Gravity Girl Shining

Uehara Hibiki ruffled her hair.

"Are you ready?"

Nagasaki Suyo nodded, and a genuine smile finally appeared on the corner of her mouth.

"Ah."

At 7:00 PM, RING's regular Sunday night live performance took place as scheduled. Inside the venue, the stage lights dimmed and then came on again, and MyGo, the final ace band, took the stage to the cheers of the audience.

Soon, familiar melodies sounded one after another, the audience swayed to the rhythm, and the atmosphere gradually heated up.

There's no doubt that compared to their first live performance two weeks ago, MyGo now has a small core of fans and a huge following within RING. For a new band, this is a good start, and what Uehara Hibiki needs to do is continue to inject new momentum into the band.

RING is just one of the many live houses in Tokyo. Although as one of the core places of the big girl band era, its popularity far exceeds that of its peers, it is just a live house after all, and conquering RING is just a starting point.

Finally, it was time for the MC before the last song.

Takamatsu Deng picked up the microphone and bathed in the audience's gaze. She, who usually finds it difficult to even look people in the eye and speak, is the master of her own right on the stage.

"Hello everyone, we are MyGo! We are almost at the last song. We created this song last week. Its name is - Shadow Dance!"

The audience erupted in enthusiastic cheers. Then, the prelude began. Unlike previous songs, this one had a more bouncy rhythm, with the interplay of drums and bass creating a hazy yet vibrant atmosphere. Gao Songdō's voice drifted softly, a touch uneasy yet resolute.

……

(lyrics)

I can forget everything.

Let's dance together in the shadows tonight.

Be completely indifferent to everything and give up everything.

There are no rules anymore.

Just keep dancing wildly.

……

As the song progressed, Takamatsu Deng's emotions grew more and more engaged. Her movements gradually became more relaxed, and as she reached a point of ecstasy, her long-sleeved jacket slipped off as she danced, revealing her fair shoulders. In that instant, her former timidity was completely shed, her eyes bright and fiery, transforming from a naive little penguin into a captivating, alluring beauty.

As if influenced by the lights, during the interlude, Chihaya Aine suddenly embraced her guitar and broke into an impromptu dance. Her movements were light and fluid, perfectly blending with the music, clearly one of her many hobbies. Her long pink hair flowed, and her dance steps resonated in sync with her voice, drawing cheers from the audience. Nagasaki Motoyo glanced at her, her lips curling up unconsciously. Even the usually serious Shiina Tatsuki cracked a faint smile between the drum beats.

……

(lyrics)

If you have already jumped in here, then.

Floating and dancing in this weightlessness.

All of this is meaningless and there is no right or wrong.

Consciousness never stops.

Dance, dance, dance wildly.

……

This song represents their present—they've been lost, they've suffered, but now, they stand here, enjoying the music and each other's company. Everyone has anxieties about the future, confusion about the past, but even in the face of these, they must condense everything into tonight's dance, swaying in the night. Savor the joy of the present, without worrying about the past or the future.

Because each of them found their own happiness in this band.

At the end of the performance, the lights came on and the audience erupted in applause. Gao Songdeng was panting heavily, his face still a little pale, but his smile was brighter than ever.

"thank you all!"

Led by Uehara Hibiki, the members of MyGo stood side by side in the center of the stage and bowed to the audience.

"We are MyGo, please continue to support us!"

……

After the performance, Uehara Hibiki returned to the lounge and looked at his phone. On the screen was a message from Mikado Hatsuka.

"At the agency, the Angel's Clover promotion will officially begin at 8 o'clock tonight. As agreed, MyGo's name will be mentioned. Thank you for your cooperation."

Uehara Hibiki smiled, held Aine's hand, and immediately reposted the post after Sumimi's official announcement was released.

"I'm honored to collaborate with Sumimi and write the lyrics and music for the new song "Angel's Clover," as well as produce the instrumental! I hope everyone enjoys this song featuring MyGo!"

Within minutes of the post being released, the internet exploded. Sumimi has a massive fan base, and many people, unfamiliar with the name MyGo, began searching for their profile and performance videos. MyGo's original fans were also shocked, leaving comments and sharing the post at a noticeable rate.

"Sumimi's new song wasn't actually written by Hatsuka! Instead, this so-called 'Uehara Hibiki' took charge of both the composition and lyrics. What on earth is going on?"

"MyGo? Is it a new independent band? I've never heard of them before. Surprisingly, they're collaborating with Sumimi."

"I know! I know! I just watched their live show, it was amazing!"

Chihaya Aine was originally sitting next to Uehara Hibiki, but when she saw the heated discussion on the screen, she jumped up excitedly.

"Hang! We're really going to be famous!"

Nagasaki Suyo also came over, glanced at the screen, and frowned slightly.

"I still feel like this is too sudden and we're not ready for all this attention."

Uehara Hibiki put away his phone and ruffled her hair.

"It's okay, this is a good thing. And the performance you just gave definitely deserves this kind of attention. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

Faced with Uehara Hibiki's comfort, Takamatsu Touma was obviously much more relaxed. She would no longer be affected by comments like "the lead singer works too hard", but it is naturally impossible to say that she doesn't care about the audience's comments at all.

"Um... I'm a little nervous. But Hibiki is here, so it's okay."

"There are definitely more troubles, but... never mind, we'll have to face them sooner or later anyway."

Shiina Riki crossed her arms. Although her words were serious, her joy could not be concealed at all.

Kaname Rakuna was the one with the calmest reaction among the crowd. As the cat girl yawned, she once again lost her ability to think.

"Anyway, just keep playing the piano and leave everything to the interesting man."

Chihaya Aine smiled and put her arm around Takamatsu Touma's shoulders.

"Tomorin! We're really going to be famous now! Our next live show might even sell out!"

Gao Songdeng nodded with a blushing face, his eyes shining with anticipation, and murmured softly.

"A new life... has truly begun."

Uehara Hibiki put down his phone, looked around at everyone, and said with a smile.

"Yes, this is just the beginning. We will have more opportunities in the future, so everyone should be prepared."

As everyone in the lounge was buzzing with excitement, online discussion continued to ferment. Sumimi's fans had taken an interest in this little-known band, and even a small number of them were enough to send MyGo's account's follower count skyrocketing, approaching four figures.

When the MyGo members walked out of the RING gate, the stars fell on their shoulders, as if foreshadowing the future path.

Maybe there is still confusion, maybe there is still anxiety, but at this moment, everyone just needs to enjoy this light.

Chapter 129 Love comes from Toyokawa Shoko.

At eleven o'clock in the evening, bathed in moonlight, Uehara Hibiki returned to her apartment. The door clicked softly, and under the warm light of the house, Toyokawa Shoko sat at a low table, writing and drawing in her small notebook. She was wearing simple home clothes, her hair casually tied back, looking even softer than usual.

Hearing the sound, Shoko Toyokawa raised her head and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"Welcome back, Hibiki. You must have worked hard at the live show tonight. Did you go to the bathhouse? Do you want me to make you some tea?"

"I washed it on the way back."

Uehara Hibiki casually took off his coat and hung it on the hanger by the door. He looked at the notes spread out on the coffee table and looked away.

"Xiangzi, what are you writing?"

"I used the income from my part-time job and scholarship, and also did some calculations on the initial operating costs of the band."

Shoko Toyokawa walked out of the kitchen, smiled slightly, brought out two cups of black tea, and handed one of them to Hibiki Uehara.

"Have some tea to warm yourself up."

"Well, Xiangzi is indeed the one who makes delicious tea."

"They're just ordinary tea bags, nothing to brag about."

Toyokawa Shoko watched Uehara Hibiki sipping his tea and felt lost in thought. Before cohabiting with Uehara Hibiki, she had given up her favorite tea and switched to coffee to boost her energy in order to work multiple jobs. And now...

Even if it's a cheap tea bag, it's a blessing to be able to drink tea together.

As she thought about this, Toyokawa Shoko couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth slightly.

"I should be congratulating you. I'm very happy to see MyGo's performance was so successful. I also want to congratulate you and Sumimi on your collaboration. This will greatly increase the band's popularity."

Uehara Hibiki held the teacup, and the warm feeling came from his fingertips. The meaning contained in it made him smile.

"Thank you. I also want to congratulate you on finding a new teammate. Hailing is a good bassist. And I saw you with Miao Meng. Do you plan to invite her?"

Speaking of business, Shoko Toyokawa sighed softly.

"Hachiman-kun is confirmed, but that Meowmu-kun is still in my observation stage. Her personality is a bit eccentric, and I'm not sure if she can adapt to AveMujica's style. After all, I don't know much about her. Hibiki, do you know anything about Meowmu?"

"Take it easy."

While comforting her, Uehara Hibiki began to think about how to recommend Meow Dream without making a fuss.

"If we talk about skills, Miao Meng's current level is indeed not as good as Li Xi's, but she is a person who is willing to work hard, just like Li Xi, and her character can also be guaranteed."

A hard worker like Lixi?

Shoko Toyokawa couldn't help but recall her understanding of Riki Shiina. If Miao Meng really had Riki's hard-working attitude, it would be a great plus.

Seeing Toyokawa Shoko immediately start thinking, Uehara Hibiki couldn't help but put down the teacup and found a gift box with a pink ribbon from her closet.

"Okay, let's take our time with the band. There's no rush. Tonight is our celebration. It's a celebration of MyGo's success, and also a celebration of you finding a new job and new teammates. So... this is a gift for you."

Toyokawa Shoko was pleasantly surprised to receive the gift box. She opened it and saw a black and white maid outfit with a short skirt, a lace headpiece, and an apron. Her face flushed instantly, and her voice rose several degrees.

"This, what is this?"

"Maid outfit."

Uehara Hibiki blinked his eyes and gave a seemingly innocent smile.

"I think Xiangzi will look very cute in it. Do you want to try it on?"

Toyokawa Shoko widened her eyes and stammered.

"You want me to wear this? You really don't know..."

As a genuine "former" young lady, although Toyokawa Shoko was influenced by Uehara Hibiki and learned some ACG maid culture, asking her to wear this outfit... is still too embarrassing!

"Well, didn't I say it? Tonight is a celebration. I gave you a maid costume as a congratulation. You played the maid and served me as a congratulation. It's perfect."

Uehara Hibiki began to argue shamelessly. Even though he received continuous contemptuous looks, the shameless Uehara Hibiki would never give up this opportunity. He slowly approached Toyokawa Shoko and bit her ear and blew air.

"I want to see Xiangzi wearing this. Besides, it would be a waste if he doesn't wear it now that he has bought it."

The tips of Toyokawa Shoko's ears turned red almost to the point of bleeding from the teasing of her breath. She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously stroking the hem of her skirt. She struggled in her heart for a long time, and finally muttered softly.

"Just this once, and you absolutely cannot take any pictures."

After saying that, she grabbed her clothes and quickly hid in the living room. Uehara Hibiki looked at her back and couldn't help laughing.

Just once?

After the first time, why worry about not having a second time?

but……

While Xiangzi was changing clothes, Uehara Hibiki was lost in thought as he flipped through today's system prompts.

[Nagasaki Sushi's awakening progress +1, now 2/3.]

[Congratulations to the host for helping Nagasaki Suyo awaken Shining (Sunshine After the Rain) and obtaining a special reward - Shining Star x 1.]

[Nagasaki Sushi's strategy progress +10, now 75/100.]

As expected, only Su Shi awakened her radiance. After all, today, as Crychic's farewell, was essentially a symbolic ceremony, and the rest of the band had already prepared themselves mentally. Only Su Shi received the final answer today, completely dispelling the haze within her heart.

Although he knew there were still ten years left and there was no need to rush, Uehara Hibiki still wanted to collect 10 stars as soon as possible to reverse the death fate of Toyokawa Shoko.

That thing is an eyesore and brings bad luck.

A few minutes later, the door to the living room was gently opened. Shoko Toyokawa walked out slowly, her head lowered and her hands nervously pinching the hem of her skirt.