Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 41

However, the girl's instincts made Takamatsu Akari lower her head, concealing an emotion she herself didn't know how to describe, called "shyness."

Finally, she murmured softly in a weak and shy voice.

"...Did it get through?"

It's different from what the other members of the band think.

Takamatsu Akari did not intentionally send what they perceived as a "confession" to Gen Xudou.

She simply followed the boy's instructions, looking at him and ignoring everything else, then poured out all her inner feelings through her song, ultimately achieving that effect.

Besides the sadness and loneliness of the past, there was also the joy and happiness of meeting companions and being understood and accepted. Naturally, this also included her feelings for Yuan Xudou, feelings that she herself could not explain and could not express.

It's chaotic and complex, like a tangled ball of yarn with no end in sight. It's hard to imagine anyone truly untangling all the thoughts hidden within it.

So, whether such singing can truly convey one's inner feelings completely—the girl didn't have high expectations at first, but she did her best to do so in response to the boy's entrustment.

And that was indeed the case. The audience could only hear the suppressed grief, and a final surge of relief; the teammates around them could only vaguely discern the longing and dependence within.

However, even if Shan Siling and Yue Yi were only a small part, their profound emotions were enough to move people.

So... Yuan Xudou, how much did you hear?

The answer to this question should be known only to him, and he will not tell anyone else.

Even when facing Takamatsu Akari himself... he had no intention of revealing it.

The boy gently patted her head, his slender fingers threading through her hair to brush away the strands of gray hair clinging to her skin with sweat, before answering softly.

"Yes, the message has been sent."

"Everyone heard the voice in your heart."

He didn't specifically mention his feelings; his expression remained calm, and he subtly changed the subject of the conversation.

"Lixi cried her eyes out when she stepped off the stage... She was still secretly sobbing in the back of the car."

Although his tone was relaxed, when he heard that Shiina Tatsuki had cried because of him, Takamatsu Akari's eyes widened and his expression became slightly panicked.

"Lixi, because of my song...?"

"I...I didn't mean for her..."

"Don't feel guilty, it's not because of sadness... but you can't say it's not entirely unrelated."

"It's just that Lixi recognized your singing and was moved by your emotions that she became like that. This is not something to worry about; on the contrary, it's a good thing."

With a reassuring pat, Yuan Xudou stopped her from falling into guilt for "making her companion cry."

After a brief moment of panic, she gradually came to understand that Shiina Tatsuki's tears were not the proof of sadness she had imagined.

“When CryCHIC was first formed, Li Xi, who was the most opposed to it, has now acknowledged your ability as the lead vocalist.”

"Just keep going... and the day will come when you express your feelings to everyone."

That is, the day you truly become human, as you wish.

Like I said before—you have to find it yourself.

Lamp, you've found your own way; now all you have to do is keep going.

Although Deng isn't like Xiangzi, able to keenly discern his inner thoughts... she should still be able to vaguely grasp these words.

"...Xu Dou."

Takamatsu suddenly gripped the boy's clothes tightly.

Her tender, dependent gaze clung to him, locking onto him. A mental tug-of-war, absent since the day he was invited by Toyokawa Shoko to form a band, quietly resurfaced.

The difference is that, compared to the emptiness and nothingness of the first time, this time the gravity has gained a companion and thus a more solid weight.

"Will you stay with me and walk with me forever?"

Actually, what she wanted to say was "a lifetime." But because of some inexplicable hesitation, she ultimately only used "always."

...Intuition is really as sensitive as a small animal's.

However, Gen Xudou had only been thinking about it for a while. Now, his reason for joining the band was no longer just to give Takamatsu Tohru a voice. 【CryCHIC】 had truly become a second home shared by the six members.

Thus, a gentle yet firm voice accepted the invitation to bind them together.

"Of course, I never said I was leaving."

Neon Umbrella'〒Cold s〕?(i玖〨7?Shaanxi Chapter Fifty-Six: Making a True Voice)

After sending Gao Songdeng home, Yuan Xudou quickly returned to the bus.

As soon as he got into the car, he was simultaneously met with four pairs of gazes that had been waiting for him, each with a different expression, which made his handsome brows furrow.

"Is there a problem?"

He didn't feel any discomfort with the light's vision; he was simply confused.

Xiangzi and Su Shi are one thing, he just overheard them whispering in the front row, probably discussing something related to lights, but he didn't listen carefully... Li Xi and He Mu, why are those two joining in the fun?

Just now, they were resting with their eyes closed in the car, like the lights, to relieve their fatigue after the performance. Why are they awake now?

Undeterred by their numerical disadvantage, Yuan Xudou slowly surveyed the group, exchanging glances with each of them in turn.

"...I just wanted to ask you something,"

In the end, Shiina Tatsuki, who had the weakest willpower when it came to making eye contact with the boy, was the first to surrender.

A slight blush appeared on her glistening earlobes, but it was cleverly concealed by her straight black hair, which she had already swept aside. The girl's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as she asked nervously:

"The performance... how is it going?"

Because she was so engrossed in the game that she lost sight of the bigger picture, she couldn't tell whether her drumming had made the same mistakes as before or whether she had lost her rhythm.

Although Deng's singing was absolutely perfect and the audience's response was enthusiastic, she still couldn't settle down without Yuan Xudou's praise.

During the performance, Shiina Tatsuki subtly glanced at the boy a few times, but he didn't get completely absorbed in the eye contact with Takamatsu Akari, and gave a normal, reassuring response.

But maybe that was just a comforting look to keep her focused... That sounds a bit far-fetched and suspicious, but she just wanted to hear the other person say those words to reward her efforts. Was that such an unreasonable thought?!

"The performance was a great success."

"Lixi, you maintained a good rhythm from beginning to end, just as I told you, and you didn't hold everyone back."

Ah, satisfied.

Shiina Tatsuki leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes peacefully.

'So, this should count as completing the proof...'

Anxiety, doubt, and feelings of inferiority... those emotions were easily erased by the boy's understated words, leaving only the faint joy of being recognized.

With just a few words, she could clear away her unease... Although she didn't really want to admit it, she had such trust in Yuan Xudou.

Having resolved the source of one gaze, Gen Xudou turned to face Ruoye Muku. Their equally calm gazes collided and merged, without any sparks flying like in a comic book, but simply a silent connection between their hearts.

The boy looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Ruo Yemu gently shook her head, tucked a strand of light green hair behind her temple, and quietly turned her gaze away.

She had nothing she wanted to ask Yuan Xudou.

...I was just a little envious of how Takamatsu Akari managed to speak up after being encouraged by the other person.

Like a doll, the girl, whose life had been lived according to the wishes of others, couldn't understand why the other person was able to do such a thing. In just a few weeks, she went from a timid girl who couldn't speak properly in front of strangers to a shining lead singer who could sing loudly on stage.

To show your own things to others and then gain their recognition...

Although she looked exhausted and distressed from giving it her all, a feeling of happiness welled up inside her...

Xiangzi certainly couldn't answer that question. Otherwise, as her best friend and close confidante, she wouldn't have allowed herself to continue harboring such thoughts.

...But Xu Dou should know the answer. The way he sang freely and unrestrainedly had a captivating charm that even surpassed Gao Songdeng's, making it impossible to look away.

More serious and mature than anyone else, he strictly and self-disciplined himself, yet he could also display unparalleled freedom and cheerfulness, like a puppet that had broken free of its restraints and its strings had been snapped—from that time on… no, perhaps even earlier, from the moment he could deduce my meaning from a sentence or two, I have always been very concerned about his affairs.

The singing only pushed my curiosity to its peak.

Moreover, unlike Takamatsu Akari, who only surrenders his body to instinct at crucial moments, he has perfect control over his mind with ease.

So he will understand.

How can we express our true voice? How can we understand our true selves?

They gaze at each other with a yearning for answers, then avoid each other's gaze as if seeking answers.

—Not now, the occasion is wrong.

This is not a topic that can be brought up in front of everyone, and Ruoye Mu doesn't want anyone else to know about it—not even Xiangzi.

It wasn't that she intentionally rejected her childhood sweetheart, but only Yuan Xudou, whose eyes clearly reflected all her true feelings from beginning to end, had the opportunity to understand.

So she turned her head and stared indifferently at her reflection in the car window, at herself sitting there expressionless.

Ruoye Mu's gaze also shifted away from Yuan Xudou, leaving only the last two.

Even without making eye contact, he could roughly tell what Su Shi and Xiang Zi were thinking at that moment.

"The recording of the performance will be edited tonight. I'll send it to you to watch tomorrow morning, and if there are no problems, I'll post it on the 【CryCHIC】WeChat official account."

As the band's leader, Toyokawa Shoko is concerned about the band's development.

"I'm a little tired right now, let me rest by myself for a while."

Nagasaki Motoyo wanted to take advantage of the empty seat next to him and quietly sit down.

After calmly interpreting the gazes of all four people, Yuan Xudou closed the car door and returned to his seat.

Then, just as he and Nagasaki Motoyo had said, he quietly closed his eyes.

The vehicle started moving again with a slight vibration.

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Cheers to our bright tomorrow!

"Deng, let me pour you a drink."

"Huh? No, no need to trouble yourself..."

Shiina Riki diligently filled the wine glass in front of Takamatsu Akari. The girl, somewhat troubled by her attitude, turned her head slightly and looked at the boy across the table with a pleading look.

However, Yuan Xudou, who sensed the girl's gaze, only glanced at her slightly, reached out and took the drink that Shiina Ritsuki had poured for him, and then turned back to continue talking to Toyokawa Shoko about band matters, showing no intention of helping her out of the predicament.

He simply wanted to build good relationships with the band members and was very friendly; he didn't see any need to stop Shiina Tatsuki.

"The videos from a couple of days ago have already been posted online, and the response has been good. There are already comments from fans on the public account. You can take a look when you get back."

"Now that we have a fan base, where do you plan to hold the next live show?"

"Um……"

In response to Genjiro's question, Toyokawa Shoko, like a dignified and elegant young lady, gently swirled the glass in her hand, the crystal-clear liquid reflecting a brilliant luster within.

With her other hand supporting her chin, the beautiful and radiant young woman pondered for a moment before finally making her decision.

"Let's go with RiNG. It's the right size and it's formal enough."

　2ling迩|鸸印三淋把^<倭麇“This time, we can finally play our own songs. It’s really something to look forward to.”

Without deliberately lowering her voice, Toyokawa Shoko's clear and pleasant voice reached the ears of everyone present, making them all light up and temporarily put down what they were doing.

"Is the composition for 'Spring Shadow' (Part 2) finished?"

Shiina Tatsuki, her face beaming with delight, temporarily shifted her gaze from Takamatsu Akari, her crimson eyes adorned with a beauty mark looking expectantly at Toyokawa Shoko, who had spoken those words.

The lighting was already so touching and the singing of the cover song was so excellent. If it were paired with an original song with lyrics written by herself and music composed by the exceptionally talented Xiangzi and Xu Dou...

Not only Shiina Riki, but also Toyokawa Shoko and Takamatsu Akari herself, the other four girls all showed expressions mixed with joy and hope, as if they were imagining such a wonderful future.

"Yes, it's almost finished with the final touches."

Picking up where Toyokawa Shoko left off, Genji took a sip of his juice and answered Shiina Tatsuki's question with a calm expression.

"Next time we rehearse, I will bring the sheet music for each of our parts. Everyone, get ready to practice."

"but,"