After dropping out of school, I chose to join a girls' band.

"What does Yue think?" Li hope suddenly looked up, her eyes fixed on Yue with a serious expression and a hint of expectation in her voice.

Yue glanced at Lixi's expectant eyes, then at the bread bag in her hand. After a moment of silence, she sighed and said, "About the BangDream competition? Well... we'll have to wait until we rebuild the band before we can think about that."

They walked along the road, their steps heavy. Yue's mood seemed complicated. Their band had even fallen apart, so it was honestly too early to be thinking about such things.

Li hope frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with Yue's answer, but also understanding Yue's concerns.

Their pace slowed, and Lixi's expression was somewhat conflicted: "Can we abandon Su Shi... and find a new bassist?"

Yue stopped and turned to look at Lixi, sighing, "We've discussed this plan before... Lixi, you should know Xiaodeng, right..."

Lixi lowered her head, pondering Yue's words, her hands gripping the bread bag tightly. She knew Yue was right; back in Crychic, they could have continued practicing even if Xiangzi hadn't come.

But after Toyokawa Shoko left, Takamatsu Akari also gave up practicing, and the band, without a lead singer, had no choice but to disband.

Moreover, when she and Yue took Xiaodeng home, they promised that they would make sure the band continued.

Now that Nagasaki Motoyo has also left the band, Shiina Tatsuki has a deep suspicion that if she tells Koyuki that Motoyo won't be coming back and they're going to get a new bassist, Koyuki probably won't come to practice anymore.

Shiina Tatsuki realized that there was probably no other possibility for them except to disband on the spot or to find Nagasaki Motoyo, so she changed the subject and asked Tsuki another question.

"So... Xiaoyue, what's your attitude towards our participation in the competition? Do you support it or oppose it?"

"..."

Yue's eyes showed a hint of struggle. Her gaze lingered on Li Xi's face for a moment as she pondered the question. Finally, she sighed deeply and said, "Personally, I want to go to a bigger stage... Last year's finals were held at the Budokan... If there are enough sponsors and the scale is big enough this year... maybe it will be at the Tokyo Dome."

A hint of longing flashed in her eyes. Compared to the Budokan, the Tokyo Dome could accommodate more audience members, which meant it was a much bigger stage. What stage girl could refuse to step onto such a large stage as the Tokyo Dome?

“But from the band’s perspective… I don’t recommend that we participate in the Bang Dream competition… Last year’s Bang Dream competition, popipa, Roselia and Ras put in so much effort to finally get on the Budokan stage. The Bang Dream competition is a bit too early for our current band.”

Lixi knew that Yue's words came from the bottom of her heart, but because of this, she was also caught in a dilemma, her fingers gripping the bread bag tightly.

Personally, she did want to participate in the BangDream competition and let everyone hear Xiaodeng's voice, but publicly, she had to admit that if their band participated in the competition in their current state, they would most likely just be there to make up the numbers.

Yue noticed that Li Xi's condition was a bit off and comforted her, "Anyway... let's deal with Su Shi's problem first. After we've resolved the band's issues, we can discuss whether or not to participate in the BangDream competition."

"Um……"

Seeing that there was no better way, Lixi could only nod and agree to Yue's suggestion.

----------

"Really? Is the second BangDream competition scheduled for August this year?"

There's no reason why Sakura Sakura wouldn't have known the information that the members of Pastel*Palettes could access; she received the message very quickly after recruiting Hailin.

"So that's why Peach asked me to speed up recruitment? How come her information sources are faster than mine?"

Unaware of the situation, she assumed that Peach had asked her to accelerate recruitment because it was to prepare for the second BangDream competition this year.

However, Peach was actually unaware of this. Although she was going for the BangDream competition, she didn't know when the second edition would be held, since it wasn't mentioned in the script given by Giraffe.

"Is there still 3 months until the official event? Actually, the announcement should be issued around next month. We still have about a month to prepare. We really need to hurry up and get the team together to start practicing."

As a professional band, Ave_mujica shouldn't be very interested in this kind of competition, since the financial backing they have could easily fund the first Bang Dream competition on their own.

But no matter what, ave_mujica is still an unformed band. Instead of investing a lot of money in creating hype to raise awareness, there is now a promotional opportunity right in front of us that basically doesn't cost a penny and is much more effective than spending money on hype.

She wasn't going to let go of this free publicity opportunity, either out of sentiment or reason. If they could achieve a ranking, the promotional slogan could be written as "The legendary band that performed at the Tokyo Dome in just three months since their debut."

She could easily imagine how effective the slogan would be once it was put up, and she hadn't even spent much money on it.

"Now I'll have both a promotion and a raise."

Sakura Sakura was immersed in her wonderful fantasy of getting a promotion and a raise in the future.

--------

"I understand your good intentions, Peach. Don't worry, I will speed up the recruitment of the team so that everyone can start training as soon as possible."

Momoko Kurosawa, who had just finished class, looked at the message Sakura Sakura had sent to her phone and was a little confused.

"That Sakura guy... I guess she's exhausted herself recruiting members because of me..."

Thinking about this, Peach felt she needed to relieve some of the pressure on the other person and let her get some rest.

"Actually... there's no need to rush. If you're tired, Sakura, you can take a rest..."

"Not tired at all! What's a little pain compared to a future promotion and raise!"

"???"

Peach felt like she and the other person weren't talking about the same thing. Wasn't this band project part of your normal job? The band hadn't even been formed yet, and you already knew they could get you a promotion and a raise? I've seen you've been with Sumimi for a year and haven't gotten a promotion or a raise.

"That Sakura girl... she's really lost her mind... I should probably reduce her workload a bit lately..."

--------

As everyone knows, pairing with the character is an indispensable part of the game.

When the Stage Opens: Chapter 101 Monday's Trouble

Although the plan to go to Tsuki no Mori to find Motoyo was already set when she met with Rui Yashio on Sunday, she still needed to wait for Rui Yashio's instructions regarding the specifics. On Monday, Tsuki faced another rather troublesome matter... she had to go to school to confront Aine and Kotomi.

The morning sunlight streamed through the classroom windows, casting a warm glow on the floor. Yue stood at the classroom door, a little nervous. She took a deep breath, composed herself, and then stepped into the classroom.

As soon as Yue entered the classroom, she felt a burning gaze upon her. Turning her head, she saw Takamatsu Akari looking at her expectantly. Akari's eyes were full of anticipation and trust, as if waiting for Yue to fulfill her promise—to continue the band.

Yue remembered promising Lixi on Sunday when they took Xiaodeng home that they would keep the band going. She said it with full confidence then, but now, facing the complexities of reality, she felt some pressure.

Yue forced a smile and walked towards the lamp's seat. She could feel her heart racing and her palms slightly sweaty. When the lamp saw Yue approaching, a hint of joy and nervousness flashed in its eyes. "Good morning, Yue-chan."

"Good morning, Little Lamp," Yue replied softly, trying to make her voice sound as calm as possible.

A hint of unease and expectation flickered in Deng's eyes. "That...about our band..."

Feeling Xiaodeng's gaze, Yue could only reply, "Xiaodeng... Lixi and I have found a way to see Su Shi... I can only give you an answer after we see Su Shi..."

A hint of disappointment flashed across Xiaodeng's face. She lowered her head, gently bit her lip, and her eyes were filled with complex emotions.

She looked up at the moon, her eyes glistening with tears, her voice trembling slightly, "Is...that's how it is? I also want to see Su Shi...I want to know the real reason why Lingmeng Qiling left the band...I don't want to continue living like this, without any clarity..."

Yue's heart tightened as she looked at Takamatsu Akari, whose eyes were filled with tears. Akari's eyes were full of expectation and pleading, making it impossible for Yue to refuse.

Having experienced Toyokawa Shoko's sudden and inexplicable departure from the band, and now facing Nagasaki Motoyo's equally inexplicable exit, Xiaodeng's mind is probably on the verge of collapse.

"Little Lamp..." Yue called her name softly, a pang of sorrow gripping her heart. Faced with Little Lamp's tear-filled eyes, Yue could only helplessly give in.

She took a deep breath and said, "Okay, Xiaodeng, come with us to see Su Shi."

A flicker of relief and gratitude crossed Xiaodeng's eyes, and tears welled up in them. She nodded gently, her voice trembling slightly, "Thank you, Yue-chan."

"Ruyu-senpai... thank you for your hard work. I don't think it will be a problem to have one more person..." Tsuki silently apologized to Yashio Ruyu in her heart, hoping that she could understand.

However, something unexpected happened to Yue: the school bell had rung, but Chihaya Aine was nowhere to be seen entering the classroom.

Yue's heart sank, and she deeply understood what it meant for misfortunes to come in waves. She could almost picture Xiao Deng's worried expression without even turning around.

Yue sat in her seat, a sense of unease washing over her. She gripped her pen tightly, silently thinking, "...I was thinking about Su Shi's problem all day yesterday...I was planning to talk to Aine about the details today...I didn't expect Aine to have a problem too..."

She secretly glanced at Gao Songdeng and saw that Xiaodeng's eyes were full of worry and unease. Xiaodeng was holding her textbook tightly, her brows were furrowed, and her eyes were full of doubt and concern.

Yue sensed Xiaodeng's anxiety and couldn't help but feel uneasy as well.

She knew that the situation was now more complicated. Su Shi's problems had already exhausted them, and now Aine's absence had made their situation even worse.

"Let's try to think positively... Maybe Aine-chan just has a cold..." Yue silently comforted herself, but this did not lessen her anxiety. Her hands gripped the textbook tightly, her fingertips turning slightly white, and her heartbeat accelerated involuntarily.

The teacher on the podium was explaining the lesson, but Yue's attention was no longer on the class. She kept glancing towards the door, hoping that Ai Yin would appear.

However, each time she saw the empty doorway, her mood grew heavier.

Finally, get out of class ended, and Yue turned to Xiaodeng and said, "Xiaodeng... let's go to Aine's house after school..."

Fortunately, unlike Su Shi, Yue knew the location of Aine's house, so they could go directly to Aine's house to check on the situation.

"Hey... Yue, do you know where Aine's house is?"

Xiao Deng seemed somewhat surprised by Yue's words, a glimmer of hope and doubt flashing in her eyes.

Yue nodded. "Hmm... I've been to Aine's house once before, so I remember the general location."

After making arrangements with Xiaodeng, Yue sent a message to Lixi explaining the current situation. Her fingers swiped rapidly across the phone screen, her heart filled with worry and anticipation.

Soon, Li hope replied that she (one) zero I Qi Si Wu Jiu Si I

So the three of them agreed to meet at Ring.

As soon as the school bell rang, Yue and Xiaodeng quickly packed their bags, hurriedly left the classroom, and headed straight to Ring without hesitation.

When they arrived at Ring, Lixi was already waiting there. She stood at the door, carrying a bass bag on her back, which looked somewhat out of place.

When Yue and Xiaodeng saw this scene, a hint of doubt flashed through their minds.

"Wait a minute, why is Shiina Tatsuki carrying a bass bag when she's a drummer? Could it be that she thinks drummers are easier to find than bassists, so she's planning to switch to bass and let them find a new drummer?"

Such thoughts couldn't help but surface in Yue's mind.

Lixi clearly noticed the confusion in Yue and Xiaodeng's eyes and explained, "This is the bass that Su Shi left in the preparation room. When I asked Ms. Linlinzi for leave today, she thought Su Shi was sick and that's why she hadn't come to pick it up. She also thought we were going to visit Su Shi at her house, so she asked me to take this bass to Su Shi."

"Su Shi..."

Xiaodeng looked at the bass guitar on Lixi's back, and an even sadder emotion flashed in her eyes.

Her brows furrowed slightly, her eyes filled with disappointment and confusion. She slowly lowered her head, gently biting her lower lip, as if something had pierced her heart.

"Su Shi didn't even come to get her own bass, which shows that she's really determined to leave the band completely."

A pang of sadness welled up in Xiaodeng's heart. She gripped the strap of her schoolbag tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white.

When the performance begins: Chapter 102, Second Visit to Ai Yin's Home

The three of them, including Yue, stood in front of Aine's house. After exchanging glances, Yue stepped forward and rang the doorbell.

A dozen seconds later, the door slowly opened, and Aine's mother appeared in the doorway. She was slightly taken aback when she saw Yue, Lixi, and Xiaodeng, but quickly recognized Yue, who had come home with Aine last time.

A gentle smile appeared on her face as she said softly, "Good evening. Are you... here to see Aine?"

Yue nodded. Although she was very eager to know about Aine's situation, she still tried her best to show her manners when facing Aine's mother. "Good evening, Auntie. We are Aine's friends. We were a little worried when we saw that Aine didn't come to class today, so we wanted to come and see her."

Aine's mother sighed, her fatigue becoming more apparent. "Thank you for your concern. Aine has been saying she's not feeling well since she came home Saturday night. She didn't leave her room all day yesterday, and I even had to bring her her meals."

"The problem... seems to be more serious than I expected..." Yue thought to herself, feeling that the unease she had felt in class had come true.