Girls' Wishing Tree

Su Shi looked towards the darkening sea in the distance: "Ying, if we do this...will it work?"

Her voice sounded somewhat helpless, like a critically ill patient who knew the folk remedy might not be effective but still wanted to give it a try.

"This band is still in its infancy, but if you're willing to invest your affection, she'll definitely respond." Ying said gently, "She's an exceptional guitarist. Both her skills and personality make her a perfect foundation for a band. If you're willing to give it a try, I can arrange a meeting for you."

Su Shi knew that Ying was surrounded by many guitarists, and had interviewed them for several episodes. A guitarist that Ying called "excellent" was certainly not mediocre.

“Is there only one guitarist?”

"It doesn't matter how many people there are. What matters is that she can be the core of the team, just like Xiangzi is in Crychic. To put it bluntly, Crychic can replace anyone, but as long as Xiangzi leaves, even if the band doesn't disband, at least it won't be Crychic anymore." Ying looked at the endless sea in the distance: "Su Shi, if the band is compared to the night sky, then which star is the brightest is irrelevant to non-astronomy enthusiasts, but if the moon is not there-"

Su Shi interrupted Ying: "Why?"

She obviously hadn't finished her words, so Ying waited for Su Shi to collect her thoughts.

About half a minute later, Su Shi continued, "Why do you believe she is the core of the team?"

"There are three key elements to building a team. First, strong professional skills, like RAS's CHU^2, the thornless peach fragrance; second, a relatable bond that brings the team together, like Popipa's Kasumi and HHW's heart; and third, a strong grasp of and commitment to musical style, like Roselia's Yuhina. As long as two of these three elements are present, or one particularly prominent one, the team is established."

At this point, Ying suddenly turned her gaze to Su Shi: "The person I'm going to recommend to you can be said to have all three of these qualities."

Su Shi's body trembled - she couldn't imagine that such an excellent musician would be without a band for a while.

"Her situation is a little special. I'll introduce you to her and you'll understand. If you have this idea, just tell me." Ying patted Su Shi's shoulder: "You don't have to give me an answer today. Tell me when you get back."

Su Shi's outstretched hand hung in mid-air, his back trembling slightly in the sea breeze. In the distance, the whimpering sound of Le Nai Jiao Deng blowing a conch shell sounded like some strange electronic sound effect.

A wave came and just reached Ying and Su Shi's knees.

"I'm... sorry." Su Shi, a little unsteady, helped Ying up, then quickly let go. It was unclear whether her apology was due to the support or to her actions after Crychic disbanded.

Ying turned around and walked back: "Let's go, let's get them to eat something, otherwise they will be hungry during rehearsal tonight."

Su Shi followed behind Sakura, his eyes fixed on her heels, and he unconsciously followed in Sakura's footprints on the beach.

It is obvious that Ying has walked out of the "shadow" of Crychic and even has the energy to help herself. Whether to take advantage of the olive branch extended by Ying is a difficult decision for her.

What Sakura said to him at the beach just now made a lot of sense, but if he accepted Sakura's proposal, would he become the last betrayer of Crychic?

Chapter 191 Harvest, Band and BangDream:39, The difference between the two bands Yilingyi Wife Division is the wine dam

Five girls gathered in a makeshift practice room at a seaside hotel. Li Xi tapped her drumsticks three times, signaling everyone to begin playing, but Su Shi's bassline was half a beat behind the agreed-upon tempo. Li Xi glared at Su Shi with some disapproval, but she was sitting behind her, so Su Shi couldn't see her expression.

The performance did not stop. In addition to the tacit cooperation of the four girls from Su Shi, both Lenai's guitar and Sakura's pipa were perfectly "adapted" to the drum beats.

After the song ended, Deng's hand holding the microphone trembled slightly. He turned around and looked at several teammates: "Sakura's composition of this song is really great. My vocal range is very comfortable, and the emotional expression is just right--"

As if noticing Su Shi's expression, Deng did not continue speaking, but chose to avoid looking at Su Shi.

Li Xi heard the sound of the light suddenly stop and immediately looked up: "What's wrong?"

Ying noticed that Li Xi and Su Shi were both a little distracted, so she immediately stepped in to smooth things over: "Li Xi, it's okay. I guess Deng thinks you also contributed to the composition, so it's inappropriate to praise me alone."

Li Xi blushed: "I... just made some suggestions, most of the work was done by Ying..."

Deng's pupils dilated slightly, but no one noticed the subtle change. She knew she hadn't stopped because she was thinking about Kualixi, but since Ying had said so, she wouldn't point it out.

Li Xi was distracted because he was actually thinking about Hailing.

During the Crychic period, the bassist she collaborated with was Nagasaki Motoyo, but in the new band, she is working with Yawata Kairei again.

She originally thought that it wouldn't make much difference which bassist she worked with, but it turned out that she was wrong - the problem Ying had pointed out before, that is, the lack of emotion in her playing, actually still existed, but if she formed a rhythm group with Hailing, Hailing could make up for her shortcomings to a large extent.

As for Su Shi, to her, he was just a qualified bassist, whose guidance kept the band's overall performance consistent. Perhaps with more time to get used to each other, she and Su Shi could develop a good rapport, but right now, both of them lacked an "evolution" in their playing.

Su Shi's hand still gripped the neck of her bass guitar, unconsciously stroking the frets, where the luminous stickers Xiangzi had applied to the sides of the guitar were still visible. Today's performance had left her feeling somewhat lost.

There are four Crychic members here. Logically speaking, reuniting two-thirds of the Crychic members should at least have the feeling of Crychic, right?

But the reality is that there is no such thing.

Sakura is still the gentle and lovely music shrine maiden, Deng is still the lead singer who expresses his inner voice with his singing voice, and Li Xi is still the one sitting behind playing drums, but this band is definitely not Crychic.

Not the Crychic who could make her feel like home.

As the band continued to rehearse, Su Shi felt increasingly restless. Three familiar figures appeared in the training room, but nothing could bring back the Crychic feeling.

Su Shi played the bass mechanically while thinking about Crychic.

When Xiangzi left, Crychic was no longer complete. Back then, Sushi always thought that as long as she could bring everyone back, Crychic would still be there. But now she understands that the key to a band isn't each individual, but rather someone who can unite them all—a true "core" of the band.

Sakura was right. Xiangzi was the "moon" of Crychic. Without the moonlight, Crychic was no longer the place where they felt warm and secure. Even with the four members together now, they couldn't recreate the feeling of home they once had.

Su Shi felt mixed emotions as she listened to the old members of Crychic playing music that was nothing like Crychic.

Crychic back then was so complete and beautiful. But now... she finally understood that once something is lost, it can never be returned.

This training session, which wasn't fully adjusted, ended after practicing all the songs three times. Lenai deliberately slowed down, waiting until everyone had left the training room before whispering to Sakura, "Sakura, I feel like there's something wrong with the band's rhythm section today. Riki and Sushi, in particular, are a bit boring."

"Hmm? After all, he's just a last-minute bassist. We're here more to enjoy the training and relax than to rehearse, right?" Sakura winked at Lenna.

"If it weren't for Sakura... I wouldn't have played for so long." Lenai closed her guitar case and said with some complaint.

"Ah——" Sakura took out a matcha candy and motioned for Lenai to open her mouth.

There is no point in discussing the details of the band with the cat at this time. It would be more appropriate to just feed it a candy.

Sure enough, after eating the candy, Lenai no longer mentioned the quality of the rehearsal, but instead insisted on sleeping next to Sakura during the training camp.

Meanwhile, Su Shi, under the pretext of "wanting some fresh air," walked alone to the beach. The sea breeze rustled through her hair, bringing a salty, bitter scent. She stood on the beach, gazing at the moon and a few stars in the distant night sky, trying to sort out the chaotic thoughts in her mind.

"Xiangzi is the moon of Crychic... When there is no moonlight, Crychic is no longer the place that makes me feel warm and secure..." Su Shi muttered to himself while looking at the moon reflected on the sea.

Even if the four of us are together now, as long as Xiangzi is not here, we will never be able to recreate the feeling of home we once had.

"Ying is right, maybe I should give myself a chance..." Su Shi stood on the beach, watching the moonlight being shattered by the ups and downs of the sea, and finally made up his mind.

The sea breeze blew, Su Shi closed her eyes, stretched out her fingers, and felt the slightly cool touch, as if at this moment, all the confusion and perplexity would be swept back into the sea along with the waves rushing onto the beach.

"Su Shi." Su Shi, who was standing on the beach, suddenly heard someone calling her name. She turned around and found that it was Deng who was wearing a coat over her penguin swimsuit.

Deng walked to a place two meters away from Su Shi and stopped: "I'm a little... worried about Su Shi."

Su Shi really didn't expect that Deng, who should have already integrated into the new band, would take the initiative to come out and talk to him.

"Deng...what do you think is the difference between the current band and Crychic?" Su Shi suddenly wanted to ask Deng's opinion.

Sakura lowered her head and thought for a few seconds: "If I were to say... actually... it's the difference between Sakura and Xiangzi."

"Huh?" Su Shi didn't expect that the more natural light could see this matter so clearly.

Deng waved his hands quickly and explained haltingly, "I'm not saying Xiangzi or Ying are bad, but Crychic... is really not suitable for me, whose singing is not good enough. When I sang badly, Xiangzi always took care of my feelings and didn't say anything until we left. But Sakura is different. During rehearsals, she would tell me how to sing the song and help correct my pronunciation and pitch, so that I know how to improve. Moreover, Xiangzi and Sakura's composing styles are quite different..."

"You're right, thank you for your concern." Su Shi turned around and walked towards the dormitory hotel.

Chapter 192 Harvest, Band and BangDream: 40, Becoming the Core of the Team

The time spent having fun at the beach passed quickly. Today was the band’s last training session and the band members would return the next morning.

Every day during the training camp, the band tried to get along with each other.

Li Xi had no complaints about Su Shi and began to adjust his drum beats more actively to match Su Shi's rhythm. Su Shi was also trying to adapt to the style of this new band and try to find his place in this team.

Although there has always been a sense of alienation between her and the band, her playing has gradually become more fluent as the number of rehearsals increased - at least, in Sakura's words, the band is now barely at the level of being able to perform on stage.

"Lixi is in great shape today!" Ying put the violin back into the case and turned her gaze to Su Shi with a smile: "It seems that the chemistry between you two is slowly recovering."

Su Shi didn't show any happiness, but just said evasively: "As far as temporary adjustment is concerned, it is indeed very good."

"That's good." Ying smiled gently. "Next time, if Hailing can't make time, I might invite you to perform on stage with me."

This was both an invitation and a reminder. Hailing was always the band's bassist, and even if Su Shi came quickly, she would only be a backup.

In fact, this reminder was a bit redundant - although the overall atmosphere of the band gradually became relaxed, Su Shi still couldn't fully fit in. She could feel the enthusiasm of Sakura and Deng, and she could also feel Le Na's dedication to music, but all this still couldn't fill the feeling of loss in her heart.

This band is neither Crychic nor a new band that she can continue to stay in.

"I'm going out to get some fresh air. I'll be back tomorrow morning." Su Shi pulled up her bass bag and walked to the beach alone, just like the first night of the training camp.

Moonlight shone on the sea, casting a silver glow. Su Shi sat alone on the beach, gazing blankly at the distant horizon. She knew she had to make a decision—should she continue to indulge in the illusory world of Crychic, or accept Ying's offer and join the new team?

"Sushi, I brought you a coat," Ying's voice came from behind. As a tree spirit, Ying wouldn't feel cold on a summer night by the sea, but Sushi might, especially since her sleeves and skirt were made of gauze.

Su Shi turned around and saw Ying walking towards her with a thin coat. The moonlight shone on the ends of her cherry blossom-colored hair, as if she were covered with a silver veil.

"I... want to be alone for a while." Su Shi said with his head down.

Ying draped her coat over Su Shi's back, then sat down beside her and patted her shoulder gently. "Then I'll sit with you for a while."

Su Shi raised her head and looked into Ying's eyes: "I think I have come to understand. I can't keep immersing myself in the memories of the past. I want to... find a new beginning."

"A new beginning?" Ying's lips curled up slightly. "Then I'll recommend that guitarist to you?"

Su Shi nodded: "Not only that, I also want to be a part of the core of the band. No matter what, I don't want the band to disband like before."

Ying was silent for a moment, then grabbed Su Shi's hand and said, "If you've really decided, I can help you. To be honest, what you said to me on that rainy night, and your attempt to get Crychic back, made me a little uncomfortable. However, since you've figured it out, those things are all in the past."

"Thank you, Ying." Su Shi responded to Ying's gaze, with tears in her eyes. "If it weren't for you, I don't know when I would have figured out the Crychic issue."

Deng Lian's humming of a new song could be heard in the distance, with Li Xi's drum beats occasionally interspersed in, which seemed to be more relaxed and at ease than three days ago.

Su Shi looked at Ying with some confusion. "But that person... can he really help me find a new home?" She deliberately avoided the word "band", as if she was talking about some mysterious abode.

"You're absolutely right. You need to be part of the core of the team. Everything depends on people. As for her... I can only emphasize again that she definitely has the potential to be a core player."

Su Shi's curiosity was aroused: "Who is it?"

Ying pulled out her phone and started playing a video. The screen showed a pink-haired girl playing music on a street corner. Under the camera, she appeared somewhat reserved. As the electric guitar's prelude exploded, Su Shi noticed that the girl's bending movements were extremely skillful, though lacking a touch of elegance and instead possessing a reckless, aggressive demeanor.

"Her name is Goto Ichiri." Sakura paused on a shot shot from above. The pink-haired girl's eyes, tightly closed due to nervousness, looked unexpectedly pious. "Or maybe her online account is more famous, called Guitar Hero. But don't mention it directly, or she'll get nervous. She still doesn't have a band. I guess the reason is that she doesn't like to interact with people."

Su Shi wanted to take a closer look, but Ying turned off the phone screen: "Let's go, we should go back. I will arrange a meeting for you guys over there. Wait for my news."

Hearing Ying say this, Su Shi had no choice but to stand up and follow Ying towards the hotel. The sea breeze in the night gently brushed the ends of her hair, bringing a slight cool touch.

What she didn't notice was that Sakura was a little distracted on her way back.

The reason why Sakura was absent-minded was not because she had any insights, but because she received another task from the system.

The system asked her to help Goto Ichiri and Nagasaki Motoyo complete the band members, and was willing to give shining points and other rewards for this.

Not accepting enough missions also has its disadvantages - Ying's shining points are currently at 20733 points, which is still some distance away from becoming a senior tree demon.

During this period, the main tasks of Deng, Momoka, Zhi, Riki and Sayu have all been completed, but the new tasks they received are still a little too few.

Sayu's heart knot was untied, and she returned to the cram school, willing to be a drummer. Deng and Li Xi established their own band, and Momoka and others' life was also back on track.

I just don't know what's going on with Guo Yu. She said she'd come over in a few months to help me fix the system issues, but until now, her answer has only been "soon." I don't know what she's preparing.

Fortunately, she is now able to control the system, or at least to form a check and balance on the system, so there is no sense of urgency in this regard.

Watching Su Shi walk into the inn, Ying slowly raised her head to look at the night sky and said to herself, "Next, it's time to fully prepare for the Harvest Festival..."

Chapter 193 Harvest, Band and BangDream: 41, Miyazono Kaoru's Loneliness

The maple leaves at the shrine shimmered amber in the sunset. Sakura tiptoed to fasten the last of the summer lanterns to the torii gate. She was adjusting the length of the tassel when her phone vibrated inside her furisode.

"Tsk, this call came at a really bad time..." Ying had no choice but to quickly put the last lantern in place, holding the stairs with one hand and taking out her cell phone with the other.

It was a call from Miyazono Kaoru.

As soon as the call was connected, a somewhat worried voice came from the other end: "Hello? Is this Sakura? I haven't seen you these past few days. I searched online and couldn't find any information about the shrine, so I thought I'd call and ask you..."

During this period, Sakura did "ignore" Xun.

She had too much work to deal with, and Lenai often came over to sleep, so she rarely let her consciousness return to the cherry blossom tree. During the few days she went out to the beach, it didn't appear once.

Sakura said apologetically, "Nothing much. I've just been preparing for the shrine's summer decorations and the upcoming harvest festival. Are you okay?"

The voice on the other end of the phone was relieved: "I'm relieved that Sakura is okay. You know, it's not very convenient for me to travel. Now I only have enough time every day to do a little work. When I can't wake up, I'm alone by the cherry tree, which is a bit lonely."

Xun said it lightly, but Sakura understood her mentality - to some extent, she and Xun were in the same boat.

Having lived as a tree for ten years, she knew all too well what it felt like to be conscious but unable to move. Kaoru was now experiencing the same dilemma she had before. When she couldn't wake up, the only person she could contact was herself. So, as long as this channel was disconnected, Kaoru would undoubtedly fall into a state of anxiety to some extent.

"I'll go talk to Kaoru by the cherry tree tonight."

Xun's voice was noticeably happier. "Okay, after the last Sakura Festival, Kousei and I composed two new songs together. No matter how much we discussed them, we both felt they were still a little off. If you could listen to my performance, maybe you could give me some better suggestions!"

Sakura wanted to ask how far Kaoru and Kousei had progressed, but after thinking it over, she decided to leave the topic until tonight: "Okay, see you under the cherry tree tonight. I'm looking forward to hearing your new song."

After hanging up the call with Xun, before he could put his phone back, he saw the five Thornless people walking up the stairs listlessly. Even Hong Xia, who was usually very active, looked like an eggplant hit by frost.

"Well...we were eliminated..." Momoka said to Sakura with her head down, like a child who had made a mistake.

"So what if I'm eliminated? It's no big deal." Ying climbed down the stairs. "Rather, seventh place in the BangDream competition is already pretty good. You lost to PasPale, right? They have a much larger fan base than you do, so this is an understandable result."

"But..." Nina took a step forward, until she was only about a meter away from Sakura. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at Sakura's face. "We've tried our best."