Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 104

Making her compete against Shiina Tatsuki in applying pressure is simply bullying.

Seeing this, Yuan Xudou, not wanting the two to clash, had no choice but to take the initiative to ease the tension.

...Speaking of which, Li Xi was like this at the beginning when she was in [CryCHIC].

He would point out any problems with someone's performance without holding back, sometimes even making the atmosphere a bit tense. And each time, it was he who would step in to soothe the girl's companions and thaw the tense atmosphere.

Their relationship improved after the first live performance... Lixi became more considerate of her companions' feelings, and such incidents rarely occurred.

In retrospect, it wasn't that her personality had become gentler; she was simply less cold and aloof towards her close friends.

Even when we weren't familiar with each other, she still criticized me.

Facing Chihaya Aine, someone she disliked for some reason, she naturally couldn't put on a friendly face.

The scene was so familiar, except that Riki was still the same Riki, but the original band members had been replaced by Chihaya Aine...

...Is it because she just invited me to join the band that I'm reminded of those past events again?

really-

"Lixi, stop glaring at people like that."

Yuan Xudou gathered his scattered thoughts, his tranquil demeanor broken by a hint of helplessness appearing between his brows and eyes.

Despite her deep-seated inferiority complex, her outward personality seems to compensate for that vulnerability, appearing exceptionally aloof and tough, like a dark chocolate with a soft filling. A boy who understands her can easily melt away that seemingly hard and bitter outer shell and touch the inner self that is at least gentle when facing him, so getting along with her is not troublesome—provided that the two of them are alone.

Chihaya Aine, who knew nothing about her and was a complete stranger just moments before, certainly couldn't handle Shiina Tatsuki's indifference the same way he did. And Genjiro Tou couldn't just casually reveal information that was a secret to the girl as if it were nothing.

In any case, Shiina Tatsuki, with whom he had built a deep emotional bond over several months, was closer to him than Chihaya Aine, with whom he had only known each other for a short time.

Even if her behavior was indeed unreasonable and somewhat impolite—who could blame her for being the person Shiina Ritsuki, with whom she had a deeper emotional connection at the moment, and being used to it by now.

Why did they turn their guns on Chihaya Aine and accuse Shiina Tatsuki?

...Just thinking about it makes him seem inhuman. Besides, he wasn't entirely unaware of the reasons why Lixi harbored hostility towards Aine, but he felt it was difficult to handle and not suitable for discussion in public, so he simply kept quiet about it.

The reverse is obviously not reasonable either. Chihaya Aine did nothing wrong. She just didn't know what happened in the past, which is why she sincerely wanted to invite him to form a band together.

Her sincerity and honesty are beyond reproach, and her cheerful and lively personality, like a warm little sun, is also very endearing. As for when she hesitates, there's that little bit of gloom that gathers in her heart like a thin shadow...

It's not shameful to have a past you don't want to talk about, especially since he himself is one of them.

Therefore, the only thing he can do now is to ease the tension between the two.

This feeling of being caught in the middle, where it's hard to decide which side to lean towards... that's probably what they call a "battleground," right?

Yuan Xudou let out a sigh of helplessness in his heart.

—If only it weren't in a public place like RiNG, with only three people around, he could have made things clear and resolved the issue in a simple way.

But right now, he couldn't very well say in public, "I know you have feelings for me, Lixi, and it was just a coincidence that you met Aiyin. But since I helped you before, there's no reason to kick you out. That would be unreasonable."

Not to mention that he and Shiina Riki only had feelings for each other, not to the point where they could assert their ownership like Suze... After saying those words, the girl could forget about continuing to work at RiNG.

Being too straightforward can actually make people dislike you... Some things are better left unsaid.

Even if both sides know the truth, if there's no real opportunity to take that step, then it will remain an unspoken secret.

So, communication between people is such a complicated thing.

Just as even if he discovered it, he wouldn't expose Nagasaki Motoyo's little schemes, wouldn't reject Toyokawa Shoko's selfless giving, and wouldn't resist Wakaba Mutsu's closeness and slightly excessive dependence.

Exposing everything to gain a self-satisfied sense of clarity... in retrospect, the price is hurting everyone around you.

Fortunately, Yuan Xudou has enough emotional intelligence to distinguish what can be said and what absolutely cannot be said casually.

He would, of course, state clearly the important matters that could not be concealed, just like the promise he made to Su Shi back then, "Neither you nor the band want to let go," a greedy yet sincere promise, to avoid irreparable disagreements in the future.

The current situation clearly falls into the category of "not suitable for open discussion".

Fortunately, Shiina Tatsuki isn't really an unreasonable person.

Faced with Xu Dou's conciliatory words, she gave a soft snort, turned her head away from glaring at Chihaya Aine, which meant she accepted his opinion.

Ignoring Chihaya Aine, who was stunned by her behavior and then gritted her teeth even more, not knowing how to retaliate, could only add sugar to her black tea piece by piece, looking like an angry pufferfish with her puffed-up face. Shiina Tatsuki's gloomy face softened slightly as she looked at Gen Xudou, who had straightened up.

"Xu Dou, is there any news about the lamp?"

With her first words, she abruptly ended the conversation with Chihaya Aine and asked about something she herself was concerned about.

This matter will definitely attract Xu Dou's attention more than what that clueless pink-haired guy said.

In that case, he would naturally ignore the other party.

As expected, after hearing her question, Yuan Xudou thought for a moment and immediately replied.

"We're starting to see some progress; we should be able to—"

"—Excuse me."

However, Chihaya Aine, whom Shiina Tatsuki thought had no say in the matter, suddenly raised her hand and interrupted their conversation with a hesitant voice.

Faced with the two men turning to look at her simultaneously, one cold and one warm, she shrank back, but finally bravely opened her mouth.

"Just asking..."

"The 'lamp (tomori溜盈⒎?翼迩⑻司斯8月*漪)' you're talking about... it's not 'Takamatsu Lamp', is it?"

Seeing the surprised expressions on the faces of both Genjiro and Shiina Ritsuki, Chihaya Aine knew she had guessed correctly.

'So...that's really how it is...'

A murmur, seemingly both dazed and thoughtful, echoed in the girl's heart.

— Fate is truly wondrous.

The girl sitting in the front seat, dejected because of the band's disbandment; the lonely look in Xu Douqin's eyes when he mentioned joining the band; the bad-tempered girl named "Lixi" who had a good relationship with Xu Douqin and was called "companion" by him...

The clues so far seem to have come together vaguely, forming a picture that, while not entirely clear, is still fairly complete.

It must be said that, as long as she is not distracted by other factors, Chihaya Aine's mind is quite intelligent when she is thinking.

She had already roughly guessed some of the things.

And that... might be the opportunity for me to get to know Xu Douqin better, build a good relationship with him, resolve his inner conflict, and finally get him to agree to join the band.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Wanting to Uncover Your Past

"You like collecting these stones?"

"Is it for me?... Thank you."

On the boundless, dim lake, tiny bubbles rise from the lightless depths, quietly breaking apart in the silent, still world, creating faint echoes.

"Want to be my friend...? Hmm, of course, no problem."

"Is this the notebook you wanted, Deng? I saw it on my way home and just brought it with me."

Under the gloomy, oppressive sky, an omnipresent, oppressive dampness lingered and accumulated, turning into dewdrops that rolled down.

"I don't think Deng is a weirdo."

"As long as it can be expressed properly, there's nothing strange about it, right?"

"You have to find the solution yourself."

"...Yes, I understand you."

Behind the withered and shattered vibrant petals, in the empty sky devoid of stars, the wind and lake sway gently.

"Okay, let's form a band together," he said helplessly, his face blurred.

"You believe in me, so I believe in you too," he said earnestly, enunciating each word clearly.

"Light," he called out with a gentle smile.

The stars twinkled in the dark clouds, their radiant light drifting down and settling peacefully in the palm of my hand, which I had instinctively reached out.

The warm, gentle sunlight melted away the long, stagnant rain.

Did it get through?

"Yes, the message has been sent."

"Spring shadows...this is our shared song."

That was a song written for you.

The attic window was pushed open, and fingertips brushed away the warm mist. The telescope was covered in dust, and the distant starry sky was unbelievably bright.

I want to discuss the universe and the sky with you.

Or perhaps it's the pebbles on the beach and life itself.

Will you still smile gently and frankly, embracing my fantasies?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Even now, I still can't shed a tear. I guess I'm a strange person.

Curled up in the darkness, the pale glow of his phone illuminated his blank face, but not a single tear could be squeezed from his red, swollen, and sore eyes.

I... lost it.

The band that was finally formed, the companions who cherished each other, the stars that were willing to shine on them... all of them were lost.

Nothing could be done, neither to salvage the situation nor to fight back. In the end, all that could be done was to cowardly and incompetently escape the reality, to escape everything that felt like a nightmare.

Clearly, Xu Dou chose to join the band because of him—but while he was struggling with the pain of Xiangzi and He Mu's departure and trying to salvage the situation, he did nothing.

Thus, whenever a conflict occurred, he would tremble and freeze in fear, hiding to the side at a loss, unable to utter even a single word of reassurance.

...Perhaps it was because he was disappointed in me that Xu Dou decided to end [CryCHIC].

Why is this so?

Art VII Suspicion Mountain (II) 29er Indeed, I cannot become human.

If something important is missing, you can't even shed a tear.

It's all...my fault.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Tokyo-chan, are you going to the Astronomy Club today too?"

During lunch break, the trio with hair colors resembling traffic lights greeted Takamatsu Akari, who was swaying as she walked out the door, as usual.

"……Um."

The girl, who looked somewhat dazed, slowly nodded and then continued walking down the corridor.

Seeing this, Chihaya Aine, who had been watching the situation closely, immediately left her desk and chased after them.

"Hey, Aine, didn't you eat in the classroom today?"

The green-haired girl in the trio noticed that she was in a hurry, as if she was rushing to do something, so she tentatively asked her.

Chihaya Aine responded with an embarrassed clasp of her hands, followed by an explanation.

"Sorry, sorry, I have some important things to do at noon today..."

As he spoke, his steps were equally brisk.

As the three watched her go, Chihaya Aine quickly disappeared into the blind spot created by the wall.

"Hmm, that's strange."

"Forget about Tou-chan, Aine has started going out at noon too."

"What do you think is the important thing?"

Turning their attention away from the minor incident, the trio quickly returned to their original topic and resumed their conversation, laughing and joking.

Meanwhile, a silent "tailing" was taking place between Takamatsu Akari and Chihaya Aine, who had just been mentioned by them.

With her head down, Takamatsu Tou was completely unaware of the pink figure behind her, and just kept walking slowly on her own.

After navigating the numerous corridors of the teaching building and climbing several flights of stairs, Chihaya Aine, who had been leisurely hanging behind the girl for a short distance to keep her actions as inconspicuous as possible, finally arrived at her destination.