Lonely Rock for the Blind

"My hair is a little messy..."

She combed her hair gently with her hands, neither hurried nor slow.

【9:28】

"Ok."

Kita Ikuyo nodded in satisfaction and rang the doorbell.

"Cough cough~"

Clearing her throat gently, Kita Ikuyo waited for the first greeting after the door opened.

Click...

The door was pushed open.

"Good morning, Nekayashiki-san..."

The tone that was supposed to rise suddenly dropped, and the expected melancholic boy turned into a purple-haired, slovenly-dressed woman.

"Ah, Xiaohong, good morning."

Hiroi Kikuri greeted softly.

"Good morning... No! I guess I didn't come to the wrong door. Why is Miss Hiroi here?"

“…Ah, I stayed here yesterday because I was homeless, and today too.”

Hiroi Kikuri nodded, and Kita Ikuyo blinked.

"Why do I feel like... you're a little different from usual..."

"What's the difference?"

Hiroi Kikuri turned around and looked at Kita Ikuyo and asked.

"Uh... usually he should be slumped on the ground, drinking, smiling and greeting me, maybe even asking me to drink, looking like a useless person."

“…A useless person…I’m sorry…”

Hiroi Kikuri sighed, first softly, then continued.

"I can't drink wine today... As for laughing... Japan is still experiencing a declining birthrate, so I really can't laugh."

"...?"

Kita Ikuyo tilted her head.

Hiroi Kikuri shook her head and explained.

"Not only is the birthrate declining, but social conflicts are increasing day by day. The Prime Minister was assassinated for supporting a cult, and prices are rising. I can't see Japan's future anymore... If I think about it carefully, Japan doesn't have much of a future, and so do I. I'm already this age, and I've never even had a relationship. How am I going to get married in the future? Money, too. I'm already living beyond my means. Once everyone gets tired of my music, I'll have no source of income. And can the band really continue? I'm really worried. Ah, I can't see the future... And it's not just Japan, is it? Global warming is also affecting the Arctic glaciers. While it may not have much impact on the Earth, the impact on animals is already happening. What's next after polar bears? Brown bears? Pandas? They're all in danger anyway, so it's definitely going to be humans in the end, right? If you think about it this way, there's no hope at all. It's better to be early..."

"Alright, alright, stop it! What the hell are you talking about?!"

Kita Ikuyo came back to her senses from her shock and quickly covered Hiroi Kikuri's mouth.

"I'm sorry, I said some unpleasant things...ah..."

Hiroi Kikuri shook her head and walked towards the sofa.

Then he just sat there quietly.

“…What the hell is going on…”

Kita Ikuyo looked at Hiroi Kikuri puzzledly.

"That's what happens when that guy doesn't drink."

The explanation next to him sounded at the right time, and Kita Ikuyo looked to the side in surprise.

"Senior, you finally showed up. Good morning."

"Good morning, you're here so early..."

Nekoyashiki Haru yawned.

"I just got up."

"We agreed to meet at 9:30?!"

Kita Ikuyo said in surprise.

"...That's just what you said. I actually thought you wouldn't be here until 10 o'clock."

"Ugh?"

Kita Ikuyo blinked.

"Because it's too tiring to keep grasping time, I usually tend to be a little lazy."

Nekoyashiki Haru shrugged.

"Anyway, sorry, I'm late."

"Uh…"

Kita Ikuyo was speechless for a moment.

"Don't worry about that Kikuri girl, just let her stay there."

Nekoyashiki Haru walked towards the bathroom.

"Wait a moment, I'll go wash up."

"... "

Kita Ikuyo was silent, then looked at Hiroi Kikuri on the sofa.

"Gu... Damn it... Tiga, you are the light of hope... Where are you? I can't see you..."

Kita Ikuyo was silent again, then looked at the bathroom door again.

"Tsk... the water is so cold... ah... the water is warming up... now that it's warm, I feel sleepy again..."

Kita Ikuyo was silent.

Chapter 41 Street Performance

"That was the wrong tune just now, Kita."

“Ah! Yes…”

"I played it wrong again... I think I've practiced this part before, right? Didn't I play it really well back then?"

"Sorry, sorry, I won't make the same mistake next time!"

“…Wrong again…”

Putting down the guitar, Nekayashiki Haru looked at the absent-minded Kita Ikuyo.

"So what happened?"

“…Uh…no…it’s alright…”

Kita Ikuyo shook her head and hugged her guitar.

"Let's try again! I'm sure it won't be wrong this time!"

"Ugh…"

Nekoyashiki Haru sighed.

"I'm not your regular classmate, I'm your teacher. If you have any questions, you should speak up immediately so they can be corrected."

Nekoyashiki Haru took off his headphones.

"Don't try to hide it. Are you feeling unwell or are you being disturbed by other factors?"

"…Um…"

Kita Ikuyo looked at Hiroi Kikuri who was sitting on the sofa next to her.

Then she looked at the cat, Haru Yashiki, who was waiting for her, and spoke softly.

"... I always feel uneasy when Ms. Hiroi is around... It feels like she's always spreading the [Pochi Factor]... Whenever I sense it, I get distracted."

“…What the hell? [Pochi Factor]?”

"It's just... that kind of lonely and pessimistic atmosphere, which is output in the form of waves. If you stay in this environment for a long time, a normal person will become Poki-like. Can't you feel it, Nekayashiki-senpai?"

“…I can’t feel this weird thing.”

Nekoyashiki Haru sighed, then took out his blind stick and tapped Hiroi Kikuri.

"Did you hear that, [Pochi Factor] spreader? Please go back to your room first. It seems that Kita can't concentrate with you here."

"…Feel sorry…"

Hiroi Kikuri slowly crawled up from the sofa, then stood up and staggered towards the room.

The sorrow caused the air temperature to suddenly drop by several degrees Celsius, and a faint sigh came from Hiroi Kikuri's mouth.

"As expected... I'm being disliked. Being disliked by young people is one of the signs that my music is becoming outdated."

"Ahhh! You're so pathetic I'm embarrassed to let you go!"

Kita Ikuyo quickly stepped forward and pulled Hiroi Kikuri back.

"Don't be so sad! No one hates you."

Hiroi Kikuri looked at Kita Ikuyo and sighed softly.

"Really?"

“Really…really…”

Kita Ikuyo suddenly turned away her eyes feeling a little guilty.

"Oh... I understand..."

Hiroi Kikuri sighed and walked towards the room.

"Wait a minute! What do you understand?! I didn't say I hate you!

"The look you gave me tells me everything..."

“Sensitive people are such a hassle!”

Kita Ikuyo grabbed her hair and wailed, while Nekayashiki Haru sighed and stood up.

"senior?"

Suddenly noticing Nekoyashiki Haru standing up, Kita Ikuyo looked at the boy.

"Go out."

"Huh? Me?"

Kita Ikuyo pointed at herself in horror and asked.

"I'm not saying kick you out. I mean go out and practice."

Nekoyashiki Haru walked towards the door.

"Kiri, bring Bess."

"Oh, okay...I want to drink..."

Hiroi Kikuri requested softly.

"No, remember what you told me last night? No drinking."

Nekayashiki Haru shook his head and faced the direction where Kita Ikuyo was probably.

"Kita, can we find a park with good traffic?"

"Ah... let me think... there should be one nearby?"

...

……

.........

boom!