Green plums cannot become lovers.

“I think it’s great!” Her eyes sparkled. “I was really nervous at first, since I was practicing with people I didn’t know. But later I found that it felt really good to have someone listening to me play attentively.”

"How so?" An and Asuka asked.

“Well…” Kita Ikuyo thought for a moment and continued, “Normally when we’re in the practice room, we don’t feel anything if we make a mistake, since we know we can correct it. But when there are other people listening, we can’t have that relaxed mindset anymore, and we have to force ourselves to play every note well.”

Then, Ichiji Nijika chimed in, "And when problems are pointed out, although it's a little embarrassing, you can really feel the progress after you've made the changes. Before, I knew there were some things I wasn't doing right, but I just didn't know how to fix them. Now that someone points them out directly, it saves a lot of time."

Ryo Yamada, unusually, said a few more words: "MyGO!!!!! bassist, Motoyo Nagasaki, her fingering is completely different from mine. Observing her playing style has given me some inspiration."

"Oh?" An and Asuka became interested. "What inspiration?"

“Her vibrato is more delicate than mine,” Yamada Ryo said expressionlessly. “Mine is too stiff. I can learn from her.”

An and Asuka nodded, then looked at the last person.

Goto Ichiri huddled in the corner, sensing everyone's attention. After hesitating for a moment, she whispered, "Um... Yao... is really good at guitar..."

"Want Lena?"

“Hmm…” Goto Ichiri nodded, “Her solo… has a lot of its own ideas…”

"So everyone felt they gained something from this joint exercise?"

The four girls nodded in agreement.

"That's good." An and Asuka stood up. "Since it's working well, let's continue. The same time tomorrow."

"it is good--"

The girls responded in unison.

Then, the four of them looked at each other. Then, Ijichi Nijika took a step forward.

"Um, Anhe."

"Ok?"

"Thank you so much." Her tone became much more serious. "You helped us write songs, found places to practice, and even contacted MyGO to practice together..."

Kita Ikuyo chimed in, "Without you, we might not have even made it past the preliminaries."

Yamada Ryoya simply said, "Thank you."

"Th-thank you..."

Four girls stood in a row, looking at the boy in front of them.

Their meeting was purely accidental, and the time they spent together was relatively short. But this boy had been helping them from the very beginning: joining the band as a temporary guitarist, finding Kita who had run away, practicing with Goto Ichiri in the park over and over again, writing new songs for them, arranging joint practice sessions, and even booking a stage for them.

Every time, he was the one to reach out, and every time he asked for nothing in return.

An and Asuka couldn't help but laugh at their serious expressions.

"Just do your best first. We can talk about thanks after the knockout stage."

"it is good!"

The girls responded with smiles, and the atmosphere immediately relaxed again.

-

The next day, at the same time, in the same practice room.

Both bands arrived on time.

"Let's begin." An and Asuka clapped their hands and said, "Let's try a different game today."

"Change to what?" Chihaya Aine asked curiously.

"Play each other's pieces."

The girls were all stunned.

"Huh?" Kita Ikuyo blinked. "We're playing MyGO songs?"

“Yes.” An and Asuka nodded. “You play ‘Shadow Dance’ and they play ‘Four-Leaf Clover’.”

He looked to both sides.

“Everyone’s playing style and emotions are different. The same piece can feel completely different when played by different people. I want you to try and see if you can find new inspiration from each other’s playing.”

The girls from MyGO!!!!! lit up when they heard this.

"Really?!" Chihaya Aine's voice rose an octave. "We can play 'Four-Leaf Clover'?"

"of course."

"That's wonderful!" Chihaya Aine exclaimed, almost jumping for joy. "I've wanted to play Asuka's compositions for so long!"

Nagasaki Motoyo rarely showed an expectant expression, while Shiina Tatsuki, though silent, had already begun adjusting the height of the drum stool.

Gao Songdeng asked softly, "Can...can I sing too...?"

“Of course,” An and Asuka smiled. “You’re the lead singer, so you’ll sing.”

Gao Songdeng nodded, his cheeks slightly flushed.

Kaoru had already walked to the center of the practice room with her guitar, and glanced back at An and Asuka.

"music score?"

"for you."

An and Asuka handed the sheet music they had prepared to Yoru Nai.

"Thank you."

The cat-like girl looked at the sheet music in her hand, her eyes slightly narrowed, and nodded in satisfaction.

The band was also preparing to end the performance. Kita Ikuyo held the sheet music for "Shadow Dance" with a slight frown.

"This song has a really fast tempo..."

“Give it a try,” An and Asuka said. “You don’t have to copy it exactly; play your own version.”

"Your own version?"

"Yes. You can simplify where the technique is lacking, but you must maintain the feel of the original song. The key is to understand what the song is trying to express, and then play it in your own way."

Kita Ikuyo nodded thoughtfully.

-

Round one, MyGO!!!!! First!

The five people took their positions, and Yao Le Nai's guitar music started first.

The prelude to "Four-Leaf Clover".

But it's completely different from the band's version. Yao Lena's playing is more free, the tempo is a bit faster than the original, some notes are lengthened, and some are compressed. The overall feel of the piece changes from "gentle" to "lively," like a four-leaf clover leaping in the sunlight.

Chihaya Ayane's rhythm guitar plays steadily, Nagasaki Motoyo's bass lines are more prominent than the original, and Shiina Tatsuki's drumbeats are light and elastic.

Then Takamatsu's voice joined in.

Her singing style is completely different from Kita Ikuyo's. Kita Ikuyo's voice is clear and bright, as if she is telling someone else's story; while Takamatsu Akari's voice has a unique penetrating power, and every word seems to be taken from the bottom of her heart.

"We made a long-held promise for our reunion three years from now..."

The same lyrics, but sung with completely different flavors.

After the song ended, the practice room was quiet for a few seconds.

The four girls who finished the band were stunned.

“Amazing…” Kita Ikuyo murmured.

“It feels completely different,” Nijika Ichi said softly. “It’s like a new song.”

Yamada Ryo succinctly commented: "Bass line, I've learned something."

Goto Ichiri, holding his guitar, stared at Kaname Rakuna, lost in thought.

An and Asuka looked at the four members of the band who had just finished their performance.

"It's your turn."

-

The four girls who had finished their band performance stood on the other side of the practice room.

"Shadow Dance" is a piece with a strong rhythm, completely different from their usual style of playing.

Kita Ikuyo took a deep breath and began playing the prelude.

It was noticeably slower than the original, and she missed a few notes. But her rhythm was very steady, and she didn't lose her composure despite her lack of skill.

The drumbeats in Ijichi Nijika's version are also much simpler than the original, but the basic framework remains the same.

Ryo Yamada's bass lines were played very accurately; she always has good control over the low register. As for Ichiri Goto, there wasn't much change.

The song ended.

The five girls from MyGO were also stunned.

"Wow..." Chihaya Aine exclaimed, "A completely different 'Shadow Dance'."

“But it sounds beautiful.” Nagasaki Motoyo’s face showed a gentle expression.

Shiina Tatsuki nodded: "The rhythm is slower, but the sense of dynamism is still there."

Takamatsu said softly, "Solo...it sounds really good."

Kaoru looked at Goto Ichiri and unusually said a few more words: "Your solo has its own unique flavor."

Goto Ichiri's face flushed slightly.

An and Asuka listened from the side, feeling quite satisfied.

This is the effect he wanted.

The same melody played by different people will have different flavors. Although the End Band's version is not as technically advanced as the original, they interpreted and expressed the song in their own way.

This ability to "understand" and "express" is just as important as pure technical skills.

-

Over the next few days, both bands continued practicing in this manner.

They practice individually in the morning, practice together in the afternoon, and perform on stage in the evening.

Day 1, medium-sized performance hall, 300 people.

The next day, it was still a medium-sized performance hall, but a larger show was held, and the audience was packed.

On the third day, An and Asuka booked a venue that could accommodate 500 people.

After each performance, the girls would gather together to review the play. They would list out what they played well, what went wrong, and what could be improved, and then practice those areas the next day.

Three more days passed just like that.

By the evening of the fourth day, the girls from both bands sat on the floor of the practice room, each holding their instrument, chatting idly.

"I feel like I've made so much progress," Chihaya Aine remarked.

“Hmm.” Kita Ikuyo nodded. “Three days ago I couldn’t play the chorus of ‘Shadow Dance’ very well, but now I can play it completely.”

“Me too.” Ichiji Nijika rubbed her arm and said, “I feel like my drumming strength has increased a lot.”

Yamada Ryo rarely spoke up, saying, "The bass line is much smoother than it was a week ago."

Goto Ichiri whispered, "I...I don't feel so scared anymore..."

Chihaya Aine turned to look at her.

"Does Little Lonely still get nervous when he goes on stage now?"

Goto Ichiri thought for a moment.

“Yes…” she admitted honestly, “but…it’s not the same as before.”

"What's different?"

“Before, it was…” Goto Ichiri carefully chose her words, “My mind would go blank, and my hands wouldn’t obey me. I still get nervous now, but I know how to play, I know where to put my fingers, and I play them subconsciously.”

“Isn’t that progress?” Chihaya Aine said with a smile.

Goto Ichiri nodded, a small smile curving his lips.