In the anime series, Goto Ichiri is actually my childhood sweetheart?

No, I have to cheer up. I said I would work hard, so how can I be defeated by such a small difficulty!

Goto Ichiri, who was a little depressed, encouraged himself.

With full morale and determination, she returned home, picked up the guitar that Goto Naoki had hung back on the wall, and went straight back to the closet, where she began to read a book and train according to the book.

She even took notes while listening to Takahashi Kaede.

Maybe when you watch resident singers on TV or in bars, sitting on a chair, playing the guitar and singing, it makes you feel that it is easy and comfortable, but actually doing it is completely different.

Singers must turn singing and playing the guitar into muscle memory, so that they can do what they want naturally without thinking.

Just on the guitar, a song has so many notes, and each special technique can only correspond to one tone. You have to constantly change the technique and connect the individual tones together to successfully form a song.

Only those who have practiced know how much there is to remember and connect.

Goto Ichiri really wanted to do this, and on the first day of practice she put in the greatest enthusiasm of her life. She started practicing as soon as she got home, and even memorized music theory while eating.

Wanting to accomplish something and making efforts will indeed give people strong positive and negative feedback in the early stages. Goto Ichiri spent a day or two memorizing the most basic knowledge, and then spent a few more days familiarizing herself with the strings. Her enthusiasm has been high during these days, and she practices until late every day. Only when she realizes that she has to go to bed will she fall asleep with full satisfaction.

Maybe learning guitar is not as difficult as I thought.

Goto Ichiri thought so before going to bed. After all, the progress she had made in the past few days was very significant. The knowledge was indeed instilled into her brain. Just as Takahashi Kaede said, she was not stupid and could understand the knowledge well.

And the moment she really understood what it was like to play the guitar, she realized how difficult it was.

One night after a week of practice, when Goto Ichiri tried to play a piece of music coherently for the first time, he always made mistakes in the scale at inexplicable places, and the mistakes were different each time.

At first, she used the words "This is normal, no one can learn to play easily" to convince herself. After all, she was not a genius who could play it right away.

"As long as I keep practicing today, I will definitely be able to play this piece of music completely!" Goto Ichiri thought confidently.

But she was wrong.

An hour ago, Goto Michiyo asked her to eat, but she refused because she was practicing the piano. Goto Michiyo was very happy to see her doing something so seriously, so she did not scold her, but asked Erli to bring the food. Until now, the food has been completely cold, but Goto Ichiri has not touched a single bite, and is still obsessed with the song.

"Why are there always mistakes and I can't play it well? And who can do these coherent movements? Are those who can play guitar all monsters?"

After an attempt full of errors, Goto Ichiri slumped over the table in frustration, with her guitar casually placed aside.

After playing the last time, when she realized that after practicing so many times today, the result was not even as good as the first attempt, a bone-chilling disappointment enveloped her whole body.

She tried and worked hard, but the outcome remained the same. The eye-catching "Beginner's Score" on the music book pierced Goto Ichiri's inflated self-confidence like a needle, making her deeply aware of her own powerlessness.

"Xiao Feng, what should I do? This is really too difficult..."

Goto Ichiri's soft face was resting on the table, her light pink hair scattered on her pink sportswear, covering her confused face.

"Are you looking down on me, you guy?"

Just as Goto Ichiri was about to call Takahashi Kaede, a deflated but sharp voice suddenly came from the side.

"Wow! Something's talking!"

"I am your guitar elf, I am you! Do you think I am something that can be learned by just practicing?"

Goto Ichiri looked up suddenly and saw a mini guitar standing on the table, pointing at her with a matchstick-like hand and scolding her loudly.

Although it is a mini guitar, it has hands and feet, and a pair of wide-open eyes. It paces back and forth and floats in the sky from time to time. Most people would be scared to death when seeing this scene, but Goto Ichiri did not react too much. Instead, he became interested in what it said.

"Why do you say I look down on you? I don't look down on you. I practice so hard every day and now I haven't even had time to eat." Goto Ichiri defended himself anxiously.

"Nonsense! I am you! You know it clearly in your heart, you just think it's difficult, you think the price to learn guitar is too high, and you just want to be lazy! Goto Ichiri, if you want to successfully get rid of social phobia, be liked by everyone, and even make Takahashi Kaede look at you with new eyes, you must endure these hardships and can't give up just because you think it's difficult!"

Goto Ichiri was silent for a while, seemed unconvinced, and retorted.

"I started practicing this piece as soon as I got home today, but the mistakes I made didn't decrease. Instead, they increased. Xiao Feng also said that we shouldn't make ineffective efforts. Since efforts have no effect, why should I continue practicing?"

"It hurts, why did you hit me!" Goto Ichiri was hit on the head by a small guitar and subconsciously grabbed it.

Faced with the creature she had imagined, she scolded back without hesitation.

After catching the little guitar, it flew far away, preventing Goto Ichiri from catching it.

"I hit you because you misinterpreted Gao Qiaofeng's words. What he meant was: if your efforts are ineffective, you should think about whether your method is wrong or you haven't tried long enough. You can persist for a few more days or try another method. He never told you to give up in the face of difficulties! In fact, he hopes that you will face the difficulties head-on, know your shame and then be brave, and don't give up easily. How can you use his words as an excuse!"

Xiao Guitar put one hand behind his back and pointed at Goto Ichiri with the other hand, shouting at her.

Goto Ichiri fell silent, curled up in the corner of the closet with his legs hugged, like a puppy that had been abandoned and drenched in the rain.

She had never worked so hard as she had in the past few days. She didn't understand why things couldn't go smoothly for her and why she had to suffer so much.

The little guitar flew to Goto Ichiri's shoulder. Unable to bear to see her so sad, he patted her gently with his hand.

"What should I do?" Goto Ichiri buried his face in his clothes and made a dull sound.

"You should keep practicing. Didn't Takahashi Feng tell you that if you don't make any progress in a week, change the song to a simpler one." The little guitar became gentler. Not sure if it was his illusion, but Goto Ichiri felt that its sound was exactly the same as his own.

"You and Takahashi Kaede are no longer in the same class. He is in the same class as Eriri. You should be able to guess that Eriri definitely likes Takahashi Kaede. Although it is unclear what she wants to do now, one day she will definitely want to get Takahashi Kaede at all costs."

Xiaojita's features gradually turned into those of Goto Ichiri, but she was more resolute than before.

Goto Ichiri looked up in confusion. This was the first time she thought about such a thing.

"Eri is beautiful, well-educated, popular, and can draw. She has been the ace of the art club since she was a child. Yili, do you think that if such a person likes Takahashi Kaede, no matter how determined he is, will he refuse the pursuit of such a girl?"

Goto Ichiri imagined the situation where Takahashi Kaede refused to go home with her because he and Eriri became boyfriend and girlfriend and needed to avoid suspicion. Her originally frowned brows suddenly became sad. She didn't want this to happen. She didn't want to see the two of them being together and leaving her out.

She hopes that even when she goes to high school or college, Takahashi Feng will still be by her side, even...even when he becomes an adult.

"So you have to work hard to improve yourself. Gao Qiaofeng likes you, but you can go one step further and make him recognize you and admire you. No boy will reject a girl who is versatile and loves herself. If you can learn guitar, start a band, and become the center of attention, think about how Gao Qiaofeng will look at you. Will he be proud? Or amazed? Or admiring?"

"You decide these things by yourself. I can't make the decision. After all, I'm not you."

After the little guitar finished speaking, there was no sound.

Goto Ichiri looked up over his shoulder, but did not see the little guitar.

She looked around, the posters on the wall, the cold food placed aside, the turned-on computer, and the black and gold guitar lying quietly aside. Everything was so familiar, as if the little guitar had never been there.

She was the only one left in the closet again.

Goto Ichiri rubbed his eyes which were tired from staying up late. Without saying a word, he silently picked up the guitar on the ground again.

She wanted to try again.

"Ah, sister, why don't you eat?"

Erli opened the closet and saw the cold food on the table at a glance, and said loudly.

"Hey, Erli, didn't I tell you that you need to knock before coming in?"

"Mom, my sister didn't eat. She didn't even take a bite!"

Erli ignored Goto Ichiri's scolding and ran downstairs with the bowl in her hand and her little feet clacking.

Goto Ichiri closed the door silently and tried to play the song that he had never learned.

Not long after, a phone call suddenly came in. Goto Ichiri picked up the phone in confusion and found that the call was from Takahashi Kaede.

"Yili, you can't skip meals just to practice guitar. You need to listen to me. Your mother just called and said you didn't eat. Did you encounter any setbacks? If you want to eat the food I cook, just tell me and I'll make it and bring it to you right now. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Take your time. You have plenty of time."

Gao Qiaofeng originally wanted to teach her a lesson, but gradually his tone softened.

He was a little worried that Goto Ichiri had a psychological burden, because there are many people who humiliate themselves because they want to accomplish something too much.

If it was Goto Ichiri at the beginning, she might really ask Takahashi Kaede to cook something for him, and then cry in his arms when Takahashi Kaede came over, but now she just wanted to finish playing the music she had not learned yet, and before that, she wanted to eat first.

"I'm fine, Xiao Feng. I didn't eat because I felt something was wrong with my playing. I'll go eat now."

Hearing that Goto Ichiri seemed to be fine, Takahashi Kaede felt relieved.

"How's your practice going? You should start learning the music score now. Remember that progress on this kind of thing can usually only be seen after a good night's sleep, so don't rush for quick results."

"Well, I see."

Goto Ichiri nodded, and the two exchanged a few pleasantries before hanging up the phone.

She put her guitar aside and went downstairs to eat.

That night, she practiced for a long time again, and only obediently prepared to go to bed after receiving a message from Takahashi Feng urging her to go to bed.

Although there was not much progress until the end, the mistakes that had always existed did not disappear. Every time I played, I would lose sight of one thing while focusing on another, and new mistakes would appear after correcting the last mistake.

But Goto Ichiri never felt impatient again, nor did he put the guitar aside and become frustrated. Instead, he played more attentively, summarizing each mistake and striving to play better next time.

"Just hold on for a week."

Lying on the floor, Goto Ichiri thought so and slowly fell asleep.

Chapter 13: Rikka Wants to Catch Light

Still in the closet at night, Goto Ichiri was wearing headphones and sitting motionless on the cushion.

A bright and clear guitar sound came from the headphones. As the music played, Goto Ichiri's brows sometimes relaxed and sometimes frowned, and at certain moments he would make notes in a notebook.

This was the day she had been practicing guitar. Ever since she convinced herself to keep trying, she faced every practice session with a normal attitude.

She doesn’t consider progress, and considers completing the required amount of practice as success. Although she doesn’t care about the results, her progress is still significant. She gets a little excited before practice every day, looking forward to her next progress.

But she was just slightly excited. This practice was gradually becoming a habit for her, just like washing up every morning, normal and indispensable.

After adjusting the speakers on the table, she took off her headphones, threw her notebook aside, and fell exhausted on the floor. She felt her eyes were a little tired from switching between reading on the computer and reading books.

For some reason, Goto Naoki suddenly brought a big box over and said that since she was studying so hard, he wanted to sponsor her.

When she opened it, she found that it was full of brand new recording equipment, including microphones, headphones, and some small accessories needed for practicing guitar.

I was originally thinking about saving money to buy these things, but now it seems that it is completely unnecessary.

Although Goto Ichiri felt genuinely happy that her father could support her so much, Goto Naoki had a strange expression when he moved the box to her room, and he was slurring his words when he was explaining, and he almost got stuck, which made people wonder if he was hiding something.

Without giving it much thought, she immediately arranged the equipment in her own cupboard. As it was filled with professional equipment, this place was very similar to Takahashi Kaede's workshop. The bed covered with sheets was inserted across the pile of equipment, adding a touch of life to it, giving Goto Ichiri the illusion that she could live here for the rest of her life.

His eyes were dry and the corners of his eyes were itchy. Goto Ichiri rubbed his eyes vigorously until tears came out.

Noticing something was wrong with his eyes, Goto Ichiri ran to the mirror in the bathroom, and his own delicate face, without any self-awareness, appeared in front of him. Goto Ichiri lifted his bangs, and some bloodshot appeared beside his blue eyes, and the corners of his eyes were a little red, as if the itchy part was there.

Goto Ichiri washed his face with clean water and went to bed.

The next day, on the way to school, Goto Ichiri greeted Takahashi Kaede with red eyes.

"Good morning, Xiao Feng."

Just as Takahashi Feng raised his hand to say hello, he suddenly noticed something and moved closer to Goto Ichiri.

"Xiao...Xiao Feng? What's wrong?"

Goto Ichiri was at a loss as to what to do and stood there in a daze, not daring to move.

Takahashi Feng took out a wet wipe from his backpack, wiped his hands, then gently pried open Goto Ichiri's eyelids with his fingers and carefully observed the condition of his eyeball.

"Have you been rubbing your eyes a lot lately?"

"Yes...yes, I also noticed that my eyes were red when I looked in the mirror yesterday. It should be a minor problem."

Takahashi Kaede's face was right in front of Goto Ichiri. She looked panicked and her eyes were darting around, not knowing where to look.

"It's a minor problem, red eyes, but you look pretty handsome. It should be conjunctivitis. I'll take you to buy medicine after school. If you have an infection, it's better to apply medicine as soon as possible."

Letting go of his hand, Takahashi Kaede threw the tissue into the trash can beside him, and took Goto Ichiri onto the subway.

"Kind of...handsome?"

Goto Ichiri chewed over this sentence, not knowing what it meant.

In fact, the real situation is that Takahashi Kaede has recently run into a writer's block on his novel.

The treasure that the protagonist is looking for is hidden by a king in the deepest crypt of the palace. The country controlled by this king is a once-prosperous empire that rules most of the northern continent. He exhausted the treasury to build a palace. Every corner of the palace is guarded by the Holy Knights of Light blessed by God. These Paladins can benefit from the halo bonus of the statue in the center of the palace. They can fight against a hundred at home, and even ordinary ancient dragons cannot break in. The purpose of all this is to guard this treasure.

And this treasure is the only way to save the seriously injured female protagonist. The king is very greedy and will never give his treasure to anyone else.

This is all Takahashi Kaede's setting. It has to be difficult enough to make the treasure that the protagonist finally gets seem very precious.

Although the difficulties have been figured out, what kind of cheat to give the protagonist is the biggest source of trouble for Takahashi Kaede.

Because the protagonist has a deep affection for the female lead, he cried all day long and couldn't stop after she was seriously injured and bedridden.

When he was in distress, Takahashi Kaede saw Goto Ichiri's red eyes and suddenly realized something.

It seems that it would be more impressive if the protagonist's eyes were strengthened.

The protagonist was in tears all day long because of sadness. Because the tears contained a lot of magic power, his eyes were transformed under the magic power and resonated with a magic weapon he had collected.

In the end, the artifact and the eye merged into a magic eye that could store infinite magic power. When emotions erupted, it could open the valve that blocked the magic power, allowing massive amounts of magic power to pour out, causing damage enough to shake the continent.

And this city-level magic eye is the most advantageous weapon to break through the palace's defense.