People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Ishikawa Mayu glanced at Riki's insincere expression, finding it somewhat amusing, but didn't call him out on it. He turned his gaze back to the camera, looking expectantly at Aine, who was already in position.

"Let's begin, Aine."

Chapter 73 was at least quite entertaining.

Ai Yin's performance finally ended with a somewhat rushed chord. She let out a long sigh of relief, a few strands of her hair damp with sweat and clinging to her flushed cheeks.

However, her exhaustion could not hide the joy and pride in her eyes. Holding her guitar, she looked at Takamatsu Akari and Nagasaki Motoyo with sparkling eyes.

"How about my C chord!"

Takamatsu Akari knew absolutely nothing about guitar technique; she simply watched Aine's earnest efforts and heard her playing, which to her "truly produced sound," and nodded vigorously, her light brown eyes filled with pure admiration.

"Very impressive."

Aine immediately seemed to be filled with energy, her smile becoming even brighter. She then turned to Nagasaki Motoyo and asked, "What do you think, Motoyo-kun?"

Nagasaki Motoyo still wore a gentle smile, but a subtle look of disbelief flashed in her eyes as she tentatively asked.

"Is there anything else you can play?"

Ai Yin immediately puffed out her chest, her face full of confidence that said, "Leave it to me!" She replied, "I can do everything, G chords or A minor, and F chords too."

However, when she started demonstrating again, her fingers seemed like a lost child, hesitantly groping on the fretboard, and the notes she pressed still had a dull, noisy quality. The so-called A minor and F chords were even more clumsy and awkward.

Standing behind the phone stand, Ishikawa Mayu looked at Aine's confident "I can do anything" demeanor and the actually disastrous performance. Her expression changed from initial silence to complete existential doubt.

Is that correct?

He clearly remembered that during the junior high school cultural festival, Chihaya Aine had performed guitar on stage as a class representative.

Although I had to go to the bathroom halfway through because of a stomachache and couldn't listen to the whole thing, I vaguely remember that the reaction afterwards seemed... pretty good?

Could it be that the tolerance of that group of viewers is so incredibly high?

"How was it, Mayu-kun!"

Ai Yin turned her expectant gaze toward the final "judge," the one she cared about most.

"..."

As Ishikawa Mayu hesitated, trying to figure out how to evaluate the situation, Shiina Tatsuki couldn't stand it anymore.

This guy clearly didn't play well enough, but he still insisted on asking Ishikawa for feedback.

She rubbed her forehead and sighed heavily, drawing Aine's attention: "Sigh... It's just a chord..."

Li hope's voice was filled with a sense of powerlessness; it was less of a critique and more of a bewilderment in the face of something incomprehensible.

Ai Yin immediately retorted like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, "You drummer don't understand! Guitar playing is just a process of going from chord to chord!"

Shiina Ritsuki was speechless at her self-righteous attitude. "Sigh... You're a guitarist and vocalist now. Are you going to sing on stage while looking down at your guitar?"

"Ugh..." Ai Yin was hit where it hurt, and immediately deflated like a punctured balloon, pouting pitifully, her arms holding the guitar drooping down.

Ishikawa Mayu couldn't bear to see Aine suffer, but Shiina Tatsuki's words were indeed correct, leaving him powerless to refute them.

This is the first time I've felt completely helpless against Li hope... Ai Yin, if you could just put in a little more effort, I could help you!

He silently operated his phone, saving the "wonderful" performance from just now.

Then, he raised his eyes, looked at the dejected Aiyin, and said in a serious tone:

"Hmm... Although the performance itself still has a lot of room for improvement, at least this footage... has good program effect."

"For the sake of the show?" Ai Yin suddenly looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears, and didn't react for a moment.

“Hmm.” Ishikawa Mayu nodded, analyzing with an air of seriousness, “It’s full of…contrast. And it feels very real. When documenting a band’s growth, there always has to be some…early traces.”

His words were vague, but Aine seemed to have grasped at a straw, and the light in her eyes gradually brightened again: "Really? It's so...contrast-like? So real?"

"Yes." Ishikawa Mayu affirmed again, though his ears were a little hot, he tried to maintain his composure.

This was probably the most convincing and comforting evaluation he could think of.

"Pfft-"

A soft laugh came from the direction of Nagasaki Motoyo, and she couldn't help herself anymore.

Shinba-kun's words were purely to take care of Aine's feelings. There was really nothing to praise from a technical point of view, so he had to find another way.

Although Takamatsu Akari didn't quite understand what "program effect" and "contrast" meant, she keenly noticed the change in the atmosphere on set—Su Shi laughed, Li Xi snorted but didn't argue back, and Zhen Yu... he was affirming Aine.

So she looked up at Aine and nodded very seriously and forcefully, showing her support with her actions. Her light brown eyes were full of "Mayu is right".

Shiina Riki rolled her eyes at the scene before her, which consisted of "one who dared to speak, two who dared to believe, and one who was just watching the show," but ultimately decided not to pour cold water on the situation any further.

Ishikawa Mayu glanced at Shiina Tatsuki, who was standing next to her with her arms crossed and a look of "I can't bear to watch" on her face, and then turned her head to look at Chihaya Aine, who was already floating on air. She couldn't help but facepalm in her heart.

Is this girl truly unable to distinguish between good and bad words, or is she deliberately selectively accepting them? His intention was to comfort her, not to let her just give up!

He cleared his throat, trying to steer the conversation back on track, his tone somewhat persuasive:

“Well… what Li hope said actually makes sense.” He deliberately slowed down his speech to make his words sound more serious. “After all, as a band, we ultimately have to rely on our skills and music to speak for ourselves.”

Ai Yin's smile faded a bit, and she blinked at him, seemingly realizing that "show effect" might not be the only criterion for evaluation.

Seeing her serious expression, Ishikawa Mayu tried to find a balance between encouragement and urging.

“I hope… Aiyin, you can excel in both ‘show effects’ and ‘stage effects’.” He paused, looking at her sincerely, “So, can you try a little harder and solidify your basics? At least… during rehearsals, we need to be able to keep up with each other’s pace.”

After saying this, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally expressed what he needed to say, without discouraging her enthusiasm while also highlighting the key points.

Shiina Tatsuki, who had already given up hope on Ishikawa Mayu and believed that he would only unconditionally protect Aine, raised an eyebrow in surprise after hearing his words.

She turned her head, her gaze scrutinizing Ishikawa Mayu, as if trying to confirm whether he had suddenly been possessed by something. He could actually... speak some decent, reasonable human language now? Was he no longer just a "guardian of Aine"?

This realization inexplicably calmed the slight irritation that had risen in Lixi's heart due to Aiyin's terrible technique. Although her face still didn't have a good expression, the posture of her arms crossed seemed less tense, and she let out an extremely faint, almost inaudible "humph" from her nose, which could be considered as a reluctant acceptance of his statement.

Chapter 74 Li hope's Self-Introduction

Seeing that the atmosphere had eased somewhat, Ishikawa Mayu refocused her attention on the phone stand.

"So, shall we continue? Aiyin has already recorded it. Next, who would like to try a simple self-introduction? Or just say a few words, as a memento for future 'growth records'."

His gaze swept over the crowd.

Upon hearing this, Nagasaki Motoyo smiled gently and took a small step forward, gracefully standing in front of the camera.

"Hello everyone, I'm Nagasaki Motoyo, the bassist for the band. I'm very happy to be able to create music with Mayu and everyone else. I hope to use the sound of the bass to support our own melody."

"Su Shi is absolutely right!"

Chihaya Aine immediately cheered softly, then turned to Takamatsu Akari, who seemed a little uneasy, and gently took her wrist. "Akari, come on over! It's simple, just say 'I'm Takamatsu Akari'!"

As Aine pulled him along, Takamatsu Akari's body stiffened, and she instinctively wanted to back away, looking at Ishikawa Mayu with pleading eyes.

Ishikawa Mayu received the pleading look in Akari's eyes, nodded slightly to her, and gave her a gentle and encouraging look.

Feeling this silent support, Takamatsu Akari's tense shoulders relaxed slightly. She took a deep breath, as if summoning great courage, and took a small step forward, almost hiding behind Aine, only showing half of her face to the camera.

“I… am Takamatsu Tada…” she said, then immediately lowered her head, her cheeks flushed slightly.

"Being able to stand in front of the camera and say your own name is already quite an achievement."

Ishikawa Mayu laughed. It seemed that Xiaodeng was becoming more and more courageous, which was a good sign.

“Yes,” Nagasaki Motoyo immediately chimed in softly, looking at the lamp with eyes full of encouragement and appreciation. “It’s really amazing that you’ve done this.”

Hearing their conversation, Gao Songdeng, though still keeping his head down, subtly relaxed his tense lips and softly hummed in agreement.

Next, everyone's gaze, including Ishikawa Mayu's knowing look with a barely perceptible smile, drifted towards the figure behind the drum group who was trying to hide himself.

Shiina Tatsuki felt extremely uncomfortable under those gazes, especially from Ishikawa Mayu, who, despite having no expression, made her feel like he was laughing at her. Her brows furrowed habitually, and she said in a stiff tone, "...Why are you all looking at me?"

"Tachiki-kun," Nagasaki Motoyo gently reminded him, "it's your turn now."

"Tsk..." Li hope smacked his lips reluctantly, feeling sweat beading on his forehead.

She glanced quickly at Takamatsu Akari, who was standing quietly in front of the camera, and noticed that Akari was also looking at her with her light brown eyes, with a hint of expectation that was hard to detect.

...Really.

She grumbled inwardly, but still, under everyone's gaze, she reluctantly walked to the edge of the camera, almost standing outside the frame.

He glanced quickly at the camera, then blurted out a sentence in a rapid, indistinct voice:

"Shiina Tatsuki, drummer."

After saying that, she immediately retreated behind her drum, as if staying for even a second longer would burn her with the camera lens.

“Lixi-kun,” Ishikawa Mayu called out to her, suppressing a laugh. Her tone sounded quite innocent and businesslike. “Stand closer and say it again. I didn’t record it clearly just now.”

Lixi glared at him fiercely, her fists clenched. This guy was definitely doing it on purpose!

But under the quiet gaze of the lamp, she reluctantly took a small step toward the center of the camera, took a deep breath, and, as if completing some arduous task, raised her voice slightly, but still spoke concisely, each word seemingly squeezed out from between her teeth:

"Shiina Tatsuki. The drummer."

This time, his pronunciation was much clearer, although his expression still seemed forced, and he exuded an impatient aura of "hurry up and finish."

Seeing Shiina Tatsuki's expression of relief as he quickly fled back to the drum group, Ishikawa Mayu finally couldn't help but chuckle softly.

He walked in front of the camera and finished his part: "Ishikawa Mayu, violin."

Then, he turned his head, looking at Li Xi with a hint of mockery, and couldn't help but smile as he added to the camera:

"That's all for our band members right now. We hope you all like it. Although the bass drummer who was just playing around might have a bit of a rock star vibe, his skills are absolutely reliable."

As soon as he finished speaking, a pair of drumsticks slammed precisely onto the floor at his feet with a sharp thud.

"Ishikawa! Do you want to die?!" Shiina Tatsuki's fierce glare almost burned two holes in him.

Ishikawa Mayu nimbly jumped back half a step, dodging the "weapon," but his smile deepened as he shrugged at the camera:

"See? At least... it's rock and roll, isn't it?"

"Pfft—hahahaha!" Chihaya Aine immediately burst into unrestrained laughter. She pointed at Ritsuki, tears welling up in her eyes from laughing. "Mayu-san, that's such a perfect description! Ritsuki-san, that move you made just now was so cool!"

She laughed as she mimicked Lixi's gesture of throwing the drumsticks, her movements exaggerated and comical, clearly embellishing the story on purpose.

Li hope was getting red-hot, her teeth grinding together.

"You two..."

Takamatsu stood beside Aine, looking at Ritsuki's sullen yet helpless expression, then at Mayu's smiling profile and Aine's bright smile. A hint of bewildered confusion flashed in her light brown eyes, but she felt more of a... lively warmth.

She gently tugged at Aine's sleeve and whispered, "Aine... stop laughing."

Looking at the drumsticks that landed precisely at his feet, and at Riki's almost fiery gaze, Ishikawa Mayu showed no fear; instead, her smile deepened.

He calmly bent down, picked up the pair of drumsticks, and brushed away non-existent dust with his fingertips.

Then, he walked a few steps to the drum kit, and under Lixi's murderous gaze, he smiled and handed the drumsticks back to her.

Here, your drumsticks.

Shiina Riki stared intently at him, her chest heaving violently, but when her gaze fell on the drumsticks she was used to using in his hand, and when she caught sight of Chihaya Aine covering her mouth and chuckling, and Takamatsu Akari's slightly worried look, she suddenly reached out and snatched the drumsticks away.

"Stop talking nonsense!" she yelled angrily, turning her face away, but her fingers gripping the drumsticks unconsciously tightened slightly on the wooden surface.

Although his face was still full of displeasure, he didn't retaliate further.

"Alright, alright," Nagasaki Motoyo stepped in to smooth things over, clapping her hands lightly to draw everyone's attention back. "We certainly acknowledge Riki's skill. But shouldn't we get back to the main topic now? Shouldn't we find a piece and start our first rehearsal together?"

Chapter Seventy-Five: No one will like it, but then again...

"For example, how about choosing a suitable cover song as a starting point?"

A cover song?

Ishikawa Mayu's heart stirred slightly.

really.

My decision to specifically seek out Ms. Mana yesterday to obtain the rights to cover "Here the World" was definitely the right one.