LRAB Page 5
Page 5
"However, let me make this clear first: I don't intend to change the band's name. As for the reasons, I'll explain them properly tomorrow." Taro formally removed his hat and bowed: "Well then, I have work to do. Excuse me."
After saying that, Taro walked out of Aine's room.
"Wait, you haven't given me your contact information yet... Huh?" Aine looked at the string of numbers written under the address she had written down. It meant it was his phone number, right?
"Hey... if you want to exchange contact information, at least do it in person! What's the point of leaving it on a note?" Aine complained in a low voice, as if she were being coquettish.
Meanwhile, Taro had returned to his delivery truck. Two packages remained; one was a large, very heavy item belonging to Ms. Yutenji Wakana. Taro planned to deliver it and then go to the company for his lunch break.
The other item... was a delayed package.
The recipient's name is Ichinose Motoyo. It was a package sent a long time ago by a middle-aged office worker, and it has been returned several times since then because the original recipient seems to have changed their name and moved.
Taro was lost in his memories.
That day, Mr. Ichinose greeted the other deliverymen at the company in a very familiar manner. Taro was very curious, so he went over and greeted them as well.
Mr. Ichinose then began to tell his story. His relationship with his wife had broken down, leading to a divorce. To avoid hurting his daughter's feelings, he left Tokyo and moved to a faraway place. Recently, he had become a little less down on his luck, so he returned, not to see his daughter, but simply to give her a birthday present.
Mr. Ichinose's eyes filled with disappointment as he spoke. He said his ex-wife had changed all his contact information. He didn't even know how his daughter was doing. He felt he had been a negligent father to only realize he was looking for his daughter two years after the divorce, and even more negligent was that he still hadn't been able to give her the gift.
He wiped his slightly moist eyes, stood up, bowed, and said, "In short, I'm counting on you all this time."
As he spoke, he expertly pulled out a sum of money from his pocket that was significantly more expensive than the normal delivery fee. Taro took the money, counted it briefly, and then returned the excess.
"Mr. Momoi?" Mr. Ichinose looked at the other person with some unease. In his mind, the thing he was asking for was a very troublesome thing. Even if the other person was unwilling to agree, they would just take the money and make up an excuse. To be honest, he had already given up hope. The reason he did this was just to put his mind at ease.
"Leave this to me," Taro said, patting his chest. "I'll help you, no money required. Just leave this package with me until I find where it's supposed to go, okay?"
When he heard Taro's words, he almost thought Taro was going to keep his package for himself. But seeing his sincere expression, he couldn't help but want to believe him. His voice was hoarse as he asked in a low voice, "Why are you helping me?"
"Because we are destined to meet." Taro smiled.
"Fate?" Mr. Ichinose looked at Taro blankly, not understanding what he meant.
“No matter how shallow the connection is, it is still a connection. There are countless connections in this world that intersect and combine to create miracles.” Taro said very seriously, “I cherish the connections between people, especially the connection between father and daughter. It would be such a pity to break it off like this.”
"And..." Taro smiled broadly, "My job is a courier, but what I deliver is not just goods, but also happiness. So, Mr. Ichinose and Ms. Ichinose Motoyo, please entrust your happiness to me, and I will deliver it properly."
Looking at Momoi Taro's sincere and cheerful face, Mr. Ichinose couldn't help but smile. He exclaimed, "Mr. Momoi, you are truly an incredible person."
"Then, I'll leave it to you," he said, bowing very solemnly to Taro.
Taro replied with equal seriousness, "Yes, I'll take care of it."
That was two months ago. During that time, Taro did not give up trying to find out information after get off work. Although the results were only so-so, he still reported to Mr. Ichinose every night to put his mind at ease.
However, this had become a personal matter, and naturally, it couldn't take up his work time. Taro was very clear about these things. He closed the trunk and then got into the driver's seat.
Miss Yutenji Wakana's house was a little far from here, and it took Momoi Taro about ten minutes to drive there.
He glanced at the delivery slip; it didn't look like an easy job. However, his expression didn't change. He walked into the building and rang the doorbell as written on the delivery slip.
"Is Miss Yutenji Wakana at home? It's a delivery, a large package."
"Yes, I'll be right there." The video showed the client's face: purple hair and ruby-like eyes, a very rare appearance that gave off a very fashionable vibe.
"The lock is open now, can you bring it up?" The woman said with a smile, but her words were terrifying.
Moving an item weighing approximately 31 kg to the top floor, without an elevator, would normally be extremely difficult for any delivery driver.
"Yes, I'll bring it up right away." Taro answered without hesitation, returned to the car, and lifted the large delivery box with both hands.
He walked up the stairs without the slightest tremor, as if he were carrying an empty box rather than a 31kg heavy object.
Taro carried the box up, and the purple-haired girl stared in disbelief as Taro moved the 31kg box to the top floor in just a few minutes without even breaking a sweat.
"Please sign for this," Momoi Taro handed over the delivery slip and pen. Ms. Ruomai took it blankly, and it took her a while to react. "Oh, oh, oh..." she quickly signed her name.
This deliveryman is someone you absolutely can't mess with.
Taro took the delivery slip from the other party and sighed softly, "So this is how we're connected."
"what?"
What is this person saying?
“Even the smallest connection is still a connection,” Taro said with a smile. “There are countless connections in this world that intersect and combine to create miracles.”
[Meaning unclear! What is this person even talking about?!]
Miao Meng was going crazy. What was this person trying to do? Was he some kind of mentally ill person? But she didn't dare to provoke him too much, so she could only listen to what he was rambling on about.
Come to think of it, I feel like I've seen this person somewhere before. Could he be a wanted criminal?
Miao Meng frowned, trying hard to recall where she had seen this person before.
"Do you need any help?" Taro asked. Perhaps it was the way Meowmee was frowning that made Taro think she was troubled. "This should be an electronic drum set, right? Don't let how easily I moved it fool you, it must be quite heavy."
"Then I'll have to trouble you," Miao Meng replied stiffly to the other party's question.
[Idiot, give me a proper rejection!!!]
"Speaking of which, Ruiyi lives here too, right?" Taro squatted down, tore open the delivery box with both hands, his tone almost as serious as ever, yet it also seemed like a casual remark.
"Yes... Huh?" Meow Dream responded subconsciously, then seemed to remember something, pointing at Taro and exclaiming, "Ah! I remember now, aren't you the support guitarist from RAS before!"
The third time, I lost.
"Ah! I remember now, aren't you the support guitarist from RAS before!" Meow Dream exclaimed, covering her mouth and pointing at Taro.
"Even so, I've only been there once or twice," Taro replied earnestly, not thinking it was anything to brag about. After Tae Hanazono left RAS, he filled in for a while, and after Chuchu found Rikka, he also left.
"Excuse me." Taro glanced at the room, which was surprisingly cramped. A sofa, a small round table, a rather large desk, and a shoe cabinet in front of the door were all that made up the room.
The desk was covered with bottles and jars, which looked like relatively inexpensive student cosmetics.
Taro knew a bit about this; the price-performance ratio was quite good. His desk and bookshelves were crammed full of books, and judging from the distribution of dust, these books seemed to be frequently read.
"Excuse me," Taro said, taking off his shoes and carrying the box inside. He then asked the room's occupant, "Where should I put it?"
"Ah, this is fine, thank you." Miaomeng subconsciously pointed to the corner. Taro casually picked up the delivery box, squatted down, and quickly assembled the electronic drum set. Miaomeng asked curiously, "Judging from your skills, you don't seem like you'd be short of money, so why now..."
Why was she working as a deliveryman? Miao Meng didn't say it aloud; it was inappropriate for her momentary curiosity to cause trouble for others.
Momoi Taro stood up and said seriously, "I'm not just delivering goods, I'm also delivering happiness."
"Is...is this how it is?" Miao Meng said awkwardly. But after only a brief moment of distraction, Miao Meng was surprised to find that her drum set was already assembled.
After connecting the wires, Momoi Taro sat down without hesitation and showed off his drumming skills.
What's wrong with this guy? He's way too familiar with everyone. Meowmon stared dumbfounded at Taro's show of skill. Although she could barely hear him, she could clearly sense that this guy's technique was beyond her ability to fake.
What's going on? Isn't this person a guitarist?
Taro stood up, handed the drumsticks back to the other person, and asked, "Are you only starting to learn now?"
"Hmm... Ah?" Meow Dream was a little distracted, but upon hearing Taro's question, she instinctively responded with a few syllables. After regaining her senses, she said, "It's like this..."
"Practicing this kind of drumming won't be very comfortable," Taro offered a slight word of advice. While he wasn't saying it was impossible to master, it was certainly at a level that would be uncomfortable.
"Well, for a beginner, it shouldn't matter, right?" Miao Meng laughed it off. Why don't I use a better drum? Is it because I don't want to?
She changed the subject, took her right hand out of her skirt pocket, and asked, "Speaking of which, Mr. Momoi, would you mind appearing in my video?"
"No, I'm about to leave work." Taro glanced at his watch; it was getting late. He asked, "If it's alright, I'd like to invite you to join my band."
"Huh? Me? I'm still a complete beginner." Miao Meng held a drumstick in one hand and her phone in the other. She didn't know how to wave her hand, so she could only symbolically wave her phone.
“I’ve read quite a few of your music theory books,” Taro said earnestly. “And you’re a two-handed person, so I have high hopes for your future, especially considering your down-to-earth attitude.”
Taro observed Ruomai's every move and concluded that she was a double-handed person. Coupled with the books on her bookshelf, he naturally acknowledged her efforts. He felt that this person was not the kind of person who would give up easily: "If you are willing, I can teach you to play the drums."
Taro took out a sticky note, wrote down the address and LINE number, and handed it to Meowmon: "I'll be at this shop tomorrow at 5 pm. You can do whatever you want to film, even if you don't join my band."
"Oh, oh..." Miao Meng took the note, still looking a little confused.
"Anyway, if you'd like to join, I can cover your drumming." Taro removed his hat and bowed. "Then, excuse me, I'll be going now."
"Uh... thank you?" Miaomeng replied subconsciously, then looked at the now empty door: "What... what's going on here?"
Could it be that the other person likes me?
Miao Meng couldn't help but let her imagination run wild, but she still dismissed the guess. Although she was indeed very cute, the other person's eyes didn't seem to have that kind of meaning.
Forget it, I'll go check it out tomorrow. After all, he promised I could appear on camera.
After returning the car to the company, Taro immediately set off for RiNG.
Upon opening the door to RiNG, you are greeted by a familiar, petite girl with silver hair.
Kaname, a stray cat who often appears in RiNG, is familiar with Taro because...
"Taro," Rakuna called out from her chair, her voice calm yet tinged with anticipation. A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes, but her expression remained consistently calm. "Let's play rock-paper-scissors."
“I understand. Let’s play rock-paper-scissors then,” Taro replied very seriously, getting ready to play.
"Matcha parfait, the bet," Lena said, her eyes shining even brighter.
"I understand. So, shall we begin?" Taro said confidently, or rather, he always spoke in this tone.
Lena's lips curled up slightly as she casually asked, "Taro, what do you want to offer?"
"Hmm..." Taro thought about it very seriously for a moment, then answered excitedly, "I'll choose scissors!"
"Rock, paper, scissors!" they both shouted at the same time.
Taro chose scissors as he had predicted, while Rakuna chose rock.
A barely perceptible smug smile appeared on Lena's face, while Taro stared blankly at his hands.
"I won," Lena said calmly, but a sly glint flashed in her eyes. "Matcha Parfait."
Her eyebrows were slightly curved, like a cat that had successfully toyed with its prey.
"I lost, there's nothing I can do," Taro shouted. "I want to order."
"Yes." The girl with brown hair and a ponytail walked up to the two of them.
"Two matcha parfaits," Taro announced the order with practiced ease. "Saya, please."
"Taro, you..." The long-haired girl called Saya glanced at Rakuna, turned around and walked away, calling out, "Two matcha parfaits."
"Taro, let's do it again." Rakuna struck a rock-paper-scissors pose once more.