Band Girl Drink Mixing Action

“!” Aine was startled and instinctively wanted to shout back, “I didn’t run away…”

"But that's what you actually showed."

No matter how loud Ai's voice was, Qingchuan Xiang could still say what he wanted to say without being affected at all. That clear voice, although soft, inexplicably made people hear it so clearly.

It took only one sentence for Ai Ne to speak so boldly but was silenced by Kiyokawa Xiang who only made a simple statement.

But Qingchuan Xiang's words were not finished yet.

"Aine, why did you run away today?"

"I……"

Before Aine could say anything, Qingchuan Xiang raised her hand to stop her. Xiang didn't need Aine's answer. She knew very well why Aine did that. Aine herself knew it very well too, but Qingchuan Xiang just wanted to list the reasons one by one.

Because Aiyin is aware of her mistakes, but she is unwilling to face them in her heart, even though the shadow always lingers in her heart. What Qingchuan Xiang wants to do is to throw this shadow out and put it in front of her.

"The simplest reason is that you felt your skills were not up to par, and you were outdone by Lenai, who was younger than you, so you ran away out of shame.

"The deeper reason is that you feel that you were the one who initiated and formed this band, but compared to the other band members, you seem to be taking things easy, and you feel guilty about it..."

In fact, at this point, Qingchuan Xiang has already listed two reasons. She is not very sure that this is what Aine thinks. After all, she herself has difficulty distinguishing emotions. However, looking at Aine's expression, it seems that her guess is quite right.

The first reason is easy to guess, and the second one is that during RiNG, Qingchuan Xiang noticed that when Renai said "I want to join the band", Aine had an obvious movement as if she wanted to say something, but then she shrank her body and looked down, a behavior that often appears when people feel guilty, guilty, and self-reflective.

If Aine was just jealous and resented Lenae for taking her guitar spot, then as a member of the band, even if she had lost some of her confidence to express her opinions due to her previous poor performance, it would be completely reasonable for her to speak out about adding someone to the band. That's why Kiyokawa Xiang made this judgment.

But what she really wanted to say and the reason she was most convinced of was actually the last point.

"And the most important point is related to your failed experience studying abroad in London."

When this was mentioned, Aine’s entire body subconsciously tensed up, and her shoulders hunched inwards.

"You wanted to make up for your failure studying abroad, so when you arrived in Hanaoka, you started socializing even harder than before, trying to make yourself look more up-to-date."

Earlier at the shoe cabinet, when Qingchuan Xiang saw the pairs of shoes belonging to Aine, there were obviously many more shoes that looked newer, and among the new shoes, most were new products released in the past few months.

Even though Qingchuan Xiang herself is used to wearing only a few pairs of sneakers, she has a fashionable mother who likes to share with her children, so sometimes Xiang is passively introduced to many brands and newer styles of clothes and shoes.

"You chose to escape in the beginning, and now you want to start over. The band is a very important part of your journey to a fresh start. You have to rely on it to integrate with everyone, regain your former recognition and praise, and re-establish your self-identity.

"But you find that when you're in a band, you're getting further and further away from that, and it's more like you're starting to replicate the things you encountered in London, the things you weren't good at, the barriers between you and others...

"You got scared, Aine, and you ran away."

Chapter 217 Reward-Based Education

At that moment, Aine's heart felt as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand, and even her breath trembled. The air around them seemed to freeze, and every word Qingchuan Xiang spoke was as clear as thunder, echoing in Aine's ears.

Ever since returning from London, this secret that Aine had kept hidden in her heart because she didn't want to worry her family was now ruthlessly revealed and exposed in broad daylight.

Fine beads of cold sweat began to seep out of Aine's back. At first, there were only a few scattered drops, but slowly they gathered into a stream, wetting the clothes on her back and leaving traces of sweat.

Aiyin tried to catch Kiyokawa Xiang's gaze, the one who had revealed the secret, but her sight was as if shrouded in mist, blurry and powerless. Aiyin lowered her head, her lips slightly parted, wanting to say something, but her voice was caught in her throat, and only a faint sound could come out.

"Xiao Xiang, am I embarrassed to look like this? I know I need to change, and I've done it, but as soon as I encounter the slightest difficulty, I start to lose confidence.

"Besides... I formed the band just for my own personal gain, but I'm not serious about the band itself. Even if you scold me directly, Xiaoxiang, I'll accept it..."

Aiyin's voice became smaller and smaller. If there were not only two people in the room at that moment and Qingchuan Xiang was not very good at keeping quiet, it would be difficult to hear what she said clearly.

“Eh—so Aine wanted me to scold you?”

After hearing what Aine said, Qingchuan Xiang didn't seem to be angry at all. It was more like... Xiang herself was not serious about the band. It could even be said that she was always thinking about how to quit the band peacefully.

"Why, why did it become this understanding!" Aiyin was stunned, and then quickly denied it, letting Xiaoxiang scold her, she was not a masochist.

But what would it be like if Xiaoxiang, who always had a gentle and calm expression, showed contempt and disgust...

Aiyin just imagined Kiyokawa Xiang with such an expression in her mind, and felt an inexplicably exciting contrast.

“Does Aine think that I came all the way to your house just to give you a lecture?”

Qingchuan Xiang chuckled, "I'm not so bad-tempered as to go to someone's house and expose their secrets just to see their frustrated expression."

But I always felt that Xiaoxiang seemed to be enjoying it just now, and she would occasionally do things that deliberately make people look embarrassed.

Aiyin suddenly felt that she might have accidentally discovered Xiaoxiang's hidden devilish side.

"Aine is thinking about something very rude." Qingchuan Xiang's smile became even brighter, and the words he said were not even a question, which scared Aine so much that she quickly restrained her inner thoughts.

"Well, I was thinking about teaching Aine guitar. After all, I used to be a guitarist. Although I can't say I'm a top-notch guitarist, I still have some experience. Since Aine doesn't need it, then forget it."

After saying that, Qingchuan Xiang made a move to stand up and leave the room. As soon as she stood up, Aine realized what she had missed and hurriedly shouted:

"No! Don't go! Please! Uwaa ...

After a series of three consecutive moves to retain her, there was suddenly another embarrassing scream. It was when Aiyin seemed to feel that this was not enough to express her determination, her hips, which were originally sitting on the sofa, suddenly bounced up and she rushed forward, trying to grab the hand of Qingchuan Xiang who turned and left. As a result, she used too much force and lost her balance and fell on the sofa, with her whole face hit hard in the sofa, so she made a sound that made people hold their foreheads and look away.

But it was this last sound that attracted Qingchuan Xiang to turn around.

"Huff~" Looking at Aine's miserable state, Qingchuan Xiang couldn't help but laugh a few times, "Are you okay, Aine?"

Snapped!

Aiyin continued to lie on the sofa, without even standing up, but she quickly reached forward with both hands and grabbed Kiyokawa Xiang's hand that was hanging at her side.

"I don't mean to refuse Xiaoxiang's guidance. Please teach me vigorously! As long as it's something I can do, I'm willing to do anything!"

"Are you willing to do everything? Then I want Aiyin to practice guitar every day after school. She can't check her phone, watch live broadcasts, or reply to other people's messages. She has to practice for at least three hours. Can Aiyin do that?"

“That’s a bit, haha…”

After hearing what Qingchuan Xiang said, Aiyin smiled bitterly. If she could do it, why would she need to worry about such things?

With the hand that was held, Qingchuan Xiang gently scratched Aine's palm with his fingers, signaling her to let go first.

"Actually, Aine's biggest problem isn't her lack of skills, but rather that she's not ready to start performing professionally right away. The problem lies primarily in her mindset."

"Yeah." Aine nodded frantically like a chicken pecking at rice. Although Kiyokawa Xiang had explained a long time ago that places like live houses were no longer exclusive to professional musicians, for Aine, her original expectation was just to be like the light music club, and the biggest stage would be just the performances held at the school.

"It's actually not difficult to correct Aiyin's mentality: the first step is to increase Aiyin's sense of belonging to the band."

"Well, I think I'm still pretty…"

"Aine actually feels that everyone in the band except you is a member of CRYCHIC. Even though you're familiar with Xiao Deng and me, you still can't help but feel like 'I'm an outsider,' right?"

“It’s undeniable…” Aine lay listlessly on the sofa—she hadn’t sat up yet.

"As for this, we can't rush it. We can only slowly develop a rapport with everyone through long-term band activities."

"What about the other points?"

"Secondly, let Riki book the practice room fully booked every day! Sign up for the live performance as well, and use real pressure to force Aine to work hard! Passion, hard work, friendship, and then victory!"

"It suddenly turned into the style of Jump comics!"

Aine looked troubled. “I do think this would be helpful, but relying on this kind of coercion as motivation makes piano practice seem like a torture. Will I really just end up hating the band altogether…?”

"Huhu, how could I not have thought of that."

Aiyin lay weakly on the sofa, and suddenly felt herself covered by a shadow. She stretched her neck and looked up with great effort, only to see Xiaoxiang suddenly leaning down for some reason, looking at her with a touching smile on her face.

There seemed to be the sound of water in Ain's ears.

“So… if Aine successfully reaches a certain amount of practice time, I’ll give her some rewards, that’s fine too~”

Chapter 218 is on fire!

goo.

Aiyin met the eyes of Qingchuan Xiang who was leaning over her, and after hearing what she said, she swallowed subconsciously.

"What does that reward mean?"

"What kind of reward does Aine want?" Qingchuan Xiang smiled faintly, but refused to explain it clearly herself. Instead, she threw the question back to Aine, letting Aine imagine it.

This tone, these words, could it be that?! Aine’s face also began to heat up.

No, no, what if this is another malicious trap set by Xiao Xiang, just to lure me into making some shameless demands and then tease me with it?

But... even if it's just to hug Xiaoxiang, such a reward should be fine, right?

Knowing that her relationship with Qingchuan Xiang is definitely incomparable to that of her former bandmates like Xiangzi and Xiaodeng, Aiyin, who has always been bold in socializing and has some feelings for Xiaoxiang, has become unusually reserved and usually just chats with Xiaoxiang.

And now it seems that there is an opportunity to take things a step further with Xiaoxiang? Although it was caused by my own mistakes, this is the so-called blessing in disguise, isn't it?

"In that case, can I hug Xiaoxiang?"

Qingchuan Xiang blinked, his expression a little subtle, and he took two or three steps back.

“Um, Aine, isn’t the request of ‘hug’ a bit too hasty even for me?”

Aiyin, who was lying on the sofa at first, didn't react at all. After a few seconds, she finally understood what Qingchuan Xiang meant. Her face immediately turned red. Even her own pink hair couldn't compare to the blush on her face. She quickly propped herself up and urgently explained to Xiaoxiang:

"Wait, Xiao Xiang, that's not what I meant! I was just talking about a normal hug!"

In Japanese, the word "抱" not only refers to hugging, but also refers to an act that takes intimacy to the next level.

"So that's how it is." Qingchuan Xiang nodded.

"Why would Xiaoxiang think about that..." Aiyin breathed a sigh of relief. Talking to Xiaoxiang actually felt even more tiring than just running home. "It's Xiaoxiang's fault!"

Aiyin actually still had the energy to press on with Kiyokawa Xiang, hoping to reverse the situation where she had been teased all along.

"Because I didn't expect Aine to be so easily satisfied. All she needed was a hug." But Qingchuan Xiang would never let Aine fight back easily. "Or is it that Aine is too timid and only dares to make such a request?"

Aiyin stammered a few times, only able to offer a final, small resistance, and said angrily, "Then Xiaoxiang, tell me, what reward can you give me..."

Humph, Aiyin secretly made up her mind. If Xiaoxiang's reward was too light, she would call her stingy and cowardly. If it was too good, she would just accept it... No, no! She was going to call Xiaoxiang a loser!

This is Chihaya Aine's territory. She is the local tyrant here. She is the one who has to act like a dragon and a tiger!

"Let me think about it..."

Qingchuan Xiang stroked his elbow with one hand, supported his chin with the other hand, and closed his eyes as if thinking.

Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds...

Isn’t it a bit too long to think about it?

Aine, who was originally trying to muster up the courage to confront Qingchuan Xiang, gradually lost her temper during the long wait.

She is deliberately stalling me!

Aine was several beats slow to react, and finally realized that Qingchuan Xiang's skills were too advanced and she could not subdue him.

Finally, Qingchuan Xiang said:

"Hasn't Ai Ne always wanted me to change into something nicer and more youthful?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then how about I become a dressing doll for a while as long as Aine practices guitar well? You can let me wear whatever you want."

"Really!"

Aiyin's eyes lit up instantly. She had wanted to pair Xiaoxiang with some suitable clothes for a long time. She had such a pretty face and a nice figure (including her bust, in Aiyin's eyes), but she only wore a shirt and trousers. It was more than just a waste of talent!

And you can also see different looks of the person you like, hehe.

It's time to show Anon Tokyo's excellent design capabilities!

Seeing that Aine immediately became full of energy, Qingchuan Xiang also nodded with satisfaction.

In order to help Aiyin grow up, not only did Qingchuan Xiang want to help his friend, but it was also to prevent one thing:

Xiangzi also quit the band, and then CRYCHIC fell apart due to a series of chain reactions. Although Qingchuan Xiang felt that if he had explained his reasons for leaving the band clearly to everyone in the band and not just disappeared like Xiangzi, he should have been able to avoid this kind of thing, but he still had to make more preparations.

One of the preparations was to voluntarily give up her right to speak in the band. In CRYCHIC, Xiangzi almost single-handedly decided the direction of the entire band, so her withdrawal from the band caused such a big reaction.

The same principle applies to helping Aion. Let everyone in the band have enough strength and motivation to move forward, so that even if I leave, they can continue to hold live performances on their own.

"Then without further ado, let's start practicing now. Team Aine, get out your guitars!"

"Yes!"

………………

As expected, having someone teaching you live is much more convenient than learning by following a video on a tablet.

Although Xiaoxiang is not very good at teaching guitar, she does understand Aiyin very well. At the beginning, she took the guitar and performed a simple fingering, which was enough to calm Aiyin's showmanship. She wanted Aiyin to think "This is so cool, I want to learn it too!", but she also didn't want her to feel afraid of difficulties.

In addition to these, what makes Aiyin feel most comfortable is that Xiaoxiang never gets upset or angry because she makes the same mistake over and over again.

"Maybe Xiaoxiang is really suited to a career like teaching? Her patience alone would make her very popular among students."

"I think the reason I'm so patient is because I haven't been involved in mixing drinks." Qingchuan Xiang himself disagreed. "If I saw people randomly adding things to drinks and ruining them, I'd get angry too. So maybe I'm not suitable to teach in this area?"