Loneliness and Rock and Roll with Band Observer

……

The conversation didn't last long after that.

After everyone finished their drinks, it was time to say goodbye.

After saying goodbye to Motoyo and Aine, Akie decided to follow her original plan and go watch the next band's performance.

While queuing in front of the ticket office, she suddenly thought of a sentence she had heard her father say at some point in her life.

“Being useful is the highest compliment to a person.”

Come to think of it, Nagasaki-san attends a school for young ladies called Tsuki-no-Mori, Akie thought.

According to Aine, Tsuki no Mori Girls' Academy is an academy where many children of upper-class people attend.

She even specifically mentioned "celebrity"...

I am now a guy who is being dragged down by the library and the agency to become an "idol". Perhaps, I can use Nagasaki-san as a breakthrough point and try to expand some "connections" related to the entertainment industry in Tsuki no Mori?

Although the influence of high school girls on their families is not likely to be that great...but they will still have some value.

If Nagasaki intends to use me to achieve some of her personal goals, it means that she will always give something in exchange, more or less, consciously or unconsciously.

The same thing may mean completely different things to different people.

What is a resource that can be of great use to me may be just a slip of the tongue for someone like Nagasaki. Conversely, the small help I made in solving her personal problem may be of great significance to her...

...How annoying. Qiu Hui sighed.

This way of thinking is just like a salesperson.

Chapter 56: Tasting the Immortal

Personal connections, exchange of interests, and all sorts of troubles.

Thinking about these things made Togawa Aie feel extremely irritated.

Especially when considered in conjunction with one's own situation.

I didn’t fall out with my family and make things like this just to think about these issues…

Before she knew it, it was her turn in the team.

Anyway, buy a ticket first and stop thinking about these messy things.

After buying the tickets, Qiu Hui came to the stage area.

She randomly picked a compilation LIVE event hosted by several unknown bands. Because they were unknown, the ticket price was quite affordable, so she could buy it without hesitation.

When we entered the venue, the performing band was still preparing their instruments. There weren't too many spectators, but there were definitely quite a few.

Qiu Hui also noticed that some people brought small props such as glow sticks and light boards. The light boards brought by different people had the names of different bands written on them.

Qiu Hui walked to the middle of the audience and stood still. At this moment, she found that a member of the audience next to her was carrying a strange object. It seemed to be a cup tray with a strap, the kind that store clerks in shopping malls carry when promoting new beverages.

There are also several paper cups on it, filled with various drinks.

"Hello, can I try this..."

After seeing the other person's face clearly, Qiu Hui's face froze.

"…Ryo, why are you here?"

"Why can't I come?" Yamada Ryo asked, "This is also a live house, right? Actually, I come here quite often."

"Is that so? Is it because this place is so large and has so many performances?"

"That's a factor as well...but it's mainly because the cafe here often launches new products," Liang admitted, "so there are many types of products to try."

Akie looked at the tray in front of Ryo.

"So...are these all from the tasting area?"

"Yeah." Liang nodded, "The staff at RiNG are all very kind. I love coming here."

"...What kind of person you are." Qiu Hui didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

At this time, the band on the stage preparing to perform seemed to have completed its adjustments.

"Hello everyone!" the lead singer shouted, "We are..."

Several fans holding light boards screamed excitedly, and the venue erupted in applause, led by them.

Even Liang clapped his hands very seriously, and his voice was quite loud.

"Be careful not to spill the drink," Akie reminded half-jokingly.

"Ah, that's right." Liang looked down and noticed the signs of danger. "Thanks for the reminder."

After a brief self-introduction, the band on the stage began to play.

The piece they played was something that Aki had never heard before, but from the first impression, it was a piece that gave people a lighthearted and youthful feeling.

There were four people in the band on stage, one of whom was a keyboardist. Therefore, Qiu Hui's attention was mainly focused on this keyboardist.

I have to say that in such a large LIVEHOUSE, even the less famous bands have a very good level.

Although the guitar lead singer in the team was not good enough, making the guitar sound dull and weak, almost indistinguishable from the drum beats, the keyboard player played his role in filling in the gaps.

While filling the melody with piano sounds, the guitar also switches to the rhythm guitar at just the right moment, creating a good resonance with the otherwise lackluster guitar.

There are so many things a keyboard player can do, so many that Qiu Hui feels a little desperate.

When the song ended and everyone was cheering and applauding, Qiu Hui was still struggling with keyboard-related issues.

The same goes for the subsequent performances. If the band on stage has a keyboard player, she will pay special attention to the keyboard player's performance; if the band on stage does not have a keyboard player, she will focus on reviewing the performance of the previous band.

It was not until the last band ended the performance that Qiu Hui suddenly realized it.

...Didn't I come here to relax? Why am I always thinking about "work"?

Realizing this, she felt a little depressed.

After watching the performance of other keyboard players, I felt that I was under even more pressure...

"Akie, you seem to be watching this very seriously." Liang suddenly spoke.

She had been watching the performance quietly before, so Qiu Hui almost forgot her existence.

"Eh? Ah, yes, that's possible." Akie nodded, "I got addicted to it without realizing it."

"..." Liang glanced at Qiu Hui. Although he seemed to have some doubts, he did not say it out loud.

She picked up the last sample drink and drank it.

"How are the lyrics?" she asked.

"You mentioned the lyrics... that's almost done." Akie said, "I'll let Goto try to polish it first. If you feel you have no ideas, come and discuss it with me."

"It's really efficient." Liang was a little surprised.

"Most of this is thanks to Goto-san," Akie admitted.

Ryo put the empty drink back on the tray in front of him and said, "...Goto-san? Didn't you also call Pochi 'Pochi' before?"

"I'm not used to calling people by nicknames." Akie shook her head. "It feels a bit disrespectful... but she seems to like this nickname. So if she's here, I'll call her that."

"What a strange way of thinking." Liang smiled and shook his head. "Speaking of which, the performance is over. Do you want to go to the cafe for a drink?"

"No thanks." Qiu Hui waved her hand, "Because I don't plan to treat you today."

"…I've been seen through." Liang curled his lips in disappointment.

At this moment, Qiu Hui suddenly realized a problem.

"Ryo, didn't you say you had something to do this afternoon so you couldn't go to practice?"

"Yeah." Liang nodded confidently.

"Then why are you......"

Before she finished her words, Qiu Hui suddenly realized something.

"The 'thing' you're talking about isn't it about coming here to watch the show?"

"..." Liang said nothing.

However, this guy's expression has already revealed about 70% of the truth.

"...What kind of person you are." Qiu Hui said helplessly.

"Well, this time Nijika had something else to do," Ryo explained. "Without Nijika, I don't think it would feel like practice. So it's normal that you don't plan to go."

"You're just making excuses... But if you must say it, it does make sense. If Ijichi-san isn't here, it feels like something important is missing when the band ends..."

"Ijichi-kun?" Ryo noticed this, "Akie, don't you call Nijika by her name?"

"Ah, indeed. I used the last name without realizing it..."

"You call me by my name very naturally." Liang held his face with both hands, pretending to be shy, "Oh my, it seems that our relationship is unexpectedly good."

"…That's because you're such a casual person, so I don't care what happens." Akie said, looking a little angry and laughing.

Chapter 57: A Troublesome Woman

In response to Qiu Hui's statement, Liang smiled and nodded.

"Thank you for the compliment."

"I didn't mean to praise you, did I?"

“But I think ‘casual’ is a good word.”

Ryo walked through the audience and headed towards the exit.

"I think it would be better if you lived more casually, Akiie."

After saying this, Liang left the stage area.

Looking at the other person's back and thinking of what she said, Qiu Hui shook her head helplessly.

...I would like to live more casually.

I came here originally to relax a bit, but ended up bringing myself more stress.

In order to perform for the first time as soon as possible, and to better grasp the potential opportunities with Nagasaki, I have to practice as much as possible...

Qiu Hui sighed. The work of the band alone is tiring enough, but I also have to work on my main job of publishing a book every few months. The library can come up with such an arrangement, it really doesn't treat people as human beings.

However, in terms of the level of bad work, Shenming Library is not the best in the industry. I heard that a certain agency had done something stupid before, which was to find actors and idols to form a band, and then they did lip-syncing and fake playing in the first performance, and even got exposed in the end.

All I can say is that things in showbiz are just as bad as ever.

……

After walking out of the stage area, Ryo pulled out his wallet and noticed how empty it was.

This is not good. After deducting the entrance fee, there are only a few coins left.

So, we really have to start preparing to live on grass...

Liang was daydreaming in her own way as always.

Coming out of the stage area, walking through the lobby, she suddenly stopped when passing the cafe.

"..."

Liang turned his head and looked at a seat somewhere in the dining area.

There she found a figure who looked somewhat familiar.

I had seen that person before. She seemed to have talked with Qiu Hui in the cafe.

Now, the flaxen-haired female student seemed to be chatting with a waiter in the cafe.

The clerk was not wearing her clerk uniform and it seemed that her shift was over.

Liang stopped and looked for a while, then walked towards them calmly and sat down in a seat next to them.

"Hello!" the clerk came up to him and said, "What would you like to order?"

"Any free stuff?" Ryo asked.