Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 45

"Whether it was hidden or displayed... I saw it all."

"In the end, the 'Wakaba Mutsu' I know has always been like this."

Beyond the girl's exposed body, Gen Xudou looked directly into those bewildered golden eyes and met the gaze of "Wakaba Mutsu," who was huddled in the corner of his mind.

"If you want someone to look at 'you,' or just 'Wakaba Mutsumi'..."

Haven't I been doing this all along?

Chapter Sixty-Three: All I Need Is You, the One I Know

A gentle breeze softly stirred the strands of hair that were scattered like silk threads.

Even more refreshing than the gentle breeze were the boy's warm, clear, and focused words.

"To treat oneself as an appendage of others is a dangerous act."

“I don’t know what exactly caused you to have such extreme thoughts… making you feel that you are not real, that you have deviated from who you should be.”

"But... that kind of 'harmony' is by no means fake."

"Being able to play the guitar well, grow your own cucumbers, and have supportive bandmates—these things can't be something you deliberately put on a show; they're your own 'choices,' right?"

"At least, everything I see that represents 'Wakaba Mutsumi' comes from you."

So—give me back 'Harmony'.

It wasn't directed at his lively and cheerful outward appearance, but rather it pierced through his eyes—the windows to the soul—and spoke directly to the hidden person he knew, Wakaba Mutsumi.

—In my eyes, I have never regarded you as anyone else's shadow.

Whether it's the so-called "real Wakaba Mutsumi" or "Miss Wakaba," I didn't get to know you through those kinds of things.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to find your true self, but that's not a reason for you to deny the girl I know now, the one whose outline has already been drawn in my eyes—a girl who isn't good with words but tries hard to express herself, a quiet and clear-minded girl.

I can help you find it, but never at the cost of taking away the original one.

If you want help, at least come and talk to me in person.

It's okay if you're not good at talking, it's okay if you're hesitant, it's okay if you're shy and introverted. That's the kind of Mutsumi I'm used to. There's no need to force yourself to become extroverted, nor to hide your true feelings—I understand you; that was a decision made from the very beginning.

So—come back, Mu.

His calm, dark eyes conveyed his determination in a calm yet firm manner.

And so, under that gaze, the girl sitting on the edge of her mind involuntarily stood up, stretched out her hand, and her unfocused, lifeless pupils began to refocus—

"Wait wait wait wait!"

However, what should have been a heartfelt exchange between two people turned into an unexpected incident.

"Wakaba Mutsumi" raised her head and interrupted the conversation with a lively voice that was completely different from usual, forcibly stopping Mutsumi's revival.

She grabbed Yuan Xudou's hand in a flustered manner, completely losing her previous playful and indifferent demeanor, and questioned the boy in a lively and urgent voice:

"Does Xu Dou think that the taciturn 'Mu' from before was better?! That shouldn't be the case, right? She was clearly more popular because she had more expressive features and spoke more lively!"

"Um,"

Yuan Xudou nodded in agreement, acknowledging her statement, and then answered without hesitation.

"But I want the one from before."

"Well--!"

No, it won't work.

Mutsumi-chan is struggling desperately—you were the one who gave up your body, so why are you so unwilling now?

"no!"

"Mmm, mmm—!"

Her expression began to crumble, unable to maintain her playful attitude. The girl shook her head and let out a suppressed moan.

Feeling slightly worried because she looked like she was in pain, Yuan Xudou frowned and approached her.

Regardless of Ruoye Mutsu's current state... at least don't make her feel uncomfortable.

"Mu."

He called out softly, like ripples on water.

The next moment, as if she could no longer restrain herself, the girl suddenly raised her head and reached out her hand towards his face.

Yuan Xudou, as if anticipating something, slightly turned his head to avoid her delicate, smooth fingertips.

Unable to succeed with her first attempt, "Wakaba Muku" persisted in reaching for his face until Genji Koto dodged her several times and then deftly grabbed her wrist. Only then did she pout and let out a desperate cry of self-abandonment.

"Seriously—I don't care! I'll let 'Mu' come back, but Xu Dou has to agree to one condition!"

"……condition?"

Gen Xudou tilted his head in confusion, while Wakaba Mutsu, who had been struggling to rise and regain control of her body, suddenly calmed down. The two of them waited quietly for the conditions to be proposed by the now outwardly manifested "Wakaba Mutsu".

"That's right!"

Having barely escaped the panic that had almost been dragged back into the depths of her thoughts by the sudden burst of mental power from the girl after hearing Yuan Xudou's words, she hurriedly blurted out her request before she could even catch her breath.

"I want to see you smile—if I do that, I'll give 'harmony' back to you!"

"...?"

Upon hearing this, the boy subconsciously touched the corner of his mouth.

He didn't question why she would suddenly think of such a thing; instead, he seriously considered and tried it out. If this simple method could bring Mu to her senses, he wasn't opposed to it; a smile wouldn't hurt him.

However, despite successfully persuading his mind, his facial muscles did not respond according to his will.

Realizing that such things cannot be forced, Won Heo-doo responded frankly:

"It can't be done."

Unable to meet "Wakaba Mutsumi's" demands, the only hope now is that Mutsumi can break free on his own.

With this thought in mind, Yuan Xudou looked into the girl's eyes, only to find that Ruoye Mu's eyes were quiet and still, without any of the effort she had put into concentrating just now. Instead, they seemed to have made peace, and her gaze towards him even shone with a subtle glimmer of expectation.

...Wait a minute, why did you give up on your own?

Before Yuan Xudou could even have a headache, he heard the unsatisfactory reply from "Wakaba Mutsu" and pouted his pink lips.

Like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum, her voice revealed undisguised arrogance, but coupled with her delicate and lively cute expressions, it was hard to feel uncomfortable.

"Tap—meh! You should do what you say you'll do!"

"If Xu Dou can't do it himself..."

"Let go of my hand for a moment."

After a moment of silence, he slowly let go.

The next moment, "Wakaba Mutsu" cupped the side of Gen Xudou's face, who did not dodge.

Her soft, delicate palm pressed tightly against his cheek, her slender thumb pressed against the corner of his mouth, and pulled upwards forcefully—

Yuan Xudou's lips were forced into a slightly strange curve.

Gazing at Yuan Xudou's face, where the corners of his mouth were unnaturally turned up but his eyes and features remained calm, was like a deep pool without ripples. Forcibly throwing a pebble into it in an attempt to create vivid ripples only destroyed that tranquil beauty.

Looking at the boy, "Wakaba Mutsu" sighed in disappointment.

"...It's not good-looking at all."

With a slight sense of disappointment and grievance rising in her heart, her voice became somewhat low, but she did not ask for anything more in accordance with her whims.

"Oh well, at least I've seen it."

“I’ll return ‘Mu’ to you.”

"...You must not make her sad."

The extremely faint, almost inaudible murmur was swallowed up by the sudden howling wind coming from the lake.

Briefly blinded by the sweeping waves, Yuan Xudou couldn't help but close his eyes. When he opened them again, the girl in front of him had already suppressed all her previous liveliness. Her bright golden pupils flickered as she looked at him in a daze.

—This is the Wakaba Mutsu that he knows. With just one glance, Gen Xudou came to this conclusion.

At this moment, the two were still in the same position.

That is, the gesture of holding Yuan Xudou's cheeks in her hands and touching the corner of his mouth with her fingertips.

The moment she realized this, the girl recoiled as if she'd been electrocuted. She nervously swayed her hand back and forth at her waist, unable to find a suitable place to put it.

Finally, she could only lower her head, clutch her skirt with both hands, and shrink back, not daring to look at the boy's expression.

However, the small earlobes hidden among the light green silk hair peeked out, their bright red hue revealing the girl's unbearable shyness.

A soft, gentle voice faintly emanated from beneath the cascading bangs.

"...Xu Dou, I'm...I'm sorry..."

"I never imagined it would turn out like this..."

The fact that her body suddenly became unusually lively and cheerful, and even made such a bold move, was something that Wakaba Mutsu had never imagined before she decided to ask Genji for help.

She thought that at most she would become a doll without autonomy, and then, with the boy's help, she would regain her sense of self and be able to understand the true nature of "the original Wakaba Mutsumi".

...But why did it turn out like this?

Is that kind of wicked, unreasonable, and mischievous personality, like that of a naughty child, really the true nature of "Wakaba Mutsumi"?

Stunned by such a shocking fact, the confused girl began to think that perhaps she didn't necessarily have to find herself.

She didn't want to become the kind of person who would easily cause trouble for others, especially Won Heo-doo.

If this is the truth, then we have no choice but to give up...

Just as Wakaba Mutsumi was sinking into a state of bewilderment and began to doubt his own meaning.

Something warm gently covered her head and then softly stroked it.

His gentle voice, devoid of any displeasure or rejection, enveloped her as always, erasing all her confusion and sorrowful thoughts.

"Welcome back, Mu."

"It's okay."

Chapter Sixty-Four: Smiles, Concern, and Choices Without Hesitation

Gently placing his hand on Wakaba Mutsu's head, as if to comfort her and to express his relief, Genji Koto gently smoothed the girl's soft, green hair, which had become messy from the previous movement, without saying anything more.

A strange silence fell between the two of them.

After a while, Gen Xudou suddenly realized that this seemed to be the first time he had made such an intimate gesture towards Wakaba Mutsu.

He seemed to only ever pat Takamatsu's head, who was as delicate as a small animal and naturally suited to being treated this way. However, he had done it so many times that he had become somewhat accustomed to it. When he saw Wakaba Mutsumi looking fragile and uneasy, he subconsciously placed his hand on her head.

Looking back now, he and the girl had never even held hands before, making their relationship the most distant in the band.

However, he did not sense any resistance from Wakaba Mutsu.

Even so, it's still a bit impolite to continue like this. Unlike Takamatsu Akari, she isn't a lost soul who needs to be guided; instead, she wants to be seen as a human being with her own identity, and to be recognized as an independent individual who doesn't depend on others for her existence.

Therefore, Yuan Xudou removed his hand.

What then came into view was the girl's delicate and lovely face, already flushed with shy blush, so bright it seemed as if it were about to bleed.

Her swaying golden eyes were filled with dizzying circles, her slight breathing was stirred by her rising heartbeat, and the clear and warm touch struck her already thin mind, almost filling her mind completely, leaving no room for any extra space.

Even though she was so shy that her forehead was burning hot, as if steam was about to burst out, Ruo Yemu still stood obediently in place without saying a word, letting the boy stroke her with her head down.

Like a pure white flower quietly blooming in a secluded corner, it silently and purely reveals its own beauty to him, asking for nothing in return, willingly and without expecting anything in return.

In that instant, barriers and distance seemed to become things that could be easily overcome, more insignificant than the pebbles on the roadside. Yuan Xudou even felt that as long as he took one step, that flower would be easily plucked without any hindrance.

...Whether it was his imagination or not, he felt that Wakaba Mutsuki's expression was much more vibrant now than before.

No longer like a completely empty puppet that only knows how to imitate, it slowly began to explore how to express its own emotions and thoughts.

It wasn't overly passionate, nor did it display possessiveness; it was simply a clear, sweet spring, its gentle, gurgling stream flowing into the heart, washing away all the dust that had settled there.