After dropping out of school, I chose to join a girls' band.

The moon murmured to itself.

Hearing Yue's mutterings, Li hope turned his head slightly and asked, somewhat puzzled.

“帬c（八7）彡玲就溜棋午八什么？车流吗？”

Li hope was taken aback by Yue's sudden question, and a look of confusion crossed his face.

"Xiangzi, isn't she dazzling?"

Yue turned to the side and looked at Lixi.

"……shine."

Lixi gripped the railing tightly with both hands, her fingertips turning slightly white, her eyes glazed over. After a long while, she finally managed to squeeze out two words.

Yue removed her hands from the railing, turned around gently, and smiled at Lixi.

The moonlight shone on her long, black hair, which was just like her own, making her look even brighter and more beautiful.

"Lixi, do you want to come to my house?"

In the soft night, the moon's smile danced gently in the breeze.

Lixi gazed into the moon-blue eyes, watching her smiling expression.

Her blue eyes sparkled like stars, radiating a warm aura.

Behind that smile, Lixi seemed to sense a feeling of shared suffering, as if there was a tacit resonance between her and Yue.

"it is good……"

Looking back, Lixi didn't know why she had accepted Yue's invitation.

————————Scene transition dividing line————————

The two hailed a taxi and arrived at Yue's house.

Li; 290V (3) Dad Yi Xi looked up at the simple and modern stand-alone building. The exterior presented simple lines and a modern design style, without any superfluous decorations or cumbersome details, only a gray exterior wall and pale glass windows.

Under the cover of night, the building was completely dark, and the whole building looked cold and lifeless.

"Moon, is no one home?"

Lixi looked at the dark house and asked a question.

Yue gently shook her head, her voice tinged with sadness: "My family is all traveling, so it's normal that there are no lights in the house."

"Come in first."

Yue pushed open the door and invited Lixi in.

Lixi followed Yue into the house. Yue then pressed the switch, and the room was immediately illuminated by bright and soft light, reflecting the clean and simple interior decoration. Various pillows were scattered on the sofa, and some snacks were messily placed on the sofa and coffee table.

Although the room looks deserted from the outside, once you step inside, you can see all the signs of life inside.

Lixi could still sense a comfortable atmosphere in the house, giving people a relaxing feeling.

Please sit wherever you like.

Yue walked to the refrigerator, opened the door, and found it filled with various drinks and foods. She took out a bottle of tea, carefully opened it, and it made a crisp "hissing" sound.

Yue handed Lixi a glass filled with tea.

"Thank you." Lixi took the cup, took a small sip, and the tea slid across her tongue, carrying a faint tea fragrance. A slight bitterness spread in her mouth, followed by a sweet aftertaste, making her feel comfortable and happy.

"Moon, what do you want to tell me?"

Li hope asked Yue directly.

"Li hope is still so direct."

Yue sat on the other sofa, looking at Lixi with a helpless expression.

"Lixi knows I transferred from Shengxiang to Yuqiu, but do you know why I left Shengxiang?"

Yue leaned gently against the back of the sofa and asked the question.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

I thought I could finish it in three chapters, but there's still a middle and lower part to go.

Before the Stage Opening: Chapter Twenty-Two: Late-Night Conversation (The End)

“My parents raised me in a very hands-off manner when I was a child.”

Yue took a sip of tea and began to slowly recount her past to Li hope.

"Free-range management?"

Li hope was somewhat puzzled when he heard this word.

"Simply put, as long as I don't do anything illegal, disorderly, or immoral, my parents will support me unconditionally."

"Even if I buy a piano and sign up for lessons the day before, my parents won't say anything if I don't want to learn anymore. They will just quietly help me cancel the lessons."

Yue casually mentioned something that many other children envied.

“Growing up in this environment, I showed extraordinary musical talent from a young age. What others need to learn in a month, I can often learn in just one or two weeks or even a few days. If it were other parents, they would probably force their children to go down the path of music.”

“But my parents didn’t. They just told me to do what I wanted to do.”

"Therefore, it wasn't until my junior high school cultural festival that I was scouted and invited to join Sweet Pleas."

Yue lowered her head, looking at the ceiling reflected in the glass coffee table, her eyes filled with memories.

“I originally thought I would get bored soon, just like with my other hobby classes, but when I actually stood on the stage, I felt the audience’s gaze, the audience’s brilliance, and the heat of the spotlights.”

"I just realized that I love the stage, and I genuinely enjoy shining on stage."

What should have been incredibly passionate lines were delivered by the actor in an incredibly calm tone.

But Lixi didn't feel anything was out of place.

"Then...why is that...?"

Upon hearing this, Li hope subconsciously asked.

"Why did you leave Shengxiang? Lixi, that's what you want to ask, right?"

Li hope nodded. "Yue, if you love the stage so much, why are you thinking of leaving Shengxiang?"

"Because of fear..."

A slight tremor appeared in Yue's voice.

"Fear?"

Lixi couldn't quite understand Yue's words.

"I'm afraid of the stage."

"Eh?"

Lixi found it increasingly difficult to understand the current situation.

"Moon, you clearly love the stage so much, don't you?"

"The top student of the 102nd class of Shengxiang, Momoko Kurosawa, is in a sense the same kind of person as Shoko Toyokawa."

Yue raised her head and looked at Lixi as she spoke.

Even though there was no light source behind her, Lixi saw an incredibly dazzling light in Yue's eyes.

"Eh……"

Hearing that familiar name from Yue's mouth, Li hope was somewhat stunned.

"Among the 102nd generation of Seisho, I am the second-ranked, and Momoko Kurosawa is the first-ranked."

"For the first time, I realized the difference in talent in front of Momoko. Even though I tried my best and used more effort than I had ever used before to learn and practice, I still couldn't surpass Momoko Kurosawa."

"She is like a natural stage performer. She can master any technique with ease, and she can handle any script and any role with ease."

"On stage, she is undoubtedly the leading lady."

Yue's voice gradually took on a sob.

"moon?"

After hearing Yue's description, Li hope roughly understood why the other person was afraid of the stage.

"Later, in a selection process, I lost to Momo."

"I was sitting on the ground, looking at the other person's hand that was outstretched to me with a smile, and I saw a genuine smile on their face."

"A thought popped into my head."

As Yue spoke, tears welled up in her eyes and finally spilled out.

The tear, like a crystal-clear dewdrop, gently slid down her cheek. This tear seemed to be the voice from the depths of Yue's heart, revealing her inner softness and vulnerability.

"That's fine, just look at her like this, just focus on her brilliance, Peach was born to shine like this."

Yue's voice even carried a hint of sob.

"At that time, all I wanted to do was gaze at the shimmering peaches..."

"At that moment, my heart... told me that I couldn't win at all. Momoko Kurosawa was just too dazzling; you couldn't even touch her. Give up..."

"Although I realized that very evening... this mindset was unacceptable..."

"But ever since then, every time I step onto the stage, I can't help but look at Peach, at that incredibly dazzling figure."

"Therefore, I chose to escape... to escape Shengxiang... to escape from his side... to escape the stage."

"I thought everything would be alright once I left Seisho... Everything was going well, with me studying in a dull and boring way every day, preparing for Yuuki's entrance exam."

Yue gazed at Lixi with tearful eyes; those blue eyes seemed to penetrate her soul, seeing into the deepest recesses of her heart.

Li hope finally understood; the non-existent glimmer in the other person's eyes gradually took shape.

“I saw Crychic’s performance that day, and I saw you all shining on the stage. I then understood my true inner desires. I crave the stage, I crave to shine, but at the same time I am afraid of the stage, afraid of being swallowed up by that shine.”

"moon……"

Lixi finally saw clearly that the brilliance in the moon's eyes did not belong to anyone else.