Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

Toyokawa Shoko stood up and looked down at him:

"Now, go away. I'll contact you when I need you."

"Yes."

Seiichi Fukamachi stood up with difficulty and left the room with a hunched back.

That is, after Seiichi Fukamachi left completely.

Jiujo Renji just let out a light laugh.

"How do you feel, Ms. Toyokawa?"

Toyokawa Shoko didn't say anything.

It is undeniable.

She did gain something from this behavior.

A refreshing feeling of revenge...?

Unknowingly, the flower of evil that was carefully watered is gradually sprouting.

Miss Xiangzi's love affair is in progress.

.....

PS:

To be honest, I had certain expectations about the current development of the Hen Card plot. When I was writing the book, I even deliberately avoided the possible backstabbing mentioned by the uncle party.

But I still underestimated the bottom line of WSD and the degree of repression of Hatsune Miku.

It turns out that the dark stream band I wrote is the original world view of Hen Ka?

Although I don't want to admit it, it did create a better stage for me... I can't even imagine how great it will be when I crush the Toyokawa family later.

Stay tuned.

PS2:

This chapter has 12,000 words (two chapters in one). It will still be the same tomorrow, and there's a chance it will double to 20,000 words (if nothing else happens in reality).

Chapter 55 Miao Meng: I am Xiang Guard! I am Xiang Guard!!

The rehearsal days were like quicksand through fingers, passing by in a flash.

Kujo Renji stood in the corner of the rehearsal room, his amber eyes quietly observing the other four members.

Since the Yokohama venue incident, the atmosphere of the entire band has undergone subtle changes - the chain reaction caused by NEO STARS being forced to cancel their performances has unknowingly become the catalyst for Ave mujica.

"It's the last day of rehearsal."

Toyokawa Shoko's voice rang out in the consciousness space, with a hint of suppressed excitement.

"Tomorrow is the official performance."

Kujo Renji did not respond, his fingertips lightly tapping on the piano keys, his eyes sweeping over Wakaba Mutsu who was tuning the piano, Sankaku Hatsuka who was discussing rhythm details with Hachiman Kailing, and Yutenji Wakamugi who was practicing stage expressions in front of the mirror.

The staff sent by Fukamachi Seiichi to assist them were constantly coming in and out, bringing the latest news about the venue, equipment, and media coverage. Each piece of news confirmed the fact that tickets for Yokohama Station were completely sold out, and many people were even begging for tickets online at high prices.

"Ms. Toyokawa."

A young staff member came over and respectfully handed over a document:

"This is the final confirmation of the procedures for tomorrow's performance. There are also some media interview applications that require your review."

Kujo Renji took the document and casually flipped through a few pages. The media list included several well-known music magazines and websites, clearly indicating that Fukamachi Seiichi was trying to "apologize."

The effect was better than he expected.

The only strange thing is that there has been no movement from the Toyokawa family since that day.

Kujo Renji reasonably suspected that the left and right brains of the Toyokawa family had started to compete with each other because of this incident.

Anyway, at least the first show of this tour should be off to a good start.

..

The day of the performance.

Yutenji Wakamu sat in front of the makeup mirror, her short purple hair fixed with a special hairpin, and her fingers unconsciously stroked the edge of the mask.

She was putting on the final touches of makeup at the moment, but her thoughts had already drifted far away.

News about NEO STARS had spread throughout the entertainment industry—six sunny idols emerged from a nightclub late at night, disheveled, vacant-eyed, and in a state of disarray. The photos went viral, with major media outlets vying for coverage and comments flooding with anger and disappointment.

How could such a thing be a coincidence?

Yutenji Wakami recalled the terrifyingly calm expression on Toyokawa Shoko's face yesterday when she learned that the venue had been robbed. Then, less than twenty-four hours later, the idol group that had robbed their venue was embroiled in a scandal and forced to cancel their performance.

She carefully recalled the details: After receiving the news, Toyokawa Shoko simply said calmly, "We'll contact the agency first," and then left. There was no anger, no loss, as if she already knew how things would develop.

But Yutenji Wakami knew very well that this matter was definitely related to Toyokawa Shoko.

This style, this method...and the other party's character that will never suffer any loss.

A guess was gradually forming in Yutenji Wakami's mind.

Fear and excitement intertwined in Yutenji Wakamu's heart.

He is terrified of Toyokawa Shoko's methods, but excited that his ambitions are about to be realized.

Was it the right decision for her to bow to Toyokawa Shoko and even wear the shameful ornament?

Looking at the current situation, the answer is undoubtedly yes.

The makeup artist helped her put on the mask, and Yutenji Wakamu looked at herself in the mirror - the "Amoris" mask concealed her true expression, revealing only a pair of eyes sparkling with complex light.

"How ironic..." she murmured to herself, "I wanted to take off the mask before, but now I'm glad it hides my expression."

The fire of ambition and the heart of submission are bound to conflict.

How can a high school student who is not yet an adult balance the relationship between the two?

The light from the corridor shone on her, casting a long shadow.

The shadow looked even thinner than she herself, as if silently reflecting her current mood.

...

In the center of Yokohama, the performance venue was already crowded with people.

Even though there was still an hour before the show started, the queue at the entrance already stretched for hundreds of meters.

Fans held glow sticks and whispered about the upcoming performance. Many wore Ave Mujica emblems on their chests—a black background with five interwoven abstract shapes of different colors, symbolizing the five members.

——This was actually arranged by Fukamachi Seiichi...

Is this a limited edition commemoration of the Yokohama tour?

Two hours before the show, the crowds outside the Yokohama Performance Hall began to gather. A long queue snaked out of the main entrance and stretched for hundreds of meters along the street.

The spring breeze brought a hint of coolness, but the atmosphere in the team was scorching hot.

“I didn’t expect there would be so many people.”

A girl wearing a retro-style jacket and casually tied long hair said to her companion while adjusting the canvas bag on her shoulder, "I left Nagoya at 4:30, thinking I could arrive early, but -"

She waved her hand dramatically, pointing to the long line in front of her.

Her companion, a slightly artistic-looking woman wearing round glasses, smiled and handed her a bottle of water. "It's worth it. I saw their performance that blended it with drama online and was immediately captivated. This kind of immersive performance is quite rare in Japan."

"Indeed," the long-haired girl took the water and nodded gratefully. "I didn't have any particular interest in the band originally, but Ave Mujica's style is truly unique. They blend music, drama, and visual art, and even add those philosophical elements..."

The girl with glasses excitedly took over the topic:

"Yes, yes, yes! This kind of performance completely breaks the boundaries of traditional bands. I'm studying drama, and this form of performance is definitely worth writing about in my thesis."

At the front of the team, a small group of young people were having a heated discussion.

One of the girls, with dyed-blonde hair and fashionable clothes, was swiping her phone screen, showing something to her friends.

"Look, this is a photo of the rehearsal at Yokohama Station that I found on Twitter..."

She pointed at the blurry image on the screen. "Even though they're both wearing masks, this pose is definitely Mortis."

"You are too obsessed with her." The boy next to her teased, fiddling with the camera

"Everyone has their favorite character." The blonde girl shrugged disapprovingly.

"If you ask me..."

Another girl with shoulder-length hair chimed in, her style more mature and steady: "The soul of the entire band is still Miss Ob. These ideas and arrangements seem to come from her."

"What's that Ob? Ms.! It's Master Oblivionis!!"

Such conversations are constantly going on in the team, and everyone has their own favorite topics and favorite characters.

Amazingly, despite their recent existence, Ave Mujica has already cultivated a core group of quite discerning fans who not only follow their music, but also appreciate the overall art they create.

Ave Mujica posters are ubiquitous along the streets. Unlike typical band posters, these designs are quite artistic—five figures wearing iconic masks are outlined against a dark background, with a special lighting effect, and vague Gothic theater elements behind them, creating an overall mysterious and layered feel.

At the bottom of the poster, the performance information is printed in an elegant font, accompanied by the band's iconic pentagram pattern.

"The publicity this time is too intensive."

A man in his thirties wearing a vintage band T-shirt said to his friend, "I've been on tour with a lot of small bands last year, but I've never seen a promotion on this scale. Especially that—"

He pointed to a large LED screen across the street, which was playing a promotional video for Ave Mujica.

In the picture, five masked musicians stand on a smoky stage with an elaborate Gothic architectural silhouette in the background.

As the music progresses, the image switches to a close-up, showcasing the details of each member's iconic mask, before finally freezing on the elegant lettering of "Ave mujica."

“It’s really unusual.”

His friend, a bearded man, nodded in agreement, flipping through the brochure in his hand:

"My friend at the record company told me that the entire promotional budget is at least five times that of an average underground band. I heard that this is because NEO STARS, who were originally scheduled to perform at this venue, had a scandal and canceled their performance at the last minute, so the venue had to fully support Ave Mujica to make up for the loss."

"That NEO STARS thing was pretty weird." The man in the T-shirt lowered his voice, as if recalling something. "He's always had a good image, but suddenly he got photographed like that. The timing was just too coincidental."

The bearded man shrugged.

"The entertainment industry is a complex place. Sometimes, what you see on the surface is just the tip of the iceberg. Having said that, it's a real treat to be able to see a new band like Ave Mujica at a venue like this."

"Really?" the T-shirt man smiled. "Whatever happened behind the scenes, it's good news for us fans. Those who didn't get tickets can't even buy them online at three times the price."

The line continued to move slowly, and the atmosphere of the queue alone made people feel the specialness of this performance.

Occasionally, passers-by would look at the long queue curiously and ask what kind of activity could attract so many people.

In a cafe on the corner, several music fans who failed to buy tickets were discussing whether to take the risk and buy tickets from scalpers.

Even though the price has been inflated to more than double its original price, it still seems like an option worth considering given the band's rapid rise to fame.

Inside the venue, staff are making final preparations.

The lighting technician was debugging the complex lighting system, the sound engineer was carefully checking the status of each speaker, and in the center of the stage, a set of exquisite musical instruments was already set up, waiting for the host to arrive.

From the publicity to the venue layout, everything shows that the scale of this performance far exceeds that of an ordinary band performance.

This treatment made many music fans even more excited - Ave mujica is rising rapidly, and they will witness it all with their own eyes.

And in the backstage lounge.

The atmosphere was not like that outside the stadium, but tense and solemn.

Although it has been performed many times before.

But this time is definitely different... Not only is the scale much larger than before, but it is also the first show of the tour.

Even the battle-hardened Sanjiao Chuhua felt a little nervous, constantly checking his condition in the mirror.

Hachiman Kairei stood in the corner, her black hair cascading over her shoulders. Her expression was unclear beneath the mask, but her tense posture betrayed her inner unease. Her fingers unconsciously rubbed back and forth across the bass strings, as if seeking some kind of comfort.

The most severely affected...

Wakaba Mu sat alone on a chair in the corner, with her long light green hair hanging in front of her like a curtain of self-protection.

Her fingers gripped the guitar neck tightly, her knuckles turning white from the effort, but her wrist was shaking slightly uncontrollably.