My love game with them that will lead to certain death

"Such a high EQ... Such a high feminine power...!"

At the call of Archangel Hongxia, "Come on, let's go back together!", Pochi-chan subconsciously followed her with her guitar case on her back.

"Just listen to Hongxia. Let's go, Xiaohai."

Yamada seemed to have gotten used to Hongxia's arrangements. He carried his bass box and walked casually, following the lead of the girl with blonde ponytail.

"let's go."

The curly-haired boy, who had no objection to this decision, also joined the team. Carrying a guitar case, he walked to Pochi's side and walked side by side with her.

After realizing this, Ms. Pochi trembled slightly like a frightened house cat, and then her peripheral vision was fixed on the boy next to her.

If the scent of a female high school student named Ijichi Kouka is that of a fresh fragrance with a hint of sweetness, then the male high school student named Narumi Toru is surrounded by a refreshing minty scent.

No matter which side it is, it's a feeling that Pochi-chan, a socially anxious person, rarely comes into contact with.

"Ah, the smell of high school girls and high school boys...!"

The pink-haired girl couldn't help but move her nose and sniff. She only dared to do this kind of small action in a dark corner, and she tried her best not to let the people around her notice -

But nature couldn't escape Ming Hai's keen observation.

"If this is really our first meeting, I'd probably mistake you for a pervert, Ms. Pochi."

Ming Hai, who perfectly switched to an approachable and easy-going attitude when facing Goto Ichiri, rolled his eyes. He would definitely not tell his little thoughts to others.

He was used to playing dumb and was planning to wait and see how Pochi would react after seeing him. But it turned out that she was just wary of all strange beings, like some cave creature that suddenly saw the light - including Ming Hai, whom she met for the first time.

"So far, I have not been able to find out her attitude towards me."

And if the action of secretly sniffing just now was not by a cute beautiful girl but by a middle-aged bald uncle, it would definitely be considered a particularly wet behavior.

"Wait, the most effective way to deal with those people who sneak around in the corners but are actually very thin-skinned is actually..."

The curly-haired boy raised the corner of his mouth with an idea in mind, and then turned his head away as if he had just noticed Pochi's gaze.

The latter immediately turned his head away like a frightened bird and began to whistle out of tune, thinking it was natural but actually feeling very guilty.

But even so, Ming Hai still showed a gentle smile.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

The unique skill of the popular current big boy, meticulous consideration-activate!

“No, no, no, no…! Sorry for making you worry!”

Feeling that it had nowhere to hide in the sunlight, the pink caterpillar shrank its body, trying to avoid the boy's frank gaze while constantly repenting in its heart.

“I just did something so perverted to such a kind person——Pochi, Pochi, how could you do this…!”

Yamada, who was walking side by side with Hongxia, glanced at them and pursed his lips in confusion.

"Xiao Hai was having so much fun, why didn't you invite me to join you... You're really not a good friend."

Chapter 54: Guitar Hero Showdown

There is no doubt that Miss Goto Ichiri is a good person.

Although she is always timid in interpersonal communication and finds it difficult to step out of her comfort zone to show her excellent qualities to others, there is no doubt that she is a gentle and kind child.

But such a personality also brings her some disadvantages - it is difficult for her to directly refuse other people's requests, and she is always unable to deal with conflicting situations.

Just like now, Ms. Pochi returned to the rehearsal room of Shimokitazawa Livehouse and was watched by Hongxia with starry eyes as she was about to show off her skills.

"Let me hear Pochi-chan's guitar!"

"Then it's your turn, Xiao Hai. Don't forget to compete to see who wins."

Yamada Ryoya, who was watching the fun, teased her without thinking too much. In order to avoid falling asleep while standing, she took small sips of the can of coffee she had just bought.

"I feel like my parents asked me to perform in front of relatives and compete with other children. I suddenly want to die..."

Being watched by everyone, Ms. Pochi kept spitting out something like "soul" from her mouth and plucked the guitar strings with lifeless eyes.

The three ultimate tricks that can threaten those with thin skin and social anxiety are to let them perform a show, push them to the center of everyone's attention, and confess or humiliate them in public.

"I want to die, I want to die, I want to die... No, at least I want to go home before I die..."

Even though she kept repeating this in her mind, Pochi-chan still nodded weakly - after all, she didn't want to disappoint Hongxia and Liang and couldn't refuse.

Just when Miss Pink Caterpillar was in a dilemma, she finally decided to bite the bullet and fight alone.

"It's okay, it's okay, just think of it as a mutual exchange."

The curly-haired boy who had been silent beside her spoke. His refreshing smile always had a magical power like a spring breeze, soothing Pochi's originally restless mood.

"Of course, Pochi-chan, if you don't want to play, you can just listen to me, or you can start whenever you want."

When the boy smiled, a few fangs would be visible at the corners of his mouth. His naturally slightly curly black short hair and well-defined facial features made him look very approachable, even if he couldn't be called handsome.

Moreover, every word he said was taken into consideration of her feelings. Not only that, he handed the initiative completely to Pochi and also pulled her down a little from the center of everyone's attention.

"Ok, ok...! Xiao Hai-senpai...can I call you that?"

"He's completely different from what I saw in that weird dream. He's a gentle, reliable, considerate and thoughtful person...!"

Pochi-chan let out a sigh of relief, feeling relieved. It was great that the most familiar stranger in front of her was not the type to make sarcastic remarks to her with a sullen face.

Not knowing how to address the boy in front of her, she subconsciously used the affectionate nickname that Ms. Yamada used for Narumi, but also added the word "senpai" after his name to show respect.

"..."

Ms. Yamada Ryo did not express any dissatisfaction with this. She still stood in the corner leaning against the wall without saying a word, and seemed to be completely unconcerned about the interaction between Ming Hai and Pochi - but the amplitude of the movement of plucking the bass strings with her thumb and index finger had suddenly increased a little.

"Haha, can you call me Xiao Hai Senior? Sure."

The curly-haired boy took the guitar pick from the table next to him with a smile, and handed it to Pochi carefully in a way that would not scratch her - and this subconscious detail that best reflects a person's personal cultivation was also observed by the sensitive Pochi-chan.

"Just like Nijiya-senpai, they are both very caring...!"

Being treated so gently by a member of the opposite sex who was almost the same age as her, Pochi-chan nodded a little embarrassedly. Her pounding emotions had actually been difficult to conceal perfectly.

She patted her cheeks and tried to clear all unnecessary thoughts from her mind, then began to play under the expectant gazes of Hongxia and Minghai.

Perhaps because he felt like he was being gently protected, Bochi's performance was unexpectedly smooth and fluent, without any of the nervousness and awkwardness that one would have when performing in front of strangers whom he had only met a few times.

Perhaps it is destined that I will develop a deep bond with these people in front of me, and together we will form a band and move towards our ideal future.

Moreover, the boy she met this time was not the one who would bully her in her dreams and bring her a lifelong shadow. Instead, he was a gentle, thoughtful, sunny and cheerful senior.

Even though Goto Ichiri spent the first half of her life hiding in a dark corner, looking up at those who were enjoying their youth to the fullest, no one would notice her and no one would want to notice her squatting in the dark with her legs crossed, drawing circles.

But this time, it will definitely lead to a completely different "future"...!

For the first time, she was full of positive and beautiful fantasies about the future, and the emotions she poured into the guitar also became much more cheerful and lively.

"Uh huh huh~"

Hong Xia held her cheeks with both hands and shook her head to the rhythm, closing her eyes and getting lost in this infectious atmosphere. Liang, who was standing next to her, didn't comment or show his feelings from beginning to end, but he still squinted his eyes and savored the melody.

Only Ming Hai, who was standing nearby, looked down at Pochi, who was sitting on a chair absorbed in his performance, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

"Fortunately, the pink caterpillar outside the simulation is also a simple child who is very easy to fool. All we need to do is pretend that we are meeting for the first time and learn the social skills of the popular person like Hayama to make her let down her guard."

A gentle, considerate and caring senior? He was just pretending.

A healing boy who grasps every detail? As long as you are willing to play such a role, it is easy as pie.

Ming Hai probably already knows what the prototype of Pochi's most helpless personality is like. Now he just needs to maintain this image in front of her to slowly lower her psychological defenses, and finally he will be able to maintain a friendly social relationship with her in the real world where he can basically control the pace.

Of course - it was definitely not out of a desire to reconcile with her.

After escaping the simulation, Goto Ichiri was just a stranger he had just met in reality. All he needed to bring out of the simulation were skills and rewards; any extra emotions would only get in the way.

"Besides, it sounds weird to talk about reconciliation. I didn't show any mercy to Pochi-chan in the simulation."

When the song ended, Pochi-chan shyly put away his guitar and scratched his head.

"That's great, Pochi!"

Archangel Hongxia clapped enthusiastically without hesitation in praising him, and she actually had an idea of ​​the other identity of this somewhat timid pink-haired girl.

The listless Liang also clapped his hands like a seal, her eyes more fixed on the curly-haired boy who took out his guitar.

Next it was Ming Hai's turn.

Chapter 55 But Xiao Hai is my partner

If his talent as a novelist could be applied in various fields, Ming Hai would definitely write an autobiography based on his personal experience, "From a tone-deaf person to a street performer."

Although the third-rate bassist in the simulation was not considered to be gifted, since he was able to form a band and participate in band activities held in various underground venues, to be honest, he couldn't be that bad.

Regardless, even though he knew that this was a skill inherited from Simulation, the feeling of going from level -99 to level 50 in one step was still somewhat dazed.

The boy's fingers touched the guitar strings, and his brain quickly pieced together coherent memories as if he had retrieved a piece of music from a browser.

The song that Ming Hai improvised was "Smoke on the Water" by the famous band Deep Purple.

Just like a programmer is going to write a hello world for the first time, learning guitar requires first learning "smoke on the water" - this guitar score first appeared in his mind.

Then, he let the low melody float out from his fingertips just as he remembered, without having to think too much. The whole process was done smoothly without any stuck or mistakes.

To put it in a metaphor, his rapid progress in playing musical instruments is like a baby who can only crawl but suddenly can wear glasses outside his underwear and fly around the world.

"Oh - Narumi-kun, so you're so secretive?"

After the song ended, Miss Ijichi couldn't help but clap her hands. If her applause for Pochi's performance just now was out of some support, then this time her praise was completely sincere.

It was hard to blame Ijichi Kouka for her poor observation skills. In her impression, Ming Hai Toru, who was not too close to her, was just a peer who would come to work at a specific time. His daily job was to wait at the front desk to receive guests and guests at the venue, and occasionally he might have to deal with some emergencies -

However, Miss Hongxia never associated this curly-haired boy who was very experienced in dealing with troublesome customers with musical skills. After all, if he was really interested, he would have already gotten started by tinkering with a couple of guitars or basses.

"Why didn't I see you show off your skills before? You're playing the piano so well...!"

"Well, it must be because Xiao Hai really enjoys this feeling of not showing his true self, and he will be praised a lot for it."

Ms. Yamada gave this answer with great certainty, which was completely different from the truth and a bit ridiculous.

"Not at all."

The curly-haired boy muttered and put his guitar aside. The only people who looked at him were Hongxia's curiosity, Yamada who said, "I watched this kid grow up," and Goto Ichiri who stood aside from the two of them.

Although Miss Pink Caterpillar was still a little uneasy, what could be seen from her lovely, clear eyes was more of recognition and appreciation.

Obviously, Mr. Ming Hai Tetsu won the recognition of the other three girls who played music with his guitar skills. It can be said that now they have become true friends and can say whatever they want without any scruples.

"Xiao Hai-senpai, do you still listen to Deep Purple? I think that's cool...!"

It can be seen that the unsociable Miss Pink Caterpillar is trying desperately to find a topic to talk about.

"Ah, that's right! And these don't look like the skills of a beginner at all. He must have practiced in private for a long time!"

Ijichi Kouka also came closer to Ming Hai with great interest. The two who were originally just nodding acquaintances and seemed like they would never meet each other now started to have a real chat.

"What other bands does Narumi-kun listen to? Nirvana, Guns N' Roses, Smiths, Suede, Oasis, Blur?"

"I-I think Muse and Radiohead are pretty good too...!"

"........."

Looking at the three people discussing animatedly, the usually taciturn girl with short blue hair fell silent.

But this time she kept her mouth shut not out of voluntary reasons such as saving energy or daydreaming, but because she found that she had no way to get a word in.

Originally, the only person who could talk to Minghai about music, and the only person who could discuss these things with Minghai, was himself.

Before having that strange dream, Ming Hai, who had no contact with Hong Xia except for work handovers and didn't know Pochi at all, would forward any treasure music he heard to Yamada as soon as possible, and then the two would have a casual but interesting chat about the song.

Even though Ming Hai is tone-deaf and can't read music, he is very charming when he talks about music and rock - Yamada always feels very happy to chat with such a guy.

And precisely because he can't play any musical instrument, Ms. Yamada, who occasionally shows off her skills in front of Nagisa, feels very accomplished, as if she has a loyal listener who belongs only to her.

Although she often felt regretful, it seemed that this loyal listener would never become a partner who could perform alongside her.

But that strange dream seemed to be able to make her dream come true, making Yamada's sudden inspiration suddenly come true.

In that strange dream, Ming Hai's position and identity had a subtle change - he turned into a guy with a bad temper and was very dishonest, and was hostile to other members of the band.

But Yamada could also feel that there was a sense of mutual admiration between him and him that transcended the world line, and he didn't know where it came from and where it would end.

After the dream ended, their way of getting along didn't change much. Yamada even felt that they had become closer.

Maybe I was overwhelmed by the happiness of "my friend is relying on me well", and then I realized that my position beside him was not so irreplaceable.