Lonely Rock for the Blind.

Page 9

Nekoyashiki Haru nodded in the direction from which Ijichi Nijika's voice came.

"Should I be okay with being here?"

"It won't affect anything."

Ichi Nijika waved her hand and looked at the other two people.

"Um, you two should both be fine?"

Yamada Ryo made an "OK" sign, while Goto Ichiri on the other side was completely unable to refuse.

After silently nodding, she hunched over and took out her guitar.

"Then... let's begin."

Ichi Nijika struck the drumsticks, followed by the other two musicians joining in.

Popular songs, the kind that are played in shopping malls, aren't particularly difficult to listen to.

With one hand resting on her chin, Nekoyashiki Haru nodded gently, counting the beat.

In my mind, "colors" began to come to mind.

Yellow, blue... and gray.

They can't be blended together harmoniously, like a drawing plate in an elementary school art class—it's nothing but "dirty" in description.

As Ijichi Nijika's final drumbeat faded, the three of them simultaneously looked at Nekoyashiki Haru.

"Well, how should I put it, they're a very standard new band..."

Nekoyashiki Haru commented with the air of someone who'd been there before.

"...Little cat, you're the same age as me...Why do you talk like you've been in a band for a long time..."

"Ichi Nijika asked, her lips twitching slightly."

"I clearly remember you didn't learn any musical instruments back then..."

"Hmph~ If you ask me why, it's because I'm a genius. Besides, I dropped out of school very early and have devoted all my time to performances ever since."

"I am proud of myself," said Nekoyashiki Haru, arms crossed.

"Wow...that's amazing..."

Goto Ichiri opened his eyes wide and exclaimed in genuine admiration.

If I had that kind of courage to drop out of school...

No, no, no! That would be too unfair to Mom and Dad!

Yamada Ryo, who was standing nearby, clapped.

"That's so rock and roll."

"Although I really want to argue with you... it seems like there's really nothing wrong with rocking out this..."

Ichi Nijika sighed, then looked at Goto Ichiri, whose eyes were sparkling.

"...Yili, don't learn from him. He only dared to drop out of school because his family is very rich."

"Gurgle..."

Goto Ichiri let out a strange cry and lowered his head.

Nekoyashiki Haru smiled, then her expression turned serious.

"However, although I just said my evaluation was 'standard,' it was actually quite bad, you all understand that, right?"

Ichi Nijika paused for a moment, then nodded.

"After all, it was only assembled yesterday..."

"That's what we say, but we shouldn't keep using that excuse to convince ourselves. If we keep saying 'the band that was formed by geniuses the day before yesterday' and 'the band that was formed by geniuses the day before yesterday' the day after tomorrow, the band will progress very slowly."

"We understand the reasoning you're giving."

Ichi Nijika nodded.

"And...more importantly..."

Nekoyashiki Haru looked towards the location that was roughly where Goto Ichiri was.

"Pochi, is there something wrong with the guitar?"

"Huh? No...no...nothing..."

"...Then why doesn't your guitar have any color?"

"…What?"

The other two also looked at Nekoyashiki Haru with a strange expression.

Nekoyashiki Haru tapped her white cane.

"I can hear it, even though I can't see it. I can hear the music you play during your performance and then use that to imagine the colors of your music."

Nekoyashiki Haru tilted her head.

"Rainbow Summer is a vibrant yellow, even though many of the drumbeats are wrong."

"Goo!"

Ichi Nijika lowered her head with an expression as if she had been shot.

"Yamada-kun's bass playing is amazing, but... it's a cold, indifferent blue that completely ignores everyone else."

"I think I'm fine."

Ryo Yamada gave himself a thumbs up.

"As for Pochi... to be honest, it's not about whether you played well or badly, it's that you weren't playing at all... ah, I don't really mean you weren't playing at all."

Haru Nekoyashiki's comment pierced through Ichiri Goto's body like a bullet.

"Coo-coo-coo..."

Then Goto Ichiri started making strange noises and searching for a trash can, although she was quickly stopped by Iji Chi Nikka.

"Actually, it's not about the technology, it's just... are you holding back, Pochi?"

Nekoyashiki Haru's voice continued to ring out, and Goto Ichiri, who had been pulled away from the trash can by Iji Chi Niji Natsumi, suddenly froze.

"A little...just a tiny bit..."

"...Just a little...?"

Nekoyashiki Haru sighed.

"Is it because of me? Are you feeling uncomfortable because I'm here?"

"No, she can't relax even when you're not here."

"That's what Yamada Ryo replied."

Nekoyashiki Haru blinked.

"I see..."

"For example...if there are fully ripe mangoes..."

Goto Ichiri raised his hand.

"That would make me feel much better..."

"What kind of code is that...?"

Nekoyashiki Haru tilted her head in confusion.

"No, I meant cardboard boxes..."

Ichi Nijika took out a cardboard box from behind her.

"Yili is the kind of person who is... socially awkward."

"what…"

Nekoyashiki Haru tapped the ground with her cane.

"I see. That explains why there was no sound all of a sudden."

"Kitten, is there any solution to this?"

"I asked Yamada Ryo."

“Mild cases can be solved with the ‘pumpkin imagination method’ or by wearing a mask or something, but Pochi’s problem is obviously not that simple. We can only let her get used to it herself.”

"Waaah... I'm the bug that's holding the band back..."

Goto Ichiri lay on the ground, completely lifeless.

"Ah! It's dead! It's all your fault, little cat!"

"Its vitality is too fragile!"

In short, it was only after the commotion lasted for more than ten minutes that Goto Ichiri finally returned to human form.

"In short, let's have more performances from now on. Pochi's problem can only be solved slowly."

As she spoke, Nekoyashiki Haru picked up the water next to her and took a sip.

"Interact with other people more often; this is what's known as desensitization therapy."

"Feeling alright?"

Ichi Nijika nodded.

As for Goto Ichiri, he was sitting on the side, feeling uneasy.

I want to run away...