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

Upon hearing Takamatsu Akari's words, Shiina Tatsuki involuntarily tensed up and asked, "Akari... do you have any doubts about the current band?"

Gao Songdeng lowered his head slightly: "I want to know why the seniors formed the band in the first place, and what has supported them all the way after the band was formed."

After hearing Gao Songdeng's reasoning, everyone fell silent for a moment, probably pondering what Xiaodeng had just said.

Of course, this does not include Lena. The reason for her silence is most likely because she saw something interesting developing and found it amusing.

Instead of directly expressing her opinion, Yue asked Takamatsu Akari, "Akari, have you talked about this with Kasumi-senpai?"

Takamatsu Akari shook her head, a hint of hesitation and anticipation in her eyes. "No, I haven't had a chance to tell Kasumi-senpai yet."

"What time do we leave this afternoon? I'll talk to Kasumi-senpai for you first, Xiaodeng," Lixi said quietly, relieving Xiaodeng of a worry.

"Everyone... let's go together after school." Takamatsu Akari thought for a moment and made a decision.

------------

Shiina Riki looked at the class sign in front of her that read "Class 3-A" and took a deep breath. Although she and Kasumi-senpai had always worked together in Ring and had visited her at her house before, this was the first time she had come to her class directly at school to find her.

Before she could even knock on the door of Kasumi Toyama's classroom, she saw a blonde girl standing in front of her.

Shiina Riki recognized the name of the person standing in front of her—Tsurumaki Shin, the absolute core and lead vocalist of Hello Happy World, the only member of the Astronomy Club, and also a legendary figure known as the alternate dimension of Hanasaki River.

Shin's dazzling blonde hair shimmered in the sunlight, her bright eyes were filled with the warmth of the sun, and she exuded a vibrant and energetic aura.

While it may be an exaggeration to say that, if you ask every single student in the Flower Girls group if they know Genjuro Shin, there might be some they don't know. But if you ask every other student, there will definitely be some you miss.

Now that the other party has come looking for me, it's definitely not a good thing, especially since I don't even need to look in the mirror; I'm sure I have a gloomy expression on my face right now.

As expected, Kokoro Tsurumaki asked Riki with a bright smile, "Hmm? Where's the smile on Riki-chan's face?"

Lixi tried to force a smile, her lips curving upwards slightly, but the movement appeared somewhat stiff and unnatural.

"Haha..." Li hope let out a dry laugh, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness and embarrassment.

Her smile looked more like it was forced out of pain than genuine joy.

"Seriously, Riki has to have a smile on her face." Tsurumaki Shin pointed to her cheek with two fingers, revealing a bright smile. "It has to be a natural smile like this."

Looking at Tsurumaki Kokoro's radiant smile, Lixi felt a sense of helplessness and pressure. She tried to imitate the other's smile, but her lips still appeared stiff.

Seemingly oblivious to Lixi's inner turmoil, she continued, "What could be the reason that you can't smile, Lixi? Let me help you!" Her voice was full of concern and enthusiasm, as if she wanted to infect Lixi with her own happiness.

Shiina Tatsuki wore a helpless expression. She couldn't directly explain their band's situation to Tsurumaki Shin. Based on her understanding of Tsurumaki Shin-senpai, if she really said that, the other party would definitely take the initiative to help them.

The problem is that the relationship between their band and Su Shi is quite complicated, and it's not good to let outsiders get too involved.

On the other hand, this complex relationship even involves some supernatural factors, so it's even more important not to let Senior Genmaki Shin get involved.

Li hope told Tsurumaki Shin part of the story: "I've come to see Kasumi Toyama-senpai because I have something I want to discuss with her."

Upon hearing this, Kokoro's eyes flashed with understanding and excitement. She immediately said, "Ah! Riki-chan, are you looking for Kasumi? She's not in class right now! Come with me." Without waiting for Riki's reply, she took her hand and ran towards the Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy Student Council.

Lixi was caught off guard by Xianjuanxin's sudden action. She felt her hand being held tightly by the other person, and she could only follow the other person's steps, feeling the wind whistling in her ears.

"I remember... the student council said running in the hallways wasn't allowed, right?"

The stage performance begins. (Part 7) (Part 4) Chapter 153: The Dark Forces of the Hanasakigawa Student Council

"Arisaki!!! Shall we practice at the warehouse today?"

As soon as Riki was pulled to the student council door by Shin-senpai Tsurumaki, he heard the energetic voice of Kasumi Toyama coming from inside.

"We've arrived!" Shin Tsurumaki pushed open the student council door without knocking.

At this moment, Shiina Tatsuki knew the three girls sitting in the student council room to some extent: Ichigaya Arisa, who served as the student council secretary; Toyama Kasumi, the captain of Popipa; and Okusawa Misaki, who served as the student council president and was known as the "Walking Bear of Hanasaki River."

Before Kokoro even entered the student council room, Misaki Okusawa already knew just by hearing her voice: "Kokoro, didn't you just leave? Why are you back again?"

Ignoring Misaki's question, Tsurumaki stepped forward and said, "I saw that Riki wasn't smiling in the hallway, so I brought her to find Kasumi."

If it were someone else, they might feel confused by the two completely unrelated sentences about string scrolls and heart.

However, as the translator of Shin's human form (bear form) in Hello Happy World, Misaki Okuzawa understood the meaning of Shin's words almost without using any brain cells.

"Does Tatsuki need to talk to Kasumi about something related to the band or work?" Misaki asked, glancing at Shiina Tatsuki behind her.

"Ah... um." Riki originally wanted to add some further explanation to what Shin-senpai had said, but she didn't expect that Misaki-senpai could actually figure out her purpose just from those two sentences that had no connection between them.

If Misaki knew what Riki was thinking, she would say that compared to the usual pre-performance meetings at hhw, Tsurumaki Shin had already said enough this time, and she hadn't thought things through at all.

"Oh my! Riki-chan, is there something you need?" Kasumi Toyama, who was "being intimate" with Arisa Ichigaya, looked at Riki with curiosity after hearing everyone call her name.

Before entering the student council, Riki overheard Kasumi and Arisa discussing something: "Kasumi-senpai, are you going to Meteor Hall to practice today?"

Arisa Ichigaya answered the question for Kasumi: "Well, no one is on duty today, they should be going to Meteor Hall. Is there something you need?"

"May we bother you today? We have some questions we'd like to ask you, seniors." Li hope said this with a very serious expression.

This only confused Tsurumaki, who was standing nearby: "Tachiki's face is all gloomy again. Misaki, let's help Tachiki and the others."

Misaki Okuzawa clearly expected her lead singer to say that, but her tone still carried a hint of helplessness, and she wore a very forced smile: "Even so, we don't even know what troubles Riki and the others are facing. How are we supposed to help them?"

Kasumi showed a hint of surprise and curiosity after hearing Riki's words: "Riki? What questions do you have for me? Could you give us a little hint so we can be prepared?"

Arisa Ichigaya helped explain for her Kasumi, saying, "Tachiki, if you don't give her a hint, Kasumi will probably just say things like 'kirakira' and 'dokidoki'."

It's clear that Kasumi has done this more than once or twice. Including the preparation stage of several previous band performances, when people asked about the performance effect and theme, Kasumi always said "kirakira, dokidoki".

As a result, Arisa later had to translate and understand Kasumi's words beforehand before attending the joint performance meeting.

"However..." Ichigaya Arisa glanced at Tsurumaki Shin beside her, then looked at Okusawa Misaki with a look of sympathy, "hhw, the situation over there seems to be more serious."

It's quite a coincidence that both lead singers of Hanasakigawa's bands are not very good at expressing their feelings, and the two band "mothers" who are responsible for translating their words happen to be in the student council.

"I remember... there was someone in Riki's band who wasn't good at expressing themselves? Was it someone from our Hanasaki River Junior High School?"

Ichigaya Arisa then glanced at Shiina Tatsuki, who was deep in thought, and then at Okusawa Misaki beside her. Finally, she remembered the previous student council president, Shirogane Rinko. All three of them seemed to have long, straight black hair and were good at translating the words of someone in the band.

Thinking about this mysterious topic, Ichigaya Arisa's gaze towards Shiina Tatsuki became intense. "Perhaps Tatsuki has the potential to be the student council president."

While contemplating whether to tell Shin-senpai that Kodama was going to Popipa to ask about the band, Shiina Tatsuki suddenly felt a chill, as if someone was after her.

"Could it be that the stray cat wants to buy me matcha parfait again?"

"Is there something you can't say?" Misaki Okusawa asked when Shiina Tatsuki hesitated to speak.

Lixi shook her head slightly, took a deep breath, and decided to explain clearly, "Actually, it's like this, our band has recently encountered some problems. Xiaodeng would like to ask Kasumi-senpai about your band-related issues."

"As expected... It's good that I asked beforehand." Ichigaya Arisa didn't even need to put herself in Kasumi's shoes to know that if Riki and the others suddenly asked this question, Kasumi's answer would most likely be something like "to make everyone kirakira, dokidoki, or something more abstract."

Although they had long understood the different meanings of Kasumi's "kirakira" and "dokidoki" in different contexts and tones, it was still not very suitable for answering Takamatsu Akari's questions.

"Oh, is that so? Is it because your band has some problems that you're not smiling?" Before Kasumi Toyama could finish answering, Kokoro Tsurumaki said with a smile.

She then turned to Okuzawa Misaki, who was already wearing a "this is fine too" expression, and said, "Hey, Misaki, let's go help Riki and the others solve this problem."

Misaki's eyes curved into round shapes, her brows furrowed slightly, and a smile appeared on her lips: "Okay... okay... let's gather everyone together and see what to do next."

After hearing Riki's request, Kasumi Toyama smiled and said, "If I can help you answer this, I would be very willing to do so. I'm sure Shin and the others would be very willing to help you too."

"..." Li Xi glanced at Okuzawa Misaki, who was showing a pretty face, and Tsurumaki Kokoro, who was already thinking about how to make them smile. She really didn't know whether meeting Tsurumaki-senpai today was a good thing or a bad thing.

When the performance begins: Chapter 154 Chu Hua and Hai Ling

In Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy, in Class B of the first year, Hachiman Kairin, who hadn't appeared in almost seventy chapters, looked at the two empty tables in front of her during lunch break with a thoughtful expression on her face.

Hachiman Kairin rested her chin on her hands, her eyes slightly unfocused. Her gaze lingered on the empty seat in front of her, where Shiina Tatsuki sat, her heart filled with doubt and worry. She knew that the classmate sitting directly in front of her would go to the club and eat with her classmates during lunch break, so it was normal not to see her at that time. But Shiina Tatsuki's disappearance from the classroom during lunch break was definitely not normal.

Normally, Shiina Ritsuki would buy some convenient food like bread and eat it quickly in the classroom. Her movements were always swift and efficient, without wasting a single second.

Afterwards, she would deduce Tatsuki's whereabouts from the previous night based on her subsequent movements. If Tatsuki had stayed up very late the night before, she would usually be asleep at her desk after lunch. If she had training in the evening, she would usually be listening to demos with headphones on, tapping her fingers on the table in rhythm. If she was just working, she would probably be rushing to finish her homework.

But as for cases like today, where someone simply disappears completely, Hachiman Kairin says she's rarely seen anything like it.

She frowned slightly, thinking to herself, "Lixi has shown a different side... Are these all changes brought about by that band?"

The greetings from other classmates behind her interrupted Hachiman Kairin's thoughts. "Ah, Hatsuka-kun, you're here? Is everything over for today?"

She turned around and saw Mitsukasa standing behind her. As a well-known celebrity, it seemed that her agency and the school had made arrangements, so it was quite normal for her to disappear from school for a day most of the time.

Sanjiao Chuhua smiled and nodded to her classmates before walking to her seat. Her steps were light, and her face carried her usual confidence and composure.

"Good afternoon, Hatsuka-kun." Hachiman Kairin turned around and greeted Misumi Hatsuka.

"Ah, good afternoon, Hailing." Misaka Hatsuka responded with a smile, her voice clear and sweet, perfectly fulfilling most people's expectations of an idol.

She sat down in her seat, put down her schoolbag, and leaned forward slightly, getting closer to Hachiman Kairin. "Kairin, have you thought about that matter?"

Hearing this, Hachiman Kairin was slightly taken aback, then shook her head, her eyes revealing a hint of hesitation and contemplation. "Let me think about it some more. After all, this is a major life decision."

Mikasa nodded and continued, "I understand... but I still hope that you, Hailing, can give me an answer soon."

Hai Ling frowned upon hearing this, and asked with some confusion, "Is this matter so urgent? Didn't Ms. Sakura say that she could consider it more when she invited me before?"

Misaka Hatsuka's smile faded slightly, a hint of complexity and anxiety flashing in her eyes. She glanced around, making sure no one was paying attention to their conversation, then lowered her voice and said, "It seems they've received the latest news..."

Her voice was low and deep. "The second BangDream competition will be held in the second half of the year. It seems that Ms. Sakura got the information in advance a few days ago, so she wants to form the band as soon as possible and take advantage of the time difference to practice in advance."

She thought about the three bands that participated in the BangDream competition last time and their performance in the competition, and continued to ask, "The BangDream competition? Ms. Sakura, or what is the goal above?"

"It seems they want us to secure a spot in the finals," Mikasa replied.

Hachiman Kairin frowned even more deeply. She pondered for a moment, "But, in that case, will we have enough time to prepare? We need enough songs to support us in the BangDream competition before the second half of the year. Writing lyrics and composing music takes a lot of time, not to mention waiting for everyone to practice until they are perfect."

"And if our goal is really to reach the finals, you should know about our opponent, Chu Hua, right?"

Misaka Hatsuka nodded. "Roselia is hailed as one of the strongest girl bands. Raise a suilen is equally strong and on par with Roselia. Poppin'Party is composed of senior girls who are loved by everyone and have a huge fan base."

Yawata Kairin continued, "These are just the teams that made it to the finals last time. Afterglow, morfonica, Pastel*Palettes, Hello, Happy World! and even Diamond Dust and End, who have recently gained a lot of popularity online, are all strong competitors."

"Fortunately, the seniors of She is Legend are not particularly interested in BangDream, otherwise the first place would most likely belong to them."

"Under these circumstances, our ultimate goal as a band still in its early stages is to get into the top two in the BangDream auditions? Although I don't usually say anything discouraging, no matter how you look at it, if we actually do it, it would be a miracle."

Triangle Chuhua clearly knew that even with considerable financial backing, it would still be quite difficult for their band to break into the top two in the BangDream competition.

This doesn't mean their band's technical skill level is inferior to Roselia, Raise a suilen, or Popipa, but rather that there is a difference in time and effort.

Most of the time, the senior-junior relationship, a common problem in traditional Japanese culture, doesn't exist in girl bands. However, it does exist at times.

Although their band's technical skills on paper are in no way inferior to Roselia's, the fame and number of fans that Roselia has accumulated in the past year are not something they can easily surpass.

In particular, during the BangDream competition, each audience member can only cast one vote for their favorite band at a time. This puts new bands at a natural disadvantage when competing for audiences.