A band simulator, but all girl-heavy!

"Our target is the martial arts hall, right?"

177

Chapter 177 Hey! I have an idea.

If the bands in the simulator are always haunted by the word "lifetime", Aoi thinks they have been poisoned by the Budokan.

Of course, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a Budokan. There are many grand stages and performance venues in Tokyo besides the Budokan, which can prove that their grand live does not have to be in a Budokan.

The so-called dream of "the goal is the Budokan" is actually just a spirit, a more abstract metaphor. In the hearts of Japanese artists, the Budokan is the most sacred and top stage, and Aoi simply equates the two.

It doesn’t matter whether you go to the Budokan or not; what matters is reaching the top.

Aoi believes that this has become her new dream, her new goal, and her greatest ideal since coming to this world.

She wanted to lead her beloved band to the top, to the highest stage. She wanted to realize Hongxia's dream of making Starry shine like the stars, to prove that Liang supported individuality, to make Pochi a true guitar hero, and to let Kita happily accomplish touching and great things with everyone.

She had this idea before, and recently this impulse has been particularly strong. She guessed that it was probably affected by the simulator.

After performing in simulators so many times, only the simulation of the Ci Tuan shocked her the most, and only in the Ci Tuan did she feel the real band elements.

After all, she played this simulator just for the band. She wanted to enjoy the beautiful girls playing instruments, the cheering audience, and the heart-stirring and beautiful music... After suffering so much in the simulator, she finally felt the elements of the band, and it was difficult for her to suppress her interest in the professionalization of the band.

The path that the Ci Tuan has taken can also be taken by the band.

As it turned out, everyone who ended the band would always understand her and follow her. After Aoi said that, although they felt pressured, everyone still agreed to Aoi's request.

Although in the eyes of others, they are already good enough, strong enough, and their progress can be said to be far beyond most of their peers, they are still willing to follow Aoi, whose pace has already accelerated.

After a brief discussion, they decided to extend their practice time, staying at Ijichi's house for training on weekends, and also speed up the writing of the second song.

Just like that, after a simple ensemble performance, today's practice ended early. Ryo and Nijiga stayed in the store to continue helping, and in order to catch the last bus, Pochi left Starry with Kita and Aoi.

However, Aoi's new songs and progress today still had an obvious impact on them. Kita was still full of energy throughout the journey and it was difficult to see anything unusual, while Pochi was obviously more silent than usual, with his head lowered and mumbling inaudible words from time to time.

Seeing her like this, Aoi sighed worriedly, and immediately trotted to a nearby vending machine. Under the two people's puzzled gazes, she bought three cans of drinks and handed them to them.

"It's my treat, but don't tell Hongxia and the others, or they'll say, 'You're having a secret drink without us, you have absolutely no sense of community!'"

What the hell~"

Aoi stuck out her tongue playfully and started joking.

"It's become a private gathering for first-years~"

Xiduo took the drink and suddenly had a wonderful idea in his mind. He smiled evilly and muttered to himself, "Xiao Kui said that, I want to show off to others even more..."

"Why don't I remember Kita being this kind of person..."

Aoi complained.

"Just kidding~ How could I possibly do that~"

Kita gently placed the can against her cheek and blinked softly, "I want to keep all my little secrets with Aoi to myself~"

"I believe you this time!"

Aoi nodded, looked at the silent Pochi beside her, and asked softly, "Ichiri~ What about you? You won't leak the secret, right?"

"I, I, I, I will take it home and put it on display!!"

Pochi's fur suddenly puffed up like a cat startled by a cucumber. He stammered, holding the drink in his hand, and said respectfully, "You can take it to the shrine and ask the chief priest to secretly worship it... It's 5 yen a day, not 500 yen!!"

"Drink it!"

Aoi shouted in frustration.

After this fight, the atmosphere finally eased a lot, the previously depressing atmosphere dissipated, and returned to its previous state.

Aoi and Kita are both talkative, but at the same time they are both very attentive, so when the three of them are together they always intentionally or unintentionally guide Pochi to join the topic. Although Pochi will have cyberpsychosis attacks from time to time, he can still keep up with the conversation normally.

In this way, the three of them walked all the way to the station, and it was time to say goodbye. Aoi lived in Chiyoda Ward, Kita lived in Setagaya, and Pochi didn't even live in Tokyo, but in Yokohama. The commuting time to and from school every day was quite long.

“…That, that.”

As she was about to head to the platform for the line she was waiting for, Pochi turned to look at Aoi, as if finally mustering up the courage, and spoke nervously.

"I will try my best to... fulfill my promise."

"Well, I believe you."

Aoi's smile was full of patience and trust, and she nodded gently to Pochi.

Seeing her smile, the last trace of uneasiness and gloom on Pochi's body dissipated like a dark cloud, replaced by an almost silly and sunny atmosphere. He smiled stupidly, waved to Aoi and Kita, and then ran quickly to the station.

Looking at her somewhat funny back, Aoi couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.

"Looks like someone got there first."

There was a faintly jealous sound coming from the side. Kita put his hands on his hips and had an inexplicably subtle smile on his face.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

Aoi tilted her head in confusion.

"Secret! Isn't it obvious that Aoi and Goto-san have some secret that I don't know about?"

Kita said dissatisfiedly, "So what are you talking about? Is it something I should know?"

"Um...yes, Pochi wants to clean the room and invite me to her house to play."

Although it was obvious that Kita was probably joking, Aoi still felt a sense of pressure for some unknown reason and subconsciously told a little lie.

Although for her, what Pochi said in private was sincere, and she only said it out of the hope that Pochi could cheer up and become a shining guitar hero, she was still embarrassed to tell others.

"I see... Goto-kun, you really shouldn't be underestimated."

Kita clenched his right fist and tapped it lightly on his palm. A lightbulb seemed to light up in the background, and his face was filled with the expression "Hey! I have an idea!"

"Oh right! Xiao Kui~ I have a small request... I don't know if you can agree to it!"

"I promise you."

Aoi said with a smile.

"Eh? You don't even ask what it is? What if it's something really extreme?"

Kita asked in surprise.

"How could Kita do this!"

Aoi shook her head nonchalantly, "So what is it? As long as it's within my ability, I can help you okay?"

"Well..."

Kita smiled sheepishly, but his eyes shone brightly, as if dotted with two dazzling stars, staring at Aoi with anticipation.

"Actually, my parents have something to do tonight and might not be able to come home to spend the night. I'm feeling a little lonely all by myself. No, I'm feeling scared! Yes, I'm really scared to be alone! I'm wondering...Xiao Kui, is it convenient for you to stay over at my house?"

178

Chapter 178 What a coincidence, you come to open the box too.

"We've arrived at Kanda Station."

The sound of the tram arriving at the station echoed in the carriage. After the sharp sound, the door slowly opened, like a valve rising in a reservoir, letting out the passengers huddled together inside.

An Hemai followed the crowd out of the carriage slowly, feeling the cool night air blowing on her cheeks, and her vision was dazzled by the scattered lights.

It's past the evening rush hour, but there are still quite a few passengers. Although not as many as those getting off in Shibuya and Shinjuku, it still reflects the normal state of Tokyo's public transportation. Office workers working overtime, students taking extra classes or participating in club activities, tourists returning late...all kinds of people gather like a river, walking towards the station exit that looks like a reservoir valve.

In fact, her destination was supposed to be Shibuya Station, but after attending today's band meeting and practice, and after seeing last night's dream, she seemed to have fallen into an unavoidable emotional trap, and got on the train to Chiyoda Ward as if she was being controlled.

She should have understood it long ago, no, she had already understood it long ago, this was not a dream at all.

Dreams would not fabricate such a clear past, nor would they force people with whom she had never had any contact in reality into her world... This was not a dream, but another possibility with traces to follow.

In the dream, her grandmother An and Tendou met a young enka singer, Orihime Tsurukawa, while participating in a movie filming when they were young. The two became acquainted on the set and became inseparable friends in the industry. They maintained a good relationship even when they were old.

Subaru surfed intensely and did some research in the real world. His grandmother had indeed appeared in the film "Ama no Kawaya" (Under the Bridge), and that the film, with its distinctly Japanese romantic style from the Showa era, had invited a young enka singer to perform in the film in order to preserve its traditional style...

The director at the time did invite a young, fledgling enka singer, but he was unable to come to participate in the film production due to a sudden illness, so he had no choice but to hire another singer on a temporary basis.

The enka singer who failed to show up was none other than Orihime Tsurukawa, the Showa singer who later became famous throughout the Japanese archipelago.

In other words, the two mothers-in-law could have become close friends, and she could have become Aoi's childhood friend, just like in her dream.

After understanding all this, An and Subaru had figured it out. This proved that this dream wasn't just a psychological fantasy. In another possibility in this world, Aoi would indeed join the Thorny and Thorny and go to the martial arts hall with them.

If there really is a parallel world, perhaps there really is such a beautiful world line...

And at this moment, in this real world, although they are not in the same band and are not childhood sweethearts, since they have seen such memories through the window of dreams, there is no need to be bound by all this.

I remember you and you remember me. We have a good relationship in my memory, so we are good friends.

Is there something wrong with this logic?

There was absolutely nothing there, so Subaru came and found the way directly to Saotome's house according to her memory - although she was just taking a gamble, after all, she didn't know whether the Saotome's house in the real world was the same as what she remembered in her dream.

She remembered that when she was a child, she often went to Saotome's house to play, and played house with her using dolls in Aoi's big room. She also remembered that she once instigated Aoi to dig several small holes in her yard, damaging a piece of lawn and flowers.

They had once tried to climb the tall tree in the backyard, but Aoi was afraid to come down halfway up. When Mrs. Saotome found out, they were both severely reprimanded.

How amazing... It clearly didn't happen, but it was actually so deeply engraved in her memory that she could even remember most of the stupid things she had done with Aoi in every corner of this house.

Will Aoi remember it too?

She walked gently to the gate of Saotome's house. Looking at the familiar gate and the nameplate with her surname on it, her anxiety was dispelled a lot. She immediately breathed a sigh of relief and put her hand on the doorbell.

Today, she just came to be good friends with Aoi, not to abandon the other members of the band and run away...

It's not that she hasn't asked other people, but no one in the band is willing to come. Momoka is as tsundere as ever and doesn't want to disturb Aoi suddenly, and Nina is even more stubborn. She insisted that she must come to see Aoi after the warm-up live.

As for An and Subaru, she wasn't as awkward or overthinking as them. She just wanted to see Aoi, that was all.

‘Ding dong——’

His finger pressed the electric doorbell, and a crisp ringtone rang slowly. Subaru immediately stood aside with an elegant demeanor, smiling obediently at the surveillance camera on the door.

"Hello... I'm Xiaokui's friend. Is she home?"

"Aoi is staying at a friend's house today. I'm so sorry."

A familiar voice came from the door. It was Mrs. Saotome. "Please wait a moment. Now that you are here, please come in and sit down."

Mrs. Saotome was a very skilled cook, whether it was making snacks, brewing tea, or cooking, she was first-rate. Subaru remembered that he loved eating the sandwiches and Japanese confectionery she made every time he visited her.

But, Aoi isn't here...

Other friends, do you mean ending the band?

"No need to trouble you, auntie, I just stopped by to see you."

The smile on An Hesuba's face froze for a moment, but he suppressed the bitterness that welled up in his heart, shook his head gently, and said obediently, "I'll visit you another day."

Sure enough, reality still makes me feel a little...unwilling.

The place that belonged to her in her memory now belonged to someone else. In her heart, Aoi was naturally very important, but it was not necessarily the same for Aoi, because Aoi was a very popular person. How many people paid so much attention to her?

"that……"

Just as Subaru was standing in front of the door in a daze with a lonely smile, he suddenly heard a strange call from the side.

Subaru turned his head in confusion and saw a girl who looked somewhat familiar. She had long, smooth flaxen hair draped behind her head, and her blue eyes exuded a gentle and soft temperament.

"Excuse me, are you here to visit the Saotome family?"

The girl had a mature smile and a tall, slender figure. At first glance, she looked as reliable as a college student, which made Subaru subconsciously feel that she was of his senior age.

However, what concerned Subaru more was what she said.

"Yes, I'm here to visit Saotome Aoi."

Subaru put on his sweet, social smile again and bowed solemnly to the girl in front of him. "But she doesn't seem to be here, so I'm going to visit her another day. Am I in your way? I'm so sorry!"

"No no……"

The girl in front of him waved her hands in surprise, a trace of loneliness appearing on her face again, and she murmured softly, "She's not here again..."

After she finished speaking, she looked at Subaru curiously, and after thinking for a long time, she spoke again, "Excuse me, are you Aoi's friend?"

Having said this, Subaru finally remembered where he seemed to have seen the girl before.

In the "Ikebukuro Student Band" that lost to the final band by a small margin at the music festival many days ago, there was a bassist who looked very mature and gentle, like the sister next door.