Iruma-san wants to win the Akutagawa Prize

When the intense guitar sound rang out, the unique tone of the Big G Black Card blended with Goto Ichiri's intense emotions. The simple combination of notes was no longer a so-called beautiful ballad, but a cry from her heart.

It is an emotional release.

The essence of music——

As if about to break something.

Goto Ichiri's tears splashed out, looking a little embarrassed, but——

It’s not ugly at all, on the contrary it’s handsome. It took only a few notes to completely conquer all the audience present.

"I'm very sorry everyone, the lead guitar position was originally occupied by another good friend of ours. Although he has joined a new band, we still kept his position in the initial performances—"

During Goto Ichiri's impromptu prelude, Ijichi Kouka also expressed her inner thoughts, and then the sounds of drums and bass rang out -

Yes, actually from the very beginning, the arrangement of the lead guitar was a bit, interesting...

There was a guitar lying there.

It is the same Ibana style as Hibiki Iruma.

A rare lyre.

Later, for Iruma Hibiki, that song was filled with many misunderstandings, spanning two worlds, accompanying him for countless years, and carrying many memories.

It can even be said to be the very beginning and the very end.

An irreplaceable song.

rang.

To be honest, performing such songs in a livehouse is generally against the rules.

But he and Goto Ichiri are the spokespersons of this song in this world.

So it doesn't matter.

What's more, in this kind of situation, who the hell would care about such things.

……

PA-chan, who was in charge of the lighting, felt the pressure from Goto Ichiri almost instantly.

Just the sudden prelude made her feel like she had never learned how to adjust stage lighting, but she still tried her best to do her best to adapt to every note from Goto Ichiri.

Yamada Ryo is like a ghost.

He laid the foundation for almost every bass line in Goto Ichiri's songs.

Even in the middle of the song, because of the overpowering guitar, she let herself go and started her own bass show, completely deviating from the music score.

As for Ichichi Nikka—

Her level is perhaps the one that is most lacking.

However, this is the only song that she can sing even if she turns it upside down, closes her eyes, and changes to avant-garde music style.

She accepted the unruly challenges from Goto Ichiri and Yamada Ryo.

Sweat ran down Ijichi Hongka's forehead amidst a fierce and confident smile.

Then——

The concert began.

It's a song by Goto Ichiri.

That belated song that she had never dared to sing before—

【Running and chasing with a heart that wants but cannot get. 】

【Sorry, I can't do anything at all! 】

【Even if it’s just to share your pain. 】

[I have never received your consent.]

[In order to live a life without burdens, I can only decide to never look back! ]

[Chasing after your back, quietly leaving everything I have now! ]

……

That's not Goto Ichiri's original arrangement.

It is not the part that Hibiki Iruma completely recovered later.

Three people, the three people on the stage at this moment, their music has no sheet music.

What's left is probably just the emotions that I want to express no matter what.

Without the lead guitar, "Godknows" lacks the most beautiful part, the solo. When it comes to the solo part, the whole audience is silent.

The expression on Hibiki Iruma's face actually went through a huge change in just a few tens of seconds, from the initial worry and excitement, to the surprise when Goto Ichiri took the stage to sing, and then to the silence when this silent interlude came -

"Iruma-san!"

Then, before Chihaya Aine could react, Iruma Hibiki rushed towards the exit of the performance room, and after hitting the wall hard, he escaped.

40 The silent interlude is definitely not about emptiness

After a silent solo of more than ten seconds, the second verse of the lyrics begins.

But when the second verse of the lyrics sounded, Iruma Hibiki's position was empty. Toyokawa Shoko took the lead and chased out, while Chihaya Aion was blocked by Nagasaki Motoyo who was standing there in a daze.

After all, when Shoko Toyokawa and Hibiki Iruma left, the seats they left were quickly filled by excited audiences, leaving the venue completely packed.

"Get out of the way, Shigaraki-san!"

Anxious Chihaya Aine spoke sternly to Nagasaki Motoyo in front of her.

"why?"

"what?"

She had no idea what Nagasaki Suyo wanted to ask at this moment.

"Why did it become like this?"

At this moment, Nagasaki Suyo's face was probably filled with deep sadness, loneliness and disbelief.

"Don't you know, Nagasaki-san?"

Chihaya Aine frowned, a hint of anger on her face.

"Eh?"

"But I..."

"Everyone is hurt by Shigaraki-san's deception and departure, and yet you, Shigaraki-san, have only thought about yourself until now. How annoying."

"But--"

Nagasaki Motoyo wanted to say something to explain, but was quickly glared back by Chihaya Aine. Then she had no way to stop her and could only let Chihaya Aine chase her out.

Goto Ichiri's song lacked the most important audience, but she still sang with all her might. At the end, she looked up at the stage lights, collapsed amidst the intense and non-stop applause, and turned into snow-white ashes.

Tears also shone in Ijichi Nikka's eyes, but she didn't feel any regret. On the contrary, when she saw Iruma Hibiki running away, she probably knew deep down in her heart—

She conveyed to him the emotions she wanted to convey.

She would never forget the closing band that included Hibiki Iruma and Aine Chihaya.

Never in a lifetime.

Absolutely impossible to forget.

It is precisely because of this that the band is now moving forward so firmly, the first show, the second show, the third show!

Never stop.

As for Yamada Ryo, she enjoyed herself to the fullest.

panting.

My fingers have lost feeling.

She had plucked the strings so hard just now that it seemed as if she was going to break the steel bars hanging on the piano.

She dropped her hands.

Under the stage were former members of Yamada Ryo's band.

They looked at Yamada Ryo in surprise without saying a word, and Yamada Ryo responded to their gaze with a smile that was a little regretful, a little nostalgic, and a little dissatisfied.

"Thank you everyone, our performance ends here!"

In the end, it was Ijichi Kouka who closed the performance. She and Yamada Ryo dragged the unconscious Goto Ichiri off the stage.

And in a corner on the streets of Shimokitazawa, Hibiki Iruma stopped only after running until he was exhausted.

【Why are you running away? You should finish watching such an important performance.】

This is what he thought in his heart.

But at that time, he subconsciously ran away.

I don’t dare to face the emotions and feelings in that song, and I don’t dare to face the nostalgia in that song.

Perhaps until recently, he still had a place in the band, and Ijichi Kouka and Goto Ichiri were both looking forward to his return.

therefore--

Today's silent interlude.

That missing solo.

It was a promise he broke.

In the corner, Hibiki Iruma slowly sat down on the ground, leaning against the rough gray bricks.

In fact, the day he broke up with Nagasaki Motoyo was very calm, nothing happened. He was very tired, as if his life was over. He just went home and slept in bed for a day and a night until the evening of the next day.

He wasn't actually that sad.

There's just a sense of unreality.

Completely unaware of what was happening.

Can't believe what happened.

It was only when he stopped receiving replies to his chats with Nagasaki Suyo that he realized it.

Ah, we broke up.

Later, because of the pain, he gradually lost his energy in the band's rehearsals.

Until the very end, when Chihaya Aine suggested that the band disband, he did not try to persuade them to stay.

When the memories of the past and the silent interlude surged up again, Iruma Hibiki's sorrow probably reached its peak.

In fact, in Iruma Hibiki's memory, he hasn't cried since he was 12 years old in his previous life.

But at this moment, on the streets of a strange world and a strange place, he fell on his knees, trembling slightly, and salty tears began to flow.

"That's the band Iruma-san used to be in, right?"

Suddenly, a voice sounded in front of him. Iruma Hibiki wanted to pretend that nothing was wrong and respond, but when he looked up, he showed a face like a dead child.

Shoko Toyokawa was breathing heavily, with her hands on her slightly heaving chest, as if trying to soothe her pounding heart.

She caught up with Hibiki Iruma with great difficulty and then found him here.

So, Toyokawa Shoko, who knew nothing, stood in front of Iruma Hibiki based on her own thoughts.

"The missing lead guitarist must be Iruma-san, right? That guitar is exactly the same as your favorite guitar, Iruma-san."

Toyokawa Shoko continued.

"um, yes."

Iruma Hibiki answered calmly and strongly, his tears stopped in an instant. He didn't want to show his embarrassing appearance in front of Toyokawa Shoko.

And in the final analysis——

It's very Toyokawa Shoko that she caught up with him when he was in such an awkward situation and didn't want to see anyone.

There was probably a fleeting resentment in Hibiki Iruma's heart.