Lonely Rock for the Blind.

"Um…"

Nekoyashiki Haru nodded.

"So, what exactly do you want from me?"

"Um...actually, I want to do special training!"

"…Guitar?"

"Ok!"

Kita Yukiyo nodded vigorously.

"...Working so hard?"

"Of course! Right now I'm the only one who can't even play the guitar, so I have to make the most of my time to practice!"

"Aren't you going to look for Yili?"

"Ah... Goto-kun kept saying it was inconvenient or something, and told me to go in a week if possible..."

Kita Ikuyo said helplessly.

"...I can probably understand her thought process, after all, she probably has never hosted friends before."

"I think so too... Anyway, since I can't rely on Goto-kun, I can only come to you, senpai."

"Yeah."

Nekoyashiki Haru walked towards the bedroom, and returned a short while later carrying a gray guitar.

"The speaker is under the coffee table, and the headphones are in the drawer on the other side. Take out the new, unopened ones."

"it is good!"

Kita Ikuyo gently pulled the speaker out from under the coffee table, then took out headphones from the drawer.

Nekoyashiki Haru sat down on the other side and put on her own headphones.

"Let's play yesterday's piece again so I can check for any mistakes."

"Ah... okay, but could you please speak first, senior?"

"?"

Nekoyashiki Haru instinctively turned to Kita Ikuyo, hesitated for a moment, and then opened her mouth.

The next moment, something sweet was stuffed into my mouth.

"!"

Nekoyashiki Haru instinctively jumped backward, a completely instinctive reaction.

"Senior looks like a cat startled by a cucumber."

Kita Ikuyo laughed.

"...Candy..."

Nekoyashiki Haru regained her composure and quietly savored the sweetness in her mouth.

"How is it? This is the best candy I've ever had, lychee flavored."

"…not bad."

Nekoyashiki Haru nodded.

"Hehe, you opened your mouth as soon as I told you to, senior, you have no sense of vigilance at all."

"What is there about you that I should be wary of? There's nothing you can take advantage of me."

Nekoyashiki Haru shook her head.

"Alright, let's start practicing."

"good----"

Chapter Twenty-Four: Curiosity

"Ugh! I can't learn this! Wait, is this really a guitar? Or is it a bass too?!"

Kita Ikuyo collapsed onto the sofa and wailed.

"It is indeed a guitar, and I bought it myself with my own money for 120 million yuan."

Nekoyashiki Haru sighed and said.

"How could it be so bad so quickly? It's only been two hours. Where did all that energy go?"

"Complaining is also a form of rest... You only have the motivation to keep going after complaining, just like a machine that needs to be cooled down!"

"…Yeah."

Nekoyashiki Haru gently strummed the guitar.

"It's much better than at the beginning, Kita, you do have some talent."

"Really?"

Kita Ikuyo, who had been sprawled on the sofa, suddenly sat up and asked Nekoyashiki Haru.

Normally, unless she's alone, she would never sprawl out on the sofa without any regard for her image.

However, because the cat shelter is completely invisible, Kita Ikuyo has become quite lax in this regard.

"Really, and since you're tired, you don't need to rest by complaining."

Nekoyashiki Haru reached for the speaker's switch and then turned it off.

"Just rest now. I don't have any snacks. How about some juice for the beginning?"

"Okay, I brought snacks."

"...It's not meant to be used to feed me, is it?"

"hey-hey."

Kita Ikuyo's laughter was gentle yet carried a hint of mischief, and Nekoyashiki Haru felt that this guy was completely different from himself.

If they consider themselves elderly, then Hongxia and the others are young people.

That Kita Ikuyo guy is a purebred dog!

I'm not insulting anyone, I'm referring to vitality.

Nekoyashiki Haru poured the juice into the cup.

They didn't even think to come over and help me pour it.

As he thought this to himself, Nekoyashiki suddenly felt a gentle tap on his back.

"!!!"

He jumped up instantly, leaned against the wall, and faced forward with a look of surprise and uncertainty.

"Ah...you didn't notice me, senpai."

Kita Ikuyo's voice rang out in front of her, and Nekoyashiki Haru took a deep breath.

"what are you doing?"

"I'll pour you some juice, but I made sure to keep my footsteps down. I even took off my shoes, so you didn't notice."

"So why?"

"I'm just really curious... Senior has excellent hearing, doesn't he?"

"... "

Nekoyashiki Haru took a deep breath.

To be fair, if they were outside, Kita Ikuyo could feel it even if he took off his shoes.

Whether through vibration or hearing.

But that's outside! At home, when Shiki is at her least alert and least focused, that's when she's with her cat.

After all, when I'm at home, I just want to sleep and I don't pay attention to sounds at all. Even if I do hear them, I just ignore them subconsciously.

He's not Daredevil, and he hasn't learned the echolocation method used by blind people.

But Haru Nekoyashiki now has a desire to learn...

"...Kita..."

A slightly annoyed voice came from Nekoyashiki Haru.

"senior…"

Kita Ikuyo's face showed a hint of nervousness as she realized that she might have gone a little too far.

Are you going to yell at me?

"...Please, don't scare me."

"Nekoyashiki Haru said softly, which made Kita Ikuyo pause slightly."

"Ah... okay."

Nekoyashiki Haru sighed, then picked up two glasses of juice and walked outside.

Kita Ikuyo followed behind Nekoyashiki Haru.

"...So soft, senior."

Speaking in a voice only he could hear, Kita Ikuyo could only come up with this description after much thought.

Nekoyashiki-senpai always seems to have a lazy demeanor; between "hard" and "soft," "soft" is definitely the better choice.

But he's quite strong... because he's thin.

Sitting on the sofa, Kita Ikuyo looked at Nekoyashiki Haru, who was drinking juice with a sullen expression, pursed her lips, and said softly.

"I'm sorry, senior."

"It's okay... just don't do it again next time."