Joker's Band Game Story

A mischievous little rabbit, a cute little brown bear, a chubby raccoon, and a grinning white mouse—they all danced around Ren Amamiya, seemingly indulging themselves and trying not to be so sad.

'Get used to walking in this sick city. (Tap tap tap). Don't worry about what others think, cry or laugh. (Mmm mmm mmm.)'

'Let it go, the righteous superhero is just a burden. (tap tap tap.) Open your heart and let your three to six syllables resound, no no no, ask yourself to take control.'

The first half ended with this brief chorus, and Mu, who was listening to the performance, didn't even notice that a tear rolled down her cheek.

She just stared blankly at Ren Amamiya, at the closing band playing their music.

On the faces of those girls, she saw happiness and joy. Is this what a real band is like?

They are so happy, they are so joyful. Have they managed to let go of their burdens and stop caring about what others think?

Can I... do the same thing as them?

Even with a heart full of anger, one ultimately cannot overcome softness and weakness.

'Hopefully, the only thing remaining is this bowed head. (Save this game, Mr. A)'

'The only part of me is the one who's trying her best to perform.'

Hongxia was excitedly playing the drums. Having gradually become familiar with the song, she also had the leisure to look at her other teammates. She saw Liang playing the bass towards her and seemed to notice her gaze.

She also saw Boqi-chan playing the guitar with her head down, but she still couldn't let go.

She also saw Kita playing the guitar with a troubled expression. As a rhythm guitarist, she was having trouble keeping up with the rhythm and was still not very skilled, making quite a few mistakes.

Finally, she saw Mutsu sitting there with his hands on his chest, staring blankly at Amamiya Ren, who was singing with his head held high, his gaze like that of the most devout believer in worship.

What else did she hear in this song?

'Try taking a step forward, and hateful memories flood in, playing the opening notes of hell—no, no, no.'

'Try taking another step, hateful memories flood in, open your heart and let your three to six syllables resound in your outpouring, even at the crossroads, forge your own path according to your own will, 'I've given you that plan, that's the only explanation of selfishness,' come on, quickly play that Hakuna Matata! note!'

("Hakuna Matata" is a proverb originating from the Swahili language in Africa, meaning "without worries, carefree".)

That passage, which sounded like a high-speed divine incantation, was so clear coming from Amamiya Ren's mouth. He must have practiced reciting this passage quite a bit.

Hongxia couldn't help but think about it, and her gaze fell on the only guest, Mu. She noticed that Mu was already crying.

Two clear tears streamed down her face; she must have been moved by the song.

Brother Lian is really amazing! This song is truly incredible.

As Pochi-chan played the song with her head down, she couldn't help but think that this wasn't the first time she had tried to play it, but every time she played it, she was incredibly impressed by Ren Amamiya's abilities.

The first time she heard him play this song, she sensed a connection with it. A good song can evoke empathy, and she also thought of some upsetting things.

She secretly glanced up at Mu, whose face was already streaked with tears, and couldn't help but wonder if Mu had many troubles like herself.

It makes me afraid to take a new step.

'No, no, no, it's my turn to take charge! I'll dance my heart out, dance my heart out! (Dance all day!)'

'Dance as hard as you can, dance as hard as you can! (Louder!)'

The lyrics for the second song were exactly the same as the first, but the feeling they gave was completely different.

If before it was others advising you, this time it's your own self-affirmation.

I believe I can indeed resist the kindness that has already hurt me.

It's wrong to always think about helping others, even if you're suffering, and to strive for others. The protagonist in the song seems to have figured this out. What about Mu?

'Get used to walking in this sick city. (Bang bang bang). Don't care, cry or laugh regardless of what others think. (Clang clang clang.)'

'Put it down, the righteous superhero is just a burden. (Hmph.) Open your heart and let your three to six syllables resound, no, no, no, ask yourself to take charge. (Okay, I'm happy to help! I'm at your service whenever you call! I'll do as much as I can. Yes, I understand! I'm at your service whenever you call!)'

'Open your heart and let your three to six syllables resound, no no no no, I beg you to spare my life.'

As the harmony ended and Ren Amamiya's voice faded, the song came to an abrupt halt. The piece was over. Ren Amamiya looked at Mutsu, who was crying silently. He picked up a tissue from the table and gently wiped away her tears.

“Someone once told me, ‘Even if you manage to improve your living conditions in this difficult world by suppressing your ego, I can assure you that the lifestyle you’ve chosen will make you unhappy. If you do something and think, ‘This isn’t like me,’ you’re probably right; that’s what you hate.’”

He gently wiped Mutsumi's face; it was soft and delicate. At sixteen, she was in the prime of her youth, but Ren Amamiya saw no trace of youthful exuberance on her face.

She always seemed to be living for others, not for herself.

“I think the first step to treating yourself well is to create a little space where you can indulge yourself, because it’s really not hard to do. I still hope that when you extend your ‘space to do what you want,’ you can say with confidence, ‘I’m so happy right now,’ and be proud of it. Let’s keep our hearts beating as fast as they can and continue living our lives, sometimes up, sometimes down.”

The third to sixth syllables refer to the heartbeat, and the meaning is 'Take advantage of your health and seek help for your mental state.'

This song is dedicated to all the people in the world who are living in great pain.

Besides these, there are some other small details in the song. For example, when the lyrics are "No, no, no, please spare my life," there is only the sound of drums. The sound of Nijika playing the drums is exactly "SOS" in Morse code. Moreover, in the first verse, Amamiya Ren deliberately makes Nijika pause at the last sound of SOS, turning SOS into SOI, which seems to be saying that the plea for help has failed, or it seems to be saying "I (myself)."

Various small details, like obsessive-compulsive disorder, gradually made the End Band get used to the song, but for Mu, she was completely stunned when she first heard the song.

Tears streamed down her face, and Ren Amamiya tenderly wiped them away, waiting for her to pour out her heart.

He could always tell that Mu was a very quiet girl, but he didn't know why.

Perhaps we can see some clues now. At least for Mu, the fact that she reacted so strongly when she heard this song means that she is the audience of this song, and that she does need to vent her feelings sometimes.

"I'm sorry... I... I can't stop..."

Mu couldn't help but say that the power of the song was still too great, and she couldn't recover from the feeling at all. Ren Amamiya didn't urge her, but just silently rubbed her head and wiped her face with tissues.

Everyone else could tell that Xiao Mu seemed to be a girl with something on her mind, so they didn't say anything and just watched the scene unfold.

Ren Amamiya's singing is so amazing that hearing such a song live inevitably stirs up emotions, which is why she couldn't help but cry here.

"We're back... Oh, Lian, what happened to make the little girl cry?"

Hoshika walked in carrying two bags, a lollipop in her mouth. She immediately saw Amamiya Ren comforting Mutsu, who had stopped crying.

Although she had stopped crying, her eyes were still red and swollen, clearly showing that she had suffered a great deal of injustice.

"It was just a song, and it touched people's hearts... It's Xiangzi who came to see you."

Ren Amamiya continued to comfort Mutsu, but then he looked up at Shoko, who was following behind Hoshika carrying a bag.

Hearing Ren Amamiya's words, Xiangzi finally looked up and saw Mutsumi sitting there. Her eyes widened slightly: "Mutsumi... what's wrong with you?"

"Well, nobody expected this. She reacted so strongly after just singing 'Willing to Serve.' But it should be nothing serious, don't worry."

At this moment, Hongxia tried to smooth things over with a laugh. She was worried that Xiangzi would be angry if she thought that Amamiya Ren had made her friend cry, so she quickly indicated that it wasn't like that.

But at this point, it was difficult for Xiangzi to say anything more to Mu. She had originally called Mu over today to talk about Shuangshi, but Mu's current state... made it impossible to talk about it.

Let's wait until she calms down a bit before making any decisions.

Or maybe she should wait until later; seeing Ren Amamiya standing there now, she was even less willing to talk about these things.

She was reluctant to tell Ren Amamiya any more about her life. She was a girl with pride, and she... hated having to rely on others for help with everything. Ren Amamiya had already helped her a lot, so she didn't want him to know anything else.

(PS: I don't need to say much about the song "Willing to Do My Duty." It was the second most popular Japanese song in 2024. Most people who follow Japanese music have probably heard it, as it's really catchy. I think it was popular for a while before, and it was even mentioned in a meme encyclopedia.)

Chapter Sixty-Three: This masked girl...she looks so familiar.

It was almost time, and Xiangzi had to get back to selling tickets. She sat alone at the ticket counter, her gaze fixed on Ren Amamiya, who was sitting not far away next to Mu.

The band members were discussing the lyrics. After a day of hard work, Boqi successfully wrote the lyrics, which were praised by everyone, who said that the song had a soul.

"Don't worry, I will write a melody that matches these lyrics. I already have an idea in my mind."

"So... I did a good job?"

"Yes, you did a great job."

"Hehehe." "Mmm-hmm." "Hehehe." "Mmm-hmm."

Kita watched as Ryo and Pochi seemed to have entered into a strange brainwave connection and even clicked. She stood by, quite unwilling to accept this, and complained, "Aaaaah! When did you two become so close?! Ryo-senpai!"

Instead of stopping the noise from the band, Ren Amamiya sat with Mutsumi, keeping her company until her emotions gradually calmed down.

"I go first."

Mu glanced at the time and, realizing that Xiangzi didn't want to talk anymore, decided to take her leave.

"Aren't you planning to stay a little longer? We can watch a live performance later."

"No, I have to go back to class."

Mutsu said those words calmly, but they made Ren Amamiya sigh.

Undoubtedly, this was not a class that Mu liked, but she had no choice but to attend it.

"Okay, I won't try to persuade you anymore. I just hope you can continue playing the guitar well."

"how do you know……"

"You still have marks on your hands; those are the marks of your love for the guitar. You can't launch a grand rebellion against your parents, so just indulge yourself a little. As long as you still love music, you have a future."

Amamiya's words made Mutsu lower her head and remain silent for a moment before slowly replying, "Thank you."

"By the way, would you be interested in joining my band?"

"band?"

Mutsu found Amamiya's words a bit strange; she hadn't expected Amamiya Ren to have such a plan.

"Ah, don't worry, it's just for fun. Come play when you have time, and forget about it if you don't. Do you want to play together? I think since you've been playing guitar for so long, you can't let it go to waste."

It's been a long time since that incident, and the roughness on Mu's left hand fingertips is enough to prove her hard work during this time.

Only a girl who practices the piano diligently every day could have fingers like that. It was precisely because of her love for the guitar that Ren Amamiya made the suggestion.

Since she can be moved by the song, if we play it together... at least she'll be a little happier, right?

"...Please allow me to consider it."

"Oh, it's okay, we can talk later. By the way, you don't have my contact information yet, right? Want me to add you?"

"……it is good."

Mutsu and Amamiya Ren exchanged contact information. After that, she left.

Xiangzi couldn't hear what Mutsu and Amamiya were talking about, not only because they were far away, but more importantly because the band next to them was much louder, and she couldn't hear what Mutsu and Amamiya were saying.

After Mu left Fanxing and stood at the ticket window, Xiangzi said to Mu, "Let's wait until the weekend. I'll find you again on the weekend. I'm a bit busy with work here. It's been a troublesome trip for you today."

"It's ok."