Chapter 8: Your Struggling Life

At night, lying in bed, you turned your head to look at your girlfriend.

She had curled up into a small ball, resting against your chest as she slept soundly.

She looked so delicate, so endearing.

[You could lose anything else, but you knew you had to protect her. You made a firm resolution in your heart and gently held her frail body.]

Your movement woke her up.

Lying on the pillow, Goto Hitori's ears turned red.

She was still as shy as ever, avoiding your gaze.

[At that moment, you brought up her time in the school band. You had always felt guilty about her quitting, about her giving up the guitar she loved most. You knew that her decision had a lot to do with you.]

[In response to your guilt, Goto Hitori simply held your hand gently and asked if you wanted to go for a walk.]

[You agreed, and the two of you walked to the park. She held onto your arm and softly told you not to dwell on the past.]

Tokyo's night was not deep.

The black sky stretched outward.

Neon lights painted the cityscape with colors.

The whole city pulsed with life.

Minami Shouji walked forward, feeling Goto Hitori's warm breath against his shoulder.

"A-Shouji, do you remember when I used to teach you guitar at school?"

Under the streetlights, her voice carried a hint of nostalgia.

"Yeah."

Minami Shouji nodded and sighed softly.

He knew exactly why she had given up on the guitar and the band.

He wanted to speak, but her fingers gently pressed against his lips.

"I never regretted it."

Under the glow of the streetlamp, Goto Hitori looked up at him.

She spoke seriously.

"Giving up the guitar, leaving the band—it was my own decision. It had nothing to do with you. I have never regretted it."

Her gentle reassurance only made Minami Shouji shake his head.

"But that was your dream."

He knew how hard she had worked for it.

She had played until her fingers were calloused, all so that one day, she could perform on stage and have the whole world recognize her talent.

But she had abandoned all that—stayed by his side instead.

Seeing his guilt, Goto Hitori gently embraced him.

Beneath the night sky, where tiny snowflakes drifted down—

Goto Hitori didn't know how to comfort Minami Shouji.

In a clumsy, barely audible voice, she repeatedly whispered, "It's okay, it's fine."

The night had grown deep.

You and Hitori Gotoh leaned against each other, gazing down from the park's observation deck.

Below, the city glowed like a sea of fire and silver, lights from countless homes flickering in the distance.

A bustling crowd… Light cast the shadow of a girl's dream.

Minami Shouji held Hitori Gotoh even closer.

[You look at the beautiful girl beside you—right now, she belongs only to you. She willingly stays within the exquisite golden cage you've woven for her. To her, you are far more important than the fleeting, untouchable dreams. So important that she is willing to give up everything, as long as she can stay by your side.]

[You understand this clearly, yet you refuse to accept it. Because when she speaks, you can hear the regret hidden within her words. You make a decision.]

[Now in your final year of high school, as everyone expected, you were accepted into a prestigious university. However, instead of enrolling as predicted, you chose an unknown university.]

[You erased every trace of yourself from Hitori Gotoh's life and disappeared from her world.]

[Because of this, Hitori Gotoh searched for you like a madwoman. But you had prepared too well for this day—meticulously covering every possible lead she could follow. When she arrived at your home, all she found was an empty room, a brand-new, natural-wood-colored guitar, and a farewell letter left on the desk.]

[In the letter, you told Hitori Gotoh that you didn't want to cage her, to extinguish or deny her dreams, nor to let all her hard work go to waste.]

[You were the thorn blocking her path—both in life and in her dreams. Since she was unwilling to "cut through the thorns," you would do it for her.]

[Holding the guitar, Hitori Gotoh fell into silence. She locked herself in her closet for days. When she reappeared, she threw herself into relentless guitar practice, barely eating or sleeping.]

[She rejoined the band she once left, and with absolute technical mastery, she captivated every single audience member who came to see her perform.]

[She practiced obsessively, to the point where she dropped out of high school and dedicated herself entirely to the band.]

[Her friends tried to stop her, but no amount of persuasion could shake her resolve. The praise and recognition of others brought her no joy. Because of this, she earned the title of 'Setagaya's Ice-Cold Rock Queen.']

[The band members had a great relationship with each other. They understood her, but most people only saw her as an emotionless rock lunatic.]

[Yet no one knew that, every time she stepped on stage, exhausted from relentless practice, she would scan the crowd, searching for the one person she truly wanted to see.]

[Thanks to Hitori Gotoh's efforts, the band 'Kessoku Band' gained an enormous following and soon debuted nationwide, becoming one of the hottest rock bands of the time and a regular presence on television.]

[Gradually, people noticed that Hitori Gotoh always performed with the same natural-wood-colored electric guitar. This detail caught the attention of many, with some believing it was the key to her success. That season, natural-wood electric guitars saw a huge surge in sales.]

[Hiding away in a place only you knew, you quickly climbed the corporate ladder using your natural talent for learning and reading people, becoming an executive at a company. With your handsome and youthful appearance, you became the dream of many women in the workplace. But in reality, beyond work, you barely interacted with anyone. The only thing you never missed was 'Kessoku Band' performances.]

[Watching the 'Guitar Queen' Hitori Gotoh on television, you sat in your tiny room, eating a cheap bento, feeling nothing but genuine happiness for her.]

[In truth, you earned enough to move to a better apartment. But in the early years of 'Kessoku Band' debut, you secretly sent a large portion of your savings to support the band, anonymously. These funds helped them get through many hardships in their early days.]

[Because of this, you weren't wealthy. On the contrary, you lived in near poverty.]

[Just when you thought life would continue like this, fate took an unexpected turn.]

[Hitori Gotoh found you.]

Memories surged within your mind.