Loneliness and Rock and Roll with Band Observer

Su Shi felt his heart was beating inexplicably.

She also began to think uncontrollably about the question she had been thinking about.

Do I like...Akie?

Akie said "It hasn't been decided yet"... I don't know why though.

But, should I be happy?

In the quiet and elegant dining environment, some indescribable factors are brewing.

Chapter 24: Su Shi thinks you are too extreme

Su Shi didn't like the feeling of not getting a response from the other party. Or rather, no one would like this feeling.

Therefore, she hoped that her affection for Qiu Hui would continue to remain within the scope of ordinary friends.

Don't go beyond this, in either direction.

In this way, there will be no need to face the same dilemma again.

What happened to Toyokawa Shoko was just a one-time thing.

Su Shi silently told herself not to make requests of others that they were unwilling to accept.

So, it’s better for me... not to like Qiu Hui.

Since she is already dating Aine, then I should...

……and many more.

Su Shi suddenly realized that Qiu Hui's statement was actually quite ambiguous.

"We are a couple for now, but it's not confirmed yet."

She didn't know what Akie meant by "it hasn't been completely determined yet."

But judging from the other person's bad complexion at the moment, it can be understood that the relationship between the two has encountered some difficulties.

"...Suyo."

At this moment, Qiu Hui suddenly looked over.

“You just asked me what ‘not confirmed’ meant. Sorry, I don’t know how to explain this…”

She tapped the tabletop lightly with her knuckles, expressing her inner restlessness.

"...Before I answer, I have some questions to ask, but I'm not sure if Sushi is willing to listen."

As she spoke, she stopped what she was doing, grabbed the goblet, and drank it all in one gulp, treating the soft drink in the glass as some kind of strong liquor that could be used to calm her emotions.

"Of course I'm willing to listen." Su Shi smiled, "Qiu Hui is willing to accompany me and talk to me for so long, of course I will... be willing to help you solve your troubles."

"If there's anything I can do..."

As Su Shi spoke, he gradually began to wander.

What is Qiu Hui worried about now? Is it a relationship problem?

Although it seems that she and Aine already have that kind of relationship. But since Akie is so distressed now, does that mean that something has gone wrong, and...

No. I can't think about it anymore.

Su Shi forced himself to eliminate all the extremely irrelevant thoughts.

Although she has been immersed in the obsession with CRYCHIC for some time and has little time to think about other things; but now Su Shi is very clear that she still has something called "moral concept".

And this thing drove her away from some meaningless thoughts...

...No, what's wrong with this kind of thing?

Su Shi realized that if Akie and Aine's relationship could not be fully established due to some obstacles, then doesn't this mean that it leaves room for others to intervene?

If that's the case, then this is totally... fair competition! Isn't it?

An inexplicable impulse was running rampant in Su Shi's heart.

Although it was just a far-fetched explanation, for some reason it seemed more legitimate and correct in her mind.

Qiu Hui and Xiao Xiang are different. Qiu Hui is not rejecting me...

...No! It's precisely because Qiu Hui is not like Xiao Xiang, but is openly seeking my help, so I shouldn't take advantage of her!

The inexplicable struggle between the conscience and the desires in Su Shi's heart stirred up waves, and her face turned pale and blue.

She was never very good at concealing her emotions, and she often seemed overly contrived.

At this moment, her cover-up in a hurry was full of loopholes.

Fortunately, even so, Qiu Hui did not notice when Su Shi was daydreaming.

Or at least she acted like she didn't care.

"That's great. I'm actually not sure whether this matter is appropriate to discuss with Su Shi..."

Qiu Hui looked tired and sighed softly.

She was very serious about asking for help.

"If you feel reluctant, it's okay not to say it." Su Shi shook his head.

Although she actually wanted to play a unique role in Qiu Hui's emotional entanglement, her rationality and reserve prompted her to remain calm, play hard to get, and not act too eager, which would make her appear ungraceful.

"I didn't think so."

Qiu Hui shook her head slightly, her expression becoming firm.

"If you can't even ask for help, then there's no way you can face it calmly."

Firmly believing that there was such a logical relationship between the two, Togawa Akeie spoke softly.

"In short... the person I like is not the same person who likes me."

She summarized the dilemma she was facing in the most concise way possible.

"The person I like is Aine, but Aine didn't like me at first."

"On the other hand, Goto... the guitarist of my band, likes me, but I only see her as an important friend and partner, not anything like that."

When she said this, Akie's brows slightly furrowed. "I once confessed to Aine... but she rejected me."

"I felt a lot of pain at that time. So, I don't want Goto-san to experience such a shock."

"Perhaps it's because I'm too weak to take the responsibility of rejecting her...so even though I don't have much of that kind of feeling towards Goto-san, I still tried to respond to her feelings."

“Because Aine rejected me no matter what I said, I gradually convinced myself and re-evaluated my feelings for her. But at this time…”

Qiu Hui sighed.

“Come to think of it, Suyo was one of the people involved. Suyo’s departure, coupled with a series of events that happened afterwards, made Aine begin to… need me.”

"So, I am now caught between the two of them, in a dilemma."

"I don't have the courage to confirm my relationship with both of them at the same time...but I don't dare to reject any of them."

"What do you think should be done with this situation?"

"..."

Nagasaki Suyo was stunned.

She couldn't believe what she just heard.

Without my knowledge...so many things happened?

While Su Shi was surprised, he was also filled with an extremely strong feeling... not sure whether it was jealousy or a sense of loss.

"This is really... tricky?" she said casually.

"Yes," Akie admitted, "I didn't expect things to have developed to this point."

"I...actually, until recently, I always thought that I was a boring guy who had no right to be loved."

"But at this point, if I continue to say this, it might seem more like... self-righteous arrogance, right?"

Qiu Hui looked at Su Shi thoughtfully.

Compared to not being loved, perhaps being loved is a more dangerous predicament.

Chapter 25: Faces and Numbers

at the same time.

The bright sunlight at noon shines through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a shadow on Toyokawa Shoko's golden-blue hair and faded suit.

This also made her suddenly realize for some reason that her previous savings were almost spent.

But even so, she chose a hotel as the venue for the meeting, which would further strain her financial situation.

This was not to show off. Toyokawa Shoko did not feel the strong need to do so.

She just thought it was necessary, so she suppressed her urge to feel sad and spent the money calmly.

This was a serious, business-like meeting aimed at forming a band, so it was worth the extra expense of decorum.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Toyokawa Shoko."

The negotiating partner sitting across from me smiled brightly.

She wore an off-the-shoulder dress and a sun hat, and even when she was indoors she still wore sunglasses, looking as if she was deliberately trying to hide her appearance.

"What a grand treat." The negotiating partner glanced at the waiters and customers at nearby tables with a meaningful smile, "Isn't it that I'm causing you too much trouble?"

It sounds like there's something else behind the other person's words.

Xiangzi could hear the hint of ridicule in the words. It seemed that the other party was quite keenly aware of his financial difficulties.

However, she just shook her head slightly: "I have no intention of hiding the financial difficulties I have encountered, but some etiquette expenses cannot be saved... The necessary solemnity is also a manifestation of responsibility. I don't think this is a trouble that needs to be avoided."

After saying that, she sat up straight and looked at the negotiating partner in front of her with a serious face.

"...Anyway, thank you again for coming here today, Ms. Yutenji Wakamugi."

Xiangzi came here today to recruit a drummer for his new band.

Her candidate is the fashion blogger Miss Yutenji Wakamu, who is commonly known as "Meow Dream" on the Internet.

"……oh?"

Meow Meng... or Ruomai lowered his head slightly and peeked at the blue-haired girl who looked like a high school student in front of him from above the lenses of his sunglasses: "How do you know my real name?"

"I have contacted Zousha," Xiangzi said calmly, "You have a cooperative relationship with the agency, and you have also registered with them. If you ask the staff there specifically, you can easily get the result."

It was Qiu Hui's idea to contact the staff of the agency. Since the core member of the new band was scheduled to be Mitsuka Hatsuka, it was natural to look for new candidates from the people who had a cooperative relationship with her agency.

It was on that list that Shoko Toyokawa discovered Wakumaki Yutenji by chance. After comprehensive consideration, Shoko found that she seemed to meet the requirements of the new band in all aspects, so she extended an olive branch to her.

"Ah... what a superb special technique." Ruomai said half-jokingly, "But I did register my name there... there's nothing I can do about it."

She seemed to be in a pretty good mood, even relaxed and happy.

The reason is simple: this meeting can also be considered a very valuable "opportunity" for Ruomai.

From a career perspective, the significance is obvious. As a fashion blogger, there is an obvious bottleneck in the development prospects. If you can succeed by relying on the current trend of girl bands, it will be like opening up a new track...

…Of course, for Ruomai, there are deeper reasons for being in a band than simply pursuing career success.

If I build a new social circle based on the band, can I divert some of the excess attention away from Xiao Qiu?

Of course, she would not tell this kind of thing to a girl she had just met for the first time.

"For the sake of efficiency, let's get straight to the point. Why did Xiangzi-san plan to invite me to be the drummer?"

Ruomai asked with a smile, and Xiangzi answered calmly.

"Because 'face' and 'numbers'... Of course, the level of playing is also a very important prerequisite."

After saying this, Xiangzi began to explain in detail in an orderly manner.

"My goal is clear: to achieve commercial success quickly and efficiently. To do this, the members' existing background is very important. A blogger like Yutenji who has shown some initial strength is exactly the right person for me: both of us can gain sufficient benefits from the cooperation."

"The above refers to the 'numbers'. At the same time, Yutenji-san's image and skills can also meet the requirements of being a band drummer..."

"Oh, so you're obviously considering appearance as a requirement for band membership?"