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

Yue looked up, smiled, and said to the waiter, "Thank you."

Ai Yin eagerly picked up the iced lemonade in front of her. Through the clear glass, she could see lemon slices and ice cubes floating inside. The refreshing drink was especially tempting in the summer heat. She took a sip, and a satisfied smile immediately appeared on her face as the cool lemon flavor spread in her mouth.

Yue gently stirred her iced mocha, watching the coffee and milk blend in the glass. She took a deep breath, the aroma of coffee filling the air. She took a sip, the cool liquid sliding down her throat, instantly dispelling some of the summer heat.

Once they had both recovered from the heat, Yue asked Aine, "So, what's our next goal? Where should we go first?"

Ai Yin put down her half-empty lemonade glass. "Let's go to the fabric market over there first. There are many shops there, and we should be able to find fabrics of all kinds."

Ai Yin took out a small notebook from her bag, which was filled with her design ideas for the performance costumes and the materials she needed. She flipped through a few pages and pointed to the pictures, saying, "We need several different colors and materials of fabric, such as silk, cotton, lace, and some sequins and decorations."

When Yue saw the notebook in Aine's hand, her eyes showed a hint of curiosity and surprise. She gently raised her head and asked, "The design is finished? Can I take a look?"

Aine smiled and nodded, handing the notebook to Yue. "Of course."

Yue took the notebook and carefully flipped through Aine's design drawings. The drawings meticulously depicted the style, color, and materials required for each outfit. She noticed detailed annotations in the corners of each page, even noting down small decorative details.

"Aiyin, did you stay up all night? You finished the design so quickly?" Yue was shocked by Aiyin's rapid output.

Ai Yin smiled a little embarrassedly, "Actually, it's just some basic design, and there are still many areas that need improvement. Although some materials in this design may not be used in the end, it's always good to have more."

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Tsuki and Aine walked through the fabric shop, overwhelmed by the dazzling array of fabrics around them. Aine walked ahead excitedly, stopping every now and then to carefully touch and examine the different materials.

"This looks nice, wouldn't it be perfect for a skirt?" Ai Yin picked up a piece of light blue fabric, her eyes sparkling.

Yue stepped forward and gently stroked the fabric with her fingers. In fact, she knew nothing about it, but judging from the feel, it was indeed very nice. "Hmm, the texture is very good."

Ai Yin smiled and put the piece of fabric into the shopping basket. "Then let's choose this one."

They continued browsing in the store, with Aine occasionally stopping to show Tsuki the fabrics she thought were suitable, while Tsuki listened attentively and offered suggestions from time to time.

"How about this white satin fabric? It would look very luxurious if used for the top," Aine said to Tsuki, picking up a piece of white fabric.

Yue examined the fabric carefully, imagined the finished product that Aine had drawn on the notebook, and nodded. "It should be quite good?"

"How about this silver sequined fabric? It would look beautiful as an embellishment," Yue said to Aine, pointing to a piece of silver sequined fabric.

Ai Yin looked at it and smiled. "This is great. The sequins will reflect a dazzling light under the lights, which is perfect for stage performances."

"Alright, we've almost finished choosing everything." Ai Yin looked at the fabrics in the shopping basket and said with satisfaction, "All these fabrics together should be enough to make all the decorations we need for the clothing."

"Huh? Just decorations?" Yue had thought it was over, but she didn't expect Aine to say that these were just decorations.

“Of course,” Ai Yin said. “We simply don’t have enough time to make a set of five costumes from scratch while also taking care of rehearsals. So we can only use some ready-made clothes as a base and then modify them with fabrics and decorations. This way, we can save time as much as possible.”

Yue nodded. Although she felt a little tired, she couldn't bear to dampen Aine's enthusiasm.

"Which store should we go to next?" Yue asked.

"Hmm... let's go to that newly opened clothing store. I heard the clothes there are of very good quality and have a lot of styles," Ai Yin said excitedly.

The two left the fabric store, carrying full shopping bags, and headed towards a nearby clothing store. The street was bustling with people, and the summer sun shone on them, making them feel a bit hot.

"This store?" Yue looked at the stylishly decorated clothing store in front of her, and couldn't help but feel a little excited.

Ai Yin nodded, pushed open the shop door, and went inside. The shop was beautifully decorated, and a faint fragrance filled the air, making her feel very comfortable. Various fashionable ready-to-wear clothes were neatly arranged on the shelves, each piece looking so exquisite.

"Welcome, please feel free to choose whatever you like," the shop assistant greeted them with a smile.

Aiyin walked straight to a shelf filled with all kinds of dresses, her eyes sparkling. Yue followed behind her, silently watching her choose.

The two picked out several dresses in different styles and colors, and then looked at other types of clothes. As Aine selected items, she discussed with Yue the features of each garment and how to match the fabrics and accessories.

“This jacket is nice too; it goes well with that red skirt,” Ai said with a smile, picking up a short black jacket.

"Alright, that's about it." Aine looked at their spoils with satisfaction. "Now we can start making them."

"You've come all this way, Aine, why don't you try something on? Buy yourself a piece or two?" Yue looked at Aine, who had already paid the bill and was carrying bags and bags of things, ready to leave.

Ai Yin paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "That's right, it's good to try it on and see how it looks."

Yue took down a piece of clothing, examined it for a while, nodded in satisfaction, and looked at her with expectant eyes, "I think this color suits you very well, it will definitely look great on you."

She put down her shopping bag, took the clothes Yue had chosen, examined them, and found that they were indeed as Yue had said. "Then I'll try this one on."

Aiyin stepped into the fitting room, gently closed the door, and heard a soft click. The soft light of the fitting room bathed her, creating a warm and relaxing atmosphere.

She picked up the light blue dress, carefully unfolded it, gently smoothed out the wrinkles, then slid the straps over her shoulders and carefully put it on.

The soft fabric glided against her skin, bringing a cool sensation.

Aiyin straightened up, gently gathered her hands at her waist, and slowly zipped up the skirt. She adjusted the hem with her fingertips, making sure every fold hung down naturally. She looked down and found that the skirt's length was just right, reaching her ankles; the size and length of the dress were perfect.

She turned around, her back to the mirror, and looked at her reflection. The dress was simple yet exquisitely designed, perfectly accentuating her figure. She nodded in satisfaction, turned back, and twirled gently in front of the mirror, the hem of her skirt swaying lightly, appearing exceptionally graceful.

She smiled and walked to the mirror, gently adjusting her hair to ensure it complemented her dress. Her gaze fell on her reflection, and she noticed that the dress not only suited her color but also had a perfect design, making her look fresh and natural.

"How is it?" Ai Yin pushed open the fitting room door, a hint of nervousness on her face, waiting for Yue's reaction.

Yue stood outside, her eyes suddenly lighting up. Ai Yin's appearance was a sight to behold; the light blue dress looked exceptionally fresh and natural on Ai Yin, as if it had been tailor-made for her perfectly.

Although Yue had read many lines in drama scripts praising the heroine's beauty, when she actually faced this situation herself, she found herself at a loss for words. Various adjectives and words of praise flashed through her mind, but none could fully express the shock she felt at that moment.

"It's...it's so beautiful!" Yue exclaimed sincerely.

Aine's eyes sparkled as she excitedly said, "Then let's buy one for you next, Yue!"

Yue was taken aback by this sudden suggestion. "Me? No, it's not necessary..."

Ai Yin, however, had already started looking around the store for suitable clothes. "Come on, Yue, it's no trouble to try them on." Her voice was full of expectation and enthusiasm, giving Yue no chance to refuse.

Yue sighed helplessly, thinking that perhaps this was a way to relax. She followed behind Aine, watching her pick and choose.

Ai Yin finally chose a black dress and handed it to Yue, saying, "Try this one. I think the color and style suit you very well."

Yue took the clothes and walked into the fitting room with slight hesitation. She carefully put on the dress, adjusted the hem, and felt a little uncomfortable when she came out of the fitting room.

"How is it?" Yue asked somewhat uneasily, her eyes darting around, unable to look directly at Aine.

She had tried on clothes before; when she was an idol, she often tried on various performance outfits, took various public photos, and changed clothes during Seisho performances. But showing them to Aine this time made her inexplicably nervous.

Another aspect is that she had never worn this kind of cute style of clothing before, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.

When Ai Yin saw Yue wearing the dress, her eyes lit up immediately. "Wow, Yue, you look so beautiful in this! The color suits your skin tone perfectly, and the style fits you just right."

Tsuki blushed slightly at Aine's praise and whispered, "Really? I was worried it might not be appropriate."

Ai Yin walked forward with a smile and tugged at Yue's sleeve. "Of course it suits you! Look how beautiful you are!"

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Yue and Aine changed back into their original clothes, paid for their purchases, and left the store together. Yue thought that their shopping trip for the day was over, but Aine said that since they were already out, they wanted to check out the music instrument store as well.

The two arrived at the Edogawa Musical Instrument Shop. Yue pushed open the door and heard a familiar welcome, "Welcome."

Yue paused for a moment, then looked up at the shop assistant who had greeted them. It turned out to be Tae Hanazono from the band Popipa.

She then remembered that when she came here to buy musical instruments before, Tae was already working here.

"Garden-senpai!" Yue exclaimed in surprise.

Tae smiled and nodded. "It's been a long time, Hinasaki-san."

Aine greeted Tsuki and Tae with excitement, "Tae-senpai! Long time no see!"

Tae looked at Aine and smiled in response, "Long time no see, Chihaya-kun. Are you here to buy a musical instrument today?"

A little embarrassed, Yue said, "Actually, I came with Aine to take a look. I'm a keyboardist and not very good at guitar, so I'll have to ask Tae-senpai to help Aine take a look."

Hearing what Yue said, Tae nodded, "No problem, I'll do my best to help."

After thinking for a moment, Ai Yin said, "I want to change the effects pedal."

Duohui nodded. "I understand. Aiyin, do you want a 'clanging' effect or a 'clicking' effect?"

"So... I can't really compare them..."

Aine's expression was somewhat helpless: "Let me see them all..."

“Okay!” said Tae Hanazono.

She led Aine and Yue to the effects section and pointed to several effects pedals, explaining them in detail.

She explained the features and applicable scenarios of each effect pedal, helping Aiyin better understand the advantages and disadvantages of each effect pedal.

After a detailed explanation and trial, Aiyin finally selected an effects pedal that suited her needs.

She looked at Tae and said gratefully, "Thank you so much, Tae-senpai, you've been a great help today."

"You're welcome," Tae replied with a smile.

She looked at the large bags and packages the two of them were carrying and said, "By the way, Aine-chan, are you buying effects pedals and clothes because you're preparing for the Moon Forest Music Festival?"

Yue nodded. "Are all the Popipa members going to participate too?"

"Kasumi does have that plan, but I feel that the eligibility review would be quite strict if we participate." Tae Hanazono said with a wry smile.

“…Hmm.” Clearly, Tsuki understood why Hanazono Tae had said that, and her expression became somewhat awkward.

As a "returned student," Chihaya Aine hadn't paid much attention to Haneoka Girls' Academy before, as she was busy preparing to study in London.

Therefore, they knew nothing about what happened at the school festival jointly held by Haneoka and Hanasakigawa last year.

However, she vaguely sensed that something was off about the atmosphere, so she didn't ask any questions.

Popipa's absence from last year's school festival performance is probably understandable within the band itself.

However, for the board members of Tsukinomori, since this kind of behavior has happened once, it is very likely to happen again, so the qualification review for Popipa will definitely be much stricter.

"Go for it, seniors! As long as you do your best and shine on stage, you'll definitely make it through," Yue encouraged Tae.

Tae thanked Hinasaki for her encouragement, saying, "Thank you for your kind words, Hinasaki. See you on the qualification stage!"

When the performance begins: Chapter 183 The final rehearsal before the music festival

Five days passed quickly as everyone was busy rehearsing and making costumes, and soon the day before the qualification review arrived.

In Hinasaki's recording studio, she and Aine were sitting there waiting for the others to arrive.

Yue sat quietly to the side, observing Aine's every move. She noticed that Aine didn't usually feel much nervous, but when it came time to perform, she was actually a little nervous.

She kept picking up the water glass from the table, taking a small sip, and then putting it down. The small bottle of mineral water, less than 300ml, felt unusually heavy in Ai Yin's hands.