People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

[Shiina Maki: I'm so happy that Maki thinks that way. But, Ritsu sometimes overthinks things, especially when it comes to music.]

[Shiina Maki: If I point some things out directly, Ritsuki might get anxious~ So, Maki, you should figure it out on your own~ I have high hopes for you~ (^▽^)]

The message ended with a warm and encouraging smiley face.

A complex mix of emotions welled up inside Ishikawa Mayu.

There was a sense of helplessness, a slight pressure from being entrusted with a heavy responsibility, but also a subtle joy of being trusted and expected.

It seems that I not only have to try to figure out Lixi's unspoken preferences, but now it seems I also have to... try to understand the sensitive heart hidden beneath her sharp exterior and boundless drive?

This task is far more abstract and challenging than learning music composition from her.

He smiled helplessly, shook his head, and was about to put his phone away—

"Senior—! Excuse me, we're not late, are we?"

Ishikawa Mayu looked up and saw Serizawa Mio running towards him with bright eyes.

Behind her, Mana Junda, dressed casually in a hat and mask but still standing out, was slowly approaching and winked at him from a few steps away.

He quickly turned off his phone screen and stepped forward to meet him. "Was the journey smooth?"

"Hmm~ Thanks to Makoto, everything went smoothly." Mana's voice came through her mask, tinged with laughter. She moved closer and lowered her voice slightly, "I'm really looking forward to it."

Mio nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling: "Me too! I'm super excited! You and the band have to shine the whole time!"

Chapter 268 Keep Your Mouth to Yourself

After settling Mana and Mio in, Ishikawa Mayu returned backstage. When she opened the door to the dressing room, there seemed to be a lingering, subtle restlessness in the air.

Shiina Riki was sitting on the sofa near the door, her cheeks still flushed, her brows furrowed, and her lips pressed into a straight line. She exuded a strong aura of "keep away" and "do not ask questions."

Chihaya Aine was half-squatting in front of her, leaning forward, her bright pinkish-purple eyes full of curiosity and eager exploration. She was talking to Ritsuki and even tried to reach out and pull on her arm.

Nagasaki Motoyo sat quietly in a chair a little further away, her posture elegant, holding a cup of black tea that had long since gone cold, but her gaze remained fixed on Riki and Aine.

Her face still wore the same smile as always, but her slightly forward-leaning posture and the gleam in her eyes—a light that was far more than that of an observer—revealed her equally keen interest.

Lixi was clearly annoyed by Aiyin's persistent questioning, and her voice sounded particularly harsh due to embarrassment and annoyance: "I already said it's nothing! You're so annoying!"

Just then, the sound of the door hinges turning made all three of them pause.

Shiina Riki raised her head almost instantly, her gaze meeting that of Ishikawa Mayu, who had just entered the room.

The blush that hadn't faded on her face instantly became even more pronounced, even staining her ears. As if caught doing something extremely embarrassing, she glared at Zhenyu quickly and fiercely, then forcefully turned her head away, leaving him with only a puffed-up back of her head that screamed "It's all your fault!" and "So annoying!" accompanied by a crystal-clear "Hmph!"

This "humph" was less an expression of anger and more of an unconscious, unthinking defensive reaction.

She was completely unaware that, at this critical juncture where Chihaya Aine was watching with predatory eyes and Nagasaki Motoyo was observing with great interest, this overly aggressive way of "greeting" Masahiro was practically no different from directly raising her hand to admit "I'm guilty."

Chihaya Aine's eyes lit up, and she immediately abandoned her "attack" on Riki, who was clearly on high alert. Like a light butterfly, she "whooshed" to her feet and pounced on Mayu in a few steps.

"Makoto! You're back!" She looked up with a bright smile, but her eyes gleamed with a mischievous gossip. Although she lowered her voice, it was still loud enough for everyone in the lounge to hear clearly.

"Just now—did Lixi call you? She rushed out as soon as she got on the phone, and when she came back, her face was super red! What secret are you talking about? Tell me!"

As Chihaya Aine spoke, she gently nudged Mayu with her shoulder, urging her on in a coquettish manner.

"..."

Shiina Tatsuki's body visibly stiffened.

With her back to them, her shoulders trembled slightly. The string called "reason" finally snapped with a "snap" amidst Aine's vivid description and Mayu's silence.

She turned her head back very slowly.

The flush on her cheeks was so intense it was almost blood-red, and even the corners of her eyes were tinged with a vibrant color.

But more than shyness, those wide purple eyes now held a furious rage, a mixture of extreme shame and indignation, and a desperate determination to "die together," born from being pushed to the edge of a cliff.

She stared intently at Ishikawa Mayu, her lips pressed together repeatedly, and finally, with a strained, forced tone, she uttered his name:

"Zhen~yu~."

In that tense moment, a barely audible gasp, tinged with fear, came from the corner.

Takamatsu, who had been sitting quietly in the corner trying to make himself inconspicuous, seemed to be frightened by Riki's terrifying tone and expression. His shoulders shrank slightly, and a trace of unease flashed in his clear eyes.

This subtle movement was like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing Shiina Ritsuki's raging anger and humiliation.

The expression on her face froze instantly, then receded rapidly like a tide, replaced by an almost panicked tension.

Lixi immediately turned her head to face the light, trying to keep her voice soft:

"Lights? What's wrong? Are you alright? Was I too loud?"

The speed at which she changed her expression and the naturalness of her tone shift made Chihaya Aine blink, while Nagasaki Motoyo picked up her teacup to hide the subtle curve of her lips.

Seeing the instant relief on Lixi's face and the concern in her eyes, Deng gently shook her head and whispered, "N-nothing..."

Lixi breathed a sigh of relief, but her tense nerves were not completely relaxed. She turned back and looked at Ishikawa Mayu again.

This time, her eyes no longer held the outward, almost fiery rage they had displayed before; instead, they held a deeper, more dangerous calm. She said nothing, but gave Zhenyu a deep, meaningful look with her eyes, still flushed but now sharp.

The message conveyed in those eyes was crystal clear, almost tangible, like a murderous glint in your eye: Watch your mouth. If you dare utter a single careless word, you're dead.

Ishikawa Mayu received that look.

A chill ran down my spine for no apparent reason.

He had no doubt that if he went along with Aine's words at this moment, even if it was just as a joke and he said that "Tachiki often complains about me to Hachiman at school," then he would probably be in big trouble.

Thus, under the expectant gaze of Aine, the amused look of Sose, and the silent yet weighty threat of Riki, Ishikawa Mayu revealed a slightly innocent smile.

He raised his hand, curled his fingers, and gently flicked Ai Yin's forehead as she leaned in.

"Ouch!" Ai Yin covered her forehead and cried out exaggeratedly.

“There’s no secret,” Mayu said casually, with a hint of helpless indulgence. “It’s just that Ritsuki was worried that Hachiman wouldn’t be able to find his way, so she asked me to keep an eye out. Right, Ritsuki?”

Seeing his "cooperative" attitude, Shiina Tatsuki let out another very soft snort, but her expression softened slightly. She reluctantly accepted his evasive explanation.

She didn't say anything more, and turned her head back, but her tense shoulders had relaxed quite a bit.

Ai Yin covered her forehead where she had been flicked, pouted, and clearly didn't entirely buy into the "be careful not to get lost" explanation.

Her mischievous eyes darted back and forth between Mayu's innocent smile and Riki's feigned indifference in profile. Her pink lips had barely parted when a new question was about to spill from her mouth—

"Bang, bang."

The door to the lounge was knocked twice politely before being pushed open.

Uehara Hisamari leaned in halfway, her face adorned with her signature energetic smile. Her gaze swept quickly across the room as she said in a clear voice, "Everyone needs to gather for a meeting!"

Chapter 269 No Road

Almost the instant the word "bump" was uttered, Shiina Ritsuki sprang up from the sofa, his movement so fast it created a gust of wind, but in his haste, his calf accidentally bumped into the chair next to him.

With a soft "clang," the chair fell to the ground.

This little accident made Li hope's already tense nerves jump even more because of her senior's sudden arrival. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she hurriedly tried to help him, but then felt that doing so in front of her idol would only make her look more clumsy, so she froze on the spot for a moment.

At this moment, Aoba Mocha slowly emerged from behind Himari, resting her chin lazily on Himari's shoulder, her nose twitching slightly, like a lazy cat.

She took a deep breath, a satisfied glint in her half-closed eyes, and said in her characteristically drawn-out tone:

"...It smells like bread."

Nagasaki Motoyo stood up and bowed slightly to the two seniors at the door: "Thank you for letting us know, we'll be right there."

Shiina Tatsuki finally regained her voice and movements.

She quickly stood up straight, ignoring the chair that had fallen to the ground, and bowed deeply. Her voice was clearer and more forceful than usual due to nervousness, even a little cracked:

Please take good care of me!

Her respectful, wary yet excited demeanor was completely different from her usual aggressive and domineering manner towards Mayu or Aine.

Looking at her junior who was so nervous that she was moving her hands and feet in unison, Uehara Hisamari's smile became even brighter. She nodded to Riki and said in a friendly tone, "Yes, please take care of me."

Mocha, perched on her shoulder, slowly lowered her gaze to Lixi's still flushed but earnest face. A slight upward twitch at the corner of her mouth as she offered a brief but direct affirmation in her languid tone:

"...Very energetic, not bad."

After saying this, Frieza waved to everyone in the room again, then turned and closed the door behind her, carrying Mocha who was still clinging to her. The footsteps and faint laughter gradually faded away.

There was a moment of silence in the lounge.

Chihaya Aine blinked her big eyes, watching Riki's rare "fangirl" look with great interest, then her gaze fell on Mayu, and she made a "okay, I'll let you off the hook for now" face at him.

Ishikawa Mayu looked at Shiina Tatsuki, whose profile was still somewhat dazed, her eyes sparkling as she stared toward the doorway, and shook his head with a mixture of amusement and understanding. He cleared his throat and said, "Alright, we've seen the person and said hello, let's go."

Shiina Riki seemed not to hear, still maintaining a slightly angled posture towards the door, the blush on her cheeks not yet faded, her eyes vacant, clearly still immersed in the afterglow of her close contact with her admired senior.

"Lixi~?" Nagasaki Sue called out softly with a smile upon seeing this.

"—Ah!" Li hope seemed startled by the call and turned around abruptly. Realizing that her dazed expression might have been completely seen, a wave of immense shame washed over her.

Almost instinctively, she turned around, facing the wall, and pressed her burning forehead against the cool surface, trying to cool it down. At the same time, she forced out a word filled with annoyance and embarrassment: "U-Urusai...!"

The voice was less of a reprimand and more of a weak muttering, with a slight tremor at the end. It sounded less like anger and more like an attempt to hide a rapidly beating heart and flushed cheeks.

Just then, a rustling sound, accompanied by a soft chewing sound, came from the corner.

Kaname, who had been quietly enjoying the snacks that Chihaya Aine had brought back to the lounge, slowly swallowed the food in her mouth, then turned to look at Shiina Tatsuki, who was facing the wall, and calmly asked in a slightly muffled but clear tone:

"...You like them?"

Shiina Tatsuki's body visibly stiffened for a moment.

"...No way!"

This time, the "no way out" was noticeably clearer and more urgent than the one he made while facing the wall earlier, with the last syllable carrying a hint of embarrassment and annoyance at having his secret exposed.

Seeing Shiina Riki's awkward expression of facing the wall in shame and anger, and being blown away by Rakuna's words, Ishikawa Mayu finally couldn't help but chuckle.

"Alright, alright," he said with a lingering smile, his voice carrying a gentle teasing tone, "Stop teasing Lixi. If you keep teasing her, she might just become one with this wall."

As he spoke, he walked over to Shiina Tatsuki, who was still leaning against the wall as if trying to hide himself inside.

Without giving her any more time to hesitate or protest, he naturally reached out and gently grasped her fist, which was slightly clenched due to nervousness and embarrassment—the small section of her sleeve above it.

The fabric felt slightly stiff, like a uniform, and the slender wrists beneath it still radiated a slightly high body temperature.

"Let's go, Teacher Lixi." His tone was relaxed, with a hint of coaxing, but his grip was firm, turning her around and leading her towards the door of the lounge without room for argument. "If we don't leave now, we'll make our seniors wait. You don't want to leave the impression of being 'dawdling' on the person you admire, do you?"

"Who, who asked you to pull me! I can walk by myself!" Shiina Tatsuki was even more flustered by his sudden action, and immediately retorted, her cheeks burning even hotter. She could feel the force of his tugging on her sleeve, and the slightly itchy, heart-pounding touch of Mayu's fingertips accidentally brushing against her wrist.

Lixi tried to struggle, but the effort was so weak that it was less of a resistance and more of a mental exercise of "look, I struggled."

Perhaps it was the thought of "not wanting to leave a bad impression on her seniors" that had an effect, or perhaps her mind was filled with shame and confusion at that moment, causing her to subconsciously choose to follow this pulling force.

So, under the watchful gaze of Chihaya Aine, the gentle gaze of Nagasaki Motoyo, and the calm scrutiny of Kaname Rakuna, Shiina Tatsuki was half-pushed and half-forced by Ishikawa Mayu, who pulled on her sleeve, her steps slightly unsteady but obedient, as she followed him step by step out of the lounge.

Takamatsu watched their retreating figures quietly, her clear eyes blinking slightly. She seemed not to quite understand Riki's complex emotions, but she could sense that the tension had eased somewhat with Mayu's intervention. She picked up her own things and silently followed behind.

Only after leaving the lounge and entering the relatively quiet corridor did Ishikawa Mayu let go of his hand.

Shiina Tatsuki immediately pulled her sleeve back, as if it were stained with something, and deliberately smoothed out non-existent wrinkles with her hand. She turned her face away, refusing to look at Mayu, and only let out a muffled sound from her throat: "...Mind your own business."

Chapter 270 Wasn't it only up to me?

The brief meeting with other senior band members ended quickly.

Shiina Riki tried to maintain her composure. Although her heart was still beating faster than usual, she was no longer as flustered as she had been in the lounge.

After a brief greeting and some encouragement, the group walked back to their lounge along the slightly noisy backstage corridor.

Ishikawa Mayu, who was walking at the front, suddenly stopped and turned around: "You guys go back to the lounge first, I'm going to the restroom."

After saying that, without waiting for a response, he turned around and walked quickly to the other end of the corridor, disappearing around the corner in no time.

"Hey, Masahiro... come back soon!" Chihaya Aine glanced subconsciously in the direction he disappeared and muttered to herself.

The remaining people continued walking forward.