Aspiring to be a girl in a band

"Oh."

Arakawa Kirika remained noncommittal and did not delve further into the topic.

She took a few steps forward, and then...

He casually took Wakaba Mutsu's hand.

Then, pulling the other person along, they started walking in the direction of leaving the school.

Because of her height, Arakawa Kirika walked much faster than Mutsu, but she didn't make any move to accommodate him...

It seems that she doesn't have the concepts of "accommodating" or "taking care" in her mind.

But that's alright, because Wakaba Mutsu was already used to this and took the initiative to quicken his pace a little.

The two strolled around the campus. Because it had just rained, the air still carried a faint smell of earth.

It was well past school dismissal time, but there were still quite a few students on campus carrying out club activities.

Of course, in a prestigious school like Tsuki no Mori, sports clubs don't exist, so even if the two of them casually walk along the path after the rain, they don't have to worry about strange people running past them and getting their skirts dirty with the splashed mud.

Soon... their presence attracted a lot of attention.

Most of the attention was focused on Wakaba Mutsu.

This is quite normal, after all... Wakaba Mutsu's father is a comedian, and in this country, comedians have an extraordinary status, and her mother is also a famous actress.

As a true second-generation star, coupled with her porcelain doll-like adorable appearance, Ruoye Mu's popularity on campus is naturally evident.

However... those girls who wanted to come over and say hello, upon seeing the student council president next to Wakaba Mutsu... instantly lost their will to retreat, and with slightly awkward smiles, they all kept their distance.

"Mumu, am I that scary?"

Arakawa Kirika gently nudged the little wooden block with her elbow. She herself didn't care about such things; she simply wanted Wakaba Mutsu to speak.

"I... didn't think that way."

Almost the instant Arakawa Kirika finished speaking, Wakaba Mutsu gave his answer, as if he was afraid of lowering his rating in her eyes.

"Hmm... but when I'm around, no one dares to greet Mutsu."

Arakawa Kirika said with a light laugh.

"unimportant."

Ruoye Mu replied instantly as always, as if she had been pondering the answer in her mind for a long time.

Wakaba Mutsumi's answer undoubtedly indicated that he had chosen between Arakawa Kirika and [all the other ordinary friends].

All other ordinary friends are insignificant compared to you.

Arakawa Kirika was very satisfied with this answer.

So she stopped, turned to face Wakaba Mutsu, and then...

He reached out and gently pinched the other person's chin.

As if knowing what was about to happen... a hint of excitement and secret joy flashed in her eyes... and then, in response, she gently tiptoed.

Arakawa Kirika only lightly touched Wakaba Mutsu's lips. After all... they were still in public, and even she was too embarrassed to go too far.

"A reward for good children."

Arakawa Kirika said, then ended the intimate gesture and pulled Mutsu along, heading straight towards the school gate.

……

That's right, that's exactly the kind of relationship they had.

Even Arakawa Kirika didn't expect that her relationship with Wakaba Mutsu... would last for three years.

When she first met Wakaba Mutsumi at the Tsukimori Elementary School, she decided to take action against the child.

An ethereal appearance, a compliant personality... and a touch of clumsiness.

It's simply the perfect toy.

But as they continued to get closer, Arakawa Kirika also realized something.

Ruoye Mu was not the emotionally detached child she had imagined, nor was she some kind of girl with no feelings, no emotions, and no ambition.

This child has a very active mind, but because he is not good at speaking... many times, as soon as he opens his mouth, it will have the opposite effect and make things go in a bad direction.

Over time, Mu himself seemed to realize this, which is why he took the initiative to stop talking so much.

As the saying goes, "Too much talk leads to mistakes," so as long as she doesn't speak, she shouldn't make any mistakes, right...? That's what she thought.

However, what kind of nature Wakaba Mutsu is... is not important to Arakawa Kirika. After all, even if the internal structure of the [toy] is slightly different, it is still just a toy and will not have any impact.

……

In Arakawa Kirika's plan, she should get tired of this child in a year at most, and then she can just throw her away decisively.

That's how it should be...

But... what exactly has allowed this relationship to continue until now...?

Even Arakawa Kirika herself wasn't entirely sure.

As she recalled the events, she glanced at Wakaba Mutsu's profile.

Never mind... it's not important. For me, throwing it away is a very simple decision... it's just a matter of time.

She told herself.

Ultimately, Arakawa Kirika did not continue to think about this issue.

"arrive."

Wakaba Mutsu's timely voice brought Arakawa Kirika back to her senses.

Their destination was a venue called "The Ring," a well-known live music house in the area. They usually chose to have their dates there.

Book 1: Chapter 3 Eating

Arakawa Kirika likes girls in bands.

Every time she sees a different kind of band on stage, it brings her a unique kind of joy.

Individual glimmers of light, when combined, can become so dazzling.

This is her understanding of bands... and that's why she has no... idea of ​​forming a band.

If she wanted to, she could naturally find the best teachers and assemble the best team, but... these external conditions are not the key issue.

Even if he uses his power and wealth to assemble the most luxurious band, the members will only feel fear towards him.

Such a counterfeit item naturally couldn't bring her any pleasure.

A band... that requires a group of people to understand, respect, and support each other to form.

To achieve this, the primary condition is...

Mutual equality

This is in serious conflict with Arakawa Kirika's creed.

In her worldview, relationships between people are naturally divided into "superior and inferior," "strong and weak," and "dominant and dominated."

Therefore, she is naturally unrelated to the concept of a "band".

But that doesn't stop her from enjoying drawing inspiration from every different band, a kind of "pleasure."

……

As a band's performance ended, cheers and applause erupted in the venue, accompanied by shouts of "encore."

Arakawa Kirika remained unaffected by the atmosphere, standing still without any intention of applauding.

Around her harmonious surroundings, a circle of open space naturally formed, like a strange circle that suddenly appeared in a cornfield.

Is this considered a passive ability...?

Even Arakawa Kirika herself found it a bit funny.

She discovered this when she was very young, and people seemed to be very afraid of her.

This fear did not stem from her family or power.

People are simply afraid of her as an individual.

……

If Ye Mu noticed the change in Arakawa Kirika's emotions, she didn't speak or offer any words of comfort.

Over the course of three years, Wakaba Mutsu had come to understand more about how to get along with Arakawa Kirika.

If you were to say something nonsensical like "It's okay, I'm not afraid of you" at this moment, it would only cause the other person to be dissatisfied.

All you need to do is continue to act like a puppet. The more vulnerable you appear, the more you will win the other person's favor.

As for fear... perhaps there would be a little at the beginning, after all... it's your own survival instinct reminding you.

But through her long-term interactions with Arakawa Kirika, she first grew accustomed to her intimidation and commands... then became dependent on her, and finally...

We can't live without it.

The feeling of being in danger began to overwhelm her, until she became addicted.

She even started to think... if everyone was afraid of Arakawa Kirika, wouldn't she be able to have her all to herself and never have to worry about being abandoned?

"Speaking of which..."

Arakawa Kirika suddenly spoke, and Mutsu's attention naturally focused entirely on her. As for what was being performed on stage, it was no longer important.

"How's Mu's band doing?"

Arakawa Kirika turned her head and asked casually.

Ruo Ye Mu frowned slightly, clearly indicating that she was unprepared for this question and had not expected the other party to ask it.

Fortunately, it wasn't a difficult question to answer, so she said.

"Crychic... has disbanded."

Even though it was news of the band she was involved in disbanding, Wakaba Mutsu was able to say it so easily.

Arakawa Kirika raised an eyebrow slightly; this was the first time she had been surprised that day.