Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 49

So he quietly and gently put his arm around the girl's waist.

With his other hand, he supported the back of her head, which was covered by her long, smooth brown hair, and looked directly into her eyes, which seemed to melt into a pool of water. He aimed at the back of her fingers and pressed their cheeks together.

Their breaths were mingled and chaotic, the temperature was so close, the touch was so clear it was almost burning hot, and they were even pressed tightly together, their hearts pounding faster at the same time.

Even though it was just through her fingers and they couldn't actually touch, it was still a hundred times better than she had imagined.

Nagasaki Motoyo's pupils widened for a moment, then she quietly closed her eyes, lost in the moment.

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Let's censor all of that.

The blazing sun of May has already begun to reveal its merciless cruelty.

Being bathed in sunlight every day, hot enough to make the asphalt scorch and distort the air with a twisted pattern, is a considerable test of both physical and mental endurance.

Normally, at times like this, one should stay in an air-conditioned room away from direct sunlight, scrolling through their phone or computer, quietly waiting for the scorching sun to sink into the twilight, and then, as a form of compensation, go out for a stroll in the cooler evening breeze... This is the best way to cope with the approaching summer heat.

Instead of walking around in the bright, dazzling afternoon sun.

Unfortunately, in order to prepare for the second performance of [CryCHIC], which was also a performance that would truly test whether they could debut as an excellent band with their own original songs and gain public recognition, they had no choice but to do this.

Fortunately, RiNG has complete equipment, and since they have been renting the same practice room for a long time, they can temporarily leave their instruments at the store with the staff, instead of having to carry heavy instrument bags back and forth between home and the Live House in the sweltering heat.

Sharing the same parasol, Gen Xudou and Nagasaki Motoyo walked into RiNG.

Takamatsu Akari and Shiina Riki arrived a step earlier than the two of them and were currently looking at their phones in a corner of the training room, occasionally exchanging a few words—although most of the time, it was Shiina Riki who initiated the conversation with Takamatsu Akari, while the naturally reserved girl would only respond in a low voice with a tense expression.

Since the end of her first performance, Shiina Tatsuki has witnessed Takamatsu Akari's growth from being timid and hesitant at the beginning to gradually being able to speak in front of others, and finally even shouting out her inner thoughts in front of the public. She has completely changed her initial contempt and doubt for the girl and has come to sincerely admire her persistence and determination.

For Shiina Tatsuki, who considered herself lacking in natural talent, seeing a girl who was initially even less capable than herself, who couldn't even sing well, gradually rise to a level where she could carry the band was incredibly inspiring. The girl's cries and anxieties in her singing also touched upon a sense of inferiority she was unwilling to reveal to others, making Shiina Tatsuki unable to help but empathize with her.

If you were to ask who she liked the most in the band, Takamatsu Akari would rank higher than Toyokawa Shoko, who was the leader and shone like the sun, and only slightly lower than Minamoto Kōdō, who was the backbone of the group.

Therefore, at this moment, Shiina Tatsuki is trying her best to get along with Takamatsu Akari—although the effect doesn't seem to be very good because of the cold and harsh image she has left in the minds of the other band members over a long period of time, and the influence of her naturally indifferent and serious face.

Furthermore, Shiina Tatsuki isn't the type to say nice things very well. It's fine for a young girl to argue with others, but expecting her to sincerely and gently praise someone... well, she still has a long way to go before she learns to do so.

Therefore, the atmosphere in the practice room was actually somewhat awkward due to Shiina Tatsuki's attempts to make conversation and Takamatsu Akari's confused responses.

When Yuan Xudou pushed open the door, the two people who immediately looked up at the slightest sound saw the boy's familiar face and simultaneously revealed eyes that looked as if they had seen a savior.

Have you all watched the videos I sent you?

The calm and steady clear voice immediately broke the slightly stagnant atmosphere, replacing it with a comfortable and gentle presence, like a sea of ​​white clouds flowing in the sky.

Nagasaki Motoyo went to get her bass first, while he picked up the towel that had been prepared in advance and placed at the door, wiped his fine black hair and the few beads of sweat on his forehead, and walked towards them.

However, upon hearing his words, the two people, who should have been delighted by his arrival, did not relax.

Shiina Riki pursed her lips slightly, her pretty brows, adorned with a beauty mark, furrowed, and a hint of irritation flashed in her purplish-red pupils; Takamatsu Akari involuntarily lowered her head, letting her light gray short hair cover her moist amber eyes.

Seeing this, Yuan Xudou felt somewhat confused.

Is there something wrong with the performance video?

He himself had watched the recorded video, and there should be nothing to criticize about the sound effects, lighting, or picture clarity. It should have been able to present the scene of their performance very well.

Why do they look unhappy when this topic is brought up?

"...No, the video is good."

Finally, Shiina Tatsuki shook his head, denying his statement.

"But... Xu Dou, didn't you read the comments?"

When the topic came up, the girl couldn't help but clench her teeth, making a soft, grinding sound.

“Those guys—it’s one thing to say pretentious things like ‘the drums don’t feel right’ or ‘the bass isn’t very noticeable’—but they actually said things like ‘the lead singer’s vocals are too over-the-top!’ And quite a few people liked that!”

The girl's indignant voice was not for herself, but to stand up for Takamatsu Akari, who was being criticized so harshly by others.

"The sound of the lamp was her inner cry! Everyone present was moved. These people only watched the video; they didn't experience that scene firsthand. What right do they have to make such casual comments?"

For Shiina Tatsuki, denying Takamatsu Akari is like denying herself, who is trying to catch up with others. That's why she gets so angry when she sees others' sarcastic comments about the girl.

Upon hearing this, Takamatsu Akari, who was already looking down, drooped her head even lower, as if she would curl up and hide in the shadows where no one could see her at any moment.

Having also seen those comments, she felt more heartbroken than angry at Shiina Ritsuki for having let Genjiro down.

They failed to convey their inner voice to others, and even caused the band to be questioned by the public...

I tried my best, but still...

Gao Songdeng dared not raise his head, afraid that his gaze might meet the disappointment that might be in the boy's eyes.

"...So that's it."

After understanding the reason for the matter, Xu Dou nodded.

The next moment, he walked up to the two of them without them noticing and gently pressed his hand on the girl's lowered head.

He skillfully ruffled her gray hair, and under the watchful eyes of Shiina Ritsuki, who didn't know where to turn her envious gaze, he gently smoothed it down as if playing with a close animal.

"I've read all those comments."

"Aren't there far more praise than criticism?"

"Of course, our performances can't be perfect enough to satisfy everyone. If you feel there's anything we didn't do well enough, we can improve it next time."

"Besides, how well you actually did it can ultimately be judged by your own heart and by your bandmates."

He certainly saw those unfriendly comments, and as the main operator of the band's official account, he even received a number of harshly worded text messages.

But putting aside the fact that the boy didn't care at all about the strangers' attitudes towards him, what he saw was that most people held hopeful and encouraging views towards [CryCHIC]'s performance, and even their suggestions were gentle.

It's just that humans are more sensitive to malice than to kindness, which is why they keep focusing on that small group of negative comments.

Stroking the girl's head, he made her look up involuntarily. In the tender gaze cast by her soft eyes, Yuan Xudou made his decision in a relaxed tone.

"Lamp, you've done a good enough job—that's my assessment."

"Compared to others on the internet, I should have more influence, right?"

"……Um!"

With renewed courage from the boy's support, Gao Songdeng nodded firmly with a resolute gaze.

However, Shiina Riki, standing next to him, still had a worried look on her face.

"But we can't just leave it unattended, can we?"

"What if some new viewers develop a bad impression of us because of their comments? And just looking at these comments makes me feel really upset..."

"You guys should just use your own social media accounts to block all of that."

Without much hesitation, he immediately answered the girl's question.

"Leave the work of collecting suggestions for improvement from criticism and dealing with overly aggressive remarks to me."

"Okay, it's up to you."

Trusting in the other party's abilities, Shiina Riki relaxed his brows and eyes, and as he said, he no longer cared too much about Er Yi ③V Wife (g9) ⑹Three 侕.

Seeing that the two of them had calmed down, Yuan Xudou changed the subject.

"Compared to this,"

He tilted his head slightly, looking at Toyokawa Shoko and Wakaba Mutsumi, who had just pushed open the door and entered the practice room at that moment.

"Is everyone familiar with 'Spring Shadow'?"

Chapter Seventy: Preparations for "Spring Shadows"

Having gone through the experience of the first complete rehearsal, everyone was quite familiar with the process this time.

First, each person presented their assigned part individually to familiarize themselves with each other's rhythms. Then, after confirming everything was correct, the instruments played together individually, with Yuan Xudou providing feedback and fine-tuning to handle chord progressions and part changes. Finally, Gao Song Deng entered, blending his voice into the background music to give the song its true soul.

"Spring Shadow" is undoubtedly a great song that can rival the signature tracks of other professional bands.

The melody is melodious and ethereal, carrying a quiet and lonely sorrow, while also conveying a sense of gentle expectation and dependence. The style is also sorrowful but not tragic, which is completely unlike what a few junior high school students could create.

No one present objected to using it as the first original song for 【CryCHIC】, tasked with setting the tone for the band's style.

After all, the three creators themselves couldn't possibly have any objections. Wakaba Mutsu and Nagasaki Motoyo basically trusted Toyokawa Shoko and Minamoto Kōto's decisions unconditionally. As for the remaining Shiina Tatsuki... when she first saw the sheet music and lyrics for Kasuga Kage and played them, she even had the illusion that "this is exactly me!"

Everyone agreed that, given that this was the last chance to perform recently, after the performance, everyone except Yuan Xudou would have to devote themselves to the boring and tedious final exams, which they had to do in order to be able to get together with each other during the summer vacation.

When that time comes, the happy times they have now playing music will probably become the biggest motivation for them to persevere in their studies.

Therefore, everyone diligently fulfilled their responsibilities.

Speaking of which... when he and Toyokawa Shoko were discussing the summer band arrangements privately, she acted all mysterious, saying she had a surprise for everyone and wouldn't let him tell anyone beforehand...

At that time, Xiangzi abandoned her usual reserve and elegance, and like an ordinary girl looking forward to a holiday, her playful and lively smile left a deep impression on him.

Her long, smooth hair, as blue as the sky, shimmered with a crystalline luster from every strand as she swayed gently. Her bright, golden eyes shone with pure white excitement and hope. As she whispered this to him in a slightly smug tone, as if she were pouting, her figure seemed to glow with anticipation.

Summer vacation, surprises...

Yuan Xudou could roughly guess something. However, since Xiangzi wanted to keep this a secret between the two of them, he respected her wishes and didn't dwell on it.

Pulling his thoughts back, Yuan Xudou looked at Gao Songdeng in front of him.

The other four went on stage to practice and demonstrate their instruments, while he, as he had previously decided, took the girl aside and helped her learn singing techniques that could prolong her breath and improve her performance.

"Let's start by warming up our voices."

"Light, listen carefully to my voice, and try to imitate it later."

Gao Songdeng pursed her small, rosy lips and stared intently at him.

In contrast, the boy, who seemed much more relaxed, pressed his throat slightly, recalled the method of vibrating his vocal cords, and opened his mouth after adjusting his state.

"what--"

A long, drawn-out breathy sound emerged from the vibrations of the cavity, flowing lightly and transparently through the cool air in the room like a continuous stream.

About half a minute later, he stopped his still full-breath voice and, without even needing to catch his breath, looked at Takamatsu, who seemed to be thinking and had a blank expression.

"Have you felt anything yet? Give it a try."

Learning by simply listening is quite difficult. Demonstrating it to her first as a template, and then providing more in-depth instruction based on her level of imitation, is much more efficient.

Faced with Yuan Xudou's request, the girl nodded hesitantly.

"Okay... I'll give it a try."

Recalling the sound of flowing water that he had just heard, Takamatsu took several deep breaths, trying to bring his voice in that direction.

"Ah, ah——"

The girl's voice began to tremble slightly after only ten seconds, and by the time it was over twenty seconds, her voice was clearly lacking in strength, like water squeezed from a sponge that had barely surfaced before drying up again.

Feeling he had reached his limit, Takamatsu had to stop speaking and start breathing heavily.

"Um……"

Yuan Xudou gently stroked his chin, uttering a thoughtful sound.

Actually, her performance was much better than before. The girl's comprehension is quite good; at least she didn't go in the wrong direction initially, and the duration was a few seconds longer than usual.

However, this level is clearly not enough.

After thinking for a moment, he took a step closer to Takamatsu.

"Light, put your hand on my throat and feel it."

"--well?"

Yinglingqi_Basi ⑦ (IV) [Wu Lian opened her soft, bewildered eyes in surprise, and the girl uttered a short question in a wavering tone.]

She subconsciously glanced at the boy's long, slender neck and the prominent, sexy Adam's apple, and swallowed very lightly.

"C-can it?"

"It's ok."

Yuan Xudou nodded in agreement, seemingly unconcerned.

So, as if he were about to touch some priceless work of art and was afraid of damaging it in the slightest, Gao Songdeng reached out with a tense yet somewhat eager expression and carefully placed his palm against the boy's throat.