After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

The following week, Kagura Hikaru was busy and fulfilling.

Outside of school, he needed to go to Ruzaki Mami's house to instruct her on the piano and to a music company as a composer for song recording.

Life as a home tutor at Ruzaki's was going smoothly, but at the company, likely because of his excessive focus on efficiency, he was seen as a cold high school student by the collaborating sound engineer.

It really hurt his feelings. He was, after all, the latest future robot from the year 4080, equipped with a super emotional simulation device, specially sent to the past to correct timeline errors, and yet, he was called a cold high school student by an ordinary person. There should be a limit to impoliteness.

Anyway, to sum it up, a week later, the Red Pepper Band's first song was released.

Actually, before the release, the company had been building up momentum for their new band online, keeping audiences in suspense, and finally today they released their song's music video.

Dressed in uniform designed high school uniforms and genuinely high school girls playing complicated instruments with a rock rhythm, their youthful and beautiful performance was captivating.

The first song they released was the one titled "Red and Blue," a work co-created by the members of the Red Pepper Band and Kagura Hikaru, so naturally, both their names were listed alongside the composer credit. Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire

It's worth mentioning that Kagura Hikaru used a stage name—Ninomai, which means 'the same tragedy replayed' in Japanese, though who exactly he's dissing is unknown.

In three days, the song reached the top of the streaming media weekly chart, with incredible momentum.

Seeing the potential for the Red Pepper Band to become a hit, the company quickly released a second song, this time a new track provided by Kagura Hikaru.

It was a classic rock song that blended classical music into rock. The style was more stable, which shouldn't make Luzaki's mother angry, but the rhythm was well-balanced. It was dignified without being overly serious, the type of cool song that young people would like.

The outcome after the official release made the company extremely regretful.

Because the song quickly garnered five hundred million streams, spreading like a virus and exploding across the internet. Had they launched with this song from the start, it would have become an even stronger debut in the Island Nation than "Night Drive," beating the record-setting opportunity the music company missed. Mr. Sagami, their manager, repeatedly expressed his heartache in front of Kagura and the others.

But everyone actually felt it was okay. Whether they broke the record or not was one thing, but in any case, they had become famous, so there was no need to worry about being forgotten in the dustbin of history. For the Red Pepper Band, this was the greatest encouragement. It proved that they, and their music, had value.

This explosion of popularity directly impacted the lives of all members of the Red Pepper Band.

They became overnight sensations, with neighbors, friends, and classmates crowding around them, fawning over them, and showing off online.

Fortunately, with forewarning from Manager Mr. Sagami, Ai Cheng Karen and the others didn't let the star treatment go to their heads and didn't cause any bad news.

Compared to other nouveaux riches, they were already considered calm, but there was no need to hide their feelings amongst themselves.

Once they were out of the public eye, they privately gathered together, excitedly discussing the future.

It was someone's suggestion that a celebration party was quickly agreed upon, to be held at Ruzaki's house.

At first, they wanted to include Kagura Hikaru as well, since their success was largely dependent on him.

However, Kagura Hikaru declined. It didn't seem appropriate for him, a guy, to join a gathering of girls.

So this celebration party turned into a 'girls' night'.

Once school ended at 3:30 in the afternoon, everyone quickly gathered, buying necessities and stocking up on snacks and drinks essential for a pajama party, as well as balloons, poppers, cake, and such for the festive atmosphere.

Oddly enough, during the shopping, Ruzaki Mami, who was hosting, seemed subdued.

"What's wrong, Mami?" Ai Cheng Karen took Ruzaki Mami aside to ask quietly while the other two were selecting drinks, noticing her mood, "Did your mother scold you again, or are you not feeling well? If you're not up to it, we don't have to force it. We could hold the celebration another day."

"...No, it's not that, Karen-chan," Ruzaki Mami shook her head, showing a weird expression.

It was a mix of guilt and sadness as she looked at Ai Cheng Karen with complexity in her eyes.

Facing the other's puzzled gaze, Ruzaki Mami's lips curled into a slight arc, "I'll tell you later tonight."

"Eh~ What is it? Tell me now."

"Hehe."

No matter how she was pressed, Ruzaki Mami just laughed and evaded the questions with nonchalant replies, which intensified Ai Cheng Hua Lian's curiosity even more.

It was an answer she could never have guessed and never wanted to hear.

"Will I still be able to smile at myself after I get the answer?"—Ruzaki Mami worried and hesitated like never before.

These feelings, clashing with her fondness for that person, gradually gave rise to something new.

She had made up her mind.

One must grow and move forward. Standing still, going with the flow, one day you'll regret it.

Karen-chan would probably be surprised by her decision, so resolute compared to the timidity she had always shown.

She hoped they could still be friends when that time came.

After purchasing party supplies, the girls headed to the Ruzaki family's home.

With no men around and having the consent of Ruzaki's parents, they decided to spend the night at Ruzaki Mami's house, planning a pajama party that would last until midnight!

The western-style house of the Ruzaki family was very spacious. Ruzaki Mami occupied almost the entire third floor by herself, with only a maid's room near the staircase, and the rest were empty rooms.

In other words, they could go wild as they wanted; the soundproofing was so good that no one upstairs or downstairs could hear them.

After dinner, they giggled their way upstairs and watched a movie in Ruzaki Mami's room.

Her house actually had a home theater, but it wasn't suitable for making a mess; anyway, Ruzaki Mami's room also had a 4K projector, which was almost as good.

They put up balloons and streamers, cut the cake, chose a French comedy with romantic love and hilarious sequences, perfect for watching, chatting, and eating at the same time.

After one movie, they changed into pajamas after showering. Not yet sleepy, they watched another romance movie, snacking on the remaining food and drinks, feasting on chips, and guzzling soda non-stop.

They were bound to gain weight tonight, but they were happy and didn't care~

They chatted quietly with their mouths full of food, covering them with their hands.

But as they chatted, the topic shifted.

At a girls' pajama party, especially with a romance movie playing on the wall, how could they not talk about love?

Ai Cheng Hua Lian, "Nana, I heard the captain of your school's basketball team confessed to you today. Are you going to accept?"

Hoshimi Nana, "Ah? Where did you hear that?"

Saijo Maya, "Of course, it was from me."

Hoshimi Nana, "Tsk... That jerk was just trying to leech off my popularity. I would never date someone like that."

Ruzaki Mami, "Then do you have someone you like?"

Hoshimi Nana, "Not yet, but if I could, I'd like someone like Teacher Kagura."

Ai Cheng Hua Lian and Ruzaki Mami were simultaneously taken aback.

However, Hoshimi Nana then smiled brightly, "Just kidding, how could I possibly compete with Karen for a guy?"

Ai Cheng Hua Lian let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, then hurriedly explained.

What does she mean 'compete with Karen for a guy'? She had no plans to date Kagura Hikaru, or rather, she had no expectations at all.

She failed to notice, however, that Ruzaki Mami was stealthily casting a very amused glance at her.