A band simulator, but all girl-heavy!

Aoi seemed to be sobbing, her head drooping lower and lower, and her voice becoming smaller and smaller, but in the silent recording studio at that moment, it was clear enough for everyone to hear.

"You're quitting without giving a reason... You keep saying it's your own fault, but you won't tell us anything... Isn't that a bit too much?"

"Don't you want to know the truth even if others don't want to talk about it? I've already told you..."

"Tell me what? Then tell me why you want to quit the band?"

Aoi's tone was light and calm, as if it was just an everyday conversation, but it made Xiangzi fall into silence, and he turned away from Aoi without saying a word.

"...just like you said, my emotions are heavy. Yes, I value this band, everyone in the band, and you, Xiangzi... It's not that I can't accept that we will go our separate ways one day, but what I can't accept is that crychic will be shattered like this without any clear explanation."

The rest of the band members all fixed their eyes on Aoi's slender body. As if they had a tacit understanding, they all remained silent and didn't say a word. No one wanted to interrupt Aoi at this moment.

At this moment, Aoi, who was as light as the wind, forced a smile to Xiangzi and still tried hard to radiate her light.

"Stop talking."

But Xiangzi's words quickly froze her smile on her face, like a piece of broken paper stuck together with glue.

"No one said crychic is my one-man band... If you want to play, just keep practicing! Since you like the band and crychic so much, what have you been doing these days?"

Xiangzi seemed to have reached his limit. His delicate face was filled with a look of devastation, and negative words poured out of his lips like a flood. "You're still so indecisive after all this... Who do you care about, the band or yourself? Is it romantic to bind the members together forever with these emotions? We've only known each other for a few months, how can you have such deep feelings that you can talk about them for a lifetime!"

Dripping.

Outside the window, there was only the sound of raindrops hitting the world, and inside the room, there was only Xiangzi's slightly heavy breathing and Aoi's heart silently broken.

"...the original promise..."

"Yes, I broke the contract! Please forget those--"

Snapped!

Xiangzi had not finished speaking. While the rain was still falling, Aoi's footsteps suddenly quickened and hit the floor of the recording studio continuously. Then, a crisp and loud slap echoed throughout the room.

Everyone stared at the scene in front of them in amazement, and it took them a long time to recover from the shock.

Aoi still had her raised hand up, her whole body trembling, her pretty face a little distorted by the extreme emotional outburst, but she said nothing, just staring at Xiangzi quietly.

Xiangzi did not fight back, nor did he say anything else. He just tilted his head slightly, stroked his burning cheek, and fell into deathly silence.

"Calm down, both of you!"

Su Shi was the first to react. He quickly walked over to the two of them and stopped this sudden dispute.

"...I wish you good luck in fighting."

Xiangzi gently slapped Su Shi's hand away, his gaze lingered on Aoi for a few seconds, then he resolutely turned and left, slamming the door heavily.

At this moment, the only sounds in the recording studio were the violent raindrops outside the window and the sound of Aoi sobbing softly as she slowly slid to the floor and was then helped up by Su Shi.

[This simulation ends here, and the simulation settlement is in progress...]

Seeing the end of this simulation, Aoi heaved a long sigh of relief and stared at the transparent light screen in front of him with a complicated expression.

In the end, the result of the simulator's automatic deduction was that Aoi in the simulation decided to quit the band because of the blow she suffered this time, so the simulator directly determined that the story ended there.

I originally thought that I was reckless enough when playing games, but I didn't expect that the me in the simulation was even more radical, like the blue-colored characters in traditional idol animations, and I could use the Personality Correction Palm to attack at will.

Fortunately, it was just a simulation game. If I had slapped him in real life, Xiangzi would probably remember it for a long time.

In this simulation, you and your band crychic performed one song publicly and created one original song, earning 0.4 popularity points. Your final cohesion score was 0, and your band member relationship score was 2.3.

Whether you are naive or stubborn, it is obvious that you are a person who takes all emotions very seriously. The friendship you dream of is everlasting, the band you imagine is loyal until death, and your ideal agreement will be like the law of nature, from the moment you decide to it, until the dusk of the world and the end of the universe.

But obviously, the reality of this world is often more complicated and cruel than ideal. Even stars will go out, and the universe will eventually return to silence. Although crychic did not go on in the end, your hopes for the band and your promises to your partners are firmly buried in the hearts of the girls.

You shared many wonderful memories in crychic, successfully held live shows, and sang your own songs. But on that fateful rainy day, a fierce argument erupted between you and Xiangzi, and you parted ways. Questioning and tormented by your promise and your own convictions, you gave up violin and music. After leaving crychic, you haven't tried any new bands, and you've distanced yourself from everything that touched you in the past. You haven't contacted Xiangzi, Sushi, or anyone else since, and you've asked your parents to send you abroad to study.

However, every time I recall the reason why I didn’t want to form a band again, the old wounds that have remained in my heart still ache, making me unwilling to believe in the most sincere emotions between people.

Unlocks the ending: "The Youthful Pain of a Gravity-Type Girl." Reward: A slight increase in violin playing skill and a new passive trait, "A Poem for Her." Every moment spent with Xiangzi has become an inextricable bond, a feeling that flows like water, pouring out countless words. You can't help but write them down on paper, wanting to transform them into a heartfelt cry and sing them to someone. (Passive Effect: You gain the skill "Lyric Writing Level 3").

Finally finished it, but there's been no progress on the crychic band simulation. Does this game really have a future storyline? Is this just a beta?

Aoi pursed his lips in frustration, glanced at the time, it was exactly midnight, and curled up in bed ready to go to sleep.

[Reminder: The unlocking progress of the new band chapter "It's Mygo!!!!!" is 90%. It is expected to be unlocked after one more simulation...]

Ok?

Aoi's eyes lit up as if she had received a message on her phone before going to bed.

10: If only she really existed

In the dark room, the only light source is the mobile phone screen, emitting a faint glow.

The girl lay on the spacious bed with lifeless eyes, her flaxen hair spread out like silk, a little messy, slightly covering her fair face illuminated by fluorescent light.

The screen of her phone displayed the homepage of the crychic band she had founded. It had very few subscribers and the number of published works remained in the single digits. It was as if the flow of time had been suspended on this page by the hands of God himself, and everything had stopped at that gloomy rainy night. After that, she had browsed through it thousands of times and it remained unchanged.

If only time could stop at crychic band...

The girl couldn't help but purse her lower lip, her heart once again hurt by the scene that kept appearing in her mind, and she couldn't help but click on the photo.

The girls in the photo all maintained confused yet natural and cute expressions, except for Su Shi, who was holding the camera equipment and had a faint smile on her face. The lighting in the picture was bright and gentle, just like the spring day in her memory.

"...Sure enough, there's no Xiaokui."

The girl's lips trembled slightly, and her soft murmurs like a dream echoed in this luxurious and exquisite yet empty house, ethereal and insignificant.

Like the sunflower girl who only appeared in her dreams, she also attached great importance to the band called crychic in her heart, and to the place that gave her the warmth of home, the place that she regarded as her second home.

Therefore, after Xiangzi announced his withdrawal from the band and everyone stopped coming to practice one after another, she was the only one who was still determined to repair everyone's relationship and bring the dormant crychic back to that beautiful spring day.

Yes, she stopped activities. She never thought crychic was disbanded. Everyone just needed to talk it out. The band just needed a chance to unite again and come together again...

But now, the summer vacation of the third year of junior high school is about to end, and she will soon be enrolled as a freshman in Yuezhisen High School. However, the resurrection of Crychic is nowhere in sight. She has not even received a message from Xiangzi, and she has made no progress in seeing Xiaomu.

Normally, she was deeply buried in the anxiety and uneasiness of not being able to return to the past, but in the past two days, she often dreamed that the band was still there and everyone was still happy and united together, and the details in the dream were so real that they were almost the same as reality.

The only difference is that every time there is a person who does not exist in reality who appears in the dream, and that person always stands up for the band and works hard so that the band can be as harmonious and happy as before.

Just like her...

Although those attempts ultimately failed, Su Shi still felt both distressed and relieved.

Her gaze passed over the phone screen that was gradually blurring out in her peripheral vision and looked towards her spacious and empty room.

Because the lights were not on, the surroundings were pitch black, with only the window glimpsing the sleepless streets of Tokyo. A few square silhouettes of street lights were cast along the wall, and the surroundings were immersed in infinite silence, as if she existed in a lonely world isolated from the rest of the world, where she was the only one.

It was clearly just a dream, but she clearly remembered that on a non-existent evening, she gently held Xiaokui's soft body, which was trembling with sobs, in her arms, and gently rubbed her soft long hair as if comforting a child.

She even remembered that she felt like she was comforting a big furry dog, and remembered the light floral fragrance coming from Xiaokui's head.

She still remembered that night when she and Aoi were just chatting about simple and boring topics, but she was delighted because there was the voice and smell of a third person in the room besides her mother.

If only that person really existed.

Even if she existed, she might not be able to revive Crychic immediately, but if she were there...

At least, a trace of warmth from that spring day will remain, still lingering on her fingertips that have not been soaked by the cold winter.

"...If only Xiaokui really existed."

Su Shi's voice echoed softly in the room and soon melted into the silent air.

She sighed deeply, turned off her phone, let herself be buried in the deep darkness, and slowly closed her eyes.

Although she was not that tired, her eagerness to fall asleep and her unstable mental state in recent days quickly took her away from the real world. She felt that her spirit was like a misty butterfly, slowly sinking into an incredible virtual world.

Then she saw herself again.

I saw myself in the spring of the third year of junior high school, before I joined crychic. I saw Xiangzi who came to me after appreciating the performance of the wind band, just as I remembered.

But this time something seems different...

There was a girl with beige hair following Xiangzi, talking and laughing as they walked together. Her graceful figure set off the Tsuki no Mori uniform, making it full of the youthful beauty that only high school students can have. Her emerald green eyes were like jade, and the smile on her face was as dazzling as the midday sun.

Is that Xiaokui? Is this dream different from the previous ones...?

Su Shi was very surprised, but she couldn't have known this in her dream. She just smiled politely at the two and asked them why they came. Of course, the answer she got was impossible to change. It was a moment she would never forget.

Bathed in the warm spring sunshine, Xiangzi asked her with a bright smile on his face, "Are you interested in forming a band?"

And so, she lost herself in that spring day once more, like a bystander, once again reminiscing about the band that seemed to embody all the beauty in the world. However, this time, she felt a subtle difference from her previous dreams...

She remembered that the previous times Xiaokui and she had interacted were mostly in band affairs, and they would only occasionally meet at school as colleagues. But this time, she frequently met Xiaokui and invited her to have lunch with her, and would specifically look for her to practice with in the wind band, and would invite her to go shopping together on weekends.

Not only her, Su Shi sometimes saw Xiao Kui and Xiao Mu alone together, doing gardening together in a very harmonious way. Xiao Mu was planting cucumbers in the small garden, while Xiao Kui was planting dwarf sunflowers.

It was as if the dream was showing her countless different possibilities, the different possibilities of the girl named Saotome Aoi—

And every time he gets along with the girl whose smile is as bright as a sunflower, Su Shi, who is watching all this, feels his heart melting.

She felt vaguely uneasy.

She was afraid that if this dream continued, if this warmth continued to embrace her, would the crychic of only five people in her heart turn into the crychic of six people?

If that's the case, then if crychic really wants to restart their activities...won't there be one person missing forever?

A ghost that must exist, but doesn't exist...

Saotome Aoi...

Does she really not exist?

11: Write a love song?

Aoi changed her tactics.

Since Xiangzi's hard work still resulted in the band disbanding, it would be better to try not to bite off Xiangzi first, but to stabilize the other members of the band and then take it one step at a time.

If everyone can really stabilize Xiangzi by getting together, everyone will be happy. If not, the band should not disband immediately after Xiangzi leaves. This way, there will at least be a chance to breathe, and then we can slowly find out the reason why Xiangzi insisted on leaving the band.

In addition, she was actually a little angry - although she did not experience the scene at that time personally, she felt very dissatisfied with being said so many inexplicable words and being described as a spoiled girl.

Didn't you say I was heavy? Then why don't I just stop looking for you?

I, Saotome Aoi, will replace Xiangzi and become the new light of crychic, keeping the band going!

Therefore, the initial content of this week has changed greatly...

One day after the band formed, you approached Sushi, a fellow member of the wind band, and expressed your desire to practice repertoire for the band's upcoming activities with her. You even mentioned your desire to form a classical string ensemble with Sushi after high school... Sushi didn't seem to be bothered by your enthusiasm; on the contrary, she quickly accepted you as a new friend. Sushi's favorability increased, currently standing at 55.

You stumbled upon Wakaba Mutsu, a gardener in the Moon Forest's small garden. During a casual conversation, you learned she was growing cucumbers. You offered to join her in gardening, requesting a small plot of land and planting your beloved dwarf sunflower seeds in the soil. Almost every day, you and Mutsu would go to the garden together to tend to your plants. Mutsu, while still reserved, didn't seem to mind your presence. Mutsu's favorability increased, currently standing at 54.

During daily practice, due to the lead singer Takamatsu Deng's immature singing skills and her tendency to forget lyrics, you offered her some water and throat lozenges after practice one day. You praised her for her effortless singing and mentioned your mother's strict demands on vocal training. You invited Deng to practice vocal music with you at karaoke when she was free. Although she was nervous, she agreed. Deng's favorability increased and is now 56...

It cannot be said that the plan is progressing steadily, but it can be said that it is going very smoothly.

Only one person was a little surprised...

Because Deng's lyrics and Xiangzi's music were both excellent, Lixi, who was in charge of arranging the music, seemed to be in a state of tension and anxiety. To comfort and help her, you specifically called Xiangzi to help her arrange the music, alleviating Lixi's stress. Lixi's favorability has decreased and is currently at 48.

She hadn't had much interaction with Riki since the first week. She only knew that this strong-willed woman would talk about Tomori eight out of ten times a day. Apart from that, she knew very little about him. She had no idea why her well-intentioned help directly reduced her favorability towards him.

Could it be that Li Xi hates Xiang Zi? After all, besides himself, Li Xi was the one who reacted the most when Xiang Zi left the group...

She couldn't understand any of these people. Su Shi was the only one she could understand. Xiangzi had changed drastically, as if he'd been switched. Deng was cute but too edgy. Xiao Mu was silent all day and she had no idea how to respond when he did speak...

From this perspective, Su Shi is indeed the least worrying of these girls.

Because you frequently invite band members out on weekends, the band's overall cohesion has increased by +5, currently standing at 88 points. Over time, coupled with your usual hard work, you've become familiar with all the band members, creating a positive atmosphere and a joyful atmosphere every day.

After producing the music "Spring Shadow", the day after the band decided to start their live performance, Toyokawa Shoko approached you alone, hoping to talk to you privately and arranged to meet you in a cafe, which you gladly agreed to.

Huh? Why did you come to me?

In the café, Xiangzi ordered tea and dessert for you and immediately expressed her gratitude. In her opinion, your presence undoubtedly made crychic brighter and warmer, like a spring day. She saw the effort you put into getting along with everyone. Although she was the founder of crychic, you were the one who held the band together.

You think this praise is a bit exaggerated, but she still insists on her point of view, believing that crychic is now more charming and powerful than she expected. She hopes to rely on the song "Spring Shadow" to let crychic, a fledgling that has not yet fully grown wings, spread its wings and fly high. Therefore, she confided to you some of her nervousness and worries about this live.

You decide to propose: ① Go on a date with Xiangzi to relieve her tension.

②. Give up singing original songs.

③. How about being more radical and composing a new song and playing two new songs at the live show?

After all, it's Xiangzi, so there's nothing strange about it. Before leaving the troupe, Xiangzi was as white as a piece of paper, which made people wonder if the later Xiangzi was possessed by someone else.

But this option... She hadn't expected that she could choose the Xiangzi option if she wasn't on the Xiangzi line. Regardless of how she looked at it, option 2 was a dud, and option 1 was a gravity trap. So the only option left was...

[You explained your plan to her. You thought Xiangzi would shake her head and say it was unrealistic, but unexpectedly, her eyes flashed brightly and she nodded to you excitedly.