A band simulator, but all girl-heavy!

With the end of Crychic's first performance, it was as if God had drawn an invisible dividing line on the trajectory of her fate, and her life began to go off track.

Those originally beautiful, happy, and warm things left her one by one, rolling off the out-of-control train carriage, and then were thrown far behind her mind, disappearing from sight, and there might never be a day when they would be found again.

She thought things wouldn't get worse, but that was obviously not the case, as her life was still collapsing step by step, pushing her into the abyss bit by bit.

Now that she has lost her carefree life and the band that was once filled with dreams, what will she lose now?

Shoko Toyokawa couldn't help but lower her eyes and glance at the phone screen. Looking at the name 'Saotome Aoi' in the search bar and the 'No such person' displayed below, she felt a sharp pain in her heart and couldn't help but clench her cracked phone.

It won’t be like this…

How could such a thing happen?

Because Aoi was right there. She had hugged her yesterday. Her embrace was warm and soft, just like the mother's embrace in her memory. It seemed as if she could forget all the sorrows. As long as she was hugged, all disasters would stay away from the weak girl named Toyokawa Shoko...

Why did she take the initiative to break away from such a warm embrace yesterday?

The corner of Xiangzi's eye twitched slightly. He stopped when he realized that the surrounding scenery had become familiar. He stood in front of the door of the luxurious residence that he had visited countless times in his childhood, and glanced at the houseplate at the door with uneasiness.

The surname 'Saotome' was written on it.

A huge stone was instantly lifted from Xiangzi's heart, and his originally tense expression finally relaxed a lot, and he even showed a slight smile.

"What?... As expected, it's just a prank..."

How is it possible for a person to suddenly disappear out of thin air?

What was she worried about? Suddenly, she couldn't find Aoi's contact information when she woke up this morning. Maybe her phone was malfunctioning... or maybe she had simply misread it that morning.

Mu too, it must be a prank she teamed up with Aoi to do, maybe she wanted to go back to Crychic herself.

What should I tell her?

Maybe an apology... Just say sorry properly, but she won't consider returning to the band's affairs for the time being. Xiangzi is now only a burden to Crychic, and Aoi can obviously replace her as the backbone of the band.

It was enough. The innocent spring days were over, but as long as Aoi was there, her world would at least still be an autumn day with dancing maple leaves...

Xiangzi took a deep breath, and finally reached out his hand tremblingly and pressed the doorbell.

The crisp sound of the electric doorbell echoed in the air around them. For some reason, it seemed very harsh, as if this sound was the only one left in the whole world, instantly increasing the uneasiness that still remained in Xiangzi's heart.

It wasn't until a gentle female voice came from the doorbell that her anxiety was dispelled.

"Hello, this is Saotome's house. What can I do for you?"

The voice was undoubtedly that of Mrs. Saotome. Shoko had visited her countless times and it was always this gentle yet strict woman who entertained her.

"Hello... Auntie, I'm Xiangzi. Is Kui home now? I want to talk to her about something..."

Toyokawa Shoko bowed to the doorbell with the camera installed with her usual well-educated and polite manner, and a smile appeared on her face.

But there was no immediate response from the other end. After she finished speaking, there was a confusing silence, as if the sound hadn't reached her. Just as Xiangzi was about to ask, Mrs. Saotome's voice, slightly distorted by the electronic noise, finally came through the doorbell.

"Excuse me... This is Saotome's house. I think you've come to the wrong place."

My brain seemed to be hit hard, and everything went blank for a moment.

Xiangzi's pupils contracted, and he just stood there in shock, letting out a terrified gasp that drew in a breath of cold air in a moment of fear. He didn't say anything else, just listened blankly as Mrs. Saotome continued: "If you need directions... I should be able to help you. What's the name of the family you're looking for?"

"Ah... huh."

Xiangzi parted her lips, but could not utter a single word. For a moment, she felt as if her body no longer belonged to her. The painful air squeezed in her throat, tearing at her vocal cords, making every word she uttered extremely painful. However, she still struggled to speak and asked, "It's... Aoi, your daughter."

"I'm so sorry... little girl, we don't have any children at home."

Mrs. Saotome's voice sounded even more confused, almost helpless. "Did you remember it wrongly? Are you okay?"

This isn't right, it shouldn't be like this at all...

Aoi must have persuaded Mrs. Saotome to cooperate with her in this prank. It must be like this. This is to avenge what Xiangzi said in anger yesterday... She just wanted to avoid Xiangzi and punish Xiangzi for saying such excessive words to his friend.

It must be so.

must……

What else can we do? !

What else can I say?

To admit all this?

How is that possible...

Xiangzi didn't hear a word Mrs. Saotome said, and he didn't even know when he left Saotome's house.

She felt dazed and her brain was losing the ability to think clearly. She was just wandering the streets like a zombie, looking at the increasingly dark sky with gloomy eyes.

Mrs. Saotome would never say such a thing, nor would she make such a joke.

Xiangzi understood, she always understood.

but……

How could this happen?

Why did Aoi, who had come to see me yesterday and given me hugs, comfort, advice and care, get told by Mu and even my own mother that she didn't exist?

The touch of the embrace was so real... The memories with Aoi were so rich and colorful, so happy and joyful.

Suddenly, Xiangzi seemed to have thought of something, and quickly took out his mobile phone album and looked for various group photos he had taken.

Over the years, they've taken countless photos and created countless memories together. They've even taken family trips together, including a trip to Provence, France, on their elementary school graduation trip.

They have been to many places together and taken many photos together.

“…Ah…”

The luster in Xiangzi's eyes gradually faded.

There were indeed many photos in her memory in the album, but they were all taken with her mother, father, Xiao Mu, or by herself.

On a sunny coastal highway, she wears a large sun hat, leans against a railing, and faces the camera with a bright smile. However, the camera deliberately centers on Xiangzi's left, giving the entire photo a strange sense of disharmony and emptiness.

It was as if there was something on Xiangzi's left side, but a force that she could not understand wiped it all out, leaving no trace.

The world is forgetting that person, but she is the only one who still remembers him.

“…What a joke! What a joke!!”

Tears flowed from Xiangzi's eyes without warning, instantly wetting her cheeks and collar. An impulse bordering on madness filled every corner of her mind, driving her to run desperately.

The sky seemed to sense Xiangzi's sadness, and raindrops began to fall. In a short period of time, the raindrops grew larger and larger, dyeing the entire street gray and swallowing Xiangzi in the gray rain.

Tears are sour.

The rain is cold.

Hot tears...

The cold rain...

All of this mixed together, making it almost impossible for her to see the road ahead. Everything in front of her was blurry, and tears and rain mixed together, making it impossible to tell them apart.

This rain.

It is sour and astringent.

207

Chapter 207 I'm by your side.

Xiangzi returned home dragging his wet and bruised body.

While running wildly in the rain, she fell hard at a street corner because her vision was blurred. Her knee was broken and the mixture of blood and rain water was extremely painful, but she didn't care about the injury at all. She just walked into the house like a puppet, without even taking off her shoes. She just slid down slowly with her back against the wall of the entrance and collapsed on the ground.

Drops of water dripped from her hair and fell to the ground with a plop. The girl sat against the wall like a doll, looking at home with lifeless eyes.

My father seemed to be still sleeping. The only sounds in the whole house were the ticking of the clock and loud breathing. The whole room was very dim because of the rainy day and the drawn curtains, as if the light refused to visit this place. Apart from the smell of alcohol, the air was full of decadence and despair.

The world outside the door was filled with the sound of rain, which had the same scent as tears. The cold rain of tears was eroding this spring day and flooding the streets.

dripping...

Am I dreaming?

This question emerged in Toyokawa Shoko's mind.

There is no other explanation. This is a nightmare, a nightmare that is difficult to wake up from... In this dream, Saotome Aoi does not exist, and there is no girl who can comfort her in her broken present.

Her world was extinguished. A false sun hung in the sky, but the real sun had long since disappeared.

Or, has Aoi really disappeared?

What was the turning point?

Yesterday's scene involuntarily emerged in Xiangzi's mind. It was no longer Aoi's embrace, the warmth of Aoi's hands, or the color of Aoi's eyes, but Aoi, who was soaked in sadness and loss, and looked as fragile as a work of art, and on the verge of tears.

And Xiangzi's extremely harsh words that kept echoing in her mind.

【It’s actually easier when you’re not around. 】

Ahhh…so that’s how it is.

Xiangzi's eyes widened slightly, and like a helpless baby, he buried his face between his wet knees, not caring at all about his broken knees. His previously empty eyes became moist again, and hot tears continued to flow, wetting his lifeless golden pupils.

Is it because of that sentence?

Is there some unknown power that fulfills her wish?

She was just impulsive at the time, and her whole body was controlled by negative energy, so she shouted those words out of control... But those words undoubtedly hurt Aoi's heart, and then today, the world has indeed fulfilled her wish.

Aoi disappeared from this world without leaving any trace.

Did Aoi disappear because she believed Xiangzi's angry words and really thought that things would be better if she left Xiangzi?

Ah... thinking about this is meaningless, isn't it? What really matters is that Aoi did disappear because of her words. Her outspoken words ultimately cost her the price. Her arrogance, her stubbornness, her self-righteousness, were punished at this moment...

This is a nightmare…

This is not true.

"Sorry……"

The tears turned into new rain, soaking Xiangzi's almost infinite sadness and self-blame.

She apologized over and over again, sentence after sentence, to the air in front of her. Only her voice echoed in the dim atmosphere.

If this was a dream, she already knew her mistake and she would face her fault head on and it wouldn't matter how many times she said sorry to Aoi.

If it is a dream, please let her wake up.

If this is a dream...

Please bring Xiaokui back to her side.

"…I'm sorry, Aoi."

Xiangzi continued to cry, feeling his tears drowning him and then melting into the air. Even when he breathed, he could smell the scent of heartbreak lingering throughout the room.

Everything is gone.

From that day on, she had nothing.

I lost my home, my life, my band, my friends...

Now, even Aoi——

Unconsciously, it seemed as if a hand gently penetrated the air filled with the scent of tears, touched her tear-stained cheek, and gently wiped away the tears that slid down her cheek. The warm touch was extremely familiar, like something she had lost for a long time.

It feels like spring, like a mother's gentle smile, like the warm afternoon sunshine shining on me...

In her world, there seemed to be a faint ray of sunlight shining through the clouds and shining on her.

But Xiangzi did not dare to raise his head to check. He just remained stiffly where he was, letting the tears continue to fall from his eyes, for fear that he would realize in the next second that all this was just an illusion, and when he raised his head he would see nothing around him.

She tried hard to feel the touch and the temperature so close to her, just like a girl lighting a match in the snow and carefully protecting the flame.

Is that mom?

still is……

"Don't cry."

The voice rang in my ears.

The voice was light and soft, just like her sobbing whisper, so faint that it would dissipate after floating a little in the air, lingering only around her ears, and with a faint heat that she couldn't tell if it was an illusion, brushing against her earlobe.