Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

the other side.

“I drew it! I got it!!”

Chihaya Aine stared at her phone screen in disbelief, her gray eyes widening, and for a moment, she even forgot to breathe. The notification flashing on the screen clearly showed that she had won the lottery!

"Ahhhhh!!!"

The pink-haired girl screamed and jumped out of bed, dancing around the small room, her long pink hair flying in the air with her movements. She spun around three times with her phone in her arms, then stumbled and almost tripped over a pillow on the floor, but this did not affect her high spirits at all.

"I won the lottery! I won the lottery! I actually won the lottery!"

What made her feel even more incredible was that the winning account was actually her own, not some smurf account created specifically to increase her chances or a borrowed account from her parents.

I must be the reincarnation of a koi fish!

No, maybe it was because he saved the Milky Way in his previous life? Or was it the result of doing good deeds in his previous life?

She confirmed the winning information again, fearing that she was dazzled or the system was wrong.

But the private message still lay quietly in her inbox, the content was clear and concise:

Congratulations on winning the "Ave Mujica Osaka Station VIP Ticket + Meet-and-Greet Event"! Please reply to the following message by tomorrow to confirm your receipt...

Chihaya Aine tapped the screen cautiously, as if the message would disappear like bubbles if she exerted even a little force.

But the message is still there.

“That’s amazing…”

The girl sighed, feeling a sense of unreality.

She quickly took a screenshot of the winning notification, then hesitated for a moment—who should she tell the good news first? Her parents? Her friends? Or...

"Soyorin!"

Chihaya Aine didn't think twice and immediately opened the private chat window with Nagasaki Motoyo.

After all, the other party not only helped her forward the lottery, but was also the only person who reached a "detective cooperation" with her.

[Aine]: Soyorin! Soyorin! Guess what happened! (≧▽≦)

She tapped the screen of her mobile phone excitedly, completely forgetting that it was already past eleven o'clock in the evening and a normal person should have been ready to go to bed.

But Nagasaki Suyo seemed to be still awake, and her reply came surprisingly quickly:

[Su Shi]: What's wrong? You're still so excited at this late hour.

Chihaya Aine immediately sent a screenshot of her winnings, and then added impatiently:

[Aine]: I won a prize!! VIP tickets to Ave Mujica! And there’s also a fan meeting!! I must be the reincarnation of a koi fish!!

[Su Shi]: Really? Congratulations!

[Aine]: Soyorin must come with me too! I have two tickets!!

The screen displayed "The other party is typing" for longer than usual.

[Su Shi]: I'm not sure... I have some things to deal with recently...

Seeing this reply, Chihaya Aine's face immediately fell, and her gray eyes were full of disappointment.

But she wasn't going to give up easily:

[Aine]: Please, Soyorin~~~~ This is a rare opportunity! A masked ball! And aren't you curious about Xiaoxiang's situation? Maybe we can find some clues!

It was another long period of "the other party is typing" state.

[Su Shi]: ...Okay. I'll try to find the time.

Chihaya Aine immediately jumped out of bed, jumping three feet high in excitement:

[Aine]: That’s great!!! I knew Soyorin was the best!!! (≧▽≦)(≧▽≦)(≧▽≦)

[Sushi]: However, we need to make some preparations in advance. If we really want to investigate the relationship between Xiaoxiang and Yutenji Wakami, it would be best to collect some useful information.

Chihaya Aine's eyes lit up, and she felt a detective-like excitement:

[Aine]: That’s right!!! I’ll be ready!!! By the way, it looks like they’ll be performing in Osaka after the Tokyo tour!

[Su Shi]: Yes, I saw the news too.

Chihaya Aine suddenly thought of something and tapped the screen rapidly:

[Aine]: Soyorin～～～Can we go to Osaka earlier?! I heard there are so many fun places there! ! !

[Su Shi]: Go early...?

Chihaya Aine completely ignored Su Shi's hesitation, her mind was already full of various imaginations about Osaka.

Fingers flew across the screen, sending messages one after another:

[Aine]: I heard that people in Osaka are super funny! And they have the world’s longest escalator!!!

[Aine]: I also heard that in Osaka, they put live octopus tentacles on top of the takoyaki, and when the tentacles are burned by hot oil, they move! It’s so scary!

[Aine]: Also, people in Osaka always add “～ねん (That’s it)” at the end of their sentences. I’ve seen this meme many times on Twitter!

[Aine]: And it seems like the stones in Osaka Castle can sing? Every midnight, they play the song "Osaka Shinsaibashi"?

Nagasaki Suyo looked at this string of ridiculous news, and the corners of her mouth twitched involuntarily. She took a deep breath and tried to correct this outrageous "knowledge" in the most tactful way:

[Su Shi]: ...Where did you hear these rumors?

[Aine]: Huh? Are they all fake?

[Sushi]: Basically... they don't add "～ねん" to every sentence, and they don't put live octopus tentacles in takoyaki (takoyaki balls), they're just regular octopus chunks. This is a complete internet joke.

Chihaya Aine slumped her shoulders in disappointment and pouted:

[Aine]: Eh——they’re all fake…

[Aine]: So what's so special about Osaka? Does Soyorin know?

Nagasaki Suyo seemed to have prepared well and gave a very detailed reply:

[Sushi]: Dotonbori Food Court is famous for its neon signs, especially the giant moving crab and the running Glico man. Tsutenkaku Tower is also a landmark in Osaka. It has a cute mascot called "Billiken" on top, and it's said that touching its paws brings good luck. Osaka Castle Park is also beautiful...

[Aine]: Wow, you know so much! Soyorin has been wanting to go there for a while, hasn't she?

[Su Shi]: I can’t stand you...

Without paying attention to what Nagasaki Suyo said, Chihaya Aine sent another message.

[Aine]: So when are we leaving? How far in advance do we need to book a hotel? Is there anything special we need to bring?

Nagasaki Suyo's reply was still detailed:

[Su Shi]: First confirm the specific date of the performance, then book your flight and hotel at least a week in advance...

[Su Shi]: As for what you need to bring, regular travel items will be enough.

Chihaya Aine was completely immersed in the upcoming trip and even began to imagine various scenarios in her mind.

[Aine]: I’m going to start saving money!!!

[Sushi]: Don't get too excited. Remember, the main purpose of our trip to Osaka is to investigate the relationship between Xiaoxiang and Yutenji Wakami, not just for sightseeing.

[Aine]: I know! But since we're going, we should definitely have fun! And who knows, maybe we can find some more clues at the show!

Nagasaki Suyo seemed unable to resist her enthusiasm and finally compromised:

[Su Shi]: Okay, but remember to arrange your time reasonably. I don’t want to go there and come back without finding anything.

[Su Shi]: So...it’s settled then?

[Aine]: It’s decided!!! I’m so looking forward to it!!! Soyorin is the best!!! (≧▽≦)

The two discussed some specific details, such as budget, itinerary, accommodation requirements, etc.

Chihaya Aine even started planning what souvenirs to buy in Osaka to bring back for her family and friends.

[Su Shi]: It's getting late. Let's discuss this in detail tomorrow. You should get some rest too.

Chihaya Aine then noticed that it was almost midnight, but she was still too excited to fall asleep:

[Aine]: Okay, okay~~~~See you tomorrow! Goodnight, Soyorin!!

[Su Shi]: Good night.

Chihaya Aine put down her phone, took out a notebook, and began to carefully list her preparations for the Osaka trip:

Save money! Prepare at least 50,000 yen!

Get a new pair of comfortable shoes!

Prepare gifts for the meet-and-greet!

Thinking about what to say at the meet-and-greet...

She put a small question mark next to the last item and thought: If I really meet this person at the meeting, what should I say?

Ask directly, "Do you know Xiaoxiang?"

Definitely not...that would be too weird.

Chihaya Aine closed her notebook, lay on her back on the bed, and looked at the ceiling.

The room was very quiet, with only the sound of her slightly rapid breathing.

“Ave mujica...”

She whispered the name:

"Youtianji Ruomai..."

Chihaya Aine had a strange premonition, as if something important was about to happen and she was about to witness it with her own eyes.

The thought made her both excited and nervous. She pulled the covers over her body, closed her eyes, and tried to fall asleep.

"I really want to go there soon..."

Chihaya Aine turned over and hugged the pillow with a dreamy smile on her face. The moonlight from outside the window shone through the gaps in the curtains onto her face, casting a layer of silver light on her long pink hair.

In her drowsy state, the last thing she thought of was:

If I could really meet Yutenji Wakami in person, I wonder what kind of label would be on her head?

With this curious thought in mind, Chihaya Aine finally fell asleep. In her dream, she and Nagasaki Motoyo were running through the streets of Osaka, chasing a vague figure. Sometimes that figure looked like Xiaoxiang, sometimes it turned into Yutenji Wakami, constantly disappearing and reappearing at corners...

The next morning, Chihaya Aine was woken up by the ringing of her cell phone.

She groggily reached for her phone and nearly swept it off the nightstand.

The name displayed on the screen was Nagasaki Suyo. Chihaya Aine quickly answered the phone, her voice still thick with sleep:

"Soyorin...? So early... What's going on...?"

"Aine, I checked the schedule, and the Osaka show is in three weeks. If we want to go, we need to arrange our itinerary quickly."

Chihaya Aine instantly regained consciousness. She sat up abruptly, almost getting dizzy from getting up so quickly.

"Really?! Doesn't that mean we have to start preparing right away?"

"Yes, I've done some preliminary research. The airfare is within an acceptable range, but accommodation needs to be confirmed as soon as possible. Especially for hotels near the performance, many of them have already been booked."

Chihaya Aine was fully awake. She jumped out of bed, grabbing her hair with one hand while pacing hurriedly around the room:

"Then let's book it now! Otherwise there won't be any good rooms left!"

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds, followed by a slight sigh. "Okay, then I'll start booking the tickets and hotel. We'll need to share the costs though. Are you sure your budget is sufficient?"

Chihaya Aine immediately opened her savings app to check her balance.

She stared at the balance number which was far from enough.

"Um...um..." Chihaya Aine's voice suddenly became very small. "Soyorin, how much are the plane tickets and hotel costs?"

"According to current prices, airfare for two people plus two nights in a standard room is around 55,000 yen." Nagasaki Suyo paused before continuing, "If you want to save a little, we can choose more basic accommodation, but it will cost at least 40,000."

There was an awkward silence on both ends of the line.

Chihaya Aine bit her lower lip and hesitated for a long time before whispering, "My savings... seem to be only 23,000..."

There was another moment of silence.

Chihaya Aine hurriedly explained, "Last month I bought a new phone case, a cat ear headband, and limited edition panda pajamas. I also treated Deng to ice cream. Then, my parents told me to learn how to manage my finances, so my pocket money this month was cut in half, and..."

Her voice became softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.