People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Is that really the kind of person he is...?

Why does Su Shi care about him so much? To the point that she would specifically mention him to her and show that rare shyness?

What is it about him that makes Su Shi, who is used to keeping her distance with a gentle mask, so naturally include him in "us" and even hope that she can "like" him?

What puzzled Mu even more was—

Why did Xiangzi have such a huge, almost excessive reaction to this seemingly "ordinary" boy?

That day at Haneoka Cafe, Shoko's face immediately darkened when she learned that Suze seemed to have some connection with this Ishikawa classmate.

Xiangzi built a high wall around himself from everyone. This wall was thick and cold, rejecting all attempts to get close to warmth.

She is used to responding to the outside world with silence and aloofness; it's her way of protecting herself.

But when facing Ishikawa Mayu, that wall seemed to be infused with something intense and alive. It was no longer a pure, hard layer of ice, but a mixture of vigilance, resistance, and perhaps even a hint of... a sharp, almost instinctive reaction to having one's sore spot touched.

That wasn't just estrangement, it was more like a kind of... stress response.

This boy named Ishikawa Mayu, like an ordinary pebble, stirred up waves of completely different natures, yet both were exceptionally strong, in the hearts of her two important friends.

On one side, Su Shi cautiously approaches with anticipation.

On the other hand, there was Xiangzi's almost instinctive rejection and vigilance.

Who exactly is he? What did he do, or what does he represent, that could evoke such extreme emotions?

Mu couldn't understand it.

She was accustomed to observing plants, keenly aware of the subtle effects of sunlight, water, and soil changes on them. But when it came to human nature, especially the contradictory yet profound emotional vortex that Su Shi and Xiang Zi exhibited around the same boy, she felt an unprecedented sense of bewilderment.

That seemingly ordinary boy was shrouded in an enigma she couldn't see through. He not only stirred up her worries about Xiangzi's whereabouts being exposed, but also threw two boulders of vastly different natures into the hearts of her two closest friends, both powerful enough to stir up huge waves.

She gripped the watering can tighter, her knuckles turning white. The clear water had long since stopped flowing, leaving only a single, glistening drop about to fall from the spout, reflecting the confusion and worry swirling in her eyes.

In the end, she responded only in a barely audible, soft, and indistinct voice:

"……Um."

The response was as soft as a sigh, dissipating into the warm and fragrant afternoon air of the Moon Forest, carrying a heaviness that no one could understand, and a faint, increasingly intense yet indescribable curiosity about the boy named Ishikawa Mayu.

Chapter Sixty-One: The Dedicated Li hope

The automatic sensor doors of RiNG Cafe slid open silently, releasing the familiar aroma of coffee mingling with the cool air. Ishikawa Mayu, carrying her violin case, stepped inside.

His gaze habitually swept towards the booth by the window—the place where they had last gathered.

As expected, the room was empty, and he was the first to arrive.

As I approached, a figure emerged from the passage behind the bar.

Shiina Riki, carrying a tray full of ice water, paused when she saw him. Her face was expressionless as she approached him in a businesslike manner and placed a glass of water on the table in front of him.

"Your water." Her voice was flat, revealing no emotion. While it wasn't exactly enthusiastic, at least the previous confrontational hostility was gone.

It seems that last night's "truce" agreement is still in effect.

Ishikawa Mayu nodded in response. He put down his bag and sat down in a booth towards the back, his gaze sweeping over the familiar café once more—the warm yellow lighting, the sweet aroma of caffeine and sugar in the air, and that little stage where people could showcase their skills at any time…

Everything was the same as usual.

However, when his gaze returned to the standard four-person square table in front of him, a thought suddenly and unexpectedly entered his mind, making him chuckle softly.

"Ah……"

Shiina Tatsuki, who was about to turn and leave, stopped in her tracks upon hearing the soft laugh. She turned her head in confusion, her brows furrowing as usual.

"What are you grinning about, you idiot?!"

Ishikawa Mayu raised her eyes and looked at Riki, a lingering smile still on her lips.

He pointed to the square coffee table in front of him, his tone slightly teasing; he was quite looking forward to Shiina Tatsuki's reaction.

"Nothing, I just suddenly thought of something..." He paused deliberately, his gaze falling on the table opposite him, where Deng usually sat, "This table, it seems, can only seat four people by standard configuration."

Shiina Riki paused for a moment, then subconsciously followed his gaze to the table.

"So what?"

She still couldn't figure out the key point and asked blankly.

Ishikawa Mayu continued slowly, "Our band has five members now. When we have our meeting before practice, will you need to bring over another chair from the side?"

He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and winked mischievously at Shiina Riki, as if he were about to share some secret plan:

"Then... I'll arrange for that extra stool to be placed next to the little lamp, just for you to sit on, how about that?"

Shiina Riki's face flushed bright red, and even the beauty mark under her left eye seemed to become clearer.

Like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, it abruptly turned its face away, its voice filled with obvious panic and feigned composure:

"Huh?! Who, who needs you to arrange the seating! As for the seats... just sit anywhere!"

However, despite her fierce tone, her slightly bright eyes and the unconsciously pursed lips that seemed to want to curl upwards revealed a completely different mindset.

Being able to sit next to the lamp without any excuses or deliberation...

This thought, like a pebble dropped into a still lake, instantly created ripples of joy.

Along with that, looking at Ishikawa Mayu, the guy who "meddled" and made this suggestion, he didn't seem as annoying as before.

She didn't even add a harsh "mind your own business" or roll her eyes as usual. Instead, she turned and walked towards the kitchen with the tray in her arms, leaving behind a back view that, while still upright, had somehow lost some of its sharpness.

Ishikawa Mayu watched her almost fleeing figure, picked up the ice water on the table and took a sip. The icy temperature suppressed the lingering smile in his throat, but a trace of gentleness still remained in his eyes.

It seems that if you find the right approach, this hot-tempered drummer isn't entirely impossible to communicate with...

Shiina Tatsuki paused for less than three seconds at the doorway leading to the backstage, but inside she was already going through a fierce internal struggle.

Then, as if she had made up her mind, she turned around abruptly, casually placed the empty tray next to the front desk, and walked with a clear purpose to the corner where spare chairs were piled up against the wall not far away. She deftly picked up the chair that looked the most stable.

She kept a straight face, trying to make her movements appear natural and casual, as if she were just completing an ordinary daily task. With a "clatter," she placed the stool next to the seat where Takamatsu usually sat, and even subconsciously brushed away non-existent dust from the stool surface with her palm.

After doing all this, she let out a slight breath and was about to leave as if nothing had happened when she heard that voice behind her, which was clearly laughing.

Ishikawa Mayu rested her chin on her hand, watching her series of fluid movements with amusement. She raised an eyebrow, her tone almost overflowing with teasing:

"They haven't even arrived yet, and they've already started preparing. Are they that impatient?"

"what?!"

Shiina Tatsuki instantly bristled. As if to cover up her guilt, she raised her voice extremely high and glared fiercely at Ishikawa Mayu:

"Stop talking nonsense! I... I just took advantage of the fact that there aren't many customers right now to do some preparation work in advance! It's an employee's duty! Do you think everyone is as idle as you, acting like a big shot?!"

She spoke quickly and urgently, as if speaking fast enough and loud enough could make the real thought of "just wanting to sit next to the lamp" disappear without a trace.

Seeing her attempt to cover up her pretense and her outward bluster, Ishikawa Mayu nodded readily, but his smile deepened, and he drawled out the rest of his words:

"Hmm—I see. Shiina-kun is really... dedicated."

He deliberately emphasized the word "dedication," the irony of which was self-evident.

Lixi was speechless at his attitude. Her chest heaved a couple of times. She wanted to retort but couldn't find any more powerful words. In the end, she could only let out a heavy, embarrassed and annoyed "Hmph!"

Then he rushed back to the kitchen, not forgetting to take the tray from the front desk, as if afraid that if he stayed even a second longer, he would be burned by his all-seeing gaze.

Ishikawa Mayu watched her disappearing figure behind the door and shook his head.

This guy is clearly so simple-minded that you can see right through him, but he insists on putting on a fierce look to cover it up.

However, after this incident, her remaining hostility towards him has probably dissipated considerably.

He glanced up at the stool that Lixi had carefully arranged, sitting steadily next to the lamp, as if it was meant to be there.

Yes, it works well.

Chapter Sixty-Two: I Won't Lose Face

Shiina Riki practically fled back to the kitchen, and not long after, the automatic doors of the cafe slid open again.

Accompanied by soft footsteps, a faint, refreshing fragrance drifted in.

Nagasaki Motoyo walked in alone.

She walked gracefully closer and sat down elegantly to his left, gently placing her handbag beside her.

"Good afternoon, Masahiro-kun." Nagasaki Motoyo's voice was gentle and warm. "You're here very early."

“Well, I can come right over here,” Ishikawa Mayu nodded, gently pushing the iced water on the table toward her.

My gaze lingered on Nagasaki Motoyo for a moment. Why did I notice an unnatural blush on her face?

Even so, Nagasaki Motoyo still looked fresh and bright, and her eyes seemed to sparkle with an indescribable brilliance than usual.

"And you? Tsukimori got out of school so early today too?"

Upon hearing this, Nagasaki Motoyo seemed to have been asked about something. She subconsciously coughed lightly, picked up her water glass, and took a small sip to cover up her thoughts. The cool liquid slid down her throat, slightly calming her slightly accelerated heartbeat.

"Today's lessons went pretty smoothly," she explained vaguely, her gaze shifting slightly to avoid his somewhat probing look.

After all, she couldn't very well say that in order to have more time alone with Mayu-kun, she practically abandoned her ladylike composure and ran all the way to the train station after school.

It wasn't until she was on the tram that she managed to touch up her makeup and readjust her current gentle and dignified appearance.

Nagasaki Motoyo put down her water glass, the cool glass leaving a slight dampness on her fingertips.

“Um… Mayu-kun, about Shoko…” she lowered her voice even more, “Any progress on your end? I… am still a little worried about her.”

"Xiangzi... she still looks so tense..."

Ishikawa Mayu paused, noticing Su Shi's slightly furrowed brows, and changed the subject slightly, offering a glimmer of hope: "However, compared to her previous attitude of completely keeping people at arm's length and wanting to avoid me whenever she saw me, now... at least she's willing to stop and listen to me for a few words."

"Although I still have a cold face most of the time, at least it's a start."

Nagasaki Motoyo listened quietly, her gaze gently falling on his face.

She genuinely cared about Xiao Xiang and was eager to know more about her.

But at this moment, listening to Shinba-kun speak in such a calm and patient tone, and seeing the gentleness in his eyes that comes from his effort to understand others—a gentleness that even he himself might not be aware of…

A strange sense of security and warmth crept into my heart.

She is now not only concerned about Xiangzi's current situation, but also about the young man in front of her who is willing to face Xiangzi's coldness and try patiently for her request.

Shinji was fulfilling his promise to her in his own way.

“Yes, I understand.” She nodded gently, lowered her eyelashes, and unconsciously twirled a strand of honey-brown hair that fell across her chest with her slender fingers. Her voice was so soft that it sounded like a sigh. “Xiangzi… has always been very stubborn. I am already… very grateful that you are willing to try so patiently, Zhenyu-kun.”

She raised her eyes and looked at him again. In her eyes, which were brimming with tears, gratitude was intertwined with some deeper, softer emotion, making her expression particularly moving.

"I believe in Shinba-kun. But... don't push yourself too hard." Her tone was filled with genuine concern, not only for Shoko, but also for him.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable under her overly gentle, almost tender gaze, Ishikawa Mayu subconsciously looked away and took a sip of water from the glass in front of her.

He wasn't very good at dealing with such direct, dependent, and grateful gazes, especially when they came from Nagasaki Motoyo, where the weight of those gazes seemed particularly different.

To break the awkward atmosphere, he cleared his throat and steered the conversation toward another relevant person.

"Speaking of which, your band's member, Mutsumi Wakaba... seems to be the only Crychic member I don't know yet, right? What's her relationship with Shoko like?"

Ishikawa Mayu recalled their encounter at the school gate, that quiet, doll-like green-haired girl.

Judging from the message Xiangzi sent him that very night, Xiangzi's relationship with Ruoye Mu was definitely stronger than his relationship with Su Shi.

"Judging from your school uniforms, you two are from Tsukimori?"

Upon hearing this, Nagasaki Motoyo's gentle smile froze almost imperceptibly for a moment before thawing again, but beneath that smile lay a complex and indescribable undertone.

"Muku-chan... she was the band's original guitarist. And she and Shoko were childhood friends who grew up together, they were very, very close."

“She was clearly one of the people who knew Xiangzi’s situation best, but every time I asked her, she would remain silent and refuse to say anything… If she could have helped in the slightest, even just revealed a little bit of information, things might not be like this now…”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Nagasaki Motoyo immediately realized that this complaint would damage the image of gentleness, thoughtfulness, and understanding that she had always cultivated.

She quickly composed herself, looked up, and tried to make amends in a lighthearted tone:

"Ah, but I know that's not Mutsu-chan's fault. That's just her personality. She doesn't like to talk much, and... she must care about Shoko a lot, so she chose to protect her by remaining silent."

Nagasaki Motoyo gently stirred the straw in her cup, as if trying to dispel the momentary lapse in composure. Her eyelashes were lowered, but unexpectedly, the words she had spoken to Mutsuki by the flowerbed in the Moon Forest that afternoon surfaced in her mind.