They are in the music show, but I am a stranger to them

[Su Shi, if possible, could you please come to Yuqiu as soon as possible? ]

[I'm chasing after Aine-chan now! Shoko and I are the only ones who can't catch up with her, please come and help me quickly! ]

"……well?"

When did Deng-chan return to Yugaoka? Has she come out of the shadow of Qi's escape?

Also, why is Deng-chan chasing after Aine? And with Xiangzi?

For a moment, Su Shi, whose mind was in a mess due to the sudden news, almost instinctively ran towards Yuqiu Girls' College. Then she felt that the train was too slow, so she called a taxi and rushed to Yuqiu as quickly as possible.

The taxi had just arrived at Yugaoka, and Su Shi had just taken out a 10,000 yen note from her wallet, but she was startled by the sound of hurried footsteps and gasps from behind, and she subconsciously turned her head away.

At this moment, Su Shi, who was about to pay, happened to meet the eyes of Aine, who was panting and sweating profusely.

"Aine-chan!"

And in the moment of silence, an anxious voice coming from behind Aine made Aine's body tremble violently, as if she heard some devilish sound.

The next moment, Aine, who was about to run out of the school gate, turned around and fled to the other side of the school. Su Shi also threw a 10,000 yen bill to the driver, saying "No need to change" and chased after Aine.

After many twists and turns, Takamatsu Deng and Su Shi chased Aine all the way, forced her back to the teaching building, and followed Aine up several flights of stairs before finally catching the escaped Chihaya Aine on the rooftop.

"Aine-chan! I need you!"

Grabbing the wrist of Aine who had nowhere to escape, Takamatsu Deng, who was out of breath, suppressed the trembling of his heart due to the high-intensity exercise, and tried his best to shout out his voice towards Aine's back.

While the lingering sound of Takamatsu Deng's song was still lingering in the air, Nagasaki Suyo finally climbed up to the rooftop with unsteady steps. Even Suyo's physical strength could hardly hold out after such a frantic run.

Su Shi leaned against the wall and gasped for breath, her proud chest also rose and fell violently...

How come she didn't see it before? How come Dengjiang's physical fitness is so good? Didn't she fail every physical test?

However, Chihaya Aine, whose hand was grabbed by Takamatsu Tomo, was silent for a long time, and then unexpectedly answered Takamatsu Tomo with tears:

"Don't look for me anymore..."

"I... hurt Brother Qi... I don't have the face to go back to him..."

In the past few days, Ai Yin had been locking herself in the small house where Chen Qi once lived. Only when the last trace of Chen Qi's scent in the house was replaced by the smell of her own body did she reluctantly calm down and choose to return to her normal life.

Aine thought that she had accepted the departure of that person in her heart... But at this moment, facing Takamatsu Deng who suddenly chased after her after school, and Deng's firm declaration of "Let's find Qi together", it immediately broke through the psychological defense that Aine had built with great difficulty.

She still couldn't forget him... couldn't forget the man who lit up her world when she was most helpless.

But what did I do? What did I do to repay him?

"I should have thought of it a long time ago... Brother Qi didn't want to teach me guitar at first, but in order to teach me better, he stayed up so late every day to learn from Manager Tsuzuki... He always comforted me by saying that I forgot the time because of the street performance..."

"There are always so many Band-Aids, alcohol, and iodine in his room drawer... I should have noticed it a long time ago. It's not just for me. Brother Qi always gets hurt, so he prepares so many medicines."

"He would also write songs for me, and he would forgive me even if I plagiarized his creations... Brother Qi always comforted me and was always there when I needed him the most..."

"But what did I do to him?"

Aine, who was crying, slowly turned around. Her eyes filled with crystal tears trembled as she looked at the silent Takamatsu Tomo and Su Shi. Aine told them word by word about her inner pain and the strong guilt after doing something bad.

"I watched Brother Qi become thinner and thinner in front of me, but I did nothing... He had accumulated so much pressure, but he still did so much for me and tolerated my willfulness."

"Mu is right, Tomorin...Mu is right."

"We...maybe we really don't deserve to have Brother Qi..."

As she spoke, Aine could no longer suppress the surging emotions in her chest. She was also surrounded by a strong sense of guilt. She wanted so badly to find the person she cared about the most and say sorry to him in person...but she didn't even have the courage to look for him.

Facing the crying Aine, Su Shi, who felt the same way as Aine, also lowered his head in silence.

If it weren't for the instigation of that live show, perhaps Su Shi would have remained indifferent to Aine's heartfelt guilt. After all, at that time, Su Shi could still hold his head high and say that he had never done anything to let Aqi down.

But now, Su Shi, who had made a mistake that she, as a bystander, could never forgive, faced the "little thing" that overwhelmed Aine. Knowing that she was uglier, she lowered her head guiltily and dared not utter the slightest sound.

But what was unexpected was that in the face of this scene, the one who broke the silence was Takamatsu Tomori, who listened to every word of Aine.

“…Aine-chan, if I tell you that compared to the mistakes I made, your mistakes are nothing, will that make you feel better?”

After a moment of silence, Gao Songdeng did not let go of Aine's hand. Instead, he smiled with relief and said in front of Aine and Su Shi without hiding anything:

"In fact, the reason why my brother ran away from home was not entirely because of Xiangzi's matter, but more because of me..."

"Because at that time, I did something to my brother that was absolutely unforgivable...even my brother couldn't forgive me for it."

"What?!" X3

As soon as Gao Songdeng said this, he immediately attracted Su Shi and Aine, as well as Xiangzi who had just climbed up the stairs and was so tired that he could hardly straighten his back.

But now, no one had time to consider Xiangzi's existence. Gao Songdeng, who became the focus of everyone's attention, had a completely different expression on her face from her previous timid and silent image. She was so calm and indifferent, as if she accepted everything she had done, whether it was a mistake or a responsibility.

For a moment, in the eyes of the three girls, Deng seemed no longer to be the timid little animal hiding behind Qi, but really had some of the charm of her brother.

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you the truth. This is a secret between my brother and me." Deng didn't choose to reveal the truth, but took the initiative to take on his own responsibilities and said word by word to Aine:

“But I want to say, Aine-chan, if even I who made such an unforgivable mistake still dared to face my brother, would you be willing to go with me and try to win back my brother one more time?”

"This time, we are accomplices, and I am the main culprit."

"If anything happens to my brother again... I, the main culprit, will bear all the responsibility, okay?"

"Deng..." Aiyin, who had fallen into deep confusion because of losing Chen Qi, looked at Gao Song Deng who was reaching out his hand to her for the second time, and murmured blankly:

"Then...if Brother Qi, if we disappoint Brother Qi again and he leaves again...what should we do?"

Takamatsu Deng: "...At least, we have tried our best. At least Aine-chan, you, Riki, and Sushi, you can all have a clear conscience."

"Everything that remains is a personal matter between my brother and me. I will use all my methods to try to convince my brother to stay."

If something like that really happened... then, before my brother left, I would tell him all my feelings for him without any reservation, and then wait for him to clearly respond to my feelings.

Although the possibility is very low, if her brother can be moved by her song, be called back by her heart that she no longer hides, and accept her forbidden feelings, then for Takamatsu Deng, everything will naturally be a happy ending.

But the more likely possibility is that her brother still can't accept her...that doesn't matter.

Gao Songdeng no longer wanted to hide his true self from his most trusted brother. Even the "dark" side was also a part of himself.

If the brother insists on leaving at that time, then Deng will say goodbye to his brother in his own way.

If she couldn't be with her brother forever, then she would find a way to engrave a part of her brother into her body forever.

Until this memory supports her transformation again and again, until she catches up with her brother's footsteps next time - Takamatsu Deng will never give up!

"So, Aine-chan, Suyo, and Shoko."

"Are you willing to trust me again? This time, I want to search for that figure together with you on this confusing road!"

"lamp……"

However, facing Takamatsu Deng, who did not collapse after experiencing such a huge blow, but instead showed the determination to fight for his life, Xiangzi couldn't help feeling a little dazed, as if he realized for the first time that Deng had such great potential.

Su Shi was also staring blankly at Gao Songdeng, whose expression was so determined for the first time. He opened his mouth slightly, but was unable to utter the second word.

There was a moment when, facing Takamatsu Deng who openly admitted his mistakes and frankly expressed his willingness to take action and bear all responsibilities for it... Nagasaki Suyo, for the first time, felt a little envious of Takamatsu Deng.

Yes, Dengjiang can say such words without any burden. After all, she is Aqi's sister. No matter how disappointed Aqi is, how could she really leave her sister who has been away from her for more than ten years?

After all, it’s almost impossible for Deng-chan and Aqi to be separated, right?

Although it is not known what Dengjiang did that made her say that she was the culprit who caused Aqi to run away from home, judging from the intimacy between Aqi and Dengjiang when they met later, Aqi finally forgave her sister.

But, Aqi can forgive Deng-chan, but I am not Aqi's sister...

If I tell Aqi and everyone about all the wrong things I have done, just like you do, will I still be forgiven?

Walking alone on the way home, Su Shi lowered her head and couldn't help but smile bitterly. She wanted to convince herself that she didn't know every detail between Chen Qi and Deng Jiang, and that it was just an unintentional mistake.

However, that live performance, in which the person she truly loved was hurt and had to flee because of her decision, still kept lingering in Su Shi's mind, making her feel depressed, painful, and unable to let go.

Dengjiang can also apologize to Aqi.

I'm afraid I'll never have the chance to apologize to Aqi?

"——Su Shi? You're finally home."

However, just when Nagasaki Suyo was still accepting the condemnation of her conscience, suddenly, the familiar voice coming from the front made Suyo subconsciously stop in her tracks, and she couldn't help but look up.

And as Su Shi gazed with his slightly narrowed eyes, he saw the person he had been thinking about day and night, smiling at him with the same faint smile as before.

That smile seemed to convey the message "It's okay" to Su Shi, as if everything she had done in that unforgettable Live performance had become a thing of the past.

As for Mu who was standing quietly beside Chen Qi, unfortunately he was ignored by Su Shi who only had Chen Qi in his eyes.

Facing the dazed Su Shi, Chen Qi obviously understood her surprise. To be honest, when he heard Mu say that he wanted to stay overnight at Su Shi's house, his own reaction was similar.

But in the end, after much thought, Chen Qi really felt that Su Shi was the best choice.

Although Su Shi is a member of the MYGO band, Mu has no ill will towards Su Shi, on the contrary, he trusts Su Shi very much. Based on Chen Qi's understanding of Su Shi, as long as he sincerely asks, the considerate Su Shi should not ask about the matter between him and Deng for the time being.

Therefore, from this perspective, although Mu’s proposal is surprising, it is indeed the most appropriate method.

However, the only awkward thing was that Mu had already broken up with them, including Su Shi.

Chen Qi also ran away because of their performance, including Su Shi.

Therefore, facing this somewhat awkward reunion, Chen Qi did not make things difficult for Su Shi. He took the initiative to step forward to resolve the awkwardness, and planned to shamelessly ask Su Shi to be kind enough to take him in temporarily and keep peace with him.

However, what Chen Qi did not expect was that when he had just walked to a distance of less than one meter from Su Shi, the next moment, he only felt a faint scent of incense coming towards him, followed by a soft touch that almost enveloped every corner of his body.

"Really... is it you, Aqi?"

Before Chen Qi could be surprised, Su Shi, who for the first time threw herself into Chen Qi's arms in a way that was not gentle, but even forceful, her trembling voice brought Chen Qi back to his senses immediately.

"I am not dreaming, am I?"

"I thought I might never see Aqi again..."

"…I'm sorry, Sushi, for making you worry."

Facing Su Shi, who had her arms around his waist and buried her cheek in his shoulder, Chen Qi knew how much harm he had caused to this innocent girl by leaving without saying goodbye. After a moment's hesitation, he chose to respond to Su Shi with an equally strong hug.

Chen Qi knew that Su Shi was a girl who was afraid of loneliness. Whether she stayed in Crychic or in her current band, it was actually to find a place where she belonged.

Su Shi, besides Deng, is probably the person in the band who most wants to find himself back, right?

But because of this, my departure is the biggest blow to Su Shi.

"Su Shi...can we go back to your house and talk? There are a lot of people watching here."

"…Just a little while longer."

However, facing the people coming and going around them, everyone who looked at them with either laughter or contempt at their intimate interaction was no longer within Su Shi's consideration.

Now, Su Shi just wants to be willful and stay in this warm embrace for a while longer.

She was afraid that she might be dreaming, and once she woke up, the embrace would disappear again.

"In a little while, I can face Aqi without crying or making a fuss."

"I don't want Aqi to see me being selfish..."

In fact, I already knew it a long time ago. Chen Qi couldn't help but smile slightly in his heart when he heard Su Shi's dull whispers in his arms. However, Chen Qi had never seen this Su Shi show any of the selfishness in the original work.

Perhaps this is one of the few things that he has changed? Thinking of this, Chen Qi gently stroked Su Shi's long, smooth chestnut hair, letting Su Shi sob in his arms, and whispered softly in Su Shi's ear in a gentle manner:

"Okay, a little while longer then."

"I'll leave it to you to decide the time, Su Shi."

As soon as Chen Qi finished speaking, he felt Su Shi's arms wrapped around him from behind getting tighter and tighter. Su Shi used all his strength, as if he wanted to merge himself and Chen Qi into one, to hold Chen Qi down tightly and not let him leave his side.

Meanwhile, Mu, who had been witnessing all this, was different from the hostility he showed when facing Xiangzi and Chen Qi's intimate behavior, and also different from the nervousness he showed when Aiyin and the others got close to Chen Qi.

When Mu looked at Su Shi and hugged Chen Qi in front of her, Mu just smiled faintly - she felt that her choice was indeed correct.

Su Shi is also a person who cares about Qi wholeheartedly. I believe that if she and I take care of Qi together, we will be able to slowly heal the psychological trauma caused to Qi by Gao Songdeng, Xiangzi and Li Xi.

In particular, as long as he asked her well, Su Shi would keep the secret and not let Deng and the others know that Chen Qi was living in her house.

This time, I will never let Qi be disturbed again.

You must protect him yourself.

"Su Shi? Su Shi?"

However, what pulled Mu back to his senses was Chen Qi's concerned whispers as he let Su Shi hold him. Chen Qi tried to call Su Shi a few times but got no response. Seeing Su Shi's arms gradually losing strength, Chen Qi realized...

Su Shi, did you cry yourself to sleep?

"...There's no other way, I can only send Su Shi home first." Chen Qi looked at Su Shi who almost fell into his arms, and his tone was a little more helpless.

In order not to wake up Su Shi in his arms, Chen Qi had to use the most gentle method and skillfully hold Su Shi's delicate body horizontally so that Su Shi could sleep more peacefully.