Loneliness and Rock and Roll with Band Observer

"So who should I talk to?"

Togawa Aie made a sad face and drank some sparkling water to relieve her sorrow.

Although she found a LIVEHOUSE, she did nothing in there except drinking drinks.

I checked the job posting on the bulletin board at the door - and it turned out no one needed a keyboard player.

There were people coming and going in the LIVEHOUSE, and from time to time young women who looked like they were in a band would appear.

But the question is how to approach and talk?

"Excuse me, do you need a keyboard player?"

What's with this feeling of being a door-to-door salesman?

Besides, everyone should be busy with their own things... If I rashly go up to them and talk to them, they will just hate me, right?

Also, what if the other party agrees to the request, but puts forward a condition, "Please play a piece over there to see how good it is?" With my current level of D major arpeggio practice, I might even play the wrong notes?

To put it bluntly, this is clearly a commercial operation organized by the library, why can't they arrange some people to form a band with me in advance...

Didn't Kasumi Shiko say that stakeholders are the most reliable? Why do you want me to come to a wild LIVEHOUSE without any protection to look for potential members?

Ahhh, this is so scary. I might be disliked. Maybe the members with unique personalities will look at me like I'm trash. For example, the drummer will definitely be the one because I feel like drummers always have very bad tempers and a grumpy face all day long...

Suddenly, Qiu Hui, who was immersed in her own wild imagination, noticed the sound of conversation coming from not far away.

“How could this happen? You actually ran away at this moment…”

"It can't be helped. Maybe we will never meet again in this life."

"That would be troublesome... maybe we should look for a replacement?"

You just said you were looking for someone, right?

Togawa Aie's nervous system, which had become sensitive due to stress, instantly captured the signal.

"Excuse me!"

She jumped up from her chair and walked quickly to the two people who were worried about the temporary shortage of staff.

"Excuse me! Are you in need of a keyboard player?"

Akie's eyes sparkled as she made eye contact with the drummer with his blonde hair in a side ponytail.

Chapter 3 Liang and Hongxia

“Ah, ahahaha…”

Yidi Chi Hongxia smiled awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.

The girl with long black hair in front of him had eyes full of anticipation.

I guess she must be worried about not being able to find bandmates.

Would it be too hurtful to tell her directly that we are not hiring keyboard players?

"I'm so sorry."

In the end, the first person to speak was Yamada Ryo who was standing nearby.

She looked at the girl who suddenly appeared with her chic eyes under her straight bangs.

"The one who ran away was the lead guitarist. We don't recruit keyboard players anyway. If you really want to join, please pay the extra fee for adding the keyboard part to the arrangement..."

"There is no such charged item!" Hong Xia quickly stopped her friend from talking nonsense.

She then turned around and apologized with a gentle smile: "I'm really sorry, but we didn't plan to add a keyboard player to the team from the beginning? Please..."

"How much?"

"Huh?" Hongxia was startled by the unexpected question.

"I mean, how much? That extra fee!" Togawa Aie subconsciously began to rummage through her wallet.

"Well, I think it's about..." Liang began to think about the amount very seriously.

"I told you I won't take any money! STOP!"

After some chaos, Hong Xia finally persuaded the two people who were willing to fight and be beaten.

"I always feel so sorry..." She looked at Qiu Hui, who looked desperate as if her soul had been taken away, apologetically, "You seem to really want to join the band."

"So, can I be the lead singer?" Qiu Hui seemed unwilling to admit defeat. "I am confident in karaoke! Although I always go alone...but! The system score can be above 90!"

"Oh, it's the lone karaoke guy!" Liang seemed to agree, "It's really rock and roll!"

"I don't think she went to karaoke alone because she liked it..."

Hongxia looked at the lost girl in front of her with some sympathy.

"Let me introduce myself first. My name is Ijichi Nijinka! I'm the drummer of our band! If you want to be the lead singer... do you know how to play the guitar?"

"Won't……"

"It's difficult if you don't know how to play guitar. A band can be without a keyboard player, but it can't be without a guitar player!"

"I, I can tune the keyboard to sound like a guitar..."

"That won't work." Ryo shook his head. "There is a charm of string instruments that cannot be replaced by keyboards. Bassist, Ryo. Of course, even a 90-point score at karaoke cannot replace it. Sorry."

"Why is the self-introduction in the middle?!"

Togawa Akie smiled helplessly: "It's my turn now. My name is Togawa Akie... I'm a student at the nearby Hanaoka Girls' College."

"We're from Shimokitazawa High School. But by the way, isn't Haneda a school famous for having many bands?" asked Hongxia.

"It's a lot, but everyone in the band has formed their own group, so there's no room for outsiders like me to get involved."

Qiu Hui looked depressed.

"Or rather, it's because there are so many bands that the number of potential partners is actually smaller. After all, the school is full of people who want to play in a band, and everyone just needs to choose from within their own network."

"The group... is so heavy." Hongxia shook her head.

"Yeah, luckily I have a friend like Nijigasaki, so I don't have to fit in with the group," Ryo commented seriously.

Looking at the girl in front of her who was as dejected as a stray cat, Hong Xia couldn't help but feel a little sympathy.

"Well... if Akie-chan can't find a bandmate, she can join in." She smiled, "With a keyboard player, the music will become richer, right?"

"The difficulty of cooperation has naturally increased." Ryo nodded seriously, "So it is more appropriate to charge a fee. How about a friendly price of 10,000 yen this time?"

"It's about the price of a mobile game... it's acceptable..."

"I told you there's no such charge! You're such a fool!"

"Well... But if it's free, then of course there are ways to do it."

Liang stood up and signaled with his eyes. Qiu Hui looked in that direction and saw an electronic keyboard there.

"Then please express yourself through music."

Although he had been talking about irrelevant topics before, Yamada Ryo now seemed very serious.

In front of Ryo who suddenly became serious, Togawa Aie was in tears.

Sure enough, the situation I was worried about happened...Expressing myself through music?

With my mediocre skills, I can't express anything at all! It's just the babbling of a baby at best, right?

It's better to pay for it!

"Sorry... Actually, my level is still far from that level..."

She bowed slightly to the two of them.

...As expected, it won't be successful if I approach a band with a "business" mentality?

"I'm sorry to bother you. I wish you all the best..."

“No, it’s okay! Well, it doesn’t matter even if our level is terrible. We are all amateurs after all. We are high school students forming a band. I think it’s more important to have fun…”

Ijichi Hongxia tried hard to keep Akiie.

The latter's actions seemed to have left some distorted impression in her mind.

Xiao Qiuhui must be not good at socializing and does not have outstanding skills, which is why she is always rejected by everyone and cannot find a band to join.

However, even so, she keeps looking for possible partners, and even when she meets complete strangers, she still musters up the courage to ask for our joining. If this sincerity is just buried like this, wouldn't it be a pity?

"So, um..."

"Togawa-san."

Yamada Ryo took two steps forward and put his hand on Akie's shoulder.

"……What's wrong?"

"So-called expression is to show your true self."

"It doesn't matter if it's clumsy or ugly. Even so, you have to show it. That's what expression is."

"..."

Qiu Hui raised her head and looked at the electronic piano.

What this means is... as long as I am willing to play, no matter how the music turns out, I can successfully join the band?

If that's the case... Qiu Hui mustered up her courage. Let's do it! Let's get this troublesome matter over with!

"Then, then I'll play it? Please give me your guidance..."

"Come on!" Hongxia waved her drumsticks with a smile.

Qiu Hui came behind the electronic piano.

Stand still, take a deep breath, and touch the black and white piano keys with your ten fingers.

"Duo."

The right hand presses down in the high pitch. Speaking of which, the left hand should be matched with a chord...

"Duo."

"Shu."

"Shu."

Not good, the rhythm seems messed up after adding the chords!

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

"Shu."

In this case... it seems to be okay. It feels like the muscle memory from elementary school is gradually reviving?

Could play a little faster...

"F.F.M.M.."

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. To be honest, it seems a bit embarrassing to play such a song in such an occasion...

"Rui. Rui. Duo."

"call……"

Feeling, slowly finding the feeling?

Actually, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star was originally just an adaptation of the first section of Mozart's variations.

Let's make the melody a little more complicated based on that. Otherwise it would be too embarrassing...

Qiu Hui, whose hands were originally sweaty, became more and more natural in her playing posture.

The two audience members clapped their hands gently and gave encouragement with their eyes.

"Thanks to Mozart... the situation has gradually turned around."

“Although there were occasional wrong notes, overall I still played it well!”

Feeling the increasingly smooth melody coming from her fingertips, Qiu Hui secretly watched the two people in front of her out of the corner of her eye.

So... have I successfully expressed myself through music?