Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 8

He wasn't worried that Takamatsu Akari would suddenly undergo any drastic change because of his words. A girl who could clearly recognize her own abnormality and live under such circumstances to this day, although seemingly weak and timid, must possess an inner resilience that is unimaginable to ordinary people.

In reality, he was just helping her clarify the vague feelings in her heart. Even without Yuan Xudou's words, she would probably have eventually found a way to express herself.

"……Um!"

As he expected, Gao Songdeng did not show disappointment. Instead, she clenched her small fists and nodded vigorously at him.

A pure and clear smile bloomed on her flawless face, as clean as a sheet of white paper.

"Thank you……"

"My name is Yuan Xudou."

"...Thank you, Xu Dou..."

Because she didn't know the other person's name, Takamatsu Akari choked up, and her initial enthusiasm waned.

...Just as he expected, the girl wouldn't change much until she truly found a way to express herself.

Seeing her expression become somewhat timid and hesitant again, Yuan Xudou didn't say anything more.

"That's settled then. It's getting late, I should head back now."

He waved.

"Having known you for so long, this is the first time I'm officially saying goodbye."

See you tomorrow.

"...Wait, wait..."

"I know your name, Takamatsu-kun, you don't need to tell me again."

Yuan Xudou waved goodbye without looking back, his long legs striding away without stopping. The girl took a couple of steps after him, but ultimately didn't have the courage to go up and tell him what she really wanted to say.

I want to be your friend...

I'll tell him that tomorrow...

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.

"...So this is what you wanted to say yesterday. I'm sorry, I left in too much of a hurry."

"Friends? Of course not. I didn't ask you about that."

"Another stone?... Hmm, it's quite pretty, thank you."

"However, I'll probably get busy in a few days, and then I won't be able to come here every day like I do now."

"Nothing happened, it's just some personal reasons."

"I need to do some odd jobs or something... Wait, don't try to give me money, I'm not going because I'm broke."

Where can I find you?

Yuan Xudou pondered for a while and then understood what she was worried about.

"Don't worry... I'll come find you when I have some free time."

Chapter Seven: Understanding Requires Personal Contact

As a result, the promise to meet Takamatsu Akari again was fulfilled in this unexpected place.

Originally, Yuan Xudou was considering moving and settling down before going to Haneoka to find her.

However, on the very first afternoon after moving into his new home, a lonely Ms. Nagasaki Motoyo showed up at his door, causing his original plans to be delayed again and again, almost leading to bankruptcy.

Now, because Nagasaki Motoyo was forced to break her promise, Genji Koto started wandering around again, and thus encountered Takamatsu Akira, who was trying to catch falling flowers on the overpass, and was taken home by her... It was indeed a strange coincidence.

Gen Xudou glanced at Toyokawa Shoko, who was sitting on Takamatsu Akira's bed, her hands resting somewhat awkwardly on her round, white thighs, waiting for Takamatsu Akira to bring her medicine for bruises and sprains.

...And not only did he enter the house, but he also went directly into the girl's boudoir.

However, this was also because he stopped Toyokawa Shoko, who rashly tried to save people, causing her to sprain her ankle, which led to Takamatsu Akari taking them to his home to apply medicine.

Despite her outward appearance as an elegant and dignified young lady, she's somewhat careless... no, perhaps it's more accurate to say she's self-centered. Once she's made up her mind about something, it's hard to change her mind, and she's used to acting according to her own style. That's quite typical of a young lady.

Shoko Toyokawa keenly sensed that someone was observing her, so she looked towards the only other person remaining in the room. But before that, Genjiro's gaze had already shifted away from her and begun to scrutinize the room.

She looked at the boy's profile, which was utterly calm, like a still ocean without a single expression, and found nothing unusual about it.

Am I mistaken?

Shoko Toyokawa trusted her intuition, but since she had no evidence, she couldn't directly confront the other party.

Moreover, I didn't look closely when I was on the bridge...

Compared to Origin Xu Dou, Toyokawa Shoko's gaze was much more open and honest. She made no attempt to conceal her feelings, openly and frankly observing the young man with her noble, pale gold eyes. Then, she sighed inwardly.

...So there really are people in this world who can look like this.

A long and flowing body curve, perfectly proportioned arms and waist, and a dazzling and flawless face.

As a true heiress of a conglomerate, Toyokawa Shoko had met people who possessed all these qualities.

But those are often top-tier artists or models in the industry, who are forged through years of rigorous training and shaping.

Even so, they sometimes showed signs of awkwardness in subtle ways, unable to maintain that state all the time. But the boy in front of them had no such acquired sense of inadequacy, perfectly mastering this gifted body.

Looking at him, Toyokawa Shoko couldn't help but think of her close friend, Wakaba Mutsu.

Both are naturally beautiful, both have expressionless faces, and both speak concisely...

She compared the two people in her memory and found that they not only had many similarities, but it was also difficult to distinguish between them based on their appearance alone.

Because of their different genders, their appearances have different strengths. If Ruoye Mutsu is a delicate yet mechanical doll, then Yuan Xudou is a shining yet distant morning star. It's hard to say which one is better, but both still have their flaws.

"...Is there something you need, Toyokawa-kun?"

Just as she was staring at Yuan Xudou's profile, lost in thought, her overly blatant gaze finally caught the boy's attention.

He turned around and met the gaze of Toyokawa Shoko, who showed no embarrassment even though she had been discovered, but instead smiled.

"There are indeed some things I'd like to ask."

Shoko Toyokawa nodded in agreement.

"I'll call you Yuan from now on. Yuan, you and Gao Song are really close."

Toyokawa Shoko was deeply impressed by the girl who had a peculiar temperament, like that of a small animal.

Although the attempt to save her led to a misunderstanding and resulted in her injury, the fact that she ultimately emerged unharmed made this minor setback insignificant. Moreover, Takamatsu Akari's pure guilt and kindness after learning that she was responsible for Toyokawa Shoko's injury left a deep impression on her.

However, the other party's straightforward personality, like a small animal, and his unconventional way of thinking made her a little confused... In contrast, Yuan Xudou, who seemed to understand Gao Songdeng quite well, could keep up with her thoughts, and spoke very normally, was much easier to communicate with.

"Generally speaking, girls don't easily let boys into their bedrooms."

Toyokawa Shoko looked at him with some curiosity, wanting to know how the boy had built such trust with Takamatsu Akari.

"...This is also my first time visiting her home."

Yuan Xudou gently shook his head.

"Moreover, Gao Song is a special case... She probably hasn't thought about what you're talking about, and it has little to do with whether we have a good or bad relationship."

This is it.

Toyokawa Shoko's eyes lit up.

This kind of understanding of the other person, to the point that he can even guess their motives and thoughts... his relationship with Takamatsu Akari is definitely more than just "ordinary friends".

"Then, can you tell me how you met?"

"It's not very polite to discuss this kind of thing in someone else's house when the host isn't home, Toyokawa-kun."

Yuan Xudou did not intend to share his experiences with Gao Songdeng as she wished, and calmly refused.

"……sorry."

Realizing she had acted a bit too hastily, Toyokawa Shoko sincerely apologized.

I'm not criticizing you.

Yuan Xudou did not believe that Fengchuan Xiangzi was deliberately trying to find out about her while Takamatsu was away. The sunny and innocent temperament of the other party did not seem like the kind of person who would do such a thing.

She probably just didn't realize that her behavior was easily misunderstood, and Yuan Xudou only spoke up to remind her, not to blame her.

"Instead of trying to learn about Takamatsu Takamori from me, it's better to contact her directly."

"Deng isn't someone who hides her feelings. Although she may seem a bit unpredictable, she's actually not difficult to get along with, so you don't need to worry about anything."

"Well……"

He saw right through my thoughts and said them very bluntly.

However, because Yuan Xudou's tone was neither condescending nor did it sound preachy, it was surprisingly easy to accept.

Moreover, I never expected that he, who seemed to care about nothing, would be so concerned about Gao Song.

Although this analogy isn't quite right, it's like an older brother who cherishes his younger sister... When talking to her, he would use a more polite tone to call her "Takamatsu-san," but in front of outsiders, he would unconsciously show his care for her by directly using the affectionate nickname "Akira."

She presents a cold and aloof image to others, but her inner self is just as delicate and gentle as her outward appearance... What a contradictory and awkward person she is.

Toyokawa Shoko has suddenly become more interested in Genji Koto.

Since he wasn't willing to tell me anything about Takamatsu, I might as well just chat with him directly.

Thinking this, the girl reached out and gently brushed aside the long hair that fell across her forehead, revealing her delicate face. She blinked her golden eyes, smiled again, and looked at him with great interest.

"Then, I want to talk to you, Yuan..."

She had only spoken halfway when she saw Yuan Xudou, who was sitting on the chair by the bed, stand up, turn around, and walk out of the room.

"It's been a while. I'll go check if she's found the medicine yet."

With those words, the young general silently closed the door.

Toyokawa Shoko opened her mouth, a look of bewilderment appearing on her delicate face.

Is being with her really that unacceptable?

No, no, this should just be a concrete example of his concern for Gao Song...

"Seriously, this person's personality is just too strong..."

She muttered a complaint under her breath. With the only person she could talk to gone, Toyokawa Shoko, left alone in the room, could only turn her attention to other things.

Her gaze wandered aimlessly, eventually drifting slowly toward the table beside Takamatsu's bed, which occupied most of the room, as if drawn by something.

On that, a notebook covered with all sorts of cute stickers lay quietly on the table, and delicate, girlish handwriting peeked out from between the open pages.

Chapter 8 Let's form a band together!

Yuan Xudou walked out of the room and saw Gao Songdeng standing in front of the living room window, head down, seemingly doing something.

He approached the girl from the side and saw that she was holding fallen flowers that she had caught from the overpass and was carefully placing them into a cup of water.

"...This flower is dead."

"...!"

Takamatsu Akari's shoulders twitched, as if she had been startled.

However, they were already quite familiar with each other's presence from their previous interactions. Since Yuan Xudou wasn't deliberately hiding his actions, there was no reason for Gao Songdeng to be startled.

It's because of what he said.

"This flower is dead."

Yuan Xudou repeated it.

Then Takamatsu raised her head and looked at him with a blank and helpless expression.

"Although it still looks beautiful, it cannot survive on just flowers without roots, stems and leaves. The only way to prevent it from withering is to make it into a specimen, but that would not be considered living."