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

"Why is it so slow?" Peach complained.

"I can't help it, I just finished showering and you came, you have to give me time to get dressed," Yue said, pointing to the pajamas she was wearing.

"Does Tsuki-chan still get shy? Didn't we already see that in the hot spring?"

"Snapped."

Yue slapped Taozi's head mercilessly with a chop, coldly saying to her, "Speak properly, don't make lewd jokes."

Peach clutched her head, her face full of grievance as she told Yue about her discomfort. "It hurts so much!"

"Don't pretend, I didn't use any force at all."

"What brings you here tonight?" Yue asked, leading Taozi into the living room.

"Of course, it's because I heard yesterday that you were forming a band, Yue-chan. I wanted to hear you play beforehand and also learn more about the band," Momoko said.

"If you came here hoping to hear me perform, then I'm sorry, I don't have any music for you. You'd better head home now, Peach, to avoid being checked by the dorm supervisor tonight." Yue's tone was very formal as she gave Peach the order to leave.

"Moon-chan, you're so heartless! I finally managed to take time off to come and listen to your performance, and you're just sending me back like this? Is that really okay?" Momoko said to Moon, pretending to be teary-eyed.

"You took leave again? What do you mean by 'it was so hard to get leave'? You've taken leave at least three times in the last two months to come here. I'm curious what excuses you used to get the dorm supervisor to approve them one after another. It was so difficult for me to ask her for leave in the first place," Yue complained ruthlessly.

She recalled that her dormitory supervisor had been very strict in reviewing applications, and it was impossible to get a leave application approved without a formal reason. However, Taozi in front of her easily got leave approved several times in a row.

Peach tilted her head. "Is this difficult? I just said my family missed me and wanted me to go back home for one night, and then I asked my dad to call the teacher, and that was it."

Yue had initially thought it was some kind of mysterious way to ask for leave, but it turned out that her parents were covering for her.

When Yue heard how Taozi asked for leave, she wasn't surprised. She used to write her own leave slips, which was nothing compared to Taozi asking her parents to cover for her.

"Are your parents really so comfortable helping you deceive your teacher and then letting you come live with me? Aren't they afraid I'll trick you into bed?" Yue was speechless at Taozi's parents' obliviousness.

A barely perceptible glint flashed in Peach's eyes, but it was quickly concealed.

"Moon-chan, I considered you a good friend, but you wanted to sleep with me. It hurts me so much! *sobs*"

Peach pretended to be a little girl who had been deceived by bad guys, sitting pitifully on the sofa. She even said the word "sob" very directly to express her state, afraid that Yue wouldn't understand.

Yue seemed somewhat disgusted by Momoko's very straightforward acting, and her tone couldn't help but carry a hint of disdain.

"Stop pretending, I'm not a lesbian! I have absolutely no interest in you. What I mean is, Uncle Kurosawa isn't worried that you'll use coming to my place as an excuse to go to someone else's house."

When Peach heard Yue's words, a look of disappointment flashed across her eyes as she lowered her head, but it was hidden by her bangs and Yue did not notice.

"Don't worry, my dad knows me very well, and every time I come to your house I take a picture with him to let him know I'm safe. Come on, let's take a picture together." After saying this, Taozi took out her phone and beckoned Yue to come closer.

Seeing Taozi's behavior, Yue didn't know what to say, so she could only silently walk over to her side and cooperate with her to pose for a photo.

Peach excitedly raised her phone, gripped it tightly with both hands, held it steadily in front of her chest, tilted her head slightly, revealed a bright smile, her eyes full of vitality, and leaned her body slightly to one side, showing off her beautiful profile.

Yue stood beside Momoko, tilting her head slightly to look in Momoko's direction, her expression calm and natural. One hand rested lightly on Momoko's shoulder, a relaxed and natural gesture, as if it were a habitual action.

"OK, automatic beautification done, send!" Peach sent the edited photo to her father to let him know she was safe.

"So you really came here today just to hear me play the piano?" Yue asked Momoko again, asking about her purpose for coming today.

"Of course, it can't be that I'm after your beauty, Yue-chan, can it?" Momoko said.

Yue looked Momo up and down. She had already made it clear during the revue at Tokyo Tower that she would not be returning to Seisho. So why did Momo come to her house every few days?

Peach looked at Yue, who was sizing her up and down, and tilted her head curiously.

"what happened?"

After thinking for a long time, Yue still couldn't find an answer. She looked away, opened the keyboard bag leaning against the wall, and took out the instrument she had just bought.

"...It's nothing. Since you've come all this way, Peach, I'll play a piece for you."

"What are you planning to play, Yue-chan? I want to hear your band's songs!"

A few question marks appeared on the moon's head, and a hint of helplessness showed in its eyes. "Didn't I tell you that I just joined the band? How can I have my own original songs so quickly?"

When Momoko learned that Yue and the others didn't have any original songs of their own, she looked a little disappointed.

"Huh? I thought with Yue's talent, she should be able to write it quickly."

She explained to Taozi's question.

"Do you think I'm some kind of god? I'm not good at writing lyrics at all. There are other people in our band who write lyrics."

Peach thought that her hopes of hearing Yue play a new piece today had been dashed. As for the other pieces, she had heard Yue play them before, so she might as well take the opportunity to gather some information about the band.

Thinking of this, Peach said, "Since there are no original songs, Yue, why don't you introduce the other members of the band to me?"

"The others..." Yue touched her chin with her finger, her brows furrowed slightly, and she began to think about how to introduce them to Momo.

"You should have met Deng and Lixi from Peach last time. It seems that Deng is the lead singer and Lixi is the drummer."

"What do you mean by 'at least now'? Your band didn't even have a division of labor when it was formed, okay?" Peach noticed the oddity in Yue's words.

Yue explained, "That's because our current guitarist, the British transfer student you mentioned last time who knows the upperclassmen, her name is Chihaya Aine, and she has always wanted to be a guitarist and vocalist."

Peach suddenly felt that the band Moon seemed a bit unreliable. Putting aside Moon, who had given up being the lead singer, there were actually two other people in the band who wanted to be the lead singer.

"I'm suddenly having some doubts about your band... What about your bassist? You haven't found him yet, have you?"

Peach's suspicions were not unfounded. After all, according to statistics, bassists are the most scarce skill in girl bands. She had even heard of mercenary bassists who played in more than 30 bands at the same time.

It's said that some small bands, due to having too many guitarists, have even resorted to a "Lakshield ritual," where the guitarist who loses a solo has to learn bass and become the band's bassist.

Many girls who couldn't accept this decided to leave the band. It can be said that, according to incomplete statistics, 60% of bassists were the key factor leading to the end of the band.

When Momo brought up the topic of bassists, Yue's head, which had been relaxing, started to throb again.

"No, that's not true. Our band was originally proposed by the bassist, but the problems she brought were more serious than not being able to find a bassist."

"What's the problem? Is she some rich girl who brought her own investment to the production team and wants to be the team leader?"

Peach's mind was filled with various plots from online light novels: the grudges and entanglements between the main characters, the powerful individuals and those who got in through connections—all sorts of exciting stories were bound to intertwine.

Her mind was filled with imagined scenarios, and a look of anticipation and curiosity appeared on her face, as if she were looking forward to a surprising storyline.

Every time Yue hears Momoko's creative ideas, she can't help but wonder if Momoko's thought process is different from that of ordinary people, and whether her strength in audition is also due to this.

“She is indeed a young lady from a wealthy family, but she can’t be considered to have joined the crew with her own investment. Su Shi’s main problem is that I can’t figure out her true intentions.”

Peach asked doubtfully, "What's the real intention? What other intention could there be besides wanting to become famous and for the sake of music when forming a band?"

Momoko's doubts made Yue feel a little helpless. She thought for a moment and then explained softly, "Besides fame and musicality, there are many other real intentions, such as finding common interests, realizing personal dreams, building friendships and team spirit, etc."

Peach nodded thoughtfully and continued to ask, "Then what was Su Shi's purpose in telling you about her?"

Yue said, "I think she wants to be resurrected; she wants to rebuild her old band."

Peach was a little confused when she heard the word. She couldn't imagine how the band could be associated with the phrase "reincarnation".

"Wait, wait... tell me the whole story, I don't understand just by saying it like this."

Yue briefly summarized the cause and effect, as well as the information she obtained from Xiangzi, and gave Taozi a simple retelling.

Peach looked incredulous after hearing this.

"So... that bassist named Nagasaki Motoyo, because the Light Band disbanded and he couldn't contact the key members of the former band, gathered you guys who have connections with Ms. Toyokawa Shoko together, planning to use you to get in touch with Shoko and eventually invite her back?"

She simply couldn't understand how the other person could be so confident that once they formed a band, they would come back, since they weren't even planning to contact her and had unilaterally cut off all ties. Or was it that her band's performances, like Giraffe's audition, could actually grant wishes?

"There's a reason why the bassist ended the band..."

Now, Peach has less and less confidence in Yue, this nameless band. Not to mention that she just learned that among the other members of the band, the drummer is only in it for the lead singer, the guitarist is in it for fame, Yue is in it purely out of a sense of responsibility to keep an eye on Su Shi, and the lead singer is the only one who wants to be in a band for life, but he lacks initiative.

Peach thinks it wouldn't be surprising if this band, which has absolutely no sense of team spirit, suddenly disbanded at any time.

When the Stage Opens: Chapter Eleven - The Nameless Band's First Meeting

"So, why did you insist on coming, Peach?" Yue stood on the school tram, carrying her newly bought electronic keyboard, holding the handrail with one hand and typing rapidly on her phone with the other, sending a message to Peach.

"Because I'm very interested in Yue-chan's band. I've seen several normal bands, but this is the first time I've seen a band like Yue-chan's. I think we could consider turning it into a stage play; I feel it would be very exciting."

Peach had just finished her morning exercise and was replying to Yue's messages during a break from eating breakfast.

After seeing Taozi's message, Yue analyzed it based on her knowledge of scripts, but couldn't think of anything worth bringing to the stage for the band's revival.

"Would this be interesting as a stage play? A beautiful high school girl plotting to revive her band? Is this really suitable for the stage?"

Momoko put the sandwich her roommate Yurisaki Aoi made for her into her mouth.

The golden, crispy bread slices melt gently on the tongue, releasing a subtle, caramelized aroma that seems to dance in the mouth.

As you take a bite of the peach, the rich, crunchy vegetables and tender ham blend together, releasing a delightful aroma.

Peach even took a picture of the sandwich in front of her and sent it to Yue, which was quite a wicked joke.

"I have a feeling that Tsuki-chan's band will definitely have an even more unexpected future, after all, this is the stage that Giraffe has his eye on. By the way, Tsuki-chan should be on her way to school right now, right? Have you had breakfast yet? Want to see the sandwiches that Aoi-nee made?"

Looking at the sandwich that still made her hungry even through the phone screen, Yue wished she could immediately go find Taozi and have a revue match to show her why the flowers were so red.

However, Yue wasn't without a countermeasure: "Next time you come to my house, I won't cook for you."

"I was wrong!" Following Peach's apology message came an apology emoji from Mr. Bai.

--------

When Yue arrived at class, she happened to see Ai Yin walking up behind her with her guitar on her back.

"Good morning, Yue! Don't miss the band meeting this afternoon!"

"And Little Lamp too, you have to come to the band meeting this afternoon."

Aiyin had already informed them via phone yesterday, but she still mentioned it in class today. This was probably partly to remind them again, but more importantly, it was likely to let others know that they were forming a band.

Yue glanced at the classmates who were close to Aine. They were all quite shocked to hear that Aine, Tamamo, and Yue had formed a band, and they all stood up from their seats.

Actually, they didn't know that it was Ai Yin's friend. After hearing that Deng was forming a band, the other classmates all gathered around.

"Hey, Xiaodeng, are you guys forming a band?"

"I thought Xiaodeng wasn't interested in forming a band."

"Is Yue-chan not participating in the performances of the martial arts drama club because she wants to form a band with Xiao-deng?"

"Is Tsuki-chan the lead vocalist? I really liked all the songs you sang when you were in Sweet Pleas, it's a pity you didn't release any new songs. Now that you've formed a band, I hope we'll be able to hear new songs from you, Tsuki-chan!"

Things took an unexpected turn. Even though she was the one who brought up the fact that they were forming a band, the classmates all gathered around Takamatsu Akari and Hinasaki Tsuki.

"Huh? What about me?"