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

The light shining in the moon's eyes is her, Shiina Tatsuki.

"Shiina Tatsuki, you undoubtedly shine on stage."

"Shiina Tatsuki, you have undoubtedly accomplished what I could not."

"Shiina Tatsuki, you are without a doubt the being I aspire to be."

The almost confessional lines from Yue caused Lixi's cheeks to flush instantly, as if they had been set on fire.

Throughout Shiina Tatsuki's life, there has always been immense pressure and expectation.

She is seen as Shiina Maki's younger sister, and every move she makes is scrutinized under a magnifying glass. People always compare her to her older sister, placing heavy expectations and pressure on her shoulders, hoping that she can become an outstanding person like her sister.

Over the years, Lixi has been under this pressure and expectation. Her sister's success seems to have become an insurmountable obstacle for her, filling her heart with struggle and pain.

The immense pressure from her older sister caused her to want to escape, so she chose Hana-onna instead of Yu-oka, hoping to escape her sister's shadow and the comparison with her sister.

This was the first time she had heard someone tell her that she was radiant, that she was someone others aspired to be.

Yue wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, her slightly trembling fingers gently stroking the tears that had somehow flowed down her cheeks.

Yue's voice was full of determination, as if she were cheering herself and Lixi on.

“We are all escapees… but even escapees can become a light in the eyes of others.”

Before the stage opens: Chapter Twenty-Three: What Happened Last Night

"Hesitation is the time of leisure, return is the same as the car"

Half-asleep, Yue reached out and turned off the noisy alarm clock by her bedside.

Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, I thought about how I had impulsively said so many strange things to Lixi yesterday.

Yue just wanted to find a time machine, go back to yesterday, grab herself by the neck, and ask fiercely, "What are you doing?"

After staring blankly at the ceiling in bed for about twenty minutes, Yue finally got out of bed.

After all, dark history is something that usually pops into your head when you have nothing to do.

Yue decided to go to school, hoping to fill her mind with knowledge so that she wouldn't recall her embarrassing past.

——————Two flowers bloom, each telling a story——————

Rewind to yesterday. Just as Hinasaki and Takamatsu Akari left school to go to Ring to find Nagasaki Motoyo and Shiina Tatsuki, our classmate Toyokawa Shoko also encountered some trouble.

As Toyokawa Shoko watched Hinasaki and Takamatsu Akari chatting and laughing as they gradually left the school gate, she slowly walked out from the stairwell.

She doesn't want to see Deng right now.

After returning to Tsuki no Mori a few days ago and watching Morfonica's live performance, she realized that she still didn't have the courage to completely sever ties with the past.

If she were to meet Deng now, she might be moved by him, and she might soften her heart.

"Sorry... light."

Xiangzi's voice was weak and trembling.

“二揪零彡把奇尹?III叮咚”

Xiangzi's finger hovered over the phone screen, where the cucumber-shaped avatar looked familiar and comforting.

A sense of doubt arose in her heart; she knew the owner of this profile picture quite well.

"Mu?"

Xiangzi frowned. She knew her childhood sweetheart very well, and she could say that he wouldn't contact her unless it was something important.

"Xiang, I'd like to talk to you."

Xiangzi's eyes lingered on the phone screen for a moment, then he sighed, realizing that his rest time today might be shortened again.

"Okay, let's go to our usual coffee shop."

As soon as Xiangzi sent the message, Mu replied immediately, seemingly having been waiting for Xiangzi with his phone in hand.

"I see."

————The girl is on her way————

When Xiangzi arrived at the coffee shop, Mu was already sitting inside very obediently.

Xiangzi sat down opposite Mu and spoke to the approaching waiter.

"A cup of hot Earl Grey tea, please."

"Mu, is there something you need from me?"

Mu looked down at the mango juice in her hand.

"Xiang, you've been to the Moon Forest before, haven't you?"

“A classmate of Yuqiu.”

After hearing Mu's question, Xiangzi frowned and said...

"Mu, did you see it back then?"

Mu nodded, his face still expressionless, looking like a delicate doll.

"Then... what about Su Shi?"

Xiangzi's tone revealed a sense of tension and vigilance.

Su Shi should have seen Xiang... but she wasn't sure.

"The situation is not much better..."

Xiangzi realized that even if Su Shi wasn't sure how she got to Yuqiu, she would still start from Yuqiu and probably would find out that Deng was in Yuqiu soon.

"Xiang... is smiling very happily."

Wakaba Muku said something that left Shoko completely baffled.

"Huh? What does 'Mu' mean?" Xiangzi asked, puzzled, her expression revealing confusion and doubt.

"Xiang was laughing very happily at the time. I haven't seen Xiang laugh like that in a long time."

"Does Sho find watching Morfonica enjoyable?" Wakaba Mutsu continued to ask.

"..."

Xiangzi didn't know how to answer. When she saw Morfonica's performance, she truly forgot all reality and was completely immersed in the performance of her seniors, so much so that she unconsciously revealed her true feelings.

"Xiang, are you coming back?"

Wakaba Mutsu's words seemed to strike a sensitive spot in Shoko's heart.

"How could I...!"

Toyokawa Shoko's voice suddenly rose, and she stood up, her expression agitated and angry. These words seemed to have touched some deep emotion within her, causing her to erupt uncontrollably.

"Feel sorry……"

Xiangzi realized that she was losing control of her emotions. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

She shifted her gaze to the black tea on the table, gently picked up the cup, and took a sip. The aroma of the tea gradually filled the air, and the warm liquid flowed down her throat, slightly easing her inner anxiety.

"Delicious..."

"Xiang, what are you planning to do?"

Ruoye Mu continued to ask.

"If I see Su Shi, I will explain things to her."

"Goodbye."

After Xiangzi finished speaking, he picked up his bag from the table, stood up, took the receipts from the table, and went to the front desk to pay the bill.

Ruoye Mu sat alone in her seat, watching Xiangzi push open the door and leave.

The faint aroma of coffee wafted through the café, adding a touch of bitterness to the scene.

------------

"Thank you for your call. I will submit your comments to my supervisor for approval."

That evening, Xiangzi hung up the last phone call, exhausted, and pressed the quit button, ending her work for the night.

She walked alone on her way home. The streets were bustling with people at night, and the faint sounds of passing vehicles filled the air. The streetlights cast dappled shadows on her tired face.

The aroma of bread wafting from a bakery by the roadside made her stomach rumble, so she stopped and looked into the shop.

However, she hesitated for a moment. The conversation with He Mu in the coffee shop tonight was already an extra expense. She shook her head and banished these thoughts from her mind.

After swiping his monthly pass, Xiangzi boarded the tram at night. The carriage was filled with soft, warm yellow light, which illuminated his youthful, radiant smile.

Young high school girls wore school uniforms of various colors, and some of them were carrying guitars or other musical instruments.

They sat together in twos and threes, chatting and laughing, reminiscing about the band's performance or rehearsal that night, excitedly sharing the highlights, and encouraging and praising each other.

Some gathered together to discuss future performance plans, imagining the scenes on stage with great anticipation, and enthusiastically discussing the possibilities of each performance.

Some of the girls were discussing where to organize a band team-building activity and planning their future musical journey.

Their eyes sparkled with dreams, and they exuded boundless enthusiasm and energy.

Xiangzi looked at everything in the carriage, closed her eyes, and tried to distance herself from the atmosphere. However, deep down, she knew that she had drifted away from the words "youth" and "dreams," and that she could no longer be like these girls.

Before the stage opens: Chapter Twenty-Four: Let's Go Out and Play!

An ordinary weekend.

I finished my morning exercise as usual, and incidentally, I chatted with the group about how I solved my weekend breakfast.

Then, as Yue lay on the sofa, she suddenly felt a sense of emptiness. She had earned two days off after studying for five days, but she was wasting her time at home, just lying on the sofa and looking at the sky.

"No, no, Yue, you can't be so decadent. You should find something to do."

After thinking for a while, Yue picked up a broom and began to clean the house.

She started sweeping the floor gently from one corner of the room. The soft rustling of the broom as it swept across the floor showed her meticulous attention to every inch.

Finally, she put down the broom, stood in the center of the room, looked at the now much tidier room, and looked up at the clock with satisfaction.