Tokyo Psychic

Page 147

"Your guitar teacher was also found for you by Minami." The doll raised her hands and gently rubbed them against that exquisite face. "Besides... Mutsumi, you don't have the talent to play the guitar, do you? Only this beauty, and the performing talent you inherited from Minami and Takafumi, are your true..."

The intermittent "Moonlight" has finally come to an end.

In the eerie silence that filled the entire floor, Ruoye Mu slowly lowered her hands from her face.

She slowly picked up the dress beside her.

Accompanied by the rustling sound of fabric rubbing against skin.

The puppet, dressed in its performance costume, seemed stripped of all emotion, and staggered out of its room.

*

When the wide doors opened, Akira Kurusu, who deliberately didn't comb her hair and appeared gloomy and depressed, was invited into the living room by the nanny.

At least he changed into a clean set of clothes: a simple white short-sleeved shirt and black casual trousers.

He managed to pull off this completely mismatched outfit with an air of worldly indifference and a sense of decadence that made women instinctively want to care for him.

The island countertop in the open kitchen reflected the boy's tall figure, and then a warm woman came to greet him.

"Amamiya-san, welcome to our home. Since we parted that day, Mutsu has really wanted to see you again... She's seen your performance, so she keeps saying things like, 'I hope to ask you for some tips.' It's really kind of you to come all this way."

Minami Mori smiled and said the complete opposite, subtly changing the nature of "a senior in the agency inviting a junior to dinner" to "an interaction between young people".

Faced with this easily exposed lie, Akira Kurusu looked at the beautiful and silent girl beside her and said, "I have seen Wakaba's performance in CRYCHIC. She is already very good. There is no need for her to ask her peers for advice."

The unspoken message is: I am indeed very good at guitar, but I don't want to teach her.

Looking at Akira Kurusu's undisguised confidence and pride, Minami thought to herself that she seemed to have met someone of the same type, and her smile became even more amiable.

"Let's have dinner first. I happen to have some resources from digital record producers, and I'm thinking it's not good to just leave them idle. Let's talk after dinner. Maybe it can be of some help to your development."

Akira Kurusu earnestly expressed her gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much for taking care of me, Ms. Mori."

“It’s alright. After all, I’m practically part of the agency, so I have to take care of my juniors.” Mori Minami said with a smile. “You should thank Mutsu more for this. She brought it up yesterday, and that’s when I remembered that I’ve appeared in a few of my friends’ music videos before, and I haven’t asked them for payment yet.”

Akira's expression became even more solemn as she bowed to Mutsuka Wakaba, saying, "Thank you for your help, Wakaba-san."

"Hey, young man, you're too reserved... Come on over and sit down for a chat."

As she spoke, Mori Minami pulled out a seat for Akira Kurusu at the dining table.

Her gaze inadvertently fell on Ruoye Mu, who had been following her around like a shadow the whole time without saying a word. A hint of imperceptible anxiety appeared on her face, but her smile remained as gentle and graceful as ever. "Mu is really shy today."

Wakaba Mutsumi's shoulders trembled slightly as he sensed Mori Minami's urging. He then stepped out from behind her and, trying to remain calm, extended his hand towards Kurusu Akira.

Akira Kurusu politely touched the back of her hand with his right hand, then withdrew his hand. "Good evening, Wakaba-san."

"It's nice to see you again." Wakaba Mutsu lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze.

But that emotionless voice didn't convey any sense of "happiness" at all.

Akira Kurusu turned his head away somewhat awkwardly, fully displaying the shyness and unease that a boy of this age should have.

Sensing the subtle awkwardness in the atmosphere, Minami looked at Akira Kurusu with increasingly meaningful eyes, but still quickly squeezed between them to help smooth things over.

After exchanging pleasantries, the three of them sat down at the dining table.

......

At dinner, Akira Kurusu was specially seated opposite Mutsu Wakaba, while Mutsu Wakaba sat in the best-lit spot, like a fine work of art displayed in a showcase for the guests to admire.

He only needed to look up slightly to see the girl's delicate face and every detail of her eating.

Minami Mori kept bringing up various topics to get Mutsu Wakaba and Akira Kurusu talking to each other as much as possible.

She recounted various anecdotes and interesting stories from Wakaba Mutsumi's childhood, as well as the harmonious relationship between Wakaba Mutsumi and Toyokawa Shoko...

As for the person involved, Mutsumi Wakaba, she seemed to have been completely deprived of the ability to feel emotions. She just sat quietly at the table, occasionally using short words to cooperate with her mother's "script".

She stared blankly at the food on her plate, like a puppet with pre-programmed parameters, eating elegantly and slowly.

Until... Minami Mori mentioned that Mutsuka Wakaba had failed in forming a band during junior high school and hoped that Akira Kurusu could give her some advice.

Wakaba Mutsu's hands trembled slightly as she held the cutlery.

As a member of a band that has successfully debuted, and a colleague of Takafumi Wakaba, Akira Kurusu is indeed qualified to offer advice to this "junior" who is a year younger than her.

But he didn't follow up on that move at all. Instead, he used popular internet memes like "forming a band is going against the grain, and it's normal for it to fail halfway through," subtly shifting the focus of the conversation, which made Senmin and Nami laugh out loud.

Finally, when Minami jokingly teased Akira Kurusu, saying, "Don't you think my little Mutsu is cute?"

The knife in Wakaba Mutsu's hand suddenly struck the bottom of the porcelain plate, making a crisp sound.

But it seemed that no one at the table noticed her.

As she watched the two people in front of her putting on their acting show, a faint flame seemed to ignite in her heart.

"If it weren't for the Moon Forest, a girl as outstanding as Wakaba would definitely be pursued by all the boys in the school, right?" Akira Kurusu praised respectfully, "As expected of Ms. Mori and Mr. Wakaba's daughter, she really is..."

"Hmm~" Mori Minami smiled smugly, but her eyes were somewhat wary.

This kid is really something else, no wonder he can make the young lady of the Toyokawa family so infatuated... Time and again, the topic was steered from "Wakaba Mutsumi" back to "the interaction between senior and junior colleagues in the agency".

Then, Minami glanced discreetly at her daughter, who had just acted somewhat out of control, and began to make her own plans.

Dinner time is over.

Akira Kurusu and Minami Mori had a pleasant conversation about "digital records".

Just after praising Akira Kurusu's guitar talent, Minami suddenly clapped her hands and said, "What a coincidence! My daughter Mutsu has been learning guitar since she was very young! Shall I take you to her practice place? If you'd like to listen to her play for a while, you can give me some feedback."

We've come full circle back to the "guitar".

In fact, Senmina only watched one performance by Akira Kurusu. How could she possibly know whether he was truly gifted through a distorted video?

So-called "talent" is not important at all.

Even if Lai Xixiao couldn't explain it clearly, she had already prepared a series of "scripts" to ensure that he would have a good time.

Akira Kurusu hadn't studied much music theory, so how could he possibly offer insightful critiques of someone else's performance? But he couldn't shake off the topic. With immense confidence in his own guitar skills, he humbly said, "I only know a little about the guitar myself, so I won't offer any suggestions. But I can ask Wakaba for advice and learn from each other."

Mori Minami clapped happily, "Xiao Mu usually practices guitar alone, which is very lonely. It would be great if she could have a partner."

She led Akira Kuryuu towards the basement. Mutsuka Wakaba seemed to have completely lost all awareness of the outside world. Seeing her mother so abruptly occupy her only space—the space where she practiced guitar—and her pupils trembled uncontrollably, cold sweat dripping from her forehead...

What exactly is Minami planning to do...? Wakaba Mutsu began to feel fear.

Until she saw Minami pick up that guitar by the wall... that guitar that she treasured.

Minami Mori handed the shimmering pink seven-stringed guitar to Akira Kurusu, as if showing off her prized masterpiece. "Mutsu usually uses this to practice, and it's the same instrument she uses for stage performances. Amamiya didn't bring any instruments today... Can you play it?"

Akira Kurusu calmly declined Minami Mori's invitation, saying, "I've never used a seven-string guitar before. I'll try playing it next time I bring my own guitar."

"Hmm..." Minami Mori gave a slightly regretful smile, "Then I'd like to ask you to comment on Mutsumi's performance!"

As she spoke, she handed the guitar to Wakaba Mutsu beside her, "Mutsu, can we listen to 'Spring Shadow'?"

*

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(This also counts as adjusting my schedule; I'll try to maintain this normal update schedule starting tomorrow.)

(This chapter has been expanded with 500 extra words for free as compensation... It's the beginning of the month, and all the monthly tickets have been refreshed, so please use your monthly tickets!!)

(Finally, I'd like to recommend a book by one of our group members:)

129. "I don't have the talent to play the guitar" (Two-part summary)

"Xiao Mu, can we listen to that song 'Spring Shadow'?"

The woman smiled warmly, the basement light spilling over her shoulders, making the shadows on her features appear exceptionally deep, as if another hideous face had been inadvertently revealed.

Ruo Ye Mu looked down at the guitar that had been handed to him, his face turning even paler, his pupils trembling violently, as if he were on an operating table under the shadow of a shadowless lamp, about to have his chest ripped open by a sharp scalpel and have all his contents exposed in the most bloody and barbaric way.

But obeying her parents' arrangements had become her instinct over the past fifteen years. No matter how much she struggled with the little self she had left, she could not resist the "request" of the woman in front of her.

Ruoye Mutsu stiffly accepted the guitar handed to her by Mori Minami. The cold air from the basement air conditioner ruffled the hair at her temples, making the fine beads of sweat particularly noticeable.

"Oh right, I forgot to give you the pick..." Minami bent down and took a metal pick out of the open guitar case, handing it to Mutsuka Wakaba with a bright smile and a small clapping gesture. "Mutsuka, hurry up and play!"

"Yes..." came the low, barely audible reply.

Ruoye Mu, gripping the guitar pick, stiffly hugged the guitar, slowly backed away, and then plopped down in a chair.

Like a puppet whose joints have been violently twisted, every part of her seemed to be sobbing in pain, with invisible threads tangling around her limbs as she began her performance on this small stage.

As Akira noticed the various painful emotions in Wakaba Mutsu's heart, she also noticed the chair she was sitting in... It was a chair that seemed out of place with the rest of the house. It had been used for a long time, and the plastic cushion had some cracks and dents... To be precise, the entire basement felt completely out of place with the luxurious elegance of the upper floor.

Like a space that goes unnoticed, in a state of abandonment and neglect, a doll-like girl planted a seed called "self" here, which grew morbidly in the darkness.

It finally managed to emerge from the soil, but before it could even see the sunlight, someone brutally barged into this world, intending to uproot it.

The person who pulled out the plant didn't have malicious intent; they simply didn't understand what this weed-like thing, and the space to nurture its growth, meant to the girl before them, or what its importance was...

Such neglect and indifference are probably more heart-wrenching than a thousand malicious words or physical attacks.

Akira Kurusu felt intense anger, but he carefully concealed all his emotions, just like every guest who visited the house, standing coldly beside Minami Mori, watching the doll dancing with the threads in front of him.

Perhaps all the guests in the past had been looking at Wakaba Mutsumi's beauty and "performance" with admiration, or even with some filthy eyes.

But Akira could only feel regret and disgust. He wanted to find a place to immediately sneak into the space of impressions and make the woman beside him repent... But his keen intuition made him clearly realize that if he really left and left the girl in front of him alone with her mother in this space, she would probably be completely "broken" after a very short time.

To be precise, Ruoye Mu was already on the verge of destruction, and her mother was about to unknowingly push her toward it.

What's even more frightening is that Senmina might not actually be "completely unaware," but rather "completely indifferent."

Wakaba Mutsu rested the heavy guitar on his lap, lowered his eyes, and began to play the keyboard version of "Spring Shadow" with a pick in his hand.

If you want to present a rock song to others through a solo performance, the guitarist needs to take on as many roles as possible within the band...

As always, Mutsumi Wakaba understood the "performance effect" her mother wanted and then tried her best to meet her expectations.

But this time, her hands seemed to be out of her control, trembling and weak. Her thoughts were so chaotic that it was as if countless images of troubles or joys were surging from the depths of her memory, and then they all faded quickly, constantly tearing at the wounds deep in her heart, causing scalding blood to gush out.

Blood stained the guitar strings, causing them to groan hoarsely.

The moment she played the wrong note, a look of disappointment and confusion seemed to immediately surface from the deepest recesses of her memory, flashing back into her vision.

Ruo Yemu instinctively wanted to cover her face and scream, or even stand up and run away, but the unseen blood had already rushed to her throat, completely suffocating all her impulses to cry for help and express her emotions. She could only clutch her guitar tightly in fear and helplessness, slumped in her chair like a doll with broken joints. The guitar pick fell to the floor with a faint thud.

It's a piece I've practiced countless times, a piece I've memorized over and over again...

Why... why did it go wrong?

Ruo Yemu gasped for breath, sweat dampening the hair on her forehead, and her bewildered and pained eyes gradually filled with tears.

She dared not apologize, dared not cry, dared not pick up the pick, dared not... dared not see the disappointed look on her mother's face.

Despite seeing her daughter's outburst, Minami remained all smiles, showing no sign of disappointment. Instead, she curiously inquired of Akira Kurusu beside her.

"Amamiya, do you make mistakes like this when you play the guitar?"

She seemed completely oblivious to the pained, tearful expression on Wakaba Mutsu's face, her lips, coated with lip balm, so red they looked as if they were dripping blood.

Akira Kurusu clenched his right fist and then released it, almost unable to resist punching the woman in the face... If he wasn't worried about scaring Mutsuka Wakaba to tears, he really was going to do it.

He was clearly seething with anger, but his face maintained the calm and confident expression he had maintained since he entered the room. "Everyone makes mistakes, but excellent people can minimize the number of mistakes they make."

“Eh?…” Mori Minami seemed completely unprepared for Kurusu Akira’s answer, but she was prepared for his “humility to the end” and was about to reveal the next scene of the script when she saw him suddenly walk towards Wakaba Mutsumi, who was curled up in a chair, clutching his guitar.

At this moment, Akira Kurusu had walked up to Mutsumi Wakaba's side. "I suddenly feel like playing something. Can I borrow it for a moment?"

As he spoke, his tone softened, and he earnestly sought Wakaba Mutsu's opinion.

The girl lowered her head and hugged the guitar tightly until Minami spoke up, "Mutsu, don't make the guests feel stingy."

Ruo Yemu shuddered violently, and with great difficulty and pain, she released the guitar from her arms and slowly handed it to the boy who was standing close by.

Akira Kurusu solemnly accepted the seven-stringed guitar that he had never used before. Because of the cable connecting it to the amplifier, he could only stand next to Mutsu Wakaba.

Both Wakaba Mutsu and Mori Minami noticed Kurusu Akira's unfamiliarity and caution when he first started playing the guitar.

Akira Lai held the guitar, then bent down to pick up the pick from the ground, and smiled shyly. "I don't actually have much talent for playing the guitar. This is my first time using a seven-string guitar. Please forgive me if I make any mistakes."

Mori Minami immediately said with concern, "Don't be nervous..."

The first string was touched by the pick, and a clear, melodious sound interrupted Minami Mori's words.