People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Her expression had returned to its usual indifference, even becoming more tense as she deliberately looked around. Her gaze swept across the room, quickly drifting away the moment it met Zhenyu's eyes, finally settling on her drumstick bag.

Nagasaki Motoyo cast an inquiring glance at Riki, her gaze sweeping over the blush that had not yet completely faded from her ears.

But she didn't ask anything, she just greeted him with a gentle smile: "Lixi, you're back."

Su Shi knew that someone would ask the questions she was curious about.

as predicted.

"Tanuki!" Chihaya Aine immediately perked up. Her face, still flushed from Mayu's words, was now sparkling with gossip again. She put down her water glass and leaned forward. "Did you find 'something'? What is it?"

"Ah, found it." Shiina Tatsuki's voice was a little dry, and her tone was trying hard to remain calm. "...Well, I guess so."

After giving a perfunctory reply, she immediately and abruptly changed the subject, as if the question she had just asked was merely an interruption she desperately needed to shake off:

"More importantly—how's your stomach? Will you be able to perform normally when you go on stage later?"

Chihaya Aine's gossipy smile deflated visibly, like a punctured balloon. She clutched her lower abdomen again, her shoulders slumping.

The closer the time gets, the more nervous she becomes. Part of the reason she said those nonsensical things to Zhenyu just now was to relieve her anxiety...

Shiina Riki frowned as she looked at her, but did not offer any harsh criticism or questioning as she usually did.

She herself was also feeling a restless little drum in her chest at that moment, not only for the performance, but also mixed with the overwhelming, still unsettled palpitations she had just experienced in the corridor.

Something needs to be done.

Get your body moving, hold the drumsticks in your hand, and fill your ears with the sounds of rhythm and instruments—this might temporarily push those messy images and thoughts about someone's "foul" behavior out of your mind.

Shiina Riki's gaze swept quickly across the lounge—from Aine, who was still clutching her stomach and looked a little pale, to Tamaru, who was sitting quietly with her hands on her knees, and then to Suze and Rakuna. Finally, just as her gaze was about to fall on a certain figure, it abruptly turned away as if she had been burned, and fell back onto the metal clasp of her drumstick bag.

"How about we practice together one more time now?"

"Shall we begin now?" Nagasaki Motoyo's eyes widened slightly, a hint of surprise flashing across her face.

Chihaya Aine immediately sprang up from the sofa. Although her movements were somewhat sluggish due to abdominal pain, her gray eyes regained their light.

"It would be better to practice again!"

If we rehearse again now, maybe we'll find it easier to get into character on stage later.

Seeing that someone responded, Shiina Tatsuki felt a little relieved. Ignoring the reactions of others, she took out her phone and quickly swiped her fingers across the screen, her brows furrowed: "Let me check if there are any empty rehearsal rooms right now."

She stared intently at the screen, as if it were a task that had to be solved immediately.

Standing to the side, Ishikawa Mayu looked at Riki's serious and prepared demeanor, as if he were about to conduct a final pre-battle drill, and then at Aine's forced spirits. She understood what was going on.

He didn't care.

At this critical juncture, technical improvements are minimal, but extra rehearsals, if they can slightly alleviate the tension between the two, wouldn't be a bad thing.

but……

"Wouldn't it be a bit time-consuming to find a rehearsal room now and then go there to prepare?"

He carefully considered his words, trying to offer a reminder.

He hadn't finished speaking.

"Bang, bang."

There was a knock on the door to the lounge, which was then pushed open decisively.

Ms. Rinrinko peeked in, her gaze sweeping quickly around the room. After confirming everyone was there, she gave a gentle smile.

"It's your turn now, good luck!"

Chapter 272 (Two Chapters Combined) Are you alright?

The short walk from the side of the RiNG stage to the spotlight seemed to be stretched out by an invisible gel.

The expectant whispers from the audience, the kind glances from the other band members as they left, and the boundary between the backstage and the stage—all these things made the air thick and stressful.

Gao Songdeng stood to the side, her slender white fingers tightly gripping the strap of her bass bag. Her long bangs covered most of her face, and only her slightly trembling eyelashes revealed the turmoil in her heart.

Nagasaki Motoyo's gaze swept over the scene, finally settling on the lamp, who was tightly clutching an unopened bottle of mineral water, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

She stepped forward, reached out and placed her hand on the water bottle in Deng's arms, her voice softer than usual: "You've brought so much stuff, can you put the water in front?"

Takamatsu Akari was pulled a little back from her tense thoughts by the gentle voice. She raised her head, glanced at Su Shi through the gap in her bangs, and then nodded very slightly: "...Mm."

Su Shi withdrew her gaze from Zhen Yu, took the water bottle, tilted her head and gave a warm smile to the light: "It's okay, let's cheer each other on."

As she spoke, she turned and prepared to walk towards the corner in front of the stage where miscellaneous items were placed.

The instant she took her step—

"Sizzle—!"

A short but piercing electrical noise suddenly exploded from the side, breaking the stagnant atmosphere backstage.

Chihaya Aine was adjusting the microphone and monitor speakers in front of her when, in her haste, she accidentally bumped into something with the connecting cable.

"I'm so sorry!" Ai Yin was startled by the voice, almost jumping up and down. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she hurriedly bent down to check the equipment.

Su Shi stopped in her tracks, turned to the side, and said gently to the flustered Ai Yin, "Ai Yin, take your time."

Ishikawa Mayu, who had been keeping a close eye on the situation, moved closer almost the instant the noise started. He came to Aine's side, said nothing, and simply reached out naturally to take the troublesome connecting wire from her trembling hands.

"Let me do it." His voice was not loud, but steady as always. At the same time, he raised his other hand and gently placed it on the top of Ai Yin's pink hair, giving it a soothing ruffle. "Don't rush, try the guitar jacks and knobs again, see if they're loose."

Having been relieved of the trouble, Aine felt a familiar and reassuring touch on her head. The blush on her face hadn't faded, but the panic in her eyes had indeed subsided considerably.

As if she had found a support, she let out a soft breath, nodded to Zhenyu, and murmured "Thank you..." Then she obediently turned around, hugged the guitar in her arms, and began to carefully check her instrument, her movements much steadyer than before.

Shin-chan crouched down and, using the dim light reflected from the stage work lights and the audience seats, began to make adjustments.

His movements appeared methodical and composed.

However, this composure seemed somewhat forced.

His heart was actually beating much faster than usual, and he could feel a slight dampness when his palms touched the cold metal of the interface.

In the past, live streaming ultimately meant facing cold cameras and delayed comments.

And now, he stands on a real, still dimly lit stage, only a short distance away from the "darkness" below, composed of breaths and whispers...

However, this tension was still within a manageable range. He steadied himself, suppressing his chaotic thoughts. At least he couldn't show weakness at a time like this, especially… He subconsciously cast his gaze towards the dimly lit audience seats below, towards a spot where he had reserved a ticket. Although he couldn't see clearly, he knew—

Xiangzi and Xiaomu are right there.

We can't let them feel that handing over "Spring Shadows" to us and to this new band was a mistake.

of course……

It's best not to perform too poorly and fall into Xiangzi's clutches.

Thinking of this, Zhenyu pursed her lips almost imperceptibly, checked the interface one last time with her fingertips, then stood up and quickly glanced at her teammates.

Lixi was looking down, tapping the edge of the hi-hat one last time with her drumstick, producing a crisp "snap" sound. Her expression was one of almost frozen focus, as if everything outside was irrelevant to her, only the rhythm in her hands mattered.

Yao Lenai had already crouched down in the shadows closest to the audience at the edge of the stage, holding her guitar. Her fingertips lightly glided across the strings, producing a series of smooth and richly colored notes.

It seems there's nothing wrong with them.

Zhenyu walked back to her seat, held the bow firmly in her hand, and looked down at the audience again.

The lighting in the audience area was dimmer than backstage, and only the shadowy figures of people and the occasional flickering light from mobile phone screens could be vaguely discerned.

The enthusiasm that Aferglow had previously generated for the audience cooled down slightly as they left the stage. Some scattered audience members were getting up and leaving, probably to go to the restroom or to get some water, their figures moving through the aisles.

As Zhenyu watched the dwindling number of people, he felt neither disappointed nor frustrated.

After all, for the vast majority of the audience, this was just an unfamiliar, temporary opening act.

It's perfectly normal to have no expectations or even leave halfway through.

With fewer people around... it actually helps to—

As he was thinking, he heard soft footsteps and the rustling of clothes beside him.

Nagasaki Motoyo had already placed the water bottle with the lamp and returned to her designated spot, to Mayu's left.

She took a deep breath, her breath trembling slightly. Then, she turned her head slightly, her voice so low it almost blended into the background noise, but Zhenyu heard it clearly:

"...Where is Xiangzi?"

Ishikawa Mayu glanced at her sideways. In the dim light of the stage, the calm that Su Shi was trying to maintain on her face was being quietly eroded by the unease revealed in her eyes.

“Su Shi…” he called softly, his tone unconsciously soothing.

"I...I'm fine." Su Shi quickly interrupted him, as if afraid that hearing more words of comfort would cause her hard-won focus to dissipate.

She pursed her lips, turned her gaze back to the audience below the stage, and stubbornly repeated, but in a softer voice, "I just... want to know."

After hesitating for a moment, Ishikawa Mayu raised his hand and pointed downwards.

Su Shi looked in the direction he was pointing.

After Afterglow left the stage, some audience members temporarily left, and the originally dense crowd became much sparser, making it easy to spot Xiangzi and He Mu's figures.

Toyokawa Shoko sat there, wearing a dark coat, sitting upright, and was looking towards the stage.

The moment Su Shi's gaze fell upon him, Xiangzi seemed to sense it and met his gaze directly.

Eyes facing each other.

From a distance and in the dim light, Su Shi couldn't see all the details in Xiangzi's eyes, but his gaze was calm and unwavering, without any avoidance or evasion, nor any of the complex emotions related to the past that she had expected to see.

Xiangzi simply looked at her and nodded politely.

The movement was clean and efficient, carrying a sense of indifference and detachment, like a basic response to an acquaintance you happen to meet in public.

Then, Xiangzi's gaze shifted from Su Shi's face without lingering, naturally sliding to Gao Songdeng, who was standing not far from her with his head down.

Her gaze lingered for a moment on the slightly trembling shoulder of the lamp, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, but she quickly regained her calm, scrutinizing posture.

Nothing special.

—Just came to see the show.

Xiangzi repeated this to himself.

Unconsciously, her fingertips tightened, gently pinching the edge of her coat.

She actually saw that scene on the side of the stage very clearly just now.

The noise Chihaya made while adjusting the equipment, and... Ishikawa Mayu immediately went over to take over and even patted her head.

And then there's the image of him standing side by side with Nagasaki Motoyo, talking in hushed tones.

A very subtle feeling of stagnation quietly crept into my heart.

She quickly attributed this unusual feeling to concerns about the performance itself—after all, it was her piece, and she naturally hoped everything would go well.

As for the rest... it's none of her business.

So she suppressed that inexplicable, trivial discomfort in her heart, and armed herself with a straighter back and a colder expression, as if this could isolate her from the interference brought about by the overly "close" atmosphere on and off the stage.

However, in Su Shi's eyes, all of this was interpreted in a different way.

That bland nod, that quick glance away and landing on the lamp... all felt like a bucket of ice water, silently extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in her heart.

Xiangzi... clearly no longer cares.

They don't care about Crychic, they don't care about the past, and they don't even care about the friends who are standing on the stage now.

There was no nostalgia, no struggle in that gaze, only the pure, detached calm of an observer, even with a deliberate sense of distance.

A profound sense of loss and a sharp, dull pain gripped Su Shi's heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. She instinctively bit the inside of her lower lip to steady her legs, which were momentarily weak, and to calm her surging emotions.

She was wrong.

She thought that at least... at least Xiangzi coming to the performance might mean something. But it turned out that it really was just "going to see".

Zhenyu's gaze quickly swept across Xiangzi's face below the stage.

He caught the taut lines of her profile, and that fleeting glance that swept over him almost without thinking, only to be quickly looked away again.

There seemed to be a hint of... displeasure? Or something else hidden in that look?

Before he could discern the details, Xiangzi had already turned his gaze back to the stage lights, leaving him with only a somewhat aloof and stubborn profile.

Then, he turned to Su Shi beside him.

Su Shi's expression... was far too indifferent.