The next morning, Asai Yu started experiencing Togawa Sakiko's body bright and early.
After greeting Matsugi Ririko, he carried a USB drive with him to the backstage area of RiNG.
The first things that came into view were Matsugi Ririko and Tsuzuki Shifune.
Tsuzuki Shifune—an elderly woman already well past her fifties—was dressed in casual clothes. If one didn't know her true identity, she could easily be mistaken for an ordinary old woman you'd see anywhere.
"Good morning, Manager Tsuzuki," Asai Yu greeted politely.
"I thought you might not show up after all." Seeing the blue-haired girl before her, Tsuzuki Shifune's lips curved into a faint smile.
At the very least, she had truly stuck it out and hadn't backed down. The only question was how good the results actually were.
"Are all three songs finished?" she asked.
"Yes. They're all in here."
Asai Yu nodded, took out the USB drive, and handed it over. "Two of them are composed based on lyrics from other bands. The last one is completely original."
Seeing how confident the girl looked, curiosity flickered in Tsuzuki Shifune's eyes. She connected the USB drive to the computer, put on her headphones, and opened the audio files.
Asai Yu stood quietly to the side.
"Is it really okay, Sakiko-san?" Matsugi Ririko asked in a low voice, her tone tinged with worry.
"Please don't worry, Matsugi-san." Asai Yu returned a reassuring smile.
Watching this exchange, Togawa Sakiko—deep inside—felt her previously relaxed nerves tighten again, like someone holding a guaranteed winning lottery ticket yet still sweating before claiming the prize.
Tsuzuki Shifune treated music with extreme seriousness. She listened to both the first and second tracks with full concentration.
Her ears would give her the answer.
After finishing the first song, her expression remained calm as she gave her evaluation:
"About the same level as Haruhikage."
When the second song ended, a hint of surprise appeared in her eyes.
"This one's slightly better than Haruhikage."
To be honest, being able to produce two songs of this quality within just two weeks was already impressive. That was why Tsuzuki Shifune felt genuinely surprised.
As for the third song, she had little expectation left. Most likely, it would be a roughly thrown-together piece.
Still, she opened the file and began listening seriously.
A piano-led main melody?
Then came the layered sounds of various instruments weaving together.
Wait—this song…
Tsuzuki Shifune's gaze sharpened instantly. In less than ten seconds, she was completely drawn in by the melody.
When the track reached its midpoint, she slowly closed her eyes. Her stern expression softened, and she immersed herself fully, listening with undivided attention.
Seeing this, Matsugi Ririko was startled.
The boss… was she completely absorbed?
About four minutes later, the song ended.
Tsuzuki Shifune let out a breath, removed her headphones, and looked at the blue-haired girl beside her. Her eyes fixed on her as she asked,
"Was this song, Gunjō, composed by you?"
Since the song would, for now, exist only in people's minds, Asai Yu nodded without hesitation.
"It's completely original."
Hearing that, Tsuzuki Shifune stroked her chin, then smiled faintly, appreciation evident in her eyes.
"This one… is very good."
Beside them, Matsugi Ririko's mouth fell open in shock.
This might be the first time she'd ever seen the boss praise someone outright.
Inside, Togawa Sakiko was overjoyed.
That's great!
"There's also a version without the main melody," Asai Yu said, pointing at the computer screen.
Tsuzuki Shifune felt even more satisfied. Even after being praised, the girl showed no arrogance or visible excitement, and she even pointed out that there was more material she hadn't listened to yet.
So young, yet more composed than many adults.
"Mm." Tsuzuki Shifune's attitude visibly softened as she listened through the melody-less version of Gunjō.
Her final conclusion: if lyrics were added, this arrangement would be even more perfect than the previous one.
"Does this song have lyrics?" she asked curiously.
"Yes." Asai Yu nodded and opened the lyrics file on the USB drive.
Tsuzuki Shifune read through it once and found that the lyrics were excellently written, fitting the song perfectly.
"Good. You've written the lyrics too. Have you considered recording the complete song?" she continued.
"For now, I don't have the conditions to do that," Asai Yu shook her head.
"I see. If you need it, you can contact Matsugi. She'll handle the recording venue and conditions," Tsuzuki Shifune said.
"Understood. Thank you."
While expressing her thanks, Asai Yu was inwardly surprised.
This shift in the manager's attitude was enormous.
Matsugi Ririko, on the other hand, was stunned.
Providing recording support for Gunjō unconditionally? Wasn't the boss valuing her way too highly?!
"Then, about this request…" Asai Yu steered the topic back on track.
"It's fulfilled." Tsuzuki Shifune crossed her arms and replied with a smile.
In truth, even producing two and a half songs at Haruhikage's level would have been enough to pass. The requirement she had set was something almost no one could achieve.
Yet Togawa Sakiko had met it—and even produced a genuinely outstanding song on top of that.
From the fatigue on the girl's face, Tsuzuki Shifune could tell just how much effort she had put in over the past two weeks.
[Task Complete: Fulfilled Tsuzuki Shifune's Requirements]
[Task Reward Issued: Designated Special Buff Time Double Card ×1]
The system's voice echoed in Asai Yu's mind. A reward in hand was always a good thing.
"Oh, by the way—you're quite skilled with keyboard instruments, aren't you?" Tsuzuki Shifune asked. She had done some light research and already had a rough idea of Togawa Sakiko's background in the music world.
Asai Yu nodded. "I'm better at piano."
"I have a proposal. I'd like to see your piano skills. If you meet my standards, RiNG will only take a 5% cut on contract revenue."
"And you can also choose to perform for two hours a day at the café on RiNG's second floor. I'll offer a fairly generous daily wage."
Asai Yu's eyes widened.
There was a deal like this too?
It was clear she had earned Tsuzuki Shifune's strong approval—strong enough that the manager was personally paving the way for her.
"Alright. I'll give it a try." Asai Yu nodded seriously.
The three of them then walked over to a piano—a Steinway, no less. The price tag alone would be several million yen.
Asai Yu sat down in front of it.
She then used the Designated Special Buff Time Double Card on her piano skill.
[Piano Buff Daily Duration increased from 1 hour to 2 hours. Effective immediately]
At that moment, Togawa Sakiko's voice suddenly rang out:
"Do your best. This should be easy for you, right?"
When did Togawa-sensei become this kind?
Asai Yu smiled but didn't answer. Sitting upright, she placed her fingers on the keys and began to play.
Perfect timing—to use up today's entire buff duration in one go.