Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 30

It was that melancholy that contrasted with his gentle appearance that led Toyokawa Shoko to take the first step in getting to know each other, and then they fell deeply in love.

"...Let's call her Kasuga Kage."

Because I met you all, who are just as wonderful, in the most beautiful spring.

Chapter Thirty-Seven will inevitably become >> Start 2⑶ Cold si# Ultimate 〧 Fin Shirt 俬?? Family

"Xu Dou, you shouldn't be in a hurry to go home, right?"

While seemingly seeking the boy's opinion, Toyokawa Shoko, who actually already knew the answer, gently rubbed the back of his hand with her soft, delicate palm, her tone carrying a hint of willful assertiveness that left no room for refusal.

"Stay and chat with me for a while."

Yuan Xudou nodded.

So, Toyokawa Shoko took his hand and led the boy to the spacious balcony outside the room.

A cool evening breeze rustled through the leaves in the courtyard, gently brushing against the two people leaning against the railing, their shoulders pressed together, and lightly touching their faces.

Bright yet faint moonlight surged, sinking into silvery waves at the edge of sight, flowing like a trickle across everything within reach.

In the still, silent air, only the sound of each other's breathing could be clearly heard.

As if escaping the chill of the night, the girl leaned closer to Yuan Xudou, her slender, white fingertips gently resting on the boy's strong forearm.

Toyokawa Shoko turned her head to look at the boy's eyes, which reflected the starry sky and were as quiet and dark as the night sky.

"...Speaking of which..."

She suddenly spoke, her clear, gentle, and beautiful voice breaking the silence of the night.

Gazing at the starry sky, her eyes gleamed with a gentle, radiant light as she imprinted the boy's profile deeply into her memory.

"I've never seen you smile before, Xu Dou."

No matter how happy the occasion or how joyful the event, his face always maintained a calm expression. Only through subtle changes in his eyebrows and eyes could one glimpse the boy's mood at the time.

Just like now, so close, with body temperature and breath intertwined, Toyokawa Shoko could clearly feel that Genjiro was experiencing the same emotion and joy that surged within her.

But the corners of his mouth remained completely unsmiling.

It wasn't that he was indifferent to everything, or that he couldn't frankly express his joy... She understood that the boy wasn't that kind of timid or indifferent person.

Therefore, seeking greater understanding from each other, the girl asked softly.

“…Tell me the reason.”

"..."

After she said those words, silence fell around them once again.

Gazing at the boundless night sky, the light reflected in Yuan Xudou's eyes slowly faded, turning into the afterglow of darkness.

He closed his eyes.

“...In the past, a family member once told me this.”

Whispers as gentle as ripples of water, as faint as fireflies, filled the empty night.

"Your smile is the most precious treasure in the world; you must cherish it and never lose it..."

"...Those were my mother's last words."

It was simply to protect that last wish.

But by then, he could no longer wear a smile on his face without any worries.

Rather than letting the smiles his mother cherished gradually become tainted with heaviness and falsehood under the erosion of reality, it would be better to seal them away forever. At least in this way, he would never lose them in the process of change.

Over time, even though he no longer cared so much about the past and the memories no longer stung, Yuan Xudou had adapted to this expressionless lifestyle.

He didn't hold back at all with Toyokawa Shoko, with whom he was now very close, and frankly told her the reason.

"...My mother's last words...?"

Toyokawa Shoko's eyes widened in surprise.

"Well, you get used to it after a while."

Yuan Xudou raised his hand with a hint of helplessness and touched the corner of his mouth.

The boy's gentle and clear voice did not contain any sorrow or heaviness.

"It's not that I don't want to laugh, or that I'm unhappy... Xiangzi, I'm very happy to be in a band with you guys."

He did not want his wife and the others to misunderstand each other because of this.

This straightforward explanation should help her understand...

“…Saki?”

However, upon hearing the boy's words, Toyokawa Shoko did not find peace as he had hoped.

Instead, the girl's hand, which was gripping his forearm, suddenly tightened. The force that her slender, soft fingers exerted at that moment had already left a noticeable indentation on Yuan Xudou's skin.

It wasn't enough to cause him pain... but he could sense that the girl's hand was trembling slightly from the force she was using.

He looked down with concern at Toyokawa Shoko, who seemed to be in a bad state.

"Xu Dou".

The girl bit her lower lip.

His golden eyes were dim for some reason, yet they projected an inexplicable determination.

"...Can I say a few words?"

"I want to tell you... why I wanted to form [CryCHIC]."

"……Um."

Although somewhat puzzled, he nodded gently and placed his hand on the back of Toyokawa Shoko's hand.

“My mother… passed away not long ago.”

Starting with these words, she turned around and took the boy's hand in return.

Genjiro could sense the emotions surging within Toyokawa Shoko at that moment.

It was less sadness and grief than a determination to remain strong despite regrets.

...She didn't bring this up to complain or vent.

“At that time, I was also very sad. I couldn’t sleep every night. Every time I closed my eyes, I would think of the past.”

"I don't want to do anything. I feel like there's a piece missing in my heart that I can't make up for no matter what I do—I know all too well the pain of losing a loved one."

"But... one day, Mutsu took me, who was in a daze, to see the music festival in the Moon Forest."

“There, I saw Morfonica’s performances… On stage, they played together, merging and shining with a dazzling light.”

Toyokawa Shoko released their tightly clasped hands.

Then, she pulled Won Heo-doo around so they could look each other straight in the eyes.

The once dim golden eyes brightened, sparkling with a radiant glow.

On the balcony bathed in soft moonlight, the somewhat oppressive atmosphere, created by the heavy topic the two had brought up together, was dispelled by the girl's gentle yet earnest words.

"'So this is what it means to be in a band—like a real family, trusting each other, supporting each other, making up for each other's shortcomings, and ultimately coming together to form a perfect family.'"

"I also wanted a band like that to fill the void in my heart... That was my original intention in forming [CryCHIC]."

"The lyrics of 'The Lamp' moved me on one hand... but most importantly, I want to become a 'community of shared destiny' with everyone, a family that can make up for each other's shortcomings."

"Because of you, Xu Dou... my wish can come true."

She held Yuan Xudou's hand in her hands, gazing intently into the boy's dark eyes.

"I hope that CryCHIC can become your family too. One day, you can be in it and smile from the bottom of your heart."

"and--"

Toyokawa Shoko's gaze melted like water, and golden waves gently swallowed the boy's figure.

Under the endless starlight, she tiptoed and nimbly hooked her hands around the boy's neck.

The sudden closeness caused their breaths to merge subtly. Their breaths were perfectly spaced, and warm air circulated between their bodies like a cycle.

A delicate and refreshing fragrance unknowingly entered the boy's nostrils.

At this distance, where even the trembling of the other's eyelids could be clearly seen, the blush on the girl's face and the tenderness in her eyes were so clear and alluring, like bright flowers waiting to be picked, radiating an ambiguous halo.

"You must also be able to feel that there is something special between you and me."

"Even without a band, we can still be family..."

At this moment, how should we address the surging emotions resonating with each other in our hearts?

Feeling the strong arm of Genjiro instinctively supporting her back, Toyokawa Shoko smiled.

"Even though we're all bandmates... we'll still be the most special ones."

"Unlike everyone else."

"……Um."

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Su Shi's Mysteries and Prayers

Nagasaki Motoyo took out her key and opened the door.

She skillfully changed into the casual shoes that Yuan Xudou kept in the entryway and turned on the living room lights.

With nothing to do, the girl looked around the room, trying to find something she could do.

Unfortunately, Yuan Xudou's daily habits were quite healthy; there was no litter or bottles scattered on the floor, nor any dirt to clean. The sink was empty of dishes waiting to be washed, and every piece of furniture was neatly placed in its proper place.

Nothing had changed, except that one person was temporarily missing, but the once cozy room suddenly felt unfamiliar and desolate to her.

Even so, it's still better than my own home.

At least, this is the home that she and Yuan Xudou built together, a home that belongs to them.

After pacing around the living room a few times, Nagasaki Motoyo placed her hand on the doorknob of the boy's bedroom, hesitated for a moment, and finally gently let go.

She straightened the chair that she had accidentally knocked askew while walking, and then sat down on the sofa where the two of them usually snuggled together.

I immersed myself in it, closed my eyes, and imagined the boy's warmth and presence for a while.

...The sofa was indeed too empty for one person. She thought to herself.

Take out your phone and open the photo album.

Like a wife waiting for her husband to come home from get off work, silently keeping watch alone in her empty room, Nagasaki Motoyo's eyes vacantly swept over the photos of her and Genjiro, passing the time in this way.

It wasn't until the twilight streamed into the living room through the window that she got up from the sofa, quickly prepared a few simple dishes to satisfy her hunger.

...Xu Doujun sent a message saying that he ate out today and would be back before nine o'clock.

'Nine o'clock...'

There are still three or four hours left, it doesn't seem like a very long time...

She sat back down on the sofa and quietly scrolled through her phone.

"...This is really outrageous."

The girl's fingers, which were swiping across the screen, froze for a moment. She suddenly lowered her head and murmured softly.

Nagasaki Motoyo stood up, walked to the glass door of the balcony, pressed her fair and slender right hand on the door panel, looked at her reflection in the glass, and suddenly smiled self-deprecatingly.

'We're not even married yet, and I haven't even confessed my feelings to him...'

She looks so down... Could it be that I am really the kind of woman who is so starved for love that I can't bear the loneliness as long as the person I like leaves my sight?

...Indeed, we should have continued to observe at that time.

But what's the point?