Chapter 574

"Then you can finish eating first."

"..."

After she replenished her sugar, the two of them carried their guitar and portable speaker to the open-air balcony between the two floors. The flower bed here was where she grew vegetables.

The floor is made of suspended wooden planks. When it rains, the rainwater seeps through the gaps between the wooden planks and flows away into the cement slab. There are several swings along one side of the flower bed that runs along the building's contours, where employees often sit and slack off.

Ogura Asahi didn't have much to say about this; after all, it was originally a slacking-off company, and currently didn't have many artists or much business...

However, it's the weekend, and apart from the staff on duty in each department, there aren't many people in the company, so there's not a soul in sight here.

The afternoon sun was shining warmly on me, and it was already getting a bit hot. In another two weeks, it could definitely be called summer.

Instead of sitting on the swing, the two sat down on a bench with a view.

While installing the equipment, Ogura Asahi casually asked, "Mutsuko-chan, how have you been lately? Has anything unusual happened?"

Wakaba Mū was taken aback by the question, then nodded slightly, remembering something, and asked in return, "Asahi, do you know Sōse?"

It seems she learned what happened from Nagasaki Sōse.

"And Xiang..." she added, then hesitated.

This was the first time she had realized that he even knew Toyokawa Shoko.

"I know them, we all know each other." He glanced at her, then continued adjusting the volume, though it seemed she had already finished.

"You've heard about it from Sōse n't you? About me."

"Yes, she said you're in a band with her now."

"Yes."

"..." Wakaba Mū remained silent for a long time, as if he was considering something important.

Only after he began to play the strings did she pinch her palms together and slowly ask, "Does Asahi enjoy playing in a band?"

"It's alright, a little happier than I expected. Mutsuko-chan wants to join a band too?"

"No, I..." Wakaba Mū's brows furrowed, a shadow falling over her eyes. Then, realizing the matter was still important, she continued, "Sōse contacted me before, wanting to reorganize Crychic..."

"I see, I understand now."

"Huh?" Wakaba Mū's delicate face froze for a moment, her big eyes blinking as she stared blankly into space.

She hasn't said anything yet, what do you know?

"But leave this to me, I know what I'm doing." Ogura Asahi smiled simply, stroking her soft, blue hair. "I can roughly guess what Sōse is thinking."

"Aren't you angry?"

"There's nothing to be angry about. That's just how it is when you interact with people. You can't make everyone do things the same way. But this complexity has its pros and cons." He sighed softly, also thinking about some things.

"Compared to me, Mutsuko-chan, you just need to do what you want to do. Don't try to please someone else; just do what you truly want to do."

"Even if Sōse or Shōko want you to do something, if you're unwilling, you don't have to force yourself. Knowing your limits is one of the essential qualities of a mature person."

"Ah..." Wakaba Mū paused, pursing her lips, the lingering taste of the chocolate still present.

He stretched and continued strumming, creating his own background music. "If forming a band makes you miserable, then playing alone like this isn't so bad. After all, there's nothing wrong with the music itself."

"But you can't stay like this forever. Humans are animals that need to grow through action. When you have time to think, you need to think about what kind of being you really want to become."

"Because for the vast majority of people, time is not infinite."

Wakaba Mū murmured repeatedly, "Time is not infinite?"

"Of course, you'll grow older, gain more experience, have less and less youth, and get closer and closer to the day you start working... The time you take for granted now will one day be replaced by a completely different landscape."

Ogura Asahi didn't know how to put it, since he wasn't a psychologist or a life coach.

Even though he felt that it was far better for her to remain the same than to break down, it certainly wasn't the best option.

How many years have passed since she deleted all her acting personas? If she continues like this, is she destined to remain this taciturn, brooding person for the rest of her life?

I don't expect her to make a decision in a few months, but she should at least find her life goal within a few years, right?

"Let's leave aside Sōse's affairs. Is there anything else interesting?" He changed the subject, setting aside the serious question.

"... Last week, I had afternoon tea with Xiang, and she paid."

"Really? You've gotten rich after all?"

"But I've already eaten my snacks and am full."

"... Should I apologize?" He silently mourned for Toyokawa Shoko for a second in his heart. "Anything else?"

"The Tsukinomori Music Festival was held a few days ago. The seniors and the members of the Wind Ensemble Club performed together. The last piece, in particular, was a duet between Morfonica and the Wind Ensemble Club, and it was truly magnificent..."

Her voice trailed off as she spoke, perhaps thinking of this time last year.

"Oops~ I forgot about that!" Ogura Asahi slapped his forehead in regret. "I was originally planning to sneak in and listen in..."

Wakaba Mū's eyelids twitched as she recalled meeting Nagasaki Sōse this week, where she mentioned that he was Hanasakigawa's student.

"Does Asahi go to school in Hanasakigawa?"

"She told you that too... That's right! My hobby is to sneak into all sorts of schools and experience the different cultures and customs of each one!" He puffed out his chest proudly, not embarrassed at all.

"By the way, I heard the new chairman this year is very strict? He doesn't even allow us to use cell phones?"

Seeing that he wasn't ashamed at all, but rather proud of it, Wakaba Mū didn't know what to say, so she could only nod in agreement. "Yeah, even the Tsukinomori Music Festival was canceled originally, but the Senpai at Morfonica distributed a lot of signed papers, calling on everyone to oppose it."

"In the end, the chairman of the board withdrew his decision and even gave a speech at the end of the music festival, stating that he was also considering whether to amend the current school rules..."

The new chairperson of Tsukinomori may seem stern at first glance, but she is not unreasonable. As long as it is within the scope of school rules, she will not interfere even if her activities are questioned.

The reason she adopted a strict approach was because, like Kurata Mashiro, she had entered Tsukinomori from outside the school and had also experienced self-doubt and inferiority.

But eventually, after strictly adhering to the school's requirements, she gradually embarked on a positive path, becoming dignified, capable, confident, and independent, and taking pride in being a student of Tsukinomori.

Therefore, she believed that only rigorous education could guide students—especially ordinary students like Kurata Mashiro who entered the university through exams—to gradually embark on a path of integrity and pride.

But through Morfonica's energetic performance, she saw the expressions she wanted her students to become on their faces, which made her reflect on her nostalgia and pursuit of her past self in Tsukinomori.

In conclusion, she is actually a very good educator.

And the strict school rules weren't entirely useless; at least, they taught the usually impulsive Kiritani Toko to finally knock before entering someone's room after writing her self-criticism—a lesson that moved her grandmother to tears, who then made a huge batch of tofu skin sushi to celebrate...

Speaking of Kiritani Toko, she's quite influential both at school and on social media. She's definitely got a knack for keeping up with trends, possessing a special skill that guarantees something she recommends will become a hit shortly afterward—he's probably thinking she's already using Smart Lens and become a free advertising blogger, right?

Also, although they are not related, Hiromachi Nanami's name is pronounced nanami, just with different Nanami.

I'll find some time to meet Morfonica later... Like AveMujica, her name is rather strange, with no apparent origin. I guess Toyokawa Shoko is truly a fan of theirs?

The name is a combination of the German words Metamorphose (change) and Symphononica (violin symphony), meaning "a violin rock band playing a dream worldview".

Because it also has a pun on Morpho (the genus of Flash Butterfly), they are also called the Butterfly Band —which has absolutely nothing to do with the idea that eating too much of the Mashiro (Mashiro) fungus will cause you to see blue Flash Butterfly.

"I remember Sōse was in the Wind Ensemble Club too, right? So she performed on stage too?"

"Hmm, it's a cello..." Wakaba Mū glanced at him Kokoro from the side.

"What's wrong?" Noticing her hesitation, he took the initiative to speak.

Without further hesitation, she stated her opinion. "Sōse is confused... She was quite energetic at the beginning of this week, but yesterday, she didn't seem to be in very good spirits."

Yesterday, which is... I see, it's still that same problem.

"I understand, I'll handle it. Thank you for telling me, Mutsuko-chan."

"Um."

"Here, take the guitar. Try playing it. I've always been the one playing it." Ogura Asahi handed the guitar back to her.

"..."

Wakaba Mū didn't say a word, but simply took the instrument and pick, then her fingers began to dance like butterflies. Through the portable speaker, the stirring melody vibrated the air and spread outwards.

The song is by the Butterfly Band; I guess it just so happens that we're talking about this topic.

"You played so well, it's totally professional level!"

"No, that's not true... I just can't seem to get the 'singing' feeling out of playing it." Her slender fingers kept moving as she glanced at him sideways. "Asahi can... So how do I do it?"

Ogura Asahi chuckled, "To make the guitar sing... If you want an instrument to sing, you have to sing first, right? In other words, you have to be honest with yourself first."

"Huh?" She didn't quite understand.

"Mutsuko-chan, you've been taking Piano lessons and learning music theory, right?"

"Um."

"You should already know the difference between a composer and a performer, right?"

"..."

"A person who can write good music can't necessarily play it well, and vice versa. To be a good performer, besides technique, the most important thing is emotion. If it's just about listening to songs, why not listen to accurate electronically synthesized music?"

"..."

"Ah, I'm not saying you don't have feelings, it's just that I think you're probably not very good at expressing them. You see, you can never quite express exactly what you want to say, right?"

"... Yes."

She was somewhat self-aware of this.

"For example, when Crychic disbanded... it's not entirely your fault, is it? I think all five of you were partly responsible for the disbandment—your communication and expression skills were all terrible."

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but sigh. "And you guys are supposed to be teammates and aunties? A year has passed, and not a single one of you has found out why Toyokawa Shoko left the team... What on earth is that married woman who's always on her phone texting all day doing?"

Besides searching for "how to find out if I've been blocked," can you search for something else useful?

The other three are a self-isolating light, a doll that can't speak, and Hakimi who's always yawning...

Miyako Shizuka is the same; she still doesn't know that Toyokawa Shoko actually disbanded his band a long time ago, and for a year she's been staring blankly at his last message every day, without ever sending a message to comfort or communicate... Shizuka, what can I say to you...

I'm seriously confused! What are you guys even concerned about?!

Instead of looking for the reasons, they only know how to blame themselves.

No wonder you want to be human, your thought process is just like a stone statue!

Chapter 518 Such Strong Pressure and Cucumber

"So, if you want to improve in this area, I think you can think about being more courageous in expressing your feelings."

Forget it, forget it, there's no point in talking about it now.

He decided to avoid the topic for now, and didn't want to reveal the reason for her leaving the team; he'd talk about it in a few days.

"Expressing emotions?" Wakaba Mū was like a curious child and a broken record, constantly repeating certain words.

"In other words... be angry when you should be angry, be joyful when you should be joyful, and say what you want when you want it—not in an acting way, but simply follow your heart and pour out your inner emotions."

He gave an example. "For instance, how did you feel when you received the pastries just now?"

"Happy and grateful."

"Then you should just laugh out loud and say to me, ' Asahi ~ you're so great~! I hope you'll bring me snacks every day from now on~'" He clasped his hands together beside his cheeks, twisted his body, and made an exaggerated gesture.

"..."

"Of course, this is just an example." He casually resumed his lecture. "Of course, I wouldn't agree to such an unreasonable request, so I would say, 'No! That's bad for your health!' Then you would whine and say, 'Oh, you're so stingy!'"

"..."

"Why don't you say something?"

"Ah, um..." Wakaba Mū turned her head to look in the other direction and nodded almost imperceptibly.

"This is just an example. How it actually works is up to you. You understand what I mean, right?" He pointed to the sky with his index finger, his expression serious. "In short, don't feel embarrassed. It's very important to be brave enough to express your emotions!"

The two chatted back and forth like this... sometimes he would say a few words and she would remain silent, and time gradually passed with the accompaniment of the guitar.

The guitar music coming from the outdoor terrace also attracted some of the company's staff who had nothing else to do on duty.

Because the number of artists is limited, this scene is still relatively novel at the moment, but after a while, probably no one will find it strange anymore.

Those who knew he was a high-ranking leader immediately pretended to be passing by and hurriedly left. Those who didn't know him and were oblivious to his danger approached him, only to be startled and break out in a cold sweat when he asked their name and department with a smile and questioned whether it was still working hours.

After giving a hesitant answer, he quickly made an excuse to go back, not daring to bother them any further.

But there are exceptions--

"Oh, isn't this Miss Ogura? Oh, it's you here."

A voice came from between the two, interrupting his Solo.