Aspiring to be a girl in a band

Of course, she had already noticed Arakawa Kirika in the audience, as well as Mutsu and Shoko beside her.

Looking at Xiangzi's face, Su Shi felt a mix of emotions.

After being rejected by Xiangzi for the second time, she actually approached him a third time.

Xiangzi's attitude was not as cold as it had been the first time; he even took the initiative to invite her to a coffee shop for a detailed discussion.

It was during that time that Su Shi completely gave up any hope of reviving Crychic.

She knew that Xiangzi could no longer be persuaded to come back.

It's impossible not to feel sad at that time, but Su Shi could only tell herself to accept reality.

……

Lena watched the lamp speak with great interest and even spontaneously added background music to it.

Even the control room seemed to sense the subtle atmosphere and cooperated by dimming the lights in the room.

Under the deliberately dimmed lights, the glow sticks in the audience's hands appeared exceptionally bright, like twinkling starlight.

Deng and Xiangzi, two pairs of eyes gazing at each other across the sea of ​​stars.

"At that time, I thought it was because I couldn't sing well that the band fell apart."

"I once thought it was my fault, but... I gradually realized that sometimes this kind of thing just happens... Even though no one can be considered to be at fault, we still have to accept separation."

"Looking back now, those days were really painful. I even doubted that I had started to hate the band."

……

The tone of the lamp grew increasingly heavy, and even though they were ten or twenty meters apart, Arakawa Kirika could clearly feel the lamp's forceful breathing.

It's truly worthy of being called a lamp... This gravity-based Minecraft has a unique charm.

Feeling the heartfelt words from the lamp, Arakawa Kirika chuckled softly.

"But...in the end I accepted the new band's invitation."

"Because I was inspired by you once again, even though I don't know what happened to you... but your unwavering attitude always impressed me... I'm so glad I mustered up the courage to talk to you again... I know I can't be as determined as you. Even now... even though I'm on stage, I'm still confused."

"But... even though I'm confused, I still want to take a new step, just like you."

At this point, Deng seemed to recall something amusing from his past memories, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

"Ah... I suddenly remembered that when we had our first live performance, someone told me that I was 'singing too hard' or something..."

"But all I can do is sing my heart out."

"Didn't you tell me that because my singing... is the cry from my heart?"

...Xiangzi's expression finally showed a noticeable change.

It seems... her mood was indeed affected by Deng's words.

Right after the MC segment with the lights ended, Lena quickly followed with an intro.

And... this prelude made Xiangzi's eyes widen suddenly, and even his pupils trembled slightly.

No one knows this song better than Xiangzi, because... this song is the one she wrote for Crychic, composed by her and with lyrics by Deng, a product of their collaboration.

It is also the sharpest blade from the past.

[Spring Shadow]

……

This abrupt prelude affected not only Xiangzi's emotions.

Even the people on stage had their own different reactions.

As the initiator, Lena goes without saying.

Lixi quickly got into the zone because... she also felt that playing only one song wasn't enough.

Aine's expression was a little tense.

Aine had practiced the song "Spring Shadows," but... since there was no plan to play it today, she wasn't very confident.

But... seeing that the atmosphere had already been built up to this extent, Aine had no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.

So... the only one who hasn't gotten into the zone yet is Miss Su Shi, who's still spacing out.

Su Shi's feelings were truly complicated.

But she didn't blame her teammates.

She hesitated.

To play "Spring Shadow" at a time like this... and in front of Xiangzi no less...

Even though she had given up on reviving Crychic, Su Shi absolutely did not want to hurt Xiangzi.

Su Shi knew very well that her feelings for Xiangzi were not romantic.

Rather, it is... a projection of another kind of emotion.

Motoyo Nagasaki is a person who craves love.

This girl, who always played the role of "good person" and "good mother" in the band, was, in a sense, the most vulnerable one.

Motoyo Nagasaki has been lonely since childhood, but fortunately... she has a loving and capable strong woman mother.

Her mother provided her with a comfortable life, but the price was... the already limited time she spent with her mother was further reduced.

After being invited by Xiangzi to form a band, this girl, who lacked love, felt the care from the group for the first time in the band, and naturally regarded Crychic as her home.

That's why she's so obsessed with reviving Crychic.

That's right. What she loved was not Xiangzi himself, but the fact that Crychic couldn't exist without Xiangzi. That's why she was willing to give up everything, even her dignity, to beg Xiangzi to come back.

Now, there's absolutely no chance that Crychic will ever be revived.

And... he actually felt a similar emotion to that he once had with Crychic in this new, nameless band.

As for Aine and Rana, these two outsiders, Su Shi gradually changed from initially resisting and using them to accepting them.

She was genuinely starting to get used to the presence of this new band.

Having found a new home, she gradually began to let go of her obsession with Xiangzi.

Volume 1: Chapter 128 World Line Convergence

I'm sorry... Xiangzi.

Su Shi closed her eyes and then placed her fingers on the bass strings.

She knew that by doing this, she was only provoking, and might even hurt, Xiangzi.

But... since everyone else is doing it.

I'll just have to be an accomplice with them.

……

Arakawa Kirika, sitting in the audience, narrowed her eyes.

She watched as Su Shi seemed to have gained some kind of "enlightenment" and joined in the performance.

Arakawa Kirika finally confirmed her suspicions.

Her pawn... seems to have betrayed her.

However, Arakawa Kirika had no intention of holding Suze accountable.

For Arakawa Kirika, although her plan had failed, this unexpected turn of events wasn't so bad.

Moreover, although things went slightly astray, they were still under her control.

I need to go and have a chat with this Miss Su Shi later.

Arakawa Kirika thought to herself.

As for the stubborn Ms. Toyokawa Shoko, Arakawa Kirika only needed to glance at her twice to know that the other woman's heart must be completely wavering.

You could tell from her tightly clenched fists how hard Miss Xiangzi was trying to suppress the urge to turn and run away.

So you really don't want to show your weakness in front of me?

Even though you're in so much pain, you're still trying to be strong.

Arakawa Kirika shook her head as she looked at Shoko's slightly reddened eyes.

Just then, Mu, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke up for the first time.

"Saki... are you alright?"

Xiangzi simply rubbed his eyes hard and nodded at Mu's gentle greeting.

However, he did not respond.

It's probably because... my throat feels so blocked that I don't want to speak.

Mu looked at the stage, at the lead singer bathed in the lights, and then glanced at the pink-clad troublesome disciple at the edge of the stage.

"Everyone... has changed."

Mu said with some emotion that he felt gratified that the girl who used to need Xiangzi's care could now become so dazzling.

But Xiangzi remained staring blankly at the figure on the stage, biting his lip, seemingly lost in thought.

The performance by the lamp continued.

Mu noticed this.

This version of Haruhi Kage has many more adaptations than their Crychic performance.

So Mu said it subconsciously.

"Spring Shadow... has changed a lot, it no longer belongs to Crychic."

But little did Mu know that his unintentional remark was like a final blow to Xiangzi.

Spring Shadows no longer belong to Crychic.

Thinking about this.

Xiangzi finally broke down.