Loneliness and Rock and Roll with Band Observer

"…You two are obviously lovers." She let out a long sigh.

Incomprehensible.

Nagasaki Suyo unconsciously pulled at the corner of her clothes.

She was more or less aware of one thing: she was fighting for something that already had an owner, a battle she had no chance of winning.

At this point, even she herself couldn't figure out why Qiu Hui should specifically respond to her expectations.

Far from doing anything to make her look at me differently...I was actually causing her trouble for my own ends.

In this way, Su Shi understood why Aine acted so nonchalant about her appearance.

It was as if... he didn't consider himself an opponent at all.

At the same time, Qiu Hui was silent for a moment, thinking about something, and then typed the next paragraph again.

"Maybe it's because we are lovers."

Although it was just a short sentence, she thought about it for quite a long time while typing it.

She wanted to try to clarify that the relationship between her and Aine was not a strict "lovers relationship".

but……

…Does this really make sense?

At this point, there is no need to continue this boring word game.

Although the low fever and muscle aches had slightly worn away Qiu Hui's rationality, at least on this issue, she felt she was still quite sober.

Just admit it.

Aine and I are lovers.

Ruomai and I, Yili and I, are also lovers.

Now that things have come to this point, perhaps... it would be best to settle all pending relationships.

As for how I should deal with the series of responsibilities that come with it...

...Let’s consider this question after the fever subsides.

Qiu Hui turned her gaze towards Su Shi.

I just happened to have something I needed to communicate with her.

"...I'll get you some medicine and an ice pack." Su Shi walked towards the door. "Please wait a moment."

I don’t have a very high fever, is it necessary to use ice compress?

Looking at her departing back, Qiu Hui couldn't help but think.

She didn't have to wait too long. Su Shi was very quick and quickly returned to the bedroom with the things she needed.

"In addition to cold medicine, there are also throat lozenges... I bought them when I came here. They may be effective for sore throats."

Su Shi took out the medicine that Aine had brought from the plastic bag and handed it to Akie along with a cup of hot water.

"...Do you need me to feed you?" she asked with a slightly blushing face.

Qiu Hui shook her head. After all, she wasn't paralyzed yet, so she could still take medicine on her own.

After taking the cold medicine, she took the throat lozenge handed to her by Su Shi and put it in her mouth.

The cool taste penetrated into the mouth, then went down to the swollen and painful throat, and then rose to the dizzy mind.

Qiu Hui lay down, and Su Shi took the ice pack from the refrigerator and applied it gently.

But when all the work was completed, Su Shi still stayed where he was, looking down at Qiu Hui lying on the bed.

Her eyes seemed evasive, but it was difficult to conceal the subtle, inexpressible but real desire burning in them.

"..."

Qiu Hui turned her head slightly and gave him a scrutinizing look.

In fact, I was surprisingly good at observing people's expressions and she suddenly realized this.

In the past, she often inferred other people's moods and thoughts by their expressions.

Therefore, now, she can also read some subtle messages from Su Shi's expression.

"..."

Qiu Hui's response was to silently raise her phone and place her hands on the soft keyboard.

It is possible that Su Shi likes me, or at least there is such a possibility.

But that's not the top priority right now.

"It's rare that Su Shi is willing to come over. I think now might be the time to talk about that band."

Noticing the words displayed on the screen, Su Shi shuddered almost subconsciously.

"…Why did you mention that?" Her voice trembled slightly.

"It just so happens that everyone is here right now, so I just happened to think of it." Akie typed.

Of course, the main reason was actually because of Gao Songdeng’s request for help.

Even though her head was still groggy from the fever, Qiu Hui still felt that she was still capable of handling the matter.

Besides, she wanted to do it too.

It's not because I feel any responsibility towards the lamp, but I just think about it.

"I'm not trying to persuade you to go back to that band. After all, your own wishes are also very important."

"I just think that even if you really don't want the band to continue, you should at least explain the situation clearly to everyone."

"When you say explain it clearly, you mean..." Su Shi asked in confusion.

"It would be best if you could make a clear statement and explain the reasons."

After Qiu Hui finished typing, she thought for a moment and added another sentence.

"Otherwise, you'll end up like Xiangzi before, causing a lot of unnecessary trouble."

Chapter 66: Face Your Heart

In fact, there is one thing that Qiu Hui is still very curious about even now.

If Xiangzi had been able to explain clearly to everyone the reasons for his withdrawal, would the series of events that followed have still happened?

Although there is no "if" in reality, past experience can at least serve as a reference for the future.

Akihide even felt that if Toyokawa Shoko were to appear in this place now, she would probably also advise the other party not to repeat her mistakes?

"You said Xiaoxiang..."

Su Shi shook her head gently and pulled the hem of her skirt gently with both hands.

"…Are you saying that I'm doing something similar to Xiao Xiang?"

"I helped her, so I want to try to help you too." Qiu Hui responded calmly through the characters displayed on the phone.

"How are you going to help me?" Su Shi's face turned slightly cold.

Now, she seemed to no longer regard Qiu Hui in front of her as a patient who needed care.

At this moment, Qiu Hui, more or less, has become a kind of rival who is confronting Su Shi in his heart...

But what are we fighting for?

What did I want from her? Friendship? Favoritism? Something else?

Su Shi's indifference seemed a bit harsh but weak.

She realized that she was actually playing a game that she had lost from the beginning.

Even worse: even the criteria for victory or failure are unclear.

She stared at Qiu Hui quietly, waiting for her answer.

Qiu Hui responded by silently shaking her head and raising her phone again.

"I don't know either."

“So, I thought, maybe I should change the way I put it.”

The sentences Akie typed became longer and longer, and so did the time Su Shi had to wait for her to type.

The one-sided voice gradually created a subtle sense of oppression between the two.

In the end, even Su Shi didn't want to continue speaking.

If I'm the only one speaking out, I always feel like I'm subtly being suppressed...

It was like punching cotton, so Su Shi decided to remain silent and wait quietly for Qiu Hui to finish the input.

"I'm not helping you. Putting it that way makes it seem like you owe me a favor that you'll need to repay someday."

"Just think of it as me having a lot of things to say, so I desperately want to find someone to talk to, so I just happened to choose you who is beside me in the bed."

After showing these words to Su Shi, Qiu Hui felt as if a certain burden that had been imposed on her for a long time had disappeared into thin air.

I'm not helping anyone, I'm just doing what I want to do.

Therefore, I do not need to be responsible for results that have nothing to do with me, nor do I have the right to interfere in matters that have nothing to do with me.

"I'm probably going to use this screen to say a lot of things next." Qiu Hui showed it to Su Shi, "It might take quite a while."

"...You tell me." Su Shi sighed, "I don't care."

She finally decided to try to calm herself down.

The current Togawa Akiie no longer had any relationship with her. The previous help was only out of the other party's personal preference.

However, she knew that she had a strong, obvious, even though unclear, desire for Qiu Hui.

Maybe... just as she said. My thoughts about her now, just like my thoughts about Xiaoxiang and CRYCHIC, are nothing more than... self-righteous, wishful thinking.

But even so... I can't just admit it.

Su Shi didn't know why, but she just felt that she couldn't do this.

As if to do so would cause some crucial element that defined her existence to disappear, causing her entire self to fall apart.

After typing silently for a long time, Qiu Hui raised her phone again.

"There is a question that I have never been able to figure out."

"Why on earth would I want to make friends?"

“People socialize either to achieve a common goal through cooperation or to try to use the power of others to achieve their own needs.”

"In short, before taking action, you must first figure out what you really need and whether your actions are the appropriate means to achieve this goal."

"Otherwise, you may have to face the embarrassing situation of working so hard but getting nothing in the end."

Qiu Hui put down her phone.

Although he was talking to Su Shi, he was actually taking the opportunity to reorganize his thoughts.

Driven by the value of so-called equal exchange, I have been helping others, asking for as little as possible and giving as much as possible.

I made this seemingly selfless act in exchange for something more subtle than simple benefits or so-called "emotional value."

Simply put, it's like some kind of...sense of identity.

Qiu Hui started typing again, then raised her phone to Su Shi who had been waiting quietly.

“When you’re running around for CRYCHIC, what do you want to get out of it?”

“And when you throw the new band away, what do you think you’re throwing away?”

There is one sentence that Qiu Hui did not show directly.

And when you come to me seeking something, what is it that you are seeking?

She didn't know if Su Shi could realize this.

She hopes so.

"From my personal experience, I think this might be a better approach. Of course, whether you are willing to accept advice or not is up to you to decide."