Green plums cannot become lovers.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and carried a weighty promise.

"Let's go to the Tokyo Dome, to the Budokan."

Now that we have a new goal, we must take action.

Thus, studies, game development, music practice, and the girls' individual careers—manga creation, novel serialization, idol activities—were woven into their already limited time like intricate threads.

Miraculously, however, everyone didn't fall into chaos. Perhaps it was because this "band project" wasn't an extra burden that appeared out of thin air, but rather a new branch that naturally grew from their existing lives.

The game development department's schedule was already relatively flexible, and now they only needed to allocate a portion of it to music practice. Shizuka meticulously reorganized the weekly schedule, creating a brightly colored task allocation chart, which she posted on the whiteboard in the activity room.

"See, as long as we plan it out properly, there won't be any major problems," Shizuka said gently, pointing to the table. "Besides, music and games can actually inspire each other, can't they?"

Indeed, when they get stuck on setting up the game's world, an impromptu guitar melody might open up new ideas; and when a song lacks suitable lyrical imagery, the imagery that Shizuka or Kasumigaoka draws from novel writing can be cleverly incorporated.

To reach the Tokyo Dome and Budokan, a dream now solemnly written as the top priority on the club's goal list, the first hurdle they need to overcome is undoubtedly "music itself."

Of the six of them, only An, Asuka, and Ai, who had received professional idol vocal training, truly possessed basic musical knowledge.

Marina can hum along to pop songs but can't read sheet music; Shizuka has an appreciation for classical music but has never touched an instrument; Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha's musical experience is probably limited to the recorder in elementary school music class.

Therefore, practicing musical instruments became the initial and most practical starting point.

Before practicing, the first step was to choose their own instruments. This step went surprisingly smoothly; the girls seemed to instinctively know what suited them best.

Xiao Ai is naturally the lead singer. Her voice is clear and has a unique penetrating quality. After idol training, she has developed excellent stage presence and breath control.

After trying out a few instruments, Marina stood in front of the drum set. "I like this!"

She picked up the drumsticks, tapped them a few times in the air, her eyes shining. "It feels like I can unleash all my energy! And rhythm is the foundation of music, right? Just like paneling in a comic book is the foundation of a story!"

Shizuka chose the bass. She held the dark brown electric bass she had chosen, her fingers gently gliding across the strings, the deep resonance echoing in the activity room.

"The bass has a very understated tone, but it's the bridge between melody and rhythm, and... it doesn't need to be too flashy, just build a solid foundation. That suits my personality."

Kasumigaoka Utaha hesitated briefly between the keyboard and the guitar, but ultimately chose the electric guitar.

“The guitar offers more freedom of expression, with a wealth of possibilities whether it’s a sharp solo or a rhythmic introduction.” She picked up a black guitar and adjusted the strap. “Besides, I want to challenge myself with an instrument that requires more skill.”

Eriri originally wanted to choose a guitar, but after Kasumigaoka "snatched" it, she pouted and turned to the synthesizer keyboard.

“A keyboard is fine, it offers more tonal variations and can also be used to create atmosphere,” she said, adjusting the knobs on the keyboard as complex waveforms appeared on the screen.

"It looks cool too, and it matches my art style perfectly."

As for An and Asuka, he is naturally the guitarist—he is the lead guitarist and also needs to take on the rhythm guitar role when necessary, guiding everyone's ensemble playing.

After the instruments were chosen, the activity room was filled with all sorts of sounds for the next few days.

An and the birds flitted among them, correcting fingerings, explaining music theory, and demonstrating techniques. He taught with great patience, and the girls learned with exceptional focus.

On the afternoon of the third day after the band was officially formed, they finally had their first full rehearsal.

The tables and chairs in the activity room were pushed to the corner, making room for them. The instruments and equipment were wired and tested. The six people stood in a loose semicircle, and the air was filled with an atmosphere that was a mixture of tension, anticipation, and a little awkwardness.

“Well then, let’s start with the simplest one.” An and Asuka picked up their guitars. “I’ve composed a very basic one, and it’s very slow, so don’t worry. Ai, just hum the melody along with the chords, no need for lyrics, just use ‘la’. Everyone else, try to keep up with your respective parts. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, the key is to feel the feeling of playing together.”

He looked at everyone, and the girls nodded in agreement, took a deep breath, and gripped their instruments tightly.

"One, two, three, four—"

An and Asuka's guitar music began first, with clear arpeggios spreading out like flowing water. Xiao Ai started playing almost simultaneously, her voice gently blending into the chords.

Immediately afterwards, Shizuka joined in with her bass, the steady low notes providing solid support for the entire sequence. Marina's drumming was a bit hesitant, but she managed to keep up with the beat. Kasumigaoka Shiyu's guitar initially missed a few notes, but quickly caught up, while Eriri's keyboard carefully added some simple sustained notes.

As it was our first time playing together, it was far from perfect. The drumbeats were sometimes fast and sometimes slow, the bass was occasionally out of tune, there was some noise when the guitar changed chords, and we weren't very familiar with the keyboard volume control.

But what's amazing is that these chaotic sounds didn't conflict with each other; instead, at a certain moment, they began to create a rough yet real "sense of wholeness".

Like several streams that originally flowed separately, they finally merged into the same river.

When the last chord fell, the activity room was silent for a few seconds. Then, Marina was the first to burst out laughing: "Wow! Even though it was a mess... we really were 'playing together'!"

“My drumming is completely out of sync with everyone else’s rhythm…” She scratched her head, but laughed happily, “but it feels so much fun!”

Shizuka gently stroked the bass guitar: "Hmm, although it's a bit rough, I can feel that we're creating something together."

Xiao Ai's eyes sparkled: "It felt so magical when my voice blended with everyone's instruments! It's completely different from singing solo!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha put down her guitar, lost in thought: "Coordination is more difficult than I imagined, but also more interesting. Especially when everyone's voices suddenly 'match' at a certain moment, that subtle sense of synchronization..."

Eriri originally wanted to complain about how complicated the keyboard controls were, but what came out of her mouth was: "...It's alright. It should get better after a few more practice sessions."

As An and Asuka watched them, the initial worry about the potentially slow progress gradually dissipated. The light in their eyes, the genuine joy and wonder they felt about "creating music together," was more important than any technical perfection.

However, the real "miracle" only began to appear from the second day onwards.

When Eriri was practicing keyboard chord changes, her fingers, which had been stiff and clumsy the day before, became much smoother today. She could basically master complex chord fingerings after watching a demonstration once and trying two or three times. Her sense of rhythm also suddenly improved; when practicing with a metronome, she almost never missed a beat.

She herself sensed something was wrong. During a break in practice, she stared at her fingers, her face full of confusion: "Strange... Yesterday when I was practicing this chord, my pinky finger just couldn't reach it, but today I suddenly pressed it firmly. And my reaction speed when reading sheet music is also much faster... I definitely didn't have this kind of musical talent before?"

Not only Eriri, but Kasumigaoka Utaha also discovered the same thing when practicing guitar strumming and muting techniques.

She developed a "feel" for skills that would normally take weeks or even months to develop muscle memory, after just two or three practice sessions.

The same applies to music theory. When An and Asuka explained modes and chord structures, she understood them almost immediately and could even extrapolate their potential applications in music arrangement.

"This is unreasonable."

Kasumigaoka Utaha put down her guitar, looked at Anwa Asuka, her gaze behind her glasses sharp and probing. "Junior, my learning ability is indeed not bad, but musical skills, especially those requiring physical coordination and muscle memory, shouldn't have improved so rapidly. It's almost like..."

She paused, searching for the right words: "It's like this knowledge already existed deep in my brain, but now it's been 'activated'."

Marina's drumming skills improved noticeably. From the most basic single and double clicks to simple rhythm fills, her speed in mastering the game left An and Asuka speechless with amazement.

What's even more remarkable is that she seems to have an innate, excellent sense of rhythm, and can quickly add some creative little embellishments while maintaining a steady beat.

"Asuka, Asuka! Look at this!" Marina excitedly demonstrated a simple rhythm change she had just mastered. "Doesn't it sound like the background music rhythm for battle scenes in manga? Thump thump—cha! Thump thump—cha!"

Shizuka's bass practice went equally smoothly. Her naturally calm and serious personality made her extremely focused during practice, and coupled with her astonishingly fast learning speed, she quickly mastered basic bass progressions with remarkable accuracy in pitch. She even began attempting to compose bass lines for simple melodies written by An and Asuka.

“The bass line is like the skeleton of a story,” Shizuka jotted down her practice notes in her notebook. “It’s inconspicuous, but it supports everything. I’m thinking, maybe I can try some new and unusual methods…”

An and Asuka saw all of this and understood.

He wasn't surprised.

He had previously obtained a 'music realm' after completing a series of system tasks.

Its effects are simple and direct: any girl who establishes a stable and positive emotional connection with him and stays by his side will gain far greater comprehension and growth rate than ordinary people in areas such as learning, creation, and skill mastery.

This is not about directly imparting knowledge or skills, but rather about significantly improving their "potential conversion efficiency".

It's like how a bottleneck that used to require a lot of effort to overcome can now be crossed with just a little effort; and how intuition that used to require a long period of accumulation can now quietly sprout in just a few practices.

The effects of this "domain" have been evident in game development over the past year.

Marina's drawing skills improved by leaps and bounds, Shizuka's writing became increasingly refined, and Eriri's composition and use of color became more and more mature. However, at that time, everyone's energy was focused on the game, and this unusually rapid growth was attributed to "intense focus driven by interest" and "the effective guidance of Anwa and Asuka".

Now, as they step into a completely new musical realm, starting from scratch, this "abnormality" becomes particularly striking.

An and Asuka offered no explanation, nor could they explain it.

Are you suggesting they say, "Because I have an invisible buff aura that doubles your learning speed"? That sounds even more bizarre than them suddenly "awakening their musical talent."

He simply observed them quietly, offering guidance and encouragement when appropriate, and when they themselves felt confused, he would lightly brush it off with, "Perhaps it's because everyone is naturally smart, and this time they are truly working hard for something they love. When you're focused, you always make progress quickly."

Although the girls were skeptical, they were so engrossed in the novelty of learning and creating that they didn't delve into it further.

The fifth day after the first formal joint practice, on Wednesday, was club activity time.

The activity room was emptied again, and the six people took their places. Compared to the first time, the tension in the atmosphere was much less, replaced by a sense of eager anticipation.

"Let's try this today."

An and Asuka distributed several handwritten sheet music sheets to everyone. It was a simple arrangement that he had written over several hours the night before, consisting of only a verse and a chorus. The melody was clear, and the chord progressions were in a basic pop-rock style, but with some small touches to suit everyone's interpretation.

"You've all heard the birthday song, right? It has a very simple structure; the key is to enjoy the fun of playing together. Don't strive for perfection; just enjoy the process."

The girls took the sheet music and studied it intently. After several days of intensive practice and that incredible "awakening of talent," they could now roughly understand the simple scores and mentally simulate playing their own parts.

"Are you ready?" Anwa Asuka asked.

Ai adjusted the height of the microphone in front of her, Marina gripped the drumsticks tightly, Shizuka checked the bass pitch, and Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri exchanged a glance and nodded.

"So--"

An and Asuka gently pressed the metronome switch with their right foot, and a steady "tap, tap, tap, tap" sound filled the activity room. He took a deep breath and looked at his companions.

"One, two, three, four—"

Volume 1: Chapter 205 Band Matters

The girls' enthusiasm for learning grew stronger, and their efficiency, aided by that invisible "domain," became astonishingly high.

In just over a week, they were already able to play the entire piece "Under the Clear Sky" relatively smoothly and began attempting a second, slightly more complex composition written by An and Asuka.

This result brought great joy to An and Asuka. He knew that interest and a sense of accomplishment were the best teachers, and that healthy competition and mutual encouragement among partners were the best catalysts.

However, as technology advances and practice deepens, the limitations of school activity rooms have gradually become apparent.

The soundproofing is mediocre, so we don't dare to play freely for fear of disturbing other groups; the space is limited, so equipment cannot be fixed in place, and a lot of time is spent moving, wiring, and debugging before and after each practice session. There is also no professional sound monitoring system, making it difficult to accurately grasp the actual volume and timbre of our performance in the ensemble; more importantly, there is a lack of the immersive feeling of a "formal stage".

“We need a more professional practice space.” At a debriefing meeting after a rehearsal, Kasumigaoka Utaha pointed out incisively, “The activity room was enough for the initial stage, but now it has begun to limit our progress. In particular, we need a relatively fixed place with complete equipment where we can feel at ease ‘making noise’ in order to cultivate a sense of presence in live performances and team chemistry.”

Everyone agreed.

An and Asuka had already considered this issue. After thinking for a moment, he proposed a solution: "How about renting a practice room in a livehouse?"

“Livehouse?” Marina blinked. “You mean a small performance venue with a stage and audience seats?”

"Yes. Many livehouses rent out their spaces to bands for practice during the day or outside of performance hours, and the price is calculated by the hour or monthly. They have professional sound and lighting equipment, and the stage presence is great, which is perfect for us."

An and Asuka explained, "Furthermore, if we want to try small-scale performances in the future, we can do so directly in familiar places."

The suggestion was immediately supported by everyone. Therefore, the task of finding a suitable livehouse fell to An and Asuka.

He searched carefully on online band forums and rental platforms, taking into account factors such as location, price, equipment condition, and flexibility of rental time.

After comparing several options, he finally settled on a livehouse called "STARRY". It was located on a relatively quiet street in Shinjuku Ward, and was only about a ten-minute walk from both Toyonosaki Gakuen and his apartment, making it very convenient.

Judging from the limited number of interior photos, the area is not large, with the audience seating probably accommodating around 100 people. However, it is fully equipped with basic facilities such as a stage, sound system, and lighting, as well as separate lounges and storage spaces.

In the comments section, many amateur bands who had rented the practice room gave it high praise for its "good value for money," "easy-going owner," and "well-maintained equipment."

Of course, Rouge En Rouge also owns professional recording studios and practice rooms with top-notch equipment and a first-class environment. But An and Asuka do not intend to use those resources. He firmly believes that the "Praise Music" band is an extension of Toyosaki's game development department and part of student club activities, and should be managed by their own efforts.

Constantly relying on the company's convenience not only blurs the club's nature but also easily creates unnecessary psychological dependence or pressure among members. Furthermore, he felt embarrassed to frequently trouble Ms. Matsue and Ms. Akane for his personal club activities.

However, before officially deciding to rent it, An and Feiniao decided to conduct an on-site inspection first. Pictures and reviews are ultimately other people's feelings; the environment, atmosphere, and management of the site need to be confirmed with their own eyes.

After school that day, he finished some chores and had a simple dinner at home. It was just past six o'clock, and the spring evening sky was not yet completely dark. A warm orange-red afterglow lingered in the western sky, intertwining with the gradually brightening neon lights of the city.

Following the map navigation, he quickly found the quiet alley on the edge of Shinjuku. The "STARRY" sign was inconspicuous, with the store name written in white lettering on a dark blue background, and a few simple star patterns drawn next to it. Below the sign was the entrance to a staircase leading underground, from which warm yellow light shone.

An and Asuka stood at the doorway, not going down immediately, but observing their surroundings first. The streets were clean, lined with small design shops and cafes, with few people and a quiet atmosphere.

The building housing the Livehouse is well-maintained, and the entrance is clean, without messy posters or graffiti, giving a first impression of being orderly and professional.

Just as he was debating whether to go down and ask directly or first walk around the building to check the outside situation, two voices drifted into his ears from afar. The voice belonged to a young girl, and her tone sounded somewhat hurried and worried.

"So where did they go?! They're not replying to my LINE messages, not answering my calls, and didn't reply to my messages last night either!"

It was a slightly high-pitched, energetic female voice, tinged with obvious anxiety.

"Could it be dead?" another voice rang out, flat and even lacking in emotion, but the content it contained was quite horrifying.

"Hey! Liang! Can you please stop saying such unlucky things!"

A voice immediately rose eight octaves, "Her phone might be dead, or she might be busy with something!"

"If someone is out of contact for 24 consecutive hours, the accident rate will increase significantly, according to data."

"That's data! She's a living, breathing person! Maybe she just overslept!"

"It's 6 p.m. now. He's slept for more than 20 hours, or he might be in a coma due to illness."

"Ugh! I'm not talking to you anymore!"

The footsteps approached quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the two girls were standing not far behind An and Asuka. He instinctively turned to the side, his eyes meeting theirs.

One of the girls had long, slightly curled blonde hair and beautiful red eyes that were wide open in anxiety. She wore a stylish denim jacket and skirt, carried a canvas bag that looked quite full, and exuded a lively and outgoing vibe.

The other girl had short, neat blue hair with bangs, an indifferent expression, and her yellow eyes showed little emotion. She wore a simple dark hooded sweatshirt and trousers, her hands in her pockets, her posture relaxed, a stark contrast to her companion's impatience.

The blonde girl noticed An and Asuka standing in front of the livehouse entrance. Seeing that he seemed to be looking at the sign, she temporarily suppressed her complaints about her companion and politely asked, "Excuse me, are you looking for something? Or are you lost?"

Her voice was clear and bright, carrying a natural warmth.