Tokyo Psychic

The meaning behind this name is that Ichika Hoshika hoped this place would "become a shining place that brings light to her mother."

Ijichi Seika recalled the girl's shock and confusion when she heard that she had given up the band, and this was how she explained it to Ijichi Nijika at the time.

"Because Hongxia is my only sister, so..."

*

"I will support you."

The boy's tone was flat, lacking any fervent sincerity or profound emotion; it was merely a straightforward statement.

Like fingers gently tapping on cymbals, a steady force was conveyed to Ichiji Nijika's heart through the sound.

She didn't know how to describe her feelings at that moment, but she felt genuine joy and peace.

She wanted to say something, but after a brief hesitation, Ichiji Nijika's expression became somewhat downcast.

"Such fickle choices... I hope you won't laugh at me?"

"Why should I laugh at you? And the passion to pursue your dreams, that's something only young people can have." Akira Kurusu looked at Momoka Kawara in the distance, her words carrying a hidden meaning.

"Eh? Miss Momoka, could it be...?"

"If the band really starts to try to become professional, then Momoka will probably have to leave. Don't let her being a professional singer fool you, she has a deep psychological aversion to the word 'professional'. Perhaps it is precisely because of the relaxed and carefree state of the band that she chose to stay even after the band's schedule became more stable."

Lai Qixiao continued, "It's a very contradictory mentality. Having been hurt by reality, one avoids the ideal realm, but is also pushed upward by the past, ultimately lingering in the hardships of life, unable to move forward or backward."

"Is it because of that 'diamond dust'?"

"Momoka must have talked to you about some of her past, right?"

“Oh yeah…” Ijichi Nijika’s eyes darted around for a moment. “Thinking about it carefully, I guess we should just forget about the professional stuff. We’ve all come together so easily, if we’re going to hurt each other, then we’re not really a band.”

“Momoka will always have to return to that stage,” Akira Kurusu said, when she suddenly saw Nina Izare sitting up on the sofa, rolling over, then hugging her Switch, changing her position, and lying back down. She was tired of playing and just wanted to change her posture to continue playing.

Akira's eyes trembled for a moment, and she paused before speaking again as if nothing had happened, "If you really want to keep her, professionalization is the only option."

Nijika Ichi finally realized, "That's right... If this is just a hobby band, then we might face the crisis of disbanding next year."

She sighed helplessly, "How can we get Ms. Momoka to accept the band's transformation? She originally chose to leave because of some ideological differences that arose during the process of 'Diamond Dust' becoming professional, right?"

"They're already thinking about going professional? The band is still in its early stages, and they only have two songs that they can be proud of at the moment."

Upon hearing this, Ichiji Nijika awkwardly tugged at her bangs, "...It was just a thought."

"In the end, it seems that Hongxia is somewhat obsessed with professionalization. At first, I thought you guys just wanted to play in a band and pass the time after school."

“Perhaps… it’s also because of the ‘past’?” Ijichi Nijika recalled something from a long time ago, her smile filled with nostalgia and happiness.

When a memory is romanticized, it means that it has already left us.

If memories had a scent, they would smell like camphor, sweet and reassuring, like clearly remembered happiness; sweet and wistful, like forgotten sorrow.

Akira Kurusu saw that through the tear in the crimson clouds in the west, a golden light poured down onto the coral ornament in Iji Chikuni's hair tie.

He said, "When the band really reaches a turning point, I will help persuade Momoka. But until then, let's work together to push the End of the Band to a higher level."

The girl nodded vigorously, revealing a sweet smile that was even more dazzling and beautiful than the setting sun.

......

Just as Ichi Nijika was about to express her gratitude to Kurusu Akira, Anwa Subaru had already returned to the inn with Wakaba Mutsu.

"They're actually talking about their new song," An and Subaru's voices rang out behind them.

The drummer of the "Red Ginger" band looked curiously at Yamada Ryo and Kawahara Momoka in the distance.

She was initially a little envious of such a harmonious and cheerful atmosphere and creative environment, but she quickly remembered that her band now had Lai Xixiao helping to provide original songs, so she no longer felt envious.

Ichi Nijika composed herself, but before she could speak, a slender figure suddenly entered her field of vision.

Wakaba Mutsu squeezed between Kurusu Akira and Ijichi Nijika, tilting her head back to look at Kurusu Akira. "Shoko just called me and said she found a suitable restaurant."

Akira Kurusu let Mutsuka Wakaba lead her down the hotel steps by the sleeve, then turned back to look at Nijika Ijichi, who seemed hesitant to speak. "Nijika, could you please call all those guys out of there later?"

Ichi Nijika blinked. "Okay, you guys go ahead then."

The grandeur of the setting sun swayed deep within the crimson pupils, a sign that day was drawing to a close.

The shadows of the boy and girl were exceptionally long and thin, and they quickly disappeared from Ichiji Nijika's sight along the steps.

Bathed in the same sunset, Toyokawa Shoko, holding a reservation ticket for a restaurant table, stopped in front of a rather old electronics store.

Near the door, an old-fashioned television was playing episode 15 of "Ultraman Tiga".

Both the scene and reality are bathed in the twilight, as red as wine, and Daigo expresses his feelings to his teammates.

"What children need is not a perfect father, but a father who is willing to change for them."

Toyokawa Shoko suddenly froze, and stood there for a long time.

The evening breeze lifted her long hair that hung over her shoulders, and as the pale blue strands fluttered, the familiar scent of laundry detergent could be clearly smelled.

As the red sun began to sink below the horizon, Akira Kurusu, holding the hand of Mutsu Wakaba, walked from the end of the street and stood before Shoko Toyokawa.

Why weren't you waiting for us at the restaurant?

"I've already reserved seats and was thinking of coming out to greet you." Toyokawa Shoko's eyes reflected Kurusu Akira's face. "Are you going to the beach again tomorrow?"

"Visit the art exhibition, visit the shrine, and symbolically write a few travel notes to hand in to the school after the semester starts—that's all." Lai Xixiao casually planned out the itinerary for the next three days.

"After we get back to Tokyo, everyone needs to start practicing hard," Toyokawa Shoko thought, thinking about the increasingly upcoming Seibu Dome concert.

“We can give STARRY more opportunities to adapt before we step onto that stage.”

If Ye Mu took the initiative to let go of their hands, she would take two steps back and follow behind them.

Looking at the flame-like color above her head, Toyokawa Shoko recalled Ijichi Nijika's sweat-drenched temples and the back of her short-sleeved shirt in the hall, as well as her trembling arms from exhaustion. "Nijika practices very hard every day. If she just wants to avoid becoming a 'burden'... she shouldn't need to work this hard."

"Perhaps it's because...she dreams of becoming the 'world's number one drummer'? She strives to shine like the sun, trying to illuminate those trapped in darkness with her playing."

Shoko Toyokawa paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll become the 'world's number one keyboardist' too. But I never thought about moving others with my playing."

"Ok?"

Toyokawa Shoko quickly moved closer, stood on tiptoe, and kissed Kurusu Akira on the corner of her mouth. "I... want to be a girl you can be proud of."

Under the magnificent sunset, the girl's face was as red as the setting sun.

----------

(After absorbing Wang Zengqi's essays all afternoon, I feel my writing is gradually returning to its peak, to the point that I sacrificed some typing speed and time, so this chapter will be a four-in-one. I'll try to keep tomorrow's update as a four-in-one.)

(Also, it's already the beginning of the month, so please use any monthly tickets you have!)

(Finally, here's a no-holds-barred book recommendation segment:)

153. Do not laugh at children (two-in-one)

The eight chairs at the dining table were filled with eight people, and before all the dishes were served, four of them started exchanging glances.

Yamada Ryo used chopsticks to pick out the decorative flags stuck on the sashimi ice platter, took out his phone and uploaded the new song that he had recently discussed with Kawara Momoka to the chat room.

Then she glanced at Ijichi Nijika, who was suddenly staring at her phone screen and grinning like an idiot for some reason, and subconsciously looked up at Kurusu Akira sitting opposite her, only to find that the other person was simply holding a knife and fork and cutting a piece of fish fillet in a very ordinary manner.

Who is Ichi Niji Natsu talking to?

Ryo Yamada decided to ask the person involved directly.

"That... Hongxia?"

She had just moved closer when she saw Ichiji Nijika quickly move her phone screen away, even shifting her gaze somewhat guiltily.

Yamada Ryo was puzzled and somewhat worried about this.

Normally, Ijichi Nijika would generously share her chat history... In Yamada Ryo's memory, Ijichi Nijika had always been a girl with no secrets. Her posts on social media and her browsing history when using the internet were surprisingly clean. Her life was filled with studying, housework, and band practice. She was a well-behaved girl in every sense of the word.

"What are you laughing at?" Yamada Ryo finally asked the question.

After hesitating for a while, Ichiji Nijika finally said, "I'm thinking about the future of the band."

Yamada Ryo breathed a sigh of relief. Although she didn't care whether Kurusu Akira had made a move on Ijichi Nijika, she still felt a subtle sense of guilt, as if she had personally pushed her best friend into a fire pit.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Akira Kurusu was talking to Shoko Toyokawa and Mutsumi Wakaba about "running away from home".

"Move out..." Toyokawa Shoko blinked, "But you're probably already sharing an apartment with someone else, right?"

As she spoke, she glanced at An and Subaru beside her.

An and Subaru sighed, "He might not be able to stay here for long. After all, I'm already sharing an apartment with my bandmates. If I bring my boyfriend back to the room all the time, it will definitely bother them."

Ever since she brought Akira back to Fujiki-ju without saying a word last time, and happened to catch Ebizuka Tomo sitting on the sofa watching TV in only his underwear, the already shy girl blushed completely.

In any case, An and Subaru don't plan to bring Akira Kurusu into their rooms again anytime soon.

“Our apartment actually has some nice vacant rooms,” Anhe Mao said. “That room has been vacant for a long time. The previous tenant was a girl from an art school. According to the landlord, she used to be a blogger, but she became less popular and didn’t earn much money. She couldn’t afford a room in this location and size by herself, so she moved out.”

"How many people can live here...?"

"I remember it was a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment. It should be just right for three people."

"Subaru, you've really thought this through." This was the first time Toyokawa Shoko had addressed Anwa Subaru by her first name, instead of "Miss Anwa."

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko's suddenly respectful gaze, Anwa Subaru was unsure whether what he was doing was right or wrong... However, if everyone wanted to be safe from harm, someone had to mediate.

"When can we move there?" Toyokawa Shoko asked Anwa Subaru with some eagerness.

"First of all, you need the consent of your guardians... Xiangzi and Mu have just started high school, so their families probably won't support you moving out together, right?"

Shoko Toyokawa recalled the tearful appearance of Mutsumi Wakaba's parents after their repentance, and her expression subtly changed. She slowly nodded, "I understand."

She already had a plan in mind.

It wasn't about forcing the repentant couple to push their daughter out the door and let a boy of the same age take care of her... Nor was it about making them "sell" their daughter to the Toyokawa family.

They must be made to believe willingly that "Wakaba Mutsu could be much happier staying with Kurusu Akira than in her current home."

Thinking about it carefully, it became somewhat terrifying—Toyokawa Shoko looked at the porcelain bowl in front of her and recalled the expressions of the Wakaba couple in the Metropolitan Police Department. The intense fear and regret after suddenly realizing the truth seemed to be more than just feeling guilty for "failing Wakaba Mutsumi"; it was also a sense of remorse and self-blame for inadvertently causing some kind of disaster.

"Do you need me to contact the landlord for Xiangzi and ask them to keep the room for a while longer?" Anwa Subaru placed a piece of tamagoyaki on the plate in front of Toyokawa Xiangzi.

"Then I would be extremely grateful!"

"..."

If Mutsu sat next to Akira Kurusu, he didn't offer any opinion on Anwa Subaru and Toyokawa Shoko's discussion, as if he didn't care about his future. He just kept moving his chopsticks to help Akira Kurusu pick up food, and after Akira Kurusu put the food in his mouth and chewed, he would secretly look up to observe his expression.

Akira noticed the girl's little thoughts, reached out and stroked her cheek, feeling the soft warmth of her skin, "Does Mutsu want a compliment?"

Wakaba Mutsu nodded quietly, looking expectantly into Kurusu Akira's eyes.

Before Qi Xiao could praise the well-behaved girl, a sudden exclamation rang out from the dining table.

Subaru Anwa and Shoko Toyokawa, who were discussing the ownership of the empty room at "Fujiki-ju," fell silent.

Kawahara Momoka, who was eating pork knuckle with an ice-cold beer, also looked over while gnawing on the bone.

As everyone's attention focused on her, they discovered that it was Inoue Rina playing Super Smash Bros. on her Switch. She was being chased and beaten to the edge of a cliff by wild blocky creatures. Several times she struggled to jump back up, but the blocky creatures would always throw minecarts, lava blocks, or swing diamond swords, knocking her off the map.

The reason why Jingqin Rencai was so excited was probably because she always felt that she had a chance to make a move, but when it came to actually playing the game, she was repeatedly knocked off the map by her opponents.

Having little experience with video games, Inoue Renna quickly became engrossed in this rollercoaster of emotions, her eyes red as she tried to add the other person as a friend and start another game.

"This child is beyond saving," Kawara Momoka thought to herself.

"Who taught her to play games?" Akira Kurusu wondered if Serina Ii would fail to get into university because she was addicted to video games.

"Oh no, did I do something wrong?" Anhe Subaru looked at the frustrated and angry face of Iori Rina. He remembered that she was not as upset as she was now when she embarrassed herself during band practice.

Neither Wakaba Mutsu nor Toyokawa Shoko had ever played the game before, and Ijichi Nijika was desperately covering Yamada Ryo's mouth to prevent her sarcastic remarks from hurting Iori Jinna.

About ten seconds later, everyone looked at Jing Qinrencai, who was forcefully pushing the joystick with a ferocious expression, and then looked at each other for a while, remained silent for a long time, and then continued to eat dinner.

......

After leaving the restaurant, the girls each followed their GPS navigation to wander around the famous scenic spots in Atami.

Akira Kurusu brings the game-obsessed Nina Iori back to the hot spring inn.

On the way, Izayoi was still angrily complaining to Akira Kurusu about how awful that blocky guy named "Steve" was.

She felt that she didn't lose because of her skills, but because of the character's performance.

"If Super Smash Bros. could release a character that combines the push and counter-pull styles, has combo capabilities, a grappling hook, strong and continuous aerial attacks, a lot of invincibility frames, high-frequency ranged attacks with short wind-up animations, high-speed movement combos... and has an amazing ability to return to the field."

"Should we add a feature to that character that allows them to accumulate energy over time and from taking damage, and then enter a second stage to enhance various abilities once the energy bar is full? That way, you can get stronger even when you get hit."