People are in Mygo, and I can write their personalities.

A new concern arose in her mind, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Um, perhaps... I should try to persuade Xiao Xiang to accept this idea first?"

Just then, the tram's arrival announcement rang out crisply. Having not been to CiRCLE's studio for quite some time, I couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive, worried that the recording studio might already be fully booked and difficult to reserve.

However, perhaps because the newly opened RING branch has diverted some customers, CiRCLE, which used to be very lively, now seems much quieter and less bustling.

The receptionist quickly gave her good news—there were still seats available in the recording studio. Su Shi paid the fee herself and headed to the designated room with her bag.

Pushing open the soundproof door, a scent mingled with the aromas of musical instruments, leather, and old carpet wafted out. She put down her heavy bass bag, unzipped it, and carefully took out her familiar bass.

When my fingertips touched the smooth wooden body and cool metal strings, a long-lost feeling welled up inside me. When was the last time I truly connected with it? It seemed like it was when that "parasite" Nanami Natsuki was staying at her house and wouldn't leave?

As for having to attend that rushed, impromptu live performance, that certainly doesn't count, since she wasn't using her own guitar that time.

A slight sense of unfamiliarity crept into her fingertips. Su Shi took out her phone, found the sheet music for "Spring Shadow," and tried playing the bass part on her own.

The vibrations of the strings echoed in the quiet recording studio. She listened with a frown, forced to admit that her technique had indeed become rusty. Her finger dexterity and rhythmic control had both declined, showing only a slight improvement compared to her impromptu performance under the spotlight—that time, nervousness had also led to numerous mistakes.

“If Lixi were here right now, she would probably be scolding me…” Su Shi stopped pointing and muttered to herself, then gave a stubborn snort, “Hmph, it’s actually better without you. You were putting pressure on everyone every day during that time.”

"But... pressure is sometimes necessary, right? No, no, how come I'm starting to speak up for traitors like Xiao Xiang now?"

This feeling of struggling against thin air was ultimately a bit boring. Su Shi didn't practice for long because Takamatsu Akari and Chihaya Aine had already followed the room number she posted in the group chat and pushed open the door of the recording studio and walked in.

"Huh? Su Shi, you've already started practicing?" Aine asked, somewhat surprised.

"Speaking of which... are you sure you can do it?" Su Shi looked at Aine, her tone carrying a strong sense of doubt.

www.shuB123.com

"No, of course I have no problem," Ai-yin replied immediately, her tone slightly hurried, with a hint of displeasure at being slighted. "But you just sent me the sheet music in the group not long ago, so I can't possibly play it perfectly right away, can I?"

"So you're a beginner?" Su Shi raised her head, looking calmly at Ai Yin, her tone blunt and almost sharp.

"..." This rhetorical question was like a thorn, instantly piercing Aine's pride.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she retorted with obvious displeasure, "What does this have to do with whether I'm a beginner or not?"

"Sigh..." Su Shi sighed softly.

The slight goodwill I had initially felt towards Aine because she supported changing the drummer in the group chat has not dissipated; on the contrary... I've developed an even stronger liking for her.

Since you're not a beginner, I really can't be so "strict" with you.

Thank you, Chihaya-kun. You've given me a perfect reason to put pressure on you.

In fact, in a team, there really must always be someone who plays the good cop and someone who plays the bad cop.

In the past, Nagasaki Motoyo was always the one who was responsible for mediating, appeasing, and playing the good cop, while Shiina Tatsuki automatically played the role of the strict, irritable, and bad cop.

But things are different now. Li Xi is gone, and the returning Xiao Xiang seems... more suited to and inclined towards that gentle, buffering role. So, who will fill the void left by the role of the "bad cop," the one who creates pressure?

Of course it's her! Nagasaki Motoyo felt she had acted enough, especially when she thought about how the last person she had treated with such patience was actually a brat like Nanami Natsuki who deserved to be slapped a thousand times! Just thinking about it made her feel frustrated and uncomfortable.

This villain... if she doesn't play the villain, who will?

"Aine-kun?"

Su Shi raised her eyes, her expression instantly turning cold, and her voice lost its previous warmth.

“Xiao Xiang hasn’t arrived yet, and Xiao Mu won’t be able to come for a while.” She stated the facts without offering any extra comfort. “While everyone is still here, why don’t you familiarize yourself with your guitar part first? You don’t need to change the sheet music, since the setup is the same as before. Just play it once according to this sheet music.”

She paused, her sharp gaze sweeping over Ai Yin's slightly bewildered face. "And I feel... the arrangement of the guitar part in 'Spring Shadow,' with the piano lead, shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

"I'll give it a try..."

Ai Yin knew very well that the immense pressure, coupled with her unfamiliarity with the song—although she had wanted to ask Xiao Yue for help yesterday, the other party had gone to bed early after only a few words, citing a bad mood—it would be a miracle if she could play it well now.

"Stop, stop, stop."

Sure enough, she had barely plucked the strings a few times, and hadn't even finished the first measure, when Su Shi's icy voice poured over her like a bucket of cold water, rudely interrupting her.

That's so rude! At least wait until she finishes playing this section, right? Chihaya Aine already didn't like Suze, and now she sees her as a complete villain.

But she could only force herself to suppress her dissatisfaction. A voice inside her reminded her: if she wanted to gain a foothold in the band, if she wanted to have a voice and fight for something for Xiaoyue, then at this moment, besides enduring and waiting for another drummer in the same situation, Miaomeng, to come and share the burden, there seemed to be no other way.

"W-What's wrong?" Aine tried to keep her voice calm, but a hint of grievance and resentment still showed.

"Aine-chan, you played it wrong."

“Listen to this,” Su Shi’s voice immediately followed, her tone becoming more serious, “Even Xiao Deng could tell, don’t you feel anything at all?”

Although Su Shi's inner irritability was skyrocketing, she managed to suppress her anger a little when she caught a glimpse of the quiet lamp standing to the side.

With Xiaodeng present... perhaps we should tone down our attitude a little?

But if you're too reserved, the pink-haired girl might actually feel like she fits in... which isn't ideal either.

“But it’s okay…” Su Shi adjusted her tone, making it sound a little “gentler.” “After all, you’ve only been exposed to this song for a short time. Of course, I think you should at least have the most basic ability to correct your own mistakes.”

"......I see."

Aine gave Su Shi a quick, fierce look filled with resentment.

Isn't this just a stress monster?

No wonder Xiaoyue and Lixi ran away; can people like that really form a band?

She wanted to see what Nagasaki Motoyo's attitude would be after that "replacement" named Toyokawa Shoko arrived. She didn't believe that this keyboardist, who had been temporarily brought in, could compare to her exceptionally talented and brilliant super apprentice, Nanami Natsuki, in terms of skill and importance within the team!

However, the three girls in the CiRCLE recording studio, each with their own thoughts, were unaware that the crucial keyboardist they spoke of was completely abandoning the last vestige of the Toyokawa family's demeanor, acting like a clumsy private detective, or rather, a flustered suspicious individual, awkwardly playing the role of a follower on the street.

"I don't believe it... I don't believe it..."

After leaving the school, Toyokawa Shoko quickly crept up near Suze's classroom. Like a hunter locking onto its prey, she precisely spotted Wakaba Mutsumi, who wasn't with Suze.

Then, she began this clumsy stalking—pretending to be going the same way, but actually keeping her nerves on edge the whole time, her eyes glued to that petite figure, following her to the station she knew so well.

But why? Why didn't Mu notice her the whole way? They were in the same carriage, and there weren't many people in the carriage.

Although Xiangzi had no choice but to squeeze into the same carriage as Ruoye Mutsu to avoid losing face, she had a bad feeling when she saw the slight upturn at the corner of Ruoye Mutsu's mouth as she looked down.

After getting off the bus with the other person, Xiangzi passed through the crossroads she could never forget. The drama of fate was revealed at this moment: this time, Xiangzi stood in the spot where Ruoye Mutsu had stood silently with an umbrella in her memory; while Mutsu herself was standing at the very spot where she had broken down and cried out to the sky years ago.

Today the sky is clear and cloudless, without a trace of rain, and even the wind is too stingy to come.

The flashing traffic lights, like a relentless barrier, precisely blocked the already shortened optimal tracking distance between her and Mu. However, the target of their pursuit was undoubtedly the place they used to frequent every day.

dub, the live house, is one of the largest and best-equipped venues in Shibuya, Tokyo. She chose it almost without hesitation as the venue for Crychic's future events, aiming for the best sound quality and the most professional stage space.

However, ever since the band broke up that rainy night, Xiangzi had never had the courage to set foot here again. Until today, following Mu like a voyeur, seeing this familiar storefront again, she was shocked to realize that the past was only half a year ago.

"Is it the same room? There are five people in total, right?"

A clear voice, belonging to the receptionist, came from the brightly lit lobby of the live house. Xiangzi, hiding in the shadows of the doorway, felt her heart pounding. She saw Ruoye Mutsuki standing at the front desk; the instant she heard the question, her back seemed to straighten, her hand pressed to her chest, and her entire demeanor changed...

No, it should be said that Xiangzi seemed to see a shadow that was extremely familiar to her—herself.

"Yes, there are five people in total, desuwa~"

A bright, energetic voice, with a deliberately imitative, cute, rising intonation at the end, rang out clearly.

"???"

No, is this still the same Mutsuka Wakaba she knows? The one who is always quiet, almost expressionless, and speaks with such conciseness that she's stingy with words?

Also, don't desuwa too!!!

Of course, it seemed that only Xiangzi, hiding in the shadows, was shocked and embarrassed. The receptionist was clearly well-trained, maintaining a professional and just-right smile as she replied in the most normal tone.

"Okay, please wait a moment while I confirm the room for you..."

“Um…” Seeing that Mu seemed to have finished the formalities and turned to walk towards the recording studio area, Toyokawa Shoko could no longer contain herself. She took a deep breath, quickly walked out from her hiding place, and with a deliberate, forced composure on her face, walked to the front desk.

"Excuse me," her voice was slightly tense, "that girl who just went in, is she my friend... could you tell me which recording studio she booked?"

"Hmm?" The receptionist looked up, maintaining a polite smile, but her eyes held a hint of professional scrutiny. "What is your friend's name? I need to verify the reservation information."

She did not omit this necessary step just because Xiangzi was following behind the girl in front.

“...Wakaba Mutsumi.” Shoko gave the name, her heart pounding in her throat.

The receptionist quickly searched the computer, her fingers tapping a few times on the keyboard. A moment later, she looked up, a hint of confusion on her face, and asked Xiangzi:

"No, not at all." Her voice carried a sense of certainty after confirming the answer.

"What?" Xiangzi's heart sank. "How could she not have her? She just..."

"Are you sure your friend's name is Ruoye Mutsu?" the receptionist patiently repeated. "I searched carefully for this name, but I couldn't find any corresponding reservation information."

"Then..." The color drained from Toyokawa Shoko's face. Her mind raced, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. After hesitating for several seconds, she asked tentatively, with a last glimmer of hope, her voice trembling slightly, "Then... is there... any reservation for Toyokawa Shoko?"

"Ah!" The receptionist's puzzled expression instantly turned into understanding, and her voice became warmer. "So you're Ms. Toyokawa's friend! She's in recording studio 212."

"..."

Chapter 102 Mitsuko Miku's Desire for Revenge (6100 words)

Perhaps because she was too resistant, Toyokawa Shoko lingered for five or six minutes before leaving the Dub lobby and heading towards the recording studio on the second floor where Mutsu was.

Even when she reached the door, she was afraid to face the people inside. Her fair hand remained quietly on the doorknob, and she hesitated to press it down.

However, the soundproofing of the recording studio door was quite good; if Xiangzi had simply stayed in the corridor, he would have had no way of knowing what was happening inside.

"Just a quick peek... I shouldn't get caught, right? Besides... it could just be a prank, right?"

What, dissociative identity disorder... Is it really possible to encounter such a condition in real life? She always thought it was a fictional thing in movies and TV shows.

And why specifically Mutsu? Has Mutsu ever shown any signs of a split personality before?

No......

In Toyokawa Shoko's memory, although she didn't observe Mutsu enough or carefully, she was certain that, apart from being less fond of smiling than when he was a child... wait, less fond of smiling?

So what was Mu like when he was a child?

Time seemed to rewind rapidly, from the start of the new high school year to the disbandment of Crychic, and finally stopped at the moment when Shoko first met Wakaba Mutsumi when she was very young.

Because her family and the Wakaba family had a good relationship, and their parents were friends from their school days, Xiangzi met Wakaba Mutsu for the first time at a dinner party.

Back then, Wakaba Mutsumi was even cuter than she is now, and her personality was much more lively and talkative. She often had a childlike, innocent smile on her lips.

How they became friends is no longer important. For children, as long as they can talk and play together, they will naturally become very good friends.

But exactly when did things start to change?

Toyokawa Shoko bit her lower lip, her face somewhat distressed. She felt as if she had never really understood Mutsu.

For her past self, everything seemed to be taken for granted. As long as those things didn't affect her, she could continue like this without thinking about the changes behind them.