Does gravity make me stronger?

Chihaya Aine: Hachiman, what should I do? We're about to go on stage, and I'm a little nervous...

Hachiman: Believe in yourself. Haven't you been working incredibly hard lately?

Chihaya Aine: Yes, I need to believe in myself. Hachiman, could you stand in the front row so I can see you?

I'm sorry, this really won't work.

However, considering Chihaya Aine's feelings, he replied tactfully.

Hachiman: I'll do my best then.

Perhaps because he was still working, Hachiman did not receive a reply from the other party. Just as they were about to enter, a familiar figure flashed by.

"Hikigaya-san?"

The familiar ethereal voice, the familiar casual clothes, and the familiar Xiangzi appeared in the hall like a gust of wind.

Besides, there was a lovely girl next to Xiangzi. She was wearing a gray or even almost black dress with girlish lace decorations on the shoulders.

Her face was truly as exquisite as a porcelain doll, and her beauty was in no way inferior to Xiangzi's.

Good morning, Toyokawa-kun.

Their eyes met, and Hachiman replied naturally.

Hachiman was not very surprised by Xiangzi's appearance.

If I had to say something, it would only add to my anticipation for this performance that Xiangzi was willing to spend his meager living expenses to see.

Good morning!

After her initial surprise, Shoko calmed down and asked, "Is Hikigaya-kun here to see the show too?"

To avoid any misunderstanding, Hachiman specifically said, "Yes, I've come to see an acquaintance."

This statement made Xiangzi somewhat concerned.

Hikigaya did come to the LiveHouse, but that doesn't necessarily mean he was interested in the band; it just happened that an acquaintance was performing.

But why did you say that to me specifically? Were you afraid I would misunderstand?

Since both sides knew each other inside and out, such words were almost an admission of guilt, so after realizing this, Xiangzi couldn't help but laugh.

"Want to come together? I'm here to see a friend's performance too."

"it is good."

Having no reason to refuse, he readily agreed to Xiangzi's request to accompany him.

However, before entering the scene, Hachiman politely inquired about the identity of another girl: "Excuse me, who is this...?"

"Oh, I forgot to introduce her. She is my childhood friend, Wakaba Mutsumi."

Chapter 87 086 The Eve of Getting Lost

"Hello."

"Hello, my name is Hachiman Hikigaya, and I go to the same school as Toyokawa."

When asked to speak, Wakaba Mutsu walked forward without changing his expression and gave a very simple greeting. However, he was surprised to notice that there was a deep desire to explore hidden in the girl's seemingly weak amber eyes.

'Hachiman Hikigaya, could it be that he's the cause of Shoko's recent changes?'

'However, it looks quite ordinary, with nothing particularly noteworthy.'

Hachiman, who had previously paid no attention to Wakaba Mutsu, became slightly more alert after hearing this thought.

4-> 6

Well, the gravity value is normal; hopefully, he's overthinking it.

"Xiangzi..."

Ruoye Mu kept a close eye on Xiangzi.

After meeting this unremarkable young man, Wakaba Mutsu could clearly feel that her childhood friend's mood had eased considerably, and even his speech had quickened.

During this time, as the only C-group member who maintained long-term contact with Xiangzi, Ruoye Mu also noticed a significant change in her behavior.

For example, he would look out the window from time to time, and occasionally he would giggle like an idiot.

Although Wakaba Mutsu was always mistaken for a naive and foolish girl, even she could see that Shoko's behavior was very much in line with the characteristics of a girl in love.

However, she usually attends school in Tsukinomori and cannot keep track of Shoko's social relationships all the time. Shoko rarely reveals his friendships to her, only occasionally learning that a boy is frequently seen with Shoko.

Even after actually meeting Hachiman, Wakaba Mutsu didn't find anything special about him.

Unable to figure out why, she decided to observe the other person's behavior carefully before making a judgment.

"It's time to go in, Hachiman, shall we go in?" Shoko said.

"Whatever." - Hachiman

"Mm." Wakaba Mutsu.

At Xiangzi's suggestion, the three of them walked side by side into the LiveHouse performance area.

Then, to their surprise, they found that there weren't many people in the venue yet. Looking back, they saw that the vast majority of the audience were still waiting in the lobby.

After making some inquiries, it was learned that the main band for this live show would be the last to perform, so the fans who came specifically for it wanted to save their energy and wait until the main band came on stage before entering the venue.

This is actually a good thing for Hachiman.

If the venue is packed with people when you go to a performance, it's pure torture.

After the three entered, the LiveHouse host gave a brief introduction before inviting the first band to perform. Judging from their music, they were probably heavy metal or rock bands.

Hachiman, who wasn't particularly interested in these niche genres, listened quietly, occasionally covering his ears to avoid the bombardment from the super bass.

One band after another took the stage, and after going through three or four bands and more than a dozen songs, finally, the "familiar face" that Hachiman had been waiting for appeared.

On stage, a girl with black hair was the first to appear. The first thing she did upon arriving on stage was to check the condition of the drum kit.

Although there was no direct communication with the other party, her cold eyes, which looked at the audience as if they were dead people, seemed to be telling Hachiman about her identity.

That guy is Shiina Tatsuki.

Next up were Aine and Takamatsu Akari, both of them walking onto the stage with trepidation, glancing at the audience area from time to time.

Ai-yin performed slightly better. Following behind her, Takamatsu Akira, carrying a water cup and microphone, shakily walked onto the stage.

41-> 55

7-> 18

Well, it's alright, it's just normal mood swings.

Following the three, Nagasaki Motoyo appeared carrying a bass guitar and... a cat girl?

Hachiman rubbed his eyes in disbelief, repeatedly checking the girl's appearance.

It's just a coincidence, it must be just a coincidence.

Aine's guitar teacher is Ichiri Goto, who performs with the catgirl. Also, Akari Takamatsu and Aine are classmates...

This relationship feels more complicated than a spider web.

Hachiman is a bit difficult to hold.

But this did not affect the performance on stage.

After quickly adjusting their instruments, the group took their positions from the rehearsal.

With a "duang" sound, the stage lights came on, and Takamatsu Todoroki, startled by the bright white light, was stunned. Fortunately, after Nagasaki Motoyo reminded them, the group began to introduce themselves in a more professional manner.

"Nice to meet you all. We're a substitute band. Is everyone ready?" Nagasaki Motoyo asked with a smile, but her eyes kept glancing at the audience.

However, Hachiman didn't notice the gaze that Nagasaki Motoyo was casting, and was instead focused on dealing with the constant stream of messages on his phone.

Nijika: Ugh, my sister is so mean! I really want to see Aine-chan's performance, *crying*

Ijichi Hoshika: I'm right in front of you, why are you sending me a Line message!

Kita Ikuyo: How about we ask Hikigaya to take some photos for us? He should be here, right?

Nijika: Yes, @Hachiman Hikigaya

Hachiman: Yes, I was there.

Hachiman: Audience Area.JPG

Ryo Yamada: The stage, thank you.

Hachiman: Wouldn't it be illegal to record this?

Ichiji Hoshika: It's not like it's for commercial use, what law is it breaking? You're being too cautious, kid.

Hachiman: Please wait a moment.

He had just casually taken some photos around the stage, but this time, Hachiman took out his phone, opened the camera app, and took a very precise group photo of the five people making final adjustments in the center of the stage.

Hachiman: stage photo.JPG

Hachiman: As for the video, let's record it after it starts. Each person who wants to watch it will need to transfer 100 yuan.

Ichiji Hoshika: I just said it can't be used commercially, are you itching for a beating?

Hachiman: Head tilt emoji

While chatting with his friends at the Hachiman and Shinsekai performance halls, Shoko secretly observed the former, trying to find the source of the boy's joyful expression.

"Who is Hachiman chatting with?"

A sudden, unexpected remark made Hachiman nervously turn off his phone.

Lin, wait a minute, I haven't done anything wrong, what am I afraid of?

Si Ke, since he had already turned off his phone, it would seem too deliberate to take it out now. Hachiman shook his head and said softly, "With my colleagues at the part-time job."

Hmm, colleague, the person who ended the band was indeed a colleague...

"Oh, is that so?" Xiangzi simply exclaimed without asking any further questions. Just then, the sound of a drum being struck rang out on the stage.

The performance has begun.

Using the sound of the drum kit as the starting signal is the convention of most bands, and the guitar follows the drumbeat.

Ling Hachiman nervously observed Chihaya Aine, who was positioned on the far left of the stage, and beads of sweat appeared on his palms.

Over the past few weeks, Chihaya Aine has undoubtedly trained the hardest.

Although her skill level is far from that of a qualified band guitarist, it shouldn't be difficult for her to just fill in the background music without performing any challenging solos.

"Sizzle~"

The sound of guitar strumming finally rang out, and at the same time, a huge weight was lifted from Hachiman's heart.

The group made no mistakes, and the smooth guitar sound came in. Even Chihaya Aine was a little surprised and looked up to exchange a glance with her teammates around her.

"Nice!"

however.

In the most inopportune moment, this fledgling band made a mistake that could only be described as a train wreck.

"..."

From the start of the performance until now, there has only been instrumental accompaniment on stage, but the most crucial microphone for the lead singer has remained silent.

Why is there no sound?

What's going on with the lead singer?

Is the microphone broken?

Such discussions continued to circulate around him. Hachiman stared intently at the stage, his fists clenched.

It wasn't a problem with the stage or the equipment; the lead singer on stage, Gao Songdeng, was unable to sing.

Holding the black microphone in both hands, the white knuckles on her fingers fully expressed the girl's unease and confusion at that moment, which was incredibly moving and made Hachiman in the audience stomp his feet in frustration.

55-> 66

The gravity value has risen rapidly, far exceeding the normal fluctuation range.

Without external intervention, this performance would likely have ended in a disastrous failure.

"What's wrong with the substitute band on stage? Why can't they even make a sound?"