Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

She remembered how she mechanically picked up the bass and played one song after another.

There is no lead singer, no guitar, no drum beats, only the lonely hum of the bass, like the sobbing in her heart.

Every note echoed in the empty stage before dissipating in the noisy crowd.

The audience's whispers surged like a tide:

“Isn’t this too amateurish?”

"What about the rest?"

"waste time."

The performance that night finally ended after forty painful minutes. Hai Ling didn't remember how she walked off the stage with a calm expression, how she walked through the crowd of people who were laughing and whispering, how she walked into the bathroom cubicle, and then how she cried silently in a corner where no one knew until her tears dried up.

That day, something changed forever in Yawata Kailing's heart. Trust, this seemingly simple word, was distorted beyond recognition in her vocabulary.

Since then, Hachiman Kailing has redefined herself - a bystander, a sober outsider.

She became a "mercenary" in the band, carrying her bass from one stage to another, never getting emotionally involved and never expecting eternity.

Over the next two years, she performed in more than thirty bands without ever truly "joining" any of them.

She would offer professional advice during rehearsals and demonstrate excellent skills during performances, but she was like being separated from them by a layer of glass - she could see the outside world but was no longer integrated with it.

Until Ave mujica appeared.

Recalling this name, a complex look flashed in Hachiman Kailing's eyes.

Notes splashed in the rehearsal room like fragments. Hachiman Kailing's fingertips slid flexibly across the bass strings. The low tone was like the undercurrent deep in her heart, surging with waves that no one noticed.

"Disruption" - the name of the underground band she plays part-time means "division" and "interference", which to some extent reflects her current divided mood.

The lights in the rehearsal room were dim, with only the red indicator light on the speaker flashing in the darkness, like a warning of something.

"Hai Ling?" The band's lead singer's voice brought her back to reality. "Are you distracted?"

Hachiman Hailing shook her head slightly, her long black hair swaying slightly: "Sorry, I'm thinking about something."

"It's ok."

The lead singer gave an understanding smile, "Want to take a break?"

The rehearsal was paused, and the other members put down their instruments. In the rest corner, the sound of relaxed conversation and the opening of bottles could be heard.

Hachiman Kailing sat on a folding chair in the corner, her fingertips unconsciously plucking the bass strings, producing subtle notes.

For some reason, an idea suddenly popped into her mind, almost as if possessed by a ghost, and she spoke:

"Do you think... I'm a trustworthy person?"

The moment she asked this question, she was stunned.

Why are you asking this? Why now?

The conversation in the rehearsal room suddenly stopped, and everyone turned to her with varying degrees of surprise on their faces.

The lead singer she was talking to was the first to react. She put down the water bottle in her hand, her red hair dancing on her shoulders, and her purple eyes sparkled with sincerity:

"Don't worry, Hailing, you are the most trustworthy."

She said with a smile, her tone relaxed but confident, and jokingly said, "You can even keep up with the drummer's improvisation."

The drummer sitting behind the drum kit immediately protested, pointing his drumsticks at the lead singer:

"You can still keep up with the lead singer's messing around, only you, Hailing."

A burst of laughter rang out in the rehearsal room, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed for a moment.

No answer was given.

Or rather, it wasn't the answer she wanted.

Someone you can trust...

What they call "trust" is limited to the tacit understanding and coordination of playing techniques.

True trust, the courage to give your heart to another, the openness without guarding, the ability to face differences calmly...

She hadn't felt this way in a long time.

Haruka's words were like a key, unlocking the long-buried thoughts deep in her heart. Hachiman Kailing finally understood the answer in her heart - she wanted to be more.

Not just a perfect performer, a silent mercenary, an indifferent bystander.

She wanted to participate, to fit in, to be part of the whole.

Ave mujica, from the very beginning, was different from other bands.

It is not a random temporary team, nor a group of strangers who get together just for a performance.

Ave mujica has a clear goal - to enter the commercial arena and gain wider recognition and attention.

This was so similar to her old dream that it awakened the girl she had buried for so long.

Especially the recent performance of Shoko Toyokawa, that kind of strong control, precise planning, efficient execution... Although the method is different, this is exactly the blueprint she once longed to achieve.

This made her begin to believe that Ave mujica could really "go on forever."

This is also the reason why she took the initiative to speak out in the interview.

No longer a bystander, no longer a silent executor, but a participant with his or her own voice.

However, she overlooked a key point - due to her long-term "sideline" status, she had never truly integrated into the core of Ave mujica.

In her subconscious, Shoko Toyokawa, Mutsushi Wakaba, Wakami Yutenji and Hatsuka Mikado have formed a "whole", and she is just an outsider, a replaceable existence.

It was just like the band that betrayed her back then - the other four were a whole, and she was always the one who was excluded.

Fear and desire intertwined in my heart, forming a paradox:

She longs to fit in with the whole, but is afraid of being excluded again; she hopes Ave mujica will succeed, but is worried that she will be abandoned after it succeeds.

So she made the same mistake she had made back then – trying to secure her position through control.

But this time, she no longer pursued open leadership, but chose a more covert way - becoming an influencer behind the scenes, a powerful official.

“If I can take control of the band,” she told herself, “I won’t be abandoned again.”

The desire for control and fear intertwined, leading her to make that decisive move in the interview - publicly announcing the future direction of the band and challenging Renji Kujo's leadership.

This is not just a struggle for power, but also an instinct for self-preservation and a rebellion against past pain.

Only in this way can Ave mujica truly succeed.

She kept convincing herself.

Only by mastering it can we avoid being betrayed by it."

Deep down, Hachiman Kailing hopes that Ave mujica can continue forever.

Even if it means she has to become the "control freak" her teammates call her again, even if it means she might hurt others...

But this time, she was no longer doing it for her own perfectionism, but to protect herself from experiencing the betrayal and loneliness that penetrated her bones again.

Hachiman Kailing raised her head, adjusted the position of the bass, and her fingertips fell on the strings again.

The music sounded in the rehearsal room again, but her soul seemed to be split into two halves - one half was immersed in the melody before her, and the other half was wandering in the unknown future.

Yawata Kairin closed her eyes and immersed herself in the ocean of bass. In that deep seabed, her deepest fears were hidden, and her truest desires also shone.

Ave mujica will continue, she is so convinced.

And this time, she would make sure she was a part of it, an integral part.

No matter what the cost.

.

Yutenji Wakamu sat on the bay window, hugging her knees, her fingers hovering above the screen of her mobile phone, hesitant.

It was late at night, and the lights of Tokyo twinkled outside the window like a galaxy of stars, reflected on her short purple hair.

Her room is filled with peripheral items from the "Meow Dream" era, various fluorescent decorations, pink stuffed toys, and a popularity ranking poster on the wall that has lost its meaning.

Only a few months had passed.

Looking back now, it seems like it happened in a previous life.

With his fingers trembling slightly, Yutenji Wakamaki finally typed out a line of text:

"Xiao Xiang...does what we discussed earlier still count?"

She held her breath the moment she pressed the send button.

Almost immediately, she regretted it—was this message too direct? Would it annoy Toyokawa Shoko?

Ever since she was "warned" last time, she had been very cautious, fearing that she would anger the blue-haired girl whose temperament had become unpredictable again.

The phone screen went dark.

Yutenji Wakamu took a deep breath and forced himself to relax his tense shoulders.

"She might be busy..."

Yutenji Wakamu muttered to himself, trying to find an excuse for himself.

Just then, the phone suddenly vibrated and the screen lit up, showing a new message.

Yutenji Wakamaki's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and he couldn't wait to open the message.

"Of course, I never break my promise."

The brief reply made Yutenji Wakami feel relieved, and her tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

But soon, the second message followed:

"After the last show in Osaka, you can take off your mask. But the prerequisite is that your performance must be perfect."

Seeing this message, Yutenji Wakamai's eyes sparkled with excitement. She quickly replied:

"Thank you, Xiaoxiang! I promise I won't let you down! I'll prepare carefully and take care of every detail!"

Soon, the other party sent another new message

"I will announce this decision to other members when the time is right."

"clear!"

Yutenji Wakamu replied immediately, his eyes full of joy:

"I won't say anything!"

Outside the window, the night view of Tokyo is brilliantly lit, and the outlines of tall buildings are clearly visible against the dark sky.

Yutenji Wakamu stood up barefoot and walked towards the computer desk. Her fingers gently slid across the edge of the monitor, and the screen displayed her banned PosTube account page - the "Meow Meow" homepage that once had nearly 400,000 fans, now only had a cold red warning.

“Almost there…”

She murmured to herself at the screen:

"Just have to hold on a little longer."

Youtian Temple Ruomai opened the folder, which contained a txt document.

This is her carefully prepared plan for her "comeback".

A dense array of content comes into view - a list of video themes, ideas for collaboration with brands, and even a storyboard for the first video after his comeback.

However, as she was about to continue perfecting these plans, what Hachiman Kailing said that day suddenly echoed in her mind.

Ave Mujica's popularity is rapidly rising, as evidenced by the success of her Yokohama stop. And as the tour progresses, this popularity is only expected to grow. Once she unmasks, she will simultaneously possess two identities: the internet celebrity "Miaomuqin" and "Amoris," the drummer for the mysterious band Ave Mujica.

This dual identity brings not only traffic, but also an unprecedented increase in value.

She could be a bridge between two worlds—bringing the mystique of Ave mujica to the beauty world while extending her fashion influence to the music world.

Endorsements, variety shows, interviews, and even your own personal brand...the possibilities are endless.

“Why settle for just going back to square one?”

She asked herself softly, her fingers tapping unconsciously on the cover of her notebook.

Yutenji Wakamu slowly closed her notebook, stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the dazzling night view of Tokyo. The city lights turned into countless flashing possibilities in her eyes.

Xiaoxiang said he would let her reveal her face at the last stop...but why stop there?

Once such an idea took root, it grew rapidly like weeds, spreading to every corner of her mind.