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

Hinasaki sat by the window, gazing at the scenery rushing past outside, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

She couldn't resist taking out her phone, opening the contacts page, then hesitantly looked away.

Since returning from Mount Hikami, Yuuri and Fuka have vanished as if they've disappeared into thin air; there hasn't been a trace of them.

Her parents would always send her a message before leaving home to let her know where they were going, so she figured they hadn't left Tokyo yet. But they hadn't shown up for several days in a row, which made her a little worried.

"Really...didn't you promise to come see my performance?" Hinasaki rarely showed such a vulnerable expression like a child, and her voice carried a hint of grievance.

"Xiaoyue? What's wrong? What are you thinking about?" Shiina Riki, who was standing next to her, noticed her unusual behavior and gently touched her shoulder.

Hinasaki was slightly taken aback, then looked up and met Ritsuki's gaze. Those clear eyes seemed to be silently comforting her.

She forced a smile to hide her disappointment, shook her head and said, "It's nothing... I was just thinking about the performance later."

"It's okay... Our rehearsals have been so good, there definitely won't be any problems," Shiina Tatsuki comforted her.

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

The members of Mygo have just entered the Budokan's dressing room, put down their instruments and makeup cases, and are preparing to start applying makeup and changing clothes.

Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open, accompanied by footsteps, and a familiar voice rang out urgently.

"Little Moon!"

With a shout, Akihisa rushed towards Hinasaki without hesitation, his eyes filled with joy and excitement. Before she could react, he had already pounced on her, almost completely embracing her.

"Akihisa?!" Hinasaki was taken aback at first, then a surprised smile appeared on her face. "Why are you here?"

Akihisa smiled smugly and said with a proud look, "Hmph! I got the news from Aoi, you know, that you guys are going to perform at the Budokan today!"

“And it’s not just me,” Akihisa turned slightly and pointed behind her, “Everyone from Sigfelter is here!”

Following her gesture, Hinasaki saw several familiar faces standing at the door of the lounge—Takachiho Stella, Oga Mishiro, Kobato Ryoko, and Moriyasu Kuina.

"Everyone...is here."

"I just saw that everyone from Seisho came too, but I don't know where they are now," Akihisa Hai continued to comfort her.

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

At this moment, at the end of a corridor in the Budokan, seven girls dressed in different styles were staring at a conspicuous "toilet" sign.

They were speechless for a moment, looking at each other with a hint of embarrassment on their faces, like small animals that had just been cornered in a dead end.

Harumi Mana looked at Yuri Saki Aoi, who was leading the way, her brows furrowing slightly, and couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure this is the way?"

Yuri Saki was taken aback by the sudden question. She nervously took out her phone from her pocket, opened the map of the martial arts hall she had taken when she entered, and carefully compared the route with the map.

Her gaze darted back and forth between the map and the restroom sign in front of her, muttering to herself, "It should be... right?"

Xuejian Ying covered her head, took out her phone and made a call, "Let's find someone to lead the way."

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

"Then we'll head to the audience seats first. We'll be watching your amazing performance later!" Akihisa Beach waved goodbye with a smile at the entrance of the dressing room, and the Mygo members responded in kind. Just as Akihisa turned around, her gaze was drawn to the group coming towards her—Momoko Kurosawa was leading a group of familiar figures toward them.

"Xiaoyue!" Yurisaki Aoi raised her arm and waved enthusiastically, her face full of excited smiles. "I heard that you and Momoko were performing today, so I invited everyone from Seisho!"

"It would have been better if we hadn't taken so long to get lost on the road," Harumi Mana interjected helplessly, her tone full of teasing, clearly still not satisfied with the "getting lost incident" that had just occurred.

Upon hearing this, Hinasaki Tsuki couldn't help but gently rub her forehead, looking at Yurisaki Aoi with a hint of helplessness: "Aoi, you guys got lost again?"

"Haha...it's not my fault, this place is just too big!" Aoi laughed a little sheepishly, scratching the back of her head to try and ease the awkwardness, then added, "Luckily, I finally found you guys!"

Momoko Kurosawa, standing to the side, couldn't help but interject. She raised an eyebrow slightly, pointed at herself, and said with a look of dissatisfaction, "Isn't this...my achievement?" She raised her head slightly, her tone revealing a hint of amusement.

Hearing Momo's words, Aoi blinked, gave an awkward smile, and secretly glanced at Momo: "Hmm... indeed, if it weren't for Momo, we might still be wandering around the hall."

"Who's going to go first?" Yukimi Sakura asked curiously, her gaze sweeping over Hinasaki and Momoko.

Hinasaki smiled and patiently explained, "The first ones are Morfonica-senpai, Mygo is the second, and then Momoko's Ave Mujica is the third."

"We'll cheer you on later!" Aoi smiled expectantly, suddenly pulling out two glow sticks from behind her back and waving them excitedly. The flashing light of the glow sticks made her look even more energetic. "I really did a lot of research on idol support culture for this day!"

"Alright, alright, you all shouldn't crowd here anymore," Xuejian Ying interrupted their discussion with a smile, reaching out to push everyone towards the audience seats, her eyes filled with a mixture of doting and helplessness, "Xiaoyue hasn't even had time to change her clothes yet, if we stay any longer, Xiaoyue will be too late."

"Then let's go wait in the stands!" Aoi waved to Hinasaki and Momoko, her face full of anticipation and her eyes brimming with barely concealed excitement. "Don't let us down later! Good luck!"

Hinasaki smiled confidently and nodded gently, saying, "Don't worry! I'll definitely give you the best performance!"

After she finished speaking, she looked at Peach and met her bright and determined gaze.

Seeing this, Momo smiled slightly, gave Hinasaki a thumbs-up, and said in a playful and encouraging tone, "Then I'll go prepare too, and I'll be watching your performance backstage later!"

BangDream: Chapter Twelve - Full Speed ​​Back

"Mmm~ Delicious~" Hinasaki stood in the snack area backstage, taking a small bite of the special bread from Yamabuki Bakery that had just been delivered. The delicate texture spread in her mouth, and she couldn't help but show a satisfied smile.

According to rumors, Yamabuki Bakery has become a food supplier for various performances, largely due to the close relationship between Saya Yamabuki and Kasumi Toyama.

It is understood that as long as you can build a good relationship with Kasumi Toyama, you can successfully leave an impression in various livehouses, thereby opening up promotional channels and making it easier to promote your own products.

However, Hinasaki Tsuki felt that these rumors seemed somewhat unreliable, after all...

She looked up and glanced at Yoro Nai not far away. Yoro Nai was happily biting into another piece of matcha bread, enjoying her meal immensely.

Their band actually has a second-generation LiveHouse Association, or more accurately, a third-generation one.

"What should I do... I'm so nervous!" A trembling voice came from a corner backstage, tinged with unease and a slight sob.

Hinasaki looked in the direction of the sound and her gaze fell on a small figure curled up in a ball—a white fur ball hugging its knees, almost burying itself in its arms.

After careful observation, Hinasaki finally recognized the other person by his distinctive white hair as Morfonica's lead singer, Kurata Mashiro.

They had met a few times before, at the Moon Forest and during the last joint live performance, and Hinasaki Tsuki and Inoue had some impression of each other.

"Mashiro-senpai... are you alright?" Hinasaki Tsuki slowly approached, squatted down, and asked.

Kurata Mashiro, who was huddled in the corner, trembled slightly and looked up at the sound. Her eyes were somewhat dazed, and her face was slightly pale, as if she was trying her best to hide her inner tension.

Seeing Hinasaki so close, she blinked, seemingly snapping out of her daze. Remembering that she was her senior and needed to show her dignity, she forced a stiff smile and said, "N-nothing... It's just my first time at the Budokan, I'm a little nervous."

However, Hinasaki could see that Mashiro's smile was somewhat unnatural, and her hands were tightly wrapped around her knees, her fingertips almost white, as if she was trying to hold on to the last bit of courage.

Hinasaki sighed softly and said gently, "Mashiro-senpai, do you need me to call the rest of Morfonica over for you?"

Mashiro's shoulders trembled slightly, her lips pressed together as if she wanted to say something, but only a faint sound came out of her throat. The tension was like an invisible boulder pressing on her chest, making her unable to even find the courage to refuse.

She had only wanted to relieve her anxiety by herself here, but looking at the busy staff backstage, her tension grew stronger and stronger, like an undercurrent of tides that overwhelmed her wave after wave.

She felt like she was being suffocated by the pressure, and in the end, she could only quietly shrink into this inconspicuous corner, as if that would allow her to temporarily escape the invisible anxiety.

Mashiro gently bit her lower lip, her gaze shifting uncertainly. She lowered her head helplessly, her fingertips slightly clenching the hem of her clothes, silently acknowledging her fragility and weakness.

Finally, she took a soft breath, her voice barely audible: "Ugh... This is troublesome."

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

"Shiro! You're here!" Tsukushi Futaba's voice was filled with urgency and a hint of relief as she and Ruyu Yashio quickly followed Hinasaki to find Shiro's figure.

Seeing Mashiro curled up in a ball, Tsukushi's expression tightened. She almost immediately rushed over, kneeling down and gently placing a hand on Mashiro's shoulder, her voice filled with suppressed worry: "Mashiro-kun, are you alright? Are you okay?"

On the other side, Rui Yashio was slightly out of breath. She gathered her long hair, which was a little messy from running, and then gently squatted down. Her gentle eyes were filled with concern as she asked softly, "Mashiro-san, if you need anything... you can tell us. Don't bear it all alone."

Seeing her two familiar teammates in front of her, Mashiro finally broke down after suppressing her emotions for so long.

She lowered her head, her nose tingled, and her eyes quickly filled with tears.

Tears, like pearls from a broken string, slowly slid down from the corners of her eyes, silently landing on her slightly trembling hands.

"Ugh... I'm sorry, I'm really... really nervous..." Her voice was soft and indistinct, as if she was afraid of disturbing her companions, or as if she was burying herself deep in that anxiety.

Mashiro's shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and she wiped her eyes back and forth with the back of her hand, trying to stop the tears, but it seemed like she could never wipe them away.

Tears glistened between her eyelashes, reflecting her panic and unease. She tried to bite her lip, but the sobs she was trying to hold back were finally released under the comforting words of Tsukushi and Rui.

Tsukushi placed her hand on her back and patted it gently, while Rui held her hand tightly.

"Alright, Ryuna, let's go." Hinasaki looked at the three people in front of her, turned around and called out, but found that Ryuna was still enjoying her bread, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, as if she had watched a very interesting performance.

“Interesting women.” Renai licked her lips and said in a low voice, then followed closely behind Hinasaki, casually chewing the last bite of bread.

After walking a few steps, Hinasaki couldn't help but glance at Ryuna, suddenly recalling the scene she had seen earlier—the bread had been neatly stacked on the plate, but when she passed by just now, it was clearly half gone. As she walked, she asked suspiciously, "Ryuna, how many pieces of bread did you eat just now?"

“Six.” Le Nai answered casually, as if answering an ordinary question, with even a hint of pride in her eyes.

Hinasaki was taken aback by her words and looked at her in surprise: "Six? Rakuna, after eating all of these, are you planning to have dinner tonight?"

“I want to eat!” Lenai Cat nodded seriously and said, “Mom said that if I don’t eat on time, I won’t grow tall.”

Hinasaki stared at her focused expression and suddenly remembered the scene when she last met Rakuna's parents.

Hinasaki imagined the tall, elegant figures of Rakuna's parents in her mind, and then looked at Rakuna in front of her—who was looking up at her with her head slightly tilted back, still clutching the unfinished bread in her hand.

In comparison, Hinasaki suddenly realized that Rakuna's future might really be that she could become the tallest member of their band.

Thinking of the scene of combing Lena's hair this morning, she shifted her gaze away from Lena's little head. Suddenly, an interesting image popped into her mind: Lena in the future might have a tall figure like her parents, and if she wanted to comb her hair again, she would probably have to stand on tiptoe to reach her.

The thought made Hinasaki Tsuki shake her head and chuckle. Seeing her laugh, Rakuna tilted her head, puzzled. "Tsuki? What's so funny?"

Hinasaki raised her hand and gently patted her little head: "It's nothing, Rakuna. Keep eating well, maybe you'll grow taller than all of us in the future."

BangDream: Chapter Thirteen - Mygo's Performance

"I am still a butterfly in a cocoon"

外は见えないだけど (although you can’t see the outside world)

I started to feel it (but suddenly I had a premonition)

(There must be something waiting for me ahead)"

Hinasaki stood backstage with her arms crossed, quietly watching Morfonica playing on the screen. Her fingertips tapped lightly on her arm in time with the melody.

Kurata Mashiro's singing voice echoed in my ears, her clear voice reaching deep into my heart.

Her disheveled appearance backstage was still vivid in my mind, but now, standing on the stage, she seemed like a completely different person, surrounded by a dazzling light.

Hinasaki's lips curled up slightly, a smile of admiration and envy in her eyes, as she thought to herself, "Mashiro-senpai... you are truly dazzling on stage."

The most eye-catching person backstage was Ms. Oblivionis, who should perhaps now be called Ms. Toyokawa Shoko.

Xiangzi was wearing Ave Mujica's usual dark gothic performance costume, with a deep black eye mask placed to the side.