Loneliness and Rock and Roll with Band Observer

The other party's reaction made Goto Ichiri feel uneasy.

But even so, she was determined.

The encouraging words spoken by Togawa Aie herself gave her the courage to act so recklessly.

Qiu Hui herself said it, I...even I have the right to be "selfish".

So, I want to know what happened between Qiu Hui and her family no matter what!

Goto Ichiri had almost never made any friends since he could remember.

But...even though she has lived a lonely life since she was a child, she still has a family.

My mother who has always cared for me tenderly.

My father who always encouraged me and taught me how to play guitar.

Although she often laughs at me... she is also an important member of my family.

Even if you fail or encounter setbacks, because you have your family, no matter how hard you fall, you can still struggle to stand up... I guess that's the way it is.

But, Qiu Hui... Qiu Hui is not like that.

Yili thought back to the night when his first performance was a success.

Xiao Hongxia said that the band was like a family at that time. Qiu Hui's reaction was really intense.

Now, Ichiri has almost gotten used to Qiu Hui's calm and unhurried appearance.

But her excited and fragile look at that time was still deeply engraved in Yili's mind.

and so……

"Um, uh... didn't Akie say that she wanted me to decide the itinerary?"

Under pressure from Akie's demeanor, Ichiri made his request hesitantly.

“Besides, Akie… has been to my house, right? So, uh… how should I put it? I want to go to… Akie’s house and take a look!”

"I'm renting with someone right now," Qiu Hui responded expressionlessly, "There... I just moved in, there's nothing to see."

"I'm not talking about the rental house!" Ichiri shook his head vigorously. "I mean, I want to meet Akie's family!"

"..."

There was a long silence.

It seemed like a century had passed.

Until Qiu Hui raised her hand and gently wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye.

"……Feel sorry."

She smiled wryly and shook her head.

"I can't meet this request."

"But, Ichiri, you said you wanted to go with me to a place that is very important to me... That's not a problem."

She stood up from her seat.

"Let me show you the school I attended when I was in junior high school."

Qiu Hui stretched out her hand to Yili, motioning her to hold it.

"Once I get there, the sight will bring back memories...some things I don't want to say now, maybe I can say them...

"……Thanks."

Ichiri held Akie's hand and also stood up from his seat.

Her heart was pounding.

……

As time gradually approached evening, the sun's shadow moved westward, but the sky remained blue.

Yili, who was following behind Qiu Hui, was still a little nervous.

"I say, are you worried that I'm angry?"

Qiu Hui, who was walking in front, suddenly turned around, put her hands in front of her, and asked.

Considering that she had to face practice and meeting today, she chose a summer outfit that was both comfortable and cool. The combination of white and navy blue had a gauze-like texture, and under the skirt were her slender legs and newly bought casual shoes that were a little tight.

This set of clothes was actually bought not long ago at the instigation of Miao Meng. She said something like "You should also pay attention to your clothing matching in your daily life" with a serious look on her face, and Qiu Hui also felt that there was some truth in it.

As for Yili, she continued to wear her usual sportswear.

"...A little bit." Ichiri admitted.

"I'm not angry." Qiu Hui shook her head, "But if I say I don't feel anything at all... that would be a lie."

She walked back to Yili and then naturally took his hand.

Yili obediently opened her palms, allowing the two to interlock their fingers more easily. She was a little surprised to find that she seemed to have gradually become accustomed to this level of contact.

"As for me, I've never really been willing to talk about my family with other people."

Qiu Hui said as she walked.

"Even when we went shopping in Shibuya together, I just talked about some insignificant things without getting too serious about them."

As she spoke, she couldn't help laughing.

"At that time, ending the band was still a very casual plan. My new work was still under consideration, and it was still unknown whether it would be successful or not."

“At that time, I had just met everyone, and we hadn’t formed such a close relationship as today. I had only just met Aine and the others…”

"So... at that time, I was actually very nervous and scared."

The two walked hand in hand, walking under the shade of street trees and buildings.

"Whether materially or spiritually, I can't be as relaxed as I am now."

Akie concluded.

"...I feel the same way."

Yili nodded slightly.

"Before, Akie always looked very haggard. And she often spoke strange and long speeches..."

"I can't help it." Akie turned her face away shyly, "At that time, I really wanted to be recognized."

The two arrived at the tram station and swiped their monthly tickets to enter.

The tram arrived at the station very quickly and there were not many people in the carriage, so they found seats easily and sat down side by side.

Goto Ichiri turned his head and what came into view was Akie's profile.

The sunlight from outside the car window shone in, outlining a golden outline for her.

"So, why doesn't Akie want to talk to us about her family?"

Yili couldn't help but ask.

She knew very well that it was a secret that Qiu Hui did not want to reveal to others.

But because of this, she wanted to spy and dig.

I want to know more, I want to know the other person's secrets. This way, I feel closer to the other person.

"How should I put it... Actually, my thoughts may be quite contradictory."

Akie said softly.

"I don't want my family situation to affect people's view of me."

"But... I actually... I also have a little, how should I put it, a desire to talk about this."

The tram moved forward slowly.

"My junior high school was near the train station."

Qiu Hui turned her head and looked at Yili.

"Let's continue our conversation once we get there."

Chapter 123 Family Overview

"This is Akiie's..."

Yili looked at the gold-plated nameplate on the wall to the right of the school gate and sighed.

The destination they finally arrived at was a campus located between a commercial street and an office building.

The area is not too large by school standards. Through the school gate, you can see the neat and tidy teaching building and the spacious atrium planted with trees.

"Surprisingly, it's quite ordinary, right?" Qiu Hui said as she looked up and down at the approximately five-story teaching building within the wall.

It looks pretty much the same as I remembered it, not much has changed, she thought.

It is summer vacation now and the school gates are closed. It is estimated that only a few students who are participating in club activities and preparing to attend the conference are still here.

The atrium was empty and the campus was silent, with a kind of lonely atmosphere echoing.

"Can I come in?" Yili pointed to the school gate.

"Generally speaking, you can't get in." Qiu Hui shook her head. "After all, I've never heard of a junior high school issuing alumni cards to students."

She walked forward and gently stroked the nameplate next to the school gate, which looked a bit old.

"It's strange to say. When I was still studying here, I felt that nothing here was special."

Qiu Hui put down her hand, turned around and looked at Yili.

"But, after graduation, when I came here again, I felt a strangely nostalgic atmosphere. I can't even remember what I was missing..."

Qiu Hui shook her head and stopped herself from mumbling.

She walked up to Ichiri and asked, "What do you want to know about my past? I will try to tell you everything I know, like a guiding NPC."

After saying that, she smiled friendly and encouraged Yili to ask questions actively.

"Let me think..."

Yili stared at the Chinese characters on the nameplate in a daze.

She began to imagine what Qiu Hui was like in junior high school.

Would she be smaller? Would she have worn glasses? Was she as gentle and determined as she is now, but always demanding of herself?

"...Hmm, what kind of person was Akiie in junior high school?"

Yili finally just asked a somewhat vague question.

There are so many questions I want to ask that I don’t know which one is the most appropriate.

"Hmm... How should I put it? I would say he is an incorrigible idiot."

"My studies were terrible, I didn't have many friends, and I also... did some stupid things. The effects have lasted until now, and I haven't found any way to fix it yet."

Qiu Hui smiled self-deprecatingly.

"Really?" Ichiri was shocked by the negative description, "Why?"

“There’s no need to talk about ‘why’ when it comes to this kind of thing.” Akie sighed.

After coming here, some long-forgotten memories began to re-emerge in her mind.

It was like the cold air in a cellar that had been closed for a long time, making people wonder whether there was enough oxygen in it.

"I've said this before, haven't I? My parents are actually people with very high standards and strict requirements." Qiu Hui looked at the nameplate, "So they arranged for me to come here when I was in junior high school."

"Don't be fooled by the fact that this school looks ordinary. It is actually a very good school for further studies. The relatively outstanding students can be directly promoted to the high school department. As for the students in the high school department, most of them are aiming for the Old Imperial University."

"I'm not an excellent student at all... I'm here, but my academic ability is still far from being able to be upgraded."

"There are roughly two types of people in this school. One is the nerd, and the other is the all-around genius. Unfortunately, I can't deal with either of these two types of people... So, in the three years of junior high school, I basically didn't make many friends."

"Of course, it's not like there aren't any... there are at least a few."

Qiu Hui stared at the nameplate with a sense of loss, then looked at the teaching building in the distance, her eyes resting on a window somewhere on the third floor.