Loneliness and Rock and Roll with Band Observer

Deng nodded as if suddenly realizing something. "So that's how it is... I thought it would just dry up and crumble on the road until it was unrecognizable."

After saying that, she put the dried petal back on the ground.

"Akie-senpai has always been good at considering things from a realistic perspective."

She seemed to be saying this with some implication.

"This is completely different from Teacher Akihoko."

So Deng and Qiuhui continued to move forward.

They passed by old-fashioned office buildings, by a decoration store selling fancy gadgets, by a cafe and a bar, and by a high school campus that neither of them recognized.

"Like Deng said, I've always been used to thinking about things in a realistic way. Even when it comes to Akira's novels, I sometimes pretend to analyze them and try to come to some conclusions about whether they'll sell well or not. I sometimes also refer to market trends and give her some suggestions on plots..."

Having said that, Qiu Hui made up her mind to get to the point.

"Deng, if I say that what Qiu Rongzi wrote is actually... not exactly what she thought."

It was a bit too blunt, but Qiu Hui felt like she couldn't care less.

"There are a lot of things that are completely made up just to be popular... So what do you think?"

She looked uneasily at the light beside her, waiting for her answer.

Chapter 113 Even so, please come with me

At this time, the lights stopped.

Judging from her somewhat serious expression, she seemed to be thinking about this issue in a very serious manner.

"…made it up just to be popular?" Deng looked a little confused.

How should I put it? It looked like she had no idea what this meant.

"That is to say..." Akie explained, "the plot and the emotional changes of the characters in the book are deliberately arranged to cater to the audience's appetite. Akiko herself may not think the way she is shown in the book... She may even hate it."

"..."

After being silent for a moment, Deng suddenly spoke about something that seemed unrelated.

“Aine said last time that she doesn’t have much enthusiasm for the band, and even if she tries to cheer herself up, she can’t keep going for long. So, she feels that she doesn’t deserve everyone’s kindness.”

Deng's words reminded Qiu Hui of the whole incident.

“Yeah. Aine told me that at first, she just wanted to attract attention and blend into the atmosphere of Hanegaoka.”

After Qiu Hui said this, she seemed to realize something.

"Deng, you mean..."

“I actually never knew what Aine was thinking. After she told me her thoughts, I didn’t have the time to think about whether such thoughts were right or wrong.”

Deng lowered his head with a look of lingering fear.

"The only thing I was worried about was how I could help her."

“I actually haven’t thought about what Aine is thinking, or whether she thinks what she’s doing is appropriate.”

“Because, if Aine, who encouraged me and helped me to cheer up, left, I wouldn’t know what to do… That was the only thing I was thinking about at the time.”

At this moment, Qiu Hui suddenly felt a touch on her arm.

“…Huh?”

She looked in the direction of Deng in surprise. Deng pursed his lips and held Qiu Hui's wrist tightly with his small hand.

"I actually... do know. Akie... is just a student like me, but she has all kinds of work to do. She also has her own band to take care of, but she always tries her best to help us..."

Deng's tone was a little shy.

"I'm very grateful to Akiie-senpai for doing so much for me."

However, Qiu Hui was more uneasy than her.

From the tone of her voice...it seems like she...already knows something?

Or... could it be...

She actually knew it all?

If this is true, then my vigilance during this period...

Thinking of this, Qiu Hui smiled self-deprecatingly in her heart.

What do you mean by strict defense? Actually, I never paid much attention to keeping it confidential.

Although theoretically speaking, the existence of the identity of Qiu Rongzi was originally just to conceal the fact that I was the author of the novel from Deng.

But after that, I gradually came to regard her as a character I played, or in other words, an "imaginary friend" like in the book.

Although I enjoyed it a bit, I didn't really pay attention to keeping it a secret. I probably can't even count the amount of information that has leaked out.

Thinking of this, she decided to try to ask Deng for clarification.

"...Deng, how much do you know about Akiyoko?" Akihime asked seriously.

In response to her question, Deng smiled contentedly. Although he did not answer directly, he slightly increased the strength of his grip on Qiu Hui's wrist.

"Akiroko-sensei... is a very gentle person." She said with a smile, "She also gets hurt, tired, feels pain, and loses her way, just like me and everyone else."

"But, she didn't want to share her pain with others. That's why she chose to hide her feelings like that... She even wore a mask when she went on stage."

Deng's words made Qiu Hui feel dizzy for a short time, but then she felt a strange feeling of floating joy.

She really knows everything, right?

And is it to be understood in this way?

"...Perhaps everyone has this concern. If you expose your useless side, it will hurt everyone."

"I thought at the time that maybe it was because I didn't sing well that Xiao Xiang left CRYCHIC without explaining anything. So, I fell into confusion, thinking that I couldn't do anything, and ran away from everyone."

“But, when Aine also ran away from me for similar reasons, I felt a strong sense of uneasiness and sadness. She was very similar to me at that time… She ran away because she was afraid of hurting everyone, but this kind of escape itself actually hurt everyone. This kind of self-contradictory thing… is really sad.”

Deng loosened his grip on Qiu Hui's wrist, then moved slightly downward and held Qiu Hui's hand.

"So...Akie-senpai. Please, please tell Akiho-sensei."

Deng said this in a meaningful tone.

Although on the surface the two were still being discussed separately, Akie felt that Deng actually already knew the answer, which was why he spoke in that tone.

"...I will continue to accompany her no matter what."

"So, I hope she can be a little more confident in herself."

……

The hot summer sun shines directly down, heating up the asphalt road.

In such hot weather that makes people forget about poetry, on the side of an ordinary street.

The girls held hands tightly and expressed their feelings.

"..."

Qiu Hui nodded somewhat dazedly.

"...I'll tell her."

She lowered her head, filled with emotion.

"Tomoe, actually...I've been worried."

After a brief inner struggle, Qiu Hui raised her head again, her eyes slightly moist.

"Because writing novels... is actually hard to call stable. Even if the previous book is successful enough, the next book may be cut short due to poor sales, or even finished in one volume."

"Not being able to make money is terrible enough. But for the author, there is actually something... even more terrible."

"That's right, I know how to write to get good results... but I just can't write something like that."

Akie let out a shaky sigh.

"I... have to work hard... for some reason."

"If I don't get paid enough... I can't make a living."

For Qiu Hui, who was alone, this was a very serious dilemma.

Perhaps a child like Deng, who is loved by his family in a normal way, cannot understand it.

But even though she couldn't understand, she still reached out her hand to Qiu Hui.

"I actually... don't know how I can help Akie-senpai."

"But, even so, I and everyone in the band will be with you, Akiie-senpai."

she whispered.

"So, Akiie-senpai, please... continue to watch over us from now on."

Under the bright sunshine, the smile of the lamp makes people feel relaxed and happy.

Chapter 114 I Want It All

“…Hmm.”

As usual, I was woken up by the alarm clock and stood up in a daze.

She turned off the alarm, washed her face and brushed her teeth. Qiu Hui looked at herself in the mirror with sleepy eyes, picked up a comb and hastily combed her messy hair.

She came to the closet and prepared to change her clothes. Just as she took out her uniform top from the closet, she suddenly thought of something.

"Oh, yeah. It's summer vacation already."

Looking down at the Yuqiu school uniform shirt in her hand, Qiu Hui shook her head helplessly and stuffed it back into the closet.

Although today is a working day, the closing ceremony was held yesterday. From today until September, it is summer vacation, in other words, there is no need to go to school.

No need to go to school...

Thinking of this, Qiu Hui fell back onto the bed and got under the quilt.

I actually forgot something as important as taking a holiday. It seems my mental state has really not been very good recently.

Therefore, Qiu Hui planned to take advantage of the morning time when there was no school bell to take a short nap.

"..."

Having said that, Akie is the type who can't fall asleep again once she's woken up.

Even if I was exhausted and drowsy under the bed, I still couldn't really fall asleep after returning to bed.

Even if I was woken up in the middle of the night, I would toss and turn before I could fall asleep, not to mention now when it was already bright outside.

"I can't stand this. I guess I have no choice but to get up and find something to do..."

After some trouble, Qiu Hui changed into casual clothes and went downstairs.

The weather was clear at the moment, and even in the morning, the sun was so scorching that she could hardly open her eyes.

What should I do today?

Qiu Hui walked aimlessly on the street, still thinking about her next arrangements with a fuzzy mind.

Anyway, let's have breakfast first. It's always a good idea to eat first.

And what comes after that?

Practice...seems like there's no schedule.

Aine... nothing happened.

As for the library procedures...there is no need for me to be involved yet.

Firm...The contract was just signed not long ago, and there is no work arrangement yet.