Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?

Aunt Deng, who rarely speaks and often seems lost in thought, flipped through Xiao's lyrics with great interest, occasionally commenting that the lyrics could be presented in a more polished way. Aunt Lena, who seemed to be the youngest, was busy ordering dessert after dessert, but she always asked Xiao if she wanted any before taking a bite. Even Aunt Miaomeng, whose schedule was packed, came to the izakaya late at night to celebrate with everyone she hadn't seen in a long time.

Originally, all the aunties had packed schedules, and the band members were busy with tours, but despite their busy schedules, they still made time to spare a day to gather together at Xiao's debut banquet to celebrate with him.

This was the best day of Xiao Ruoye's life.

Although everyone continued to work like reliable adults as dawn broke and the sun rose, that night they all seemed to turn back into teenage girls, celebrating the future that was about to set sail.

"...Would you like to order something?"

The voice of the girl, Shiina Ritsuki, pulled Akira back to reality.

`Yi Ling qi 8 ~ Si Qi Si Wu liu "Ah..."

Lixi, standing at the front desk, looked a little confused, but when she asked questions, she still maintained a polite and distant attitude. Xiao saw all of this.

This is the tone of her voice when she talks to strangers.

Compared to the more youthful and innocent face I remember, her bright yet unassuming purple eyes, and the memorable beauty mark under her left eye.

Without a doubt, this person is his aunt and drum instructor, Shiina Tatsuki—in her teenage form, of course.

In front of Banami and Riki, Xiao forcefully pulled his face. The sharp pain not only emphasized that he was indeed in reality, but also caused the other two girls present to show complicated expressions.

"Excuse me, if this young man has a speech impediment and cannot speak, could you please ask his girlfriend here to order for him?"

Lixi glanced at Kazama's troubled expression, but still maintained the politeness expected of a service worker, casting a pleading look at Banami beside her.

"We're not... cough, Kazama, say something!"

Banai could barely maintain her polite smile. Even though the scenario of being mistaken for a couple, a common trope in shoujo manga, was happening to her, she couldn't feel shy at all.

No matter how you look at it, it's Kazama's problem, that's absolutely right.

Seeing that both girls were staring at him, Xiao cleared his throat and composed himself.

"Ahem, a seat by the window will do."

"Okay, please follow me... um."

Li Xi looked at the two of them with some suspicion. After all, although the boy in front of her was handsome, his expression was somewhat unnatural when he looked at her—if you had to put it another way, it was a bit like the unease of seeing an acquaintance showing off.

Finally, she suppressed her slightly inexplicable feelings and led them to sit down at the table by the window.

"Kazama, are you alright? You seem even stranger today than yesterday... Did you sneak out for drinks in the middle of the night and get a hangover?"

Taking the menu, Banami quickly weighed the calories, prices, and flavors of the desserts, expressing her concern with exaggerated words, and occasionally blinking to glance at Riki who was waiting to order.

She felt that this girl looked somewhat familiar.

"I actually hope to sneak out for drinks in the middle of the night."

Kazama glanced at Riki, who was holding a notebook, and then ordered a cappuccino.

It would be best if he woke up from his hangover to find that it was all just a dream, and his mother and aunts were still anxiously anticipating the day of his debut.

"Is there only one employee in the store today? Thank you for your hard work."

After Banami ordered the dessert (a calorie bomb) she wanted, he greeted her with unusual gentleness and then returned the menu to Riki.

"Ah... thank you for ordering."

After a brief moment of distraction, Lixi bowed slightly to the two guests, took the menu, and retreated to the kitchen.

But the warmth of their fingers still lingered from when the boy accidentally touched her when he handed her the menu.

...a strange boy.

She briefly recalled the name that had just slipped out of Banami's mouth, then put those thoughts aside and began preparing the meal.

Chapter Ten: The Impact of This on Lixi is Incalculable

"Lixi, you play the drums really well... You seem to put your all into everything you do."

One summer when he was young, Xiao, who was sitting in front of the drum set and was covered in sweat, raised his hand to wipe the sweat that was seeping down from his brow.

"Because when I first started playing drums in the band, there was a lead singer who was even more dedicated, so I couldn't afford not to work as hard as him."

The woman standing next to him, giving him instructions, was calm and composed, her hands clasped in front of her as she looked down at him with an air of authority that was neither angry nor imposing.

"Although you can call me by my name, Ah Xiao, don't forget I'm teaching you to play the drums, so it's best to call me teacher. Practice two more sets before you rest, and bring out that kind of energy that can knock someone's head off."

"it is good--"

The boy's head drooped listlessly, but he still gripped the drumsticks again as she had asked.

A slight glint appeared in Lixi's eyes as she took out a can of cappuccino from behind her and placed it on the table.

"...After practice, drink some of this to perk yourself up. It's the kind I usually drink."

"Ah, thank you, Lixi!"

"...Remember to call me Teacher Lixi next time."

Memories gradually surfaced in his mind, and Kazama Akira realized that he had so many memories of his past with Shiina Tatsuki stored in his brain.

He had been staring at the cappuccino that had just been served, lost in thought for quite a while, even noticing the blurry reflection of his face at the boundary between the light brown and white latte art in the glass.

"Hey... Kazama, you've been spacing out since the beginning. What happened?"

After taking countless photos with her phone and the delicious parfait, Anna couldn't help but cast a concerned glance at Akatsuki sitting opposite her.

She glanced at Riki, who had turned around and continued standing guard at the front desk after serving the dessert, and then at Kazama, who was constantly glancing at others out of the corner of her eye. Finally, she couldn't help but sigh.

"So, Kazama, you like this type of guy..."

"what?"

However, Xiao looked very surprised when she raised her head.

"Eh, isn't it...!"

Before Banami could even take a bite of the chocolate frosting on the parfait, her gaping maw, which had just opened, came to an abrupt halt due to a miscalculation.

"Romance novels and comics are really corrupting people... I'm against them... cough cough, that girl has absolutely no thoughts of that kind."

If he had to say something, Akira only felt respect for Ritsuki—after all, Ritsuki Shiina was the woman who could become his mentor.

However, the gentle side that occasionally shines through the mentor's seemingly tough exterior is quite endearing.

Thinking of this, Xiao lowered his head and took a sip of cappuccino. A bitter but milky coffee flavor took over his entire taste buds.

He originally arranged to meet with Yagami in order to find out the whereabouts of Mutsumi and others in this era... but now he has unexpectedly run into Shiina Tatsuki in her youth, which saves him the effort of finding information. It was truly a case of getting something for nothing.

Since there is a young Shiina Tatsuki, then there must also be young Motoyo Aine and Mutsumi, not to mention that this is a timeline where even the long-deceased Toyokawa Shoko still exists...

When Lixi taught Xiao to play the drums before, he also mentioned that he used to work part-time at a dessert shop in his early years. It seems that Banami really made the right choice in choosing this place.

"Hey Kazama, didn't you think that girl looked a little familiar?"

Just as he was pondering this to himself, Banami, who seemed to be thinking about something quietly, handed him her phone.

The screen showed the paused playback of "Spring Shadow," and Xiao noticed that the singer's name was CRYCHIC.

At the same time, Banami was also observing Kazama's expression.

Anna was no fool. Just now, when she noticed that Riki looked familiar, she took the opportunity to browse through CRYCHIC's artist page while taking a selfie, and naturally discovered that she was the former drummer of CRYCHIC.

The reason for showing this to Kazama Akatsuki was, of course, because of the continuation of Hanami's uncontrollable curiosity.

Putting aside the so-called mission system that guided her to lead Kazama to meet the so-called C group, Kazama's brief moment of stunned silence upon seeing this drummer was enough for Banami to delve into the ins and outs of the situation.

And this guy must have some secret he hasn't told her yet.

“CRYCHIC…a group that has already disbanded…”

After a quick swipe of her phone screen, Xiao roughly figured out the timeline she was currently in.

Mu once told him that she and Su Shi and others had formed a band with the deceased Aunt Xiangzi during their student days. During that time, they had an undeniable happiness, even if she may not have understood what happiness truly tasted like at the time.

Later, CRYCHIC disbanded due to a problem that Mu hadn't mentioned. Su Shi and Li Xi met Ai Yin, who was pulling the lamp and wanted to form a new band, and together they founded MYGO. Aunt Xiangzi found Mu and planned to form a new band—but just as the new band was being established, she encountered an accident, and this project, which was still in its infancy, completely fizzled out.

Once the tragedy subsided, the members of MYGO recovered from their grief and continued to form the band, cherishing their memories of the deceased.

From graduating from high school to graduating from university, and from graduating from university to finding a job, although some people couldn't persevere along the way, they always managed to reconcile and formed a band for more than 20 years.

Since Shiina Tatsuki is still working here, it at least shows that their middle school life is not over yet.

In other words, Akatsuki's timeline should be after CRYCHIC disbanded, before Toyokawa Shoko formed a new band and before she encountered any accidents.

"How do you two feel about the taste? Is there anything that needs improvement?"

With a business-like smile, Li Xi came back to their table with her notebook. Xiao simply turned her head and stared straight into her eyes.

"Excuse me, is there anything I can help you with... ah."

Li Xi, who was initially a little uncomfortable being stared at, naturally couldn't ignore his somewhat familiar amber eyes, and was momentarily dazed.

She had seen similar eyes in the face of the girl who had left the old band.

Toyokawa Shoko.

And... why did she sense a hint of familiarity in the boy's eyes?

It's a familiar and intimate feeling, as if we've been together for a long time, supporting and accompanying each other through the years.

"...Have we met somewhere before?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Shiina Tatsuki regretted them.

"Eh……"

The blue-haired girl sitting opposite the boy glanced at her and then at the boy. In her opinion, this was nothing more than a third-rate tactic used by waiters to flirt with handsome customers.

"I...I didn't mean that..."

"Yes, I've met you before. Let's chat."

Just as Shiina Ritsuki was waving her hand, trying to defend herself, the owner of the amber eyes simply smiled indifferently.

"I've seen it, I've seen you on stage as a drummer. I'm a big fan of yours."

The weight that had been hanging over her heart suddenly lifted, and the slight sense of helplessness that had been rising within Lixi instantly transformed into even more complex emotions.

Banami, standing to the side, could not deny it, because the system had not given her any notification that Kazama's identity had been exposed.

In other words, this is a lie.

Chapter Eleven: Tutorial on Taming a Wild Cat

“…Is that so?”

After receiving Xiao's reply, Li Xi felt a little disappointed for some reason.

It turns out that she was just a viewer who had seen her perform on stage as a member of CRYCHIC.

Although his eyes always reminded her of Toyokawa Shoko, who announced her withdrawal from CRYCHIC on a rainy day, there shouldn't be any connection between the two of them... right?

"Please don't say things like 'loyal fan,' I don't play drums anymore and I don't plan to join any band."

She intended to gloss over the topic, but Xiaoming, who was well aware of her mentor's awkwardness, knew that this was just Lixi's clumsy attempt to escape.

What she really wanted to say was, "My abilities are not enough to warrant the title of any loyal fans," but her pride wouldn't allow her to belittle herself like that.

"Is it because you can no longer continue with the person who was supposed to be your partner?"

Xiao's calm words startled Lixi, who was still trapped in her feelings of inferiority. Although the news of CRYCHIC's disbandment had spread online, they had never made it public.

To say that he simply guessed the inside story that only the band members knew by accident would be a bit too much of a lucky guess.

"...Why do you know that Yueyi was the first to publish this?"

And then there are those eyes of his that always remind people of Shoko Toyokawa...

After a moment of thought, Li Xi seemed to have come to an astonishing conclusion.

"Are you a family member of Xiangzi?"

...Although it's very close, I still feel like there's something wrong with Aunt Lixi's logic.

Xiao scratched his head with a seemingly easygoing expression, but inside he was already on the verge of tears.