Yukinoshita Yukino looked at him curiously and asked.
"There was a bit of an accident on the way. When I rushed over, the gift got wet, so I'll have to give her another one some other day."
Chen Yao remained silent for a moment before explaining it to them.
As they were talking, another female student soon entered through the door. She was wearing the same school uniform as Ijichi Nijika, her clothes and hair slightly damp. She was very refined and beautiful, with short hair that partially covered her right eye and a cute beauty mark under her left eye. As soon as she entered, she saw Chen Yao talking to Yukinoshita Yukino and froze in place as if seeing something very strange... Chapter 041: Your Master Is a Hero
When Ijichi Nijika came out from backstage, she saw the long-awaited bassist and immediately said, "Ah, you're finally here, Ryo."
"Yeah." The girl with short blue hair was stunned for a moment, then nodded.
Ijichi Nijika smiled and said, "OK, then everyone is here. The performance is ready to start at any time. Ryo, I'll take you to meet the newcomer first."
"..."
The girl with short blue hair seemed taciturn. After looking at Ijichi Nijika, she subconsciously looked at Chen Yao, appearing somewhat concerned.
Ijichi Nijika quickly dragged out the hiding Goto Hitori and introduced her, saying, "This is the newcomer, Goto Hitori. She attends Shuuka High School and plays the guitar very well; she'll be our band's guitarist. Classmate Hitori, this is our band's bassist, Yamada Ryo. She's a second-year at the same school as me. Let's all get along."
Seeing the cold and beautiful bassist, Goto Hitori wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt like the other girl was glaring at her, making her bow instinctively to show goodwill. "F-First time meeting you, m-my name is Goto Hitori. P-Please take care of me..."
Yamada Ryo was startled by Goto Hitori's abrupt bow and realized that her new teammate's personality also seemed a bit problematic.
Ijichi Nijika explained to Hitori, "Actually, you don't need to be like that. Ryo just doesn't show much expression, but she's quite a nice person."
"Yeah, I'm Yamada Ryo."
Yamada Ryo nodded and replied.
Just as Goto Hitori was feeling at a loss, she saw that Chen Yao had arrived. She immediately showed a natural and innocent smile, ran over, and said, "Master Chen Yao, you're here!"
Chen Yao was taken aback, then turned his head to see Goto Hitori and smiled, saying, "Goto, congratulations. Today is your first stage performance, so I was definitely going to come."
Standing in front of Chen Yao, Goto Hitori seemed completely different from before, appearing more at ease and full of energy. Yukinoshita Yukino, the others, and Ijichi Nijika could all see that Goto Hitori seemed to deeply respect this black-haired second-year boy.
"Ahem, Classmate Hitori, shouldn't you introduce your friend to us?" Ijichi Nijika asked with a smile as she leaned forward.
Goto Hitori snapped out of it and reverted to her timid self, introducing them in a small voice, "Okay... This is Senior Chen Yao, this is Classmate Yukinoshita Yukino, Classmate Yui Yuigahama, Classmate Hachiman Hikigaya... T-They are all people who have helped me..."
"I've already met Classmate Chen Yao. Nice to meet you three. Thank you very much for coming to our band's first practice performance. This is Yamada Ryo, our band's bassist. Please take care of us from now on."
Ijichi Nijika said with a smile.
As Yamada Ryo stood before everyone and nodded, her gaze was still sizing up Chen Yao. Not only did Chen Yao notice, but the others also found it strange why this cool-tempered girl had been looking at Chen Yao from the start.
"Hey, what's wrong with you? Why do you keep staring at Classmate Chen?"
Ijichi Nijika asked in a puzzled whisper.
Yamada Ryo blinked and then replied, "Nothing."
Everyone was a bit confused, but since the performance was about to start, they each returned to their positions. The three girls then began their respective preparations. They all seemed a bit nervous; after all, this was the new team's first performance, and they appeared somewhat flustered. After tuning the equipment, the three girls began to play.
But not long after they started, it wasn't just Yukinoshita Yukino, who knew a bit about guitars, who heard that there were coordination problems; Chen Yao and the others, who didn't know instruments, could also hear that the three of them seemed to be playing their own things. It sounded like a mess on stage.
Chen Yao felt a bit worried as he listened. He saw that the three girls on stage were sweating from anxiety, and the Store Manager, who had been listening, also had a very dissatisfied expression. Although this wasn't a rare problem for a new team, as Goto Hitori's Senior, he felt he had to do something.
Although he wasn't sure what would be best, as a manga artist, he understood one principle: any artistic performance needs audience feedback. Positive feedback can inspire a creator's ability. So, he stood up and maintained a very confident expression toward the three of them, looking at their performance with expectation.
"..."
The three performing girls all looked at Chen Yao curiously. In the end, they found a sense of expectation in this "audience member's" expression. The three of them began to slow down their rhythm, and gradually, their coordination seemed to improve slightly.
Once their coordination had clearly improved, Yukinoshita, Yuihama, and the others began to hear that their skill level was unexpectedly good. Although it still felt a bit like they were playing individually, having adjusted in such a short time made the future seem promising.
Soon, the performance came to a temporary close. The three girls seemed a bit tired, and they all turned their gazes toward the manager. The cool, yellow-haired female manager remained calm for a moment before saying, "Keep practicing."
Only then did the three girls feel relieved. As the leader, Ijichi Nijika said happily, "Yes, Sister!"
"Call me Manager."
In response, her sister gave her a very serious glare.
"Okay, Manager..."
Ijichi Nijika replied softly in submission.
However, the three girls all knew that Chen Yao had provided encouragement and help. Besides Hitori feeling very proud, Ijichi Nijika winked her right eye at him in thanks, and Yamada Ryo nodded her gratitude.
"Goto, Ijichi-san, Yamada-san, thank you very much for your performance. We'll come back to listen to you again if we have the chance. But we have to go back now. Thank you very much for your hospitality." After watching the performance, the three including Yukinoshita stood up one after another and expressed their gratitude.
"No, we're very grateful to you for being our band's first audience. Everyone, please come again."
Ijichi Nijika said with a smile to the students of the Service Club.
"Yao-kun, are you going back with us?" Yui Yuigahama then asked Chen Yao, who was beside her.
"Yeah, I should be heading back soon too."
Chen Yao turned his head and nodded.
"By the way, Master Chen Yao, could you help me look at this sheet music? Recently, I..."
Seeing that Chen Yao seemed to be leaving, Goto Hitori subconsciously reached out to grab his arm. However, his arm suddenly jerked violently, startling her into letting go.
Yukinoshita Yukino and the others didn't see it; they had already walked to the door. Noticing that Chen Yao hadn't followed, they looked back in confusion. Yukino asked, "Mr. Chen Yao, are you not planning to leave yet?"
"You guys go back first. It seems Goto has something to ask me."
Chen Yao remained silent for a moment before speaking to Yukinoshita Yukino and the others.
??"
Yukinoshita Yukino and the others were all puzzled, but they headed out and went home first.
Goto Hitori clearly perceived that the arm of the Master in front of her was injured... "Goto, come to the door with me so we can talk."
Chen Yao then said to Goto Hitori.
Goto Hitori still hadn't quite reacted, but Chen Yao's gaze was on her, making her nod dazedly. The two went to the door to talk.
"Eh? All of a sudden... what happened?"
Ijichi Nijika had no idea what had suddenly occurred. Hitori had only touched Chen Yao, but both of their expressions had changed drastically.
"...The newcomer, she seems to call him Master."
Yamada Ryo said.
Ijichi Nijika was also a bit puzzled and said, "Yeah, I heard it too. But aren't they only one year apart in age? Why would she call him Master?"
"...But I think that boy is a cool person."
Suddenly, Yamada Ryo gave him a very high evaluation.
Ijichi Nijika was startled, blinked, and asked, "What are you saying all of a sudden? You wouldn't usually say something like that, would you?"
"A suicide just happened at Hitachi Station, and I was right there. A third-year middle school girl tried to jump onto the tracks. By the time we noticed, she was already about to jump and the train was almost there. Then, a boy rushed forward without a second thought and pulled her back."
Yamada Ryo recounted the recent accident, leaving Ijichi Nijika a bit confused, though she soon understood what Yamada Ryo meant.
"Yeah, it was Classmate Chen Yao who saved her. It was a real close call; that girl almost became mincemeat. Because the rescuer was injured, I was also delayed and missed my bus, which is why I'm late," Yamada Ryo nodded as she spoke to Ijichi Nijika.
Ijichi Nijika was extremely surprised. She glanced at the door and asked, "Wait, are you saying Hitori's foreign Senior just saved a girl from suicide?"
She couldn't help but feel impressed; she even felt a sense of reverence, thinking Hitori's Senior was a true hero. But then she remembered Yamada Ryo's description and asked curiously, "Ryo, you said he saved her, so why did you say someone was injured... Wait, do you mean Hitori's Senior is injured?"
Yamada Ryo fell silent.
It was more than just an injury. At the time, the police and ambulance had all arrived. Everyone saw the boy save the person at the very last second; his shoulder was struck by the fast-moving train, even knocking a part off the train itself, yet the boy still managed to roll into the safety zone while holding the girl who had tried to take her own life.
Miraculously, the boy hit by the train didn't suffer any major injuries. Instead, he continued a phone call and then spent a long time persuading the girl to keep living. From what Yamada Ryo could gather, the girl had been ostracized by her class and chose to end her life because she couldn't handle the loneliness and bullying.
When the nearby ambulance arrived, the boy expressed that he didn't want emergency treatment. Despite everyone's attempts to stop him, he rushed out of the crowd and caught the next train, leaving only a pool of blood on the ground. At the time, she thought this boy was truly incredible—to be hit by a train and still be so full of life. His act of saving someone was also quite cool. She never expected him to be the newcomer's Senior, and that he had run all the way here without treatment just to see Goto Hitori's first performance.
Therefore, Yamada Ryo felt that this boy was an out-and-out hero.
But Ijichi Nijika turned pale as she listened. If what Yamada Ryo said was true, then at this very moment, Chen Yao must be carrying an injury... Outside the exhibition hall, a fine drizzle was falling. Chen Yao's hands were pressed onto the shoulders of Goto Hitori, who had noticed his arm injury. Under the gray sky, he said, "Goto, keep this a secret for me. Yukinoshita and the others must never know about this, do you understand?"
"Master, you're injured..."
Goto Hitori whispered worriedly.
At this moment, Chen Yao seemed unable to endure it any longer. His complexion was very poor, but he still gave Goto Hitori serious instructions.
"It's fine, it's fine... because it was worth it."
Chen Yao looked deeply at Goto Hitori. He had started to worry because, while saving that girl, he realized that loneliness could drive a person to the point of death. He had constantly encouraged the crying girl to live on, but his mind also kept worrying about Goto Hitori.
"Goto, the team and the school are now united in their desire to win the upcoming games. I feel the same, and I must defeat them. If I don't crush them, even you will be looked down upon by them. But once my injury is revealed, the team will lose its banner, and the whole squad will lose without even a fight... Also, you cannot tell Yukinoshita. She's the type who would rather endure pain than let her teacher be implicated. She shouldn't know... I must play the next game, so you have to keep this a secret for me."
The rain gradually soaked them both. Goto Hitori looked at Chen Yao with some distress. Only now did she realize that the Master before her had only taught her the beginning; she still had a long way to go.
"Actually, I'm worried about you. You've only just started, and there are many thorns and obstacles ahead for you to overcome. Loneliness can affect a person's willpower. Initially, I only hoped you would gain confidence, but now I feel that's far from enough... Goto, I'll ask you a difficult question. If I weren't by your side, could you remain steadfast in your beliefs and walk on alone?"
Chen Yao looked at Goto Hitori seriously and asked.
"...I... I..."
Goto Hitori was a bit unable to answer Chen Yao's question. She clearly lacked the confidence to meet the requirement her Master had set.
She was still very weak. She had joined a band and originally thought she was keeping up with her Master, but now she felt she was so fragile and broken. This question was too difficult; she didn't know how to answer.
"...It's okay, take your time. I will lead you out of loneliness, Goto."
Seeing that Goto Hitori clearly couldn't handle it, Chen Yao, whose sense of crisis was too sharp, felt he had been too hasty. He released his rough palms and stood before her like a giant mountain.
Goto Hitori looked up and whispered, "Master Chen Yao, I..."
She wanted to say something to Chen Yao, but looking at him, she couldn't get the words out.
In the end, Chen Yao just patted Hitori's head. A smile returned to his young face, and then he opened his umbrella and headed back.
In the drizzle, Goto Hitori finally understood that she had taken on an extraordinary Master. Her Master, Chen Yao, was determined to complete the next round of the tournament. Even if that distant baseball stadium shrouded in mist was more arduous than imagined, this figure was destined to go there resolutely... Chapter 42: A One-Person Lonely Cheer Squad.
Saturday, above the Tokyo Skytree, clouds rolled in the sky. Below, a baseball stadium was buzzing with people. A large number of citizens and students began to enter the stadium, where an important high school baseball game was about to begin.
"Wait up, you guys, slow down!"
A cute girl with vermilion hair was chasing three girls on a pedestrian bridge, all of whom were carrying their respective instruments.
"No way! If we go any slower, the game will start!"
Ijichi Nijika seemed to have great stamina. When she looked back, she was running in place as she spoke to the girl.
"Why are you so excited? It's just a baseball game. Why do they seem so hyper?"
This very pretty girl with vermilion hair looked at the three running girls with a face full of confusion.
After all, today was the game between Chiba Prefecture Sobu High School and Seido High School. The three girls had been waiting for this day for a long time because Senior (Classmate) Chen Yao was going to play today.
"Master, wait for me. I've thought about it very clearly these past few days,"
Goto Hitori's face was tense and serious as she thought to herself while running.
But as she ran, she saw Yamada Ryo and Ijichi Nijika pulling further and further ahead while she fell further behind, panting as if she were about to cough up a lung. Even the vermilion-haired girl who caught up from behind looked at her with a speechless expression. Where did that cool expression from earlier go? She was completely a shut-in girl.
In the end, after the three of them practically dragged and carried Goto Hitori into the baseball stadium, the game had already been underway for a while.
The crowd of thousands was quite spectacular, with colorful streamers flying. Opposite them were the students and supporters of Seido High School. The Seido High cheer squad, all dressed in uniform, numbered at least a hundred. Even the Music Club, the Male Cheering Squad, and the cheerleaders had all come out in full force. With flags fluttering, their momentum was enormous.
"So cool! Goto, your Senior's school cheer squad is really strong. I've never seen such an incredible support team."
The vermilion-haired girl praised in surprise.
Goto Hitori replied tearfully, "That's the cheer squad of my Master's opponent..."
"What? Your Senior is playing against a school like this? Then isn't it a guaranteed..." The girl paused. She wanted to say "guaranteed loss," but she held it back.
"No, my Master... he won't lose..."
Goto Hitori lowered her head slightly. Although she felt she wasn't qualified to determine such a result for Chen Yao, she believed in him from the bottom of her heart...