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

"Didn't you get enough rest last night?" Chu Hua asked with concern, her tone showing the care of a colleague.

Peach nodded slightly, rubbed her forehead, and replied, "Um... I didn't sleep well a little."

Their brief conversation quickly ended, and the training room returned to silence.

This kind of simple communication is already a common occurrence for them.

Momoko joined Ave Mujica primarily to satisfy her desire to act opposite Hinasaki on stage.

Although she gets along well with the band members, she doesn't interact with them much on a daily basis.

Although the two worked together, they had very little to talk about in private.

Originally... it should be L>M

"Chu Hua..." Taozi's voice was hesitant, but she still asked firmly, "After the practice is over, can I ask you a few questions?"

Chu Hua was taken aback, clearly not expecting Tao Zi to take the initiative to talk to her.

Her eyes widened slightly, and after a moment she reacted, replying with a hint of surprise, "Eh? Ah... okay, no problem."

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

"Uh……"

After rehearsal, Yutenji Nyanmu collapsed onto the table once again, half-dead, leaving behind a weary "last words": "Sho...Shoko, next time, could you please not...practice for so long..."

Her voice was weak and feeble, as if she were about to faint at any moment.

But clearly, Miss Oblivionis did not seem to care about Amoris's request.

Without glancing to the side, she walked straight past Miaomeng, who had sprawled out in a purple "cat" shape, without even pausing: "See you tomorrow."

Xiao Mu, following behind her, obediently lowered her head and kept pace with her, saying, "See you tomorrow."

She slightly raised her head and looked at the cat on the table, but didn't say anything more.

As the two left, the people in the training room gradually dispersed.

Hailing was no exception. After confirming that all the equipment was in place, she waved to the others and said, "Well then, everyone, see you tomorrow."

At this moment, Chu Hua looked at Kurosawa Momoko, who was still tidying up her guitar, and tried to bring up the question Momoko had wanted to ask that morning, but Momoko's gaze went past her and landed on Nyanmu, who was still slumped on the table.

"Hatsuka..." Momoko spoke softly, skillfully putting the guitar into her bag, but she clearly didn't intend to stay any longer, her gaze still involuntarily drifting towards Miss Yutenji.

Chu Hua immediately understood what she meant and suggested, "Then... how about we carpool back together?"

"Okay." Peach nodded, slung her guitar over her shoulder, and walked out the door with Chu Hua.

In the training room, only Yutenji Nyanmu remained, slumped over the table with a look of utter despair. Watching everyone's figures gradually disappear into the distance, she let out a final wail: "Doesn't anyone care about me? I'm clearly Amoris! Why doesn't anyone love me?!"

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

Momoko took out her key, skillfully inserted it into the lock, turned it, and pushed open the door. This action was all too familiar to her; she did it every day when she came home. However, today was different, because this was the first time she had brought a friend other than Hinasaki home.

"Excuse me," Chu Hua said softly, stepping into the porch, bending down to take off her shoes, revealing a pair of clean white cotton socks.

Her movements seemed somewhat cautious, and she appeared to be a little restrained.

Peach looked at her, waved her hand, and said casually, "Don't be so formal. I live alone in Tokyo, just the two of us at home. Make yourself at home, no need to be so polite."

Chu Hua looked up at Tao Zi and saw her gentle smile, which eased her tension slightly.

She nodded, but still subconsciously tidied up her shoes, arranging them neatly, before entering the house.

"The house is very clean..." Chu Hua sighed softly, looking around Taozi's house.

Although the room is not large, it is very tidy and the furnishings are simple and orderly. The decorative paintings on the wall and the books on the bookshelf add a touch of warmth to the whole space.

"Yeah, I live alone and don't have much stuff." Peach casually hung her bag on the hook by the door, then turned to Chuhua and said, "Would you like something to drink? I have juice, tea, and coffee."

"Juice, please," Chu Hua replied, a hint of unease in her eyes.

Taozi nodded and went straight into the kitchen to start preparing. Chuhua slowly walked to the sofa, sat down gently, and looked around.

Her gaze finally settled on a small table by the window, on which were scattered several sheets of white paper and an open notebook, clearly the place where Taozi usually worked.

"Taozi is working very hard too..." Chu Hua thought to herself, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

Just then, Peach's voice came from the kitchen: "Juice, would you like peach flavor?"

Chu Hua was pulled back to reality and quickly replied, "Ah... sure!"

She watched as Taozi took a bottle of juice from the refrigerator, poured it into two clear glasses, gently placed one glass in front of Chuhua, and the other in front of herself.

The two sat facing each other, and the atmosphere became somewhat quiet for a moment.

Peach broke the silence first: "This juice is one I drink often. It tastes pretty good. You should try it."

Chu Hua nodded, picked up the cup, took a sip, and felt the sweet juice slide across her tongue, bringing a refreshing coolness.

"It's delicious, thank you," Chu Hua said with a smile, but she was a little puzzled, wondering what Taozi would ask next.

Before Chu Hua could pick up her cup again, she was completely stunned by Tao Zi's sudden "trump card".

"Chuhua, you like Xiangzi, right?" Kurosawa Momoko looked at Chuhua with a serious expression.

If Chu Hua were drinking water right now, she would have undoubtedly spat it out long ago.

She paused for a few seconds, then forced a somewhat stiff smile, trying to appear calm: "Haha, Peach, you're really joking. That's just the company's operational strategy. Lily's operations are very popular right now, aren't they?"

After saying this, Chu Hua lowered her head, her eyes wandering. Her tone sounded relaxed and natural, but only she knew how much tension and guilt were hidden behind those words.

However, Peach was not moved by her smile and explanation. Instead, she stared at Chu Hua more intently, her tone still calm: "Is that really so?"

That simple rhetorical question sent a jolt through Chu Hua. She slowly raised her head and found that Taozi's gaze was still fixed on her face.

Faced with such blunt questioning, Chu Hua's defenses crumbled instantly.

She tried to keep smiling, but the smile gradually disappeared from her face, replaced by silence, as if time had stopped at that moment.

"I..." Chu Hua opened her mouth, but didn't know how to continue. She had always hidden her feelings for Xiangzi very well, thinking that she could use the so-called "operational strategy" to cover everything up, but Taozi's attack made her defenses collapse completely.

She lowered her head, gripping the glass tightly with both hands; the juice inside seemed to have lost its sweetness. After a long silence, she whispered, "Actually... it's not entirely because of operations." Her voice was weak, yet it sounded like the beginning of some unraveling of a knot in her heart.

Chu Hua gripped the cup tightly, her knuckles turning white. She said softly, "Xiangzi and I are childhood sweethearts. I've always wanted to be with her, which is why I left the island and came to Tokyo."

Her voice carried a hint of bitterness and helplessness. She paused, as if gathering her emotions, and then continued, "If I hadn't met Ms. Sakura, I probably would have been like most ordinary students, standing in the audience, silently watching Shoko perform..."

At this point, Chu Hua gave a self-deprecating smile. "Actually, that was fine too. At least when I was in the audience, I only saw her glamorous side and admired her. Instead of feeling like I can never truly get close to her, I was like this now."

Her smile carried a hint of helplessness and self-mockery, as if she were mocking her own naiveté.

Peach listened quietly until Chu Hua finished speaking before interrupting her self-deprecating remark: "That's not how it is."

Chu Hua paused for a moment, then looked up at Tao Zi with a hint of confusion in her eyes.

“Longing is the emotion furthest from understanding.” Taozi’s voice was soft, but it struck the deepest part of Chuhua’s heart. “If you only stay in the audience, you will never be able to truly get close to Xiangzi, let alone stand on the same ‘stage’ as her.”

"..." Chu Hua remained silent, her thoughts unclear. She didn't continue the conversation but instead asked Tao Zi, "Tao Zi, you didn't just want to ask me this question, did you?"

"Actually... what I wanted to ask was..." Peach slowly began to ask.

----------

Is Miss Peach's counterattack about to begin?

They'll probably launch a counter-offensive on their home turf!

Climax Stage: Chapter 117 Let's Try Taking Off the Mask

Momoko Kurosawa hesitated for a moment, then bit her lip and asked in a low voice, "Actually... what I wanted to ask was, Ms. Hatsuka, how did you get through that time?"

Her voice was soft, tinged with unease and hesitation.

"Huh?" Misaki Hatsuka was a little stunned, completely unexpected that the usually calm and composed Momoko Kurosawa would ask such a question.

In her memory, Taozi had always been a mature and reliable person who could always handle all kinds of complex situations with ease.

Whether chatting and laughing with adults or preparing for performances, she always seemed at ease, almost indistinguishable from real adults.

However, looking at the girl in front of him with her eyes lowered and her red lips biting, Chu Hua's heart stirred slightly.

She then realized that Peach was actually only 17 years old, just like herself.

No matter how mature and composed they may appear on the outside, deep down they still experience the same confusion and bewilderment as other people their age.

"After all, she is only 17 years old..." Chu Hua sighed inwardly, feeling relieved.

Even so, Miss Chuhua still sighed silently in her heart.

Although she understood Taozi's confusion, she couldn't give a clear answer to the question at the moment.

【Miss Momoko is currently unable to stand beside the other person? No... if it were on stage, Momoko would probably be very satisfied to be able to perform on stage with her.】

Chu Hua tried to think about the problem from Tao Zi's perspective, quickly filtering through fragments of their past interactions in her mind. [So, her question... must be referring to something in her life?]

Considering the scene where Taozi suddenly asked her if she liked Xiangzi, Chuhua gradually realized that Taozi's doubts might not just be about her obsession with the stage, but were related to someone in Mygo.

[Could it be related to someone from that band? Hinasaki... Kotatsuki? Aine?]

Chu Hua quickly recalled her previous meetings with the Mygo band members; she had seen them rehearse and had interacted with them a few times.

Suddenly, a name popped into her head, and the answer seemed to appear instantly in her mind.

“Li hope…” Chu Hua hesitated for a moment before whispering the name.

She looked up at Taozi in front of her, and when Taozi heard the name, the girl's head, which had been slightly raised, suddenly lowered gently, as if she didn't want Chuhua to see the complex emotions on her face.

Chu Hua confirmed her guess was correct from her reaction.

This problem is indeed related to Shiina Tatsuki.

"The person standing next to Hinasaki is... Shiina Tatsuki, right?" Hatsuka asked softly, trying to confirm further.

Peach didn't answer immediately. Her hand gripped the glass tightly, her knuckles turning white, as if she were struggling to control the surging emotions within her. After a moment, she nodded slightly, acknowledging Chu Hua's guess.

“Yes… Lixi.” Taozi’s voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, but in that instant, Chuhua sensed her inner struggle and helplessness.

Chu Hua slowly moved closer, trying to make Taozi feel her concern: "So, your confusion... is it because of her?"

Peach nodded again, then said in a low voice, "I was just thinking... we used to be so close, why has everything changed now? Lixi has taken my place and is standing next to Yue, while I..." Her voice sounded particularly fragile at this moment, "It seems like I can only stand on the stage as a co-star, watching her from afar."

Chu Hua listened, sighing silently to herself. She understood that feeling—the helplessness of feeling unable to reach someone's heart even when standing on the same stage.

She gently patted Peach's shoulder and said softly, "Sometimes... the stage and life are two different paths, but as long as you want, there will always be opportunities."