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

"Finally, this is our drummer, Yutenji Nyanmu."

Yutenji Nyanmu stood at the back of the line, waving with a grin: "Hi! Senior Fukaba, can I take a picture with you?"

It's clear that Miss Meow Dream has already recognized Hinasaki Miha's identity.

Just as Momoko was about to introduce the last person, Fukaba suddenly raised his hand to interrupt her, revealing a playful smile, and turned his gaze to a corner in the crowd: "Sakura Sakura, right?"

Upon hearing this, Sakura Sakura, who was standing at the back of the group and deliberately hiding behind the Ave Mujica members, froze instantly, her expression hardening.

She gave a helpless, bitter smile, knowing she could no longer hide it. She slowly walked out from the back of the crowd, her smile somewhat awkward: "Sister Shenyu... it's been a long time."

Shen Yu raised his eyebrows slightly, a hint of teasing in his eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his lips: "Long time no see. I didn't expect you to be a band manager now."

Momoko Kurosawa, standing to the side, looked at Sakura Sakura, who was clearly somewhat reserved, with a look of confusion in her eyes.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally couldn't help but ask, "Aunt Shenyu, do you know Sister Ying?"

Fukaba chuckled softly, her tone tinged with nostalgia: "How could I not recognize you? Sakura Sakura and I are old friends."

Sakura Sakura spread her hands, revealing a helpless expression: "Oh, no, no, how could I dare to offend you, Sister Fukaba..."

Her tone sounded somewhat teasing, but everyone could sense her caution and reverence for Fukaba. Although she tried to maintain a relaxed expression, she couldn't hide her nervousness.

Standing to the side, Yuri watched their interaction quietly, a slight smile playing on her lips and a hint of amusement in her eyes. Clearly, she was well aware of the past relationship between the two.

Seeing that Sakura Sakura didn't intend to bring up the past, Fukaba wisely refrained from pressing her for more information.

However, Momoko Kurosawa's curiosity was clearly piqued.

She crept up to Hinasaki and whispered, "Tsuki, what exactly is the relationship between Sakura-nee and Aunt Miyu?"

“Ah… this…” Hinasaki’s expression also became a little strained when she talked about this. “When my mother’s old manager retired, the next person to take over was Ms. Sakura. At that time, she was a newcomer, so… to be more precise, Ms. Sakura was brought up by my mother.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Fukaba, who was standing to the side, heard Hinasaki's explanation and couldn't help but laugh and interject, "Tsuki, don't talk nonsense. I didn't teach her any of those weird habits."

Side Story: A Trip to Hikami Mountain: Chapter Six - Miss Sakura's Gradual Decline

Mygo and Ave Mujica split into two cars and headed towards Mount Hikami.

The highway gleamed faintly in the sunlight, and the sound of wheels rolling over the ground mingled with the sound of the wind outside the window.

Inside the van that Yuuri rented, Hinasaki Tsuki frowned, as if countless questions were swirling in her mind.

Finally, she couldn't help but ask her mother, Shen Yu, who was sitting in the front row, "Mom... was Momoko Aunt Mika's adopted daughter? Why didn't I ever know that?"

Upon hearing her daughter's question, Shen Yu frowned slightly, clearly puzzled. Then, she smiled knowingly and said, "You've probably forgotten about your previous meeting."

"Hmm?" Hinasaki was even more puzzled, her eyes filled with confusion. She tried hard to recall the past, and asked hesitantly, "But wasn't our first meeting at Seisho?"

Yuri, who was driving, smiled and shook her head, her gaze still focused on the road ahead: "No, not back then. Your first meeting was much earlier, I guess you've all forgotten."

"What? What?" Chihaya Aine, sitting in the back row, was clearly intrigued by this sudden gossip. She couldn't help but lean out of her seat, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Her actions instantly broke the silence inside the car, livening up the atmosphere.

Although Nagasaki Motoyo didn't speak, she quietly pricked up her ears and silently paid attention to this "secret," clearly not wanting to miss out on Xiaoyue's past.

Meanwhile, Kaoruna, who was sitting to the side, also showed some curiosity and couldn't help but look ahead.

Even the usually quiet Xiaodeng couldn't help but curiously come over: "I... am very curious too."

Sitting on the other side, Shiina Tatsuki couldn't resist the atmosphere either. She leaned forward slightly and said to Hinasaki Miha, "Auntie, can you tell us about it?"

Hearing the increasingly lively conversation inside the car, Yuri, who was in the driver's seat, smiled and took a moment to speak, "Actually, when Xiaoyue and Xiaotao first met, we weren't quite sure what exactly happened. After all, when we found them, they were already holding hands and asleep."

"Huh?" Hinasaki looked confused, trying to recall the hazy memory. "I don't remember any of this at all..."

She recalled Peach's surprised expression earlier and added, "No... it seems even Peach herself doesn't remember this."

After hearing this, Yuri smiled slightly and shook her head, continuing to explain, "That's hard to say. All we know is that the two of you spent at least a whole afternoon together, saying you were on an 'adventure'."

"An adventure?" Hinasaki was even more puzzled, her brows furrowing slightly. She tried to search the depths of her memory for any forgotten fragments, but no matter how hard she searched, her mind remained blank. "Really... but I really have absolutely no recollection of it."

Yuri glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Xiaoyue's confusion and everyone's anticipation: "At the time, we only found you sleeping under a tree at the edge of the forest, your hands still tightly clasped together... As for what exactly you went through at that time, only you two probably know."

"Then... why did you decide to adopt Momoko in the first place?" Hinasaki Tsuki frowned slightly, clearly having more questions in her mind, and took this opportunity to ask.

A few seconds of silence fell over the car. Yuuri and Fukaba exchanged a glance, their faces showing a hint of difficulty. Clearly, this was not an easy question to answer.

Yuri gripped the steering wheel, her gaze fixed on the road ahead, and sighed softly. Fuka, on the other hand, turned her head slightly, her eyes thoughtful, as if recalling something, a complex expression on her face.

“Well…” Fuka finally spoke, but her voice was hesitant. “Probably… because she felt that child was too pitiful.”

Yuri remained silent, only nodding slightly.

Hinasaki's brows furrowed even more upon hearing this answer. Her doubts weren't completely resolved; in fact, Fukaba's response only made her more eager to know the whole story.

Her gaze drifted out the car window, where sunlight dappled the surface, casting shadows on the glass. But in her heart, a veil of unresolved mystery shrouded everything.

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

On the other side, Momoko Kurosawa glanced at Sakura Sakura with a teasing tone, her eyes gleaming with a playful light: "Sakura-nee, I didn't expect you to have this kind of connection with Satsuki's mother."

Upon hearing this, Sakura Sakura instantly felt a pang of embarrassment, as if her sore spot had been hit. She clasped her hands together, looking at Momoko with a helpless expression, her tone almost pleading: "Please... don't bring up these old stories, okay?"

"Hey~ Can't you share it with everyone?" Miao Meng clearly hadn't learned her lesson. Her eyes were full of curiosity as she came forward with a grin, her tone full of teasing.

“I’m also very interested in Ms. Sakura’s past.” Hachiman Kairin raised her eyebrows slightly, showing a rare hint of interest, and she didn’t intend to let this rare opportunity slip by.

Miaomeng immediately chimed in, fanning the flames, "Yes, after all, Ms. Sakura knows everything about each of us, but we know nothing about your past. Isn't that unfair?"

Seeing the situation was turning against her, Sakura Sakura quickly scanned the car, finally fixing her gaze on Toyokawa Shoko. She looked at Shoko with hopeful eyes, as if waiting for her help, and cried out urgently, "Shoko! Help me!"

However, when Xiangzi looked at Sakura Sakura's expectant eyes, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile. The smile was faint, but it carried an undisguised cunning.

She raised an eyebrow slightly and shook her head gently: "Sorry, I'm interested too."

Clearly, Xiangzi had already been somewhat displeased by Sakura Sakura's repeated decisions to take everyone on tour without consulting her, and now that the opportunity for revenge was before her, she naturally wouldn't let it slip by easily.

“Wh...what?” Sakura Sakura froze instantly, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Seeing Xiangzi's sly and playful smile, Sakura Sakura felt as if she had been struck hard in the chest. She immediately put on an exaggerated "heartbroken" expression, covered her chest with both hands, and cried out in feigned sorrow, "How could this be! Xiangzi! Even you have betrayed me?"

Standing aside, Ms. Wakaba looked at Sakura Sakura and silently uttered a few words: "Ms. Sakura, it's going to break."

Bonus Chapter: The Mountain Trip - Chapter Seven: I Really Met the Parents!

Hinasaki slowly stepped out of the car, raised her head, and her gaze fell on the middle-aged woman standing by the coffee shop door.

Her figure stood quietly by the door, the sunlight gently falling on her shoulders, casting a warm halo over her silhouette.

Hinasaki paused slightly, then, with a mix of emotions, softly called out, "Aunt Mikuhana..."

Following closely behind, Momoko Kurosawa also got out of the car.

She stood beside Hinasaki, her gaze meeting that of the middle-aged woman, and the thousand words in her heart finally turned into a simple call: "Mom... I'm back."

Kurosawa Mika's gaze was gentle and loving as she looked at the two girls in front of her, a faint smile playing on her lips.

She nodded gently, her voice soft and kind: "Xiaoyue, Taozi, welcome back."

“Mika-nee, we’re here too.” Yuri said with a teasing tone as she got out of the car, her voice carrying a hint of relaxed complaint, as if she was slightly dissatisfied that Kurosawa Mika had only welcomed Kozuki and Momoko earlier.

Following behind her, Fuka also slowly got out of the car, looked up at Kurosawa Mika, smiled slightly, and showed a hint of friendliness in her eyes.

The two stood together, their tacit understanding remaining unchanged over the years.

Upon hearing Yuri's words, Kurosawa Mika shook her head gently, a helpless smile appearing on her face.

Her gaze shifted from Momoko and Satsuki to Yuuri and Fuka, her tone laced with a hint of mockery: "Didn't we already welcome you yesterday?"

Her words, though simple, conveyed a familiar intimacy, clearly indicating that their friendship was so deep that no further words were needed.

However, seeing that Yuri still had a "complaining" expression, Kurosawa Mika sighed helplessly, raised the corners of her mouth slightly, and added, "But it's okay to say it again."

A smile flickered in her eyes, and then she said gently, "Welcome back, Yuuri, Miha."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries upon their long-awaited reunion, Kurosawa Mika's gaze gradually shifted from her old friends and began to scan the other members of Mygo and Ave Mujica. Her eyes swept lightly across each person's face, carrying a hint of scrutiny and curiosity, as these young faces were still quite unfamiliar to her.

Her gaze paused for a moment when it fell on Shiina Ritsuki.

Riki's long, straight black hair, just like Hinasaki's, reminded Kurosawa Mika of what Fukaba and Yuuri had told her yesterday. She looked her up and down carefully, and finally nodded slightly, seemingly quite impressed with her.

“You must be the band members of Xiaoyue and Xiaomo,” Kurosawa Mika said to them with a smile, her eyes gentle and filled with gratitude.

She bowed slightly, her voice full of gratitude, "They've received so much care from everyone."

Mika Kurosawa's gesture caught the Mygo and Ave Mujica members, who were standing to the side, somewhat off guard.

Chihaya Aine quickly waved her hand, looking a little embarrassed, and explained repeatedly, "No, no... It's usually Yue who takes care of us."

Shoko Toyokawa chimed in at the opportune moment, a smile playing on her lips, adding, "That's right. Although Momoko-senpai may seem a bit lazy and unreliable at times, she's really dependable when it matters."

When Kurosawa Mika heard everyone praising Satsuki and Momoko, her smile was gentle, but it clearly revealed a hint of undisguised pride.

Although she didn't say much, that faint smile remained on her lips, never fading.

She turned slightly to the side, gesturing for everyone to come in and sit for a while. We've been chatting for so long, it's time to take a break.

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned to look at Xili standing to the side, her smile carrying a hint of warmth and understanding: "Xili, could you make me some coffee?"

“Of course.” Yuri rolled up her sleeves and followed Mika into the store.

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

Kurosawa Mika and Furai Yuuri stood behind the bar, intently preparing coffee for everyone. The aroma of coffee beans gradually filled the shop with their movements, warm and rich. Their actions were skillful and perfectly synchronized, as if this scene had been repeated countless times.

Inside the shop, the others found seats and sat down, forming small groups around several tables. Chihaya Aine seemed particularly at ease; she naturally moved next to Yutenji Nyanmu, and the two chatted and laughed, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

On the other side, Nagasaki Motoyo, Takamatsu Akari, and Toyokawa Shoko sat together, chatting quietly, occasionally exchanging smiles, appearing quite in sync. Shoko had a glass of water beside her, clearly not in a hurry for the coffee; she was more observing her surroundings, lost in thought.

Hachiman Kairin sat at another table, with Wakaba Mutsumi and Kaname Rakuna beside her. For some reason, Mutsumi seemed to particularly enjoy being close to Kairin, her smile carrying a hint of intimacy, while Rakuna also appeared relaxed. The group chatted happily, creating a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

Sakura Sakura and Miyu Hinasaki sat to the side, chatting about old times.

Sakura occasionally flashed a slightly embarrassed smile, while Fukaba reminisced with a relaxed expression. The two seemed to have returned to the past and were very engrossed in their conversation.

Hinasaki, Shiina Ritsuki, and Kurosawa Momoko sat at another table.

Hinasaki looked around, seemingly searching for a shadow from her memory.

She squinted slightly, carefully examining every corner of the coffee shop, and a sense of emotion welled up in her heart.

Although the layout of the store has hardly changed, many of the decorations have obviously been renovated. The picture frames on the walls and the tables and chairs look brand new, as if the traces of time have been carefully restored in these places.