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

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That's why Xiangzi subconsciously avoids all memories related to suffering. As long as she doesn't listen or see, she can pretend that nothing ever happened... She instinctively resists the entire past, right up to this day. Even if she saw Su Shi in that state, she could force herself to ignore it.

As long as she doesn't witness it... she won't have to bear any guilt from the past. This is the despicable thought she keeps hidden deep inside.

The importance of Momoi Taro needs no further explanation. For Shoko, Taro represents a step towards her future, so she wants to keep a close eye on her senior, Taro.

And now... if I want to move towards the future, I have to face the past that I don't want to confront...

“I know… it would be too much to run away now…” Xiangzi took a deep breath and looked ahead with a determined gaze: “I will go, Mutsu will also tell everyone.”

Without waiting for Wakaba Mutsu's reaction, she picked up the bill from the table and went to the counter to pay, leaving Wakaba Mutsu behind, watching Toyokawa Shoko's seemingly determined back with worried eyes.

Only after Toyokawa Shoko's figure disappeared from the coffee shop did Wakaba Mutsu sip the last mouthful of mango juice, gently poking at the few remaining ice cubes at the bottom of the cup with the straw, her voice so soft it was as if afraid of disturbing the air: "Shoko, you're forcing yourself again." There was an indescribable weariness in her voice.

“Xiao Mu…” As the true half of Ruoye Mu, Metath knows best what she feels right now. She wants to protect Xiao Mu, but… she doesn’t know what to do.

Comfort? She didn't even know what to comfort herself, nor what to say. Should she confront Xiangzi? Xiangzi hadn't done anything wrong. Should she go find Su Shi, who assigned this task to Xiao Mu? But, as her other half, Metase clearly sensed that even if Su Shi hadn't said anything, Xiao Mu would have done it herself.

So... was it Momoi Taro? Momoi Taro who taught Wakaba Mutsumi this method of doing things...? But something doesn't feel right... Metath fell into deep thought.

“Metis… I’m fine.” Ruo Ye Mu whispered to comfort her after hearing what Metis was thinking. However, whether she sensed it or heard it, Metis didn’t seem to be alright.

“…That’s about enough, we should go practice.” Ruoye Mu didn’t answer the question that came to her mind. She simply lowered her eyelids slightly to avoid the invisible gaze in the air, calmly stood up, and walked towards RiNG.

A faint sigh echoed in Wakaba Mutsu's heart. Wakaba Mutsu remained silent, only able to purse her lips and quicken her pace.

Ruo Yemu pushed open the door to the practice room that the Dong Giant Dragon Flame Group had arranged to meet. It was the same room as always, across from the Dong Brothers Group's room. For some reason, Deng's appointments were always in this room. And it was always available, which was a kind of miracle in a way. Her face was a little pale as she pushed open the door.

"Hey! You're late again!" Hearing the door open, Li Xi turned around abruptly and yelled impatiently at Ruo Ye Mu, who had just pushed the door open. He didn't know when Ruo Ye Mu had developed the bad habit of being late.

Strictly speaking, it can't be considered late. Every time, Wakaba Mutsu would explain, "It's just the agreed time now," or something like that. I don't know who influenced him, but if Ritsuki finds out, he'll definitely make the other person pay.

As she recalled this, she suddenly paused, realizing that something seemed amiss. Why hadn't Ruoye Mu explained anything today? She stared intently at Ruoye Mu, her gaze immediately catching sight of her pale face.

Li Xi's expression froze instantly, and her tone became stiff: "Hey... you, are you alright? Don't let this affect tomorrow's live performance!"

No... what am I saying? I originally wanted to show some concern for the important band members, but now I'm saying things like this. I'm really the worst.

Riki wasn't the only one who noticed Wakaba Mutsu's unusual expression. The others from the Dragon Flame Gang also noticed Wakaba Mutsu's face, and while Riki was frozen in place, Suze and Tamamo surrounded him.

"Xiao Mu, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell? Shall I go buy you some medicine or an ice pack? Or a lap pillow? Or sing you some nursery rhymes?" Su Shi asked Xiao Mu with concern, as Xiao Mu looked quite uncomfortable.

“This is a little bit…” Li Xi, who was still immersed in self-blame, was startled by Su Shi’s series of suggestions and thought to herself: Has Su Shi finally broken down due to the pressure of excessive practice?

"Hmm, it's nothing." Ruoye Mu shook her head slightly, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but Su Shi interrupted her warmly: "Don't force yourself, rely on me more, okay? Don't be shy, just say what you want! How about some warm milk? How about a little magic to relieve the pain? Pat your head?"

"Little Su Shi...you're really energetic." Takamatsu looked at Su Shi with sparkling admiration. Li Xi scratched his head awkwardly and said somewhat uneasily, "I don't think this is anything to admire."

Ruo Yemu shook her head slightly, gently pushed Su Shi's hand away, and said softly, "Everyone, there is something I want to say today."

The moment Ruoye Muku uttered those words, the entire practice room fell silent. The instant the words left her lips… Ruoye Muku knew she had said the wrong thing. Her mind had been preoccupied with Xiangzi all day, and without realizing it, her tone had been mimicking Xiangzi's. This must have saddened everyone…

Ruo Yemu's heart sank, and she involuntarily lowered her head, her green bangs drooping naturally. She looked extremely remorseful.

"Is what you want to talk about... related to the band's activities?" Su Shi's expression returned to normal slightly. She reached out to support Xiao Mu and asked her seriously.

Ruo Yemu shook her head slightly, trying her best to suppress the restless Metis within her body, and gently comforted the members of the Dragon Flame Group: "It's just a very ordinary matter..."

"Sit down and talk, Mu. Are you really okay? You look terrible." Su Shi helped Ruoye Mu sit down in a chair. Hearing Su Shi's question, Ruoye Mu shook her head and said, "It's just that Xiang is coming to tomorrow's live performance."

The air fell silent once again, as if frozen in time.

Lixi broke the silence first, crossing her arms impatiently and tapping her forearm with her fingers. "Whether that guy wants to come or not is none of our business," she said irritably. "Practice is more important than that..."

"Little Lixi." Su Shi's voice suddenly rose, clearly drowning out Lixi's voice, who was about to launch into a sharp critique. Lixi crossed her arms and turned her head away in annoyance. Su Shi's tone turned cold as she clearly stated, "Xiao Xiang, I invited you. If you have any objections, come at me."

She glanced around the practice room and said calmly, "Even if we're no longer bandmates, we're still friends, right?"

"Yes...that's what I think too." Gao Songdeng raised his head, his gaze resolute, and said, "We want to sing our hearts out to Xiao Xiang..."

"Master Taro said that language is the voice of the heart..." Her voice was soft, yet it carried an unusual firmness: "Our singing will definitely reach Xiangzi. We are doing well now... We will definitely move forward, and let Xiao Xiang... continue to move forward too... I want to convey this feeling to her."

“So…” Gao Songdeng strode to the corner, picked up the guitar, neatly slung it over his shoulder, and quickly returned to the microphone. His gaze swept over the three of them, and he said, “Let’s… continue practicing!”

“That’s true…” The first to respond wasn’t Li Xi, but Su Shi. She calmly walked back to her seat and said, “If Xiangzi sees something like this, it will definitely worry him…”

"Although I haven't met Xiangzi yet... I have a feeling that she must be moving forward too." Su Shi said this, picking up her bass from the shelf on the floor. She added to herself, after all, her senior was that Momoi Taro.

"Hmm..." Ruoye Mu listened intently to Su Shi's words, responded softly, and then stood up. It seemed that all she could do for Xiangzi was to play her music with all her might.

"Tch..." Li Xi was the last to stand up and sit down at the drum set. She said impatiently, "I'm okay with practicing, but I don't feel like playing for her."

Li Xi paused for a moment, then added, "I just... if I'm going to start a band, I'm going to do it seriously. So, I want to give performances that will satisfy the audience."

“Hmm…okay!” Gao Songdeng gave her approval without hesitation. Li Xi looked at her in surprise. She nodded slightly to Li Xi and said, “Xiao Ai said…Master Taro said…the band is…the embodiment of everyone’s personality coming together! So…even if we have different goals, we can still walk together. I…will also accept Li Xi’s personality.”

"Light..." Upon hearing Gao Song Deng's words, Li Xi's gaze softened, and Su Shi smiled faintly. Everyone was slowly changing under that person's influence.

"Everyone, let's start practicing—" Takamatsu Akari shouted loudly, "Tomorrow's live performance will definitely convey our voices—!!"

Good news, the wrong chapters will no longer be posted.

Bad news. All the drafts are gone.

Episode 28 of "Dong": Where Did Our Lead Singer Go?

Backstage at RiNG, Aine walked anxiously down the dimly lit corridor, looking around as if searching for something. Finally, she pushed open the door to the dressing room with a worried expression.

"Aiko, what's wrong? You look so serious." Miaomeng, who was lying on the sofa in the lounge, looked up and saw her anxious expression. She immediately got up and went to her side to ask with concern.

"No... I just can't find Taro anywhere." Aine unconsciously twirled the ends of her hair with her fingers, trying to calm her inner anxiety, but anyone could easily sense this unease.

"Ah, now that you mention it, it seems we haven't seen the General. He didn't come with us." Miao Meng seemed to remember something; Taro hadn't come backstage with them today either.

"Ah, speaking of which, Taro did tell me." Hai Ling's expression remained calm, but her eyes flickered slightly. After their practice ended yesterday, Hai Ling had asked Taro if they needed any assistance with stage effects.

Taro confidently replied, "I have indeed thought of a new stage effect, but you don't need to worry, just leave it all to me. By the way, tell the rest of the Dong Brothers group tomorrow that they don't need to wait for me, they can go on stage on their own. That's all, I'm going to go and discuss something with Rinrinko."

"Hai Ling is not trustworthy."

Miao Meng's words from back then resurfaced in Hai Ling's mind. Did Taro not believe her either? Couldn't she do something for the Dong Brothers?

"Hailing, Hailing...?" Ai's slightly anxious voice pulled Hailing back to reality from her reverie. She asked with concern, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Seeing the undisguised worry in Aine's eyes, Hailing was indeed slightly touched, but she tried her best to ignore the prickly feeling and calmly replied, "No, I'm fine. Taro said that we don't need to worry about him and can go on stage on our own."

"Don't worry about it... Haha. He's about to go on stage and the lead singer just disappeared, and you're telling us not to worry about him." Aine muttered a few complaints about Taro, then said in a casual tone, "But, since it's Taro, there's nothing we can do about it."

Although her tone was light, a hint of disappointment flickered deep in Aine's eyes. Meow Dream, who had been watching her closely, naturally caught this little emotion. After a moment's thought, she teased with a mischievous smile, "What's wrong, Aine? You don't seem to be in a good mood."

"Huh? No, it's normal." Aine awkwardly twirled the ends of her hair with her fingers, trying to hide her feelings.

Miao Meng rested her chin on her hand, looking thoughtful, and said with great interest, "Let me guess... could it be because the circular array I finally managed to obtain is no longer there?"

"Meow Dream, dear!" Ai Yin, her thoughts exposed, raised her voice and glared at Meow Dream in displeasure. Meow Dream couldn't help but chuckle, her laughter shaking with delight.

Ai-yin's cheeks flushed slightly, but she still stubbornly glared at Miao-meng. Miao-meng finally managed to stop laughing and said gently, "If you want to do it, then do it. Now."

Ai Yin shook her head vigorously, pursed her lips, and said, "How can we make a circular formation when the core isn't even there?"

"Everyone in the Dong Brothers group, it's almost your turn, get ready." Just as they were speaking, a staff member pushed open the door to the room. Aine quickly put on a business-like smile and replied, "Yes, we'll get ready right away."

The staff member smiled and nodded to everyone inside before closing the door and leaving. The sound of the door opening startled Lena, who was eating matcha cookies in the corner. She stood up briskly and asked, "Is it time to go on stage?"

“Ah…it’s almost our turn to perform,” Aine replied. Hearing her answer, Rakuna said nothing, calmly picked up her guitar, and prepared to leave.

"Aren't you worried, Xiaolanai?" Seeing that she still had the same calm expression as before, Aine couldn't help but ask.

Lena tilted her head in confusion, a hint of bewilderment flashing in her eyes, but she still answered, "Normal."

"Haha... As expected of Rana." Aine awkwardly tugged at the corner of her mouth, then asked unwillingly, "What if Taro hasn't appeared by the time it's time?"

"Just play it the same way as before." Lena replied calmly, her expression unchanged. "A normal performance is fine."

“That’s right. If that time comes, let’s play instrumental music.” Hai Ling stood up briskly, pushed open the door and said, “It’s our turn to go on stage. We can’t keep the audience waiting.”

“Fine…” Ai Yin, with obvious reluctance, followed the others out of the lounge. She quickly scanned her surroundings, trying to spot Taro, but naturally found nothing. She suppressed her unease.

The costumes they wore were the same ones from their last live performance. After all, the interval was too short to design new costumes. The Dong Brothers, whose lead singer had disappeared, walked onto the stage with their inner unease.

In another dressing room, Su Shi watched as Aine led the Dong Brothers to the stage, then returned to the dressing room of the Dong Dragon Flame Group (tentative name).

She came out for some fresh air because the atmosphere in the lounge was too oppressive. Xiao Mu had been feeling very down ever since they talked about Xiangzi yesterday… This was the first time I'd ever felt Xiao Mu's mood so directly.

I don't know whether to say that I'm better at reading people's expressions, or that Xiao Mu isn't as good at hiding herself as she used to be.

However, since she saw that the Dong Brothers were about to perform, she decided to go back and tell everyone. After all, most of the members of her band were hoping to see the Dong Brothers perform.

Of course, she wouldn't tell anyone about this, including Su Shi herself.

Everyone in the Dragon Flame Group was doing their own thing. Takamatsu Akira sat down in a chair somewhat uneasily, Riki kept checking her phone to check the time, her face full of anxiety, and Wakaba Mu sat in a chair with a pale face and wandering eyes.

Su Shi looked at them, sighed softly, and gently broke the silence in the lounge: "Everyone, Mr. Momoi's band is about to perform. Should we go and check it out?"

"Um... I'm going." Takamatsu Akari stood up, determined to go. The other two didn't object and stood up from their chairs as well.

Su Shi was a little surprised. Did things really go so smoothly? She glanced at Ruo Ye Mu with some concern. Ruo Ye Mu's complexion was still not very good. Although she was worried about Ruo Ye Mu's health, there was nothing she could do since Ruo Ye Mu herself was not saying anything.

After making the decision, everyone took their instruments and headed towards the stage...

Meanwhile, on the other side of the stage, after the previous band finished their performance, receiving enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience, they left the stage satisfied. During this lull, murmurs began to rise from the audience…

"It's almost time for the seniors' live performance..." Xiangzi took a deep breath and looked up at the stage with a complicated expression. She knew that after the Dong Brothers, Gao Songdeng and his band would take the stage.

Despite having done ample mental preparation, Toyokawa Shoko's heart was still filled with unease as she faced the prospect of meeting everyone. She was unsure if she was truly ready to confront them.

"The next band to perform is the Dong Brothers, right?" Not far from Toyokawa Shoko, two female passersby were discussing the upcoming Dong Brothers with great interest.

"Yeah, I watched the Dong Brothers' live performance last time. The lead singer is really good, and the performance is full of energy."

"Yes, yes, I wonder how the performance will go." The two were filled with excitement and anticipation as they talked.

This conversation interrupted Xiangzi's thoughts. Hearing their enthusiastic discussion, a knowing smile involuntarily appeared on Xiangzi's lips. Yes, who could predict the outcome... Rather than worrying about the future, it was better to look forward to Taro-senpai's performance.

Thinking of this, Xiangzi focused his gaze on the stage again.

The four members of the Dong Brothers took to the stage one by one, but... the most crucial core member was absent... the lead singer was nowhere to be seen.

The four stood in their respective positions, leaving only the central area empty except for a lone microphone. Ai Yin stood somewhat uneasy on the side of the stage. All the lights were turned off, leaving only five white beams of light precisely projected onto the five designated positions.

At this moment, the empty center spot seemed particularly glaring.

"Mr. Momoi...is not here...?" On the side of the stage, Su Shi looked worriedly at the empty spot in the center. Ruo Ye Mu remained silent, but her eyes seemed to have dimmed a little more.

Li Xi, feeling irritated and uneasy, muttered a complaint: "What is that guy doing...!?" Gao Songdeng remained silent, but his eyes were the most resolute among them, unwavering, filled only with pure longing.