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

She cautiously lowered her foot, trying to steady herself.

However, before she could react, her body was still slowly sinking, as if the bottom of the hot spring had turned into a bottomless body of water.

"Wait, wait a minute!" Hinasaki exclaimed in surprise, struggling to float up, but the buoyancy of the water seemed to be completely beyond her control.

Her body sank deeper and deeper until she was completely submerged in the hot spring, her vision blurred by the warm mist, and all she could hear was the gentle embrace of the hot spring water.

Hinasaki helplessly fell into this strange deep spring, the water gradually closing in above her head and completely engulfing her.

Looking at Hinasaki, who was "swallowed" by the hot spring, the giraffe slowly said, "Please enjoy the stage, Hinasaki-san."

Side Story: A Trip to the Mountain - Chapter Thirty-Five: A Routine Revue for Each Volume?

"Glug... glug..." A burst of bubbles rose from the water, accompanied by a soft sound, and Hinasaki Tsuki suddenly fell from the hot spring water onto the stage below.

"Cough cough...cough..." Hinasaki coughed lightly, propping herself up on the floor as she slowly sat up, trying to calm her racing heart.

The bath towel that was originally wrapped around her body had somehow transformed into her Revue performance outfit, gorgeous and dazzling. However, it was now soaked with water and clung tightly to her body. The damp fabric glistened slightly with water, making her look particularly disheveled and helpless.

She looked down at her soaked clothes, then glanced at the stage around her, a knowing look on her face.

The beams of light on the stage quietly lit up, and the soft light shone on Hinasaki, announcing that the protagonist of the stage had made her appearance.

"It's been a long time since you've been on stage. How does it feel to be back on stage, Hinasaki-san?" The giraffe's voice echoed in the empty theater, carrying a hint of coldness.

His figure appeared in the center of the audience, the beam of light behind him casting a long shadow of him, like a silent villain looking down at the actors on stage.

Hinasaki frowned slightly, raised her hand to wipe the water droplets from her cheeks, stood up, and gripped the weapon in her hand tightly.

The wet costume clung to her body, bringing an uncomfortable chill. She sighed helplessly, "To be honest, this doesn't feel good. Couldn't they have used some normal methods to get me on stage? Being all wet is really uncomfortable."

The giraffe seemed to completely ignore Hinasaki's complaints and continued in a low voice, "The show is about to begin. Get ready for the heroine and the villain to appear."

Hinasaki's gaze gradually turned serious.

"The female lead and the villain? So, this time it's... a three-person Revue?" The thought flashed through her mind, and she vaguely understood the hint in the giraffe's words, guessing who the "female lead" and "villain" who were about to take the stage would be.

Sure enough, her guess was confirmed in no time—Shiina Tatsuki and Kurosawa Momoko appeared on stage, their clothes clinging to their bodies with water stains, just like hers, clearly having just experienced the same "special entrance" as her.

Hinasaki raised an eyebrow slightly, a bitter smile creeping onto her face. It seemed the giraffe was quite fair in its "arrangements," showing no favoritism.

"Alright!" The giraffe's voice echoed in the theater, carrying a hint of solemnity. "The main characters on stage are all here!"

As he spoke with a sense of ritual, the stage setup began to slowly rotate. Spotlights lit up one after another, their soft yet dazzling beams of light illuminating the three women and outlining their figures.

The sound effects then began, with deep, heart-pounding drumbeats injecting a gradually rising tension into the stage.

Around them, the stage decorations slowly unfolded, with delicate gold tassels hanging from the dark curtain, like a shower of stars; the smoke machine quietly started, and a thin mist drifted slowly, enveloping the entire stage in a hazy dream.

The surrounding lights gradually changed, creating a colorful halo, like a reflection of the Milky Way, adding a mysterious and magnificent atmosphere.

Sing! Dance! Show your most dazzling self on stage!

The sound of a giraffe echoed throughout the theater.

Hinasaki took a deep breath, looked at the two people in front of her, and calmly asked, "Can we reconcile?"

However, Shiina Tatsuki and Kurosawa Momoko merely exchanged a glance, neither answering. Instead, a dark fire ignited in their eyes, neither willing to back down. If it weren't for the giraffe bringing the three of them together on this stage, they would probably have chosen to remain calm and wait for someone to come to their senses and make a concession.

But now, just when all three were emotionally embroiled, the giraffe forcibly dragged them onto the Revue stage. Like adding fuel to the fire, their previously suppressed emotions were instantly ignited.

Momoko Kurosawa smiled coldly, holding her katana and slowly assuming a fighting stance: "It seems the giraffe can't wait any longer and wants us to settle things here."

“That’s exactly what I was thinking too.” Shiina Riki gripped the two sticks in his hands, his eyes revealing undisguised fighting spirit, his body leaning slightly forward, ready to strike.

On stage, the air was thick with tension. Shiina Tatsuki and Kurosawa Momoko exchanged a glance, their eyes blazing with an increasingly intense fighting spirit.

The next second, Li hope made the first move, wielding his double sticks like a whirlwind, and launched a fierce attack on Tao Zi. The sticks drew sharp arcs in the air, accompanied by a whistling sound.

Peach's eyes sharpened, and she swiftly raised her katana, blocking Lixi's attack with a clean and precise angle.

The clanging of metal echoed on the stage, crisp and deafening. She used the momentum to take a half-step back, regaining her balance, and then swung her sword down with lightning speed, aiming straight for Lixi's shoulder.

Lixi quickly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attack, and then flipped over to launch another attack with even greater force.

The two men's offense and defense intertwined like lightning, with flashes of blade and shadows of staff constantly crisscrossing in the lamplight. Their movements were swift and precise, and the tacit understanding and intensity of their battle made the air itself feel scorching.

Hinasaki, standing to the side, frowned as the situation escalated. She instinctively stepped forward, trying to stop them: "You two, calm down! Is this any fun?!"

However, before she could finish speaking, Lixi and Taozi seemed not to hear her at all, still engrossed in their own offense and defense.

The moment Li hope caught a glimpse of Hinasaki approaching, his expression turned cold. He suddenly swept his sword horizontally, and the airflow generated by his two sticks forced Hinasaki back.

Hinasaki was startled and hadn't reacted yet when Momoko swung her katana precisely, the sharp blade generating a force that pushed her even further away.

Hinasaki staggered back a few steps, and after regaining her footing, a hint of helplessness appeared in her eyes.

Clearly, her intervention was futile in this confrontation, and instead became the object of their tacit mutual rejection.

The two ignored her presence, as if the stage belonged only to them.

Lixi launched another fierce attack, his double sticks flashing with a cold light as he swung them, striking Taozi's defenses with precision in several consecutive blows.

Peach nimbly dodged, leaped up in an instant, and slashed horizontally with her backhand, the blade flashing like a rainbow, quickly closing in on Lixi.

Li hope blocked the attack with his crossed sticks. The moment their forces collided, both of them were slightly shaken, but neither of them gave way.

On stage, the lights shone even brighter, illuminating their resolute expressions.

Hinasaki watched all this anxiously from the sidelines, feeling both helpless and resentful, yet unable to find an opportunity to intervene.

This fight was perhaps a complete release of their emotions, and no one could stop it.

Both players unleashed their full potential, showing no mercy in offense and defense, and together they released their long-suppressed emotions in this duel.

Side Story: A Trip to Hikami Mountain: Chapter Thirty-Six Cannot Be Called a Revue

"I've wanted to have a match with you for a long time, Shiina Tatsuki!" Kurosawa Momoko shouted, gripping her katana tightly with both hands and pressing it down hard. The blade clashed with Tatsuki's twin clubs, producing a piercing scraping sound.

Peach's eyes burned with fighting spirit, her arms were tense and full of power, and she pressed down on Lixi like a beast ready to pounce.

"Likewise!" Li hope retorted without backing down, a cold smile playing on his lips. He pushed the two sticks upwards with both hands, gritting his teeth to withstand the pressure from the peach.

Her gaze was fixed on Peach, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "I've been wanting to see just how good the strongest opponent Xiaoyue mentioned really is!"

The two were locked in a stalemate, each exerting force and neither willing to give in.

Peach increased her strength again, the katana almost slicing into Lixi's twin staffs, and sneered, "What Xiaoyue saw wasn't just skill, but also my..."

Before she could finish speaking, Li Xi snorted coldly, suddenly turned around to deflect the pressure of the blade, and swept her twin sticks to the side, forcing Taozi back half a step, interrupting her: "Don't boast here, show some action, I'm in the lead now!"

Peach breathed softly, quickly adjusted her posture, the katana gleaming coldly in her hand, and in an instant she charged at Riki again, the blade aimed straight at his vitals.

Not to be outdone, Li hope raised his two sticks and steadily blocked Tao Zi's attacks, one after another. The battle became more and more intense, and the echoes of clashing sticks reverberated on the stage.

"There are still many things you don't understand, Shiina Tatsuki!" Momoko said coldly, suddenly changing her angle as the blade slashed down diagonally, almost grazing Tatsuki's ear.

Li hope quickly stepped back, rubbed his wrist which was slightly numb from the shock, and curled the corners of his mouth in a provocative manner: "Is that so? Then please enlighten me, Senior Kurosawa!"

Before she finished speaking, she struck out with her backhand, the two sticks drawing a sharp arc, forcing Peach to retreat.

The two exchanged blows, their blades and staffs flashing and crackling, creating a series of sharp lights. Accompanied by their taunts and provocations, the sparks of their battle ignited on the stage, neither willing to back down an inch.

"Seriously! Don't pretend I don't exist!" Hinasaki watched as Shiina Ritsuki and Kurosawa Momoko's fight escalated, and finally couldn't hold back any longer. She rushed forward again, trying to separate the two.

She quickly stepped forward, her weapon positioned between the two women, attempting to intercept their attack.

However, when Riki and Momo saw her join them, they did not stop. Instead, they made Hinasaki their new target and turned their attacks on her.

"Tch... So persistent!" Hinasaki gritted her teeth and raised her weapon to block Ritsuki's double sticks.

At the same time, Momoko quickly turned to the side, and her katana swept across, almost blocking Hinasaki's retreat.

Hinasaki struggled to fend off the two attackers, her hands throbbing with pain from the impact.

Lixi's twin sticks attacked like a storm, forcing her to retreat step by step, while Taozi's katana was as precise as lightning, each strike carrying a chilling killing intent.

She gritted her teeth and tried her best to cope, but could only barely withstand a few moves.

Just as Hinasaki blocked Riki's attack, Momoko suddenly attacked from the side, kicking her swiftly in the waist.

Hinasaki had no time to dodge and was instantly kicked off balance. Riki then took the opportunity to spin and sweep her, sending her staggering back several steps.

"Ugh!" Hinasaki groaned, staggered out of the battle circle after being attacked from both sides, and barely managed to stand up.

She took a deep breath, her heart filled with helplessness and anger.

"Why are you two targeting me so conspiratorially?!" she shouted angrily, her brows furrowed and her tone tinged with complaint.

This was her second attempt to intervene, but she was once again excluded by the two of them, as if her presence only disrupted their rhythm, and her intervention only resulted in the two of them "reaching a consensus" in an instant.

Hinasaki glared at Ritsuki and Momoko on the field, a hint of displeasure rising in her heart.

They were clearly locked in a fierce battle, on the verge of exploding, but the moment she entered, they instantly reached a consensus to exclude her, a tacit understanding that left her speechless.

Just as she was kicking out of the battle and feeling indignant, she didn't notice one thing—Lixi and Taozi's clothes gradually dried out due to the fierce battle, returning to their original lightness.

On the other hand, her costume was still dripping with water, which reflected faint light under the lights, making her look particularly disheveled.

"Shiina Tatsuki!" Kurosawa Momoko suddenly swung her sword, the blade slicing sharply towards Tatsuki's side. Her gaze was cold, but her voice carried an undisguised emotion, "I... I'm jealous of you!"

Li hope dodged the blade to the side, spun his twin sticks, and swiftly counterattacked Momoko, his eyes flashing with anger: "Kurosawa Momoko! I hate you!"

Sparks flew as the sword clashed with the staff. Peach leaped forward again, her katana striking with incredible speed and force against Riki's defenses. Her voice was almost laced with rage: "I hate the way you look, so easily you win everything!"

Li hope sneered, her powerful counterattack forcing Taozi back half a step. Panting, she retorted mercilessly, "So what? If it's just jealousy, you can't win."

As Hinasaki watched Riki and Momoko locked in a fierce battle, a sense of doubt suddenly arose in her heart.

Did the giraffe really mean Li hope and Tao Zi when he said "the female lead and the villain"?

She frowned slightly as she watched the two exchange blows, their movements sparking with energy.

From any perspective, it seems more like Lixi and Taozi are playing the protagonist and villain respectively, while she herself... is like the "female lead" that the two are vying for?

The giraffe stood quietly in the audience, looking down at the stage above.

Her gaze swept over the three people on the stage, her eyes filled with a mixture of interest and calm scrutiny.

From any perspective, this so-called "performance" cannot be called a true Revue.

In the battle between Momoko Kurosawa and Tatsuki Shiina, the offensive moves were more like an emotional outburst and a self-affirmation, carrying a deep obsession but lacking the brilliance that a performance should have.

As for Hinasaki, she had no intention of fighting at all. Her figure trembled slightly as she stood to the side, water droplets still sliding down the hem of her clothes, as if she had no desire to even participate in this duel.