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

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“Let’s do it again—” Lixi’s enthusiasm was rekindled. A strange, warm confusion spread through her heart, mixed with the weakness after her illness, the touch of being understood, and a confidence that came from nowhere.

Her talent may still not be as great as Taro Momoi's. But as the drummer of the Tonkatsu Flame Troupe, she wants to keep moving forward.

Maki smiled gently as she watched Taro emerge from Riki's room and asked softly, "Mr. Momoi, are you going back? Won't you stay for a meal or something?"

"No." Taro shook his head, clearly not intending to say that. "Ritsuki seems to be feeling much better. Well then, I'll be going now."

"Thank you, Mr. Momoi." Maki thanked Taro very sincerely, her expression full of gratitude. Taro patted her shoulder and smiled, "Don't worry about it, I didn't do anything."

He paused, then shook his head slightly and smiled, "No, rather, I should thank Li Xi for coming up with some great lyrics and music. Goodbye then."

Maki continued to look at him with an expression full of gratitude. Actually, ever since Momoi Taro entered the room, Maki had been watching from outside the door, observing everything Momoi Taro said to Riki, and everything Riki complained about Taro.

Lixi's thoughts... she had never known before. As her older sister, she had put so much pressure on her, and all she could do was watch. She watched Lixi's condition worsen, watched her destroy her own body.

Only today did I realize that I was the source of Lixi's pressure. Only today did I realize why Lixi didn't want to see me.

I only paid attention to them because I wanted to show some concern for Lixi, but I never expected to learn about her inner struggles... and the changed Lixi, that's really great.

Episode 19 of "Don", The Cat in the Coin-Operated Parking Lot

Since joining the Dong Brothers group, Hai Ling has indeed left quite a few bands. However, Hai Ling has a small bad habit. Whenever she encounters something unpleasant, she engages in revenge spending, buying all sorts of luxury goods in large quantities.

The direct consequence of this spending habit is that she always runs out of money and is constantly struggling to make ends meet. This inevitably brings to mind a blue-haired bassist; perhaps this is the common fate of bassists—their voice in the band and the money in their wallets both lose their presence.

To maintain a reasonably satisfactory quality of life, after careful budgeting, she chose to stay involved with a few bands that had more frequent activities and performance opportunities. Today was the day she was going to attend one of the bands' daily rehearsal.

However, Hai Ling can say with absolute certainty that she has never let personal matters interfere with the band activities of the Dong Brothers. The reason is simple: three members of the Dong Brothers were in class. As for her? She had taken sick leave to sneak out. After all, this is our Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy, where the school atmosphere is quite relaxed, and taking sick leave is usually easy to get approved as long as you just say the word.

Today, she went to practice with the band "DISRUPTION" again. Normally, student bands don't practice at this time. However, this band is an adult band, and all the members except her are working professionals. So, scheduling practice at this time is quite normal.

Hai Ling didn't care about these situations. Her schedule mainly revolved around the bands that needed her bass support. As an employee, she didn't care as long as her schedule didn't conflict with her personal plans or the Dong Brothers' practice sessions.

Practice didn't end until dusk. Having fulfilled her duty, Hailing naturally had nothing to linger about as she left the practice room, preparing to go home.

Emerging from the RiNG practice room, Hailing caught a glimpse of a girl with long pink hair as she passed the front stage. The girl noticed her too, her eyes lighting up and a bright smile spreading across her face as she waved vigorously. Hailing nodded and silently walked over. After all, a bassist from the same band couldn't just ignore the guitarist and walk away alone, could he?

"Chihaya-kun, are you here to practice today too?"

Hai Ling greeted Chihaya Aine casually, her face expressionless. Although they were in the same band, they didn't interact much in private, so their encounter today was truly unexpected.

“No, I came here specifically to see Hailing.” Ai Yin shook her head, giving Hailing a rather unexpected answer.

"Is there a plan for the band? Or was there a last-minute notice?" Hai Ling's expression remained unchanged, and her tone maintained its distance.

"No, no~" Ai Yin waved her hand like a rattle-drum, a brighter smile spreading across her face. "I just wanted to chat with Hai Ling."

She clasped her hands together, bowed slightly, and closed her eyes, pleading, "Hailing, would you like to have a cup of tea and chat with me for a while? Please!" She raised her eyes and looked at Hailing with bright, expectant eyes.

"..." Hai Ling did not reply immediately, but silently took a step and walked to the seat opposite where Ai Yin had just gotten up.

Upon seeing this, Aine's smile widened instantly, almost radiating light. She excitedly and quickly sat back down, raising her hand high and shouting, "Saya-senpai, please, order—"

"Okay, coming right up~" The woman with ponytail and tea at the counter walked over with a smile and asked, "Xiao Aiyin, Hailing. Would you like anything else?"

“I’d like another cup of hot Earl Grey tea,” Aine answered Saaya’s question in a light voice, then turned to Hailing, “What would you like, Hailing?”

"Then I'll have lemon tea, thank you." Hai Ling didn't hesitate for long and directly stated her choice.

"Okay, I understand~" Sha Ling wrote down the order details in the order book in her hand, then turned around and went back to the backstage area.

Aine didn't rush to speak, patiently waiting until Saya brought out both drinks.

"Hailing, I've looked at your schedule. It seems you don't have any activities planned for this Saturday, right?" Ai Yin looked at her with a smile, clearly seeking a definite answer. Hailing nodded and replied in her distinctive voice, "Yes, nothing's planned. So?"

"How about we go out with everyone in our 'Dong Brothers' group this Saturday?" Ai Yin immediately leaned closer to Hai Ling excitedly, her eyes sparkling, and pulled out her phone to show off the content on the screen like a treasure. "I've already chosen the location, let's go to Smile Amusement Park, what do you think?"

“It looks alright.” Hailing nodded in approval, but her gaze shifted elsewhere, and she said in a flat tone, “However, we have a formal performance at RiNG on Sunday, right? It doesn’t seem appropriate to go out to play at this time.”

"Hey~ it's okay to relax a little~ please—" Aine clasped her hands together again, earnestly pleading with the other person.

"Even if you say that, there are only three days left until the performance. There's no practice scheduled for today, and you're going to take a whole day off to play during your only two days of preparation time. I don't think that's a wise decision." Hai Ling's attitude remained unchanged.

“But, since Taro agreed, and Nyanmu-chan doesn’t have any other plans…” Aine tilted her head, tapping her lips with her finger as she thought, “Besides, our previous practice went very smoothly, didn’t it? We’re planning to play an old piece, right? So there shouldn’t be any problems, right!”

Ai Yin clasped her hands together, striking that familiar pleading pose once more: "Please! Hai Ling—think about it again!?"

"Taro agreed?" Hailing's gaze shifted slightly to Aine, then lowered again, confirming in a calm tone. Seeing that Hailing seemed to be wavering, Aine immediately held her breath, quieted down, and nervously clenched her hands together on her knees, afraid of disturbing the other's thoughts.

After a long while, Hai Ling calmly stood up and said in a flat voice, "Alright. Although I don't quite understand the significance of doing this, since Momoi Taro agrees, then so be it." Her answer was concise, as if she were simply stating a decision that had little to do with her.

"Great!" Aine excitedly stood up abruptly, counting on her fingers, "Taro, Meow Dream, and Hailin have all agreed, now all that's left is Xiaolanai, Yiqi, and Basishi—"

Mentioning Lena, Aine's excited expression vanished instantly, her shoulders slumped slightly, and she looked somewhat troubled: "Although little Lena can use a cell phone now, she hardly ever replies to messages. I don't even know where to look for her. Honestly, that child always appears and disappears like a ghost..."

Just then, Saya, who had just finished entertaining guests, heard Aine's troubles and interjected with a gentle smile, "As for Rana, there's a high chance she'll stay at SPACE."

“Yes, a classmate mentioned that she often hangs out with the cats around there.” Hai Ling nodded, adding in a statement-like tone. Aine frowned slightly, lost in thought, and glanced at Hai Ling thoughtfully. In the end, Aine only asked Sha Ling for the exact location of the old SPACE site before leaving RiNG.

Stepping out of RiNG, night had already fallen. Following the address given by Saya, Aine found the former SPACE, now just a deserted coin-operated parking lot. On the railing sat the quiet figure of a silver-haired girl.

The cool moonlight outlined her lonely silhouette. Several cats of different colors lay at her feet or crouched in the shadows a little further away, keeping her company silently, but always keeping a small distance between them.

She held an unconnected electric guitar in her arms, her slender fingers silently sliding and pressing the strings, as if immersed in a melody that only she could hear. Her focused profile, in the empty night, exuded a silent detachment.

"Little~ Renai~" Aine's cheerful voice tore through the chilly night, her warm body covering the lone cat. Her arms encircled the heterochromatic-eyed girl, instantly shattering Renai's cool expression.

The cats, who were originally engrossed in Lena's silent performance, were startled by this uninvited guest and scattered in all directions, disappearing to who knows where.

She widened her eyes slightly in surprise, tilted her head, and asked softly with a hint of confusion, "Aiyin?"

"It's me." Aine released her grip on Xiao Lenai and sat down beside her. "Why is Xiao Lenai here all alone?"

“Playing with the cat,” Lena replied calmly. Her gaze fell on the overgrown ground, but there was no sign of the cat. She looked up, her eyes landing on Aine's face, her expression unchanged.

“I see. Xiao Lena really loves cats.” Aine sat on the railing of the coin-operated parking lot, leaning back slightly, her hands resting on the railing behind her, looking up at the cool crescent moon in the sky, her voice full of gentleness. “However, Xiao Lena came to this place not just because she likes cats. She probably likes the place itself too.”

She lowered her head, turning her gaze from the moon to the girl beside her: "I heard from Saya-senpai that this place, SPACE, used to be a livehouse run by Grandma Korana, right?"

"Hmm..." Lena responded softly, her gaze drifting into the distance, as if reminiscing. "I once thought it would continue for a lifetime." She then looked away.

She handed the green pick, still hanging on the strings, to Aine: "But it's gone." Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of barely perceptible melancholy.

Aine looked down at the pick that Rakuna handed her, which clearly had the word "SPACE" printed on it in white. Seeing that Rakuna, who usually didn't have many expressions, now had a clear look of loneliness on her face, Aine didn't know what to say.

“But who will create our final destination?” She quickly suppressed this barely perceptible expression.

"I see." Aine lowered her head, a faint smile appearing on her face. "So you chose Taro's band, right?"

“Yes, Taro said so,” Renai said softly, a barely perceptible glimmer of expectation in her eyes: “He will try his best to create a permanent home for us.”

"Yes! Momoi Taro is not a person who can lie. So, this time it will definitely work out."

Aine looked at Rana and smiled gently. She said softly, "And I will work hard with Taro, with you, and with everyone in the band."

"Mmm." Lena looked at Aine with eyes full of trust.

"Oh right! I almost forgot to mention." Ai Yin's expression changed instantly. She clasped her hands together and pleaded, "Xiao Le Nai, do you want to go to Smile Amusement Park with the Dong Brothers on Saturday? I heard there's a really great band performing there."

"Can you play the guitar?" Lena tilted her head, looking at Aine, waiting for her answer. Aine smiled awkwardly and replied, "Ahaha... I guess not..."

"I'm not going." Lena looked away and then began packing the guitar she had brought back into its case.

"Please! Renai~ Everyone else will go—" Aine pleaded.

"Boring, I'm not going," Lenai refused again.

Aine pondered for a moment, seemingly having made up her mind. It seemed she had no choice but to use her ultimate move. So she gritted her teeth and said, "I know! If Xiaolan agrees to go, I'll treat you to three matcha parfaits there!"

“Five cups.” Lena revealed a sly smile. Although Taro was very generous in the Dong Brothers group, allowing Lena to put the matcha parfait on his tab, he also limited her to three cups a day. This made Lena somewhat unhappy.

That way, she'll be able to have eight matcha parfaits that day—three of the daily limit plus the five promised by Ai Yin.

Lena secretly calculated that with the daily limit of three cups plus the five cups promised by Aine, she could enjoy her favorite matcha dessert to her heart's content.

"Well then, Renai, I'll take you home." Aine stood up, ready to go home with Renai, and then—

Her phone beeped with a notification from someone she'd been following. There was only one person on Aine's special follow list: Momoi Taro. He was never one for small talk, so a message this late must mean something important. She immediately picked up her phone to check.

The latest message in her pinned chat group for the Dong Brothers group reads: "Come to the practice room at 8 a.m. tomorrow if possible. It's decided that I'll be playing the piece I wrote today at RiNG's live performance."

"Eh—!!" Aine stared at her phone in surprise. There were only three days left for the live performance, and one more day was spent at Smile Park. That meant she only had one day to practice the new song. How could she possibly manage that?!

"It's impossible!!" the little pink-haired girl cried out in despair.

Episode 20 of "Don", The Dog's Resolve

"General, what's going on? Didn't we agree to play the old tune?"

In the practice room of the Dong Brothers group in the early morning, Miaomeng held a new sheet music, her brows furrowed, loudly questioning Momoi Taro's words in bewilderment. Moreover, she quickly glanced at the complex sheet music in her hand; the drum parts looked quite tricky.

She had originally planned to allocate more time for the other parts to work out today, but last night, while she was working late on collaboration matters, a piece of bad news suddenly came from the band's group chat—the live performance had to be changed to an unexpected new song!?

“What I promised last time was that the song was more suitable for the celebration, so I decided to postpone it a little.” Taro crossed his arms, raised his head, and retorted decisively without holding back: “This is a new song. The inspiration came from the people of the Don Dragon Flame Group, and it is perfect for that stage right now.”

"But—" Miao Meng subconsciously raised her voice, her little mouth slightly open as if she wanted to argue, but the words caught in her throat. In the end, she just sighed and slowly couldn't continue.

She bit her lower lip, her mind racing through their last conversation. Thinking it over carefully, Taro had indeed said exactly that. So she could only remain silent, like a deflated balloon, her cheeks slightly puffed out, unwilling yet helpless.

"Ugh—okay, okay! I don't care how it turns out!" Miao Meng returned to the drum set with a bit of annoyance, picked up the drumsticks, and slowly and haltingly familiarized herself with the rhythm by following the sheet music, muttering to herself, "This drum design is really terrible, couldn't it be simpler?"

On the other side, Aine looked at the sheet music in her hands with a sense of formidable danger. She couldn't find the source of Taro's inspiration for the score, and finally gave up.

The sheet music she was given wasn't particularly technically complex—after all, in the Dong Brothers group, her role was more of a support player, not requiring overly advanced skills. This allowed her to relax a little.

She had asked for leave to come today. Haneoka, being a school that prioritizes college entrance exam pass rates, makes getting leave much more difficult than at Hanasakikawa. But she told the teacher that there was a very important band practice today, and she wasn't sure if she could get leave…

She had prepared herself for rejection, but to her surprise, the teacher agreed immediately.

Although her skills were poor, Ai Yin had no intention of giving up. As a member of the Dong Brothers group, it was only natural to improve her instrumental skills. She knew perfectly well that she was probably the worst player in the Dong Brothers group in terms of instrumental skills.

So, faced with this new sheet music, she quickly went through the fingering in her mind, secretly assessing the situation. She felt that if she gritted her teeth and concentrated, she could manage it. However… the schedule was so tight, like a compressed spring, that it made her scalp tingle! She couldn't help but anxiously purse her lips, her fingertips unconsciously twirling the ends of her pink hair.

An internal struggle was raging within her: Should she suggest postponing their trip to Smile Amusement Park? After all, practice time was too tight! But... if she postponed it, she would definitely miss the Hello, Happy World! performance... This internal conflict made her expression tense.

To outsiders, it might seem like they're struggling with the difficulty of the sheet music.

Hailing, as always, had no objections. She simply took the sheet music calmly and quickly scanned it with her eyes down. Once Taro made his decision, she would follow suit without hesitation. That was all.