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

Yue shook her head, banishing all the strange thoughts from her mind.

"When exactly is the performance? Are our new songs ready?" Ai Yin asked with some concern.

Yue recalled the notification she had received earlier and explained, "It's tentatively scheduled for 10 days from now, which means we still have 10 days to prepare."

Li hope briefly considered their future plans: "I finished the melody for the new song 'Poetry and Bonds' yesterday. It should be perfectly feasible to complete the practice and make revisions within ten days."

"However, in that case, we need to increase our training time a bit. Just one hour in the recording studio is probably not enough."

Everyone then turned their attention to Yue. With all the recording studios in the live houses fully booked, Yue's home was probably the only suitable place to practice.

Yue knew what everyone's expectant gazes meant. She had previously made excuses because she needed to have a private talk with Taozi, saying that the recording studio at home was still under renovation, but in reality, it had already been renovated a long time ago.

"No problem, the studio upgrade was completed a couple of days ago, so everyone can go and check it out for me," Yue said.

----------

In front of the student council building at Tsukimori Girls' Academy, Nagasaki Motoyo composed herself, took a deep breath, and slowly knocked on the door.

Compared to other schools, the students of Tsukimori learned earlier that this year's Tsukimori Music Festival would invite students from other schools to co-host, and, unusually, the chairman of the board did not object.

A heated discussion had already broken out at Tsukimori School, with everyone eagerly anticipating this music festival, which was likely unprecedented and unlikely to be repeated.

As a member of the Tsukimori Concert Band, Nagasaki Motoyo naturally learned of the news, but unlike the others, she did not feel excited or thrilled.

The music festival being open to the public means she might see Xiaodeng and the others again, and it wouldn't be good if they caused any trouble at school.

"Please come in."

Rui Yashio, who was busy preparing the details of the music festival, looked up from her documents and towards the door after hearing the knock.

Nagasaki Motoyo walked into the student council and greeted Yashio Rui in accordance with the Tsuki no Mori regulations.

"Hello, Rui-senpai."

Rui Hachishio looked at Motoyo Nagasaki, who greeted her, with some surprise. Apart from the day she visited Motoyo's house, the two had no interaction. So, Motoyo Nagasaki's purpose in coming to the student council was obvious.

"Is it... because of the Tsuki no Mori Music Festival?"

Although she had roughly guessed Suze's purpose, Yashio Rui still pretended to be unaware and asked Suze with a hint of doubt, "Good day, Nagasaki Suze-san, is there anything I can do for you at the student council today?"

"Regarding the Moon Forest Music Festival... Should we really invite students from other schools to participate in this music festival? Won't that distort the misunderstanding of our school's elite educational style among unsuspecting visitors?"

It was clear that Motoyo Nagasaki came prepared. The questions she raised directly addressed one of the core issues of this music festival, and were also related to the educational philosophy of Tsukimori.

Rui Yashio frowned slightly. The question raised by Motoyo Nagasaki did not seem particularly sharp at first glance, but in fact it pointed directly to one of the core issues of this music festival and the educational philosophy of Tsukimori.

This is one of the issues raised by the council that the chairperson and the council members had previously raised.

Another similar issue is what to do if someone signs up, makes a schedule, but then decides not to show up at the last minute. This issue already arose at the music festival co-organized by Hanasakigawa and Haneoka last year.

Rui Yashio had been working on contingency plans for the questions raised by the council, so she remained calm in the face of Motoyo Nagasaki's question. She took a document from a folder and handed it to Motoyo.

"We already have a work plan for this, which will be sent to other schools tomorrow, requiring them to pass the qualification review before they can participate in the Moon Forest Concert."

“Then…” Nagasaki Motoyo wanted to say something more.

However, Rui Yashio pointed to a stack of documents next to her and said, "I know that Motoyo Nagasaki values ​​the music festival, which serves as a window for Tsuki no Mori to the outside world, and wants to offer her opinions and suggestions. But as you can see, these are all opinions and suggestions collected by the student council."

"So thank you very much for Nagasaki Motoyo's idea of ​​contributing to the Tsuki no Mori Music Festival. However, I still have a lot of details in the plan that need to be revised. Please pick up the form here and submit the written materials. We will consider it as appropriate later."

Nagasaki Motoyo bit her lip, knowing that her hopes had most likely been dashed.

She took a letter of opinion from Rui Hachishio, said "Sorry to bother you" simply, and then left the student council.

When the performance begins: Chapter 179 The various developments at the music festival

Chihaya Aine soaked comfortably in Hinasaki's bathtub, the warm water relieving all her fatigue. She leaned back gently against the edge of the tub, closed her eyes, and felt the warm water enveloping her body. A satisfied smile graced her face, and her shoulders relaxed slightly.

A blush rose to her cheeks, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she appeared unusually relaxed. Aine felt the warm water flowing gently over her skin, as if softly massaging her muscles, immersing her in a comfortable atmosphere.

Chihaya Aine deliberately chose to be the last one to enter the bathroom so that she could enjoy the luxurious bath for as long as possible.

"Wow—that feels so good!" Ai Yin let out a satisfied sound, her voice filled with relaxation and joy. Her arms floated gently on the water's surface, occasionally waving them to create gentle ripples.

The three-hour rehearsal had almost completely drained Chihaya Aine's energy, and now all she wanted to do was lie in the bathtub and fall asleep.

Outside the bathroom, Lixi was sitting intently on the sofa, using Yue's laptop to make tense revisions. Her brows were slightly furrowed, her eyes were focused, and her fingers were rapidly typing on the keyboard.

Yue sat next to Lixi, occasionally leaning over to glance at the screen and offering suggestions and opinions.

She pointed lightly to a corner of the screen and whispered, "This can be changed like this, it will be smoother."

Lixi nodded, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she made the changes according to Yue's suggestions. The two worked together seamlessly, needing almost no words; their thoughts were perfectly aligned.

After playing guitar for hours, Yao Lenai was so tired that she curled up on the sofa and fell asleep. Her body was curled up like a kitten, her breathing even, and a look of exhaustion still lingered on her face. Her arms hung limply at the edge of the sofa, her fingers slightly curled, as if she was still playing the guitar in her sleep.

Takamatsu took a soft blanket from the bedroom of Qie (X4) Qi (3) upstairs and gently covered Rakuna with it. She moved very gently, afraid of waking her up.

After finishing all this, Xiaodeng tiptoed away from Lenai and returned to the dining table, where her notebook was placed, with some sentences scattered on it, which, judging from the handwriting, should have been written not long ago.

It looks like tonight will probably be a sleepless night for everyone except for Renai and Aine.

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

And Nagasaki Motoyo is also having trouble sleeping tonight.

On this quiet night, Nagasaki Motoyo was alone in her bedroom. The lights were off, the only light illuminating her face from her phone screen. Her gaze lingered on the old Crychic homepage, her finger swiping lightly across the screen, finally settling on the forever unread message to Shoko. A hint of melancholy and complex emotions flickered in her eyes.

Su Shi was lost in thought, her mind reeling from recent events. Upon learning that another school would be participating in the Moon Forest Music Festival, she felt conflicted and uneasy. She had initially planned to ask the brass band for a day off to avoid it all, but the club president's request forced her to reconsider. The importance of being a double bass player made it impossible for her to leave easily, and the club president hoped she would persevere. Ultimately, Su Shi chose to stay.

Her finger paused on the phone screen as she silently read the messages from Xiaodeng and the others. She sighed softly, her heart filled with helplessness and exhaustion. "I guess... I'll see them?" Su Shi thought to herself, the familiar faces flashing through her mind.

She had been trying her best to avoid everything from the past, but the invitation to the Moon Forest Music Festival forced her to confront it.

Su Shi gently placed her phone aside, lay back on the bed, put her hands behind her head, and stared at the ceiling. Her thoughts drifted back to the past, to the days she spent with Xiao Deng and the others; those beautiful moments flashed through her mind like movie clips.

—————A sleepless night—————

Chihaya Aine was woken from her bed by the alarm clock. Still half-asleep, she rubbed her eyes, yawned, and got out of bed. Her gaze inadvertently swept over the bed next to hers, only to find that the blankets on that bed were neatly made, clearly unused. Aine frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing through her mind. Then she slipped on her slippers and tiptoed out of the room.

A faint murmur of conversation and the sound of keyboard typing drifted from the bottom of the stairs. Aine followed the sound down the stairs. She walked carefully, not wanting to disturb the others downstairs. When she reached the bottom, she saw a somewhat "creepy" scene.

Several modified sheet music sheets were scattered on the living room table, along with various snack wrappers and empty cups, the contents of which, judging from the color of the liquid, were most likely coffee.

Hinasaki and Shiina Ritsuki were slumped over the table, their foreheads resting on the surface. They had clearly been working on the computer all night and were now exhausted and asleep.

Takamatsu Akari lay half-reclined on the sofa, holding a penguin pillow she had taken from the sofa, her ever-present laptop resting on her head, and fell asleep.

Yoro Nai curled up on the other side of the sofa, covered with a blanket, her whole body tucked inside, looking exceptionally cute.

Although Aine had slowed down as much as possible, Yue slowly opened her eyes, whether because of her biological clock or because she heard Aine's movements.

The first thing she saw was Shiina Ritsuki's quiet face. Ritsuki was leaning on her shoulder, her brows slightly furrowed, seemingly feeling a little uncomfortable from working at her desk for a long time. Tsuki gently raised her hand, trying to move her a little, but Ritsuki's head was too heavy, so she had to give up the idea.

Lixi noticed Yue's movement, slowly opened her eyes, and realized that she was leaning on Yue's shoulder, a little embarrassed on her face.

She quickly sat up straight, rubbed her eyes, and said, "I'm sorry, Yue, I..."

Yue shook her head and said with a smile, "It's okay, everyone is tired, and I was just leaning on your shoulder."

Lixi glanced at the computer and sheet music on the desktop. They had worked on it until one or two o'clock last night before finally finishing the revisions.

“I told you not to stay up late, Lixi… but I ended up staying up late with you this time…” Yue rubbed her eyes and yawned, clearly still not getting enough sleep last night.

Lixi rubbed his stiff shoulders, and then saw Deng and Le Nai sleeping on the other two sofas.

"Lights, the stray cat is up and going to school."

—————逡瘤〇侕児厁是虾爸IV—————

On the tram, Yue and Lixi looked rather listless, and even Xiaodeng couldn't help but yawn several times.

Although everyone tried their best to stay energetic, the long hours of rehearsals and staying up all night to revise the music had left them feeling exhausted.

Yue leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes slightly, trying to take a short nap during the short journey. She glanced at Takamatsu Teng next to her; he also looked tired. Lixi, on the other hand, leaned against the window, holding a cup of coffee she had just bought, taking sips every now and then to try and stay awake.

As the only conscious and normal person, Chihaya Aine silently complained about everyone's current state: "No one seems to be able to concentrate in class. Is this really okay?"

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

In class, Chihaya Aine's worries came true. Hinasaki Tsuki sat in her seat, trying to stay awake, supporting her head with her hand, but her vision was already blurring. The teacher was lecturing, but Tsuki felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

She shook her head gently, trying to dispel the drowsiness, but the fatigue still washed over her like a tide. Her vision began to blur, and the surrounding sounds seemed distant. Her hands gradually lost their grip, and her head tilted forward uncontrollably.

With a soft "thud," Yue's forehead slammed heavily against the desk. The classroom fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on Yue. The teacher stopped lecturing, frowning as he looked in Yue's direction.

"Hinasaki, please stand in the hallway for a while to clear your head." The teacher's face was dark, and her tone was full of displeasure.

Yue rubbed her forehead, an embarrassed expression on her face. After apologizing softly, she stood up and dragged her heavy steps out of the classroom. Standing in the corridor, the cold wind blew past, making her a little more awake.

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Inside Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy, sunlight streamed through the windows into the classroom, where the teacher enthusiastically lectured. Most students were listening attentively, except for Shiina Tatsuki, who was unabashedly fast asleep, her head resting on her crossed arms, her black hair scattered across the desk, rising and falling gently with her breath.

Hailing glanced in her direction, shook her head helplessly, clearly already used to Lixi's behavior in class.

The teacher glanced around the classroom, her gaze landing on Lixi. Her brows furrowed slightly, but she ultimately didn't interrupt her sleep and continued explaining the lesson.

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

Hinasaki sat on the Astronomy Club's sofa, hugging a soft cushion, preparing to take a nap. She quickly finished her lunch with bread she bought from the supermarket, and just as she settled down and closed her eyes to catch up on her sleep, her phone suddenly emitted a crisp notification sound.

Yue reluctantly opened her eyes and picked up her phone to check messages. A new message appeared on the screen, and she frowned slightly, letting out a silent sigh. Although she really wanted to rest, it seemed there was something else she needed to deal with.

She sat up, rubbed her sore eyes, and tried to stay awake.

Yue sighed softly, picked up her phone, swiped the screen to check the messages, and rubbed her temples with her fingers, trying to relieve some of the fatigue.

The sender was Tsugumi Hanazawa, whom I had added as a friend on the student council yesterday. I glanced at the message and it said that if I wanted to participate in the Tsuki no Mori Music Festival, I would need to go through a qualification review in advance, which would take place about three days before the official start.

This means that the original 9 days of preparation time have now been reduced to only 6 days, which is less than a week.

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

At the same time that Yue received Tsugumi's text message, Toyokawa Shoko also saw the announcement on the bulletin board about inviting students from other schools to participate in the Tsuki no Mori Music Festival.

Xiangzi's eyes were filled with nostalgia. The initial reason she embarked on the path of a band was that she had seen the performance of her seniors, Morfonica, at the Moon Forest Music Festival when she was in the third year of junior high school, which inspired her to form Crychic.

"Moon Forest... Music Festival..." she murmured softly, a ripple of emotion stirring within her. A year later, the Moon Forest Music Festival, which she had thought she would never have the chance to participate in again, had reappeared before her in this way. Xiangzi took a deep breath, recalling the breathtaking performance of Morfonica at the Moon Forest Music Festival that year, her eyes sparkling with reluctance and longing.

"Would you like to... participate?"

Although ave_mujica hasn't agreed to join yet, she would probably accept if it were just an invitation to perform at the Moon Forest Music Festival.

If they were to perform on stage, Nagasaki Motoyo would inevitably be spotted.