I live my life in Tokyo

"Are you here to find the answer, Sakakibara-senpai?"

"Who knows, maybe all I want is to get to know Guqiao-san better."

"This answer is really, a bit cunning."

"Ah, whether to say it or not is your freedom." Sakakibara Kaede said the unfamiliar lines with a self-deprecating smile. This meddling has reasons from the production team and also from his own personal reasons. It's understandable that he wants to know more about his schoolmate and his friend's story.

After spending so many days together, everyone opened their hearts to each other, except Fumino Furuhashi. She was cheerful, optimistic, innocent and natural, but she never confided anything to others or asked anything out of curiosity.

"Sakakibara-senpai, actually... my cooking skills are very poor." Furuhashi Fumino said while looking at the starry sky, "There was a time when I came home late because I joined the school's cooking club. As a result, on the first day of the club activity, I almost burned down the classroom."

"Ah."

Sakakibara Kaede nodded. He knew this himself. If one day it was his turn to cook dinner with Furuno Furuhashi, oh no, the dinner that day would definitely be terrible.

Although Sakakibara Kaede's cooking skills are terrible, she can still make soup for instant noodles. However, Fumino Furuhashi is a heavyweight in another aspect. She will hurt her fingers when cutting vegetables, and she will set the whole pot on fire when frying meat. She can bake a steamed bun in the oven... and she can bake a black lava slime.

“My mother is in the astronomy industry.”

Facing the starry sky, the girl slowly monologues.

"My mother taught me all kinds of astronomy since I was little, and my hobby soon became drawing different planets and stars on paper. I am familiar with every constellation and can accurately point out the location of each constellation."

At this point, she smiled and pointed to the sky.

"Sakakibara-senpai, that's Leo, um... the brighter one is the North Star. The one with Antares on it is Scorpio—"

The boy didn't know anything about astronomy, so he looked up at the sky along the direction her finger pointed. Fumino Furuhashi whispered to him how to identify each constellation. Although his eyes were gazing at the starry sky, they seemed as if he was looking at something far away or someone.

Sakakibara Kaede smiled faintly. He also thought of those vibrant lives, the scenery he had passed by, and the friends who had parted ways with him or continued on the same path.

Eventually it became a memory.

But the memories are always hidden in my heart and I will never forget them. Occasionally, when I take out the photo album and flip through those yellowed old photos, the memories will come back again, whether they are happy or sad. . .

She continued, “I’ve had this dream since I was a kid.”

"I want to be an astronomer in the future, just like my mom."

"I like astronomy and stars." Fumino Furuhashi turned his head away, with his hands behind his back. "Sometimes, when I see things related to astronomy, I miss them."

“Those who have passed away are not completely gone.”

The boy looked up to the sky. "They still exist in our hearts. As long as we never forget them, they will not disappear."

"I will carry their beliefs, dreams, and expectations forward."

When Sakakibara Kaede said this, for some reason he thought of the original owner's mother who died of illness. Although her face is a little blurry now, Sakakibara Kaede still remembers her gentle and tolerant smile as she lay on the hospital bed.

“I wanted to be a musician.”

The original owner's dream came out naturally from Sakakibara Kaede's mouth. He forced a smile at Furuhashi Fumino, "At that time, because of my mother, I loved music very much. I even thought that I was born for music."

"It's just... well, not everything in the world is perfect." The boy smiled and let out a breath, "I am pursuing my dream in another way."

"Sakakibara-senpai, are you talking about the band?"

Fumino Furuhashi did not turn around. She wiped away the tears from her eyes and asked in a light tone.

"Ah."

Baiyin Yuxing stood in the distance, pursing his lips.

He also has unspoken dreams, and in the past, he also loved stars.

The dream of becoming an astronomer had to be shelved due to practical reasons. He raised his head, his golden hair blowing behind his ears.

He can also recognize the stars and constellations in the sky.

"I want to talk to my dad."

"Ah."

"I want to tell my dad everything I think, what I like, and what I miss."

"Ah."

"puff--"

Furuno Fumino turned around, his eyes were warm and a little watery, and he grinned, "Sakakibara-senpai is sometimes gentle like a brother, and sometimes he is cold like a passerby."

“Because it’s your dream.”

Sakakibara looked at the girl, then looked away after a moment. "I will encourage you and cheer you on, but I won't let you feel any psychological burden or make you feel that your dream is something you have to accomplish."

Really... You've managed to keep your distance so well, Sakakibara-senpai, Furuhashi Fumino chuckled. At this moment, she was very grateful for Sakakibara's indifference in keeping a distance. The conversation was like a long flow. The one-sided confession did not bring new ideas and attention, but recognition and encouragement. It was really great.

"By the way, speaking of bands, when will World Shine release its first album? I can't wait."

The heavy topic came to an end here, and Fumino Furuhashi quickly returned to her usual natural demeanor and asked the question.

"It's almost done. All the songs have been recorded. It should be released by the end of September, right?"

Sakakibara said without much hesitation, "Our first album is divided into two parts, each part has sixteen songs, and the total is thirty-two songs."

"Wow, isn't that a lot? Sakakibara-senpai is so busy, can he make time for it?"

"It's OK. I'll be free once the filming of Dream Apartment is finished."

The urban trio who cleaned up the food came back, and Sakakibara Kaede continued to organize the work at hand, and the day ended successfully.

When he returned to the room, he found a wooden guitar in the closet and was speechless.

Why do I have a bad feeling? Will the production team ask me to show my talent tomorrow? This feeling... is a bit like when relatives and friends come to visit, parents routinely ask their children to show their talents by playing the piano, singing, or performing crosstalk.

Everyone else went to bed early as they had been running around outside all day. When all the lights went out, Sakakibara Kaede carried his guitar, went downstairs to change his shoes, and pushed open the door of the holiday cottage.

At this time when everything was quiet, he really wanted to go out for a walk alone.

He doesn't like loneliness, but sometimes only when he is alone can he take a breath, take off his armor, and show his tired side.

Mai Sakurajima once said that everyone has two sides. A classmate who smiles happily and has a good time at school may be a hard-working person who studies various fashion news behind the scenes.

What about yourself?

He is quite satisfied with himself now. He gets along well with everyone. Everyone he meets is his friend and he smiles at everyone he meets.

What is the real him like?

Sakakibara Kaede himself doesn't know the answer. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. People will change. In the past, he was busy working 996 and all he wanted was to make a living. Now, he has the courage to try to fulfill his dream.

The sea breeze was gentle at night. Kaede Sakakibara looked at the deep blue sea that was almost black, and it was naturally impossible for him to go swimming in the water.

He was stunned. The fact that he could come up with this idea proved that he now had at least a little attachment to this world - in the past, he had seriously thought about whether he would return to the past world if he was hit by a truck again?

"..."

He heard light breathing.

Sakakibara Kaede turned his head and was surprised to see Chizuru Ichinose following not far behind him, with a guilty look on her face. When he discovered her, she let out a cry and quickly hid behind a nearby electric pole.

That yellow dress is so eye-catching.

Sakakibara Kaede didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Ichinose-san, why are you following me so late?"

"It's because Sakakibara-senpai didn't sleep so late at night that I was worried about you and that's why I ran out."

Ichinose Chizuru stood up, her face flushed pink, maybe because she was angry or something, "I wanted to ask Sakakibara-senpai, why did you leave alone so late at night?"

"Yeah... a walk."

"Who would believe it?"

Chizuru Ichinose's complaints were still as on point as ever. Kaede Sakakibara smiled and continued walking forward with her guitar on her back.

Ichinose Chizuru bit her lower lip and hurriedly followed.

Although there was one more person, Sakakibara Kaede did not feel any discomfort. He walked forward alone under the starlight.

Seeing that Senior Sakakibara was walking so fast, Ichinose Chizuru quickly took a few steps forward and walked side by side with him.

Seeing him looking at her in confusion, the girl snorted and the corners of her mouth curled up.

Chapter 37: The Afterglow of Summer in Kamakura

"It feels like it's been a while since I took a walk with Sakakibara-senpai."

The girl walking beside him had her hands behind her back and was giggling.

"No way, that's too much. We've only been away from Tokyo for a few days." The boy complained, "Maybe we were split into groups and didn't act together."

"Ah."

Chizuru Ichinose seems particularly relaxed now, probably because there is no camera following her and recording her every move.

Because of the show, Chizuru Ichinose, who has not yet made her official debut, does not know that she already has some hidden fans - she does not know either, or does not care much about her appearance rate on the show and just does her own thing.

"Sakakibara-senpai, what activities do you have tomorrow?"

"Nothing has been arranged yet. Do you have any plans?"

Ichinose Chizuru pursed her lips and said carefully, "I have discussed with Aoyama-san and Kasumigaoka-san, and we want to go out to sea on a boat tomorrow... Do you want to join us?"

Sakakibara hummed, "I think this plan is good, but let's discuss it tomorrow morning during breakfast. I personally have no objection."

"Ah."

The footsteps gradually stopped and the two walked down the stairs. The asphalt road under their feet turned into soft fine sand. Standing on the beach at night, enjoying the quiet and peacefulness without anyone around, it felt unexpectedly good.

Far away from the hustle and bustle of the big city, they were greeted only by the chirping of summer cicadas. Following the peaceful sound of the sea tide, Sakakibara Kaede sat on a wooden chair with his guitar across his chest.

"Sakakibara-senpai, are you going to practice singing?"

Chizuru Ichinose felt that she seemed to have grasped the truth. Senior Sakakibara sneaked out alone with his musical instrument so late at night. He must have wanted to practice but didn't want to disturb his friends who were sleeping under the same roof.

The boy nodded. He did bring the instrument out for singing, but he didn't want to practice. He just wanted to express his feelings.

In ancient times, some people would raise their glasses to the bright moon to relieve their depressed mood, and the moon and its shadow would become three people, and they would write down classics that have been passed down through the ages.

Today, Sakakibara Kaede wants to express her current mood through lyrics and music.

"Hey, what song is that? It's so bitter."

Ichinose Chizuru unceremoniously sat next to Sakakibara Kaede. She belatedly stood up and patted him back, then sat down again. "I've heard all the songs in the short videos released by World Shining, so as long as Sakakibara-senpai opens his mouth, I know what song it is!"

Facing the fans beside him, Sakakibara Kaede smiled. This was the first time he sang outside after forming a band with Miura Yuma and Nishikino Maki.

The last time I sang like this was when I was in front of my friends, singing the song chaosmyth which warmed my body and soul.

What should we sing today under the stars?

In fact, the boy already had the answer in his heart. When listening to Fumino Furuhashi's story, her past and future ideals, he had a desire to express himself.

In the past, he looked a lot like Fumino Furuhashi.

The strings moved gently, and slender fingers plucked the strings. The crisp, warm tones of the wooden guitar slowly enveloped the air and gradually reached out to the sea.

"Just the thought of another day. How did we end up this way. What did we do wrong?"

The clear tune, accompanied by the leisurely guitar sound, echoes on the beach.

The boy looked up at the stars in the sky. Now he seemed to have returned to the first scene, the young man pursuing his dreams under the starry sky.

But now, he gradually changed from running to watching others run.

Chizuru Ichinose covered her mouth. She knew this song, but... she didn't expect that Kaede Sakakibara could sing it so beautifully with only guitar accompaniment!

be the light, become the light, become a star in the sky.

In fact, he wanted to dedicate this song to Fumino Furuhashi today... But on second thought, there might be opportunities in the future.

After the album is released, he will ask if it is possible to hold a concert - he also needs to help Yuma Miura realize his dream.

It would be easy to give Fumino Furuhashi a few tickets then.

Chizuru Ichinose covered her chest. She suddenly understood why Mai Sakakijima recorded a video of Sakakibara-senpai singing that day.

Because... Sakakibara-senpai's singing is so beautiful. His voice, face and aura make the whole song sound full of sunshine and positive energy, and there is also a gentle youthful spirit that belongs only to Sakakibara-senpai.

As the guitar accompaniment gradually slowed down, Kaede Sakakibara let out a long sigh and inhaled a lot of the evening breeze. He turned his head and found Chizuru Ichinose looking at him.

Those big, expressive eyes that Iida-san had praised hid the stars in the distance.

"It sounds so beautiful." Chizuru Ichinose was in a trance, and quickly looked away and started clapping, "I will definitely buy a ticket to World Shine when the time comes!"