All the people who like me are other people’s girlfriends! ?

There was only a bottomless sense of oppression.

Only the numbness that remains after the soul has been ground down.

It's the helplessness of facing a deep abyss and being unable to pull your legs out.

She sighed in disgust:

“...You damned old man.”

021. Speedrun Mygo (Part 1)

The rain was cold and fell rapidly.

I'm leaving Crychic.

It's my own problem.

Are you really... going to quit?

If you're going to quit, don't cause us any trouble. Everyone's been waiting for Xiangzi today.

If you want to practice, just practice by yourself.

[Lamp, you're the one who needs the most practice.]

[We've all been happily playing in a band together for so long, Xiaomu feels the same way, right?]

【————————】

The world was enveloped in the overwhelming sound of rain.

*

Nagasaki Motoyo suddenly sat up in her chair, a bead of cold sweat on her forehead, as if she had just woken up from a long nightmare.

Where is this place?

She glanced around blankly: wooden tables and chairs, soft lighting, soothing piano music, female waitresses coming and going—this was a coffee shop… I think I accidentally fell asleep.

Why am I in a coffee shop?

She slowly remembered that she had come to wait for Kiyono-kun to go to work, and she had fallen asleep while waiting. But why did she suddenly want to find this boy?

"..."

crychic.

Her refuge has vanished.

Rain, training camp, late-night talks, practice, live performances—those scenes are so vivid in my mind when I close my eyes. They were so warm, everyone was so happy before, how could it end so easily? Their spring hadn't even passed yet.

Nagasaki Motoyo lowered her head, unconsciously rubbing her index finger, the now-cold black tea reflecting a pair of sorrowful eyes.

Today is the second day after Crychic disbanded, and it happens to be Saturday. She woke up at noon, drank some water in a daze, and then subconsciously came here, just like a small animal whose first reaction after being frightened is to look for its parents.

She had been waiting for a long time yesterday, but Kiyono happened to be on leave.

"Did I... really trust him that much?"

Nagasaki Motoyo was somewhat dazed. Kiyono hadn't actually been involved much in Crychic's activities. Every time he reached out, it was just right—to help with lighting, songs, live performances… He exuded a strong sense of reliability. The moment Shoko said those words, her first reaction was to look for Kiyono.

She knew she couldn't stop the conflict or prevent the band from breaking up, but Kiyono-kun certainly could, at least he could ease things in a gentler way.

If I had known this would happen, I should have gone all out when Xiaoxiang invited Qingye-kun...

Fortunately, it's not too late now.

Kiyono-kun is so gentle, he should be able to persuade Sho to go back to the past, right?

Xiangzi herself admitted that she had feelings for Qingye. Could she really give up the boy she liked?

Hope ignited in her heart. Nagasaki Motoyo took two small bites of cake to fill her stomach and looked expectantly at the glass door on the side, waiting for a certain figure to appear.

The door slid open silently.

She lifted her eyes.

But what appeared was not her hope, but a girl with long, forest-green hair.

"Mu...?"

Seeing the delicate, cold, and fragile girl, Nagasaki Motoyo looked slightly surprised, but after a moment's thought, she understood... Mutsu must be very reluctant to let her go, right? Mutsu had never said anything like "I have never felt happy playing in a band" before.

Sensing her gaze, Wakaba Mutsu's eyes shifted, she paused, and gently walked towards Nagasaki Motoyo.

"Is Mutsu also here to see Kiyono-kun?"

Nagasaki Motoyo's voice rose slightly at the end, revealing her joy. If Mutsu thought the same way as her, she would be able to persuade Kiyono even more.

Upon hearing this, Ruoye Mu was silent for a moment, then nodded.

Nagasaki Motoyo took a sip of black tea. Normally, she might have kept using underhanded tactics to find out where Mukko was, but she didn't have that thought at all now because she felt that Kiyono was much more reliable than Mukko.

The two chatted idly, their eyes occasionally wandering, both appearing somewhat distracted.

As they fell silent, they finally heard a familiar voice.

"Miss Nagasaki? Mutsumi? What brings you here so early today?"

A young waiter in a white shirt and black bow tie stood in front of them. He was clearly just a boy, but his eyes were clear and his temperament was gentle and tolerant, as if he could reassure them and entrust everything to them.

In that instant, an incredible sense of peace enveloped Nagasaki Motoyo. She let out a long sigh, as if she had unloaded some heavy burdens, her voice trembling slightly.

"Qingye-kun..."

she says:

"Crychic has disbanded."

what.

Under the girl's hopeful gaze, Kiyono stroked his chin thoughtfully, thinking, "Is my C group just going to disband like this? Is Mygo's story about to begin?"

"Xiang, you're feeling really bad right now."

As Wakaba Mutsu said this, he placed one hand on his chest and stared intently into Kiyono's eyes.

She's always been like this, her words ambiguous, never mentioning the band or herself, yet her actions are so subtle that they suggest 'Mu' is also very sad—a message only Kiyono could perceive.

"Well, I see."

Kiyono's voice was calm and reliable, carrying a reassuring strength.

"I will find Xiangzi and explain things to her."

As Nagasaki Motoyo looked at the boy in front of her, her eyes gradually regained their light, and she felt as if she had found herself again.

She thought that she might have always been dependent on Xiangzi, because Xiangzi could easily unite everyone and lead them forward, while she couldn't do that. But what she didn't realize was that her dependence on Xiangzi was now quietly shifting to the boy...

...

"Yesterday...did I go too far?"

Shiina Riki lay on the bed in a daze, the thought popping into his mind from time to time.

They all saw clearly what kind of girl Xiangzi was during her month at Crychic. She knew that Xiangzi valued Crychic very much, and she also knew that Xiangzi must have some kind of hardship, but she was still very angry. She wanted to disband the group without saying a word. She should at least tell everyone what the reason was.

Shiina Tatsuki didn't regret her words, but she did want to have a proper talk. Now that Crychic had disbanded and Akari was in pain, she felt somewhat guilty.

Of course, she couldn't possibly lower herself to look for Xiangzi.

but if……

If it were that man, would he have a solution?

Actually, she was too embarrassed to go to Kiyono.

However, Deng is in pain now, and she can't solve this problem, nor can Xiangzi. Only Qingye can.

"I really disliked that guy at first... I thought he was the kind of male protagonist in a light novel who treated the band like a harem and had ulterior motives..."

Shiina Tatsuki sighed, but knowing that her personality wasn't exactly great, she was still very grateful to have someone to turn to for help.

She didn't let go either.

*

It’s all my fault…

After Crychic disbanded, when Takamatsu Akari returned home, she would lock herself in her room, crawl into bed, and curl up into a ball, like a pill bug hiding in a crack in a rock.

The audience said the lead singer was working too hard.

Xiangzi said that the person who needs to practice the most is himself.

Xiao Xiang left Crychic because he thought he sang badly.

Her efforts failed to satisfy Xiangzi and ruined her place of refuge.

These words echoed in her ears again and again, making her ears feel like they were ringing.

My heart is breaking with grief, yet I can't make a face or shed a tear.

I never imagined the ending would be so heartbreaking.

She never imagined that hurting someone important would cause her such unbearable suffering.

If I had known this would happen, I would have preferred to stay hidden in the dark.

I'm leaving Crychic.

Recalling that moment, it felt as if a dark, gloomy hole had appeared beneath my feet, and I had fallen into it.

This sentence signifies that from now on, Xiao Xiang will never again warmly hold her hand, and she will no longer encourage herself to shout out her heartfelt feelings on the overpass.

They will never practice together, never stay in the same dorm together, never chat and laugh together again.

She was all alone again.

Every day spent with everyone at Crychic, and Kiyono-kun's constant help to her.

She ruined everything; she destroyed it all.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

She just kept repeating that sentence to herself.

Just as she was hiding under the covers as usual, her phone suddenly rang.

Gao Songdeng shuddered. She reached out from under the covers, slowly found her phone, held it up to her eyes, turned it on, and then froze.

[Shiina Tatsuki: Akari, I recently applied for a job as a waitress at Ring... Would you like to join me for a cup of tea? Yeah, with Kiyono.]

Qingye...jun?

He... must be blaming himself too, right?

*

It all felt like a dream...

Toyokawa Shoko curled up into a small ball on the cold, hard tatami mat, staring blankly at the slightly crumbling wall in front of her.

Less than six months ago, she had never encountered setbacks or difficulties in her life, so she did not know how powerless or how to compromise. From a young age, her mother gently taught her to play the piano, her father taught her sincerity and courage, and her family sheltered her from the wind and rain. Everything went smoothly for her, and everything was taken for granted.

If nothing unexpected happens, she will become a respected musician, marry a gentle, kind, capable, and empathetic man, and live a happy life.

But now everything has fallen apart.

When her mother passed away, she was very sad, but Kiyono told her that her mother must have wanted to be happier than before. This helped her overcome her grief, stand in the sunlight again, and form a band.

I've had a really great time in the band. Su Shi is very gentle and is the most reassuring member of Crychic. Li Xi is a bit strict, but it's all for our sake. Deng needs a lot of care, and I hope Qing Ye can join so I can keep an eye on her from the closest place.

She and her best friend, who shared the same ideals, bickered and joked every day, occasionally arguing but then understanding each other, overcoming difficulties together and moving forward hand in hand. She was noticed and praised by the boy she liked...

This is actually a fairly ordinary scene, and countless band girls live this kind of life every day. But for her, all of this is both new and full of anticipation, as if they have really become a community of destiny, embarking on their first great adventure together.

until that day.

They held their first concert, and she didn't know how to describe the feeling—it was dazzling, incredibly beautiful, so warm, so radiant…

Just as her dream was about to come true, her father told her that they could no longer live together because his mistake had caused great losses to the family. Her only remaining relative was her father, so she left the Toyokawa family without hesitation and went to live with her father.

But she never imagined that life would be so difficult.

The house her father rented was very small; the bedroom could only accommodate one person, so she usually slept in the living room, using a curtain for privacy. She used to worry that Qingye's house was too small and might feel oppressive, but now she realized how resilient people are.