Can Lixi look at me alone?

The intense pain brought tears to the already frail girl's eyes. Having never suffered such an injustice before, Yuzuki swallowed air with difficulty through the gaps between Hatsuka's fingers.

Perhaps Chu Hua had vented enough, or perhaps she felt that if things continued like this, Xiang Zi would find out. In any case, she quickly loosened her grip, looked at the panting girl, and interrogated her in a voice filled with suppressed madness.

"You selfish bastard, what right do you have to sleep in the same bed as Xiao Xiang?"

"Do you know how long I've prepared for this opportunity... Why, why can you get it every day...?"

Yuzuki slid down the wall little by little until she collapsed on the ground and looked up at the girl idol in front of her... someone she didn't recognize at all.

If Chu Hua hadn't told her that she desperately wanted to see Xiao Xiang... she wouldn't have opened the door at all. Who knew... it would turn out like this?

"What do you have that I don't?! What do you and that guy Mu have that I don't? Why is Xiao Xiang just..."

Due to the pain, Jieyue experienced some tinnitus and couldn't hear what Chuhua was saying... Her thoughts unconsciously drifted back to a few days ago.

She is the keyboardist for mygo, Chika Yuzuki. She is the only keyboardist who was pulled back by Akari, Aine, Riki, Souse, and Rakuna.

But... Xiangzi's mother also passed away not long ago, and Xiangzi has been making plans ever since then. At least it was around this time that Jieyue found out that Xiangzi was planning a band.

"Because that way my mother in heaven can see me!"

Xiangzi said she wanted to shine on stage. So Yuzuki chose to help her, and so... Mutsuki and Hailing were also brought over by her.

Feeling awkward about juggling two careers, and somewhat embarrassed in front of her Mygo teammates, Yuzuki chose to keep it a secret for the time being. After all—Shoko's goal was simply to perform at the Budokan once, to let her mother see her talent. So it wouldn't take long…

With this thought in mind, Yuzuki accepted the mask from Shoko, which only covered half her face... but with the dark purple costume and stage lights, it shouldn't be a problem...

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Crisium."

Ah, right… Xiao Xiang said my name is Crisium. It seems to mean something like fearless of danger…

The pink-haired girl felt dizzy as she recalled what she had been doing recently.

During the day, I go to school, and in the afternoon I participate in mygo practice... or play with everyone. In the evening, I cook for myself and Xiaomu and Xiaoxiang, and then accompany them to practice the Mujica song.

"Isn't having two keyboards a bit inappropriate?"

she asked.

So she went from being a band member to a part-time band member—providing piano accompaniment for Xiangzi's cringeworthy stage play.

When she first went on stage, her palms were sweaty. But when she thought about how this was to help Xiangzi's mother fulfill her last wish, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go on.

"Under the moonlight, the dolls came to life..."

She accompanied Xiangzi's every word with the rhythm she had practiced countless times.

"Crisium? This guy was alive all along?"

Miao Meng's sudden words left her at a loss for words.

Fortunately, Xiangzi quickly picked up the conversation, allowing the matter to be dropped.

But Meow Dream kept causing trouble, kept...

Xiangzi couldn't control her at all, and Jieyue, who was already busy running between two places, had even less energy to manage her.

After each stage play ended, she had to sit motionless in front of the piano like a real puppet. Xiangzi explained it as, "Because Crisium has not yet fully come to life, she cannot move around."

And so, she accompanied everyone in their acting, and she just sat there blankly during their live performances. Occasionally, she'd insert a few notes to keep herself from getting too bored…

This is fine too, anyway... Xiao Xiang said that as long as he performs at the Budokan once, he'll be fine...

She covered her mouth and coughed softly.

Xiao Xiang lied to her.

She wasn't doing it for her mother's dying wish at all; she was just after money.

Jieyue didn't know what had happened, but Xiangzi was desperately short of money.

She said only money could prove her success, could prove...

Can't remember.

Yuzuki closed her eyes.

Xiao Xiang has become the kind of person she hates.

Xiao Mu is the same…

He went from being a sensible and well-behaved child in Yuzuki's eyes to a bad child who only cared about his own happiness.

"Since Yuzuki dragged me into Mujica, she has to take responsibility."

Using this as an excuse, Mu did countless things to her that she didn't really want to do.

She didn't understand why Mu had become like this, but she knew that she absolutely disliked this monster who was now wearing Mu's skin and telling her every day that Mu didn't exist at all.

Hai Ling… Hai Ling and she resolved their conflict, but… what happened afterward? Hai Ling was also dragged into Mujica by her. Hai Ling… why does she think this band is so good? So worthy of being remembered…?

In Yuzuki's imagination... she felt that Shoko had become someone she didn't recognize, or even...

She now sees him as someone to be disliked. Mu and Hailing are both her members and friends; she has a way of taking them both away so Xiaoxiang can calm down before making any decisions.

But Hailing actually blamed her for being irresponsible...

Mu actually took advantage of this request to coax her to sleep every day.

They've all changed... changed so fast, so fast that Yuzuki doesn't even recognize them. Hatsuka too... changed so violently, so loyally. Is Xiangzi really that good?

A faint taste of blood filled her mouth, and Jieyue heard a loud slam of a door closing. It seemed Chuhua had abandoned her there and left.

Where was I thinking... Ah, it's that Xiangzi suddenly ran to everyone at mygo and said he wanted to reorganize Crychic...

How could such a thing happen?

Crychic is clearly gone forever, so why did you do this? Aren't all the members of Mygo having a great time playing in the band? Why did Xiaoxiang try to break us up?

Jieyue couldn't understand it.

But what she couldn't understand the most was... the lamp, the lamp that pulled her back to the band, the lamp that told her he would be with her for life, actually... hesitated.

Yuzuki knew she was an indispensable member of Crychic... so she wasn't angry about that. Her anger stemmed from how Akari was going to face Aine and Ryuna in this state!

Why exclude them when it's clearly a lifetime commitment from the lamp?

Why, why?! Why didn't Riki-chan and Suze immediately reject the proposal?

Yuzuki recalled that after their conversation that day, she accompanied Aine, ignoring the lights, and the two of them walked together on the street.

Aine didn't speak; she knew that Yuzuki understood her feelings and there was no need for her to hide them.

Unwilling to accept it means...unwilling to accept it.

This is unfair.

She gripped Jieyue's soft hand tightly.

"Little Yuzuki... if you're really having fun at Crychic... then don't..."

My head hurts so much... so much...

She couldn't remember what she had said.

Tears streamed down his face along with streaks of blood at the corner of his mouth.

Grief, amplified by pain, completely overwhelmed Yuzuki.

Why did everyone... become like this, someone I don't even recognize?

She didn't want to believe it, but it seemed to be the truth. Mu wasn't a good child, and Xiang wasn't a genius. Deng's life story was a lie, but Su Shi's indifferent attitude was real.

and also…

Lixi-chan, where are you? Why...why didn't you stand in front of me at a time like this? You should have protected me, right? Why...

Are you going to ignore me too?

Was it because of my existence... that all of this happened?

Is it because of me that you have become like this?

Her consciousness gradually faded.

……

Qianhua Jieyue walked down the street, heading towards the vegetable market.

Qianhua Jieyue walked onto the zebra crossing.

Looking at herself in front of her, Yuzuki tried hard to recall and realized... this was the day it all began.

If it weren't for each other, there would be no entanglement between us.

She understood why Xiangzi wanted to reorganize Crychic: because of her, because she caused Xiangzi to leave Crychic and form Mujica.

If she didn't exist at all, Mujica wouldn't be able to exist because it lacks Mu, Hailing, and her.

Xiao Xiang, Xiao Aiyin, and Xiao Le Nai can play in a band together.

She quietly followed her absent-minded self.

She... put her hand on her shoulder.

She pushed herself forcefully toward the speeding car.

wake up.

She lay in the hospital bed, and Lixi held her tightly.

Everyone she knew was by her bedside.

The lamp still shines as steadfastly as I remember.

Mu was still the good boy who smiled and handed her the cucumber.

Xiang was still the same as always, a young lady who was both somewhat annoying and very reliable to her.

Lixi wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Is your fever gone? Did you have a nightmare just now?"

Nightmare...?

As Yuzuki watched Chuka smiling at her from a distance, she unconsciously clenched the bedsheets. The idol girl, who didn't understand why her teammate had left the ward with such an attitude, was confused.

"That's right, they were talking badly about someone just now."

Hai Ling teased her and then covered her with the blanket.

Xiangzi coughed twice and then patted her head.

"Don't worry, Mujica isn't a commercial band... the one you dreamed about was fake..."

The little blue octopus, shoved aside by Qingmei, stormed off in a huff.

Jieyue glanced at her retreating figure, then at her close friends beside her. Su Shi considerately smoothed her hair, then took out her phone…

"How about we all take a group photo? It'll be perfect for celebrating Xiaojie's recovery!"

……

Everyone in the photo is smiling happily.

The ending of the story is not bad...

However, some people... have been forgotten.

Where is Xiao Aiyin?

A false ending, the forgotten one.

Author's words

I've been running away lately, just running away. Running away from Mujica, running away from the breakdown of everyone in it, but episode nine has left me with nowhere to run, nowhere to curse.

I still don't want to completely give up on Yuzuki, because I really like her. I think everyone else probably likes Yuzuki too...

But I still think the story needs an ending, even if it's just a temporary one.

Yuzuki's story is far from over, and the true ending is in my plans, but for a long time to come, I probably won't be involved with the girl band again. Please look forward to my new book about Arknights, and... thank you all for your continued support. We will definitely meet again, because Yuzuki is here, waiting for every promised companion.

I love you.

I'm sorry, I tried my best.