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

Just then, Yuri suddenly took out five plane tickets from the glove compartment of the car and said with a smile, "You mentioned to us a month ago that everyone wanted to go on a trip to Mount Hikami together, right? These are plane tickets to Aoyama Prefecture. I've already bought them for everyone, so you can all go together."

Yuri handed the plane tickets to everyone and continued, "Shinba and I will drive there early today and pick you up at the airport."

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"What? You're asking for leave?" Toyokawa Shoko frowned as she looked at Kurosawa Momoko, who was asking her for leave.

"Miss Kurosawa." Shoko was clearly in a bad mood, her tone turned cold, and she even started addressing her by her surname.

"I'm here." Peach's voice wasn't loud, but it sounded firm.

"You should know that there's only one week left until the knockout stage, right?" Xiangzi said, arms crossed, his tone icy, his gaze fixed on Taozi.

“Hmm…I know.” Peach nodded, then explained, “But I do have some things I need to go back and take care of.”

Xiangzi frowned even more deeply. She pursed her lips, remained silent for a few seconds, and her eyes showed some hesitation. "Does Sister Sakura know?"

“I already spoke with Ms. Sakura beforehand,” Momoko replied calmly.

Xiangzi sighed helplessly, loosening his arms slightly. His tone remained stern, but with a hint of understanding: "I understand, but even when you go back, remember to practice on your own."

"Yes, I know. I won't fall behind in my practice," Peach nodded in response.

Just as the two were talking, Sakura Sakura pushed open the door and entered, holding a stack of plane tickets in her hand. She smiled and handed them to Momoko Kurosawa: "These are the plane tickets you asked me to buy."

Peach took the plane ticket and nodded: "Thank you."

Just as Momoko was sorting through the plane tickets in her hand, Sakura Sakura took out another plane ticket from her pocket and handed it to Shoko Toyokawa.

"Xiangzi, this is yours."

"Huh?" Xiangzi and Taozi exclaimed almost simultaneously.

"Wh...what's wrong?" Sakura Sakura was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting the two to react so strongly.

“Ms. Sakura.” Toyokawa Shoko frowned as she looked at the plane ticket in her hand and asked coldly, “Could you please explain what’s going on with this ticket? I don’t think I asked you to book it for me.”

Sakura Sakura looked slightly bewildered, then smiled and explained, "Ah, I saw that there's still a week until the knockout stage, and I thought it wouldn't be good to have you all training here every day and being too stressed, so I booked a plane ticket for everyone in Ave Mujica so they can relax at the hot springs in Hikami. I heard the hot springs there are very famous."

She spoke casually, completely unaware that Xiangzi's face was growing increasingly dark.

"Hot springs? Do you think now is the time to relax..." Xiangzi muttered through gritted teeth.

Seeing her expression, Sakura Sakura finally realized she might be in trouble, and could only force a smile, "Well... it's also a chance for everyone to rest and recuperate..."

Side Story: The Journey to Mount Hikami - Chapter One: Departure! Destination: Mount Hikami

"Speaking of which, Mount Hikami was a notorious suicide spot twenty years ago. I never imagined it would become a famous hot spring tourist destination." Chihaya Aine was scrolling through travel guides on her phone while casually sending messages in a group chat.

"Huh? Mount Hikami has such a background?" Hinasaki was obviously unaware of this history, and a hint of doubt appeared in her eyes when she heard Aine's words.

"Hmm... probably because this area hadn't been developed yet at the time."

Shiina Tatsuki's chat pop-up then appeared: "Now that it's been developed, there are more tourists, and the atmosphere has changed. I guess no one would want to go to a place like this to commit suicide anymore."

Nagasaki Motoyo looked down at the tourist information on her phone and added thoughtfully, "The hot springs have pretty high ratings these days, and there's even a fireworks display on the day we go."

"Hot springs...I'm really looking forward to it." A longing expression appeared on Xiaodeng's face.

This will be the first time Mygo has traveled together as a whole band since the band was officially formed.

You mean you went to the beach last time? Wasn't that to film a PV video?

The last time we went to the hot springs, it was just Lixi, Xiaodeng, and Taozi. At that time, the band hadn't fully formed yet, and Aine hadn't returned.

Thinking about the time she would be spending with everyone, Hinasaki's mood became increasingly excited.

She looked down at her phone screen, and images of the steaming hot spring, the soothing water, and the laughter of her friends flashed through her mind.

"This trip... will probably be very different from the last one," she thought to herself, a smile unconsciously creeping onto her lips.

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"Xiaoyue, is there anything else you need to bring? I still have some space in my suitcase, I can help you put some things in it." Shiina Riki was packing her own luggage while chatting with Hinasaki Tsuki on her phone in the distance, her voice filled with ease and concern.

Hinasaki sat on the edge of her bed in her room, looking down at her packed suitcase, mentally listing the items she planned to bring: "Swimsuit, yukata, change of clothes, nail clippers, waterproof bandages, towel, 'Victory' underwear, finger cots..." Her voice gradually faded.

Lixi, who was carefully packing her luggage, suddenly paused, her brows furrowing slightly, as if she had heard something strange.

She stopped what she was doing and rubbed her ears in confusion. "Wait a minute, did I just hear something strange?"

Hinasaki remained unmoved, her face expressionless. "You misheard."

Her voice, calm and unhurried, was as if she were stating a fact.

Shiina Tatsuki paused, looked up at the ceiling, several guesses flashed through his mind, and his heart wavered slightly.

Perhaps it's because his relationship with Hinasaki has become closer recently, but Riki's emotional intelligence seems to have improved.

She had a gut feeling that if she continued to press the issue, it might lead to a dangerous situation.

So, Lixi quickly changed the subject, pretending not to have heard the vague words from before: "By the way, Xiaoyue, where will we stay after we get there?"

Hinasaki gently zipped up her suitcase, pointed to the corner of her mouth, and replied, "We'll probably stay near Mika-nee's place, or... maybe even at her shop. But the space there is limited, so it might not be able to accommodate all of us."

“Sister Mihua…” Lixi repeated the name thoughtfully while tidying her clothes, then looked up with a hint of curiosity in her eyes, “Speaking of which, Yue, who exactly is this Sister Mihua that you always mention?”

Hinasaki looked up and smiled as she recalled, "Hmm... Mika-nee, she was the aunt who often took me to play when I was little. My family would visit her every year during the New Year. She ran a coffee shop near Mount Hikami. I was always so happy when I went there as a child. Mika-nee took such good care of me."

Listening to Yue's recollections, Li hope smiled knowingly, "I see, no wonder you miss her so much."

Just as Lixi relaxed, a question that had never been answered before suddenly flashed through her mind. She hesitated for a moment, but still asked, "By the way, Yue, Mika's surname is Kurosawa, right? You said that she and Miss Kurosawa Momoko... are they related?"

Hinasaki was taken aback, clearly surprised by the question. She looked up at Ritsuki, her brows furrowing slightly before she shook her head, her tone uncertain: "Huh? It shouldn't matter, right? I've never heard Aunt Mika mention Momoko before... Kurosawa isn't a particularly common surname, but it's still quite common, so it's not surprising that it's repeated."

Hearing this, Li hope nodded and gave a soft "hmm," feeling somewhat relieved, since the possibility of having the same name with such a common surname does indeed exist.

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

Compared to the relatively harmonious and quiet way Yue and Lixi were unpacking their luggage, Aine and Suze's unpacking was much more "messy." Or perhaps "chaotic" would be a more accurate word?

"Su Shishi! I want to bring this yukata for you to wear." Chihaya Aine lay on the bed, her fingers flying across her phone as she sent a picture of a yukata to Su Shi, who was busy packing her luggage in the distance.

Nagasaki Motoyo glanced at her phone and simply replied with two words: "No."

However, Miss Pink Hair was clearly not going to give up easily. As if she had already anticipated how Su Shi would respond, she tapped her finger and had already edited the next message the instant Su Shi sent the message: "Su Shi~ Please, you'll definitely look good in this!"

Su Shi was silent for a moment on the other end of the screen, then typed: "Didn't you see enough at the beach last time? Also, why do I have to wear this for you?"

Ai Yin couldn't help but laugh out loud, as if she could already hear Su Shi's indifferent yet helpless voice on the other end of the phone.

Her lips curled up slightly, revealing a mischievous look, with a hint of cunning in her eyes.

She sent another cute emoji, a pink puppy making a longing gesture with its watery eyes.

"But I really want to see Su Shishi wear it, right? After soaking in the hot spring, we should wear yukatas and go out to play together." Aine sent the message while making a wronged little face.

Nagasaki Motoyo sighed helplessly, pausing her movements. She sat down next to her suitcase, her slender fingers tapping on the picture Aine had sent her again.

The yukata has a very special design. Pink is its main color, and it is decorated with faint cherry blossom patterns. The petals are softly scattered on the fabric, as if they would fall down with a gust of wind.

A light white belt cinches the waist, with delicate ribbons hanging down naturally. A delicate silk flower is tied in the center of the belt, adding a touch of liveliness.

The sleeves are designed to be slightly wide, with the cuffs rolled up slightly, making the whole yukata look more flowing, as if the hem would dance in the wind with just a slight turn.

The gentle pink hue paired with cherry blossom embellishments gives the yukata an elegant yet playful feel.

Looking at the picture, Su Shi, despite her strong resistance, had to admit that the yukata was indeed exquisite and suited Aine's somewhat girlish aesthetic.

She could imagine that when she wore it, Aine's eyes would light up and she would smile like a fool.

But she really didn't want to agree to it so easily.

Miss Nagasaki thought for a moment, a slight smile appearing on her lips as she conceived a plan to "get revenge" on the little pink-haired girl.

She randomly picked up a picture, clicked the send button, and calmly said, "If you can wear this, I'll agree to wear that yukata."

Chihaya Aine looked on with anticipation after seeing the message and excitedly opened the picture sent by Motoyo.

But when she saw the contents of the picture clearly, the smile on her face froze instantly, followed by a rapid rise in temperature from her neck to her cheeks, which turned as red as apples.

"Huh? What is this?! Su Shishi!" Ai Yin exclaimed, quickly covering her face with her hands, trying to hide her embarrassment.

The picture showed a set of cute puppy pajamas. Aine could totally accept animal-shaped pajamas and even found them adorable.

However, what sets this pajama apart is its unique feature—it not only has dog ears and a tail, but also comes with a silver chain, making it quite "unique".

"H-How could this be..." Aine's voice trembled slightly, and a multitude of complex emotions welled up in her heart, both shy and unable to refuse.

Su Shi, however, remained calm and composed, a barely perceptible smile playing on her lips. "If you dare wear it, then I'll wear a yukata. How about it? Are you up for the challenge?"

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

Whether Chihaya Aine ultimately accepted the conditions proposed by Motoyo remains unknown.

However, Gao Songdeng is now facing her own "dilemma." She is looking at a pile of items that look like a small mountain in front of her, her brows furrowed and her face full of distress.

"This... Emperor Penguin Band-Aid, and this stone..." she muttered to herself, holding two unrelated items in her hands, pondering whether or not to put them in her suitcase.

She sat on the floor, surrounded by a jumble of odds and ends: a few band-aids covered in cute designs, an unremarkable stone, several books with faded covers, and some colorful toys. She slowly found herself struggling to choose.

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

The last person remaining in Mygo was much simpler.

"Lena, are you really going to bring the guitar too?" Lena's mother—yes, looking at the luggage she had already packed for her daughter, her gaze fell on the conspicuous guitar case, and she couldn't help but ask helplessly.

At this moment, Lena was squatting on the ground, her hands on her knees, staring intently out the window. As a small bird flew by and hopped among the branches, her eyes remained fixed on it.

Hearing her mother's voice, she turned her head, her face bearing the same serious expression as always, and answered without hesitation, "Yes... I want to play the guitar!" Her tone was firm, as if the guitar and she were an inseparable part of each other.

Yao Bei sighed helplessly and rubbed her forehead. "I have to take it with me on the trip," she muttered to herself, clearly used to her daughter's stubbornness.

At this moment, Le Nai's father, Yao Yi, came out, patted his wife on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Haha, it's okay, let Le Nai take it. She loves music so much, she can't do without a guitar."

Yao Bei smiled wryly upon hearing her husband's words, "I hope Le Nai won't cause too much trouble for her friends this time."

She gently shook her head, knowing she couldn't change her daughter's decision. She could only silently help Lena carefully tidy up the guitar to ensure it wouldn't be damaged during the journey.

Seeing her mother help her pack up her guitar, Le Nai stood up, walked to the luggage, gently touched the guitar case, and a hint of anticipation flashed in her eyes.

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

"Alright... is this all the luggage?" Sakura Sakura stood at the back of the car, patting the trunk which was crammed full, her palms covered in a fine layer of dust. She looked at the scene before her and nodded in satisfaction. The car was filled with suitcases of all sizes, even the corners were completely occupied.

"Meow~ That should be all." Yutenji Meowme stood to the side, tiptoeing, her head almost touching the trunk, to check if her luggage was safe and sound. "Meowme, I've put all my luggage in!"