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

My chest hurt so much just now.

But why do I feel such joy after the pain?

Gao Songdeng silently placed her hands on her chest, her pair of star-filled eyes staring at the embarrassed Chen Qi in front of her with sparkling eyes, just as if she had seen him singing the story on the stage for the first time.

A year later, Gao Songdeng felt his heart touched for the second time.

And this time, she felt that her heart was really opened...

He was the first person to tell her that he wanted to understand the world as she saw it. Even though he could not empathize with her, he was the first person to actively try to understand everything in her eyes.

Why didn't you tell me earlier? Then you wouldn't have to wait for my response for a whole year...

"elder brother……"

"Ok?"

"My brother... is an idiot."

Gao Songdeng's voice fell softly, and the next moment, the girl's delicate body hugged her brother without any hesitation, allowing all the rain on his body to soak her clothes.

Chen Qi didn’t know what this sudden hug represented. It wasn’t just the opening of the girl’s spiritual world, but also a “ritual” that Gao Songdeng regarded himself and Chen Qi as the same kind.

I may not be able to help my brother resist the strong wind and rain anymore, but I can be soaked by the same rain like my brother.

In this way, my brother and I are the same person.

When Gao Songdeng figured this out, at that moment, the hazy fog that had troubled her for who knows how long, quietly dissipated from her sight... She finally saw what color the world was.

It turns out that the green of the grass is so bright, and the transparency of the rain is so crystal clear...

And... the man in front of me is so dazzling...

Chen Qi looked at Gao Songdeng, who smiled for the first time and responded to his watch for the first time. He had long lost the ability to think due to the heavy rain, but he also showed a satisfied and sincere smile.

On that day, the brother and sister Chen Qi and Gao Songdeng both caught a cold, one serious and one minor. Chen Qi lay in bed for a full half month before he was able to return to normal life.

……

Before he knew it, a year had passed since Gao Songdeng shared his diary with Chen Qi.

Although it is called a diary, it is actually just some records of Takamatsu Deng herself. It contains small objects that Takamatsu Deng has collected and painted, as well as many of her inner voices and thoughts.

Ever since his brother said, "I want to know what the world looks like in Deng's eyes," Deng shared his diary with Chen Qi without hesitation.

For Deng, everything she recorded were her thoughts and ideas. Sharing this diary was equivalent to sharing her world.

And on the day when Chen Qi read her world, Chen Qi, who seemed to be lost in thought, shared his thoughts with her.

"Deng, have you ever thought about turning your thoughts into lyrics for songs?"

"I think your voice is very suitable as lyrics. Deng, do you want to sing to express your feelings?"

Singing your own heart? My brother always has such wonderful ideas.

To be honest, the suggestion of singing out one's heart was indeed a bit embarrassing for Takamatsu Deng. She was so scared that she almost lost her voice just by imagining such a scene.

But... for some reason, looking at his brother's eyes full of expectation, Gao Songdeng's heart, which had originally been a little afraid and ashamed, gradually calmed down, and slowly, he began to have the same vague expectations as Chen Qi.

My own thoughts will be adapted into songs by my brother.

I can sing my own voice to my brother.

In that case... Brother might be able to better understand the world as she sees it, and Brother would definitely be able to better understand the feelings in her heart.

"If it's my brother... I'm willing to give it a try."

If it is singing to my brother's voice, if it can bring me closer to him, I am willing to do it.

And the next day, after Gao Songdeng expressed her affirmative words, she learned that Chen Qi had taken out two years' pocket money in advance from his parents and bought a keyboard from a musical instrument store, specifically to be used as the only accompaniment for his singing.

And this day several months later was the day that Gao Songdeng had been looking forward to for a long time, because she knew that the first song composed by Chen Qi based on her heart had been completed.

"'Haruhi Shadow'...Brother, is this our first song?"

"Yes, this is the first song we created together based on your voice."

Sitting in front of the keyboard, Chen Qi handed the music he had already written to Gao Songdeng. However, Gao Songdeng, who had not received any music training yet, knew nothing about the song except that he could understand the lyrics.

"Brother... I don't understand." Gao Songdeng said to Chen Qi cautiously with some guilt and grievance. She was worried that her poor performance would make her brother disappointed in her.

"It's okay, Deng, you can listen to me sing once first."

However, everything that Gao Songdeng imagined did not happen. Chen Qi, who had already anticipated all this, smiled gently.

The next moment, Chen Qi placed his palms on the keys of the keyboard. Before playing, he deliberately faced the light beside him and whispered word by word:

"Deng, now listen to your own voice carefully. You are actually braver than you think."

Deng hadn't even reacted yet, but the faint sound of Chen Qi's keyboard had already quietly sounded. Under Deng's dazed gaze, her thoughts were also transmitted into her heart through her brother.

"My heart was filled with haggardness, and my eyes were trembling."

"I'm all alone in this world..."

Lonely and afraid, I used to be so alone, but I felt uneasy about my own eccentricity.

But when did it start? The person who first told me that he wanted to understand the world in my eyes entered my world uncontrollably and became an inseparable part of my life.

He told me that my world is my treasure and the proof that I am unique in this world.

He said to his parents, I don’t need to be changed, I feel this kind of loneliness, my spiritual world does not need to be changed, and everything about me does not need to be interfered with.

He also said... that he would always be by my side until those who didn't understand me noticed the light that I was emitting.

But, brother, you know what?

From the moment you knocked on my heart and stepped into my world, I was no longer lonely in my heart.

If I can really become that ray of light one day, then it must be you who has become the light and illuminated my world first.

Brother, you are the only light that illuminates my whole world.

"Why are your hands so warm?"

"Hey, please."

"Please never let go from now on."

"Never, ever, never let go..."

Under the sound of the piano, Gao Songdeng, who was gazing at his brother's figure, was completely absorbed in it. He unconsciously sang along with him this line of lyrics, which was also the only voice in Gao Songdeng's heart right now.

……

"Oh, isn't this Xiaoqi? Is she coming out with Xiaodeng today too?"

The next day, brother and sister Chen Qi and Deng once again went outdoors together. The uncles and aunts in the community, who had already known about their relationship, were particularly welcoming to them.

After all, Chen Qi and Gao Songdeng, a pair of siblings, are very eye-catching in the eyes of the community. Thanks to Deng's cuteness and strange behavior, as well as Chen Qi's maturity, the neighbors in the community are familiar with this pair of siblings who don't seem to be close, but are always together.

But on this day, everyone keenly discovered that this pair of siblings was different from the past...

"Have you two siblings gotten along better?"

"Well, it seems so." Chen Qi took the raw meat from the uncle in the butcher shop and answered his questions calmly. This was also the last ingredient he wanted to buy before going home.

"Brother, let me help you."

After Chen Qi took the raw meat, Gao Songdeng, who had been timid, mustered up the courage to talk to Chen Qi. She took the raw meat from Chen Qi's hand and helped him share a little bit of the pressure.

And the next moment, under the extremely horrified gaze of the butcher, Gao Songdeng actually reached out his hand and gently grabbed the hand of his brother beside him.

Soon, Deng waited for Chen Qi's response. Feeling the hand held by her brother, she couldn't help but use a little more strength and held it tightly, as if she wanted to hold his hand like this forever and never let go.

Two years ago, facing Chen Qi who had always been by his side and watching over him, more than one person asked him about Chen Qi's identity.

At that time, Gao Songdeng could only be questioned timidly by everyone until Chen Qi came to help her out and responded again and again, "I am Deng's sworn brother."

And now... Gao Songdeng, who was holding Chen Qi's hand, was secretly hoping that this intimate scene between him and his brother would attract the attention and inquiries of curious people.

By then, she will finally be able to muster up the courage to say the words she has been waiting for for so long.

"Yes, Qi, he is my brother."

No, it's not just that...

He is my best brother, my light, and my whole world.

Chapter 44: Gao Songdeng's memory: A secret known only to the two of us...

Gao Songdeng has always felt that it was her brother who changed her. Although she did not become an "ordinary person" as she wished, as Chen Qi said, more and more people began to discover her "bright spots".

After entering junior high school, his lifestyle did not change much, but Gao Songdeng no longer felt lonely and helpless because of Chen Qi's existence. He was no longer troubled by the strange looks from people around him. Instead, he felt confident and bold to do whatever he wanted and be a "unique" person.

Because Takamatsu Deng now fully understands that it is impossible for her to make everyone like her, nor is it possible for everyone to understand the world in her eyes.

And myself...as long as there is one person who can understand me, that's enough.

However, Gao Songdeng never imagined that this little wish that she had originally wanted to keep would be broken one day in a way that even she could not expect.

And it all started when she met a new friend...

Takamatsu Deng has always believed that Toyokawa Shoko is very similar to his brother. They both have a wonderful sense of tolerance, which can accommodate many things that they do not understand at the moment, but are full of novelty.

They will also make a series of efforts to understand the world from the perspective of others. And it is this commonality that makes Takamatsu Deng and Toyokawa Shoko, two girls from different junior high schools and different classes, become good friends.

At least, for Takamatsu Deng, Toyokawa Shoko is the second person after her brother who will take the initiative to understand the world as she sees it.

At that time, Gao Songdeng felt very happy in his heart.

Because ever since her brother, whom she depended on, entered high school, and because of what Chen Qi's high school teacher said, "With your son's current grades, it will be risky for him to get into college if he doesn't attend cram school," Chen Qi, who was facing tremendous pressure to go to college, found it difficult to stay with Deng all the time as she did in the past.

Although Deng knew that her brother cared about her as always, and the distance between their hearts had never lengthened due to the reduction in the time they spent together...but the appearance of Xiangzi did fill the inner emptiness of Deng because of Chen Qi's busyness.

The origin of the shift in the friendship between Takamatsu Deng and Toyokawa Shoko comes from Takamatsu Deng once again sharing his "world" with his spiritual friend...

Xiangzi: "Deng! This song! Could it be the lyrics? Is this song originally written by Deng?"

Deng: "Ah... no... this was written by my brother. He used the words I wrote in the notebook to adapt it into this song."

Xiangzi: "Really? Deng! Can I see your brother?"

Hey?

Why... would Xiangzi mention his brother?

For some reason, Gao Songdeng looked at Toyokawa Shoko, whose eyes were full of strong curiosity, and her heart unconsciously tightened slightly. An uneasy sense of crisis made her subconsciously close her mouth and not reveal any information about Chen Qi to Shoko.

Later, Takamatsu Deng learned from Xiangzi that just now, when Xiangzi saw "Haruhi Shadow" in the notebook, she had an idea - she wanted to form a band, a band like the predecessors of Tsukinomori whom Xiangzi admired very much.

"If Deng can introduce your brother to the new band, that would be a great help! That way our band will have the best arranger and lyricist!" Xiangzi at that time also looked at the slightly dazed Gao Song Deng with a smile and expectation, and said urgently:

"So, Deng, can you allow me to meet your brother?"

"To be honest, I have also learned some arrangement, but I really like this song "Haruhi Shadow"! So I want to know, who is the brother of Deng who can create this song?"

Deng: "Well...my brother is a high school student and is going to enter higher education recently, so it's not very convenient."

"Really? That's a pity."

Faced with Xiangzi who was so eager to see his brother, Gao Songdeng chose to refuse for the first time in his life and concealed part of the truth from his friends.

Gao Songdeng knew very well that if she really asked her brother to join the band with her, he would immediately put down everything he was doing and come to help her as soon as possible.

But, for some reason, Gao Songdeng subconsciously did not want Xiangzi and his brother to really meet.

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko who looked quite regretful and seemed to have chosen to give up, Deng felt inexplicably relieved... She thought that this topic would end here completely.

but……

As time went by, Gao Songdeng realized that Xiangzi was not a person who would only get enthusiastic for a short time. Like Chen Qi, she was a person who did what she said. Therefore, within a few days, she had already found all the members to form a band.

Takamatsu Deng, also met a lot of new friends... Shiina Tatsuki, who has a cold expression and is very strict about music.

Wakaba Mutsu has almost no expression, but seems to be a very fragile child inside.

And, although she looks gentle, I always feel that Nagasaki Suyo is always lonely.

The band they formed was called "Crychic". For some reason, Xiangzi strongly recommended her to take the most important position of lead singer, but Takamatsu Deng was unable to sing for a long time in front of these four friends who she had known for no more than a month.

In order to help Deng overcome the psychological obstacles, Xiangzi also made a lot of efforts with Deng, such as shouting loudly on the overpass, going to karaoke to build up courage, or going to the aquarium and planetarium that Deng liked, but all to no avail.

In the end, the helpless Xiangzi realized that her method was not suitable, but she did not give up. Instead, she took the initiative to invite Deng to have a heart-to-heart talk.

"I'm sorry, Xiangzi... I can sing out loud when I'm at home, but when I'm in front of everyone, I can't do it..."