Loneliness and Rock and Roll with Band Observer

Behind her smile was a fear that was about to break through her disguise.

Why does she know my name?

How did you know this? Was it the lamp?

How much does she really know?

What is her relationship with the lamp?

Did she tell the lights…to the others in “that band” what she knew?

Countless questions made her forehead sweat and her hands tremble.

However, such panic must never be revealed.

The most important thing now is not to lose our composure.

First of all, you need to find out how much the other party knows and how they know it.

"Are you a friend of Takamatsu Deng? I left in a hurry last time, so I don't know your name. Could you please tell me something?" Xiangzi asked with a smile.

She realized that she knew nothing about the other person other than his suspected relationship with Deng.

Therefore, the only breakthrough is to start from this aspect and try to get some information about the other party.

Looking at the other party's polite and considerate behavior, Qiu Hui shook her head helplessly.

"...No need to be so polite."

She coughed twice to clear her throat and continued speaking to Xiangzi.

"My name is Togawa Akee, and I'm a second-year student. I met Deng by chance a while ago, and for now, I think we can be considered friends."

Qiu Hui told the other party her identity in a calm tone.

She did not directly state the relationship between herself and the lamp.

As the center of the CRYCHIC incident, all topics related to the band must be very sensitive to Toyokawa Shoko.

If you bring it up rashly, it will not be conducive to the orderly development of the conversation. In the worst case, there is a possibility that the other party will be directly angry and leave.

Well, now that the other party has taken the initiative to pick up the light, just follow what he or she is saying for now. There is no need to reveal too much information too early, so as not to cause unnecessary variables.

"I see. Nice to meet you." Xiangzi said with a smile, "Actually, due to some accidents and misunderstandings, Deng and I haven't been able to communicate properly for a long time. Although I feel very sorry about this, I don't know what to do, so I have been troubled by this."

"After our chance encounter in the stairwell, I realized that Togawa-san might have a connection with Deng, so I've been looking forward to meeting you and asking you about Deng's recent situation. I didn't expect to meet you by chance in the music classroom this time; I hope to take this opportunity to formally invite you, I wonder if you are willing to honor me?"

After speaking these words politely, Toyokawa Shoko smiled and waited quietly for the other party's response.

Anyway, she already knew my name. It must have been Deng who told her. Since Deng told her my name, she must have known something about "that band"...

Relying on etiquette to conceal her inner panic, she silently planned her next move in her mind.

Qiu Hui, who was standing opposite, thought for a moment and gave her own response.

"I see." She nodded. "I guess that Deng might be worried about Toyokawa-san right now. Maybe I'm just being presumptuous, but I think it would be good for her if I could talk to Toyokawa-san."

She paused and continued, "Toyokawa-san, the remaining lunch break may not be enough. How about you pick a place and we meet after school to discuss this matter in detail?"

Judging from the polite and somewhat deliberate words that Toyokawa-san just said, she seemed to be very concerned about whether her posture appeared calm in the eyes of the other person, Akie thought.

She made a similar mistake as Su Shi before her.

Putting too much emphasis on etiquette and posture will only create additional suspicion.

After all, she suddenly transferred from a big girl school to an ordinary high school, and also had the need to go to a convenience store to buy expiring goods. Perhaps because she had encountered a considerable change, it was difficult for her to calm down.

Here, just respect her position, give her the initiative appropriately, and let her have the confidence to start the follow-up topic with you.

After all, understanding the reason why Toyokawa left was just to satisfy my personal curiosity.

Since the purpose is like this, we must always pay attention to fully respecting the other party's position.

As expected, Toyokawa Shoko nodded as if she was relieved. "I understand. Then, let's exchange contact information first. I will send you the location in the form of a location."

"Okay, thank you very much."

The two exchanged contact information.

All in all, this is progress, Akie thought.

Chapter 2: Confrontation in the Coffee Shop

After school.

Qiu Hui took out her cell phone and first sent a message in the group chat of the band that she had just finished attending to, saying "I'll be late due to something." Then she opened the chat history with Toyokawa Shoko and confirmed the location they had agreed on previously.

The location is "Haze Coffee Shop", not too far from here.

"I didn't expect to meet Toyokawa-san at a time like this," Akie thought.

Although Suyo and Aine have now formed a new band, and Deng has also walked out of the shadow of the disbandment of the previous band, the reason why Toyokawa Shoko left the band is still a mystery that bothers everyone.

Considering the fact that she transferred to Yugaoka and rushed to buy expiring goods, Akie speculated that she must have encountered some real-life difficulties, and it might be related to her financial situation.

It just so happened that the other party seemed to want to learn about Deng's current situation through her. After all, they had such a wonderful past, and it was natural for her to care about Deng after the band disbanded.

Since both parties happen to have demands on each other, negotiations can be established.

Qiu Hui arrived at the agreed place. When she walked into the store, she found that Toyokawa Shoko was already waiting there.

"Hello." Noticing Akie approaching, Shoko stood up and greeted her with a smile, "Please take a seat, Togawa-senpai. I'm glad you're here."

"After all, we've already made an appointment." Qiu Hui nodded and sat down opposite her.

Noticing the other person's neat and elegant sitting posture, Toyokawa Shoko felt a little uneasy.

How much does she know? Xiangzi asked in his heart.

This person once fought with me for discounted items at a convenience store.

Does she still remember this incident? If she still remembers it, how much weight does it have in her heart?

Is it possible for her to deduce other conclusions from this fact?

How close is her relationship with the lamp? How well does she know me?

Would she tell Deng, and…other people, what she knew about me?

This last question is also the one that Toyokawa Shoko cares about the most.

She tried her best to maintain a graceful smile on her face, but she was struggling nervously in her heart all the time.

Because there were some things that she didn't want Deng and the people in the band to know no matter what.

This is the little bit of persistence that Toyokawa Shoko can still bear now.

She looked into the eyes of Togawa Akee in front of her. The other person did not speak, as if waiting for her to speak first.

"Hello, both of you! What would you like to order?"

The waiter came to the table where the two were sitting and asked with a smile on his face.

"This is my first time here." Akie said, "Is Toyokawa a regular here? If it's convenient, can you give me some recommended options?"

"Senior, would you like coffee, tea, or some other kind of soft drink?" Xiangzi said with a satisfied smile.

"Since this is a coffee shop, I'll just drink coffee."

"Is that so..."

Toyokawa Shoko turned to the waiter and, in a very skilled manner, first placed her drink order. Then, she leisurely picked out several drinks with tricky names from the menu and placed them in front of Akihie for her to choose from.

"I don't know much about this." Akie smiled, "Please ask Toyokawa-san to choose the most recommended one for me."

Now that you have decided to hand over the initiative in the conversation, you should also follow this guideline in your choice of beverages.

"Okay, then I'll choose this one for you, senpai."

Xiangzi made the decision for Qiu Hui with a smile.

After sending the waiter away, she looked across the table at Akie and said, "Let's continue the topic we talked about during lunch break. What I want to ask is about Takamatsu Deng. How is she doing now?"

"From what I know, Deng is doing fine now," Akie answered ambiguously.

She looked at Xiangzi in front of her with a calm expression.

This answer, which does not contain much useful information, was also deliberately given by Qiu Hui.

Although I have given you the lead in the conversation, it does not mean that I will just follow your wishes and tell you everything you want to know, Toyokawa-san.

The price of taking the lead is that you have to ask more detailed and valuable questions.

Just as my answer will give you the information you want, your question itself can also be used to answer the question I plan to ask but have not yet asked. This exchange of information is the basis for the establishment of negotiations.

So, Togawa Aie didn't say anything more, but waited quietly for Shoko's questioning.

Not satisfied with this perfunctory answer, Toyokawa Shoko paused for a moment and then asked again: "Besides Togawa-senpai, has she made any other new friends now?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she frowned as if she remembered something and asked a new question: "...Actually, I heard that Deng...seems to have formed a new band with a classmate of hers. Is that true?"

Qiu Hui nodded with satisfaction. This was the problem that could be used to read out useful information.

"Deng seems to be surprisingly popular in her class," she replied, "and she has indeed made new friends. For example, the band you mentioned in your second question was formed by Deng and that new friend."

"So that's how it is..." Xiangzi's eyes seemed a little dim.

After a brief pause, she continued, "...So, is Togawa-senpai also in that band?"

Xiangzi once witnessed the scene where Qiu Hui and Ai Deng appeared together.

Therefore, recalling the scene at that time, she subconsciously asked this question.

"I'm a supporting musician there," Akie answered, "because the official candidate hasn't been decided yet, so they asked me to be a substitute there for a while."

"I see. By the way, let me ask you something..."

Xiangzi hesitated a little, but still asked the question.

"…What instrument does Togawa-senpai play?"

After hesitating for a moment, Qiu Hui answered truthfully: "I'm a keyboard player."

"Keyboard player..."

This answer seemed to give Toyokawa Shoko a considerable shock.

She seemed to be in a trance for a moment before returning to her normal state.

"I see. Thank you for your help with Deng."

"No, no, I don't deserve it. It's just a small favor from my friend." Qiu Hui shook her head and smiled.

There weren't many customers in the coffee shop in the afternoon. At this moment, the quiet environment in the shop enveloped the two of them, and with the soft background music, it created a subtle atmosphere.

"So, Deng is in a band now..." Xiangzi sighed, "Actually, Deng was in a band before. Does senior know about this?"

Qiu Hui thought for a moment and said, "I know. She once told me about it."

Xiangzi's question made her feel somewhat happy.

Wasn’t the band that Deng formed before the “CRYCHIC” that you formed together?

Chapter 3: Taking Charge

Qiu Hui gave the initiative of the conversation to Xiangzi and never took the initiative to bring up topics related to the band.

Because she knew that Xiangzi suddenly quit the band and concealed the reason from all the members.

This means that the hidden reason will definitely be her biggest minefield.

If you want to keep the conversation going, avoid bringing up topics related to "the band" before the situation is clear.

But what made Akie a little overjoyed was that Toyokawa Shoko actually took the initiative to ask about Deng's new band, and also mentioned the band that Deng had formed before...that is, CRYCHIC, which she formed together with herself.

She noticed that Xiangzi used the term "the band formed by Deng before" to deliberately exclude himself.

Why did you ask that? Was it to test how much I knew about the band, and whether Xiangzi herself was a member of it?

"She told you?" Xiangzi was a little surprised. "Then, how much do you know about that band, Togawa-senpai?"