Tokyo, there are too many beautiful girls imitating me

You finally realized that Chika Tachibana's fight with others was not a momentary act of anger, but was the result of careful consideration.

Her maturity and stability seem to be beyond your imagination.

You admire her more and more, and secretly resolve to become someone like her.

You hated your previous lazy and immature self and started to practice guitar again in order to keep up with her.

But your mind is still not pure. You can feel your lack of talent and interest. Practice, but practice without results makes you suffer.

"There's more than one way to support her!"

You have a distinguished enough family background, and you were born with original capital that ordinary people can hardly match in their entire lives. Although for some reasons you were determined to draw a clear line with your family, now you have decided to take advantage of it all.

You start studying hard and trying to repair your relationship with your family, mainly your father.

[The days that followed were peaceful, and in the blink of an eye, another year had passed.

Thanks to your unremitting efforts, your playing skills have improved significantly, your deviation value has increased from 54 to 67, and your relationship with your family has also been repaired to a certain extent.

Everything seems to be going in a good direction, except for the relationship between you and Chika Tachibana.

A year has passed, and you have been saying every day, "I don't like you", "I'm only with you because I feel sorry for you", "I even like my Mi Tan (guitar) more than you". You have tried very hard to show your affection to Chika Tachibana, but in the end, your relationship has not gotten any closer.

It seems that since shortly after we met, Chika Tachibana's feelings for you have been completely fixed and will no longer change.

You like her more and more every day, but she is the same every day, always treating you as just the girl next door, as a child who never grows up.

You want to change your relationship, but when the words of confession come to your lips, you always stop quickly.

You don't want to admit it, but you know deep down that it's a road that will ultimately lead to no results.

[You start to become anxious and have wild thoughts. During this time, Chika Tachibana, who feels that she has enough skills, chooses to step out of the academy and try to form a band with others.

She is an enviable genius who seems to be able to do everything perfectly. Her learning mind is extremely developed. In the third semester of her first year of high school, she was able to complete the entrance examinations of various prestigious schools in Tokyo with a very high accuracy rate.

For her, going to school and playing in a band at the same time is no problem at all, but you who are struggling to maintain a balance are very troubled by this.

In the end, although you were worried about whether you could handle balancing your studies and the band, in order to spend more time with Chika Tachibana, and also worried that someone would take advantage of the band's convenience to attack her and steal your lover, you still bit the bullet and went to apply with Chika Tachibana.

Soon, you found a strong high school band from a neighboring school. Due to unexpected personnel changes, they were short of two guitarists.

[With her superb playing skills and steady stage presence, Chika Tachibana easily gained recognition from the other band members. As for you, you were also recognized openly.

However, privately, the other three members of the band came to give advice.

"Mizuki-san, could you please tell Tachibana-san that you don't want to join the band anymore?"

Chapter 9: So-called Yearning

[She had a wonderful solo performance at the school festival. Because of her superb skills and beauty, the recording video was posted online and caused quite a stir. Chika Tachibana has long been well-known among musicians in the Shimokitazawa area and is the "prey" targeted by various bands.

In order to trap Chika Tachibana, the three people who came to discuss private matters with you seemed to have done some research in advance.

"We know that Tachibana-san and you, Kanzuki-san, have a very good relationship, and many bands have extended olive branches to her. In fact, if you weren't included, she probably wouldn't have considered our band."

"But is this really okay? You should be well aware of your own strength, Guanyue-san."

"The band is a whole. Any mistake made by one person during performance, or any disparity in performance levels between members leading to disharmony, can be fatal. I'll be frank, Guanyue, you can't keep up with our pace."

"For Chika Tachibana's sake, it would be best for you, Kanzuki-san, to give up joining. It would be good for all of us, and it would also be best for Tachibana-san."

The lack of two guitarists was a scam from the beginning to the end. They had already recruited their favorite rhythm guitarist and were just using this method to lure Chika Tachibana into the band as the lead guitarist.

You realize the despicable nature of their plan, but the words "for Chika Tachibana's own good" continue to linger in your mind.

My existence is just a burden. Taking you with me to find a band will only narrow Chikako Tachibana's choices and hinder her development.

One-sided feelings are like excuses that are hard to understand and understand. "For Chika Tachibana's own good," you nodded in agreement after a long silence.

[The next day, you explained your choice to Chika Tachibana, telling her that after careful consideration, you still felt that you could not balance your studies and the band, and that you had to give up one side, and hoped that she could understand your choice.

There is nothing wrong with this reason, but you forgot the most crucial point, which is -

You don't lie, but Chika Tachibana can always tell when you're lying.

She can always see through everything in your heart.

And that was also the first time she got angry with you. She angrily pushed you against the wall and squeezed your shoulders hard. Her usually gentle eyes widened and she asked you in a stern voice if the other three people had said something to you.

A usually gentle person is even more terrifying when angry. Having never seen her like this before, you stammered and answered no, frantically trying to find words to clear the other three people of suspicion.

Your heart was pounding with fear, but in the midst of fear, Chika Tachibana had already come to her senses from her anger. She asked you guiltily if your shoulder hurt, and solemnly apologized to you, saying that she was too impulsive.

You struggled to explain yourself, but when you opened your mouth you didn't know what to say, and you couldn't even keep your composure, which was your best defense.

"I know your feelings, Zhenling, but lying to me and doing the wrong things for my own good will make me sad. Zhenling, don't lie to me for my own sake."

Being held in her arms, your crying face was once again buried in Chika Tachibana's arms. You felt the same warmth, but this time, it was less charming and more guilty.

Good intentions can lead to bad results, and you seem to have made the same mistake again.

But it seems not to be exactly the same as the last time. What the other three people said was not wrong. Even if you were blamed and alienated by Chika Tachibana, you firmly believed that this was the most beneficial choice for Chika Tachibana.

But you will still regret it. If you had practiced playing harder before, would you not be facing this dilemma now?

you do not know.

No, maybe you know it clearly, but you can't repent.

Even in a simulation, life only moves forward.]

The band's established rhythm guitarist is very skilled and has been playing guitar for six years. Apart from his looks and voice, he is not inferior to Chika Tachibana. The other members are also excellent choices who have enough passion for music.

By forming a team with them, the band will surely gather loyal fans quickly and have good development prospects.

This is exactly what you expect, but although Chika Tachibana appears to be very realistic and rational in her daily life, she puts her feelings first in some matters.

The next day, you were asked to come out by other band members to apologize in person. You could see that they looked reluctant, and from their conversation you realized that they seemed to be threatened by Chika Tachibana.

At the same time, you also learned that Chika Tachibana has joined another band with relatively weak personnel. 】

You feel surprised, but after calming down you feel not so surprised.

It is Chika Tachibana's style to do such things for her friends. It is because Chika Tachibana is such a person that you love her so much and are in love with her to the point of being unable to control yourself.

But the thing you feared most happened.

Chika Tachibana is very excited to be able to touch the stage of her dreams and show her brilliance without hesitation and demonstrate her hard-honed skills. She will devote more time to working with the band.

This is a good thing, and you bless and pray for it, but at the same time, the time you spend with her is correspondingly less and less.

Chika Tachibana is low on energy. You can feel that the energy in your body is on the verge of running out every day, to the point of sounding a shrill alarm.

You think of her and miss her, and when you close your eyes, the image of her smiling at you appears in your mind all the time.

But you don't complain. No matter what, you will unconditionally support her dreams, just as she will always tolerate your willfulness.

You began to frequently perform outside for the band that Chika Tachibana was in. The dignified eldest daughter of the Guanyue family was busy handing out flyers in the middle of the street in the scorching summer heat!

You are like the most ardent fan, madly supporting the idol you support! 】

"Guan Yue, aren't you being too humble? Isn't that Tachibana Chika taking advantage of you?"

Classmates who are not familiar with Chika Tachibana can't stand it and try to persuade you to stop being so fanatical.

You know she means well, but you still respond coldly, causing your classmate to scream in fear, walk away from you with an embarrassed smile, and keep a distance from you from then on.

"Mizuki Masuzu's feelings for Tachibana Chika are no longer love, but admiration."

Occasionally, you hear someone make such remarks.

You don't understand, what is the difference between longing and love? 】

[Chika Tachibana tried her best to get along with the band, compose her own songs, and rehearse all day long, while you kept busy running around the streets to support her and contribute your insignificant strength to her.

Finally, as everyone expected, the band made its debut at the Livehouse "Poppin".

And then, it was a huge success! 】

[Although it is a new band and there are still some flaws in their performance, they are not inferior to the old bands that have been performing in the venue for many years. It can even be said that under the influence of Chika Tachibana's steady stage presence and sweet singing, the audience's response is even more enthusiastic.

Guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, the melodies blend fiercely amidst the exquisite skills, and leading all of this is the soft voice of Chika Tachibana that penetrates the heart. Her gentleness reaches everyone's heart through her singing, and it is ultimately intoxicating.

This girl will surely shine brightly in the future.

Not only you, but many people listening here also had this thought in their minds at the same time.

“So dazzling…”

You seem to be able to feel the charm of music, and you murmur to yourself in a groaning voice.

You hear the audience's enthusiastic cheers, their cries urging the next song to begin.

Chika Tachibana, the other members of the band, and her close friends exchanged glances with the girls whose hearts were perfectly connected at this moment, and the next song started playing in an instant.

The intense and continuous performances have exhausted Chika Tachibana's body. You can clearly see the crystal sweat beads oozing out of her forehead and neck, sparkling under the spotlight, and you can hear the increasingly rough sounds of her breathing between performances.

But at the same time, you understand very clearly how happy she is at this moment!

Her voice became more and more passionate, and the rhythm of her guitar playing quickened, but was forced to be suppressed at the reminder of the bass. Her eyes were sparkling, like shining sun.

She was enjoying all of this. Her talent, her hard work, and her accumulated experience had finally borne fruit and brought her the results she had been expecting.

As she plays, your heart beats along with her, along with the rhythm of the guitar.

Youth is ringing! Your favorite person is playing on the stage, playing her youth! And her beloved teammates.

You saw her blinking her eyes with joy and turning her head to look at the band members when she was playing excitedly, and her soaked long hair also fluttered, showing the sweat of joy.

The sweat spread far, very far, even dripping onto your face, making your cheeks wet, continuously wet.

You ran away.

In this most memorable time when Chika Tachibana was happiest and most excited, you, who had devoted so much effort and hard work to her dream, ran away.

You finally understand the difference between love and longing.

Mortals who look up at the bright moon in the sky cannot own the moon.

You push through the crowded crowd and rush out of the Livehouse. The music still continues to come out through the door, but it becomes a little heavier and a little distorted. You collapse on the iron door, your back sliding down weakly against the cold iron.

You burst into tears amidst the singing.

Not for joy, but for sorrow.

It turns out that you and Chika Tachibana are drifting apart after all. 】

Chapter 10: A Fork in the Road

[Timid, submissive, slack and self-righteous.]

Everything is for Chika Tachibana's good, I am working hard for Chika Tachibana...

You ask yourself:

"Mizuki Manrin, are you trying to impress yourself?"

He covered up his laziness and cowardice, and selfishly cut the red thread between Chika Tachibana and senior Miki Matsuoka, but he himself has been standing still.

I finally realized the brilliance that Chika Tachibana is now, and I finally confirmed that you are not there where Chika Tachibana's brilliance shines.

You finally understood that during the time you were stagnant, Chika Tachibana had already left you far behind.

[“Masuzu! How’s my live? It’s all thanks to you… Are you crying? Why… You’re such a fool.”

The joy during the performance is first shared with my bandmates, and the happiness after the performance is first shared with you.

Wandering around the Livehouse, Chika Tachibana finally found you hiding in a corner.

At that time, your eyes were blurred with tears and your eye sockets were so red and swollen that you didn't want anyone except Chika Tachibana to see it. She immediately saw that these tears were not from joy, and she immediately understood why you were crying.

You never understood her, but she always understood you.

She understands the bitterness in your heart without words, so you can once again fall into her soft arms and enjoy the warmth that touches your heart.

Patting you on the back, she comforts you and promises you a noble status.

"Everyone on the stage is my precious companion, and Zhenling off the stage is my best friend. Don't tell them, I still like Zhenling more than them. This is not only the case now, but it will not change in the future."

Can these words really be called comfort?

Even if you are the highest-ranking friend who surpasses everyone else, you are still just a friend after all, and your position in Chika Tachibana's heart remains unchanged.

You know this, but there is too much magic in Tachibana Chika's words. Even though you know this, you can't feel lost, and only joy lingers in your heart.