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

BangDream: Chapter 5 Popipa's Performance

"I feel a little nervous." Chihaya Aine muttered to herself, clutching her glow stick tightly, her gaze excitedly fixed on the stage above.

Sitting next to her, Hinasaki glanced around the front row and couldn't help but marvel: the front row of the Budokan was almost a dreamlike distance; it was truly rare to be so close to the stage.

Originally, they were supposed to watch the performance backstage. Normally, front-row tickets are quite expensive, and the organizers don't usually give them away easily.

The organizers will at most give you a seat in the middle or on the second floor.

But what can you do when Xiaoyue has powerful connections?

Thanks to the efforts of Sakura Sakura and her mother, they successfully secured front-row tickets for their band, Mygo.

“This distance…” Xiaoyue glanced at the height of the stage, and a vague memory surfaced in her mind.

She suddenly remembered a rumor she had heard about a band in Shimokitazawa: it was said that the bassist and lead singer of a certain band once got drunk and vomited on stage during a performance, and the audience was caught off guard and were sprayed all over with the unexpected "gift".

She frowned slightly and quickly measured the distance between herself and the stage.

Yes, that's about the distance of the legendary story.

However, it seems there are some advantages as well; if there is any interaction, they are the first to enjoy it.

For some reason, Hinasaki suddenly thought of the last time the nine bands performed together.

Popipa and the others... seemed to have thrown chocolate snail breads down below the stage?

I don't think I'll do something like that at the Budokan this time, right?

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Just a few dozen meters away from Hinasaki, in the waiting area under the stage, the members of Poppin'Party had already changed into their performance costumes, put on their instruments, and stood on the platform, ready to go.

A few minutes later, they will be raised up to meet the audience.

Holding the RANDOM STAR in her hand, Kasumi Toyama's eyes sparkled with anticipation. She took a deep breath and murmured, "This is the second time I've been here."

"Kasumi is in great shape," Tae Hanazono said, looking at Kasumi before turning her gaze to Satomi Ushigome, a hint of mischief in her smile. "But Satomi was so nervous last time that she didn't dare to go on stage."

"Hana-chan! Stop talking!" Ushigome Satomi's cheeks immediately flushed red. She lowered her head slightly and shook her hand, half shy and half embarrassed.

Standing to the side, Saya Yamabuki smiled slightly, tapped nervously on the drum kit with both hands, and said softly, "Actually, I'm quite nervous this time too..."

"Eh? Saya, you get nervous too?" Ichigaya Arisa looked at her in surprise upon hearing this. Saya was always one of the most stable members of their team.

Sha Ling nodded slightly, a hint of nervousness in her eyes, and smiled, "Well... it's a martial arts gym after all. Who can really say they're not nervous?"

“Okay, let’s do it the same as last time!” Kasumi suddenly suggested, her voice filled with firm strength. She raised her hand high, her gaze sweeping over each of her teammates, her eyes burning with intense light.

"A garden formation?" Tae asked knowingly.

"Then let's go."

Kasumi nodded emphatically, and the team members approached with smiles, forming a tight circle with their hands gently overlapping.

They closed their eyes, took a deep breath, and felt each other's warmth and heartbeat, as if all their tension and anxiety were soothed by this tacit understanding.

"Popipa, are you ready? It's time to go on stage!" came the voice of a staff member backstage.

Kasumi took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and said firmly, "Yeah... let's go!"

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

"Click—"

The lights overhead suddenly turned on, and the platform below the stage slowly rose. The five members of Poppin'Party formed a tight circle around each other, and as the platform gradually approached the ground, their figures gradually appeared in the audience's view.

The audience erupted in cheers the moment they stepped onto the stage.

"Popipa!"

“Pipopa!”

"Popipapapipo!"

At the end, all five of them simultaneously raised their arms high, clenched their fists, and slammed their arms together, making a loud "Pa!"

The audience joined the members of Popipa in chanting their signature opening lines.

Having already performed on stage once, Popipa quickly went to their respective instruments.

Mygo, Mujica, Kurata Mashiro, Rikka, and others in the audience watched Popipa on stage with great anticipation.

"Everyone!" Kasumi Toyama's voice rang out through the microphone, full of familiar energy and laughter. She gripped the microphone tightly with one hand and held the neck of the RANDOM STAR steadily with the other. The light shining in her eyes was like the convergence of all the lights in the venue.

"Everyone! Let's all kirakira, dokidoki!"

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As the intro began, the stage lights gradually dimmed, and the surroundings seemed to fall into silence, leaving only five beams of light precisely focused on the five members of Poppin'Party.

The crisp keyboard sounds and guitar chords flow out gently, creating a tender yet powerful atmosphere.

Their fingers glide lightly across the strings and keys, each note seemingly carrying a touch of warmth and determination, like a whisper in a dream, reaching the hearts of every audience member.

In this moving prelude, the five people smiled at each other, slowly began to speak, their voices overlapping, carrying a gentle emotion and tacit understanding:

"たとえ

どんなに梦が远くたって

"あきらめないとキミは言った"

Their voices, warm and firm, intertwined in the air to create a harmonious melody, conveying the emotions of their songs to every corner of the audience.

Kasumi Toyama stood in the center, her hand gently holding the microphone, her eyes firm, as if carrying the tenderness of memories.

The keyboard melody flowed melodiously under Arisa Ichigaya's fingertips, like a flowing spring.

"Hui く Asahi に vow っ て る

「前へススメ」

"キミらしく駆けぬけて"

As the last line of the intro faded away, she smiled and raised one hand high, her eyes filled with fearless confidence.

The cheers of the audience echoed throughout the venue, the lights suddenly turned on, and spotlights poured down, illuminating their silhouettes dazzlingly.

In an instant, the entire band members entered a state of full-force performance.

The guitar and bass collided fiercely, the drums roared, and the keyboard melody was crisp and bright, full of a dazzling atmosphere.

BangDream: Chapter Six - Pastel*Palettes' Performance

"This song, Poppin'Party members are really amazing, super~ amazing!" Hikawa Hina looked at the five members of Poppin'Party singing enthusiastically on the screen, her eyes sparkling, and she almost jumped out of her chair.

Chisato smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "That's true, but we Pastel*Palettes can't lose to them!" She turned to look at her teammates and gave them an encouraging clenched fist.

“Dare to face challenges, that’s the spirit of Bushido!” Eve responded just as enthusiastically, her hands clenched tightly, her eyes sparkling with confidence.

"Ah, it seems Eve used it correctly this time." Maya couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Chisato turned around, her eyes filled with a mixture of tenderness and determination, and looked at Maruyama Aya, who was reciting her entrance lines in the corner. She asked softly, "Aya, are you ready?"

"Huh!" Maruyama Aya was suddenly called on and paused for a moment. In her panic, she shouted out the slogan in one breath, but accidentally bit her tongue. She winced in pain, "Ouch... I bit my tongue..."

Qian Sheng chuckled and patted her shoulder, "Really... why are you still so nervous?"

"Hmm...this is a martial arts gym!" Maruyama Aya muttered softly, her eyes filled with excitement and unease. She gently rubbed her face, trying to relax her tense expression. "Who would have thought we'd actually be on this stage so soon?"

"Besides, we haven't had enough practice time these past few days. Can I really... do well?" Cai lowered her head, her tone tinged with uncertainty.

Qian Sheng smiled and approached, gently taking her hand and softly comforting her, "Cai Cai, this isn't the Cai Cai I know."

Her eyes shone with determination, and her voice was gentle yet powerful, "You've always been the most hardworking and unwavering Cai Cai. When the agency made the offer, you agreed without hesitation. What were you thinking at the time?"

Maruyama Aya paused slightly, recalling her earlier resolve. The unease in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a rising fighting spirit. "I...I want Pastel*Palettes to stand on the Budokan stage, even the Tokyo Dome stage!"

Chisato smiled and nodded, gently patting the back of her hand, and said encouragingly, "Then don't hesitate, Aya. With this belief, let's step onto the stage together with Pastel*Palettes!"

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The members of Poppin'Party slowly descended from the stage, just in time to meet the members of Pastel*Palettes backstage.

Kasumi Toyama stepped forward, handed the microphone to Aya Maruyama, and said softly with a warm smile, "From now on, it's up to you, Aya."

Maruyama Aya took the microphone, feeling the lingering warmth of Kasumi's hand, and a surge of excitement and strength welled up inside her. She looked up to meet Kasumi's confident gaze and nodded firmly, "Yes!"

Chisato, Maya, Hina, and Eve all gathered around her. Maruyama Aya took a deep breath, gripped the microphone, and slowly walked onto the stage.

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As soon as the five members of Pastel*Palettes stepped onto the stage, a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted in the Budokan, surging towards the stage like a tidal wave, instantly raising the atmosphere to a fever pitch.

The audience raised their glow sticks, and the five members' support colors danced in the darkness, twinkling like a galaxy, densely filling the entire audience area.

The excited shouts and waving glow sticks made the entire martial arts hall boil with excitement for them.

Maruyama Aya stood in the center of the stage, a hint of excitement on her face. Her gaze swept over the fans below, and a warm feeling welled up in her heart. Looking at the countless figures cheering for them, she pursed her lips, trying to suppress her nervousness, and gave the audience a warm smile.

Beside her, Chisato slightly raised her head, surveying the entire venue with undisguised satisfaction and confidence in her eyes. Hina, as always, flashed a bright smile, gently waving in response to the audience's enthusiasm. Maya appeared somewhat shy, nodding slightly to the audience, while Eve wore her signature gentle smile.

Standing in the center of the stage, Aya Maruyama looked around. Before her was a sea of ​​glow sticks, their colorful lights converging into a warm current that flowed to every corner of the stage.

The enthusiastic cheers from the audience rose and fell, turning into a rolling wave of sound that impacted her heart.

However, my heart, which had been pounding wildly, gradually calmed down at that moment, bringing an unexpected sense of peace.

"Strange..." She took a deep breath, gripped the microphone tightly, and pondered silently, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I was so nervous backstage, my heart was pounding, but I'm calm on stage."

This sense of security comes not only from familiarity with the performance itself, but also from the unconditional support and trust of the audience.

Her gaze grew increasingly resolute. She raised the microphone and gave the audience a genuine smile.

“The cheers are so loud,” she said, her voice gentle and tinged with joy. “Everyone here today is here to cheer for Pastel*Palettes, right?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the audience's cheers rose even higher, surging in wave after wave like ocean waves.

Cai Cai felt the anticipation emanating from the audience, and her heart was enveloped in a warm and gentle light.

Those standard lines that she had practiced repeatedly in her mind, carefully written word by word by the agency, gradually blurred and dissipated in her heart.

At this moment, she only wanted to express her true feelings to every fan in the audience in the most authentic and direct way, instead of using deliberately crafted words.

"Today...Pastel*Palettes is able to stand here, on this Budokan stage, because of everyone's continued support."