People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Chihaya Aine's voice, overflowing with sugar and brimming with apology, rang out.

"I'm so, so sorry! Actually... this really isn't my fault!" Her voice suddenly rose a little, as if she had made a great decision to tell the truth. "If anyone's to blame, it's Makoto-san!"

"Huh?!!"

The three girls exclaimed in unison and glanced curiously at Ishikawa Mayu.

Ishikawa Mayu, who was lying on the table, shuddered.

Something terrible is definitely going to happen next!

He cried out in his heart, almost as a survival instinct, he closed his eyes tightly, adjusted his breathing, and tried to relax his body, attempting to disguise himself as a poor high school boy who was exhausted from getting up early and had fallen into a deep sleep.

Even though his heart was pounding wildly with a sense of foreboding.

Chihaya Aine continued, her tone a mixture of helplessness and sympathy.

“You guys don’t know! He was incredibly persistent in inviting me yesterday!” She deliberately lowered her voice, but made sure everyone around her could hear clearly, her tone carrying a hint of affectionate teasing, “He said things like, ‘Aiyin, please help me out, you’re the most reliable person I know who can play an instrument,’ ‘Without you, my band plans would definitely fall through…’”

"Oh my, that serious look on her face is just too irresistible!"

She sighed softly, a sigh filled with the helplessness of a friend's joke, and even a hint of doting affection.

“Look at him, he’s usually so quiet, but this time he’s so enthusiastic about forming a band…” Her gaze “casually” swept over the back of the head that was slumped on the table, motionless, and her tone was light, “Seeing how ‘sincere’ he is, I really can’t bear to dampen his enthusiasm! So, I’m really sorry everyone! I can only accept his invitation for now!”

She clasped her hands together and gave Mai, Kana, and Eri an apologetic smile.

perfect!

This excuse not only allowed her to reasonably refuse the dance invitation, but also helped solidify her image as a "popular, gentle and friendly" transfer student.

As for Shin-chan... well, let's just make him suffer a bit, and I'll take the blame for his bad reputation.

Chihaya Aine thought to herself, during her three years of junior high school, although she had hardly spoken to anyone, she hadn't been unaware of Ishikawa Mayu, who always sat quietly in the corner, as if she didn't exist.

This guy wasn't really willing to remain forever in the shadows. He just... didn't know how to get out, or rather, lacked a trigger to be pushed out.

They weren't close in the past, but now they're "accomplices" and will be bandmates in the future. She doesn't want to see Mayu continue to be like this.

While her actions were certainly driven by a degree of vanity, subconsciously, wasn't she also trying to use this somewhat forceful, even "despicable," method to forcefully label him as someone "eager to form a band," pushing him into the public eye and breaking down that transparent barrier for him?

If we can take this opportunity to let more people see Mayu, even if she is misunderstood or embarrassed at first, it is still better than being a silent background figure forever.

Let's just consider it... a special service from an accomplice! She convinced herself with this reason, wrapping that subtle concern under the guise of a prank.

This rhetoric proved remarkably effective.

Mai, Kana, and Eri indeed showed expressions of "I see" and "I understand," and their gazes towards Ishikawa Mayu even carried a subtle... sympathy and encouragement.

“Oh, I see…” Mai’s tone softened. “I didn’t expect Ishikawa-kun to be so… persistent.”

"Aine-chan is so kind..." Kana exclaimed.

"Yes, yes, if that's the case, then there's really nothing we can do about it." Eri nodded, completely accepting this situation.

The students around them also cast understanding glances their way.

Ishikawa Mayu lay face down on the table, feeling as if her cheeks were about to be burned through by the torrent of complaints surging within her.

I didn't! I'm not! Don't talk nonsense!

Chihaya Aine, you wait...

Fortunately, the strategy of pretending to be asleep seems to have been successful.

He thought through gritted teeth, "At least no one's actually coming up to shake me awake and confront me..."

Thus, in this agonizing pretense, Ishikawa Mayu could only maintain a facade of calm while secretly and frantically making voodoo dolls for Chihaya Aine deep inside.

When the morning meeting bell rang, sounding like a hymn of salvation, Ishikawa Mayu pretended to be sleepy, rubbing her eyes as she slowly got up, as if she hadn't heard anything.

Several classes were spent enduring this rigid pretense and the turmoil within my heart.

When it was time for club activities, before Ishikawa Mayu could decide whether to run away immediately or continue playing dead, a cheerful figure, accompanied by a faint sweet scent of strawberries, accurately blocked his desk.

"Zhen~Yu~classmate~, shouldn't we talk about something serious? You see, the band can't function with just the two of us, right? And you haven't even told me what instruments you can play yet!"

Ishikawa Mayu took a deep breath, finally raised his head, and glared at her with what he thought was a fierce look, trying to salvage some dignity.

"I haven't settled the score with you from this morning yet! How dare you..."

"Eh?" Chihaya Aine's face showed no fear whatsoever; instead, a mischievous smile immediately appeared on her face.

She took a small step closer to Ishikawa Mayu, lowered her voice, and said in a light tone with an undeniable threat, "I think Mayu-san should think about this carefully—"

"If I were to recruit teammates myself right now, guess what would happen to you, left alone in the classroom? Everyone's curiosity needs an outlet, you know?"

Ishikawa Mayu choked up, instinctively turning her head and quickly scanning the classroom.

Those classmates who seemed to be chatting, eating, or organizing their notes would always glance at him in this corner, intentionally or unintentionally. The air was filled with a suffocating gossip atmosphere, as if waiting for a good show to begin.

If Chihaya Aine were to leave alone at this moment, I would definitely become the focus of the entire lunch break, overwhelmed by "concern" in every sense of the word.

Does this mean... I really have no choice but to give in to her?

Just as he was struggling internally and almost succumbing to the coercion of reality, a slender figure, holding a notebook with insect illustrations, stood timidly beside his desk, positioned between him and Chihaya Aine.

It's a Takamatsu lamp.

Chapter Seventeen Misunderstanding

Ishikawa Mayu's eyes suddenly lit up.

Didn't I make plans with Gao Songdeng to go see the rocks yesterday? This is a perfect excuse to get out of the classroom.

"Um... Mayu-san, and Aine-san, hello," Takamatsu Akari said timidly as always, greeting Chihaya Aine first before turning her gaze back to Ishikawa Mayu. "The Astronomy Club..."

Chihaya Aine looked at Ishikawa Mayu with a blank expression. She vaguely remembered that Mayu had told her yesterday on the rooftop that she wasn't familiar with Takamatsu Akari.

What's the deal with this Astronomy Department?

Could it be that Mayu is deceiving herself?

A thought that made her even more uneasy suddenly popped into her head: Could it be... that what Mayu told me on the rooftop yesterday wasn't entirely the truth? What about his promise to keep my secret...?

His failed attempt to study in the UK... could it be that he has actually...

Chihaya Aine's smile completely faltered, becoming extremely forced.

She nodded almost mechanically to Takamatsu, giving a mumbled reply.

"Ah... um, hello, Takamatsu-kun."

Immediately, as if burned by something, she turned around abruptly, walked quickly back to her seat without saying a word, pulled out the chair with some force, sat down, and turned her back to us, leaving only a back view radiating a low-pressure atmosphere.

Takamatsu Akari was startled by Aine's sudden cold reaction. She stood there, her fingers twisting even tighter around her notebook, looking helplessly at Ishikawa Mayu.

"Did I...do something wrong?"

Seeing Aine's obviously strange reaction, and then looking at the bewildered Takamatsu Akari in front of him, Ishikawa Mayu was instantly at her wit's end.

He immediately whispered to Takamatsu, "Takamatsu, please wait for me in the corridor. I'll be right there."

After Takamatsu Akari obediently nodded and left, Ishikawa Mayu sighed and walked to Chihaya Aine's seat.

He could sense the aura of "I am very unhappy and uneasy" emanating from her.

If we don't appease Aine, I feel like everyone in the class will treat him like a scumbag.

"Hey," he said in a low voice.

Chihaya Aine didn't turn around, but replied curtly, "Why don't you go find your Takamatsu-kun? Aren't you going to the Astronomy Club?"

That sarcastic yet aggrieved tone made Ishikawa Mayu feel a strange mix of amusement and exasperation. "What are you thinking about now?"

He rubbed his temples.

“Yesterday after school, when you and Wu were walking together, I complimented her on how beautiful her stone was, and she wanted to take me to see the stones she collected in the astronomy department.”

He paused, his tone softening slightly, with a hint of reassurance: "I will definitely keep my promise to you. Don't scare yourself."

Chihaya Aine's shoulders and neck seemed to relax a little, but she still didn't turn around, muttering softly, "Who knows..."

Sigh, this guy is really hard to please.

Ishikawa Mayu rubbed his temples, when suddenly a brilliant idea struck him.

He crouched down, approached the sulking Chihaya Aine, and whispered in her ear at a volume only the two of them could hear.

"And, I was just about to tell you. Based on my observation, it's highly likely that Gao Songdeng isn't in the band. I was thinking we could use this opportunity to recruit her. Wu and the others probably already told you, right? Deng is the class darling, so if she joined..."

Ishikawa Mayu paused deliberately, and Chihaya Aine's little ears twitched almost imperceptibly.

This guy definitely enjoys being popular...

Little Aiyin is easily mastered.

"As for you, the capable president of Aiyin, you are the perfect candidate for this pioneering task of recruiting band members. Aren't there all sorts of recruitment notices on the bulletin board downstairs? Go and see if there are any suitable candidates, or just post a recruitment notice for our band. We can split up and be more efficient."

Looking at Aine, who seemed slightly interested, Ishikawa Mayu then emphasized, "I really value this band we're forming."

Chihaya Aine suddenly turned around, her silver-gray eyes, which had just been filled with grievance and unease, now sparkling with rekindled passion.

However, the turn was too large, and Ishikawa Mayu had gotten very close to whisper to someone and hadn't completely backed away.

"Waaah!"

The distance between the two instantly shrank to a near-dangerous level.

Aine could even count the eyelashes on Ishikawa Mayu's eyes, which were slightly widened in surprise, and feel his warm breath gently brushing against her cheek.

I was so focused on the band and the secret that I didn't even notice how close we were!

Chihaya Aine's smug expression, which had just returned, instantly turned bright red.

Like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, she sprang back, scrambling to her feet and nearly knocking over the chair.

"I-I know!" Her voice rose involuntarily, tinged with obvious panic, her eyes darting around. "Recruiting teammates, right? Leave it to me! I-I'll go check the bulletin board right now!"

She grabbed her phone in a flurry, not daring to look at Ishikawa Mayu again, and rushed out of the classroom like a whirlwind, leaving only the lingering words, "I'll be right back...!"

Ishikawa Mayu remained in a half-squatting position, watching the almost fleeing figure disappear through the doorway, momentarily stunned.

...Were we standing a little too close just now?

He slowly stood up and rubbed his legs, which were a little numb from squatting.

and many more……

Something's not right.

He suddenly recalled Chihaya Aine's passionate speech during morning self-study, which portrayed him as a "lonely, gloomy figure desperately begging to form a band," a fabricated story.

I just made up my mind to settle the score with this guy.

How did it end up with me comforting her?

He was being completely led by the nose by this guy, and a subtle feeling of "losing out" rose in Ishikawa Mayu's heart.

Even so, though he grumbled and complained inwardly, the urge to rush out and drag Chihaya Aine back to "settle the score" didn't actually arise.

My gaze unconsciously drifted towards the classroom door, as if I could still see that pink-haired figure running away energetically.

He clicked his tongue inwardly, and that slight feeling of "losing out" was quietly covered by a lighter emotion.

Forget it, let's just leave the debt on hold for now. Anyway... there's plenty of time.

He composed himself, trying to suppress the inexplicable emotions he had just felt, and quickly walked out of the classroom.

In the corridor, Takamatsu was quietly waiting for him. When he came out, she gave him a faint, questioning smile.

“Aine is alright now,” Ishikawa Mayu tried to make her tone sound normal. “Go to the Astronomy Club.”

"Um"

Takamatsu nodded vigorously.

Chapter 18 Could it be that I'm a kindergarten nanny?

Takamatsu Tōdō effortlessly pushed open the door to the Astronomy Department.

The small space was filled with parts of an astronomical telescope and old books. There were also posters of a girl band and picture frames of planets on the walls. The long table next to the wall was kept clean, indicating that someone lived there regularly.

As soon as she stepped into this space, the timid aura she had exuded dissipated somewhat.