People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Reluctantly, she walked to the booth, took out the order book, and asked curtly, "What would you like to order?"

She deliberately avoided looking at Ishikawa Mayu and Chihaya Aine, but her unfriendly gaze still betrayed her tense profile and the slight glances she gave.

Nagasaki Motoyo seemed completely oblivious to the awkward atmosphere, her calm smile still on her face as she softly said, "I'd like the usual."

"what?"

"Yes, the usual is fine." Su Shi nodded affirmatively, then naturally turned her gaze to the two beside her, asking in a friendly tone, "What about Aine-chan and Mayu-kun? Have you made up your minds?"

Upon hearing this affectionate address, Li hope's lips seemed to droop slightly, and he impatiently tapped the order book with his pen.

"I'd like a hot cocoa and a matcha parfait."

Ishikawa Mayu had never tried a parfait before and wanted to give it a try.

Chihaya Aine blinked curiously and leaned closer to Nagasaki Motoyo, asking, "What does 'the usual' mean?"

“Hot Earl Grey tea,” Su Shi replied with a smile.

"Oh! Then I'll have one of those too! Just like Suze!" Chihaya Aine immediately abandoned her original hesitation and decisively changed her mind.

Shiina Tatsuki's recording motions visibly paused for a moment, and then he let out a clear "tsk" from deep in his throat.

Chihaya Aine wasn't having it. She immediately turned to Nagasaki Motoyo and, with a slightly offended tone, complained, "Motoyo-san! She just clicked her tongue again! To us!"

Nagasaki Motoyo maintained her elegant smile, but her tone carried a hint of reproach: "Tachiki, that's very impolite."

Lixi took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and stiffly repeated the order: "Two cups of hot Earl Grey tea, one cup of hot cocoa, and one matcha parfait."

A figure happened to be dragging a suitcase past the booth.

"Matcha Parfait!"

Lena's heterochromatic eyes suddenly lit up, and the voice that came out was filled with undisguised longing, a stark contrast to her previous indifferent expression. However, before the others could react, she had already looked away, continued dragging her luggage, and walked towards the small stage area in the corner without looking back.

Could it really be that delicious? Ishikawa Mayu stroked her chin, feeling a little smug about her own judgment.

After receiving a nod of approval from Nagasaki Motoyo, Shiina Ritsuki turned around almost immediately and strode quickly toward the kitchen without looking back, her back view exuding annoyance.

Chihaya Aine glared fiercely in the direction she left, her little mouth pouting.

Looking at her expression, which resembled that of a small animal that had been provoked, Ishikawa Mayu couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Still laughing!" Chihaya Aine immediately turned her "attack" and glared at Ishikawa Mayu with displeasure.

Nagasaki Motoyo looked at the two of them, shook her head slightly with a hint of helplessness, and gently advised, "Alright, Aine-chan, don't glare at her too much."

Chihaya Aine then looked away, twirling the ends of her pink hair with her fingers, appearing somewhat embarrassed.

Once the atmosphere eased a bit, Nagasaki Motoyo gently steered the conversation back on track. She looked at Aine and asked with concern, "So, shall we get down to business? How many members does your band have now?"

Chihaya Aine looked embarrassed, holding up two fingers: "Right now, it's just me and Mayu. He's the violinist, and I'm the lead vocalist and guitarist..." Her voice trailed off, sounding somewhat unsure, "I just looked at the recruitment notice board downstairs, but it didn't have the job posting I was looking for..."

Nagasaki Motoyo's gaze swept lightly over Ishikawa Masahiro, who was sitting quietly to the side. Seeing his tacit agreement with the statement, a faint trace of envy swept through her heart.

However, she quickly suppressed her emotions and, after a moment's thought, offered a practical suggestion: "In that case, besides looking at physical bulletin boards, you can also try posting recruitment information on social media, such as Twitter or some band-specific forums, which will have a wider reach."

Chihaya Aine's eyes lit up, and she was about to sincerely exclaim, "Suze-kun knows so much, so amazing!"

Clang—!

A powerful electric guitar sound suddenly exploded out of nowhere, instantly engulfing the entire café! The strong rhythm and surging energy hit you right in the face, effectively silencing Chihaya Aine's praise that she hadn't yet uttered.

"Whoa!" Aine was startled by the sudden, not-so-quite-loud performance and instinctively covered her ears, complaining, "It's so noisy... I can't talk at all like this!"

She tried to raise her volume to drown out the guitar, but each time she opened her mouth, she was interrupted by the powerful music. Somewhat discouraged, she slumped her shoulders and gave up the fight.

However, when she was forced to quiet down and listen to this "noise," her expression gradually changed. She slowly lowered her hands from her ears, her furrowed brows relaxed, and a hint of surprise replaced her expression. But beneath this, a deeper sense of guilt welled up within her.

I had only picked up the guitar again a few days ago, and my fingers were stiff and rusty, so I could only stumble and play the simplest C chords.

Thinking of this, Chihaya Aine's cheeks flushed slightly, and she shifted her body uncomfortably. Her previous excitement about "forming a band" was doused with cold water by reality.

She quietly turned her head to observe the boy beside her...

Ishikawa Mayu stared intently at Kaname on the stage, her gaze serious.

To be able to play at this level at such a young age is truly impressive.

However, he quickly noticed the pure enjoyment and passion on Lena's face when she played. If that was her mindset, it wasn't surprising that she could achieve such a level.

However, Chihaya Aine panicked when she noticed the satisfied look on Ishikawa Mayu's face.

I haven't played my guitar in front of him yet. What if Mayu compares her skill level to that little girl's? She'll definitely be laughed at!

The music ended quickly.

Lena put down her guitar and stretched like a cat after a sunbath. The receptionist called out, "Lena, are you done?"

"Mmm, I'm satisfied." She responded softly, her heterochromatic eyes scanning aimlessly before finally settling on Ishikawa Mayu.

Ishikawa Mayu met her gaze and, recalling her earlier reaction to the matcha parfait, said, "Want to have a matcha parfait together? It's on me."

Kaoru's ears twitched slightly. She walked over with light steps and naturally sat down in an empty booth, staring intently at Ishikawa Mayu: "Bapie."

"It'll be a little while," Ishikawa Mayu smiled, "I just ordered."

Motoyo Nagasaki smiled and praised, "That performance was absolutely wonderful."

Lena lay face down on the table, blinked, and didn't say anything.

Seeing this unexpected situation, Chihaya Aine chuckled dryly, fidgeting with her sleeve and muttering under her breath, "If all else fails, we can find someone else to be the guitarist, but I still want to be the lead vocalist..."

Before he finished speaking, Shiina Tatsuki walked over carrying a tray.

She first gently placed a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea in front of Nagasaki Motoyo, her movements precise and graceful.

"Thank you, Riki," Nagasaki Sose said with a smile.

Shiina Tatsuki did not respond, and placed the hot cocoa and the eye-catching matcha parfait in front of Ishikawa Mayu with a light touch, the porcelain making a clear, crisp sound as it touched the table.

Finally, she looked at Chihaya Aine and slammed another cup of hot Earl Grey tea down in front of her with a loud thud. The deep red tea sloshed violently in the cup, almost spilling over the rim.

After completing this series of actions, Li hope turned around and left without looking at anyone, leaving behind only a resentful back view.

"What kind of attitude is this guy?"

Chihaya Aine stared at Shiina Tatsuki's figure, her eyes practically glued to her, complaining angrily.

Yoro Nai was clearly unaware of the atmosphere. She didn't understand anything and was just a greedy little cat. She had already consciously pulled the matcha parfait in front of her.

Ishikawa Mayu secretly thought that Shiina Tatsuki was a bit strange.

But since she was Su Shi's friend, he couldn't directly comment on her, so he turned his head and gently patted Chihaya Aine's shoulder.

"Ignore her, Aine. Just pretend you didn't see her."

Chihaya Aine's attitude softened slightly, and she hummed in agreement.

"So, Aine-chan, how exactly did things go wrong with Riki yesterday?" Nagasaki Motoyo gently stirred the black tea in her cup, picking up the topic that had been interrupted by the performance and food delivery in a gentle tone.

Upon being asked this question, Chihaya Aine's anger, which had just subsided, flared up again. While angrily explaining, she subconsciously picked up the small sugar jar next to her and began adding brown sugar to her Earl Grey tea without even looking at it, as if she were using the brown sugar as a metaphor for Riki to vent her anger.

"I have no idea! I was talking to a friend when that guy suddenly came over and started saying things like, 'Are you really friends?' and 'You invited the Light Group band,' which I couldn't understand at all. It was so weird!"

Just as the spoonful of brown sugar was about to fall into the cup for the fifth time, Ishikawa Mayu quickly reached out and gently pulled her wrist.

The girl's wrist was very slender, and when his warm palm enveloped it, the act of adding sugar abruptly stopped.

“I know you like sweet things,” Ishikawa Mayu said, looking at her with a hint of helplessness, “but putting in so much sugar is crazy.”

Chihaya Aine paused for a moment, looked down at the black tea in her cup that had almost turned into syrup, then looked up at Ishikawa Mayu's smiling eyes. The anger on her face instantly dissipated, replaced by a little embarrassment at being caught doing something wrong.

She released the sugar spoon, scratched her head with her other hand, and chuckled foolishly: "Ah...it seems I added a little too much."

Nagasaki Motoyo had been elegantly sipping her tea when her gaze subtly swept over the hand that Ishikawa Mayu was holding Aine's wrist, her fingers tightening slightly. However, when the next word reached her ears, her movements froze almost imperceptibly.

"The lamp you're talking about... is it the Takamatsu lamp?"

She asked quietly.

Chihaya Aine paused, then instinctively replied, "Yes, Takamatsu Akari, we're classmates." She blinked, a curious look on her face, "Um... do you know her?"

Nagasaki Motoyo's expression returned to calm like the surface of a lake touched by a gentle breeze, even blossoming into a smile that was a few degrees gentler than before. She rested her elbows lightly on the table, her fingers elegantly interlaced, under her chin, creating a posture that was unintentionally slightly aloof.

“Yes,” she said softly, but with an undeniable certainty, “she is my friend.”

Her gaze swept casually over Chihaya Aine and Ishikawa Mayu's school uniforms, and she instantly understood.

So, the lamp was in Yuqiu.

Ishikawa Mayu's gaze inadvertently fell on Nagasaki Motoyo's slender, crossed hands. Her fingertips were unconsciously and very slightly rubbing against each other, the pad of her right index finger gently brushing against the side of her left middle finger, forming a subtle and repetitive little movement.

His gaze sharpened slightly.

Over the course of their time together, he had vaguely noticed that whenever Nagasaki Motoyo was emotionally fluctuating, especially when she was plotting something or trying to hide some true emotion, she would unconsciously fidget with her fingers.

He subtly shifted his gaze, picked up his cup of hot cocoa, and took a sip. The rich, sweet aroma melted in his mouth, but it made him observe the seemingly harmonious conversation before him with a more cautious eye.

Completely oblivious to Su Shi's subtle emotional shift, Ai Yin continued with her fervent curiosity, "So, how did Su Shi and Akari meet?"

Nagasaki Motoyo didn't answer the question directly. Instead, she tightened her clasped fingers slightly and threw the question back at her.

"Aiyin-chan, are you planning to invite the Little Light Band?"

Chihaya Aine scratched her head, an embarrassed look on her face. "Um... actually, we invited her, but she declined." She seemed to want to change the subject, but suddenly remembered something, her eyes lighting up. "Ah, speaking of which, Mayu-san said you used to play in a band, right?"

“Yes,” Su Shi nodded slightly, her tone regaining some calmness, “I’m the bassist.”

But she immediately steered the conversation back to Gao Songdeng, pressing for details, "When Xiaodeng refused, did she say anything?"

"Uh……"

Chihaya Aine was stumped by the question and couldn't say anything.

“I see…” Nagasaki Motoyo responded softly, her eyelids slightly lowered, as if she understood something.

After a brief silence, Ai-yin suddenly perked up.

"How's Su Shi's bass practice going?"

"It's nothing special," Su Shi smiled modestly, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the rim of the cup. "I just practiced a little bit during previous club activities."

"Well..." Chihaya Aine clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling, and asked with a touch of impetuous straightforwardness, "This might be a bit sudden—Momo-san!"

"Ok?"

Nagasaki Motoyo smiled, her eyes narrowed.

"Want to form a band together?"

Ishikawa Mayu was startled and gently touched Aine's fingertips under the table, wanting to remind her that the suggestion might be ill-considered.

Aine felt the touch and glanced at Ishikawa Mayu with some confusion, before she could even understand the implication—

"Sure."

Nagasaki Motoyo answered almost immediately, so quickly that she didn't hesitate for a moment.

Chihaya Aine sat up straight in surprise, her eyes sparkling: "Really?!"

“Hmm,” Su Shi smiled, her tone gentle yet subtly leaving room for maneuver, “However, I might need to start by getting used to a temporary support role, is that alright?”

"It's perfectly fine!" Chihaya Aine nodded happily, her heart overflowing with joy: Yay! That's awesome! I love you so much, Suze-kun!

She leaned forward slightly with excitement, eagerly pulling out her phone: "Then... can I have your LINE ID? It'll be easier to keep in touch!"

Nagasaki Motoyo's fingers rubbed together, and she gave a sickeningly sweet smile: "Okay~"

Kaoru had already silently finished her matcha parfait. She put down her spoon, slid off her chair without a sound, and as she dragged her suitcase past Ishikawa Mayu, she glanced at him thoughtfully with her heterochromatic eyes and whispered in a voice only he could hear:

"An interesting man."

After saying that, he left without looking back.

Ishikawa Mayu was taken aback by this sudden comment. By the time she came to her senses, Su Shi and Aine had already exchanged LINE contact information.

Such a smooth band invitation? Something feels off.

Chapter Thirty-Six: What's it to you now?

At night, after taking a shower, finishing her homework, and editing and posting today's video, Ishikawa Mayu finally collapsed onto her bed.

Only a bedside lamp was lit in the room, casting a soft, dim light. He picked up his phone, the screen illuminating his face.