Loneliness and Rock and Roll with Band Observer

However, after seeming to hesitate for a moment, she finally made up her mind.

In order to facilitate the next operation, she even stood up from the bed.

“…Is this all right?”

Xiangzi looked at Qiu Hui standing beside the bed in confusion. Her face was red at the moment, but her tone was as anxious as if she was catching a train during the morning rush hour.

"Of course you can...but you don't have to take off the lower part, right?"

"Oh damn! Toyokawa-san is such a nuisance!"

Qiu Hui crawled into the bed in despair, buried her face in the pile of clothes, and no one knew what she was thinking...but she looked very nervous anyway.

"Forget about that! Let's talk about something else! Anything is fine!"

Chapter 72: The spiritual connection between workers

"Anything?"

Akihime suggested talking about other topics, and Xiangzi was very happy about it.

After all, she just happened to be planning on chatting more about personal matters with Qiu Hui, and was thinking about what to use to start the conversation.

Faced with the opportunity that came to her doorstep, she happily asked, "In that case, then... well, how about we talk about Akie's daily life? Apart from going to school and playing in the band, how does Akie usually spend her day?"

"How did you spend your time? Hmm... pretty normal?" Akihime answered, "I was mostly busy with work recently..."

"Work?" Xiangzi's eyes lit up, "Do you mean part-time job?"

"Not really." Akie shook her head. "I've been submitting to the light novel library recently."

In her haste to change the subject, she forgot to conceal her situation as she usually did, and subconsciously told the truth.

"Novel? Well, how are the sales?" Xiangzi couldn't wait to get to the point.

"You're so straightforward... It's just so-so." Akie shook her head, "But it's enough to cover the rent and daily living expenses."

At this moment, she seemed to realize that it was impolite to turn her back to the other person while chatting, so she sat up straight and covered her body with the quilt.

Xiangzi also sat up straight, and the two of them sat side by side, covered with the same quilt.

"What do you mean by rent?" Xiangzi asked, "Does Qiu Hui earn money to pay the rent herself?"

"...That's about it." Akie sighed a little embarrassedly. "How should I put it? Because there was a little bit of a quarrel with my family... So now I'm basically in a self-financing state. Apart from tuition, I have to pay for all expenses myself."

"Really?" Xiangzi was shocked, "You even pay the rent yourself?"

So, can you make so much money just by writing novels?

"...At least that's the case now." Qiu Hui nodded. "It was a little difficult at the beginning...but it's all over. Although life is still a little tight now, it feels good to earn my own money and spend it myself."

After talking about work, Qiu Hui suddenly felt inexplicably relieved.

Logically speaking, there was no need to talk about these things. In fact, talking about them would seem like showing off, so she usually kept silent about them.

However, Qiu Hui, who was a little confused by a series of events, did not have so many concerns at the moment.

"That's amazing." Xiangzi nodded from the bottom of his heart, "While working, he actually has the spare time to take care of the band..."

"…This needs to be corrected."

Qiu Hui, who was a little confused, subconsciously expressed her thoughts.

“It’s not really about ‘taking care of’ the band… Playing in a band is part of my job now.”

With her mouth opened, Akihime talked incessantly about her own affairs.

"This is actually arranged by the library... At first, I just wanted to enrich the character design and hype the new work, but now I am considering signing a serious contract. High school bands are very popular now, and the market is surprisingly large."

"Before we met at the convenience store just now, I was actually thinking about this...ah, I got off topic." Akie shook her head. "I got a little carried away and talked about some inexplicable topics. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, I'm very interested." Xiangzi said, "especially the aspect of 'signing a contract'..."

Xiangzi lowered his head slightly, and a little confusion was reflected in his amber pupils.

“…Can high school students really make money by playing in a band?” she asked.

"If they can be particularly successful, they will have a wide market." Qiu Hui showed a slightly conservative attitude. "For a group at the top of the pyramid of girl bands, it is not impossible to perform in a large venue with tens of thousands of people. Even if they only get a small share, they can still count the money until their hands are tired."

"Of course, that's the ideal situation. Perhaps only the top 10% of groups can perform without paying for it themselves. As for groups whose income can be comparable to that of a regular job... it's probably not an exaggeration to say that only one in a hundred can do it."

"yes……"

Xiangzi lowered his head, as if thinking about something, and then shook his head gently.

Akie turned to look at the silent Shoko and asked, "I've talked so much about myself. In exchange, can Toyokawa-san also tell me a little about yourself?"

"Of course...but before that, Akihime, how about considering changing your name?" Xiangzi suggested with a smile.

"Is that so... Then, Shoko-san," Akie said, "Is this okay?"

Changing the surname to the given name shortens the distance a lot. Adding the suffix "classmate" also makes it more polite.

After weighing the pros and cons, Qiu Hui decided to call her that.

Xiangzi nodded slightly, indicating that he was generally satisfied with the title.

"My business, actually... there's nothing much to talk about." Xiangzi shook his head. "Although I'm also working, I'm not as impressive as Qiu Hui. Basically, I'm just doing odd jobs."

Xiangzi paused for a moment, as if thinking about what to say next and what not to say.

"I've mentioned this before, haven't I? My family is having some financial difficulties." She lowered her voice slightly, "I can rely on scholarships to pay for tuition, but as for daily expenses, I can only rely on odd jobs to supplement them."

"Is that so? Then it must be very hard, right?" Qiu Hui asked with some concern.

Xiangzi's statement seemed to imply that she was not having a quarrel with her family, but perhaps there was something wrong with the entire family.

If I had the last option of surrendering to my parents and sister when I was at my wits' end... then for her, this last retreat did not exist.

After realizing this, Akie's sympathy for Shoko deepened slightly.

"If you say it's hard..." Xiangzi smiled and clenched his fists hidden under the quilt.

Although she wanted to say "it's all over" as calmly as the other person did, she knew very well that she couldn't do it.

“…It was very hard.” She nodded. “It was very hard until I met Akie.”

“I see… This is really amazing…” Akie turned her head away a little embarrassedly, “It’s not easy.”

...What she just said should mean "I worked until I met me". Although it can be understood from other angles, this is what she meant now.

"My situation is pretty much like this." Xiangzi shook his head. "In order to get the scholarship, I have to study hard; in order to make a living, I have to work hard. So apart from studying and working, there is nothing else to talk about."

Qiu Hui turned her head and looked at Xiangzi's face, which looked a little haggard but still forced a smile.

"...I see. Then, let's talk about something else." She responded with a friendly smile.

Maybe Xiangzi doesn't want others to see his vulnerable side, so he downplays his hard work, Qiu Hui thought.

Akihime seemed to have realized this a little bit, so she didn't ask any more questions. Is it because of similar experiences that their thinking patterns are similar? Xiangzi thought.

How should I put it? Maybe we are really the same kind on some level...

The two of them had the same thought at the same time.

Chapter 73 What I want to convey

Realizing their mutual connection, both of them felt a little more at ease.

Also thanks to the quilt covering her, Qiu Hui could temporarily ignore the fact that their bodies were touching and pressing against each other, and focus on their conversation.

"Well, it's rare for us to chat together like this, so I think it's better to talk about some lighter topics." Xiangzi smiled, with a hint of bitterness in his smile.

I was working the night shift an hour ago, but I didn't expect to be sitting on the same bed with Qiu Hui now.

Meeting him by chance in a convenience store and then being taken in for the night was like a dream.

Therefore, Xiangzi felt that he wanted to talk about some topics that were unrelated to the current reality, topics that would allow him to... temporarily forget about his work and financial difficulties and return to the simple and beautiful state of mind of the past.

"Akie, do you like listening to music?"

So, she asked this question with a chuckle.

"I listen to it quite often," Qiu Hui answered. "When I don't know what to do, I want to listen to music. Especially when I'm commuting or going out for a walk. Sometimes I'll set aside some time before going to bed to close my eyes and concentrate on listening."

"Oh, so, do you have the habit of watching performances?" Xiangzi asked.

"No. The membership fee for the streaming platform alone is a considerable expense, and the tickets for the performances are even more expensive." Qiu Hui sighed, "Besides, running around the venue is really tiring and time-consuming. If there are too many people on site, I will also be a little troubled."

"Really? I feel like if I don't go to the show, something will be missing."

Xiangzi spoke slowly. On that delicate face, a rare trace of the innocence and liveliness that a girl should have was revealed.

"What's missing? For example... uh, resonance? A sense of connection? Communication of emotions?"

Akie responded in a speculative tone.

"...Qiu Hui, you're surprisingly understanding." Xiangzi was stunned, then covered his mouth and chuckled.

"That's what I said... but I don't really understand it either." Akie shook her head. "Recently, I've been using this kind of word a lot when writing. I don't know the exact meaning, but I use it very easily. It's really confusing."

Xiangzi didn't say anything, but just stared at Qiu Hui quietly.

After taking off her glasses, she seemed to have taken off her original steady and intellectual shell; the remaining part exuded a cautious melancholy, making people aware of the carefully groomed fragility hidden within.

Xiangzi's gaze lingered on Qiuhui's profile, reading every line and curve, texture and luster.

Because I usually don't pay attention to maintenance, I can notice obvious flaws. It's like a swan falling into a quagmire, with its feathers stained by mud.

Suddenly, Xiangzi thought of an old friend.

Although their personalities are quite different, that person and Akie have similar eyes.

"By the way, Akie."

Because he remembered the relationship with that person, Xiangzi took the initiative to speak and interrupted Qiu Hui's topic.

"The lyrics of that song were written by Deng. Do you know this?" Xiangzi asked.

"Yeah." Qiu Hui nodded, a little confused, "Why did you suddenly mention the light?"

Although it was not stated explicitly, she knew what Xiangzi was referring to as "that song".

"Because, that was actually the first time that Deng tried to write lyrics."

Xiangzi raised his head slightly and looked at the ceiling of the rental house.

"Before that, she wrote... something like a diary. She wrote down her thoughts directly, like a cry from the heart."

Thinking of the past scenes, the corners of her mouth rose slightly.

"However, Akie's situation is a little different. You said it just now, right? Although you mentioned those words in your writing, you don't really understand their true meaning."

Shoko stared at his own reflection in Aki'e's pupils.

"Deng Shu wrote the cry of his heart, but what Qiu Hui wrote was not his own voice."

"Can I understand it this way?"

Then she asked this question in a gentle and calm voice.

Qiu Hui answered without hesitation: "Yes."

Her eyes were a little evasive, as if she felt a little ashamed of the answer.

"After all, we have to consider market demand. If it's something that the target readers like to read, then even if you don't understand it at all, you have to find a way to write it."

"In that case, aren't you forcing yourself?" Xiangzi asked worriedly.

Qiu Hui smiled indifferently: "Not really, because most readers are not that picky. Even if it's just specious, they can accept it."

But she quickly lowered her head again, frowning slightly, as if she was blaming herself for such a view.

"If that's the case, have you ever thought about trying to express your true thoughts when writing?"

Xiangzi kept asking, as if he was determined to reach a conclusion that would satisfy him.

"Of course I have thought about it." Qiu Hui smiled, "Every author has the desire to express themselves. If you don't have this idea, why do you want to do this kind of job? The right thing to do is to be an office worker after graduating from university."

"But if you have to make a living by expressing yourself, you naturally have to make compromises and trade-offs. You should cut off what needs to be cut off."

Akie concluded in a casual yet ruthless manner, as if nothing had happened.