Momoi Taro wants to form a "don" brother duo, but it's a music anime.

Page 72

Taro lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Then let's decide on this!"

Miao Meng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She was a very demanding person, and that song still required a lot of practice, but her recent commercial activities were packed, so she simply couldn't find enough time. Being able to postpone the practice of this song was the best thing for her.

Hai Ling glanced at Miao Meng thoughtfully, but as always, she didn't say anything and just silently took the food she had ordered and started eating.

Lixi also observed Hailing's reaction thoughtfully, but she too chose to remain silent. Because this wasn't her band's business, she didn't need to speak.

At this moment, Taro spoke again. He calmly glanced around, cleared his throat, and drew the attention of everyone around the round table to himself. He raised his head and said, "About yesterday..."

He paused briefly before continuing, "Well... thank you all!" Having said that, he immediately regained his composure and announced, "Alright, everyone, don't be shy, please eat! This is a return gift!"

"Huh...?" Aine was stunned for a moment, then suddenly jumped up from her chair, rushed to Taro's side, and excitedly grabbed his arm: "Taro just thanked us, right?"

"Ah..." Although he could tell from Aine's expression that she wasn't thinking anything good, Taro still responded calmly.

"Can you say it again? Please, just say it one more time!" Aine pleaded excitedly, even taking out her phone.

"I refuse!" Taro took two steps back, raised his head, and said decisively, "Praise or thanks, once is enough!!"

"Please say it again! Please!!" The banquet, as expected, began with Aine's mournful cry...

Last night I had a sudden inspiration. The reason I wrote "Lonely Rock" before was because I lacked detail, so I had to add a bunch of stuff that people didn't really want to see but I had to. So… why don't I just add details elsewhere?! In the future, I can insert regional dialogues, short stories, and flashbacks in places like the author's notes or other sections of the text. That way I can add details. I'll do it whenever I have an idea.

Oops, I forgot to delete the original after making the changes. That's why there are so many duplicates. I'll check more carefully next time. I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, so sorry, so sorry!

Dong, Episode 16, Contact

The atmosphere at the festival was quite pleasant. After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Taro personally escorted each of them home, making sure they were safely inside before quickly running back himself.

Meowmon was the last to leave. Naturally, the task of taking her home fell to Taro. The streets of Tokyo at night had shed the hustle and bustle of the day. The busy gears of traffic had temporarily ceased operation, leaving only empty streets and sparse streetlights. The surroundings were so quiet that the sound of their footsteps echoing in the emptiness could be heard.

The two walked side by side, the atmosphere subtly silent. Miaomeng's gaze flickered in the halo of the streetlights, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, as if she were preparing something. Finally, she spoke, as if in casual conversation, with a hint of probing:

"General, lately... I've been getting more and more business-related work." The voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

Taro didn't stop walking, his gaze fixed straight ahead, his tone as matter-of-fact as ever: "Isn't that great?"

“It’s good…” Miao Meng struggled to find the right words, her voice even softer, tinged with a barely perceptible hint of distress, “But, to do all this well, it feels like there’s so much to learn… It’s so troublesome…” Her words contained a subtle, almost imperceptible, implication.

Taro stopped and looked at her, asking, "What do you want to say? Just say it!"

"Can I learn from you?" Miaomeng finally gave up struggling, feeling that continuing like this would only complicate things. It was better to just say it directly; all this back and forth was just too troublesome…!

"Hoo—" Taro looked very happy, nodded, and confirmed, "I see, it was the servants who asked me for help."

"Yes, General! I'm counting on you!" Da Miao bowed a perfect ninety-degree angle. Taro's smile widened, and he said, "Sure! You can find me anytime during the gaps in my schedule!"

"Thank you, General!" Miao Meng said a simple thank you, stood up, and said, "I'll confirm your location in the group later, okay?"

"Okay! That's all for now!" Taro said goodbye to Meow Dream, glanced at his phone, frowned slightly, and sent a message to each of them.

"By the way, General, I've been wanting to ask this before." Having received an answer and arriving near her home, Miao Meng's mood improved considerably. She then asked, "Didn't you say you were going to attend a festival nearby? Where exactly is 'nearby'?"

“Kumamoto!” Taro answered without hesitation. Meowmon nodded with a smile and said, “I see, it’s Kumamoto. Hmm, Kumamoto is a nice place… eh?”

She seemed to realize something, froze on the spot, and after a while shouted, "Wait! Kumamoto!? I've never heard of such a thing!"

However, Taro had already gone far away, and Meowme cried out in despair, "General! Kumamoto is 1000 kilometers away from Tokyo! That can't be called nearby! General!!"

However, Taro didn't turn around at all, seemingly ignoring what Nyanmu said.

The next day.

In a Tokyo coffee shop, a brown-haired girl and a silver-haired girl anxiously checked their phones. These two were Nina and Momoka. Nina muttered, "Honestly, Mr. Momoi is late."

"Well, it's normal to be a little late because something came up." Momoka wasn't in a hurry and glanced around. "But speaking of which, although I knew there was a lot of band activity around here, I didn't expect it to be this strong."

"I've seen at least a few dozen people carrying musical instruments along the way," Tao Xiang remarked, calmly taking a sip of her lemon tea.

"Isn't this great!?" Nina said excitedly, "Our band will have an easier time succeeding now."

"Is that so? Let's assume it is." Momoka casually took a sip of her lemon tea. Nina, who had been staring out the window, widened her eyes and tugged at Momoka's sleeve: "Momoka-san!"

"What's wrong?" Momoka asked impatiently as Nina pulled her along. The child pointed excitedly out the window: "Isn't that Mr. Momoi!"

Upon hearing this, Momoka subconsciously turned her gaze to the window. A tall figure in a red and blue uniform, wearing a hat, carried a box into the store across the street. Although she couldn't see the person's face from her position, she remembered seeing him wearing a similar uniform the first time she met him.

"I think so?" Momoka said calmly, while Nina pulled Momoka towards the door. Momoka sighed and placed the money on the table: "Don't rush! Boss! The bill is on the table."

"Yes! Welcome back again!" With the owner's reply, the two left the cafe. They walked over to the man who resembled Taro, and upon closer inspection, it was indeed him!

"Mr. Momoi!" Nina jumped out and pointed at Taro, who was sorting through the order slips: "Didn't you make an appointment with us? Now! You're completely late!"

"Ah, yes," Taro said calmly as he tidied up, not paying any special attention to Nina.

"Why?!" Nina shouted at Taro in bewilderment, "Mr. Momoi! This is too much! Why would you do such a thing!"

“My colleague suddenly fell ill, so I’m taking over his work,” Taro replied calmly. “Accepting your invitation was a personal matter and shouldn’t interfere with my work. Work should take priority.”

"Rin, don't be stubborn. This is work," Momoka advised from the side. It was already difficult enough for her to ask the other person for a favor, and now she wanted her to sacrifice her work time. This was too willful.

“But…!” Nina was speechless, unsure how to describe her conflicted feelings.

As Taro tidied up, he said, "There are still many people waiting for their deliveries. These deliveries might represent a small moment of happiness for them. So, things like what you're doing are even more important!"

Kumamoto Girl felt betrayed; invisible thorns seemed to seep from her body, as if she were shutting herself off from everything.

"Sigh..." Tao Xiang sighed, remaining silent, sensing that things were getting complicated. She could only silently continue with her own tasks.

After Taro finished checking the delivery order, he closed the trunk. He went to the driver's seat, only to find Momoka already fastened her seatbelt and sitting there. Taro looked at her with some confusion and asked, "What's going on?"

"Isn't it enough that the work is done? Okay, get in the car." Momoka twitched the corner of her mouth, gesturing for Taro to get into the passenger seat: "Nina, you..."

“I’m going too!” Nina looked at the two of them firmly, while Momoka patted her head and said, “Me too…” She looked at the two seats available and sighed.

After many twists and turns, the delivery truck finally got on the road. Momoka sat in the driver's seat, Taro sat in the passenger seat, and Nina obediently curled up in a corner of the cargo box.

"Mr. Momoi... why are you so concerned about these packages... it's not just because of work, is it?" Nina asked Taro softly after calming down from the farce.

"Hmm, didn't I say so? I'm a courier delivering happiness." Taro said calmly, his arm around Wuzaki Kuriru in the passenger seat.

“This…” Nina was still very confused: “What does this mean…?”

"I don't know what happiness is." Taro's tone remained calm: "These packages, aren't they needed by someone? Delivering the packages to the people who need them will surely bring happiness to them, even if it's just a small happiness. If I keep experiencing this kind of happiness, maybe one day I will understand what happiness is."

“I see…” Nina remembered what she had heard at Yoshinoya before, and fell silent again.

"The same goes for bands. Our Dong Brothers group's live performances are also aimed at bringing happiness to more people..." Taro said, but his eyes were looking out the car window.

“You can definitely do it!” Nina looked at Taro with determination, recounting her experience of seeing a live performance last time: “I saw Momoi-san’s live performance last time! I was so moved! So! I believe in you, you absolutely can do it!”

Taro and Momoka both smiled. They didn't say anything more.

With the help of Momoka and Nina, Taro quickly finished delivering the items. Then, the three of them sat down at a restaurant again and ordered some lunch.

"You said you have something important to say. What is it?" Taro sat with his arms crossed, waiting for their explanation without any expression.

"Um..." Nina told Taro about what had happened in the past few days. Because things weren't going well with the band, Momoka had planned to check out of the hotel yesterday and go back to her hometown, giving up on music. But after Nina sang her song, she gave up on that idea, and then Nina said she wanted to join Momoka's band. However, the room she had already vacated had been rented by someone else.

"Ahaha... Now, I'd like to ask Mr. Momoi if he has a suitable place to live." Nina scratched the back of her head sheepishly and chuckled, "However, it seems like there's no need for anyone to stay in Kawasaki, and I've been thinking about moving here too. If possible, I'd like to share an apartment with Ms. Momoka. The band atmosphere in Tokyo seems much better than in Kawasaki."

"I see." Taro nodded slightly, indicating that he understood, and said softly, "Okay, I'll rent my house to you as a three-person shared rental."

"Huh? Mr. Momoi's house? Is that alright?" Nina was a little embarrassed. For an innocent Kumamoto girl like her, cohabitation was a bit too exciting. Momoka, on the other hand, didn't mind. She had previously cohabited with a gay man in a platonic way.

"Yes, the house is big enough, with enough rooms. You can use the kitchen and living room, but you have to keep them clean, and you have to pay the rent properly." Taro's words were calm and without any fluctuation.

"Mr. Momoi... is this alright?" Nina asked softly, "Won't it be inconvenient or something?"

“Yes, it’s alright.” Taro said firmly, “Anyway, that house is just a place for me to rest and hold victory celebrations.”

“Mr. Momoi…” Nina looked at him worriedly, wanting to say something. Momoka suddenly stood up and calmly said, “That’s settled then. Mr. Taro, would you like to take us to see him?”

Interrupted by Momoka, Nina didn't voice her true feelings. Taro calmly led the two of them over to see the house. After that, they reached an agreement and would move in this week.

However, this is none of Taro's business.

That evening, Taro came to the practice room of the Dong Brothers group. Aine said she wanted to talk to him about something, so he came over.

Taro pushed open the door and entered, and Aine greeted him with a smile. After Taro sat down, she handed him a notebook and said, "Taro, these are the lyrics and music I wrote. Take a look and see if you can use them."

"You wrote the lyrics and music? Let me take a look." Taro reached out and took the notebook from Aine's hand, opening it. Aine watched Taro nervously as he flipped through her lyrics and music.

Taro read very slowly. After a long while, he finally put the notebook down, let out a long sigh, and exclaimed, "Great melody, great lyrics. Both are excellent."

"How about it? Can it be used in a band?" Aine's eyes were full of tension as she waited for Taro's answer. Taro thought for a moment before saying, "Of these three pieces, only one can be used in a band. The others will need to be rearranged."

"So, Taro, are you planning to use that piece in the band?" Her nervousness hadn't subsided as she asked Taro's opinion. Taro also looked at Ai*yue*/yi-shou*yin and asked, "Is that alright? Your piece?"

"Yes! No problem!" Ai Yin nodded vigorously, smiled, touched her hair, and said, "I'm also a member of the Dong Brothers Group."

"Okay! I understand, I'll use it carefully." Taro closed the notebook, and Aine looked at him expectantly, saying, "About the singing...?"

“You sing it! I can hear the emotions in it, but I can’t understand them.” Taro shoved the notebook back into Aine’s hands, then looked into her eyes. Aine’s eyes were full of disappointment. After all, she still wanted Taro to sing the other song she had written.

"What a pity, I wanted Taro to sing it," Aine muttered. Taro shook his head and said, "This is Aine's song, so it's most suitable for Aine to sing it!"

"And the remaining two pieces..." Taro thought for a moment, smiled, and said, "I have an idea."

Ai Yin narrowed her eyes and said with a light laugh, "I also have an idea. How about we put it in our CDs after we make our commercial debut?"

"Hmm! That's exactly what I was thinking," Taro said, giving Aine an approving look. She covered her mouth and chuckled, remaining silent. Of course, it was the same idea; this was the solution proposed by Taro from the future.

Aine glanced at her phone, chuckled, and said, "Taro, it's almost time. I'll head back now."

"Hmm," Taro nodded calmly.

"Taro, let's do our best together for the next live performance." Aine smiled lightly as always, her expression seemingly unchanged.

"Hmm." Taro nodded calmly.

“Taro…” Aine’s voice trembled slightly. She smiled brightly at Taro and said, “I think it’s great to join the Dong Brothers Group.”

Taro paused for a moment, then nodded and affirmed, "Yes, me too. It's so great that we invited you to form the Dong Brothers Group."

Taro Aine's smile remained unchanged, then she quickly ran off, saying, "See you tomorrow!"

"Okay, see you tomorrow." Taro watched her leave.

Episode 17 of "Dong," after the Dong Brothers.