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

Chapter 36: Chen Qi’s whereabouts are exposed?

"Ah... I can't do it anymore... I'm so tired."

"Is Lena's grandmother an evil spirit? Why is she so strict? I feel like my fingers aren't my own anymore, and my shoulders are so sore."

It was not until dusk that Chen Qi and Aiyin got off the tram and walked slowly towards home.

Compared to Chen Qi, who had already adapted to the high-intensity training and could even continue his street performances on the same day after training, Aiyin's body was so limp that she staggered after walking a few steps, completely lacking her usual glamour and beauty.

There was nothing they could do about it. After all, the person who was teaching them this time was the former guitarist of a popular band, Tsuzuki Shisen. Chen Qi and Yao Lenai both had a deep understanding of her strict teaching and high standards.

Even though Runa is Tsuzuki's granddaughter, Tsuzuki clearly distinguishes between public and private aspects when it comes to teaching musical instruments. Runa's talent is a bit outrageous, and her understanding and intuition of music can be said to be natural gifts, so Tsuzuki doesn't strictly require Runa to give her extra training.

This resulted in Chen Qi suffering greatly during every special training session.

Even though he always calls her "Grandma" sweetly, he still can't avoid being slapped on the palms of his hands by Tsuzuki until they are red and swollen. This shows how serious Tsuzuki is about music.

"Aine, this time, grandma can be considered merciful. I even took a few hits for you, so just be content."

"Otherwise, look at Pochi-chan and Kita, they are the ones who suffered the most today."

Chen Qi originally thought that being able to receive instruction from such a professional living fossil-level musician would be a good thing for everyone in the band, but today's special training by Tsuzuki was even stricter than Chen Qi had imagined, especially for the few people in the band.

This was Kita's first time learning guitar, and her talent, if Chen Qi were to say, was not bad. It was just that she pales in comparison to Aion, who mastered the guitar from the beginner level in just one month, and Pochi-chan, who practiced six hours a day for three years.

But alas, Tsuzuki didn't care whether you had just started learning guitar or not, and he wanted to train Kita to the level where he could sing while playing the guitar in just half a day. During this half-day training, Kita successfully played the guitar until three of his fingers bled under Tsuzuki's strict requirements.

Fortunately, Chen Qi had anticipated this situation, so he brought some extra Band-Aids, which came in handy.

Of course, Tsuzuki's rigorous training also took effect quickly. At least, in just half a day, Kita had already roughly learned how to read music scores and could play some basic exercises.

As for Pochi-chan, there is actually no problem with her skills, but she can't show her strength when she is in a crowded place. Just with the people like [SPACE], little Lonely's fingers are out of control and she doesn't dare to look at everyone.

If Xiao Gudu put on headphones, the effect would be slightly better, but Chen Qi didn't know why, as long as Xiao Gudu put on headphones, she would always unconsciously play the melody of "LOSER"...

In order to help Xiao Gudu overcome his weaknesses, Tsuzuki expressed his opinions to Chen Qi when he found that his strict discipline alone was ineffective and would only backfire.

"You won't listen to what I say anyway, old woman...but that Goto does have some abilities, but he's too timid."

"If you can't let her wear a blindfold and play blindly, then you'd better take her with you more often during your future street performances so that she can get used to the feeling of live performances."

"It's a pity to waste such a good seedling. Just for this little girl, I won't say that you are meddling in other people's business."

——Based on Chen Qi's several years of experience with Tsuzuki, he could tell that the old lady recognized the Ending Band, or in other words, recognized the potential of Pochi-chan, and tacitly approved his qualification to bring everyone in the Ending Band to her for special training in the future.

"Wow... But Brother Qi, you also took a lot of beatings for them." It would have been fine if Chen Qi didn't mention it, but when he did, Aiyin pouted unhappily, and her tone became a little more sour:

"Brother Qi, you obviously have nothing to do with them, right? It's just a Live friendship, why did you introduce them to Manager Tsuzuki and take the punishment for them?"

"Tell me honestly, Brother Qi, is it because you like someone in the band that you are helping them so relentlessly?"

You already have me, yet you still like other girls——Aine opened her mouth but ultimately failed to say this.

After all, Aiyin also knew that her current state was actually unrequited love. No matter how much she liked Brother Qi, she and him were not in a serious relationship, so her possessiveness had to have a limit.

But even so, Aiyin was very afraid that Chen Qi would admit her guess. She didn't dare to imagine what she would do if Chen Qi liked another woman.

Fortunately, her worst thoughts were not verified. Chen Qi also saw through Ain's little thoughts, and after a smile leaked out from the corner of his mouth, he also smiled and explained under Ain's dissatisfied gaze:

"That's not the case, it's just a coincidence... But I do have high hopes for their potential. I think it would be a good thing if they could overcome their weaknesses and step onto a bigger stage."

"I just did some small things within my ability. I treat them the same as you, Aine."

...Doesn't this mean that I am actually nothing special in your heart, Brother Qi?

However, Chen Qi denied that he was so keen to help them because he liked someone in the band, but this did not make Aiyin feel relieved. Instead, Aiyin pouted more dissatisfiedly.

Soon, Aiyin's mind could not help but recall the intimate behavior between Chen Qi and Kaname Lenai today, as well as Kita, whose finger was bleeding and who was wearing the same band-aid as hers right under her nose, and the other three girls who were punished by Chen Qi for ending the band...

Obviously, this was originally mine, why can they enjoy it too?

In the end, with all the imbalances in her heart and the jealous Aiyin, and the physical fatigue, she could no longer control her emotions and made an extremely bold move for her.

Aiyin, who was slightly behind Chen Qi, took a few quick steps and then hugged Chen Qi's slightly thin body from behind.

At this moment, Chen Qi paused for a rare moment. He turned his head slightly and caught a glimpse of the pink figure falling on him. His tone finally showed a slight hesitation, and he asked cautiously:

“Aine?”

"…I'm tired today."

However, Ai Yin, who was full of jealousy and exhausted, could not hear the hesitation in Chen Qi's tone. She just buried her cheek even harder in the clothes on Chen Qi's back and whispered in a coquettish tone:

"I can't walk anymore, Brother Qi, carry me on your back~"

"I'll help Brother Qi carry the violin bag, but Brother Qi wants to carry me. I don't want to move at all now."

“…I really can’t do anything about you.”

However, the coquettish tone of Aiyin behind him also made Chen Qi, who was originally a little uneasy, breathe a sigh of relief.

Soon, the uneasy look in Chen Qi's eyes quickly dissipated like a dark cloud, and was replaced by the familiar pampering and concern.

Chen Qi did not hesitate, but skillfully took off his violin bag. However, he did not hand it to Aiyin. Instead, he put the bag aside and bent down actively, indicating that Aiyin behind him was ready to take action at any time.

Chen Qi didn't have to wait long before he felt the weight behind him obviously receding. He stood up steadily with a chuckle.

The girl's slender but voluptuous legs wrapped around his waist, and her lotus-like arms also went around his neck, bringing waves of warm scent like sunflowers to his face, which immediately occupied all the scents in Chen Qi's nostrils.

At the same time, didn't Aiyin also smell the sun-like scent coming from Chen Qi?

The smell of Brother Qi...so this is what it smells like.

It was clearly a breath that she had already gotten used to, and even normally would not pay any attention to, but this time, with a drastic change in her mentality, Ai Yin intuitively felt for the first time the sense of security that Chen Qi's breath brought her.

I...it turns out that I have already gotten used to this kind of smell. Maybe even my body has been tainted with Brother Qi's scent.

But I don’t hate it at all.

"Brother Qi..."

"Hmm?" The girl behind him murmured unconsciously, which made Chen Qi look sideways slightly.

...I like you the most.

But in the end, perhaps because of the girl’s modesty, or perhaps because of the unprecedented sense of security, the accumulated fatigue overwhelmed her at this moment, and Aine’s half sentence was not able to tell the complete follow-up.

She just leaned quietly on the back of the person she trusted most, enjoying the warm sun-like breath from his body, and fell asleep peacefully.

Although Chen Qi couldn't see Aiyin's expression, Aiyin's steady breathing that hit his face made Chen Qi understand what was going on.

And combined with Aine's series of abnormal behaviors in the past two days, deep in his heart, he roughly guessed what the second half of the girl's unfinished words on his back were...

"If I hadn't formed Crychic, hadn't been adopted by my uncle and aunt, hadn't met Xiangzi and Deng, maybe..."

…But, I’m sorry, Aine.

I still have too many things to finish, and I can't make any promises to you right now.

At dusk, Chen Qi murmured, trying hard to suppress his inner melancholy. He carefully adjusted the position of the sleeping girl on his back, picked up his violin bag in his hand, and walked towards Chihaya's house step by step.

Along the way, the figure of Chen Qi carrying the quiet girl on his back also attracted many sidelong glances from passers-by.

However, when most people see two people of similar age, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, they will reveal an ambiguous or warm smile, subconsciously eliminating the possibility of darkness in their hearts.

They are a really good couple (brother and sister). Almost everyone thought so.

"Oh? Isn't this..."

However, at the intersection of a street, Hachiman Kairei, who was carrying her bass box and still in her live outfit, quickly noticed this particularly eye-catching scene.

When Hai Ling noticed Chen Qi's figure, her eyes unconsciously narrowed slightly, revealing a look of surprise.

As a good friend of Shiina Riki, Yawata Kailing naturally knew Chen Qi. In fact, she had met Chen Qi more than once during the Crychic period.

For Hailing, who had been a band mercenary since junior high school, she became friends with Lixi because she felt that Lixi's attitude towards music was very similar to hers. She also saw her own shadow in Lixi's seriousness and persistence in music...

But Chen Qi... the impression he left on Hai Ling was quite different from that left by Li Xi.

Don't get me wrong, it's not because the songs written by Chen Qi opened the door to Hai Ling's heart. It's just that Hai Ling did pay more attention to Chen Qi, who "creates with his heart", than to others.

So, when she learned from Lixi that Crychic had disbanded and Chen Qi was nowhere to be found, she felt sorry for Lixi.

She herself still hasn't found a suitable band that she feels she can join. Li Xi achieved this goal early on and met the right person, but she lost the band she worked hard for one after another, and even lost the person who guided her forward...

During the past six months, although Hachiman Hailing didn't say anything, she had actually been looking for Chen Qi for Lixi while she was dealing with more than 30 bands and major livehouses.

She felt that a talented person like Chen Qi could shine anywhere. As long as he was still in Tokyo and hadn't given up music, she might be able to find some clues about him.

But, maybe it was because of her bad luck, she didn't find any trace of Chen Qi in half a year. During this period, she witnessed her good friend Li Xi's self-degradation day by day, and she couldn't help but feel anxious.

But now, Hai Ling never expected that after searching for so long, she finally found what she wanted without any effort! She finally met Chen Qi!

But, that pink-haired girl he was carrying...seemed a little familiar?

Hai Ling also suppressed her excitement and did not rush forward to grab Chen Qi, and then call Li Xi to ask her to come here quickly. Instead, she narrowed her eyes slightly, carefully identified the person on Chen Qi's back, and vaguely recalled the other person's identity.

"This girl seems to be the one who chased Gao Song-san at the entrance of RiNG yesterday, right?"

"How did she get involved with Chen Qi? And they both look so... close?"

"As I recall, Chen Qi should be Gao Song's sworn brother. Could it be that during this time when he had no news, he had been in a relationship with this girl?"

However, after careful consideration, Hachiman Hailing finally did not catch up with Chen Qi. She watched Chen Qi's figure gradually disappear at the intersection, then took out her mobile phone and found the name "Shiina Riki" on Line.

Hailing: [Are you there? ]

Hailing waited patiently for about a minute before the message was marked as read, and Lixi's answer was as concise as hers.

Lixi: [I'm working on a new song, what's wrong? ]

Hailing: [Nothing, I just thought that if Chen Qi was here, maybe he could help you.]

Lixi: [What——]

On the other side, Li Xi, who had locked herself in the room and was thinking about a new song, was so shocked by the message sent by Hai Ling that she spit out a mouthful of water, wetting the computer in front of her and the paper on which she wrote the song.

Li Xi, who was coughing non-stop, didn't even bother to wipe the screen. After a while, he picked up the phone with red face and ears, gritted his teeth and hurriedly sent a message reply:

[Didn’t I tell you? Don’t mention that guy in front of me! Our band won’t be killed without him! Besides, I’ve found a new band now, and we have someone in our band who can replace that guy!]

[So what's your matter? If you're just talking to me about that guy, you don't have to reply to me now! ]

Hailing: [That is really cause for celebration.]

However, when the message was sent here, Hailing could already imagine how angry and embarrassed Li Xi was on the other end of the phone, and couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth.

Of course Hai Ling did this on purpose in order to stir up Li Xi's "concern" for Chen Qi again.

And now, Lixi's string has been touched, and it's time to give her the final blow.

Hailing: [So that means, even if I tell you now that I know where Chen Qi is, you won't care anymore, right? ]

"what?!"

In the room, the moment Shiina Riki's brain, which had been awake all night, understood Hailing's news, she stood up from her seat reflexively, and her unprecedented voice of disbelief echoed in the room.

It took Li Xi's distracted eyes a long time to regain focus after hearing this sudden and important news. She carefully read Hai Ling's message again. After making sure that her understanding was correct, she swallowed her saliva and typed quickly:

[You said you found him? Aren't you lying to me? Are you trying to make me happy again? ]

Hailing: [It's fun to tease you, but it's not this time. ]

When Hailing saw the message Lixi sent without even a hint of concealment, she couldn't help but think of Lixi's stubborn attitude a minute ago. The smile on her lips widened a little, but she still said without hiding anything:

[Also, I think he should be not far from you. He seems to have some relationship with someone you know.]

Someone I know?

However, the moment Li Xi thought of this, a pink figure involuntarily emerged in her mind - the only person who reminded Li Xi of Chen Qi when they just met!

Chihaya Aine? Could it really be her?

Li Xi's thoughts were racing, but she did not jump to conclusions immediately. She looked at the phone in her hand and the name that she had always been reluctant to mention. Her mood, which had become excited after staying up all night, began to calm down gradually.

Why did I care so much about his news? And why was I so excited when I found out about his whereabouts?

Obviously, I have already made up my mind to part ways with that guy, why...

Shiina Riki, who couldn't think of an answer in her mind, gripped the phone with a little more strength. After careful consideration, she seemed to have finally found an excuse for her behavior.

[Who is that person? Tell me everything you saw, Hailing.]

I don't care about that guy, I just want the light...

Yes, I just want Deng to be reunited with her irresponsible brother as soon as possible, and for Deng’s smile and past songs to return as soon as possible.

I will never, ever be in the same band with that guy again, ever.