Lonely Rock for the Blind.

"More what?"

Yamada Ryo asked while counting the money.

"It's nothing, let's get back to the topic."

Nekoyashiki Haru shook her head.

"Then, one day I met a drunkard who, judging from her footsteps, staggered up to me. She pointed at me and, reeking of alcohol, asked me to join her band."

"We've been beaten to it?!"

Yamada Ryo exclaimed in surprise, even stopping his counting of the money.

"No... I didn't agree. I just ignored her and, out of revenge, I took her cheap wine."

"...You still have a vengeful mentality."

Yamada Ryo blinked, and his money-counting speed returned to normal.

"I don't know why, but she followed me around every day after that. Finally, after one performance, I couldn't take it anymore. Even though I had refused to join her band, she kept bothering me. So I just asked her directly what she wanted from me."

What did she say?

"...She denied it."

Nekoyashiki Haru looked up at the sky.

"She denied my playing, denied my playing that could excite everyone."

Why deny it?

"I asked Yamada Ryo."

"If you rely on others' superficial opinions instead of your own heart, what you want to see will only drift further and further away from you."

"What do you mean?"

"That means you really hit the nail on the head. Even though I continued to work as a mercenary, I was basically always with him. That guy was just like you, unable to save money, either because of an accident or because he deserved it."

Nekoyashiki shook his head and smiled, then stood up.

"Let's go find Hongxia. It feels like it's about time."

Nekoyashiki Haru swept her cane across the ground as she walked into the distance.

"... "

After counting the money, Yamada Ryo looked up and a bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

Oh no, Nijika... it seems someone beat you to it...

Yamada Ryo stuffed the money into his pocket, then poked his finger deeper into the pocket before following Nekoyashiki Haru.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Group Photo

Outside the park, Ijichi Nikka sat on a bench, flipping through photos.

"Hmm...it all looks pretty good. I have photos of the park, the fence, the steps, and the plants...and it's getting late."

Looking up at the orange-toned sunlight, Ichiji Niji Natsumi closed her eyes slightly.

"The air is starting to get cold."

Nekoyashiki Haru said from the side.

"Hmm, let's look around some more, and then take the last photo of the day!"

"Ichi Nijika said after standing up from her chair."

Snapped!

"Ooh!"

The sudden pat on her shoulder startled Ichika Nijika. She looked behind her and saw Goto Ichiri pointing behind her.

"What? Pochi, you scared me!"

Ichi Nijika breathed a sigh of relief.

"There...there's a wall over there that has a really nice feel to it..."

Goto Ichiri pointed behind her and described the scene, then raised her hand to try to use gestures to illustrate her point, but the pain in her lower back made her stop.

"You...you can take pictures there..."

"Goto Ichiri said, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"Well done, Iri! You're amazing!"

Nekoyashiki Haru, who could hear the expectation in Goto Ichiri's voice, smiled and praised him.

Heh...hehe...

Goto Ichiri scratched his head and laughed.

Ryo Yamada and Ikuyo Kita approached from behind, each supporting Ichiri Goto on one side, and walked in the direction she had just pointed.

"Alright! Let's go!"

Kita Ikuyo raised her hand and shouted.

"Hurry up, I'm hungry, I want to go eat."

Yamada Ryo chimed in from the side.

"Let's all go out for dinner together after filming!"

"Ichi Nijika said with a smile."

"You're treating?"

"I asked Yamada Ryo."

"You always have to take advantage of others, don't you?!"

...

……

.........

In front of the red wall, Yamada Ryo, Kita Ikuyo, and Goto Ichiri stood together.

The orange-yellow light began to grow stronger.

"It's almost evening, so hurry up!"

"Ichi Nijika said with a smile, then adjusted her phone."

"Let me see, what kind of expressions and poses should I use?"

"Ichi Nijika pondered."

"Learn from me, I'm the absolute standard band member."

"Yamada Ryo said."

"Uh...it just doesn't feel very reliable."

"Ichika Nijika said, while Kita Ikuyo shook her head."

"I think Senior Liang really has that kind of style and temperament! Learning from Senior Liang is definitely the right thing to do!"

"Then... let's do it..."

Click!

Looking at the finished product, Ichiji Nijika's lips twitched.

The expressions of the four people in the photo have all become unmistakably those of "private equity fund managers".

"...It feels like we're keeping vigil..."

Ichi Nijika sighed.

"Ugh...that's true, this kind of advertising definitely won't work...and the composition is a bit odd too..."

Kita Ikuyo commented.

"Little Kita seems to be very good at taking pictures?"

"Because I've been uploading photos to social media all along."

Kita Ikuyo held up her phone to show it off.

"Oh...not bad! Everyone, let's imitate Kita's expression!"

"Ichi Nijika announced."

Click!

"...How subtle..."

The four of them looked at their own photos and all wore strange expressions.

"Poch's smile looks like something out of a horror movie, like someone possessed by a spirit..."

Kita Ikuyo hesitated for a moment before speaking, and Goto Ichiri suddenly trembled and gradually lost his human form.

"Why is Ryo's smile so stiff? It's like she's working on a machine..."

Ichi Nijika asked Yamada Ryo.

"I don't know, without Mr. Fukuzawa Yukichi, I could only laugh like this."

How greedy are you?!

"Ichi Nijika shouted."

"Your smile is weird too, like one of those anime characters who gets their crush stolen but still acts like, 'Isn't this okay?'"

Yamada Ryo said earnestly.

"How is it similar?!"

Yijizhi Hongxia roared.