Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 115

Perhaps, subconsciously, I chose to come to the Live House to relax because I hoped to see this scene.

Reflected deep within the dark, dim eyes, the starlight, as dim as burnt-out ashes, which does not reveal itself to the outside world, refracts a clear yet blurry image.

That is not "Old Man Sea" sung by the five people on stage at this moment, but "だからserverは音楽を词めた (So I gave up music)"

Ochre, bright gold, sky blue, pale gold, and crimson. The mottled yet equally bright colors of the scene are brutally torn apart from the center, revealing a somber black.

The same origin, the same cover song, the slightly immature performance... it all seemed destined, piercing my thoughts with such precision.

It took him years to forget his parents' passing, yet he still vaguely remembers them in the dead of night. Forgetting CryCHIC might take even longer, so long that he may not live to see that day.

...Or perhaps, you'll never forget it.

In a daze, a memory inexplicably surfaced clearly in my mind.

lamp……

"Because it's not an original song, if you want to sing a cover well, you have to put your heart into understanding the original song's meaning."

In my memory, I was helping Deng overcome her fear of singing in public.

"You don't need to be exactly the same as that. Just get what you can feel from it and then express it."

"The most important thing about a lamp is your feelings and your cries."

The feel of the girl's soft, gray hair has never faded, even in my memories.

Words, though delicate and fragile, are also incredibly resilient.

"But... I want to know."

"What do you think about things like, 'So, what should you do in the future?' or 'I wish I didn't make music'?"

"I can feel the disappointment, the sadness, and the frustration... but there's something else, something I can't quite put my finger on..."

How do you feel?

"...My feelings?"

She nodded slowly, her amber eyes revealing a hint of confusion.

"Hmm, do you think it would be better to give up?"

"I felt pain, resentment, and unbearable pain... That's why I wanted to 'give up music'..."

"I will die someday, and the thought of it will leave my heart feeling empty..."

"……lamp."

In the gaps of his blank memories, Gen Xudou looked at his past self and paused slightly as the hand that was stroking Takamatsu Tou's head touched him, revealing a thoughtful and serious expression.

What was my answer back then?

The first half of the memory was incredibly clear, but at this moment, it suddenly became blurry and unclear.

He searched his memory for a long time and finally learned the reason for the fragmentation.

...That might not be due to a lack of memory.

But now, Yuan Xudou is no longer able to answer that question with certainty.

Would it be better to give up?

He clearly gave the lamp an answer back then, but chose to forget it...

Whether as a friend or as someone trusted, I'm really... incompetent.

Without running away, Yuan Xudou continued to gaze at the stage, his expression always complex, a self-deprecating undertone in his eyes and brows.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Hailin-san, why are you putting in so much effort this time?"

Backstage, the excited girls, barely wiping their sweat, gathered together in cheers. One of them glanced at them and nudged Hachiman Kairin, who was quietly tidying up her bass guitar at the edge, with her elbow.

"I've never seen you so energetic before. You almost stole everyone's thunder."

"That's right, you're getting a little too excited, aren't you?" another girl chuckled, a hint of teasing in her voice.

"This performance was even more spectacular than expected. The proceeds will be transferred to you, Hailing, as agreed beforehand." The leader of the four was calmer than the others, but his excitement was still evident. "You really delivered an exceptional performance this time, didn't you? You truly live up to your reputation as a renowned bass mercenary!"

"...If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Her playful and witty yet composed demeanor when interacting with boys is completely different from her usual self. In front of others with whom she feels she can't connect, Hachiman Kairin displays a coldness consistent with her appearance.

She nodded businesslike to the other four, stuffed her bass into her instrument case, and turned to leave.

"Hey, wait a minute, at least tell us why you're being so enthusiastic today?"

Is there some special reason?

The girl who was pushing the door paused for a moment. Considering that if she didn't explain clearly, they would make wild guesses and spread some unclear rumors, which would affect her image, she turned her head back.

"It's just because I happen to have a friend here today," Hachiman Kairin answered her question casually.

"A friend of Hailing-san? Could you introduce us?"

With a "bang," the door was gently closed.

As she left the lounge, Hachiman Kairin bypassed the much denser crowd that had gathered when she arrived and gracefully returned to that secluded corner.

Seeing the boy still standing in the same spot, his posture seemingly unchanged, her expressionless face vanished, and a fleeting smile appeared on her face.

"Yuan, you really haven't left yet."

"Hachiman-kun, we agreed to watch it all. Do you think I'm the kind of person who would go back on my word without a word?"

"While I agree with what you said, I am not one to judge people by their appearance, and I will not jump to conclusions about such things."

With a relaxed tone, Hachiman Kairin sat back in her chair, as if her body had completely relaxed, and slowly exhaled.

"Pocky, another pack?"

"Eating too many snacks is bad for your figure."

"...It's okay, I'm not prone to gaining weight."

Despite saying that, the girl reluctantly put the box, which she had only taken out halfway, back down.

After a while, she spoke again as if nothing was wrong, as if she were asking about something unimportant.

"How did you feel about the performance?"

"Excellent." Yuan Xudou did not hold back his praise. "Your technique is much better than everyone else's. You can keep the drum rhythm steady when it gets messy, and your handling of the combination of low and high notes is also more impressive than others."

Despite playing bass, she managed to capture the audience's attention and almost overshadow the lead singer—besides her dashing and agile physical performance on stage, her superior technique compared to the other band members also played a significant role.

She said she was a professional as a support bassist, and that's not just self-praise.

"With better teammates, Hachiman, your performance could be even better," he concluded.

"...Does he think so highly of me?"

Not quite expecting him to be so frank in this regard, Hachiman Kairin paused for a moment, and a faint blush, barely perceptible in the dim light, rose on her cheeks.

"Then—" She couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope and opened her mouth.

"……Feel sorry."

Yuan Xudou, who already knew what she wanted to say, didn't even give the girl a chance to finish speaking. (17) (3) Wo Ren Er Jiu Er

Her clear eyes held a hint of apology, yet her beautiful smile seemed to be adorned with a touch of tenderness.

“I already have the most trustworthy bassist.”

As his words softened, and she witnessed his sudden, light smile, and felt a pang of loss at the momentary shattering of her hope, Hachiman Kairin was momentarily lost in thought, her rosy lips parting but unable to close for a long time.

Chapter 47 Unable to Abandon/Unable to Refuse

After being rejected so many times, it seems that Hachiman Kairin has finally gotten angry.

...He must be angry.

Although her pursed lips and tense expression didn't seem to convey much anger, her subsequent silence suggested that she probably still harbored resentment.

After all, saying "I already have the most trustworthy bassist" right after watching her serious performance is not much different from directly denying her performance and claiming that he knows someone better than her.

Normally, he might have been more tactful and considerate of her feelings, instead of saying something so "unemotionally unintelligent".

Yawata Kairin is excellent. Even he acknowledges that the girl's skills are proficient and her stage presence is solid. She is a master bassist of a high standard. In terms of technique alone, she is undoubtedly stronger than Nagasaki Motoyo, who needs his guidance and does not devote all her attention to music, treating it only as a daily hobby.

Her skill level is comparable to that of Toyokawa Shoko and Wakaba Mutsumi, who received advanced training from a young age and possess exceptional talent. She is at a level where she would never be a burden when going to a martial arts dojo.

...But Genjiro still rejected Hachiman Kairin with the most direct, even somewhat hurtful, hints.

The girl might become a very good friend to him, a friendship that would be hard-won for both of them, but that's precisely why he couldn't accept the invitation to form a band.

The past events are not yet over, and those trapped in memories and unable to escape... are probably not the only ones.

Adding new lines to an already tangled web only makes things more complicated, adding an ever-growing weight and brewing an even more bitter juice, ultimately dragging innocent bystanders down with it.

Like a drowning person struggling in the water, grabbing whatever is within reach and dragging it into the abyss... that is the survival instinct of a normal person, even at the cost of other things, to live.

But for a mature and resolute... or rather, incredibly stubborn and arrogant young man, when he realizes that he might implicate innocent bystanders, he might even take the initiative to let go of the helping hand that was trying to pull him up, and then gently push it away, silently sinking into the bottomless, cold abyss alone.

Ultimately, if we are destined to be trapped in sorrow, why let more people fall into it?

He doesn't mind being drawn into the heavy past by others, and is even confident that he can hold them back and share those dark thoughts with them. But if it were the other way around, the situation would be completely different.

Hailin Hachiman, who calls herself a "bass mercenary," probably doesn't want to be dragged into some random whirlpool because she wants to form a band with him.

...I can't give that black-haired, blue-eyed, free-spirited, and interesting girl the reward and stability she expects right now.

“...3 (four) Ling Qi Ren? Er Si Ba Si? Yue? = Yi Ha.”

As he stepped out of the Live House called "rhythmos", Won Heo-doo looked up.

The shimmering starlight poured into my pupils, and the cold, austere star river flowed, extracting tiny points of light like dewdrops.

"To love, help, and be gentle without reason"

"How disgusting!"

'I don't like this lyric.'

The gentle girl with flaxen hair in his memory frowned slightly.

'No, that's not without reason.'

"Because we are a community with a shared destiny, playing together, we are a very special group—that's why we help each other."

The girl with golden eyes gently and quietly took his hand.

Its shimmering gold, untouched by loss and prejudice, even outshone the beauty of the starry sky.

'Isn't that how it is?'

……yes.

Xiangzi, even if you have abandoned the ideas of the past that you considered immature, I have not forgotten them.

Just as you haven't forgotten how I used to be so overconfident, making promises and working with you to achieve that unrealistic yet incredibly beautiful vision.

Neither of us could become the perfect version of each other.

Now that things have come to this, it's pointless to investigate who bears the greatest responsibility and who caused the whole mess to fall apart. Blaming and blaming won't make anyone feel any better.

...There is only one thing to do from beginning to end.

Yuan Xudou lowered his head, using the neon lights by the roadside to unbutton one button of his collar, and slowly breathed heavily.

The hustle and bustle of the streets at night was not peaceful, and the air currents, divided by the crowds, were not exactly refreshing or gentle, but the boy in the middle of it felt as calm as if he were on a dark and boundless deep blue seabed.

Someone always has to take the first step.

Even if we don't know the outcome this time, whether it will be good or bad.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As the boy and I walked out of the store one after the other, Hachiman Kairin lowered her head, adjusted the position of her harp bag on her back, and tightened her leather jacket slightly to ward off the gradually dropping temperature of the night.