Who says meal replacements can’t be eaten as meals?

“What’s wrong, Sakuya?” Miss Aine, who suddenly lost her pillow, looked up in confusion.

"My sister and Lixi will be here soon. I'll go order some coffee for them." Miss Su Shi kept her smile on her face and spoke in a relaxed tone. She felt that her energy-cultivation skills and acting skills had greatly improved.

“Hey~ You two sisters have a really good relationship.” Aine exclaimed.

"Yes." Su Shi smiled and made up his mind.

Be patient, then spank your sister's ass.

Chapter 151: Don’t read the parts in brackets

"Sorry for the wait~ I'm sorry for being late."

Ichinose Sakuya's face was filled with the warm tones brought by the sun, and her voice was as warm as flowers in spring. She gracefully and naturally took the espresso handed to her by the "good sister" with concealed murderous intent, and gently shook the coffee cup as if she was tasting high-end red wine. The subtle aroma came through the air, and Miss Sakuya fully felt the power and benefits she had never had before.

"As long as you like it, sister. This cup is specially made according to your taste." Nagasaki Suyo lowered her head slightly, looking attentive in cooperation. Her gray-blue eyes were not obviously raised, but she carefully hid the ambition in her eyes. Now is not the time to show off, so let someone show off for a while.

"Thank you, I may be a little sleepy." Shiina Riki also took the coffee and simply thanked him. He looked at Nagasaki Suyo, who was dirty but still maintained a classy posture, with a slightly strange look, turned around and sat next to the lamp. It was a bit uncomfortable to have a pink-haired amateur guitarist next to him, but he couldn't force himself to run across and grab a seat with the two sisters of the Nagasaki family.

Could it be that Su Shi had hurt his brain today?

After thinking for a moment, Ms. Lixi turned her attention to today's meeting. Just as Su Shi had talked to her last night, it was time to consider something more distant.

"Now that everyone is gathered here, what exactly do you want to discuss?" Chihaya Aine said as she moved her chair closer to the lamp with a bit of disgust. It was really unfortunate that the person sitting next to her changed from the gentle little Sakuya to a bad waiter who only knew how to put pressure on others.

"Is it about the band's future plans?" Miss Su Shi put her fingers together and glanced at her stupid sister, secretly signaling someone to speak. "I've heard my sister say that."

"Indeed." Miss Sakuya sat upright, showing the demeanor of a lady from a noble family. She picked up the coffee cup with her bare hands and took a sip...

Then it was so bitter that it almost spurted out.

Damn it, I was so careless. They say revenge is never too late for a gentleman. How come my sister started to do bad things after just saying a few words, and it hasn't even been a night!

Ms. Sakuya swallowed the espresso painfully and tried to control her expression with difficulty. She turned her beautiful eyes slightly and used the twins' team voice to question Nagasaki Motoyo who was pretending to drink coffee nearby.

Miss Motoyo pretended to look at the scenery in the distance with an inexplicable smile on her face, which was natural and appropriate. After switching her thinking to the mode commonly used by Sakuya, her own acting skills seemed to have improved significantly. Should we say, it feels more spiritual?

If only Sakuya had come back earlier, before Crychic was formed, I wouldn't be so troubled...

After a brief moment of relaxation, the plan still had to go forward. Some things could only be said by "Nagasaki Suyo", and she believed that Sakuya could understand what she meant.

"Does Sushi want to talk about the Live?" Miss Aine was a little nervous. Why did she bring up this incident that was extremely detrimental to her popularity plan when it had already passed? She didn't mind being an air player in the band now, but if she played the wrong note, it would definitely implicate everyone...

"As for me..." Ms. Sakuya turned her head a little dazedly and looked at Takamatsu Deng who lowered his head, and Chihaya Aine who leaned forward and showed a little aggressiveness. How could she want to discuss something that sounded so troublesome... She was more concerned about what kind of weird coffee her sister bought to frame her.

Feeling a slight pain in the tip of her toes, Ms. Sakuya tilted her head slightly and looked at Nagasaki Suyo who had suddenly made trouble.

Miss Motoyo casually picked up the iced American coffee in front of her, took a sip, put her thumb on the note on the coffee, fumbled around for a few times, then turned around and looked innocently at her stupid sister who was blaming her. This was also a technique that Sakuya often used to act coquettishly, and now she could also use some of her charm naturally.

Then, Miss Sakuya suddenly understood the message her sister wanted to convey to her.

Just look at the notes and you can tell what kind of weird coffee it is.

"Suyo...what do you think?" Takamatsu Deng, who was still in an unconfident state, raised his head unexpectedly and looked seriously at Nagasaki Suyo, who suddenly became friendly today.

"As for me... I want to talk about things in the future." Ms. Sakuya read out the densely packed small words on the note in a questioning tone, and then quickly improved and changed her tone to a stick reading. "We are like a pot of scattered sand now. What's the point of forming a band like this?"

The Yuqiu duo had obvious dazed expressions on their faces, feeling a little guilty, and quickly shifted their attention to something strange.

“A bowl of loose sand?” Aiyin repeated doubtfully.

"A pile of loose sand." Miss Su Shi covered her face with regret. This country girl shouldn't use the Kansai accent in such a serious occasion...

"Ah, we're all scattered. Sorry." Ms. Sakuya looked away guiltily. She had learned her lesson and this time she had cultivated her feelings. She said sadly, imagining that she would never see Rourou's lunch again. "When we decided to re-form the band, we said that we should communicate well to avoid misunderstandings between us, but... we no longer understand each other's ideas."

"If we continue like this, we will definitely end up in failure again, brackets... um."

Gao Songdeng's head, which had been drooping in depression, was raised again in confusion, and his amber eyes looked at Su Shi who suddenly said punctuation marks with puzzlement.

(American espresso without sugar or milk)

Ms. Sakuya's emotional reading was interrupted by the sudden appearance of American condensed text. Four pairs of beautiful eyes of different colors stared at her at the same time, most of them were questioning, and the rest were murderous questions.

The little feet wrapped in round-toed leather shoes and black mid-length socks were unconsciously raised, and Ms. Sakuya shyly curled up the hair hanging by her ears and said bluntly, "Parenthesis, as long as everyone communicates well and understands each other's ideas again, the band can continue, reverse brackets."

"Su Shi, is this what you think?" Gao Songdeng murmured.

"Moshi is really gentle, and what she said today was so cute." Chihaya Aine exclaimed.

"My sister likes to joke sometimes." The wrinkled skirt in Nagasaki Motoyo's hand was completely messed up. She helped to cover up with a frown, and by the way, wrote down the new incident in the grudge book used by her silly sister.

"I think Sushi said that just to avoid appearing too serious." Shiina Riki's harsh words broke the harmonious atmosphere of the conversation. He waited until everyone turned their eyes to him before continuing.

"What Sushi said before is the band's current problem. I think it's better to participate in the Live."

Chapter 152 Escape

"I think it's better to participate in the Live." Shiina Riki put his hands on the table and for the first time told Deng his thoughts in a somewhat tough manner.

"If we want to move forward as a group of scattered people, it's better to set a goal. Without a goal to move forward, we won't be able to practice." After briefly summarizing his own views, Li Xi paused for a moment, his delicate eyebrows slightly frowned, and his gorgeous light purple eyes pierced with anger. He tilted his head to look at Chihaya Aine beside him and said sternly. "There are also people who are not practicing at all, and they will only move forward a little bit when they are forced."

Miss Aine shrank her neck and wanted to refute but had no words to say.

"I think Deng's songs should be heard by everyone." Li Xi's attitude softened again. After a little hesitation, he still looked at his idol Takamatsu Deng firmly and said frankly. "So... in order to prevent the band from ending, I want to participate in the Live."

She felt that her motives were indeed impure and mixed with selfishness, and might even hurt Deng, but this was the best solution Shiina Riki could come up with.

Gao Songdeng opened his eyes slightly, with obvious emotional fluctuations in his pupils, but he was once again caught in a dilemma.

Xiao Ain said that we have to start over, but if the Live is over, will the band...really not disband?

"But Xiao Deng said she doesn't want to participate in the Live, right?" Chihaya Aine expressed her disapproval with a little excitement, but what she was thinking about was mostly Xiao Deng's dependence on her and the way out that Sakuya had proposed before.

Obviously making a change is the right and positive choice...I am such a selfish woman.

Having said that, Aine continued to finish the rest of her argument. “And even if we want to participate in the Live, isn’t it too hasty this time? Like Sakuya said before, it’s okay to participate in the Live after everyone is familiar with each other and fully prepared, right?”

"Aine..." Takamatsu Deng wanted to stop the current tense exchange of opinions, but he didn't know what to say.

Ms. Sakuya, who was listening in on the meeting and whose name was suddenly called, leaned forward. Before she could say anything, someone beside her grabbed her hand under the table.

The feeling of having my fingers stroked was actually not unfamiliar to me, but this was the first time I saw my sister caressing my little hands as if they were a hamster.

"As for me, it's okay actually. I'm just performing as a warm-up band so it's not a big deal if I play badly. I often mess up my Lives when I'm a support musician. Aine can be more relaxed." Nagasaki Motoyo, who was wearing the Haneda school uniform, comforted her as Sakuya, while her fingers nervously groped the calloused tips of her sister's fingers.

Ms. Sushi really thought so. As long as Aine and Xiao Deng agreed to participate in the Live, it would be fine even if the performance was not melody-like and it was embarrassing...

Xiaoxiang's strong opposition made her realize that Xiaodeng and Lixi did not intend to look back at Crychic's past warmth, Xiaomu...only Xiaomu did not want to forgive.

In short, Nagasaki Suyo has made up her mind.

After the live, the band did not disband, but continued more united. They could still practice together in the studio with laughter, quarrel over trivial matters, and study the playing techniques of the bass section with their sister... This kind of warmth, which is not too blazing, also makes people love it from the bottom of their hearts.

If this kind of daily routine really continues, she intends to terminate the plan to reorganize Crychic.

As for if they were to disband again... they could continue the plan to revive Crychic. Miss Sushi gently pinched her sister's fingertips and thought so.

She knew very well that Xiaoxiang felt indebted to Xiaodeng, and that Sakuya and Xiaomu would listen to her arrangements. Even if Xiaoxiang still had strong resistance to the idea of ​​forming a band, she could use the loss of Deng as an opportunity, use Sakuya's identity and Xiaomu's channels to persuade Toyokawa Shoko, which would more or less make her waver...

Let's start by supporting the musicians, step by step, and let Crychic continue...

"But, but, next time I go on stage, Xiao Deng will definitely be more confident..." Chihaya Aine clung to her last support, which was also her only excuse, not very confidently.

Snapped--

A not-so-loud knocking sound interrupted the conversation, and the coffee cup fell on the table with a dull thud. This time, Shiina Riki was really angry.

"What's wrong with you?" Ms. Li Xi's tone was very impolite. It was obviously the amateur's own problem, but she used Deng and Sakuya as a shield. "You have been pretending to stand on Deng's side since just now. You just don't want to participate in the Live, right? Deng is worried now because she is afraid that the band will disband after the Live is over."

"This... my guitar..." Chihaya Aine often cooperated with the actions, clenched her hands awkwardly to enhance her persuasiveness, and looked away, not daring to look at Li Xi beside her.

"I think you're just running away, right? You're running away from the guitar." Shiina Tatsuki removed the last layer of cover between them, his tone almost questioning.

The light grey eyes suddenly widened, and the cold memories that Chihaya Aine didn't want to recall once again flooded into her mind. Escape... I, I am because we want to form a band for life...

“I didn’t escape.” Miss Aiyin felt a little aggrieved. She did spare some time from her leisure time to practice guitar.

"You don't know how to play the guitar at all, or you have completely forgotten it. Every practice session has to be paused because you can't keep up with everyone else's rhythm." Ms. Lixi hates Xie Fanmao's behavior of treating the band as her own hobby class. She never completes the practice tasks she assigns, and will only make a little effort for a while unless she is urged to do so.

Takamatsu Deng was the first to notice something was wrong. Aine was shaking so badly...

“I’m practicing.” Aine’s voice became hurried.

"It's far from enough. You're only motivated when it comes to talking about stage positioning and band names. After learning the chords, you don't study the guitar parts at all. If you're not sure about holding a live performance, you will definitely avoid it." Li Xi pointed out the key point.

"I..." Aiyin felt that what Li Xi said was not wrong...

"You've always been like this before." The purple eyes suddenly became sharp, and Shiina Riki's ruthless condemnation turned into the final blow that broke the psychological barrier.

The experience of failure was like a flood that broke through the dam, and the defenses built up by self-hypnosis were shattered layer by layer. Chihaya Aine's light grey pupils seemed to be suddenly covered by a shadow, and in an instant she seemed to have returned to the British campus that was always shrouded in dark clouds.

No... It's not like that... I have made up my mind to start over again... I, I...

"I'm not running away!" Chihaya Aine shouted, pushing the chair away and knocking over her schoolbag.

Chihaya Aine ran away.

Chapter 153: Borrowed Courage

Various types of coffee are placed on the long plastic table outside the coffee shop. The English latte and the most common mocha are already a little cool. The breeze in the evening cannot take away the residual heat on the street, nor can it startle the sparrows resting on the telephone poles, but it can make the leaves of the sycamore trees rustle, and can easily blow away the scattered girls.

"I'm not running away!"

Chihaya Aine was the first to run away, running in a panic.

Gao Songdeng stood up immediately and chased after him without hesitation.

Ichinose Sakuya was stopped by Suyo when she tried to stand up. Sakuya suddenly realized that the Tsuki no Mori school uniform she was wearing did not allow her to continue moving. It seemed that "Nagasaki Suyo" had no necessary reason to chase the two people who ran away. It was neither in line with her sister's character nor did she have any motive to act like that.

But is this kind of persistence really necessary? Little Aiyin ran away crying.

Miss Sakuya turned her head and looked at Nagasaki Motoyo, who was dressed up like her, and was a little annoyed. It was really troublesome that her sister was still entangled in these trivial matters at this point.

"Sister..." Sakuya's voice, which was about to expose the lie, suddenly stopped.

She unexpectedly discovered that her sister seemed to find it equally difficult to accept.

He pursed his lips, leaned forward, and stared at someone's departing back with his gray-blue eyes, as if he subconsciously wanted to stand up but did the exact opposite.

Nagasaki Suyo certainly didn't expect this.

She originally just hoped to change Xiao Deng's negative attitude towards Live, and as for Chihaya Aine who came with it, she didn't take it to heart at all. With her cheerful personality and habit of following the atmosphere, she would probably agree with distress, and then worry about how to improve her guitar skills.

It was beyond Miss Su Shi's expectation that the sunny, proactive and shameless pink-haired scoundrel would suddenly show such a vulnerable attitude. Li Xi's attitude today was indeed uncomfortable, but more serious quarrels had happened on weekdays. Was the key point really "escape"?

Nagasaki Suyo closed her eyes, and her thoughts stopped there.

After putting on the Yugaoka school uniform, I seem to have become as sentimental as my sister. Even if Aine is injured, Xiao Deng and her family will comfort her, and she will recover in no time. It's better for her to leave the band so that I don't have to worry. Anyway, there is another wild cat in the band who has a good relationship with Sakuya and can play the guitar.

Nagasaki Suyo unconsciously tightened her sister's hand.

There's no need to worry. Apart from Sakuya, I only have Crychic left. I'm almost broken. What reason or qualifications do I have to help Chihaya Aine who was pushed into the abyss by myself?

That's all, Nagasaki Suyo told herself.

"Sakuya."

A powerful and brief address rang out from her ears. Miss Su Shi opened her eyes again and tilted her head in confusion. She should have made her attitude very clear...

Ichinose Sakuya grabbed Nagasaki Motoyo's right hand under the table with her backhand with some force and stood up with her.

"Why are you just standing there? Go chase him."

Miss Sakuya learned it very well because her sister once said this to her on the day when Shoko ran away.

Since her elder sister feels that she, as "Nagasaki Suyo", is not suitable to keep up with Aine and Deng, she can also give orders to her elder sister as "Ichinose Sakuya".

Sakuya (herself) would not just watch her friend run away crying and do nothing.

"Ah? I...I..." Miss Su Shi had an obvious daze on her face. If she remembered correctly, this was the second time that her stupid sister had openly and strongly opposed her ideas. But unlike the last time when she was angry, Nagasaki Su Shi at this moment was actually a little relieved.

Fortunately, Sakuya made the decision for me.

"Go quickly, Xiao Lixi and I are waiting for your good news here." Miss Sakuya smiled and finally met her sister's eyes. The same gray-blue eyes contained the same emotions, just like a long time ago, after going around in circles, they returned to the starting point again.

Ichinose Sakuya released her sister's right hand, which had finally relaxed, and lent her her courage.

Nagasaki Motoyo withdrew her gaze from her sister and took a step forward to chase after the familiar figure that was about to disappear around the corner of the street.

"Thank you." Miss Su Shi finally thanked him in a barely audible voice. In fact, she didn't care that much about the pink-haired scoundrel who had no sense of distance.

It was just an order from "Sister".