Nagasaki Soyo watched Chihaya Anon's flustered appearance, the corners of her lips curling slightly.
Then the instruments began to play.
[Alone in the dark]
[You, downcast and dispirited]
[But this sky was too blue and dazzling]
Takamatsu Akari sang, her ethereal voice leaving the people below the stage unable to hide their surprise. Toyokawa Sakiko froze for a moment, then revealed an expression of regret and blessing.
Akari, this is enough.
You can work hard on your own now.
The song continued. Chihaya Anon was playing the strings with sweat covering her forehead. Under Riki's guidance, her skills had improved quite a bit, but she still had a long way to go before she could perform onstage. That was why she was incredibly nervous now, unable even to raise her head.
If only Riki were here beside me...
Chihaya Anon thought nervously.
At the climax of the music, she strummed with her pick, and a sudden, crisp sound rang out. The pick shattered, the guitar music came to an abrupt halt, and the Live had no choice but to stop temporarily.
"Hey, what are you doing?!" Shiina Riki couldn't help whispering.
"I don't know either. Could it be because I used the pick for too long?" Chihaya Anon panicked as well. Seeing that some of the people below the stage had already left the venue, she grew increasingly nervous and couldn't help recalling her failed trip to Britain.
Could she fail again this time?
Chihaya Anon's palm trembled slightly as she became utterly tense.
Nagasaki Soyo watched quietly from the side.
This is fine. Aine has failed before, so experiencing another failure caused by her own mistake will make her doubt herself. No one needs to bring up leaving the band—she'll leave on her own.
Akari will suffer a