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

Xiao Su Shi, really, not everyone in the band is interested in dating girls. At least I am a straight woman with a strong character.

The door opened and closed. Leaving aside the pink-haired guitarist who apologized as soon as he entered the room and the black-haired drummer who, as if he had lost his voice, snorted in a friendly manner and then announced that he was going to start practicing, the two sisters in the bathroom had already exchanged their identities quite familiarly and started exchanging information at the same time.

"Sakuya, are you and Xiaoxiang in love?" Nagasaki Suyo tied his bow tie casually, as if he was chatting.

"Sister, how is your relationship with Xiaomu recently?" Ichinose Sakuya casually transferred the meal coupons, as if chatting.

The remaining water droplets on the faucet gathered and dripped, burst out, and slowly drew a transparent dividing line along the mirror. The two sisters looked at each other silently, their eyes met, but no words were uttered.

"What did you do with Xiaomu again?" Su Shi was surprised, and his neatly tied scarf tilted to one side.

"My sister didn't do anything with Xiangzi, did she?" Sakuya was nervous and folded the well-made invitation letter in half.

There was another long silence. Finally, Miss Suyo took the lead and held her forehead with her hand, stopping the anxious and stupid sister with one hand. "......I think Sakuya should explain to me the relationship between you and Xiaoxiang first. If it doesn't work, cancel today's rehearsal and go home directly."

"It's just... I fell in love with him accidentally. Xiangzi is good-looking and talented, and he often sacrifices his time to help me with tutoring... Originally, it was just a daily companionship between good friends, but before I knew it, it had turned into a relationship... a relationship between lovers." Miss Sakuya repeated stupidly, twisting her slightly curly long hair, looking like a girlfriend in the period of passionate love.

"When did it happen?" She couldn't tell whether she was annoyed or depressed, but mostly gloomy negative emotions surged into her heart again. Nagasaki Suyo asked subconsciously before she realized that the bathroom outside the practice room was not a suitable place to talk.

She let out a long breath through her nose as if she was letting out a sigh of relief, shook her head slightly, and asked in a worried tone, "Is this your own choice?"

"Yes, I like Shoko." Without hesitation, Ms. Sakuya answered firmly and decisively. It took her a long time to come up with this answer.

"We'll talk about this after we get home." Nagasaki Motoyo said softly, and once again met the gaze of the stupid sister who was deceived by Xiaoxiang, and gave someone a hidden look of reproach. "Sakuya, you should only like one person, right?"

"Of course!" Sakuya-san answered confidently, her hands on her hips. However, she wilted immediately when she saw her sister's distrustful look. She added unconfidently in a low voice, "Xiao Xiang is the only one my lover likes."

"So friends can hug each other and even sleep in the same bed?" Nagasaki Suyo stroked her fingers and spoke softly.

"Hasn't my elder sister already taught me about this matter? I really only like Xiaomu as a friend." Sakuya blinked unhappily and said seriously.

"That's better." Su Shi sighed, and looked at the familiar invitation in his silly sister's hand. If I remember correctly, the students in the afternoon tea etiquette class often discussed this family. "What happened with Xiao Mu today?"

"......So, I want to ask if my sister is willing to go with me and Xiao Mu. After all, there are three invitations, and if only two people go, there will always be a sense of defeat as if we have lost to the unscrupulous capitalists." Sakuya said briefly, and then felt that she was really great today. They didn't hug each other or sleep together, and even when they shared the bento, they just put it in each other's bowl. It's just that the look in Xiao Mu's eyes when he looked at him was too pitiful, and it was really impossible to refuse...

"I dont go."

Chapter 231 I would rather

"I'm not going. This is your own choice to agree to it, right?"

Nagasaki Suyo said without hesitation, and looked at her sister who would not refuse with some annoyance. At least until now, she has not completely forgiven Wakaba Mu for giving Crychic the final blow. Whether it was because he was not good at speaking or it was an unintentional mistake, Nagasaki Suyo was unwilling to believe such self-deceiving reasons. She knew that Mu said that deliberately - to make Crychic end completely.

Ichinose Sakuya was not too frustrated, but just approached the mirror and put away the ticket with a little hesitation. The bright light reflected on the same soft profile, and the lowered eyes showed a rare thoughtful look.

She is indeed a girl who loves to laugh and act like a spoiled child. She would fight with her sister for a long time for the ownership of the last piece of dessert, and would also use some tricks to make Xiaomu and her sister reconcile. But when it comes to the situation where she really has to hurt others, Ichinose Sakuya is always unable to make a choice. She would rather let herself suffer some grievances in exchange for everyone getting along in harmony.

When faced with jokes, he will laugh out loud. When faced with awkward situations, he will bring up topics to thaw the atmosphere. When faced with difficulties, he will help without hesitation. He will follow others step by step and share happiness and troubles. However, he cleverly hides his thoughts and sadness, and only lets them out a little bit inadvertently, which even friends around him will never notice.

Maybe it was because she once asked her father why her mother and sister didn't come back.

When she was a child, Sakuya-san had already understood that sometimes being coquettish was not for innocent desires, but to take the initiative to make some noises so that the person she loved could respond with a smile. However, the person who loves her also has his or her limits, and there will always be requests and questions that she is unable to respond to.

At times like this, all I need to do is stay alone for a while, eat some of my favorite food, and then go to bed and have a good sleep. Anyway, people always call me stupid, and worries can't bother me.

"Does Sakuya really like Xiaoxiang?" Nagasaki Suyo suddenly asked.

"Well, I want to try my best to stand by Xiangzi's side, and it would be even better if I can help her. Because I have thought about it seriously, even if my sister disagrees, I will stick to my love for her." said the girlfriend.

"What about Xiaomu?" Su Shi asked.

"I like it, but it's difficult." Sakuya answered sincerely.

"When is afternoon tea?" Nagasaki Suyo turned around and took the absorbent paper to wipe her hands.

"It's okay if you don't want to go tomorrow afternoon. I will take good pictures and send them to you." Miss Sakuya put her arms around her sister's waist and rested her head on her back, not wanting to move.

"I..." Su Shi hesitated and patted her sister's hand lightly, with a calm look but a bit of distress. If Sakuya and Xiaoxiang really liked each other, she might have to play the role of the bad guy who rejected Xiaomu for a while. Anyway, she was a bad woman who had some resentment towards Xiaomu.

"But I might have to end the second half early, because I have an appointment with Xiangzi to go to the bathhouse together. It always feels like such a waste~" Sakuya muttered, and lingered on her sister for a while before propping herself up.

The heartache disappeared, along with the false image of sisterhood and respect for each other.

After venting his anger on the pink-haired girl, the Rakshasa mask that had been sleeping peacefully reappeared on his face, and the forbidden tickling attack was carried out before the girl could react.

It was not until Miss Sakuya failed to fight back and begged for mercy that the furious Nagasaki Motoyo sheathed the knife and gently stroked her right index finger, teaching her. "You are only a 15-year-old high school student. You must not do that with anyone, not even Xiaoxiang."

"I often take a bath with my sister, too." Sakuya pouted and said unhappily, holding her waist.

"Can it be the same?" Su Shi frowned, swept his gaze across his stupid sister who had no sense of distance like a sharp sword, and then let out a long sigh.

After all, she is my own sister. Can I really give her to the hateful Toyokawa Shoko for free?

"I won't go tomorrow." Nagasaki Suyo reiterated the idea of ​​a 360-degree turn, and instructed in a somewhat angry tone, "Ask your Xiangzi to go with you."

"Hey, sister, are you jealous?" Miss Sakuya, who had just been punished, put her hands together, stood at a safe distance, covered her mouth and asked with a chuckle.

"I'm jealous. I'm not done with going home." Su Shi said coldly, and continued to explain. "Xiao Mu is a well-behaved child, but he is not mature. Sakuya, you are also not willing to refuse other people's requests. I can't let it go with just the two of you."

"But if I go with Xiaoxiang, Xiaomu will probably be sad..." Sakuya put his index fingers together and circled them, replying in embarrassment. "I think Xiaomu probably likes me a little bit, so he also likes me. If I go with Xiaoxiang, Xiaomu might be left out."

"Sometimes I really wish you could be more selfish." Nagasaki Suyo said with her eyes downcast and looked distressed.

The cherry blossoms in early spring are elegant and beautiful. They pass by your cheek, leaving a lingering fragrance until after the rain, leaving only a mess on the ground.

But Nagasaki Suyo understood that even if some fools knew they would get hurt in the end, they would always force themselves to do it, just like cherry blossoms will not stop blooming just because they will eventually wither.

"Xiao Xiang... Toyokawa Xiangzi will not let Wakaba Mu be ignored." Miss Su Shi said helplessly, and then raised her hand to point at herself and the stupid sister in front of her, and said with a slightly sour tone. "The relationship between Xiao Xiang and Xiao Mu is similar to ours, they are half of each other, and their friendship of more than ten years may be more solid than your three-month love."

"I like you, too, so don't be jealous." Naturally hearing the implicit meaning, Ms. Sakuya stood on tiptoe, reached out and touched her sister's head to comfort her.

"Don't talk like I'm some kind of bonus." Miss Su Shi was slightly annoyed, and after enjoying herself for a while, she slapped her sister's hand away and said seriously. "In short, whether it's the relationship between the two of us, the aristocratic etiquette she's proficient in, or the maturity she has among her peers, Xiao Xiang won't make the atmosphere too awkward. Besides, this is also a test I'm giving her."

"What test?" Sakuya scratched his head, not understanding what his sister and Xiangzi talked about at school today, but it looked like they didn't develop into an argument, so it should be safe?

Miss Su Shi glared at her sister who had given her everything, then pushed the door and walked towards the recording studio without saying a word. The two of them had been delayed for too long, which would arouse suspicion among the other members of the band.

"How can you just say half of what you want to say..." Sakuya complained, but she followed obediently. She believed in her sister who liked her, and she also believed in Shoko, whom she liked.

Nagasaki Suyo ignored her and stroked her fingers, thinking about how to book the same show tomorrow without being discovered. She wanted to see how Toyokawa Shoko would deal with the fact that Wakaba Mutsu also liked her own sister.

Chapter 232: The Value of the Arrangement Room

The bass composed of drums and bass provides the foundation and rhythm of the music, emphasizing the harmonic structure. Guitar and keyboard usually belong to another rhythm group, focusing on the beat and reiterating the duration, intensity and sequence of the notes.

This is why the guitarist is often at the center of the band during live performances. Simple plucking and picking of the strings combined with tense body movements can instantly capture the audience's hearts and make them sway with the rhythm.

Of course, all this is still far-fetched for Chihaya Aine, who can only memorize and play chords by rote. Being able to switch chords accurately without making any big mistakes under the gaze of everyone is already the limit for this amateur lady.

"Just barely." Shiina Tatsuki gave the compliment reluctantly and somewhat restrained his temper. The pink-haired guitarist who didn't do his job properly had already made some effort to achieve what he has now.

"I think Aiyin can work harder. If she used the time she spends doing other things to practice guitar, she would definitely become more proficient, right?" Nagasaki Motoyo said with a smile in her throat. Her words were gentle, but the content was not friendly.

"Alas - the roles are reversed, isn't Suzuyo-chan the mother-like character who is responsible for giving compliments?" Miss Aine, who was holding a guitar, complained dissatisfiedly, and turned around to look for the approval of her revolutionary comrade Kosakuya.

As for Miss Sakuya, who hadn't come to the band rehearsal for a long time, she was awkwardly withdrawing her body little by little from the encirclement of the two little ones.

Takamatsu Deng hadn't seen Kosakuya for a long time and missed her very much.

I want Lenai because I think it's fun. The bad woman's embarrassed expression and demeanor are very interesting.

"By the way, what songs will the band play on LIve? I found a few good ones." Miss Su Shi said as she put down the phone she was half taking out, and with a dark face, she pulled away the stray cat that had ill intentions towards her sister.

"'Haruhi no Kage' would be fine, right?" Shiina Riki said as a matter of course. She was probably one of the only two people in the band who simply liked this song.

"Well...it should be good as a practice?" Nagasaki Motoyo raised her eyebrows slightly, held down the cat's flapping and quietly refuted.

"What do you mean 'treat it as practice'?" Ms. Riki shifted her gaze from Deng and Sakuya who were leaning against each other and glared at Nagasaki Suyo in a questioning manner.

"Um..." Takamatsu Deng timidly inserted himself between the two of them, holding up the pea flower notebook that he had just given to Sakuya to read, and mustered up the courage to speak. "I've finished the new lyrics."

"Isn't it that the lyrics are in line with Xiao Deng's style?" Miss Sakuya interjected, feeling a little ashamed. Compared to the lyrics that Xiao Deng had revised and scribbled on before finally writing, the "Whisper" she had written for Xiangzi looked so simple. She would probably spend some time to think about the ending before handing it over to Xiangzi.

"Yes, Aine-chan asked me to write this." Handing the notebook to Shiina Tateki who took it with both hands, Takamatsu Deng said in a low voice with a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

"So Xiao Deng is writing this, thank you for writing it for me!" Aiyin, who was still carrying a guitar, leaned forward and wanted to hug her immediately, but she gave up awkwardly under the threatening eyes of the drummer. "How is it, how is it, it must be a very cool song, right? Rikki, let me see it too."

"Aine in the song is so cool, strong, and hardworking. And we can see that she has a very good relationship with Deng." Miss Sakuya said with a sly smile, recalling the classic "Ichiso ni".

"Then Rikki, please show it to me quickly. This is the song I asked Xiao Deng to write. I should have the right to see it, right?" Perhaps because the drummer was in a relatively good mood today, Miss Aine took the initiative to move her head closer, but was angrily pushed away by the annoyed Li Xi.

"This is a song that Xiao Deng wrote for all of us, not just for you..." Ms. Lixi's eyes were sharp, but her tone was inevitably a little sour. After all, these were indeed the words that Deng sang to Aine in the aquarium.

"Lixi is right, this is the song Xiaodeng wrote for us who are starting over." Nagasaki Suyo's eyebrows softened unconsciously. She stroked her chest with one hand, feeling it quietly. It was like new buds sprouting in a flower field that had been withered for a long time. She couldn't even tell the variety or recognize the name of the flower, but it still touched her.

"Then, Deng, this song can..." Shiina Riki paused for a rare moment, holding the notebook lightly with both hands, wanting to say something but unable to. Is he really qualified to compose music for the lyrics written by Deng, who almost caused the band to disband?

"How about letting Li Xi compose this song?" Ms. Sakuya, with her hands behind her back, suddenly spoke up and gently pushed the unconfident drummer. "In order to match Xiao Deng's lyrics, Li Xi has been learning about arranging music these days, right?"

"Hmm... well, after all, Deng has written the lyrics for us." Li Xi was slightly stunned, and took a while to react before withdrawing his gaze from the soft gray-blue eyes. "So, let me compose the music."

With her sharp and long eyebrows in an irregular inverted shape, her lips closed and her eyes open, Shiina Riki regained her courage and determination. For the sake of Deng, she must be able to do it.

"Live, are you going to play a new song?" Miss Lenai, who had been watching for a long time, finally understood the topic. She liked "Haruhi Shadow", so she was also looking forward to the Live and this new song.

“We only have one week. It’s a bit difficult to finish composing the song before the Live and rehearse until we can perform, right?” Ms. Sakuya thought with one hand on her chin, and with the other hand she took the notebook that Ms. Aine had been thinking about, and handed it to her with a smile.

"There's still time." Li Xi answered confidently, turning around and packing up his things without stopping. "I'll get the sheet music out before next week, so I won't be attending today's practice."

"Are we going to compose the music now?" Nagasaki Suyo also asked softly. Although she definitely didn't want to publicly perform Crychic's unique "Haruhi Kasuga" at a live performance, Miss Suyo didn't believe that a pink-haired scoundrel who couldn't keep up with everyone would have enough time to play a song that had just appeared and might still need to be constantly modified.

"Let's go now. Make sure in advance that Stray Cat will come to practice, right?" Li Xi responded simply. At this moment, he was already thinking about the composition of the band and the melody that would burst out naturally.

"I don't know, Live, and when I want to play the guitar, I will." Miss Lenai counted on her fingers and said quite honestly.

"Tsk." Miss Lixi, who took the notebook from the amateur who was happily showing off and took a photo of the lyrics with her mobile phone, couldn't help but sigh. Time was short, the task was heavy, and there was a huge difference in the level of the band members. Even a minute should be used quickly.

"If Li Xi wants Lenae to come to practice, all he has to do is have fun with her afterwards."

Ms. Sakuya patted the cat's head in a soothing manner. It was rare for her to help her with her hair. Little Lena actually took advantage of Xiao Deng holding her to make trouble on the other side. It was simply repaying kindness with enmity. When Ms. Lixi, who was putting equal pressure on everyone, turned around, she looked into her eyes and said sincerely.

"I know that Li Xi values ​​the opportunity to perform on the same stage with PoPiPa and Afterglow, but isn't the pressure Li Xi puts on himself too much? Composing music should be a very laborious thing..."

"That kind of thing!..." Shiina Riki subconsciously wanted to refute and raised his voice, but stopped abruptly when he met the gray-blue eyes that were exactly the same as Suyo's. The lost scene of Nagasaki Suyo squatting in the corner and poking her fingers in the afternoon was still in front of him. It was really bad to get angry with other band members because of differences of opinion.

"...You can only know if you try. I... can do it." After a moment of silence, Shiina Riki said in a low tone similar to self-examination. Maybe she was the only one who thought this way, but she also wanted to do more for the band and everyone.

The live time was not excellent in the first place, and the only professional-level performances were the guitars that appeared randomly and the bass that often disappeared. If they wanted to attract the attention of the audience during the first performance, get the band on the right track, and let more people hear Deng's singing, they couldn't just follow the crowd and cover some pop songs. Besides, Deng couldn't sing any other songs except "Haruhi Kage"...

“Is this true? We haven’t even performed a complete ensemble together until today. It’s too ambitious of you, Rikki, to play a new piece of music on your first performance on stage.” Chihaya Aine seemed to have triggered an automatic attack, and she complained arrogantly but quietly.

"As an amateur, you just need to practice the basics of guitar. In any case, Stray Cat and Sakuya, make sure to set aside time for practice after school next week. I'll go back to compose music today." Shiina Tatsuki suppressed the urge to continue attacking a certain pink-haired guitarist, put on his shoulder bag, and even didn't pack up his cymbals. He stared intently at the cat and dog duo, the only two duo in the band who could perform on stage but were equally unreliable.

"Matcha Parfait." Miss Lenai's price was very fair. Since Rikki didn't want to play with her, it was just right to use Matcha Parfait to pay off the debt. Anyway, she didn't say how many cups she wanted.

"As for me, I'll try my best..." Ms. Sakuya looked away, unsure if she could balance the band, love, and the upcoming midterm exams.

"......" Ms. Lixi forced herself not to speak.

She didn't have a clear position to blame the flaxen-haired girl who was hesitating in front of her. Sakuya originally joined the band only as a supporting musician. Even though everyone had long since established Sakuya's identity as a member of the band, she couldn't assign tasks to her like she was ordering an outsider around.

In other words, the fact that Sakuya was able to take the time to participate in the Live was something she should be thankful for, but she still felt inexplicably disappointed.

One reason was because of what Hailing had discussed with her, and the other was that she felt that when Sakuya didn't want to come to practice, it was probably because she wanted to accompany Toyokawa Shoko, the woman who had taken the initiative to abandon Deng and Crychic.

Shiina Riki walked away with a huff, and when she opened the door, her wrist was grasped precisely. Miss Sakuya even had a vague sense of déjà vu.

"What?" Riki took the opportunity to vent his anger, and shook off Sakuya's attempts to keep him. His eyes were sharp, and his tone was suppressed and polite. "I have to try to finish the arrangement as soon as possible. Even if you have other things to do, please contact me later by phone. I will reply to you one by one after I am done."

"So, Li Xi is in a hurry and wants to compose the music right now. Can I take it that way?" Miss Sakuya opened her hands obediently and asked inappropriately, as if she didn't notice the girl's frustration at all.

"That's about it. I just got some inspiration from Deng's lyrics and wanted to write them down right away." Shiina Riki reached out and gently stroked the wrist that had just been held, not daring to look directly into the other person's eyes. "So Sakuya should just rehearse with everyone. I...I'd better go home first."

"The Lixi I know isn't that unconfident." Sakuya smiled, leaned over to open her light blue purse, and fiddled with it two or three times before pulling out the studio door card that Ms. Lixi was very familiar with.

"Because I've already messed up once, so I can't fail this time." Li Xi answered as a matter of course, looking at the girl in front of him who was actively pulling him into the group with confusion. After all, they were just ordinary friends, and there was no need for her to do so much for him.

Ms. Sakuya's hand holding the card paused slightly, then she closed her wallet again, picked up her own Yuqiu backpack, and opened the door before Li Xi.

"What?" Li Xi tilted his head, looking puzzled.

"I'll go compose a song with you." Sakuya scratched his head and replied briefly.

"Sakuya, you don't want to go home with Riki, do you?" Suyo smiled, pinched Miss Aine's arm, narrowed her eyes and asked kindly.

"No!" Sakuya complained with a blushing face, shaking her aquarium series wallet with one hand. "I have reserved a composition room at RiNG, it's just upstairs, the environment and equipment should be quite good. If Li Xi is really in a hurry, it would be a better choice to accompany everyone to compose music at RiNG, right?"

"Oh? That's expensive, right? I've only heard Manager Rin Rin mentioned it once since I took over." Rikki said in a daze, and then realized that the young lady who rented a composition studio for a month was actually the idiot in front of him. After pinching his wrist and thinking for a while, Shiina Rikki slowly shook his head. "RiNG's business hours are only until about 10 o'clock in the evening. If it's later, you have to submit an application to the front desk. I'd better go home..."

"Go home and compose all night? Your body won't be able to handle it." Ms. Sakuya interrupted with her hands on her hips in a tone of "as expected". "Riki is not the kind of bad girl who likes to curl up in a small room alone, stay up all night working in front of the screen, drink coffee when she is sleepy, and use class time to catch up on sleep, right?"

"...No." Shiina Riki hesitated for a moment before retorting firmly.

She always drinks energy jelly.