Mygo, you guys seem to be getting a bit heavy-hearted.

"And of all of them, Xiaodeng, you are the one I worry about the most."

Do you remember our promise?

Of course, Deng hadn't forgotten, but he hadn't dared to mention it to Xiangzi before. Now, however, he was telling the story himself.

"To become 'human' together... I haven't forgotten, I've remembered every word Xiaodeng said, because you are the companion I care about and who cares about me."

"But it is precisely because of this that I was unable to extricate myself. After learning about your situation, I used Oblivionis to get close to you and, together with Yanming, wanted to help you."

"The weekend's live performance... no matter what the final result is, the Crychic of the past can never be revived. This truth... must be cruel for Xiaodeng. I'm sorry."

However, the tearful look that Xiangzi had imagined did not appear.

Deng shook his head calmly and said, "It's not like that, Xiao Xiang... When I first saw Oblivionis here, I already realized that Crychic was really gone forever. However, I didn't tell Mr. Yanming, who has been working hard for this... I was worried that if Mr. Yanming found out, this live show wouldn't be able to be held."

She could sense that Mr. Yanming really wanted to help her save Crychic, the place she had once belonged.

But Deng couldn't tell Yanming directly that she had actually let go of the matter.

The only thing Deng could do was try to convey to him, through this live performance that represented the disbandment of "their" temporary band, that "their" band had also ended.

Crychic is dead and there is absolutely no possibility of it being resurrected.

But its ashes still retained warmth, so much so that a kind passerby discovered it and tried to save it... but unfortunately, it was destined to be a futile effort.

“Oblivionis, I want to give Crychic a formal farewell during the live stream, so that everyone can realize that it has really disbanded, and thus, so that everyone can start a new story without any psychological burden.”

For someone with Deng's personality, it would be very difficult to say such a long sentence in one breath.

But she still managed to convey her thoughts to Xiangzi intermittently, not through her singing, but through words.

“Oblivionis…Xiao Xiang, help me, help me…to completely end that band.”

She couldn't do it alone; being just one of the five lights couldn't fundamentally shake the foundation of the band Crychic.

But there are two people on their side, one of whom is the "soul" that created this home.

Even if there are still fond memories, we should all say goodbye to the past.

Deng pursed her lips and stared intently at Xiangzi.

Little Lamp... has grown up in a place where I wasn't watching.

Oblivionis closed his eyes and nodded with satisfaction.

Turning Crychic's resurrection ceremony into a memorial service, that idea is really... only someone with a determined mind like Xiaodeng could come up with that...

"If Yanming finds out about this, he'll kill me when I get back."

“Oblivionis…”

"But if I'm an accomplice to Xiaodeng, then Xiaodeng will get scolded along with me, right?"

"Xiao Xiang..."

"boom--"

Just as the tension between the two was rising, a purple figure slammed in from behind the door.

"Ouch—"

"..."

"..."

Miao Meng clutched her nearly flattened breasts, then belatedly raised her head and noticed two pairs of eyes staring straight at her.

The baby octopus was alright; it wasn't aggressive at all.

It's that other one...

Alas!

"I...I just got here too, I didn't hear anything, meow~"

Sweating profusely, Miao Meng placed her fist next to her right cheek and waved it, trying to get away with being cute.

Deng stood up, blocking Xiao Xiang behind her, and whispered, "Miss Miaomeng, you saw Oblivionis's face... right?"

It's over!

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Aspirations.

My dream is going to turn into penguin poop!

Taking this opportunity, Xiangzi put Oblivionis's mask back on and said, "It's alright, Xiaodeng. He's just an insignificant person. So what if he saw it?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Hearing someone speak up for her, Miaomeng immediately pounded her head like a garlic clove, "I won't tell anyone!"

In reality, this mask is no different from a fig leaf; those who could be recognized have already been recognized, so it doesn't matter if word gets out.

"All right……"

Having narrowly escaped death, Miaomeng sat down in her seat, trembling with fear, terrified that the penguin next to her might suddenly change its mind and pounce on her, tearing her to pieces.

I wish I hadn't gossiped; she almost ended up staying in that band "for life."

Another moment passed.

Yanming and Le Nai have also returned.

"Mmm...smack smack."

Rina got to eat the parfait as she wished, but the price was another lecture from Rinrinko.

However, according to her...

To enjoy a delicious parfait, this hardship must be overcome, and the parfait will taste even sweeter afterward.

"Boss Lena~"

Upon seeing Lena, Miaomeng hugged her as if she had seen a savior, tears streaming down her face.

Meow Dream's Band Survival Rules:

First: Don't be alone in a room with penguins.

Secondly, cats represent safety.

"Ok?"

Lenai just twisted her body in confusion, then stopped resisting and continued eating her matcha parfait.

……

The group spent an afternoon improving their proficiency with "Shiori," finally getting the song to a level suitable for performance, though there were still a few minor flaws.

Although Deng performed to her usual standard today, Yanming could always detect something unusual in her singing. During breaks, she would often drift off into thought, as if she was hiding something from him.

"Little Lamp, pack your things, it's time to disband."

"...dismissed!"

The lamp caught the key words in Yanming's words and was startled awake from its reverie.

Yanming nodded and gently patted her shoulder: "Well, it's about time. That's all for today."

"Um……"

"Come on, I'll take you home."

"Eh?"

Yanming pointed to the rehearsal room where only the two of them remained and said, "You seemed a bit distracted today. I was worried that something might happen to you on the way, so I let them go ahead."

In order not to affect the weekend live performance, Yanming felt it was necessary to check on the condition of the lights.

"Okay, okay!"

Deng hurriedly packed her belongings. "Let's go, Mr. Yanming..."

……

Deng walked home on the familiar road, but her feelings were completely different... Li Xi used to sometimes walk her home, but never like this, she didn't dare to say a word...

Yanming seemed to have noticed this, and he didn't say anything either, maintaining a quiet but not awkward harmonious atmosphere, and accompanied Deng all the way onto the tram.

As the tram traveled along, Deng suppressed most of her thoughts and spoke first: "Thank you for your help, Mr. Yanming."

"It's nothing, nothing to worry about."

Yanming's reply was natural and calm, which soothed Deng's fragile nerves.

"No, it's not just about you taking me home today, but also about all the help you've given me these past few days."

The conversation with Xiao Xiang in the rehearsal room not only confirmed their feelings for each other, but also helped Deng resolve some of his inner conflicts.

Some things that I couldn't say before, I can now say fluently.

Yanming chuckled and said, "My help to you was actually not very useful. It was mostly your own hard work, Xiaodeng, and you have done a great job so far."

Deng nodded, then asked somewhat awkwardly, "Mr. Yanming, if... Crychic fails to be resurrected in the end, will you... be very disappointed in me?"

"..."

Yanming was unsure how to answer the question. After a moment's thought, he said, "I won't be disappointed, but I'll probably be very sad."

I'm not sad because Crychic didn't make it back.

For him, this was more of a different kind of shared sorrow.

The tragedy he had experienced was about to be repeated in the lamp's life, but he was unable to stop it.

Yanming felt sad because of this.

Even if Deng ultimately fails to rebuild her band with his help, Yanming certainly wouldn't blame her for anything. He would probably just sigh and say something like, "You can't play in a band forever." Then he would continue to try to get Deng's life back on track in other ways.

That's it.

Because their agreement wasn't about "rebuilding Crychic" but rather "he will help the lamp."

As for how far...

It's probably to the point that even if she can no longer stay by the lamp's side, she can still live a good life as an ordinary human being.

"Will it be very sad...?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Yanming nodded, glanced at the few minutes left before getting off the bus, and then said, "But if it's just a little sad, it's not a big deal."

"…Why is that?"

The lamp looked blankly into Yanming's eyes.

Those dark eyes are the "ordinary" color that the lamp seeks.

Or rather.

Yanming is the image of "humanity" that Deng Xin yearns for.

Kind, strong, and courageous.

Instead of the "sun" that cried out alongside her, yearning to become human.

Although both illuminated her, the former used a different kind of artificial light.

If I had to describe it.

Xiao Xiang is like a little sun in the lamp, illuminating her originally lonely heart.

Yanming... was the "hero" who grabbed her hand and saved her while teaching her to save herself when her world was plunged into darkness once again.

Although she used to confuse the two at first, she can now tell them apart very well.

Xiao Xiang was the one who could feel warmth from her body.

The one who could keep me glued to his eyes was Mr. Yanming.

"You know what, Little Lamp?"

Feeling the light's gaze, Yanming returned the same gaze gently. "The human heart has a very strong capacity to withstand hardship. Many people's suffering in their entire lives is not enough to fill even a corner of their heart."