Even if you're a corrupted magical girl, you still have to try to redeem yourself.

“Uh…” Yuki Yuki was speechless for a moment.

Why didn't I say anything? Because the game's setting didn't mention anything about Tamaki Yuuki, so I had no idea about it!

"Because Yuan doesn't know that I've been in a band, or rather, that I've been in a band before, she's not interested in that," Huan answered the question for her.

Yuuki Yukino nodded in agreement.

Yuuki Yui knew nothing about Yuuki Tamaki's affairs and was indeed not interested in bands—or rather, not interested in real-life bands. Tamaki was absolutely right about that; her interest in bands was limited to girl bands that appeared in rhythm games.

For example, she really likes a certain girl band that brings smiles to others, and she also really likes the pink bear Michelle and the person behind Michelle, Misaki.

This is why Yuuki was so surprised when the mysterious person appeared disguised as Michelle.

Helica swallowed hard, and looking at the serious and frank expressions on Yuuki Yuki and Yuuki Tamaki's faces, she suppressed her excitement considerably.

After gathering her emotions for a long time, Helica finally spoke with some difficulty, asking...

"Then why did the Rose Garden, which was so popular at the time, disband?"

"Well, let's sit down and talk first." Yuuki Tamaki sat down on the sofa, and Yuuki Yuen sat down between her and Helica.

Tamaki Yuuki gestured for Helica to sit down as well. "You're Yuuki's friend, so it's okay to tell you. But you can't tell anyone else, okay?"

"Okay! I won't tell!" Helica obediently followed the two and sat down on the sofa, leaning forward slightly to let her gaze pass over Yuuki Yuki and see her idol, staring intently at Tamaki, expecting an explanation from him.

Tamaki, still with the air of an older sister in control, said something that surprised Yuuki Yuki: "The band will disband, all because of Yuki."

Huh? What does this have to do with me?

Yuuki Yukino, whose name was called, frowned. That happened before the game's story began, so she couldn't possibly have any recollection of it.

“Yuan probably doesn’t know about this either. She wasn’t very old back then, and I didn’t deliberately bring up the past with her. She hasn’t asked about it all this time.” Tamaki’s explanation made Yuuki Yuu breathe a sigh of relief.

If something significant had happened in the past that she was completely unaware of, and then her older sister pointed it out, Yuuki Yukino would be utterly at a loss for how to handle the situation.

"Since Yuan's friend asked, I'll take this opportunity to tell Yuan about it too. But don't get your hopes up, my story might be pretty boring." Under the expectant gazes of the other two, Huan slowly began her narration.

"At first, the band was just a personal hobby. I was also lucky to find like-minded friends, form our own band with them, practice together, write our own songs together, perform on the school stage together, and go to live houses together. It was wonderful, right? That's pretty much how I spent my high school years."

"Mmm," Helica responded, indicating that she was listening.

"Thunder, what do you think a band is?" Huan stopped talking after only getting to the beginning and turned to ask Helica for her thoughts.

Herlica's eyes darted around before she answered earnestly, "It's a bond that connects many different people, creating a space that can accommodate them. For many, a band should be their second life, something that can give them strength."

"So that's what you think." Tamaki's lips curled into a suggestive smile, and she nodded noncommittally before asking Yuuki Yuuki, "Yuuki, what do you think?"

“Me?” Yuuki Yuki didn’t expect to be called out. After a moment of thought, she said her true thoughts: “I think being in a band is a hobby, no different from other forms of entertainment. Some people like it, and some people don’t. There’s nothing special about it.”

After saying that, Yuuki Yuen added: "I think hobbies can be good or bad. Some bands can give people strength and inspire others; but some bands promote alternative values ​​in ways that are hard to accept, like burning guitars, twitching like being electrocuted, or making strange noises. I just can't understand those."

"Hmm." Yuuki Tamaki nodded to Yuuki Yukina as well, offering no further comment: "Tenrai, do you understand?"

"What do you know?" Helica asked, somewhat puzzled.

"That's how ordinary people see bands; ultimately, it's just a hobby."

"You can't make a living just by having a hobby. My family thinks so too. They feel that being in a band doesn't provide any financial security, and it's more stable to work as a cashier at a convenience store. Even though I can earn several times more from a single band performance than a cashier would in a month, they haven't changed their minds. They probably don't know these things."

"But at the time, I felt that our performance had so many audience members, so many views on the Internet, and so many people were willing to support us, so I couldn't give up."

"So, I had a big fight with my family about my future and then ran away from home. I continued to work hard with the band members towards our debut, and to be honest, the process went quite smoothly. As long as we build up our popularity, our debut is just a matter of time."

As Yuuki Tamaki spoke, his gaze drifted towards Yuuki Yuuki's direction, and even when their eyes met, he did not leave in a hurry.

Yuuki Yui suddenly remembered what Tamaki had told her before. During their last heart-to-heart talk, Tamaki Yui said this: She would get upset over the smallest things, throw tantrums anytime, anywhere, and feel that she had no place in this family, that her parents' love was only given to Yui. That's what she thought back then, so she lied to her family.

Are these two things related?

Before Yuuki Yuki could think any further, Yuuki Tamaki glossed over the experience.

"Well, later on, something happened at my home and something happened in the band. I didn't listen to my family, and by the time I wanted to regret it, it was too late. By the time I realized what was happening, it was just me and Yuan left at home."

"It's really annoying when dreams clash with reality. Maybe it's not that I can't persevere, but I can't keep up with the band's practice, performances, celebration parties, fan meetings, and so on. Between fans, bandmates, and family, I can only irresponsibly betray others and choose my only family."

"No matter what... Yuan is my only family right now. Maybe continuing to play in the band will make a lot of money? Maybe one day she'll suddenly become out of fashion? Nobody knows what will happen if we keep going, but I'm sure that without my support, Yuan wouldn't have been able to keep going on her own. Back then, she was just a little girl who needed her older sister's protection."

I don't know why, but every time I write a chapter related to the ring, I end up arguing with my family.

I also cried for a long time because of arguing with my family, and it's only now that I'm able to fix it and update.

Writing was the bowl's dream, and now the bowl has indeed realized its dream.

The clash between dreams and reality can be quite brutal.

But Wan wanted to persevere a little longer, at least to finish writing the book.

I hope you, dear readers, will support me.

Thank you so much for reading this far.

Chapter Fifty-Nine Night Talk

Night had fallen, and the streets were pitch black, with only a few streetlights illuminating the darkness, casting pale light that reflected the endless blackness of the streetscape.

Cars occasionally speed by on the street, disappearing into the distance just as quickly, as if these steel beasts were the only life force in the night.

The crackling of the streetlights, the chirping of insects from some flowerbed, and the dull thud of footsteps on the sidewalk bricks formed one of the few main melodies in the quiet night.

The two people walking side by side on the street at night deliberately kept a half-meter distance between them.

The blonde girl walked slowly, her steps gradually slowing down. Every two steps, she would nervously steal glances at the figure walking beside her.

That was her former idol, and also the person who irresponsibly ended her aspirations—at least that's what the other party himself admitted.

Herlica never expected that her former idol would offer to take her home.

When Helica saw her former idol again, she was much calmer than she had expected. Apart from being a little excited at first, she quickly accepted reality.

Even after so much time has passed, recalling that past excitement still makes my heart race with nostalgia for her and for the person I was who once longed for her.

The idol who seemed so close yet so far away back then is now just an ordinary person walking beside me.

Ah—so even someone as dazzling as her can become an ordinary person.

It feels really strange to walk alongside an idol who gave up on moving forward early on, and yourself who has always followed in their footsteps.

I should have been more excited.

But not long ago, her idol's sister, someone she cared about, told her: "Herika should just be herself."

Not long ago, I also admired others in this way, following in their footsteps, thinking that this would make me more popular and that I could protect more people.

But the results were minimal. What she wanted to achieve was ultimately different from what she could achieve by imitating others. Blindly imitating could not give Herika what she wanted.

But it doesn't matter anymore; from now on, Helica can just be herself.

Because this is what Yuuki Eri, whom I care about, would have wanted.

So, no matter from any angle—whether it's the older sister of someone you care about or the idol you used to admire walking with you—it will always make you feel awkward!

"Um." Walking awkwardly down the street always made Herika feel a little uncomfortable. When she tried to break the awkwardness and start a conversation, she struggled with the first step: how to address someone, and then shut her mouth without saying anything more.

"Don't be nervous, just call me sister like Yuan does." As Huan spoke, she turned her head and looked at Helica, as if she could see right through Helica's thoughts.

"Then, sister..." This seemingly ordinary form of address held a strange ambiguity for Herika because of the thought of Yuuki Yuki.

As if the way she addressed him came naturally, Tamaki Yuuki didn't react much, simply asking, "Hmm, what's wrong?"

Herlica slowed her already brisk pace: "Why did my sister offer to walk me home today?"

"Tianlei didn't plan to stay either, right? Otherwise, he wouldn't have left without even a change of clothes. But even if you don't plan to stay, sometimes it's important to bring clothes." Yuuki Tamaki seemed to understand what Helica really wanted to know, but deliberately avoided the key point: "Also, isn't it dangerous to go back alone so late?"

Yuuki Tamaki gives off a completely different vibe from Yuuki Eri, yet in some ways they seem like sisters.

Both of them are hard to read about what they are thinking, but Yuuki Yukino's personality is more chaotic. She is usually a bit mischievous, but when necessary she is both gentle and reliable.

Tamaki Yuuki seems to have an extremely thick wall around her heart. Even though many of the things she says sound heartfelt, she always gives off a mysterious vibe, as if the real experiences she recounts have nothing to do with her own life, and there's a slight sense of incongruity.

"I don't understand why my sister insisted on personally taking me home." Helica wasn't good at beating around the bush or getting answers indirectly, so she went straight to the point and asked what she was curious about. "Couldn't I have just had Yuuki Yui take me home or I could have gone home by myself? You must be exhausted after finishing work, right? It's a bit embarrassing that you went out of your way to take me home."

Although Helica added a few words later to soften her rather stiff question, she couldn't change the fact that she had asked the question directly.

"I want to find out more about my younger sister from other people's perspectives. It's a rare opportunity, and as her older sister, I can't let it slip by. Besides, I can't discuss this kind of thing in front of Yuuki." Yuuki Tamaki slowed down to follow Helica's pace, but the distance between them didn't decrease at all. "So, what kind of child is Yuuki?"

“Yuki Yuuki.” Helica’s lips curled into a smirk as she pondered how to answer the question, raising her hand to touch her chin.

She no longer idolizes Yuuki Tamaki, but it's always difficult for her to comment on this in front of the older sister of someone she cares about: "She's actually quite reliable."

"The first thing he said was, 'Can you really trust me?'" Tamaki Yuki chuckled softly.

When Helica tried to continue, she was momentarily speechless and couldn't think of anything else to say, so she repeated what she had said: "Yes, very reliable."

That was the end of the conversation. Helica couldn't offer any further answers, and Yuuki Tamaki didn't press the matter. The brief conversation on the night street was replaced by the rhythmic footsteps of the two of them.

There should be something else I want to ask, and I should ask something even though Yuuki Yuki isn't here.

"Sister." After crossing half a block, Helica spoke again, "So, what kind of person do you think Yuuki Yukino is?"

"Is it really appropriate for me, as the older sister, to ask you such questions? I will praise my younger sister without hesitation," Yuuki Tamaki said gently.

“I…” Herika moved her lips, first pursing them, then biting them with her teeth before speaking, and then took a deep breath of the cool night air: “I want to know more about Yuuki Yuki.”

“She’s a good girl, her grades aren’t bad, she has a good personality, and she’s very gentle with others. I won’t restrict her. As for our family situation, you’ve seen it yourself. As her older sister, I just want my younger sister to be happy.”

Huan extended a finger and touched her lips, then slightly raised her head to look at the empty sky, pondering for a moment.

"That's not what I was asking!" Helica was taken aback by the answer, which sounded like she was asking for details about a potential spouse.

"I thought you wanted to hear these things," Huan laughed.

They really are sisters; even their pranks are exactly the same.

Helica did indeed want to know what Huan was saying.

After walking for a while longer, Helica felt even more strongly that Yuuki Tamaki had deliberately brought her out, as if he had some other purpose in doing so.

But Huan remained silent, as if waiting for him to ask a question.

It seems like there's nothing more I can ask, right?

"Was the dissolution of the Rose Garden really that simple?" Helica asked, as if making conversation.

“Yes, I left the band because I needed to take care of Yui,” Tamaki Yuuki replied immediately. “Does Tenrai think there’s anything wrong with that?”

When Helica asked about this, even she could sense that Yuuki Tamaki was different.

This inevitably aroused Helica's suspicion.