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Chapter 8 Amateur God of War
"Asuka, forget about Onodera Mizuki now, don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself."
Hiroshi Nakajima dragged a guitar over from the wall.
"Come on, try singing a song. Just choose one you're most familiar with, and I'll see how I can help you improve."
Asuka took the guitar, her fingers stiffly resting on the strings.
She took several deep breaths, trying to banish the terrifying image of Onodera Mizuki from her mind.
But it failed.
A perfect smile, a sweet singing voice, and that subtle wink that even she finds captivating…
The more she tried to forget, the clearer the images became; she could even smell the expensive perfume left by Mizuki.
Do I really have to compete with this guy?
No, Asuka, don't think about those nonsensical things!
She forced herself to pluck the strings.
"Thump—!"
It sounded dull from the very first chord, clearly due to unwanted noise caused by not pressing the chord properly.
Oh no, it's broken.
This is going to be a disaster.
The girl became even more nervous, and, forcing herself to speak, she spoke haltingly.
The voice that could barely get by in a small bar was now unresponsive and sounded particularly thin.
Soon, in this chaotic state, they went off-key.
The girl stopped on her own in less than a minute.
Asuka stared intently at the floor, her fingers cut by the strings, blood seeping out.
But she felt nothing at all; her cheeks were burning hot and her ears were ringing.
This……
Hiroshi Nakajima must be very disappointed.
After all, he had placed all his hopes on himself.
But me.
I.
Asuka didn't dare to look up, afraid that she would see disdain, mockery, or impatience in Nakajima Hiroshi's expression.
Any outcome terrified her.
However, the terrible scene that was expected did not occur.
"You cut your finger."
Nakajima Hiroshi took out a band-aid and carefully wrapped it around her wound.
He then comforted her, saying, "My guitar hasn't been tuned in a long time, so maybe you're not used to it yet."
His tone was calm.
Although Asuka performed terribly, Nakajima Hiro was actually very happy.
Yes, I'm happy.
He saw hope.
If Asuka performs well, those last four points will become an insurmountable barrier, and it will be difficult to improve them in a short period of time.
If it still gets two points after all this, it means that the criteria for judging amateur talent are quite lenient.
In this way, she might be able to quickly learn four musical instruments and cleverly accumulate enough points.
By the way, let's ask her how long she's been learning.
Maybe this child just hasn't tried hard enough yet; perhaps he's very talented.
"Asuka, how much time have you been practicing guitar?"
Judging from Asuka's skill level, she'll probably just do a perfunctory job.
Three years.
Nakajima Hiroshi's breath hitched.
I have a bad feeling...
To have learned this much in just three years is no longer a matter of talent.
Stay calm.
Hiroshi Nakajima, don't panic, there's no use being anxious.
Yes, take a deep breath...
He is trying his best to adjust his mindset.
It would be a lie to say he was completely unfazed, but Hiroshi Nakajima understood that getting anxious would only make things worse.
Perhaps Asuka was just nervous, or perhaps she chose a song she wasn't familiar with.
Let her try playing some simpler pieces.
Little Star.
Yes, the all-powerful little star, the little star that you can master in just half an hour.
"Tomorrow's Flower, let's change to a simpler piece of music."
"Try this sheet music."
Hiroshi Nakajima tried to make his tone sound calm.
Those who are not dead...
Unexpectedly, Asuka lowered her head even further.
"I'm sorry, I... I can't read sheet music."
She murmured, her voice growing softer and softer.
"These few sections were practiced by imitating the movements of other players, so..."
A brief silence fell over the office.
However, Nakajima Hiroshi quickly recovered from his astonishment.
For the moment, this isn't entirely a bad thing.
It's good that you haven't studied it before, and it's good that you don't have any foundation!
I'm afraid that if you really work hard for three years and end up like this, then you'll really have to start asking around to find out which underpass is the most comfortable!
"Asuka."
Nakajima Hiroshi rallied his spirits, his tone now carrying a hint of sharpness.
"You're not lacking in talent, you're just using the wrong learning methods."
"Come with me now, and I'll show you the right way to enjoy music!"
Let's set off immediately.
The two arrived at a musical instrument store.
"Boss, this is the artist I'm about to sign. Today, I'll give her a basic introduction to the fundamentals."
"If it's suitable, I'll place the order tomorrow."
Nakajima Hiroshi shamelessly made empty promises to the boss.
I'm sorry, whether I can come tomorrow is another matter, but I need to borrow your things today.
The boss believed it.
"Tomorrow's Flower, listen to me."
"You don't need to read the sheet music now, nor do you need to play the complete melody."
"Our goal is clear: to learn about the four instruments and use them to produce effective sound for a period of time."
This can most likely be determined by the system.
Because that's about the level of Asuka's playing.
"Come."
Hiroshi Nakajima pulled Asuka over and had her sit in front of the electronic striking pad, then pressed the switch.
The simple four zones are illuminated with a faint light.
"Remember, it's called an electronic drum pad, and it can be used to mimic a drum kit."
At least let Asuka know what she is studying.
As he spoke, he squatted down, grabbed Asuka's ankle, and pressed it directly onto the pedal.
It has a delicate and smooth texture.
They no longer cared about being impolite.
Now we are racing against time, and not a moment can be wasted.
"ah!"
A gasp of surprise.
Ignoring him, Nakajima Hiroshi cut straight to the point: "This area is called the bass drum zone. Step on it with your right foot."
The serious tone quickly put Asuka back into the study rhythm.
"And here, it corresponds to the war drum, which is usually struck with drumsticks."
"Come on, try it out, mimicking my movements."
After a simple disassembly demonstration, Hiroshi Nakajima turned on the phone's metronome and set it to 60 beats per minute.
Soon, two simple "beep" and "click" sounds rang out in the air.
"Your task is simple: when you hear the beep, step on the bass drum pedal."
"At the same time, can you tap the snare drum pad with your left hand?"
"I...I'll give it a try."
It's actually quite simple; it's just that Asuka lacks confidence in herself.
She took the drumsticks in a daze, her right foot hovering over the pedal.
"Beep".
They hurriedly stepped down and tapped.
They weren't in sync.
"It's okay, at least you know the principle now."
Encourage, then guide.
"Focus your attention, forget about other things, and concentrate entirely on the metronome."
Hiroshi Nakajima only teaches practical skills.
"Link the beep sound with your movement to form muscle memory."
"Again."
"Beep".
This time, it's a little better, but my hands and feet are still uncoordinated.
"You've made progress, keep it up."
Nakajima Hiroshi kept adjusting his instructions and correcting her posture and mindset.
At the same time, it also gives both sides a little courage.
Ten minutes later, Honoka was able to keep up with the slow and steady rhythm.
Although the movements were stiff, the "thump, boom" sounds of the blows could now be heard continuously without interruption.
Just as she finished a minute of steady tapping, a system notification suddenly popped up.
"Tomorrow's Flower Hoop: Talent Score 3/40"
Become!
This plan will work!
"Very good, acceptable."
"Next up, the harmonica!"
This is a relatively simple wind instrument.
"The sound-producing movements of the harmonica are also very simple, with only two actions: inhaling and exhaling."
"Now, following the metronome, inhale, exhale."
"Good, very good. Adjust the speed, one note per beat..."
"Guest, regarding the harmonica, have you used it before...?"
"purchase!"
Just as the boss was about to stop him, Nakajima Hiroshi stopped him.
The reasons are sufficient and the points are concise.
Just kidding, we can't afford to waste time on something like that right now.
"Next up, the kalimba, also known as the thumb piano."
With a gentle stroke, the instrument produces a sound as ethereal as spring water.
"Like this, steadily dial the comb to the left and then back, imagining you are stroking a row of comb teeth."
Asuka took the small wooden instrument.
She imitated Nakajima Hiroshi, pressing her thumb against the end of the reed and applying gentle force.
"bite--!"
"Very good, speed it up a bit, and create a cycle."
"Just like you were tapping out a beat, give yourself an internal rhythm."
"Have you found your rhythm yet, Asuka?"
"no problem!"
Asuka finally regained her courage.
"The last item is the electronic keyboard."
Hiroshi Nakajima still hasn't forgotten his little star.
There aren't many simple musical instruments to choose from here. Although the electronic keyboard is a bit more difficult to learn than the others, it's the only option for now.
Otherwise, he would have liked to have Asuka Hanazawa bang a gong.
"Relax, let your fingers hang naturally, yes..."
at last.
"Ding!"
"Tomorrow's Flower Hoop: Talent Score 6/40"
Talents: Guitar (amateur), Singing (amateur), Drums (amateur), Harmonica (amateur), Kalimba (amateur), Keyboard (amateur)
It meets the standard!
but……
What amateur war god?
This talent show is ridiculously exaggerated.
Even Nakajima Hiroshi, the culprit, couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
"The system has detected that Asuka Honoka has met the minimum signing criteria. Shall we sign her?"
In Nakajima Hiroshi's field of vision, a bright red countdown was flashing.
"00:00:47"
There is less than a minute left until the deadline.
We can't delay, confirm immediately!
"Contract being generated..."
"Congratulations, host, on completing the beginner's mission. The agent system is being activated..."
"Talent has been detected in the artist; in accordance with the sharing rules, physical modifications will be performed immediately."
Ok?
Physical modification?
What is that...?
next second.
Nakajima Hiroshi suddenly pressed his hand to his head.
"Ughh ...
pain!
it hurts!
It hurts so much!
Something pierced my brain, followed by a sharp pain that quickly spread to my ears.
roar!
A series of piercing, long sounds came from my ears.
My head is splitting with pain!
Nakajima Hiroshi swayed and staggered, about to fall to the ground.
"Nakajima, what's wrong?!"
Asuka quickly dropped the keyboard and supported his body.
It's so heavy.
Shaky.
at the same time.
A striking golden notification appeared before Nakajima Hiroshi's eyes.
"Shared the attributes of Asuka Honoka, gained her talent: Perfect Pitch!"