A band, or a battleground?

After a full five seconds, thunderous applause erupted in the small square.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

July 10th, 1:30 PM.

The sun hung brightly in the center of the cloudless sky. The asphalt road was softened by the sun, and you could even feel the stickiness of your shoes when you walked on it.

Fortunately, the auditions were not held outdoors, but in a stadium.

Inside the stadium, dozens of bands from all over the province gathered, and everywhere you looked, you saw people in outlandish costumes.

There were heavy metal musicians in their twenties with long hair that covered their eyes, wearing leather jackets studded with iron nails, and exuding the smell of leather and sweat.

There were young people with a rap-metal style, wearing baggy hoodies and thick plastic chains around their necks.

There were also university student groups dressed in clean white shirts, holding acoustic guitars, looking tense, and occasionally taking out the tuner to check their instruments.

Due to the large number of people gathered and the noise and commotion, the air in the stadium still felt somewhat stuffy, even with central air conditioning. The smells of sweat from the musicians' skin, various brands of hairspray, cheap perfume, and cigarette smoke wafting from the emergency exits mingled together, creating a sweltering atmosphere in the sweltering venue.

The space inside the venue was divided into three areas by blue plastic partitions, each of which served as a preliminary stage.

The soundproofing was extremely limited. The bass from Stage 1 penetrated the barriers, causing the floors of Stages 2 and 3 to tremble. The screeching of various electric guitars, the booming of the drum kit, and the lead singer's rough screams intertwined in a chaotic noise on the empty stadium ceiling, making one's eardrums tingle.

"Number 34, Firebird Band, proceed to Stage 1 and wait!"

"Number 35, Blackwater Band, move to stage number three!"

The staff member, wearing a red vest, was sweating profusely and shouting through an electronic megaphone.

The four members of the Spring Shadow Band were standing in the corner near the emergency exit. Many of the bands here had considerable performance experience and knew each other. While they chatted animatedly, Qi Yuan, with his three timid girls, couldn't join in the conversation and could only stand to the side.

Qi Yuan, carrying a guitar bag and wearing a white vest and work pants, looked quite like someone in a band. But behind him, three girls attracted the attention of many people around them.

Qiu Mengxue has a British rock style, Ning Qianyu has a cyberpunk style, and Jiang Yi has a gothic style. Although their styles are different, they all have a youthful beauty that can catch people's attention.

Despite her teammates' efforts, Jiang Yi ultimately decided against wearing the wig. This way, at least she wouldn't be the most eye-catching one.

Just then, three tall men walked by. They were all wearing sleeveless vests, and their exposed arms were covered with large tattoos. When they saw the group consisting of one boy and three pretty girls, they gave them a disdainful look.

One of the guitarists, with a buzz cut and three earrings, scoffed, "These days, anyone can come and join in the fun..."

The sound was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to penetrate the cacophony and reach the ears of the four people.

The few veteran rockers around him chuckled softly, their eyes full of amusement and amusement.

Jiang Yi's face turned pale instantly, and she subconsciously shrank behind Qi Yuan.

Qiu Mengxue was also very nervous and hurriedly whispered, "Qi Yuan, don't fight at a time like this..."

Qi Yuan laughed: "I'm not that bored. This is just meaningless noise. Take out your instruments, tune them, and get a feel for it."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

035 Rock Veteran?

In the noisy gymnasium, three girls stood in the corner, feeling a little out of place.

Ning Qianyu was a little flustered by the surrounding noise. She unscrewed the mineral water bottle and gulped down several mouthfuls. However, she swallowed too quickly and coughed violently, covering her mouth.

Seeing this, Jiang Yi unconsciously squeezed her legs together and whispered, "I...I need to go to the restroom."

Qiu Mengxue glanced at her waiting number and, trying to appear calm, said, "We still have some time. Qianyu, you've drunk so much water, do you want to come along?"

Ning Qianyu thought for a moment and nodded repeatedly.

Qi Yuan: "You guys go ahead, I'll stay here and watch the instruments."

So the three girls walked together toward the restroom.

But as soon as I pushed open the bathroom door, a strong odor, unlike anything I'd ever experienced in a school girls' restroom, hit me.

That smells like tobacco.

A woman, wearing fishnet stockings, leaned against the sink, a red electric guitar case beside her feet. She was slowly and deliberately touching up her makeup in front of the mirror, a thin cigarette dangling from her lips.

She didn't need to turn her head; she could sized up the three girls who came in through the mirror.

Although the three girls' outfits looked quite unique, their instinctive reaction of covering their noses and frowning upon smelling the smoke in the restroom speaks volumes.

The woman exhaled a smoke ring, a mocking smile playing on her lips: "Where did these three good kids come from? You're still in high school, aren't you? You must be the kind of well-behaved kids at school, right?"

Qiu Mengxue disagreed and retorted, "Who said that people in bands have to smoke, drink, and get perms?"

“Smoking, drinking, getting perms…” The woman shook her head and chuckled, “Talking about rebellion, the examples you gave aren’t rebellious enough, not even tattoos.”

"I'll make myself clear." As soon as Qiu Mengxue finished speaking, she felt her two friends tug at her arms.

Jiang Yi whispered, "There's no need to provoke others. Let's leave after we finish using the restroom."

Ning Qianyu also reminded him, "You just told Qi Yuan not to cause trouble."

Qiu Mengxue distributed the tissues to her two friends, and then they each went into a stall to use the restroom.

However, when they came out after they finished, they saw the woman leaning against the sink, arms crossed, wearing heavy makeup, looking at the three girls.

“You’re too young to understand. To play in a band, you either need to be in the industry or have financial backing. If you have neither, even if you work your way up until your hair turns white, you’ll still be nobody. I’m doing this for your own good, understand?”

As she spoke, the female guitarist wore a wide smile, but there was no kindness in her smile.

Qiu Mengxue subconsciously retorted, "It's just an excuse for incompetence."

The female guitarist chuckled: "Try it yourself and you'll see if this is an excuse or the truth. Of course, with the looks of the three of you, maybe there's another path, hahaha..."

Qiu Mengxue took a deep breath in anger, only to find that her hand was being pulled again.

She turned her head and saw Ning Qianyu and Jiang Yi giving her meaningful glances.

Qiu Mengxue snorted coldly and turned to leave with her two companions.

However, as they walked out of the women's restroom, the string of unrestrained "hahahaha" sounds particularly jarring, causing the three girls to quicken their pace.

When they returned to the corner, their faces were noticeably paler than before.

Qi Yuan was looking down and straightening the guitar effects pedal cables when he noticed their footsteps and looked up.

"What, you get scared just going to the restroom?"

Qiu Mengxue lowered her head and didn't say anything.

Ning Qianyu snorted coldly, "To run into ignorant and vulgar ants even when going to the toilet is really ruining my mood."

Jiang Yi quietly recounted what had happened in the restroom.

Qi Yuan didn't even lift an eyelid after listening. He pointed to the bassist on his left who had been playing the loudest earlier and said calmly, "See that long-haired guy? His rhythm is sluggish, and although he plays fast, he's completely off-key. Being loud, dressed strangely, and showing off doesn't mean your music is good. Even if we don't pass the audition today, it just means the judges are no good. We'll just post videos online later, what's the big deal?"

Qiu Mengxue took a deep breath and straightened her back again: "You're right, eliminating us is their loss."

Ning Qianyu also laughed and said, "The show will suffer a great loss if we can't hear your song."

Just then, a staff member with a towel around his neck picked up an electronic megaphone and shouted:

"Number 63, Spring Shadow Band! Is Number 63 here? Go to Stage Two!"

“Yes,” Qi Yuan raised his hand. “Let’s go.”

The four people lined up and walked through the crowded passageway.

The surrounding bands stopped playing and cast undisguised mocking glances. Several tattooed men even crossed their arms and whistled.

It wasn't that they were being targeted. It's just that the few student bands here were being mocked like this. And this so-called Haruhi Kage, a high school boy with a cold expression, was naturally the target of their attacks, along with three pretty and innocent high school girls.

Qi Yuan walked at the front, ignoring the stares he received.

The stage was a makeshift platform, half a meter high, erected from scaffolding and wooden planks. A man and a woman sat on the judges' panel; the male judge was wiping sweat with a tissue, while the female judge flipped through a crumpled application form without even looking up.

"Number 63, Haruhi Kage," the female judge read the name aloud, circled it on the paper, "Still a student? What are you planning to sing today, a cover or an original?"

“Original,” Qi Yuan walked to the microphone, “Blue Lotus.”

The male judge looked at them and casually tapped the table: "Get ready and start, hurry up."

Not far from the stage, a few veteran rockers who had been whistling earlier leaned against the partition, waiting to see these well-behaved kids make a fool of themselves. The female guitarist from the restroom also happened to walk over, crossed her arms, and looked at the stage.

Besides these few, there were also more than a dozen other band members watching listlessly.

Here, there are no mere spectators, only competitors.

On the stage, Qi Yuan turned around and glanced back.

Qiu Mengxue, holding her guitar, nodded to him; Ning Qianyu sat down behind the drum set and raised her drumsticks; Jiang Yi bit her lip, her fingers steadily resting on the strings.

Qi Yuan closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing.

The next second, he snapped his fingers.

Qiu Mengxue played a clear guitar intro.

Qi Yuan leaned closer to the microphone, and his singing suddenly began:

Nothing can stop your yearning for freedom.

"A life of boundless imagination, your heart is free of all worries."

The male judge suddenly stopped wiping his sweat.

"Through the dark years, I have also felt lost."

"Only when you look down do you realize the path beneath your feet."

The female judge suddenly looked up.

"The world of freedom in my heart is so clear and lofty."

"Blooming, never fading, the blue lotus—"

At this point in the song, Qi Yuan gripped the microphone tightly with both hands and unleashed a clear, high note.

Ning Qianyu suddenly joined in with his drum set, which, along with his singing, instantly attracted a lot of surprised looks!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

036 Is this a high school student?

I've been in this parallel world for almost two months now.

The more Qi Yuan read online, the more certain he became that the entertainment level of this world was truly lacking. Whether in the East or the West, the number of classic works that caught his eye was far fewer than in his home world. In recent years, with the advancement of technology and the emergence of entertainment forms like mobile internet and live streaming, people's hearts had become increasingly restless, and good songs were nowhere to be found.

Music lovers around the world often lament that the golden age is over, and musicians only know how to show off their skills, or even can't do that. They just create sensational gossip, appear on various shows to generate buzz, and then use that buzz to make money...

Qi Yuan thought those things were incredibly boring.

The song "Blue Lotus" perfectly reflects his current state of mind.

As for whether he suits the tastes of these two judges... who cares? Eliminating himself is a loss for the show. This is not only Qiu Mengxue's opinion, but also his own.

Qi Yuan sang with his eyes closed, so he didn't see the expressions on the faces of the two judges.

In fact, both judges were beaming with surprise.

After the first chorus, there was an interlude of interwoven instruments. Qi Yuan closed his mouth, adjusted his breathing, but still didn't look at the judges, much less at the band members a little further away.

He was completely absorbed in the song.

Suddenly, he realized his partner's mistake—Jiang Yi was probably too nervous, and her bass was playing too fast. Affected by this, Ning Qianyu also got the accents wrong.

But at that moment, Qiu Mengxue suddenly slammed the strings, increasing the volume of the guitar to cover up her two partners' mistakes.

Although Qi Yuan didn't have any lyrics, he hummed the main melody "la la la la la," which echoed Qiu Mengxue's guitar playing.

Soon, Jiang Yi and Ning Qianyu both recovered.

After the interlude ended, Qi Yuan continued singing:

"Through the dark years, I have also felt lost..."

At the same time, those tattooed veteran rockers were all stunned.

One of them suddenly said, "Is this... their original work?"

Another said, "It's definitely an original! If there were songs like this before, it's impossible that we haven't heard them... Damn it, which band with any talent haven't we heard of?"

Another voice whispered, "Shut up, don't make a sound!"

Meanwhile, the guitarist who had been smoking in the women's restroom was completely stunned. Looking at the girl also playing guitar on stage, she suddenly remembered what the girl had said earlier: