All the people who like me are other people’s girlfriends! ?

Xiao Ju's heart leaped into her throat, and a barely perceptible blush rose to her face. She quietly raised her eyes and glanced at Qing Ye. Her feelings were complicated; she wanted to work hard quietly on her own, but she also wanted Qing Ye to see it.

Kiyono raised an eyebrow in surprise. A speech? Xiao Ju? This is quite a strange combination, and the fact that she took the initiative to practice makes it even stranger.

“My sister is overcoming her weakness; we should encourage her,” Kiyono said with a smile.

"We've been encouraging you!"

Honestly... Xiao Ju silently ate her rice.

After dinner, Kiyono took the two children out to play for a while, and after bringing them back, he left without asking any questions. Koko breathed a sigh of relief, but was also a little disappointed.

She washed the dishes and chopsticks, suppressed her thoughts, and prepared to put her younger siblings to sleep.

But then she noticed a plastic bag on the table.

Xiao Ju frowned. Could it be that her younger siblings were being naughty again, pestering that guy to buy things? She opened the plastic bag somewhat angrily, but then froze.

What comes into view are throat lozenges from the pharmacy, a small jar of almonds, and mints in a tin box, with a note attached to the top box.

"Next time, when your voice is a little better, Ms. Kiyono can practice with you."

Xiao Ju pursed her lips, silently lowered her head, and her eyes were full of gentleness.

*

4 month 10 day.

At 4:30 pm, fluffy clouds drifted freely in the sky, constantly changing shape. The sounds of elementary school students playing nearby drifted over. The breeze was gentle and mild, and the boys and girls subconsciously slowed down to enjoy this small warmth.

In the bustling commercial street, the music hall named "Ring" stands in the very center. For most of the young female band members, it is both a place to entrust their dreams and a dazzling stage.

Ring was as lively as ever today, but surprisingly, the girls in the second-floor café, which was used for resting, were not enjoying their food. Instead, they were secretly glancing at a certain table and whispering curiously.

There sat five beautiful young women, each with their own unique charm.

If we compare ordinary female band members to beautiful flowers, then these girls are undoubtedly gems; when five gems come together, even a garden of flowers pales in comparison.

The figures of these five women attracted many eyes like magnets.

At this moment, one of the most dazzling girls with twin ponytails gently glanced around at the team members in front of the table, her smile as warm as the spring sun.

Shoko Toyokawa is a very proactive and extremely strong-willed young woman. Once she decides to do something, she will definitely try her best, and she will never give up even if she fails. With this passion and strength, as well as her personal charm, she quickly formed a band that almost achieved her ideal.

At that moment, her pure dream appeared before her eyes.

The other girls in the band also showed some emotion, but when they looked at their leader, Xiangzi, they found that she was just elegantly drinking tea and didn't seem to have any intention of speaking. They were all a little confused. The drummer, who had a mole under her eye, spoke up directly.

"You didn't call us here just for tea, did you?"

"Ah, I'm so sorry." Xiangzi put down her teacup, blinked, and parted her moist cherry lips slightly. "Actually, we have another member... well, should I say my friend, or a special person, anyway, that's about it. He hasn't arrived yet, so please wait a little longer. Let's talk about important things when he arrives!"

On that day, it was that boy who lit up the dark night, inspiring her to have a band. So even though he didn't join, she wanted Kiyono to witness this moment.

Are there any other members?

After Toyokawa Shoko finished speaking, the atmosphere at the table became somewhat strange. The girls exchanged glances, then remained silent, with only the sound of teacups clinking against the table breaking the silence.

Shiina Riki raised an eyebrow, turned her gaze to the glass door behind her, and patiently waited quietly. The other girls also looked in the same direction.

At one moment, a smile suddenly bloomed on Toyokawa Shoko's face, and the door opened, and a boy walked in.

...To be honest, Shiina Tatsuki had a terrible first impression of this person because he was acting suspiciously, as if he was afraid of being discovered and abducted. Even though he had already seen Toyokawa Shoko waving at him, he pretended not to see her and tried to walk past her.

Then he got caught.

He was forcibly pushed into the seat next to him.

He doesn't seem to have as much strength as the petite girl with the ponytail.

Could this be one of those bands that mess around with men and women? Shiina Tatsuki frowned, doubting his own judgment for the first time.

Kiyono's lips twitched—what's going on! I just wanted to sneak in and work when there weren't many people around!

He turned his head and met Toyokawa Shoko's gaze. The girl gave him a bright smile, and a faint fragrance wafted into his nostrils. It wasn't perfume or shampoo, but rather the unique natural scent of a young girl.

"Don't worry, Kiyono-kun, I won't force you to join. You just need to watch from the sidelines."

Xiangzi took the menu and handed it to him, her voice gentle and warm, a strand of blue hair playfully brushing against the back of his hand.

Why is it even involving forced participation in the plot...?

Kiyono looked grave, realizing what was happening, and his gaze swept over the girls in front of him one by one.

Logically speaking, with such a gentle and kind personality, Miss Toyokawa should be surrounded by dazzling teenage idols—pure, radiant, beautiful, facing difficulties and setbacks, yet steadfastly and bravely moving towards their dreams. However…

It's the same familiar configuration as always!

In a sense, it's quite impressive to be able to gather all these girls into one team.

First, let's talk about Ms. Wakaba Mutsumi.

She didn't respond to the conversations around her. She just sat there quietly, and a silent and oppressive atmosphere naturally dissipated. Having a teammate like that could be said to naturally create pressure.

Then, let's talk about the drummer.

Shiina Tatsuki has long black hair and a mole under her eye. Her whole demeanor is as sharp as a long sword, making her seem unapproachable. And her style is indeed like that. Every word this girl says is like a barb. She says whatever comes to mind without any mercy and criticizes everyone equally. She can be said to be another powerful source of pressure.

The lead singer goes without saying.

The only thing that can be considered normal is...

His gaze shifted to the right, landing on the girl with long flaxen hair. She also happened to look up, paused for a moment, then gave him a gentle smile, secretly rubbing her fingers together.

Kiyono withdrew his gaze, watching the situation unfold with sympathy, admiration, and sighs.

At this point, the story officially begins.

Toyokawa Shoko stood up.

"Excuse me, thank you again for coming today. I have been looking forward to this moment."

Her voice was clear and bright, easily stirring people's emotions.

"Well then, Lixi, could you please introduce yourself first?" she said.

"Shiina." Her voice was cold.

"Lixi's older sister is a very capable person."

"Not only did he join the orchestra, but he also frequently won first place in various competitions. That's how I learned about Lixi's name..."

The moment the bassist and Toyokawa Shoko finished speaking, Shiina Tatsuki's face visibly darkened, but he couldn't lash out at someone he was meeting for the first time.

Kiyono shook his head. Although Teacher Xiaoxiang had forcibly won people's hearts with his numerical values, it now seems that he had actually laid many foreshadowings from the very beginning.

He has no intention of getting involved.

Because this band is a phantom that will eventually disappear in the spring, like the bright moon reflected in the lake. As long as the problems of Toyokawa Shoko's family cannot be resolved, the ending will be the same no matter what—with only three months, it will be difficult for him to intervene in the darkness of the Toyokawa family.

...That's how it should be.

Even if he did take some action, it would be meaningless; he understood that perfectly well.

Even so, Kiyono sighed. He still wanted to do his best to let Toyokawa Shoko say goodbye in a less tragic way.

Just before Shiina Tatsuki was about to respond, he spoke:

“Toyokawa specifically told me before that although it was Shiina-nee who found you, she admires your drumming style. It’s a completely different kind of playing from your sister’s. It may have shortcomings and flaws, but it’s full of fire. She believes that your future can surpass your sister’s.”

He didn't know the extent to which Xiangzi and the drummer understood each other in the future, but he guessed their relationship probably wasn't very good.

There are two reasons for saying this.

First, let's try to ease the tension.

Secondly, he subtly reminded Mr. Xiang that the drummer's trigger point was her older sister, and the strategy was to take care of her inferiority complex—why specifically mention surpassing her sister? If she didn't admire or feel inferior to her sister, she wouldn't think about surpassing her. He believed that Xiangzi would understand his lines.

Upon hearing this, the eyes of all five girls fell on his face.

Shiina Tatsuki looked at him for two seconds, seemingly surprised, then turned her head and said calmly, "I see... Anyway, now is not the time to talk about these things."

The drummer's aggression has decreased.

Toyokawa Shoko gazed at the boy, lost in thought.

Nagasaki Motoyo responded with a soft "Eh."

Immediately afterwards, the blue-haired succubus composed herself and, with a bright smile, extended her hand to the lead singer who had been quiet all along:

"This student, Gao Songdeng, is a lyric-writing genius. Could you show us that notebook?"

Panic, confusion, fear, shame, dizziness, despair.

Takamatsu Akari's sudden change in expression reminded Kiyono of the way horror movie protagonists are killed by ghosts turning around.

—You can't really blame her. If I remember correctly, Teacher Xiao Xiang thought those were notebooks with lyrics, but they were actually just the lead singer's diary entries. And her diary was being read and commented on in public...

But the lead singer has never known how to refuse the sunny Toyokawa Shoko, even when she has her own diary in hand.

Takamatsu Akari simply lowered her head even further, her shoulders trembling slightly, as if she were about to be swallowed up by this immense sense of shame.

Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a slender hand gently pressing on the cover of the notebook, just covering Xiangzi's fingers as they were about to move.

Kiyono winked at Shoko: "This is just a draft, isn't it? The initial feelings are always beautiful yet rough. Wouldn't it be better if you and her turned those feelings into a melody and presented it as music?"

Gao Songdeng's eyes widened.

Toyokawa Shoko also grunted in response. She tapped her lips with her index finger, as if she understood something, and decided to listen to Kiyono.

Then, the topic shifted to his childhood sweetheart, who had been as quiet as a doll.

"Our guitarist is Mu, she grew up with me and is very reliable."

If Ye Mu's reaction remained as calm as a still lake, she merely shook her head very slightly, her doll-like face still expressionless, making it difficult to fathom her inner thoughts.

But then, her long eyelashes suddenly lifted, and her clear eyes fixed intently on Qingye.

I don't have telepathy!

After Kiyono finished complaining, he thought for a while and then said:

"Hmm... Ms. Wakaba wants to say that she hopes to learn to play music with emotion together with everyone?"

The fairy-like girl nodded slightly and hummed in agreement, her voice and the corners of her eyes lifting slightly.

How can chatting be so easy?

After a brief silence, at this moment, apart from Nagasaki Motoyo, the other girls' gazes towards Kiyono changed imperceptibly, and they all had only one thought in their hearts.

—Crychic cannot exist without the clearing of the fields, just as the West cannot exist without Jerusalem.

?017. The Great Sho that Makes Qingye's Heart Flutter [Two-in-One]

The girls felt that they were somewhat closer to each other.

Especially Wakaba Mutsumi... Shiina Tatsuki almost genuinely thought she was an emotionless doll, but unexpectedly, she still wanted to perform with them...

The only thing that wasn't translated is...

"From today onwards, we are a band... no, a community with a shared destiny, playing music together!"

The sounds seemed to sparkle.

Toyokawa Shoko's eyes swept over each member of the band, finally settling on Kiyono's face.

Kiyono turned his head and his eyes met hers.

The girl's beautiful amber eyes rippled like water, as if telling him something.

Before he could speak, he heard a sweet and gentle voice that was almost cloying.

“Fate…” The bassist gazed at the shimmering Toyokawa Shoko, like a forest deer looking up at the sun. “How beautiful.”

This is Nagasaki Suyo.

She always wore a gentle smile like a dandelion, her eyes would droop down when she smiled, her long hair would fall naturally, and her eyes were azure blue, like a lake. She had a slender and tall figure, and although she was not old, she inexplicably revealed a mature woman's inclusive temperament.

Previously, she had always observed others like an elder, without making her presence too prominent.

Next, Toyokawa Shoko took the initiative to start a real conversation about music, while Nagasaki Motoyo smiled and eased the atmosphere, occasionally letting out a soft laugh, as if things had returned to normal.

But during a brief lull, Nagasaki Motoyo suddenly looked at Kiyono and asked casually:

"May I ask you a question, Kiyono-kun? What aspect of the band, or rather, which role within the band, interests you?"

"Actually, my main job is as a waiter," Kiyono said seriously.