Green plums cannot become lovers.

Page 253

Yamada Ryo nodded and tried it out.

Then there's Goto Ichiri.

“Your fingering is fine here in the chorus, but you need to express more emotion,” An and Asuka said. “Imagine the feeling of seeing someone important to you three years from now.”

Goto Ichiri was taken aback for a moment.

Meeting the important person three years later

She stole a glance at An and Asuka, then quickly looked away. (The last line appears to be a string of characters and doesn't translate directly.)

Then, she played it again.

This time, it's different.

The notes are still the same notes, but each one carries something more. Soft, warm, and with a touch of anticipation.

An and Asuka nodded.

"That's it."

Finally, there's Ijichi Nijika.

“The difficulty of the drumbeat lies in the variation.” An and Feibiao stood next to her. “Keep the verses stable, and add some filling in the chorus, but don’t let it overshadow the main beat. Practice slowly first and get a feel for the rhythm.”

Ichi Nijika nodded vigorously.

"it is good!"

For the rest of the time, the practice room was filled with various sounds.

Guitar, bass, and drums are mixed together, sometimes harmonious, sometimes chaotic.

But nobody stopped.

If once isn't enough, try twice; if twice isn't enough, try three times.

An and Fei Niao flitted among them, sometimes correcting their fingering, sometimes adjusting their rhythm, and sometimes offering encouragement.

"Not bad, much better than before."

"Slow down a bit here, yes, like this."

"come on."

The sky outside the window gradually darkened.

The lights in the practice room came on.

The four girls were still practicing.

At 8 PM, An and Asuka called a halt.

That's all for today.

The four girls stopped what they were doing and started panting heavily.

"So tired..." Kita Ikuyo collapsed onto the ground.

Ichi Nijika was also exhausted, but she had a smile on her face.

"But I feel like I've improved!"

Yamada Ryo nodded: "Mm."

Goto Ichiri, holding her guitar, looked tired, but her eyes were bright.

An and Asuka looked at them and smiled.

"Go back and get some rest. We'll continue tomorrow."

"it is good--"

It was already late when I left the ring.

An and Asuka were walking home when their phones vibrated.

It was a message from Ichiji Nijika.

Ichi Nijika: Anwa-kun, thank you so much for today.

Ichi Nijika: The music is amazing! We'll definitely practice it well!

An and Asuka looked at the two lines of text and smiled.

Anwa Asuka: Yeah, good luck.

He put away his phone and continued walking.

Volume 1: Chapter 247 Against the State

The next morning, An and Asuka arrived at Ring.

He didn't go to the show; instead, he sat in the coffee shop, scrolling through his phone while waiting for someone.

The café wasn't crowded in the morning, with only a few scattered customers. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting bright patches of light on the floor. An and Asuka chose a seat by the window, a cup of black tea in front of them, their phone screens displaying the knockout stage group information.

Twenty teams, ten spots to advance.

Competition will become increasingly fierce.

As he was thinking this, several familiar figures appeared outside the glass door of the coffee shop.

The five girls from MyGO were walking this way, and it looked like they had just finished practicing. Chihaya Aine was walking in front, talking to herself, with Nagasaki Motoyo beside her, smiling gently. Takamatsu Akari and Kaname Rakuna were walking behind, and Shiina Tatsuki was carrying a bag of drumsticks, her expression as serious as ever.

They pushed the door open and came in, then—

"Huh? Anhe-kun?"

Chihaya Aine was the first to spot him, her eyes widening in surprise.

An and Asuka looked up and waved to them.

"good morning."

The girls were taken aback for a moment, then naturally came over to say hello.

"Good morning, Anwa-kun." Nagasaki Motoyo smiled and nodded.

"good morning."

"You're here so early today?" Chihaya Aine sat down next to him and continued, "Congratulations to 'Praise Music' and 'End Band' for advancing!"

"Thank you," An and Asuka said. "And congratulations to MyGO!!!!!

Shiina Tatsuki nodded, and Takamatsu Akari whispered "Thank you."

Chihaya Aine looked around and asked curiously, "Are you alone, Anwa-kun? I don't see your band."

With less than a week until the elimination rounds, everyone is practicing intensively. Even they themselves had just finished their morning training and were exhausted. Yet this young man was sitting here so leisurely, drinking red tea.

Anhe Feiniao put down his phone and became serious about the application.

"I came here precisely to discuss this matter with you."

"Huh?" The girls looked at each other, somewhat puzzled.

An and Asuka got straight to the point: "I would like to invite you to practice with my band."

"Huh?"

The girls exchanged glances, all stunned for a moment. It took Chihaya Aine a while to react.

"Practice together? What do you mean?"

"It's all about competing with each other."

"A competition?!"

“Mm.” An and Asuka nodded.

He began to explain several benefits of doing so.

First, it can put pressure on both sides. It's easy to slack off when practicing alone, but it's different when someone is watching. Especially when both sides are evenly matched, the desire not to lose can unleash even more potential.

Secondly, it can stimulate competitiveness. Competition is not a one-person affair; to win, you need to become stronger. And practicing with opponents of similar skill level is the best catalyst.

Finally, you can learn from and draw on the strengths of others. Every band has its own style and strengths, and by observing them closely, you can learn many things that you wouldn't normally notice.

“Furthermore,” An and Asuka added at the end, “if there’s anything you don’t know, I can teach you.”

After listening, the girls all fell into deep thought.

Chihaya Aine's eyes sparkled; she was clearly very tempted. After all, this boy was "Asuka," and receiving his guidance was something many people would kill for.

Nagasaki Motoyo gently stroked her long hair, also considering the matter seriously.

Shiina Tatsuki frowned, but there was also a hint of interest in her eyes.

Takamatsu said softly, "Practice with... with An-kun..."

Rakuna, unusually, shifted her gaze from the bar and glanced at An and Asuka.

“But,” Nagasaki Motoyo suddenly asked after a moment of silence, “why choose us?”

She twirled her long brown hair with her fingers, her eyes filled with curiosity.

The other girls also looked at An and Asuka.

Indeed, compared to them, there are veteran bands like Morfonica and Poppin'Party. They are more talented, more experienced, and more famous.

Upon hearing this, An and Asuka raised an eyebrow.

"Because you're a perfect match."

"Perfect?"

"Hmm." An and Asuka smiled, their tone slightly teasing. "Not too strong, not too weak either."

Chihaya Aine paused for a moment, then pouted.

"Wow, Anhe is so discouraging!"

But she quickly smiled too.

Everyone could tell that it was just a joke.

An and Asuka meant that their abilities could complement each other perfectly. Bands that are too strong have too big a gap in skill, making practice ineffective, while bands that are too weak don't provide any stimulation.

MyGO, on the other hand, is in a perfect position because one of them is third place and the other is fourth.

“So,” An and Asuka asked, “what do you think?”

The girls exchanged glances.

Then Chihaya Aine was the first to raise her hand.

"I agree!"

Nagasaki Motoyo also nodded: "Sounds good."

Shiina Tatsuki simply replied, "Okay."

"I...I can too..."

You need to raise your hand: "Matcha Parfait".

"That has nothing to do with matcha parfait."

Shiina Tatsuki couldn't help but complain.

Seeing that the girls had agreed, An and Asuka breathed a sigh of relief. He had initially been a little worried that the girls might not agree.