Green plums cannot become lovers.

Stepping out of the Rouge En Rouge building, the summer sun was a bit too bright. He squinted, took out his phone, and sent a message directly to the group chat.

Anhe: Sister Zhu Yin has agreed. We can participate without worry.

The message had barely been sent out when the group chat exploded with discussion.

Marina: Great!!! I can finally let loose!!

Xiao Ai: I knew Sister Zhu Yin would agree!

Shizuka: Then let's prepare well, there are still two weeks left.

Kasumigaoka Utaha: Now that we've decided, let's give it our all.

Eriri Sanlingqi Ersi?lν-Yueyi: ...Have you signed up yet?

An and Asuka looked at Eriri's message and the corners of their mouths turned up slightly.

He opened the official website of the roadside concert, found the registration page, and began filling in the information.

Band Name: Praise Music

Band work: "Play" (with sample link)

Number of people: 6

Basic setup: lead vocals, 2 guitars, bass, drums, keyboard

Member introductions...

He filled in everyone's basic information and uploaded a video he had filmed during a previous practice session—it was a recording of the rehearsal before the school festival, and the audio and video quality was quite good.

I checked it once and confirmed that it was correct.

Click Submit.

A message popped up on the screen: [Registration successful! The review results will be notified within three business days. Please wait patiently.]

Anhe Feiniao put down his phone and stretched.

Next, we just waited for the approval, and then the competition started at the end of July.

Half a month is neither a long nor a short time.

That's enough to make a lot of preparations.

He was about to put away his phone and go home when a long-lost voice suddenly rang in his mind.

【Ding--】

An and Asuka were taken aback.

That sound...

[Task posted: Help the band finish their performance and get into the top five of the 'street concert'!]

[Task Description: This was originally just an ordinary band competition, but this year it's exceptionally popular, with many strong competitors. Please help the band stand out among these strong contenders and achieve a top-five finish.]

[Mission Reward: The host's buff effects are enhanced, the host's body is further strengthened, and they are less prone to fatigue.]

[Punishment for mission failure: None]

After hearing this, An and Asuka stood there stunned for several seconds.

"Xiaomei?"

There was a hint of surprise in his voice.

It had been a long time since Xiaomei last gave him a task, so long that he had almost forgotten the existence of this system.

[Hey! Host, it's been a long time!]

The familiar voice echoed in my mind, carrying a hint of joy.

The system is currently undergoing upgrades. Sorry to keep you waiting!

An and Asuka couldn't help but laugh.

"It's alright. How's the upgrade going?"

[Not bad! It's more powerful now! However, some new features are still being tested; I'll let you know once it's completely stable!]

“Okay.” An and Asuka nodded, then got down to business, “What’s this mission all about?”

As I described to you, for some reason, this street concert will be very intense.

"Some reasons are?"

Please forgive me for being unable to say it.

An and Asuka raised an eyebrow.

"Can't you reveal the secret?"

【Yes, yes! These are the rules! I can only tell you that this year's competition is quite different from previous years; the competition will be much fiercer than you imagine. At the current level, it's practically impossible for the band to make it into the top five.】

An and Asuka were silent for a moment.

"So you want me to help them?"

[Yes! With the host's abilities and resources, helping them improve is entirely feasible. And the mission rewards are quite generous! The buff effect is enhanced, and the host's body is further strengthened—staying up all night writing songs, making games, or even doing other things won't be as tiring anymore!]

An and Asuka thought for a moment.

Indeed, the reward is very tempting.

His schedule is already packed with band practice, game development, studies, and various social activities, which sometimes makes him feel exhausted. If he could further improve his physical fitness and reduce fatigue, he could accomplish even more.

and……

Helping to end the band was something he was willing to do.

Those four girls—Nijika's enthusiasm, Kita's cheerfulness, Ryo's uniqueness, and Goto Ichiri, the girl who always hides in a corner but has amazing talent—they are all people worth helping.

"Okay, I'll take it."

[Alright! Mission officially begins! Good luck, host! I'm off to level up now, call me anytime if you need anything!]

"Well, let's go."

The voice in my mind disappeared.

An and Asuka stood there, looking at the "Registration Successful" message on their phone screen, and then thought about the task they had just completed.

Help the band finish in the top five.

This year's competition will be very intense.

In other words, they will encounter many formidable opponents.

He put away his phone and walked towards the station.

Back home, the three girls were watching TV in the living room.

"Asuka's back!" Marina was the first to spot him. "Did you successfully register?"

“Okay.” An and Asuka nodded. “We’ll wait for the review results.”

"Great! Now it's time to practice with all our might!"

Shizuka smiled gently: "I've already prepared a practice plan for the next two weeks. I'll show it to you later."

An and Asuka responded and sat down on the sofa.

Marina leaned closer and asked curiously, "Asuka, you said the band would participate even after the breakup, right?"

"Ah."

"Then we'll be rivals?"

"Correct."

"Hehe," Marina chuckled slyly, "Although they're very nice, I won't hold back during the competition!"

Xiao Ai nodded, "I'll give it my all too!"

An and Asuka looked at them and suddenly remembered their mission.

Help the band finish in the top five.

In other words, he had to help his band improve while also devoting his energy to helping those four girls.

Moreover, this matter cannot be stated openly.

We need to think of a way...

Furthermore, it's still debatable whether his band can even crack the top five.

Volume 1: Chapter 234 I'll Help You!

An and Asuka wanted to see what kind of strength the participating bands had, but after searching the official website for a long time, they couldn't find any information about other bands.

The list of participants on the page was blank, with only a simple message: "Information on participating bands will be announced after the registration deadline."

He had no choice but to give up for the time being.

However, information from previous years was still available. He looked through the competition records from the past few years and discovered an interesting phenomenon: many bands still have little fame, even those who won championships at concerts.

Some bands disbanded after the competition, some signed with small companies and faded into obscurity, and some simply vanished without a trace.

It truly lives up to its name as "roadside".

This competition is truly a stage for roadside bands.

Those truly talented bands have either already been signed by big companies or simply don't bother participating in competitions of this level.

An and Asuka closed the webpage and leaned back in their chairs.

This year's competition will be exceptionally fierce, according to information revealed by Xiaomei.

But he didn't know exactly how intense it was.

Never mind, we'll see when the time comes.

-

The following afternoon, An and Asuka returned to STARRY.

As I walked down the stairs and pushed open the soundproof door, the familiar cool air rushed in. The four girls who had finished their band performance were already gathered on the sofa in the lounge area.

As soon as he entered, several pairs of eyes lit up.

“Anhe!” Ijichi was the first to stand up, his amber eyes filled with surprise.

Kita jumped up from the sofa and ran to him in a few quick steps.

"Senior Anhe! What brings you here again today?"

Yamada Ryo remained seated on the sofa without moving, but nodded slightly.

Goto Ichiri huddled in the corner, but her pink eyes were fixed on him without blinking.

An and Asuka walked over and sat down opposite them.

"I've come today to tell you something."

"What is it?" Hongxia asked curiously.

"We have already signed up for the roadside concert."

The four girls were stunned at the same time.

Then--

"Really?!" Ichiji Nijika's eyes widened even more.

"Wow!" Kita Ikuyo reacted the most, jumping up and down. "Great! Now we can compete against each other!"

Yamada Ryo rarely showed a very faint smile: "Interesting."

"It feels like a complete game-changer," Kita Ikuyo exclaimed. "With Anwa-senpai's band participating in this kind of competition, how can other bands possibly survive?"

“Exactly!” Ichiji Nijika nodded in agreement. “Just the fact that they have original lyrics and music is something we can’t compete with.”

"Other bands must be feeling pretty desperate when they find out that 'Asuka' is going to participate too."

An and Asuka looked at them and listened to their words, then smiled.

"You guys must have signed up too, right?"