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

In her heart, her own feelings were perhaps more important than the band she had built from scratch.

"Miss Oblivionis..."

"No, you can't! No matter what you say, I won't agree! Yanming-jun, you can't agree either!" Xiangzi turned his head away and said angrily.

For Toyokawa Shoko, having the lighthouse sing lyrics like that felt like a terrifying scenario: her dream of becoming a magical girl idol was suddenly kidnapped by a villainous executive, only to be found again clad in a purple bodysuit symbolizing corruption, muttering that she could never go back.

Absolutely not allowed...

Her little lamp will never turn out like that!

She's different from me; she's going to become human!

"Mr. Yanming..."

“Let’s get this straight, Xiaodeng.” Yanming rubbed his forehead. “I actually lean more towards oblivionis.”

This isn't favoritism; he genuinely agrees more with Xiao Xiang's opinion.

"Two to one!" Meow Dream, acting as the referee and joining in the fun, announced.

Of course, she and Lena, who is half a pet, didn't have tickets, so the result was already in the open.

[I also support Miss Xiangzi, and you, Host, should also show a more resolute stance!]

Even the guy who had the least right to speak spoke up.

"..." The lamp lowered its head.

“We can always find a way that won’t hurt anyone, so this lyric… I’m sorry to have wasted your hard work,” oblivionis declared firmly.

This song, "Fierce Lone Invasion"

It didn't suit their crychic style, nor was it the kind of light she wanted to see.

Even if the lamp's efforts are so categorically denied, it doesn't matter whether it's this villain or Xiangzi.

At the very least, as a farewell to the original Crychic, Deng should sing her songs freely on stage!

For lyrics as heavy and sorrowful as these, oblivionis couldn't completely change the tone simply by rearranging the music, so he had to pass on it.

"Actually... I wrote two, but for the other one, I... I'm not sure." The lamp gently pulled back the still fiery Oblivionis, speaking in an extremely low voice.

Even oblivionis almost thought he had misheard.

“Writing this here… I’m not even sure if these can really be considered lyrics, because they’re just… things I wrote down without any thought.” Deng’s fingers pressed on the notebook, and in the corner of “Invasive Invasion,” there were several lines of inconspicuous text.

The text was marked with a pencil from left to right. In the end, the lamp did not erase it all in black like it had done with the previous song. Instead, it left it there for some unknown reason.

"Anyway, I'm not going to compose a score for 'The Fierce Invasion'." Xiangzi snorted arrogantly and took the notebook from Deng's hand.

one minute later

Xiangzi looked hesitant, but finally beckoned Yanming over, “...Yanming-kun, come and look at this.”

Yanming nodded

Xiangzi circled the scattered "lyrics" written under the lamp, if they could truly be considered lyrics.

After all, from the perspective and understanding of ordinary people, these messy words are more like the murmurs of a person in a half-dream state.

……

"Normal"とか"あたりまえ"ってなんだろう?

What are "ordinary" and "taken for granted"?

It hurts and escapes,

They wanted to escape from the trauma.

なんて生きづらい世界なんだろう,

Why is this world so difficult to live in?

……乯何がしたいんだろう?

What exactly do I want to do?

こんなにも狠めで情けなくても,

Even so tragic and pitiful,

The servant is divided into two parts,

I myself seem to have remained unchanged.

Weak and beauties from all directions,

Weakly pandering to others,

I'm afraid I'm afraid of you,

I'm terrified of being disliked.

……

“These are the lyrics,” Yanming said confidently.

Not a meaningless emotional outburst

This is the real lyrics.

It is the undisguised thoughts of the lamp, her inner voice.

Xiangzi shared the same thought: "That's right, these are the lyrics to 'Little Lamp,' but a part is missing. Can Yanming-kun see it?"

Yanming nodded: "Of course."

Suddenly, the two looked at each other and then stared at the lamp beside them.

"Little lamp!" *2

"Huh?!" The lamp was startled by the simultaneous voices. "I, I'm listening..."

"Let's finish it!" *2

Chapter Fifty-Four: What are the ordinary and the obvious?

"Eh?! Okay, okay..." Under the gaze of the two, the lamp seemed to be instantly captivated and agreed to their request.

By the time you break free from the allure, it's too late for regrets.

...But she couldn't write it, she couldn't write the rest of the lyrics to the song.

These days, her mind is always a jumbled mess; she can't find anything but negative thoughts like those in "The Invasion of the Lone Wolf."

Even these few lines were just random thoughts that Deng wrote down when he couldn't sleep, so much so that he didn't realize they could become a song when he first wrote them down.

But the two people before her believed this even more than she did, treating these scattered words as a work with blank spaces, inviting her to fill in the gaps.

...Xiao Xiang, just like "back then," is "forcing people to do things they don't want to do"...as if he really is some kind of lyric-writing genius.

However, their "Spring Shadows" was born precisely because she had such high expectations for it...

To recreate the experience of "Kasuga Kage" once again... Is that even possible?

I can't do what I used to do anymore when I'm alone...

She is alone...

"Oblivionis, don't rush to write!" Yanming pressed down on Xiangzi's hand, while the latter kept struggling.

"It's just a draft. I'm not planning to compete with Deng for it. Didn't we say we'd finish it together?"

Yanming insisted, "We cannot let the guest overshadow the host; this is the song of the lamp."

"...Sorry, I'm a little anxious, but inspiration is something that, once it comes, is unstoppable, and I'm afraid I'll forget it... Yanming-kun, please give me the notebook, I just want to write a little bit!"

"Deng, give me a hand, I can't hold her down." These days, Xiao Xiang has become much stronger thanks to her feeding. Because she also has to protect the notebook, Yan Ming is finding it harder to subdue her with one hand than before. "Xiao Deng, take the pen from her hand first."

"Oh...oh!" Deng subconsciously did as she was told, and just as she was about to carefully pry Xiangzi's fingers away, the pen simply fell into her hand.

When I looked up, the two people were no longer arguing. In the blink of an eye, they had sandwiched me between them and pressed me into my seat, leaving me with only my hands that I could move.

"Deng, you can't leave until you finish writing."

"It's okay, Little Lamp, I'll stay with you."

Yanming and Xiangzi, one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop, manipulated the poor little penguin at will.

But the ultimate goal of all this is to allow the lamp to relax and create with a more relaxed mindset.

The little cat, who was quite adept at reading the atmosphere, had already run far away with the big cat.

Cats react seven times faster than humans; they will run away on their own when they sense gravity.

"I'm all alone..." Before Deng could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the two people who spoke in unison again.

"It's not just one person." *2

If the tenderness of spring's shadow cannot be replicated, then let us fill the void with other equally profound emotions.

If the lamp is too negative to complete the song on its own, that's okay.

She is not alone, she is not alone.

Before this lonely little penguin truly becomes human, she will always have caring companions who will walk with her until she raises her head again and sings the song of becoming human together.

Even if we ultimately cannot become human, this song should still continue to be sung.

Whether you're confused or determined,

Ultimately, it is possible to take that first step.

What are "ordinary" and "taken for granted"?

Before discussing this issue, we first need to understand the definitions of these two terms.

Ordinary, common, ordinary

It is only natural and a matter of course.

These words are often grouped together, but that doesn't mean they all have the same meaning.

Is Deng an ordinary girl?

no.

Her way of thinking is very different from what is generally understood as ordinary, to the point that she is unable to communicate normally with others.

Such a lamp is special and extraordinary.

But... she didn't want to accept this special status; she wanted to be a more ordinary "human being."

What appears casual and ordinary to outsiders requires immense effort to imitate, even under the spotlight.

She's tried so hard... but she still can't become an ordinary person...?

“Xiaodeng, the fact that you can ask this question means you’re already moving towards your ideal self.” Yanming once thought he was the center of the world, until one day he realized his ordinariness and became who he is now. “Confusion, helplessness, hesitation, crying… We are composed of so many vibrant elements, living in this world as true human beings. This is already the greatest ordinariness.”

"As for those who are not understood, it's just a difference in personality. If it's because they don't want to be disliked or treated as an outsider and are desperately trying to change, then I think..."

"Actually, you don't need to care too much about what others think. If you take a short rest, no one will blame you."

"You've already achieved a lot to be who you are today."

"Deng, my friend." Xiangzi placed his palm on Deng's trembling hand, pressed the tip of his pen onto the notebook filled with memories, heavily circled the words 'of course', and spoke softly:

“I used to think that whatever you do, you need a good reason, the so-called ‘natural’ reason… but later, that idea changed.”

"Someone once told me that not everything needs a reason, and that wishful thinking can be just as motivating as taking things for granted."

“Little Lamp, the reason I’m here is simply because I wanted to be here, to see you, to help you, and I also want to thank you…” oblivionis whispered in Lamp’s ear, “Thank you for always working so hard, thank you for not exposing me in front of Yanming.”

"Just in this brief reunion, try to rely on me once again?"

It means を见出さなくたっていいからさ,

Even if we don't find all the meaning in things, it's fine.

信じてもいいのかな?

Do you believe you can do it too?

ここにいてもいいのかな?