Green plums cannot become lovers.

Goto Ichiri huddled in a corner, clutching his guitar, but his eyes were shining.

Anwa Asuka also sat down, took the water handed to her by Ijichi Nijika, and took a sip.

That's all for today, we'll continue tomorrow.

"There's a tomorrow?" Kita Ikuyo suddenly looked up, her eyes sparkling.

“Every day,” An and Asuka said. “I’ll come as long as you want, until the competition.”

The four girls exchanged a glance.

Then--

"Thank you, Anhe-senpai!!"

Kita Ikuyo's voice was the loudest.

Ichiji Nijika and Ryo also expressed their gratitude.

"Th-thank you..."

An and Asuka smiled.

"You're welcome. By the way," he remembered something, "have you chosen the pieces for your competition?"

Hongxia nodded: "Two songs, one original and one cover, but we can only perform one in the final competition."

"show me."

Hongxia handed over the sheet music.

An and Asuka flipped through the pages, nodding as they read.

"The original song is good, it has your style. The covers of these two songs are also good." He closed the sheet music. "However, the arrangement of the original song could be improved. I'll think about it tonight and give you new suggestions tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, the four girls looked at An and Asuka with great surprise once again.

It is an honor for countless bands to have their work adapted by the renowned musician 'Asuka'.

“Okay!” Ichiji Nijika nodded vigorously.

-

In the evening, An and Asuka left STARRY.

On his way home, he took out his phone and sent a message in a group chat.

Anhe: I helped finish the band practice today, and the progress was okay. We'll practice as usual tomorrow afternoon.

A reply came quickly.

Marina: Got it! We need to step up our game too, we can't let them overtake us!

Xiao Ai: Okay! Let's work hard together!

Shizuka: You've worked hard. Go back and get some rest.

Kasumigaoka Utaha: Junior, you're really busy, running around to both places.

Eriri: ...Helping them practice? You know that's aiding the enemy.

An and Asuka smiled as they looked at Eriri's message.

Anhe: Aiding the enemy is also to improve the quality of the game. Besides, you should help your friends when you can.

Eriri did not reply.

But after a while, she posted another message.

Eriri: ...Then don't overwork yourself.

Anhe and Asuka looked at the words and a slight smile appeared on their lips.

In the following days, An and Asuka started "double mode".

In the morning, I finished band practice at STARRY. In the afternoon, I continued to work out with my own band.

Both sides are making rapid progress.

The band's arrangement was completely refreshed, their playing became smoother, and their coordination became more and more seamless. Kita's rhythm became more stable, Ryo's bass became more spirited, Goto Ichiri learned to put emotion into the music, and Nijika's eyes increasingly showed the aura of a leader.

The bands also received praise. Marina's drumming became more powerful, Ai's singing became more and more infectious, Shizuka's bass lines became more and more imaginative, Eriri's keyboard timbre became more and more rich, and Kasumigaoka Utaha's guitar skills improved by leaps and bounds.

Everything is going in a good direction.

Volume 1: Chapter 235 Skirt Flag Mountain - Death? All Mixed? Is? A Gathering of Heroes

Chapter 235

By the fifth day, registration had finally closed, and all the participating teams had been selected.

An and Asuka sat in the STARRY rest area with the girls from the End Band, staring at the official website page on their phone screens. After refreshing the page several times, the complete list of contestants finally appeared.

There are a total of fifty teams, double the number from previous years.

"Wow—" Ichiji Nijika was the first to exclaim, her eyes wide open, "So many?!"

Kita Ikuyo leaned closer, swiping her finger across the screen, reading line by line. Then she suddenly stopped.

"Sea Blue... Really? Is this band going to participate too?"

Nijika Ichi's expression changed: "Ocean Blue? Is that Ocean Blue who often holds special events in Shibuya and has a lot of fans?"

"Yes, yes, yes! It's them!"

A cool voice came from the side: "Power Hot Pot."

"Huh?" Kita Ikuyo quickly scrolled down, "Power Hotpot is here too?! That's not some roadside band, they've already released an album!"

Nijika Ichi continued watching, her voice growing increasingly heavy: "And there's 'A Heart'... That's a really famous band, my friend absolutely loves them..."

Goto Ichiri huddled in the corner, not saying a word, but his shoulders were visibly tense.

An and Asuka were also staring at the screen, quickly browsing the list.

Indeed, it's completely different from previous years.

Fifty bands, at least a dozen of which are already well-known independent bands in the industry. Some have released albums, some have held concerts, and some have accumulated tens of thousands of fans on various music platforms. Their appearance at this kind of "street concert" is like college students participating in an elementary school sports meet.

No wonder Xiaomei said this year's competition was exceptionally fierce.

And

An and Asuka's gaze lingered on several names he had never heard of before, but which were specially marked by the system.

【Poppin'Party】

【Morfonica】

Hello, Happy World!

He didn't recognize any of these bands. Even searching online yielded little information. But Xiaomei labeled them as "highly competitive rivals," and specifically noted that the members were almost all female.

He looked at the names, lost in thought.

The band that Xiao Mei specifically marked was definitely not an ordinary band.

“Anwa-kun,” Ichiji Nijika’s voice interrupted his thoughts, “Do you think… we still have a chance?”

Anhe and the flying bird raised their heads.

All four girls looked at him, their eyes filled with obvious nervousness and insecurity. Even Liang, who was usually the most composed, had a hint of seriousness between her brows.

Goto Ichiri huddled in the corner, burying his head even lower.

An and Asuka were silent for two seconds, then smiled.

"Of course there's a chance."

“But…” Ichiji Nijika bit her lip, “These bands are all so amazing, some of them are already famous…”

“Fame doesn’t equate to ability,” An and Asuka comforted each other. “The competition isn’t about fame, it’s about performance on stage. They have fame, but you have improved. There’s still a week left, that’s enough.”

He stood up and walked over to them.

"Besides, you have me."

He stretched out his hand.

Ichika blinked at him, then placed her hand on the back of his hand.

Kita Ikuyo was the second, then Ryo, and finally Goto Ichiri hesitated for a long time before carefully reaching out and gently placing his hand on top.

Five hands stacked together.

"come on!"

-

The practice continued until evening.

The band was in much better spirits after the performance compared to the morning. Although they were initially discouraged by the list of names, once they started practicing, they threw themselves into it completely, leaving their anxieties behind.

An and Asuka looked at them and nodded inwardly.

This mindset is the most important thing.

After dinner, An and Asuka didn't go straight home, but instead took the train to Shibuya.

He is going somewhere.

Ring—the largest livehouse in the area, and a frequent venue for many bands to perform and practice. If you want to understand your rivals, the best way is to see them live in person.

To defeat an enemy, it's not enough to just improve yourself; you also need to understand your opponent.

Stepping out of the station, a few minutes' walk later, he saw the iconic building. The huge sign gleamed in the night, and a long queue stretched out at the entrance, filled with audience members coming to see tonight's performance.

An and Asuka bought tickets and went inside.

The corridor was lined with posters of various bands, some familiar and some unfamiliar. He followed the flow of people to the largest performance hall.

Equipment was being packed up on stage, indicating that a band had just finished performing. The audience members chatted quietly, waiting for the next act.

An and Asuka found a spot to stand on the side and scanned their surroundings.

The atmosphere here is very different from Starry Night. It's bigger, more professional, and the audience is much more enthusiastic. If the band could perform in a place like this...

His thoughts were interrupted by a burst of cheers.

The stage lights came on again.

A band came up.

An and Asuka's eyes were instantly drawn to it.

Five girls, each with their own unique characteristics.

Leading the way was a girl with long pink hair, carrying a guitar. She had a bright smile on her face and waved to the audience.

Following closely behind was a girl with short gray hair who walked up to the microphone and stood there like a penguin.

The third person to walk onto the stage was a girl with white hair and heterochromatic eyes, who was very eye-catching.

The fourth was the drummer, with long, straight black hair and a slender figure, but when he sat down behind the drum set, his entire demeanor suddenly changed.

The last person to walk onto the stage was a girl with long brown hair who looked a bit more mature than the others. She carried her bass guitar on her back, nodded slightly to the audience, and then took her place.

There was no self-introduction.

There was no opening statement.

The lights dimmed and then turned on again.

The music started immediately.

The moment the first note sounded, An and Asuka immediately sensed the strength of the group.

They're quite a formidable pair.

The drumbeats are precise and powerful, as if honed through countless trials. The bass line is steady yet fluid, perfectly complementing the drumbeats. The two guitars intertwine, one handling the rhythm and the other the melody, creating distinct layers. The lead singer's voice is incredibly penetrating, with a few distinctive notes.

An and Asuka stood in the crowd, staring motionlessly at the stage.

The names Xiaomei had previously marked flashed through his mind.

Poppin'Party? Morfonica? Or something else?

He looked at the five girls on the stage, carefully observing the details of each girl's performance.