Chapter 74: Soyo: I'm Cutting Ties Too!
"Are bands really such a terrifying thing?"
This thought involuntarily crossed the minds of the surrounding customers. After all, it was already absurd that two girls were splashing drinks at each other, and now another one was crying and shouting as if "attacking a phantom enemy."
They were surprised: what on earth did they sprinkle on musical instruments to make these girls so obsessed? Or was it simply the act of being in a band that drove them this way?
After venting her emotions, Nagasaki Soyo sat down and wept softly, looking like a complete failure. Although her mood was much lighter, this act was more like fully exposing a wound on her heart, making the pain feel even worse.
Hikigaya Hachiman looked at Gojo Satoru, questioning him with his eyes: What do we do? What can he do? He could only sit and watch. Hikigaya Hachiman shook his head.
"Just leave her. Let her cry for a bit longer." Hikigaya Hachiman picked up some grilled skewers and handed a few to Gojo Satoru and Okkotsu Yuta. They would let this girl cry for a while.
The problem with Nagasaki Soyo was now directly exposed: it originated from her previous band having issues. The person who personally founded the band was also the one who actively ended it, and Nagasaki Soyo couldn't accept it, still clinging to the old band. The words she just spoke were definitely Nagasaki Soyo's innermost thoughts, which was a bit of a surprise to Hikigaya Hachiman.
'So, Nagasaki Soyo is Mutsumi No. 2 after all? Mutsumi couldn't speak her mind due to her personality, and you couldn't either, right?'
If Nagasaki Soyo had said all those things directly to the person concerned, she probably wouldn't have had this kind of emotional breakdown and spontaneous emotional outburst.
Nagasaki Soyo was clearly triggered by the argument between the two girls, which reminded her of everything that had happened and filled her with regret. This led her to vent her pent-up emotions in front of these strangers.
This type of problem would actually become insignificant once Nagasaki Soyo matured a few more years. The truth was that these young ladies were too sheltered and hadn't endured any real suffering. The greatest setback they supposedly faced was caused by a band formed with friends.
They hadn't tasted what genuine hardship was.
At Hikigaya Hachiman's table, everyone except Nagasaki Soyo had lost someone important. The Horus Heresy caused Hikigaya Hachiman to lose countless comrades he had fought with like brothers for centuries; they all died fighting Chaos Daemons and traitor legions.
Okkotsu Yuta not only lost the person he loved most but also had to bear the burden of the person he loved turning into a terrifying, neither-human-nor-ghost Cursed Spirit.
And Gojo Satoru experienced the ultimate estrangement, his best friend turning into an enemy, and the death of the target he was tasked to protect, Rika Amanai.
Although he bore the title of the Strongest, he was a "clown" who failed to protect anything. Sorcerers were constantly losing things.
So, when Hikigaya Hachiman learned that "Soyo-san" was merely crying because of a friend leaving a band, he found Nagasaki Soyo rather amusing.
Furthermore, the fact that friends forming a band eventually fell apart and caused such a huge conflict largely stemmed from a lack of communication. From Nagasaki Soyo's outburst just now, Hikigaya Hachiman could see that the words she spoke were clearly the ones she wished she could say but couldn't.
The atmosphere at the other table was much better. They openly discussed their issues, and while the argument was temporary, they quickly reconciled.
Looking at the harmonious way the three of them interacted, Hikigaya Hachiman wondered if Nagasaki Soyo's Crychic band members were all internally conflicted and verbally inept.
'Alright, I take back what I said.'
Hikigaya Hachiman saw the wine-red-haired "little potato" pour half a glass of her freshly served Oolong tea directly onto the head of the black-haired girl in the school uniform sitting next to her. Watching them shout and scream, Hikigaya Hachiman genuinely found it hilarious.
'They're definitely more interesting, and the atmosphere is great.'
After crying for a while, Nagasaki Soyo calmed down. Head bowed, she didn't even dare to look up.
'Who was looking in the mirror, and who had an emotional breakdown'?
Only she knew the answer. Her throat was still very uncomfortable from the alcohol, and her head felt a little dizzy. But the dizziness couldn't make Nagasaki Soyo forget what she had just done. Soyo felt she had never been so embarrassed, almost wishing she could die.
'It was simply baffling, and she regretted it deeply.'
To be honest, Nagasaki Soyo didn't know why she got so emotional just now. It was simply because hearing that girl say everything she had wanted to say but didn't dare to resonated deeply with her soul.
This caused Nagasaki Soyo to completely break down.
A rush of blood to the head led to a series of confusing behaviors. Nagasaki Soyo drank a large glass of alcohol, thinking it would give her courage. The biggest problem was that she had previously thought there was nothing wrong with her.
Now that she had calmed down, it felt too embarrassing!
She even used someone else's cup for drinking. Nagasaki Soyo almost cried over her own astonishing lack of foresight.
'It's over. Now everyone will probably think I'm a weird girl.'
"Wuuu wuuu."
Hikigaya Hachiman noticed Nagasaki Soyo had come back from her previous state.
"Drink some water."
He placed a glass of plain water he had prepared in front of Nagasaki Soyo, not forgetting to add, "It's a new cup." Seeing Nagasaki Soyo's "I want to die" expression, Hikigaya Hachiman found her increasingly amusing.
"Don't worry, this is just plain water. It won't catch fire." Gojo Satoru's suspicious Oolong tea was flammable with a lighter.
"I apologize." Nagasaki Soyo obediently took the glass and took a sip. Compared to the throat-burning alcohol earlier, this plain water tasted like "Heavenly Jade Nectar."
"Sorry for causing trouble for you just now." Nagasaki Soyo apologized sheepishly.
"It's nothing, nothing. We don't mind at all." Gojo Satoru expressed understanding. "The young lady was simply moved by the scene."
Gojo Satoru had dealt with many difficult students, and Nagasaki Soyo, being so emotionally attached, was like a little white rabbit in comparison.
"Losing a friend, I've also been through something like that, so I understand.
It's truly hard to forget."
Gojo Satoru's eyes looked distant as he spoke, as if reminiscing.
Nagasaki Soyo's outburst just now reminded Gojo Satoru of his own younger, more naive self when Suguru Geto completely defected from the Sorcerer Association.
At that time, Gojo Satoru was far more emotional than Nagasaki Soyo, with crazy ideas swirling in his mind.
He even considered starting a fight with Suguru Geto right on the busy streets of Tokyo.
The dangerous thought of using Hollow Purple in a crowd had even occurred to him. It had been ten years, and Gojo Satoru had changed from that naive youth to this middle-aged appearance, no longer carrying the same youthful passion. Even now, Gojo Satoru thought he
could calmly accept the fact of Suguru Geto's betrayal. But when they finally met, Gojo Satoru realized he still held a trace of regret and illusion.
He couldn't bring himself to use Unlimited Void on him.
What he couldn't do, he simply couldn't.
That's why Gojo Satoru could empathize with the girl's emotional breakdown just now. Gojo Satoru felt like he was looking at his past self.
"Don't do anything you'll regret." As he spoke, a pang of sadness suddenly hit Gojo Satoru. "Forget it, pretend I didn't say anything." He finished all the "Oolong tea" in his cup, immediately poured another full glass, and drank it all in one go. Gojo Satoru returned to his carefree state from earlier.
He looked at Okkotsu Yuta. "Yuta-kun, we're almost done eating, let's go.
I still need to prepare a dormitory for you."
"But if you're leaving, at least get these packed. I can't possibly finish all of them by myself," Hikigaya Hachiman suggested, looking at Gojo Satoru, who had lost his interest in drinking further. "Pack them for Panda and the others."
"And that large remainder of the strange Oolong tea, too." Gojo Satoru had a very low tolerance for alcohol. He was lousy at it but loved to play around. Why order so much if he couldn't finish it?
"That's true." Gojo Satoru called the proprietress and paid the bill directly.
"I'll contact you next time, Hachiman."
"Hikigaya-sensei, goodbye." Okkotsu Yuta bowed timidly to Hikigaya Hachiman before hurriedly following Gojo Satoru.
His appearance made Nagasaki Soyo initially think she saw Tomori.
"Mhm." Hikigaya Hachiman nodded.
Seeing them leave so quickly after barely eating made Nagasaki Soyo feel guilty, thinking it was her fault again. After all, with someone crying nearby, anyone would lose their appetite.
"Please pack the remaining bowl of red bean soup as well."
"No, you have to finish this." Hikigaya Hachiman's attitude was firm. Nagasaki Soyo's condition made him feel like she might die on the way home.
"I'll take you home after you finish eating."
"Huh." The other party's strong stance forced Nagasaki Soyo to accept Hikigaya Hachiman's kindness.
"Okay." Nagasaki Soyo's mood was much better after venting, and the shouting and crying had been quite draining, making her feel hungry. Nagasaki Soyo was always the one who proactively took care of others in her previous band. Suddenly being cared for felt nice.
After the table was cleared, only the red bean soup remained. Nagasaki Soyo couldn't eat anymore, so Hikigaya Hachiman finished most of the red bean soup.
"Soyo-san, you were in a band, then?" Hikigaya Hachiman asked.
"Yes, but it was just goofing around," Nagasaki Soyo sighed.
She now thought her idea of gathering the former band members to form a new band just to bring Sakiko back seemed rather foolish. She thought seeing the band members might make Sakiko change her mind immediately.
Nagasaki Soyo was too naive.
Sakiko's attitude made it clear that trying to bring her back this way was completely impossible. The other party didn't even give her a last chance to be friends and blocked her directly, clearly not wanting any further entanglement with her.
Furthermore, the second band was composed of amateurs, and Nagasaki Soyo felt like they had completely deviated from the original intention of playing in a band together.
There was a guitarist who just wanted to show off, a drummer whose eyes were only on the vocalist, a vocalist who couldn't sing out loud, and a stray cat who was always late.
Of course, the biggest problem was Nagasaki Soyo herself.
She utilized everyone, never intending to form a band from the start, only intending to use them to revive Crychic.
It didn't feel like a band at all.
Perhaps if everyone spoke clearly, the band's development would be healthier; being secretive only made things worse.
Thinking these thoughts, Soyo became emo again.
"Um, I'm sorry if my friend's affairs brought up painful memories for you." An unexpected voice made Nagasaki Soyo, whose head was bowed, look up. She saw the blonde girl who was arguing with her friend earlier, and beside her was the black-haired girl. They also brought the "little potato" with them.
As the three approached, Hikigaya Hachiman could see how battered and messy all three girls were. Two of them were soaked like drowned chickens, their hair covered in Oolong tea. The "little potato," however, had beer all over her hair and body from being splashed with it. Unlike her angry and questioning demeanor earlier, the "little potato" now looked like a social recluse, timidly avoiding eye contact with Nagasaki Soyo and Hikigaya Hachiman.
For some reason, Hikigaya Hachiman felt that the black-haired girl and the wine-red-haired "little potato" looked quite envious of Nagasaki Soyo's "Tsukinomiya" school uniform and his "Shuchiin" school uniform. The "little potato" even seemed to harbor a slight hostility towards the school uniforms.
'How odd they are.'
Hikigaya Hachiman said to them, "If you have something to say, sit down together. Standing is tiring." Hikigaya Hachiman asked the proprietress for a chair and placed it next to the table so all five of them could sit together.
The blonde girl spoke first, introducing herself. "My name is Momoka Kawaragi, I'm the guitarist."
"Whii, hi, this is Subaru Awa desu.I'm the drummer." The black-haired girl in the school uniform, full of energy, spun her hands and said with a grin next to Momoka.
"Oh, right, MMK was a former member of Diamond*Dust."
The black-haired girl was the most expressive of the three and acted as the atmosphere booster. It was tough for her, trying so hard to be the mediator, yet still getting splashed by her friend's drink.
Hikigaya Hachiman had a slight impression of DiamondDust, as it was a girl band that had debuted some time ago. Their fame was average; Hikigaya Hachiman only knew about them through Komachi. They were likely under the same agency as Uika's former management, but their fame was far from SUMIMI's. If Uika's SUMIMI was T1 level, DiamondDust was about T3.
The "little potato" tried to open her mouth, but her old social anxiety flared up in front of strangers, and she couldn't speak. "Ninako, didn't we agree to apologize?" The black-haired girl subtly nudged her friend.
"My name is Nina Iseri, I'm the vocalist of the band." The "little potato" took a deep breath, instantly deflating like a punctured ball, feeling limp all over. Nina Iseri apologized in a remorseful tone. "Sorry, I caused trouble for you because of my own emotional agitation."
Hikigaya Hachiman didn't speak but looked at Nagasaki Soyo. Nagasaki Soyo, having replenished her sugar level, seemed able to use her "clutching" voice again. She spoke in her gentle voice. "It's okay." Nagasaki Soyo folded and rubbed her hands together, apologizing, "I was too absorbed in my own thoughts." Their words were merely a fuse; the real problem lay with Nagasaki Soyo herself.
"My name is Nagasaki Soyo, I'm the bassist."
Hikigaya Hachiman also introduced himself. "Hikigaya Hachiman, not a band member."
Hikigaya Hachiman also noticed that the "little potato's" eyes lit up when she heard Nagasaki Soyo say she was the bassist, and then her face darkened when he said he was not a band
member. The "little potato's" expression was easy to read: their band needed members, and Nagasaki Soyo was the bassist they were lacking.
"I apologize for making you recall something you didn't want to recall." The blonde girl surprisingly placed two tickets on the table and slid them toward Nagasaki Soyo and Hikigaya Hachiman.
"Live concert tickets." Momoka Kawaragi said. "As an apology, I'd like to invite you and your boyfriend to watch our live performance."
The blonde girl also had an emotional breakdown when she remembered Nagasaki Soyo's heartbreaking distress because she was also someone who had formed a band and then quit. Seeing the deeply hurt Nagasaki Soyo, she couldn't help but wonder if her former bandmates were just as sad and pained after she quit.
"If you're free, please come. Oh, and by the way, they're free; I'm giving you the tickets for free."
Live performances, or live houses, needed money to maintain basic operation.
Live events were usually paid. Live tickets were generally paid for by the band in advance. Only after all the tickets were sold could the band possibly get a share of the money. If the tickets didn't sell, the band would essentially be paying for their own performance.
The information from the other party's words was too much. The alcohol-buzzed Nagasaki Soyo was still a bit dazed. "Boyfriend, who?" Nagasaki Soyo didn't know how she suddenly acquired a boyfriend. "And a live performance?" Nagasaki Soyo's former band also planned a live show, so all this information intertwined, making her head spin.
Hikigaya Hachiman looked at the ticket stubs, which read [Girls Band Cry].
'Crying Girl Band.'
Recalling how they splashed drinks at each other, they certainly seemed very "rock and roll." It seemed they were inviting them to watch their three-member band perform a live show.
"This idiot drank a lot of alcohol earlier. The buzz might be hitting her, and her head isn't working straight," Hikigaya Hachiman said, explaining on her behalf. "Also, we are just friends; we are not boyfriend and girlfriend."
"Sorry, sorry." Momoka Kawaragi apologized straightforwardly. "The atmosphere between you two was so good, I thought you were a couple."
"Nagasaki-san, they're inviting us to see their live performance. Are you interested?"
"A live performance? I'll see." Nagasaki Soyo only gave a vague answer, mainly because she couldn't promise Hachiman-kun's availability. On weekends, Soyo usually stayed at home alone like a little homebody who rarely left the house.
"Okay, I understand." This reply was expected, so the blonde girl didn't get angry, merely shrugging.
"But are you a three-member band?" Nagasaki Soyo was a little confused. Generally, a three-member band, based on their configuration, was missing a bassist and a keyboardist.
"Yes, because we can't recruit anyone." Momoka Kawaragi didn't shy away and spoke directly.
While drinking her iced beer, she recounted everything that happened after she left the group until she formed this new band. She was already upset and was drinking to drown her sorrows, so it was no surprise that she spoke about it.
Her story was about dropping out of high school and moving to the big city of Tokyo to make a living. Momoka sold the rights to the songs she had originally created to that company without asking for a single yen in royalties. Afterward, she worked odd jobs, busking on the streets to earn money, and then met her two current bandmates.
"That's incredible." Hearing about a professional's plan made Nagasaki Soyo feel like her own efforts were just amateurish fooling around. Furthermore, this newly formed band had already held one live show, which surprised Nagasaki Soyo with its efficiency.
This band was formed much more recently than Nagasaki Soyo's later band, yet they were already preparing for their second live show.
The "little potato" beside her looked like she wanted to speak but was stopped by the black-haired girl.
Honestly, Nagasaki Soyo quite envied the relationship between these three band members. They were completely genuine and seemed to have a really good relationship, which made her very envious. In contrast, her own band was a complete mess, just too shameful to look at.
"Nagasaki-san, are you still in a band now?" Momoka Kawaragi asked.
"Yes, but it's just a small endeavor." Nagasaki Soyo didn't deny it. After the incident earlier, she had a good impression of these three, especially the "little potato." "My classmates and I also want to perform live, but we're not as good as you. We're still practicing for our live show." This was a lie. Nagasaki Soyo's band was currently divided over whether to hold a live show.
After being blocked by Togawa Sakiko, Nagasaki Soyo actually no longer felt like participating in her original band. Even her old Crychic bandmates became irrelevant to her.
Nagasaki Soyo felt there was no point in staying in that band, no attachment left. Even though Taki and Anon called Nagasaki Soyo multiple times, she didn't answer. Nagasaki Soyo had lost interest in the band that hadn't even decided on a name yet.
Coinciding with her head feeling dizzy, Nagasaki Soyo looked at this harmonious new band and a thought suddenly surfaced in her mind.
"Your band needs a bassist, right? How about letting me join you?"
She deeply yearned for the harmonious relationship between these three. It was the same feeling she once experienced in Crychic. More importantly, Nagasaki Soyo truly envied Nina,
who could say everything she wanted to say. That genuine, unpretentious attitude was a realm she couldn't achieve right now.
After saying this, Nagasaki Soyo felt all three band members staring at her with astonishment.
"Emm, if it's too difficult, just forget it."
"No, you absolutely must!" The girls' faces were beaming with joy. Their band was short on members, and Nagasaki Soyo joining was perfect. Nina had already wanted to recruit her earlier.
This move caused trouble for Nagasaki Soyo's original band. Her bandmates, who had been unable to reach Soyo's phone or receive any communication all day, were now anxiously waiting for a reply—only to receive the news that Soyo had left the group chat.
"I don't need this anymore." Since there was no possibility of Togawa Sakiko returning, they were no longer useful to Nagasaki Soyo.
Nagasaki Soyo didn't even say a word and simply left the group chat. If Sakiko could cut ties with them, then Soyo could certainly cut ties fiercely with her past bandmates as well.
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