In the music room, six students stood in the center of the stage. The room's lights converged on them, while the surroundings were plunged into darkness. Flickering fluorescent lights, illuminated by rotating colored lights, swayed occasionally, resembling the glow sticks of a concert audience.
The sound of singing and music soon filled the air, and the overhead lights rotated in sync with the rhythm of the music.
A few minutes later, the song ended, and the performers on stage were slightly sweaty and visibly tired.
The golden-haired girl in the center raised her hand and waved lightly.
"Lights on."
At her command, the other lights in the room turned on, restoring brightness. The central spotlight dimmed, revealing a girl with silver-blue hair sitting calmly in the darkness.
After a brief intermission, the performers on stage took deep breaths to ease their tension and then sat down to relax.
"It's completely different from our usual practice sessions," someone remarked.
"The tension and focus are nothing like what we experience during regular rehearsals."
"Those few minutes felt like hours. My heart was racing the whole time."
They shared their feelings about the simulated stage performance, realizing how different it was from their usual practice.
"Evony didn't even break a sweat," someone noticed, pointing out that the golden-haired lead singer seemed completely unaffected.
"Maybe I’m just used to it," Evony replied lightly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Her gaze then shifted to the silver-blue-haired girl sitting expressionlessly in the audience.
Today was the first time Evony had met this girl named Ge Yin. Initially, she thought it would be a simple environmental simulation, but she soon realized it was far more complex.
During the simulated stage performance, not only were there swaying glow stick-like lights in the audience, but there were also low-frequency sounds and realistic white noise, simulating crowd murmurs. Although these sounds were faint and unnoticed by the team, they still affected everyone, making them more nervous.
Their level of practice was far from sufficient. This was just a preliminary simulation. If they were to use a fully immersive environment like in immersive movies, the team's performance would likely drop another level.
It made sense. The overall atmosphere at Edess Academy was quite conservative. The campus rarely hosted concerts, and few students had experience performing on large stages. This upcoming competition wasn't just a regular performance—it carried significant weight, adding pressure to the team and making them less composed than usual.
With these thoughts in mind, Evony let go of the strand of hair she had been fiddling with and turned to look at the team members behind her. Her gaze landed on the black-haired girl sitting quietly in front of the sheet music.
Thilan had also participated in the rehearsal, holding a violin in her hands. Her other role was as a backup lead singer, the ace of this competition. However, only Evony knew about this dual role within the band.
"Thilan..."
Evony walked over and whispered a few words into the black-haired girl's ear. Thilan nodded and stood up, leaving the stage.
The second rehearsal began, but this time, only five people stood under the spotlight on stage.
Ethereal and distant harmonies filled the air once more, and in the silence, the solo violin began to play, echoing and complementing the singing, gradually drawing everyone into a distant world.
This rehearsal was noticeably better than the previous one. Perhaps it was because, in the darkness, the violin's sound felt more unrestrained and enchanting.
Indeed, placing Thilan under the spotlight might not be the best choice. Maintaining a sense of mystery could have a surprising effect, Evony thought to herself.
They rehearsed a few more times until everyone became more accustomed to the stage environment, their muscles and senses growing more familiar with the experience.
"Good job. Let's stop here for the morning."
Evony clapped her hands lightly, ending the morning's rehearsal.
"Whew, I feel like I could keep going."
"The more we practice, the more comfortable it feels. It's not as nerve-wracking as it was at the beginning."
"Where should we go for lunch? Let's all go together~"
"How about the Tower Restaurant nearby? The view there is great."
"Let's go together~"
The band members chatted animatedly, putting down their instruments and walking out of the room together.
"Ge Yin, would you like to join us?" Thilan stood beside the silver-blue-haired girl.
"Mm," Ge Yin replied briefly, then followed Thilan out of the room.
As they walked, the band members at the front chattered away, talking about all sorts of fun and interesting things. Evony was surrounded by them, while Thilan and Ge Yin brought up the rear.
The two walked together, with Ge Yin remaining almost completely silent, as if it were her nature. Thilan, though she wanted to say something, wasn't the type to easily strike up a conversation.
"What kind of flavors do you like, Ge Yin?"
"Slightly sweet. Vegetables, meat, rice."
"Surprisingly simple and down-to-earth."
"Mm."
After this, Ge Yin fell silent again, leaving Thilan feeling a bit at a loss. This girl spoke even less than she did.
"Is there a reason you like these? Not that it's a bad thing, but most people are more interested in fancy meals," Thilan continued, trying to keep the conversation going.
"Because they're nutritionally balanced, simple to make, and take the least time."
Alright, even when Thilan had been living frugally, she still occasionally bought her favorite fruits to eat. But Ge Yin really took it to the extreme, not doing anything unnecessary.
"What do you usually do in your free time, Ge Yin?"
"Go online."
Extremely brief.
"Uh, besides going online?"
"Eat. Sleep."
"This..."
Isn't that a bit extreme?
When the group arrived at the restaurant at the top of the tower, they found a corner and sat down, seven of them in total, and began ordering.
"Would you like some citrus fruit?"
"I'll have iced raspberry juice."
"Give me a grapefruit juice."
"What about you, Thilan?" Evony asked.
"Two watermelon juices, for me and Ge Yin."
"Got it."
Next came the main course. Everyone ordered according to their preferences, and then they waited patiently.
It was noon, and the restaurant was filled with students chatting about various things. Occasionally, someone would notice Thilan and her group in the corner and sneak a few glances.
Evony's bright orange dress was eye-catching, especially paired with her dazzling golden hair. After noticing her, many also spotted Thilan sitting nearby.
"The president is here too. She's not wearing glasses today, and it feels like her whole vibe is different."
"True, but let's not disturb them."
"Is the president sitting with them because she's also participating in the upcoming competition?"
"Could be. That makes me even more excited."
"If they win, it'll definitely boost morale."
"But if they lose, it'll be bad. I heard their opponent is the famous 'Fiery Sugar' Princoco."
"That's a bit risky. Now I'm worried."
Someone, after hearing this, started searching for information about 'Fiery Sugar' Princoco on their personal terminal, browsing her profile and background. One student accidentally triggered the projection function while watching a video, and a holographic image appeared on the restaurant ceiling.
In the three-dimensional projection, Princoco and her band stood on a tilted stage, lights converging on them as the music soared. The audience waved glow sticks in unison, their cheers rising like waves, creating a scene as intense as a large-scale cult gathering, leaving everyone in awe.
"Princoco!"
"Princoco!"
"Princoco!"
"Princoco!"
The chants echoed like waves, crashing and reverberating endlessly.