Cyberpunk: Nirvana of Shoko Toyokawa

……

rustling.

In the heavy rain.

Xiangzi was running.

She kept running and running.

However, memories of the past still haunted her.

"Deng, you should be the lead singer!"

"Eh?"

"You wrote those lyrics yourself, so of course it's better if you sing them!"

"This is our guitarist, Mu, and bassist, Sushi. They are both my classmates."

"This is Lixi, she's the drummer."

Vivid, gone.

"Karaoke is so fun! This is my first time here!"

"This piece of music here..."

"How do I get the software for arranging 1920s hits? The beta interface shows a 406 error—"

"I'll lend you mine!"

"Do you want to reduce the K frequency?"

"Hey, let's talk about that later! Try this!"

Nostalgic.

"Finally, I'm going to go on stage... huhu, I'm still a little nervous."

"Really, I'm the one singing...?"

"Deng, are you still saying this? If it's not Deng, then it's not okay. Everyone already knows it. The audience will definitely know it soon."

"……Um."

"let's go."

Xiangzi was running.

That day, the song on the stage seemed to still echo in her ears.

……

[My heart is shaking, my eyes are wandering]

[In this world, I am the only one standing alone]

【The spring that only knows falling flowers】

[Still indifferent to me every year]

The first song sung by crychic on stage.

This is also the only song originally created by crychic.

"Spring Shadow".

[In the darkness, I move forward and never look back]

[All I can do is scribble down the words harshly]

[Even though I know that the more I expect, the more disappointed I will be]

[Still searching for redemption]

Lights made of words.

A song composed by Xiangzi.

[Sad, yet endearing]

Every note.

[Now I begin to understand]

Every beat.

[Caught between happiness and madness]

To this day, still.

【I used to be unable to cry】

[Gently drawn by a ray of light]

Unforgettable.

Xiangzi stumbled through container after container, knocking over the messy waste.

[The light shines through the clouds, shining brightly]

Fill my heart till it overflows

Xiangzi ran very far, very far, so far that he could no longer see the group of containers in the distance.

Finally, it stopped.

[At some point, my cheeks sparkled]

[Warmly, warmly, it wet my face]

The lamp recognized itself.

Painful, humiliating, unacceptable.

Before all this, what emerged from the bottom of my heart was a joy that seemed to tear me apart.

"—"

Destitute, in pain, and on the verge of death.

I can tolerate all these.

Even death can be accepted.

but,

but.

【Why are your hands so warm? 】

Xiangzi thought of the look that Deng gave him.

On the catwalk, next to the piano, in the rehearsal room, on the stage.

In the rain.

Looking at my own eyes as I avoided meeting him and pretended that we didn't know each other.

Holding my soft, warm hand tightly.

The scorching body temperature seemed to burn me who was frozen.

[Please, please don't leave]

Think of lights, think of bands, think of music.

Thinking of what she once had and now lost, everything.

[Just like this, always, together]

“—— ——!!!”

In the pouring rain, Xiangzi howled silently.

She was pushing so hard.

It's like vomiting out everything that makes up me.

……

[Fate has come, but it is gradually drifting away]

【Everyone is sad for it, and happy for it】

[At the same time, I count the love as if I were checking my heartbeat]

[Happy, but lonely]

[Now I can understand]

【Cherished, yet feared】

[I couldn’t cry that day]

[Gently embraced by the light]

[The illuminated world, the important person who blooms]

【Finally I understand the warmth of spring】

[For me, for you, tears shed]

[Ah, how dazzling]

[Ah, how beautiful it is...]

……

Recording studio, outside the lounge.

"Thanks for your hard work."

"Thank you~"

The two members of the girl duo band Sumimi, Mana Junda and Hatsuka Sanka, had just finished a job. They walked along the corridor back to the lounge, greeting the staff nearby along the way.

"Hey, Chuhua." Mana suddenly tilted her head, "During the break just now, I heard that there were donuts in the director's room."

"I'll go get one, Chuhua, do you want one?"

"Um……"

"I'll go get one for Chuhua as well."

"Thank you."

Mana waved, walked across the lounge and left.

Chuhua walked into the lounge alone.

There was no one in the exclusive lounge. She sat down on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling.

"..."

Only at times like this would she put away her smile and reveal a somewhat sad expression, as if she was worried about something.

suddenly.

Ring, ring, ring, ring——

A ringing sound came from Chuhua's built-in bone conduction earphones.

She called up the panel and took a look.

It was a voice call from the front desk of the agency.

Chuhua answered it.

"Hey?"

"Miss Sanjiao, there's a call coming in. It's from Miss Xiangzi, who you spoke to earlier."

"Xiao Xiang?"

Chu Hua immediately agreed to the transfer. She sat up and moved her hair aside.

"Hello, Xiaoxiang? What's going on—"