Why play in a band if not for life?

To be honest, she didn't sing this song well. After all, she had never sung in front of people before, nor had she systematically studied vocal music.

However—

"How was it?" Everyone looked at Shiko expectantly.

Shiko wiped her tears again. She looked up at Kita, at Nijika, at Ichiri, at Ryo.

She couldn't stop her tears at all. She didn't know she would cry so much.

But it was okay.

It was good that she could still cry.

"I... I'm sorry..." Shiko was sobbing uncontrollably.

Nijika walked over and gently hugged her.

"Kessoku Band... still Kessoku Band..." Her words were jumbled.

Nijika stroked Shiko's head, "We've always been Kessoku Band."

Shiko stood up.

"Thank you... I... I love Kessoku Band the most..." She cried, she smiled, she cried and smiled, making everyone else laugh.

"This version of the lyrics is also good. Let's just have two versions of the lyrics for this song," Ryo suggested.

"Is that okay?" Nijika was still a little hesitant.

Ryo said calmly, "What's the big deal? It was written by another version of us in another timeline anyway, so let's just say we wrote it."

"Please, let's do that!" Shiko nodded desperately, of course she agreed.

And so it was settled.

"But I still find it a bit hard to understand, that I'm actually a character in a story." Kita didn't look as upset as she claimed.

Shiko controlled her emotions slightly. "It's fine, I figure I'm probably just a character in some trashy fanfiction, maybe even the protagonist."

Kita looked at Shiko with envy, "Eh~ I want to be the protagonist too. Am I the protagonist?"

"It's definitely me," Ryo said with inexplicable confidence.

"No, it's Ichiri."

"Me?" Ichiri suddenly floated up, "Hehe... I'm the protagonist..."

"Then what about me?" Marina asked, full of anticipation.

"Miss Marina, you're not a main character, but you're quite important."

"What about me? What about me?" Arata asked, but saw Shiko fall silent for a long time.

Shiko suddenly put on a comforting smile, "...You're an original character, just like me!"

Miss Niiki squatted in the corner, "So I'm just a background character...?" Marina comforted her beside her.

"So I understand why little Shiko didn't want to join Kessoku Band," Nijika said, looking at the two of them, and then asked Shiko, "Do you want to join now?"

Shiko shook her head, "I still can't accept it."

"Alright," Nijika had expected this, "If you change your mind, you're always welcome. So, what about the songs that the original us will write later? We might not be able to write the songs you remember."

"You care so much about my feelings?" Shiko was a little surprised, "I'm already very touched that you could put on this live for me."

"Of course," Nijika's smile was still as warm as ever, "Little Shiko is our comrade."

Shiko raised an eyebrow and smiled along.

"Then... I can't possibly remember all the sheet music... I'll try my best to recreate them, as much as I can. However, I hope they can still be performed under the name of Kessoku Band."

Marina was still comforting Niiki, "Think of the positives. It doesn't matter if you're a plot character or not, it's all the same now..." Shiko and Nijika watched this scene together.

Shiko still couldn't accept the change. However, Shiko knew she could still try her best to preserve some things. The old beauty wouldn't disappear just like that; as long as her memories existed, she could bring them back. And then, she could appreciate those new stages.

"...Actually, this version of the lyrics is quite good too," she murmured.

Chapter Twenty-Nine Goodbye, Miss Niiki

"Kita-chan, with that kind of footwork, you'll easily lose your balance. Look at me..."

"Yamada-kun, that's too frequent. You only have a supporting role in this formation, so you should conserve some energy."

"Kuri-do..."

Every day that Arata fought alongside the others, she did her best to impart her experience. To be honest, she wasn't good at teaching, but fortunately, both the teacher and the students were very serious.

"They're coming!" A group of bizarre creatures with rotten wings, mosquito mouths, six mantis legs, and leopard tails swooped down from the air towards the five of them. Kita stepped in front of everyone, crossed her arms in a prayer pose, and began to silently recite the prayer used by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as recorded in the Book of Daniel. Soon, she entered a transcendent state, as if a devout prayer was coming from ancient times and merging with her voice. Kita ignited a fierce fire that enveloped the five of them. The flames could melt gold and stone, yet they didn't harm a single hair on the five. The monster group couldn't slow down and plunged straight into the flames, their bodies immediately catching fire. Those in front tried to scatter, but were hit by those behind them, falling deeper into the flames. However, the flames weren't strong enough, and before everything ended, the foremost one was about to touch Kita! Just then, Nijika stepped forward, and a barely visible shimmer emanated from her arms, blocking that attack for Kita. With this moment of pause, Ryo also reacted. With a flick of her hand, no sound was made, yet the monster group was instantly crushed to the ground, instantly pressed to the ground and turned into charcoal.

Arata stood outside the circle of fire, observing the entire process in silence.

In the recent battle, they had all skillfully applied the skills they had developed. Among them, Kita's fire shield was the most special, which originated from Arata's guidance: she had accidentally discovered that by doing things with a mythical flavor, she could invoke hidden powers and make myths reappear in the form she desired. Kita's [Miracle Manifestation: Prayer of the Burning] was a replica of the record in the Book of Daniel.

The special training for the five had been going on for a long time. In addition to guidance on combat techniques, Arata had not participated in supporting the five for a long time. Instead, she had deliberately brought in a large number of powerful wild monsters. To enhance their sustained combat capability, she even dragged them out for training in the middle of the night—of course, without disturbing Marina.

Naturally, Shiko had done similar things before, and not long ago, Kita had also approached her, asking to go out together at night.

"How did you know I went out at night?" The blush on Shiko's face was completely uncontainable.

Kita's eyes sparkled, "A girl's intuition!"

"A girl's intuition is amazing..." Shiko awkwardly scratched her cheek, "Forget it, if you want to come, then come." She wasn't worried about Kita's safety; after all, she'd be watching, and Kita wasn't exactly weak herself.

So, when the midnight training session just began, the other three were quite surprised by Shiko and Kita's proficiency. Only Arata knew what was going on, but he didn't say anything.

Now they could easily handle monster hordes they could only avoid before. Their night combat and emergency operation capabilities were sufficient to ensure their survival when they were far from CiRCLE.

"They're strong enough already," Arata said that night, standing on the rooftop. The evening breeze blew, and his long purple hair brushed against Marina's face.

"So, are you leaving?" Marina took a step forward, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.

Arata turned around, his eyes filled with calmness... perhaps, just a hint of reluctance.

He patted Marina's shoulder, "I've done what you wanted me to do, and it's time for me to walk my own path."

Marina's gaze was calm, "I never asked you to do anything."

"I could always guess what you were thinking," Arata said. "Actually, if I encountered newcomers like you, I would have stayed a few extra days anyway."

"Besides, I didn't teach them much. I just got here a few days earlier and had a bit more experience. They could have figured those things out on their own."

Marina closed her eyes, then opened them, only to reveal helplessness.

"...I understand."

"Waaaaaah--Miss Arata, don't go--!" When the five kids heard the news, the scene turned into a chaotic mess of crying and wailing. Miss Arata had lived with them for so long that they had already formed a family-like bond. Arata, with a blank expression, was held back by the red and yellow-clad girls, wondering if this scene felt familiar.

Ichiri, Shiko, and Ryo huddled in a corner, afraid to speak. They rarely met friends, so it was even harder for them to bear separation. However, since Miss Arata had already decided, they couldn't shamelessly say anything more.

(Since Miss Arata is leaving, there will definitely be a farewell party.) Ichiri began to ponder. (Miss Arata has done so much; at least at the farewell party, I should... liven things up!)

Ichiri shakily pulled out a pair of funny glasses from somewhere. Before she could put them on, Shiko had already grabbed her.

Shiko looked dumbfounded, "Where did these come from?"

"From... the last time."

Shiko snapped her fingers, and the glasses, along with the party poppers and other items Ichiri hadn't taken out yet, vanished.

Ichiri's low spirits were now compounded by other factors.

The farewell party that night could hardly be called cheerful. Even Kita, who usually talked the most, was silent and withdrawn. The others just kept their heads down and ate. The food was delicious; Marina had used her best cooking skills, but no one could praise it, nor did they know what to say at a time like this.

(As expected, I should tell a joke that can make everyone laugh...) Feeling the weight of responsibility, Ichiri was about to stand up.

She was pulled back.

An inexplicable, powerful pressure emanated from Shiko beside her. Ichiri dared not move and had to sit back down.

(This joke is so funny...)

No one noticed their small movements; the atmosphere remained unchanged.

Arata was also troubled by the situation, but thankfully, he was long accustomed to such circumstances.

"By the way, do you know the origin of HOPE?" he asked, scanning the group. He wanted to change the subject.

"You mean..." Marina put down her wine glass. She didn't usually drink.

Kessoku Band members leaned in to listen.

"It was our band's last song."

"Our band aimed to debut and always held ourselves to professional standards, but some people were simply beyond our reach, no matter how hard we tried... The band's atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive, and cracks began to appear in the members' relationships."

"Finally, we decided to disband."

Shiko felt a deep sense of empathy. She had also strived to pursue her dream of a professional career, but in the end, a single choice had forced her into what her parents called a "popular major."

"After making that decision, we wrote one last song together, which was HOPE."

"At that time, we let go of our professional standards and rediscovered the passion we had when we first started making music. The conflicts between the members also dissolved without us realizing when."

"It was after HOPE that I found my musical path. You could say HOPE is my origin," Arata recalled that experience, a smile appearing on his face.

"And now, you've become a renowned music producer," Nijika also smiled.

Shiko felt a little relieved. Although she hadn't succeeded in her past life, this life was a new beginning. HOPE was truly fitting.

She raised her chopsticks to pick up some food, but instead, she scooped up Ichiri's materialized resentment.

When Arata mentioned "band failure," Ichiri had already fallen into a despairing fantasy about the future.

(Can't debut... I'll just have to live off my parents... Can't debut... I'll just have to live off my parents...) Darkness flowed from her trembling pupils, filling the bowl in front of her, then overflowing onto the table, dripping onto Shiko's leg.

"Huh?"

So, this one only heard the dark, tragic reality and none of the motivational words?

"Wake up, Kessoku Band can debut," she gently shook Ichiri's body.

"Really? When? How many fans? How much have they saved?" Hearing the spoiler, Ichiri immediately brightened up. Now, it was her turn to shake Shiko's body.

"Little Shiko, don't say it! Leave some suspense for us!" Nijika, worried that revealing the band's future success might dampen their ambition, quickly intervened.

However, the news that "Kessoku Band can debut" greatly encouraged everyone present.

"Then, to celebrate Kessoku Band's upcoming debut, I'll bake another cake!" Miss Marina was a little drunk, swaying even as she stood up.

Everyone saw this and quickly pushed her down: "It's not a sure thing yet, let's celebrate when we actually debut!"

The atmosphere gradually became livelier, slowly taking on a "farewell" vibe.

Time wore on, the sun had set, and the first star had appeared in the sky.

The chatter gradually died down. The plates and bowls were all empty.

"I should go," Arata suddenly said. She had already planned to leave at night.

"Huh? Stay one more night~" Marina, drunk, became a bit bolder and grabbed Arata's hem.

"Day or night doesn't make much difference to me. If I stay any longer, I might really not want to leave." Arata pulled Marina's hand away. The others also stood up and saw Arata to the door.

Arata stood at the doorway. Before her were the six people living in CiRCLE; behind her was the vast, empty Gobi Desert.

Shiko tugged at Arata's sleeve, her other hand holding a camera. "Let's take a group photo."

The seven of them lined up in the hall. With the "CiRCLE" poster behind them as a backdrop, they took the first, and last, group photo. At least in the picture, everyone was still smiling.

"Let's say goodbye here," Arata glanced at the six of them one last time.

"Come back again if you have the chance." Although, Marina knew that on this vast land, it was unlikely they would meet again.

"Thank you for taking care of us during this time." Nijika bowed deeply. During this period, with a senior leading the way, their combat experience had improved significantly. Moreover, Miss Niiki had also coached her on her drumming techniques, raising her "Drumming Technique" stat by one level.

"Have a safe trip~" The others also offered their own well wishes.

Arata eventually left CiRCLE.

The nights in the wilderness were cold. Arata walked up a hill, and a cool breeze swept over her. She shivered. Turning back, she saw the six people still standing by the door. Seeing her turn, they waved back.

Arata smiled faintly, waved her hand, hefted her mended backpack, buttoned up her new jacket, and continued on her journey with no destination and no way back. Gradually, the lights of CiRCLE grew distant. Now, illuminating her path ahead, was once again the vast expanse of starlight.

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, put down her bag, spread her arms wide, and looked up at the Milky Way.