Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

Every formation and every disbandment is like opening the same wound over and over again.

Over time, she learned to stop expecting and stop believing in those promises of "forever." She carefully hid her passion, just like people protecting a weak flame in winter.

However, today, those carefully built defenses seem to have loosened a little.

Perhaps, Ave mujica can really continue forever?

At that moment, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Hachiman Hailing paused, freeing one hand to pull out her phone. The name on the screen startled her slightly—Toyokawa Shoko.

"Ms. Yawata, let's meet at CROSS Cafe tomorrow morning at 10:00. I have something to tell you."

Hachiman Kairei stared at the message, her green eyes narrowing slightly.

"Toyokawa Shoko" is actively inviting me? This is unprecedented.

Normally, all band-related discussions are scheduled during formal rehearsals, and Shoko Toyokawa never meets with any member individually to "discuss details."

She stood under the bright lights of a convenience store, her finger hovering over the screen, her mind racing. What was hidden behind this sudden invitation? Was it a genuine desire to discuss her proposal in depth, or was it an elaborate trap?

"This is so strange." Hachiman Hailing muttered to herself, frowning unconsciously: "Today's concession, now's invitation..."

If this is a trap, how should she respond?

But if this is an opportunity for a genuine exchange, refusing would mean she loses a golden opportunity to move forward with her plan.

Hachiman Kailing stood there, and passers-by walked past her.

Hachiman Hailing took a deep breath and tapped quickly on the screen:

"Okay, see you at CROSS Cafe at ten o'clock."

......

An unassuming ramen shop hidden in a narrow alley between two tall buildings.

There is no fancy sign, only an old red lantern and a wooden sign that says "Honda Ramen".

The space is small, with only eight counter seats and two small tables, but the rich aroma of the broth that fills the air is irresistible.

The girl sat in the corner, her blue twintails hanging over her shoulders, a bowl of rich-colored tonkotsu ramen placed in front of her.

She was savoring the bowl of noodles with an almost devout concentration, a rare glimmer of satisfaction gleaming in her amber eyes.

"Well..."

The girl let out a contented sigh, put a mouthful of noodles into her mouth, chewed it carefully, and then slowly swallowed it.

"That's what ramen is."

"What do you mean by 'This is what ramen is'?" Toyokawa Shoko retorted dissatisfiedly in her consciousness.

Kujo Renji sneered, picked up a piece of barbecued pork with chopsticks, lightly dipped it in the rich soup, and then put it into his mouth.

The tenderness of the meat and the richness of the soup base blend perfectly, exploding with intoxicating flavor on the tip of your tongue.

"literal meaning."

He responded softly, with undisguised sarcasm in his voice:

"You should know which store I'm comparing."

"What do you know!"

Toyokawa Shoko's voice was indignant in my mind

"That shop's specialty is its light and refreshing flavor. Not all ramen has to be so rich that you can stand your chopsticks on it, okay?"

Jiujo Renji scooped up a mouthful of soup with a spoon and savored it carefully:

"That's not bland, that's soulless. A true ramen broth should be the essence of bone marrow, simmered for more than twelve hours. You can feel the accumulation of time and the soul of the ingredients in every bite."

Under the dim light in the store, his expression was relaxed and content, completely different from his usual calm and restrained image.

"For someone like you who only cares about efficiency and control, shouldn't you treat food as a simple energy source?"

"That's a false stereotype." Kujo Renji put a piece of dried bamboo shoots into his mouth. "It's precisely because we spend most of our lives pursuing efficiency and control that we need to seek the ultimate experience in certain things."

He took another mouthful of noodles and squinted his eyes in satisfaction. “This kind of moment of focusing on sensory experience is actually the most relaxing.”

"I still think the one I ate at last week is more in line with modern tastes."

"Are you talking about the taste buds that have been numbed by petty bourgeois culture? Real cuisine doesn't need to cater to the masses, but rather make the masses adapt to its standards."

The two argued for a while.

Toyokawa Shoko suddenly changed the subject and asked.

"By the way, what are you going to do about Hailing?"

Kujo Renji's movements paused slightly.

“I haven’t considered it.”

"Really?" Toyokawa Shoko clearly didn't believe it. "She's already refuted you to your face. It's not your style not to retaliate against her."

Jiujo Renji shook his head speechlessly, picked up the chopsticks again, and picked up an egg. The yolk was half-solidified, just right.

"Who do you take me for?" He said with a hint of offended displeasure in his voice, "I'm not the kind of person who would take revenge for a slight."

"hehe."

Toyokawa Shoko let out a clear laugh in the space of consciousness

"I wouldn't believe you. So what are you going to do with her?"

Kujo Renji sighed lightly, put the last mouthful of noodles into his mouth, chewed it carefully and swallowed it.

"What else can we do? Just tell her to get out."

In the conscious space, Shoko Toyokawa fell into shocked silence for a moment, as if she didn't hear his words clearly.

"?"

Kujo Renji picked up the spoon and drank the remaining soup, as if he had just said something very ordinary.

"what happened?"

"Wait, wait," Toyokawa Shoko's voice was filled with disbelief. "You said... just tell her to get out? Are you serious?"

"of course."

Kujo Renji's answer was brief and direct:

"Thirds of a time, there's no such thing as a three. If you make a mistake, you have to pay the price. Is that hard to understand?"

Toyokawa Shoko seems to have not recovered from the shock yet

"The Tokyo show is next week and the tour is still ongoing. Are you sure you want to terminate the contract now?"

"She thinks so too, that's why she tests the bottom line at times like this."

"But no one is indispensable."

His phone vibrated and the screen lit up, showing that Hachiman Kailing had responded to his invitation.

Putting her phone away, she wiped her mouth and responded in her mind.

"And this is the last chance."

........

CROSS Cafe, inside a private room.

At ten o'clock in the morning, sunlight poured into the store through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting warm spots of light on the wooden floor.

Hachiman Kairei arrived ten minutes early and chose a corner seat by the window. She wore a simple black turtleneck, her black hair cascading neatly over her shoulders, and her green eyes were alert and calm.

There was a cup of freshly ordered American coffee on the table. The steam rising from it could not dispel the inexplicable uneasiness in her heart.

During the ten minutes she waited, she checked her phone three times and reviewed her prepared talking points twice.

Her mind told her this was just an ordinary work discussion, but her intuition kept sending warning signals.

At exactly ten o'clock, Shoko Toyokawa appeared at the door of the cafe on time.

The blue twintails looked particularly bright in the morning light, and the amber eyes were as calm as water.

The girl was wearing a dark blue dress. She pushed open the door of the box and walked straight to where Hachiman Kailing was.

"Awaited."

Kujo Renji's voice was calm and gentle, without any abnormality in his voice.

Hachiman Hailing nodded slightly: "I just arrived too."

After Kujo Renji sat down, he did not order drinks immediately. Instead, he took out a dark brown folder from his bag and placed it neatly on the table between the two of them.

Kujo Renji said, "Ms. Hachiman, your advice yesterday was indeed valuable."

Hachiman Kairei nodded cautiously, a hint of vigilance flashing in her green eyes:

“I just put forward ideas that I thought would be good for the band.”

"Yes, I appreciate the initiative."

Kujo Renji gently pushed the folder open, but did not open it.

This excessive praise set off alarm bells in Hachiman Kailing's heart.

She took a sip of coffee, tapping her fingers on the rim. "Any specific details you'd like to discuss?"

She got straight to the point, trying to control the rhythm of the conversation.

Kujo Renji's fingers tapped lightly on the folder, and he didn't rush to answer Hachiman Kailing's question.

"Before we get into the details."

His voice was still calm, but it made Hachiman Hailing feel even more uneasy.

"Some things need to be confirmed first."

At this moment, Kujo Renji suddenly opened the folder, pulled out a document, and pushed it directly in front of Hachiman Kailing.

The words "Termination Notice" were printed in bold letters at the top of the document.

"You've been terminated." He said it so calmly, as if he was just talking about the weather.

Hachiman Kairei was stunned.

After hearing what Kujo Renji said, she was struck by lightning. She froze in place instantly, her green eyes suddenly widened, and she couldn't believe her ears.

Ten seconds ago, we were discussing her "valuable" advice, and now...

"what?"

Her voice was almost squeezed out of her throat:

"What does it mean?"

"literal meaning."

Kujo Renji paused and patiently explained, "From today on, you are no longer a member of Ave mujica."

Hachiman Kailing's fingers began to tremble slightly. She clenched the coffee cup and tried to control her emotions, but the shock and anger in her eyes could no longer be concealed.

She took a deep breath, her voice clearly suppressed: "Why do you..."

"No reason."

Kujo Renji interrupted her directly.

"This is a notification, not a discussion."

Hachiman Kairei stood up suddenly, and the coffee cup shook because of her movement, and the dark liquid spilled on the documents, forming an ugly stain.

Her face was pale and her lips trembled slightly, but she forced herself to maintain the last bit of dignity.

"So what about the rest of the tour?"

She asked sharply, her voice full of disbelief, "What about Ave mujica?"

Jiujo Renji raised his head, his amber eyes looking directly at her, with an almost cruel calmness in his eyes:

"That has nothing to do with you, Miss Hachiman."

She stood there, feeling an unprecedented coldness spreading from the soles of her feet to her entire body. This scene was too familiar. Many years ago, she was abandoned without warning and betrayed by a companion she once trusted.

Hachiman Kailing clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, but the pain was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.