Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

So why does this situation happen now?

——The first fish was caught just like that, not bad.

Things went even more smoothly than Kujo Renji had expected.

Sankaku Hatsuka hurriedly grabbed the sleeve of Yutenji Ruomai's uniform, and the hair accessories in her golden hair trembled: "Ruomai, didn't Xiaoxiang apologize?"

She advised: "Let's start rehearsing first."

"Anyway, we've already wasted half an hour, so there's no rush for rehearsal."

Yutenji Wakamai shook off Chuhua's hand. Her black knee-high socks shone coldly under the fluorescent light. She suddenly grabbed the mask on the music stand.

"We need to talk, Xiangzi, about the future of the band."

——Sure enough, it’s here.

Jiujo Renji was amused, but remained expressionless as he spread out the sheet music evenly, his eyelashes casting shadows under his eyes.

"What do you want to say?"

“Look at the situation we’re in now.”

Yutenji Wakamu held up the mask, and her pink pupils reflected the mask:

"Fans are speculating about our true identities, and major music platforms are vying for our exclusives, but we still insist on wearing this fake mask."

Wakaba Mu's light green hair fell on the guitar pickup, and the frequency of his white fingertips plucking the strings did not change at all, as if the arguing was just meaningless background noise.

Hachiman Kairei was also silent at this moment, her emerald eyes under her long black hair wandering between the blue-haired and purple-haired girls.

"Isn't this what we decided at the beginning?" Sankaku Hatsuka realized what Yutenji Wakami was going to say, she frowned and tried to interrupt.

"But things are different now!" Yutenji Ruomai suddenly put down his mask and said in a deep voice, "Last week, a luxury goods company approached me..."

She poked her chest with her red-nailed fingers:

"They said that as long as we were willing to take off our masks, we could arrange endorsements."

Kujo Renji's fingers paused for a moment as he adjusted the keyboard's tone, his amber pupils reflecting the distinct black and white light of the keys.

"so?"

"so..."

Yutenji Wakamu suddenly leaned over to support the edge of the keyboard, the bow tie on the collar of her uniform almost brushing Xiangzi's nose:

"We're not bad looking..." She stared into Kujo Renji's amber eyes. "Why do you have to hide behind a mask? In this age of traffic, appearance is everything..."

"Ruomai..."

Sanjiao Chuhua spoke in a deep voice, trying to interrupt again.

Hachiman Kairei suddenly crossed her drumsticks and struck the cymbals with a harsh sound, her emerald eyes calm.

"Ruomai, you've crossed the line."

Yutenji Wakami seemed a little aggrieved. She turned to look at Hachiman Kairei and said, "I'm just thinking about the band. We're in a great situation now, but if we don't seize the opportunity, we'll soon be forgotten. Don't you understand?"

"Are you finished?"

Kujo Renji's question made the air freeze instantly.

As she walked towards Yutenji Wakamugi, the rhythm of her heels tapping against the wooden floorboards was as precise as a countdown. Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him so close that he could feel her breath.

"Do you know what the benefits of the Masked Band are?"

The moment the warm breath brushed against Yutenji Wakami's earlobe, Kujo Renji's cold lips almost touched her earlobe:

“No one knows who is behind the mask – so it could be anyone.”

Yutenji Wakamu's pupils suddenly constricted, as if he had never expected Toyokawa Shoko to react like this.

Her head was a little confused. This was completely different from the scene she had imagined. She stood there for a moment, feeling a little at a loss.

"So, I advise you to shut up."

The moment Kujo Renji let go of his hand, Yutenji Wakami stumbled and bumped into the music stand...

Amidst the falling sheet music, she saw the man put on a mask with his black lace-gloved fingertips, leaning in close and speaking in a voice only she could hear:

"This band doesn't need a second voice. And you—"

When the other person's hand lifted his chin, Yutenji Wakamu could hear his own heartbeat.

"You have no right to reason with me."

.

PS: It’s not finished yet, wait, there will be updates later.

Chapter 23 You are not Xiaoxiang, right?

Yutenji Wakamugi froze in place, his hands unconsciously clutching the music stand behind him, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Her lips trembled slightly and she wanted to say something, but she found that her throat seemed to be strangled by an invisible hand and she could not make any sound.

The amber pupils under the mask reflected her current appearance. The fear of being targeted by a predator made her hold her breath unconsciously.

After all, he is just a high school student and has never experienced such a scene.

Regardless of Kujo Renji's aura and eyes at the moment, even if it was the ordinary Toyokawa Shoko, such a naked confrontation would be enough to make Yutenji Wakami feel at a loss.

"Okay, let's start rehearsing."

Kujo Renji's voice was so calm that it was almost eerie, as if the suffocating posture just now was just an illusion.

She turned around gracefully and calmly, her blue twintails drawing a cold arc in the air.

Sanjiao Chuhua didn't hear what Jiujo Renji just said, but the current atmosphere indicated something.

Her eyes moved back and forth between Kujo Renji and Yutenji Wakami. She opened her mouth to say something but didn't know where to start.

The air in the practice room seemed to have solidified into gel, so sticky that it was hard to breathe.

And in a corner where no one cares.

Ruoye Mu had raised his head at some point, and his fingers on the strings tightened slightly.

Her eyes, which were usually always lowered, were now unusually sharp, staring intently at Kujo Renji's back.

There seemed to be some complex emotions in that look, like both surprise and confirmation of something.

It was not until Kujo Renji returned to the keyboard that Yutenji Wakamugi felt relieved and was finally able to breathe again.

She felt her heartbeat was so loud that it almost burst through her eardrums, and her legs felt heavy as if they were filled with lead.

She wanted to say something to ease the atmosphere, but she could only utter an inaudible sound. All the prepared words turned into powerless silence.

In fact, the girl's mind was still in a mess at this moment.

The originally high morale collapsed under the pressure of Kujo Renji, leaving only panic and helplessness.

She lowered her head, her gaze wandering to the messy music scores on the ground. She didn't dare look anyone in the eye. Even her hands holding the music stand were shaking slightly, as if this could give her some support.

Her face was pale, and the strands of hair on her forehead were wet with cold sweat, sticking to her skin, making her look even more disheveled.

Yutenji Wakamu, who had always wanted to dominate the topic, seemed to have lost all his confidence at this moment, leaving only an empty shell.

.......

The rehearsal did not go smoothly.

Even after practicing for an entire afternoon, Kujo Renji still had trouble keeping up with the band's performance.

The rehearsal went on somewhat reluctantly.

However, due to his performance just now, Yutenji Wakamugi certainly did not dare to point out the problem with Kujo Renji.

The only thing to be thankful for is that there is still a drama segment.

[The stage lights suddenly dimmed, leaving only a cool beam of moonlight streaming through the skylight.]

[In the dilapidated attic, the dusty wooden floor creaks, as if telling a forgotten story.]

Doloris curled up in a corner, her movements possessing the mechanical feel of a puppet, yet revealing a deep sorrow: "I still remember the warmth of the hands that abandoned me..." Her voice trembled, like a candle flickering in the wind.

"Memories only bring pain." Oblivionis turned gracefully, her blue twintails drawing a beautiful arc in the moonlight.

Each of her movements was like a carefully choreographed dance, and the amber eyes behind the mask shone with an eerie light: "Forget it. Let everything drift away with the wind."

Mortis stands by the window: "Death is the most gentle release. In eternal sleep, there will be no more betrayal, no more pain."

There was a long silence.

Everyone's eyes turned to Yutenji Wakamugi on the other side of the stage. Only then did she react and spoke her lines in a panic:

"No, there is still hope."

Her voice lacked its usual passion, as if her mind was still caught up in the conflict just now. Her movements were also slightly hesitant, forming a subtle contrast with the character's enthusiasm.

Timoris suddenly laughed, his laughter tinged with sarcasm: "Hope? Under His rule, we are nothing but abandoned puppets."

"In that case..." Oblivionis's voice suddenly deepened. She slowly walked towards the center of the stage, the moonlight stretching her shadow very long.

[“Why not break this hypocritical world?” Her performance was so infectious that she seemed to have truly transformed into a demonic being that seduces people.]

[“Break…the world?”]

Yutenji Wakumai's Amoris should have shown a strong emotional confrontation at this moment, but her performance was obviously absent-minded and she almost missed the opportunity to deliver her lines.

This sense of incongruity actually adds a touch of eerie realism to the whole scene - like a being that suddenly realizes that it is a puppet.

"Let us dance..." Oblivionis opened his arms, "In this moonlit masquerade, witness the end of the world."

The moonlight gradually grew more dazzling, and the shadows of the five figures on the stage intertwined, as if they were truly weaving the prelude to the destruction of the world.

Renji Kujo's performance in the drama segment was excellent, making up for his "shortcomings" in band rehearsals.

Because of this, no one in the team pointed out his poor performance.

On the contrary, it was Teacher Omiya...her performance was even worse than that of Kujo Renji.

Not only in band rehearsals, but also in drama performances

Her movements were hesitant and tentative, like a sleepwalker suddenly awake.

However, for some unspoken reasons, there was no stress during this rehearsal.

On the contrary, it ended very smoothly.

By the time the rehearsal ended, night had already fallen outside the window.

The atmosphere in the practice room was still solemn, and even the action of packing up the instruments seemed cautious.

Sankaku Hatsuka was the first to leave. She looked hesitantly at Yutenji Wakamugi, then glanced at Kujo Renji: "Um... I'll be leaving first."

Got no response.

She bit her lower lip and walked quickly to the door, but couldn't help looking back when she held the door handle:

"Do you want to come together?"

Yutenji Wakamugi shook his head and put the drumsticks into his bag stiffly.

Sanjiao Chuhua wanted to say something but stopped himself, and finally closed the door gently.

Hachiman Kairei packed up her bass and stood up, inadvertently meeting the eyes of Kujo Renji.

Those amber eyes were still calm, but Hailing felt some invisible oppression.

She silently picked up her bag and paused as she passed by Yutenji Wakamu:

"Go back and think about it carefully."

Yutenji Wakamai's shoulders trembled noticeably.

After Hailing's footsteps disappeared in the stairwell, she slowly stood up and put her bag on her shoulder.

The girl never raised her eyes, as if she was avoiding something:

"I...I'm leaving first."

The voice was barely audible, but Jiujo Renji still responded coldly: "Yeah."