Loneliness and Rock and Roll with Band Observer

Seeing the other person's expression suddenly brighten up, Hong Xia added awkwardly, "However, according to Xiao Deng's description just now, Aine is not suitable to be the leader. After all, three of the four members belong to the original band. Aine herself also said that she is an 'outsider' in the team, right?"

“I’ve been hit in the vitals, cry…” Aine immediately lost her temper.

"Anyway, it's a pity, but Aine-chan has passed." Hongxia said with an apologetic smile.

"Then...how about Suyo-san?" Deng suggested, "The bassist on the team."

“Well, if it’s her, it doesn’t seem impossible.” Aine commented, “She seems to be a very kind person who is good at caring for others. She was the first one who agreed to form a band with me!”

"If it's Suyo..."

Deng pondered for a long time and finally shook his head.

"Eh? Xiao Deng thinks Su Shi is not good enough?" Aine asked in surprise.

"I don't know about Sushi either. But, I feel like..."

“Well, if Deng-chan thinks that Suyo is not good enough, then Rikki is definitely not good enough, right?” Aine sighed, “To be honest, I think Senpai is the most like a leader. But the problem is that she is not even a formal member…”

Having said that, the answer is obvious.

Aine and Nijika's sights simultaneously focused on Takamatsu Touma.

“Deng-chan,” Aine said, “The last viable candidate for leader… seems to be you.”

“Me… me?”

Although he knew that this was a natural result, Takamatsu Deng still felt a shudder from the bottom of his heart.

I can't be that kind of person.

It was precisely because they couldn't become that kind of person that CRYCHIC couldn't go on.

Thinking about it this way, it's really outrageous. He clearly said that he wanted to "form a band for life".

"I... am I really okay? Let me be the leader and guide everyone?"

The lamp, which could never have enough confidence in itself, whispered to itself.

"All other options have been ruled out. We can't really let Senpai be the leader, right?"

Noticing Tomo’s depressed mood, Aine said helplessly.

“But…it was thanks to Aine and Akeie-senpai that I had the courage to form a band again.”

"Even I am still lost; am I really qualified to guide everyone?"

The atmosphere between the three people gradually became heavy.

Instinctively sensing the somewhat ominous atmosphere, Hong Xia took the initiative to speak again.

"I feel like the topic has become heavy. I think it's better to think about it in a more relaxed way." Hong Xia said, "If you keep thinking about things with words like 'qualifications', you will unconsciously get stuck in a dead end, right?"

"Maybe, thank you, Ichichi-senpai." Deng nodded a little embarrassedly.

“Let’s not worry about qualifications for now. Let’s assume that Deng has become the leader and encountered a situation where Aine and the drummer are arguing!”

Hongxia decided to temporarily put aside the heavy burden of self-accountability and start the discussion with real-life scenarios as the guide.

"Xiao Deng, if you were in this situation now, what would you do?"

"I...I don't know." Deng shook his head.

She really didn't know what to do.

“Well, if we’re locked in a place like ‘a room where you can’t leave unless you come up with a solution’, and we can’t get out unless we come up with a solution, what is Kotobuki going to do?” Aine at the side suddenly had a strange idea.

“Well, isn’t that very troubling…?”

Deng immediately put himself into the situation and felt a little flustered.

“Well, it’s very troubling, right? So we have to come up with a solution quickly!”

Hongxia seemed to understand Aine's intention and joined the ranks of those lighting the lamp of encouragement.

"Well... I... I think... I would... persuade them to stop quarreling, right?"

Deng made a bitter face, but finally managed to utter a few words.

“Isn’t this the same as saying nothing…” Aine sighed.

"Sorry..." Deng lowered his head to apologize.

Chapter 34: Act on your instinct

"Well, even so, it can't be said that there is no progress at all."

Hongxia, as always, looks at things from an optimistic perspective.

"How about we start from here and continue thinking about it?" Hong Xia suggested, "Generally speaking, if there is a quarrel, there must be a reason, right? Xiao Deng, can you try to find a possible option?"

Under Hongxia's persuasion, Deng said, "...For example, because Aine didn't play the guitar well, she and Li Xi had a quarrel."

“Hmm…” Aine was a little disappointed, “Damn it, I must practice guitar well from now on!”

"So in this situation, how do you think Xiao Deng should dissuade the two of you?" Hong Xia asked.

“…I don’t know.” Deng shook his head. “I can’t help Aine to play the guitar more skillfully. And I also think that even if Riki were to be more tolerant of Aine, she wouldn’t…will accept it willingly.”

She paused for a moment, as if thinking about how to organize her words.

"I don't know why, but Li Xi seems to care about me. If I were to persuade her, she might accept it because of me, but... that would hurt her feelings."

Deng turned his head and looked at Aine.

"Akie-senpai told me before that it would be best for me to remain neutral in the dispute between you and Riki. I wonder if this is the reason?"

Aiyin looked at Deng, who had a troubled expression on his face, and seemed a little surprised.

"Xiao Deng has thought about this so much," she said. "It's a bit surprising."

"Isn't this great?" Hong Xia clapped her hands. "Xiao Deng is very thoughtful and can take into account everyone's subtle thoughts. This is a plus for you as a team leader!"

"Is that so... But even if I understand, I don't know what to do."

Deng lowered his head, frustrated by his own powerlessness.

Seeing this, Hong Xia did not continue to ask.

"After all, this kind of thing can't be accomplished in a day or two." She said with a smile, "But, Xiao Deng, I think you have the potential to become a team leader."

"…Potential?"

"It doesn't matter if you don't know what to do right now." Hong Xia explained, "Just continue to pay attention to everyone's thoughts and try to understand everyone's feelings. If it really comes to a point where you really have to take action..."

Hongxia stretched out her hand, clenched it into a fist, and swung it down fiercely.

"...At that time, just let your body be in the hands of your instincts and do what your first impression is!"

"Intuition...?" Deng opened his eyes wide.

"Yes! I believe that people who can form a band with Xiao Deng must have good personalities!" Hong Xia said with a smile, "As long as Xiao Deng acts according to his true thoughts and 'conveys' the feelings he has experienced, even if the result is not good enough, it will definitely not be too bad!"

"Is that so..." Deng nodded slowly and gently.

Act according to my own ideas...

…Is it really okay?

"Um, everyone?"

Qiu Hui's voice was heard not far away.

"I think it's about time for a break, right?"

Qiu Hui stood up from the sofa and came to the side of the three people.

"It's time to continue the study session discussion," she said.

"Yeah! Senior is right!"

Glancing at Touma, who seemed to be getting heavier as she fell into deep thought, Aine quickly agreed with Akie's suggestion.

"The next step is the cross-grade exchange session, right?" Hong Xia said, "Then everyone, please gather near the sofa!"

The somewhat heavy topic related to the "Team Leader" has come to an end for the time being.

However, at the subsequent study session, what everyone said still lingered in Deng's mind.

……

"...It's already so late without me noticing."

Putting down the soda bottle in her hand, Qiu Hui couldn't help but sigh.

Although today's arrangement was nominally a study session, after everyone went upstairs, it gradually became like an ordinary gathering.

Even Qiu Hui, who had prepared seriously for her studies, gradually relaxed under the influence of the party atmosphere.

Nijika, Kita, Ryo, and Aine were playing a card game in a circle. Touma, who had no intention of joining in, was watching from the side, thinking about her own thoughts.

"Three of Spades!"

Aiyin, who had been planning for a long time, played her hand card to counter the joker card that Liang had played before.

Having successfully taken the dominant position, she looked around at everyone triumphantly.

"It's my turn - four 10s! Reverse!"

"Why is this happening!" Hong Xia wailed as she looked at the QK and 2 in her hands.

"Hehe, next is a pair of 3..."

According to the rules, she used four tens to reverse the size of the cards, and Aiyin confidently played the small cards in her hand one by one or in pairs.

"The last one is 9! I am Monopoly!"

"Aine wins again, so cunning!" Kita, who was originally confident of victory, complained angrily.

She then played the single card in her hand and took the second place.

“Luck is also a part of strength!” Aine said with a confident smile.

"Hey, Hongxia, can you let me have this plate?" Liang looked at Hongxia pitifully, "I don't want to be the last one anymore..."

"Well, it's not impossible..."

Hong Xia, who deliberately held on to the cards in his hand and did not play them, ended up being the last one.

Looking at Liang's relieved expression, she couldn't help but complain: "What an exaggerated expression, don't forget that even so, you are only third, okay?"

"That's enough. Nijixia is so gentle..."

Qiu Hui smiled, picked up the soda bottle in front of her and took another sip.

Then she turned her head and looked at Goto Ichiri who was sitting next to her.

"Aren't you going to play with us?"

"I'm not good at this kind of party game..."

As Ichiri said this, he secretly paid attention to Akie's reaction.

"I don't have any special opinion." Qiu Hui said, "It's just that seven people can't make two games, so I won't compete with everyone for a position."

"As expected, Akihime doesn't feel like this kind of party game, right?" Ichiri asked.

"I don't like it nor do I hate it, that's about it." Qiu Hui sighed.

She subconsciously adjusted her glasses and gently wiped the mark on her nose.

Goto Ichiri quietly moved his body, moving slightly on the sofa so that he could be closer to Akie.

Although there was no conversation between the two and it was quite quiet, at this moment Goto Ichiri's heart seemed to be playing out a noisy and exaggerated drama.

Being excluded from such a lively gathering together is a perfect opportunity for us who are both in the negative corners!

Goto Ichiri tried to convince himself like this.

If there is something you want to know, when would you ask it if not now?