Girls' Wishing Tree

Chapter 16: Dryad, Live and Music Girl: 16. Courage from God

After communication, the result was that PoppinParty agreed to sing two songs, and Maruyama Aya also agreed to sing two songs. While she was singing, Tahui and Saaya temporarily played the roles of guitarist and drummer of PasPale.

If there are only four songs in total, it is indeed a bit too few, but the time is only half a month, and the JKs have worked very hard to achieve this level.

The rest of the time is up to you to fill.

The next time Gao Mu met Gong Yuanxun in his dream, he mentioned this matter again: "I have a performance in half a month. Can you recommend two songs? I want to spend some time these days to quickly compose two songs for the performance."

"You've made rapid progress, but it's still a little bit lacking when it comes to performances. If you perform in half a year, there will be quite a few songs to choose from. The violin is not an instrument that can be mastered quickly. You can learn a few chords on the guitar, switch them over constantly, and handle it on stage if you get the rhythm right, but the threshold for the violin is higher." Miyazono Kaoru reminded.

"Please, the shrine will hold a cherry blossom festival in half a month, and I want to hold it in the form of a musical performance, so--"

Gong Yuanxun interrupted Gao Mu and said, "Let me play."

"But, your body..."

"Two pieces is fine, but you have to tell me the exact time. Then I'll have my family wheel me over. Once they wake me up, I can perform straight away. It's been a while since I last performed, and I'm really looking forward to playing the violin in front of everyone."

Gao Mu sensed the anticipation in Xun's tone, so he stopped trying to persuade her: "I'll let you know once the time is confirmed. Xun, if it doesn't work out by then, don't force it."

Gao Mu was very happy to have "fished" a violinist, but given Miyazono Kaoru's current physical condition, she definitely couldn't guarantee an appearance. In that case, he had to make some preparations. After all, there wouldn't be too many people in the audience, so at most he could play two simple songs as a last resort. The highlight was the final Kagura dance anyway.

She reproduced the main melody of the classic song "Sakura Sakura Wants to See You" from her previous life based on her memory. It was not difficult to play the vocal melody part with the violin. She also made a keyboard track, and when the time comes, she can just ask Arisaki to accompany her.

Gao Mu was practicing piano in the yard when another acquaintance came.

Entering the shrine was Takamatsu Touma. The short-haired girl, upon seeing the new shrine maiden, opened her mouth slightly, then tilted her head to the side. "Sorry... sorry to bother you while you were practicing."

"It's okay. I was practicing the piano during work hours. It was a little rude." Gao Mu put down the violin.

"Um... I'm here to see the Lord God." Deng said this very naturally, as if the Lord God was within reach.

If it was any other girl, Gao Mu would use the same excuse - you can communicate with the God here, but the God will not communicate with everyone. Whether you can get the God's favor or not requires a bit of luck.

But Gao Songdeng gave people a feeling of being "electric" and "natural", and she felt a little guilty for fooling a cute little girl in this way.

However, she would not directly say that she was the cherry tree in the shrine. This would not only be too unbelievable, but also be dangerous for herself.

Gao Mu's eyes were fixed on Gao Songdeng's face, his gaze seemed calm and pure.

"The God has specifically instructed that you will always be welcome at this shrine."

Deng didn't question Gao Mu's ability to communicate with the gods at all. Instead, he put his hands together in surprise and said, "Um... can I talk to the gods?"

Gao Mu stopped talking for the moment and instead used the dialogue box to communicate with the lamp: "Don't be afraid, she is the official witch I chose."

Deng glanced at the direction of the shrine, then looked at Gao Mu: "Ah, so you are the shrine maiden chosen by the gods... I am Takamatsu Deng from the junior high school of Yugaoka Girls' Academy. I came here... because..."

This sentence seemed to have exhausted all her energy. In the end, she could only squeeze out a few more words: "Looking for the Lord God."

"Takagi Sakura, the shrine maiden. By the way, are you interested in singing?" Gao Mu remembered the option provided by the system to Takamatsu Deng and took the initiative to ask her.

Gao Songdeng quickly shook his head: "No, I can't sing... I'm not good at singing."

"How will you know if you don't try? The shrine will hold a cherry blossom festival in two weeks. Several guests have been scheduled to sing at the festival. If you're willing, you can come and sing a song."

Deng clutched the hem of her skirt with her hands and frowned slightly.

She seemed to want to say something to Gao Mu, but she moved her lips but didn't say anything.

Gao Mu decided to give her some courage in the name of God.

"Deng, you're very talented at writing lyrics. Can you try singing what you wrote?"

"Lord God," Deng slowly raised his head.

In front of him was a shrine maiden smiling at him.

Although it was my first time seeing this shrine maiden named "Takagi Sakura," she felt familiar. She seemed to have stepped out of some dreamy, imaginary era. A faint floral fragrance lingered around her, her long, lustrous light pink hair was perfectly polished, and her skin, even from a distance of less than a meter, was flawless.

Especially her eyes, which seem calm as water at first glance, but when you meet her gaze, you can feel the waves hidden within.

"Takagi Miko, you are so beautiful." Deng said something to praise Gao Mu without any context.

She still didn't agree to sing at the Sakura Festival, which made Gao Mu feel that he was not in tune with her, or maybe it was not the right time for her to sing.

"Thank you. Whether you're willing to sing or not, the Sakura Festival welcomes you. This year's Sakura Festival is completely different." Gao Mu blinked. "If possible, please spread the word to your classmates. The shrine can accommodate about 100 people. In addition to musical performances, there will also be traditional Kagura dances and sacrificial ceremonies."

"Okay... okay." Deng nodded and walked to the shrine: "God, I will try my best to invite people to watch the Sakura Festival. In the past few days, according to your guidance, I have made some modifications-"

Deng unfolded her notebook, and Gao Mu saw that she had indeed made careful revisions to the points that he and Deng had told her to pay attention to.

If she continues like this, she should be able to become a very good lyricist. People are generally more tolerant of singer-songwriters, and will not be too harsh on them even if their singing is not so good.

I just don’t know what kind of band Deng will join next, and how the band she joins will perform.

This system seems to be particularly fond of musical girls. If Deng's emotions fluctuate too much, I can help her form a band or idol group. I guess her lead singer career will be on the right track.

Chapter 17: Dryad, Live and the Music Girl: 17, The Wedding Forty Years Ago

Gao Mu couldn't leave the shrine, but after the preparations for the Sakura Festival were finalized, she still had a lot of things to do.

She asked Maruyama Aya to buy some wood blocks and cloth, and persuaded Wakamiya Eve, who was very interested in shrine culture, to come over. After class, the two of them worked together to make ema and amulets that might be used in the festival. She also asked Ichigaya Yusaki to help prepare stage-related equipment, and asked Toyama Kasumi and Takamatsu Touma to help promote the Sakura Festival.

LiveHouseSpace.

This is a LiveHouse with a long history, opened by the famous female guitarist Tsuzuki Utafune. The original intention was to provide a stage for female musicians to showcase themselves. It can be said to be one of the sources of the popularity of girl bands.

Today, the popular girl band Glitter*Green will perform live here.

Unlike usual, Nana Kujirabe, a member of the band and the student council president of Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy, casually placed a stack of not very exquisitely printed flyers on the counter.

"Nanaedashi, what are these..." asked the boss, Tsuzuki Shifune.

"Ah, it's a flyer that a junior schoolmate asked me to bring over. If any customers are interested, you can take a look at it. I hope it won't cause you any trouble."

Tsuzuki Poetry Ship picked up a flyer.

The upper part of the flyer is a photo of a tall cherry tree in the shrine courtyard, and the lower part is an ESPRandomStar guitar and a paragraph of text.

On cherry blossom day, Aikuo Sakura Shrine welcomes you. The Sakura Festival features traditional ceremonies, special musical performances by Maruyama Aya, the PoppinParty premiere, and surprise guests! Lucky visitors will receive a special cherry blossom amulet!

After that, it comes to the performance time, precautions and other content.

Tsuzuki Poetry Ship fell into memories.

She has loved rock music all her life, but when it comes to her wedding, she chose a more traditional approach.

This is the shrine where she held her wedding. More than 40 years ago, at the end of the Showa era, she wore a traditional Japanese wedding dress and invited her relatives and friends to witness her happy moment under the cherry blossoms.

After the old man passed away and her daughter and son-in-law went to England, she never went to the shrine again. Now thinking back, it has been several years since she last visited the shrine.

And the flyer mentions Aya Maruyama, isn't she the lead singer of PasPale, whose lip-syncing became a household name? As for PoppinParty, they were rejected by their own group for performing on Space because they were too unskilled...

Has the shrine that carries her beautiful memories gone this far in order to attract the attention of young people?

"...If it's inappropriate, I'll remove the flyer immediately." Nana asked tentatively.

"It's okay, just leave it here." Tsuzuki pointed at the stage and said, "You're next."

A white-haired girl, almost as tall as the counter, slid over and took a flyer like a small animal taking food. She began to read it carefully. After a moment, she looked up and blinked her eyes of a different color. "Grandma, what an interesting festival!"

"Lena, do you want to go? Then let's go together."

The girl tilted her head lazily to one side, the corners of her mouth slightly raised like a cat, and nodded gently.

Gao Mu didn't know that the flyers made by Toyama Kasumi helped her attract a heavyweight audience. She was sitting in the courtyard of the shrine, using a carving knife to carve a piece of wood into the shape of an ema, then drilling a hole with a hand drill and threading a hemp rope through it to prepare for use in the festival.

The old priest looked at her skillful movements and smiled happily.

Gao Mu's preparations for the festival reminded him of himself decades ago. If the Sakura Festival was a success, he could say goodbye to the world with a smile.

A few days ago, the old priest went to the hospital and received the following advice: "Eat whatever you want if you can, see whoever you want. If the pain is unbearable, go to hospice care. You only have about two months left."

He could feel himself getting weaker, and the frequency of painkillers he took became higher. Over the past two days, he had helped Gao Mu register as a priest, transferred the shrine to her name, and written a suicide note, in which he told his family to leave the shrine and the grocery store to Gao Mu.

"Xiaoying, from now on, we will hold ceremonies for the Cherry Blossom Festival and the Harvest Festival every year." The old priest unconsciously talked about the future.

Gao Mu heard the hidden meaning in his words.

This guy is entrusting the future to me.

"Well, as long as I'm alive, I'll be a priestess here." Gao Mu said this without any psychological burden, which made the old priest feel at ease.

Her true self was hidden in the shrine, and being a shrine maiden was the best way to disguise her identity.

"I'm old, and it will be difficult for me to manage the shrine in the future." The old priest looked at the mottled torii gate with cloudy eyes. "If conditions permit in the future, we can renovate the shrine and find a way to attract some young people to help preside over weddings and worship. We can also develop the business."

"Leave it to me. You can rest well and slowly witness the changes in the shrine."

"There is something I haven't told anyone." The old priest withdrew his gaze from the torii and looked at the shrine maiden who was carving the ema.

That is the breath of youth.

He didn't know when his youth had slowly slipped through his fingers.

She still had plenty of time, but her own was running out.

He had already decided in his heart not to show it, but when the old priest said this, there was still a hint of sadness in his tone.

"This is... my last Sakura Festival."

Gao Mu understood in an instant.

I understood why he had aged so quickly in a year, why he hadn't questioned my appearance and even handed me the key to the shrine.

She didn't know how to comfort the old man in front of her.

The old man is not like Miyazono Kaoru, who can use the options provided by the system to fight for a treatment opportunity.

As a novice tree demon, she doesn't have any magic to prolong her life.

Just as leaves fall in the autumn wind, life also has its end and withering.

"I... will run the shrine well." In the end, these were the only words that came to his lips.

"That's all." The old priest looked at the shrine. "The first time I officiated a wedding on my own was over forty years ago. It was for a rock star. I was so nervous I couldn't sleep the night before."

"You must have overcome this nervousness later on, didn't you?"

"Later, when I saw this cherry tree, I slowly calmed down. It has been here for a long, long time, since my grandfather's grandfather. I thought that since it has seen so many couples getting married, it will bless me to preside over the ceremony smoothly." The old priest rested his hand on the tree trunk, his fingertips touching the rough bark.

PS: I understand that the original setting for Lili and Deng was not junior high school classmates. To make the timeline consistent and some settings more reasonable, a few details will be modified, but the original characters will be respected. Similar issues will not be addressed in the future.

Chapter 18: Dryad, Live and Music Girl: 18, Exchanging Music Libraries

Under the blowing of spring breeze, flower buds emerge from the cherry trees, becoming the best footnote to the revival of all things in spring.

The Gaomu in the shrine, a large cherry tree in good condition, is also ready to be covered with colorful flowers.

There is only one week left until the Cherry Blossom Festival.

The ema and amulets are almost done, and the next step is to rehearse the festival ceremony.

Originally, Gao Mu didn't care much about the traditional shrine festival ceremony and just wanted to treat it as a gimmick, but after knowing that this was the old priest's last cherry blossom festival, she took it seriously.

No matter what, we cannot let the old priest leave with regrets.

In order to do her job as a shrine maiden at the festival, she even cut down on her violin practice time.

According to the old tradition, the ceremony should be presided over by a male priest. Now she is presiding over the ceremony as a professional priestess, which is an innovation in itself. However, the shrine is very small, so this innovation will not attract attention.

Precisely because holding a live Sakura Festival and having a shrine maiden preside over the festival are both breaks with tradition, the traditional aspects must be done impeccably.

If the old priest was still questioned for such things in his last days, Gao Mu would not be able to get over it.

Now Gao Mu has temporarily forgotten that he can only choose a loli image when creating a character. Instead, he wants to make use of the advantages of his current body and show the image of the shrine maiden that best fits people's impression.

Holding the Kagura bell, which had changed color due to oxidation, she danced in the courtyard in a dance of serving the gods.

Compared to the shrine maidens who have served in the shrine since childhood, her movements are inevitably a little clumsy, but her body itself is a treasure dedicated to the gods.

Gao Mu is not a "human" in the true sense, but a human body molded by the system.

There are indeed beauties among humans, but human beauties need to "bump" into features that conform to the public's aesthetic standards through a series of random encounters, and there will always be some flaws. For example, a girl with a hot body has a face that is ordinary, or a girl with a charming appearance speaks like a middle-aged aunt.

In this regard, Gao Mu has the advantage of "dimensionality reduction attack".

Her body was created through the character creation system.

Her hair was thick and smooth, and the cherry blossom-colored luster seemed to bring spring to her head.

The facial features are delicate and three-dimensional, but not aggressive, and instead create a sweet feeling.

She has a petite figure but has everything she needs and can pull off both cute and seductive styles of clothing.

So as long as she performs the dance, even if it is a little clumsy, she can meet the audience's expectations.