Chapter 124

He placed the guitar amplifier at his feet; it was a Marshall JCM900 4100, which he had borrowed from Starry last night after work because he didn't have a speaker of that size suitable for street performances at home.

Prices are also in the five figures (RMB) or more – this shows that playing music in Japan really costs money!

A basic musical instrument costs at least four figures in RMB. If you add Effects Pedal, amplifiers, equalizers, crossovers, players, audio source devices, processors, and so on, the total cost becomes astronomical.

If you add the cost of a regular lesson, which can be several thousand yen per session, plus the money for buying original CDs and related merchandise, musical instruments, and other consumables... well, you can imagine.

It's no wonder there are so many talented musicians in the band; if you're not from a wealthy middle-class or higher family, you really can't afford to play music.

Of course, if the goal is just to casually play around like in the school's Wind Ensemble Club, occasionally looking at online teaching resources and learning a little in school music classes, that's fine too.

If Starry were to go bankrupt one day, the money from selling its equipment alone would be enough for Ichiji Nijika and Ichiji Hoshika for a long time.

There's a saying that goes something like this: it's okay if musicians don't have money for blind dates, weddings, or dowries; they can just sell their stuff.

Sakurakoji Talent plugged the audio cable into the speaker, checked his appearance to make sure everything was alright, and then began to pluck the strings.

Slow, clear guitar music emanated from the speakers, echoing under the clear blue sky. Twenty seconds later, facing the empty space, he swayed his body with abandon, his eyes slightly closed, and began to sing, a long-absent voice unleashed.

"Come out of the world to the world (I hope I can rewrite the world)"

" battle をなくすようなれたことじゃない(not that it's such a great thing as eliminating the war)"

"だけどちょっとそれもあるよな(But maybe I have that kind of expectation too)"

"..."

As he sang, he forgot the purpose of his trip, and even forgot all the calculations and plans he had made during this time.

At this moment, he just wanted to immerse himself in this song, regardless of day or night, or the occasion.

Soon, four and a half minutes passed, and with the final, light strumming of the strings, the surroundings fell silent once more.

He slowly opened his eyes, waking from his reverie, a mix of melancholy, satisfaction, and realization washing over him.

Yes, I've been so busy with scheming lately that I've almost forgotten the most basic joy that music can bring.

In the past few months, whenever he picked up an instrument, it was either to drag Hiratsuka Shizuka and the others onto the stage for practical reasons, to demonstrate his Piano skills to Touma Kazusa, or to fill in for Yamada Ryo and the others during practice sessions. He never played a solo, relaxed performance.

(Sakurakoji Talent: I've never felt happy playing music. jpg)

This song, "Tengaru Iwa, Kimi ni Asa ga Furu" (Turning over the rock, the morning light falls on you), is his favorite song in the genre of Bocchi the Rock!.

The melody is great, and the lyrics are excellent. It suits not only Gotou Hitori, but also most people—including him in the past. The singer's heartfelt, emotionally rich, and calmly powerful voice in the final episode is so captivating that you can't stop listening. It's rock to the extreme!

Moreover, her speaking speed was just right, ensuring that passersby could clearly understand what she was saying. (This is very important!)

So he decided to sing this song later to attract the other person's attention.

But...

"..."

He stared speechlessly at the open space in front of him that connected to the road outside. The place, which had been empty just moments before, was now filled with a dozen or so men, women, and children who had stopped to watch.

When did so many people arrive while he was enjoying himself with his eyes closed?

"Crackling and splashing..."

When he finished playing, the surrounding audience applauded and smiled.

"It sounds great!"

"That's fantastic! One more song!"

"Guitar-kun! Can we add each other on Line?"

"Go for it, masked big sister!!"

"Hey buddy over there, wanna buy a CD?"

"..."

"..." He really wanted to complain, but he didn't know who to complain to first. Sakurakoji Talent was stuck in his chest, and his eyes were incredibly complicated.

Forget about them, I'll just enjoy myself.

He closed his eyes again and began to play the next piece. "If I could If I Could Become a Constellation a constellation."

Today is Bocchi the Rock! concert!

Soon, half an hour had passed, and there were very few people left on the field.

A few minutes earlier, he stopped the performance so as not to miss the pink-haired girl. The original audience had all left; after all, not everyone is a musician, and not everyone has much free time.

The remaining few were also music lovers who arrived midway through the performance, drawn in by its excellence, and wanted to see if he would continue.

"Glug glug..." He took a sip of Purified water to moisten his dry mouth and throat, his eyes fixed on Seika's direction.

He didn't care about their reactions; whether they liked it or not, he had a great time singing.

It had been a long time since I'd performed so freely and joyfully, and even during the guitar solo, I strummed the strings with much more force.

Without using a pick, his fingertips were flushed with blood, but thankfully the strings, which had been idle for a long time, didn't immediately go on strike.

Volume 1: The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies: Chapter 164 Hey you, pink-haired guy over there, yes, that's you!

Even if he gained nothing today, the joy he experienced just now would make his trip worthwhile.

Very good, excellent!

It felt so good, so good that he's still feeling like he's on cloud nine.

This made him think to himself, "Maybe I should form a band and have some fun with it?"

It's not for any utilitarian purpose, but simply to play whatever I want and enjoy the exhilarating feeling of letting loose and rocking out!

Perhaps his obsession with survival stemmed from the desire to fully enjoy such things once he recovered?

As he pondered this question, a familiar pale pink hue caught his eye in the corner of his eye, making his heart skip a beat and causing him to suppress all his thoughts.

Upon closer inspection, a pink-haired girl wearing a pink jacket and a school uniform skirt, with yellow and blue fruit candy hair ties, her figure obscured by the jacket, was walking slowly from afar with a gloomy face and heavy steps.

'I didn't speak to anyone again today.'

'Not to mention my classmates, even the senior members recruiting for clubs on the street didn't talk to me. Why is that?!'

'Could it be that, without my knowledge, I've been bullied and isolated by everyone?!' She was startled, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

I thought things would change if I came to a school far from home, but was that just wishful thinking on my part?

'While other classmates quickly got to know each other and added each other as friends, I haven't even been called on by the teacher yet—no, it would be terrifying to be called on, so I'd rather not!'

'I'm so sorry! I beg you, God! Please pretend I didn't say that!'

Gotou Hitori trembled with fear, his face ashen, his eyelids drooping as he clasped his Hands together and bowed repeatedly toward the road in worship!

"Ha~" After calming down, she sighed and dragged her tired steps slowly toward the station.

'Indeed, a gloomy paramecium like me shouldn't even dream of embracing a more glamorous way of life.'

All that's left for me in this world is the internet and my guitar...

'Yes, right, I still have internet!'

Clinging to the last glimmer of hope, she quickly pulled her phone from her pink shirt pocket, opened her YouTube account, and grinned foolishly at the comments section of the cover song she had just posted two days ago, which was mostly filled with praise and admiration.

Hey, hehe~ Even though I'm completely useless in real life, I'm quite popular online! Because everyone online is Social Anxiety Disorder person just like me!

'Wow~ So many people like my guitar, even if reality is terrible, it's okay~ Hehe, hehehe~~'

After closing the comments section, she glanced at her follower count, which had long since surpassed 20,000.

'After a while, I should be able to reach 30,000, right? I'm so amazing!'

'So it's okay! It's only the beginning of the semester, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future, I can't give up yet!'

'Yay! Let's keep going at this rate! If this continues, I'll become just as popular in real life as I am online!'

'... I guess so?'

She put her phone back, regained her composure slightly, and tiptoed home.

As she was about to pass by that familiar park, a sudden sound made her stop in her tracks.

Is this... a guitar?

Gotou Hitori followed the sound and saw a tall figure with long hair, wearing a strange mask and seemingly glowing all over, holding a similarly bright, fiery-colored guitar, rhythmically swaying his body as he played in the golden sunlight.

Her silvery-white hair and pristine clothing shimmered in the sunlight.

Is this a street performance? It's amazing!

'That person's body seems to be glowing. If I were to perform on the street, I'd be amazing...'

'No, no, no! How could that be!' She clenched her fists and shook her head vigorously. 'Other people's guitars are just like his, shiny and fiery red, representing sunshine and passion.'

'A dark character like me, whose only companion is a black guitar, is destined to have a life that is also destined to be dark... If I get too close, I'll be melted by their aura!!'

'Or perhaps I should slowly circle around to the side, sneak away, and flee like Jimi Hen.'

She tiptoed past the few remaining spectators, trying to leave inconspicuously behind them.

'However, he played really well, no worse than me at all.' Gotou Hitori couldn't help but think to himself.

As she walked directly in front of him, he began to sing.

"Come out of the world to the world (I hope to rewrite the world if possible)"

"..."

The sudden sound startled her!

"W-what?!" She was stunned and stood there, her body stiffening abruptly. Then, she furtively shifted her gaze from directly in front of her to the side of the road.

'So there was a singing part too! Wow, that's amazing! They actually dared to sing in front of so many people! (Actually, there weren't many people there.)'

'His voice is so pleasant, and his tone changes so naturally. Is he a professional singer?'

'And the lyrics too...'

'...'

After realizing the meaning of the lyrics, she, like the other audience members, turned to face the performer, her gaze involuntarily drawn to him.

"Haiyu やスターにはれない(Can't be an actor or movie star)"

"それどころか(Not only that)"

"Kun no mae no smile (I can't even laugh in front of you)"

"そんなにはないよな(I'm really helpless when I'm like that, right?)"

"あ~あ~(Ah~ah~)"

"..."

Lost in the song's simple yet emotionally rich melody and lyrics, Gotou Hitori gradually forgot everything around her.

'Wow, these lyrics are just like me!'

'Even though his speaking speed isn't fast, his emotions are incredibly rich—that's the kind of rock I'm looking for!'

'But I've never heard this song before. Could it be one he wrote himself?'

In the middle of the song, amidst a guitar solo without lyrics, she recalled her life journey from childhood to adulthood.

In kindergarten, she also dreamed of saving the world;

When I was in elementary school, I also wanted to be a star or an actor.

In junior high school... I had already clearly realized that I was just a gloomy loser who couldn't even talk and socialize normally with people.

"I'm sorry, Mom and Dad, I might end up being a freeloader who lives in a closet for the rest of my life."

'After my parents passed away, will Xiaoshuang kick me out when she grows up?'

'Although she's so lively and adorable now, I'm so sorry that my older sister is a shut-in good-for-nothing!'

'Then, after being kicked out, they were left to wander the streets, only to starve and freeze to death in some forgotten corner...'

'Ah~ it's over, Gotou Hitori's tragic and useless life~'

With tears in her eyes, Gotou Hitori watched (imagined) her entire life flash through her mind in a short period of time.