Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 88

Why have I become so strange?

Chapter Three: The Sighs of the Bystanders

Rinko Maji leaned against the windowsill, watching Shiina Tatsuki silently wiping a cup with a towel, his purplish-red eyes vacant and seemingly absent-minded, and sighed softly.

As a long-time employee of LiveHouse, she's seen quite a few bands break up.

In this day and age, there are countless new bands who made bold statements at the beginning of their careers, aiming to climb the Budokan and reach the top of the Japanese entertainment industry. There are more new bands than RiNG has in a day. Each of them started out full of hope and expectation, working hard to move towards that goal.

However, the harsh realities of life always taught them that building a band into a major force cannot be achieved through naive hope and seemingly strong unity alone. Talent, resources, time, opportunity, and experience... all are indispensable for a band with lofty goals.

Even if it's just for fun, a band formed with the idea of ​​playing house should at least have some achievements that can be talked about in normal times.

Most people only see the glamour of the top bands and join them unilaterally. Once they find that things don't go as easily and smoothly as they initially imagined, but instead encounter insurmountable difficulties and setbacks, conflicts will naturally arise.

Arguments, blame-shifting, mutual accusations, and shirking of responsibility can quickly turn seemingly harmonious team members into a rift, tearing them apart and leading to their rapid disintegration.

Very few bands manage to break up peacefully. Most break up during a major argument or when conflicts escalate until neither member wants to return, rendering the band defunct.

Most of them can only last until their first live performance—because by then, their naivety and unrealistic fantasies will have worn away, and they will truly experience the cruelty of making music.

So, band breakups were something that happened... back in the old LiveHouses, you'd probably see them happen several times a month on average.

However, 【CryCHIC】is different.

Not only does Rinko Maji have a high opinion of the potential of Shiina Riki and the other six, but even the owner of Tsuzuki, known for his sharp eye and strict requirements, has provided them with resources. Their talent, hard work and unity are not just for show... With someone like Tou-san around, they should be able to form an unbreakable whole.

Their debut live performance garnered significant online buzz and positive reviews, and they capitalized on this popularity by releasing original songs with their own unique style... From any perspective, they don't seem like they're going to suddenly disband.

Aside from turning against each other and fighting over a man, Maji Rinko couldn't think of any other reason for their conflict...

Regardless, this should be a rising star band in the entertainment industry, with a very high probability of performing at the Budokan and becoming another leader of the new era.

However, within just a week and a half, Rinko Shinji witnessed, either indirectly or directly, three major incidents: "Toyokawa Shoko and Genji Koto confront each other, and the girl eventually runs away in the rain," "Wakaba Mutsumi leaves the practice room expressionlessly with tears streaming down her face," and "Shiina Tatsuki runs out of RiNG crying."

The seemingly unbreakable relationship between CryCHIC and CryCHIC ended abruptly and unexpectedly in a very short time, without even accumulating any conflicts.

The disbandment happened so quickly that she didn't even have time to process her sadness. It was as if she had witnessed a sudden disaster, and most of her thoughts were filled with shock.

As an outsider, despite consistently supporting them, Rinko Shinji still doesn't know what the initial trigger for the incident was. What reason could have caused them, who used to be so close, to never meet again at RiNG, seemingly forgetting everything?

Later, Shiina Tatsuki, who joined RiNG, reacted in an even more perplexing way.

Many bands become complete strangers after their relationship ends. Rinko Maji has seen quite a few bands turn into enemies. Some even fight on the spot and afterwards, they will sarcastically mock and ridicule each other if they happen to see each other again. Such things are not uncommon.

It's extremely rare for couples to break up rationally and peacefully and remain friends afterward, but I have seen a few examples.

But someone like Shiina Tatsuki, who clearly has the band on his mind every day, often gets lost in thought when he's not busy, and his usually aloof face occasionally shows a fleeting hint of melancholy.

This likely reflects someone who is very nostalgic for the past and is the type who can't forget old feelings—therefore, their attitude towards former teammates should be either very bad or very good.

Shiina Tatsuki, who would say with a serious expression, "If Xu Dou comes, please let me know, Rinrin-senpai,"... logically speaking, she should be the type who still wants to be friends.

However, their actual behavior was vastly different, and there was no sign of friendly interaction between the two.

And then there's Yuan Xudou, who comes to RiNG for a drink every few days when it's less crowded. Does she really think he can't tell that he's there for Shiina Riki?

Seeing these two ignoring each other, not saying a single unnecessary word, finishing their drinks and leaving, seemingly holding back a lot of things they wanted to say... Maji Rinko could only sigh that young people are just so stubborn.

Yes, the kitchen staff, instead of mixing drinks, would come out and ask him what he wanted to drink, serving him tea and water without a single complaint; customers from schools far from the coffee shop would make the trip every few days, specifically choosing times when it was less crowded. That's exactly the kind of normal interaction we see between customers and staff here.

Who are these two trying to fool?

Are you pretending just because we're strangers? What kind of stranger acts like that?

Sometimes, I really want to expose Shiina Tatsuki's pretentious act... I want to take a picture of her with her eyes downcast and looking listless and show it to Genjiro to see how she continues to put on a cold face.

They were putting on an act so deliberately... If it weren't for the inexplicable tacit understanding between them, either of them could have immediately seen through their feigned pretense.

It was almost like they were having a tiff, neither of them wanted to be the first to make up, and they even had to pretend they weren't familiar with each other... but their bodies were quite honest.

Even Rinko Maji, watching from the side, felt incredibly stifled.

She didn't want to directly ask Shiina Ritsuki what had happened, so she could only gently advise her to at least have a good talk with Genjiro, otherwise she was really worried that Shiina Ritsuki would bottle things up and cause problems.

As a complete outsider in this matter, Maji Rinko really had no position to take, and her words were probably not taken seriously by Shiina Tatsuki.

"Sigh..." She sighed like an elder worried about the future of her child, resting her elbows on the counter and her hands on her chin.

To be honest, she doesn't even know who's right and who's wrong, so how can you advise her?

...But intuitively, Rinko Shinji felt that Shiina Riki was more at fault. Otherwise, this straightforward and cold-faced girl wouldn't be so bewildered and stuck in place.

So... young people are just too much trouble.

She's too thin-skinned; even though she's admitted she's wrong, she stubbornly refuses to apologize... Xu Dousang always comes to see her and speaks to her first, which is giving her a way out.

He didn't even try to force an apology; he could have made up if he had just softened his stance... but he still refused.

Of course, she couldn't understand what Shiina Ritsuki was thinking, nor did she know the hidden story, so she couldn't comment too much.

But... if we keep hesitating and shrinking back like this, even opportunities and happiness that are right in front of us and within our grasp will slip away...

Rinko Maji, a young working woman who is about to enter the ranks of "leftover women," laments the lack of appreciation from young people.

...How about we try to contact Xu Dousang?

But they've already gone this far... so Shiina Tatsuki still needs to change her mind first.

Moreover, she always felt that if she really did that, she might not only not be appreciated, but it might also trigger Shiina Tatsuki's possessiveness and other negative views of her... After all, she even had to do the job of entertaining Xu Dou herself.

That would be a thankless task, so it's best not to get involved in other people's romantic dramas.

The current situation is not something that can be resolved by "finding an opportunity or an excuse"... It can be said that the two of them definitely have the idea and the opportunity to reconcile, the only thing they lack is the motivation.

Simply put, if you haven't overcome your inner hurdle, creating more opportunities won't help. If you've figured it out, Rinko Maji might think Shiina Tatsuki could text Genji to reconcile; if you haven't, even if you meet every day, you'll remain silent.

Sigh, after thinking about all this, it's all because she genuinely loved how happy the six of them were together back then at [CryCHIC]. That pure joy and happiness, that warm, bright, lively, playful, and incredibly harmonious atmosphere—it's really hard not to feel happy about it.

When will we see them on the stage again...?

Chapter Four: Wanting, Therefore Getting

"Ah, it's Xiao Le Nai."

The cat-like girl slipped into the kitchen, her bright, heterochromatic eyes, sharp and intelligent, scanning the surroundings before heading straight to the wide-mouthed glass on the table, filled with dark green ice cream. She took it without ceremony, like a kitten roaming freely in its territory, searching for food.

Rinko Maji, unfazed by such occurrences, didn't stop them. She glanced at the ledger casually and then took out her ledger. "Should we still put it in Xu Dousang's account?"

Although she is the boss's granddaughter, one thing is one thing. Tsuzuki Shisen also told that Rakuna should pay for her food properly. Although the girl usually doesn't carry any money with her, Gen Xudou always pays for her.

Although it was a question, the tone was very relaxed. Clearly, Rinko Maji was very used to this situation and did not wait for Ryuna's reply before skillfully making a stroke on the paper.

After all, she usually takes what she wants and leaves without stopping to say more than a few words to them—like a cat, she is free and unrestrained, only stopping to approach people she is close to or interested in, and she may disappear at any time.

Unfortunately, Rinko Maji, who exudes the aura of a disillusioned office worker, is clearly not someone that Rakuna would find interesting.

"The stray cat is here again..." Shiina Riki, who was wiping cups nearby, also noticed the commotion and clicked her tongue to look over.

It's a peculiar nickname, but it's quite fitting to describe the girl—she exists in a human-inhabited area, yet isn't kept by any particular person; she's somewhere between a house cat and a stray cat, which unexpectedly fits Kaname's personality perfectly.

Being able to call her by her nickname so readily, Shiina Tatsuki was clearly used to Kaoru's behavior. Her prepared matcha parfait was taken by Kaoru cutting in line, but she didn't complain; she simply wiped her hands with a towel and planned to make another one.

Trying to reprimand Yuu Nai directly would only result in her being nimbly and agilely dodging away; and among the few people in RiNG who could control her, one was the boss, Tokiwa Tsuzuki, who rarely came and whose presence was like a dragon appearing and disappearing, and the other was... Shiina Tatsuki, who didn't know how to face Minamoto Kōdō.

Rinko Maji didn't want to get involved, and the other employees couldn't manage it because of Ryuna's status. Shiina Tatsuki was willing but powerless, so she could only go along with her actions.

...Anyway, it's not a big deal to steal a parfait, so let her be.

Fortunately, Rakuna has someone she's more interested in now. Otherwise, Shiina Tatsuki, who is serious and strict and is now caught in a complicated emotional vortex, and has become strange, might also be seen as an "interesting person" and get into trouble.

"Hum..."

Since no one was chasing her away, Lena was happy to have some peace and quiet. Under the watchful eyes of the two people in the kitchen, the girl licked her lips with her pink tongue as if no one else was there, making a pleasant sound in her throat, and picked up a spoon to eat heartily on the chair next to her.

Before long, she had easily finished the matcha parfait, which was a large portion even for an adult, and the girl even looked a little unsatisfied.

...As expected, a teenage girl's capacity to eat sweets is beyond what one would expect. Rinko Maji thought with a touch of envy.

"Guitar, guitar~"

Having satisfied her craving for matcha, Kaoru swung her slender legs, her heterochromatic yellow and blue eyes sparkling with joy.

In a good mood, she hummed softly to herself and finally glanced at the two people next to her.

Based on past experience, at this point, Rakuna should appear as silently as she did when she arrived, and then disappear without a trace, so they didn't pay much attention to the girl's actions.

Until she walked to the sink and put down the cup that had been completely eaten, and then, unusually, tilted her head and stared at Shiina Tatsuki, who had just finished making a new matcha parfait.

"Aren't you coming? Guitar."

"……what?"

Completely unable to understand the meaning of this nonsensical conversation, Shiina Ritsuki even paused for a moment before realizing that Rakuna was speaking to her.

"I can't play the guitar..." Shiina Ritsuki thought to herself, feeling rather speechless, and decided not to pay any attention to her.

However, seeing that she didn't react, Yoro Nai repeated it again.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked casually. "Xu Dou wants to play guitar with me."

Shiina Tatsuki paused in her wiping of the dishes.

After a long while, she lowered her face, her purple eyes shrouded in an unreadable darkness, before finally uttering an answer from between her slightly clenched lips.

"...Wildcat, don't say things like that." Shiina Ritsuki clenched her fists and spoke coldly, slightly annoyed. "My business with Xu Tou is none of your concern."

Perhaps it was because the other person could accompany Genjiro to play without any restraint, while she herself had lost the ability to even say a few more words... Although she knew that Kaname Rakuna did not mean to show off when she said these words, Shiina Tatsuki still couldn't help but feel a jealous displeasure, and her tone was a little sharp.

"Lixi-chan..." Rinko Maji, who was standing to the side, seemed worried that they would get into a fight, and quickly stepped forward.

However, Yoro Nai did not show any discomfort or anger.

The girl was like a real, unhurried, and fearless cat. When she encountered something she couldn't understand but was interested in, even if she was chased away, her first reaction was not to run away in fright, but to shake her head in confusion.

"Hmm, he clearly wanted to play with you." Lena turned her head to the side. "Don't you like it? To play together."

"...It's not a matter of whether you like it or not..."

Seeing her so calm, Shiina Ritsuki also calmed down a bit, feeling a little embarrassed by her earlier agitation.

...She's just an outsider who knows nothing, so she shouldn't take it so seriously.

“But,” Yoro Nai’s head tilted to the other side again, “Xu Dou hasn’t been serious about the guitar lately, which isn’t good.”

She bluntly stated, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "You need to think of a solution."

"Huh? Then with me..."

Shiina Tatsuki, who was about to say "What does that have to do with me?", stopped himself in his tracks.

...Of course, that has something to do with her.

Although she didn't understand what had happened, she could tell that Genjiro was in a bad mood, which affected the quality of the performance. Kaname also keenly found one of the sources that caused this situation.

A cat-like girl with straightforward behavior, she tries to solve things in the simplest way... which is reasonable for her, as she doesn't really consider other people's thoughts.

"If you want to play, then play it." Following the call of her nature, the girl who never falters said earnestly, "Otherwise, it will be very painful."

Rakuna didn't intend to linger. After saying what she wanted to say, she left without hesitation, leaving Shiina Tatsuki with a somewhat blank yet seemingly enlightened gaze.

"..."

That honest and frank way of facing one's inner thoughts... reminded her of Yuan Xudou.

...Did you just do it because you wanted to...?

So, Shiina Tatsuki asked himself a question.

...Do I want to do that?

The answer seems obvious from the very beginning.