Green plums cannot become lovers.

"Amazing," he praised sincerely.

Goto Ichiri's face instantly turned red.

She buried her face back in her knees, but the tips of her ears were so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

Kita watched from the side and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Little Lonely, Anhe was praising you, why did you shrink back again!"

"Waaah..."

Hongxia smiled and walked over to pat An and Asuka on the shoulder.

“Anhe, don’t mind him. That’s just how Lonely is. You’ll get used to him once you get to know him.”

"A little lonely?"

"That's Ichiri-chan's nickname."

"Oh, I see." An and Asuka nodded knowingly, then stood up with a smile and said:

"Then let's go practice first, and talk again when we have time later."

"Okay!" Hongxia nodded vigorously. "Keep it up!"

-

In practice room A, everything was still as familiar as ever.

The drum kit was placed in the corner, the bass amp and guitar amp head stood quietly, the synthesizer keyboard was connected to the wires, and several spare guitars and basses were hung on the wall shelf.

Marina was the first to rush over, picked up a drumstick, and waved it around in the air a few times.

"It's been so long since I've been here! My skills are all rusty!"

"Then practice more."

Xiao Ai walked to the microphone stand and tested the sound.

"It still tastes just like that!"

Shizuka smiled gently and began to arrange the sheet music.

Kasumigaoka Utaha leaned against the wall, took out her phone, glanced at it, and then put it away.

Eriri walked to the keyboard and gently pressed a few notes on the keys.

everything's ready.

“Let’s begin,” An and Asuka said.

Music started playing in the practice room.

-

An hour later, the first round of practice ended.

Marina put down her drumsticks and let out a long breath.

"Awesome! It really feels better to practice here!"

Xiao Ai wiped the sweat from her forehead and said with a smile, "I'm back to my old self!"

Shizuka nodded in agreement.

Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri were also checking their instruments, and they both seemed to be in good condition.

An and Asuka checked the time.

"Let's take a break."

He pushed open the door and walked towards the rest area.

The four girls who had finished their band performance were still sitting on the sofa in the rest area. Seeing them come out, Ijichi Nijika immediately waved.

"You've worked hard! How's the training going?"

"It's alright." An and Asuka walked over.

Kita Yuki gave him a seat.

"Anhe, sit here!"

An and Asuka didn't stand on ceremony and sat down on the sofa.

Marina and the others also found places to sit down, and the rest area suddenly became lively.

"Oh, right!" Nijika suddenly remembered something, her eyes sparkling. "Anwa-kun, what's the name of your new game again?"

““Small Town Family,” An and Asuka said, “but the official name might be changed later.”

““Small Town Family…” Natsumi Ijichi repeated, “It sounds so heartwarming!”

"Not necessarily." An and Asuka smiled upon hearing this.

"Huh?" Ijichi Nigatsu was stunned. "Is it a tragedy?"

"Not necessarily."

"Huh??? What does that mean?"

"I can't say more about that now, you'll find out when the time comes."

"Well......"

Ichi Nijika was eager to know, but seeing that the boy didn't seem inclined to tell her, she quickly gave up thinking and instead asked, "What about the music? Is it still your band doing it?"

“Yes.” An and Asuka nodded and said, “All the background music was played and recorded by us.”

"Wow!" Kita Ikuyo exclaimed, "Amazing! Your own band made the soundtrack for your own game!"

Yamada Ryo rarely spoke up: "Cross-industry collaboration."

Goto Ichiri huddled in a corner, muttering, "W-that's amazing..."

Her voice was barely audible, but in the quiet rest area, everyone could still hear it.

Kita Ikuyo nodded vigorously: "Yeah, yeah! Anwa-senpai, your game is sure to be a huge hit! After all, the previous two games were already so popular!"

Nijika Ichi also looked envious: "And being able to add music to your own game must feel amazing..."

Ryo Yamada succinctly summarized: "A professional team."

The eyes of the girls all shone with longing.

After all, it's obvious that this new game will become a classic. Before that, An and Asuka had already developed two wildly popular titles: "Where the Stars Are" received rave reviews in the visual novel community, and "Ember Knight" achieved both critical and commercial success.

If only they could also provide soundtracks for boys' games...

But it's just a thought.

At their current level, they can't even play their own compositions well, let alone create soundtracks for games.

An and Asuka smiled at their expressions and asked in return, "And what about your band? How have you been lately?"

"Great!!" Ichiji Nijika almost jumped up in response, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Things have improved so much since Little Lonely joined!"

"N-nothing..." Goto Ichiri's voice became even softer, and he shrank further into the sofa.

"Yes, yes!" Ichiji Nijika turned around and looked at her seriously. "Little Lonely, you need to be confident! Your guitar skills are really amazing! When we practice together, we've had to rely on you to get through several times!"

"Well……"

Goto Ichiri blushed.

But if you look closely, there seems to be a very small curve at the corner of her mouth.

An and Asuka felt a sense of relief as they watched this scene.

This pink-haired girl, who always keeps herself timid, is gradually opening herself up.

Although progress is slow, it is indeed making strides.

"So what are your plans next?"

"Hmm!" Ichiji Nijika said after thinking for a moment, "We're going to attend a roadside concert in two weeks!"

"A roadside concert?" An and Asuka were taken aback.

This was the first time he had ever heard the word.

"Yes, it's a stage jointly organized by several well-known music agencies, aimed at amateur bands," Nijika Ichichi explained. "You can think of it as a selection process. Bands that perform well have the opportunity to be noticed by agencies and even make their official debut!"

"Of course, some formal bands also rely on this stage to showcase themselves to the outside world."

Kita Ikuyo added from the side, "There are many bands participating every year! Although most of them are eliminated, as long as you can leave an impression on the stage, you have a chance!"

An and Feiniao nodded thoughtfully.

"Can any amateur band participate?"

"Yes! All you need to do is sign up! Of course, there will be a preliminary selection, but basically you can pass as long as you're not too outrageous. The real elimination starts from the live performance."

"I see..."

An and Asuka memorized this information.

This was the first time he had ever heard of such an event.

Seeing his thoughtful expression, Ichiji Nijika asked curiously, "Anwa-kun, would you like to participate?"

“This is the first time I’ve heard of this,” An and Asuka smiled and said, “So let’s wait and see. Let’s find out more first.”

"Eh—" Kita drawled, "If you guys participated, you'd definitely get first place!"

She said this as if it were a matter of course, as if it were an unquestionable fact.

The other girls nodded in agreement, clearly sharing the same view.

An and Asuka shook their heads.

"It's not that exaggerated."

He was telling the truth.

Although he and Xiao Ai are indeed very talented, the other four girls are all newbies who have only been into the fandom for a short time.

Marina plays the drums, Shizuka plays the bass, Eriri plays the keyboard, and Kasumigaoka Utaha plays the guitar; they've only been practicing for a few months at most.

Overall, their skill level is actually similar to that of the End Band.

If we were to actually participate in the competition, we might not be able to win easily.

"Huh? Anhe-kun is too modest!"

“It’s not modesty,” An and Asuka said seriously, “You’ve all seen us practice before.”

Kita blinked, belatedly realizing he had praised her too much, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Yeah, that's true."

Marina chimed in from the side, "Asuka is right! We've only been training for a few months, we're really not as good as you think!"

"Yes, yes, we're still practicing hard!"

"To be honest, our average level is indeed similar to yours, so there's no need to belittle ourselves."

“Then…” Ichiji Nijika suddenly laughed, “If that’s the case, then we’re competitors?”

An and Asuka smiled too.

"If we participate as well."

“It’s a deal!” The girl extended her hand to An and Asuka. “Fair competition!”

An and Asuka looked at her hand, then reached out and shook it.

"fair play."

The moment their hands clasped together, Kita Ikuyo cheered from the sidelines.

Wow—a handshake from a competitor! How ceremonial!

"Record this moment."

Yamada Ryo took out his phone and snapped a photo.

Goto Ichiri huddled in the corner, but watched the scene intently.

Volume 1: Chapter 233 The Long-Awaited Mission