allendalepharm Page 68
Page 68
“Oh…” Takamatsu Akari opened her mouth slightly, and Wakaba Mutsu seemed to have thought of something and calmly asked first, “Speaking of which, I don’t know Akari’s band name.”
"Ah... not yet..." Deng said softly, glancing at Lixi with great concern. Lixi's attention seemed to be completely drawn to Ruoye Mu's topic, and her frustrated expression had calmed down considerably.
"That's true, the band's name is important too." Su Shi breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Li Xi's attention had been drawn. Sooner or later, someone would have to address Li Xi's situation. In the band, the only one capable of playing the villain was herself.
But even though she had done something wrong, Su Shi didn't want her friends to be too heartbroken.
So, she casually followed up on what Ruoye Muku had said and changed the subject: "Xiaodeng, Xiaolixi, do you have any suggestions?"
Both of them shook their heads, indicating that they had no particular thoughts. Then Su Shi turned her gaze to Ruoye Mutsu and asked gently, "What are your thoughts, Mutsu?"
Ruo Ye Mu frowned slightly, thinking hard... The name of the band... A name suddenly popped into her mind, and a voice suddenly appeared in her heart. It wasn't the voice of "Metis," but a voice that seemed to be calling her mission.
"Metis, can you hear me?" (Omitted) Wakaba Mutsu possesses a dual personality; there is another self within her. Her name comes from a doll in a story created by her childhood friend, Toyokawa Shoko.
"I heard it, although I don't know where the voice came from... but I feel like I can trust it."
In her mind, Momoko responded to Metaphor: "I... I've heard that voice before."
"Huh? Is that true?" Metacritic's voice sounded shocked.
"At that moment, I saw a guitar, and the sound echoed in my mind," said Wakaba Mutsumi, looking at everyone in front of her. She decided to follow her heart and say the name that had just come to mind.
She suddenly stood up and said very seriously, "I have a proposal."
Unexpectedly, Xiao Mu actually answered. Su Shi straightened up slightly and looked at Xiao Mu seriously, saying, "Xiao Mu, if you have any thoughts, please feel free to speak them."
"How about... calling it the 'Dragon Flame Group'? What do you think?" A faint smile appeared on Wakaba Mutsu's lips, and he looked at the group with a hint of anticipation in his eyes: "I think it's a very good name."
"Huh?" Lixi breathed out without hesitation. Although she understood that it was imitating the Dong brothers across the street, what the heck was this dragon flame? Besides, even if it was to be imitated, she still preferred Afterglow's style.
Just as she was about to say something, Takamatsu held up her hands and said in a soft but firm voice, "...I think it's good!"
Takamatsu Akari calls Momoi Taro "Master." She has learned a lot from Momoi Taro; he pulled her out of her confusion, he led her out of her fear, and he sustained her beliefs.
Moreover, besides that, Aine from the Dong Brothers group is also someone she cherishes very much. She is willing to tolerate her and push her forward. Aine also taught her how to play the guitar... The guitar solo version of Haruhi Kage was also written by Aine.
The Dong Dragon Flame Group... Although she didn't quite understand the middle part, she was willing to use the Dong Brothers Group as her origin and move forward—
Su Shi…is a bit against this name! First of all, it's true that she likes Momoi Taro, but that doesn't mean she's willing to turn the band into Momoi Taro's style. And as for something like "Dragon Flame," which has an unclear meaning…I'm absolutely against it!
However, her mind was still invading herself.
Inner Theater:
"Come on, come on—hahaha, hahaha!" Gao Songdeng stood under the spotlight on the stage and let out a hearty laugh: "Meeting by chance is a predestined connection from a past life, pebbles on the roadside are fragments of a predestined connection, and dancing together is a connection of fate."
"This world is paradise—blow away all your troubles!" Takamatsu Todaki laughed heartily as he fanned himself across the stage.
No, no... get this strange thought out of my head!
Su Shi shook her head violently, banishing all the fantasies that had just arisen.
She looked at Wakaba Mutsumi and Takamatsu Akari with some difficulty. Mutsumi had become so strange! This time! She could say with absolute certainty! Without any intention of wrongdoing! It was absolutely Momoi Taro's fault!
"Then, let's vote..." Su Shi tried her best to struggle: "Those who support the band name 'Dong Julong Flame Group,' please raise your hands—"
As expected, Takamatsu Akari and Wakaba Mutsumi raised their hands, but...
Su Shi was starting to lose her composure and stared in shock at Li Xi's quietly raised hand. "Wait! Weren't you just acting all resistant? Have some principles, will you?"
Seeing Su Shi's shocked expression, Li Xi turned her face away somewhat embarrassedly. Her face was flushed, like a steamed shrimp.
Su Shi looked at the lamp again, then at Xiao Mu, and asked with a glimmer of hope, "Do you... really think this is a good thing?"
She first fixed her gaze on the traitor Li Xi. Li Xi, who was staring at by her, looked away guiltily, not daring to meet her eyes. Instead, she noticed the scenery next to her... Hmm, how come I never noticed the walls of the practice room before? They're so beautiful.
Although her gaze wasn't directed there, the intense sting from Su Shi's eyes still stung Li Xi's cheeks, prompting her to interject, "I think... although... cough, um... this name doesn't bother anyone, as long as Deng likes it, that's fine."
"Um...is it not okay?" Takamatsu Akari timidly met Su Shi's gaze and whispered, "I...I really like this name. Is it strange...?"
...She couldn't bring herself to say it. Looking at Xiaodeng's timid gaze, she couldn't bring herself to say the words about how strange the name sounded! This time, Su Shi took the initiative to look away and instead looked at Ruoye Mu.
Ruo Yemu looked at Su Shi without wavering, tilting her head to look at the other person in confusion, as if asking what the other person was doing.
Well, it seems that getting the three of them to change their minds isn't just incredibly difficult, it's practically impossible. She herself was starting to give up, so she sighed. Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed into her mind; her extraordinary wisdom, even in this desperate situation, shone brightly—
So she tried suggesting, "Using this name directly would be too strange. How about this, our band name is 'Dong Giant Dragon Flame Group' (pause)? What do you think? If we come up with a better name—we can change it later, and if all else fails, we can finalize it then, okay?"
The three of them exchanged glances, seemingly considering something. Su Shi was secretly anxious. If they were to reach an agreement... it wasn't that Su Shi really had such a big problem with the name... well, she did have a lot of problems with the name.
More importantly, if she used this name, wouldn't it feel like she was confessing to Momoi Taro...? Although it's not impossible, it can't be now. She hasn't made amends for all her mistakes yet, so... it's not okay now.
As for why it feels like a confession when it's just a band name, well, Su Shi went through a very complicated process in her mind!
So she comforted her, "Little Lamp, I understand what you're thinking. But, are you really ready to grow to the point where you can be called Taro's disciple?"
"This..." Takamatsu Akari hesitated. Although she had grown, compared to Momoi Taro...
Su Shi pressed her advantage, asking again, "Also, do you want to be Mr. Momoi's disciple for the rest of your life...?"
Hearing Su Shi's words, Deng's eyes lit up, as if he wanted to reply. Su Shi immediately realized something was wrong and quickly interrupted, "What I mean is, Little Deng, are you planning to never graduate from your apprenticeship?"
“Hmm…” She lowered her head and remained silent under the lamp. Lixi saw through everything, but she said nothing while sitting on the drum set. If the lamp didn't say anything, she didn't like the name either; if the lamp had no objections, she wanted to change her name, at least not keep using this one forever.
Seeing Akari hesitate because of Momoi Taro, Ritsuki sighed inwardly again. The more she looked up at Momoi Taro's back, the more unapproachable he seemed. Her heart felt like it was being gripped by something; she wanted to struggle, but the more she struggled, the more nervous she became.
The person who could truly support Takamatsu Akari wasn't Shiina Tatsuki, but Momoi Taro. She knew this all too well. As long as she could play music beside Akari, as long as she could be herself beside Akari, she would be content... right?
But why, why does it hurt so much? Why does my heart hurt so much...? The scenery before my eyes blurred in an instant, the whole world became indistinct, only the hesitant face of the lamp remained clearly visible.
I... must work even harder for the survival of this band!
"That's it. Anyway, if one day Xiaodeng feels that she can graduate from Mr. Momoi's apprenticeship, then we can change her name, okay?" Su Shi, who was doing her best to comfort him, did not notice Li Xi's strange behavior at all. She asked, "Then, please raise your hand if you agree that the name is Dong Julong Huo ⒍⑴ Qi Yi S? E ...
The result was predictable: three votes passed—Xiaodeng, himself, and Xiaomu…wait, Xiaomu!?
Su Shi's eyes widened slightly. Seeing that Li Xi was unresponsive, she hurriedly rushed to Li Xi's side: "Little Li Xi, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell? Do you have a fever? Or are you dizzy? If anything is wrong, you absolutely must tell me!"
Hearing Su Shi's excited voice, Li Xi hurriedly came back to her senses. Seeing the three people looking at her with concern, she shook her head slightly and said apologetically, "I'm sorry for making you worry. I was just lost in thought."
Li Xi glanced at the three of them, and then, noticing Su Shi's hand still lingering, she realized, "Is this a vote? Sorry, I'll cast a provisional vote."
So, this nameless band was named the Dong Giant Dragon Flame Group (tentative). But now is not the time to talk about that. Su Shi looked at Li Xi's expression and was still full of worry: "Little Li Xi, if you are not feeling well, you should go back and rest. It would be bad if you hurt yourself."
“I think so too… That’s all for today’s band activities, Riki… You need to get some rest.” Takamatsu Akari, the nominal leader of mygo, also stood up very nervously, walked to Riki’s side, grabbed her hand, and commanded, “We… the Dragon Flame Group, are not allowed to force ourselves to work.”
“…I know, that’s all for today. I’ll finish the piece tonight.” Lixi gave the light a reassuring smile before leaving the practice room.
I'm so useless... I actually need Akari to care about me. If it were Momoi Taro, he wouldn't need anyone to care about him at all... No, he would never stoop to this level where he needs others to worry about him.
If it were my older sister... or Xiangzi, she could definitely arrange things properly and methodically. What am I, anyway...?
Meanwhile, in the practice room of the Dong Brothers group next door, something happened that shocked all the members—
Episode 12 of "Dong": Illness?
Let's go back a little further—
Today was the usual practice day for the Dong Brothers group. As usual, Taro arrived on time, and then the training proceeded as usual.
However, at this moment, Aine in the practice room was unusually anxious. She was unconsciously scratching her pink hair, pacing back and forth, and frequently glancing at her phone screen.
"What should we do? It's already 5:01, why isn't Taro here yet?" Her voice was full of worry. Since the day she met Momoi Taro, he had never been late, always arriving precisely on time.
But... he was a full minute late! And he didn't say a word in the group chat!
"General... the General must have his reasons for doing this!?" Miao Meng was also a little panicked. Although she hadn't had much contact with Momoi Taro, she knew that Momoi Taro wouldn't be the kind of person who was late.
It feels like just yesterday that he grabbed Aine's head and earnestly explained when she jumped out to accuse him of being late. I can't even imagine Momoi Taro being late.
"It's only a minute late, Chihaya-san and Nyanmu-chan, aren't you exaggerating?" Hailing was quite puzzled by the two's reaction.
No matter how powerful Momoi Taro is, he's still just a human. It's perfectly normal for things to occasionally go wrong or for him to be delayed by something, isn't it?
"Taro, no." Rakuna appeared calm, but a closer look revealed that her reaction was the most intense—her body hair was practically standing on end, and she looked unusually listless. Suddenly, her guitar emitted a hissing noise, filled with an uneasy, improvisational melody, as if trying to release all the restlessness in her heart.
"Everyone, calm down a bit." Hai Ling took a deep breath. It seemed she didn't know Momoi Taro well enough. But as a band member, perhaps now was the time for her to step up? She was about to suggest that she organize the practice sessions herself—
Just as Hai Ling was about to speak, Aine, who had been pacing back and forth, suddenly stopped, her gaze sweeping resolutely over everyone. She said, "Hai Ling is right! Everyone! Standing here like this isn't going to solve anything! Taro already said it, right? There's no rule that everyone has to be here before we can practice! Let's start practicing!"
“If Taro comes back and sees nothing but empty clothes, he’ll be very disappointed!” she said, as she deftly slung her guitar over her shoulder and returned to her seat.
"Chihaya-kun is right." Hailing sighed inwardly, then mustered her courage and chimed in, "Waiting here won't help. If we're going to practice, let's practice 'Ore Koso Onrean.' We haven't officially performed this piece yet, so our familiarity with it isn't enough, Meowmu-chan—"
Hearing Hai Ling's instructions, Miao Meng raised her drumsticks with a hint of dissatisfaction. It wasn't that she was worried about Momoi Taro, but rather that if something happened to Taro, she would have to leave the Dong Brothers group ahead of schedule, which would be a huge blow to her career. After her recent live performance, she had received a sudden surge in commercial offers—
At least for now, she wasn't ready to leave the Dong Brothers group, so she angrily pounded on her drumsticks—
A powerful melody began to play.
"Chihaya-kun, you're wrong again. Start over from two phrases ago." Hailing interrupted again.
"Ah... I'm sorry!" Aine smiled and touched her head sheepishly.
……
"Dear Miaomeng, you've messed up the rhythm," Hailing reminded her once again.
"Yes~ let's start from two musical phrases, right?" Miao Meng's smile remained unchanged, but upon closer inspection, it wasn't hard to spot the stiffness within it.
……
"As for you, like Momoi Taro, I won't stop you from improvising, but what you just did can only be called noise."
"..." The cat lowered its head and didn't say anything.
In the end, the entire practice session was not very smooth; it was more of a mess.
squeak--
The sound of the practice room door being pushed open made the three people who were still practicing immediately stop what they were doing and look towards the door. Hailing, who only realized what was happening after everyone had stopped, stared at the doorway.
Needless to say, the person who came was none other than Momoi Taro. He looked extremely weak, his eyes unfocused, and he walked in unsteadily from outside the door, as if pushing open the door had taken all his strength.
"Taro!" x2
Aine and Rakuna put down their guitars and rushed to Taro's side, helping him up. Taro shook his head, trying to avoid their support, but they easily overpowered him.
"I'm late... Attendants, practice begins..." Taro's voice lacked its usual arrogance, instead sounding extremely weak. Aine released Taro's arm with some doubt, but Rakuna still clung tightly to Taro's arm.
"Ranna...Taro needs to practice too," Aine said with a touch of worry, gently stroking Ranna's head. Although she herself was also concerned about Taro's current weak state, she thought, "But he's Momoi Taro, he'll be fine."
She told herself this in her heart, skillfully took out Lena's favorite matcha candy from her pocket, tore open the packaging, took out the green round candy, and placed it to Lena's lips.