Why Not Play in a Band for a Lifetime

This is quite a haul.

Chapter 18: Marina's Old Teammate (Happy Birthday, Nijika Mama~)

In the short time the five of them were gone, a section of CiRCLE's outer wall had been repainted. In contrast, the five girls were covered in dirt and grime. As they appeared at the entrance of CiRCLE, the two inside rushed to greet them.

"You're finally back! Are you hurt? Are you hungry? Does anything hurt..." Marina fussed over them like a mother as soon as they walked in, "Do you want to take a bath first? Do you still have energy..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Nijika interrupted Marina's motherly chatter, "Miss Marina, has anything happened at CiRCLE during this time? And who is this..."

Standing beside Marina was a woman of similar age, with long purple hair and a somewhat cool style, a pair of dual pistols holstered at her waist. She had been standing by Marina's side, minimizing her presence, not interrupting the reunion of the group.

"Someone I met before. You all go wash up properly, rest well after you're done, and I'll introduce you later." Marina turned to the woman, "Is that okay?"

The woman nodded, "You've all worked hard. We can talk about my business later, go rest first." Her voice was also quite cool, reminding Shiko of some of the cool-type players in Bang Dream.

After an adventure that felt like it lasted days and nights, returning home finally allowed their spirits to completely relax. The five of them lay down on the soft, familiar mattress. Most of them fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillows. Their faces relaxed quickly, their breathing steady and carefree.

The dreamless sleep passed in an instant.

"Everyone, dinner's ready~" Shiko seemed to hear a voice. The sound echoed in her daze, taking a while to be processed into information that told Shiko "it's time to get up." She wanted to get up, but her eyelids were still resisting, refusing to open. She reached up and forced her eyelids open a crack. In front of her was the leg of a table, and as she looked up, the table leg became vertical. She could smell the aroma of food. Miss Marina had thoughtfully brought the dining table into the bedroom, already laden with various dishes as always, all favorites of the five girls. This meal was a celebration of their success and a welcome party for the woman.

Ichiri smelled the fried chicken and immediately stood up. Seeing this, Shiko also climbed out reluctantly, propping herself up with one hand on the table leg.

"Nijika, feed me." Ryo grabbed Nijika's shirt hem. Everyone else was already sitting up, but she was still lazily curled up in her blanket.

Ryo expected a cold glare from Nijika, but instead, she saw Nijika hesitate slightly, her face flushing red.

"J-just this once!" Nijika's gaze didn't fall on anyone.

"Eh?" Everyone was startled.

"Ryo really worked very hard this time... If you keep smiling like that, get up and feed yourself!"

In the end, Ryo obediently sat down at the table. The woman also sat next to Marina. According to Marina, she had met her while waiting for the five to return.

"Welcome back safely!" Marina didn't ask about their achievements at the start of the celebration feast; their safe return was the most important thing.

Ryo was the first to pick up her chopsticks. She didn't care about anything else, just shoveling food into her mouth.

"Are you two close?" Kita noticed Marina's inexplicable sense of familiarity with the woman.

The lady bowed slightly, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Yuki Arakawa. I used to be in a band with Marina and was the drummer. Now I work as an independent music producer." Her statement contained a lot of information.

"So Miss Marina used to be in a band too?" Kita's mouth hung open as she looked at Marina.

"Yes, we were in a five-person band in our student days, but it didn't work out in the end, so we disbanded." Marina showed a hint of nostalgia before quickly regaining her composure.

Shiko of course knew about this, but she didn't know the specifics about the members other than Marina. However, the others didn't know, and after introducing themselves, Kita excitedly pressed the two for details. Just then, Ichiri quietly pulled Shiko aside to the backstage area next door.

"What's up?" Shiko didn't think Ichiri would be the type of JK to need a companion to go to the bathroom.

Ichiri's eyes sparkled, "Is this a welcome party?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Shiko suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Which means, it's a party?" Ichiri's eyes lit up, which was rare.

Five minutes later, Shiko emerged from the backstage area, holding her head, followed by a woman in eccentric outfits: a Santa hat, novelty sunglasses, a fake beard, a sash that read "One-Day Patrol Chief," and holding a party popper.

As soon as she appeared, the atmosphere fell silent.

"Pop!" Ichiri pulled the party popper towards the dining table, and several streamers flew out, landing quietly on the floor.

"See, I told you it would be awkward," Shiko couldn't bear to watch.

Because of this little interlude, Ichiri, having removed her strange accessories, along with Shiko, endured a heavy celebration feast.

Actually, the atmosphere was quite lively. Marina and Miss Yuki shared their band experiences from back then, Nijika and Kita talked about their recent adventure, and Ryo kept eating. But Shiko and Ichiri remained sealed in the darkest corner. Aside from the awkwardness, the presence of an unfamiliar senior at the table put immense pressure on them. Fortunately, Shiko quickly drew upon her experience from her first meeting with Kessoku Band and slowly began to join the conversation.

Shiko reached for a piece of fried chicken and her chopsticks bumped into someone else's. Instinctively, she pulled back. The other person did the same. Turning her head, she met Ichiri's eyes. To cover their embarrassment, they both picked up a glass of juice and took small sips. Nijika, with a look of disdain, fed Ryo, who enjoyed it without blushing. Kita looked at the four of them with dissatisfaction. Marina watched the five of them, a smile unconsciously appearing on her face.

"Is something making you happy?" Miss Yuki noticed her expression.

"Nothing," Marina retracted her gaze and reached for a piece of bok choy stem, "I just feel like their bond has gotten stronger."

Even happy banquets have to end. Shiko leaned against the wall, watching Marina and Miss Yuki tidy up the table. Habitually, she would have helped, but seeing the two happily chatting, she hesitated about disturbing the reunion of old teammates. Performing was one thing, but she still didn't know how to handle this situation. Just as she was thinking about finding Nijika to ask what to do, Miss Yuki noticed her.

"Is something wrong?"

Since she had been discovered, Shiko had no choice but to come out from the corner, put on a natural expression, and quickly made up an excuse, "I was just a bit curious about what kind of ability Miss Yuki has."

Yuki didn't suspect anything, "Hmm... simply put, it's regeneration. I'll be acting with you all starting tomorrow, and you'll find out then."

"Yuki is very strong," Marina said while stacking bowls, "But don't rely on her too much. Because she won't be staying here long."

Chapter 19: HOPE

The words shocked everyone.

The four of them tumbled out from the corner where Shiko had been hiding. Shiko looked back: Kita was at the bottom, Nijika was on top of her, and Ichiri and Ryo, not leaning on anyone, didn't fall.

Shiko was a bit stunned, "What are you guys doing here?"

"I wanted to ask if Miss Marina's band had left any CDs," said Kita.

"I'm a fan of Miss Yuki and wanted an autograph," said Ryo.

"I want to ask Miss Yuki, as a famous drummer, to give me some pointers on my technique," said Nijika.

"B-because no one else left, I didn't dare to leave alone..." Ichiri said.

Shiko suddenly felt like "everyone here has hidden talents." Fortunately, they saved the day, and Shiko's pressure eased considerably.

"So why are you leaving? Isn't it good to live with us at CiRCLE?" Kita and Nijika surrounded Miss Arakawa.

Marina also looked at her with a "See?" expression. "You'll stay here, right?"

"I'm not used to staying in one place for too long. That's all. Really, that's all. Stop shaking me—" Being jostled back and forth by the two girls, Arakawa was a bit flustered. "But since I've come all this way, I'll stay for a while, don't worry."

After Arakawa's repeated assurances, Kita and Nijika cheered, and Shiko had already slipped away in the confusion.

Shiko fled to the lobby. Ichiri followed behind. As long as someone took the lead, she dared to leave. Ichiri gave Shiko a barely perceptible nod and then, hugging her guitar, turned into the recording studio. Seeing this, Shiko stood by the door and listened for a moment before heading out. Just then, with a burst of lively voices, the others also swarmed over from the stage.

"What's up?" Shiko looked at Marina, who was leading the way.

"They insisted on hearing the songs we wrote back then, and I happened to have a CD. After listening, they wanted to perform it themselves..." Marina seemed to be forcing a smile, but her eyes were full of joy. Clearly, she was also gratified that her compositions were liked.

A CD? Shiko recalled that in the story, Marina's old band did have a CD that circulated, which was found by Maya Yamato of Pastel*Palettes. The story didn't elaborate on the CD's fate, but it seemed it had eventually returned to Marina's hands. She remembered that the song on the CD was the band's last, never performed on stage, and its title was—

"Please listen, HOPE!" In the recording studio, Marina played her band's final song for everyone currently at CiRCLE.

A few minutes later, the music faded.

"It's outstanding. The melody is cheerful, but you can also feel the sadness within it," Shiko commented.

Ichiri struggled to express herself. "Yes! It really is... outstanding."

"This is a very narrative piece. It's not just the melody that gives this feeling; the cymbal part in the middle, and the subsequent key change, give one the feeling of a new world unfolding before their eyes..." Ryo began to talk enthusiastically.

"Ryo-senpai is so professional!" Kita, who understood the least, could only play the straight man.

"I want to perform it!" Nijika was very excited. The others agreed.

However...

"We're missing a keyboardist," Miss Arakawa pointed out the problem. Marina's band back then was a five-member band with a keyboardist. Kessoku Band currently only had four members and no keyboard.

Unexpectedly, Shiko stepped forward. "For the keyboard... I can do it."

Shiko had a little piano background in her previous life. In this life, she bought an electronic keyboard and practiced while composing. On her status panel, her keyboard skill was Lv6.

However, not even Ichiri knew about this, so everyone except Miss Arakawa was naturally shocked. Facing their gazes, Shiko became flustered. To prove herself, she brought out an electronic keyboard and played a song for everyone. Although she hadn't played in a while, her fundamentals were still there. Shiko had a special talent for this, and halfway through, she had basically found her rhythm.

Since the keyboardist was no longer an issue, everything else fell into place. Kita on vocals, Ichiri on guitar, Nijika on drums, Ryo on bass, and Shiko on keyboard. Marina dug out the sheet music, and practice immediately began.

An hour later, in the recording studio.

"Phew—" Nijika wiped her sweat. "Satisfying—"

"Miss Marina, Miss Arakawa, how was it?" Everyone's most pressing concern, of course, was the original creators' opinions.

Arakawa looked at Marina. "Marina, didn't a few other students perform this song at CiRCLE before?"

"Yes, they held a special performance for this song. Didn't you all attend back then?" Marina referred to her former bandmates.

Shiko knew who they meant by "a few other students." If she remembered correctly, it should have been Maya Yamato, Yukina Minato, Tsubame Hazawa, Satomi Ushigome, and Kasumi Toyama. Those people were not here now. Here were only a few banished souls. Thinking of this, Shiko suddenly felt a pang of melancholy. Pastel*Palettes, Afterglow, Roselia, Poppin'Party... Would she ever have the chance to meet them in person again?

Marina also seemed a bit sentimental. But she quickly controlled her emotions and looked at Shiko. "Shiko-san, your keyboard skills are quite good."

Praised suddenly! Shiko hadn't even reacted when Nijika chimed in, "Yeah, Shiko's skills are totally good enough to join the band and perform. Why didn't you say so before? Why don't you join Kessoku Band too!"

Kita was naturally delighted. "Wouldn't it be great if Wu-san joined Kessoku Band?"

"I have no problem with it, of course," Ryo said.

"If Shiko is willing..." Ichiri seemed to be the one most hoping Shiko would join the band.

Shiko just wanted to escape quickly. The reason she hadn't mentioned her keyboard skills before was precisely because she was worried about this kind of situation... So troublesome!

"Ah! The keyboardist is running away!"

Before the others could see, Shiko slipped out of the recording studio, turned, opened the CiRCLE door, and fled outside.

"At least here, they shouldn't be able to chase me, right?" Shiko hid behind a large rock, secretly looking back at CiRCLE. The members of Kessoku Band were bewildered and headed towards the underground stage to look for her. Only Miss Marina stopped worriedly by the window, searching for her.

(I hope they turn around and forget about this... Although I feel bad for Miss Marina, since I'm already out, I might as well bring back some 'souvenirs'.)

Shiko shook her head and continued walking into the distance. The monsters that had been scared away by the dark figures were returning. CiRCLE hadn't had an energy supply in a long time. In the dark night, CiRCLE looked so small, yet so eye-catching. For this faint light, it was time to work a little harder.

"Rip!" With a soft sound, a small monster fell to the ground, turning into a small orb. Shiko's night hunts always had a tendency; she only targeted individuals that she could easily defeat alone, as she didn't want to risk her life every night. The reason she hunted at night was twofold: first, she wanted to work harder and do more for the girls she loved; second, she personally enjoyed this time when no one disturbed her. It wasn't that she disliked being with others, but she was, after all, an introvert and still needed this time that belonged only to herself.

Shiko hummed a RAS song casually, shaking her head as she picked up the spoils on the ground. Suddenly, she felt someone behind her.

"Huh?" She looked up with a pained expression. Miss Arakawa tilted her head, dual pistols hanging from her hands, looking at her with great interest.

Her peaceful night alone was over.

Chapter 20: Carrying the Team

The next morning, Miss Arakawa was up earlier than anyone else.

At the breakfast table, everyone could see her eagerness. Her dual pistols were placed on the table, one black and one white, with a rather unique design.

"Miss Arakawa really wants to fight," Nijika couldn't help but tease when Arakawa glanced at her pistols for the tenth time.

"That's right," Arakawa admitted frankly. "Fighting is awesome! Since you're going hunting again today, let me carry the team. I'll do most of the fighting, and you guys just land the finishing blows and collect materials."

Having a senior lead the team was naturally a good thing, and everyone supported it. At the same time, everyone was curious about Miss Arakawa's abilities.

Shiko had already experienced this last night.

"Everyone, have a safe trip," Marina saw off the hunting party as usual. However, this time was different; there was one more adult in the party.

"Yuki..." Marina looked at Yuki Arakawa, hoping she could protect the girls in Marina's stead.

Yuki Arakawa understood Marina's gaze and nodded gently. She led the way, and the other five followed behind, their twin guns hanging by their sides, reflecting light under the sun.

As soon as she picked up her guns, Miss Arakawa's demeanor became sharper, like that of a seasoned warrior.

"Is Miss Arakawa's ability related to your twin guns?" Kita asked.

Yuki Arakawa raised her twin guns and shook her head. "No, my true ability doesn't have much direct offensive power. I found these guns in a lake in an oasis; they have many uses."

"Oasis?"

"Lake?"

"Found?"

Everyone was surprised that such a thing had happened. It was already miraculous enough that an oasis could be seen in this place.

Yuki Arakawa wiped the barrels of her guns and casually explained, "That place is very far, probably a week or two's journey. The key is I can't remember how to get back either. If you ever have a chance, you can try looking for it."

A chance... Shiko bared her teeth. Having such a chance would mean leaving CiRCLE. What a thing to say; she hoped such a chance would never come. It was only then that she realized Miss Arakawa's social skills didn't seem to be very high either.