Mygo, you guys seem to be getting a bit heavy-hearted.

Mr. Yanming... was it you who arranged to bring Xiaoxiang here? I haven't even told you about her yet... it's like you can read minds.

“Even so, Xiao Xiang… why are you pretending not to know me? Aren’t we a community of shared destiny…” Fortunately, this self-talking murmur was not heard by oblivionis who was standing next to him.

Seeing that he had successfully deceived the light's radio wave detection, oblivionis felt relieved and couldn't help but relax a little.

If even the lamp couldn't detect its disguise, then Yanmingjun was even less likely to be able to!

This is sure!

"Hahahaha!" Xiangzi laughed wildly, thinking he wouldn't be discovered.

However, one person silently watched the whole thing from the sidelines.

Yanming: "..."

either way

As long as the child is happy.

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Song of the Lamp

However, Xiao Xiang's piano... I've never heard her mention it before.

Does she have her own band?

That way, you might have something in common with Xiaodeng.

Discarding any unnecessary thoughts, Yanming said, "Now that everyone is here, I'll begin."

Upon hearing his voice, both the lamp and oblivionis turned their heads.

“Okay, okay, Mr. Yanming.”

“Yes, I’m here…desu.”

Later, Yanming sat at the front, and the two children moved two chairs and sat in a row in front of Yanming, as if they were in class. They looked exceptionally well-behaved.

...But why did you stick to Xiaodeng so naturally, Xiaoxiang?

Am I now an outsider?

"Clap clap." Yanming clapped his hands, gesturing for them to look over.

Once everyone's eyes were on him, he was about to make an announcement.

"Next, in order to win back the band, a few of us will need to temporarily team up for a full live performance."

It's very simple, but too simple.

Fortunately, the person sitting opposite them was Toyokawa Shoko, who had known about Yanming's idea beforehand.

Another one is the Takamatsu lamp, where communication depends entirely on whether the radio waves can match.

Neither of them questioned Yanming's words, taking them for granted.

So... this kind of communication is actually surprisingly efficient?

Yanming then asked, "Xiaodeng, do you really not want to play 'Spring Shadow'?"

Upon hearing this, Xiangzi, who had missed the scene in the rehearsal room earlier, was stunned.

Don't want to play... what?

The lamp first glanced at Oblivionis beside her with a hint of sadness, then met Yanming's gaze directly:

“I’m sorry, Mr. Yanming, that person said ‘Spring Shadow’ is our song, so… I… we…”

"I understand the significance of the first song for a band. Please lift your head, okay, Little Lamp?"

"……Eh?"

Yanming said in a gentle and soft tone: "I don't mean to blame you at all. What I want to say is that if you can't play 'Spring Shadow' with anyone other than Crychic, then... we need a brand new song."

“A song that doesn’t belong to Crychic, but is entirely Xiaodeng’s own.” Yanming placed his hand on Xiaodeng’s shoulder, entrusting his strength to her in this way. “Write down your feelings from Xiaodeng’s perspective, and then bring everyone back.”

Bonds are the ties between people, and young girls are synonymous with sensuality.

“I’ve seen your notebook, so I firmly believe you can do it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have proposed such a risky plan. So… Xiaodeng, write the lyrics again. Not ‘crychic,’ but yourself, and the thoughts you, as a ‘human being,’ want to convey to everyone.”

The lamp lowered its head, and its breathing began to quicken.

It was that expectant look in his eyes again, exactly the same look as Xiangzi's eyes back then.

It was as if she was convinced she could do it... What is it about her that makes her worthy of such trust?

The lamp couldn't understand it, no matter what it did.

Xiangzi, standing to the side, parted his lips slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.

Isn't she herself the culprit who caused the lamp to become like this?

"Spring Shadows is our song"... She herself had almost forgotten this sentence, so why was she still so persistent...

"Mr. Yanming, thank you..."

He had heard the lamp express its gratitude many times, but that was not what Yanming wanted to hear at this moment.

“Xiao Deng is just like my husband, a very awkward child.” He knew Xiao Xiang was sitting next to him, so he was also saying these words to her.

"However, unlike Deng, she is very good at wrapping herself up tightly, but she can't help but want to peek out and try to seek comfort from others... It's a really awkward personality, isn't it?"

"But I know that the child is the most sentimental one. She likes to say cold things like 'I can only trust myself,' but in reality she is still worried about others. For example, Miss Oblivionis was introduced to us by her."

'oblivionis' who was mentioned: "..."

She doesn't feel awkward at all!

She was just... a little worried about the lights, so she came to check on them...

However, his stubbornness is already 90% similar to Yanming's.

“My child and I are destined to be ‘prisoners of emotions’ for the rest of our lives, never able to reveal our true thoughts to anyone, and always full of lies… But you are different, Deng.”

"Your lyrics are the cry from your heart."

"Among us, you are the only one who still has a chance, a chance to save the band, a chance to be yourself again."

That is, the so-called

The opportunity to become human.

"Don't let yourself down, but more importantly, don't let the people who care about you down."

"Humans do not choose to live for themselves. What makes us human is not because we have brains or thoughts, but because of this innate quality—"

The ability to empathize.

"Tell me, Little Lamp, what's the thing you want to do most right now?"

……

she thinks……

Want to become human

I want to play music with the rest of Crychic again.

She wanted everyone to come back, especially "that person," and for Xiao Xiang to come back to her side.

But if she wants these things to become a reality, she must...

"A new song...and a live performance!...Mr. Yanming, please help me!"

It's no longer "thank you," but "help me."

Isn't it something that can be said frankly?

Yanming finally heard a satisfactory answer and immediately nodded: "Then, for the new song, Xiaodeng, you are in charge of the lyrics. As for the arrangement, I have studied it before. Although my level is not as good as a professional, it should be barely enough. Let's do it this way."

[Composition Mastery: Lv4]

[Barely Enough]

“…Um!” Oblivionis, who hadn’t spoken for a long time, raised his hand at this moment. “Can you leave the arrangement to me? I also know some arrangement.”

Yanming: "?"

No, Xiao Xiang, you've been keeping this under wraps! You can even do music arrangement?

Are you going to tell me next that you are actually an alien from the M78 Nebula, and that you came to Earth to investigate the unusual gravitational field here?

How many things are still not being told to me?

[Well, host, don't you yourself never tell Miss Xiangzi anything either?]

'This is different, what do you know?'

[Whispering] Tch...So what if they're double standards?

'Um? '

【Host, suki!】

"I have no objection, but what about the lamp?" Yanming stated.

“Me too, no problem.” The lamp looked at oblivionis, making the latter feel a chill run down his spine, as if he were being locked onto by something of infinite mass.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Picking Up a Cat - Family Members

Yanming nodded, which meant that the plan had been initially finalized.

Xiao Xiang wouldn't do anything she wasn't sure of, and since both of them were middle school girls, in terms of the compatibility of the lyrics and music, having Xiao Xiang compose the music would be more in line with Deng's wishes than having her compose the music herself.

Yanming suddenly realized that he seemed to have nothing to do all of a sudden?!

Is he the one who is not needed?

Forget it.

Yanming clasped his hands together again to draw their attention, and then said, "You two can discuss the new song here for now. I'll go buy you some food and drinks."

Having said that, and seeing that neither of them had any objections, Yanming left the rehearsal room.

……

"Hello, two parfaits, one strawberry and one matcha." When Yanming spoke to the cashier at the counter, he noticed a very conspicuous gaze on him. The gaze was so strong that Yanming unconsciously looked in that direction.

He saw a small white cat.

However, this cat looks somewhat anthropomorphic, with hands and feet, no cat ears on its head, and no tail visible behind it.

It's confirmed, it's a cat demon that's been around for a thousand years (not really).

"stare--"

She looks young, probably only fourteen or fifteen years old. Among cats, she might be considered an old lady, but by human standards...

"Little girl, is there something you need that's keeping you staring at your big brother?" Yanming asked kindly.

It's probably someone's kid who ran off to play at the live house. I wonder if the parents are nearby.

"stare--"

Yanming was taken aback: "Uh..."

Didn't you hear me?

"Little girl? You..."

The white-haired girl with heterochromia revealed half of her pearly white teeth: "An interesting person."

What does it mean to be an interesting person? Are you referring to him?

Yanming was a little lost.

"Interesting person, what's your name?" Kaoru sat in front of the counter, propping her chin up, having found some amusement after a long time.

They are also people who are homeless.

And he seems to be quite good at playing the guitar.

"At least call me 'big brother'..." For the first time, Yanming was unsure of what people younger than him were thinking. "My name is Yanming, what's yours, little sister?"

"I want Le Nai." This girl seemed to have become attached to him. They had just exchanged names, and before Yan Ming could even ask about her family's whereabouts, Le Nai sat down in the empty seat next to him.