People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

"It was the same when Crychic disbanded... and it's the same now..."

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, carrying a deliberate, cold accusation:

"It's all—it's all your fault, Xiaomu, isn't it?"

Ye Mu's beautiful golden eyes trembled violently, and her lips were pressed tightly together until they turned white, almost trembling.

She stood there, as if those words had drained all her strength, leaving only a surging wave of self-reproach and sorrow that threatened to overwhelm her. She didn't know what to say or do, and could only endure the sharp pain, her slender shoulders twitching almost imperceptibly.

Nagasaki Motoyo didn't look at Wakaba Mutsu again, nor did she say another word.

She simply turned her gaze away indifferently, as if the girl in front of her, who was almost crying, had nothing to do with her.

Then, she turned around deftly, her high heels clicking clearly and resolutely on the stone pavement, and left the shady spot without looking back, leaving behind Wakaba Mutsumi, who was biting her lip and standing alone at the boundary between light and shadow, in that suddenly desolate and empty silence.

Chapter 179 Who Should I Ask for Tickets From?

The lunch break bell stirred up some lively ripples in the dull air of the classroom.

After tidying up her desk, Ishikawa Mayu strolled around the band club and then headed straight for the astronomy club's activity room.

Pushing open that familiar door, my gaze fell upon Takamatsu Akari, who was leaning over the desk by the window, her light brown hair cascading down, scribbling something in her open notebook with a pencil. On the other side of the room, Chihaya Aine sat on the sofa, holding a guitar in her lap, her pink ponytail swaying gently with her occasional adjustments to her posture.

Hearing the door open, Aine turned her head slightly, and the moment her silver-gray eyes caught sight of Mayu's figure, they immediately curved into two bright crescent moons.

"Makoto~ over here!" She patted the empty seat next to her without any hesitation, her voice clear and sweet. Then she immediately turned back to her fingerboard, muttering to herself, "Wait a minute, I'll finish practicing this part soon..."

Seeing her completely absorbed in the moment, Ishikawa Mayu couldn't help but smile. He did as she asked and sat down in the chair she had patted. The chair still held a trace of her warmth.

He didn't immediately disturb the guitarist who was working hard, but instead took out his phone. On the screen, the LINE message he had sent to Shiina Tatsuki last night to ask if there were any tickets left was still lying there quietly, showing "unread".

Ishikawa Mayu looked at the lone "unread" mark on the screen and sighed softly.

Given Li hope's focused attitude towards music, he probably didn't see it. Oh well, I'll ask someone else first.

He put down his phone, feeling somewhat helpless. He had thought that with his limited and almost impoverished interpersonal relationships, he might not even know who to give the two family tickets to, but now, he was the one running around trying to get tickets for other people... It was truly unbelievable.

It seems I still have to work hard to get that ticket for Mio.

His gaze unconsciously drifted to Ai Yin, who was struggling with the guitar strings beside him. With that girl's sunny disposition, capable of brightening up anywhere she went, plus her already extensive social circle, she probably wouldn't have enough tickets, let alone two. He was already grateful she wasn't asking him for tickets; he couldn't possibly expect her to have any extras.

As for Su Shi...

Su Shi seemed off; there was something heavy weighing on her smile. When asked, she just shook her head and said nothing was wrong. It didn't seem appropriate to bother her with the ticket issue at this time.

So, it seems that only one option remains.

Takamatsu Akari turned her head, her light brown eyes quietly following Aine's fingertips moving across the strings, then secretly glanced at Mayu, who was looking down at her phone with a slight frown, seemingly troubled.

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, illuminating the fine dust particles floating in the air and bathing the two figures in a soft halo. Aine's lips occasionally curled into a slight smile as she pressed a chord, and Mayu's profile, focused yet slightly helpless as she looked at her phone… all of this combined to create a quiet yet vivid painting. A warm, comforting feeling quietly spread through her heart.

Just then, Ishikawa Mayu suddenly raised his head.

His gaze passed over the phone screen and met Deng's eyes directly. A gentle smile flickered in those dark eyes, which held a hint of detachment or contemplation, like sunlight parting a thin mist.

Then he stood up and walked towards the light.

When Takamatsu saw him approach, she almost instinctively stood up from her chair, her hands nervously pressed against the hem of her skirt. Her light brown eyes widened slightly, like a small animal sensing someone's approach, carrying a mixture of timid helplessness and earnestness. She felt it was rather impolite to talk to Makoto while she was sitting down.

Seeing that Tsubaki suddenly stood up, Masahiro was taken aback for a moment, then understood her intention, and thought the child was kind of cute in her seriousness. He looked around at Tsubaki's side—there were indeed no extra chairs. He then looked back at the spacious sofa next to Aine.

He thought for a moment, then said softly to the lamp, "Don't stand, let's go sit over there and talk." He gestured with his eyes to the empty sofa next to Ai Yin.

Following his gaze, Deng looked at Zhenyu, who was still standing there waiting for her reaction, and nodded slightly, replying softly, "...Mm."

Mayu turned around naturally and walked to the sofa with the lamp. Aine had just finished playing a piece, looked up and saw the two of them coming over. A curious smile immediately appeared on her face. She moved aside with her guitar, making room for the two of them in the middle.

Ishikawa Mayu readily sat down in the middle of the sofa. The lamp, like a small animal sensing a warm light, naturally and gently sat down on his other side. The sofa was indeed small; after the three sat down, there was only enough space between them to hear each other's breaths, and no fourth person could squeeze in.

"Hey, it's too crowded!" Chihaya Aine immediately puffed out her cheeks, nudged Mayu's arm lightly with her elbow while holding her guitar, and her silver-gray eyes gleamed with a mischievous glint. "I can't even move around properly! How am I supposed to practice like this!"

"Yes, yes, yes..." Zhenyu was pushed towards the lamp by her and responded helplessly. She simply followed her force and moved closer to the lamp. She immediately felt the soft touch of the girl's school uniform fabric on the outside of her arm, as well as a faint, imperceptible, clean and slightly warm body temperature belonging to the lamp.

The moment Makoto leaned closer, the lamp's light brown eyes widened slightly. She felt a reassuring weight and warmth beside her, a clear, warm sense of satisfaction, like fluffy cotton wool warmed by the sun, gently enveloping her heart.

Her lips unconsciously curved upwards into a shallow yet genuine arc. Instead of stiffening or flinching, she leaned more relaxed against Zhenyu.

It's so nice to be able to clearly feel Mayu's presence. She even subtly adjusted her posture to make their arms more comfortable against each other.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Seeing that Mayu had settled down, Aine immediately put her guitar aside, leaned forward, and scanned back and forth between Mayu and the slightly curved-lipped Akari with a gossipy smile on her face. "Does Akari want to hear me sing? Or do you have some secret to tell? Tell me, tell me!"

"...Huh?" Only then did the light shift her attention from the comforting warmth beside her and look up at Aine. She had been completely immersed in that simple happiness born of closeness and hadn't heard what Aine had said at all. She could only utter a short, confused sound, her eyes clear yet slightly bewildered.

Chapter 180 The Ticket for the Lamp

Seeing her completely oblivious expression, Mayu couldn't help but laugh. As expected, Akari is really cute.

Deng blinked, then turned her gaze to Zhenyu, seemingly waiting for his explanation.

He reached out and casually ruffled Deng's incredibly soft, light brown hair. Just as he'd imagined, the hair felt smooth and slightly cool to the touch, like the finest silk.

“Of course I want to hear Lady Aine sing,” he withdrew his hand, turned to look at Aine, a smile on his lips, his tone slightly teasing, which earned him a smug hum from her. “However, I have something else I’d like to ask Lantern.”

Deng subconsciously tilted her head slightly, staring intently at Zhenyu, quietly waiting for her to continue. She didn't know exactly what Zhenyu wanted to talk to her about, but she always took any question from Zhenyu seriously.

"What is it? What is it?" Aine reacted faster than Akari, immediately moving closer to Mayu. Her silver-gray eyes sparkled with curiosity, her expression practically screaming "I'm so curious!" "What does Mayu need Akari's help with? Tell me quickly!"

Mayu laughed, looking at Aine's impatient expression, and said slowly, "I'm running out of family tickets, so I'm scrambling to find some. I suppose you... don't have any left either, Aine?"

"Ah—!" Upon hearing this, Aine let out a short groan as if a sore spot had been hit, and her shoulders slumped. "Don't even mention it! All my tickets were snapped up in an instant! One for Eri, one for Kana, gone in a flash! Damn it!"

"Oh right! How come I didn't think of that! Xiaodeng, what about you over there...!"

Then she puffed out her cheeks and looked at Zhenyu with accusatory eyes, "Zhenyu is too cunning! She doesn't have enough tickets herself, so she actually thought of 'stealing' our Xiaodeng's tickets!"

Looking at Aine's exaggerated accusatory expression, the light touched her lips slightly, and she softly, with a hint of helplessness, called out, "...Aine..."

Seeing Akari's expression, Aine immediately dropped her feigned "accusation," chuckled, and playfully shrugged, "Just kidding! Makoto is an important member of your club, so of course Makoto gets priority! I was just teasing him!"

After she finished speaking, she winked at Zhenyu, as if to say, "Look how sensible I am."

Ishikawa Mayu smiled helplessly, gently patting Aine's paw that was waving in front of his eyes, signaling her to calm down. Then, he turned his gaze back to the quietly waiting Takamatsu Akari, and asked in a gentle tone:

"Deng, have you decided who to give your two family travel tickets to?"

Takamatsu answered softly, "One... for Mom. She said she'd come to see it."

She paused, her voice even softer: "The other one... Dad said he's too busy with work to come. So... it's not decided yet."

“I see,” Ishikawa Mayu nodded, indicating his understanding. He paused, then quietly confirmed again, “So… is there really no one else you want to give the other ticket to?”

Meeting his questioning gaze, Takamatsu Akari nodded earnestly. "...Yes." Her voice was soft but clear, carrying a simple certainty. For her, the only "family" she could think of who would come was her mother. As for her father... though a little disappointed, she understood.

"Eh—?!" Chihaya Aine couldn't help but let out a small gasp. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked at Akari, her face filled with surprise and an almost instinctive bewilderment. "Akari...besides us, there's the Astronomy Club...don't you have any other...friends you'd like to invite at school?"

The moment the question left her lips, Aine keenly caught the fleeting change in the lamp's face.

The light brown eyes that had been quietly gazing at Mayu lowered almost imperceptibly after Aine asked that question. Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly like startled butterfly wings, casting a soft shadow on her fair cheeks. Her fingers, resting on her knees, unconsciously curled up, clutching the hem of her skirt.

"Aine." Ishikawa Mayu's voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable gentle strength, timely interrupting Aine's potential further questions.

Ai Yin pursed her lips and obediently remained silent.

Zhenyu didn't immediately offer any words of comfort. He simply leaned forward slightly, reached out, and with a natural and gentle motion, gently gathered Deng's hands, which were tightly clutching the hem of her skirt and whose knuckles were slightly white, along with the small amount of crumpled fabric, into his palm.

His hands were larger than the lamp's, and exceptionally warm. That warmth penetrated through his skin, clearly transmitted, like a silent comfort.

“It’s alright, Toki.” Makoto’s voice was low, each word carrying a heavy warmth. “Whether I have many other friends or not doesn’t matter at all.”

He paused, then tightened his grip on her fingers slightly, as if to convey some kind of certainty.

“Look, Aine is here now,” he tilted his head slightly, gesturing with his eyes to the pink-haired girl beside him who was watching intently, “and me. And Lixi, Su Shi… we’re all here.”

"We are all Xiaodeng's friends."

His words were simple and plain, without any fancy words, yet they were like a small key, gently unlocking a tightly closed corner in the heart of the lamp. The familiar loneliness and disorientation that had suddenly surged up because of Ai Yin's unintentional question were gradually smoothed out and dispelled in this simple and firm declaration.

Takamatsu Akari stared blankly at Mayu, at his clear reflection in her eyes, and at the undeniable warmth emanating from her palm. Then, she nodded gently, but very firmly.

“…Mmm.” She responded softly, her voice still gentle, but no longer tense or uneasy as before; instead, it revealed a clear sense of relief.

She lowered her head, looking at her hand held in Zhenyu's palm. With her other free hand, she reached into her school uniform pocket, fumbled for a moment, and carefully took out a well-preserved family ticket with neat edges.

She held the ticket in her hand, her fingertips unconsciously tracing its surface, as if making a final check. Then, she looked up and solemnly handed the ticket to Ishikawa Mayu with both hands.

"Mayu-san." Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strange, solemn quality, like a handover. "This ticket... is for you."

She paused, her light brown eyes fixed intently on Zhenyu, and said clearly, word by word:

"I believe that Mayu-san... will give it to the person who truly needs it."

Chapter 181 Li hope... It's actually quite good.

When Ishikawa Mayu pushed open the door to the RiNG rehearsal room, she felt much more relaxed than when she arrived. With Mio's ticket secured, a major weight was lifted from her shoulders, and even her steps felt lighter.

The rehearsal room was already occupied. Shiina Tatsuki sat behind her drum set with her back to the door, a tablet in front of her, her fingers rapidly swiping across the screen, intently focused on something. Hearing the door open, she tossed out a curt, "You're only just arriving!" without even looking up.

"You're here too early, Riki..." Ishikawa Mayu said, placing his backpack in his usual corner. When his gaze fell on Riki, he paused slightly, his tone shifting naturally, "You... did you change your clothes before coming?"

He took a few steps closer, looking at her casual outfit, so different from her usual attire. The white top made her skin appear even fairer, while the navy blue skirt added a touch of freshness befitting a girl her age. He casually added, "...It looks pretty good."

Shiina Tatsuki's finger, which was swiping the screen, paused almost imperceptibly for half a second. She still didn't look up, only letting out a muffled "humph" from her nose as a response. If you listened carefully, you could tell that her voice was half a decibel lower than before, and her speech was a little faster, as if she wanted to turn the page as quickly as possible: "...I didn't go."

"You didn't go to school?" Ishikawa Mayu walked up to her side and raised an eyebrow in surprise. Today wasn't a holiday, and Riki's outfit clearly indicated she hadn't come directly from school.

Shiina Tatsuki tapped her finger on the tablet, pausing the audio playback. She turned her head slightly and glanced at Mayu. Her purple eyes held a hint of impatience, as if saying, "Why are you so annoying?" but there was no anger in them. She simply replied curtly, "Why do you care so much?"

She quickly turned back to the screen, her finger pressing hard on a certain audio track, and urged in a curt tone, "Hurry up and look at the music. It's the final version of the arrangement, and there are a few details I want to confirm with you again."

"Yes, yes, I'm here." Zhenyu nodded and replied with a smile, naturally intending to stand next to Lixi as usual and lean closer to look at the tablet screen.

However, his movements stopped when his gaze swept across the floor beside Lixi.

There stood a folding chair, which looked particularly out of place, yet also remarkably...tidy, compared to the music stands and cables casually piled around it. The chair was positioned at a perfect angle, allowing the drummer to see the tablet screen clearly without intruding too much into his personal space.

Ishikawa Mayu blinked, then looked at Riki's profile, who was focused on the screen and seemed completely unaware of his movements, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily curved into a deeper smile.

He didn't say anything, but simply followed suit naturally, walking to the chair and sitting down. The chair's height and distance were just right; he could clearly see the content on Lixi's tablet with almost no adjustment to his posture.

After sitting down, he seemed to suddenly remember something, turned his head, and added in a relaxed tone to Lixi, who was still staring intently at the screen:

"Thanks, Teacher Lixi. You've prepared so thoughtfully, so considerate."

"Stop...stop nagging!" Shiina Tatsuki's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. She still didn't turn her head, and her tone remained as calm as ever, but her voice was noticeably higher than before, with a clearly forced composure. "It's just...it's just that when we're discussing things, you always get too close, which is really in the way!"

Ishikawa Mayu chuckled inwardly. The height, distance, and even the angle of the chair seemed meticulously calculated, allowing him to comfortably view the screen without obstructing her drumming space. This wasn't just about being in the way; it was clearly a kind of awkward, tactful consideration, reminiscent of Riki's style.

He was just about to follow her lead and start discussing serious matters—

Shiina Riki suddenly turned around.

The movement was somewhat quick and abrupt. She still didn't look into his eyes, her gaze falling on his chest area, then she reached out and slapped a thin piece of cardboard onto his palm.

Ishikawa Mayu subconsciously looked down—it was a family member ticket.

"This is...?" He looked up at Lixi with some surprise.

Shiina Tatsuki had already turned around quickly, facing the tablet again, leaving him with only a slightly taut profile, and said in a stiff tone: "Didn't you ask me for it on LINE?"

She paused, her voice unconsciously lowering and her speech quickening, as if she didn't want to linger on the topic any longer: "I was busy arranging the music and didn't see it... Anyway, I've already given out one ticket, so there's only one left."

Then, in a tone that says, "That's how it is, take it or leave it," he added curtly, "...If you think it's too little, there's nothing I can do."

“Um… Riki.” Ishikawa Mayu held the ticket, which still carried a trace of warmth from Riki’s palm, and looked at her profile. Her voice was more careful than usual, as if she was afraid of disturbing something. “Actually… Tama gave me one too.”

He paused. Although he knew that saying this might be a bit disrespectful to Lixi for saving the tickets, it didn't seem right to hide the tickets from Deng either—he really didn't have that many people he needed to give tickets to, and being honest was better than her finding out later.

Shiina Tatsuki's fingers, which were tapping on the tablet screen, stopped. She tilted her head slightly, her purple eyes glancing sideways at Mayu. Her face was expressionless; she simply waved her hand casually, her tone truly indifferent.

"Whatever you want. Anyway, I really don't need it."

Her gaze quickly returned to the screen, as if the ticket's whereabouts were merely a trivial incident. Since Zhenyu had handled it herself, she was no longer inclined to dwell on it.

Seeing Riki quickly turn back to focus on the screen, Ishikawa Mayu didn't refuse anymore, but carefully put the ticket away. He knew that if he refused now, it would hurt Riki's awkward but kind intentions.

It seems Riki gave her other ticket to Maki-neechan. As for the other friends… Mayu looked at Riki's profile, completely immersed in the world of music…