Finally, I became their white moonlight

“…Deng-san, I’m counting on you.”

Her expression returned to calm, she put the microphone stand aside, placed her hands on the piano keys, closed her eyes slightly, and no longer paid attention to the trembling girl in the center of the stage.

——As a keyboard player, all I have to do is trust the lead singer.

"……Um."

Takamatsu Deng reluctantly put his head in front of the microphone and responded softly, but suddenly forgot what he was going to say next.

My mind went blank and my vision began to waver.

My lips were dry, my breathing was difficult, and I couldn't even feel my heartbeat. There was only the harsh silence and stillness constantly scratching my eardrums.

The fear of being noticed by everyone, the fear of failure, the fear of being hated and alienated by friends... at this moment, all surged up from the stomach, tightly gripped the heart, surged to the throat, and finally blurred the eyes.

"what……"

My throat couldn't make any sound. I was in pain, but I couldn't shout out.

Gao Songdeng almost buried his head in his chest, his shoulders drooping, as if he was going to shrink into a watermelon worm on the stage, curl up his body, and roll into a corner where no one could see him.

The heat that seemed to tear the body apart, the shivering arms, the panicked eyes——

"come on!"

Amidst loud cheers, cracks suddenly appeared in the chains that bound their bodies, and a faint light appeared under the cracks.

His vision became clear again, and Gao Songdeng suddenly stood up and raised his head, opening his eyes wide as if desperately, looking for the figure under the stage.

It only took a second for him to meet Ming Hai's eyes.

It was as if the camera was focused and everything except him became blurry.

——At that moment, Takamatsu Deng suddenly remembered what Ming Hai said helplessly while touching his head after the rehearsal.

"You want me to give you courage? Okay, although I'm really not good at this kind of thing..."

"But if you really can't sing in front of so many people, then just watch me sing."

"—treat everyone else as penguins in an aquarium, and just watch me sing."

and so……

Just look at him, just sing for him.

It was exactly the same as during the rehearsal, nothing had changed.

Gao Songdeng was convinced of this matter in his heart.

The gray-haired girl took a deep breath, as if she was facing the entire stage, and as if there was nothing else between her and him, so the sound was smoothly transmitted in his direction.

"Because I haven't thought of the lyrics for the original song yet, what I'm going to sing today is... a cover song."

"From the band Girls Dead Monster..."

"It's a song I really like, and I've practiced it many times... Although I don't know if I can sing it well, I'm also afraid of disappointing everyone. I'm so scared that I don't dare to open my mouth..."

“However, it is because of everyone’s encouragement that I can stand on the stage like this now.”

“No matter how scared I am, no matter how confused I am…because of you all, I have a place where I can shout out my love.”

“Right here.”

The speech is intermittent and incoherent.

It was a soft and timid voice, like whispering to oneself.

But the surroundings became incredibly quiet, as if even the chirping of cicadas had been swallowed up by an invisible vortex.

Only her earnest and clear words gradually filled the air in the venue.

“So, I want you to hear…”

This is the first time I sang a song in front of everyone as the lead singer of [CryCHIC].

The efforts, expectations and encouragement during this period of time.

——Mr. Minghai, everything you have given me will never be in vain.

Ignoring the gazes focused on him, Gao Songdeng looked intently into the eyes of the man in the audience, tightly gripped the microphone in his hand, and spoke softly:

“…My Song.”

Volume 98: Chapter Chapter My Song

"While I was anxiously looking for a place to meet, the day was already over..."

"The sky was shrouded in a grey haze and nothing could be seen ahead."

"The guy pretending to have common sense is laughing. What kind of lies will he tell next time..."

"Can something obtained in this way be carefully decorated?"

Low and slight, her singing spread out like ripples in the sunlight.

Without any technique, she just blends her emotions into her voice, and with the melodious and gentle accompaniment, she pulls every listener into a world where only she exists.

Gradually, more and more people closed their eyes, as if their souls were resonating and they were immersed in it without any resistance.

"Even so, we must move forward towards tomorrow..."

"That's why I sang so loudly—"

The girl on the stage could no longer see the audience, but placed her will in her voice. As the notes gradually rose, she sang with all her might, as if to lift the roof of the entire venue:

"It is you who are crying, it is you who are lonely——"

"That's the right thing to do, that's what makes a human being—"

"The scattered tears are saying this..."

"Thank you for being so beautiful, genuine, and real..."

Like a leaf that is blown high up by the wind and then falls down alone.

This sentiment permeated the entire venue.

She didn't sing heart-wrenchingly, there were no unnecessary movements, and she didn't have any decent stage presence.

Just standing there like a wooden stake. Just expressing emotions more seriously and more focused than anyone else, not caring even if the voice breaks due to excessive force.

Every word and every line of the lyrics seemed to be a cry out for the loneliness and sadness that she had never told anyone else.

With tears in my eyes, with reluctance and with not being understood, I have endured the hardships alone until now.

"The scattered tears are still telling——"

Gao Songdeng bent down, ignoring his ferocious expression, and squeezed into a ball, trying hard to squeeze out the sound from his abdomen.

The high-pitched sound that pierced through the top of people's heads gave goose bumps to all sober people.

But the trembling bass seemed to bite the softest piece of flesh in the heart, and then turned into a thin film, became fish eggs, and completely separated oneself from other people and the world.

Loneliness and sadness wash over everyone's soul like a wave, making people's heads ache and their eyes wet.

Unconsciously, the song gradually came to an end.

Gao Songdeng gradually relaxed his body, letting his shouting calm down into a confession.

Like the sudden cessation of wind and rain, lights illuminate the darkness; like the clearing of clouds to reveal the sun, a cool breeze blows through the summer.

She raised her head again, and under her messy gray bangs were a pair of slightly red eyes filled with tears, looking straight ahead.

Even though the vision became blurred, the figure was still as clear as the sunlight.

Gao Songdeng put the microphone in front of his lips, opened his mouth, and finally revealed a faint smile, letting the tears slide down the corners of his upturned lips, and sang softly:

"In this dirty and ugly world, I am grateful for all the miracles that I have encountered..."

——No matter how deeply you have been hurt by the world.

There will always be someone who will make you forgive all the difficulties in your life.

Maybe this song is meant to express this kind of mood?

Precisely because he has such deep understanding of this, Takamatsu Deng likes this song very much. He feels very involved in the song and feels that he can share many common topics with the lyricist.

...But she doesn't think that the world is dirty and ugly.

After all, isn't the world where Ming Hai and Xiangzi exist a miracle-like and beautiful world?

If you always look down, of course you will stumble and get bruised all over; if you always look at the broken petals and leaves on the ground, of course you won’t see the many cherry blossoms blooming beautifully around you.

After encountering those "miracles", Takamatsu Deng understood this truth.

When the last piano sound fell.

There was no longer any sound in the entire venue, whether it was the band on the stage or the audience below. It was as if even the sound of breathing had disappeared, and everyone was careful not to break the silence.

Until the girl who was the focus of everyone's attention slowly took a deep breath.

She blinked, and without wiping away the tears that naturally rolled down her face, she held the microphone and bowed ninety degrees to the front.

“That’s it for CryCHIC’s performance… Thank you everyone.”

A sound as light and delicate as that of foxtail grass was the first to break the frozen silence.

Afterwards, I don’t know who started clapping first, but thunderous applause broke out one after another.

"Teng-san!"

"Deng-chan..."

"Hey, the light..."

His bandmates gathered around, but Gao Songdeng just stood there blankly, looking a little dazed.

Suddenly, countless sentences and images flashed through my mind.

——Original lyrics, it seems like I’ve got inspiration!

△

When leaving the venue, Ming Hai still felt a little unsatisfied. He felt that the song from his left ear to his head to his right ear was playing on a loop, and his chest was still throbbing clearly.

As for the song sung by Takamatsu Deng, he had not only listened to it several times during rehearsals, but he also bought the original album in order to give her some advice and looked up a lot of relevant information. Naturally, he could be said to be very familiar with it.

"My Song" is a song independently written by Masami Iwasawa, the lead singer and guitarist of Girls Dead Monster, also known as the GDM band.

It is included in her personally released album, and the sales and number of plays on YouTube are very high. It is considered one of her representative songs.

The original song only had vocals and an acoustic guitar, with no other accompaniment. However, after Takamatsu Tomori decided to cover the song, Toyokawa Shoko found a way to adapt it into a band version, adding the melodies of piano, guitar, bass and drums without destroying the atmosphere of the original song.

It doesn't seem abrupt, and it can also well set off the lead singer's highlight moments...but its presence is a bit low.

I guess the audience didn’t have much impression of these four girls and were just shocked by Takamatsu Deng’s singing?

Of course, Xiangzi and others not only had no objections, but were even moved, like the audience, by Takamatsu Deng's performance, which was so different from usual and during rehearsals, and was simply like a god descending from heaven. When they returned to the backstage, they surrounded her with tears in their eyes and praised her, making the little animal girls blush with shame and stammer at a loss for words.

Ming Hai had just walked to the back door of the venue when he heard Toyokawa Shoko's voice.

"The cover song is so touching. If you write an original song... ah, I can't even imagine how many people Deng-san can move..."

Then there was the faint sound of Shiina Riki sniffling.

"Damn it, isn't this making me excited too? Xiangzi, after Deng finishes writing the lyrics, you must write a good song that's as good as "My Song"!"

"Of course! Leave it to me!"

Following behind the two, Nagasaki Motoyo's slightly helpless voice sounded.

"You two, please wipe your tears first... No matter how good Deng-chan's song is, there's no need to be so excited, right? Do you want to cry while you play in the future?"

"It's so noisy! You don't understand the feeling of being shocked to the core!"

"Yes, yes, I don't understand..."

Before he could finish, Ruo Yemu's calm and gentle voice took over.

"But didn't Su Shi shed tears too? I saw you secretly wiping your tears when you left—"

"Mu-chan, there are some things you can't say carelessly, okay? Hmm? Is this the mouth that is talking nonsense?"

"Well……"

"Mu, don't be afraid! I'm here, and Su Shi-san won't do anything to you!"