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

"Um...can we go see Aine?" Xiaodeng put her hands on her chest, looking at Aine's mother expectantly, her eyes filled with worry.

Seeing Xiaodeng's sincere gaze, Aine's mother nodded and welcomed the three of them in. "Of course... it's not a good idea for Aine to continue like this. It would be great if you could help Aine recover."

The three followed Aine's mother into the cozy living room, which was simply yet warmly decorated, with photos on the wall showcasing the family's happy moments.

Aine's mother led them upstairs, gently pushed open the door to a bedroom, and said softly, "Aine, your classmate has come to see you."

Yue looked into the room. Although it was still afternoon, the room was pitch black. The bright sunlight outside was blocked by the heavy curtains, and a dull atmosphere filled the air.

Her gaze swept around the room before finally settling on the sofa in the corner, where she saw the familiar pink-haired girl.

Chihaya Aine was curled up alone, hugging her knees and burying her head in her arms. She looked incredibly lonely and vulnerable. Her figure seemed especially desolate in the dimly lit room, as if she didn't belong in the world.

Seeing Aine in this state, even Shiina Ritsuki, who usually bickers with her the most, couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

"Aine...we've come to see you."

Yue walked over gently and sat down next to Ai Yin, stroking her back softly.

Aine trembled slightly, as if she felt the warmth of the moon, but she still hugged herself tightly. Her shoulders twitched slightly, and tears silently slid down, soaking her arms.

Aine's mother watched this scene with mixed feelings. She knew that they needed a private space, so she quietly left and gently closed the door behind her.

Outside the door, Aine's father was looking at her with concern. "How are you? Are you feeling better, Aine?"

Aine's mother sighed, a comforting smile in her eyes, "Let them be alone for a while. With friends like these, Aine will definitely get better."

Inside the room, Yue gently stroked Ai Yin's back and said softly, "Ai Yin, it's okay. Xiao Deng, Li Xi, and I are all here."

However, upon hearing that everyone was there, Aine trembled slightly and buried her head even deeper. Her voice was hoarse and weak, "I'm fine... I just need to be alone for a while."

Yue realized that Aine didn't seem to want everyone to be there. She turned to look at Lixi and Xiaodeng, who clearly understood what Aine meant.

After exchanging brief glances, the three decided that Yue would stay and comfort Aine, while Xiaodeng and Lixi would leave first, giving the two some space alone.

Lixi nodded slightly, gave Yue a thumbs-up, and then stood up with Xiaodeng by her side.

Although Xiaodeng was reluctant to part with him, she nodded understandingly and whispered to Yue, "Yue-chan, do your best."

Lixi and Xiaodeng tiptoed out of the room. Xiaodeng gently closed the door before leaving, and the room fell silent again. Yue sat beside Aine, feeling her trembling and helplessness.

"Xiaodeng and Lixi have both gone out... Aine can tell me if there's anything she doesn't want them to know."

Aine kept her head down, her body trembling slightly, tears streaming silently down her face. She felt Yue's warmth and care, and the pressure deep within her finally found an outlet. In Yue's presence, she finally released her pain and helplessness.

Her voice was hoarse and pained, "Moon..."

Yue gently lifted Aine's head, looking at her face, which was covered in tears like a little kitten. She casually pulled out a few tissues, handed them to Aine, and said gently, "Okay, okay... don't cry."

Aine took the tissue, her hands trembling slightly as she wiped away her tears. Her breathing gradually calmed down, and although her eyes were still glistening with tears, her emotions seemed to have subsided somewhat.

Once Aine's emotions had gradually calmed down, Yue asked, "Now can you tell me what exactly happened to make our genius guitarist, Chihaya Aine, like this?"

Hearing Yue's words, Aine's emotions, which had calmed down somewhat, sank again. She didn't cry; she simply rested her chin on her arm, staring blankly ahead, her expression filled with helplessness and exhaustion.

Seeing that Aine's mood was gradually dropping, Yue quickly tried to make amends, "Aine... I told you before, right? If you don't want to say it, then you don't have to."

"..."

Aine shook her head and continued, "No... I was just thinking about how to tell you this to Yue..."

Yue felt a slight tightening in her heart, guessing what Aine wanted to say. "Is it about Aine's past?"

"Um……"

Aine nodded slightly; if Yue hadn't been watching her closely, she wouldn't have noticed this movement.

She didn't urge him, but simply waited silently for Ai Yin to organize her thoughts.

After a moment of silence, Aine slowly spoke.

"Actually... I thought I had almost let go of things in England... but after seeing my junior high school classmate the day before yesterday... I realized that I still haven't been able to let go..."

When the Stage Opens: Chapter 103 Harmony in the World

"Creak"—the sound of the wooden door slowly opening was particularly clear in the quiet corridor. Xiaodeng and Lixi heard the sound and immediately looked up at Yue, who was walking out of Aiyin's room.

She gently closed the door and walked towards Xiaodeng and Lixi, who were waiting at the door.

Xiaodeng immediately stood up and asked with concern, "Yue, how is Aine?"

“Aine should be alright for now…” Yue shook her head, her words hesitant, her voice carrying a hint of helplessness and worry, “However… Aine still hasn’t emerged from the shadows.”

"..."

Upon hearing this, Xiaodeng and Lixi both fell silent. They exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with complex emotions and worry.

The three people knew nothing about Aine's past, except for Yue, who roughly knew that the reason for Aine's current situation was related to her previous experience studying in the UK.

"No...it seems like we're not entirely without a clue..."

Yue suddenly remembered that Aine and Nana-senpai knew each other in England, and maybe she could get some clues from Nana-senpai.

However, a more serious problem arises because she... doesn't have Nana Ohba's contact information; all previous communications were unilateral, with Aine contacting her one way.

"Why does it feel like finding someone has been so difficult lately..."

Tsuki sighed inwardly and could only turn to her phone's contacts to see if she could find Nana Ohba's contact information.

"Yue, have you thought of something?" Li hope asked, seeing Yue scrolling through her phone and realizing that she might have a new idea.

Yue raised her head, looked at Lixi, and slowly said, "Aine and Nana-senpai knew each other in England before, so perhaps Nana-senpai knows something about it."

----------

Meanwhile, at Tsukimori Girls' Academy, Nagasaki Motoyo, with her usual fake smile, stood beside Wakaba Mutsumi, holding a watering can and gently watering the small cucumbers in front of her.

The sunlight shone on them, creating a heartwarming scene, yet Nagasaki Motoyo's smile gave off a chill.

Although Su Shi's smile was the same as usual, Ruo Ye Mu felt that there was something strange about Su Shi today.

“Suise…” Wakaba Mutsu looked at Nagasaki Suise beside her and tentatively spoke.

Su Shi paused for a moment, then turned to look at Ruo Ye Mu, her eyes darting away, but she quickly regained her familiar smile. "What's wrong, Mu?"

Ruo Ye Mu carefully examined Su Shi's face. Although her smile was still sweet, she always felt that something terrifying was hidden behind it.

"It's nothing..." Mu shook his head, deciding it was better not to say these things. "The performance... was wonderful."

Su Shi's hand trembled slightly, splashing water from the kettle onto the leaves beside her. She quickly looked away, lowered her head, and said in a low voice, "Really... Xiao Mu thought our performance was wonderful?"

Seeing Su Shi's expression, Ruo Ye Mu realized that she might have said something wrong... but she didn't understand why Su Shi's band was so angry when she had praised their performance.

"Su Shi?" Ruoye Mu asked tentatively.

Su Shi didn't answer immediately. She lowered her head, her eyes flashing with complex emotions. Her hands trembled slightly as she gripped the kettle tightly, as if trying to suppress her inner feelings.

After a moment, she finally raised her head, still wearing that fake smile. "Xiao Mu, there's a chance to save Crychic. Would you like to help me?"

Wakaba Mutsu turned her head to look at Nagasaki Motoyo, although her expression seemed unchanged to outsiders.

However, if we were to have Shoko Toyokawa, the master of Mutsuka Wakaba's facial expressions, interpret it, we would understand that Mutsuka is actually quite shocked by Motoyo Nagasaki's words.

"Su Shi..." Xiao Mu called out Su Shi's name softly, her mind racing as she thought about what Su Shi had just said.

She knew that Su Shi had always taken Crychic very seriously, but she never expected that Su Shi would make such a request now.

But seeing the "expectant" look in Nagasaki Motoyo's eyes, she finally nodded and agreed to the other's request.

"Really?! Thank you so much, Mutsu!" Nagasaki Motoyo put down the watering can and hugged the other person warmly.

Su Shi's embrace was filled with a sudden burst of warmth, which startled Xiao Mu slightly.

After completing their daily gardening club activities, the two parted ways, with Wakaba Mutsu needing to return to her ballet training.

Meanwhile, Nagasaki Momoko planned to meet with Kurosawa Momoko again to ask when the audition she mentioned could begin, and whether Wakaba Mutsumi could participate.

Looking at the location sent by Momoko Kurosawa on her phone, Motoyo Nagasaki sighed, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and headed towards that location.

————————————————————————

Good afternoon, Peach.

Inside the fast food restaurant, Su Shi naturally sat down opposite Tao Zi, her gaze fixed on the fries in Tao Zi's hand. Tao Zi was eating the fries one by one, her movements leisurely and casual.

Momoko felt Su Shi's gaze and hesitated for a moment before handing her the fries. "Su Shi-chan, would you like some?"

"Thank you... but I don't really like fried food." Su Shi gestured to clearly refuse Tao Zi's offer.

"It seems... Su Shi's lifestyle is really healthy... Is she a vegetarian every day?" Taozi looked at Su Shi with a teasing smile in her eyes.

Seeing that Su Shi had rejected her, she wasn't too angry. She picked up another fry, dipped it in ketchup, and put it in her mouth.

"Is there something you need today, Su Shi-chan?" Momo asked knowingly while munching on a fries.

"When can the audition begin?" Su Shi asked Momoko Kurosawa directly.

Upon hearing "audition," Momoko put down her fries, sat up straight, and her previously lazy gaze turned serious. "Is Suze-chan so impatient? Are you already confident of victory?"

Hearing Taozi's question, Su Shi's eyes darted away. She actually had no confidence in winning the audition, but she needed a goal to pursue; otherwise, she didn't know how to face her current life.

Su Shi didn't want to think about what would happen if she left the goal of reorganizing Crychic.

Peach looked at Su Shi's flickering eyes and sighed inwardly.

She softened her tone and said softly, "Su Shi-chan, having courage isn't enough to participate in an audition; what's more important is shining on stage. In your current state, I can't sense any shining at all."

Peach looked directly into Su Shi's eyes, her tone stern and truthful, "Right now, if you step onto the audition stage, you're just cannon fodder to make up the numbers. If you want to become a Top Star and go back to the past to rebuild Crychic, your current state isn't enough."

Su Shi's hands clenched slightly, a hint of struggle flashing in her eyes. She had experienced the atmosphere of the audition stage and knew that Taozi was right.

She took a deep breath and asked in a slightly trembling voice, "Senior Momoko... what exactly is Shining?"

Peach paused for a moment, put down her fries, and said softly, "Shining is a power that can attract everyone's attention. It is not just a display of skills and strength, but also an inner confidence and love for the stage. Only those who truly love the stage and devote themselves wholeheartedly can show true brilliance."

"Inner confidence and a love for the stage..." Su Shi murmured to herself, wondering if she really possessed such qualities.

Momo stood up, walked to Su Shi's side, gently patted her shoulder, and said in a gentle but firm voice, "Su Shi, if you still can't understand Shining, then think about what you really want to do."

Hearing Taozi's words, Su Shi's thoughts returned to the past. Since her parents' divorce, she had been living with her mother.

To please her mother, she came to the prestigious Tsukimori Academy.

Following the trend among her classmates, she joined the wind band and became a double bass player, even though she had never played a musical instrument before.

Scenes from her memories flashed by, and Su Shi remembered that she was always trying to please others.