A band simulator, but all girl-heavy!

Ryo looked at Pochi-chan with disappointment in his eyes.

“Huh!? I, I’ll try my best…!!!”

Little Bochi shuddered, responding loudly like a recruit being called out, causing Hong Xia, who was standing next to him, to quickly yell, "Please don't ruin this independent live performance!!!"

"Hmm...but this is definitely new. I've never taken a photo with this hairstyle before."

Kita poked the meatball on his head again and looked carefully at the other members of the band.

The cool style of the bun is very different. She usually has a neutral and handsome style, but with this feminine hairstyle, she looks less cold and more gorgeous. Her stern facial features and charming teardrop mole, coupled with her otherworldly temperament, make her look like a cold and beautiful iceberg beauty.

Little Bochi's hair is more the result of being ungroomed. With this cute hairstyle, her beautiful and perfect face is fully exposed, and her bangs can no longer cover her delicate features. Although her expression is still timid like a hamster caught in the hand during the day, she no longer looks gloomy.

On the contrary, girls like Hongxia and Xiduo, who often dress themselves up and like to go for a cute style, don't seem to have changed much. Xiduo's sunshine and cuteness are even greater, and Hongxia's youthful vitality is more prominent. Moreover, the golden triangle of ahoge standing in front of her bun makes the combination look like a golden apple.

As for Aoi...

She also tied her hair with the help of Hong Xia. The beautiful beige hair reflected the warm light of the lounge and flowed smoothly through Hong Xia's hands again and again. Her hair looked very smooth. Even if she used a hairbrush to comb it, there would be no obstruction and it would flow smoothly from the beginning to the end.

With the big beige bun on top of her head, Aoi's slender white neck was completely exposed to the air. For Aoi, who always exuded a sense of radiance, such a scene was only seen when she was soaking in hot springs. The slender lines, the clearly visible "kiss" mark on the left side of her neck, and the faint shape of her collarbone...

Several people swallowed subconsciously.

For some reason, Aoi's figure has many alluring features, not least the mole on her chest. But everyone's attention is always drawn to her neck, as if it were her erogenous zone. A gentler person might wonder: If I forcefully planted a strawberry on her left skin, would anyone be able to tell it was a kiss or a hickey? A more possessive person might wonder: If I gently grasped this slender neck, pressing on her pulsating carotid artery, what kind of expression would she make from the dizziness caused by a slight lack of oxygen to her brain...?

"Okay, okay! Xiaokui, what do you think?"

Hong Xia hurriedly threw the strange idea out of her mind, took a step back, and looked at the beige ball on Aoi's head.

"I think it's pretty good, but isn't Yudai not very satisfied?"

Aoi curiously lifted the big bun on her head. As the one with the longest hair in the band, the bun on her head was also the biggest, and it looked particularly conspicuous.

She stared at the mirror for a long time but couldn't seem to figure out what to do. She turned to look at Kita and asked, "How about it? Yudai, what do you think?"

"satisfy……!"

Kita covered his nose and immediately gave a thumbs up: "Satisfied, satisfied! Very satisfied! Let's use this hairstyle!"

"Okay~ But... I feel like the band has become a group like Maruko's band."

Aoi complained with a smile.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door. Miss PA poked her head out from behind the door, looking curiously at the girls with bun hair in the room, and couldn't help asking:

"Oh, so cute~ Is this playing contrast rock?"

“What the hell is that…!”

Hong Xia couldn't help but complain.

"Oh, don't worry about it. Anyway, the show is about to start. Mygo and the other kids have just finished their soundcheck. You guys should go over there too."

Miss PA covered her mouth and smiled. "You guys will be the first to go out in the first half, so you should show your usual momentum, okay?"

"Good~"

The girls answered in unison.

"And Hongxia, your sister asked you to help move something?"

Miss PA winked at Hong Xia, gave her a thumbs-up, and finally said, "See you at the audition~" before she slipped away.

"You guys go ahead~ Looks like I'll have to wait a bit!"

After Hong Xia finished speaking to a few of her companions, she pushed open the door and walked out quickly, recalling the rhythm and drum beats while walking hurriedly, as if she wanted to eliminate the distracting thoughts in her mind.

However, not long after, a series of crisp footsteps sounded behind her, and Aoi's smile quickly reappeared in front of her, winking at her.

"I'll help~"

"Well, please~"

Hongxia's heart inexplicably beat for a moment, but soon she smiled and walked towards the backstage area with Aoi.

The sound of footsteps blended with the voices of the audience in the air around them, but the surroundings seemed extremely quiet, as if they were the only two people left in the world.

"I didn't expect so many people to come..."

Hong Xia's smile gradually melted, and she spoke softly, expressing the warmth flowing from the bottom of her heart: "I always feel like my dream is getting closer..."

"I don't think I've heard Hongxia tell me yet. What's your real dream? Becoming a professional band?"

Aoi asked curiously.

"I want to keep it a secret...but in this situation, it's okay to reveal a little to Aoi."

Hong Xia said softly, "This place... this Starry was actually created for me by my sister. She wanted me to be the stage where I could shine... Although she never said it, I always understood... So, I hope that through our efforts, my sister's dream can be realized, and this place, Starry, can be transformed into a place that shines like the starry sky..."

When Hong Xia said this, her eyes were like stars, flashing, fluttering, sparkling, and glittering...

Looking at those eyes, Aoi couldn't help but clench her hands.

She became increasingly clear about one thing.

Everyone's dreams are affected by her decision. This performance not only determines Aoi's ideal, but also the fate of the band, including Xingge...

Today's performance...is a performance that cannot fail.

220

Chapter 220 Independent Live.

Just like the opening of a movie theater, after the staff's shouts ended, the lights suddenly went out, and the entire Livehouse was instantly swallowed by darkness.

STARRY was originally located underground and basically received no light from the outside world. After the artificial light source disappeared, only the purest darkness remained here. For a short period of time, the audience's vision was completely dark, as if the visual system had temporarily malfunctioned. The only remaining light was the bright emergency indicator lights in the store and the lights from the audience's mobile phone screens.

Whispers floated around, circulating with the air that absorbed darkness, blending the audience's expectations into the gloomy atmosphere of the Livehouse, as if everyone had come to watch a long-awaited movie. Now, the stage lights went out, waiting for the moment when the curtain would be lifted and the protagonist would appear under the lights.

However, after waiting for a long time, there was no movement around. Instead, the audience's eyes began to gradually adapt to the darkness. Even without the light from the mobile phone screen, they could see the puzzled and curious expressions of the people around them. The expected scene of the lights turning on and the band standing on the stage did not appear. There was only darkness.

"What's going on here?"

"Is there something wrong with the speakers, or something else..."

"That's not right? This is just the beginning of the show, right?"

A hint of worry gradually emerged among the whispers. Listening to these subtle discussions that quickly melted into the air, Jinna did not feel worried at all. Instead, she excitedly clutched Momoka and Subaru's sleeves, and her blue eyes were dotted with light in the darkness.

"... Could this be the one we used during our Suwa City tour—"

Before she could finish her words, a long and ethereal piano sound floated in from the darkness, like the sea breeze blowing along with the waves when she stood on the beach with her eyes closed. When she came to her senses, the piano sound had already passed by the hair by her ear, bringing a scent that was unique to this sound and could only be tasted by the soul.

The whispering sounds were instantly blown away by the wind-like piano music. During the time the wind blew, only the piano music, which was like waves washing the beach, leaves rustling, and flowers dancing in the air, remained.

This is the sound of a violin.

The uniquely bright and harmonious timbre of "After the Instrument" appears particularly long and lonely during solo performances. The sustained sound of the bow slowly plucking the strings always reminds people of the long yet beautiful things in this world. Unlike the rapid rhythm of the guitar, it is like moonlight, like the sun shining through the clouds, like the gurgling river...

The sound of the violin is like everything in the world, continuous, long-lasting and long-lasting tenderness.

As the piano played its last solo, the stage lights flickered on, transforming into a conspicuous cylindrical beam of light in the darkness, illuminating the figure on the right side of the stage.

The girl had beige hair tied up in a huge bun on top of her head. Under the dazzling light, her whole body was as white as snow, from her hair to her skin, even her eyelashes as long as bird wings were so bright that they were almost sparkling, pure and flawless.

Just like a princess from the Snow Country standing on the clear snow, she tilted her head slightly, with the violin pressed against her cheek, and gracefully pulled the bow in her hand, accompanied by the trembling of the strings like strings of light. She was like a beautiful fairy, dancing in a beam of sunlight that penetrated the mottled shadows of the trees in a deserted wonderland in the forest.

The beautiful piano music and the graceful girl together constitute this dreamlike scene. Finally, people gradually recognize that this music is the pure violin solo version of "If I Could Be the Light", which ended the band's famous song.

"……sunflower……"

At the same time, Xiangzi, who was watching this scene in the audience, folded his arms, and suddenly exerted force with his hands that were holding the cloth on his upper arms, and his golden eyes trembled slightly.

Suddenly, the bow in Saotome Aoi's hand paused, and she played a last long syllable on the strings. Then, like a breeze carrying splashing waves, the short but coherent sound of the electric guitar suddenly brightened up the stage where the girl was alone.

Another beam of light lit up beside Aoi. Standing on the other side, a gloomy guitarist girl with a pink bun lowered her head, her eyes fixed on the guitar in her hands. Her hands, switching chords and plucking the strings, almost left afterimages, adding a fierce style to the originally sad musical atmosphere.

The catchy bass and drum beats emerged one after another, and the remaining band members appeared one by one under the illuminated spotlights, almost blinding them. Kita, strumming her guitar and singing, was like the last ray of light illuminating the world, and the dark livehouse was instantly illuminated by their presence.

Among the audience who came to watch the live performance today were many high school girls, and some people who had never heard of the band, but they were all captivated by the outstanding stage effects and interactivity of the band during the performance.

Only the gloomy and rock-n-roll-looking lead guitarist never looks at the audience except his teammates. The cold and handsome bassist's eyes seem to stick to her cold and mysterious appearance and are never focused on the audience. The remaining three girls can always give the audience the most detailed experience.

Kita's talent as a lead singer has been perfectly demonstrated. She can balance playing the guitar and singing while showing the audience the most energetic and cute smile. From time to time, she will use the cutest wink to radiate Yangjiao energy to the audience who are looking at her at the same time.

As for Aoi, as a violinist, although she sometimes keeps her eyes closed, she often smiles at the audience looking at her. Most importantly, when she stands next to the lead singer, she often interacts with Kita in small gestures.

They looked at each other with smiles and winked, gazed at each other briefly with their heads slightly turned sideways, and smiled at each other... Even when switching to the violin solo section, they would hold each other's hands, pull Aoi to the center, and briefly exchange positions.

"I just think that women are really good to each other..."

"The lead singer and the violinist seem to interact quite frequently, huh?"

"They look at each other with such affection. Their relationship is so good, isn't it?"

“That’s what I want to see!”

After the first song ended, deafening applause broke out, mixed with the whispers of many audience members, some of whom were obsessed with the couple's CP.

Ci Tuan, Xiang Mu and others who were listening on the side just remained silent, their eyes fixed on the direction of the stage, staring at the few people who were panting and smiling at the audience after the music ended, especially Kita Ikuyo with a bright smile.

"We are the end of the band~! Thank you very much for coming to today's independent live!!!"

Kita clenched his fists and shouted into the microphone toward the audience: "This stage belongs only to us, only to the end of the band... Please be here and witness the world that belongs to us!!"

221

Chapter 221 Halftime break.

"I'm so thirsty... Where's the water?"

"I feel tired already... Can we let the warm-up band play the whole show next?"

"What are you talking about?!"

"My stomach is churning..."

Leaving the still noisy and cheerful stage, the few of them walked into the backstage area exhausted as if they had just finished a marathon, isolating themselves from the audience's boiling cheers coming from the direction of the stage.

"Everyone, are you okay? Let's go back to the lounge and rest for a while. This is only the first half."

Aoi simply wiped the sweat from her forehead, a subtle expression on her face as she looked at her teammates, who were staggering and looking like they were about to collapse. "Yudai, you should drink more water. The second half is much longer than the first half, okay?"

Performing is already a tough task, not to mention singing so many songs consecutively in one day. Maybe for experienced and established professional bands, this is basic band quality, but it is different for fledgling student bands.

Playing a musical instrument is already very energy-consuming, not to mention that the band has to constantly consider and pay attention to the rhythm of other teammates, and concentrate on coordinating with their instruments. If you play basically continuously, your physical strength and energy will gradually slip away from your body, until the end of the performance, when you suddenly feel that your spirit and body are both on the verge of reaching their limits.

The lead singer is the most affected among all the musicians. This position is the face of the band, and any slight fluctuation will affect the overall performance of the band, not to mention that he has to play an instrument and sing at the same time, which is the most physically demanding way to constitute the most conspicuous part of the song. Even skilled and excellent singers may fall into a state of throat fatigue. Novice singers often lose their throats after singing one or two songs, and in severe cases, they may even faint due to insufficient blood supply to the brain.

If Kita collapsed first during the next performance, it would basically mean that today's performance was a complete failure.

"Xiao Kui, you should also have a good rest, right? We arranged several violin solos for you in the performance just now... You are the one who worked the hardest~"

Kita held a bottle of mineral water and said with concern: "I feel very good now. Although I am just a little tired, but watching such a happy performance, it doesn't matter how long it takes...!"

"Yeah~ You guys performed well today! If we keep up this momentum, today's independent live will definitely be a huge success!"

Hong Xia smiled brightly and gave a thumbs up, her eyes shining so brightly that they were almost more eye-catching than her golden hair.

Just then, several footsteps were heard nearby. A temporarily hired shop assistant hurried past, nodded to them, and walked quickly towards the stage.

"Everyone from the Mygo band, this way!"

Behind her, several familiar girls appeared in her field of vision, and their eyes were almost instantly glued to Aoi.

As the warm-up band, they have to take over the performance from the closing band during the intermission to avoid cooling down the atmosphere that has been hard-earned during the main band's break.

Unlike the first time they met in reality, at this moment, it was as if a fire was ignited in their eyes, and the warmth and brightness were truly transmitted through their sight. It was too hot to light up all the haze of the past, and too bright to dispel all the darkness of the past.

The "Ikebukuro Student Band" that was dejected, at a loss, and even crying helplessly during the music festival is no longer there. Instead, there are girls who are determined to move forward even if they are lost.

"...Everyone, I'm leaving the halftime show up to you guys."

The brief sluggishness on Aoi's face disappeared instantly, and she immediately put on her usual smile. She raised her scissors hand to the few people and said: "Let's create the best performance together!"

“…We will!”

Aine nodded slightly and was about to say something else when she saw Takamatsu Deng's small figure rushing towards Aoi without any impurities. He grabbed Aoi's wrists tightly with both hands and stared into her eyes excitedly.

"What, what's wrong? Takamatsu-san..."

Aoi was startled. Whether in reality or in the simulation, she had never seen Deng so excited and proactive. She had already subconsciously regarded this girl as a small animal, or a little penguin standing in the snow.

At this moment, the girl in front of him, who was holding Aoi's wrist tightly and had sparkling eyes, showed no fear or retreat, as if she had grown and transformed from a trembling cub.