A band simulator, but all girl-heavy!

On the one hand, they value Aoi very much in their hearts and really hope that Aoi's music will be recognized by the audience and they hope to see Aoi shine on the stage; but on the other hand, their purpose of participating in this performance is not to end the band and fly away. On the contrary, they want to prove their strength through competition and prove that they are the band that is more suitable for Aoi, rather than ending the band.

It was obvious that Aoi wanted them to cheer up and not give up and had made so many efforts, but they wanted to destroy Aoi's current band.

Can you really say this to other people?

"All."

Just as the others were silent, struggling with the dual entanglement of guilt and possessiveness, Lenai, who had been sitting in the corner as a background, broke the silence.

Her words were as concise as ever. She gently raised her hand, holding up her index and middle fingers. Her gem-like eyes showed no sign of confusion. She tilted her head towards Xingge as if it was a matter of course and asked, "Isn't it possible?"

"I see. I understand what you mean..."

Xingge's eyes widened slightly, and a faint smile gradually appeared on her face. "Then I wish you all the best."

After that, she waved her hand, turned and left, returning the stillness and silence to the few people.

Obviously everyone claims to be sensible and rational, but when it comes to making choices and responses, they are completely inferior to Lenai, who is usually free and easy.

She was probably the most relaxed person in the band. The intensive practice sessions had been incredibly tough, far exceeding their usual standards. Everyone was actually feeling exhausted and bored, but they'd each used their own willpower and desire to persevere through this. But Lenai was different. She was the only one who remained relaxed and cheerful throughout these long, intense sessions, happily playing the guitar, the music Aoi had written in her dreams.

Unlike everyone else, even at this point, she still loves guitar and music wholeheartedly. There is no pressure, no entanglement, no struggle, only those pure and sincere expectations.

"Thank you... Lenai."

Deng looked at Lenai beside him gratefully, lowering her head in shame. The cat-like girl didn't reply, but simply curled her lips and gave her a smug smile.

After the store manager left, the entire band returned to their previous state, and the depressing atmosphere swept over them again. However, compared to before, they had new hopes and would look around from time to time, as if they were expecting the appearance of that familiar figure.

However, what they expected did not come true after all.

Not long after, today's audition live performance kicked off under the direction of the PA lady and the store manager. Before the formal audition performance, each band received today's sequence list and waited until the time officially started before entering according to the sequence number.

Even after they were arranged to go into the lounge to prepare the instruments, they still didn't see Aoi show up. They could only watch the time pass by, feeling a little lost.

The tense atmosphere that had not existed before suddenly descended between them like an invisible devil, but it was not strong yet.

"The tuner... the tuner seems to be broken! Why is it not responding at all..."

Aiyin sat in the corner, fiddling with her guitar, but no matter how she turned the tuning pegs on the guitar head, there seemed to be no response. The previously normal pitch gradually became out of tune, and became a little harsh under her tentative plucking.

She seemed to be getting anxious because of this. She stared at the guitar in her arms restlessly, and her plucking movements became much louder. She didn't stop until Su Shi next to her handed her a tuner.

"The performance is about to begin, try to stay calm."

Su Shi's expression was calm, even a little cold, as if this matter was insignificant to her and could not even be compared with breakfast.

"Ahh~ Soyorin! Love!"

Aine took the tuner, but a teasing expression crossed her face. “By the way… Soyorin herself isn’t calm either. Her hands are shaking, you know?”

"That's because the bass is too heavy."

Su Shi defended himself expressionlessly, but the hand holding the neck of the guitar was indeed trembling slightly.

"I say...are you all right?"

Seeing the two of them like this, Li Xi pursed his lips a little nervously, "The performance is coming soon. If we don't give it 100% of our level, all the practice during this period will be wasted."

"Rikki's legs are shaking too..."

Aine muttered softly.

"That's keeping time! You only focus on the details in other people, right?!"

Li Xi roared in intolerance.

Such a quarrel did not seem to make the atmosphere in the band more anxious and uneasy. As the noise gradually grew, the oppressive atmosphere of silence slowly faded away. Gao Songdeng, who had been huddled in the corner, could not help but raise his head and quietly watch everyone bickering.

Just at this moment, the sound of the lounge door being gently pushed open attracted the attention of several people. They saw that Lenai, who had been so bored that she dozed off at the table, had already walked out of the door without even saying goodbye.

"Hey! Little wild cat!"

Li Xi widened his eyes, but by the time he shouted, it was too late. Lenai's figure had already disappeared at the door, leaving a few people sitting in the lounge staring at each other.

187

Chapter 187 Review performance is just like this!

When participating in a performance or other large-scale event, the most difficult part is often not the long and hard practice and preparation, nor the moment when you go on stage, but the short hour before it starts.

No matter what your previous mentality is, once you face this situation, a heavy and warm airflow will squeeze your heart, like a hot volcanic rock burning your heart. As time goes by, this airflow will only become more turbid and heavy, until the calmness in your heart is completely evaporated.

Therefore, Mygo's men were ultimately unable to sit still.

Soon after Lenai ran out, the few of them hastily finished their preparations and ran out of the lounge in a group, deciding to find Lenai together - and by the way, looking forward to a possible encounter with Aoi.

Soon, thanks to the small size of Starry, they found Lenai. This quirky and free-spirited cat girl was standing quietly in the corner of the stage area, staring at the band who were already on the stage.

The review performance has begun, and Mygo was lucky enough to be ranked second to last and won the finale of the day.

At this moment, standing on the stage is a completely unfamiliar band, a girl band composed of a group of high school girls. They had previously participated in the Jizotong Music Festival that day. This time they came to participate in the warm-up because they were inspired by the End Band. They hope to become such a dazzling and warm band like the End Band.

Their self-introduction was relaxed, and the warm-up MC performance to the store manager and PA lady at the beginning was also natural and pleasant, without giving people a sense of tension and weight of the censored performance. Unfortunately, they did not have any memorable characteristics, and the music they played was also lacking in characteristics.

The few people in the audience who were listening to the band's almost immature performance felt a lot more relaxed for some reason. They couldn't help but recall the time when each of them had just come into contact with instruments and bands. Even Aine could point out the shortcomings of the band with a subtle smile.

The drummer was a bit impatient, his rhythm and beats not being well-controlled, even chaotic. The other musicians, who were following the beats and rhythm perfectly, gradually fell into confusion, sometimes even having to guess the beat themselves. Not only was there no coordination between the bass and drummer, but the guitarist seemed like a maverick, completely disregarding coordination. The seemingly overly loud guitar drowned out the other instruments, making the whole piece feel loose and cluttered.

As for the lead singer... she had a problem common to many young student bands. The drummer was already impatient enough, but her singing was even more impulsive, to the point where the other musicians couldn't catch up. Add to that the slight issues with her singing style, and her voice wasn't as clear, being severely masked by the instrumentation.

In summary, the girl band before us embodies the most standard high school band performance. Although their performance looks relaxed and enjoyable, their music lacks weight, and of course, their determination is lacking.

The warm-up band needed to end the band shouldn't be like this. After all, Aoi has already said that they are the band that will march towards the Budokan, right?

However, most of the bands that came to participate in the review performance today were relaxed and immature, exuding strong youthful vitality, but they had no technical support, only a passion and endless enthusiasm.

Student bands are groups that have not yet been burdened by the weight of society and are full of youth and vitality. It is quite normal for them to be relaxed and a little erratic. However, if the band wants to continue to climb upwards, the "weight of progress" is actually indispensable.

Ending the band was just as easy and enjoyable, and so was Mygo in the dream. The difference was that ending the band had the clear goal of 'walking to the Budokan together', while Mygo in the dream had set the expectation of being together for a lifetime.

This is also the reason why they believe that these bands are not suitable for warm-up performances.

Sure enough, no matter where Aoi goes, she brings warmth and a determination that makes people feel no longer oppressed.

"It feels like...it feels like our band has become quite impressive without us even realizing it."

After watching several bands perform, Aine's expression became increasingly strange, as if she were both proud and conflicted at the same time. Her smile was quite subtle. "It's not that everyone's level is bad. We seemed to be about the same as everyone else from the beginning, only about a month ago? Now there's such a huge gap..."

"We were much stronger than them at the beginning."

Li Xi snorted coldly, but it was not difficult to see her relaxed mood from her relaxed brows.

No matter when, what people fear most is often the threat of a powerful opponent. When you arrive at the scene and find that everyone else is a big shot with special skills, your heart will probably have already sank. It is impossible not to be nervous. You will only review your own strength and the gap between others over and over again, and your mood will be immersed in panic and unable to extricate yourself.

But if you find that others are far inferior to you, the challenge and tension will be reduced a lot, and you may even feel that the performance is nothing special for a moment.

This is probably their current situation.

"Next band, TOGENASHI TOGEARI!"

After the band on the stage left, Miss PA's voice soon rang out, and several girls with a completely different atmosphere from the other bands walked onto the stage one after another.

Just standing there, a unique atmosphere spread from them. The performance atmosphere that was originally as light as clouds suddenly disappeared, as if the clear sky was suddenly covered with dark clouds, and an invisible weight came from nowhere, completely changing the aura of the stage.

Standing on the stage was the only underground indie band of the day, and their lineup was quite unique: a professional guitarist dressed in a very androgynous style, looking cool and unique; a drummer with long, straight black hair, dressed in a high school uniform but looking elegant and lovely like a young lady; a bassist with a unique tan, tall stature, and exuding the steady temperament of an adult; a petite keyboardist with a strong aura and eyes as sharp as a knife...

And the lead singer who was wearing a white shirt that said "I won't go to school" and the first thing she did when she came on stage was to give everyone a thumbs up.

When the preparations for the instruments were completed and the performance was about to begin, the first thing that the lead singer, Ii Serina, did was not to start warming up as MC immediately, nor did she directly introduce the song she was going to play. Instead, she stood there and looked around, as if she was looking for someone, standing there silently.

It was not until the PA lady urged her to start the performance that she gradually responded.

"Everyone... Good afternoon everyone, we are the band T0GENASHI TOGEARI. We are attending this review meeting today simply to prove that we will not forget our original intentions, to prove that we will follow the predetermined ending as we agreed upon..."

The lead singer lowered her head slightly, and her voice was suppressed and heavy and paused for a moment.

"us--"

Then, she gripped the microphone tightly with both hands, as if gathering strength, almost shouting, transmitting her voice through the equipment to the entire Livehouse.

"He's here to mess things up!!!"

188

Chapter 188 Fried fish, right?

What qualities does a popular band need?

Perhaps it was their unwavering hard work that propelled the band from obscurity to global fame; perhaps it was their unique musical talent that allowed them to stand out from the current surging tide of pop music; or perhaps it was their unwavering teamwork that allowed them to unite despite any setbacks...

In fact, these qualities are extremely valuable, and each one is a band's most precious treasure. However, these are not the core reasons why "Youshou Wushou" has made a dream come true, from an underground indie band to a popular band at the Budokan.

Their most powerful and important strength is always the magical power of music.

This power may be related to musical talent, but it is not absolute. It is like the dust falling into the soul, invisible and intangible, but it comes from a person's most essential energy and is a special electric wave from the heart.

Their experiences, their personalities, their dreams, and their ideas all originate from this unique power, blending into the music they play, and ultimately naturally forming the inspiring power of the music.

People with similar experiences, the same ideas, and even the same personality will be attracted by this special wave, gradually sinking into the sound waves and singing of the instruments in their hands, resonating with their music, and feeling the various emotions and words hidden in the music.

There is no doubt that the Thorn Group possesses this power at this moment.

Even though going to the Budokan was just a dream, they who had experienced everything in the dream had already deeply grasped the unique musical appeal. Even without Xiao Kui, they would still be an excellent professional band.

They have gone through so much, endured so much pressure and setbacks, and have cultivated skills and stage performance over such a long period of time, in the trials of one performance after another and the difficult journey of slowly climbing up from an underground band.

Today, they are like the protagonists in fairy tales who have entered a secret realm for special training. They are in their prime and have every reason to be proud of themselves.

After such a long period of tempering in the dream, coupled with the guidance of Aoi in the dream, Jing Qinren's singing talent has already blossomed. Her explosive voice and unique and infectious voice seem to have magic at this moment. The moment she gripped the microphone and sang loudly, it was enough to shock everyone present.

Momoka Kawahara's exquisite guitar skills and free-spirited stage presence; Subaru An's drumming, more precise than a metronome, and his ability to maintain tempo no matter how fast the performance; Satoshi Kanezuka's playing skills rival those of a professional pianist, and his dazzling, almost unmatched speed; and RUPA's steady and catchy bass riffs...

The effect after they came on stage was almost cliff-like. Not to mention the other band members who had completely stopped laughing and whispering, even Xingge and the PA lady sitting at the review desk were shocked by the outward aura of the Ci group and stared at their performance in a daze.

"...Hey, is this true? Is the band coming today really that strong?"

"Is this the strength of a professional band..."

"You call this a professional band? Why, why would a student band review have a band of this level..."

"Should we just give up?"

"Shh... don't talk, I couldn't hear that bass slap just now!"

By the time the performance reached the second half, the atmosphere of the entire stage area was turned upside down by the performance of the Ci Tuan. The original relaxed and happy atmosphere disappeared, and all that was left was the shock and uneasiness from the bands.

After all, the band became famous at the "School Band Festival". They became a hot topic in the music circle and were generally known as an outstanding school girl band. Naturally, the people who came to participate in their independent live performances were all students.

Professional bands generally believe that the level of student bands is at a lower level. Moreover, they are much older than the students, so they are not willing to come and play music with these high school students. However, at the review meeting, such a band appeared with strength that can even crush other professional musicians.

The bands that were still waiting to perform at the back began to talk about it, and some bands even gradually lost confidence, thinking that there was no comparison at all.

As for Mygo at this moment...

"...let's go back."

Just when everyone else was staring in a trance, Su Shi's voice floated over faintly, and the expression on his face became very ugly for a moment, as if he was deliberately suppressing the dark emotions in his heart, and the corners of his mouth were trembling slightly uncontrollably.

"Going back... What do you mean? Not participating anymore?!"

Aine widened her eyes slightly and asked in shock.

"Of course not! Idiot..."

Su Shi retorted anxiously, "...Let's do the ensemble one last time, one last time. I just need to confirm it again."

This statement seemed to be unanimously agreed by everyone. Not long after, several people nodded and quickly left the stage area, leaving behind the highly infectious music of the Thorn Group and staying outside the lounge.

The tension rose again, and they chose to leave the practice room and run to the stage area to watch everyone's performance in order to relieve their tension, but they didn't realize that they were completely putting the cart before the horse.

The strength displayed by the Ci Tuan was too exaggerated. Both the musical level and the stage effects were not on the same level as the stage at that moment. It would be more appropriate to say that they were a super popular professional band rather than an underground band. Under the background of this atmosphere, a strong sense of crisis swept over like a tsunami.

Su Shi felt an even stronger sense of crisis. After all, she had not told anyone about her declaration of war with the Ci Group. She just took it for granted that they could not lose to a band that showed up halfway, or to a childhood sweetheart who showed up out of nowhere.

But now she is not so sure, and even begins to lose confidence in winning today's performance.

In fact, not being selected as the warm-up band is not a particularly serious matter. They can still choose the next performance. There will be many opportunities to sing that song to Aoi, so it is not that urgent.

What really matters is that Aoi was taken away.

They can lose to any other band, but they cannot lose to that Thornless Band. Otherwise, all the disputes between Su Shi and Subaru that day will become a joke, and they will become stepping stones under that person's feet and jokes in casual conversations.

There was no point in training so hard for so long. The only thing that proved it was that they failed to protect Xiao Kui and watched her being taken away by someone else.