Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 98

Whether it was a frightening dream or a blissful dream... before that spring, there was nothing in "Wakaba Mutsumi".

Like a cold winter, a blank expanse buried under a vast expanse of white snow, where the sky and earth are the same pale white as far as the eye can see. No matter how much she ran, cried out, or begged for even the slightest pity from anyone in that space when she was a child... no one would ever come.

Over time, it became a habit, and she stopped searching in vain, standing calmly in place. She had long lost the ability to express emotions; her doll-like, delicate yet wooden face showed no trace of disappointment or loneliness.

Each time, the girl would hold the only guitar that appeared in her dreams, so quiet that it seemed as if she were not making a sound, curled up until she woke up naturally.

If there's no way to resist, then you have no choice but to accept it.

It's okay... because what Wakaba Mutsumi has always excelled at is accepting other people's requests and arrangements, and fulfilling their expectations and tasks. Minami-chan also said, "Obedient children are the ones who get pampered~"

She needs to become more obedient, more responsive to expectations, and more in line with others' expectations of "Ms. Mori and Mr. Wakaba's excellent daughter." Her cute appearance is due to inheriting her mother's good looks, and her excellent acting skills are due to being influenced by her father's eloquence…

A pretty face, light green hair, and a supple and flexible body belong to Minami-chan; praised performances, the reputation of a child star, and endearing scenes belong to Aron… From a young age, the girl understood all of this through the gossip of others.

What truly belongs to you may never have existed in the first place...

Oh, right, I also have a guitar.

The only guitar I could choose, capable of producing beautiful music, made me feel like a living human being, rather than a puppet completely manipulated by others, as I played it as I pleased.

But... I can't even do that right...

Suppressed and bound, even when they pick up a guitar, they can't produce their own music or hear the true sound of the guitar.

Those are all imitations, forgeries...

Even with a guitar, I'm still just as lonely as before, nothing has changed...

"..."

"Mu is not someone who needs to be replaced."

"I've always been watching you."

The person who gently placed their hand on their head, whose beautiful face was bathed in the shimmering sunlight, a person more outstanding than anyone else, made a sincere request.

“Give me back the ‘Mu’ I know.”

Was the feeling of happiness that surged in my heart at that time?

And so, the girl imprisoned in the body called "Wakaba Mutsumi" reached out her hand toward the light shining into her line of sight.

Like climbing a rope, she used all her strength to pull herself out of the vast, oppressive snow that had almost swallowed her whole, and took her first breath of air, finally able to cast aside all the pressure.

So comfortable, so reassuring.

At the other end of the rope, Xu Dou held his hand firmly and tightly, the warm grip seeming like it would never let go.

Is this a dream, or some kind of fantasy?

Those kinds of things seem to have become irrelevant to me now.

Holding such warmth, even if you drown in it, you'd still have a smile on your face, right?

I like Xu Dou.

Even knowing that Xiangzi, who considers me a very, very good friend, likes Xu Dou, and even knowing that Su Shi, who is very gentle with me and usually cares about me, also likes Xu Dou, I still like him, no less than anyone else.

Whether it causes distress or sadness, it may be because of this.

Because the happiness that can be obtained from that scattered joy is enough to overshadow all of those other joys.

He held me tightly, as if I were a precious treasure, and I held him back tightly as if I would never let go... The sensation of our bodies felt like they were melting and burning, hot and light, an unbelievably wonderful feeling.

I want to keep embracing like this forever... until we truly become one.

Lips, embraces, even the view beneath clothes... Xu Dou can taste anything he wants.

That's what liking someone is like—it feels both heavy and light.

Once I made up my mind, and had the people and things I truly longed for, my heart was no longer empty, and even the colors of my dreams changed.

The biggest change is that there is no longer only Wakaba Mutsu among them.

Besides the guitar, another shadow was cast in the white world.

Upon discovering that what should have been her own dream contained the image of Yuan Xudou, who appeared to be sleeping peacefully with delicate, distinct eyebrows and eyes gently closed, the girl in the dream felt as if her face had been licked by flames, and an unconcealable blush spread across her face.

Although she couldn't remember the details of the dream after waking up... she probably didn't do anything strange to Xu Dou in the dream. At most, she just lay on him and used the boy's firm and gentle chest as a pillow to rest.

But even such a small change is enough to transform an ordinary, empty dream into a beautiful dream worth looking forward to.

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Just kissing felt so good that I could never have imagined it before.

If things continue like this, what kind of joyful feelings will we experience in the deeper parts that follow?

Having no wishes of his own, Wakaba Mutsuki can't help but look forward to the future.

Will I do those... blush-inducing, heart-pounding, pleasurable things with Xu Dou? Holding each other tightly, stickily, and experiencing each other's bodies...

And perhaps, the current version of myself, the current version of Wakaba Mutsumi, can make the guitar produce its own sound—

The devastating news that followed on the very last day of the summer training camp shattered the faint hope that had finally risen within the girl.

Trouble has struck the Toyokawa family. Her uncle, Toyokawa Seikaku, has been kicked out of the house, her best friend, Toyokawa Shoko, has run away from home, and the band is on the verge of disbanding.

everything is over.

It's time to wake up from a beautiful, unreal dream.

If Ye Mu couldn't stand by and watch Yuan Xudou waste all his energy and tenderness on maintaining this irretrievable band, and bear to see him grow weary and sad every day; nor could he betray his friend, further damaging Fengchuan Xiangzi's pride and causing them both unnecessary pain.

There was only one thing she could do.

—By using a method that is almost self-destructive, he completely shattered the band, freeing Xu Dou from this bottomless abyss.

From that day on, Genjiro disappeared from Ruoye Mu's dreams.

She became alone again, guarding the vast, empty dream.

It's just gone back to how it was before.

It's just a dream that goes from ordinary to beautiful, and then back to nightmare.

Chapter Nineteen: Reunion, and Unending Longing

In the bustling classroom, Wakaba Mutsumi, who hadn't joined any clubs, quietly picked up her bag and mingled with the groups of girls as she walked out of the school gate.

Spring has come again this year...

What was I doing at this time last year?

Oh right, it seems to be the Tsuki no Mori music festival. I went with Shoko to see Morfonica's performance, and that's when she got the idea to form her own band...

...And then, I met him...

The breeze swept past the school gate, through the gaps in the bustling crowd, and disappeared straight into the head of Wakaba Mutsu, whose expression was downcast and whose golden eyes were staring blankly at the neatly paved road, her slightly curly green hair.

However, her once glossy and lustrous green hair now looked like a cucumber vine she had planted in the school garden, having lost its luster and appearing somewhat withered and dry.

Besides the influence of mindset, neglecting proper care for a period of time may also be a problem.

While walking with her head down, Wakaba Mutsu accidentally bumped into the shoulder of the classmate next to her.

"Ah, I'm sorry!"

The man, who possessed the refined manners of a young lady, immediately bowed slightly in apology.

“…It’s alright.” Still in a daze, Wakaba Mutsu took a few seconds to come to her senses and accept the other party’s apology.

It wasn't because she was impolite or deliberately ignoring others, but rather...

My lower back...it's so sore.

Yesterday afternoon, I went to my ballet class arranged by my family. I accidentally overdid it and it seems I strained some ligaments and muscles in my lower back, which is still aching slightly. After being bumped, it felt like I was subconsciously exerting force to steady myself, which made me freeze for a while before I recovered.

The classmate who bumped into him had long since gone far away, and the surging crowd around him gradually thinned out, leaving only Wakaba Mutsu, his cheeks taut, resisting the tingling and numbness coming from his waist, standing shakily in place.

I feel... I can't walk very well...

what to do……

Holding her waist, Ruo Yemu carefully and slowly moved her feet. She raised her lowered head, her pale golden eyes helplessly scanning her surroundings.

Is there anywhere I can rest for a while?

She spotted a rattan chair not far away. Next to it, there was a vaguely familiar silhouette.

The moment her gaze fell upon that figure, the girl's hand, which was supporting her waist, instinctively moved upwards, tightening the collar of her Moon Forest spring school uniform. Her moist, cherry-pink lips parted unconsciously, exhaling trembling, rapid breaths. Her eyes, as if fixed on something, were fixed intently on that figure.

The next second, as if sensing something, he turned his head and met the girl's eyes.

So, as he searched for Wakaba Mutsu's whereabouts in the crowd, Genji Koto slightly turned his head and gave the familiar petite girl a gentle, contented smile.

'Mu...I've found you.'

Amidst the surging, noisy clamor, the words coming from that distance could not be heard. Ruo Yemu could only see his lips moving slightly, and she tried hard to decipher the meaning of the sentence.

Immediately afterwards, the boy walked slowly but steadily towards her, against the direction of the dispersing crowd.

During this time, Wakaba Mutsumi, who hadn't moved an inch, stared blankly, as if she had become a truly motionless doll. However, the lifeless stillness in her eyes melted away as quickly as snow under the sun, turning into a pool of golden water mist.

It was as if the nightmare had finally ended, and I had returned to the beautiful and happy reality.

Or perhaps, they've fallen into yet another beautiful dream from which they don't want to wake up.

That kind of thing...it doesn't matter anymore...

If this is reality, I hope I will never have dreams again; if this is a dream, I wish I would never wake up.

The next moment, Wakaba Mutsu, who had lost the ability to think, rushed straight into the arms of Minamoto Koto, who was gently reaching out to her, and hugged him tightly.

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.

"Mu, are you feeling better?"

A few streets away from the Moon Forest, on a roadside bench, a voice filled with helplessness but eyes full of tolerance, yueyi⑴ cold medical aura④【⑸ leek si⑼（ 8）Yuan Xudou gently stroked the top of the head of the girl who buried her face in his chest and refused to show herself, and asked softly.

When Mu rushed over, he was quite startled... That was at the entrance of Moon Forest, and the students who weren't participating in club activities and had left school hadn't completely dispersed yet. If someone else had seen this scene, who knows what kind of rumors would have spread.

Gen Xudou himself doesn't care, but Mutsu and Suse, who are studying at Tsuki no Mori, might be affected, leading to many rumors and discussions.

Fortunately, the crowd around Mu wasn't too dense at the time. Before the other students could react, see his face clearly, or take out their phones to take pictures, he picked up the girl, used his hands and body to shield her face, and in the blink of an eye, he and Mu ran out of the crowd of students.

Yuan Xudou was certain that, given his speed at the time, even if someone reacted incredibly quickly and wanted to take a picture, they could only capture a blurry afterimage at most.

Mu's poor interpersonal relationships have ironically become a good thing at this time... She is surrounded by unfamiliar classmates, and no one pays special attention to her, so her identity will not be exposed.

Holding Wakaba Mutsu, who was quietly leaning against him without any struggle, the boy took detours and finally shook off all the young ladies who had been staying in their secluded chambers for too long and had become incredibly gossipy, excitedly surrounding him at the first sign of something interesting.

Only after putting the girl down did he realize that Mu was unable to walk properly for some reason, so he had no choice but to continue carrying her to find a place to rest for the time being.

And then, here's the scene we're in now.

Yuan Xudou ran nearly a thousand meters at high speed, still carrying a young girl in his arms, without batting an eye. On the other hand, Ruoye Mu, who was being carefully protected by him, blushed and her heart was pounding. She pressed her burning cheeks against his body, refusing to leave no matter what.

Her long, fine, emerald-green hair came loose as she ran, tangling and sticking to his arms, fingertips, and clothes. The girl's delicate fingers also gripped his shirt tightly, creating ripple-like wrinkles.

At this moment, the two were no longer facing each other as they fled together, but rather sitting side by side on the same chair. After all, having Mu straddle him and embrace him was too conspicuous and could easily cause misunderstandings among passersby.

When asked by Genjiro, Wakaba Mutsu didn't answer immediately. Instead, she gently nodded, as if she were rubbing against him affectionately.

"……Um."

Perhaps because her head was pressed against the boy's body, the response sounded slightly muffled through the fabric of her clothes.

Having long been accustomed to this feeling, Yuan Xudou breathed a sigh of relief.

"...Mu,"

His suddenly serious tone made Wakaba Mutsu, who was still replenishing her long-lost "Xu Dou energy," look up and stare straight at him with her bright eyes, which had regained a glimmer of hope.

It was filled with an almost tangible longing and joy, like exquisite gilding that shimmered and shone.

Meeting such a gaze that made him feel needed and relied upon, he slowly lowered his hand and gently and tightly embraced the person whose gaze he was looking at.