Girls' Wishing Tree

"Impossible..." CHU^2, with strong curiosity, confirmed again and again that this was just an ordinary dress and not a magic prop, and stood there in a daze holding the dress.

Momoka's phone rang. It was Sakura calling.

"Hello? Are you okay?" Taoxiang picked up the phone and hurriedly asked about Ying's current situation.

"I'm fine. I'm going back to the shrine first. You can go back by yourself." Sakura's voice came from the phone, exactly the same as before, without any sense of fatigue from having just performed a large-scale magic trick.

CHU^2 held the dress close to his face, and his nose twitched twice, smelling a faint scent of cherry blossoms.

"I've got this dress." CHU^2 walked into the building, holding the dress. "From now on, you'll be the backup guitarist for RAS. I'll send you the repertoire and rehearsal schedule for the live performance."

Sakura, who had jumped down from the roof, was now receiving two girls who came to the shrine.

Yes, she was in a hurry to return from outside the IX, not just to avoid the guitar performance, but also to stop the two girls from "making trouble" at the shrine. These two girls were Oyama Mahiro and Oyama Minari, who had poured potion on her tree roots.

Shinichi huddled behind Minori, looking very reserved.

Seeing Sakura appear in her shrine maiden outfit, Minari immediately waved to her, "Ah! It's Miss Miko! This shrine is really getting better and better!"

"It's manageable, I guess. We've hired a few staff members and are organizing the festival live." Ying clapped her hands. "So, are you two here to pray?"

Minari pulled out Mahiro who was hiding behind her. "Isn't this a very famous music shrine among girls? My sister has been practicing the electronic organ lately, but she has too little contact with other people. Can she come here to play after school?"

Takagi Sakura sighed - the system said that Zhenxun would become a keyboard player, but she didn't expect that she would actually play the piano.

This guy... doesn't he have any awareness of being an adult male?

Sakura looked at Mahiro, who was being dragged by Minari to stand before her. Mahiro, already small and slight, looked even more uneasy now that Minari was pulling her so hard to keep her in place. Her fingers unconsciously twisted together, the cuff of her school uniform tightly gripped between her knuckles. She tried to move, but she involuntarily shrank to the side, as if trying to avoid something.

Zhenxun's long hair cascaded down her back, and a tuft of curly alopecia adorns her head. When her thin figure couldn't hide it, she'd shrink, her alopecia drooping slightly backward, giving off the air of a "socially anxious girl."

There is really no trace of an adult male at all.

To some extent, he and Shinichi were in the same boat, but at least he had ten years as a cherry tree as a buffer, while Shinichi had a "seamless connection".

"Sure." Sakura pointed to the training room, "Mahiro, can you play a piece?"

Zhenxun turned his face to the side, grasped the hem of his clothes with both hands, and his face flushed slightly: "Now... play it here?"

"Well, there's a keyboard here." Sakura walked over and opened the door of the training room where Sayu was practicing drums.

Seeing Ying walking in with two people, she stopped what she was doing: "Ying, you're back so soon?"

"Yeah, it's just a trip to the RAS. It won't take long. Sayu, connect the keyboard and let this girl try it out. If she needs some rhythm, help her."

Shinxun quickly grabbed Sakura's sleeve and said, "Alright, alright! Let me try! No need to be so formal!"

She scrambled to the keyboard, squinting her eyes as she began to play. As the keys gently fell, a strange atmosphere filled the air, like a tentative conversation. Her movements were initially awkward, but as her fingertips touched the cold keys, her tense muscles gradually relaxed. The music's rhythm was simple and brisk, yet it carried an unmistakable air of youth.

Shinhiro's fingers sped up their movements on the black and white keys, and the tempo of the music also increased slightly. Sakura didn't use a metronome, but if she kept time mentally, it was probably around 120 bpm. At this speed, playing a piece based mainly on quarter and eighth notes, Shinhiro made some mistakes.

Given Sakura's ability to appreciate music, it's difficult for her to give this performance a very high score, but judging by the standards of a junior high school girl's extracurricular interests, it's still acceptable.

The limitation of "only a few months of piano practice" is considered very good.

So, Sakura still gave Mahiro applause.

"Mahiro, you must have put in a lot of effort recently." Ying walked to the keyboard and said, "I have a shrine maiden working here. She is very good at playing the keyboard. Let her give you some advice next time you have the chance."

"Ah, if there is such an opportunity, I would be so grateful!" Zhenxun didn't know where to put his hands, so he rubbed them on the keys and accidentally touched a few notes.

"Sayu, you and Mahiro could form a team." Sakura turned her gaze to Sayu. "Mahiro's progress is about the same as yours. You two could perhaps rehearse some songs together and improve together. I'll help you edit your collaborative practice sessions and post them online. It might be very popular."

Neither Sayu nor Mahiro said anything, especially Mahiro, who had already shrank behind Minari.

"That's all, thank you Miss Miko. Can we add each other on Line? I'll have Shinxun contact you before he comes next time." Mibari said to Sakura帬榴凌爾ER贰衤三虾罢(四).

Sakura agreed to Minari's suggestion and escorted them out of the shrine. She had to go support PoppinParty's debut later today, and she didn't want to spend too much time with them.

She watched Minari walk down the stairs hand in hand with Mahiro, then turned around to see Sayu standing behind her.

"Sakura... I don't want to play with others. It will... become unfortunate." Sayu said with a conflicted look on her face.

"Bang—" Sakura turned around, raised her finger, and flicked Sayu's forehead. "You're the drummer, are you planning on playing a solo?"

Sayu turned her head and looked down at the pillars of the torii gate: "Yuko... is too close to me, so..."

"Do you still think everything is your fault?" Sakura lowered her head. "Yes, you're stuck here alone, so you'll tend to blame yourself. You don't have to guard the shrine today, come with me to see Popipa's performance. You didn't want to go to the cram school last time, but going to the live show should be no problem, right?"

"Live...live?" Sayu repeated Sakura's words, lowering her head even lower, her chin almost touching her chest.

But just when Sakura thought she was going to be rejected again, she heard Sayu's neighbor whispering, "Okay, Sakura, please take me there."

Chapter 106: Spring, Sakura and Crychic: 8. I want to form a band

LiveHouseGalaxy.

This is Popipa's first dedicated Live, and Popipa didn't arrange many songs, but they invited a very luxurious supporting performance lineup.

Roselia is generally recognized as a relatively successful commercial girl band, moving steadily towards a higher stage step by step; HHW is a band that is particularly difficult to invite, as they seem to perform according to their mood and do not care much about financial rewards; PasPale definitely costs money to invite, but through the relationship with Shiragi Chisei, the money has been reduced to a level that ordinary high school girls can afford; and Afterglow is also very well recognized by the audience, plus the extremely popular JK shrine maiden Takagi Sakura performs mysterious Chinese instruments. Even if you remove the Popipa element, it is still a Live worth looking forward to.

If you buy the ticket for this live show in advance, it costs less than 1000 yen, and if you buy it on the day, it only costs 1200 yen. However, the number of tickets purchased on the day was not large, and almost all of them had been sold out in advance.

When Sakura was helping Sayu buy a ticket, a figure holding a camera suddenly jumped out from the counter. She was about to ask the person to stop filming, but she realized it was someone she knew.

"Rikka?" Sakura smiled and waved at the camera. "Are you taking photos today?"

"No...no, I just want to bring back some memories for Popipa's first performance!"

Rikka is a real Popipa fan, but she probably won't get to join Popipa. Sisterhood groups like Popipa are all about the Kirakira and Dokidoki (sparkling, heart-pounding) vibe, not the peak-level performances. They're unlikely to prioritize member optimization.

According to the system's prompts, she will encounter a "pressure cooker" type of producer, which doesn't quite fit Popipa. Instead, it's RAS...

Thinking of this, Sakura looked at Rikka again.

RAS is really "hungry for talents" in guitarists. Now Duohui is no longer providing guitar support, and Taoxiang can only hold on for a few months. Their need for a guitarist can be said to be very urgent.

Maybe next time I can try introducing Rikka to RAS?

Sakura was still thinking about Rikka when Kasumi suddenly appeared in front of her and grabbed her wrist, "I've been waiting for you! Come in and get ready!"

"Wait..." Sakura stuffed the ticket and a banknote into Sayu's hands. "Come to the show on time, and we'll go back together after it's over."

Before Sayu could reply, Sakura was dragged away.

Kasumi dragged Sakura to the lounge, "Sakura, everyone is very curious about your mysterious instrument, especially after RAS heard it yesterday!"

"Uh, this is just an ordinary pipa--woo!" Sakura, who entered the lounge, was immediately hugged by the guy who pounced on her.

It is PasPale's glacier Japanese cuisine.

"Wow! Sakura's here too! I saw it on the program, but it still makes me feel weird!"

Soon, Qiansheng Yecai also hugged her - for PasPale, Ying was a very special person, the messenger of "God" in the world who helped them get out of the trough.

"Okay, stop hugging me. I'm about to be suffocated like a can!" Sakura squeezed out with difficulty and found many familiar faces here - Yukina and Sayo, who had been interviewed before, Kanon and Eve from the Miko Club, and Kokoro Genmaki, who had worked with her...

Even those who didn't know her showed great enthusiasm towards Sakura.

The live event organized by Popipa had a wonderful atmosphere. Sakura smiled and collaborated with everyone to take a commemorative video.

Afterwards, she found a corner, unpacked her suitcase, changed into her performance clothes, adjusted her pipa, confirmed the strings were in good condition, and rested for a while with her eyes closed. In her previous life, she had no stage experience at all; she was just an ordinary music lover.

But now, she's become a natural on-stage presence, even enjoying it. Perhaps it was the ten years spent among the cherry blossom trees that instilled in her a stronger desire to express herself; perhaps it was her transformation into a young dryad that made her want to showcase this beauty to more people; or perhaps it was her time in a girl band that gave her the desire to shine on stage.

In any case, she is now a music shrine maiden who enjoys good popularity both offline and online. Offline, as long as she appears, there is no need to worry about ticket sales. Online, she often receives business cooperation emails on Japanese and Chinese online platforms.

The alarm on her phone rang and she glanced at the screen.

There are ten minutes left before the show starts.

Popipa opened the show, and then the supporting bands started playing one by one. She was scheduled to perform after PasPale, with about an hour to go.

She only needed to fix her makeup in front of the mirror before she could go on stage to perform. She set the alarm earlier because she wanted to watch the live performance herself.

After a simple makeup, Ying walked backstage holding the pipa, just in time to see the five members of Popipa walking onto the stage.

"Hello everyone! We are PoppinParty! We are very happy to be able to hold a performance independently..." Kasumi was still a little nervous, and Sakura could see from the side that her muscles were a little tense.

After all, it was my first independent live and I had been preparing for it for so long, so it was completely understandable that I didn’t let loose right from the start.

"Now, please enjoy our new song, Returns!" Kasumi's words stunned Sakura.

She immediately took out the program, and the first song on it was clearly "Happy Happy Party!"

Before the doubts were dispelled, the music started.

“As long as you are away from the place where you were born, you will be dreaming (Only when you are a little away from the place where you were born can you see the shape of your dreams clearly)…”

There was no doubt that this was a new song, a new song that Arisaki had never sent her before.

The song "Poppin Party" was indeed of very high quality, and Sakura was quickly engrossed in it.

"Heart-shaking song Returns (Second Degree), Second Departure, Departure, Where, (Dream), Song, Place, Dream (Roughly meaning: Soul-shaking Returns, no separation, no matter how many times I will return to this dream and this song)..."

When Ying heard this, the idea of ​​forming a band suddenly came to her mind.

If I could form a band, I think... life in Tokyo would be happier.

She had never formed a band before, partly because there were too many guitarists around her, and partly because she didn't have an instrument she was good at playing.

Now that I have advanced pipa playing skills, maybe... I can take a step and give it a try?

At this moment, the system issued a task, but it was not about Ying performing with a band, but about the current Live performance.

[Host, please play a song that is not on the program list and gain recognition from the band girls and the audience. The more impressive the performance, the more shining points you will receive.]

Looking at the task that popped up in front of her, Takagi Sakura closed her eyes and began to search her mind for the songs she had heard in her previous life.

Chapter 107 Spring, Sakura and Crychic: 9. Lose the battle but not the war

Because she bought the ticket at the last minute, Sayu's seat was not good and she could only see the stage by looking across a sea of ​​glow sticks.

She couldn't see the faces of the girls on the stage clearly, but that didn't stop Popipa from transmitting the music to her ears—the speakers at the back of the studio were hanging behind her, and the music and singing were almost knocking on her soul.

Compared to these people on the stage, what he had played before was just playing house.

Would life be completely different if you could play drums on stage like this?

Sayu imagined herself in her performance costume and couldn't help but shed tears - her family was a complete tragedy. She was the child her mother gave birth to in order to keep her father, and there was no doubt that such a foolish act would not have any effect at all.

The only result of this final struggle was the creation of Sayu, a child who had never received family warmth since childhood. Financially, they weren't well off, but they weren't particularly tight either. However, in terms of the family atmosphere, returning home was essentially like "enlightenment in the Dragon Field."

She looked around and found that a girl wearing cat-ear shaped headphones was also crying, and she felt a little relieved.

At this moment, she was patted on the back, and then a pack of napkins was handed to her.

"...Sakura?" Sayu turned her head and saw the familiar cherry blossom-colored hair. Even under the dim lights of the auditorium, her hair was very eye-catching.

"I'm here to discuss the performance details with the staff." Sakura said as she walked over to the mixing console and said to Rikka, "We're adding a vocal part temporarily, so we'll need to add a microphone."

According to common sense, the pipa is not suitable for playing and singing.

One reason is that the structure of the pipa is more suitable for playing the main melody, and the other is that the sitting posture of holding the pipa is not very suitable for vocal production.

But not being suitable doesn't mean being unable to do it. Ying has advanced pipa playing skills and intermediate vocal skills, so she should have no problem at least fooling ordinary LiveHouse audiences by challenging herself to sing and play.

She returned to the waiting room backstage and played the song several times. When she came out again, PasPale was already singing outside.

Sakura flexed her fingers backstage and soon heard Maruyama Aya's announcement: "Next up, it's time for the magical music shrine maiden to perform! Please welcome Takagi Sakura from Sakura Shrine!"

CHU^2 in the last row stood up.

She is quite short, so if she doesn't stand up, her view will be somewhat blocked.

Just a few hours ago, Sakura had jumped from her rooftop recording studio, leaving behind only a dress. Seeing Sakura appear, CHU^2 felt a little relieved—even though she'd heard Momoka and Sakura talk on the phone, she still felt a little worried when she didn't see her.

In Ying's hands, she held an instrument similar to a guitar, but much rounder and with a built-in resonance chamber. The neck was curved at one end, giving it a distinctly Chinese feel.

CHU^2, who was familiar with many musical instruments, had heard of this instrument before, but that was just the name. A few years ago, when her mother took her to see a Chinese women's band perform, several musicians took the stage holding this thing.

"Hello everyone, I'm Sakura Takagi, and I'm very happy to participate in Popipa's first independent live! The instrument in my hand is called Pipa, a traditional Chinese instrument! I've only performed it once before at Starry, and this is my first time performing in front of hundreds of people! Please listen to the traditional Pipa piece "Ten Sides of Ambush"!" Sakura said after adjusting the microphone to receive the vocals.

Hinata, who had just come off the stage, picked up the program: "Sakura changed the program too? This was originally supposed to be the second song."

"Ten Sides of Ambush" is a classic pipa piece, and one of the more difficult. Ying, possessing advanced pipa playing skills, surpasses most professional musicians in her ability to play the pipa with ease.

With a resolute expression and pipa in hand, Ying seems to have brought the ancient battlefield of the Chu-Han Contention to the scene. Although it is just a wooden instrument, it conveys the image of thousands of troops, the clash of metal, and the hero's end to everyone.

CHU^2 was drooling at the sight of it—Sakura could play the bass, pipa, guitar, and violin. Her proficiency in string instruments was almost beyond the capabilities of a young girl.

Pareo gently tugged at her sleeve: "Master CHU^2, have you been standing there for too long?"

"This guy... would rather jump off the roof than play guitar for RAS..." CHU^2 sat down with gritted teeth.

"Next, I'm going to sing a song for everyone!" The girl's unique energetic and lively voice pulled everyone back from the siege of Gaixia to the girl band's shining LiveHouse.

Ying held the pipa with one hand and adjusted the vocal microphone with the other. She said in a gentle voice, "This song, 'Little Light (Like a Tiny Ray of Light)', is dedicated to everyone!"