Girls' Wishing Tree

The rehearsal continued in this somewhat strange situation. After practicing this song for more than two hours, they barely improved their proficiency to the point where they could perform on stage in a small performance.

Chapter 140 Spring, Sakura and Crychic:42, Reasons for Not Taking Action

Sakura Shrine, training room.

The three girls sat together and discussed what the band would do next.

Sayu placed the teacup in front of Momoka: "This is the tea that Sakura taught me to brew using the Chinese tea technique. Would you like to try it?"

Momoka's family wasn't well off, and she knew little about art like tea ceremony. She cautiously picked up the teacup. The afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting a long shadow on the floor as she drank. Sakura, sitting across from Momoka, laughed. "Don't listen to Sayu. It's just ordinary tea leaves, a few hundred yen a tael, and the tea set is just ordinary ceramic. The tea and the set combined cost only slightly more than the shipping fee."

Taoxiang drank the remaining tea in the cup in one gulp, but she stuck out her tongue because it was so scalding.

Sakura propped her chin up with one hand, her gaze fixed on Momoka, whose tongue curled slightly against the roof of her mouth. There was a barely perceptible hint of anticipation in her tone: "Momoka, your support duties at the RAS are over now, right?"

Momoka straightened her expression from her somewhat embarrassed posture, and looked at Sakura with a look of mixed emotions and a hint of indescribable fatigue.

"I understand what you mean," she began, her voice a little low, "but"

She paused, looking at the cherry blossoms fluttering outside the window, as if thinking about something.

Sayu poured Momoka another cup of tea and said to Sakura, "You are now the only band signed by the shrine's agency. Sakura wants you to start doing some live broadcasts as soon as possible. This will help you maintain your popularity and lay the foundation for the band's future development."

Ying added, "There's also the BangDream competition. Although only the first-place band gets to perform at the Budokan, it's very popular, so getting on the charts is a good option. RAS is already preparing for the BangDream competition, right? Given CHU^2's personality, she probably won't miss this opportunity."

"RAS band already has a new guitarist, LOCK, and they've started preparing for a new album... I've just finished my support work at RAS, so it wouldn't be appropriate for me to suddenly go and participate in the competition now." Sakura glanced at Sayu, her hands gripping the warm teacup, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

This is a lie.

Momoka and RAS's support guitarist worked together very well, and it didn't get to the point where Momoka and RAS didn't want to participate in the same competition.

Seeing Ying not speaking, Momoka took a deep breath and then spoke quickly, with a hint of helplessness in her voice: "I want to focus on the performance at the music festival first. That's a good opportunity to show the new side of the band.

Sakura was silent for a few seconds, her eyes fixed on the falling cherry blossoms outside the window.

"Momoka," she suddenly spoke, her voice still soft, but with a seriousness that could not be ignored: "You are still running away."

Taoxiang's expression froze for a moment, she lowered her head and unconsciously placed the teacup on the coffee table.

She had indeed been running away.

Everyone in the band, except Hong Xia who didn't care, wanted to develop in the professional direction, but she was really unsure.

She likes Renai's voice, but she doesn't have the confidence to promote what she likes into something that the audience will like.

Carrying the future of DiamondDust members and persuading everyone to drop out of school together, but backing out in the final stage of commercialization, this is a scar in Momoka's heart.

Forming another commercial band means facing the things that you once avoided.

"They have no idea. Neither Rupa, Satoshi, nor Nina have any idea what kind of world professional musicians face..."

"Your hesitation is actually a drain and harm to them. The band won't be able to perform well with this kind of uncertainty." Although Sakura's words were gentle, there was no retreat in what she said.

The room was silent for a few seconds, the only sound coming from the wind chimes under the eaves. The sun still shone warmly on the two of them, but it couldn't dispel the chill in the room.

"I" Taoxiang's voice was very soft, as if she wanted to explain something but didn't know where to start. The sound she made was almost inaudible, as if she was talking to herself, "I'm just scared"

"What are you afraid of?" Ying looked directly into Momoka's eyes, her voice still calm but firm. "Are you afraid of failure? Or are you afraid of success?

Taoxiang uttered something awkwardly: "I'm afraid of carrying their lives on my shoulders again."

Sakura stood up and walked over to Momoka, her eyes filled with understanding and concern. She gently placed a hand on Momoka's shoulder. "I'm your boss. To be frank, even if this thing fails, it's my money. I still have... tens of millions of yen, so I can still afford it for now. You don't have to give me an answer right away, but please don't avoid this question for too long."

"I understand." Taoxiang raised her head and gave a tired smile. "I'll think about it and give you and the band members an answer."

Sakura nodded, "The biggest reason everyone stayed was because of their trust in Momoka. If you want to go to the festival, go ahead. I won't be coming with you."

"Sakura...do you have a job?"

"There's also a shrine renovation project and a performance. I joined a band for fun as a violinist and will be performing live for the first time soon."

"Can... I go and see it?" Momoka became interested in Sakura's band and wanted to get some guidance for the future from Sakura.

"I don't recommend going to see it. It's just an ordinary girl band, and the performance level might disappoint you." Ying gave Momoka a brief overview of the situation. "The guitarist is a bit quiet and can't let go during rehearsals. The keyboardist, in particular, always tells her she's not playing well; it makes her play worse. The bassist and drummer are quite skilled for middle school girls, but without the qualifier "middle school girls," they're pretty mediocre. The lead singer's voice needs some polish, and the keyboard player is the only real player. Oh, and she also handles all the composing and arranging."

Momoka was stunned for a moment: "Then why... would Sakura join?"

"Because of the feelings of a young girl, it is a poem." Ying said with some emotion: "I haven't been to school for a long time, but they can give me a real sense of campus."

This was a reason Momoka couldn't refute. From the moment she dropped out of school, she had nothing to do with school life, and these past few days in Tokyo, she had been exposed to a lot of adult atmosphere.

"Will Sakura's band participate in the BangDream competition?" Momoka could only change the topic to the BangDream competition that Sakura had recommended.

"No." Ying crossed her arms. "That band doesn't have the ability to keep releasing new songs as the competition progresses."

"But Sakura has it, right?" Momoka had heard many of the songs that Sakura had copied from her library of lyrics and music in her previous life, and she knew very well how powerful Sakura's Soba sanW 氿琳崎 (九) wubazu was.

"If I were to write it, the band would have a different feel." Sakura shrugged. "I want that relaxed atmosphere of girls after school."

Chapter 141 Spring, Sakura and Crychic:43, Xiangzi's Urgency

LiveHouseRing.

Crychic's first Live will be held here today.

When Ying arrived, she found the remaining five members of the band already waiting at the Ring. Ying had a habit of arriving fifteen minutes early for group activities, so considering this, these five girls were really early.

"Ying, you're finally here. It will be our turn to go on stage to debug the equipment soon!" Xiangzi came over, took Ying's hand and dragged her to the edge of the stage.

"The violin isn't an electric instrument, so it doesn't need to be tuned in advance. As long as the reception is good, it'll be fine." Ying followed Xiangzi's footsteps and glanced back at the band members: "As long as everyone is prepared, there will be no problem."

"Xiaoxiang... takes this Live very seriously." Mu followed behind Ying and explained to her.

Not only Xiangzi, but several other members of Crychic are looking forward to their first Live performance.

Su Shi followed behind Mu, carrying a bass bag in her hand. Deng and Li Xi, who were walking at the end, seemed to be discussing something.

When they arrived at the edge of the stage, other bands were debugging, and a very cool-looking older sister kept reporting more professional parameters on the mixing console.

"It looks amazing." Deng looked at the musicians on the stage with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

"We can also perform well. Both Ying and Xiangzi should have many stage experiences! And the lighting was great during the last rehearsal, so there will definitely be no problem!" Li Xi hurriedly said to the lights.

"Hmm..." Deng responded in his throat.

At this time, Rinrinzi came over and said, "You guys are all here. Is your name Crychic? Since you're all here, you should start debugging next."

Xiangzi immediately leaned over to Rinrinzi and said, "Okay, we'll start in a moment."

Ying frowned - she always felt that Xiangzi seemed very "impatient".

"Urgent" didn't mean Xiangzi was pushing the band forward, but rather that he carried a palpable sense of urgency. Ying didn't point out Xiangzi's anomaly, and together with the other members, she completed the pre-stage adjustments.

"Glueck will perform first in a while, and then we will go on stage to sing "Spring Shadow."" Xiangzi returned to the rehearsal room, put on headphones, and kept playing excerpts of "Spring Shadow", as if this could relieve some of the tension.

Ying was helping Deng correct his pronunciation - she had intermediate vocal skills and knew how to pronounce words, while Deng relied more on his natural vocal conditions and even adjusted his breathing while singing very roughly.

"Deng, when it comes to the chorus, you need to raise your emotions, but you can relax your breathing a little. Your throat is a little too tight. Remember what I told you during the last rehearsal? This will also protect your throat."

Li Xi patted Ying's shoulder gently: "Don't be too hard on Deng."

"It's okay, Lixi, Ying is teaching me how to pronounce." Deng glanced at Lixi and said, "I should be able to sing well."

Ying really enjoyed the feeling in the rehearsal room - the members of Crychic were all junior high school girls, and the hazy awkwardness they felt when they formed the band could be described as "delicious".

When she first joined Crychic, she did so with a bit of a fun mindset, but now, Crychic has indeed given her some special experiences, just as she told Momoka.

"Let's play together again!" Xiangzi glanced at the time on his mobile phone screen and suggested playing together again before going on stage.

"Wait." Su Shi took out his phone: "We can record a training room version and post it on Crychic's account."

The girls' performance rang out in the training room.

The part that Xiangzi arranged for Ying was not difficult, which gave Ying more time to "observe" the band.

In the absence of an audience in the rehearsal room, the girls cooperated quite well and at least they "digested" the training they had received during this period.

Rinrinko pushed open the door to the training room. "Get ready, it's time to go on stage. I only remind bands of the time for their first time—come on!"

The six members of Crychic walked onto the stage. They knew full well that the audience hadn't come for Crychic. To the audience, Crychic was just a small distraction between the two bands.

Sakura stood at the side of the stage, watching Xiangzi and the other members nervously yet excitedly make their final preparations. She noticed Xiangzi adjusting the parameters on the keyboard, his movements more hurried than usual, as if trying to calm his inner anxiety through this rhythm. Riki slightly adjusted the drum stool, and the harmonious string section of Sushi checked the tuning of their instruments one last time.

Deng held the microphone, turned around to look at Xiangzi, then quickly turned back and lowered his head.

"Is the lamp ready?" Xiangzi asked softly.

Deng nodded, but her eyes were still a little nervous.

Ying knew that this performance was the beginning of Deng's lead singer career. It was not only her first time performing on the LiveHouse stage, but also her first time expressing her own lyrics to everyone in the form of a song.

As Lixi struck the drumstick three times, the keyboard drove the guitar, and the prelude of "Spring Shadow" flowed slowly.

Under the stage lights, the girls put on a very good performance for a junior high school band. Sushi and Lixi's bass and drums intertwined to create a warm and powerful rhythm. However, when Deng began to sing the first melody line, her voice seemed a little restrained, as if she was constrained by the stage lights and the audience's gaze.

There were already whispers in the audience, clearly expressing disapproval of Deng's singing. Ying quickly used her violin to complement Deng's voice, giving it a richer, more mellow quality, but no matter what, Deng had to adjust himself.

Deng took advantage of the end of the first vocal segment to look back at his teammates again, especially pausing on Sakura.

Sakura winked at Deng, and Deng also felt the encouragement. As the song entered the chorus, Deng's body trembled slightly, but her voice gradually found the rhythm, and the sound became more explosive with the accompaniment.

"In the clouds, my heart is full, overflowing, my forehead is wet with heat..." The performance of the lamp exceeded Sakura's expectations.

Judging from this segment alone, Crychic's performance can even be compared to veteran student bands like Afterglow.

At this point, the audience's response began to become enthusiastic, and everyone became more relaxed.

As the song drew to a close, the sound of the lights had completely blended into the music. She closed her eyes, letting her emotions flow through the song. When she finished the last line, the audience erupted in applause.

The members of Crychic took their bows and everyone seemed very excited.

"Deng, you have made great progress! The last part is really amazing!" Li Xi said as he approached Deng.

Deng's cheeks flushed slightly from nervousness and excitement, but the confusion in her eyes had dissipated a lot.

Ying was the last to leave the stage, watching everything unfold. Her lips curled up slightly, her eyes gleaming with relief. She knew that this Crychic live had been a success. As long as they could capture this feeling and perform more live, the band would be on a roll.

"System, if Crychic lasts for a long time, are you sure that Deng and Lixi's options won't change?" Ying couldn't help but ask the system.

"Once the option is selected, the world line is determined and will not change." The system responded quickly.

Backstage, Xiangzi couldn't wait to run to Ying and said, "Ying! Did you see that? Deng sang really well at the end!"

Ying nodded. "Yes, I noticed that too. Her voice has found its own rhythm, and she expresses what she wrote to the best of her ability."

Mu glanced at Xiangzi, then turned his gaze to Ying: Ling. Meng Juqiu Wushan 9th Strike Seven (I) Shan "Well... Xiangzi and I won't attend the celebration party. Our family has arranged training."

Xiangzi said with a hint of exaggeration, "Oh... By the way, Xiaomu, I almost forgot. I really can't attend the celebration banquet today."

Ying felt that Xiangzi was lying, but she couldn't guess why. It was just a celebration party, so there shouldn't be any need to lie to get away with it, right?

Chapter 142 Spring, Sakura and Crychic: 44, Mashiro took the important mushroom

A sushi restaurant. Four girls sat at a table, Sushi and Sakura on one side, and Deng and Riki on the other.

"Ying doesn't look like someone who hasn't been to school since junior high!" Su Shi, who was sitting next to Ying, looked at Ying: "She can play so many instruments, sing, and even write so well!"

Ying was a little embarrassed by the compliment: "No, it's just that I prefer to learn on my own and I've been to more places."

Deng suddenly spoke: "God... is very good, Ying... is also very powerful."

Li Xi moved closer to Deng and looked at Ying with a bit of vigilance.

Now Li Xi is no longer stopping talking to Ying, but he always has a strong sense of vigilance, especially when Ying and Deng are communicating, he is almost showing signs of stress.

Ying also noticed Li Xi's behavior. In order to avoid embarrassment, she had to continue talking to Su Shi: "Su Shi, when have you ever read what I wrote?"

"It's the annotations you made on the lyrics of 'Deng'. The handwriting is really beautiful. I don't know much about calligraphy, but your handwriting is very pleasing to the eye."

Only then did Ying remember that she had indeed made some notes on singing techniques and emotional expression in Deng's lyrics book.

"My handwriting is actually quite good. Next time I have time, I'll write some for you." Ying followed Su Shi's words and said.

The three people's eyes instantly focused on Sakura - this immodest statement was quite shocking to the girls.

Sakura instantly felt a bit bored. She couldn't expect a few Tokyo middle school students to understand the subtleties of the master-level calligraphy skills she'd drawn.

I'll try to show off next time I go live. My Chinese live broadcasts usually have around 10,000 "live" viewers, so there are always a few who know what I'm doing.

Ying thought to herself and took the initiative to change the topic back to the band: "What do you think about Crychic's next live? The next time we perform, we can't just sing one song, right?"

Deng was the first to respond: "I will continue writing... Sakura knows that the God-sama... will guide me."

Li Xi immediately said, "'Spring Shadow' isn't in its best condition yet, please stop putting pressure on the lights!"

Su Shi noticed that the atmosphere was a little off, and immediately stepped out to smooth things over: "Don't you think it's a coincidence? Everyone knows Ying, but Xiangzi invited them one by one to join the band. A band with such a fate will definitely last forever, right? Xiao Mu and I are Xiangzi's classmates, Deng was someone Xiangzi met by chance, Li Xi was introduced by Xiangzi, and Ying was brought in because Xiangzi wanted to invite someone who could play the violin. But, except for Xiao Mu and Xiao Xiang, everyone knew Xiao Ying before Crychic, right?"

After Su Shi said this, the atmosphere at the celebration banquet became a little more relaxed.