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

The audience below the stage gradually quieted down, and the waving of glow sticks slowed down as everyone looked forward to what Yue would say next on stage.

The little lamp looked up at the moon, its eyes filled with gratitude and a hint of relief.

Yue nodded gently to her and continued, "I'm sorry, although we would love to play a few more songs for you, we have only prepared one piece today, and according to the schedule, there are other bands that will be performing for you later."

Although the audience was somewhat disappointed, Yue's gentle tone and composed demeanor gradually calmed them down. Some began to whisper among themselves, while others looked forward to the performance to come.

"So... let's give a warm round of applause to welcome the next band to the stage."

As soon as Yue finished speaking, cheers and applause erupted from the audience. This time, the cheers were more like polite support, enthusiastic but not overly excited.

"Let's go, Mutsu, it's time for us to go on stage." Hearing Tsukiko's words, Shoko turned to Wakaba Mutsu beside her and said, "Let's go, Mutsu, it's time for us to go on stage."

Climax Stage: Chapter 43 Crychic's Farewell Performance (Part 1)

"Xiao Xiang, keep it up!"

Chu Hua leaned slightly forward and encouraged Xiangzi as he walked past her.

Xiangzi paused slightly and turned to look at Chuhua.

"Um... thank you." Xiangzi nodded.

Hinasaki walked off the stage, her face still bearing the faint afterglow of her performance, and happened to meet Shoko, who was walking towards her, on the stairs.

Yue stopped and slightly stepped aside to avoid the narrow stairwell. Her gaze fell on Xiangzi's face, and she smiled gently: "My piano is in your hands now. Good luck!"

Xiangzi paused for a moment, then nodded. "...I will."

Xiangzi walked onto the stage, the makeshift wooden stage creaking against his leather shoes.

Standing before Yue's electronic keyboard, she took a deep breath to calm the turmoil in her heart.

Her fingers lightly touched the piano keys, feeling their coolness. Her fingers trembled slightly, but quickly regained their balance.

Taking another deep breath, I looked at my familiar yet unfamiliar teammates, placed my hands naturally on the piano keys, felt the subtle elasticity beneath them, and gently slid my fingertips across the keys, producing a few low and soft notes.

As her fingers danced faster and faster across the keys, the notes became clearer and more powerful. After a few tentative keystrokes, Xiangzi found her rhythm, and her fingers began to glide more nimbly across the keys, the connections between the notes becoming increasingly fluid.

Everything was ready. Xiangzi wiggled his fingers slightly, feeling the warmth they had received after warming up.

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"Wakaba-kun, I'm entrusting my guitar to you!" Chihaya Aine handed the guitar to Wakaba Mutsumi, who was coming up on stage.

Xiao Mu's expression remained calm, her eyes showing little emotion; she simply nodded slightly.

Looking at the other's obedient appearance, Ai couldn't help but reach out and gently pat Wakaba Mutsu's head, her fingers running through her soft hair, the movement so natural it seemed to come from instinct.

If Ye Mu slightly raised her head, she would still look calm, without showing any resistance or discomfort.

This small gesture caused Nagasaki Motoyo, who was standing to the side, to frown slightly.

Her gaze swept over Aine and Wakaba Mutsu with slight displeasure, and when she saw Aine's gentle movements, an indescribable emotion welled up in her heart.

Su Shi crossed her arms in front of her chest. Although her expression did not change significantly, her slightly pursed lips revealed her displeasure.

Aine noticed Su Shi's gaze, turned around and glanced at her, seemingly understanding the other's emotions.

She didn't say much, just gave an apologetic smile.

Ruoye Mu nodded again, gripping the guitar firmly with both hands, as if checking whether its weight and feel were suitable.

She didn't say much, but simply adjusted the position of the strap slightly to ensure the guitar could hang comfortably on her shoulder.

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On stage, the members of the Crychic band were busy adjusting their instruments and preparing for the upcoming performance.

However, the audience's attention was focused on the identities of the band members, and some subtle details aroused their curiosity and speculation.

"What's going on with this band? It seems like a lot of them are former members of Mygo?" one audience member asked, frowning with a hint of doubt. His eyes were fixed on the performers on stage, especially those who hadn't yet changed. His friend nodded slightly, his eyes showing the same confusion.

“Yeah,” another audience member chimed in, sounding a little puzzled, “The lead singer, bassist, and drummer from the band Mygo are still on stage, only the keyboardist and guitarist have changed. What’s going on?”

Following the audience member's reminder, more people began to notice the unusual situation on stage. The Mygo band members, who were supposed to finish their performance, hadn't completely left the stage; instead, they had simply moved to different positions, seemingly preparing for a new performance. This unusual situation quickly sparked widespread discussion among the audience.

"Could the guitarist and keyboardist from earlier have been mercenaries for the band?" another audience member speculated.

Mercenaries in girl bands are not uncommon, especially those with exceptional skills who often work part-time in multiple bands, providing support to different groups.

This phenomenon has become widespread among music fans.

There are even rumors that a legendary bassist could work part-time in thirty bands simultaneously, and that whichever band she joined would experience a rapid improvement in its performance. Such legends add to the mystique surrounding the role of the band mercenary.

As the audience's discussion deepened, some began to notice the newly arrived Wakaba Mutsumi, the green-haired guitarist who had attracted considerable interest. Her figure stood out under the lights; though her expression remained aloof, her unique charisma made her impossible to ignore.

“Look at that green-haired guitarist who just came on stage,” a front-row audience member said, pointing at Wakaba Mutsu, his voice tinged with excitement. “Doesn’t she look familiar? I think I’ve seen her on TV before.”

His words immediately drew the attention of the surrounding audience, who followed his finger and focused their gaze on Wakaba Mutsu. The audience member continued, "Isn't this Ms. Mori Minami's daughter? I think she appeared on a TV show with her before."

"Mori Minami's daughter? No wonder it felt so familiar," a spectator murmured, his voice filled with surprise.

“But now that you mention it, I seem to remember this band again.” One audience member stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Last year, there was a band that was rumored to have Sammi Nami’s daughter on board, but it seems like nothing came of it.”

Is that true?

"I think so... I vaguely remember it."

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

The whispers and speculations from the audience did not reach the Crychic members on stage.

Or rather, even if they heard it, they wouldn't care too much.

Ruoye Mu looked down to check the guitar tuner, her fingers gently plucking the strings to produce a series of crisp notes, confirming the pitch of each string.

Xiao Deng stood in the center of the stage, turned her head slightly, and nodded silently after seeing that Xiangzi and Mu had finished adjusting.

Xiaodeng slowly raised the microphone, gently closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened his eyes and looked straight ahead.

Her breathing slowed, and her voice was steady and strong: "We are Crychic."

Climax Stage: Chapter 44 Crychic's Farewell Performance (Part 2)

“We are Crychic.” Gao Dansan Lingming (7) Jiuwu Junyang Songdeng’s voice echoed on the silent stage, clear and firm.

The audience remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Our band has been through a lot..." Deng's voice trembled slightly.

“We’ve parted on bad terms before, and we’ve had arguments.” Her voice gradually lowered as she recounted the past.

“But now…” Deng took a deep breath.

"The lost people have reunited..." Her words carried a heartbreaking tone.

However, just as she was about to continue speaking, Toyokawa Shoko, who was standing next to her, suddenly interrupted her.

"Xiao Deng... don't say these things." Xiangzi's voice was gentle and tinged with a hint of shyness.

"Eh... um." Xiao Deng paused for a moment, then nodded.

She understood what Xiangzi meant, and knew that the most important thing at this moment was not to talk about the past, but to entrust everything to the music.

So she gently closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then said firmly, "Please listen to... our original piece—'Spring Shadow'."

As Xiaodeng finished speaking, Toyokawa Shoko placed her fingers on the keyboard keys, closed her eyes slightly, and felt a familiar sense of security from the cool touch of the keys, as if those distant memories were flooding back into her mind.

She took a deep breath, and with a gentle press of her fingers on the piano keys, a soft prelude flowed out.

The melody, like a spring breeze, carried a touch of warmth and a hint of sadness, quietly echoing on the stage.

The sound of the piano was clear and bright, as if it could touch the softest corner of people's hearts.

"悴んだ心ふるえる䁗世で [A haggard heart with wandering eyes]"

Gao Songdeng's singing followed immediately, clear and gentle, with a power that penetrates the heart.

"The whole world leaves me alone"

The sound of the lamp carried a hint of sadness, and the feelings of loneliness and helplessness were conveyed to everyone in the audience through the lyrics.

Despite the sweltering heat of July, the audience felt as if they were experiencing a gentle spring breeze, mild yet slightly cool, soothing their hearts.

Every note and every lyric made them feel as if they were in the light and shadow of spring.

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"It's pretty good... not Mygo's 'Kasuga Kage'." Hinasaki listened quietly to this Crychic version of "Kasuga Kage" from below the stage, a slight smile on her lips and a faint nostalgia in her eyes.

Her gaze followed the stage lights, and the scene of watching Crychic's performance for the first time last year involuntarily came to mind.

Back then, Xiao Deng's singing skills weren't as polished as they are now, and her voice still carried a hint of immaturity and uncertainty. The band's coordination also seemed somewhat raw, and the instruments often lacked harmony.

Even so, the emotions contained in the song "Spring Shadow" were still conveyed to the hearts of every audience member without reservation, and deeply touched her heartstrings as well.

The moon squinted slightly, as if returning to that night filled with youthful innocence and uncertainty.

At that moment, she stood in a dark corner, quietly watching the young girls on stage, full of youth and dreams, and a strange feeling of emotion welled up in her heart.

That unadorned emotion, conveyed through the music, reached her heart, giving her an indescribable sense of resonance.

"Speaking of which... it seems that I was able to get to know everyone thanks to this song, 'Spring Shadow'."

Yue sighed softly, her gaze still fixed on the stage, a hint of tenderness and gratitude in her eyes. "If I hadn't gone to hear your performance last year, I probably wouldn't have gotten to know you all."

However, Chihaya Aine, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but complain, "You and I met in the same class, and Rana only got to know everyone because she was interested in Akari."

“No.” The stray cat Lena standing beside them shook her head gently, a look of longing also appearing in her yellow and blue heterochromatic eyes.

“The performance was excellent,” Lena said briefly in encrypted language.

"Huh???" Aine was clearly surprised by Rana's words. She stared at Rana with wide eyes in disbelief.

As a teammate who had been together for a long time, Aine had gradually mastered the method of deciphering Rakuna's language, but at this moment, she still couldn't hide her surprise. "Rakuna-chan, you also saw that performance?"

"Hmm." Lena nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "Interesting girls."

Back then, Lena was just a lone "stray cat" whose daily life consisted of nothing but her guitar and matcha parfait.

She was used to solitude, used to immersing herself in her own world. For her, music was her only companion, and everything else was irrelevant.

Her grandmother had always been quite troubled by this.