Momoi Taro wants to form a "don" brother duo, but it's a music anime.

“Okay.” Taro took the medicine bag, calmly met her gaze, and added, “Momoi Taro. Nice to meet you.” He seemed to see through her unspoken embarrassment.

"Shiina Maki, nice to meet you." Maki smiled and returned the greeting, gesturing towards the stairs. Taro nodded and steadily ascended the steps.

　Read-! ?、yi3私零〒奇迩児泗8丝真希 stood there, watching his back, and awkwardly touched her cheek. This friend of Xiao Lixi's... is really... too straightforward, even a little unpredictable.

Behind the tightly closed door at the far end of the second floor lies another world.

It was the height of summer, but Shiina Tatsuki wrapped herself tightly in a thick quilt, like a silkworm that had spun its own cocoon.

She huddled in the computer chair, the cold light from the screen illuminating her pale, bloodless profile, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Heavy curtains blocked the intense sunlight from outside, filling the room with a sickly dimness and silence.

Only the faint sounds of mouse clicks and keyboard taps stubbornly proved her existence.

It wasn't that she didn't feel the heat; she was just superstitious and believed in the old method of sweating it out to reduce the fever.

Last night, anxiety drove her to her limit while revising the arrangement of the band's new song. Caffeine eventually gave way to her heavy eyelids, and she fell asleep at her desk, letting the cool night air stream in through the open window. The splitting headache and high fever this morning were the price of this self-punishment.

As she wished, she took sick leave without hesitation, putting aside the "time-wasting" classes and only wanting to seize this "rare" time to fix the melody swirling in her mind.

However, the high fever made her head foggy and her thoughts unclear. Those once clear melodic fragments now became chaotic and disjointed. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate, inspiration was elusive and kept disappearing.

"No...!" She slammed her fist on the table, her voice hoarse from weakness, sounding particularly jarring in the quiet room. "This stuff... is far inferior to the music of Mr. Taro, my sister, and Shoko!" Resentment weighed heavily on her heart like a lead weight, making it hard for her to breathe.

The light from the screen danced in her empty eyes. She gripped the cold armrests of the chair tightly, her knuckles turning white. Ever since the day Takamatsu Akari invited her to join her band, Shiina Tatsuki seemed to have vanished, leaving only a machine that relentlessly drove itself.

Sleep was compressed to the limit, rest became a luxury, and all her energy was poured into improving the level of the next live performance. Ironically, the harder she tried, the more it proved that her talent seemed to have dried up.

"Am I... really not going to make it?" A desperate whisper rolled in his throat.

Just then, the sound of the door hinges turning broke the silence.

"Huh? You're composing music."

A familiar voice rang in her ears without warning.

Lixi froze instantly. She instinctively raised her hand to touch her burning cheek. Was she delirious from the fever? Or was it auditory hallucinations from staying up all night? How could she—hear that person's voice?

Momoi Taro. The name itself carries a heavy weight. His talent stands like a massive barrier before her. Although their paths rarely cross.

But each brief encounter stirred up indescribable complex emotions within her—a deep sense of awe, but also an inescapable fear of her own insignificance. That overwhelming sense of presence almost suffocated her.

It's time to rest—even the hallucinations feel so real. With a hint of self-mockery, she slowly turned her head.

What she could see wasn't the void where the phantom had vanished. Momoi Taro stood beside her, slightly bent over, intently examining the chaotic melodic lines on her computer screen. He even reached out and, with remarkable ease, moved her mouse, marking a section of it.

"Here, it would be better this way."

His voice was so clear, so real. Lixi blinked in disbelief. The dizziness from the high fever made her vision blur, and Momoi Taro's figure seemed to distort in her eyes, instantly transforming into that blue-haired, twin-tailed figure—Toyokawa Shoko.

That bandmate she once shared a band with, whose talent drove her to despair.

"Get away!" Li Xi shook his head violently, trying to banish the annoying illusion from his mind.

The image of the blue-haired twin-tailed boy faded away. However, the familiar casual clothes of Momoi Taro, his sharply defined profile, and his focused gaze on the screen—still clearly occupied the center of her vision.

Not an illusion!

Shiina Tatsuki sprang from her chair as if struck by lightning, the heavy quilt sliding to the floor. She stared in astonishment at the living, breathing Momoi Taro before her, her voice rising in shock and cracking: "Taro-san! You…you bastard, how did you even get up here?!"

"How did you get here...?" Taro looked up, calmly meeting her surprised and uncertain gaze, as if stating a very simple fact, "I took the stairs." As he spoke, he handed her the bag containing fever-reducing patches and medicine.

“No… I understand coming up the stairs!” Lixi’s mind was a complete mess, the high fever making her thoughts even more chaotic. “But why is this happening in my house! It’s so strange!” she emphasized incoherently, trying to understand this surreal situation.

“A waitress I know asked me to deliver fever-reducing patches,” Taro said in a flat tone, “saying that someone she knows’s sister is sick. I looked at the address and saw that it was your house. So I guessed it might be you.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over her pale face and disheveled hair: "Then, your sister and I asked about your condition downstairs, and your sister asked me to come up and check on you."

"Tsk..." Li Xi clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction, as if her sore spot had been hit: "My sister... always does unnecessary things."

Perhaps due to her illness, her usual stubbornness deflated like a punctured balloon. She slumped back into her chair, her complaints sounding weak and listless.

Taro didn't reply. He stepped forward, casually opened the medicine bag, and took out a fever-reducing patch.

Lixi instinctively tried to dodge, but was fixed in place by his calm and focused gaze. His cool fingertips gently brushed away her sweaty hair from her forehead; the movement wasn't particularly gentle, but rather as if he were doing something perfectly natural.

A cool patch was applied to her burning forehead, bringing a brief, comfortable stimulation. Lixi held her breath, her gaze involuntarily drawn to his jawline and focused eyes, which were so close to hers.

A strange, warm current, mixed with panic and an unusual thrill, rushed to her cheeks, seemingly stronger than a fever. She hurriedly lowered her eyes, staring at her clenched fingers, without uttering a word.

Being alone with a man is a first for me since birth... Lixi touched her burning cheeks and remained silent.

"Well then, take care of yourself." After applying the fever-reducing patch and confirming that the medicine had been delivered, Taro swiftly completed his task and turned to leave. He always acted this way; once his objective was achieved, he wouldn't linger for even a second longer.

Just as he was about to open the door—

"and many more!"

A hand, burning hot and trembling slightly from a fever, suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Taro stopped and turned to look at her with a hint of pure confusion.

Being gazed upon by those eyes that seemed to see through everything yet were so clear and pure, Lixi felt an indescribable panic and embarrassment. She quickly lowered her head, avoiding direct eye contact, and remained silent for a long time. Only the soft breathing of the two of them and the low hum of the computer fan filled the room.

"That place...the place you pointed out...could you...tell me a little more? Please..."

The moment the words left her mouth, she seemed to unload a heavy burden; her tense shoulders slumped slightly, and a strange sense of relaxation, as if she were exhausted, appeared on her face.

Taro looked at the complex emotions in her eyes and didn't ask "why." He simply nodded, as if accepting a perfectly natural request.

"Ah."

Taro obediently sat back down in the chair next to her, without asking any further questions, but simply reiterated the issues he had just pointed out. His words went straight to the heart of the matter, dissecting the blockages in her melody.

Lixi listened silently, her finger sliding across the mouse as she made the changes. After finishing one section, she hesitated for a moment, then pointed to another melody and asked softly, "What about...this part?"

His proposed solution wasn't an imposition, but rather a wonderfully fitting expression of her original, unfulfilled intentions. Shiina Maki seemed to tacitly refrain from disturbing them, leaving only the sounds of keyboard clicks and their hushed conversation in the room.

As the last note settled on the screen, forming a melody much fuller and smoother than before, Lixi let out a long, deep breath and slumped completely back in her chair. The dizziness and aches from the high fever had quietly subsided by most of their previous intensity.

She turned her head to look at the almost omnipotent Momoi Taro beside her, her voice as soft as a sigh: "I'm... really useless."

Taro turned his gaze to her, his eyes filled with pure inquiry.

"I'm not good at composing music either..." Li Xi's gaze drifted into the dim void, her voice filled with an overwhelming sense of self-loathing.

"I can't be like Aine and you, nor like my sister and Xiangzi, possessing seemingly innate, awe-inspiring talents... I can't compare to you in anything..."

An afternoon of working side-by-side made her see more clearly the invisible chasm between herself and "genius." Taro's brilliant suggestions, which he came up with effortlessly, were things she might not be able to achieve even after racking her brains for days.

A strong sense of inferiority, like a cold tide, surged and overwhelmed her the moment she relaxed.

"It's no use... I'm just no good..." she repeated again as if resigned, as if she had finally bowed to her own incompetence.

"Why would you think that?" Taro's voice broke her self-pity.

"Huh...?" Riki's eyes widened suddenly as she looked at him in confusion, as if she had heard the most unbelievable question. "Why...? Because it's just the truth! Xiangzi, Aine, my sister... and you, what you can do, I can't do even if I try my best..."

“There is no one in this world who is ‘impossible’.” Taro’s voice was resolute. He reached out and placed his warm palm firmly on Riki’s slightly thin shoulder. His gaze pierced through the dimness and went straight to her eyes. “Isn’t it normal that you can’t do what others can do?”

"Huh...?" Lixi was completely stunned, her eyes widening slightly. In her mind, Momoi Taro was almost synonymous with "omnipotent." He always seemed to be in complete control, and any problem could be easily solved in front of him.

Such a perfect being, yet she says there are things she can't do? This completely overturned her understanding.

"Yes, and a lot of them." Taro's answer was without any hesitation or embarrassment, as frank as stating an objective fact. "You know that I couldn't even form a band at first."

His eyes were calm and unwavering, as if he were recounting a past event that had nothing to do with him.

Riki struggled to search through her chaotic memories, and there did seem to be a vague recollection of it. It seemed that the band only truly took shape after he met Chihaya Aine. But she didn't know the details of what had happened.

At that moment, intense curiosity temporarily overcame her inferiority complex, and she couldn't help but look at Taro with a gaze that was both inquisitive and inquisitive.

"I don't know the meaning of happiness." Taro said this for what seemed like the umpteenth time. His expression remained calm. He crossed his arms, tilted his head slightly, and looked as if his gaze pierced through the ceiling, directed towards some unknown distance.

"The Dong Brothers Group exists to bring happiness to everyone. Its mission is to help someone like me, who didn't know what happiness was, understand what 'happiness' is."

The story itself wasn't particularly elaborate or dramatic, nor was the technique particularly moving. But the incredibly genuine emotions it contained captivated Lixi completely. She held her breath, as if she were truly getting to know the person before her for the first time.

“I know she has a talent for bringing happiness to others. Even when she’s hurt, she can still make those around her feel warmth.” Taro’s face showed a pure, trusting smile. “She can do things I can’t. That’s why I invited her.”

His gaze returned to Lixi's face, carrying a penetrating power as he calmly asked, "So... why did you form a band?"

Feeling intensely uncomfortable under his direct gaze, Lixi instinctively tried to look away, yet she seemed drawn in by the power within his eyes.

Perhaps it was the vulnerability of recovering from illness, or perhaps it was the strange trust that had been built up during their collaborative work that afternoon, but those words buried deep in her heart, words she had never fully confided even under the lamplight, now flowed murmuringly from her dry lips:

“I… from childhood, I was inferior to my older sister in everything… whether it was music, academics, or interpersonal skills… the neighbors, classmates, teachers, everyone just called me ‘Shiina Maki’s younger sister.’”

She slightly pursed her lips; those memories of comparison and neglect, like fine grains of sand, rubbed against the softest part of her heart, bringing a sharp pain. Her voice lowered, carrying an indescribable bitterness.

“No one ever truly saw me as ‘Shiina Tatsuki.’ In their eyes, I was like… just an appendage of my sister, a dim shadow.”

After a brief pause, the gloom on her face was suddenly dispelled by a bright light, and she forced a smile, though the smile still carried traces of fatigue: "But... I met a light."

When she mentioned the name "Lamp," her voice instantly became soft yet powerful, and her eyes sparkled like stars.

"Just like when you met Chihaya Aine... I feel that Toki is my salvation. In her songs... I heard my true 'self'."

“All those things I dared not show to anyone—the cowardice, the stubbornness, the clumsiness, the resentment… all those messy things—were sung out without reservation and gently in her singing voice… Only by her side, enveloped in her singing, could I feel that I was being ‘Shiina Tatsuki,’ the real, complete Shiina Tatsuki.”

“I’m just using the light.” She clenched her fist, her knuckles turning white. “I know it’s a despicable thought… but I… I want to stay by her side. I want to use my drum to support her singing. That’s probably… all I mean.”

"That's good then." Taro looked at the renewed light in her eyes and gave her an approving, earnest smile. "In my eyes, you are you. Even when you're not with Takamatsu Akari, Shiina Tatsuki is still Shiina Tatsuki. An ordinary, hardworking drummer."

“But… my drum…” Lixi’s eyes, which had just lit up, dimmed again, and she leaned back in her chair in despair. “I can’t compare to you, and I can’t compare to the drummer in your band…” In front of Taro, she seemed to have completely let down her guard and revealed her most vulnerable inner self.

"You're now the drummer for the 'Drummer Dragon Flame Group'," Taro's tone suddenly took on a rare sternness. His eyes sharpened, and he placed his hands on Riki's shoulders again, with even greater force, as if to shake her awake.

"But now you've become someone else's shadow. You're the one who least wants to become 'Shiina Tatsuki'!" His words went straight to the point, leaving no room for leniency.

"The person who is imprisoning you right now is yourself! You are the one who has been fighting against those unseen, imagined targets; you are the one who is constantly torturing yourself!"

Looking at Momoi Taro, whose emotions were unusually agitated, Ritsuki lowered her head deeply. The warm touch on her shoulder and the weight of his words almost suffocated her. Her throat was dry and tight, and her voice carried a barely perceptible sob:

"This is... the first time someone has said something like this to me..." She looked up, her eyes filled with a bewildered, watery light. "But... as I am now, I still... can't quite understand..."

A brief silence fell over the room. Twilight deepened, and the faint light streaming in from the window outlined their close silhouettes. Lixi could clearly feel the warmth of his palm and the unwavering determination in his gaze. She blinked hard, forcing back the tears welling in her eyes, her voice as soft as a feather falling:

“But… I want to try…” She raised her hand somewhat shyly, her fingertips lightly touching her still slightly feverish forehead, where the cool touch of his fingertips seemed to linger. “Although I don’t know what to do right now, I want to continue as the drummer for the Drummer Dragon Flame Group…”

"That's good." Taro's serious expression instantly melted away, replaced by a warm smile that seemed to have the power to dispel all gloom. He withdrew his hand from her shoulder with a natural and fluid movement. "You don't need to compare yourself to anyone. Just be yourself, that's enough."

He stood up, his tall figure casting a steady shadow in the dim light. "You seem to be alright now, so I'll head back first."

Lixi watched him turn and walk towards the door, his tall figure disappearing beyond the doorframe. His footsteps faded into the distance on the stairs. Once again, she was alone in the room, with only the newly revised piece of music on the screen.

The coolness of the fever-reducing patch on her forehead was still palpable. She raised her hand, her fingertips gently tracing the spot, as if she could still feel the brief yet undeniable thrill of the touch when he had placed it there.

"Is the one who imprisoned me... myself?" she murmured to herself, her gaze fixed on the sheet music on the computer screen. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but she actually had a feeling that she could do better than Taro.