People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Chihaya Aine defended herself.

However, the next moment, Shiina Tatsuki rudely interrupted Chihaya Aine.

At that moment, she was like a mother leopard protecting her cubs, full of hostility towards any outsider who tried to approach the light. "This is between us, can you, an outsider, please don't interfere!"

Chihaya Aine was taken aback, her cheeks puffing out in anger. But seeing the lamp's near-shattering state, she suppressed the urge to argue with Ritsuki, and tried to soften her voice as she spoke firmly to the lamp:

"But...but Xiaodeng sings so well! It's the kind of...touching beauty!"

“Of course!” Li hope immediately chimed in, her tone resolute, as if it were an undeniable truth. “Deng’s singing is the best! She doesn’t need your evaluation at all!”

"You...!" Aine was furious at Riki's unyielding attitude, and felt sorry for Akari. She was both anxious and aggrieved. Instinctively, she grabbed Ishikawa Mayu's arm and shook it gently, complaining in a low voice, "Mayu-kun, look at her...!"

Looking at the chaotic scene and Aine's arm shaking him, Ishikawa Mayu helplessly raised his hand to his forehead, feeling a throbbing pain in his temples again.

All of this was observed by Nagasaki Motoyo, who had been closely watching their movements out of the corner of her eye.

Chapter 54 Do I Have a Chance?

Nagasaki Motoyo clenched her fists under the table, but had to pretend to be gentle.

"Excuse me, your Earl Grey tea."

A cup of steaming hot black tea was gently placed in front of her by the receptionist, its rich aroma slowly spreading.

Nagasaki Motoyo looked at the unexpected cup of tea, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes. She remembered that she hadn't ordered any.

The receptionist noticed her confusion and smiled gently. She leaned forward slightly and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "This is the boy. He specially ordered this for you when he saw you come in."

Nagasaki Motoyo's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively looked up.

She happened to meet Ishikawa Mayu's gaze. He had been watching them closely, and when he saw her looking over, he nodded slightly to her.

This care instantly soothed the wrinkles in her heart caused by witnessing his intimacy with Aine.

After the receptionist finished speaking, she turned around and went to deliver strawberry cake and matcha parfait to Ishikawa Mayu's table.

Meanwhile, Nagasaki Motoyo gently touched the warm porcelain cup with her fingertips, feeling the perfect warmth spread from her fingertips to her heart.

A thought quickly became clear and firm—she couldn't let those two continue to live in their own little world; she had to bring them, especially Zhenyu-kun, back into the conversation space of this "big family."

"Mr. Zhenyu, thank you for ordering the black tea especially for me."

After thanking him, Nagasaki Motoyo didn't linger on him for long before turning her gaze back to Takamatsu Akari, who was still deeply mired in self-reproach and almost curled up into a ball beside her.

“Xiao Deng, I’m glad you can speak these thoughts frankly.”

"But I don't want you to keep blaming yourself."

Her voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable firmness: "I don't want you to hate the band because of this."

At this point, she paused slightly, lifting her gaze from the lamp and gracefully turning to everyone present—first sweeping over Shiina Tatsuki, whose face was tense, then over Chihaya Aine, who was watching them with concern at the next table, and finally back to Ishikawa Mayu.

“I think, Riki, Aine, and Mayu-kun…” She deliberately put Ishikawa Mayu’s name last, with a hint of emphasis, “…that’s what they all think, isn’t it?”

Shiina Tatsuki, whose name was called out, frowned instantly, her lips moved, and the words "Why ask these two outsiders?" almost slipped out.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Gao Songdeng beside her seemed to relax slightly after hearing Su Shi's words. He raised his teary eyes and looked at the people who had been mentioned with a faint hope.

The anger in Lixi's chest seemed to be blocked. She clicked her tongue heavily, and reluctantly squeezed out a short "...um" from her throat.

Chihaya Aine nodded vigorously, her silver-gray eyes sparkling, and echoed in a clear voice, "That's right! Souyo-kun is right! Akari, please don't hate the band!"

Looking at the way the lamp was practically burying itself in the ground, Ishikawa Mayu felt a pang of sadness.

He understood that if he simply said "You sang very well" at this moment, it would probably only be seen as cheap consolation by the sensitive and stubborn Deng.

After a moment's hesitation, his gaze fell upon the lamp:

"Deng, if we're just talking about singing technique, your performance of 'Spring Shadow' at the live show that day... definitely has room for improvement."

Upon hearing this, Takamatsu Takamori lowered his head even further, and his shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly.

Chihaya Aine, sitting next to Ishikawa Mayu, widened her eyes in shock, her silver-gray pupils filled with disbelief that read, "Are you crazy?!"

She just tried so hard to affirm Xiaodeng, how could Mayu turn around and ruin it?! Didn't she see that Xiaodeng was about to cry?!

In a moment of desperation, without thinking, she nudged Ishikawa Masahiro under the table with the outside of her calf, trying to make him shut up.

Ishikawa Mayu paused slightly from the sudden bump, and naturally understood what she meant.

However, he did not make a fuss, nor did he even turn his head to look at her. He simply shook his head slightly, indicating that she should remain calm.

Nagasaki Motoyo was startled by Ishikawa Mayu's overly blunt "criticism" and instinctively turned to check on Takamatsu Akari's condition, fearing that she might suffer an even greater blow.

It was this worry that caused her to completely miss the brief, silent exchange between the two people next to her under the table.

Shiina Ritsuki instantly turned around like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, glaring fiercely at Ishikawa Mayu, and squeaked out through gritted teeth:

"Huh?! What do you know?! What makes you think you can..."

Ishikawa Mayu ignored Riki's almost pounce-on stance; his attention remained on the lamp, though his tone softened slightly, carrying a guiding undertone:

"—But,"

He paused slightly to make sure the light could hear every word he was about to say.

"Skills can be honed over time. But some things are hard to replace...like the way you're completely immersed on stage, that focused attitude as if you're pouring out all your emotions, and the sincere feelings conveyed in 'Spring Shadow'..."

"I received them all correctly."

Takamatsu Akari's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she raised her head a little, looking at him with teary eyes.

Ishikawa Mayu gave her a faint but incredibly sincere smile.

"I love so much."

"I really liked being on stage that day. Although I was a bit clumsy, I was incredibly dazzling, like a little light that was shining."

Takamatsu Akari stared blankly at Ishikawa Mayu, her light brown eyes gradually brightening. They were still filled with tears, but they were no longer pure sadness; instead, they were a mixture of disbelief, a thrill of being understood, and a faint, rekindled hope.

"So, I sincerely hope to see that dazzling Takamatsu lamp again."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze gently fixed on those pale brown eyes, still moist with tears:

"I wonder if I'll ever have that opportunity, Deng?"

He finished speaking, without urging anyone, simply waiting quietly. The soothing background music in the coffee shop and the faint sounds of traffic in the distance seemed to serve as a silent backdrop to the moment.

Gao Songdeng's fingertips unconsciously curled up, tightly gripping the hem of her school uniform.

She looked into the pure expectation and affirmation in Ishikawa Mayu's eyes, felt the gentle gaze of Suze beside her, and felt the almost tangible encouragement emanating from Aine's side.

A long-lost feeling of being needed, like a gentle warm current, carefully flowed through the lake of her heart, frozen by self-reproach.

She opened her mouth, her throat dry, and the sound she made was barely audible, yet it echoed clearly in the ears of the several people who were holding their breath:

"……Um."

Testimonials

Hello everyone, thank you all for your continued support. This book will be available for purchase tomorrow. I would like to give a big thank you to all my godfathers here, and I hope to get more subscriptions tomorrow!

I really don't want it to be below 100.

If it really drops below 100, I'll be furious for the whole day!

After all, this book is a product of the fans' efforts to make up for the shortcomings of the original work, especially Aine.

I think Aine is a really, really good girl. If she were in other works, she might just be an ordinary antagonist, but among the amazing characters like Mygo and Mujica, she's like an Ultraman.

The author herself is actually very, very withdrawn in real life and has basically no friends. If I were in Aine's shoes, there would definitely be no problem, that's what I think.

Then Aine actually encountered this almost isolated situation in the anime (Although Akari also liked Aine, she couldn't help at all), and Aine really solved the isolation situation on her own. This is the kind of person I aspire to be.

But I also feel sorry for her. A girl like Aine shouldn't have to suffer like this. Is it really appropriate to treat Aine like this?

In short, my feelings for Aine are a mixture of longing and heartache. That's why I wanted to write a book so that Aine wouldn't be bullied or wronged in this new timeline.

However, I feel like I've broken my promise, because this book is supposed to be about a harem.

The initial concept was that Aine would be the only female lead, while other girls might fall in love with the protagonist but not be able to have her, and ultimately regret it for the rest of their lives.

In this respect, you can see that the protagonist's thoughts are only moved and infatuated with Aine. With other people, such as Su Shi, although there are moments of closeness, he never has any romantic feelings. If the story continues normally, Su Shi will definitely not get the food in the end.

However, I was heavily criticized by other authors. It's not impossible to write a story with only one female lead, but there absolutely cannot be a romance plot. Adding a romance plot and then not finishing the story, or the idea of ​​flirting without marrying the female lead, is a writing style that everyone finds extremely objectionable. So in the end, I gave in.

Since Su Shi is definitely going to be included, and a single female lead isn't feasible, then the story will just continue down the path of creating a harem.

Even so, I will try my best to minimize the harm to Aine, as she is in the position of the absolute empress.

Of course, you don't need to worry that I'll change the outline at the last minute and ruin the ending. Because I didn't have an outline to begin with; the plot was developed based on the characters' personalities and backgrounds.

Furthermore, although the initial idea for this book was a single female protagonist, the author constantly wavered between a harem and a single female protagonist during the writing process, with a slight preference for Aine. However, as the writing progressed, it became clear that a single female protagonist wouldn't work with the other characters, and coupled with feedback from others, the author ultimately veered towards a harem style. In the end, everyone was merely a facilitator; they couldn't force the author to write something they didn't want to write.

Also, if I have time later and everyone is supportive, I might make an "if" route for Aine, which has some romantic elements, but the final ending will definitely be a single heroine with a happy ending.

Chapter 55 (Two Chapters Combined) Still Chasing Me for a Lifetime

Gao Songdeng's soft yet clear "hmm" was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples in everyone's hearts.

"That's great!!!"

The first to erupt in cheers was Chihaya Aine. She practically sprang to her feet, raising her hands high, her silver-grey eyes gleaming with a light brighter than RiNG's chandelier.

But instead of immediately lunging at the lamp, she abruptly turned around, slammed her hands on the table in front of Ishikawa Mayu, leaned forward, and stared at him with bright, clear eyes:

"Mayu-san! That was so cool! You said it so well! I was almost moved to tears!" Her tone was full of undisguised admiration and joy, and her cheeks were flushed with excitement.

After praising her, she remembered her business and immediately picked up the almost untouched strawberry cake on the table. She moved briskly to the booth next to Takamatsu Akari, her voice cheerful: "Akari! It's so great that you're willing to keep working hard! Here, try this. It's a strawberry cake that Mayu ordered. It's very sweet!"

Surrounded by this sudden enthusiasm, Takamatsu Akari instinctively shrank back, but seeing Aine's untroubled smile, her tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and she whispered, as if making a vow to herself, "...Yes, I...I will...try...not to disappoint everyone again..."

In particular, she didn't want to disappoint Mayu, who had just said she "liked him very much".

While Shiina Tatsuki, sitting next to the lamp, didn't cheer like Aine, her tense jawline visibly relaxed, and her furrowed brows unfurrowed.

She looked at the lamp with a relieved expression in her eyes, and even the corners of her mouth twitched up almost imperceptibly.

Even when her gaze inadvertently swept over Chihaya Aine, who was all smiles, although she still didn't have a good expression, at least she didn't immediately show hostility and rejection like before. She just quickly turned her attention back to Akari.

For Shiina Tatsuki, this was already a rare sign of "peace".

As Ishikawa Mayu watched the scene where the ice had finally broken and the atmosphere had eased, the tension in his heart eased slightly.

Although the road ahead is still long, at least the most difficult first step has been taken.

Just then, a calm, almost indifferent voice, carrying a hint of the sweet coolness of parfait, rang out very close to him:

"Interesting man."

Ishikawa Mayu was slightly taken aback. He turned his head and saw that Kaname Rakuna had raised her head at some point. Her eyes, which were of different colors, were staring at him without blinking. There was no teasing or mockery in them, only a kind of straightforward judgment based on pure observation, almost like that of an animal.

After saying that, she lowered her head again and happily continued eating her parfait.

It was as if it had all been an illusion...

As Ishikawa Mayu watched her profile as she re-immersed herself in the world of sweets, he raised his hand to rub his temples, a sense of helplessness washing over him.

This child... his thought process is indeed different from ordinary people, and his wording is too strange.

His gaze shifted from Yoro Nai's indifferent face, which seemed uninterested in anything other than desserts, and naturally turned to the gentle girl sitting opposite him.

Their eyes met briefly in the air.

Seeing the smile on Su Shi's face, Ishikawa Masahiro's heart stirred slightly. He recalled that just now, it was Su Shi who had taken the initiative to bring him and Aine into the conversation, seeking the support of "everyone." This seemingly unintentional move, now that it had yielded a good result, seemed especially wise.

"It seems..." he thought to himself, "Su Shi might really be considering fulfilling her promise of that 'new journey'." The fact that she could take the initiative to include him and Aine in the "everyone" group and try to accept them was undoubtedly a positive sign.

This realization filled him with a faint sense of satisfaction, like seeing a carefully nurtured plant finally sprout new buds. He looked at Su Shi, and with a very slight, quick movement of the corners of his mouth, he gave her a gentle look that conveyed approval and "well done."

However, he completely misunderstood.

He failed to understand the turbulent thoughts surging beneath Nagasaki Motoyo's gentle exterior.

Seeing the approving look in Ishikawa Mayu's eyes, Nagasaki Motoyo felt as if a feather had gently brushed against her heart, stirring a secret sense of pride and joy.

He saw it, and he affirmed my "effort" and "generosity".

On one hand, she was genuinely happy that Takasaka seemed to have resolved some of her inner conflicts. After all, Takasaka was an important member of Crychic, whom she cherished.

On the other hand, seeing how considerate and patiently Ishikawa Mayu had guided and comforted the light just now, her focus and gentleness made her feel incredibly radiant, and she couldn't help but feel a subtle thought of wanting to monopolize that attention.