Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

"Don't be so nervous." A cold voice interrupted Hong Xia's thoughts.

Yamada Ryo was leaning against the wall, still wearing simple dark clothes, standing quietly with the bass in her hand. Her dark medium-length hair set off her face, which always looked a little alienated.

"I'm not nervous." Hong Xia curled her lips, trying to hide her uneasiness.

"You haven't stopped walking since we came in."

Yamada Ryo pointed at Hongxia's swaying feet and said, "And you've been beating that drum for at least five minutes."

Hong Xia pursed her lips after being exposed and put down the drumsticks in her hand:

"Okay...I was a little nervous."

Yamada Ryo didn't respond, but turned to look at the other corner of the room.

There, Goto Ichiri was feeling restless and at a loss as to what to do.

Her long pink hair almost completely covered her eyes, and only the anxiety flickering in her azure eyes could be vaguely seen.

The loose pink sportswear completely wrapped her figure, and she huddled in the corner, looking like a small animal ready to escape at any time.

She was very good at reading people's expressions, and in a situation like this where the atmosphere was so tense that it was almost suffocating...

——Ahhhh what should I do? I feel like I’m going to die.

Goto Ichiri felt like his soul was about to float out.

"Pochi-chan, are you okay?" Hongxia noticed Ichiri's abnormality and asked with concern.

"Ah...um...I...I'm fine..." Goto Ichiri stammered in response, his voice so low that it was almost inaudible.

Yamada Ryo sighed: "You two are exaggerating. It's just a shareholder, not here to demolish the store."

"But my sister looks really nervous!" Hong Xia stood up and paced back and forth. "I've never seen her so nervous, not even during her first performance!"

"Maybe he's just a rich old man who wants to come and see where his investments are." Yamada Ryo shrugged.

Goto Ichiri suddenly raised his head and said in an almost inaudible voice: "Could it be... the Yakuza..."

The room suddenly became quiet.

After a while, Hong Xia suddenly patted her cheeks and forced herself to cheer up:

"We can't keep worrying like this! Why don't we practice first? Music always makes people feel better!"

Goto Ichiri nodded hesitantly, slowly moved out of the corner and tuned his guitar.

Just at this moment, a sudden "crash" sound broke the harmony.

There was a sound of glass and cups breaking outside the door, accompanied by a short scream.

——Something happened!

This was everyone's first reaction.

Hong Xia, who had originally felt relieved because of the interaction, immediately stood up. She gritted her teeth, gripped the drumsticks tightly with both hands, and rushed out immediately.

Yamada Ryoya immediately put down his bass and quickly followed Hongxia's footsteps.

Goto Ichiri stood there for a second, stunned. A faint "whoosh" sounded from beneath her long pink bangs. She nervously gripped her guitar pick, her whole body trembling slightly.

Although he was extremely scared, Goto Ichiri still mustered up the courage to chase after him.

However, the moment she took her first step, her overactive imagination began to run wild.

—What if it really is the underworld causing trouble?!

A picture immediately emerged in Goto Ichiri's mind:

A ferocious man in black, wielding a shining knife, threatened Ichichi Seika. Niji and Yamada Ryo were restrained by several thugs, unable to move.

At this critical moment, Goto Ichiri - the socially anxious girl who would faint even when looking at strangers - suddenly burst out with amazing courage and rushed in front of everyone!

"You, you are not allowed to hurt my friends!"

The imagined Goto Ichiri's voice was trembling but firm, and he opened his arms like a human shield to protect everyone.

The gangster boss sneered: "Humph, you're looking for death!"

A knife flashing with cold light came directly towards her head! Goto Ichiri closed his eyes, felt a sharp pain, and then——

The scene suddenly changed.

In a sunny cemetery, the Ijichi sisters, Yamada Ryo, and a group of people she couldn't name stood before a newly erected tombstone. On the tombstone was the portrait of Goto Ichiri, his face usually hidden behind pink bangs, now captured with exceptional clarity by the photographer.

"Pochi-chan...why did you do this...if...if I hadn't asked her to join the band..." Hongxia burst into tears, her clothes wet with tears.

"It's all my fault..." Yidizhi Xingge lowered her head in self-blame.

Yamada Ryo, contrary to her usual behavior, shed silent tears: "Her guitar talent... could have gone even further..."

The scene changes again and we arrive at Goto's house.

"Ichiri...my good daughter..." Goto's mother cried while holding Ichiri's photo.

"My sister is a hero!" Goto Ichiri's sister cried bitterly.

Even the usually calm Goto father burst into tears: "My daughter... finally overcame her social phobia... but why... why in this way..."

The most heartbreaking thing was that Goto's dog also lay in front of Ichiri's portrait, whimpering sadly.

In his imagination, Goto Ichiri was floating in the air, watching all this, feeling both moved and regretful: "Everyone... don't feel sad for me... I just did what I should do..."

However, the fantasy is not over yet, the scene changes again.

This time, she watched her funeral transform into a nationwide, livestreamed extravaganza. The government posthumously awarded her the title of "Hero of Social Terrorism," and socially scare-stricken individuals nationwide paraded with her photo, chanting, "Pochi-chan, live forever."

What’s even more exaggerated is that her story was adapted into animation and movies, and "My Social Anxiety Hero: The Story of Goto Ichiri" became the box office champion of the year.

One day, a giant statue of Ichiri Goto was erected in front of the venue where the band Fanxing was performing, with the words "The guitar hero who gave his life for his friends" engraved on the base.

"No, no!"

Goto Ichiri suddenly woke up from her fantasy and found herself rushing out of the rehearsal room after Yamada Ryo. Her face was pale, cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and her legs were still shaking uncontrollably.

However, when she raised her head and saw the scene before her, all her fears and fantasies froze in an instant.

Because the scene before her was far from the gangster riot she had imagined.

A girl with blue hair and twintails was currently clinging tightly to Ijichi Seika's slender waist, their bodies fitting together so seamlessly that there was barely a sliver of space between them. Her right hand was wrapped around Ijichi Seika's waist, while her left hand firmly grasped the store manager's, holding her in a somewhat ambiguous position.

Ijichi Xingge seemed to be under a spell, her body stiff, her lips slightly parted, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. A faint blush had begun to appear on her cheeks, spreading from her cheekbones to her ears.

The sound engineer next to her covered her mouth, as if trying to hold back her laughter.

There were several broken glasses and plate fragments scattered on the ground, and water stains spread across the floor, which looked like the culprit of the noise just now.

The three rushed out of the rehearsal room and saw a completely unexpected scene.

But when I went out, I found that the scene in front of me was not about people causing trouble.

"Sister...?" Hong Xia stood there, the drumsticks in her hand almost fell to the ground, her fiery red eyes full of confusion.

Goto Ichiri was completely stunned, his blue eyes widened under his pink bangs. All his fantasies about gangsters hacking people collapsed in an instant, replaced by even more confused questions.

The sound broke the silence.

After realizing that everyone had left the rehearsal room, Ijichi Hoshika's face flushed red as if it was about to bleed. She tried to explain:

"This, this was an accident! She was just helping me—"

......

STARRY's main hall

Everyone sat around a long table. The atmosphere was much more relaxed than before, but there was still a hint of subtle tension.

PA-san, the sound engineer with long, straight black hair, was smiling as she explained what had just happened.

"Actually, the manager accidentally tripped over an electrical wire and was about to fall. Ms. Toyokawa reacted quickly and caught her, so it looked like... well... that."

When she finished speaking, she couldn't help laughing again.

"Enough!" Ijichi Xingge interrupted PA-san with a red face.

She turned to her sister, her tone accusing:

"Hongxia, didn't I tell you not to come out? This is a matter between adults."

Ichichi Hongxia curled her lips, and her golden side ponytail swayed slightly as she shook her head:

"I heard a noise and thought something was wrong! Besides, you've been so nervous since morning, so of course I'm worried."

"How could I be nervous?" Xingge retorted.

"Yes!" Hong Xia pointed out immediately, "You've already broken two cups today, and you even poured coffee into the sugar jar!"

"That's because..."

The two sisters continued to argue, while Goto Ichiri huddled in her seat, her long pink bangs almost covering her entire face. Through the gap in her bangs, she secretly observed the girl named Toyokawa Shoko.

She looked even younger than them, with twin blue ponytails draped neatly over her shoulders and bright, deep-set amber eyes. She wore a neat school uniform and sat upright, exuding an air of elegance and maturity that contrasted beautifully with her youthful appearance.

Just as Goto Ichiri was observing the other person, Kujo Renji suddenly turned his head and met her eyes.

Goto Ichiri was so scared that she almost jumped out of her chair, but to her surprise, the other party did not show any disgust or impatience, but smiled at her gently.

That smile made Goto Ichiri's heart skip a beat.

She hurriedly looked away and lowered her head to stare at her fingers.

——What a gentle person...

Goto Ichiri thought, and various plots began to form in his mind.

The other party is actually a rich girl who was forced to take over the family business, but she is very kind at heart. She may be able to play the piano or violin, and may even hold an umbrella for stray kittens on rainy days.

Just as Goto Ichiri's imagination was running wild, the voice of Kujo Renji brought her back to reality.

"Manager Ijichi..."

Jiujo Renji spoke elegantly, his voice clear and pleasant:

"I'm very curious about the equipment in this livehouse. Since I'm now a shareholder, could you please show me the equipment? If possible, I'd like to come to a performance for a limited time and see the charm of STARRY with my own eyes."

Ichichi Xingge was visibly stunned for a moment, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Performance? But because of your visit today, we are closed and don't have any bands scheduled. How about next time..."

There was obvious hesitation in her tone, and she seemed reluctant to hastily arrange a performance under such circumstances.

“We can put on a show!”

A clear voice suddenly interrupted Xingge's words. Everyone's eyes turned to Yidizhi Hongxia.

The blonde girl stood up, her red eyes gleaming with determination.

"We can finish the band and perform! We happened to be rehearsing a new song just now."

Yamada Ryo raised his eyebrows slightly, but did not object.

Goto Ichiri widened his eyes and looked at Hongxia in horror.

She wasn't mentally prepared to perform in front of strangers, especially under such unexpected circumstances!

"Hong, Hong Xia..."

She tried to protest quietly, but her voice was barely audible.

Kujo Renji's eyes lit up. "Really? That's great. I'm looking forward to seeing your performance."

Ijichi Hoshige looked like she wanted to object, but between her sister's determined gaze and Kujo Renji's expectant expression, she finally had to compromise:

"Well, if you'd like..."

Hong Xia cheered and turned to Goto Ichiri and Yamada Ryo: "Let's go get ready!"

Goto Ichiri felt dizzy. Her social phobia had begun to set in. Her palms were sweating and her heart was racing.

However, when she glanced at Kujo Renji again, the other party smiled at her again, and that smile seemed to contain encouragement.

This smile miraculously gave Goto Ichiri some courage.

She took a deep breath, stood up with Hongxia and Yamada Ryo, and walked towards the stage.

Ijichi Hoshika watched her sister and her friends leave, then turned to Kujo Renji with a complicated expression: "They are still a student band, their skills may be..."

"It's ok."