"My colleagues were all shocked—such a big star is actually my daughter."
After that Live, although MyGO!!!!! hadn't quite reached the level of international superstars you'd "lean back in awe" at—at least within this country, the band had already become a phenomenon, just like the anime.
In fact, through this "left foot stepping on right foot to ascend" effect—where the band boosts the anime, and the anime in turn boosts the band—the girls of MyGO!!!!! had already reached something close to national idol status.
Moreover, in a certain great eastern country across the sea, MyGO!!!!!'s popularity was even higher than in their home country.
And the "Go fans" there were on an entirely different level—each one a top-tier enthusiast with their own unique skills, their passion and endurance nothing short of astonishing.
Upon hearing about next week's concert, quite a number of fans were already preparing to rush over overnight—boats and planes included.
Although Mrs. Nagasaki had a favorable impression of Kamijou Mutsuki, she hadn't expected him to help her daughter achieve something like this.
It could be said that now, even without her support, Soyo could maintain a respectable life in Tokyo.
Looking at her now-independent daughter, Mrs. Nagasaki felt both gratified—and a little inexplicably lonely.
"It's all thanks to Mutsuki-kun's anime~"
Facing her mother's praise, Nagasaki Soyo responded modestly.
After all, she knew very well that MyGO!!!!!'s current success was largely carried by Kamijou Mutsuki's anime.
But even so—didn't her own astonishing intelligence and capabilities contribute at least a little?
No matter how mature she appeared, Soyo was still a girl in her youth. Achieving something this big, it was only natural for her to want her mother's praise—and that look of amazement.
"Still, Soyo, now that you finally have so many good friends, make sure to treat your bandmates well~"
Compared to her daughter's material success, Mrs. Nagasaki cared more about her emotional well-being.
She knew very well how lonely her daughter had always been. Now that she had joined a band, settled down, and had companions around her—that was what made her happiest.
"Don't worry, Mom."
Hearing this, Soyo's expression stiffened for a brief moment, but she quickly smiled again.
"Our band's atmosphere is very harmonious. Everyone gets along really well~"
"With Soyo there, of course everything will be fine."
Mrs. Nagasaki didn't doubt her at all. Instead, she smiled and said so warmly.
After all, as her mother, she knew better than anyone just how mature and gentle her daughter was.
In the band, she must be the one holding everyone together, right?
With her there, surely nothing could go wrong.
And while the mother and daughter were chatting—
the latest episode of MyGO!!!!! had already begun airing.
["Why did you play Haruhikage?!"
The anime picks up directly from the end of Episode 7—Soyo, her hair disheveled, lets out that soul-shaking cry.]
"?"
The opening hit like a thunderclap, instantly freezing the expressions on both mother and daughter's faces. Mrs. Nagasaki even silently typed a question mark in her mind.
In the Bandori world, the difference between real people and anime characters was minimal—they shared the same art style.
So Mrs. Nagasaki recognized at a glance that the girl on screen was her daughter.
But this version of her—hair messy, almost hysterical—was this really the same gentle, considerate daughter she knew?
Meanwhile, Nagasaki Soyo couldn't help but start sweating.
She'd been so happy to have her mother with her that she'd completely forgotten—last episode's development… wasn't exactly ideal.
Still, she quickly calmed herself down.
The version of her in the anime must have just momentarily lost control of her emotions because of Sakiko.
But she trusted her own emotional control—once she got through this part, things would definitely get better!
["Didn't we agree not to play it?"
In the anime, Soyo continues pressing.
"I never said that."
However, facing Soyo's sudden outburst, Shiina Taki appears extremely cold.
"Sakiko was crying."
At this point, Soyo has calmed down a bit, but she still can't let go of what just happened.
"She was there?"
Chihaya Anon looks surprised—Sakiko was actually there?
"Do you know how much that hurt her?"
"So what?"
Compared to Soyo's concern, Taki's attitude is downright ruthless.
"What if she cried?"
"That has nothing to do with us, right?"
"..."
Soyo clearly didn't expect Taki to be this cold toward someone who used to be so important to her. After freezing for a moment, she blurts out—
"That's too much!"
Then she turns and runs off.
"Soyo…"
Anon is still a bit stunned by how sudden everything just escalated.
And at that moment, the scene cuts, transitioning into the opening theme.]
"Soyo…"
Looking at her daughter beside her, Mrs. Nagasaki's expression became slightly complicated.
As a corporate worker practically living a "007" lifestyle, Mrs. Nagasaki barely even had time to accompany her daughter, so naturally she hadn't had the chance to watch this anime she'd been quite interested in.
But even though she couldn't fully follow the plot—she could still tell that her daughter… seemed to be blowing up the band?
So this was what she meant by "the band atmosphere is great" and "everyone gets along harmoniously"?
Just moments ago, she had thought her daughter would surely be the one stabilizing the group—and now it turned out her daughter was the unstable factor?!
Even Mrs. Nagasaki couldn't help but feel her face sting a little.
"Um, Mom…"
Nagasaki Soyo's expression stiffened slightly, but she still forced herself to salvage the situation.
"This is just artistic adaptation. Reality and anime are definitely different."
"What the Soyo in the anime does has nothing to do with me in real life."
The girl skillfully drew a line between fiction and reality.
"…That makes sense."
Not being very familiar with such things, Mrs. Nagasaki was indeed persuaded by her daughter.
Still, her feelings remained somewhat complicated.
Why did she feel like the events in the anime…were exactly the kind of things her daughter would do?
Even though it was so different from how Soyo acted in front of her.
Seeing that her mother had been convinced, Soyo quietly let out a sigh of relief.
If she could just get through this part…then the rest should be fine, right?
At the same time, Soyo's classmates at Tsukinomori Girls' Academy also felt that something about the story's direction was off.
But out of trust in Soyo, they believed she had only lost control momentarily—and that things would surely improve later on!
[After the opening, however, the story did not get better.
Right from the start, a group of girls from Haneoka Girls' School surrounded Tomori and Anon, chatting excitedly about the previous Live.
However, Takamatsu Tomori didn't seem very enthusiastic.
Then the scene shifted—to two girls standing by the edge of a corridor, talking quietly.]
...........