Iruma-san wants to win the Akutagawa Prize

"He's catching up on sleep. He seems to be saying that he practiced a little too hard last night."

Ijichi Hongxia said worriedly.

“What about the performance?”

Yamada Ryo asked Ichichi Kouka.

"Eh?"

Such a question made Yidi Chi Hongxia a little overwhelmed.

"As for the performance, shouldn't we all rehearse together on Friday as agreed, and then perform on Saturday?"

Ijichi Hongka told everyone's previous plan, and then she saw Yamada Ryo staring at her seriously.

"That alone is not enough."

Yamada Ryo spoke softly.

"If it's not enough, then it's not enough."

What shocked Yamada Ryo a little was that Ijichi Hongka suddenly said something discouraging.

Just when Yamada Ryo was about to say something, Ijichi Nikka suddenly answered:

"It wouldn't be good to push Kita and Pochi too hard. We've formed a band together, so it's more important for everyone to have fun. Of course, I actually really want the old band to come back, but..."

"If you think about it, it's a difficult thing to do, isn't it? And if you think about it, even if I'm lucky enough to come back, I have no idea what to do. So, I think everyone should do their best to convey the feelings you want to convey."

Ichichi Hongxia said this in a nonchalant manner.

It was not until this moment that Yamada Ryo finally understood what Ichichi Hongka meant.

"Besides, I'm already embarrassed to have dragged you and Kita into this because of the issues between me, Iruma, and Chihaya-san. If I add more pressure to everyone, I'll definitely feel bad."

"Of course, even so..."

In front of the silent Yamada Ryo, Ijichi Hongka rarely showed a somewhat conflicted look.

"As for me, I still want to get Iruma back. Haha, isn't that a bit weird?"

"Not surprisingly."

Yamada Ryo said this softly, stealing the food from Ichichier Linbawu O Jiushan (Six) Jiuhongxia's bento without making a sound.

"Anyway, we need to be prepared. Kita's side..."

Yamada Ryo suddenly mentioned Kita's name here.

"What happened to Kita?"

"No, it must be my illusion."

"Don't leave your words unsaid! It'll make people concerned!"

Yamada Ryo carefully looked at the profile of Ijichi Hongka, and only after confirming the panic on her face did she breathe a sigh of relief.

After all, Ijichi Hongka still has her own determination and persistence in performing.

This is what Yamada Ryo wants to confirm.

"In our previous chat, Xiduo didn't know what an effects pedal was."

"Eh?!"

In response to Yamada Ryo's words, Ijichi Hongka exclaimed.

“Effects pedals aren’t…”

“It’s a very basic question.”

Yamada Ryo spoke seriously in a low voice.

"Could there be some misunderstanding? Or is Kita actually someone who doesn't use effects pedals?"

"Do you think that's possible?"

Yamada Ryo brought the topic back, and then she added thoughtfully:

"Before, Chihaya was the same, right? She didn't play any instruments but joined the band."

"Wait, Ryo! Isn't it a bit inappropriate for us to discuss this here? Why don't we just go find Kita..."

"Hongxia."

Yamada Ryo took back her chopsticks. She was already full after eating Ijichi Hongka's side dishes.

"Are you prepared to go on stage even if it's just one person?"

Then she gently asked Ichichi Hongxia.

"Eh?!"

As a matter of course, the only response she received was Ijichi Hongxia's somewhat surprised exclamation.

"Ijichi, sorry, I have to borrow your notebook again. I missed some lessons yesterday and today."

"It's okay."

In the afternoon, at the end of the first class, Ijichi Kouka handed her notebook to Iruma Hibiki.

Then she looked at Hibiki Iruma, whose face had some traces of sleep, and smiled gently.

Then, in his heart, he roughly answered Yamada Ryo's question at that time.

Speaking of which——

I don't know if it was Ijichi Hongka's illusion, but she always felt that Yamada Ryo had been a little too serious these days, and that question just now:

[Are you prepared to go on stage alone?]

Although at this moment, Ijichi Hongka's answer is definitely [yes].

But don't know why.

For Ijichi Hongka, she simply couldn't regard Yamada Ryo's question as a hypothetical one. She always felt that Yamada Ryo was particularly serious about this issue, as if he saw through everything.

and--

As a friend of Yamada Ryo, Ijichi Hongka has such an understanding of Yamada Ryo, that is, if Yamada Ryo, who is unreliable in daily life, suddenly becomes reliable one day, it must be that he has encountered something important.

But at this moment, Ijichi Hongxia was actually a little bit——

There is no real feeling.

It was as if something huge was brewing, but she was completely unaware of it.

"Is there something bothering Ijichi?"

Hibiki Iruma asked as he copied Ijichi Kouka's notes.

"There are some."

"What about the performance afterwards?"

Iruma Hibiki's question touched Ijichi Kouka's heart.

"Ah."

"Come to think of it, when Goto-san hid the details of the performance from me, I had a premonition."

Iruma Hibiki sold Goto Ichiri almost without hesitation, and he even smiled while doing so.

After all, Goto Ichiri is not someone who can keep a secret.

"Eh?!"

Probably at this moment, Ijichi Nijinka became nervous. She stood there nervously, as if she was a student whose parents had been called in by the teacher. After all, even Ijichi Nijinka had no trust at all that Goto Ichiri could keep the secret in front of Iruma Hibiki.

Iruma Hibiki put down the pen in his hand, thought for a while, and then said to Ijichi Kouka in front of him:

"Good luck on the show! I'll definitely be there that day. I'm really looking forward to your performance at Ijichi."

Then, in front of Iruma Hibiki, Ijichi Kouka's expression actually paused slightly.

Because she saw a smile and a sincere smile on Iruma Hibiki's face at that moment.

"I wish things could go this smoothly here at Crychic."

Then Iruma Hibiki muttered something softly.

Perhaps it was this sentence that made Ijichi Hongxia's smile slightly restrained. She looked at Iruma Hibiki's profile, and her expression gradually became calm.

Then time passed by unnoticed.

Until, after school, Iruma Hibiki, who stayed behind to finish his notes, flipped through the notes from Wednesday's class.

He saw Ichichi Hongka's graffiti.

Ijichi Nikka is actually average in art, but his stick figures are surprisingly interesting, whether it's him, Chihaya Aine, or—

Nagasaki Suyo, who only left behind her marks, drew paintings that were exceptionally cute and vivid.

In the class where he was the only one in the group, Hibiki Iruma opened the band's blog and scrolled to the bottom, where he found the tweet with the original group photo.

Exactly the same.

The movements of the four people in Ijichi Hongxia's graffiti are exactly the same as in that photo.

"Ichichi..."

Iruma Hibiki frowned slightly, raised his head and worried about the person who no longer existed there.

23 I will become friends with Su Shi

"Didn't Xiang see the message I sent you that day?"

Nagasaki Motoyo stopped Iruma Hibiki outside the rehearsal room.

Today is the routine rehearsal of Crychic. Compared with last time, everyone started with ease this time.

"The news about the private chat?"

Hibiki Iruma asked.

"I saw it, but I... don't know how to respond."

Iruma Hibiki spoke softly.

"Hibiki, don't you want to see me?"

Nagasaki Suyo frowned, looking extremely pitiful, as if she were an abandoned puppy.

"No, not at all. I should say I'm afraid. It's my problem."

Iruma Hibiki answered sincerely.

"Speaking of preparations for stargazing later, Su Shi, are you ready? It seems a bit chilly tonight, be careful not to catch a cold."

Iruma Hibiki gently reminded her and tried to change the subject, but it was obvious that at this moment, Nagasaki Suyo was not concerned about this topic at all.

"I have something I want to say to Xiang. Can you listen?"

Perhaps, by this moment, Iruma Hibiki also realized that the current problem was probably an unavoidable situation.

Although he didn't know what Nagasaki Suyo wanted to say.

But in the final analysis, when he and Nagasaki Suyo met privately, there was probably only one topic they would talk about during this time period -

Just at this moment, the door of the rehearsal room was opened. Toyokawa Shoko stuck her head out, but quickly retracted it after seeing Iruma Hibiki and Nagasaki Soyo in the corridor.

However, despite this, she still held a certain curiosity, left a crack in the door, and stared closely at the two people outside.

"Well, of course."

Iruma Hibiki agreed.

In the final analysis, he——

"I want to apologize to Xiang. It was my fault for what happened before. I shouldn't have lied to Xiang or told her that. It's just that at that time, Xiang made me feel very warm and gentle, so I wanted to keep Xiang by my side in that way."

……

Hibiki Iruma lowered his head in silence, seemingly speechless.

"Hibiki, can we be friends again like before? I don't want to have this kind of relationship with Hibiki."