Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 13

Then there's——

Nagasaki Motoyo returned home and went straight to her room.

I put my handbag on the bed and then opened the wardrobe in front of the bed, which occupied most of the empty space in the room.

A dazzling array of clothes, some cute, some elegant, some casual wear, some pajamas, all personally selected by the young woman during her many shopping trips, are finally ready to be put to good use today.

The girl gently pressed her fingers to her rosy lips, rested her other elbow on her hand, and fell into deep thought.

"What type of person would Xu Doujun like?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When Yuan Xudou returned home, he closed the door slightly as he had promised Nagasaki Suze, and then sat down on the sofa.

A lot happened today.

The long-awaited reunion with Takamatsu Akari, the first encounter with Toyokawa Shoko, and the journey home together with Nagasaki Motoyo, which brought the two closer together.

He needs to sort out his thoughts a little.

Yuan Xudou stood up, took out the agate stone that Gao Songdeng had given him, which he always carried close to his chest, went into his room, found a small glass jar under his bed, and put the stone in it.

When gently shaken, a considerable number of pebbles inside collide with each other, producing a crisp sound.

...There are already dozens.

As the boy looked at the stones piled up inside, almost overflowing the jar, he seemed to see Gao Songdeng's innocent, timid face, and her small, fair hands that kept offering him stones.

He sighed, put the lid back on, and put it back under the bed, deciding to get a bigger jar when he had time.

Then there's the matter of Toyokawa Shoko.

Yuan Xudou walked back to the living room, sat back on the sofa, took out his phone, and started searching for "what are the things to note when creating a band".

Although Shoko Toyokawa said she would find someone to handle most things except for music-related matters, this kind of knowledge is always better to be prepared. Having a member in the team who understands this aspect would be much more convenient than leaving everything to someone else.

Although he had some reservations about the band for various reasons, he made a decision, just as Genji had promised Toyokawa Shoko, and he would not let those reasons affect the band's normal operation.

However... he had never paid attention before. Was forming a band really that popular among young people?

Takamatsu Akari's Haneoka Girls' Academy has its own band, and Toyokawa Shoko and Nagasaki Motoyo's Tsukinomori Academy also have their own bands, and they are all quite popular.

Even his school, Dongdu Middle School, which has a strong academic atmosphere, has a band sponsored by the school... but it seems to be lukewarm at best.

...Now, forming a band seems to have become something that I, as a "student," have to experience.

Yuan Xudou saved several videos with high viewership, which introduced the band and explained its composition, intending to study them carefully when he had time.

Then, he looked up at the door that was being slowly pushed open.

Clearly dressed up carefully, wearing clothes different from usual, Nagasaki Motoyo walked gracefully in from the doorway with a gentle and beautiful smile, carefully closed the door, and then stood in front of the boy.

She was no longer wearing the school uniform of Tsukimori, but had changed into everyday clothes that were more in line with her status as a young girl.

The black patterned top, perfectly hugging the curves of the girl's body, revealed her fair shoulders. The sheer neckline encircled her slender neck, extending down to her chest and blending seamlessly with the black fabric.

Her lower body was clad in a dark blue fabric skirt that accentuated her slender waist, creating a captivating silhouette. Her feet, encased in black lace stockings, peeked out from under the skirt, gently touching the ground.

Light and alluring, it perfectly captures the vibrant and beautiful spirit of a young girl.

"……very beautiful."

Yuan Xudou offered sincere praise.

"It would be best if Xu Doujun liked it."

Seemingly surprised by such direct praise from Genjiro, Nagasaki Motoyo paused for a moment, then a smile of even greater joy bloomed on her gentle face.

However, she did not forget her purpose because of this.

"Actually... I have something very important that I want to tell Xu Doujun."

Nagasaki Motoyo leaned forward slightly, her smile slowly fading, revealing a serious expression.

"Okay, will you listen to me carefully?"

Chapter Thirteen: Entrusting Everything to You

"Okay, will you listen to me carefully?"

Despite trying my best to appear relaxed, I just couldn't manage it.

Nagasaki Motoyo's hands, which were hanging at her waist, clenched quietly, and her rosy skin turned pale.

Even though she had mentally prepared herself to confess everything to Yuan Xudou, when the moment actually arrived, she still couldn't help but feel uneasy and hesitant...

For her, what she was about to do was like completely reopening old, bloody wounds, exposing the pain and grotesqueness—which had not healed to this day and was still bleeding—to the sunlight for people to watch at will.

If it were a girl from the past, she would probably have preferred to hide this wound for the rest of her life, letting it fester in the shadows, turning into an indelible and untouchable flaw, never revealing it to anyone until her death.

Because all along, everyone has seen the proper, generous, gentle and friendly young lady Nagasaki Motoyo, not a paranoid and gloomy ghost who is immersed in her own obsession and bound by her tragic past.

If that true self is exposed, the perfect image you've cultivated in front of everyone will crumble in an instant, and everything you've carefully built up will vanish without a trace.

Nagasaki Motoyo could not accept this outcome, so she could only hide her darkness even deeper, suppress her true nature even more, and make her disguise perfect enough to deceive everyone around her.

...Even her mother probably felt that she had moved on from that past.

She was the only one in the world who cared, the only one who bore the pain... It was precisely because of this that it felt like a dull, painful blade was cutting away her flesh, slowly and clearly torturing the girl's heart.

until now.

Nagasaki Motoyo gazed intently at the boy's face, seeking the courage to continue speaking from the eternal and serene tranquility that captivated and enchanted her.

Meeting Xu Doujun was perhaps my greatest fortune... because, despite her disguise, she was the only person in my life who could understand and accept this heavy burden.

Therefore... I must tell him everything completely and without reservation.

Nagasaki Motoyo took a deep breath, just about to speak.

Yuan Xudou leaned to one side of the sofa, making room for him.

"Since it's an important matter..."

His voice was clear and bright, radiating a gentle melody.

"Then sit down and talk. I'll listen carefully."

The girl opened her eyes wide, and then her pale blue pupils gradually melted into a shimmering expanse of water.

"...Thank you, Xu Doujun."

Without hesitation, she sat down next to Yuan Xudou.

Yuan Xudou left enough space for the two of them to sit together without touching each other, but Nagasaki Motoyo took the initiative to lean close to the boy's arm and gently rest her thin shoulder on his body.

Sensing that the other person desperately needed to rely on him, Yuan Xudou remained silent, no longer maintaining a polite distance, and tacitly accepted the girl's actions.

Sure enough... this sofa is a bit too wide for one person to sit on, but it's just right for two people to squeeze together.

Feeling the constant sense of security emanating from her side, the girl finally smiled again.

"Now I'm going to start. Xu Doujun, you must listen carefully."

"Ah."

Nagasaki Motoyo composed herself and parted her lips slightly.

"...Actually, my original name was not Nagasaki Motoyo."

"Ichinose Saseyo - that's the name my parents gave me when I was born."

"The current name has been changed."

Just mentioning this brings back a flood of memories.

Nagasaki Motoyo lowered her eyes.

“When I was in fifth grade, my parents suddenly divorced—I don’t know why my father left the family, but he did abandon my mother and me and disappeared without a trace.”

Resentment, or regret? Those feelings seem to have been washed away by the passage of time, but the tearing bitterness remains clearly etched in the depths of memory.

Yuan Xudou listened in silence.

He knew all too well the treatment children from absent families would receive in Japanese society.

Unintentional or intentional malice from classmates, strange looks from other parents, contempt and indifference from teachers, and even being bullied... For students whose willpower is not yet strong enough, this is enough to completely destroy their lives.

“From then on, I depended on my mother for survival, and I took her surname.”

“Our family wasn’t well-off before. It was my mother who worked hard after my father left that gave us the life we ​​have now.”

"To give me a better education, to provide me with a better environment, and to keep me away from people who would hurt me... my mother worked very, very hard and earned a lot of money."

Nagasaki Motoyo spoke softly, in a voice only the two of them could hear.

She truly loved and respected her mother.

The girl understood that not all parents could be like this, raising their children alone while unconditionally sacrificing themselves for them... In providing her with a comfortable life and preventing her from falling into financial hardship due to her father's absence, her mother had done the best.

“We moved to the best apartment in Tokyo, and I got into Tsukimori University. Life has always been peaceful and prosperous…”

"...But my mother has done so much for me..."

Yet, I still cannot feel satisfied.

It's as if a monster called "loneliness" exists in one's heart, devouring all the happiness that should be felt.

Nagasaki Motoyo turned her head and drew some warmth from the gaze of Genjiro, who had been quietly watching her.

She gently raised her hand and quietly placed her fair palm on top of the boy's hand, feeling the firm tenderness through the barrier of their skin.

The girl no longer hid her feelings and revealed all her vulnerability.

"...Although it's willful, I don't want this kind of life."

“Every time I see my mother so busy with work that she can’t go home and has to eat and sleep at the company, I feel really sad.”

"...It seems like no one needs me."

"My classmates at Tsukimori are all naturally rich young ladies. I'm the only one who came later, like a nouveau riche. I have none of the manners of a rich young lady, the taste of a lady, or any hobbies I can show off. They only associate with me because we go to the same school."

“My mother should have had the right to pursue a happier life, but I have bound her and she is now living a tiring and laborious life.”

“Xu Doujun…”

Nagasaki Motoyo's lips trembled, uttering a slightly hollow sound.

"...You don't actually need me, right?"

Because you are so mature and aloof, you don't need anyone.

The girl understood this from the very beginning.

Nagasaki Motoyo relies on Minamoto no Kōdō, but Minamoto no Kōdō doesn't rely on anyone... This relationship has no possibility of being equal.

She was simply drawn to that warmth and barged into the boy's life without a second thought.

On this one matter, Nagasaki Motoyo cannot deceive herself.

"...Su Shi."

Yuan Xudou broke his silence.

"It's not that you only stay by someone's side when you need them."

He did not deny what Nagasaki Motoyo said, nor did he say anything like "I actually need you," which they both knew was a lie. He simply calmly explained his own thoughts.

"Because you lack a sense of security, you feel that you can only build a lasting connection with others when they need you."

"But... there are reasons why you would think that way."

The boy's words were calm and gentle, like a warm breeze brushing against the girl's ear.

"Because you feel that no one will accept your past and your inner self if they don't need you."

"And now you feel that I don't need you, but you still chose to confide in me."

"……yes."