People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Her cheeks involuntarily flushed slightly again.

"Um... actually this afternoon, when I was chatting with Mutsu-chan, I briefly mentioned Mayu-kun to her."

She lowered her head slightly, her long, honey-brown hair slipping down her shoulders and partially obscuring her cheeks, which were flushed with a faint blush.

"I said... I hope she will like Masahiro-kun too."

Upon hearing this, Ishikawa Mayu was slightly taken aback, and then a look of helplessness and understanding appeared on his face.

really.

He had previously guessed that Xiangzi knew he knew Su Shi most likely because Ruoye Mutsu had relayed the information. Now it seemed that this quiet girl had indeed acted as a kind of information bridge between the two.

He looked at Su Shi's rare, girlish shyness and felt a mixture of amusement and a subtle, indescribable feeling.

She seems to really care about her image and acceptance in her "old world".

He gently shook his head and said with a smile:

"Is that so? Then I hope I won't disappoint Nagasaki-kun and make you lose face in front of Wakaba-kun."

Chapter Sixty-Three: Making a Scene

Nagasaki Motoyo's heart tightened upon hearing Ishikawa Mayu's self-deprecating words. She immediately looked up, eager to retort, her blue eyes filled with seriousness.

"I won't be embarrassed! Shinba-kun is clearly—"

Good evening, everyone!

A vibrant voice instantly shattered the slightly quiet atmosphere around the booth, abruptly cutting off Su Shi's unfinished words.

Chihaya Aine, carrying her guitar bag, skipped and hopped into the coffee shop like a lively little deer.

His face still wore that bright, untroubled smile, and his silver-gray eyes shone like stars.

She spotted Ishikawa Mayu and Nagasaki Motoyo sitting together at a glance. Without pausing, she very naturally, almost squeezed, to sit on Ishikawa Mayu's right and placed her guitar case down with a "thud" at her feet.

"Mayu-kun! Suze-kun! You're here so early!"

Her voice was clear and loud, carrying an inexhaustible energy that instantly dispelled the subtle, intimate atmosphere of the conversation.

Chihaya Aine was completely unaware of the momentary freeze at the corner of Nagasaki Motoyo's mouth, or the subtle disappointment that flashed across her eyes; she was only focused on looking happily at Ishikawa Mayu.

Even as she sat down, she affectionately bumped Ishikawa Mayu's arm with her own, as if announcing her arrival.

Ishikawa Mayu was already used to Aine's close gestures, which were almost touching her. She only swayed almost imperceptibly when Aine bumped into her before sitting back down, not even bothering to lift her eyelids.

His gaze passed over Aine and landed on Takamatsu Akari, who was following behind her silently like a cautious little animal.

After making eye contact with Shinba, Deng seemed to find a safe haven, nodded gently, and quietly sat down opposite him, placing her hands properly on her knees.

Seeing this, Ishikawa Mayu's lips curled into a mischievous smile. Suddenly, he raised his voice and shouted towards the kitchen:

"Shiina! Everyone's here! The 'special seat' I prepared for you is still empty, so come and sit down!"

Perhaps it was because the coffee shop was quite quiet at the moment, with no other customers besides the band members, that the relatively private environment lessened his usual social anxiety, allowing him to speak more freely and joke around.

His shout not only drew the attention of Chihaya Aine and Nagasaki Motoyo to the obviously extra chair next to Takamatsu Akari, but also made the receptionist who was wiping cups look up.

Aine immediately understood the "special purpose" of the stool. Thinking of Riki's possible reaction, she couldn't help but burst out laughing. She quickly covered her mouth, but her crescent-shaped eyes betrayed her amusement.

Nagasaki Motoyo pursed her lips slightly, concealing a hint of helpless smile, thinking that Shinba-kun could be really... mean-spirited sometimes.

As for Takamatsu Akari, who was at the center of the conversation, she simply followed everyone's gaze and looked at the empty chair next to her. A hint of doubt flashed in her light brown eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

After all, as long as Mayu is around, she doesn't need to worry too much about any arrangements.

Ishikawa Mayu's not-so-loud shout was clearly heard even by Rinrinko at the front desk.

She recognized these regular customers and their relationship with Li hope, so a friendly smile with a hint of "watching the drama unfold" appeared on her face, and she chimed in towards the kitchen, saying:

"Lixi—! Come out quickly, your friends are all here—!"

The curtain at the back of the kitchen was suddenly and forcefully lifted open.

Shiina Tatsuki walked out with a flushed face, glaring fiercely at Ishikawa Mayu. Her voice rose with embarrassment and anger, carrying a clear air of bluff:

"Huh?! Stop talking nonsense! What does having five people and an extra chair have to do with a reserved seat!"

She shouted loudly, but her steps were not slow at all. She walked quickly toward the empty chair next to Gao Songdeng with a clear goal in mind.

With a loud "bang," he pulled the chair outwards again, making quite a commotion, as if this would conceal his true intentions.

She stiffened her neck, not daring to look into the eyes of the little lamp beside her, and forced out an explanation through clenched teeth:

"It's just because there's only one spot left!"

Ishikawa Mayu found it somewhat amusing to look at Shiina Tatsuki, whose face was flushed from the tips of her ears to the roots of her neck, clearly overjoyed but trying to appear fierce.

However, it's time to stop while we're ahead, otherwise this drummer might really explode on the spot.

He immediately suppressed his overtly teasing expression, nodded obediently, and his tone became serious, as if he weren't the one who had just been shouting "priority seat."

"Yes, I understand. It just happened to be free."

"Exactly!" Chihaya Aine immediately seized this golden opportunity, gripping the edge of the table with both hands, leaning half her body out, and wearing a sly smile. She imitated Riki's fierce tone from earlier, deliberately drawing out her words: "Riki-kun doesn't need any 'reserved seat'! It just happens to be empty, and she just happens to want to sit here!"

As she spoke, she winked playfully at Lixi, her silver-gray eyes gleaming with a "I see right through you" light.

Shiina Tatsuki was infuriated by Aine's perfectly mimicking tone and mischievous gaze; the blush that had just subsided returned in a flash. She glared fiercely at Aine, her fists clenched, and forced out through gritted teeth, "Chihaya—! Stop right there..."

"Alright, alright," Nagasaki Motoyo spoke up at the right moment, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze, lightly brushing away the tension that was about to reignite. "Aine-chan, stop teasing Ritsuki. Shouldn't we start talking about serious matters?"

Chihaya Aine smiled and followed Suze's lead in changing the subject, then slapped her hands together with a crisp sound that drew everyone's attention.

With a serious expression that said, "I'm very busy," she cleared her throat and began to chair the meeting: "There are still many things to decide today, so let's not make a fuss. Let's discuss the specific arrangements for the musical instruments first!"

"Nonsense...?" Shiina Tatsuki's brows furrowed instantly, his chest heaved violently, and he almost laughed in anger.

Isn't it you, Chihaya Aine, who's being unreasonable?!

Her gaze instinctively swept towards the instigator, Ishikawa Masahiro, only to see him resting his chin on one hand, looking completely unconcerned, as if he weren't the one who had been shouting loudly just moments before.

Lixi choked on the words that were stuck in his throat—although this guy was also annoying, he was, after all, the one who allowed him to sit next to the lamp legitimately…

Feeling deeply indebted to him, she couldn't bring herself to vent her anger on him. She could only swallow her complaints and let out a reluctant groan.

Chapter Sixty-Four (Combined 5000 words) The Lamp's Thoughts

"First of all, it's definitely the arrangement of instruments and positions!" Chihaya Aine placed her hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and looked very energetic.

Shiina Tatsuki lightly tapped the table, her brow furrowing: "Hey, why are you hosting this?"

Chihaya Aine confidently tossed a strand of pink hair, raised her chin slightly, and deliberately turned her gaze to Ishikawa Mayu beside her, with a hint of smugness: "Hmph, I'm really good at this kind of thing! I was the student council president in junior high! Right, Mayu-san?"

Looking at Aine's childish "praise me" expression, Ishikawa Mayu found it somewhat amusing, but still nodded in agreement and gave a brief "Mm," acknowledging her past.

It's unbelievable that someone would bring up such an old story to brag about; he's still just a kid.

Having received confirmation from Mayu, Aine became even more smug and immediately turned her attention back to Takamatsu Akari, her eyes sparkling: "Akari! You can play the tambourine, right? The triangle is also good! Ah, the castanets are nice too! They're easy to pick up!"

Takamatsu Akari felt a bit pressured by the barrage of questions, but she still raised her face, looked firmly at Aine with her light brown eyes, and answered earnestly in a low voice.

"I...I will try my best!"

Ai Yin clapped her hands triumphantly: "Great! It's decided then! I'll be the guitarist and lead singer!"

"No way!" Shiina Tatsuki immediately covered her face with her hand, her tone resolute and leaving no room for negotiation, "The lead singer must be the one with the light."

Ai Yin chuckled, trying to brush it off: "Then... a backing vocalist?"

Li hope slammed his hand on the table and glared at her: "Lead singer!"

"Tch..." Ai Yin snorted inwardly, but outwardly put on a "I can't do anything with you" look. "Fine, fine, then let's have a guitarist and a vocalist! Is that alright? Two vocalists!"

"Are you serious?" Shiina Riki looked incredulous, her brows furrowing even more.

"Of course!" Ai Yin puffed out her chest. "I'm very serious! And as the guitarist and lead vocalist, it's perfectly reasonable for me to stand in the center of the stage, right?"

“That’s even more unacceptable!” Li hope immediately retorted.

…………

Ishikawa Mayu watched as Aine and Riki argued heatedly over who would get the center position, and found the scene quite amusing.

He didn't find Aine's energetic, even somewhat argumentative, demeanor annoying; rather, he saw it as a cute, clumsy little kitten with its claws outstretched. He genuinely thought Aine's voice was quite distinctive and incredibly captivating, making her a suitable lead singer.

But when his gaze shifted to Takamatsu Akari, who was sitting quietly to the side, her head slightly lowered and her cautious demeanor softened his heart.

The lamp was also an important friend of his, and caught between the two, he simply couldn't show favoritism or openly side with either side.

What's more... isn't it quite amusing how Lixi gets so angry at Aine, while Aine puffs out her cheeks and argues her point?

A faint smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

Well, these two may argue, but they'll eventually find a solution. Let's just watch the show.

Nagasaki Motoyo watched the two bickering back and forth with a kind smile on her face, but in her heart she was calmly calculating.

Her goal has always been to reorganize Crychic. When the time is right, this noisy pink-haired girl who joined halfway through will naturally need to be "optimized" out.

If Aine were to become the lead vocalist or even take the center position, the difficulty of replacing her and the impact on the band's stability would be far greater than replacing a rhythm guitarist. There might even be various negative consequences. Therefore, we absolutely cannot let this guy become the lead vocalist.

Therefore, she was on Lixi's side and was preparing to use her usual gentle approach to openly mediate and subtly guide everyone to reject Aine's unrealistic ideas.

However, just as she was about to speak, her gaze inadvertently swept over Ishikawa Mayu.

He rested his chin on one hand, watching Ai Yin and Li hope argue heatedly over the center position, a helpless yet amused smile playing on his lips. His gaze was clearly that of someone watching children fooling around.

As if sensing her gaze, Ishikawa Mayu looked up and met her eyes in mid-air.

His smile remained unchanged, and he even raised an eyebrow slightly at her, as if he were silently sharing his吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or critical comments) about the "farce" in front of him, carrying a peculiar sense of tacit understanding that only the two of them could comprehend.

Motoyo Nagasaki's heart skipped a beat.

A brand new idea flashed into her mind like lightning.

…………

"That's even more unacceptable!" Li Xi retorted, feeling that Ai Yin was simply being ridiculous. "Isn't it natural for the lead singer to stand in the center? You're going too far!"

Just as Aine was about to retort angrily, Nagasaki Motoyo's face broke into an incredibly gentle smile, her voice soft yet firm.

"I think... Aine-chan's suggestion isn't entirely unfeasible."

Upon hearing this, not only Aine and Riki, but even Ishikawa Mayu, who was watching the scene unfold, looked at her with slight surprise.

"Really?! Suze-kun!" Chihaya Aine was so surprised she almost jumped up, overwhelmed with emotion. She immediately got up from her seat, bypassed Mayu, and hopped over to Suze's side.

She affectionately linked arms with Su Shi, not forgetting to subtly criticize someone watching the show from the sidelines, "You're so kind! Su Shi! Look at Zhen Yu, all she does is stand by and watch the show, she doesn't even help me! You're definitely the best! Love you!"

Ishikawa Mayu, who was suddenly called out, was taken aback for a moment, then gave an innocent look and shrugged, indicating that he was just an observer.

Nagasaki Motoyo enjoyed Aine's dependence and gratitude, and her smile became even more gentle and touching. She gently patted Aine's hand and continued, "Well, then Aine, you can stand in front with the light, one on the left and one on the right, both of you will be very conspicuous."

Then, seemingly casually, she turned her gaze to Ishikawa Mayu, her tone carrying a hint of expectation and an almost imperceptible selfishness, "As for the positioning... I think that if the bass and violin tones were closer together, perhaps they could create more interesting variations? Mayu-kun, what do you think? We can try standing together."

The reunion of Crychic is still uncertain, but being able to stand on stage alongside Shin'ya is a real and tangible happiness that I can grasp right now.

Chihaya Aine was completely overwhelmed by Suze's "selfless" support, thinking that Suze was truly the best teammate in the world. She immediately nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, Suze is right! The bass and violin will definitely sound great if they are close together!"

Upon hearing this final arrangement, Gao Songdeng's furrowed brows finally relaxed.

She glanced at the sulking Li Xi beside her, then at the excited Ai Yin and the gentle Su Shi, and finally at Zhen Yu. Seeing that he didn't object, she nodded gently and whispered, "Hmm... that's good."

A faint, yet genuinely reassuring smile even appeared on her lips.

Shiina Riki looked at Suze, who had instantly "defected," and Aine, who was overjoyed, and then at Akari, who had agreed to the arrangement. She felt like the sky had fallen. She opened her mouth to say something, but in the end, she swallowed her words of opposition.

Although it was really embarrassing to let this pink-haired girl and the light girl be the lead singers together, at least the light girl's position as the lead singer was kept. She could only helplessly accept this compromise and sullenly clicked her tongue, which was taken as tacit approval.

As Ishikawa Mayu watched the scene where "agreement" was quickly reached, he vaguely felt that something was amiss.

When did Su Shi become so knowledgeable about stage positioning and vocal coordination? And her change of attitude in supporting Ai Yin seems a bit sudden? But he couldn't figure out exactly what the problem was for the time being.

But when his gaze swept over Ai Yin's joyful expression of "getting what she wanted," and met Su Shi's gentle yet expectant eyes, he hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

"Hmm, I have no objection."

-----------------

After finalizing the band's positioning, Ai Yin excitedly expressed her intention to name the band.