chsdbacks Page 69
Page 69
Lena hesitated for a while before turning her head to look at Taro's position. She touched Aine's candy with only her cheek, and then helped Taro walk step by step towards his position.
Aine calmly put the matcha candy in her mouth, picked up Taro's most frequently used keyboard from among the row of musical instruments on display, chewed the matcha candy with a little force, and swallowed it. Then she walked over to Taro's side.
She smiled, picked up Taro's keyboard, and helped him carry it on his back: "Yes, Taro, good luck."
So, under the calm gaze of the drummer and bassist, Renai and Ai returned to their places and picked up their guitars.
A powerful melody began to play.
What does it feel like when someone who never makes mistakes keeps making them? Aine can completely understand now. Since Taro came back, her, Rakuna's, and Nyanmuchi's performances have all become more stable. But Taro himself is making one mistake after another.
"Taro, if you're not feeling well, why don't you go and rest?" Hailing gently patted Taro's shoulder, but unexpectedly Taro collapsed immediately. Aine rushed over to check on Taro's condition.
Hai Ling looked at her hands in bewilderment, wondering when she had become so capable. She still clearly remembered the day Taro carried Riki's drum kit on his back.
"What should we do..." Aine panicked a little, then suddenly seemed to remember something, and put the guitar on the shelf. She said to the members of the Dong Brothers group, "Everyone, please take care of Taro. I'm going out for a bit, I'll be back soon."
After saying that, without waiting for anyone else's reaction, he quickly rushed out of the practice room, leaving behind two bewildered people and a cat.
After rushing out of the practice room, Aine, disregarding her exhaustion, hailed a taxi to CiRCLE and then ran to the coffee shop she'd visited the day before. Luckily, it was also President Yuzawa's turn to be on duty today. Forgetting all formalities, she grabbed Yuzawa Tsugumi and asked, "President Yuzawa, may I ask you something?"
"Chihaya-san? What's wrong?" Seeing her anxious expression, Yuzawa quickly asked.
"Um... although this is just my personal speculation..." Aine said a little shyly, "Hane-san, you and Taro should actually be quite familiar with each other, right?"
"Haha... Taro and I are childhood friends, but we haven't been in touch for a long time because of a small argument." She chuckled, a hint of embarrassment in her smile, and looked at Aine: "What's wrong?"
"Has Taro suddenly developed some kind of illness, like a sudden burst of energy or something?" Aine asked hesitantly, then tried her best to describe Taro's symptoms, and saw that Tsugumi Hanazawa had an "I see" expression on her face.
"Yuzawa-kun...? You look like you know something?" Aine looked at Yuzawa Tsugumi very seriously, but the other girl just smiled and said, "There was only one time. Taro was completely weak that day, and everyone was very worried. But he suddenly got better the next day. I'm sorry, there's no way to help you."
"It's nothing, you've already been a great help!" Aine waved goodbye to Tsugumi Yuzawa, saying, "I'm sorry to have troubled you, thank you!"
After saying that, Aine disregarded manners and ran back. Yuzawa Tsugumi, standing behind Aine's retreating figure, raised her hand as if wanting to say something, but seeing Aine run far away, she could only sigh inwardly and remain silent.
Aine ran back to the practice room and bumped into the Don Dragon Flame Group, who had just finished practicing. Aine was a little surprised to see a group of familiar faces coming out from that direction: "Huh? Dengdeng, Su Shi, Mu, Li Xi?"
She glanced at the four people and simply made an apologetic gesture: "Sorry, we're a bit busy here."
She quickly pushed open the door to the Dong Brothers group and slipped inside.
But the moment the door opened, the four members of the Dragon Flame Group witnessed a shocking scene: the seemingly omnipotent Momoi Taro was sitting in a chair, looking extremely weak.
All four of them stared wide-eyed. Su Shi and Ruo Ye Mu rushed to the door without hesitation and pushed it open. Gao Song Deng seemed to react a beat slower, only following suit after seeing Su Shi and Ruo Ye Mu rush inside.
Li Xi followed Gao Songdeng inside after seeing her go in.
"Aiko, where did you run off to—" Meowmon helped Taro sit down in a chair, while Rakuna fanned him with a fan. Taro still looked weak.
"Excuse me... what's going on?" Su Shi and Wakaba Mutsu, who came in afterward, also surrounded Momoi Taro with their eyes wide open in shock. Su Shi looked helplessly at the Dong Brothers beside her and asked what had happened.
Aine's expression wasn't as panicked as it had been at the beginning, but she still said with some worry, "I've already asked Afterglow's senior, and Taro seems to suddenly get weak like this once every few years, but he should be fine the next day."
"Huh?" Lixi immediately commented, "What's this guy's relationship with Afterglow's senior?"
Ai-yin tilted her head, looking at the very excited Li-xi with a puzzled expression, and said, "It was Yu-zawa who said that Taro is her childhood friend. I felt like they knew each other backstage at the last live performance, and it was the same when we went to the coffee shop last time. When Taro had a problem this time, I went to her immediately."
"If there's no other way, we'll have to take Taro to the hospital. Luckily, he's alright." Aine patted her chest in relief, then rubbed Ryuna's head and said, "Now Ryuna doesn't have to worry anymore."
"Hmm..." Xiao Le Nai nodded heavily. Her expression seemed much more relaxed.
"Taro, how could he become so weak?" Riki looked at the collapsed Taro, and although it was very immoral, she felt a surge of secret joy.
She always felt that she could easily defeat the weak Taro... Although it was despicable, she actually developed an inappropriate sense of superiority in her heart, using the sick Taro as a benchmark for comparison, and even felt a secret joy from it.
This version of myself... is the one I hate the most.
"Ai... how do we get Master Taro back to normal?" Takamatsu Akari couldn't understand much of Aine's babbling; she just wanted to know what to do.
"Ah, maybe letting Taro rest for a day will be enough," Aine thought for a moment, then said somewhat uncertainly, "Should we send Taro home first?"
"I'll help." Su Shi said in an unquestionable manner. Aine looked at the young lady of Tsuki no Mori with some doubt. Aine couldn't remember most of the memories from her dream, only the feelings remained.
Was this the kind of person Su Shi, who had spent so much time with herself in her dreams? She wasn't quite sure. But for now, she could only nod in agreement.
"Where is Taro's house?" Wakaba Mutsumi asked casually. Her pale yellow eyes were fixed on the members of the Dong Brothers group.
"The last celebration party was held at Taro's house, ah... but it's a bit far." Aine touched her hair and shook her head: "Well then, let's just do our best!"
“Well then, it’s up to you, Aiko.” Meow Dream seemed relieved and sat back down at the drum set. “I have work to do in a bit, so I plan to practice for a while and then go to work.”
"Well then, if there's no need for practice, I'll be sorry." Hailing picked up the bass bag she had already packed.
"Huh? Hailing, you..." Lixi looked at Hailing leaving, puzzled, then crossed his arms and looked away: "Never mind."
Hai Ling, who was about to leave, stopped and looked at Li Xi, asking, "Is there a problem?"
"It's nothing." Li Xi didn't look at the other person. As the strongest person in the group, she naturally helped Momoi Taro.
Some time later, apart from Hailin and Miaomeng, everyone from the Dong Brothers Group and the Dong Giant Dragon Flame Group (tentative name) came to Taro's room.
Riki and Aine helped Taro to his room and put him on the bed.
The two girls, each with their own thoughts, sat in Taro's room. Aine's thoughts were simpler; she simply found Riki's presence annoying. What malicious intent could that cute pink-haired girl possibly have?
After putting Taro down, Riki looked around Taro's room. It wasn't luxurious; in fact, it was rather simple. There were two very large bookshelves, filled with books that looked like they had been read frequently.
9. Ling Liu 罒锍 7. He Er 玐 However, the two of them didn't look at it much and went downstairs.
The atmosphere became a little awkward for a moment, and none of them seemed to be in the mood to talk. However, Aine thought it would be strange to remain silent in Taro's house, so she looked at Akari and asked, "Akira, are you in a band reunion?"
“No, there’s no reunion.” The person who spoke was none other than Su Shi. She smiled gently at Ai Yin and said, “This is our new band, and it’s different from the previous band.”
When Li Xi heard Su Shi say that, he looked at her as if he had seen a ghost. Heaven knows how many times she had searched for him to help rebuild Ku Lai Xi, and now she was the first to deny it.
"Yes, we're a new band, and I'm a support musician in this band." Wakaba Mutsu lowered her eyes slightly as she responded to Aine's words. Aine tilted her head, somewhat confused by their conversation, but still smiled and asked, "So, what's the name of your new band?"
“Um… our band’s name…” Gao Songdeng began softly, his face slightly flushed, and said, “Dong Giant Dragon Flame Group (tentative name in parentheses). We plan to be a band for life…”
Ai Yin stared in surprise at Deng's words, her eyes widening and her body shrinking back slightly. She laughed awkwardly, "Ahaha...that's a really nice name."
Su Shi closed her eyes and shook her head, not wanting others to see the despair in her eyes.
"Hmm... By then, I think I can graduate from Master Taro... and then I can change my name..." Akari nodded seriously, then asked, "What about Ai? Does the Dong Brothers have any plans to hold a live performance recently?"
Aine shook her head and chuckled, "Originally, we would have talked about this after today's practice, but now that Taro has gotten into this situation, we'll just have to hear what he has to say during tomorrow's practice."
"Like this..." Deng replied, then fell silent. She really wasn't very good at these kinds of situations.
Lixi was also getting a little impatient with the atmosphere. She glanced at her phone and said to Deng, "Deng, it's getting late. Shall I take you home?"
Deng nodded and followed Li Xi out the door, with Le Nai slipping out as well. Not long after, Ruo Ye Mu also received a text message. After a slight change in expression, she nodded to the remaining people and left as well.
The once lively house was now empty except for Su Shi and Aine, making the atmosphere even more awkward.
After a while, Ai-yin looked out the window and asked with a slightly embarrassed tone, "Um... Su-shi, aren't you going back?"
Upon hearing Aine's question, Su Shi hesitated to look directly at her, instead shifting her gaze to the other side and unconsciously lowering her voice: "I'm still a little worried about Mr. Momoi. Where's Aine? Isn't she going home?"
“I was worried about Taro too,” Aine said, her cheeks slightly flushed as she stroked the side of her hair. “Given Taro’s current condition, it’s a little unsettling to leave him here alone.”
"Hey~ Aine and Momoi-san have a really good relationship." Suze's voice rose even higher as she sat on the sofa, her hands clasped around her waist, two fingers rubbing against each other as if they had a mind of their own: "Can you tell me what kind of relationship you two have?"
"There's nothing special about it, is there?" Ai Yin was a little surprised when Su Shi asked this, but she still answered Su Shi's question in a normal way: "Aren't Su Shi's family worried?"
Aine's words made Su Shi stop playing with her fingers. She didn't know how to answer Aine. Right now, she was reluctant to lie, but she was also reluctant to answer questions.
Seeing Su Shi's conflicted expression, Ai Yin chuckled softly. She sat down next to Su Shi and took her hand. As if she could see through Su Shi's heart, she said gently, "If you don't want to talk about it, then you don't have to. Why don't we go back together? Taro is so strong, he'll definitely be fine."
Aine naturally had her own little thoughts. She wanted to go home, after all, she didn't want her parents to worry. But if Suze was alone at Taro's house, she felt inexplicably uneasy.
Perhaps it's a woman's intuition, but I always felt that this person, like myself, had feelings for Momoi Taro that went beyond friendship.
As for Su Shi, she actually felt that Aine was very kind, taking care of her feelings. She couldn't help but look at her gratefully. As for going back... that was indeed what she was thinking. Her decision to stay here to take care of Taro was just a spur-of-the-moment thing; after all, she hadn't yet done what she said she would do. So she nodded slightly in agreement.
After that, Aine and Suze tidied up their room a little and left Taro's house. They walked together for a while before parting ways.
Chihaya Aine felt as if she were sick.
I don't know if it was because I saw how weak Taro was today and my protective instincts were triggered, but I actually had a momentary thought of staying overnight to take care of Taro.
Perhaps it was witnessing Taro's weakness that stirred my protective instincts, but for a fleeting moment just now, I actually wanted to stay and take care of him. Why would I have such a strange thought when I'm just an ordinary high school student? Could it be the lingering resentment from that dream...?
She pondered to herself, feeling fortunate: Luckily, Su Shi was there too, otherwise she would have almost made a mistake.
Motoyo Nagasaki felt as if she were ill.
Perhaps seeing Taro's weak appearance triggered her maternal instincts, because she actually considered staying to take care of him, taking advantage of her mother's absence. Even though she hadn't met the standards she promised Taro… how could she possibly do such a thing? Thank goodness Aine was there, otherwise she would have done something wrong again.
However, this was the first time Suze had ever seen Momoi Taro so weak... She really hoped that what Aine said was true, and that by the next day, Taro would be healthy and strong again.
At the same time, Ruoye Mu arrived at Yuzawa Cafe with a heavy expression.
Today's update will be very late.
No need to wait anymore!!! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !! !!
Episode 13 of "Dong": Trust
Hanezawa Cafe.
A blue-haired girl with pigtails leaned against the window, looking out at the neon lights that filled every corner of the city, and the people on the street flowing like a tide.
Although it was just a fleeting thought, these lively scenes seemed to have nothing to do with me.
Recently, Xiangzi quit all his jobs except for White Bear Express, all in order to form the band he dreamed of. However, the lack of members has stalled progress on this project.
I came here today to discuss band matters with Ruoye Mutsu. If I keep stagnating, I'll be too weak and timid!
The wind chimes outside the café rang, and Toyokawa Shoko's gaze locked onto the green-haired girl who entered. She seemed no different from before, except that a lingering melancholy still clung to her brow.
After Wakaba Mutsu sat down in front of her, Shoko gently pushed the mango juice she had prepared for her towards her and gave her a sweet smile: "Mutsu, did you have a bad day?"
Ruoye Mu shook her head slightly, picked up the mango juice, took a sip, and didn't say anything, just quietly looked at Xiangzi.
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. Xiangzi maintained his smile, but he didn't know what to say. In the end, he could only sigh and get down to business: "Mu, I recently wrote another piece of music."
“That’s great,” Xiao Mu obediently sipped a mouthful of mango juice, waiting for Xiangzi to continue. Xiangzi said softly, “But we still can’t recruit band members… How about we start with online activities for now? I’m planning to ask Taro-senpai to record the bass and drums! But I haven’t told him about this yet!”
When Mutsu heard Shoko mention Taro, her brows furrowed involuntarily. As her other half, Shoko naturally noticed this and quickly grabbed Mutsu's hand, anxiously asking, "Mutsu, is something wrong, Senpai? Can you tell me?"