chose this path in the first place…” Baili Xiao’s tone was somewhat low, as if he was recalling something, and his expression became melancholy.

Many idol singers in this world, like those in Baili Xiao's previous world, take on numerous endorsements after gaining fame and transition from being simply "singers" to "actors" or even "directors," gradually wading into the murky waters of the entertainment industry. It's not that this development model is wrong, but... in the process of climbing the ladder, many idol singers lose sight of their original passion for singing and become obsessed with power and money...

Baili Xiao didn't want Muse to turn out that way because he deeply loved every girl in Muse and loved their innocent and naive appearance now!

The atmosphere in the living room froze instantly. Even Yazawa Nico, who had been shouting and yelling, "Haha! The endorsement fee must be huge! I'm going to buy so many things!", shut her mouth and sat up straight, only glancing timidly at Baili Xiao out of the corner of her eye.

"Teacher, don't worry about that."

The first to break the silence was surprisingly Nishikino Maki, who "often sat alone playing on her phone, seemingly oblivious to the world around her"—for the first time, her eyes shone brightly, aside from rehearsals and singing: "Muse is a whole, an idol group formed to save our alma mater, Otonokizaka Academy! Each of us loves to sing and hopes to be loved by everyone..."

Her gaze swept across the faces of the others—everyone looked back at her without flinching—and finally settled on Nico Yazawa: "This is the original intention of our singing, and it will never change, whether in the past, present, or future!"

"What are you looking at me for? I, of course I won't become like that! That kind of idol singer is not the idol singer I want to be!" As one gaze after another focused on her, Yazawa Nico's cheeks flushed red, and she lowered her head deeply—not out of "shyness" or "ashamed," but rather... "annoyed"!

Her hands were clenched tightly into fists on her knees, out of sight of anyone, her knuckles even turning pale from the force: "Yes, people might perceive me as 'very fond of money,' after all, my family isn't well-off. I have a mother, a younger brother, and younger sisters. I want to earn money to help support my family, and I want my younger siblings to not have to hide anything at school like I did..."

"But! But I'd much rather they could proudly say to others, 'My older sister is Yazawa Nico! She's a member of Muse!'"

"I want to be an idol singer! I dream about it!"

"That's precisely why I will never forget my original intention! I will never forget what an idol singer should do!"

With each word she spoke, Nicole's head would droop lower, until finally, it was almost a hysterical low scream!

Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably, her eyes were tightly closed, and she bit her lip hard to keep her sobs from coming out... Suddenly, a warm hand pressed against her head, firm yet gentle...

"Nicole, you're the one among all of Muse who most aspires to be an idol, the one who most admires an idol. We all know that, so you don't need to explain anything." A gentle voice sounded in front of Nicole. She looked up in surprise—a figure had completely crouched down, a face with a faint smile less than thirty centimeters from her nose. Baili Xiao stood at eye level with Nicole, their eyes meeting...

Grinning, Baili Xiao tilted his chin slightly to the side: "Nicole, you seem to have misunderstood everyone. Do you see even the slightest bit of doubt in their eyes?"

Nico turned her head stiffly, and what came into view were the complex gazes of the Muse members, filled with "heartache," "astonishment," and "sighs"—among them, the most glaring was that of Nishikino Maki, who was actually... rolling her eyes...

"Knowing that you understand the definition of 'idol' best, that's why I turned my attention to you. I was hoping you could share your thoughts, but I didn't expect..." Nishikino Maki said while playing with the ends of her hair. She paused slightly, sighed softly, and slowly stood up and walked behind Yazawa Nico. Her fair and slender arms wrapped around Nico's neck from behind.

"Alright, stop overthinking. We are the Muse, a group of nine. No one will doubt their partner! Just like I said, this has always been true, and it will always be true!"

Chapter 0212 A Request from an Older Brother!

(If her brother hadn't made that request so rashly, things wouldn't have turned out this way, right?) This thought arose out of nowhere, and Yue Zhengling faithfully reflected what she was thinking—staring intently at Yue Zhenglongya with sharp eyes!

The latter awkwardly touched his nose, wanting to say something, but couldn't speak due to the atmosphere in the living room. Baili Xiao stood up and sat down next to him, with an apologetic smile on his face: "Longya, some unexpected things happened, but it's okay, let's talk about the endorsement."

Being addressed as "Dragon Fang" by Baili Xiao upon their first meeting clearly surprised Lezheng Longya, but as the long-time head of the Lezheng Group, he didn't show it. He nodded slightly and said, "Okay, let me briefly explain here—the official documents will be sent to your email later—this endorsement is actually quite simple. My Lezheng Group deals in the sale of various mid-to-high-end musical instruments, which, in a way, is somewhat related to Muse. That's why I hope Muse will become our company's brand ambassador. I will provide the endorsement fee and will also provide Muse with free musical instruments in the future!"

"Whether it's daily practice or the needs of the concert, everything is provided solely by the Yuezheng Group. I wonder what the teacher and everyone else think?"

As soon as Yue Zheng Longya finished speaking, Akane Kousaka and Sonoko Machida, who had been sitting on the other side without saying a word, raised their eyebrows and exchanged a glance (they had been asked to stay for dinner by Baili Xiao). They both saw the hint of surprise hidden deep in each other's eyes—if the "agreement" Yue Zheng Longya mentioned was not an exaggeration and would definitely be realized in the future, it would mean that... the Yue Zheng Group would have to bear all the expenses related to Muse's "use of musical instruments" free of charge!

Although the ownership of the "used musical instruments" still belongs to the Lezheng Group, it should be noted that these "used musical instruments" cannot be sold to others. This factor alone will create a huge financial loophole... Akane Akane doesn't think that the actual decision-maker of a large company—Lezheng Longya—would not understand this point. In other words, the latter has the confidence that "even so, we can fill the loophole and even bring greater benefits!"

"Investing in Muse's future?" Baili Xiao saw through Yue Zheng Longya's plan at a glance, and the latter made no attempt to hide it: "Yes, Muse and the others have only just debuted, and I believe their future achievements will not stop here..."

At this point, Yue Zhenglongya smiled slightly, looking at Yue Zhengling meaningfully: "If Muse were an idol group from another agency, I might not have done this, but now... it's a different story. I've heard a lot about you, Teacher Baili, from Aya. To be honest, you're the first person Aya admires so much..."

"Ahhh! What are you saying~ Ah!"

Before Baili Xiao could respond, Yue Zhengling, her face flushed, stood up. Though red, her expression held an undeniable icy edge: "Just talk business! Don't say things you shouldn't! What's wrong with me...admiring my teacher! She sings beautifully, and her choreography is amazing! Besides—..."

"Alright, alright." Baili Xiao gently raised his right hand, interrupting Yue Zhengling with a wry smile on his face—perhaps in the latter's heart, such praise was true, but Baili Xiao couldn't be "composed in front of so many people" to that extent!

"I've got a general idea about the endorsement deal, hmm..." Baili Xiao pondered for a moment, then turned to Honoka and the others: "What do you guys think? Should we accept this endorsement or not?"

"Uh, even if the teacher asks me, I'll..." Honoka chuckled awkwardly, scratching her orange hair, and looked at Minami Kotori and Sonoda Umi with a pleading gaze. Sonoda Umi sat up straight and took a deep breath: "I'll do whatever the teacher says!"

0 ····Requesting flowers···· ·········

Clearly, she had forgotten (or simply hadn't paid attention?) Baili Xiao's earlier statement, "You make the decision yourselves"...

Tojo Nozomi's smiling eyes swept over the people around her, finally settling on Yue Zhengling. She gently clasped her hands together, making a soft "snap" sound: "Since it's Aya-nii's request, it shouldn't be a problem to agree, right? Besides, it's just endorsing a musical instrument, it's not like I've done anything outrageous..."

“Our essence is still that of idol singers. Endorsements are just a way to ‘settle our lives,’ so hopefully this endorsement won’t take up too much of our time.” Ayase Eli continued, picking up where Tojo Nozomi left off, “The most important thing right now is to hone our skills—both in dancing and singing!”

 …

"Of course, please rest assured, it won't take up too much of your time!" A smile appeared on Yue Zheng Longya's face as his gaze swept back and forth between Yue Zheng Ling and Baili Xiao, his smile gradually widening: "I'm here today for two reasons. Firstly, to resolve the business matter of the 'endorsement' mentioned earlier. Secondly, I have a personal matter I'd like to ask Teacher Baili for a favor..."

"My younger sister, Aya, has troubled you a lot before. This time, I hope you can officially let her join the studio!"

"Aya loves to sing. She debuted as a songstress in Idol City because she hoped her voice could be heard by everyone, that's all..."

"Before, she walked the path of singing alone for a long time. As her older brother, I wanted to accompany her, but the many miscellaneous matters of the Lezheng Group limited my time... Since meeting the teacher and everyone, I can feel that Aya is happy and fulfilled every day, so..."

"Please, Teacher Baili, let Aya join the studio too! This isn't a request from a partner, but from an older brother!" Fan said.

Chapter 0213 In short, thank you!

Night falls in Kasumigaoka Utaha's room.

As Baili Xiao entered through the door, Kasumigaoka Utaha slowly turned her gaze from the computer screen to the lower right corner—where the clear "00:27" indicated the time—and a slight smile appeared on her lips. She slowly closed the laptop and placed it aside, asking with interest, "What were you and Yue Zheng Longya talking about? I rarely see you so happy."

"Of course we'll talk about things between men!" Baili Xiao grinned, put his hands behind his head, and lay flat on his back on the bed.

The force of the fall caused the elastic mattress to be compressed and then bounce back—although the force was not great, it was still faithfully transmitted to Kasumigaoka Utaha's body, causing her full figure, which was partially concealed by her white pajamas, to tremble a few times.

Her fair fingers gently brushed through her freshly dried black hair, tucking it behind her ear. Kasumigaoka Utaha lay down beside Hyakuri Xiao, her red eyes reflecting the satisfied smile on his face. She chuckled softly, her words carrying a hint of meaning: "Men's topics, perhaps?"

"Well, we didn't really talk about anything, it's just that it's rare to have a guy in the studio, and we couldn't help but chat a lot..." Baili Xiao explained awkwardly—in fact, as he said, it's certainly great to be surrounded by a group of cute girls with different personalities every day, but after a while... it's not that he's tired of seeing them, he just simply wanted to find someone of the same sex to chat with...

After all... there are many things that even with his close relationship with Kasumigaoka Utaha, he can't say directly!

“We’re about the same age, so we naturally have a lot to talk about. I really admire Lezheng Longya. At such a young age, he’s already a decision-maker in a large company like Lezheng Group…” Recalling the topics they had discussed earlier—which covered all sorts of things, but in general, they mostly talked about things they were familiar with—Bai Lixiao took a deep breath and then let out a satisfied sigh.

At first, Le Zheng Longya was a little reserved, but as the conversation went on, he gradually opened up—and surprisingly, Baili Xiao felt a sense of wonder, "Is this what a true friend is?"

(Admiration?) Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes widened slightly, her bright, ruby-like eyes quietly watching Baili Xiao's profile. Indeed, it was impressive that Lezheng Longya could make decisions for the entire Lezheng Group on his own, but in Kasumigaoka Utaha's mind, it could only be described as "somewhat impressive."

The person she could "admire" was the man lying right next to her, staring blankly at the ceiling!

"So, now that you've agreed to Yue Zheng Longya's request and let Aya join the studio, where do you plan to place her?" Not wanting to continue discussing the "Yue Zheng Longya" matter—for some reason, seeing Baili Xiao's seemingly satisfied smile always gave Kasumigaoka Utaha the illusion of, "Huh? Did I lose to a man in some way?"—Kasumigaoka Utaha chose to proactively change the subject: "Should we put her with Muse?"

"Hmm... I guess you could say that." Bai Li Xiao didn't notice Kasumigaoka Utaha's little scheme. He frowned slightly and pondered for a while, then tilted his head in slight distress: "Aya and Muse are different. She's already a famous idol singer, so there's no need to prepare anything for her. Let Aya train with Muse for now... That being said, in terms of singing and dancing, Aya is actually a 'teacher' level person in front of Muse!"

"With Aya's help, I can relax a little on Muse's end. After all... I need to focus all my energy on preparing for the animated film 'Your Name' for the next month!"

...

In a pre-arranged car, Le Zheng Longya arrived at the hotel he had booked in advance—despite Baili Xiao's repeated attempts to persuade him to stay, saying things like, "It's okay to stay here! There are plenty of other rooms available," he still made the choice... After all, the other guests staying in the different rooms were all members of the studio, and all of them were girls...

"He really is...an interesting person." Le Zheng Longya unconsciously drifted into a daze as Baili Xiao's image appeared in his mind.

As the eldest son of the Lezheng Group and its future heir, Lezheng Longya possesses many virtues—a carefree and unpretentious personality, a steady yet decisive approach to matters, and an exceptionally strong aura—as a normal person, he would also be proud of these qualities, though... he simply wouldn't flaunt them casually!

However, during his conversation with Baili Xiao today, he discovered that the person whom many people in the world call "Teacher Baili" is really casual and kind, without any airs, and you can't tell at all that he is superior to others!

At least, Lezheng Longya didn't notice!

"Someone who has risen to fame in the anime and manga world in such a short time, topped the trending charts multiple times, and whose every post attracts countless people's attention... It's no wonder that Aya admires Teacher Baili so much..." Unable to help but sigh, Lezheng Longya unbuttoned his collar—he still had to inspect the local branch of Lezheng Group tomorrow, and he had to get up early in the morning. It was almost 1 a.m., so he couldn't afford to stay here daydreaming any longer!

"Ding~" With a sudden sound, the phone screen lit up, and a message labeled "Aya" caught Yue Zheng Longya's eye.

[The reason I came here was to ask you to "join the studio." Even if you hadn't said anything, I would have brought it up later. Anyway, thank you in advance (pouting)]

At the end of the message, 4.9 even had a "pouting" emoji. Le Zheng Longya chuckled and shook his head—had his little sister learned "tsundere" from someone in the studio?

[From now on, don't throw tantrums at the teacher's place like you do at home... At home, people pamper and spoil you, and they won't blame you for anything you do. But it's different outside, understand? But then again, given Teacher Baili and the others' personalities, it seems unlikely they'll bully you, right?]

[That's exactly what I'm saying! All you ever do is worry about things that aren't your business! Today's incident is no exception!]

[...Just as I expected, my biological younger sister isn't cute at all!]

"...I'm really sorry! ...Anyway, thank you! I'm going to bed now!"

Chapter 0214 Yamada Fairy's Self-Comforting!

The next morning—very early indeed—if the other members of the studio had seen “06:00” on the electronic alarm clock, they would probably have opened their eyes in horror.