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

"Understood, thank you grandma~"

……

After a while, Tsuzuki, who had settled Chen Qi and Aiyin, also returned to the underground performance hall. However, when Tsuzuki cast his eyes to Xiangzi who was pretending to know nothing and was busy not far away, he understood Xiangzi's thoughts very clearly.

"You two know each other? Could it be that you were a member of that boy's former band?"

"…It's all in the past."

And the moment Tsuzuki opened his mouth, Shoko's body trembled as if hit by a heavy hammer. However, Shoko could not utter the words in front of the people he used to be close to, but for some reason, in front of the stranger Tsuzuki, Shoko briefly removed his disguise.

"I have done many wrong things in the past, and I have hurt Chen Qi, so now, I hope I can personally make up for the trauma I have left in his heart... in the form of a new band."

As he spoke, Xiangzi suddenly thought of something, turned slightly and cast his gaze towards Tsuzuki, who had a calm expression, and asked cautiously:

"Um, Manager, I heard what you just said... You seem to be familiar with Chen Qi? And you taught him guitar?"

"I guess so. This kid has been coming to this area frequently for a few years. He is very familiar with me and Lenai. I saw that he longed for the stage and got along well with Lenai, so I taught him for a while. I taught him various instruments, and guitar was the last one he learned."

As long as he wasn't facing Chen Qi himself, Tsuzuki, who was actually quite good towards Chen Qi, saw through Xiangzi's inner thoughts at a glance, and then asked calmly:

"You want to know if this kid has suffered under my command, right? You want to know how he has been spending the past six months?"

"Hmm..." Xiangzi's face turned slightly red after his secret was exposed, but he still nodded hard, forcing himself to control his emotions before asking:

"I haven't heard from Chen Qi in the past six months, so I want to know how he got through these six months."

"So, please, store manager. I want to know about Chen Qi. This is very important to me."

I want to know how much I owe him, how much pain and bitterness I have brought him... Only by knowing this can I know how I can make it up to him in the future and make our relationship go back to the way it was before, back to the way it was at the beginning.

However, facing Xiangzi's heartfelt plea, Tsuzuki Shichuan did not answer Xiangzi immediately. On the contrary, after seeing Xiangzi's hidden strong feelings for Chen Qi, the old man shook his head gently and said lightly:

"Xiangzi, you said before that you wanted to make it up to him with a new band, right?"

"But don't blame me, the old woman, for being blunt. I think you'd better give up this idea as soon as possible."

"This kid is not someone that a band can keep. He longs for the stage and has emotions that he can't express. If you want to maximize his potential, the best way is to not have a band and let him go on stage without any restraints."

"Xiangzi, you were a member of that guy's band. Aren't you curious about how he got his singing voice in such a short time?"

"Huh?" However, Xiangzi, who was shocked by Tsuzuki's words, shook his head blankly. Tsuzuki had expected this result, and he sighed to himself:

"...I am also very familiar with that boy and have seen his talent. To be honest, apart from his imaginative ability to arrange music and write lyrics, I didn't see any top-notch talent in him at first. He can learn musical instruments quickly, but compared to the top-notch geniuses I have seen, he is still a little behind."

"But the only thing is the singing voice. This thing is too much about talent. Although skills can make the singing of a tone-deaf person more pleasant, in the end, this line of work depends on fate."

"But, only this boy... I have seen so many geniuses, old woman, but this boy's singing voice is very strange. He relies on emotions and infectiousness."

At this point, Tsuzuki's eyes flickered with a gleam of light, and his tone was filled with appreciation as he said:

"This kid has a natural infectious power. He can spread his emotions and make those who listen to his singing unconsciously feel the same as him."

"What makes his songs infectious is his endless emotions that he has nowhere to vent. He is a person who was born for the stage."

"I will never say such things in front of that kid. I won't let him become complacent. However, this kid's potential can still be developed."

"My expectation for him is not just to be a rising star in a small livehouse. In the future, he may even perform on the Red and White Songs Contest."

When thinking of this, even veteran musician like Tsuzuki Shifune, who had held national concert tours when he was young, couldn't help but feel a little excited. Who wouldn't want the talented young people they discovered to be able to perform on the best stage in Japan?

However, the reason why Tsuzuki was always so angry with Chen Qi, besides the fact that he colluded with his granddaughter, Yagura Nai, to prevent him from shutting down SPACE, was because of what Chen Qi had been doing during this period of time...

Although he has the talent to transform emotions into infectiousness and singing voice, he has always been playing with some amateur bands.

In the past it was Crychic, and now they have brought in a fledgling band called The End, whose members can't even tell the difference between guitar and bass.

If that guy didn't care, how could he care about the affairs of such a small band? He was clearly thinking of getting involved again!

A violent thing!

With this energy, she can train this kid well under her for two or three years. With the help of Tsuzuki Poetry Ship's connections, she guarantees that she can send Chen Qi to the Red and White Song Festival!

But this kid's singing level happened to be linked to his own emotions. In the past six months, Du Zhu only knew that the band Chen Qi had been working on had disbanded, but he didn't know the details. Looking at Chen Qi, whose voice was getting fuller and whose emotions were getting more intense, he couldn't say that he was wasting his time...

"In short, if you want to form a band and want to recruit that kid, you'd better set your goal higher, at least to a martial arts hall, otherwise you will only hinder that kid."

“Is… that so.”

However, it was unknown how long the silence lasted before Xiangzi finally responded to Tsuzuki. However, unlike his previous tone of concern for Chen Qi, Xiangzi's tone now carried a strong sense of bitterness no matter how you listened to it.

She originally thought that although she did not have Chen Qi's sense of responsibility to take on everything, nor his strong appeal, she should be qualified to stand with him because of her talent that was comparable to his.

But now... could I really not drag him down? Budokan, Red and White Song Contest, with my ability, could I really go on such a stage with him?

This self who had hurt him so badly, the self who had destroyed all his hard work, was this self really qualified to stand with him?

Xiangzi couldn't think of the answer to this question, or rather, she didn't want to face it at all.

The only thing she could do was to quietly continue with the plan she had already made... because she knew that if she didn't persist in this way, she might not even have the qualifications to face Chen Qi.

"...Manager, my next job is almost up, I think I should leave."

Xiangzi, who had suppressed the bitterness in his heart, also forced a smile and said to the Tsuzuki poetry boat in front of him in an almost pleading tone:

"If possible, could you lend me a set of clothes? The reason is a bit complicated, but I don't want him to know that I work here."

Tsuzuki: "...The employees' work clothes are in the cabinet over there. There are also hats in it. You can take them yourself."

When Tsuzuki saw that Xiangzi was unwilling but unwilling to give up, she sighed unconsciously in her heart. She wanted to persuade Xiangzi to give up his naive fantasy, but now it seems that it didn't work.

We can only hope that she really has the strength and talent to match that boy. It's a pity that she doesn't look like she can form a band now.

Tsuzuki even doubted whether she would have the courage to give her all if they were on the same stage in front of Chen Qi.

At Tsuzuki's signal, Xiangzi walked towards the closet after thanking him. Looking at the work clothes in the closet that seemed to have been washed many times and were very clean but still a little old, he pursed his lips unconsciously.

But in the end, Xiangzi forced himself to put on this old clothes that did not belong to him.

She carefully tied up her light blue hair, afraid that even a little bit of the color would show out. Finally, she covered all her iconic makeup under her clothes and hat.

This is Xiangzi. Now he can protect his self-esteem and not completely collapse in front of Chen Qi. The only struggle he can make is a little bit.

Perhaps this cannot change her inner struggle, nor can it change the fact that Chen Qi may have known about her family situation for a long time.

But at least, she could keep her last bit of dignity in the eyes of Chen Qi and his friends...

She didn't want Chen Qi to ask her how many jobs she had to work in a day.

She didn't want Chen Qi to see through her. In order to stand with him again, she had done so many things that she would never do in the past...

She didn't want Chen Qi to see her rough hands and haggard face.

If Chen Qi knew all this, it would be more painful than killing her.

Just let her escape like this, deceivingly... Only in this way, I can still look forward to the day in the future when I can stand in front of him with a smile as if nothing had happened, and extend an inviting hand to him whom I have let down.

Chapter 34: Xiangzi has no resistance to Chen Qi, and Su Shi comes to visit

"Ah... it's so difficult, Brother Qi, when you usually train here, are the music scores always this difficult?"

While everyone in the band was still choosing guitars, at the entrance of [SPACE] store, Chen Qi had already started practicing with Aiyin as usual. However, this time, the songs Chen Qi practiced were no longer his own original songs, but the music scores left by many bands in [SPACE].

In the past, Chen Qi used these songs as practice to hone his guitar skills. Now he wants to follow suit and let Aiyin learn some more difficult songs to improve her guitar skills.

But it is obvious that Aiyin has not yet fully adapted to the more difficult music scores, and it is still a bit difficult for her to play these songs completely. Although she can play them, it is difficult for her to keep up with the rhythm of the melody.

"You'd better be thankful that I'm the one teaching you now. When grandma was teaching me, I would be hit with a feather duster if I didn't keep up."

At the side, Chen Qi also skillfully played the piece in his hands. After confirming that he had not wasted his time in the past six months and that his skills had indeed improved, he smiled at Ai Yin beside him and said:

"So, you'd better practice the piece now. The faster the better. This way, I might be able to avoid getting beaten for you a few times."

“Oh, but it’s really hard.”

Hearing Chen Qi say this, Aiyin was a little scared and tried her best to focus on the music score. However, before three minutes had passed, Aiyin couldn't concentrate anymore and couldn't help but talk to Chen Qi beside her:

"Speaking of which, why did Brother Qi call the store manager 'Grandma'? Is she really your grandma?"

"Of course not. Didn't you see that every time I call her that, grandma gets a little upset?" Chen Qi also found it funny. Facing the very curious Ai Yin, he answered as best he could:

“I just followed Rakuna’s lead and called her that because when I called her that, she would hit me a little less hard—Aine, you hit the wrong spot just now.”

"Ah, it's true."

Just by being distracted, Aiyin played a wrong passage and opened her mouth unhappily, with her little fangs slightly showing. She had the thought of giving up for the umpteenth time in her mind.

Chen Qi: "Don't think about giving up now. Since you are here, you must be mentally prepared, otherwise I can't save you."

"Oh, but it's really hard. I always can't play this part well."

Aiyin, whose mentality still hadn't changed, approached Chen Qi indignantly, and deliberately moved her guitar to a position where Chen Qi could see her. While trying to play that part again, she didn't forget to say to Chen Qi in a coquettish manner:

"Look, for some reason, it's just not in tune. Is this really played by a human?"

"…How about trying this?"

Faced with Aiyin who was in trouble again, Chen Qi had to put down his guitar and began to teach Aiyin how to play the guitar step by step, just like before.

Chen Qi took Aiyin's hands and manipulated her fingers, placing them one by one at the designated positions of the melody. This scene had been repeated countless times when Chen Qi was teaching Aiyin guitar, so Chen Qi could be said to be particularly adept at it.

However, the speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. When Chen Qi grabbed Aiyin's hand as before, Aiyin's whole body stiffened unconsciously. Facing Chen Qi's sudden attack, Aiyin's first reaction was not obedience as before, but shy resistance.

However, although her first reaction was resistance, Aiyin honestly let Chen Qi play with her fingers, but her slender jade fingers, like her cheeks, turned a shy pink.

"The chord transitions here will be smoother if you slow down, remember?"

"Oh, oh..."

Wait, am I too easily manipulated?!

Aiyin, whose face was already flushed when Chen Qi just held her fingers, couldn't even resist with her girlish instinct. She could only turn her head away slightly to hide her embarrassment, but countless thoughts were running through her mind.

This is not a good thing to continue. I didn’t have that awareness before, but now it seems that my defense against Brother Qi is too low, right?

If I were to be submissive and obey Brother Qi just by grabbing his hand, wouldn't I be at his mercy when I marry him in the future? I wouldn't be a traditional housewife in the future, would I?

As a new generation of Japanese female high school student, Chihaya Aine has made up her mind to be self-reliant like Chen Qi since she met Chen Qi. She wants to become a member of society who does not rely on her parents in the future. It is a taboo for Aine to be a housewife and rely on her husband to support herself.

But now, Aiyin found that her principles seemed to be shaken a little bit...

No, I have to resist. I am not the kind of person who is in love. I have principles that I must defend. I absolutely cannot -

"A little bit, I still don't understand."

"Ok?"

At the moment Aiyin's voice just fell, Chen Qi raised his head a little dazedly, but before he could react, a fragrant breeze blew in his face, and the next moment Chen Qi felt a weight on his thigh.

"Ain?" Chen Qi, who had reacted, was also somewhat surprised by Ain's behavior of suddenly sitting on his thighs with her back against him. But before Chen Qi could react, he only heard Ain, who was facing away from him, take the initiative to say:

"Sure enough, I still don't quite understand."

"So, if Brother Qi can teach me step by step, maybe I can learn faster."

What are you doing! Chihaya Aine! Aren't you completely defeated?!

There was almost no way to hide her shyness. Aiyin's face was already red, but she forced herself to stay calm and acted as much as possible as she did in the past, just approaching him in a simple and intimate way.

"Okay, Brother Qi, just teach me step by step. It's not like we haven't done something like this before, right?"

Chen Qi: "...Although that's the case, it's still different inside the house and outside. It would be terrible if someone found out."

This girl is trying really hard... But this posture isn't very good, especially outside. Was Aine ever that brave?

Chen Qi also tried to struggle, however, seeing that Aiyin had no intention of leaving, Chen Qi had no choice but to quickly satisfy the little girl's needs, in case she was discovered by Lenna or her grandmother, which would be difficult for him to explain.

...Then let this girl be shy for a while. Although I don't understand why she suddenly has feelings for me, the calmness of an adult cannot be compared to that of a high school girl.

With this thought in mind, Chen Qi took off his guitar and placed it aside. Then he straightened his waist slightly. Soon, his cheek was close to the shoulder of Aiyin, who had a blushing face and could only hide her expression with her long pink hair.

The next moment, under the gaze of Aiyin, whose whole body had frozen, Chen Qi's arm went around her arm and held her hand again.

At this moment, Aiyin went from being the active one to being the passive one again. She felt her whole body going weak, as if she would fall into Chen Qi's arms in the next second.

My heart is beating uncontrollably and is about to jump out!

"Hey?"

And just when Aine was about to raise the white flag of surrender, suddenly, there was an abrupt sound beside her, which made Aine's heart, which was about to jump out, stop instantly.

In an instant, Chen Qi and Ai Yin's eyes were all directed towards the source of the sound.

As far as the two of them could see, they saw a person wearing a somewhat old work suit, a baseball cap, and even a mask covering his face. Even his gender could not be seen. He was standing at the door of [SPACE], staring blankly at Aiyin and Chen Qi who were almost stuck together.

As if out of surprise, the man who wrapped himself tightly, his beautiful amber eyes shrank, and his eyes trembled uncontrollably. He was even too shocked that even the palms that were holding his backpack seemed to have a little more strength.