Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 56

"After you're done, come back here to meet up—we'll discuss the next steps together, so don't forget."

He looked at Toyokawa Shoko, his eyes questioning.

She understood his meaning in an instant, but the girl only gave him a look that said, "We'll talk about it later."

Clearly, she intends to postpone the summer "surprise" until everyone returns before announcing it to the public.

Yuan Xudou, who had no objections, clapped his hands and announced the disbandment.

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.

Just moments before, Nagasaki Motoyo had been wearing a victor's expression, but as soon as she stepped out of the lounge, the smile vanished without a trace, replaced by a slightly unnatural stiffness and a deep worry etched on her delicate brows.

Sensing the girl's heavy thoughts, Yuan Xudou silently took her hand, conveying a warm sense of security from his palm to her heart.

"...Thank you, Xu Doujun."

With a slightly more relaxed expression, Nagasaki Motoyo pursed her lips and gave a forced smile.

Although she appeared confident and in control in front of others, she had no idea how to handle the encounter between her mother and Yuan Xudou.

Nagasaki Motoyo did not hide the existence of the boy and her feelings for him from her mother, but she was also not prepared for the complicated entanglements among the six members of the Honest Band. So whenever the other party mentioned wanting to see Genjiro Tou, she made up all sorts of excuses to avoid it.

After all, her mother's marriage was unhappy, and her family had fallen apart. Even if she herself could accept such a complicated relationship because of her deep love for Yuan Xudou, she was pessimistic about how her mother, who didn't know the boy well, would view these things.

However, she couldn't keep it a secret from her family forever. Finally, on this performance day, which was of great significance to all the members, Nagasaki Motoyo chose to let the two meet.

It concerns whether her love will be blessed by her family and smoothly move towards a bright future, or whether it will be hindered and opposed, forcing her to secretly move into the dark and secretive underground—in any case, even if her mother cannot approve, the girl has already made up her mind that she will never leave Yuan Xudou's side.

But despite being prepared... when it came to actually facing it, she still couldn't help but feel nervous, sincerely hoping that things wouldn't get to the worst possible outcome.

With such heavy thoughts, the girl, who was hesitantly dragging her feet, was eventually pulled by Yuan Xudou to stand before her mother.

"Hello."

Holding Nagasaki Motoyo's hand, who was still lost in her own thoughts and had half of her body hidden behind him, Genji took a few steps forward and politely greeted the black-haired woman in front of him who was looking around as if searching for someone.

"Excuse me, may I ask who you are...?"

When a stranger suddenly struck up a conversation with her, Ms. Nagasaki looked up in surprise at the boy's face.

This face... it's the kind you can never forget after just one glance. I don't think I've seen it before, but why does it feel so familiar...?

It wasn't until her gaze fell upon the boy's back, where his brown hair was faintly visible, that Ms. Nagasaki suddenly realized the source of that familiar feeling from her memory.

"You're the 'Xu Doujun' that Xiao Su Shi has been mentioning to me, right?"

Gen Xudou nodded, slightly bothered by the nickname "Little Su Shi" but still managing to suppress his impulse.

Upon seeing this, Ms. Nagasaki immediately showed a knowing expression.

Although she had seen him in photos, she couldn't immediately recognize him because his temperament and atmosphere couldn't be fully conveyed from the photos, and the mature and dignified performance outfit he was wearing that day.

Having confirmed the boy's identity, she then turned her gaze to the owner of the familiar long brown hair.

"But why was Xiao Su Shi hiding there? It prevented Mom from seeing you right away—"

While enthusiastically observing her daughter's sweetheart, Ms. Nagasaki made a drawn-out, insincere complaint to Nagasaki Motoyo behind her.

The contrast between her urban elite attire and her indifferent expression while waiting for someone was so striking that even passersby couldn't help but glance at her.

"Mom, didn't I tell you not to shout like that in public..."

Unable to hide any longer, and feeling ashamed of her mother's coquettish behavior, Nagasaki Motoyo finally couldn't hold back and appeared from behind the boy, her usually tolerant light blue eyes now showing a hint of helplessness.

Her mother always appeared reliable and serious in front of outsiders, but she was always lively and boisterous in front of her daughter... It was fine at home, but once they were outside, especially in front of Yuan Xudou, the girl hoped that they could get along like a normal mother and daughter.

"Sorry, sorry, because Xiaosushi's performance today was so good, I'm a little excited now."

"Really..."

Looking at the Nagasaki mother and daughter in front of him, who were responding to each other, Gen Xudou fell into thought.

...Why does it feel like Su Shi is more like the "mother" who takes care of the other person?

Although he had heard the girl confide in him about how her mother was sometimes too childish... he never imagined it would escalate to this point, where even the order of the family had been disrupted.

No wonder she developed that caring personality.

While the young man pondered silently, waiting for the two to finish their conversation, Mrs. Nagasaki, who was only partially focused on responding to her obviously absent-minded daughter, was also secretly observing him.

—It looks even better than in the photos. Xiao Su Shi has much better taste than I did back then.

The two, dressed in identical performance outfits, exuded a harmonious and complementary aura simply by standing side by side.

A gentle and lovely young woman, a sunny and handsome young man... they are a perfect match, a sight to behold.

They are well-matched in appearance, get along harmoniously, and live in the same building. So his conditions and vision must be good, and his future living standards are guaranteed. Xiao Su Shi should be able to live a very happy life.

and……

Ms. Nagasaki's gaze drifted to the two hands clasped together, their fingertips interlocked.

'They're even holding hands now...tsk tsk.'

Thinking this, she suddenly turned to Yuan Xudou, asking him a question in a kind but slightly teasing tone.

Are you two already dating?

"...Mom!" Nagasaki Motoyo's eyes widened as she was surprised that the other person would ask such a crucial question. Her gentle voice was filled with a hint of panic.

However, Ms. Nagasaki ignored her daughter's panic and stared intently at the boy, waiting for his reply.

As a mother, although she doesn't usually have much authority, she can't be careless about such important matters.

Even though she had a good impression of Yuan Xudou, there were still some things she needed to clarify.

Genjiro, on the other hand, seemed much calmer and more composed when facing Ms. Nagasaki's questioning. He even squeezed the girl's hand to stop her from trying to distract her mother from bringing up the topic again.

Then, he smiled and answered honestly in a clear and warm voice, like the first rays of dawn on a May morning.

"Not yet, but I think it should be soon."

Even his smile is so sunny...

Having never witnessed the boy's previously composed demeanor, Ms. Nagasaki couldn't comprehend the girls' shock. She simply remarked inwardly on the boy's smile and voice, which matched his appearance, and her impression of him improved further. She then continued to ask questions:

Do you have plans to get married?

...As expected of a single-parent family, their thinking is far too direct and realistic.

He gently squeezed the girl's soft, smooth hand, which was trembling again, as if to comfort her, and Yuan Xudou responded naturally without changing his expression.

"If we start dating, the ultimate goal is of course marriage."

Thump, thump.

He could feel the girl beside him suddenly pounding her heart, pumping into his body through his veins and from her increasingly hot palms.

She hadn't been unaware that the boy would give such a straightforward and passionate answer, but when she actually heard it, Nagasaki Motoyo's heart was still in turmoil, like boiling water, rushing through every nerve in her body and burning out colorful patterns.

Overwhelmed by intense love, the girl's perception of the outside world was clouded, to the point that she barely heard their subsequent conversation.

"Speaking of which, every time I come back, Xiao Su Shi mentions you to me... Thanks to Xiao Xu Dou you, Xiao Su Shi seems to be very happy lately."

"Sigh, it's all my fault as a mother. I haven't spent enough time with her..."

“You have already done so much, and Su Shi has never complained to me about you. Moreover, making her happy is not just my achievement; [CryCHIC] also played a significant role.”

"By the way, speaking of your band—how's your relationship going?"

Faced with Ms. Nagasaki's pointed question, Genji Koto calmly answered without hesitation.

"Everyone gets along very well."

"Hmm...is that so?"

Ms. Nagasaki squinted, looked carefully at the frank boy, and then at the girl with her head down beside him.

A moment later, she smiled.

“It’s a good thing that they have a good relationship. Xiao Su Shi doesn’t usually have any friends she can bring home, and I’ve always been worried about whether she can get along well with her peers.”

She reached out and patted the shoulder of the boy who bowed slightly in understanding.

As if entrusting something to someone, Ms. Nagasaki spoke softly.

"We must make sure she's happy every day."

"I will."

Having received a positive promise, she nodded in satisfaction.

"Then I won't bother you any longer. I have a very important meeting waiting for me soon."

"Goodbye, Auntie." Yuan Xudou straightened up to say goodbye.

"Hmm?" Ms. Nagasaki raised an eyebrow, letting out a long, nasal sound. "Still calling me auntie?"

"...We're not dating yet."

"Hmph... I'll wait for the day when Little Xu makes you change your tune."

She waved her hand and walked away briskly.

"...Sigh, sigh?"

Staring at the other person's back, Nagasaki Motoyo, who had been frozen for a moment, suddenly came back to her senses. Her light blue eyes, filled with disbelief, turned to the boy blankly, as if she hadn't quite figured out the current situation.

"Does Mom... approve of this?"

"It's...it's that simple...?"

The most perfect outcome she had envisioned came too quickly and too easily. So much so that when she finally understood the truth, her mind was filled with confusion, not even joy.

"Because your mother loves you very much, Su Shi."

However, Yuan Xudou understood the lady's thoughts and fully comprehended the reason for Su Shi's current psychological state.

The dysfunctional family structure meant that the elders who should have been there to support and encourage Nagasaki Motoyo were missing. The absence of her father and her mother's busy schedule caused the girl to mature prematurely before she even had a chance to grow up.

Suppressing her childish naiveté and willfulness, she took on the responsibilities of the family, even replacing her mother in the role that should have belonged to her, becoming the member who maintained the family rather than enjoying its protection.

However, this is abnormal. The price of precocity is that basic, reasonable needs cannot be met. Constant suppression and neglect will only allow these needs to grow stronger, distorting normal emotions and cognition.

Perhaps the pain of her broken family left Ms. Nagasaki with no energy to care for her daughter's feelings during that time. She could only throw herself into her work and use busyness to escape reality, thinking that providing Nagasaki Motoyo with enough material conditions could make up for the emotional damage.

Obviously, this was impossible. But by the time Ms. Nagasaki vaguely sensed that something was wrong with her, the family hierarchy had already been established. Changing it would not only take an extremely long time, but would also likely cause secondary trauma to Nagasaki Motoyo's already fragile heart.

She lacked the energy and courage to address the issue, and could only let it fester.

Until Nagasaki Motoyo met Minamoto Koto, who filled the void in her heart—the position of "superior" who supported the immature girl's mistakes and tolerated her flaws. She projected her own longing for "family" onto the boy, a kind of psychological compensation mechanism.

Initially, this projection did not take into account the person being projected—because Nagasaki Motoyo simply needed someone to fill that position. Once the projection began, as long as Genjiro didn't do anything too far off from the hopes she had placed in the other person, the girl could beautify it into the image she wanted.

But soon, things changed—as the two spent more time together, Gen Heoto's actual position became more important than the "identity" the girl had given him. The meaning of "Heoto" overshadowed all labels like "partner," "elder," and "family." Nagasaki Motoyo no longer saw him as a compensation for her own lack, but completely regarded him as an integral part of her life and personality.

It's not that I want to project the concept of "family" onto him, but rather that I want to build a real family with him.

Therefore, their current relationship is healthy, yet extremely unhealthy.

Health lies in treating each other as real people, not as tools to fill the emptiness in their own hearts—what is needed is only "Yuan Xudou" as a person, not "a man who takes care of her".

The unhealthy aspect lies in... he gathers all the emotions that need compensation into a collection that symbolizes himself. To put it another way, it's like replacing a leaky porcelain bowl with one that only has a chip, and then covering it up with a patch.

If her only support were removed... the girl's heart would probably shatter and collapse instantly.

Ms. Nagasaki had already vaguely sensed this from the changes in her daughter these past few days—so from the very beginning, she could not possibly do anything to separate the two.

Besides, her own love life was a failure, and the consequences even extended to the next generation. It's simply too unseemly for her to interfere in her daughter's romantic relationships.

Guilt and love led Ms. Nagasaki to make the decision to let things go.

Let the young people handle their own affairs... She had already seen Gen Xudou's trustworthy honesty and received his promise to take good care of Nagasaki Motoyo.

On stage, she also witnessed the girl's joyful smile, which she had never shown to her before, and the friendship between her and her friends.

There's no need to let potential messy relationships or anything like that ruin the good things she'll experience. If she herself doesn't think it's a problem... then let them make their own decisions.

As long as she knows that Su Shi is happy now and will continue to be happy in the future, she will unconditionally support the girl's choice.

Chapter 80 First Encounter with Triangle Flower