Loneliness and Rock and Roll with Band Observer

“…It’s all right now! Aine, now all you have to do is move forward!” Tomo shouted. She didn’t seem to have the same awareness as Akie, or maybe her attention was already focused on Aine herself, and she had no time to care about anything else.

"It's aligned, just take a few more steps forward." Su Shi shouted with a smile.

Qiu Hui, who was giving instructions seriously, looked at Su Shi beside her with some surprise. She was pointing in the right direction just now.

Didn’t Su Shi say that she was going to use lies to disrupt Aine’s actions?

Facing Qiu Hui's puzzled look, Su Shi smiled as if he understood what she meant, and then spoke.

"If I tell a lie from the beginning," she explained softly to Akie, "wouldn't it be discovered right away?"

"...Indeed." Akie nodded with a shudder.

For some reason, Su Shi's smiling face made her feel inexplicably uneasy.

Since she had been receiving the correct guidance all along, Aine successfully approached the location of the watermelon.

"Strange, everyone seems to be pointing in the same direction." She muttered to herself, "One of them should be lying..."

Noticing that Aine was now very close to the watermelon, Deng realized that it was time for her to start preparing to hit the watermelon.

“Aine, the watermelon is right here…”

Deng was about to speak when he was suddenly interrupted by Su Shi.

“Watermelon is on Aine’s left, about three steps away!”

Suyo suddenly shouted loudly, and Aine stopped moving.

"Three steps..."

Aine subconsciously followed Su Shi's instructions, and the distance between her and the watermelon became even further away.

This was the first lie Su Shi had told since he began commanding!

“Wrong, wrong! Aine, quickly go back to where you were!” Deng shouted hastily, trying to correct the mistake.

“Aine, the watermelon is on your right…”

After saying this, Su Shi, who seemed to be in a playful mood, added another sentence with a smile.

“…Also, what you said was a lie!”

"Eh? No, that's not right..." Deng was shocked, "We clearly...had an appointment, so you, Su Shi, are the ones who are lying, right?"

"Well, to the person telling a lie, the truth is of course also false, isn't it?" Su Shi responded tit for tat with a smile on his face.

"Eh? The lights are fake, then, then Sushi..."

Confused, Aine stood still as if a nail had been driven into the ground. Although she didn't know what to do, she knew that she must not move at this moment, otherwise things would get even more out of control.

“Aine, um…” Tomo shouted, “Moyo can tell lies… but she can also tell the truth! So… uh, this, how should I put it…”

"If that's the case," Su Shi retorted nonchalantly, "What Xiao Deng said must be a mixture of truth and lies. Your credibility is not much higher than mine, right?"

"this……"

Togawa Aie fell into confusion.

Deng and Su Shi, both claimed that the other was lying.

If... I support the claims of either party, then with two votes against one, the other party will be considered the one telling a lie.

However, the person who tells lies can also tell the truth.

If Aine chooses not to believe what that person says, then the correct guidance given by that person will be deliberately ignored, causing even greater confusion.

and so……

Suddenly, at a certain moment, she thought of a method... which could not be called a method.

“Aine!”

She suddenly spoke, shouting at the loudest volume she could.

"Don't worry about Suyo and Deng! Just listen to me!"

“…Senior?” Aine was stunned.

"I'm not sure about others..."

Qiu Hui shouted vigorously.

"…But what I said was true! Every word!"

Chapter 62 Please Tell Me the Truth

"I'm telling the truth" is actually not convincing at all.

After all, any liar serious enough would swear upon his or her lies.

Objective evidence is more important than subjective statements. Akie herself is the one who knows this best.

But, knowing that all this was meaningless in theory, she still shouted this sentence out loud.

Everything I said is true.

I want to convey this thought to Chihaya Aine.

Although this is just a harmless game...

...But precisely because it's a game, I can say what I want to convey without any psychological burden.

“Now, go back the way you came… OK, stop! We’re a little off the track, turn right a little more… We’ve gone too far! Call back!”

Akie shouted, guiding Aine to her next move.

She stared at Aine with great concentration, and continued to calculate the next step.

And Aine, like a remote-controlled toy, faithfully carried out Akie's instructions.

Whether it is true or not, in the end, it is just a game.

But Aine seemed to vaguely realize that Akie, who poured her emotions into her shouts like that, was not just playing a game.

……yes.

Senior, you agreed to participate in this training in order to convey your feelings to me...

She is taking this opportunity...

This thought made Aine excited for some reason.

How should I put it... Isn't this pretty cool! And it seems pretty romantic!

Aine held the stick tightly, feeling the rough texture of the surface.

Senior, there must be something else you want to tell me...

Under Akie's rigorous and accurate instructions, Aine is getting closer and closer to her ultimate goal of hitting the watermelon.

"That guy..." Li Xi beside him exclaimed, "...he's actually taking this so seriously?"

And Le Na just stared at Qiu Hui quietly without saying a word.

The inexplicable enthusiasm and tacit understanding between the two made Deng and Su Shi unconsciously remain silent.

“Aine…” Deng’s eyes sparkled with excitement, and it was unknown what she was thinking about, but it must be something that made her happy.

Su Shi, who had gradually become playful and had begun to actively interfere with the progress of the game, suddenly widened his eyes slightly, a storm rising in his heart.

why?

It’s just a game, why are they taking it so seriously?

Looking at Aine raising the stick, Suyo’s body trembled imperceptibly.

"It's right here! Let's fight!" Qiu Hui shouted.

"Alright! I'll rely on my 'ANON STRIKE' here!"

Chihaya Aine shouted a subtle slogan and swung the wooden stick in her hand violently.

The watermelon, which had not been cracked by the light before, exploded.

Su Shi felt that there seemed to be a crack somewhere in his heart.

Isn't there something wrong with the relationship between Akie-senpai and Aine?

Why does this happen?

How much is there between them that I don't know?

How much is there about this band that I don’t know?

"...You're quite capable." Li Xi sighed reluctantly.

"How interesting." Le Nai nodded with satisfaction, then quickly walked to the white cloth, looking at the blooming watermelon gourd, with an eager look in his eyes.

"Deng, Rikki, and Lenai-chan!"

Pulling off the blindfold, Aine’s face lit up with a smug smile, her little canine teeth clearly visible: “What do you think? I’m awesome, right?”

"It's great that I finally hit it..." Deng smiled with relief.

"Don't be too complacent. Didn't you fail to figure out who was lying in the end?" Li Xi retorted subconsciously.

“Hehe, in the end, I was able to transcend the shackles of truth and falsehood thanks to the bond between me and my senior!”

Aine ran towards Akie proudly and took her arm.

"Right, senior!" She shook Akie's arm enthusiastically.

“…I guess so, right?” Akie hesitated because of shyness. “But it’s really strange, this kind of statement is like a comic book…”

"watermelon."

Just then, Lenai made a suggestion for everyone's next move.

"Would you like to join us?" She pointed to the blossoming watermelon. The juicy melon stalks sparkled in the sun.

"Great! Everyone, after talking so much just now, you must be thirsty, right?"

Aine warmly invited everyone to come and enjoy the "fruits of her labor".

Everyone gathered around the watermelon, and Aine first scooped up the largest piece of the broken pieces and handed it to Akie.

"This piece is really big! Senior and Xiao Deng, let's share it together?" she said with a smile.

"It's not impossible. Here, Deng, this one is for you..."

While Akie and Deng were dividing the watermelon, Aine, who was looking around, noticed Suyo who was still standing there.

"Sushi! Would you like to join us in eating melons?"

"……good."

Su Shi nodded slightly with a forced smile and slowly walked towards the group of people who were happily enjoying the watermelon.

I...always have a feeling.

I'm not part of this new band.

Because it was my own decision to separate myself from them.

Su Shi knelt gracefully on the white cloth, using perfect etiquette to conceal her inner uneasiness.

I am……

…the bassist of CRYCHIC.

and so……

Su Shi lowered his head and put the melon scoop into his mouth.

She was a little hesitant to look Aine and Akie in the eye.

……

The watermelon hitting game was played for several rounds afterwards.

In the end, everyone except Su Shi had experienced the feeling of hitting the watermelon, even Li Xi was no exception.

"Phew, I'm so happy!"

Aine sighed and turned to look at Akie beside her.