Will the plagiarism girl be a substitute for the preference for women?

"Um...nothing."

The lamp turned its head to look at the corner.

Indeed, visiting the Astronomy Department isn't anything urgent, and going in the afternoon is fine, Deng thought.

Perhaps what she cared more about was what Xiangzi and Qianna had to talk about.

However, if Chinai were to bring this up with Tou, the latter would probably feel even worse.

Unable to fathom the lantern's intentions, China sent a message to Aine, entrusting her with the important task of pacifying the lantern.

She also mentioned another matter. Although China had already roughly guessed the reason, she had scheduled a time to talk about why the other party had rushed to deliver the article.

……

A music room in the brass section.

When China arrived, the door to the music room was already open, and the sound of Moonlight playing music could be heard from inside.

Upon entering, she saw Xiangzi sitting opposite the piano by the window, playing lightly and elegantly on the keys with his slender fingers, his body swaying gently with the melody, seemingly lost in the music.

We saw another side of it.

China walked in quietly so as not to disturb the performance too much.

Then, she walked to the window and saw Aine arrive downstairs as promised, saying she wanted to walk around with Akane to cheer her up.

"They probably won't wander into the brass band section, will they?"

China muttered to herself.

Xiangzi stopped playing the piano and stood up to look down at the pink-haired girl strolling downstairs with Deng.

"who is she?"

Xiangzi felt that it was somewhat strange that the pink-haired girl and Qianna transferred schools on the same day.

And why are they even playing with lights now?

"Chihaya Aine, a friend I met in a music enthusiast group before, I never expected that we would transfer to this school on the same day."

Chika answered Shoko based on the "old friend" relationship she had established with Aine at the noodle shop.

"Chihaya Aine..."

Xiangzi then recalled whether there was such a person in the music scene in Ikebukuro, and if so, he could consider adding him to the band's preliminary selection.

It seems not, never mind.

In short, let's have China demonstrate her playing skills first.

Hopefully, her skill level is better, so that the time spent paying attention to her won't be wasted.

However, Chika spoke before starting her performance.

"Speaking of Xiangzi, if my playing doesn't meet your expectations or the requirements of a commercial band, will you ignore me like you ignore a lamp?"

Upon hearing this, Xiangzi's face turned gloomy.

However, she did not want to criticize China for stepping on a landmine. She also felt that if she wanted to completely say goodbye to her weak self, she should not treat the past of Crychic as a landmine.

Instead, we must confront and acknowledge ourselves directly.

Yes, after Su Shi's persuasion, I was also struggling internally at that time.

I'm struggling with whether I'd be willing to carve out some time from my busy schedule to occasionally participate in band activities.

I've boldly speculated whether this amateur band could achieve stable profitability.

??but……

Ding-ding-ding...

Before Xiangzi could answer, Qiannai started playing the piano.

The melody is quite familiar and classic.

It's a variation of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

"..."

Xiangzi lowered his gaze slightly, then turned and left.

She really did waste too much time.

As she walked to the classroom door, she heard China begin to play a melody she had never heard before, yet it was quite beautiful.

Chapter 23 Interrupting Spellcasting

The pleasant prelude stopped Xiangzi in his tracks.

Looking back, I saw China with her eyes closed, engrossed in playing and singing.

"I would."

I did all the things I promised you I would never do behind your back.

"I could."

(I promise I will change my ways, even though I know in my heart I won't.)

"Iyou."

I know I'll never find someone as good as you again.

"I hey."

I need you to stay, I need you to stay by my side.

Chika only sang four lines before stopping, but that was enough for Shoko to see her skill level.

Especially their vocal techniques, which have clearly been systematically trained.

If the other party is indeed aiming to form a commercial band, rather than just pursuing it as a hobby, then it's possible to include them in the band shortlist.

Although their true relationship has not yet been determined, the "Gemini" pairing still has some appeal on stage.

However, what Xiangzi cared more about was: "What song are you playing and singing?"

Xiangzi had listened to a lot of pop music, and this song sounded very popular, but she had never heard of it before, which surprised her.

But China didn't say anything; instead, she gave a slightly sly look.

"I'll tell you if you make up with the lamp~"

She then brought up the conversation about what she had discussed before the performance.

"you……"

He made this request simply by asking for the song title.

Xiangzi could search for the lyrics he just sang, or sing it again himself and use a song recognition app to get the result.

Is there a hidden meaning behind this statement?

[If you reconcile with the lamp, I will cooperate with you]

If that's the meaning, there are many people who dream of being in a professional band and have strong playing skills. Does China feel that she has something unique compared to them?

Therefore, Xiangzi couldn't understand Qianna's words, let alone why she was so insistent on bringing him and Deng together.

Why are you so concerned about what's between us?

"Is it because you're taking care of Deng's feelings? You admitted before that the claim that you and Deng were old friends was something you made up, right?"

"Or is your manic episode recurring?"

China smiled gently and shook her head in denial.

After taking the medication, her mood became much more stable than before.

Apart from the depression episode just now, although the intensity of the episode was not strong, the timing was too fatal.

Fortunately, the lamp didn't realize the article was written by AI.

However, the side effects of the added medication were also obvious; she felt unwell and nauseous.

As expected, the dosage still needs to be controlled under the doctor's prescription.

However, there are also some diseases that are difficult to control even with medication.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

A symptom that develops after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

I want to keep things clean and tidy, and I want to be spotless.

This is the impression many people have of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and it is indeed a part of OCD.

However, the things that obsessive-compulsive disorder compels patients to do are not limited to these, and vary from person to person.

However, most symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder involve an obsession with making something conform to one's expectations.

For China, that matter was precisely...

"Xiangzi, you and Deng go to school in different classes, so you'll see each other all the time."

"And now I know the lamp, and I know you."

"It makes me feel bad to see two people I know acting like strangers all the time."

She was determined to reconcile the relationship between Deng and Xiangzi.

The desire to keep everything in order is a common trait among many people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and China is no exception.

In Qiannai's current social network, the stalemate between Xiangzi and Deng is like a hole in the net. Compared with the other parts that are interwoven into squares, it looks discordant and needs to be corrected.

"Are you... feeling unwell?"

Xiangzi repeated Qiannai's words with some doubt, then questioned:

"So you care so much about me and the lamp, just to make yourself feel better?"

Faced with Xiangzi's question, Qiannai opened her eyes wide and nodded, as if to say, "Yes, that's exactly it."

"I see."

Xiangzi's tone gradually became indifferent and distant.

"I used to think you were just a kind-hearted, foolish person who was always thinking about other people's business."

"They were so focused on playing matchmaker that they didn't consider that sometimes, maintaining a more distant relationship is better for both parties."

Her cheek twitched slightly.

"As a result, all you can think about is yourself..."

"I was just thinking about what was wrong with me!!!"

China suddenly stood up, interrupting Shoko with a loud shout, her eyes fixed on the latter.

Under the pressure of obsessive-compulsive disorder, the obsession with a certain thing reaches its peak, but things don't go as planned...

It suddenly flared up, and even with additional medication, it couldn't be controlled.

From carefree and unrestrained to suddenly enraged, everything happened in an instant, so suddenly that even Xiangzi was stunned.

But Xiangzi also realized the truth of it.

It's unrealistic to expect someone with a mental illness to form a commercial band.

The suggestion that Chika should live like everyone else and not cut herself off from society can only be described as a momentary emotional impulse.

It wasn't because she had the potential to become part of a commercial band or because there was an opportunity to make money together that they took special care of her.

These are just reasons to convince myself why I care about her so much.

Ultimately, it was because he felt pity for her, not because he wanted to be "birds of a feather" with her.

My weakness has not completely killed me.

After her sudden outburst of rage, China quickly regained her composure, and a hint of regret gradually appeared in her eyes.

She didn't say anything and silently left the music room.

As he passed Xiangzi, he simply lowered his head, not daring to look at him once, and quietly closed the door after leaving the room.

"You're easily happy, and easily angry, aren't you..."