The Tentacle Girl's Child Can't Be a Magical Girl

Chapter 45 Old Stories

As the school bell rang,

Bai Yuze yawned.

Normally, he would have already packed his things and was ready to go home.

But not today.

If I stand up the class monitor, I might end up as a living fossil, the kind that sinks into Tokyo Bay.

A few minutes later,

Shiracha Chika appeared in front of his desk and said very casually:

"Let's go to my house."

"what?"

Bai Yuze was slightly taken aback. "Isn't there a piano at school?"

"Is there?"

Shiracha Chika tilted her head to look at him, her eyes filled with a hint of confusion.

Bai Yuze nodded very seriously:

"some."

Bai Cha Qianxia stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly laughed and teased, "My house isn't a tiger's den, why do you seem so scared?"

"Class monitor, isn't that obvious?" Bai Yuze said innocently. "I can barely afford breakfast, how could I have ever seen anything like this? If we go to the rich area and you startle us, it won't be me who loses face, it will be yours, class monitor, who loses face."

"Tsk, how come I never realized you were so good with words before?" Shiracha Chika pouted, then changed the subject, "But do you have a key to the piano room? I heard that the piano teacher is very strict and takes great care of the piano, and no one can enter after class."

Bai Yuze gave her a long, meaningful look: "Class monitor, aren't you quite familiar with the school's piano club?"

"There's no way around it; there are always some random circles you have to fit into."

Shiracha Chika shrugged and sighed.

"Later I realized I couldn't fit in at all, so I just gave up. Hey, don't change the subject. School's out now, and you can't get into the piano room without a key."

Bai Yuze remained silent.

He simply reached into his pocket slowly, pulled out a key, and twirled it between his fingers.

Hakucha Chika was stunned for a moment.

"Where did you come from?"

Bai Yuze smiled slightly but did not answer.

-

Fifteen minutes ago,

The bell hadn't rung yet.

Bai Yuze's figure had already crossed the corridor and stopped in front of a door with a piano hanging on it.

He knocked on the door.

There was a two-second silence inside before a clear, cold female voice said, "Come in."

Push the door open and enter.

The afternoon sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm glow on the black grand piano.

A woman in her early thirties sat in front of the piano, wearing a plain long dress, her long black hair loosely tied back, revealing her slender and fair neck.

She looked up.

He looked at Bai Yuze.

That was an extremely beautiful face.

Her eyebrows and eyes were like distant mountains shrouded in mist, her nose was straight, and her lips were pale. She looked as if she had stepped out of a traditional Chinese ink painting.

But there was little warmth in those eyes; when they looked at people, there was a faint sense of detachment, as if through a thin layer of mist.

Teacher Zhen from the Music Department.

Known for its strictness,

He was cold and impartial to students, followed the rules strictly, and never showed any favoritism.

It is said that someone saw her scold a student who played the wrong note for a full half hour, until the girl burst into tears on the spot.

But some people say,

She was a recognized piano prodigy in her youth, but for some unknown reason, she gave up the stage and became a teacher at a school.

"What's up?"

Bai Yuze bowed slightly, his attitude respectful.

"Hello, Ms. Zhen, I'm Bai Yuze from the Department of Abyssal Biology Structure. I'd like to borrow the key to the piano room this week to rehearse a piece. Don't worry, I'll only come after school each day and will take good care of the musical equipment."

Teacher Zhen looked at him,

He didn't speak.

Those eyes were indifferent, as if they were looking at an insignificant passerby.

"programme?"

"Breaking the Cocoon" is a piece I composed myself.

Bai Yuze paused, as if hesitating about something, then added softly,

"But I was worried about making a fool of myself on stage, so I asked Professor Mu to help me correct a few things. He told me that if I played without any mistakes, I should have no problem getting a nomination."

Teacher Zhen gently pressed a key on the piano.

"Professor Mu?"

"Um."

Bai Yuze nodded, took a sheet of music from his bag, and handed it over with both hands.

"This is the version he annotated for me. Do you see any areas that can be improved?"

Teacher Zhen took the sheet music and her eyes fell on it.

The other party was looking at it very carefully.

It's like watching a piece of music you composed yourself.

three seconds.

Five seconds.

ten seconds.

A breeze blew in through the window, lifting a corner of the curtain, and sunlight danced on the piano.

Teacher Zhen finally looked up and returned the sheet music to Bai Yuze. Then she took a key from the drawer and placed it on the piano.

The key gleamed with a metallic sheen in the sunlight.

"Put it back where it belongs after you're done using it."

Teacher Zhen's face remained cold, but the thin mist between her brows seemed to have faded a little.

"Teacher Mu has already corrected all the shortcomings. As long as the performer's skill level is not bad, this piece should still be able to win an award."

"Teacher Zhen, I will try my best."

Bai Yuzhe took the key and thanked him.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, a soft voice came from behind him:

"That's very thoughtful."

Bai Yuze paused for a moment, then nodded slightly.

behind,

The piano music began softly, a melody he had never heard before, so gentle it seemed to be saying something he couldn't bring himself to say.

The bell rang just then.

Does Professor Mu like Teacher Zhen?

Bai Yuze didn't know,

but,

Professor Zhen definitely has a good impression of Professor Mu.

This can be seen from Teacher Zhen's usual conversations; she's always concise with everyone, but when speaking to Professor Mu, it's clear that she talks much more.

-

Sunlight streamed in obliquely from the high window, cutting a bright border across the wooden floor.

This is a very small music room.

It's so small that it can only fit an upright piano and two chairs.

But precisely because it is small

Only sunlight can fill every corner.

The air was filled with a faint scent of pine, mixed with the unique aroma of old wood. Outside the window, the cherry blossom trees on campus were visible, their leaves gleaming in the sunlight. Occasionally, birds would chirp, very briefly, as if afraid of disturbing something.

It's very quiet.

It was so quiet you could hear the dust motes slowly drifting down in the light.

Bai Cha Qianxia stood at the door, watching with a look of novelty as Bai Yuze sat down in front of the piano.

She had only heard about it once before from the manager of her own coffee shop, but this was the first time she had ever seen the other person play the piano.

Bai Yuze made a few adjustments and said somewhat embarrassedly:

"Squad leader, can you listen to this for me and tell me if playing this piece will amaze everyone?"

White Tea Chika raised an eyebrow.

So confident?

She sat down on the chair next to her, crossed her legs, and adopted a judge's posture:

"Okay, let's begin."

Bai Yuze's fingers fell.

Two tigers, two tigers, running fast, running fast.

Bai Cha Qianxia paused for a second, then burst out laughing, giving Bai Yuze a beautiful eye roll.

"Is this the piece you're going to play at the school anniversary celebration?"

Bai Yuzhe turned to look at her, shrugged, like a child who had just succeeded in a prank.

"Okay, okay, I'm not kidding anymore."

He turned back.

Place both hands back on the piano keys.

Then he played a piece that Hakucha Chika had never heard before.

The other party did not give their name.

Or,

The name is the same as the program Bai Yuze applied for, "Breaking the Cocoon".

The music started very softly.

very slow.

The right hand lingers in the high register, one note after another, like something groping in the dark. The left hand produces only occasional chords, softly, like a heartbeat, or like something deeper trembling slightly.

Then the melody begins to climb.

The right hand no longer produced individual notes, but rather connected them into a line. That line went upwards, as if something was exerting force, struggling, tearing open an invisible shell.

The chords in the left hand became denser and deeper, like a heartbeat accelerating and blood surging.

Hakucha Chika suddenly felt a little breathless.

She couldn't explain why.

The piece wasn't complicated; in fact, it could be described as simple. But as she listened, she felt as if something was unfolding before her eyes—

She saw a worm wriggling in the darkness. It was small, soft, and fragile.

It didn't know who it was or where it was going. It only knew how to crawl, and keep crawling, in the damp soil, under the rotting leaves, in places where it couldn't see the light.

Then it started spinning silk.

Wrap yourself up. Layer upon layer.

dark.

Quiet. Waiting.

Then--

The piano's tone suddenly brightened, as if a heartbeat had finally burst out of the chest, as if something had rushed out from within.

wing.

The wrinkled wings slowly unfolded in the sunlight.

The wind blows.

The wings are dry.

It began to fly.

The music became expansive at that moment.

The right hand hovers and swirls in the high register, like a butterfly dancing in the sunlight. The accompaniment in the left hand becomes light and lively, as if the wind is carrying it, as if the whole world is supporting it.

It flew over the soil, over the fallen leaves, over the places it had once crawled.

It looked down.

The shell is still there. Empty. With a hole in it.

It did not turn back.

In the last few notes of the piece, the right hand slowly descends, one note after another, like a butterfly landing on a flower.

Gently, steadily.

ended.

The music room was very quiet.

The sunlight still shone in at an angle, and dust particles still drifted slowly in the light.

Bai Cha Qianxia didn't speak; she turned her head and glanced at the other person.

What is he thinking?

Bai Yuze,

Is this a metaphor for one's past self?

"Squad leader, what do you think?"

Bai Yuzhe turned to look at her, a hopeful smile on his face.

Hakucha Chika blinked, suppressing those chaotic thoughts.

"It's alright, only slightly better than two tigers."

Bai Yuze's lips curled up slightly:

"What score would the class monitor give it?"

"Sixty points, that's the most I can get."

"Oh, so low?"

Bai Cha Qianxia looked at him and slowly said, "Because you said this was a surprise you prepared for me. But after hearing it, I felt a bit choked up. Is this a surprise? This is a shock."

Bai Yuze was stunned for a moment.

Then he laughed.

"Then next time, play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' for the class monitor."

"roll."

Shiratsumi Chika stood up, walked to the window, and pretended to look at the cherry blossom tree outside.

"Bai Yuze, when did you learn to play the piano? In Maple Leaf District, it's just an ordinary toy that every household has, but in Parrot District or Hanjiang District, it's an expense that normal people can't afford. Besides, this piece isn't something just anyone can write."

"Of course, if you find it difficult to answer, you don't have to."

There was a moment of silence behind him.

Then came Bai Yuze's voice, as if recalling something, "I learned it from an old man surnamed Shen. He used to live upstairs from me."

Bai Cha Qianxia waited for a while, but Bai Yuze did not continue.

She didn't ask any further questions.

This person wasn't made up by Bai Yuze; there really was such an old man.

When I first arrived in Dongqing City,

He definitely needs to observe whether this city is suitable for him and Ocasan to lie in wait and survive.

Just started,

He found a cheap basement on the edge of the parrot district.

Half of the window is on the ground.

You can see people's feet walking back and forth.

An old man lives upstairs.

His surname is Shen.

He was tall and thin, with a slightly hunched back, long fingers, and prominent knuckles.

My hands were shaking when I was carrying the groceries.

The two basically had no interaction.

Until that night.

He heard a muffled thud in the basement.

It came from upstairs.

Bai Yuzhe didn't think much of it and continued to stay at home reading until Okasan suddenly said that there was a food that was about to die, and suggested that she eat it as dessert.

Bai Yuze rolled over.

Then get up.

Go upstairs.

The door was ajar.

He pushed open the door and saw the old man lying on the floor, with a chair overturned beside him. The old man's body was trembling, his mouth was open but he couldn't make a sound, only his eyes could move, staring intently at him.

Bai Yuze helped dial the emergency number.

He could have chosen not to go when the ambulance from Hanjiang District Hospital arrived.

Going there means he has to pay medical bills.

But in the end,

He still went to the hospital with her.

The doctor said,

ALS, late stage.

This time, he suddenly lost his ability to move and fell down, unable to get up.

Ask the family members.

The elderly man said he had no family members. He had several numbers in his contacts, but when he called them, they were either disconnected or the callers said they didn't know the numbers and hung up immediately.

Bai Yuze paused for a moment.

never mind,

I considered it a good deed and stayed with the other person at the hospital overnight.

Later, when the old man was discharged from the hospital, he was given a sum of money, which was said to be for medical expenses and relief costs.

Bai Yuze didn't want it.

Perhaps it was to prove that he was still a human soul, or perhaps it was to gain a good reputation so that he could better lie low in Holly City.

In daily life,

Since he had nothing better to do, he simply made an extra portion for the other person. After all, he and Yeyue were both monsters, and neither of them really lived off this bowl of food.

But the old man was different. After leaving the hospital, his body became noticeably stiffer, he walked slowly, his hands trembled violently, and he even had difficulty holding chopsticks.

Each time it was delivered,

The old man never said thank you, but he always finished all the food.

For this,

Bai Yuzhe was too lazy to argue with him.

Several months passed like this.

one day,

The old man suddenly asked him, "Do you want to learn the piano?"

Bai Yuze was stunned for a moment.

The old man pointed to the piano in the corner of the living room. It was large, black, and covered with a cloth.

"I have nothing to give you except this."

Bai Yuze thought about it and realized that he cooked and helped take care of the children every day. Even if he didn't do anything special, he still deserved credit for his hard work.

Learning to play the piano doesn't seem like an unreasonable thing to do.

He nodded.

"OK."

usually,

The old man looked like he could die at any moment.

But when it comes to teaching piano...

Then it completely transformed into something else entirely; my back no longer ached, my legs no longer hurt, and my mind was clear:

"Raise your fingers!"

"No! Let's try again!"

"Are you an idiot? You've been practicing a scale for three days and still can't play it properly? I've taught piano my whole life, and I've never seen anyone as stupid as you!"

Bai Yuze listened,

He didn't refute it.

The next day, however, the old man was eating while inhaling the spiciness of the food and glaring at him fiercely.

Bai Yuzhe looked at the other person expressionlessly:

"What's wrong?"

The old man was stubbornly insistent, "...It's nothing."

In the days to come,

The two tormented each other like this.

Bai Yuze never argues back when he's scolded while learning piano, and he never backs down even when the other person eats spicy food.

until,

The old man has passed away.

When Bai Yuze found him, he was already gone.

It's very quiet.

There was a hint of relief on his face.

It looks like she's asleep.

Bai Yuze stood by the bed.

I stood there for a long time.

Later, the property management staff came and cleaned up all the belongings.

The staff found a letter.

They said it should be given to him.

The letter was very short.

noob:

The zither is yours.

Play it well.

Don't be like me.

In the end, only the zither remained by his side.

Bai Yuze folded the letter and put it in his pocket.

He didn't pay much attention to it at the time.

Until later,

He felt the piano took up too much space, but he didn't want it to gather dust in that empty room.

After much thought, he rented the piano to the Inkmark Cafe in the Maple Leaf District. He was working part-time there at the time and had time to talk to the owner. The owner said that since the piano was empty anyway, he could leave it there and let customers play it occasionally, which would be making the best use of it.

Bai Yuzhe thought about it and agreed. It was then that he realized how much this thing was worth.

Steinway grand piano.

The price ranges from 700,000 to 8 million.

Bai Yuze stood in the coffee shop, staring at the enormous black machine for a long while.

Who would have thought?

That grumpy old man, that stingy old man who would haggle over even ten dollars, actually owns such an expensive piano.