Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 9

Yuan Xudou said calmly.

"The blooming and withering of flowers is the natural course of life. To be caught by you after it falls, instead of turning directly into dust... this flower is already lucky enough."

Gao Songdeng understood his gentle words of comfort, and the confusion in her eyes slowly faded. She silently released her grip, letting the flowers gradually sink to the bottom of the cup.

"Xu Dou, you've come to see me?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Have you found the medicine?"

She nodded in the same way as Yuan Xudou.

"Yes, it's in the cabinet. I'll get it."

As she spoke, Gao Songdeng walked towards the cabinet by the wall. She had only gone halfway when she suddenly turned around as if she remembered something and ran back to Yuan Xudou.

Then, she took a pebble out of her pocket and handed it to him.

"this is for you."

"This is the most beautiful stone in a while..."

Takamatsu looked up, her clear amber eyes filled with the purest expectation.

...Was she just thinking about how to keep the flowers she brought back alive, or was she choosing the best stone she thought would be a gift, which is why it took her so long?

"...Yes, thank you."

He took the small, lustrous, and brightly colored stone.

It seemed to have been held in her hand for a long time; you could still feel the warmth left by the girl's soft palm.

Despite being the one giving the gift, Takamatsu Akari smiled with a hint of satisfaction after Gen Xudou accepted the stone. Then, she went back to the cabinet, tiptoed, and retrieved cotton swabs, medicine, and spray, holding them close to her chest.

"Xu Dou, let's go."

"……it is good."

Yuan Xudou remained silent for a while, then put the pebbles into the pocket on the front of his school uniform, walked in front of Gao Songdeng, and helped her open the door.

Sensing the commotion, Toyokawa Shoko, who was inside the room, quickly turned around and sat up straight.

"Yuan, you're back so soon!"

She greeted Yuan Xudou proactively, her hands nervously placed on either side of her school uniform skirt, slightly swaying the pair of slender, shapely, and fair legs that peeked out from there.

—Toyokawa Shoko seems to be hiding something.

She changed her position on the bed, her gaze becoming somewhat unfocused, no longer daring to meet his eyes.

What did she do in those few short minutes?

Genjiro wanted to ask, but considering that Takamatsu Akari was still waiting behind him with the medicine, and that this was also her home, he, as a guest, didn't seem to have the right to question Toyokawa Shoko, who was also a guest. So he didn't say anything, nodded to the girl in response to his earlier greeting, and sat back down in his original seat.

Takamatsu Akari also stepped out from behind him, walked up to Toyokawa Shoko, and handed her the medicine.

"This is a cotton swab, this is alcohol, this is iodine... oh, and this too, a band-aid."

Gao Songdeng placed the items he was carrying onto the bed one by one.

“Takamatsu, I recognize what these are… Also, you don’t need a band-aid for a sprain.”

Shoko Toyokawa accepted the instructions one by one with a somewhat complicated expression, feeling a little uncomfortable with the feeling of being carefully instructed as if she were someone who couldn't take care of herself.

Of course, she could also sense that the girl didn't mean it that way; it was just her nature... but she still wasn't used to it.

However, this band-aid is quite cute; it has a penguin pattern.

"Takamatsu-kun, can I borrow your bed for a bit?"

"Oh, it's okay."

"Thank you."

Toyokawa Shoko lowered her head, untied the small leather shoes that Tsukinomori wore, and took off her socks starting from her knees, revealing her fair and delicate feet.

Knowing that one should not look at what is improper, Yuan Xudou consciously turned his head away, closed his eyes, and only used his hearing to perceive their communication.

Seeing the young man's gentlemanly manners, Toyokawa Shoko, who had been hesitant about whether to subtly remind him, breathed a sigh of relief and her impression of Genji Koto improved even more.

Even setting aside her status as a young lady, from the perspective of a young girl's sense of shame, she couldn't accept exposing her naked feet in front of a man her own age whom she was meeting for the first time.

Fortunately, Won Heo-doo was understanding enough. If she, who was being helped, had brought up the matter to the friend of the person who helped her... it would have been very awkward for everyone, and the scene wouldn't have looked good.

While relieved that she didn't have to do anything that would violate her self-esteem, Toyokawa Shoko bent her right leg and carefully placed her foot on Takamatsu Akari's bed. Then, as her soft arch lifted, she couldn't help but show a slightly painful expression.

—I hadn't noticed before because I hadn't taken off my socks, but now that I see it, I realize that her ankle is red and swollen, and it even extends almost up to her calf. It's clearly not the minor injury that she had thought she could recover with some rest.

"Toyokawa-kun...it looks like he's in a lot of pain..."

"I didn't expect it to be this serious," Gao Songdeng said in a low voice, somewhat nervously.

"It's okay... it should be fine after applying the medicine."

Thankfully, I didn't force myself to leave, otherwise I probably wouldn't have been able to keep going halfway.

Another piece of good news has emerged, but unable to feel happy at all, Toyokawa Shoko picked up the medicine next to her and treated her injuries with a bitter face.

The cool medicine touched her red and swollen skin, creating a mixture of hot and cold sensations, as well as a tingling and itchy feeling that made her hiss softly. Her delicate, rounded toes curled up slightly from the stimulation, shrinking into a ball.

"...Are you really okay...?"

"It's really nothing... Okay, I should feel better after resting for a bit."

It wasn't that it hurt a lot, but the discomfort wasn't just pain. To ignore the unbearable sensation, the girl was trying hard to distract herself.

"Gao Song, classmate."

She turned her gaze to the notebook that she had been inexplicably preoccupied with since Yuan Xudou left.

Toyokawa Shoko was originally thinking about whether she should ask Takamatsu Akari if she could borrow her notebook to take a look after she returned.

Just as she was secretly peeking, Gen Xudou suddenly returned. Thinking that he was about to be startled by Toyokawa Shoko, who had mistaken him for peeping at someone else's things, he had just acted guilty.

Now, I can finally ask openly and honestly.

"That notebook, is it yours?"

Takamatsu blinked and nodded.

"I'm a little concerned... Can I take a look?"

"Toyokawa-kun, do you like this too?"

Seemingly misunderstanding her intentions and thinking that she was attracted by the style of the notebook, Takamatsu Akari happily took the notebook and handed it to her.

"There are many more notebooks like this..."

"Uh-huh."

Toyokawa Shoko picked up the notebook, placed it on her lap, and slowly examined it.

Takamatsu's notebook looked like it had been carefully preserved, without any creases or dirt. Just looking at the cover was enough to show how much the girl cherished it.

"It's so beautiful! Are there any other kinds?" she praised sincerely.

"Yes, I'll get it..."

Takamatsu Akari pulled out several similar notebooks from her desk. Although they looked a bit old, they were still in very good condition. She enthusiastically introduced them to Toyokawa Shoko one by one.

Shoko Toyokawa smiled gently and listened patiently to her endless chatter.

“This one… is a limited edition. It’s sold out in the store. Xu Dou helped me find it…”

"So that's how it came about?"

Toyokawa Shoko's eyes lit up.

Oh my, I didn't know that Yuan had this side to him.

She couldn't help but turn her head to look at Yuan Xudou, and found that the boy, who was already facing away from them, seemed to have turned his face even further away.

Seeing this, the girl's smile became even happier.

In such a relaxed atmosphere, even a sprain seemed to heal a little faster. She felt that the swelling should go down in a while, so she simply put her foot off the bed, placed the notebook between her soft thighs, and casually spread it out.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I inadvertently caught sight of the words on it.

"I always feel so alone," "I want to truly be like everyone else"...

As if drawn in, Toyokawa Shoko slowly read it aloud.

"This is……"

(a) 7 walk the doctor umbrella (2) leeks "Ah..."

Takamatsu was stunned for a moment before she realized what was happening and reached out to stop her.

However, the outstretched hand was excitedly grasped by Toyokawa Shoko.

"Did you write these lyrics?! They're incredibly moving!"

"Song, lyrics? I don't have any..."

Startled by her sudden excitement, Takamatsu Akira shook her head timidly in denial.

"No, these words, so full of emotion, that directly connect people's hearts...aren't they the best lyrics!"

Toyokawa Shoko rejected her suggestion without hesitation.

"Unlike others, I hope someone can understand me... This kind of feeling is both confusing and persistent, a cry for help that belongs to me to everyone..."

She murmured, somewhat ecstatic, as she gripped Gao Songdeng's hand tightly.

"I've already come up with a really beautiful melody... These lyrics are sure to be a hit!"

"what are you doing?"

Without anyone noticing, Gen Xudou appeared in front of the two of them and reached out, grabbing Toyokawa Shoko's wrist with a serious expression.

The girl seemed startled and instinctively let go. Takamatsu Akari, who had struggled for a while, immediately pulled her hand back and hid behind the boy. He also let go of her hand.

As if waking from a dream, Toyokawa Shoko looked at Takamatsu Akari, who was hiding behind Genjiro, only daring to show half of her face, her face full of confusion and unease. Only then did she realize what she had just done.

"I'm sorry, I got a little too excited."

A look of guilt appeared on her face.

"Because of Takamatsu's writing, I felt a little resonance with it, so I did what I just did without thinking... I'm really sorry for taking the liberty of peeking at what you wrote..."

Toyokawa Shoko bowed deeply to the two of them, her round face filled with sincere apology.

Although she didn't expect the two of them to forgive her so easily, the girl still looked up nervously, secretly observing their expressions.

Ugh?

They don't seem very angry...

Although Gao Song looked a little scared, she wasn't angry because of what she had said; Yuan, though still expressionless, had a more serious look in his eyes, but she didn't feel any cold hostility.

"...Toyokawa-kun."

"Ah...yes! I'm here!"

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko, whose face was filled with self-reproach and who was constantly reflecting on her momentary loss of control, Takamatsu looked at her and hesitated before speaking.

"Do you think those words would be suitable as song lyrics...?"

"...Yes! Gao Song's words have a power to touch people's hearts, and the emotions they evoke are perfect for songs that express one's inner feelings."

Even after realizing her mistake, the girl did not change her opinion.

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko's unwavering persistence, Takamatsu Akari tilted her head in confusion.

"But I haven't listened to many songs, and I've never studied music..."

“Those aren’t the most important things about a song! I can help Gao Song write a melody that matches your lyrics…”

Yin Ling (7): It is (; 7) 456 "Toyokawa-kun".

A calm and composed voice gently extinguished the emotions that seemed to be rising again in Toyokawa Shoko.

Yuan Xudou asked bluntly:

"What exactly do you want to do?"

"I……"

Toyokawa Shoko opened her golden eyes wide. Then, her voice lowered.