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

After school, Yue arrived at the coffee shop she had arranged with Xiangzi. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, reflecting on the exquisite tabletop, like a golden ocean.

If this were a novel, there should be a lady sitting here, holding a cup of coffee, quietly savoring its aroma, intently reading the book in her hands, waiting for the arrival of someone special, as if a happy scene is about to unfold.

Such scenes often appear in novels, where an elegant lady and a handsome man meet in such an environment and create a romantic story.

Yue didn't like this scene, which was exactly the same as in the novel.

Sunlight streamed through the window and shone directly onto where she was sitting. The glare from her phone screen made it almost impossible for her to see anything, so she had to turn the brightness up to the maximum to resist the sun's assault.

Moreover, she wasn't waiting for a male protagonist, but rather a girl of the same grade who was younger than her, and there was no romantic love story between them.

As for why she didn't sit anywhere else, perhaps it's because it's not far from the school, and her classmates like to gather there.

Moreover, the elegant environment and pleasant atmosphere attracted many students from other schools to gather here. When Yue arrived, the café was already full.

"Sorry for the long wait, this is the first release by Ling@M//e^*n~g_".

The voice of "the male protagonist of the novel"—Xiangzi—rang out in the coffee shop. Yue looked up and was surprised to find that the other person was wearing the same clothes as in the convenience store, except that he was wearing a black veil-style mask.

A thin veil mask concealed the upper half of her face, revealing only her bright eyes and slightly parted lips. This unusual attire attracted curious glances and whispers in the café.

Yue suppressed her laughter, imagining the various speculations that Xiangzi's outfit might trigger. Her voice was slightly teasing: "Toyokawa-kun, what's with that mask of yours?"

Although Xiangzi had performed on stage before and was used to being watched in public, a blush involuntarily rose on her fair face as she listened to the chatter of others in the coffee shop and felt the curious and speculative gazes directed at her.

She gently adjusted her mask, her soft fingertips gliding across the black veil, a hint of shyness in her movements.

"This mask is to conceal my identity. What's wrong... is it strange?"

Xiangzi's voice was soft but slightly trembling, revealing her inner unease. She tried to remain calm, but could not hide the shyness in her heart.

Yue suppressed the urge to complain, covering her mouth but keeping her lips tightly pressed together, trying her best not to let her smile show.

"Toyokawa-kun, if you're going to disguise yourself, shouldn't you change your clothes a bit, and maybe even change your hairstyle?"

Xiangzi was silent for a moment, then raised his hand to tidy his hair. "I think I probably won't have time to change my clothes, and I don't even know what would be appropriate to wear. As for my hairstyle..."

She pondered, "Perhaps I can give it a try."

Xiangzi frowned. On the one hand, time was indeed a bit tight, and she really couldn't find suitable disguise clothes.

On the other hand, she carefully examined her clothes and sighed inwardly, because she was not financially well-off enough to buy new clothes recently.

Her clothes were a little worn, but fortunately there wasn't a big problem overall. However, it would still be difficult for her to hide from Nagasaki Motoyo.

She knew in her heart that hiding her identity from Su Shi was not easy, after all, the two of them had been friends in the same band, and she was wearing the same clothes on the day she left the band.

Su Shi should have already been very familiar with Xiangzi's appearance and style.

Fortunately, based on her understanding, Su Shi would most likely be preparing for the subsequent brass band performance, and as long as she left immediately after watching Morfonica's live performance, she wouldn't be noticed by the other party.

She made up her mind to leave the scene quickly after the performance to avoid unnecessary interaction with Su Shi.

However, if she were unfortunately discovered by Su Shi, the mask on her face would become her only cover.

While it cannot completely conceal her identity, it can at least serve to confuse people to some extent.

Xiangzi thought to herself that if she were really discovered, the mask might buy her some time, allowing her to leave the scene as soon as possible and avoid unnecessary embarrassment and trouble.

"Does Toyokawa-kun need any help? I'm fairly confident in my ability to fix my hair," Yue said.

Before Xiangzi could answer, Yue walked behind her, gently patted Xiangzi's shoulders, and gestured for her to sit down.

Yue's fingertips gently traced Xiangzi's hair, deftly untying the ribbons on her blue twin ponytails. Soft, light blue hair flowed down her fingers, as light and graceful as a stream of clear water.

With slender fingers, she skillfully gathered most of Xiangzi's hair behind his head, gently tied it into a high ponytail with a hairband.

Yue meticulously processed every strand of Xiangzi's hair, cleverly placing the remaining strands on either side of Xiangzi's cheeks.

Next, she took out her small makeup box and skillfully applied light makeup to Xiangzi's face. With her exquisite technique, she lightly applied makeup to Xiangzi's face and lightly painted his lips, giving Xiangzi a beautiful and heroic look.

Yue took out a small mirror that she always carried with her and handed it to Xiangzi.

"Look, what do you think? I based your design on a character from a game I've been playing recently."

Xiangzi gazed at himself in the mirror, at the delicate girl with high pigtails and a mask. Blue strands of hair cascaded down her cheeks, while the mask added to her mystery. The black mesh of the mask gently covered her face, exuding a mysterious and noble aura.

Xiangzi never expected that Yue's effortless movements would completely change her image and temperament, transforming her from a masked, immature girl into someone resembling a phantom thief.

"Hinasaki's skills are amazing. I don't think I need to worry about being recognized because of my demeanor. Is Hinasaki really good at makeup?"

Xiangzi exclaimed in admiration, while also wondering why Hinasaki possessed such superb skills.

"I just learned it from a friend, and I'm nowhere near as good as her. My friend was known as the 'Different Monster' at her previous school."

"Oh, right, keep this safe. It must be very precious to Xiangzi." Yue gently placed Xiangzi's old hairband in her palm.

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Reference image of Xiangzi's hairstyle in this chapter.

Please use the reference image of Xiangzi in this chapter to Photoshop the white hair to blue.

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I'd like to recommend a book written by a well-known figure in the Girls' Generation fandom.

I Became an Evil Spirit Investigator After Raising an Evil God

Five years ago, an attack by an evil spirit left Ai Cheng Hua Ren severely injured. On the verge of death, she made a contract with the juvenile form of an evil god, surviving as the evil god's caretaker.

In order to raise the evil god, she became a private evil spirit investigator, taking on commissions to eliminate evil spirits.

"This female investigator asked for very little pay, but her request was also strange; she was only willing to eliminate those enormous evil spirits." (Good review)

"The investigator was efficient and effective, but after she left, there were always some dark blue, gelatinous substances on the ground, writhing like snakes. Perhaps it was the blood of an evil spirit." (Positive review)

"Other investigators would need several days to clean up the corpses of the evil spirits. But after this investigator completed the assignment, all the evil spirits vanished like thin air—he was practically a cleaner for evil spirits!" (Thumbs up)

Before the stage opening: Chapter Eleven - Toyokawa-kun is such a tsundere!

Tsukimori Girls' Academy is a prestigious school with a century-long history. The students there are either rich heiresses or top talents who have won awards in major competitions. It attracts envious glances from students of other schools.

Yue stood quietly at the entrance of the Moon Forest, enveloped by the solemn buildings and rich historical atmosphere, her light shining brightly, proclaiming the dignity and glory of this academy.

However, Yue's face didn't show much expression. This wasn't the first time she'd faced such a campus; her previous school, Seisho Music Academy, also had a history of over a hundred years.

Perhaps for this reason, she has become somewhat immune to the solemn atmosphere of prestigious universities. For her, this history and tradition may just be a symbol behind the school, while what is truly worth cherishing are the various experiences that take place here.

In stark contrast to Yue is Xiangzi, who exudes a complex emotion. Although her face is mostly covered by a black veil mask, one can sense the turmoil in her heart through her amber eyes beneath the mask.

Perhaps it was a surge of thoughts, or perhaps it was lingering memories, but those eyes seemed to be peering into the world of the past, carrying a hint of melancholy.

——————Xiangzi-chan's Memories——————

At last year's Tsuki no Mori Music Festival, Xiangzi was still studying at Tsuki no Mori Junior High School. At that time, she stood in the crowd, quietly listening to the introductions of the Morfonica seniors on stage.

Before that, Xiangzi had only heard that someone in Tsukimori was forming a band, but she hadn't paid much attention to it. However, when Morfonica's seniors started performing, she was deeply attracted.

As the notes of "Golden Heroes Prelude" played, Xiangzi's heart seemed to rise and fall with them, and her eyes revealed a hint of amazement and admiration.

What she saw on stage was not just a performance, but a profound expression of emotion. Xiangzi stood in the center of the audience, her eyes fixed on the performance on stage, as if she were captivated.

The musical notes danced and leaped, and the stage lights changed constantly in sync with the melody of the music, projecting a dazzling array of colors that illuminated the entire stage.

She could feel the power contained in Morfonica's music; the warm and touching emotions seemed to seep into her soul. She saw Morfonica's predecessors shining brightly.

Witnessing her predecessors shine, Toyokawa Shoko made her decision.

She decided to use her music to convey the same emotions, and she came up with the idea of ​​forming a band to express her understanding of the world and her feelings.

This decision became the origin of the band Crychic, and the starting point for everything.

After the band's performance, Xiangzi excitedly went to find Su Shi.

On the bridge, Xiangzi accidentally met Deng, a girl who was not good at communicating but had a gentle heart.

Through a misunderstanding, Deng became a member of the band Crychic. Her songwriting ability and heartfelt singing talent became the hallmarks of Crychic.

Then she asked Maki-senpai to find Riki, and together with her childhood friend Wakaba Mutsu, the five of them came together because of Shoko and formed their community of destiny—Crychic.

The memories of the past were always so vivid, and Xiangzi no longer wanted to think about them.

The moments of forming the Crychic band, their practice sessions, their passionate performances on stage, and the mutual support and encouragement among friends—all those beautiful times seemed to float before my eyes one by one. In the end, all those beautiful moments were shattered by an illegible text message on my phone.

Xiangzi returned to reality.

Xiangzi was still wearing that old dress, the fabric was slightly worn and the color was faded, but she still wore it, the touch of the mask on her face constantly reminding her that this was reality.

The students in their Tsukimori school uniforms standing around made Shoko feel particularly out of place. They were chatting happily, dreaming about their bright future. Shoko was immersed in this familiar yet strange environment, and she had to tell herself that she had returned to reality.

Xiangzi looked at the moon, his eyes revealing a hint of determination and resolve.

“Let’s go… let’s go straight to the stage.” Her tone was calm and firm, as if she had already made up her mind and was unwilling to delay any longer.

Upon hearing Xiangzi's words, Yue's expression faltered slightly, a hint of doubt and confusion flashing in her eyes. "Aren't you going for a walk?"

Xiangzi sighed softly, revealing a hint of helplessness and exhaustion.

"There's nothing to reminisce about, and I don't want to run into my old classmates; it would be too much trouble."

Her words carried a hint of bitterness and regret, as if she were recounting a past she didn't want to recall.

She took a step forward, holding the invitation Yue had given her in her hand, and easily passed the gatekeeper. The mask on her face kept her expression calm, but when she actually entered the Moon Forest and saw the familiar campus environment, a trace of nostalgia couldn't help but flash in her eyes.

"Really..."

Yue looked at Xiangzi. She was clearly recalling the past, but she stubbornly refused to let others know.

『Toyokawa-kun's Unexpected II & I _Ling e9 ball * Strangely z8's Tsundere~』

"Oblivionis, wait for me! I don't know the way!"

Watching Xiangzi walk further and further away, Yue realized that she was completely unfamiliar with Yuezhi Forest. She abandoned her wild thoughts and hurriedly chased after him, praying that she could keep up with Xiangzi's pace and not get lost in the unfamiliar campus.

At the school gate, a girl with long brown hair stood amidst the bustling crowd of parents, anxiously looking around, but she didn't see the person she was looking forward to. A hint of disappointment flashed in her blue eyes.

"Has Mom...still not come?"

"Su Shi?" the light green-haired girl standing beside her asked with concern.

"It's alright... Mu, let's go back." Su Shi sighed softly, and Mu turned around with her to walk back into the school.