Lonely Rock for the Blind

"Um…"

Nekoyashiki Haru nodded.

"So, what exactly do you want to see me about?"

"Well...actually, I want special training!"

"…Guitar?"

"Ok!"

Kita Ikuyo nodded vigorously.

“…So hard?”

"Of course! Now I'm the only one who can't even play the guitar, so I have to hurry up and practice!"

"Aren't you going to look for Yili?"

"Ah... Goto-san kept saying it was inconvenient and asked me to go back a week later if possible..."

Kita Ikuyo said helplessly.

"...I can probably understand her mental journey. After all, she's probably never hosted friends before."

"I thought so... Anyway, since Goto-kun is unavailable, I have no choice but to come to you, Senior."

"Yeah."

Nekoyashiki Haru walked towards the bedroom and came back after a while holding a gray guitar.

"The speakers are under the coffee table, and the headphones are in the drawer on the other side. Take the new, unopened ones."

"it is good!"

Kita Ikuyo dragged the speaker out from under the coffee table, then took out the headphones from the drawer.

Nekoyashiki Haru sat down on the other side and put on his headphones as well.

"Play yesterday's piece again so I can check for errors."

"Ah...Okay, but could you please speak first, Senior?"

"?"

Nekayashiki Haru subconsciously turned to Kita Ikuyo, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.

The next moment, something sweet was stuffed into his mouth.

"!"

Nekoyashiki Haru's body subconsciously jumped back, a completely instinctive reaction.

"Senior, you look like a cat scared by a cucumber."

Kita Ikuyo laughed.

“…Sugar…”

Nekoyashiki Haru regained his composure and quietly savored the sweetness in his mouth.

"How is it? This is the most delicious candy I have ever tried, lychee flavored."

"…not bad."

Nekoyashiki Haru nodded.

"Hehe, I told you to open your mouth and you did. Senior, you are so unguarded."

"Why should I be wary of you? I don't have anything you can gain."

Nekoyashiki Haru shook his head.

"Okay, let's start practicing."

"good----"

Chapter 24 Curiosity

"Ahhh! I can't learn it. Hey~ is this really a guitar? Could it be a bass too?"

Kita Ikuyo wailed, lying sideways on the sofa.

"It's a guitar, for sure. I bought it with my own money, a 120W guitar."

Nekoyashiki Haru said with a sigh.

"Why are you done with it so soon? It's only been two hours. Where's the energy you had at the beginning?"

"Complaining is also a kind of rest... After complaining, you will be motivated to continue, just like a machine that needs to cool down!"

"…Yeah."

Nekoyashiki Haru gently strummed the guitar.

"It's much better than it was at the beginning, Kita. You still have some talent."

"Really?"

Kita Ikuyo, who had collapsed on the sofa, instantly stood up and asked Nekayashiki Haru.

Normally, as long as she was not alone, she would never lie on the sofa in such an ungraceful manner.

But because the cat house is completely invisible, Kita Ikuyo is quite slack in this regard.

"Really? Besides, if you're tired, you don't have to rest by complaining."

Nekayashiki Haru's hand reached for the speaker's switch and turned it off.

"Just take a break. I don't have any snacks. How about the juice at the beginning?"

"Okay, I brought snacks."

“…You’re not going to feed me, are you?”

"hey-hey."

Kita Ikuyo's laughter was soft but with a hint of mischief. Nekayashiki Haru felt that this guy was completely different from himself.

If I am an old person, Hongxia and the others are young people.

That guy Kita Ikuyo is a pure dog!

It's not an insult, it's about vitality.

Nekoyashiki Haru poured the juice into the cup.

He didn't even think of coming over to help me pour it.

As Nekoyashiki was thinking this, he was suddenly poked lightly on the back.

"!!!"

He jumped up instantly, leaned against the wall, and faced forward in confusion.

"Ah... you didn't notice me, Senior."

Kita Ikuyo's voice sounded in front of him, and Nekayashiki Haru took a deep breath.

"what are you doing?"

"Help you pour the juice? But I tried to keep my footsteps quiet. I took off my shoes, so you didn't notice."

"So why?"

"I'm just really curious...senpai's got good hearing, doesn't he?"

"... "

Nekoyashiki Haru took a deep breath.

To be honest, if they were outside, he would be able to feel it even if Kita Ikuyo took off her shoes.

Either through the sense of vibration or hearing.

But that was outside! At home, the cat, Yashiki Haru, was at his lowest alert and least focused.

After all, when I am at home, I just want to sleep and I won’t listen to any sounds intentionally. Even if I hear them, I will subconsciously ignore them.

He's not Daredevil, and he hasn't learned the echolocation method used by blind people.

But Nekoyashiki Haru now has the desire to learn...

"...Kita..."

Nekoyashiki Haru's voice sounded a little depressed.

"senior…"

Realizing that she seemed to have gone a little too far, Kita Ikuyo's face showed a hint of nervousness.

You're not going to scold me, are you?

“…Please, don’t scare me.”

Nekayashiki Haru said softly, causing Kita Ikuyo to be slightly stunned.

"Ah...ok."

Nekoyashiki Haru sighed, then picked up two glasses of juice and walked outside.

Kita Ikuyo followed behind Nekoyashiki Haru.

“…So soft, Senior.”

Said in a voice that only she could hear, Kita Ikuyo thought about it and could only come up with this description.

Nekayashiki-senpai always seems to be in a lazy state, so between “hard” and “soft”, we should really choose “soft”.

But his body is quite strong...because he is thin.

Sitting on the sofa, Kita Ikuyo looked at Nekoyashiki Haru who was drinking juice dejectedly next to her, pursed her lips and said softly.

"I'm sorry, senior."

"It's okay... just don't do that next time."

To be honest, Ikita Ikuyo is really scary.

Whether it's a greeting that's a few tones higher than others or a sudden touch like this.

Nekayashiki Haru felt that he would have to try to concentrate when Kita Ikuyo was around in the future.

"Isn't the senior angry?"

"No…"

"Oh oh... then open your mouth, senior."

"Is it okay if I don't eat?"

Nekoyashiki Haru asked softly.

"Then can I say no, sir?"

Kita Ikuyo asked back.

"... "

Nekayashiki Haru was silent for a while, then opened his mouth, and then a soft thing was stuffed into his mouth.

"…What's this?"

"Gummy candy, it looks like it's a collaboration with Kamen Zero!"

“…It’s delicious.”

"Hey, next one."

Kita Ikuyo opened the package and gently stuffed the chocolate wafer into Nekoyashiki Haru's mouth.

Click click click…

Putting a little in and biting off a little, Nekoyashiki Haru felt the faint chocolate flavor on the tip of his tongue.

"this is not bad."