Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 60

His tone lowered slightly, and Du Zhushi's expression became somewhat complicated.

It was as if it contained a very subtle sense of guilt, mixed with a vague and inexplicable sense of relief.

“From now on, don’t go to the SPACE ruins anymore. RiNG has everything: performances, equipment, and audiences. Just stay here.”

As she spoke, the atmosphere momentarily became somewhat tense.

Sensing that Tsuzuki Shisen seemed to be talking about a past topic that was very important to the grandmother and granddaughter but that he was unaware of, Gen Xudou quietly fell silent, giving up the stage for conversation.

Upon hearing the old man's words, Yoro Nai, who had been in high spirits, lowered her head, which was covered with short, snow-white hair, and seemed to deflate completely.

After a long while, she finally raised her head, first looking at the boy beside her, then turning to Tsuzuki Shisen, who was staring at her with complicated eyes.

Then, the girl gave a soft "hmm".

Seeing this, Tsuzuki Shisen's wrinkled face revealed a satisfied and peaceful smile, as if he had seen a long-suppressed worry finally being released.

...Perhaps, rather than finding someone to teach Yoro Nai, the old man's real purpose was to help the girl get over "that thing" she mentioned—Yuan Xudou intuitively realized this.

However, he had no intention of investigating further, nor did he develop any extra curiosity.

Anyway, this matter seems to have been put to rest.

"By the way, Xu Dou."

Having resolved her worries, Tsuzuki Shisen's expression softened considerably, and she suddenly turned the conversation back to him.

Looking at this young man, who she herself found incredibly talented, with a scrutinizing gaze, the old woman asked the question that concerned her most at that moment.

"How many times did you practice that song?"

Since he said he was prepared, he must have rehearsed it several times beforehand.

Moreover, his posture when holding the piano and keeping time was very smooth and natural, unlike the tentative, familiar way a young boy had tried to fit and familiarize himself with a new piece when he first played it before... He must have practiced in private.

To reach this level, is it possible in about ten attempts?

Seemingly surprised that Tsuzuki Shisen would ask about these things, Genju Tomo blinked slightly in astonishment. Then, he touched his chin, pondered, and gave a number.

"Five times. This song is quite difficult. The first time at a normal speed was fine, but the second time when I tried to speed up, I almost lost control. The next few times were all about trying to avoid stalling."

He said some rather surprising things in a casual, nonchalant tone.

...Five times. That's less than half of what Tsuzuki Shisen had most extreme expectations, and from what he said, he still managed to play the song completely on the first take.

The old woman suddenly began to regret her decision. She felt she should have been more resolute, even if it meant dragging this absolute prodigy onto the stage.

God knows what extraordinary feats he might accomplish, things that ordinary people wouldn't even dare to dream of, and what revolutionary changes he might bring to the industry today...

Unfortunately, she was also at the CryCHIC Spring Photography event that day.

Having witnessed their performance, Tsuzuki Shisen knew very well that the young man could no longer give up that still somewhat immature band to become some kind of superstar who would revolutionize the music world.

However... no one can predict the future.

What will happen to these young boys and girls who are not yet fully mature? Will they truly be able to keep their sincere hearts forever, just as they promised when they first met? Of course, Shisen Tsuzuki sincerely hopes that such an outstanding young man will have a smooth and successful life.

But the old man had also seen far too many beautiful things end without a trace.

...If something truly happens that no one wants to see, it will be like a withered flower blown away by a strong wind, or a candle flame knocked down by a sudden rainstorm.

When something relentlessly forces him to make a change—

I'm getting old... but at least, Lena might be able to seize that opportunity.

Chapter Eighty-Five: The Prelude to the Holiday Rises Now

The bell, signaling the end of the exam, rang three times loudly, followed by a emotionless female announcer's voice coming from the radio.

"Please put down your stationery and stop answering the questions. The invigilators will collect the exam papers one by one, and after confirming that everything is correct, please leave the room in an orderly manner..."

When the instruction to finish the inspection was given, Yuan Xudou, who had completed all the questions several tens of minutes earlier, calmly picked up his bag and walked out of the examination room.

The surrounding classmates either couldn't help but show joy, yet still humbly complained to others about their mistakes; or they looked desperate, muttering indistinct words. A noisy and chaotic atmosphere filled the corridor.

But regardless, this is the last exam of the semester. Whether they are high achievers or not, after a brief period of excitement or disappointment, everyone's attention spontaneously shifts away from the heavy topics of studies, grades, and the future, and begins to look forward to the holiday that is just around the corner, every word of which seems so wonderful, enough to make people temporarily forget all their troubles.

Making plans with friends for outdoor activities; taking a long trip with family; or simply staying in an air-conditioned room and doing whatever they want... For these students who are constantly restless and whose minds and bodies are bound by all sorts of worries, this is the most precious opportunity to relax.

Taking advantage of his excitement, several enthusiastic classmates even came to ask about his summer plans and invited him to their parties.

Yuan Xudou politely declined their offers one by one. Those young men and women who had only come to try their luck and didn't have much hope quickly gave up and went to find other familiar friends.

After all, last summer vacation was pretty much the same. Although he hadn't yet shown his current academic level back then, some classmates who he could usually talk to or who were attracted by his appearance extended invitations to him, but he declined them all.

But at that time, he simply didn't want to spend his time on these things.

As for now——

Taking his phone out of his bag, Yuan Xudou slowly walked away from the classroom, swiping open the lock screen with the designed [CryCHIC] team logo as the wallpaper and opening the group chat.

A few minutes ago, Toyokawa Shoko:

"Everyone's finished their exams, right? We need to get ready to leave tomorrow morning, so make sure you pack your bags tonight!"

Shiina Tatsuki, sporting a cartoon panda head:

"Huh?! So fast? I was planning to get a good rest tonight."

Toyokawa Shoko spoke with righteous indignation:

"Summer vacation in third grade isn't very long anyway, so of course we have to make the most of every day!"

A few minutes later, Takamatsu Tamamo:

"It's all packed up."

Shiina Tatsuki: "So fast?! And, is it really okay to let the light do it by itself...? Should we send someone to help out?"

Gao Songdeng: "Mom, please prepare everything Xiangzi mentioned."

Toyokawa Shoko: "Then it seems we don't need to worry about the lamp situation."

Toyokawa Shoko: "@Xu Dou @Su Shi @Muto, where are you?"

Nagasaki Motoyo: "Everything was prepared in advance, so there won't be any problems tidying up after I get home." (yi另起Y84⑦肆 "呜⑹")

Wakaba Mutsu: "This way too."

Seeing that he was the only one left who hadn't spoken, Yuan Xudou thought for a moment and then gently tapped the screen with his fingers.

"receive"

"Let's arrange the order. Su Shi and I live relatively close, and Xiangzi and Mu are not far away either. We'll pick them up and drop them off in four batches."

"Is setting the time around 9 o'clock okay?"

"I have to get up early on the first day of the holiday..." Shiina Riki exclaimed.

"Once we get to the beach, you might have to get up early every day, Riki-chan. I heard the sunrise over the sea is beautiful," Nagasaki Motoyo teased.

"The stars must be beautiful by the sea..." Drawn in by her description, Takamatsu Akari's thoughts wandered. Just reading that sentence, one could almost see the girl's dreamy yet expectant expression.

"If you're going out at night, you must take precautions," Toyokawa Shoko kindly reminded her.

"...Mosquitoes are so annoying," Wakaba Mutsu quietly added.

"Thinking about it like this is really a headache... I'll have to bring a few more bottles of mosquito repellent spray," Shiina Riki typed helplessly.

With wonderful fantasies about the upcoming holiday, the girls chatted and imagined their future.

They were all fifteen or sixteen-year-old girls in the prime of their youth, yet at this age they were like kindergarten children going on a spring outing, full of all sorts of innocent thoughts…

Occasionally joining in the interactions, and sometimes just quietly diving in to watch them enthusiastically discuss what might happen at the beach, Yuan Xudou sighed, shook his head slightly, but a slight smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

迩磷2⑵1拌溜紦⒉——Never mind, I'm pretty much the same as them.

The six of them shared the same feeling of anticipating tomorrow and dreaming about the future.

Even the words appearing on the screen seem to transcend the barriers of space, projecting our genuine smiles.

Li Xi, feigning complaints but saying one thing and meaning another; Deng, lost in thought but full of expectation; Xiang Zi, bright and energetic; Mu, quiet and serene, silently blending in; and Su Shi, gentle and lively, with a delicate mind.

...A year ago, he would never have imagined that a year later, his rejection of others' common excuse of "I already have plans" would become a reality.

But this is an indisputable fact.

Today's youth have a dazzling and wonderful life full of vitality and youth that they never imagined before.

It shines brighter than the summer sun and is gentler than the evening breeze.

"Toot toot," the sound indicating that a tram is arriving at the station.

Yuan Xudou put his phone back in his pocket and walked towards the door.

Ticket checked, boarded the train, and took a seat.

The car door, bathed in the golden sunlight, slowly closed.

Then, the swaying train carriages moved forward, heading into an unknown future.

Chapter 86 Packing Preparations

"Xu Doujun~ I'm here to help."

Nagasaki Motoyo opened the door to Genjiro's house with practiced ease, changed into her indoor shoes naturally in the entryway, and walked briskly toward the boy who was pacing back and forth in the living room, filling his suitcase with luggage.

Her voice, brighter and sweeter than usual, was like a gentle spring breeze, reflecting the girl's joy at that moment.

Even though she sometimes appears overly mature and considerate, displaying a level of tolerance and maternal instinct completely out of character for her age, she can also sometimes have strange, unfounded thoughts, harboring many ideas that are far too heavy for a young person.

Ultimately, Nagasaki Motoyo was just a young girl in the prime of her adolescence, naturally filled with beautiful dreams and imaginings for the future. The thought of going on vacation with her loved ones and friends, especially to the beach—a romantic destination… if she didn't find a place to release her excitement, she felt she might not be able to sleep well that night.

"Have you packed your own luggage?"

He took a few clothes out of the room and spread them on the chair. Genjiro quickly folded them and put them in the compartment of his suitcase. Then he turned to look at Nagasaki Motoyo, who had walked to his side and thoughtfully helped him smooth them out.

The girl smiled and nodded, meeting his gaze with infinite tenderness.

"It was all ready last night."

"We still need to check it several times. After all, we'll be staying there for a long time, and if we find that we've forgotten something, we won't be able to go back home to get it."

"Okay, whatever you say." Nagasaki Motoyo leaned gently against his shoulder and responded softly, "Then I'll bring the luggage over later and double-check it here."

Although she had already carefully checked each item on the list several times, since Yuan Xudou had said so, she didn't mind doing what she had done before with him again—it wasn't boring for her at all; on the contrary, as long as she could be with him, whatever they did was a time worth enjoying.

Moreover, Yuan Xudou's considerations were not unfounded; he was not simply paranoid.

This time, the group was not going to popular tourist attractions like Kamakura Beach or Higashihama Beach, which are close to the city, but to a private beach in the Toyokawa family's territory, which was located in a slightly remote suburb with almost no people around.

According to Xiangzi, there was a detached seaside mansion there as a place for everyone to live. Apart from that, there were no other decent buildings within a few kilometers. Moreover, to ensure privacy and comfort, there were special signs to mark the boundaries and prevent unauthorized people from entering.

When not in use, staff members are responsible for the maintenance of the residence. However, at Toyokawa Shoko's request, those staff members would leave after the group moved in, only appearing every few days when supplies needed to be replenished or when the group was contacted.

It takes almost half a day to drive here, and the surrounding environment is very open. It can be said that this has become an "island" for the band members, who need to take care of their own lives in a place far away from human habitation.

While they weren't completely cut off from the outside world—and could get immediate help in case of an emergency—they did have to rely on themselves to handle everyday tasks. In this situation, forgetting things could cause a lot of unnecessary trouble, which had to be avoided as much as possible.

Basic clothing and daily necessities; some medicines for emergencies, such as fever reducers and iodine solution; sunscreen to protect against direct sunlight in summer and mosquito repellent spray; various items to prepare for going to sea...

This includes the things girls use daily, but no matter how detailed they are, it's not his place to worry about them. Xiangzi and Su Shi have probably already discussed it themselves and entrusted it to others.

As for meals, there are plenty of ingredients in the house. If all else fails, you can go fishing or beachcombing nearby. Bringing some snacks should be fine...

"By the way, Sushi."

As he was packing, Genji suddenly remembered something and turned to Nagasaki Motoyo, who was wearing a satisfied expression, as if he were packing for a lover who was going on a long journey, and exuding a wonderfully gentle temperament.

If it weren't for the fact that her face still had a touch of girlish innocence and naivety, Yuan Xudou would almost have thought that the two had been married for several years and were actually preparing for their honeymoon to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

Hearing his clear, soul-stirring voice, the girl tilted her head slightly, her clear, pure, light blue eyes, reflecting the boy's figure like a lake, blinked gently.

"Xu Doujun, what happened?"

"No, I just wanted to ask you something."

He shook his head and then spoke of the thoughts that had suddenly arisen in his mind.

"What did your aunt say?"