Loneliness and Rock and Roll with Band Observer

Miao Mengqin is actually a very easy to talk to offline. Maybe she can answer some of my questions?

With this thought in mind, Aiyin dialed Meowmeng's phone number.

"Good evening! It's Aine, what can I do for you?"

Miao Meng's relaxed and cheerful voice came to my ears.

"I have something I want to ask you, Meow Meng-kun."

"You sound so formal! Is there something bothering you?" Miao Meng said with a smile, "We are friends now, so if you have any questions, just... ask... me..."

“Nyanmu kiss?” Aine asked in confusion, because the other party’s tone suddenly became very strange for some reason.

“…It’s nothing! Ask ahead! Don’t worry about it!”

"Thank you, Meow Meng-kun. Actually, this is what happened..."

Aine spoke with a little annoyance.

"... Actually, I just rejected my friend's confession. Because, although I don't hate him, no matter how I think about it, I don't think my attitude towards him can be called 'like'."

"So, instead of accepting it reluctantly, I think it would be better to refuse politely."

"The other person seems to be quite stable emotionally... but, for some reason, I always feel a little... empty inside."

"I didn't like the other person, but after rejecting that person, I always felt like I lost something."

"What do you think is going on, and what should I do?"

As soon as the voice fell, Miao Meng replied: "Let me think about it for a while."

After a pause, she said, "Aine, you don't like that person. Is this certain? For sure? There is absolutely no doubt about it, right?"

"this……"

Miao Meng's aggressive questioning made Aiyin feel a little troubled.

Although I don't really like the idea of ​​​​senpai. But, such a heartless thing to say...

"Three, two, one! Time's up!"

Meow Meng sighed softly on the other end of the phone: "I can't give a definite answer right away, that's why you feel strange, Aine."

“Is that so?” Aine asked confusedly.

“Everyone will have more or less vague thoughts when they experience this feeling for the first time.” Meow Meng explained, “Although I think this vague feeling is actually quite romantic, but since Aine is already troubled by this, I think it’s better to clarify my thoughts.”

"……clear?"

"That's right! Thinking alone may not be enough. Meow Meng, I think it will be more effective if we combine it with corresponding actions!"

After saying that, Miao Meng began to further explain.

"If you think friends should do something, try to invite that person to do it. If you think friends should say something, say it to that person."

"You need to make the other person realize that the relationship between you has not changed at all! If the other person lets go of this matter, you will definitely not continue to be entangled in it, right?"

After Aine thought for a while, she replied in agreement, “…I think I understand a little bit.”

"If you understand, go ahead and give it a try!" Miao Meng said goodbye with a smile, "Come on, bye!"

"Well, bye!"

Aine hung up the phone and stared at the screen in a daze for a while.

Do what friends do...

She recalled what Qiu Hui had said about her opinion on "liking".

Seniors believe that "liking" is exclusive.

Well, if we can do something that is not "exclusive"...

Clicking on the contact interface, Aiyin began typing a new message.

"Senpai, it's summer vacation now, right?"

Since it's summer vacation, I want to go somewhere with everyone. For example, to the beach?

It was all the band members, six of us, so it was more of a gathering of friends than anything else.

"…When it comes to summer vacation, I think of the beach! How about we go to the beach together sometime? If you have time, I hope you can come too!"

That's pretty much it.

Aine sent the message with satisfaction.

So, does that count as something a friend would do?

She put down her phone and waited quietly for a reply.

She didn't have to wait long, Qiu Hui quickly replied.

"..."

However, after reading the reply, there was still not much smile on Aine’s face.

"I still feel a little bit..."

……

Akiie, who was on the train, received a message from Aine.

"…Let's go to the beach."

Moreover, there were six of them together.

Aine included Rakuna and me as well.

Qiu Hui smiled and nodded.

Although, I may not continue to be a support musician in the band, Aine is still my friend.

Akie realized that she would be happy to accept the invitation as a friend.

“I’m very happy that Aine invited me. I’ll send you the dates I expect to be free in the near future. If there is no conflict in time, I will definitely come.”

After sending this message, she thought about it for a moment and added a new message.

"Just now in the practice room, I might have been a little too impulsive. I'm sorry if it caused you trouble. If possible, please pretend that it never happened."

The wording seemed a bit artificial. However, Aine probably wouldn't mind it too much.

So, it’s okay to just send it out like this.

Akie didn't have to wait long before she received a reply from Aine.

"That's great. I'm looking forward to it!"

There are also a few emoticons following it, which probably mean that the person is very happy.

After concluding the conversation, Qiu Hui breathed a sigh of relief.

Aine said that she would try to repair the original relationship.

Is this invitation also part of her efforts?

All in all, Qiu Hui felt a little relieved.

At least, Aine and I can still be good friends...

At this moment, the cell phone ringtone suddenly rang.

The caller ID showed "Toyokawa Shoko".

It seemed that she was off work now. So Qiu Hui answered the phone immediately.

Chapter 12 Xiangzi's Psychological Comfort

not long ago.

"…Thank you for your precious time. You are always welcome to call me next time. I wish you a happy life."

How many times has this happened?

Toyokawa Shoko felt dry mouth.

This time the client was a stubborn and entangled guy, who spoke a dialect that no one knew where in the Japanese archipelago it came from.

The slurred speech, difficult-to-understand accent, and the more or less distortion of telephone voices posed a huge obstacle to Xiangzi's work.

She could only follow the prescribed words and repeat the boring, dry and inefficient communication again and again like a wound-up clock.

Even if the customer himself has lost his patience, she can only continue to maintain a professional and polite attitude.

An outsourced customer service center cannot truly solve problems, nor can it be responsible for various situations encountered by customers.

This is an obvious truth, but the customer turned a blind eye to it and just vented his anger on the staff who were powerless to do anything...

but.

Toyokawa Shoko changed her mind.

It is precisely because the customer service can't do anything that they are asked to endure these unreasonable reprimands.

This way, at least it can serve as a channel for venting...

Pressing the exit button on the screen in front of her, she stood up and breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking around, this hall divided into countless grid-shaped workstations is filled with a deserted atmosphere, and there are more and more vacant workstations.

Xiangzi sighed.

She now realized there was good news and bad news.

The good news is that starting tomorrow, she won't have to endure this torture anymore.

The bad news was that she lost her job and this was the last order she received from this company.

A few days ago, she learned that the company she was currently working for had started a new round of layoffs due to poor performance.

Employees with formal contracts may be able to hold on for a while longer, but part-time temporary workers like Xiangzi will naturally be the first to be laid off.

She even heard that even the building she was currently in seemed to be facing the fate of being renovated and used for other purposes...

"…But this is no longer something I should be concerned about," Xiangzi thought.

The key is where she should find her next part-time job now.

Leaving the building and looking at the gradually darkening sky, she suddenly realized that she unexpectedly missed this damn job.

There is no need to show up in public, and you can stay in an isolated cubicle the whole time, without the risk of being noticed by acquaintances.

Although the work is tiring and frustrating, it is only mental torture after all. It is safe and does not consume too much physical energy.

As for income, it is considered good among the few jobs that allow students to work part-time.

Without this customer service job, what else should I do?

Xiangzi frowned in pain.

Convenience store clerks, receptionists at cafes or restaurants, flyer deliverymen, and deliverymen.

Basically, all the positions that can be thought of that recruit students for part-time work are jobs that require them to be in the spotlight.

Even if the probability is low, what if I run into someone I used to know from Tsuki no Mori, or even a former bandmate...

Xiangzi didn't dare to think about it any more. She knew that her thoughts might just come from unnecessary self-esteem, but for her now, this "unnecessary self-esteem" was one of the few things she could control.

"In the end, it's all my fault, my bastard dad. He just drinks all day long..."

Although he complained like this in his heart, Xiangzi knew that he had no better solution.

If it really comes to a last resort, even the requirement of "not showing up" can be deleted.

If that doesn't work, maybe you really need to consider doing something that might be discovered by acquaintances. In that case, what should you choose...

As she thought about this, she took out her cell phone which had been on silent mode since a while ago.

Customer service work requires constant talking, so it is naturally impossible to be interrupted by a ringing cell phone.

When the screen lit up, Xiangzi noticed the message preview on the lock screen.

"Is there any new news...Akie?"