Why play in a band if you don't form one for life?

Hong Xia made a penguin shape with her arms and jumped on as the second one, her voice unchanged: "Second - as one of the team leaders, it is only natural for me to be on this ship."

"Of course I'm on the same boat with Hong Xia." Liang stepped on it. Judging from the draft of the raft, it could only accommodate one more person.

Before Ichiri could react, Kita had already shouted "Wherever Ryo-senpai is, there's me" and flashed onto the ship.

Eh?

Yili was surrounded by nothingness.

what about me?

Her teammates were looking at the sky with a dull expression as if they were not thinking about anything.

what about me?

"Then Ichiri, come on a boat with us." A voice came from behind Yukina. Ichiri turned her head mechanically. Yukina Minato, Lisa Imai, Sayo Hikawa, Rinko Shirogane, Ako Udagawa, some expressionless, some kind and gentle, some encouraging, some innocent, all formed a semicircle behind her, firmly blocking all her escape routes.

Quack! It's five big geeks wearing lots of cloth!

"Ahhhhhh..." One mile, it began to melt!

Yesterday, Shiko, Nijika, and Kita made a "summer end plan".

"This plan's name sounds so ominous..." Kita is very sensitive about the issue of "naming".

"Then think of it as the 'Summer Solidarity Project' as well," Shizi said. "In short, the core of the project is: exposure therapy."

Exposure therapy, in simple terms, is a psychotherapy that allows patients to directly enter the scene they fear the most for correction without any relaxation.

"Since we can't control the performance venue and audience size, we can reduce the impact of the audience's familiarity with Yili on the quality of her performance." Shizi said, "We need to improve her communication skills. We are already familiar enough with her, and the next step is to let her learn how to interact with Roselia." Although they have been together for a long time, Roselia, who looks intimidating to Yili, is definitely not easy to approach.

"So we need to create an opportunity for Little Pochi and Roselia to be alone together?" Hong Xia understood.

Kita didn't quite understand: "Isn't Roselia already familiar with us?"

Shizi nodded, ignoring the hateful Yang Jiao: "Good."

So now, Shizi mercilessly left her own kind in a desperate situation. Did she ever regret it? Did she feel sad about the scene before her?

no!

No! No! No!

She was trying hard to control her laughter, half with the mood of watching a show and half with the mood of "this is all for your own good"!

So, after confirming that this scene was premeditated, Yili's despair became reality - starting from her feet, she froze into an ice sculpture on the spot.

"Huh? What's going on? Ichiri?!" Yazi had never seen such a scene before.

However, the ending band is already used to this: "It's probably to prevent myself from melting and running around, it's a small matter."

"What? Is she human?"

In the end, Ichiri, who was frozen into a heap, was carried onto the boat by Rinko as luggage.

"How long does it usually take her to recover?" Yukina asked as the band ended. It would take another mile to sail.

"It will be ready in a moment." Kita smiled and lit the fireball.

However, before Kita started working, Shiko suddenly felt a stomachache. She quickly stood up and said, "Sorry, I have to go to the toilet first." Then, she jumped onto the shore and was about to run away. Ichiri recovered instantly in the look of shock in Shiko's eyes and jumped onto the shore and said, "Just let me go with you!"

Shizi can't go to the toilet alone. I neglected this once before and almost lost Shizi! As long as I fight for the position of "supervising Shizi" now, and then come back with Shizi, we can naturally sit in the same boat! The problem of load capacity is that I can just spend a little more effort to control the water flow! The plan works!

Shizi immediately pushed her back with a frown on his face: "Sorry, Yili, going to the bathroom together is too youthful and JK, I can't really do it..."

Finished! Forgot that there are some things that cannot be said to this Shizi! Yili regretfully lost the last chance! She curled up at the stern, watching Hongxia make a regretful expression to her, quietly followed behind Shizi, and then the two came back one after the other.

With Ichiri trembling constantly, the two boats started moving one after the other. Roselia walked in front, and they were doing their own things as usual: Sayo was practicing guitar, Lisa was chatting with Yukina, and Ako was studying her black magic "kukuku", showing off to Rinko from time to time.

And Yili - she and the others put a big distance between themselves and the boss, controlling the water flow while trying to reduce her presence.

Leaving the familiar environment, everyone who had finished the band was no longer around... Yili seemed to have returned to the time before she met Shizi. An invisible membrane separated her from the world, and even the air was so heavy. The bright colors on both sides of the river were also stained with a gray filter. No one seemed to pay attention to her, but her name seemed to be in their whispers... It's not that everyone in Roselia is not a good person, but I don't know how to get along with them alone... Yili curled up further and hid behind a small cardboard box. If only someone could tell me what to do at this time...

Ichiri looked back. What were the people doing after the band ended?

"Summer, summer, summer, A Zi summer, Ajiji, Ajiji, wash with rag~" A joyful song came from behind.

At karaoke!

There is no accompaniment, but Shizi is singing a cappella and looks carefree!

Yili was deeply shocked! In extreme anger, Yili realized how to compress himself further and successfully hid most of his body behind the cardboard box.

"(As expected, you don't need me...)" A tear flowed from the corner of Ichiri's eye.

In fact, Shizi was also very panicked!

Ichiri seemed to be crying... Shizi poked Hongxia, and while pretending to be happily paddling and singing on the surface, the four of them were communicating with their eye contact.

——Did we go too far? Will Goto-san be angry with us?

——This situation is completely within the plan! Don’t panic!

——Still planning! Just abandoning her is really too cruel. I shouldn't have agreed to your request!

——Pochi, it’s fun.

——Let’s see what Roselia will do first! Didn’t we discuss this with them?

At this time, Rinko was also paying attention to Ichiri. Ichiri's posture curled up in the corner reminded her of her old self. She was also afraid to talk to people and afraid to touch new things. It was not until she met Ako and then met Roselia through Ako that Rinko began to change herself step by step.

So, Rinko sat down next to Ichiri, separating them at a distance that they both understood, which was more comfortable for those with social phobia.

Although he was startled, Ichiri was somewhat relieved to see that it was Rinko who came over. Among the Roselia, Lisa was the most gentle, but because of resonance, she was still closest to Rinko.

Linzi spoke.

"Goto-san, do you...want to go back to that ship?"

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Chapter 17: One Mile... One Step Forward

"Goto-san, do you want to... go back to that boat?"

Rinko directly told Ichiri what he was thinking. Ichiri hesitated for a moment and nodded.

"Sure." Linzi said. Yili raised his head. Linzi continued, "I'll go over... let Wu come over."

"But if that happens... I'll probably be as nervous as Goto-san... and want to come back as soon as possible..." Rinko's nervous expression was not fake. Just like Ichiri was not used to being with Roselia, Rinko had not yet completely gotten familiar with the Ending Band.

Yili lowered his head again.

"But... I might eventually try... to join in their conversation..."

Yili raised his head again.

"I used to...hide in a corner just like Goto-san..."

Rinko slowly told Ichiri about her experience.

"At first... I didn't even dare to go to a livehouse... The first time I went, it was Ako who forced me to go... At that time, I was scared by the crowd under the stage... I almost fainted..." Recalling the past, Rinko couldn't help but smile.

Listening to Rinko's narration, Ichiri recalled the first time he went to a livehouse with Shiko.

"And... when I joined Roselia, I said... I couldn't play in front of people... and Yuki-san said they didn't need a keyboard player who couldn't play..."

However, Ichiri recalled Rinko's flawless performance during her performance. Apparently, she had overcome this difficulty long ago.

"I... mustered up the courage to say that I would overcome this difficulty..."

"I keep taking one step at a time... Although I am still afraid of crowded places... But I have made a huge change..."

"I am now the student council president of Hanasakigawa..."

Student... President? Ichiri's impression of the student council is basically the confident speeches at the opening ceremony and the youthful flyers she saw from time to time. Can someone like Rinko, who is similar to her, also become the student council president? She couldn't help but have doubts. But then she remembered that Shiko seemed to have mentioned this matter.

"Sorry... I seem to have been talking about my own things..." When I came to my senses, Rinko had already finished speaking.

"It's okay. Thank you very much for what you said, Rinko." Ichiri had relaxed a little without knowing when, "But... can someone like me... really do it?"

Although Rinko spoke very slowly, paused, and seemed very nervous, she had already become an "unattainable" existence in Ichiri's heart.

"If possible, I would also like to get along well with everyone in Roselia." Ichiri chose his words carefully, "But it's too scary to communicate with so many people, especially, especially Yukina-san and Sayo-san..."

"Then... take a small step first."

"I'll start with myself... step by step... and become friends with everyone..." Rinko extended her hand to Ichiri, "Goto-san... please take care of me..."

But she saw Yili's eyes become dull.

"So... we couldn't be considered friends before..." she murmured.

Rinko realized that she had said the wrong thing, but she didn't know how to make up for it: "Friends... weren't... in the past... do they... count...?" She could only speak incoherently.

What exactly is a friend? Neither of them knows the exact definition of a friend. After all, neither of them is good at socializing.

Friends... Everyone in Roselia is definitely... Does the Ending Band count... I guess so... But it seems like we haven't talked to them much... Most of the classmates in the class... I don't remember their names... Does the Student Union count? In the end, do we count as friends after just talking to them... Or do we have to do something together to count as friends... We have been traveling with the Ending Band for a long time... But I really don't talk to them that often...

Although I haven't talked much with everyone in Roselia, it's still hurt to be told that we weren't friends before. By the way, everyone who ended the band never seemed to tell me whether they were friends or not. Could it be that they didn't consider me a friend? At least Shizi did tell me that. I can't remember it at all. Could it be that everything was my wishful thinking? They were just playing around with me. Should I, who was so self-indulgent, commit seppuku to apologize...

One of the two men could only wave his hands in the air helplessly, while the other opened his mouth and let out a silent howl.

Seeing this, Yazi came over curiously: "Linlin, what are you doing...eh?"

When Rinko saw Ako, she felt relieved and quickly grabbed her hand, using a little more force than usual.

"Hey hey hey Linlin?!" Yazi had never seen her so proactive before.

"Ako," Rinko asked anxiously, "Is Goto-san... our friend?"

Yazi was stunned for a second or two: "Well, of course we are friends, but you don't usually ask this kind of question, right?"

After hearing what Ako said, Ichiri immediately returned to this world.

Only then did Rinko slowly begin to explain what they were talking about.

"I see..." Ako looked like she had never thought about this question before, "Of course Roselia and The End are my friends."

"Of course," she threw herself on Linzi, causing the boat to shake slightly, "Linzi is the most important friend!" She looked very happy.

Rinko's face turned slightly red. She ignored Ayako who was hanging on her body and continued to say to Ichiri: "Goto-san... I think... everyone must treat you as a friend..."

"That...that's good..." Yili couldn't control the silly smile on his face.

“(It’s so easy to coax her…)” This is the common feeling of Ako and Rinko.

"Everyone, please pay attention. It's lunch time—" Lisa's voice came.

The boat stopped beside a meadow. As soon as Yili got off the boat, she saw everyone who had just finished the band bowing to her in unison - although Liang seemed forced to do so.

"I'm so sorry!" It was Shizi who came first.

"We shouldn't have deliberately isolated Goto-san!" Then it was Kita's turn.

"It was all my idea, so blame me if you want to!" It was Hong Xia.

"..." Liang didn't say anything. Hong Xia poked her: "Liang, say something."

Liang thought for a while: "…Aren't you guys done talking?"

"..." The other people stopped paying attention to her and straightened up. "Anyway, although our original intention is to get little Pochi to have a good relationship with everyone in Roselia, if little Pochi really can't accept it, then..."

"...It's okay." Yili said. The muscles on her face were stiff, but she forced herself to say these words, "Although... I was scared at first, I also wanted to challenge myself and take... a small step." Yili's eyes looked extremely determined.

"Yili..." Shizi was moved by her awareness.

"Of course, it would be better if there was someone to accompany me..." Ichiri's handsomeness only lasted three seconds.

"That won't work. Four people paddling is tiring enough." Liang refused immediately.

"Heartless." Someone complained.

Looking at the five people, Lisa smiled. She had been paying attention to Ichiri this morning. But she didn't try to contact her at that time. People like her would put too much pressure on her, so letting Rinko talk to her first was the best choice. But it seemed that in the afternoon, she could try to talk to her. She could also try to get Yukina and Sayo to join in. Let's find some topics now. Otherwise...

Lisa seemed to have seen how the group of people gathered in a circle, and how Yukina, Saya, Rinko, and Ichiri were unable to say a word. She thought it was a little funny, so she started laughing.

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Chapter 18 New Songs and New Songs and New Songs

During lunch break, Yili still sat with everyone in the band, but she had already started trying to join in the conversation with Roselia. Seeing this, the other members of the band finally felt relieved.

"Well then." Hong Xia sat on the grass, and the five of them formed a circle around him. "Let's discuss the next live show."