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

Pushing open the door, the corridor was unusually quiet at night, with a cool night breeze in the air.

Hinasaki stood outside the door, her gaze wandering down the corridor as she began to ponder where she should stay tonight.

The accommodations for tonight are the same as last night: Aine and Suze will share a room, Kodama and Rakuna will share a room, and she and Riki were originally roommates. As for Meowmee, she belongs to Ave Mujica's group, and Hinasaki doesn't know exactly where she lives.

Hmm... I also need to find a room for Lixi.

Living in Aine and Sose's room?

Hmm... But that means Riki will have to live with Kodama. Thinking of Riki's usual fervent affection for Kodama, Hinasaki frowned slightly.

Although she wasn't worried that Lixi would do anything strange, she still felt that... Lixi might be too excited to sleep.

She imagined Lixi's focused gaze as she slept, staring at the small lamp, and couldn't help but smile helplessly.

Well, in order for everyone to get a good night's sleep, let's change to a safer arrangement.

She can sleep in the same room as Xiaodeng, and Lixi can sleep in the same room as Sushi.

"Speaking of which... why hasn't Riki come back yet?" Hinasaki glanced at her phone, her eyes suddenly narrowing. It's already ten o'clock, there's no way... she's still soaking in the hot spring, is there?

Hinasaki's heart tightened, and she muttered to herself, "No way... does this mean I have to take care of another person?" The thought flashed through her mind, and she immediately ran anxiously toward the hot spring.

When she arrived at the hot spring area, breathless, the sight before her left her speechless.

The proprietress and several staff members were carrying Shiina Tatsuki and Kurosawa Momoko out of the hot spring pool. Their faces were slightly flushed, clearly indicating that they had fainted from soaking.

"It's you again?" The proprietress looked up and saw Hinasaki rushing over, and said with a helpless smile, "I was just about to tell you."

Hinasaki felt embarrassed and quickly stepped forward, bowing and apologizing, "I'm so sorry... I've caused you trouble!"

The proprietress waved her hand and smiled gently, "It's nothing, many customers are like that, they get dizzy if they soak for too long. But..."

She lowered her voice mysteriously, a hint of teasing in her eyes, "Most of the time, it's just one person who faints. It's quite rare to see two people faint in a hot spring at the same time, like you two."

After saying that, the proprietress covered her mouth and chuckled.

"I'm so sorry, but I'd really like to trouble the landlady to help me get them to my room," Yue said.

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

"Hoo..." Hinasaki sighed softly, looking at Riki and Momoko, who were still unconscious on the bed.

She thought helplessly, "At least now I don't have to worry about where to sleep tonight."

However, unlike the three companions who had regained some consciousness, these two were still in a dazed state.

Hinasaki Tsuki felt uneasy leaving them lying there like that.

She scratched her head lightly and sighed, "There's no other way..." Then she turned around, walked to the cabinet in the corner of the room, skillfully opened the cabinet door, and began to rummage through the spare bedding.

Finally, she found a spare quilt and carefully laid it on the tatami mat.

She gently smoothed out the wrinkles with her hands, making sure it was laid out neatly and comfortably, which calmed her down a little.

Hinasaki looked at the row of beds in front of her and couldn't help but smile helplessly, feeling utterly powerless. She murmured softly, "Tonight's been quite an ordeal..."

Looking around the room, Lixi and Taozi were still lying quietly on the bed, their complexions had recovered slightly, but they still showed no signs of waking up.

Hinasaki stood to the side, watching them, a wave of weariness washing over her. She sighed softly and said in a low voice, "Goodnight, Nozomi, Momo."

Side Story: A Trip to Hikami Mountain: Chapter Seventeen - Let Me Tell You Everything

Mount Hikami is located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, and is almost the northernmost point of Honshu Island.

If you want to go further up, you can only get there by tram, plane, or ferry through the undersea tunnel.

Unlike Hokkaido, which is famous for its snow scenery, Aomori, although it also snows frequently, has little natural scenery to offer... except for temples, shrines, and hot springs.

However, as a result, there are not many traces of industrial development in Mount Hikami.

In return, Gao Songdeng now sees this dazzling starry sky before him.

Takamatsu Akari stood on the hotel balcony, a gentle night breeze carrying a slight chill.

In the distance, the outline of Mount Hikami can be seen, and the lights of several shrines can be faintly seen. The silent night shrouds everything in a hazy darkness.

It was late July, and the freshness and tranquility of the summer night made her look up, where a brilliant starry sky came into view.

"Scorpio...Sagittarius...Altair...Vega..."

Takamatsu Tō sat on the wooden floor of the balcony, holding a small notebook in her hand, carefully recording the constellations in the night sky.

Her gaze wandered among the stars, and her pen tip gently traced across the paper, carefully noting down every constellation and bright star she saw.

Just as she was immersed in the starry sky, she heard the soft sound of wooden clogs hitting the floor behind her.

The familiar "click, click" sound was especially clear in the quiet night, followed by a gentle female voice.

"Little Lamp...you really are here."

Gao Songdeng raised her head and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see Xiangzi slowly walking to her side.

She was wearing a simple nightgown, unadorned and plain, with her light blue hair casually draped over her shoulders, and a gentle smile on her face, just like when they first met.

"Xiangzi..."

The lamp softly called out the name of the person who had come.

Xiangzi bent down, gently straightened the hem of his pajamas with his hand, then sat down sideways, his body slightly tilted towards the light.

Her movements were as natural as flowing water; her knees were slightly bent, her hands were gently placed on her lap, and her posture was upright and elegant.

Xiangzi's profile appeared exceptionally soft in the moonlight, her skin glowing faintly in the silvery moonlight, as if a thin veil had been draped over her face.

"Xiao Deng still loves looking at the stars, just like Chu Hua."

Takamatsu Akari, who had been nervously keeping her head down because of Shoko's arrival, felt a slight tremor in her heart upon hearing the name "Hatsuka," and couldn't help but look up, "Hatsuka-chan... do you also like looking at stars?"

Xiangzi turned his head to the side, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Yes, when we first met on the island, we often watched the stars together in the woods at night."

A gentle breeze blew by, lifting a few strands of Xiangzi's soft hair. Moonlight danced and shimmered in her hair, reflecting a delicate silvery glow.

She slightly raised her hand, her fingertips gently gliding past her ear, elegantly tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ear.

Xiangzi's gaze remained fixed on the starry sky, a faint smile playing on his lips, as he softly said, "Just like now."

Hearing Xiangzi's gentle voice, Gao Songdeng couldn't help but lower his head.

Her heart sank slightly, and her voice carried a hint of sadness and barely perceptible bitterness: "So... Xiangzi and Chuhua already knew each other?"

Xiangzi sensed the change in Deng's mood, turned his head to look at her, and his eyes revealed a hint of tender concern.

"Yes, when I was little, I often went to my family's island villa to play. It just so happened that Chu Hua lived on that island. We often played together back then, so we knew each other very early on."

"I just never expected... that Hatsuka would actually come to Tokyo, and even become a famous idol."

"Xiangzi...did you go to Ave Mujica because of Chuhua?"

This sudden question left Toyokawa Shoko momentarily stunned.

Her gaze shifted from the starry sky to Gao Songdeng, who stared blankly at her.

A moment of surprise flashed in those clear eyes, and the smile on her lips froze; she clearly hadn't expected the lantern festival to ask that question.

"Huh?" Xiangzi exclaimed in surprise, his voice tinged with a hint of panic.

She blinked, her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason, seemingly unsure how to answer.

Xiangzi's gaze was slightly unfocused. She pursed her lips and looked away, as if trying to avoid a direct answer to the question.

Did she go to Ave Mujica because of Chu Hua?

The answer is undoubtedly no.

But she couldn't tell Xiaodeng the truth.

"This problem..." Xiangzi began softly, his tone hesitant and deliberate. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but something seemed to block them out, and he didn't continue.

Her gaze flickered slightly, as if searching for the right words. But when she looked up, she met Gao Songdeng's deep amber eyes.

There was no aggressive questioning in the lamp's eyes, only an unspeakable firmness and expectation, as if silently saying, "Stop lying to me."

Xiangzi was stunned. Gao Songdeng's pure yet complex amber eyes were like a mirror, reflecting the secrets deep in her heart.

She thought that this time, she could do the same as before, using understated words to hide the truth and a gentle smile to dispel Gao Songdeng's doubts.

But at this moment, facing the expectant, unwilling-to-be-deceived eyes of the lamp up close, her "mask" became incredibly fragile, and all the words she had prepared stuck in her throat, unable to be uttered.

"As expected..." Xiangzi murmured to himself, his voice revealing an undisguised weariness.

She slowly raised her head, but this time, it wasn't to gaze at the tranquil starry sky, but to avoid making eye contact with the lamp.

She tried her best to suppress her emotions, but she still couldn't stop the tears from welling up in her eyes.

The moonlight shone on her face, revealing her slightly trembling eyelashes, and tears glistened in her eyes.

She blinked gently, trying to quietly hold back the tears that were about to fall, not wanting them to be exposed in the quiet night.

However, tears still stubbornly gathered at the corners of her eyes, swaying with her blinks, as if they were about to fall at any moment.

Xiangzi smiled helplessly, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, but the smile revealed a sense of powerlessness and heartache.

She took a deep breath, her voice low and gentle, carrying a hint of undisguised helplessness: "I have absolutely no way to deal with... Xiaodeng..."

Her voice was like a sigh in the night wind, so soft it almost dissipated into the air.

Before she could finish speaking, the tears welling up in her eyes finally couldn't be held back and slid down her fair face.

This time, Toyokawa Shoko did not choose to forget everything. With teary eyes, she looked at Takamatsu Akari: "Akari... let me tell you everything."

Side Story: A Trip Up the Mountain - Chapter 18: Can Someone Please Save Me?!

In the darkness, Shiina Riki slowly opened her eyes. Only a faint light shone through the gaps in the curtains.

As she gradually regained consciousness, she recalled the previous scene—in fact, her symptoms were not too serious. She had almost recovered after resting for a while after being helped out of the hot spring by the landlady.

She turned her head slightly and found that Momoko Kurosawa beside her had also woken up, even earlier than her.

The two exchanged a glance, and although they didn't speak, their eyes were inexplicably filled with unspoken understanding.

"What should we do?" Shiina Tatsuki blinked, conveying her question through her eyes.

Momoko Kurosawa frowned slightly. Although she had already woken up, she hadn't expected to find herself in such an awkward situation with Riki.