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

She originally thought that Lenai and the cat had found a fun place because of their commonalities. After all, to be honest, from an outsider's perspective, their band actually had a lot of fun.

Looking back now, it seems that when Akari made a promise with everyone to stay in a band for life, Lena overheard something and decided to join their band.

"Ah...we've arrived."

Lixi pointed to the noodle shop in front of him and said.

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Rewind to about half an hour earlier, when Yue and Riki set off for Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy to find Kaname, who was still sleeping in a tree, Toyokawa Shoko, who hadn't appeared for a long time, had just finished her part-time job for the day. She happened to receive a ramen shop voucher from a colleague, which could be exchanged for a free bowl of ramen. She planned to come here to satisfy her cravings in the spirit of saving money.

However, just as Toyokawa Shoko arrived at the noodle shop after a long journey to save money, sat down, and ordered her food,...

As she was scrolling through her phone while waiting for her food to be served, the noodle shop door opened again. At first, Xiangzi didn't pay attention to who the customer was, since they were probably strangers. But when the customer ordered, she vaguely felt that the voice sounded a little familiar.

Out of the corner of her eye, Toyokawa Shoko secretly glanced at the three people who had just come in and were sitting at the four-person table. She found that apart from the white-haired girl in the flower school uniform whom she did not recognize, the other two, Shiina Tatsuki and Hinasaki, were acquaintances of hers.

"Damn it... Why did I run into them here... Right... It's not that far from the Flower Girls' place, but shouldn't Riki and the others be practicing in Ring right now?"

Xiangzi never expected that the deluxe ramen he finally managed to get a coupon for would happen to him.

"Calm down... Xiangzi, they shouldn't have seen you yet. It's still not too late to leave..."

Ms. Toyokawa Shoko, adhering to her principle of not wanting Riki to see her, originally wanted to ask the boss if her noodles had been served, and if not, if she could return them.

However, before Xiangzi could even speak, the boss brought over a bowl of noodles and placed it in front of her.

"Here it is, lovely lady, your Supreme Deluxe Ramen with Extra Toppings."

Looking at the ramen bowl stuffed full of various seafood and meats in front of her, Toyokawa Shoko subconsciously swallowed.

A rich broth floats on the surface of the ramen bowl, topped with golden oil droplets that release an irresistible aroma. Slices of tender seaweed cover the broth, while seafood such as shrimp, crab pieces, and fish balls are paired with succulent beef slices, fresh greens, tender yellow corn kernels, and bright red carrot shreds, creating a complex and delicious flavor profile. The enticing aroma, a blend of the savory tastes of meat and seafood, combined with the rich broth, makes it truly mouthwatering.

"Now that the ramen has arrived, the idea of ​​canceling the order is not advisable."

Seeing that plans couldn't keep up with changes, and unwilling to waste such a large bowl of ramen, which was now considered a deluxe meal for her, Toyokawa Shoko had no choice but to use Plan B.

Thanks to the disguise technique that Hinasaki used when she took her to see Mofornica's performance in the Moon Forest, Shoko did some research on how to disguise herself so that others could not recognize her as much as possible. In the end, Shoko actually found the simplest and quickest way to disguise herself.

Xiangzi gently untied the pigtails tied on top of her head, and her light blue hair fell smoothly down her slender back, as soft and lustrous as silk.

Then she slowly took out a black lace mask from her handbag, which she carried with her, and gently covered her eyes. The lace mask had a delicate texture and emitted a mysterious luster, adorning her deep eyes like a mysterious veil. The edges of the mask were exquisitely designed, fitting lightly against Xiangzi's face and highlighting her beautiful features.

Through the mask, Xiangzi's eyes appeared even more profound and mysterious, making her entire demeanor enigmatic and adding a touch of mystery, making it difficult for people to associate her with the spoiled young lady Xiangzi she usually was at school.

After confirming through his personal makeup mirror that he was unlikely to be recognized, Xiangzi finally began to enjoy his meal.

She put the noodles in her mouth, took a gentle bite, and enjoyed the soft texture of the noodles and the delicious flavor of the broth. The taste of ramen filled her mouth; she savored each bite, chewing slowly, letting the flavors spread throughout her mouth. After all, she didn't know when she'd be able to enjoy this kind of food for free again.

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On the other side, thanks to the coupons that Shiina Riki got, the trio also ordered the deluxe version of noodles with extra toppings. However, Tsukishiro and Riki ordered ramen, while Rakuna ordered soba noodles.

While waiting idly for her food, Yue glanced around the restaurant. It seemed to have just opened not long ago, as the interior decorations were quite new and did not show any signs of years of grease and smoke. That was probably why they needed to offer these promotional activities to attract customers.

"Wait...did I just see someone familiar?"

After scanning the area, Yue was just marveling at how much money new stores are spending to attract customers when she suddenly realized she had seen a familiar figure.

She turned her head again to look at where Toyokawa Shoko was, and at the same time noticed Toyokawa Shoko's strange appearance.

"Changing your hairstyle is one thing... but what's with that weird mask? Doesn't it look conspicuous indoors?"

Hinasaki Tsuki subconsciously retorted.

When the Stage Opens: Chapter Fifty-Five - The Unforgettable Ex

Fortunately, Shiina Ritsuki didn't notice Tsuki's strange actions. Compared to the strange stranger sitting in the corner of the noodle shop, she was currently staring intently at Kaname Rakuna.

"Stray Cat, you must come to rehearsal in the next few days, otherwise we will miss the live performance."

Lena nodded, and after thinking for a moment, said to Lixi, "Matcha Parfait!"

"???"

Upon hearing Lena's words, a series of question marks seemed to appear in Lixi's mind. She raised her head, her brows furrowed slightly, and her expression showed some confusion, as if she could not understand the connection between practice and matcha parfait.

"Does Lena mean that if she gets the matcha parfait, she'll come and practice?"

Yue withdrew her gaze from Toyokawa Shoko, listened to Riki and Rakuna's conversation, and tried to understand Rakuna's intentions by following her daily behavior patterns.

"Is that right?"

Lixi asked Lena.

"Ok!"

Seeing that she could have a patisserie, Lena's eyes lit up with excitement, her lips curled up slightly like a cat's, revealing a satisfied smile, and she even stood up excitedly, expressing her joy and anticipation.

"Alright, ladies, we can talk about dessert later. Now, let's focus on enjoying the dishes in our restaurant."

Listening to the three people's conversation, the owner came over with a tray of food, and a rich aroma followed, making people unconsciously sniff. She took the food the three people had ordered from the tray and placed it on the table. Each dish looked very appetizing.

"Ah! I'm starting!"

After saying her prayer for the meal, Lena picked up her chopsticks with a deft and natural movement, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. She eagerly picked up a noodle and put it in her mouth. However, when the noodle touched Lena's tongue, a wave of heat hit her, and the delicate expression on Lena's face instantly became distorted.

Her mouth was slightly open, revealing her small tongue, and she kept exhaling hot air. A slightly painful expression appeared on her face, as if the temperature of the freshly cooked noodles was a bit higher than she expected. However, despite this, she did not spit out the buckwheat noodles in her mouth, but instead tried her best to endure the hot feeling.

"It seems that Lena not only behaves like a cat, but also has a cat's tongue."

Watching Lena eat noodles, Yue's lips curled up slightly, and her eyes sparkled with laughter. Lena not only behaved and acted like a cat, but now it seemed that even her physical characteristics were somewhat similar to a cat's. This adorable quality amused Yue greatly.

"Stray cat, if you're worried about it being too hot, eat slowly."

Seeing Le Nai's pained expression, Li Xi, who was sitting next to her, took out a tissue to wipe the soup that had splattered around her mouth and patted her back, signaling her to eat slowly.

"Lixi really looks like Renai's mother."

Watching the interaction between the two in front of her, Yue couldn't help but tease Li hope and Le Nai about their intimate actions and Li hope's rather maternal side.

"What strange things are you saying? I'm just trying to get Lena to come to training every day, not to take care of her all the time."

Li hope expressed a hint of displeasure at Yue's teasing.

"Kelixi, didn't you promise Xiaodeng that you'd be in a band for life? If Lena really joins the band, then in order to maintain the band for life, wouldn't you have to take good care of Lena-chan?"

Yue said.

"……what?"

Lixi hadn't thought of this yet. Thinking about how she would take care of Le Nai in the future, a pained expression appeared on her face.

Le Nai looked up from eating her noodles, glanced at Li hope with an innocent expression, and said with a smile, "Li hope, are you going to treat me to matcha parfaits for the rest of your life?"

"Don't even think about it!"

Just as Lixi and Lena were bickering, Yue's phone suddenly vibrated. She reached out and unlocked the screen, and a message notification appeared on her phone.

After reading the message on her phone, Yue's expression changed slightly, but then quickly returned to normal as she smiled and watched Lixi and Lena bickering in front of her.

The three of them quickly finished their dinner and left the noodle shop together. As they parted, Li hope reminded Le Nai, "You must come to rehearsal tomorrow!"

"Alright, Lixi, if you're worried about Lena, why don't you just go to Lena's class and pick her up tomorrow?"

Seeing Lixi's repeated instructions to Lena, Yue couldn't help but offer her a suggestion.

"It's not impossible..."

After hearing Yue's suggestion, Li hope crossed his arms and began to seriously consider its feasibility.

Yoro Nai, the person involved, didn't care at all. Having just finished eating, she was now squatting at the store entrance playing with a passing kitten.

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After repeatedly reminding Rakuna about attending the rehearsal tomorrow, Riki took the lead in leaving the three-person team. Rakuna followed closely behind and ran away with the cat at the door, leaving only Hinata Satsuki at the shop entrance.

"Xiangzi-chan, they've all left."

Yue reopened the shop door and went back inside, sitting down in front of Xiangzi. Although Yue tried her best not to laugh, she couldn't help but laugh when she saw the mask on Xiangzi's face.

"Xiangzi... what's with this mask of yours... pfft... hahaha."

After Yue said that, Xiangzi, who hadn't felt any shame before, now had a faint blush on her face, as if a shy flower was blooming, and her eyes clearly showed her shyness.

She said coquettishly, "Yue! Stop laughing!"

"Okay, okay... I won't laugh anymore."

Yue adjusted her expression and then asked, "So, Xiangzi-chan, why did you text me earlier asking me to stay here a little longer so we could meet alone?"

"..." Xiangzi paused for a moment, then cautiously asked, "Xiaodeng's band... is it going well?"

That's right. Toyokawa Shoko originally planned to finish eating as soon as possible and leave after Riki and the others left, without intending to meet them. However, when she heard Riki say that their band wasn't doing well, Shoko had to admit that she softened a little. So she took the initiative to send a message to Yue to ask about the band's recent situation.

"Well... although it's still a bit bumpy, it's at least on the right track. As long as everyone works together, we should be able to put on a good show..."

Yue herself didn't actually have much confidence. After all, she said that everyone should work together, but now, apart from her, Riki, and Akari, who could barely be considered to be of one mind, the remaining three, Aine, Sose, and Rakuna, all seemed to have their own ideas.

When the performance begins: Chapter 56 Are you... going to play "Spring Shadow"?

"I'm just glad everything's going well with Xiaodeng..."

Shoko Toyokawa heard the answer she wanted to hear from the moon's mouth, and the tension in her heart finally eased.

"Is Su Shi-chan still bothering Xiangzi-chan lately?"

After Xiangzi got the answer he wanted, Yue began to inquire about Xiangzi's recent situation.

"Hmm... she seems to have calmed down a lot recently. I haven't seen Su Shi at the entrance of Yuqiu for at least a few days."

Xiangzi thought for a moment and then said.

"Haha... So Su Shi didn't come to school to practice with us after all."

Yue recalled seeing Suze by chance at the entrance of Haneoka Girls' Academy. Aine had always thought that Suze had come to wait for them after school so they could go to Ring's recording studio together.

At that time, Yue had suspected Su Shi Lai Yu Qiu's purpose and even informed Xiang Zi in advance. As it turned out, things were just as she thought. Su Shi Lai Yu Qiu's purpose was to ambush Xiao Xiang.

"I have to thank you for this. If it weren't for you, I would probably have been bothered by Su Shi. Although there was no real loss, it would have taken up a lot of my time."

Xiangzi remembered that because of Su Shi's presence at the school gate, she used to work at least an hour later every day.

"It's alright. How's Xiangzi doing lately?"