People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

……

Were they just walking here hand in hand, laughing and joking?

really……

I still witnessed the scene I least wanted to see...

Nagasaki Motoyo felt as if something was blocking her chest, making it difficult for her to breathe.

She had long known that Shinba-kun treated Aine differently, which was evident from his unconscious protection and indulgence.

I thought I was mentally prepared, but seeing them walk hand in hand to the station was still more shocking than I expected.

A bitter taste and resentment surged in her chest, and the elegant demeanor she had carefully maintained, cultivated by the Moon Forest, was almost impossible to preserve at this moment.

My fingertips tightened involuntarily, gripping the bass box handle with such force that my knuckles turned white.

Should we hide here? And then sneak back after Shin'yu leaves?

Nagasaki Motoyo squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them again, the brief wavering in her blue eyes had completely transformed into determination.

hide?

That's definitely not Nagasaki Motoyo's style.

She took a deep breath, tidied her long hair which was slightly ruffled by the evening breeze, and gently smoothed out the non-existent folds on her skirt, as if trying to reassemble her scattered composure.

Then, Nagasaki Motoyo took a step forward, a gentle smile returning to her face, and walked towards the figure who had just released Chihaya Aine.

“True Feather Lord”.

Hearing the voice, Ishikawa Mayu turned around and looked slightly surprised when she saw Nagasaki Motoyo. "Motoyo? You haven't gone back yet?"

"We're about to board the train." Nagasaki Motoyo nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on his face with concern. "How's Aine? She seemed quite down this afternoon."

Her tone had returned to normal.

“I talked her out of it, and she's fine now,” Ishikawa Mayu replied simply but gently. His gaze lingered on her face for a moment longer, noticing a hint of weariness between her brows. “You look a little tired. You must have had a long day.”

This sudden show of concern startled Su Shi slightly.

She hadn't expected that Zhenyu would notice her condition, and the slight bitterness in her heart seemed to be gently soothed by this greeting.

"I'm fine." She shook her head gently, a gentle smile curving her lips. "But it must have been more tiring for Masahiro-kun to chase after Aine-san, and even take her to the station."

Her words were filled with genuine concern, her fingertips unconsciously twirling the ends of her hair. "But it's so good to see that Aine-kun is able to cheer up. She's always been concerned about what Mahiro-kun thinks."

Ishikawa Mayu gazed at her gentle yet weary smile, and softened his tone: "You always think so much about everyone."

He paused, his voice carrying a reassuring certainty: "But there's no need to push yourself too hard. We'll face the band's situation together."

These words were like a warm current, gently flowing through Su Shi's heart. She raised her eyes, gazing at him with tender eyes, and the feeling of being understood and cared for made her want more.

"Hmm..." she responded softly, her voice tinged with dependence, "It's just that seeing Masahiro so focused on comforting Aine-san, and leaving without even saying goodbye... I feel a little lonely."

She spoke softly, as if making a trivial complaint, but her slightly flushed cheeks betrayed the weight of her feelings.

Seeing this rare display of vulnerability in her, Ishikawa Mayu's gaze softened.

"It was my oversight," he said sincerely, his tone apologetic. "It won't happen again next time."

This promise made Su Shi's heart tremble slightly. She knew she shouldn't be so greedy, but in front of him, she couldn't help but want more attention.

She lowered her eyelashes slightly, but a gentle smile, tinged with nostalgia and a touch of shyness, bloomed on her lips as she softly said:

"Do you remember, Mayu-kun? It was right here that day, and you stayed with me like this, seeing me off all the way to the station. I even cried then, and in the end... we even made a pinky promise..."

As she spoke, she raised her eyes and looked at him with a tender gaze. Her blue eyes sparkled with a hint of embarrassment, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

"Looking back now, I feel like I was... a bit naive. I actually acted in such a childish way..."

Ishikawa Mayu looked at the complex expression on her face, a mixture of shyness and nostalgia, and laughed.

"It really is childish. My school uniform jacket was soaked with someone's tears and was almost dripping wet."

Nagasaki Motoyo's eyes widened instantly, and her cheeks flushed bright red.

"Shinba-kun!" She couldn't help but stomp her foot lightly, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed, before covering her burning cheeks.

"Let's not talk about that kind of thing anymore!" Her voice escaped from between her fingers, filled with deep embarrassment. "Back then... back then I was...!"

She hesitated for a long time but couldn't find a suitable reason to explain her loss of composure. In the end, she could only give up and put her hand down, puffing out her cheeks to glare at him. But there was no anger in her glare; instead, her eyes were glistening with tears, making her look exceptionally charming.

Seeing Su Shi's lively and adorable reaction, so different from her usual gentle and proper demeanor, Ishikawa Mayu's smile deepened.

Motoyo Nagasaki's heart trembled slightly at his rare joke and the gentle gaze that followed.

The feeling of being deeply understood, and even remembered by him in such an intimate way, gave her the courage to softly express her deepest unease:

"Hmm... because back then, Shinba-kun didn't abandon me."

Her voice was soft, but carried a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"So... just now, seeing you chasing after Aine's retreating figure so anxiously, even though I know it's selfish of me to think like this..."

She took a small breath, raised her eyes, and looked at him cautiously with pleading and expectation in her gaze:

"But... next time if I'm at a loss like that again, could you... please not just leave me alone like that?"

Looking into her eyes, Ishikawa Mayu saw the cautious unease and expectation. Those blue eyes, which always carried a gentle smile, now clearly reflected his image, filled with a vulnerability that needed affirmation.

"Will not."

"I won't leave you alone, Su Shi."

Nagasaki Motoyo tilted her head slightly, a smile playing on her lips, a mixture of vulnerability and cunning. She gazed at him with her watery eyes, softly pressing for his attention, her voice low and tentative, yet carrying an undeniable expectation:

"lifetime?"

Upon hearing this, Ishikawa Mayu's expression instantly became somewhat subtle, as if he had been unexpectedly struck by some familiar "heavy blow." He couldn't help but raise his hand to rub his temples, his tone clearly filled with helplessness and resentment:

"How did you learn such bad habits from the lamp? Is it now fashionable to start with something and then commit to it forever?"

Seeing his appearance, Nagasaki Motoyo knew that the crucial moment had arrived.

She did not back down. Instead, she lowered her eyes slightly, her thick eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, concealing the calculation that flashed in her eyes.

She gently bit her lip, murmuring in a softer, more dependent voice, while subtly taking a step closer to him, creating an intimate atmosphere that was impossible to refuse.

"Is it not okay...? Shinba-kun just promised... You can't go back on your word..."

Nagasaki Motoyo knew that when dealing with someone like Ishikawa Mayu who was easily swayed by soft words but not by force, a well-timed show of weakness and dependence was far more effective than any fierce struggle.

Ishikawa Mayu looked into her eyes, those blue eyes that always shimmered with gentle light, now clearly reflecting his image, and in the end, he succumbed:

"it is good."

"Let it be for a lifetime."

He sighed silently to himself. This was different from the "Band of a Lifetime" that he couldn't easily respond to—that was a heavy ideal that required the entire team to fight against the variables of reality. What Su Shi wanted at this moment was merely his personal promise to "not abandon her," which was only a matter of his own will.

As that promise was made, Nagasaki Motoyo's heart felt as if it had been firmly held aloft by something. She looked up, a bright smile blooming on her face, a smile so pure it seemed to be untainted by any impurities.

"Yes! It's a promise! You can never leave me for the rest of your life!" She nodded vigorously, her voice full of joy, as if she were just a content little girl who had received a precious promise.

Successful.

With this promise of "a lifetime", no matter how things develop between him and Chihaya Aine in the future, he will no longer be able to easily keep his distance from himself.

This bond has left a deep mark.

There's plenty of time and patience in the future; she has all the ways to let this promise take root and ensure that she always occupies a unique and irreplaceable place in his heart.

"It's a promise." Looking at her radiant smile, Ishikawa Mayu's lips unconsciously curved upwards into a slight smile. Although he felt the promise of "a lifetime" was too heavy, it was for this girl before him—always gentle, yet capable of showing vulnerability and capriciousness in his presence…

He didn't seem to be opposed to it.

“It’s getting late,” he glanced at the sky, his tone returning naturally to reality, “I’ll take you to the turnstile.”

The two walked side by side toward the station entrance.

Su Shi was immersed in the peace and joy of receiving the promise she had just received, unaware of the impact of her unconscious actions.

Her soft body nestled against Ishikawa Mayu, and as she moved, a warm and full touch could be felt on the outside of her arm from time to time, clearly visible even through the thin fabric.

Ishikawa Mayu's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment.

This wasn't the first time he'd had physical contact with Su Shi—once when she had an emotional breakdown, he'd pulled her into his arms to comfort her.

This unconscious, continuous physical contact, accompanied by her delicate fragrance and her relaxed, dependent posture after receiving a promise, was like a fine feather, unexpectedly brushing against the lake of his heart, stirring up a tiny, unusual ripple.

That feeling was fleeting, yet it left behind a subtle, indescribable sense of the presence of the opposite sex.

He almost subconsciously moved his arm slightly outward, trying to alleviate the momentary strangeness, but his face remained calm as usual, as if the pause just now was just an illusion.

Fortunately, the distance to the turnstile wasn't far. Reaching the turnstile, Ishikawa Mayu stopped, and with that movement, her arm naturally moved a little further away from hers.

“That’s it then,” he said, his tone sounding no different than usual.

"Okay!" Su Shi replied sweetly, swiped her card, and walked through the turnstile. Just before blending into the flow of people inside the station, she turned back one last time, waved vigorously at him, and mouthed silently, "Forever!"

Then, like a happy butterfly, it turned and fluttered away.

Ishikawa Mayu watched her figure disappear into the crowd before shaking his head helplessly and chuckling softly.

"They're all so good at giving me difficult problems..."

The evening breeze brought a touch of coolness, but it seemed unable to completely dispel the faint, soft touch that lingered on my arm, as well as the nascent, still unclear, strange restlessness in my heart.

This feeling was unfamiliar, completely different from his relaxed and natural demeanor when facing Ai Yin, carrying a calmer, and more... elusive tension.

Chapter 79 (3k) The Panic of Love

Chihaya Aine practically danced her way home. The entryway light shone warmly, and the aroma of dinner filled the air.

"I'm back—" Her voice was almost overflowing with joy.

The mother, busy in the kitchen, peeked out with a gentle smile: "Welcome back, Aiyin. How was band practice today?" She noticed her daughter's unusually high spirits and was a little curious.

"Hmm! Very good!" Ai Yin responded vaguely, her smile dazzlingly bright. "Um... I'm going upstairs now!" she said, almost running upstairs, forgetting to put her schoolbag down properly.

The mother watched her daughter disappear around the corner of the stairs, blinked in confusion, and turned to look at her husband who was reading a newspaper in the living room.

"This child... why is he so happy today? He seems to have several times more energy than usual."

The father looked up from behind the newspaper, adjusted his glasses, and a knowing, slightly teasing smile appeared on his face: "A girl this age, suddenly so happy... could it be that she's in love?"

"Huh? Really?" The mother immediately became interested, wiped her hands, and came out of the kitchen. "What kind of child is he? Is he a member of a band? Or a classmate?"

The father smiled and shook his head: "I'm just guessing. But judging from her appearance, it's probably not bad."

The couple exchanged a smile, the air thick with good-natured teasing and curiosity about their daughter's budding adolescence.

Meanwhile, upstairs in Aine's room.

With a "bang," the door was gently closed.

Chihaya Aine leaned against the door, not turning on the light immediately. In the darkness, she could still feel the lingering heat on her cheeks and the continuous, joyful throbbing of her heart.

She slowly slid down to the ground, buried her face in her knees, and couldn't help but let out a suppressed, joyful whimper.

In the darkness, all her senses seemed amplified. On her right hand, she could still feel the warmth of his hand, the firm and powerful touch that had pulled her out of the mire of self-doubt.

"Aaaaaah—!"

Chihaya Aine suddenly raised her head and waved her arms wildly in the darkness, as if she could dispel the images and sounds in her mind that made her blush and her heart race, but the corners of her mouth turned up uncontrollably.

She fumbled to turn on the room light, the sudden light making her squint.

Immediately, like a lively little animal, she pounced on her soft sofa, eagerly picked up the tablet computer on the coffee table, and quickly swiped to unlock it.

The screen immediately displayed the clips that Ishikawa Mayu had recorded on her phone that afternoon in the RiNG practice room. Instead of watching her own clumsy performance, she went straight to several basic guitar fingering tutorial videos.

I absolutely must impress Riki! I must live up to Makoto's trust!

She mentally encouraged herself, her eyes filled with determination. She propped the tablet up in front of her and, mimicking the teacher's posture in the video, her fingers awkwardly pressing the strings…

"Hmm... my index finger is here... my middle finger is on this... my ring finger..."

She muttered to herself, her brows furrowing slightly as she focused.

For the first few minutes, she was able to concentrate fully, trying to adjust the angle of her fingers and press the strings tightly to produce a clear and full sound.

But soon, the familiar stinging sensation from my fingertips became clearer.