Iruma-san wants to win the Akutagawa Prize

[Iruma-san… Sorry, I guess I’m just an idiot who can’t learn guitar…]

Faced with Kita's news, Iruma Hibiki didn't know how to start the conversation, whether to blame or to playfully respond.

47 If one day you are all alone

"I'm sorry, Iruma-senpai. I'm probably no longer qualified to be in the band. Running away from a situation like that...it was a terrible thing no matter how you look at it. Later, when I have the courage to face everyone, I will say goodbye to everyone and Goto-san and admit my mistake!"

[It doesn't matter if there's a punishment, as long as we can still be friends afterwards! ]

"This is all my fault. Speaking of which, I was a bit willful to tell you this and complain to you about it now... I hope I didn't disturb you!"

Hibiki Iruma looked at the message from Kita on his phone and felt a little overwhelmed.

After all—

Kita actually knew exactly what he was doing.

He understood the mistakes he had made and was straightforward in his intention to pay for them. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like he didn't need to worry about it.

Similarly, facing such a Kita, Iruma Hibiki was unable to help at all.

only--

[Kita, are you okay with your injury? It looks really serious.]

Hibiki Iruma sighed deeply and said that they would talk about the band later. After all, what they should pay attention to now is Kita's hands. For a musician, fingers are the most important. Even a small difference in hand shape will greatly affect the use of the instrument.

Regardless of whether Kita was a nincompoop on guitar or not, or whether she was as clumsy as she said, if there was a problem with her fingers, then all possibilities would be over.

And Iruma Hibiki is actually——

I can't hate Kita at all.

Although some of the previous resentment and the reluctance to treat Ichichi Hongxia still exist at this moment, they have been mostly eliminated.

[It seems like I need to change the dressing for two days, but it won't leave any marks, so don't worry.]

【Iruma-senpai.】

「You’re such a gentle person, actually, I thought you were scolding me, Senior……」

Iruma Hibiki smiled faintly. Actually, he was planning to blame Kita, but Kita was a fool, and fools have the right to pardon before being blamed.

Are you really going to give up on guitar?

Then, Iruma Hibiki asked.

「Eh?! If I give up...」

"Well, that's good. You don't have to tell me the specific answer, Kita. I wish your finger a speedy recovery. By the way, if you don't mind, when you're ready, I'll accompany you to Fanxing to find Ichichi Hongxia and the others."

After Weiwei waited for a few minutes, Xiduo sent a crying emoticon that was commonly used by Xianchong.

Thank you, Iruma-senpai!

[You're welcome, because a friend of mine has done something similar.]

The image of Chihaya Aine flashed through Hibiki Iruma's mind. Could it be that those who want to become guitar vocalists are burdened with a curse that requires them to face vanity again and again in order to grow?

Iruma Hibiki thought silently.

Then he prayed for Kita in his heart - praying that this injury would not bring too much psychological trauma to Kita so that he would hate his guitar in the future.

Then after some simple daily greetings——

The chat is over.

Hibiki Iruma's room fell into silence.

Today is Saturday, and tomorrow is Sunday, which means that this peaceful, aimless daily life will continue for a long, long time. Iruma Hibiki stared at his mobile phone in a daze, thinking about Nagasaki Motoyo and Toyokawa Shoko, and his anxiety could not help but surface again.

He had a strange feeling of depression, as if he had an itch that he couldn't scratch. The desire to talk to someone, to tell someone, and to get answers from someone became stronger and stronger.

but--

In fact, although he thought so, he had a subtle resistance to telling others about the story of Nagasaki Suyo and Toyokawa Shoko.

Iruma Hibiki covered his eyes with his hands and threw his cell phone aside. He didn't get up from the bed again until he touched his black guitar beside him.

Then Hibiki Iruma started practicing guitar and continued until the end of the day.

The alarm clock struck the early morning, and Iruma Hibiki, feeling sore all over, put down his guitar and stood up from the chair. However, the moment he stood up, he felt a black screen in front of his eyes, and a momentary feeling of weakness almost made him fall.

Such practice and talk naturally did not yield any answers, and the fingertips of his left hand began to hurt.

When Iruma Hibiki opened his phone again, he saw a letter from Toyokawa Shoko:

【Is Xiang asleep? 】

[Fell asleep——]

Good night, Xiang, have a nice dream.

「I know Hibiki is worried and sad about Nagasaki-san’s situation. I won’t make it difficult for Hibiki, but──」

[Breaking the contract and cheating are not acceptable.]

[Higashi knows this, right?]

I'll give Xiang some time.

【But if Xiang goes too far, I will also be unhappy. 】

【Good night then, Xiang, I love you. 】

……

Looking at the bedtime message sent by Toyokawa Shoko, Iruma Hibiki roughly revealed a relaxed smile, but this smile did not last long and turned into bitterness.

Let’s go for a stroll in Linhai Park.

He made this plan.

This Saturday night was a sleepless night for Hibiki Iruma. He tossed and turned until sunrise before returning home, then slept through the entire Sunday morning, waking up slowly at one o'clock in the afternoon.

Naturally, his private messages had exploded at this time, and a big number and a red circle appeared on his social app.

In fact, the dazed Iruma Hibiki was a little uncomfortable and a little bit unbelievable.

After all, he spends most of his time alone.

Of course, it doesn’t mean that I don’t expect friends.

Facing his current life, Hibiki Iruma has no complaints.

But for this little kid like him, everything now is a little beyond his ability to solve the problem on his own.

Thinking this, Iruma Hibiki went downstairs to his living room.

As usual, his father and mother were not at home at this time, probably because they had gone to work.

My father is very busy at work. It is said that this is a crucial year for the election, so he needs to put in a lot of effort. As for my mother, she has been on hiatus as a full-time housewife for the past few years, so now she is almost starting over again, so naturally she doesn't have that much free time.

Hibiki Iruma was sitting alone in the living room.

He saw the account of Nagasaki Suyo, which had remained silent until now.

Speaking of which——

Hibiki Iruma once heard a warning.

That is, lonely people must be careful not to take a nap too long, or to sleep in revenge after staying up late, because if they wake up to face the dusk or afternoon, the empty house and no one to communicate with will make people feel depressed and melancholy in an instant.

After all, Hibiki Iruma probably felt something like this at this moment.

He grabbed a bowl of cereal for lunch.

Is this what Nagasaki Suyo's daily life is like?

While eating cereal with cold milk, Iruma Xiang thought:

certainly--

Just as Iruma Hibiki thought, Nagasaki Suyo was lying on the sofa in her living room at this moment, looking a little disheveled and awkward, and had been like this since last night.

Hello, Nagasaki classmate.

On her mobile phone, Toyokawa Shoko's question had already stayed there.

The suffix is naturally [read].

But Nagasaki Suyo did not give any response.

48 Dolls, Opposites, and Iruma Hibiki's Thoughts

Shoko Toyokawa fiddled with the beautiful blonde doll in her hand.

This was her favorite toy. She couldn't remember exactly when she bought it, but it might have been a little before her first encounter with the children of the Triangle family.

The doll is a very exquisite one, with golden hair and highly movable joints. While retaining the texture of the doll, it feels like real skin when touched.

At this moment, Shoko Toyokawa's behavior was to comfort.

It's probably foreplay before combing the doll's hair.

Just like when she treated Wakaba Mutsu, after a while, Toyokawa Shoko, who thought she had finished comforting the doll, took out her exquisite silver comb and began to comb the doll's hair.

This doll did not have a name like [Wakaba Mutsu], and Toyokawa Shoko naturally did not have the mental state to name the doll and then chat with it every day.

However, she did feel a sense of security when fiddling with the doll, a sense of security that this thing belonged to her alone and that she could control it.

Perhaps even Toyokawa Shoko herself could not describe the source of this sense of security.

But one thing is certain: having one's own things and one's own life is somewhat important to Toyokawa Shoko...

The time she spent forming Crychic was like a turning point in her life. In fact, she should have lived a proper life as a young lady, just like Wakaba Mu, arranging and manipulating the family like a puppet.

But, everything has its unexpected moments.

This little accident gave her one of the few things she could decide on her own, and also gave her something that truly belonged to her.

Not only dolls, but also Crychic and lovers.

Humming softly a pleasant melody was Toyokawa Shoko's subconscious improvisation. After combing her hair, she began to tidy up the doll's red clothes.

Then the song that Toyokawa Shoko hummed changed from improvisation to the song from Takamatsu Touma's diary. She did not hum the song by Iruma Hibiki that she often hummed, because that song belonged to the band that had ended, not hers.

【I want to become a human.】

When humming this sentence, Toyokawa Shoko paused slightly, and the beautiful and pure singing voice like an intellectual rain stick came to an abrupt end.

Memories of her encounter with Takamatsu Tomo began to flood Shoko Toyokawa's mind.

Toyokawa Shoko was silent for a while.

Has she become a [human] now?

She stared at the doll in her hand and thought for a moment.

Ultimately, there is a huge difference between [Toyokawa Shoko] and [Doll].

She can't be a puppet.

The doll wouldn't be her.

but--

Shoko Toyokawa looked at her hands, feeling a little unreal. Then, as if she remembered something, she did not continue to fiddle with the doll in her hands as usual, but put it back to its original place. She ran to the piano with a hint of liveliness and picked up the mobile phone that was placed on the piano.

nature--

Some of Toyokawa Shoko's expectations were dashed.

She flipped to the end of the news. Crychic was a little quiet today, but it didn't matter—

Today is Sunday, and Crychic's rehearsal is scheduled to start after dinner and end at 9 o'clock.

In fact, if possible, Toyokawa Shoko hopes to be with the members of Crychic every day, practicing, going on stage, performing, and just let life continue until the end.

Shoko Toyokawa feels that she can shoulder everything in Crychic, as well as everyone's ideals, the promise of a community of shared destiny, and the lifelong love she has promised to Iruma Hibiki.

She even wanted everyone to sign a contract to give their lives to her, if others were willing.

because--

Shoko Toyokawa glanced at the doll on the shelf, and she walked towards her bedroom with a slightly lonely feeling. When she passed the door, she gently closed the door of the piano room.

The reason why today's rehearsal is so late is because of Wakaba Mutsu.