Uneasy daily life

It's like being very happy while playing the guitar, but afterwards, when you're in a quiet room, you don't feel very happy.

Could Yang Nai be a lonely person? I never thought of that at all. She's unbelievably perfect, and I even feel like I vaguely resemble her as the person I want to be.

Goto Ichiri unconsciously became focused, her eyes fixed on the guitar strings, letting her fluctuating emotions flow smoothly and steadily onto the strings.

As the long, drawn-out sound faded, the drumbeats, bass, and guitar sounds disappeared one after another, and the melodious singing seemed to instantly bring the atmosphere into silence.

Yukino Yukinoshita temporarily put down her guitar and moved closer to the microphone.

whoosh-

In the distance, in the fireworks area, a spark shot into the night sky with a sharp whistling sound.

boom--! !

Brilliant pale red fireworks exploded in the night sky, overshadowing the streetlights, like a fleeting red sun.

The drumbeats were struck forcefully, the guitar played intensely, and the bass quietly formed a wall that held up all the sounds.

A powerful and resonant song soared into the night sky.

"Riding on the glow of fireworks—"

To illuminate the darkness.

Crossing to the other side of the Earth,

Waiting for the rising sun!

Like a roar, a passionate sermon, or a furious bellow, the powerful force, like ice breaking, penetrated the ears and permeated the mind and body.

The lyrics and melody don't matter anymore, all that's needed is the sound.

Yukino Yukinoshita unconsciously lowered her head, focusing on the music, feeling a sense of not wanting to be overwhelmed by the song.

Goto seems to be playing better and better... He's someone who's easily influenced.

boom!

Another dazzling firework exploded, perfectly embedded in the song.

"Riding on the glow of fireworks—"

Let life blossom.

Blooming in the sky

The night will raise a new sun—

Yukino Yukinoshita had already grabbed the microphone, her voice trailing off and rising in pitch.

Bang bang bang!

Fireworks soared into the night sky one after another, bursting open in clusters, blooms, and patches of fiery red, like suns burning for a fleeting moment, constantly disappearing and reappearing, imprinting their roar and color on the long night, on their own few seconds of time.

The powerful, angry singing echoed it, stretching out, stretching out, stretching out again, as if it too had become a firework blooming in the night sky.

boom!

Brilliant fireworks exploded in the sky, and the singing echoed down.

Yukino smiled and sang naturally, with thousands of fireworks blooming above her head.

Snowflakes will fly into the spring sunshine.

Life will become the sun.

Even without wings, there is still the distance.

There was no throat or tongue, yet there was an echo.

Light the fuse! Gaze with joyful anticipation…

I sought answers from the world, and the world gave me a silent response.

You didn't answer, but just enthusiastically lit the fireworks.

Yukino raised her head, her bright eyes gazing at the night sky, taking in the myriad fireworks.

The fireworks were beautiful, you jerk.

"Riding on the glow of fireworks—"

Waiting for the rising sun.

Riding on the glow of fireworks—

The night will raise a new sun.

A few lines of lyrics are repeated, each line conveying a distinct emotion.

Yukino Yukinoshita played the instrument with all her might, and immersed in the song, she could vaguely sense her older sister's feelings.

What kind of person is my older sister?

Perfect, a genius, better than himself, and loved to tease himself—that was in the past.

She is very dissatisfied with her mother, dislikes her job at home, and has accumulated a lot of negative emotions. She may need to see a doctor and enjoys teasing herself. This happened after an argument last night.

Later, now... these things were unclear before; I could only vaguely sense that my sister still liked to tease me.

The melody of this song was written by my sister, the lyrics were written by Bai Jun, and it was ultimately performed by everyone, or rather, sung by my sister.

Her confusion, her hesitation, her helplessness—her name is Yukinoshita Haruno, yet she needs a sun to illuminate her path more than anyone else… There must have been those moments and stories, right? Unbeknownst to herself, did her sister see Haku as the sun in her life? Did she want Haku to become her sun?

Because it was Bai Jun who tore open the door to the truth, opening the cage door for her. But Bai Jun is definitely not the kind of person who would reach out and lift her out of the cage. He might even stand outside the open cage and laugh and say, "Look at this silly bird, it can't even fly."

She would deny liking music because perhaps she is... too calm, too calm to feel any liking for it, so naturally she wouldn't think she likes music.

Even if she can compose, sing, and play guitar, and can do everything very well, what kind of evidence is that? She could do many things well if she wanted to, like the job at home, but she probably never liked it.

Bai Jun will not be her sun.

Whether it's singing, composing, playing around, teasing oneself, or starting to get along with parents again after an argument...

Once life is ignited, it will always become the sun.

Yes, Bai Jun will only let her become the sun.

They will not be her support, nor will they pity her plight, much less offer her any help.

Bai Jun simply passed through her life as he pleased...

What does my sister need?

Survival? My spiritual confusion wouldn't extend to that level. Happiness? I don't even have anything I want to do; my smile is just something I instinctively show to others. How could I possibly find it? Status, money, success, recognition? I've already paid the price of over a decade of suppressed suffering for those concrete yet abstract things. How could I possibly crave or cling to them?

My sister needs understanding; she needs someone to understand her feelings.

Whether it's criticism, teasing, or jokes, whether it makes her happy or disappointed, any behavior and emotion based on understanding is acceptable.

"Have fun at the fireworks festival, everyone!"

Yukinoshita waved with a bright smile.

Behind her, Yukino Yukinoshita gripped her guitar tightly, a heavy feeling in her chest.

Her sister lied to herself, but she didn't really lie; she genuinely didn't know if it was love...

Because she's never had a crush before, and is too indifferent to her own feelings, how could she be sure who she likes? But from her own perspective, from her own feelings, from her own understanding, from her own judgment...

The older sister was unconsciously drawn closer, and the white fungus proliferated everywhere, accidentally filling the void in her soul.

It may not have become the sun yet, but it has already begun to burn.

Yukino Yukinoshita unconsciously thought this, and felt very annoyed that she was thinking this way.

As the stage lights dimmed, Yukinoshita waved to the audience, turned around, and looked at her younger sister, who seemed a little lost in thought. She smiled gently and asked softly, "Hey, Yukino-chan—do you think this counts as liking someone?"

Looking into her sister's beautiful eyes, Yukino Yukinoshita wondered if she herself didn't understand her sister. Who in this world could accurately express themselves, or accurately understand themselves? It was also possible that she was just guessing at something strange, something that made her slightly envious, something that seemed deeper and more real than herself.

I want to lie.

For the first time in my memory, I had an unprecedented, despicable urge to lie for my own sake.

She wanted to firmly tell her sister that this wasn't love, and she listed a series of evidence.

This is gratitude towards Bai Jun, a desire to repay him; it's being lost and confused because someone's voice is too loud, so you only hear that voice; it's the sister's illusion of admiring and yearning for Bai Jun's attitude towards life; it's a relationship of friendship or confidant...

She cannot lie; Yukino Yukinoshita will rightfully defeat all enemies and follow her own desires.

If you are not even yourself, then your likes and dislikes mean nothing.

Even if that person is the older sister who has never won.

"..."

Yukino Yukinoshita's lips moved slightly, but the words stuck in her throat.

"Oh my—why do you look like you're about to cry? Yukino-chan is such a pushover." Yukinoshita Haruno raised her right hand, pressed her index finger against her sister's lips, and casually laughed, "I only trust my own judgment. I was just teasing you."

After teasing her younger sister, Yukinoshita Haruno prepared to leave the stage.

Yukino Yukinoshita remained silent for a moment, and as she prepared to leave the stage with her sister, she suddenly asked in a low voice, "Sister, what do you think is wrong with Haku-kun, and what is good about him?"

"Hmm~ It doesn't really matter, but if he disappears, well... it's pretty boring."

Yukino thought about it for a moment.

"That's what liking someone is."

Yukino turned around and met her younger sister's stubborn, slightly trembling eyes.

"Really? I don't believe it."

Yukinoshita blinked her right eye, smiled, and lifted the curtain to enter the backstage area.

Yukino Yukinoshita, who was practically going all out and declaring war, was stunned, somewhat bewildered—what did she mean by not believing? What did she mean by that?

That wretched sister of yours, explain yourself!

Yukino Yukinoshita hurriedly followed, and as soon as she entered the backstage area, her brows twitched slightly involuntarily.

The white figure was talking to Mai Sakurajima, while Kazuha Toyohama stood by looking displeased. From the few words she overheard... was the white figure teaching the other person how to use a falsetto?

After the band finished, they went backstage in a lively atmosphere.

"Whoa, senpai, give me a hand, Goto-kun is a bit heavy..."

"Oh dear, you played so well, why does it sound so dry and lifeless now?"

"Because it's Pochi."

"Aba aba...the sun...the sun is so bright..."

Chapter 144 Fools and Cowards

The loose-fitting, light black yukata, tied only with a belt, accentuated her youthful and slender figure. Beneath the long hem, wooden clogs supported her bare feet. Her toenails were neatly trimmed and rounded, and her pinkish-white toes, arranged in a diagonal line from largest to smallest, revealed the slight arch of her feet from the side. Beneath her fair skin, the veins were faintly visible.

"Hate Fan, is your voice imitation even possible for a human?"

"The world record for human breath-holding is over twenty minutes. With professional, reasonable, and highly scientific training, you too can be as good as me—come on, ah—"

"what--?"

The white figure pointed and said, "Move your voice a little to the left, a little more to the left..."

"Wait a minute." Mai Sakurajima smiled, her eyes narrowing. "Haku-kun, what do you mean by 'a little to the left'?"

"A little to the left means louder, a little to the right means more composed," Bai Ying said, patting her chest. "Given your ambition and thirst for knowledge, if you train hard with me, I guarantee you'll be able to..."

"Three days?"

"Then let's do it for one day."

"?"

"You've forgotten how to speak normally in just one day, haven't you?" Yukinoshita Haruno joined the conversation with a smile, her hands behind her back. "I also know the story of 'Imitating the Walk of the Man from Handan.'"

"That's true, I almost forgot about the kind of person the hater is."

Mai Sakurajima nodded slightly and greeted her with a smile, "Yukinoshita, it's been a long time."

I don't think it's been long enough.

"Long time no see, Sakurajima."