Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 29

Of course, both of them might have some issues in this matter. Mutsumi's language skills are too shallow; she can only manage to squeeze out fragmented and ambiguous words. Even if Toyokawa Shoko tries to understand, misunderstandings often arise unintentionally... The same applies in the band. On the contrary, Minamoto Koto always manages to grasp the girl's true meaning and helps everyone clear up misunderstandings.

However, in the boy, Toyokawa Shoko never felt that vague, elusive sense of alienation that she could never truly touch.

Despite seeming difficult to communicate with and unapproachable in so many ways, you can only truly appreciate it when you get to know them. Their deep yet clear eyes, as brilliant as the starry sky and as tranquil as the ocean, have never hidden anything.

However, apart from her, no one else could match that feeling or understand those eyes.

Therefore, Shoko Toyokawa firmly believed that the two were unique soulmates, partners who were more closely connected than any relationship in reality.

Given such a close relationship, it's only natural to invite him to my home for dinner.

Although she had convinced herself and prepared herself, a slight blush still rose on the girl's cheeks when she actually said it.

"So... Xu Dou, what are your thoughts?"

"...I don't have any plans for tonight. Of course, I can come to your house for dinner with you, Xiangzi."

"But, won't it cause any trouble if I go to your house?"

Bringing a man of similar age home is no laughing matter for a proper young lady like Toyokawa Shoko.

He didn't know what the rules of the Toyokawa family were, nor had he ever been in contact with a family of this size.

Yuan Xudou was somewhat worried that the girl would be questioned by her family because of his arrival.

Faced with the boy's question, Toyokawa Shoko felt his concern for her, smiled gently, and her pretty eyes curved into a beautiful arc.

"Of course not. I still have the right to decide whether to bring friends home, and my grandfather and father won't blame me for it."

As for how close her friends were... well, the two of them wouldn't actually do anything outrageous in her house. As long as they don't say anything, who would know?

"Can I rest easy now? You worryy Xu Dou."

Toyokawa Shoko spoke softly with a hint of teasing, then raised her hand and extended her slender, fair arm in front of the boy.

In front of Won Heo-doo, she was willing to reveal to him the feelings that occasionally surfaced in her heart, feelings she never showed to others, the desire to rely on someone.

"My legs are still a little weak... Could you help me up?"

"Ah."

With a softened look in his eyes, Yuan Xudou gently grasped her arm and helped the girl to her feet.

Since Toyokawa Shoko had already considered these things, he naturally had no reason to refuse the other party's invitation.

"let's go."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

On the streets shrouded in twilight, the omnipresent dusk, like smoke, drifted around everyone.

Perhaps because it was the weekend, the streets were unusually crowded and numerous today.

The two people, who were originally walking side by side, were gradually pushed together by the increasingly crowded flow of people and were inevitably swept in and moved in the direction of the surging crowd.

Confined in that stuffy and cramped environment, Toyokawa Shoko frowned slightly, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

She hated the feeling of being surrounded by crowds and having no control over her own destiny.

A girl accustomed to freedom and willfulness cannot accept being bound by others, as it gives her the illusion that she is some kind of exquisite doll being manipulated at will and acting against her will.

Toyokawa Shoko moved closer to Minamoto Kōtō, squeezing out a little more space.

Then she felt a slightly cold, much stronger hand than hers gently grasp her wrist.

"Don't get separated in the crowd."

A familiar voice rang in the girl's ears, carrying a rare, straightforward concern.

Toyokawa Shoko looked up in surprise at Genji Kōdō, who was staring ahead with a calm expression.

There was no hint of embarrassment on his face, and his eyes remained calm.

"After all... legs shouldn't go weak that quickly, right?"

However, the words that came from his thin lips were very gentle.

"...I'm not some little girl who can be swept away by the crowd..."

As if she were sulking because her companions looked down on her, the girl muttered under her breath with a hint of resentment.

Then, she waved her hand, signaling him to loosen his grip.

Following her instructions, Yuan Xudou slightly relaxed his hand.

Toyokawa Shoko immediately lifted her hand, and the girl's light and soft hand slid into the boy's palm. Her slender and nimble fingertips gently gripped the edge of his palm, and their warm palms pressed together, softly holding his hand.

"Wouldn't this be more appropriate?"

Shoko Toyokawa's heart raced slightly at her impulsive and bold move, but she tried to remain calm and pretended to be indifferent as she spoke.

"……Um."

Caught off guard by the girl's sudden action, Gen Xudou did not struggle; instead, he tightened his grip on her hand.

She felt the boy's temperature, which was slightly cooler than her body temperature, coming from her palm, and the feeling of being held tightly in the palm of a peer of the opposite sex for the first time, leaving no gap.

Just like when she first met Yuan Xudou, and at Gao Songdeng's request, he covered the back of her hand with his hand, she had the same kind of daydream—so gentle, yet so strong, conveying an absolute sense of security from his hand to her heart.

Despite trying to remain calm, I couldn't manage it.

Toyokawa Shoko couldn't help but lower her head, her smooth, sky-blue hair falling down and covering the girl's bright red earlobes.

'Bad intentions...'

She complained inwardly, but couldn't stop the joy and sweetness welling up inside her.

The sweltering heat and crowds around me seemed to have disappeared, becoming less unbearable.

Chapter Thirty-Six: Springtime Shadows

Even after they were out of the crowd, neither of them let go of the other's hand.

Holding each other's hands, they crossed the street, boarded the tram, and arrived at Toyokawa Shoko's house. Only when they could vaguely see the outline of the luxurious mansion from afar did Genji Koto shake their clasped hands first, signaling to the girl beside him who had been shyly hanging her head, not daring to look around, but holding his hand tightly, that it was time to let go.

Reminded by the boy, the girl, who was in a daze, looked up and saw the shadow of her own front door in the distance.

Toyokawa Shoko hurriedly let go, like a middle school student caught having a crush by her family. She nervously hid her fair hand behind her back. After a while, she realized that the two of them were still some distance from her house, a distance from which the housekeeper or servants would not be able to find them.

Shoko Toyokawa subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. The moment she relaxed, the lingering sensation on her hand reappeared in her mind.

"Xu, Xu Dou, let's go."

Seemingly trying to hide her lingering feelings, Toyokawa Shoko took a step forward and walked up to Minamoto Kōdō.

The two arrived at the entrance of the mansion. The girl, who had tried to calm herself down and reduce the blush on her face, rang the doorbell and led him inside.

He walked across the lawn, which was several times larger than his house, and entered the magnificent hall. Because Toyokawa Shoko had informed his family in advance, a steaming, exquisite meal was already laid out on the long table in the hall.

In response, Genjiro and Toyokawa Shoko, who were also not in the mood to enjoy their food, hurriedly ate a few bites. The girl then quickly pulled him away from the table and led him into her room where she usually practiced piano.

Only then did she completely calm down.

The alluring blush that had stained her snow-white neck, hidden beneath her collar, slowly faded, and the throbbing in her heart gradually subsided. Toyokawa Shoko placed her hand on her chest, lowered her eyes, and let out a few soft breaths.

When she looked up again, she had regained her usual elegance and poise.

"...Xu Dou, give me the sheet music."

"Ah."

Yuan Xudou stepped forward and placed the sheet music that the two of them had specially perfected for the keyboard part on the piano.

Toyokawa Shoko sat down at the piano, placed her hands on the keys, took a deep breath, and temporarily cleared her mind of the chaotic thoughts in her heart.

Music is not to be profaned... Besides, this was a piece she co-wrote with Genjiro Tomokazu. If she didn't achieve the best effect because of a moment of impulsiveness, Toyokawa Shoko herself would not be able to forgive herself.

She turned around, her pure, bright golden eyes blinking without a trace of impurity, looking at the boy who had moved a chair from the corner of the room and was sitting next to her.

"Let's sing together, Xu Dou."

"This is something we created together... You should participate too."

Genjiro was not surprised by Toyokawa Shoko's invitation.

Or rather, that's exactly what he intended to do.

The melody, conceived by the two of them, truly requires the participation of both to be complete when it is first played.

"However, the melody is not yet fully arranged."

"Furthermore, the lyrics should be handled by Deng..."

However, he shook his head slightly and said something that seemed like a polite refusal.

Toyokawa Shoko was neither puzzled nor anxious; she simply waited quietly for him to finish speaking.

"……so,"

Yuan Xudou looked out the window at the night sky, now filled with stars, his dark pupils reflecting a faint yet lingering glow.

He said softly:

"Only the melody—the rhythm we wrote—is truly ours."

The girl, who had anticipated his response, smiled with delight.

Slender fingers touched the black and white keyboard, the two looked at each other, closed their eyes at the same time, and softly hummed the melody of the song.

'悴んだ心ふるえる眼色し'

(His heart was filled with weariness, and his eyes were constantly moving.)

'World's Servant'

(I'm alone in this world)

'三ることしか知らない春は'

(In this ever-fading spring)

'It's cold every year'

(All I feel every year is cold)

In fact, there is no need for sheet music as an aid.

When you create a piece of music with your own hands, even with your eyes closed, your fingers will naturally find the corresponding keys.

Shoko Toyokawa gently pressed the keys, and notes flowed from her fingertips like a gentle stream, stringing together to form a moving torrent that echoed in the spacious room.

Gradually, she stopped humming, leaving the rest to the boy to complete.

Under the bright moonlight, the girl raised her head and played the piano with focused concentration, immersed in the rise and fall of the melody.

Like a muse in mythology, Toyokawa Shoko, lost in her playing, revealed an unapproachable solemnity and sanctity on her face only at this moment.

Until the last sound symbol turned into a stream of light and quietly slipped through her fingers, and Yuan Xudou beside her also stopped the accompaniment of human voices, the girl reluctantly opened her eyes and murmured softly as if savoring the memory.

"What a beautiful melody... The lyrics of 'The Lamp' are so sad, yet full of hope, suppressing and shouting out the inner turmoil... I'm sure everyone will like it."

She pressed her hand to her chest, letting the emotions of the music resonate within her.

Then, Toyokawa Shoko looked at the boy beside her who also had a thoughtful expression, lowered the hand that was pressed against her chest, and gently placed it on the back of his hand.

"This is the piece of music we created together... I will probably never forget this feeling for the rest of my life."

"Xu Dou, have you decided on a name for this song?"

Yuan Xudou shook his head.

Neither he nor Deng had named the song. Deng probably hadn't thought of that, while he hoped that the girl, who was also involved in the arrangement and was the band's leader, would make the decision.

"That's it..."

Toyokawa Shoko's gaze slowly shifted from Genjiro's serious face, but she still held his hand, her bright eyes darting around, trying to find inspiration for naming the room.

Her gaze wandered, finally settling on the shadows beneath the two people, which intertwined due to the different angles of the light.

The girl recalled the day she first met Yuan Xudou, when he refused to join the band and the gloom that hung over his face.