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

She was wiping away the tears streaming from the corners of her eyes with a tissue.

Hinasaki secretly observed Shoko from the side, a thought flashing through her mind: "I remember... Shoko is a fan of Morfonica, isn't she?"

Then she looked more closely at Kurata Mashiro-senpai on the stage, and then carefully recalled Kodama's face.

Comparing the two in her mind... Hinasaki suddenly noticed a subtle resemblance between Akari's delicate features and Mashiro's.

If she were to consider this aspect, she couldn't help but think of Yutenji Nyanmu from Ave Mujica. Nyanmu's delicate features also shared some similarities with Kodama.

Hinasaki couldn't help but give a strange smile, silently wondering, "Could it be that Shoko is actually... 'eating meal replacements'?"

Shiina Tatsuki came out of the dressing room and looked around. Finally, she found Hinasaki backstage and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her. "Xinasaki! You're here? Get ready, we're going on stage."

"Xiao hope!" Hinasaki suddenly turned around, placing her hands firmly on Riki's shoulders, her serious expression stunning Riki.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Li hope was a little confused by Xiao Yue's sudden action and frowned slightly.

"Please! Please keep an eye on the little lamp for me!" Hinasaki's voice was low and firm, then her gaze shifted slightly, lingering on a corner backstage. Following her gaze, Riki saw Toyokawa Shoko standing there quietly, her eyes still seemingly drawn to the dazzling Morfonica on stage, slightly lost in thought.

She still didn't know why Xiaoyue would say that, but since it was Xiaoyue who said it, it must be true.

Lixi nodded in agreement, "Mm."

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

The Morfonica members have left the stage, and Mygo's instruments have been placed on the stage.

The Mygo team is now ready on the lift platform below the stage.

The stage crew is making final checks.

There may only be one or two minutes left before they go on stage.

"I'm a little nervous..." Chihaya Aine clutched her heart. She didn't even need to touch it to know that her heart was beating very fast.

"Huh? You're about to go on stage..." Shiina Riki said to Aine, but in reality, her hands, which were gripping the drumsticks, were trembling slightly, and her palms were already sweaty.

“I never expected... that we would be able to perform at the Budokan so quickly…” Nagasaki Motoyo sighed. Mygo had gone through many ups and downs, and finally, they had come to this all-girl band… no, more accurately, the stage that all musicians in Japan were looking forward to.

Hinasaki smiled and looked around at everyone, her tone relaxed yet tinged with emotion: "In just a few months, we've accomplished something that many bands might never be able to do in their entire lives."

After hearing Xiaoyue's words, Gaosong raised his head, his eyes full of thought.

"Everyone... let's cheer each other on before we go on stage," Gao Songdeng suggested softly.

"Little Lamp?" Li hope raised an eyebrow, looking at Little Lamp with some surprise. "Then arrange them in a circular formation?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, and they quickly formed a circle, gently placing their palms together.

"A!" Their voices rang out in unison, powerful and resonant, echoing across the platform.

"A!" The second sound was even louder, and all the tension seemed to dissipate at that moment.

"O!" With the final shout, they all raised their hands high at the same time.

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

The six members of Mygo slowly rose from below the stage, and the spotlights illuminated their figures one by one on the stage.

As soon as they appeared, the audience erupted in cheers and shouts of support, like waves crashing in.

Yuri Saki, sitting in the front row, excitedly grabbed Yukimi Sakura's shoulder, shaking her back and forth: "They're here! They're here! Satsuki and the others have arrived!"

Yukimi Sakura tried helplessly to calm herself down, protesting softly with a half-smile, "Alright, alright, there's no need to be so agitated, I saw it too..."

Just then, another sudden shout pierced through the cheers of the audience: "Tsuki-chan! Love!!!" The voice was sweet and loud, coming from Ms. Akihisa by the sea.

Her shout instantly sparked even more support, with cheers rising in waves, seemingly engulfing the entire venue.

Right after Akihisa's voice, another shout came: "Tachiki-chan! Love!"

Shiina Tatsuki was still wondering why someone was calling out her name, even though it was normal for someone to say those things as a former idol.

Looking in the direction of the sound, she was surprised to find her older sister sitting in the front row, smiling and waving at her.

A blush instantly rose to Lixi's face. She quickened her pace and returned to her drum, focusing intently on the instrument, while the words "Lixi-chan" still echoed in her ears.

As Akihisa by the beach and Maki, Tachiki's older sister, shouted their support, the Mygo fans in the audience responded excitedly, seemingly letting go of their shyness and turning their emotions into enthusiastic cheers.

"Little Light, Love!!!" A fan held up a support sign.

"Thank you..." Xiaodeng responded to the fans' enthusiasm.

"Aine, Love!"

Upon hearing these shouts, Chihaya Aine enthusiastically made a heart shape with her hands towards the audience.

"Su Shi's mom, we love you!!!" Su Shi was slightly stunned, then rubbed her forehead.

Why am I the only one called that?

"Rakuna-chan is so cute!!!"

Lena didn't react much to the cheers from the audience, but simply asked Xiaodeng, "Live, aren't you going to start yet?"

Xiaoyue couldn't help but smile after hearing what Renai said, and everyone in Mygo, who had been extremely tense, relaxed.

"Since Lena is so eager to start, let's begin the performance!"

After hearing Xiaoyue's words, Gao Songdeng nodded and walked to the microphone. "Please listen to... 'The Cry of the Lost Star'."

BangDream: Chapter Fourteen - Ave Mujica's Performance

Backstage at the Budokan, the stage lights illuminated Mygo's performance with dazzling intensity. Takamatsu Akira's clear voice pierced the air, conveying "Myokai Sho" to the audience below the stage, causing the Budokan below the stage to erupt in cheers like a tidal wave.

Meanwhile, Toyokawa Shoko, standing backstage, seemed to be immersed in another kind of silence, her gaze drifting into the distance, filled with deep memories.

At that moment, Momoko Kurosawa quietly walked to her side, observing Shoko's slightly reddened eyes, her smile carrying a hint of inquiry and scrutiny. "Isn't it inappropriate to cry here at this time?" Momoko gently handed over a tissue and said softly.

Xiangzi didn't answer, but simply took the tissue and lowered his head to wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes.

Taozi slowly raised her hand, her slender fingers pausing slightly in the air before gently touching Xiangzi's cheek.

Her fingertips gently glided over Xiangzi's slightly flushed skin, the touch delicate and soft, as if she were carefully sensing all of Xiangzi's emotions at that moment.

Xiangzi's lowered eyes trembled slightly, and his breath seemed to freeze for a moment.

She didn't move, as if she were frozen in place by some invisible force, but her lips unconsciously tightened slightly.

Peach's hand gently slid along her cheek until it stopped lightly at her chin, her fingertips applying a subtle pressure, carrying a sense of dominance, as if testing her bottom line.

"It was supposed to be a doll without feelings..." Momo's voice was low and soft, like a seductive whisper in Xiangzi's ear, carrying a hint of mockery.

Taozi slowly picked up the dark and exquisite mask that Xiangzi had taken off, her fingers gently stroking the edge of the mask.

"Do dolls can actually cry?"

"Or perhaps..." Peach closed the distance further.

“Oblivionis…” Momo put the mask on her face, concealing her expression, but her eyes, though sharp as knives, remained visible. “You have betrayed us and become human?”

Xiangzi looked up and his gaze met Taozi's deep eyes.

A subtle, complex emotion flickered in her eyes, as if all her thoughts were floating and sinking within them in an instant.

However, in an instant, her expression returned to calm, as if Peach's sarcasm had not stirred any ripples in her heart.

“Solitudinis…go back and prepare for the ‘doll’ ball, it’ll be our turn soon.” Her voice was low and steady, with a hint of cool restraint in her words.

As soon as she finished speaking, she slowly reached out and gently slid her hand along Peach's face. Her fingertips hovered lightly over Peach's face, her movements slow and careful. Her fingertips touched the edge of the mask and then she gradually removed it.

Xiangzi gently held the mask in his hand, his fingertips still resting on Taozi's cheek, the touch gentle yet distant, carrying a hint of warning.

Her voice was low and soft, like a whisper, yet it revealed an irresistible calmness: "As a doll, you can't steal parts from your companions, otherwise you won't be able to become human."

After speaking, Xiangzi raised her hand and slowly pressed the mask against her face. The black lace covered her eyes, and the soft patterns clung to her skin, concealing her unfathomable emotions.

As the mask was in place, her expression returned to its impeccable calm, as if all complex emotions were buried beneath the mask, revealing only her nose and slightly pursed lips.

Looking at Oblivionis in front of him, Solitudinis slowly smiled, took out his mask from his pocket, and slowly raised it to his face.

The mask adhered to her face, and then, unhurriedly, she lifted the two non-existent hems of her skirt, raised her hands slightly, and gracefully performed a skirt-lifting gesture.

“Yes, doll Oblivionis,” Solitudinis said softly.

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

Mygo's performance had just ended, and the audience below the stage erupted in cheers.

After the performance, the Mygo members did not rush back to the backstage, but instead took the opportunity to go to the audience to be with their friends.

"Xiaoyue! Your performance was absolutely amazing!" Akihisa by the sea practically pounced on Hinasaki, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, his eyes sparkling with excitement. Akihisa's strength almost made Hinasaki stumble, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Akihisa! You're going to knock me over like that."

Shiina Riki, standing to the side, frowned slightly, a strange emotion flickering in her eyes. Her gaze unconsciously lingered on the hands wrapped around Kozuki's shoulders, a hint of displeasure in her eyes.

"Alright... Akihisa, hurry up and get down." Kuina lifted Akihisa down from Kozuki's body.

The stage crew was busy setting up, and the lights began to flicker slightly, preparing for the next band to take the stage.

"Next up is Xiangzi and the others' performance, right?" A hint of anticipation flashed in Xiaodeng's eyes.

Hinasaki looked at the progress of the stage setup and nodded slightly: "Yes, in order, next is Ave Mujica, and then the Thornless Band."

Xiao Deng tilted her head slightly, her eyes revealing a hint of curiosity: "What will Xiao Xiang's band be like?"

"Hmm..." Hinasaki slowly narrowed her eyes, a faint, uncertain smile appearing on her lips, but her brows were furrowed.

A doubt flashed through her mind – after all, today was Bang Dream's competition, would Xiangzi and the others really not suddenly add a "stage play" before the performance?

Before long, the stage lights came on, and the discussion among the audience below the stage gradually subsided.

The six people of Ave Mujica gradually emerged from the shadows.

They were dressed in jet-black gothic costumes, with intricate decorations and delicate lace masks that added a touch of mystery under the lights, their cold and glamorous aura seemingly blending into the darkness.

Chu Hua strode to the center of the stage, through the layers of light and shadow, and stopped in front of the microphone. She made no unnecessary movements, simply stood still, took a deep breath, and then spoke with a faint smile, her tone firm and decisive:

"We are—Ave Mujica."

"If it were our usual performance style, we would be putting on a stage play for everyone now, but since this is a BangDream competition, it's not really appropriate to start a masquerade ball with puppets."

After delivering a concise and to-the-point opening, Hatsuka scanned the audience and then announced, "So... please listen to 'Kami-sama, Baka'."

As soon as she finished speaking, the stage lights suddenly dimmed, leaving only a few faint beams of cold light shining down from above, illuminating their black outfits and creating a mysterious and chilling aura.