Tokyo Psychic

"Ah."

"I really want to talk to her alone..."

"No, Taoxiang is also very sad. If we really take the initiative to find her...she might cry!"

"You're the one who looks like you're about to cry!"

"nonsense!"

......

In the gradually rising tone, the low and faster drum beats like approaching footsteps, the clear scratching sounds like the tail of a pigeon whistle, and the clean strumming of a guitar all gradually joined in, combining into an invisible and powerful palm, pushing Jing Qinrencai's back vigorously, as if pushing away her inner fear and confusion about the big city and the unfamiliar life, and awakening from within her the courage to speak and act that she had not been able to successfully achieve when she was bullied.

Driven by this courage, Jing Qinrencai completely let go of her voice and shouted along with the complex emotions rising from the depths of her heart.

"What's the point of my emotions? (No matter how many times my emotions have been shaken by this)"

"I'm sorry for you, I'm sorry for you, I'm sorry for you, I'm so proud of you that I can't be someone else!"

"..."

An unbearable heat seemed to erupt from the girl's petite body. Her powerful singing voice was transmitted to the surroundings through the speakers, vibrating in everyone's heart.

"Dioscuri", we underestimated these girls.

The personality mask behind Kurusu Akatsuki has been retracted, and his smile is no longer arrogant and conceited, but a kind of relief from the heart.

Trees grow side by side in the forest, and stars shine brightly in the Milky Way.

A band is such a magical existence. It brings together a group of people with different opinions, different thoughts and identities, and allows their thoughts and emotions to burst out with an unprecedented sense of presence as they play in harmony.

Kurusu Akatsuki looked at Ichi Serina who was becoming increasingly dazzling beside him, and the pick in his hand seemed to become lighter.

When a person stands on tiptoe to get closer to the sun, nothing in the world can block her sunshine.

He didn't realize that he actually showed a gentle smile that made the camera cameras around him click frantically.

The twin gods, whose figures were fading away, held the guitar, looked at the girls beside Kurusu Akatsuki, then looked at Kurusu Akatsuki, and then disappeared from reality with a look of relief on their faces.

When the song ends.

On the street of Shimokitazawa South Exit Shopping Street, the audience gathered applauded almost at the same time.

Fine beads of sweat oozed down Jing Qinren's forehead. She turned off the microphone, breathing softly, her face full of comfort and joy, with a blush on her cheeks. She turned around and stomped on the floor continuously, and pounced on Kurusu Aki who was about to perform an impromptu "guitar solo".

The thief quickly grabbed Kawahara Momoka and pushed her over, causing Ii Serina to crash into the arms of her idol. She bumped into the old guitar, causing Kawahara Momoka to cry out in pain.

At this time, Yamada Ryo proudly started his "Bass Solo".

The guitar and lead vocals are not exaggerated, and the next step is to give the audience a memorable "bass solo"!

Jing Serina hugged Kawahara Ki Momoka and calmed her restless heart a little, then let go of the guitarist in front of her with some disgust.

"How do you feel?" Kurusu Akatsuki asked Jingqin Renna.

The girl thought about the performance and saw Kurusu Akatsuki's gentle smile. Her brain, which had cooled down, instantly heated up again. Then, regardless of the gazes of others, she threw herself on him, hugged him tightly, and said in a voice that almost burst into tears, "I'm very happy! I'm very satisfied! It's great to be able to play in a band together!"

Behind them, Shoko Toyokawa almost snapped off all the black and white keys of the electronic keyboard in her hand.

She kept telling herself in her heart not to bother with the child, and only then did she feel a little better.

On the other side, Ijichi Hongxia had not yet recovered from her "zero mistakes" performance. When she looked up, she saw this scene and looked at the three of them in stunned silence. The most realistic and twisted side of the rock band was unfolding before her.

Yamada Ryo, who had just finished a bass solo and was enjoying the second burst of applause from the passers-by around her, turned around and found that the atmosphere of the band had become familiar, subtly ambiguous and weird.

After a few minutes of adjustment, the band started playing the next song.

In the crowd, "Diamond Dust" has quietly left.

Momoka Kawahara (Rina Isen) is living a good life now, and that's enough. Everyone in "Diamond Dust" sighed in their hearts.

*

By the time the "End Band" finished all the songs and bowed together to thank the audience around them, the number of people gathered nearby had reached a very considerable number.

They asked each other and knew the name of "The End Band", and then followed the account of this new band on social media.

Among them, Kurusu Akatsuki's fans have increased the most rapidly. With his handsome appearance, he contributed almost half of the discussion about "End of the Band" today.

Especially the photo of his gentle and doting smile captured by a passerby, which went viral on the Internet at an extremely fast speed. A group of crazy women screamed and made a fuss in the comment section, wishing to dig out all his personal information within a second.

After the performance, realizing that the situation was not good, Kurusu Akatsuki immediately started running away with his guitar in his arms.

The woman who wanted to ask for his contact information was chasing him relentlessly.

Everything unfolded differently than expected.

There were no perverts rushing up to harass the beautiful girls in the band, nor were there any fanatical fans trying to pester Kawahara Ki Momoka. There was only a group of women who were completely bewitched by the "completely liberated" Kurusu Akatsuki and fell into the madness of star-chasing fever.

Kurusu Akatsuki successfully attracted almost all the attention on the streets of Shimokitazawa by himself.

After Momoka Kawahara signed autographs for several of her loyal fans, the area around the "End Band" suddenly became empty.

*

Just when the girls were grateful for Kurusu Akatsuki's self-sacrifice and were observing a moment of silence for him, Toyokawa Shoko suddenly stood up.

In front of her, two girls of similar age had approached.

"Sushi, Mu," Shoko Toyokawa called their names softly.

"Deng was crying very hard, and Li Xi was comforting her," Ruo Yemu calmly turned his right hand to the side to prevent others from seeing the horrific scene of blood inside.

Nagasaki Suyo's voice was shaking badly. "Can you come out and talk for a while?"

Toyokawa Shoko looked back at Kurusu Akatsuki, who had already escaped, and sighed slightly heavily, "Let's go find a cafe near Shimokitazawa Station..."

She handed her instrument to her current bandmates, and then turned to her past without hesitation.

......

The sunlight like flowing water was filling every inch of the hall. The waiter led the three girls into a quiet private room, then bowed and left.

Shoko Toyokawa worked part-time for a while in this cafe far away from her high school life, and knew that one could sit in the private rooms here without paying.

If it were in the past, she would definitely order the cheapest cup of coffee and the most affordable dessert possible out of pride...

But now, she can safely save the money and be indifferent to the menu in front of her.

Nagasaki Suyo was very sensitive to the changes in Toyokawa Shoko, and suddenly had some terrible guesses. Her inner anxiety and fear almost reached the peak.

"Thank you for meeting me today." She tried to make her voice and smile appear as gentle and calm as ever.

Then she quickly glanced at Wakaba Mu beside her, her smile a little forced, "Please, don't be angry with Xiao Mu... Anyway, I'm very sorry, and I want to meet and apologize no matter what... I really didn't plan to play the previous "Haruhi Shadow"!"

Nagasaki Suyo desperately tried to control her trembling voice, her pale face filled with a humiliating look that made people feel heavy and pitiful. "I had only planned to perform one song on stage that day, but the performance started... I, there was nothing I could do... I'm sorry for hurting you, Xiaoxiang."

Ever since Shoko Toyokawa announced in the recording studio that she was quitting the band a few months ago, she has completely disappeared from Tsukino Mori.

No matter how I send her private messages on social media or call her, it's all useless.

It's like being completely separated to the other side of the world.

The "CRYCHIC" band, which was originally regarded by the girls as "a lifetime" and even as "a second home", also completely collapsed with the departure of Toyokawa Shoko.

We finally met some time ago, but it ended in a bad mood due to an unexpected performance, an unexpected song selection, and an unexpected encounter.

But just yesterday, Toyokawa Shoko responded to Nagasaki Suyo on social media for the first time...even though it was through the official account of "End Band".

Shoko Toyokawa looked at her former friends in front of her, stood up, and bowed deeply to them very solemnly.

"I'm the one who should say 'I'm sorry.' I apologize for leaving without saying goodbye."

"Eh?" Nagasaki Suyo, who had been constantly weaving various words of consolation and apology in her mind, was immediately stunned and began to shiver uncontrollably.

Toyokawa Shoko glanced at the wall clock and walked past them to leave the private room. "I will apologize and explain to you all later, but right now, I have an appointment with a friend... Please excuse me."

"Well! I think it's natural that you won't forgive me! After all, our important song was played so casually..." Nagasaki Suyo chased after her almost in tears, explaining desperately behind her.

"I was the one who abruptly quit without a single word of explanation. I should have asked for your forgiveness." Toyokawa Shoko paused, turned back, and looked at her with a calm, unfamiliar expression that frightened Nagasaki Motoyo. "One of the biggest reasons for CRYCHIC's disbandment was my departure."

"CRYCHIC isn't disbanding!" Nagasaki Motoyo's forced smile was almost uglier than crying. "We used to be happy every day, and we were all very good friends. Besides, wasn't it Xiaoxiang who said that being in a band is a lifelong thing... So, when he said he was quitting, it must have been..."

Toyokawa Shoko loosened her grip on the doorknob. She turned around, took a deep breath, and looked at Nagasaki Suyo. "Since CRYCHIC didn't disband, then what was that band we met that day?"

"CRYCHIC has collapsed. A comeback is impossible... and..." Toyokawa Shoko's eyes dodged for a few seconds, but soon became firm, "I already have a new band now."

Nagasaki Suyo's heart almost stopped beating.

The pain and loneliness beyond imagination came like an avalanche, and all the efforts made during this period to save CRYCHIC seemed to be in vain and ridiculous.

She trembled as she approached Toyokawa Shoko. "Please! I want to form CRYCHIC again! That band was actually formed for this..." Then, she looked around as if she had said something wrong, a painful expression on her face. "I... I just want to go back to the happy days we had back then. Deng and Li Xi also hope for this."

Nagasaki Sushi suddenly turned around to look at Wakaba Mutsu, who was sitting expressionless, and said, "Call Xiao Mu too! Xiao Xiang can come back too, that's the plan!"

Wakaba Mutsu covered his hands in his arms, his eyes dim, and turned his face away, not responding to Nagasaki Suyo's words.

Nagasaki Suyo covered her chest in disbelief, "How could this be... Am I the only one in CRYCHIC... The band was clearly founded by Xiangzi..."

Toyokawa Shoko bit her lip and said, "We all have our own bands now. I'm sorry for what happened back then... Anyway, CRYCHIC ends here. I'll work hard to earn your forgiveness."

She looked at Toyokawa Shoko who turned the doorknob, and tears suddenly burst out of her eyes, "No, no! I really regard you as the most important and love you the most... Please! If Shoko is gone, I..."

Nagasaki Motoyo pushed aside the chair next to her and grabbed Toyokawa Shoko's wrist like a drowning man grabbing a lifeline. Her body kept sinking, and then she collapsed to her knees on the ground. "As long as it's something I can do, I will do it!"

Shoko Toyokawa stopped again.

She felt a quick warm and wet sensation on the back of her hand.

If Kurusu Akatsuki was here, what would he do?

Shoko Toyokawa looked at the wooden door in front of her. After a brief silence, she chose to half-squat down, then gently hugged the crying Nagasaki Suyo in her arms and touched her head.

"Sushi, even if we don't have a band anymore, we'll still be good friends. So... please don't say irresponsible words like 'for a lifetime' anymore."

Nagasaki Suyo hugged her and cried heart-wrenchingly, tears kept flowing out and she couldn't stop them.

Ruoye Mu's eyes trembled for a while, flashing with hope.

She cautiously reached out her hand to Toyokawa Shoko, but withdrew it halfway and remained silent, like a doll with its strings cut.

In the coffee shop, the friends who once talked about everything truly felt for the first time the thick and invisible wall that separated them.

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(The agreed five-in-one chapter was completed overnight, please check!)

(This routine seems to be completely ruined... I have no energy until 1 a.m., and I wrote three chapters yesterday, but I was so confused that I couldn't finish the last 4,000 words all day.)

(And then, late at night, my writing energy, like waking up from sleep, only lasts for two hours before my mind immediately becomes foggy and muddy... Is this the end of me?)

084.Dating in Progress (Two in One)

"Sister, where's the band's performance?"

"...It should be over."

Two pretty girls with identical looks walked on the streets of Shimokitazawa, like two blooming roses, bright red against the azure sky. Suddenly, a breeze blew by, and the fragrance of the flowers quickly bloomed and dissipated in the street.

It was a cloudless, sunny day, and the girls, after finishing their band, struggled to load their instruments into Kawahara Momoka's van. The drum set, keyboard, and speakers were so numerous and heavy, and the precious, delicate electronics required several trips to unload them all.

Jing Qinrencai squatted alone beside the cymbals, looking at the people coming and going on the street. From time to time, he took out his mobile phone and searched intensively, hoping to find some praise on the Internet.

[Simple Love Qi Shen: "Because I Can't Be Someone Else." Although this song isn't quite up to par, I'll reluctantly put it on my annual playlist since it bears a slight resemblance to Morfonica's playing style.]

[It’s hard to hide my tears in the early morning: I’m speechless. ]

【Doctor Baiyun: The butterfly vermicelli noodles are delicious.】

[Jiuniang Guiyuanzi_Official: Why are they all talking about music? I thought everyone was paying attention to that handsome guitarist.]

【...】

After a few comments discussing Kurusu Akatsuki appeared, the comment section immediately sparked a surge of new Kurusu Akatsuki fans. It was clearly a rock band post, but it was instantly filled with the daydreams of otakus or older single women...

I have to say that the guy who captured the moment when Kurusu Akatsuki was in full bloom and smiling was really a photography genius. The angle, the lighting... directly pushed that already incredibly handsome face to the level of a work of art. Even Jing Qinrenna, who was used to getting along with Kurusu Akatsuki, stared at the photo for a while, and then saved it to her mobile phone album with a happy smile on her face.

But soon, the smile disappeared.

As a result, no one discussed the band at all... Jing Qinrencai had a bitter face and kept refreshing the comment section. Not to mention discussing the band's works, not many people even paid attention to the band members.