Momoi Taro wants to form a "don" brother duo, but it's a music anime.

Page 87

Update will be a little late today.

Today's update will be a little late. Today's update will be a little late. Today's update will be a little late. Today's update will be a little late. Today's update will be a little late. Today's update will be a little late. Today's update will be a little late. Today's update will be a little late. Today's update will be a little late. Today's update will be a little late. Today's update will be a little late. Today's update will be a little late. Today's update will be a little late.

Episode 35, accumulating little by little.

"Do you need my help?" Taro asked Wakaba Mutsu proactively. "As the master, I can't stand idly by when it comes to the servants' affairs. If you need my help, please don't hesitate to tell me."

Upon hearing this, Su Shi also looked at Xiao Mu. If they were to send Momoi Taro, given Toyokawa Shoko's level of trust in him, it shouldn't be too difficult... Xiao Mu lowered her head and began to think. After a moment, she gave her answer...

"No...it's my responsibility." Wakaba Mutsumi answered Momoi Taro's question softly, her eyes full of determination.

"Xiao Mu has absolutely nothing to do with Xiangzi's matter!" Ruo Ye Mu heard Mo Ti Si's indignant voice in her mind, but Ruo Ye Mu shook her head slightly, her movements gentle but firm in denying Mo Ti Si's comfort.

"I'm sorry, Mutsu—" Su Shi reached out and grasped Mutsu's delicate, boneless hand on the table, warming her slightly cold hand with her own body heat: "If I hadn't asked you to call Xiangzi over to watch the live performance... this wouldn't have happened."

"That's right... If Su Shi hadn't called Xiang Zi... he definitely would have...!" Metase's voice rang out urgently once again.

“Originally…” Ruoye Mu did not resist Su Shi’s touch, but simply shook her head slightly. Her voice was still very soft, but it carried a calmness that understood the truth: “Xiang will also come to Taro’s live performance. Even if Su Shi didn’t say so, Xiang would have come.” This was both an answer to Su Shi and an answer to Motis.

"That's Momoi Taro's problem! Mutsu didn't do anything wrong!" Metath shouted, trying to soothe Mutsu's emotions, but Mutsu seemed not to hear Metath's words at all, and her emotions did not fluctuate at all.

"I agree!" Taro said firmly, head held high. "Since she's willing to do it herself, she probably has her own reasons. Let's trust Wakaba!"

“But…!” Su Shi’s face was pale. His lips moved slightly as he tried to find some words to comfort Xiao Mu, but he could only sigh helplessly.

"Huh—Su-se-kun? Mutsumi!? And Taro!?" A lively, familiar voice suddenly broke the silence between the three. The three of them turned to look at the voice and saw the familiar pink long-haired dog—Chihaya Aine—standing not far away, her face beaming with a bright smile, waving and greeting them enthusiastically.

Behind her were Gao Songdeng, Li Xi, and Hai Ling. Hai Ling stood at the back with a completely amused expression. Gao Songdeng, on the other hand, stared at the group of people with slightly wide eyes, seemingly puzzled as to why they were gathered there. A hint of surprise also flashed across Li Xi's face, but she quickly composed herself and returned to her usual indifferent demeanor.

"What are you all doing here?" Aine walked briskly towards the three of them, her smile still bright, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere just moments before. She naturally plopped down next to Wakaba Mutsu. Suze watched her sit down, habitually returning a gentle smile, while subtly withdrawing her hand from Mutsu's.

Although Aine and the others had just arrived, her sharp eyes had already noticed the unusually excited atmosphere between Su Shi and Xiao Mu at the door. She immediately reached out to stop Deng and Li Xi, who were about to go forward directly, and signaled them to wait. Only when she observed that the atmosphere over there had become unusually tense did she decisively lead everyone up.

"Nothing's wrong~ Why is Aine here? And why are Xiaodeng, Lixi, and Hailing here too?" Su Shi asked casually, maintaining her usual gentle smile, while slightly shifting her position to make room for Xiaodeng and Lixi. Lixi and Xiaodeng didn't stand on ceremony and sat down, while Hailing naturally took the empty seat next to Aine.

Taro moved over a bit, and the four of them squeezed into a long sofa. After the waiter brought up the food they had just ordered, Aine explained with a smile, "Actually, I came here with everyone to prepare for the celebration banquet. It would be a shame not to celebrate the success of your first live performance of 'Dragon Flame'."

"I was prepared for just the two of us to come, but I didn't expect to run into everyone here!" Aine smiled broadly, looking very happy.

"Hmm... It's not easy to do a live show for the first time..." Takamatsu Akari softly echoed Aine's point of view, a slight smile appearing on her face: "Indeed... it's best if everyone is here at times like this."

“I see!” Taro nodded in agreement and said, “But a celebration party for the band’s first live performance is a must. Let’s start here to change the mood.”

"Huh?" Riki heard Taro's words, looked up and glanced at Wakaba Mutsu. Her expression didn't seem to be anything special... Tsk, I can't even take care of myself, how can I have the spare time to take care of others.

"I'm sorry..." Ruoye Mu lowered her head and apologized to everyone. She knew that Su Shi had come out to find her. The celebration banquet was also because of her... that Su Shi was absent.

"Huh? Why are you apologizing?" Ai Yin tilted her head and chuckled, "It's normal for everyone to have things to do or to be in a bad mood. Xiao Mu doesn't need to feel so much pressure."

“Because of… my affairs, Su Shi was absent,” Ruoye Mutsu grabbed her right arm with her left hand, lowered her head, and her amber pupils trembled in their sockets.

“Xiao Ai is right…” Gao Songdeng nodded seriously to Ruoye Mutsu and said firmly, “Xiao Mutsu… is also a member of the Donglong Flame Group, and is also a companion, so… even if Xiao Sushi comes, if Xiao Mutsu doesn’t come… it’s still an absence. We… the four of us, none of us can be missing. We… will be a band for life.”

"Whoa..." Upon hearing Takamatsu Akari's sudden remark, Aine looked utterly shocked, leaning back. She could barely speak. Was this something she could just casually say?

"Hehe... Little Lantern, really." Su Shi covered her mouth and chuckled, then her expression turned serious as she softly promised Takamatsu Lantern, "I'll try my best, I promise." Aine, hearing this, moved back a little. Su Shi's expression looks so serious.

"Teng! I'll try my best too! I promise!" Li Xi stood up excitedly and shouted at Gao Songdeng. Gao Songdeng was startled by Li Xi's excited behavior, but then she realized what was happening and nodded slightly at Li Xi.

[Wow... I know Rikki likes Tsubaki a lot, but this is a bit too much! Her expression looks so serious... Could they really be together?]

Finally, everyone except Momoi Taro focused their attention on Wakaba Mutsumi. Wakaba Mutsumi gripped the hem of her skirt with both hands, nodded slightly, and said softly, "I... will try my best."

"Isn't there a single normal person here?!" Aine roared inwardly.

"Clap...clap!" Hai Ling clapped unexpectedly from the side, her expression as indifferent as ever. As she clapped, she praised Gao Songdeng, "What a deep friendship! How enviable!"

"Huh? Hailing, you rascal..." Lixi wanted to say something more, but swallowed the words back.

"Just say what you want to say. I'm open to criticism." Hai Ling, on the other hand, looked relaxed. Li Xi sighed helplessly, turned his head away, and said, "It's nothing."

Seeing that the atmosphere was about to turn awkward again, Ai Yin thought to herself, "Well... now that everyone's here, let's order first, okay?" She inwardly let out a sigh of relief. This band was really troublesome. She quickly raised her hand and said, "Excuse me, we need to order."

"Yes—" The waiter quickly came over. Aine stroked her chin, thinking, "What should we eat? What do you and Rikki want to eat?"

“Rikk…?” Su Shi was a little puzzled by the unfamiliar name that Aine was talking about.

"It's Riki-kun~" Aine said in a soft, coquettish voice, "Su-se-kun, do you want me to give you a name too...? How about Soyorin?"

"Haha...then let's forget it?" Su Shi declined the other party's offer with a smile (?).

"Huh? Why is that~" Ai Yin protested with a slightly annoyed chuckle. She only said that one sentence and didn't pursue it any further. Su Shi chuckled and changed the subject: "Well... anyway, let's order first, we can't keep the waitress waiting too long."

The waitress beside me gave a perfunctory smile, without much expression. Of course, the main reason was that the restaurant wasn't that busy.

"Little Lamp, is it Mocha Coffee...? How about dessert?" Su Shi rested her chin on her hand, thinking back: "If it's Little Li Xi, almond tofu, right? What about Aine and Hai Ling?"

“Hmm…” Takamatsu Akari raised her head slightly, then lowered it again without offering any opinion.

“Hailin’s macarons, and Aine’s fruit sandwiches.” Taro crossed his arms and looked back at the chair, calmly giving his opinion: “And then, two more servings of fries. Someone I know once said that fries are a custom menu item for victory celebrations.”

"Is that so...?" Su Shi smiled and said, "Since that's the case, let's have two more servings. And some staple food too... How about that?"

"It just seems like she's saying that because she loves to eat so much, right?" Aine tilted her head and pointed out the truth.

"Speaking of which, I didn't expect Taro to know what I like to eat?" Hai Ling said calmly.

“The last two times I cooked, you ordered a lot of macarons, so it’s only natural that you knew!” Taro said without any hesitation. Aine looked at Hailing in amazement and exclaimed, “Hailing, do you really eat that much? You can still maintain such a good figure. That’s amazing.”

"Yes, I'm the type of person who can eat anything and not gain weight," Hai Ling said calmly, without any particular expression. But Li Xi still glanced at her, thinking, "You mean you can eat anything and not gain weight? I'm almost embarrassed to say that."

Soon, the food was served. Takamatsu Akari asked Aine in a low voice, "A victory celebration... specifically, what's going on...?"

"Ah~ it's probably about eating and drinking? I'm not really sure?" Aine touched her lips as she thought.

"Instead of a celebration party, let's have a reflection meeting first." Li Xi crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and tapped his arm with his fingers, looking somewhat impatient: "Ichishizuku Sora's B section, the rhythm group was a bit out of sync, we need to practice more tomorrow."

"Yes, yes, I will," Su Shi sighed. Why did this celebration banquet turn into a reflection session? However, Su Shi didn't see the need to argue with her, because she was somewhat dissatisfied with her own performance.

After the disbandment of Ku Lai Xi Ku, she hadn't practiced bass much. It wasn't until Momoi Taro came to her house a second time to help her come to her senses that she started practicing again. Her rustiness was understandable.

Although Momoi Taro had mentioned the bass issue to me the first time he came, I was only thinking about myself at the time and didn't listen to what he said at all, wasting a lot of time.

Thinking of this, Su Shi's heart stirred slightly. She took out her phone, stood up, and everyone at the table turned their attention to her. Holding her phone high, she smiled gently and called out softly, "Everyone, look over here."

Taking advantage of everyone's gaze, Su Shi smiled and pressed the shutter.

After Su Shi returned to her seat, Ai Yin stood up, leaning on the table, and looked at Su Shi's phone, asking, "What's this? A photo?"

“Yes, such an important moment should definitely be recorded with photos.” Su Shi smiled and put her phone away, saying softly, “I’ll print out the photos later and save this moment. Just like Mr. Momoi said, fill the blank moments with beautiful memories.”

"Wow...that sounds amazing..." Ai Yin's eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "The filming is really good."

“Hmm…” Takamatsu Akari nodded in agreement, and said softly, “These moments, accumulated little by little, make up a lifetime…!”

"So that's what Takamatsu meant by 'a lifetime'. I feel like I understand it a little bit now." Aine smiled gently, looking at Takamatsu Takamatsu with a firm gaze. For a moment, she believed that their lifetime together might really be possible.

A faint smile touched the corners of Wakaba Mutsu's lips... Beautiful memories? If they could truly last a lifetime... If they could truly last a lifetime, wouldn't she be incredibly happy?

But... does the person who hurts everyone with every word... the person who caused the disbandment of Kulaixi, the person who made Xiangzi so sad, really deserve this?

ask for leave

I've been vomiting and having diarrhea all day, and I also have a slight fever. I'm really exhausted. I'll catch up on the missed updates later, sorry!

Episode 36, Wakaba Mutsumi's "sense of security"

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they dispersed and went home. Because the dinner was quite enjoyable, everyone ate slowly, so the dinner took a considerable amount of time. In addition, the live performance ended quite late, making it even later.

After declining Taro and the others' offer to take her home, Wakaba Mutsumi returned to her "home" accompanied by Yozuki.

For Ruoye Mutsu, the word "home" has never carried the weight of warmth, nor is it a place where she can feel at ease. Her father and mother are both very busy, and they have never really cared about her growing up, simply assigning her tasks such as appearing on shows and studying.

Her relationship with them was quite simple. As their child, she only needed to complete the tasks they assigned. The dynamic was extremely straightforward: she simply had to act as their child, fulfilling the pre-arranged obligations. They cared about the results, not her feelings. Perhaps in her parents' eyes, she was nothing more than a pawn in their pursuit of fame and fortune.

But in the past, she hadn't thought there was anything wrong with it. She even knew that her mother, Minami Mori, was jealous of her innate talent—the talent of a multi-headed monster. She could switch personalities depending on the situation. As a mother, Minami Mori was jealous of her talent as an actress.

At that time, she didn't think there was anything wrong with it either. Whether Mori Minami was jealous or not was meaningless to her. Because at that time, "Wakaba Mutsumi" was just an empty shell, a vessel for carrying out orders. Her true "self" hadn't yet been born... until she met Shoko and the guitar. Therefore, she felt obligated to help Shoko.

Did her parents love her? Ruo Ye Mu couldn't give a definite answer to this question. Looking at the Ruo Ye family mansion from afar, she couldn't feel even the slightest bit of peace of mind.

If Ye Mu forgot some theories she had heard from somewhere—perhaps a book, a TV program, or a famous quote—it didn't matter. She remembered that the quote went something like this:

All people live to overcome fear and gain peace of mind. Gaining fame, dominating others, and making money are all for the sake of peace of mind. Marriage and friendship are also for peace of mind. Contributing to others and pursuing love and peace are all things done to bring peace of mind. Seeking peace of mind—this is the true purpose of humankind.

However, home was not a place where she could feel at ease. It was more of a place to stay than a home... Her sense of security only existed in that small, private underground space.

She quietly slipped in through the front door, intending to slowly walk to her basement and take off the guitar she was carrying... She was born because of the guitar, and she exists because of the guitar... Of course, she cannot become a separate self without the guitar.

Feeling her way through the darkness, Wakaba Mutsumi groped along the wall and slowly made her way to the basement door. The moment she pressed the light switch, the sight before her froze her in place—in the chair she always practiced in, her only refuge, sat the familiar green-haired beauty—Mori Minami.

"Welcome back, Mutsu!" The beautiful woman with long green hair smiled broadly, sitting cross-legged on the chair where Mutsu was practicing. Her fitted trousers accentuated her graceful figure, and her smile made her appear very approachable.

However, Minami's friendly smile was like a cold needle, piercing Wakaba Mutsu's heart and causing it to tighten suddenly, giving Wakaba Mutsu not even the slightest sense of security.

Her eyes widened slightly, trembling in their sockets, revealing undisguised fear and confusion. Her only place of security had been invaded… by her mother, Minami Mori.

"Minami... why are you here?" Wakaba Mutsu's voice trembled slightly, filled with confusion, and she took a small step back.

"Don't look at me with that scary expression." Minami Mori stood up with a smile and approached Wakaba Mutsu step by step. Wakaba Mutsu retreated step by step until his back hit the cold wall, leaving him with nowhere to go.

A strange chill crept up her spine. She sensed an unusual, unsettling aura of danger emanating from Minami today. Looking at Minami's face, which resembled her own but appeared more mature and refined, fear gripped her heart.

"Little Mutsu has really changed. She's actually afraid of such a cute mother. Really." Mori Minami pinned Wakaba Mutsu against the wall, lightly lifting her chin with her fingers, looking down at her with her height advantage: "My important daughter hasn't come home so late. Can't a mother show some concern?"

Normally... she doesn't care about herself at all... She slightly opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but the sound was stuck deep in her throat, and she couldn't make it out no matter what, only silent gurgling.

She squeezed her eyes shut, as if using all her strength, and tried to brush it off with a flat, emotionless voice: "The band is performing live..."

"Ah~ live performance." Mori Minami suddenly abandoned her wall-slamming pose, gracefully moving to Wakaba Mutsumi's side, and gently stroking her head as if caressing a fine piece of porcelain: "Today's live performance was really great."