yready Chapter 561 556
Chapter 561 556
The performance permit was unexpectedly difficult to obtain.
Because they were not residents of this neighborhood, obtaining a performance permit from the sub-district office required not only a security deposit but also the submission of various messy certificates.
After checking the handling procedures, Asakura weighed the time and effort required and decisively gave up. Instead, he spent a small amount of money to rent the performance rights from a street musician on the roadside who already possessed a permit.
The musician, who called herself Rupa, had only one requirement: she must be present to supervise—because if Asakura and the others did anything untoward under the guise of the performance, she would be held responsible as well. If she lost her hard-earned street performance permit because of it, the loss would be too great.
Asakura didn't mind this at all; after all, a street performance is meant to be seen by people.
However, Hitori began to act shyly again when the moment arrived.
"Haven't you done this before?" Asakura was somewhat puzzled by her reaction. "Once you've done it the first time, shouldn't it be much smoother the next time?"
"I feel like Asakura-kun's words have some strange meaning... is it because my heart is too filthy..."
The girl with the guitar slung over her shoulder first muttered a sentence under her breath, and only then said bashfully: "Th-that, because last time Kikuri-san performed with me, but this time it's just me alone, it feels a bit different..."
"Don't be nervous. You're not making everyone stare at you; you're letting the music speak for you."
"..."
The girl didn't speak, but from her expression, she likely wanted to say, "Anyone can say pretty words, but I'm still going to be afraid." It was just that her introverted personality made her so afraid she couldn't even voice those words.
"Don't be afraid, I'm right behind you," Asakura comforted her again.
"Wahhh..."
It seemed that it still didn't have much of an effect.
So Asakura thought about it and switched to a different way of comforting her.
"I am right behind you~"
"Mary-san?! (Note)"
"Don't worry about those small things. It's fine to treat the passersby as pumpkins; just focus on playing! You really want to play the guitar too, right?"
"W-well, that's true..."
"After Hitori gets familiar with someone, her courage gets fat. I'm starting to miss the way you used to obediently listen whenever you were threatened."
"Awoo, is this kind of hobby a bit bad..."
After being teased by Asakura for a while, Hitori gradually relaxed a bit and began to test her notes stumblingly.
Asakura originally thought the girl would sing songs from Kessoku Band; after all, he had heard Nijika say that the lyrics for their band's songs were all written by Hitori herself.
However, when the girl actually started playing the guitar, he discovered that wasn't the case. The girl wasn't playing those songs from Kessoku Band, but rather a song Asakura had written (plagiarized) for her a long time ago.
[Feelings from a long, long time ago, I can't let them go; no matter how many years I grow, I can never be satisfied...]
The girl, who was originally introverted, shy, and timid in her actions, seemed as if her entire temperament was lit up by light once she held her familiar guitar—that bashfulness was quietly melted away by the melody, replaced by focus and confidence. As her fingertips leaped, even her eyes were tinged with a shimmering brilliance, making people involuntarily hold their breath to watch.
[Please look at the vast sky, as if it's about to fall down~]
In this instant, Asakura realized that the person standing before him was not that cowardly Hitori, but rather, Guitar Hero.
[Little old me, still spinning in circles, even if I pretend not to see, even if I intend to forget, the sharp pain~ follows me in circles at any time]
The simple yet somewhat cute melody was unexpectedly catchy. Before long, in addition to Rupa, other spectators appeared around them.
Asakura gazed at Hitori.
Meanwhile, the girl was singing while playing the guitar with total concentration.
[Little old me, I'm still worrying today]
Though her singing voice wasn't particularly loud and seemed as if it might be drowned out by the guitar, it was sung naturally and smoothly. It was obvious that Hitori singing this song wasn't a whim; she must have practiced this song many times before.
Soon, the song reached its end.
The melody finally began to slow down, and the lyrics gradually transitioned from the initial shame of facing the "true self" into an inquiry into her own heart.
Asakura's eyes widened slightly. He felt a surge of magic power rising from the girl—one must know that just two days ago, he had nearly drained the girl's magic power through mucosal contact.
Although he had speculated that since the girl possessed the Magic Incantation [Song], singing might allow her magic power to recover faster, it seemed a bit too fast now.
Asakura lightly flicked his finger, and the Magic Incantation [Scale] was quickly activated, intending to once again isolate the girl's Curse to prevent it from affecting the surrounding crowd.
Perhaps it was because he had drained too much magic power from the girl recently, or perhaps it was because the girl had truly opened her heart to Asakura. At the moment their magic incantations touched, something flowed from the girl into Asakura's heart.
[Are you sad?]
[I am sad.]
Even though she only learned guitar to become popular, no matter how hard she practiced, she still couldn't make friends at school. Little Hitori, holding her big guitar, walked home from school desolately.
[Was it embarrassing?]
[It was embarrassing.]
Wanting to attract the attention of others, she specifically wore clothes with a heavy rock style, and her fabric tote bag was covered with various tin badges of rock bands. In the end, no one cared anyway. Instead, she became an object for others to point at behind her back, feeling even more lonely.
[Do you want to give up?]
[I want to give up.]
Time after time, even when she summoned her courage, there were no good results. In the end, the small amount of courage in the young girl's heart was shaved away bit by bit, making her even more terrified of communicating with others than she was as a child.
[Want to disappear?]
[Want to disappear.]
She had no special talents; aside from playing the guitar, she seemingly couldn't find her meaning for existing at all. Did a self like this really have any value in existing?
[Want to cry?]
[Want to cry.]
The more she thought about it, the sadder she became, until finally, she could only shut herself in the closet and sob alone.
[I see.]
[That's how it is.]
Looking at the lonely and pitiful version of herself in the girl's memories, Asakura began to smile. With almost no hesitation, he reached out and rubbed the girl's head.
The little Hitori in the memories raised her head and looked at the Asakura who seemed to be emitting light.
It isn't like that.
You are no longer alone.
The words Asakura wanted to convey to the girl were transmitted into her heart more clearly than language through the intertwined magic of the two.
There is Kessoku Band, there is me, and there are those fans who specifically run to STARRY just to hear you play the guitar and hum songs.
You, you realized your childhood wish long ago; you are no longer all alone.
[The tiny me, has always existed here. The tiny me, has always existed in the heart.]
Thus, a faint, lovely smile appeared on the girl's originally gloomy face.
[The tiny me, is still spinning in place today~]
The song ended. Hitori nervously lowered her head and bowed, while the surrounding pedestrians offered kind cheers and applause.
If it weren't for Hitori stuttering that it wasn't necessary, a few passersby who seemed moved by the girl's singing and had become her new fans wanted to throw a few Noguchi Hideyos to express their love for her voice.
Seeing the situation seemingly escalating, Hitori couldn't help but cast a gaze for help toward Asakura.
So, Asakura grabbed the girl's wrist and, taking advantage of the moment before others could react, led the girl away in an escape.
Even the original performer called Rupa failed to call them back.
☆
"A-as I thought, it was the influence of the Curse just now..." Inside a(McDonald's, Hitori muttered in a small voice while holding a french fry and eating it in tiny bites like a hamster: "It was really too terrifying... it felt like their eyes looked as if they were going to eat me up."
"No, it wasn't." Asakura sat across from her with a tray. As a boy, the food he ordered was much more abundant than Hitori's.
"It... it was just a metaphor... I know I don't taste good..." Hitori said in a small voice.
"My point is, the situation just now wasn't caused by a Curse."
Asakura took out a burger, shaking his head while unwrapping the paper.
Admittedly, the girl had indeed almost activated the incantation at the time, but due to Asakura's timely intervention, by the time she finished the entire song, the Curse [Song] had only affected Asakura alone and did not spread to affect the surrounding pedestrians.
"Eh? If there was no Curse, why did so many people gather?" Hitori was so startled that the fry in her hand dropped: "Is the way I look when I sing very strange? Was everyone surrounding me like they were watching a clown?"
"No, no, no, why are you guessing from such a negative direction?" Asakura took a bite of the burger and said with a muffled voice: "Everyone was attracted by your performance."
"R-really?" Hitori still lacked confidence.
"You are 'guitarhero' after all. Honestly, your guitar performance just now was indeed great. It felt even more... how should I put it, carefree? Unfettered? Than when you are in the band. Anyway, it was just great."
"Because in the band I have to coordinate with everyone's rhythm, but alone I don't have to worry about that..." Hitori muttered a sentence, but then her eyes curved up happily.
"A-and when I was playing just now, I don't know why..." The girl said, carefully glancing at Asakura's expression.
"What's wrong?" Asakura asked.
"It's just that I felt like I heard Asakura-kun say something very warm... and then the original fear and worry all vanished instantly."
Hitori let out a somewhat unrefined "hehehe" laugh.
Asakura, who was still munching on his burger, rubbed his forehead somewhat helplessly.
Note: Urban legend (referring to Mary-san). She calls people who see her and says "I am at [XX Place]," then each time she calls, the location gets closer and closer to the person until she says "I am right behind you." At that moment, if you turn around, you get jump-scared.
Note 2: The song Hitori sang is "The Tiny Me" (Chiisana Watashi) by Masara. There is a hand-drawn version of Hitori on Bilibili. The reason for choosing this song, besides feeling like it fits Hitori well, is mainly because I personally like it very much.