Chihaya Aine is a member of the team Zero

"I originally thought that the uncle on the park bench was a lonely person like me, but it turned out that the uncle was just sitting on the bench waiting for his family! That uncle actually has a model harmonious family!" When Goto Ichiri said this, a few tears appeared in his big sapphire eyes.

"Just when I thought the Internet was the only place where I could find a place to stay..." Goto Ichiri was interrupted before he could finish his words.

"Be a real man, Ichiri. Even in this situation, you are still the proud daughter of mom and dad!" Goto Naoki quickly spoke to comfort his eldest daughter who had a strong social phobia.

Goto Michiyo also flew her chopsticks up and down, constantly putting food into Goto Ichiri's bowl.

"No matter what, I will always be Erli's sister~" Goto Erli also comforted Goto Ichiri maturely.

"I don't feel like going to school..." This thought just popped up in Goto Ichiri's mind, but before he could say it out loud, he was stopped by Seven.

"It's wrong for you to think like this! And it's best not to say this to your family now." Perhaps Seven was thinking of his son who didn't go to school.

"Just then, Nijigasaki said, 'Ah! Guitar!' and rushed straight towards me. This is all thanks to the Gibson Les Paul Custom my father gave me." When talking about the guitar that has been with him for many years, Goto Ichiri also showed a heartfelt smile.

"Nijiga-chan?" Goto Naoki, Goto Michiyo, and Goto Jiri asked in unison.

"Ah, Nijigasaki is a very cute and sunny person. She can even encourage me with a smile when facing someone like me." Goto Ichiri had already thought of countless adjectives in his mind, and they finally turned into this sentence.

"In other words, it was this Nijigasaki who invited you, Ichiri, to join the band?" Goto Naoki couldn't wait to get straight to the point.

"That's right, at the beginning Hongxia asked me, "You are carrying a guitar, right? Can you play it?" At that time, I hadn't talked to other people for so long that I felt like all the sounds were stuck in my throat." For some reason, when he said this, Goto Ichiri touched the back of his head a little embarrassedly.

"Then Nijika-chan spoke first, and we introduced ourselves to each other. I didn't expect that Nijika-chan was a year older than me." Goto Ichiri now remembered everything completely. At that time, he didn't even dare to face the true face of Ijichi Nijika.

"When Nijiga came up to me, she just called my name, which scared me a lot." Goto Ichiri once again felt the gap between himself and Youkaku.

"Then Niji-chan asked me about my guitar skills and said she wanted to ask me for a favor. Although Niji-chan said at the time, "It's okay if it's really inconvenient," but in my opinion, it's definitely not okay." Goto Ichiri seemed to be thinking of something happy, and the corners of his mouth began to rise.

"As a result, Nijika-chan invited me to join her band and be a temporary guitarist for a day. Doesn't it sound like the opening act for some legendary band?" Goto Ichiri had been thinking about it all the time. His dream of her coming to ask him if he wanted to join the band after seeing him carrying a guitar had finally come true.

"But you will never guess why Nijigasaki would look for someone like me, who was sitting alone on a swing in the park with a guitar on my back." At this time, Goto Ichiri was also silently thanking the escaped guitarist in his heart.

"Sister, please tell me quickly, sister, please tell me quickly!" Putting aside Goto Naoki and Goto Michiyo, Goto Jiri was already impatient to hear the follow-up.

"The reason why Nijigao asked me to be a temporary guitarist is because their original guitarist suddenly ran away when they were about to perform." After Goto Ichiri said this, he secretly observed the expressions of Goto Naoki, Goto Michiyo, and Goto Jiri.

Goto Naoki and Goto Michiyo had expressions that were as expected, but Goto Jiri's eyes were shining.

"And when Nijiga-chan said, 'The song isn't difficult, you can play it as long as you have a basic foundation,' I was thinking that the performance was about to begin?" Even through the narration, one can sense Goto Ichiri's panic at the time.

"Just when my brain was shutting down and I couldn't speak, Hongxia said directly, "Thank you, let's go to the livehouse!" She grabbed my hand and forced me to go to the livehouse."

PS: Wuhu, I’m going to play Monster Hunter Wilderness first~

Volume 1: Chapter 73: Stars

"Even then I hadn't said whether I agreed or not." Goto Ichiri once again marveled at Yangjiao's initiative.

Goto Naoki and Goto Michiyo looked as if their daughter needed a proactive child like this to help her.

As the story was told, Goto Ichiri's thoughts drifted into memories.

Goto Ichiri secretly observed the scenery near Shimokitazawa Station. There were shops everywhere that Goto Ichiri would not normally go into alone.

"Ichiri-chan, do you come to Shimokita often?" Ijichi Hongka, who was walking in front and leading the way, turned around and asked Goto Ichiri behind her.

Goto Ichiri, who had already mastered the art of avoiding the notice of others due to social anxiety, turned his head away the moment Ijichi Hongka was about to turn around to look back.

“Ah… no.”

Goto Ichiri thought to himself, "How could I dare to come to such a unique and fashionable district?"

"Shimokita was ranked first among the coolest neighborhoods in the world by VOGUE in 2014, and second by timeout in 2019. It is a famous "young people's town" and "subculture town" in Japan." Ijichi Hongka introduced the honors that Shimokitazawa had won to Goto Kazuri.

"Oh, that's amazing~" Goto Ichiri's eyes were darting around, but he was still responding to Ijichi Nikka.

"In the 70s, various jazz, blues, and rock bars began to move into Shimokitazawa, and the Shimokitazawa Music Festival has been held every year since 1979. In 1982, former actor Kazuo Honda opened the "Honda Theater" here and set off a small theater craze in Shimokitazawa. He subsequently developed more than ten small theater spaces in Shimokitazawa, which became a hall for many performing artists to pursue their dreams. In 1985, the "livehouse loft" moved from Shibuya to Shimokitazawa, and various well-known bands came here for live performances. In the 90s, the band craze came, and Shimokitazawa gathered many young people with dreams of forming a band. Many future band stars have performed here. According to statistics, there were about 30 livehouses in the Shimokitazawa area in 2015, while there were only 820 in the entire Tokyo. Calculated by area, the density of livehouses in Shimokitazawa is about 140 times that of Tokyo." Ijichi Hongka knows the development history of Shimokitazawa like the back of her hand.

.

"Shimokitazawa became famous as a music town in the 70s, and as a theater town and subculture town in the 80s. It is these cultural activities that have contributed to Shimokitazawa's unique personality, a charm that is difficult to obtain in ordinary consumer spaces dominated by marketing concepts. In a survey on the attractiveness of Shimokitazawa, nearly half of the respondents chose "narrow pedestrian-centric roads with no cars running", which also became the option with the highest number of votes. There are also many dead ends in Shimokitazawa's roads. According to statistics, there are an average of 1.3 dead ends per hectare in the Shimokitazawa area. Some people may think that dead ends are inconvenient, but in Shimokitazawa, these dead ends are full of novel small shops, making pedestrians' walks in Shimokitazawa full of surprises." Ijichi Hongka herself likes to walk on the streets of Shimokitazawa that have no space reserved for cars but are completely in line with human scale.

"The streets here are indeed narrow, which makes me feel safe..." Goto Ichiri, who didn't know what would happen tonight, agreed with Ijichi Hongka's introduction.

"Take Kitazawa 2-chome, the main area of ​​Shimokitazawa, as an example. The area covers 18.5 hectares and has a total of about 1250 stores, with an average of 68 stores per hectare. There are almost no high-rise buildings in Shimokitazawa. Basically, one store is a small building. This shows the density of stores in Shimokitazawa. It's not just because of the many businesses, but also because of the gathering of distinctive individual stores, which is one of the sources of Shimokitazawa's attraction." Ijichi Hongxia pointed out a few stores that she often visited to Goto Ichiri.

"Really? At the moment, the frequency of seeing chain stores in Shimokitazawa is much lower than in other places..." Goto Ichiri muttered softly.

"What?" In order to hear clearly what Goto Ichiri was saying, Ijichi Hongxia slowed down her pace and put her head close to Goto Ichiri.

"Nothing, nothing!" Goto Ichiri looked at Ijichi Hongka's beautiful ruby ​​eyes and turned his gaze away for no reason.

"Then I'll continue~" Ijichi Hongxia opened her arms and turned around cutely. The girl's flying clothes were exactly the youth that countless people had.

"One of the important reasons why Kitazawa is so attractive to young people is that it is a very 'cheap' place for students with limited budgets.

When it comes to fashion in Shimokitazawa, vintage clothing—more commonly, secondhand clothing—comes to mind. Since around 2017, oversize clothing has become mainstream, and secondhand clothing, once considered unsuitable, has become a golden size, leading to a surge in vintage fashion. Furthermore, vintage clothing is often considered "one-of-a-kind" and seen as a statement piece. Shimokitazawa offers incredibly affordable, yet unique vintage clothing, attracting a growing number of fashion-conscious young students.

Shimokitazawa is also home to a wealth of affordable and delicious eateries, from long-established chains to cutting-edge concept restaurants, curry hotspots (where curry shops are aplenty), and international cuisine. Many places offer all-you-can-eat meals for under 2000 yen per person, making it a truly affordable option for young people. "When Ijichi Kouka mentioned the affordable and filling food, her adorable face, beaming with joy, froze for a moment," she said.

Ijichi Hongxia thought of a close friend who spent money lavishly and often ended up having to eat grass without money.

"Ahahaha, we'll be at the LiveHouse soon~" In order to avoid scaring away the temporary guitarist she had just abducted, Ijichi Hongka chose to change the subject.

"Nijiga-chan is so trendy, this is what a band girl is? Not only that, Nijiga-chan was like a professional tour guide when introducing Kitazawa, and her explanation was very clear and logical." Goto Ichiri once again felt what the disparity of the world is like in Ijichi Nijiga.

"Hongxia-chan was wearing a light blue coat and a pure white dress, which completely wrapped up her exquisite body. The hem of the skirt fell to her knees, leaving only a section of her smooth calves exposed. The most eye-catching thing about this outfit was the big red bow on the girl's chest. The rustling sound made by the friction between the bow and the fabric on her chest was more like a musical note praising youth." Goto Ichiri felt like Dazai Osamu reborn at this moment, and he displayed the highest level of writing in his life when describing Ijichi Hongxia's outfit.

"And I'm wearing a shabby sweatshirt, have dark circles under my eyes, and have a hunched back. Ah! I might smell musty, after all, I'm always alone in the closet. No, it's the smell of insect repellent." Goto Ichiri grabbed his pink sweatshirt and smelled it.

"Ichiri, don't give up on yourself! Wasn't your description of Ijichi Hongxia very good back then?" Seven in the consciousness space encouraged Goto Ichiri.

"Thank you, Mr. Seven. I'll continue." Goto Ichiri faced the gazes from his parents and Erli, as if asking, "Why did you stop?", and hurriedly continued to narrate what happened today.

"Nijika-chan is different, she smells so nice~" Although he didn't dare to look directly into Ijichi Nijika's eyes, Goto Ichiri dared to get close to her from behind and smell the fragrance of Ijichi Nijika's long golden hair.

"This is the smell that a beautiful high school girl should have. This kind of unique body fragrance without sweat stains and strong smells is only possessed by beautiful girls." Goto Ichiri was violently inhaling the beautiful girl's scent from Ijichi Hongka, and small red flowers appeared all around his body.

"Am I walking too fast?" Ijichi Hongxia noticed that Goto Ichiri was getting closer to her, so she turned around and asked.

"No...no." Goto Ichiri couldn't say it. He was just inhaling the beautiful girl's scent on Ijichi Hongka's body.

"The Live House we are performing today is called [Stars], and my sister is the manager there." Ijichi Hongxia consciously slowed down her pace and led the way at a speed only slightly faster than Goto Ichiri.

"The LiveHouse performance... is so band-like! Huh? Why is my heart beating so fast?" Goto Ichiri's attention was completely focused on the first half of Ijichi Kouka's words and he didn't hear the second half at all.

"So..." Ijichi Nichina turned around and looked at Goto Ichiri, who was bending over as if he was carrying a heavy load.

"I work there." Ijichi Hongka turned her whole body around and talked to Goto Ichiri while backing away.

However, it was still too difficult for a socially anxious person like Goto Ichiri to meet the eyes of a beautiful girl like Ijichi Nijinka. Goto Ichiri turned his gaze away with a black forehead, not daring to look directly at Ijichi Nijinka.

"Ichiri-chan, you actually have good athletic ability?" Ijichi Hongxia turned around and moved to Goto Ichiri's side with a ghostly movement, walking side by side with her.

"Not good...but for some reason, I always manage to stay till the end in dodgeball." Goto Ichiri stumbled over the sad truth that would make anyone who heard it feel sad and anyone who saw it cry.

"Is that so?" Ijichi Hongxia was also shocked by Goto Ichiri's words, which concealed great sadness beneath their calmness.

"You want me to play guitar in LiveHouse..."

"Ahhh, no, no, how can I back out now? Think back, the fantasy of performing on stage at the cultural festival that plays out in my mind every day, then my first solo performance, ZEEP (Japan's largest livehouse chain), Saitama Super Arena!" In just a short moment, Goto Ichiri had imagined the entire future in his mind.

"I'm

A woman who can fill up a martial arts gym!" Goto Ichiri's mouth curled up, and he decided to dream about this tonight.

"Hey!" Ijichi Hongxia was quite surprised when she heard the whisper from the person next to her.

"Ah! Nothing..." Goto Ichiri once again turned his head in the opposite direction of Ijichi Hongka.

"Ahaha~" Ichichi Hongxia also chuckled when she saw this.

"I hope Nijigasaki doesn't feel like she's found the wrong person!" Goto Ichiri prayed silently in his heart.

"Did I find the wrong person?" Ijichi Hongxia began to doubt her own behavior.

There was a signboard on a green belt, and next to it was a staircase leading directly to the dark. Ijichi Hongxia stood there.

"We're here~ This is it." Ijichi Hongxia turned slightly to make it easier for Goto Ichiri next to her to see the situation at the bottom of the stairs.

Unlike the sunlight on the street, which was already slightly reddish as it was approaching sunset, posters of different bands were posted on both sides of the stairs, and in the darkness at the end, a sign with the words "Stars" printed on it was shining brightly.

Ijichi Hongxia took the lead and walked towards the bottom of the stairs.

"Magic...magic mirror?" Behind Goto Ichiri's long pink bangs was the fear of the unknown under the stairs.

But Ijichi Hongka was already walking step by step towards the magic mirror deep at the end of the stairs. Goto Ichiri had no choice but to grit his teeth, put aside his fear, and follow behind Ijichi Hongka.

"Good morning~" Walking down the stairs to [Stars], Ijichi Hongka greeted the people in the LiveHouse with a cheerful smile.

"Good morning? It's almost evening now, right?" Goto Ichiri was a little confused by Ijichi Kouka's greeting, but he just kept it to himself.

"This is my first time in a LiveHouse. The dim light and the oppressive feeling are really reassuring!" In this underground LiveHouse, Ichiri Goto found a sense of being in the closet of his own home.

"Ichiri-chan, are you okay?" Ijichi Hongxia asked with concern.

"This is my home~" Goto Ichiri relaxed a lot and a smile appeared on his face.

"No way!" Ijichi Hongxia retorted.

"Are we going to ask a sound engineer to help shoot the video this time? How about asking her to make a version for online release?" Several girls were already sitting at the table nearby.

"They are the band performing together today." Ijichi Nichinaka introduced Goto Ichiri.

"The band always gives people a scary feeling, but after all, they are all home-based people, all insignificant people, a group in the dark corner! Everyone is just like me!" However, at this time, Goto Ichiri's mind was focused on other things.

"That's the sound engineer." Ijichi Hongxia pointed in a direction for Goto Ichiri and motioned her to look over there.

Goto Ichiri turned around and saw a woman with hair like crow feathers and neat bangs casting a light shadow on her face, looking out from behind a sign that read "Never place drinks or other items here, it will damage the equipment!"

PS: It’s the weekend again~ I wish everyone a happy weekend

Volume 1: Chapter 74: The Day Guitar Hero Fell

"Good morning." The sound engineer is one of those people who you can tell at a glance is very trendy.

Goto Ichiri is completely unable to cope with this band senior who exudes a trendy vibe, and he has completely entered the emo social phobia defense state.

"I'm sorry I got too carried away!" Goto Ichiri replied, trembling all over, with black eyes and tears in his eyes.

"Why are you suddenly saying that?" Ijichi Hongxia was startled by Goto Ichiri's sudden remarks.

Ijichi Hongka's beautiful ruby-like eyes looked at Goto Ichiri, who was trembling and had a black forehead, beside her with concern.

"You're finally back." A cool voice interrupted the atmosphere in the venue.

"Liang~" Hearing the voice of the person coming, Ijichi Hongxia looked back happily.

Goto Ichiri also raised his lowered head and turned to look at the source of the voice that made Ijichi Hongka happy and excited.

The person who came was a young woman, wearing a casual black top and simple black trousers. She had a delicate face and a cold temperament. The black dress made her slender waist look even more prominent. Under her short blue hair was a slightly charming beauty mole. The first time Goto Ichiri saw her, the first thing that hit him was a heroic air and a coldness that kept people at a distance.

"She is Goto Ichiri-chan, the guitarist who miraculously appeared in the park~" Ijichi Hongka happily introduced Goto Ichiri to the girl named Ryo.

"Oh?" The girl called Ryo by Ijichi Nichina expressed her surprise at the miraculous appearance of Goto Ichiri, the guitarist, with an expressionless face.

"How scary! Is she glaring at me?" However, Goto Ichiri, who was not good at socializing, was already sweating profusely when facing such a cold-tempered girl.

"She is the bassist of our band, Yamada Ryo~" Ijichi Nikka introduced her to Goto Ichiri in a cheerful tone.

When Yamada Ryo heard Ijichi Nijinaka introducing herself to Goto Ichiri, he nodded at Goto Ichiri with an expressionless face.

However, Yamada Ryo's expressionless face gave Goto Ichiri unnecessary thoughts. He preconceived that Yamada Ryo was expressing his dissatisfaction with himself, a temporary guitarist wearing a tacky sweatshirt.

"I... I'm Goto Ichiri, I'm so sorry." Goto Ichiri hurriedly bowed 90 degrees to Yamada Ryo, as if he would continue like this until the world was destroyed if he didn't get the other party's forgiveness.

"Ah, don't..." Goto Ichiri's behavior actually scared Ijichi Nichinaka who was standing next to him, making this cheerful and friendly girl from Yangjiao a little at a loss.

"It's okay, it's okay. Liang just doesn't have many expressions. Ichiri-chan, you don't have to be so polite!" Ijichi Hongxia waved her hands repeatedly to signal Goto Ichiri to relax.

After hearing what Ijichi Kouka said, Goto Ichiri finally ended the 90-degree bow that seemed to last forever. He raised his head tremblingly and hunched his back to peek at Yamada Ryo in front of him to see what expression he had.

Yamada Ryo turned his head expressionlessly and looked at Ijichi Nikka, who was standing between the two of them and acting like a bridge.

"She will be very happy if you say she is a weirdo." In order to quickly narrow the distance between Goto Ichiri and Yamada Ryo, Ijichi Hongka threw out a little secret of Yamada Ryo as a stepping stone.

"I'm not happy~" Yamada Ryo raised his hand to deny what Ijichi Hongka said. Although he said this, Yamada Ryo turned to look at Goto Ichiri's delicate face, which was covered with a lingering blush and a happy smile.

"She looks very happy!" After seeing the iceberg melt away in Yamada Ryo, whom he initially thought was an icy girl, Goto Ichiri's preconceived cold impression of Yamada Ryo finally melted away.