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

Finally, she muttered as she opened the workbook in front of her: "No live performance, no way."

——————Two flowers bloom, each telling a story————————

While the Mygo group was having a study session, everyone from Ave Mujica next door was also gathered in Ms. Sakura Sakura's office.

"Waaaah~ Meow Meow is already an idol, why do I still have to study?" Miss Meow Meow from Yutenji looked at the dense text on the book in front of her, feeling completely drained, and slumped weakly in the chair behind her. Her eyes were filled with helplessness and despair, as if those words were an insurmountable mountain.

Sakura Sakura sat behind her desk, a pen in her hand, and said with a smile, "Because we're not just idols, we also have to balance our studies. Studying is very important, Meowmeng. You can't be careless. If your identities are exposed and people find out you have a history of failing courses, although it's not a serious matter, you'll still be attacked by haters." Her voice was gentle, but her tone carried a hint of severity, clearly not allowing any rebuttal.

Toyokawa Shoko sat to the side, intently reading her book. Her gaze was focused, her brows slightly furrowed, showing her unusual seriousness.

Hearing Miaomeng's complaints, Xiangzi coldly said, "Miss Miaomeng, if you had time to complain here, you could have finished one or two questions long ago."

"Xiangzi~ How heartless!" Miaomeng looked at Xiangzi with a hint of teasing in her eyes. "Then, little Xiangzi, can you help Miaomeng with the questions?" She deliberately dragged out the tone in her sweet voice, trying to tease Xiangzi.

Xiangzi's eyes turned slightly cold, but she still calmly replied, "I'm not a teacher. Please solve your own problems." She lowered her head and continued to focus on her book, clearly not intending to pay attention to Miaomeng's teasing.

Just then, Sanjiao Chuhua, who was sitting next to Xiangzi, also came up to her with her workbook, her voice tinged with urgency: "Xiangzi, can you help me look at the solution to this problem?"

As everyone's idol and senior, although she usually studies very hard, coupled with Sumimi's busy work schedule, which often requires her to leave class in the middle, Hatsuka's theoretical foundation is actually the worst among them.

Xiangzi glanced at the exercise Chuhua was pointing to, and quickly came up with a solution in his mind. He started writing formulas on a piece of scrap paper and explained to Chuhua, "The solution to this problem is as follows: First, you need to..."

Her voice was calm and organized. Chu Hua looked at the formulas on the draft paper carefully, nodding from time to time, clearly benefiting greatly.

Just then, Miaomeng puffed out her cheeks and said angrily, "Ugh! Xiangzi, you're seriously biased! Why can Hatsuko ask you for advice, but I can't?" Her voice carried a hint of coquetry and dissatisfaction.

Xiangzi frowned slightly, but before she could respond, Taozi put her hand on Miaomeng's shoulder, shook her head at her, and said, "Miaomengzi, give up. If you really don't understand like Chuhua, I think Xiangzi would probably explain it to you. But you're obviously teasing her. There's no way she'd explain the problem to you."

"It was Meow Dream who kissed you!" Meow Dream's first reaction was to correct Peach's mistake in using her nickname. She puffed out her cheeks, looking exceptionally cute.

Hai Ling looked up from her book, a hint of teasing in her eyes: "You call us Hai Zi and Mu Zi, but you call yourself Miao Meng Qin?"

Hearing this, Miaomeng was slightly taken aback. Ignoring Hailing, she put on a wronged expression and continued to say to Xiangzi, "Xiangzi clearly gave me the name Amoris, which means love. I thought Xiangzi would be very close to me, but I didn't expect him to be so heartless..."

Her voice was choked with sobs, and her eyes were slightly red, as if she had truly suffered a great injustice. Seeing that Miao Meng's acting was so superb, and that she seemed to be on the verge of crying as she spoke, Peach took the opportunity to hand her a tissue.

Miaomeng readily accepted the prop Taozi offered and wiped away imaginary tears from the corners of her eyes. Her movements were gentle, as if she were truly wiping away tears, and her face revealed a heartbroken expression.

"Eh? So it's Xiao Xiang and Miss Miao Meng..." Chu Hua saw Miao Meng's superb acting skills and scanned the two of them back and forth with her eyes full of curiosity and doubt.

Even Xiao Mu looked up at the two of them after hearing Miao Meng's words, her golden eyes filled with shock. Her usually calm expression was now somewhat taken aback.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Xiangzi put on a "kind" smile and spoke in a gentle tone, but it sent chills down Miaomeng and Taozi's spines: "Miaomeng, if you're too free to study, you can go practice your drums some more."

Upon hearing this, Miao Meng's face turned pale instantly, and she quickly shook her head and waved her hands, "No, no, no, Xiangzi, I was just joking. I will study hard."

Her pleading eyes made Peach laugh out loud. She patted Miaomeng on the shoulder and teased, "Looks like Miaomeng is still afraid of our captain."

Miao Meng sighed helplessly, her eyes filled with a hint of grievance and helplessness: "Miao Meng is not afraid of Xiao Xiang, she just doesn't want to be punished by practicing drums again. These past few days, Miao Meng's drumming has almost ruined her hand."

"And you, Kurosawa-kun, if you're particularly free, you can go practice your guitar for an extra two hours." Of course, Xiangzi didn't forget Kurosawa Momoko, who played with Miaomeng.

"Um... I'd better study harder then, otherwise it won't be good if I fail the final exam."

Momoko Kurosawa sat back down in her seat with a clear conscience and started reading. But soon she was completely engrossed in her book, seemingly trying to use the "osmosis method" to let a high concentration of knowledge flow into her low concentration of knowledge. However, very few people have succeeded with this method. All we can say is that we hope our Momoko can pass the exam smoothly.

"It's so good to be young~" Ms. Sakura Sakura, who was only 30 years old, leaned back lazily in her boss's chair and sighed as she watched the conversation of the people in front of her.

Stage Climax: Chapter 5 After the Exam

I prayed countless times that time would slow down, but things never change according to one's wishes, and the final exams still arrived as scheduled.

In the exam room, Hinasaki sat by the window, sunlight streaming through the window and onto her desk. Her fingers moved quickly across the answer sheet, the pen tip leaving clear marks on the paper. She looked at the questions in front of her, her brow furrowing slightly, but quickly relaxed, and after a moment of thought, she began to write furiously.

"Here... I should just need to find the derivative." Yue thought to herself, her hands moving without pausing. Although she had been struggling with some basic, easy questions last week, with the help of everyone at Mygo, she quickly regained the knowledge she had learned before.

She has an exceptional learning ability and a remarkable memory. Although she sometimes forgets unfamiliar knowledge points, she can quickly regain her understanding once she reviews them. For slightly more complex problems, she can also apply her knowledge to other situations and quickly find solutions.

In Chinese parlance, they're born college students, perfect for final exam preparation.

Yue's pen flew across the exam paper, gradually filling it with her answers. Her eyes were focused, and her lips were slightly pursed, showing her concentration and seriousness. The surrounding candidates were also working diligently, and the entire examination room was so quiet that the only sound was the scratching of pens on paper.

"This problem... should be solvable using substitution." Yue quickly constructed the solution steps in her mind, and then swiftly wrote down the answer on the answer sheet.

Time passed little by little, and Yue's answering speed became faster and faster. When she finished the last question, Yue breathed a sigh of relief.

She put down her pen, carefully checked the answers on the answer sheet, and only after confirming that they were correct did she slowly lean back in her chair, take a deep breath, and feel the sunlight still streaming through the window, bringing her warmth and comfort.

"Next, we should start preparing for the Bang Dream competition, right?" Yue looked out the window. The sky outside was a clear blue, with a few white clouds drifting lazily by. The leaves swayed gently in the breeze, bringing a refreshing feeling. Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.

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

During lunchtime, the three members of Mygo's Haneoka group gathered as usual in the Astronomy Club's activity room. Sunlight streamed through the leaves outside the window, casting dappled shadows into the room.

Chihaya Aine picked up a piece of octopus sausage from the bento box, gently pinched it, and put it in her mouth. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, clearly satisfied with the taste.

She said while chewing her food, "This math exam was a bit difficult... I almost gave up and didn't finish it."

"Hmm, thank you..." Yue took the octopus sausage that Aine handed her with her chopsticks, but there was a hint of doubt in her eyes: "Was this exam really that difficult? I don't seem to feel anything."

Xiaodeng then handed Aine the omelet from her lunchbox in exchange for octopus sausage, saying, "I also think it's a bit difficult."

Ai Yin took the pudding dessert that Yue had made herself from Yue's hands and looked at her with some helplessness: "Yue, you reviewed a whole book in just one day, no... even a few hours, and you even got a perfect score on last year's test."

"Hmm! Yue's pudding is quite delicious!" Aine took a bite of Yue's banana pudding, her eyebrows slightly raised, and a look of surprise flashed in her eyes.

Ai Yin savored the pudding carefully. Its smooth texture and the aroma of bananas filled her mouth. The sweet but not cloying taste made her exclaim, "Yue, this pudding is really great! The texture is so delicate, and the banana flavor is so rich."

Xiao Deng picked up a spoonful of pudding, gently placed it in her mouth, and savored it. The pudding melted in her mouth, and the sweet banana flavor spread, bringing a subtle sense of pleasure. "Delicious!"

Seeing the satisfied expressions on their faces, Yue smiled slightly, a hint of humility on her face. She said softly, "This is a pudding recipe I learned from Senior Shengxiang. This is the first time I've made it, so I hope you all like it."

She then showed the remaining three pudding bottles on the table, "These are for Lixi, Lena, and Sushi. I even made Lena's favorite matcha flavor."

———————Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch———————

At Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy, not far from Haneoka, Riki unusually took out a lunchbox from her desk.

Seeing Riki's actions, Hachiman Kairin, who was behind her, calmly teased, "Oh my, that's really a rare sight."

A hint of a smile played on Hairin's eyes, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. As one of the few people in Hanasaki River who could be considered a friend to Ritsuki, Hairin knew very well the limits of what Ritsuki could tolerate. She always teased him appropriately, which neither made him feel disgusted nor made him feel closer to her.

Lixi looked at Hailing with annoyance: "Is it some rare thing that I eat lunch? There's no need to be so surprised."

Hai Ling nodded seriously, her expression unusually grave: "This is the first time Li hope has taken out a lunchbox at school this semester, isn't it?" Although her tone was serious, Li hope still felt that there was a hint of teasing in her words.

Lixi clicked her tongue in exasperation, subtly sensing a hint of displeasure. She wasn't usually a fan of bento boxes; energy drinks and instant jelly were enough for her daily meals. However, this morning, for some reason, her sister suddenly got up and made her a bento box, telling her it was a special treat during exam season.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Hai Ling looked at the bento box in Li hope's hand, a hint of curiosity and concern flashing in her eyes.

Lixi pursed her lips and said softly, "Tsk...of course I'll eat." Although she and her sister didn't usually talk much, it wasn't because they had a bad relationship; it was just that Lixi didn't know how to face her sister. Faced with her sister's "love-filled bento," she wasn't about to deliberately not eat and go hungry during the afternoon exam.

"When did you learn to make bento boxes, sister?" Lixi asked curiously as she slowly opened the lid of the bento box. Inside, she saw neatly arranged food: fried eggs, grilled fish, pickled vegetables, and a small bowl of rice. Although simple, it showed great care. The fried eggs were golden brown, the grilled fish was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the pickled vegetables were vibrant in color, and the rice was as white as snow—it was clearly made with great care.

"It looks pretty good. Did your family make it?" Hailing commented, looking at Lixi's bento.

"My sister made this." Lixi picked up a piece of fish and put it in her mouth. "Hmm...it tastes pretty good."

Hailing took out a bottle of her favorite chocolate-flavored drink from the table drawer and gently placed it on Lixi's head.

The texture of the drink made Lixi tremble slightly. She took the drink off her head, glanced at the taste, frowned, and said, "Is there no flavor I like?"

Hai Ling smiled, inserted the straw into her drink, and took a small sip. "I prefer this flavor," she said, her voice tinged with playfulness and warmth.

Lixi glanced at her helplessly, but didn't say anything more. She knew that the lunch break wasn't long, so she gave up the idea of ​​buying her favorite drink, inserted the straw into the drink box, and took a small sip.

The sweet aroma of chocolate filled her mouth. Although it wasn't her favorite flavor, it was still helpful in quenching her thirst.

"How's the band doing?" Hailing shifted the topic to the band, her eyes filled with curiosity and concern.

Lixi looked up at Hailing: "It's almost on the right track."

Hailing nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Will Bang Dream go?"

“We’ve already signed up.” Li hope put another mouthful of rice into her mouth, chewed it slightly, and swallowed. Then she looked at Hai Ling with a strange expression: “You signed up too? Is that band going to sign you up long-term?”

Previously, when Yue showed Su Shi the promotional photos of Mujica taken in the rehearsal room, Li hope was still playing "cat" and didn't see the original promotional photo.

Hinasaki and Hachiman Kairin only met three times, and Hinasaki didn't recognize Kairin when she changed into her performance outfit and wore a mask; she just felt that the other person looked somewhat familiar.

Therefore, Shiina Riki was unaware that Yahata Kairin had joined Ave_Mujica.

"A long-term commitment? Hmm... maybe a lifetime would be better?" Yawata Kairin bit her straw, swallowed a sip of her drink, and then slowly said, "After all, I've dedicated the rest of my life to this band."

"Plop!"

Hai Ling's words seemed to have a huge impact on Li Xi. The fried egg she was holding with her chopsticks fell back into the lunchbox. She froze, her mouth slightly open, her eyes filled with disbelief and shock.

"ha--?"

"What did you say?" Li hope's voice trembled slightly, clearly still reeling from Hai Ling's words.

“I said, I have dedicated my whole life to this band, just like you, Lixi,” Hailing repeated.

"Which band?" Li hope finally found his voice, his tone filled with curiosity and relief.

Although she had acted quickly when she promised Xiaodeng that she would form a band for life, she was still quite surprised when she heard that Hailing was also going to form a band for life with someone else.

After all, as a bass mercenary active in Tokyo girl bands, and able to serve as a support bassist in 30 bands, she was both gratified and curious to find that one of the bands had become her home.

"It's not convenient to tell you this, Lixi. I've already signed a confidentiality agreement, so I can't announce it to the public yet," Hailing said, shaking her head. "But Lixi, you can come to our premiere."

"A commercial band?" Li hope asked in surprise, her eyes filled with disbelief. "I never expected you to choose a commercially operated band like this."

“Our team leader’s musicality and professionalism are absolutely top-notch.” Thinking of this, a hint of amusement lingered in her voice.

———————Moon Forest Team's Turn————————

“Su Shi…” Ruoye Mu called softly to the chestnut-haired girl in front of her.

Su Shi paused slightly, then slowly turned around, her face bearing her usual polite smile, but her eyes remained devoid of any emotional fluctuation. "Greetings, Ruoye, is there anything I can help you with?" Her voice was gentle and polite, yet it carried an undeniable sense of aloofness.

She had said many hurtful things to Xiao Mu when they were at home, which left her completely at a loss as to how to face her. She could only maintain a normal social distance from her as before.

Ruoye Mutsu lowered his eyes slightly, seemingly hesitant, but finally spoke up: "The performance was wonderful... by the brass section and the orchestra."

"Thank you for liking it, Ruoye." Su Shi nodded gently, her tone still calm and indifferent, as if she were narrating something that had nothing to do with her.

Xiao Mu pursed her lips, clearly unaccustomed to Su Shi's coldness. She looked up, trying to catch his emotions with her eyes, but only saw a calm, mirror-like lake.

Su Shi noticed Ruoye Mutsu's gaze, turned her head slightly to avoid eye contact. "Is there anything else, Ruoye-san?" Her voice was still gentle, but the sense of distance was becoming increasingly obvious.

Ruoye Mu's fingers trembled slightly, but in the end, she didn't say what she wanted to say. She just shook her head gently: "It's nothing... I just wanted to come and offer my congratulations."

"Thank you. The exam is about to start this afternoon, so Ruoye should go back as soon as possible." Su Shi nodded, smiled slightly, and then turned and left, leaving Ruoye Mu alone in the spot, feeling an indescribable coldness and distance.