Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 89

Chapter Five: The Glimmer Rekindled

"Your...coffee."

With his hand supporting his cheek, Yuan Xudou's handsome face was not as peaceful and serene as usual. Instead, it was shrouded in a faint shadow under the light from the window, revealing a somewhat melancholy expression. He turned his gaze away from the street below.

He looked in the direction from which the sound came, and Shiina Ritsuki, with a complicated expression, put down the steaming porcelain cup in his hand and spoke in a low voice.

"……Thanks."

She still wears her heart on her sleeve.

There was no intention to talk much—or rather, he had tried to do so before, but she had silently walked away as a form of avoidance—Yuan Xudou lowered his gaze, suppressing his equally unsettled thoughts.

...But now, he's not so keen on understanding what other people are thinking.

He hooked his hand on the handle of the coffee cup on the table, which was still emitting a slightly bitter aroma and filled with a rich, dark brown liquid. His fingertips gently caressed the slightly hot rim of the cup, as if waiting for the scalding coffee to cool down to a drinkable temperature.

Unlike in the past, Shiina Tatsuki did not leave immediately after putting down the coffee.

Hesitant, faint, yet undeniably real words slowly murmured from the girl's tightly pursed lips.

"...I remember you preferred sweeter drinks."

When we first met, I think we also had coffee... Back then, even when Yuan Xudou had a latte with milk and honey, which wasn't very bitter, he only took a small sip.

...The Yuan Xudou she remembered should have been more accustomed to light-tasting drinks like juice and milk.

In contrast, she used to prefer coffee.

"..."

This was the first time Shiina Tatsuki had brought up the topic after the two met again since that incident.

Seemingly unprepared for this situation, Gen Xudou looked up in surprise at the girl who was staring intently at him.

The familiar light purple pupils, beneath the trembling, slender eyelashes, concealed a tense emotion, and even the delicate cheeks adorned with a beauty mark at the corner of the eye seemed slightly taut.

Was that a casual question... or some kind of signal?

"……yes."

People always change. Whether it's their taste in drinks or their habits towards others. A haughty, ethereal young lady can become a thrifty, hardworking ordinary girl due to family changes; a gentle and mild-mannered girl can become stubborn and determined because of the things she loves. He was no exception.

...But perhaps the remnants of the past won't disappear so quickly. The thoughts that once existed won't become false because of the changes that have occurred.

Yuan Xudou raised his head, and the warm evening sun, gradually approaching early spring, finally pierced through the shadows created by the angle, gently sprinkling golden rays onto his face.

He pressed down on the small saucer under the cup and gently pushed the coffee to the empty seat opposite him.

"Order me another one of these, please." He pointed to the fruit tea on the menu.

"...Would you like your coffee changed?"

Gen Xudou looked at Shiina Tatsuki, whose hands were clenched and whose throat was trembling slightly, and slowly shook his head.

"No need." His voice was much more relaxed.

"Sit down and have a drink, Lixi."

———陾九V.II 刘韭易!陾,虾榴—

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.

Normally speaking, it would be inappropriate for a RiNG employee to take a break during business hours.

But when Shiina Riki walked back to the kitchen feeling uneasy, she saw Shinji Rinko making a fist gesture towards her.

"It's alright, it's alright, there won't be many people coming anyway." As if sensing her worry, the shop owner, Rinko Maji, acted quite nonchalantly. "Leave the customers who come over here."

"Your situation is more important than this... You have to keep going!" She clenched her fist. "I'll be here watching over you!"

"Rinrinko-senpai..."

Shiina Tatsuki was somewhat touched, yet also exasperated by the fact that the other person seemed even more serious than she was. She still couldn't understand why this senior was so concerned about their affairs.

"Wouldn't it be a little inconvenient to wear the shop assistant uniform? You can go change back into regular clothes first."

"No need for that, it shouldn't take too long... I think, probably."

In fact, we haven't even decided what to talk about yet.

Touched by Yoro Nai's sudden yet incisive words, I spent several days thinking about it and finally made a decision in the loneliness of yesterday... However, my courage was limited to taking the first step to speak again.

Shiina Tatsuki hasn't decided yet what identity she should use to face Genjiro.

Strangers whose relationship has broken down? Former teammates who still keep in touch? Friends who can continue to be friends? ...Or perhaps, if possible, a closer relationship...

In any case... some things cannot be denied, nor can they ever be erased.

She and Xu Dou could still be companions, friends, or even become enemies who hate each other... but she would never, like before, deceive herself and pretend to be strangers.

Everything that has happened cannot be completely forgotten and disappear from the world simply because of a conflict triggered by intense emotions.

...Perhaps it was precisely because he was avoiding the possibility that things would slip from "mutual indifference" to something even worse that Shiina Tatsuki resisted in that way.

But... contrary to her expectations, this didn't make her feel any better. The more she tried to avoid it, the more she proved to herself the heavy weight this matter carried in her heart.

...That had gradually begun to affect her entire life.

Shiina Tatsuki wants to rediscover her former self—one who is dignified and persistent, whose sense of inferiority has been suppressed, and who is filled with beautiful expectations for the future.

Having experienced the light of hope and happiness, it is hard to bear returning to the shadow of oppression.

Because it was real and authentic happiness, she couldn't hate Yuan Xudou, who brought it to her and then took it away... In fact, she even longed for that time to continue.

...It is only when we lose something that we cherish it more and feel more pain.

Really...

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.

"Fruit tea...enjoy it at your leisure."

The crisp sound of a porcelain plate clinking against the table rang out, and Shiina Tatsukira, who had just put down her drink, sat down in the chair opposite Kaigen Xudou.

The piping hot coffee, after cooling for a few minutes, was no longer so difficult to handle, yet it still emitted wisps of steam. The black-haired girl touched the rim of the cup with a complex expression, her slender fingers somewhat awkwardly searching for a suitable place to put it.

Just like how she's currently searching for the right topic to bring up.

...Just like before, when I get nervous, even my movements become a bit stiff.

In contrast, Yuan Xudou appeared quite indifferent.

"It's been almost half a year since we last met... Taki (Lixi)." He picked up his iced fruit tea, took a sip, and lowered his increasingly handsome eyebrows slightly, initiating the conversation. "By the way... if you feel uncomfortable calling me that, you can use Shiina instead..."

"No!" Shiina Tatsuki subconsciously raised her voice, but quickly lowered it again. "Uh... I mean, it's okay, just like before."

"'Just like before'...is that right?" Yuan Xudou wasn't startled by her sudden and intense reaction, and calmly nodded. "I understand."

"Speaking of which, Lixi, where did you go to high school?" He casually changed the subject.

The tone wasn't exactly intimate; it certainly lacked the trust and understanding that had once filled the air, the gentle and clear voice as bright as starlight. It sounded rather bland, like catching up with a casual friend after a while.

Although she didn't hear any sense of rejection in it as she had feared... Shiina Tatsuki still felt a tightness in her chest.

...This is her own fault, she thought bitterly.

"I didn't continue to Haneoka, I transferred to Hanasakigawa." The girl, biting her lower lip, still answered his question honestly.

“Hanasaki River…” Gen Xudou searched his mind for the school and quickly found the answer, “It’s a bit far from the high school in Tokyo.”

After entering high school, the school he attended was quite far from the Tsukinomori High School, but closer to Haneoka. As for Hanasaki River, it was located in an even more distant place.

However, it wasn't that Shiina Ritsuki deliberately avoided him by transferring to Hanasakigawa... It was mainly because of her older sister, Shiina Maki, who used to be the student council president of Haneoka. She didn't want to be compared to her sister by other students, so she chose to transfer to another school.

Without dwelling on the matter, Yuan Xudou asked the next question.

Do you know where the light is now?

Chapter Six: The Fingertips Curled Up Again

"lamp……"

Shiina Tatsuki paused, looking at him with some confusion.

—If even you, who used to know and be closest to Deng the most, don't know where Yueyi, at nineteen, left behind her deceased wife, how could I possibly know?

Although it wasn't said aloud, the meaning was conveyed in those purplish eyes.

Under Shiina Tatsuki's gaze, Genjiro remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Are you... going to look for the lamp?" she asked tentatively.

"...Maybe." His tone wasn't entirely certain.

In this atmosphere, which was neither intimate nor as confrontational as their last meeting, Shiina Tatsuki relaxed a little and unconsciously picked up the coffee on the table and took a small sip.

...It's really tough.

It tastes almost like pure coffee powder, without any milk, sugar, or honey added to improve the flavor or taste; it's even more bitter than regular medicine.

Although he prefers coffee, this bitterness was a bit too much—as soon as it entered his mouth, Shiina Tatsuki frowned and swallowed the rich, dark brown liquid, feeling a slight dryness in his throat.

If she hadn't known that Yuan Xudou himself had been drinking this kind of coffee frequently lately, she would have suspected that he had deliberately ordered it today to make things difficult for her.

"It's amazing you can drink this pure, bitter black coffee..." Shiina Ritsuki pressed his fair neck uncomfortably and coughed a few times.

"If you had told me sooner, I could have had fewer drinks." Seeing the girl's uncomfortable appearance, Yuan Xudou seemed somewhat pleased, with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.

"It's not like I told you to order this... You can drink it yourself." She pushed the coffee across from the boy with a look of disgust.

"Does that mean the drinks in your store are really good?"

"Tsk... This is clearly a shop frequented by students, who are they trying to make the coffee so bitter?" In front of Gen Xudou, Shiina Tatsuki unabashedly curled her lip and complained with a relaxed expression, "It feels like the bitterness is stuck to my tongue."

Because of practicing the drums, her arms, which are more symmetrical and defined than those of a normal girl, are loosely resting on the table, with her left hand resting on the crook of her right arm and her right palm supporting Shiina Riki's slightly tilted cheek.

Golden sunlight streamed down, filtering through her long, straight, jet-black hair and casting a soft glow on the girl's usually meticulous and taut face.

She didn't notice the corners of her mouth that unconsciously curled up during their pleasant chat.

"May I borrow a sip of that fruit tea?"

As if joking with a close friend, Yuan Xudou spoke casually.

Shiina Riki, who was smiling, suddenly felt her heart skip a beat. Her gaze drifted uncontrollably to the teacup in front of Gen Kōtō, where a faint trace of tea had been left on the rim after he had taken a sip.

Of course she knew it was just a casual joke. In the past, Yuan Xudou often said things that were a little too intimate, catching people off guard.

...But she doesn't seem to be the same "Shiina Tatsuki" who used to be able to face such jokes relatively calmly and talk about such things with a relaxed attitude.

This mentality is less about not being able to distinguish... and more about not wanting to distinguish anymore.

If I say "okay"...

What will happen then?

"...Forget it, I'm not interested."

Although she was actually tempted, Shiina Tatsuki tried her best to look away, lowering her voice as if deliberately concealing her wavering, and changed the subject, "What do you plan to do next?"

"...That's all for now. I might go look for a lamp."

As she expected, Won Heo-doo, who was rejected, did not show any disappointment or surprise, and his expression remained natural.

Shiina Riki felt a little disappointed for some reason. She pursed her lips and stared at the texture on the table, a slight ripple appearing on her previously even breath.

"Do you still want to... find everyone?"

Why wasn't I so resolute on that day?

It just so happened that I wasn't so attached to the band anymore, and I felt that as long as you were there, that was enough...

Those awkward and complicated thoughts were well hidden in her lowered purple eyes.

"Probably around that." Unaware of her overly complicated thoughts, Yuan Xudou replied calmly.

"Including that guy Xiangzi too?"

"……Um."

After hesitating for a moment, he did not tell Shiina Tatsuki that he had found Toyokawa Shoko.