Loneliness and Rock and Roll with Band Observer

But now, right now, she is looking at me like this and passing the baton to me.

For this...I will never...never!

Goto Ichiri, who was cleansed by enlightenment, looked at the audience below the stage with eyes as sharp as a blade.

Then, like the roaring of machinery and the howling of beasts, a heart-pounding, shouting sound was played.

……

…So, Senior has this side of him?

Chihaya Aine felt like she was in a trance.

The senior who was always cautious, who was always worried about various things, who appeared calm and steady in front of everyone, but sometimes appeared sensitive and fragile in front of me...

...Is there such a side to it?

Earlier, when the drummer made a mistake, Aine sighed with regret.

However, just as she was thinking about how to comfort Akiie and Deng who were depressed because of the failure of the performance after the show, she unexpectedly witnessed another side of Togawa Akiie on the stage.

Such a shining other side.

Could it be that after putting on the mask, even the personality will change?

Is the keyboard player on the stage, who seems to be one with the rhythm of the music, displaying himself firmly and proudly, really the same person as Togawa Akee off the stage?

Aine originally thought that wearing a mask on stage was just a poor joke to hide the truth from Touma.

But everything she witnessed at this moment made her doubt whether the mask really had some magical effect of changing one's personality.

...Of course, masks are just decorations after all.

Of course, the thing that can change a person’s personality is not the mask... but the band, Aine suddenly thought.

Is a band such a thing?

A possibility that she had never seriously considered before took root in her heart.

"When you join a band, you can blend in with the crowd and become noticeable."

This idea, which was originally taken for granted, has instead created some cracks.

As Qiu Rongzi on the stage brought the band back on track, she turned her head and signaled to the guitarist next to her with her eyes, as if to let her start performing.

That guitarist was Goto Ichiri, the one who made Chihaya Aine give up the idea of ​​joining the band.

She always behaved timidly, but at this moment it was as if the beast within her had been awakened.

The majestic melody is played with a momentum that seems to overwhelm even the human voice.

"Not enough, not enough for anyone to notice me"

"Like scribbling, like being speechless"

"Just shouting like this"

Yes. It was a melody that was more unbridled than graffiti, more deafening than shouting, enough to attract everyone's attention and make everyone look at it with approval.

"Who can actually witness the so-called 'true self'?"

"I am ignorant and can only sing loudly"

Ahh, that’s great.

"Just pour out everything to the stars"

Looking at Goto Ichiri, who was shining like the sun on the stage, Aine suddenly had two contradictory thoughts.

It was such a pity that I was not able to join the final band and stand on the same stage with such seniors.

It's really... great that I didn't join the ending band, so that my predecessor could stand on the same stage with such a dazzling guitarist instead of a half-baked guy like me.

“…Hey, Deng-chan.” Aine turned her head and looked at Deng beside her, “How do you feel?”

She took out a handkerchief from her pocket at the right time and handed it to Deng's hands, whose eyes were wet with tears.

"Thank you." Deng took the handkerchief and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, "...Great!"

Aine smiled with satisfaction. Xiao Deng must be very happy to see her idol showing such an attitude on the stage, right?

The atmosphere in the conference hall has been completely aroused.

All the chattering was drowned out by the thunderous cheers.

The lead guitarist's performance, which was completely comparable to professional level, pierced into the hearts of all the audience like a pile driver amidst the previous dilemma.

People were shouting out Qiu Rongzi's name, but it was not just that. The name of the ending band was shouted out more and more loudly from everyone's mouths.

…All in all, this should be considered a great success, right?

Looking at the grand scene on and off the stage, Chihaya Aine thought with satisfaction.

"...This is the 'self' of Akiko-sensei." Deng stared at the stage with tears in his eyes. "I'm sure I can convey this to everyone!"

"I don't dare to say anything about you all."

Chihaya Aine was staring in a trance at the girl on the stage, who was dancing instinctively to the sound of the piano she was playing.

"But I think it must have been conveyed to me at least."

She commented, smiling.

Chapter 121 The Emotions That Resulted

The song is over.

The tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

The mask, soaked with sweat, stuck to his face, and the rising mist almost blurred his vision.

Qiu Hui habitually reached out to lift her glasses, only then realizing that she wasn't wearing them.

"We are the closing band responsible for warming up the audience!"

After the performance, lead singer Kita waved to everyone.

"Everyone! Enjoy tonight!"

She was responded by an explosion of cheers and applause from the audience.

Even the least knowledgeable audience member knows what to do now.

"End the band!"

"End the band!"

"End the band!"

The heated atmosphere on the field made Qiu Hui feel a little relieved.

It seems that the newly born Ending band has finally gained everyone's recognition.

She turned her head and looked at the person who had contributed most to the grand occasion.

Goto Ichiri lowered his head slightly, as if he was still immersed in the performance, just staring blankly at his guitar.

This time, Pochi really made a great contribution.

Akie looked at the talented guitarist who, although wearing a ridiculous pink tracksuit, saved the entire show with his performance.

And Hongxia and everyone.

She looked at the other three members of the band.

After making a mistake, Hongxia quickly recovered. If she hadn't been able to withstand the pressure of the mistake and adjust the rhythm in time, the subsequent instruments wouldn't have been able to come in smoothly.

And then there were Ryo and Kita. No matter which of them made a mistake, they couldn't get the performance back on track.

Especially Kita... When I first met her, she couldn't even tell the difference between a guitar and a bass.

But even so, she has now successfully dealt with such emergencies.

These five people who overcame difficulties and turned the situation around undoubtedly formed an excellent team.

With the lower half of her face covered by a mask, Qiu Hui smiled with relief without any hesitation.

The "band feeling" will be born with the "musicality".

This is more of Liang's opinion than my opinion.

But no matter what, at this moment, I think this sentence is absolutely correct.

The five people gathered on the stage now undoubtedly had a band feel that was overflowing with energy...

……

The band's warm-up performance was over.

Amid the enthusiastic cheers of the audience, the five members left the stage in an orderly manner, leaving the stage to the next band.

When Goto Ichiri left the stage, he felt as if he was stepping on a trampoline with every step.

There is no sense of reality at all.

It was as if I had been possessed by some ancient being from outer space.

Was that really me playing guitar on the stage just now?

Although my body repeatedly emphasized that it was indeed what I did, my mind simply couldn't believe it.

Sure enough, that must have been the work of the split "Guitar Hero" personality, right? That must be the case, right?

Following everyone all the way to the backstage, Hong Xia's voice was the first to interrupt Yili's wandering thoughts.

"sorry!"

Hong Xia bowed 90 degrees with full of apology, and spoke to everyone in a sincere tone that made her almost cry.

"It was an important original song, but I made a mistake as a drummer and almost ruined the whole performance! I will reflect deeply on this, please forgive me!"

"It's okay. Wasn't the performance a success in the end?" Kita stepped forward to comfort him. "Besides, didn't Nijixia successfully correct herself later?"

"It's okay, that's what a performance is all about." Ryoya comforted his old friend, "I think that band members should go on stage with the awareness that 'mistakes are bound to happen'. If mistakes are made, they can be corrected, that's good enough."

"Wow... Thank you everyone..." Hong Xia wiped her tears and burst into laughter, "...Besides, this is a rare success, it would be inappropriate for me to continue crying."

"It was a huge success! It was definitely a huge success, right?" Kita was very excited. "Everyone's performance was great, especially Koichi's guitar! It was so touching!"

"Eh...ah, my guitar? Big, I guess?" Goto Ichiri replied mechanically, without any sense of reality.

"Don't be 'probably'."

Arriving backstage, Togawa Akee took off her mask and gently patted Goto Ichiri on the shoulder.

"Everyone has contributed to the success of tonight, but without a doubt, you are the one who deserves the most credit."

She smiled at Ichiri, who didn't dare to smile due to his negative nature.

"Pochi, you are our hero tonight."

……

"cheers!"

The five people who finished the band gathered in the store and raised their glasses together.

Of course, as high school students, we all drink soda or juice.

Qiu Hui drank the Fanta in her glass in one gulp.

The surging foam and golden color gave her the illusion of drinking beer.

Hongxia tried to invite the store manager, but the latter refused because he had to watch the store.

Akie thought about asking Aine and Deng to come along, but they were outsiders to the band after all, so she gave up in the end.

So, the five people who ended up attending the celebration party were the ones who had ended the band.