Aspiring to be a girl in a band

Arakawa Kirika hugged the lamp back to her chest and whispered in her ear.

"If you want to be with me forever, you'd better keep being interesting, okay?"

Because if I get tired of you, I will not hesitate to abandon you.

……

Deng nodded gently; she knew that Wuhua had always hoped she would grow up.

Therefore, she had to go find Xiangzi, which was completely contrary to the encouragement she had hoped for.

The lamp knew very well what was going on.

If you can't even do something this simple, then you clearly don't fit the definition of "interesting".

Therefore, the lamp felt a sense of crisis.

But this sense of crisis forms a double spiral with the sense of happiness, and the lamp can only struggle between these two emotions.

This is clearly not a normal relationship.

The light propped herself up and sat up, then rested her head against Arakawa Kirika's chest.

She was thinking.

What exactly is my relationship with Wuhua now?

Volume 1: Chapter 88 Rekindled Romance (Uncertain)

It was just another ordinary day.

Toyokawa Shoko arrived at school at the usual time.

She had no friends in her class, which saved her a lot of social interaction.

Sitting in his seat, Xiangzi first took out the textbook he would be using that day.

Then I fell into a brief period of doing nothing.

Because there's still some time before class starts.

Just then, the classmate sitting next to Xiangzi pinched his chin, carefully looked at Xiangzi, and then chose to talk to her.

"Toyokawa-kun... I feel like you've changed a lot lately."

Eh?

Xiangzi turned his head and looked at his classmate.

She was somewhat surprised that someone was talking to her.

Because she was always an isolationist in class, she didn't know anyone.

And the student in front of me...

If he had to say, Xiangzi did have some impression of her.

Because on the day I had a fever, I asked the other person to close the window, but that was the only time we talked.

Out of politeness, Toyokawa Shoko responded with a smile.

Have I changed at all?

She was genuinely curious about what aspect of "change" the other person was referring to.

Because Xiangzi didn't feel any different from before.

The student looked thoughtful and paused for a few seconds before answering.

"Hmm... Toyokawa-kun, you always had a frown on your face before, and you gave off a kind of unapproachable vibe. But look at you now, you're smiling all the time, and you've suddenly become much gentler."

The classmate took a dressing mirror out of his bag and looked it at Xiangzi.

Xiangzi looked at himself in the mirror.

Indeed... a faint smile lingered on my lips.

Have I really changed...?

she thought.

If I have truly changed in any way, it must be thanks to the gods.

Her life recently has been much happier than before.

Although she still didn't know where her father worked, the family's financial situation had definitely improved significantly.

Just yesterday, her father told her that he was planning to change his environment soon.

It's time to move out of this old apartment building and find a more spacious place to rent.

Life is no longer financially strained; in fact, there's even a generous allowance...

Xiangzi felt as if everything was a dream he hadn't yet woken from.

She even began to doubt whether she still needed to work.

If I start to quit my job now and use the time I save to practice and find band members, my plan can obviously start much earlier.

My tense nerves could finally relax, so the bitter expression on my face disappeared, and I started to smile at my classmates.

After sorting things out in her mind, Xiangzi's lips curved upwards a little more. She politely chatted with the classmate who had struck up a conversation for a few more minutes until the bell rang for class, at which point Xiangzi finally settled into her studies.

But during class, for some reason, Xiangzi started to lose focus, which was unusual for him.

While relaxing, Xiangzi also thought about a very serious problem for her.

That is... how exactly do I get my house back, my home?

Her family's manor villa is now in Arakawa Kirika's hands.

Even if Arakawa Kirika's plan succeeds and her band becomes a well-known top-tier group... it won't help her get the house back.

Because no matter how much money she earns, she is still poor in front of Arakawa Kirika.

Between herself and Arakawa Kirika lies a chasm called "class".

The only possibility...

Xiangzi reminisced about her time with Arakawa Kirika. Although those memories weren't pleasant, she still found something noteworthy in them.

Arakawa Kirika doesn't lie; she knows that much.

Moreover... she remembered that Arakawa Kirika had once told her the word "like".

Xiangzi sighed.

She knew that it seemed unlikely she could reclaim her home through conventional means, unless…

Arakawa Kirika also fell into poverty, just like her.

...Xiangzi felt a bead of sweat the size of a bean slide down his forehead.

Is this some kind of new international joke?

She gave a bitter smile, a hint of self-abandonment in her expression.

You have to understand, even in her wildest dreams, she couldn't imagine why the Arakawa family could go bankrupt.

Forget it...

Xiangzi had actually been prepared for this long ago.

And... even if I and Arakawa Kirika ended up in that kind of relationship...

In an instant, Arakawa Kirika's face appeared in Xiangzi's mind.

It seems... I didn't lose out at all...

she thought.

Although that person is utterly worthless and a complete scoundrel.

But... in terms of appearance, she's truly impeccable.

……

School was about to end.

Xiangzi didn't participate in any clubs, so at this time in the past, she would either borrow the piano from the brass band to practice or leave school directly for her part-time job.

But today, perhaps due to a change in his state of mind, Xiangzi lingered at school for the first time ever.

She wanted to take a good walk around the school she attended.

As she was taking a walk, a familiar figure approached her.

Takamatsu lamp.

Watching the girl walk towards him with a resolute expression full of... awareness.

Xiangzi immediately realized something was wrong.

She had encountered Deng on campus many times before.

However, the two generally kept their distance, and when they occasionally brushed past each other, they pretended not to know each other.

And now... judging from the lamp's expression, she was deliberately walking towards him.

Should she turn around and leave...? Xiangzi thought, but she quickly rejected the idea.

Why should I be afraid of lights?

It's not like he's that scumbag, what's there to be afraid of?

So she stopped where she was and waited for the light to come to her.

"I have something I want to say to Xiangzi."

Deng didn't bother with formalities and went straight to the point.

For a moment, looking at Deng's resolute expression, Xiangzi felt a little dazed.

Because she hadn't spoken to Deng in so long, she had almost forgotten Deng's usual tone of voice.

Was the lamp... ever this confident before?

Xiangzi was suspicious.