"Hah..." Dripping with cold sweat, Shu naturally couldn't show any weakness on the surface.
He had a premonition—or rather, anyone with half a brain could see it—if he surrendered and submitted now, he would completely lose all human rights for the foreseeable future and be reduced to nothing more than a plaything in the palms of their hands.
This was unacceptable. This concerned his dignity, power, ideals, and ultimate destination...
"How could that possibly be true? Having a guy perform on stage in a girl band would be way too weird. Obviously, my idea was just to stay backstage as your manager and watch you guys rehearse and perform."
Shu spoke breezily, acting entirely unbothered, without the slightest hint of panic.
However, the air suddenly went dead silent for three seconds. No one responded.
Shu, maintaining his casual wave, also froze for three seconds. Finally, unable to bear the crushing pressure, he peeked one eye open and looked at the group.
At some point, they had all huddled around him, sharing the shade of his parasol.
Kiana leaned in close. Her azure eyes were narrowed into slits, scrutinizing him closely, while the corners of her mouth curled up into an incredibly sinister smirk.
"Oh~ So you just wanted to be the manager, huh? And here I thought you wanted to wear a cute frilly dress and perform on stage with us."
Dun dun dun!
Dammit, Kiana, why are your instincts so sharp?!
"Is that so? What a massive misunderstanding..." Shu stroked his chin, smiling as if Kiana genuinely had just made a silly mistake.
"However, Shu's micro-expressions are telling Bronya that Shu is currently incredibly guilty." His hand having been removed from her head, Bronya, the undisputed champion of verbal combat, re-entered the battlefield.
Shu's hand twitched, and a tiny crack appeared in his flawless smile.
He promptly placed his hand back onto Bronya's head, reapplying the manual mute.
"Perhaps Bronya was mistaken? After all, everyone is different, and you can't generalize. Especially considering the gap between a human and a Herrscher?"
"Oh, so that's how it is..." But this time, a simple manual mute wasn't going to solve the problem.
Mei joined the fray!
"And here I thought I'd finally get to hear what Shu sounds like when he sings..." Mei's face displayed the perfect blend of regret and sorrow. "Kiana has told me about it so many times.
"She said Shu's singing is absolutely incredible. It makes you feel like you're actually there, experiencing the story yourself... Sigh. I suppose I'll never get to hear it..."
Facts proved that not all "honest people" were like Fu Hua, who simply didn't know how to play the game.
The vast majority of "honest people" in this world actually understood the game perfectly; they just chose not to play. But if you gave them an excuse to let loose, their arsenal of manipulative tactics was terrifying.
"Yeah, exactly! Shu's singing is super~ amazing! I was totally shocked the first time I heard it! It really feels like you've lived through the story yourself, and you can physically feel all the lingering emotions..."
As Kiana spoke, she hugged herself, shivering slightly.
Did she literally just give herself goosebumps from her own description?!
Shu felt his face getting hot.
Mei's tactic was way too brutal.
Kiana and Bronya's combo attack earlier was clearly just teasing and mocking him. If he got a little flustered, let them see his reaction, and then laughed it off, everyone would have been happy.
But it seemed Mei was genuinely trying to drag him onto the stage!
And Kiana instantly followed up with genuine, heartfelt praise, clearly completely serious about it too!
Enough! If you two keep complimenting me, this is going to get weird.
"Really? Is Big Brother Shu really that amazing?!" Seele gasped, clutching her small fists in awe.
Perfect. Now it's weird.
Oh my god, she's a master!
That single rhetorical question acted as both a challenge and a massive ego boost. It simultaneously triggered Shu's competitive spirit and satisfied his vanity. He could even predict exactly what Seele would say next if he tried to deny it.
No, I believe Big Brother Shu can definitely do it!
"No, I believe Big Brother Shu can definitely do it!" Seele declared.
Word for word?!
"Oh, it's fine, it's fine." And finally, for the grand finale, Theresa joined in.
She smiled and magnanimously patted Shu on the waist. "Even if Kiana is just bragging, Shu can always just use [Wish], right? It's just singing a few songs, it shouldn't cost that much [Wish] power, right?"
"Auntie Theresa! I am not bragging! Shu's singing is seriously incredible!" Kiana puffed her cheeks out indignantly. "Hmph! Just wait until Shu actually sings, then the Principal will finally know how amazing he is!"
"Alright, alright, it's my fault for failing to recognize Mount Tai, okay?" Theresa absentmindedly placated Kiana's hissing, then patted Shu's waist again.
"Everyone is really looking forward to your performance, Shu. Well? Aren't you going to show us what you've got?"
Shu lowered his eyes and looked around. Everyone was staring at him, smiling, their eyes filled with genuine anticipation.
Shu opened his mouth, intending to hold his ground and firmly reject this ridiculous proposal.
But the cold, dismissive words simply wouldn't come out.
At the end of the day, this "girl band" idea was just a fun hobby for everyone. It wasn't meant to be taken seriously. But if he outright rejected it, he would be the one making it serious.
He knew his next answer would decide the ultimate fate of this proposal. No one was actually going to force him to do anything; they were just joking around.
If he took it too seriously, it would create a genuine rift between them.
Sigh. Truthfully, this internal monologue wasn't a long, drawn-out process. Compared to his previous habit of agonizing over every possible outcome, his thought process now was incredibly simple.
Whatever. I'll just do it so I don't ruin the mood.
"I really can't say no to you guys, can I?" Shu pulled his hand off Bronya's head and raised a single finger helplessly. "Just this once, okay?
"I'll perform with you. But I'm definitely going to use a different avatar. And I refuse to sing any of those cutesy, overly moe idol songs. And no weird stage choreography... Basically, I'll handle my own routine.
"How about it? Since you're the ones begging me, it's only fair I have a few demands, right?"
Those were Shu's bottom lines. And in response to these strict, demanding terms, Kiana and the others replied—
"Huh?!" Kiana, who had been just about to reveal their actual plan, slapped a hand over her mouth, staring at Shu in absolute shock.
The others also stood frozen before Shu, their mouths slightly agape, completely speechless.
Wait. Why did Shu just agree to it?
That wasn't the plan!
Weren't they supposed to hype him up, he'd get embarrassed and reject it, and then they'd naturally pivot and ask him to be their behind-the-scenes instructor?!
Why did you just agree?! That's not how girl bands work!
Why did you agree?!