The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

When Pingxin tried to make eye contact with her, Nilu knew that she had discovered the "little trap" here. Although he did not make any of the same misconceptions as she had made, which made Nilu, who was always competitive and liked to "win/be first", feel a little frustrated and unhappy, she was somehow very happy that Pingxin was able to infer the truth based on very little information.

"By the way, who is this young man?"

When Ping Xin looked at the black-haired, black-eyed, bespectacled guy sitting near the door, who was just as stylish as he was, several students in the classroom, including the squinty-eyed teacher at the podium, who was not sure if she was asleep, all looked at him. "After all this time, have you completely forgotten about his existence?"

"..."

The black-haired guy was also a little surprised and pushed his black-framed glasses. He didn't expect to be called out so suddenly. After all, he was used to being ignored by everyone. He was interrupted just as he was about to speak.

"This is our and Xiaoju's brother, Taku Koshigaya. He is in the third year of junior high school (third year of junior high school) and will be going to higher education next year." said Natsumi Koshigaya.

Now the chain of evidence is truly complete... Ping Xin thought.

The great detective Sherlock Holmes once said:

When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how unbelievable, is the fact.

The situation that Ping Xin is facing now is that this 164cm "JK" Hotaru Ichijo with black hair and brown eyes is well-developed. She is undoubtedly a fifth grader!!!

Chapter 35: Leisurely Summer Days Part 3

Because they wanted to play dodgeball, Natsumi Koshigaya took out a red ball and the group walked out.

"Come to think of it, do people in Tokyo all greet each other like 'Ciallo'?"

Miyauchi Renka followed Hirayobu. The first grader had completely switched sides when Hirayobu pulled out a sack of snacks. The way older and younger kids bonded was simple and straightforward: share snacks and play games.

"I don't think so..." said Hotaru Ichijo, an illegal mature woman from Tokyo.

"Usually, only one of my friends uses it. It's not popular right now, but who knows what will happen in the future? But at least for now, 'Ciallo' is a unique way of greeting, just like your 'Nyanpas', Renka-chan."

"Oh~~ Am I... very powerful?" Lianhua looked at her hands. Maybe in the future she would "advance" and become a dark flame user.

"If you work hard, you'll become... really powerful. By the way, why is there a hole in the floor here?"

This time, the "..." wasn't caused by a thought while speaking, but rather by the fact that Hirayuko had stepped into a hole. It wouldn't have been a big deal, but Hirayuko was a very cautious person, so in that moment of loss of balance, he summoned his Stand, "The World," and used Time Stop. He then calmly retreated to the edge of the hole before continuing.

"Ah—well, come to think of it, Xiaoying encountered these problems when she first came here. Brother Pingxin, you see those buckets? If you walk too close, the floorboards will be soaked and rotten and you'll step on them and break them. My brother stepped on the floorboards and broke them last time and fell halfway through."

Thanks for the explanation, Natsumi Koshigaya, but why did you sound so proud when you mentioned your brother, Taku Koshigaya, falling to the ground? And now that he's mentioned that, Hirayuko just remembered his brother's existence. He might be able to use his Akarin (low presence) status to become an excellent Touhou reporter.

Arriving at the open space in front of the school building, the dodgeball game was finally about to begin. In the past, it had only been Renka Miyauchi, the Koshigaya sisters, and Hotaru Ichijo, but today, with Taku Koshigaya, Miganelle, and Hirashin joining the fray, things were very different.

Usually it is Koshigaya Komari and Koshigaya Natsumi who throw the ball, but Nel showed them what it means to be small but also cute (crossed out) and small but also powerful!

"Ola Ola Ola!" Nilu took the ball thrown by Natsumi Koshitani and threw it out at high speed.

Because she had let the ball go in the past few times, now as soon as she used all her strength, Koshigaya Komari, Miyauchi Renka and Ichijo Hotaru, who had been knocked off the court, were immediately amazed. In fact, if her palms were bigger and more convenient for exerting force, the ball would have been even faster!

Since everyone present was ordinary, Nero didn't do any fancy moves like "bullet deflection." She just threw the ball fast and hard! This was tough on Natsumi Koshigaya on the other side. Normally, she was the one doing all the heavy lifting, but today she was constantly picking up balls, especially since Hira Nobu was the only one on the court.

Hirayuki dodged the shot with a single, upper body-bending bend, then, with immense core strength, regained his position, his six-pack casually showing through his short-sleeved T-shirt. Koshigaya Taku, standing near the edge of the field, pushed up his glasses without even trying to dodge, demonstrating the true essence of an invincible player.

After a few more rounds, Ping Xin deliberately "got shot" and left the game. Then everyone finished the game and went back to the classroom for lunch. After all, it was boring to have them just watch from the sidelines. If the others were to go to jail for Ping Xin and Nel's high-level struggle, it would defeat the purpose of playing.

After lunch, the group gathered together again, enjoying the snacks Heishin brought while chatting. Nilu had previously told some stories about Tokyo.

For example, she fought single-handedly against an entire organization to save Ping Xin who was kidnapped by the Yakuza, and destroyed it in the last night.

He couldn't even count how many "artistic manipulations" there were in this story, and how could he still count them now?! So he just gave Meganelle a knife.

"Don't teach children bad things! And don't just embellish the stories you encounter in comics and games and tell them later!"

After repeatedly warning the children not to imitate dangerous situations, the conversation continued. After learning that Hiranobu was (watching others) playing in a band, Natsumi Koshigaya excitedly said, "Our brother is also very good. He can play guitar and piano, and he is also very good at cooking. Aside from the occasional 'disgusting' (obscene) clay figurines, he is still very good."

For some reason, although it seems like they are competing with each other, it actually feels more like they are showing off their brother.

However, Ping Xin had never expected that there was such a talent in this rural village. Not only could he play the guitar, he could also play the piano, and he could even make his own figurines. So he had to make friends with him and invite him to be his fellow artist.

Based on the instant blush on Natsumi Koshigaya's face and the reproachful look she gave her brother, Hiranobu easily deduced the truth. After all, if it was really disgusting, it should have been an expression of disgust, and it shouldn't have made the thick-skinned Natsumi feel shy.

Before, Ping Xin only thought that his low presence was interesting, but he didn't expect that he was such a talented person. If he was polished carefully and then brought to work, he would definitely be a great general.

Taku Koshigaya, who had been sitting in a seat on the edge and listening, pushed his glasses, like a hermit who had hidden his merits and fame. After Heping Xin exchanged glances, the two "comrades-in-arms" had already understood each other, and they would probably find an opportunity to meet and have a good exchange later.

Because there's only one teacher here, 24-year-old Miyauchi Ichiho, Miyauchi Renka's older sister, and the students are all from different grades, most of the classes here are self-study. Backstabbed by the workbook Heishin brought, Meganelu sat in her seat, watching the man walk away out the window. Why would anyone bring workbooks with them when traveling?!

Meganelle was baffled, her thoughts drifting off into the distance. Hokkaido in June was much cooler than Tokyo, which was already showing signs of summer, so perhaps it could still be considered spring?

The warm sunlight shines through the window, and the breeze carrying the scent of soil and green plants quietly peeks out from the gaps in the window. The faint chirping of insects and the occasional flying birds make this land full of vitality.

Soon, Heishin returned carrying the wood. Seeing everyone studying inside, as well as Nel and Miyauchi Kazuho, ​​who seemed to be dozing off, he smiled. Then, he lowered his head and began measuring the floor to repair it. After all, it would be very bad if it collapsed again.

*Brother Yuegu Zhuo gave a thumbs up

Chapter 4000: Summer's Leisurely Daily Life Part ()

After repairing the floor, Pingxin wanted to sit on the swing in the open space to kill time, but as soon as he sat on it, it let out a shrill wail. Pingxin, with nothing to do, could only wander around looking for something interesting. There happened to be a small path leading to the woods above, so he walked up.

The view is good as you go up, and you don't have to worry about getting lost. As you walk and look down, you can see the red roof of the school building reflecting in the sun. Next to the dirt road you trampled out, you can see hollow tree trunks that have fallen down after being eaten by termites. Although they are pests to humans, termites are actually just an insignificant part of nature.

After finally getting rid of the urge to crawl into the empty tree trunk like a cat, Ping Xin continued to move forward along the path. After all, he often saw this kind of thing in games, but this was the first time he saw it in real life. Maybe after passing through it, he would arrive in another world where monsters lived.

Speaking of the existence of supernatural powers in this world, then talking about Japan is about monsters. Speaking of monsters, we have to talk about the Touhou Project, one of the three major fan-made miracles. Maybe monsters do exist somewhere in this world, so what about on the moon?

For no apparent reason, Ping Xin had the urge to go up and take a look. He should be able to do it after his magnetic field rotation training is successful. Then it might be nice for a group of people to explore the moon and see the legendary back side of the moon.

It was around 1: PM, and the temperature was starting to grow hotter, but that wasn't the case on the tree-lined path. Only a few tenacious rays of light could penetrate the green screen of the trees and reach Hirayukoshi.

Pingxin walked along the slowly stair-like dirt road all the way to the end. At the end of the road, on a piece of green grass, there was an ordinary green tree standing alone, becoming an ordinary part of this ordinary hill.

"If this were a cherry tree in full bloom, it would be a true masterpiece, but unfortunately, I can't exchange it..."

Hokkaido is the latest region in the eastern part of the country to have cherry blossoms. The cherry blossoms in Tokyo and Kyoto bloom around late March, while the cherry blossoms in Hokkaido bloom in early May or even later due to climate issues. However, Heishin who came here in early June missed it. Now, only a few petals stuck in the cracks of the rocks can prove that it once bloomed here.

He touched the trunk and used the ripples to check the cherry tree to make sure there was nothing wrong before he left with peace of mind. Since there were few weeds on the path and it led directly here, it meant that people often came to appreciate the flowers during the flowering season, so he always had to confirm it himself before he could feel at ease.

"Okay... what should I do next—"

Pingxin felt the long-lost leisure. The feeling of leaving all worries behind was indeed good, but it was destined not to last long for him.

"Alas~~ The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. This is really annoying. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have done so much..."

Although Pingxin was complaining, he knew that even if he had the chance to do it again without any memory, he would still do the same thing. If he had the memory, he would not avoid the difficulties but would only think about how to do better. After all, although humans are very fickle animals, they are also the most stubborn species.

What I hate more than ordinary tasks piling up is looking at them later and having thoughts like "Why didn't I notice this sooner?" or "Why didn't I do this sooner?"

Although Ping Xin is considered one of the strongest in the entire human race, and even on the entire planet, he cannot reverse time and space to change the tragedy that has already occurred. All he can do is learn from his mistakes and do better next time, and try to eliminate those "discordant voices" through reasonable means to prevent future tragedies from happening again.

At least in this world where he exists, Godzilla won't suddenly land from the sea and turn Tokyo upside down. After all, the political thinking of the Eastern people can only be described as tragic. Ping Xin doesn't want to say more. It would be impolite to say more.

Ping Xin left a ripple in the cherry tree's body before diving into the dark forest, groping his way deeper. He could rely on this ripple as a "beacon" to prevent himself from getting lost. Secondly, after absorbing this ripple, the tree's lifespan would be extended, and it would grow even larger in the coming years. Consider it a surprise for those who come after him; after all, this could be considered Ping Xin's "footprint"—

After treating many small animals in the forest by paying for their treatment, Pingxin held the first animal sports meeting. Winners received rewards and losers received free treatment. This unique and rare scene happened quietly in the unknown countryside and then ended, just like one tiny miracle after another.

Hirayuki arrived late at the Asahigaoka branch school nearing the end of the school day. After washing his hands in the stream behind the school building, he made his way to the "auditorium" with the piano. While it was called an auditorium, it was actually just a large, empty classroom with a black grand piano at the front.

This piano is quite old, having accompanied countless students through their matriculation and graduation. However, the Asahigaoka branch, which once had dozens of students, now has only five. I wonder if it feels a little lonely.

The sound of the piano, untuned for years, is gradually fading. This "old man," who has accompanied countless students, may suddenly lose his voice one day. Fortunately, it encounters Hira Nobu. Although he lacks the necessary tools, Hira Nobu can rely on his acquired "absolute pitch" and the incorporeal penetrating power of his avatar, "The World," to directly adjust the piano's interior.

"...What are you doing here? I have to leave~"

Before school was over, Miganelu saw Pingxin walking into the school building, but he did not show up until Renka's sister, the homeroom teacher Miyauchi Kazuho, ​​manually rang the bell for the end of get out of class. So, curious Nilu went all the way to find him.

"...Is that so? Then is there any song you want to hear? Since we're in a hurry, let's finish it quickly." Ping Xin sat on the chair, pushed open the piano lid, and asked.

"Since you know we're in a hurry, then why don't you just give up? Really..." Megan Lu shook her head helplessly, then showed a somewhat cool smile.

"It can't be helped. Now that it's fixed, it feels like a shame not to use it. After all, we'll be leaving soon, and it'll be winter next time we come..."

"...Then let's have the one you like."

Feeling the faint sadness surrounding Ping Xin, Meganilu moved a chair and squatted on it. This was the sitting position she would only use when she felt relaxed in private.

"Well... since it's summer now, let's do 'Kikujiro's Summer'."

Pingxin wiped his hands on a clean part of his clothes, took a deep breath, and placed his hands on the keyboard. This was the first time he had played the piano since his parents disappeared. Speaking of which, he hadn't seen the piano he brought from his mother's family in a long time, and he wondered if the shadow maids had taken good care of it.

Temporarily forgetting the chaotic thoughts in his mind, Hirayuko's hands danced gracefully across the stark black and white keyboard. Music is perhaps the art form most easily "transmigrated," as even those who don't understand the lyrics can dance to the song and resonate with the singer's emotions.

The first time I heard this song was during the noon broadcast in high school. At that time, Ping Xin liked to sit in the shade of the trees in the playground and eat steamed buns and pickles in his hands while listening to music. This was one of the few moments of relaxation in that dark time when I was harsh on myself, like a small but warm light in the dark night.

The lively piano music continued to echo in the empty school building, and even the people still in the classroom and the birds on the roof could hear it clearly.

"...Ah, could it be a ghost playing the piano?!"

After a brief thought, Renge cried out in surprise. Although she was in the first grade of elementary school and wasn't really afraid of these things, her words managed to scare the two people in the classroom.

"Huh--!"

"ah--!"

The first cry came from Koshigaya Komari, and the second cry was the surprised and happy sound from Hotaru Ichijo, the illegal queen who "adores" Komari. After all, she had never dared to imagine that a cute little senior would suddenly hug her!

"Hmm? Brother, you said this is a piece you haven't heard before, and the piano sounds different from before? By the way, didn't Hirashin-san come into the school building earlier? And Nilu-senpai also ran out a while ago."

Natsumi Koshigaya shouted out loudly the words of his always-forgotten elder brother Taku Koshigaya, and then added the information he saw when he was absent from class.

"Then let's go check it out together. It's time for get out of class to end, so don't stay out too late~"

The purple-haired, squinty-eyed teacher Miyauchi Ichiho stood up from her chair and stretched. Today was another day of good sleep, so she picked up the exercises collected today and walked out of the classroom.

"Adventure, let's go!"

"Wait... Ren-chan——"

Koshigaya Komari was really scared and ran out of the classroom before Miyauchi Renka could call her. As the "adults" here, they naturally couldn't leave her alone, so they followed her. Only the usually forgotten Koshigaya Taku pushed his glasses when he walked at the end. He had seen through everything.

Hotaru happily picked up Xiao Xiaoju and saw the three people in the house. He then walked in with her, who had stopped trembling. At this time, Ping Xin had already played "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" with the little audience member Renhua according to her request. Although not everyone is interested in instruments like piano, it is always good to be exposed to and try as many instruments as possible during childhood.

Ping Xin once heard this saying: "A man who carries manure in the countryside will never discover in his lifetime that he has the talent to become a surgeon without shaking hands."

It’s not that there’s anything wrong with carrying manure. After all, it’s an important part of society, and ordinary people will never discriminate against workers who work hard to survive.

However, the uneven distribution of resources and insufficient development have undoubtedly wasted many potential talents. If a genius with an IQ comparable to Einstein drops out of high school and goes to work in a factory, it will undoubtedly be a waste of his talent.

After playing the melody of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with Miyauchi Renka using the "One Finger Zen" technique, Heishin looked up and said, "Everyone is here. Teacher Miyauchi Kazuho just told me that as long as we don't break it, we can use it as we please. Is there any song you want to hear?"

"We, we want to listen to more energetic music!"

"Is it okay for the sir...song?"

"I understand. Then please listen to... the piano version of 'Summer Soseki' and 'Dream Wedding'."

Ping Xin's playing speed was definitely not fast, but he always struck the keys at the perfect time. His body unconsciously swayed left and right as he played, as if he was silently beating the beat in his mind.

If the rhythm of "Summer Soseki (Just Started)" is as natural and energetic as the previous unknown song ("Kikujiro's Summer") with a little playfulness and anticipation for tomorrow, then "Dream Wedding" is to some extent beyond everyone's expectations.

Because the result wasn't the joy and happiness they'd imagined, but rather... bland? It was more like the two of them living according to a certain rhythm, with occasional surprises but ultimately fading into the mundane, just as passionate love often dissolves into a subtle, gentle affection after a period of ordinary interaction.

"By the way, I've already tuned this piano. Although it's in good condition, not tuning it for too long will definitely affect the performance... What, you're asking me where I got the tools? Um... secret... Haha——"

Then Ping Xin played a few more songs to cover up the matter. In the end, even though most of the songs were from 1 to 3 minutes long, they ended up playing for about half an hour. The result was -

"...Two hours?! Do you have to wait that long for the bus here? It seems I was really negligent--" Ping Xin touched his head. Even he did not expect such a situation. After all, he has lived in the city for most of his life.

"There's nothing we can do. After all, we are in the countryside," replied Natsumi Koshigaya.

"...ah."

Sure enough, we are in the countryside here!

——From Miyauchi Renka, a first-grade elementary school student who often wonders whether the place she is in is actually in the countryside.

"Is this true? I'm so bored..."

On the way out, Nel put her forehead against Ping Xin's back and pushed him forward. At this time, the two of them looked like cheap centaurs in a poor anime or toilet paper animation in another world.

"By the way, I came here by bike today, and I also brought your bike with me, Nilu. In that case..."

A certain beautiful evil girl once said, as long as you don't get caught—

Chapter 37: Leisurely Summer Days Part 5

Under the setting sun, a group of people were heading home from the bus stop at the Asahigaoka branch school. On one side, Taku Koshigaya was riding Hirashin's large bicycle with his younger sister, Natsumi Koshigaya, on the other, Hotaru Ichijo was riding Nel's small bicycle with her beloved senior, Ko-Ko-Mari (crossed out), Koshigaya-Ko-Mari.

Pingxin suggested the less safe option of riding a bicycle with a passenger, and then he and Nilu would follow suit, thus avoiding the unnecessary waste of two hours.