People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

She moved quickly to stand in front of Wakaba Mu in a few steps, almost as if she pounced on him.

"I'm so glad to finally meet you, Wakaba-san!" Chihaya Aine's voice was filled with joy. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest and leaned forward slightly to express her enthusiasm.

"I'm Chihaya Aine! Motoyo-kun has mentioned you to me so many times! Oh my god, it's so great to meet you in person! I love your mom's movies! And I watch your dad's variety shows all the time!"

Her words flowed like a cheerful stream, filled with obvious admiration and the excitement of finally meeting a celebrity. Although she knew the other person was a former teammate, the aura of being a "second-generation star" clearly held a huge attraction for Aine.

"Um... what does Ms. Minami think about you playing in a band? She's so talented, she must have given you a lot of professional guidance, right? Was she super—strict?"

However, as one question after another was posed about Wakaba Mutsumi's parents, the air around Wakaba Mutsumi seemed to freeze.

Her expression remained unchanged, still that lifeless calm, but upon closer inspection, one could see that her slender shoulders were tense.

The hand holding the tote bag had its fingers slightly curled inwards, and the outline of the knuckles on the fair back of the hand was somewhat distinct due to the force.

She did not answer any of Ai-yin's questions.

Her golden eyes were lowered, her gaze fixed on the tips of her shoes, as if there was something there that was extremely attractive to her.

Only her slightly quickened and somewhat rapid breathing betrayed that her heart was not entirely unmoved.

Those familiar, shackle-like comments and attention surged in once again like a tidal wave, trying to bind her to those two dazzling names and completely drown out her own existence.

"...Speaking of which, I've seen the video of your performance. Mu's guitar skills are really amazing. She must have put in a lot of effort and really loves the guitar, right? I can tell."

When Momo looked up, Ishikawa Mayu was smiling at her. There was no questioning or comparison in her smile, only recognition of the music itself.

Something extremely subtle seemed to flicker in those golden eyes, like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creating ripples.

In a corner where no one could see, Chihaya Aine was subtly tugged at the sleeve by Ishikawa Mayu.

She paused for a moment, then noticed Mu's even more tense silence than before. Only then did she belatedly realize that she might have said something wrong. The excited look on her face was instantly replaced by a trace of helplessness and guilt.

Ishikawa Mayu glanced at Aine, who had calmed down, and said in a teasing tone:

"Compared to that guy who can't even play chords properly but calls himself a guitarist and vocalist, Mu's guitar skills are indeed much better."

"Mayu-kun!" Aine immediately puffed out her cheeks in protest, her voice much softer than before.

He turned to Mutsumi Wakaba and said sincerely, "Now that we've run into each other, could you please give this 'self-proclaimed guitarist' some pointers?"

Ruoye Mu shook her head gently, her voice weak: "I...I'm not good enough..."

This answer clearly showed a lack of confidence.

But then, she handed the handbag she had been carrying forward forward, her movements showing persistence.

Ishikawa Mayu was somewhat bewildered by the unexpected gift.

Nagasaki Motoyo gently explained at the right moment, "This is a special gift that Mutsu prepared for our meeting. It's cucumbers that she grew herself."

"I see..."

Ishikawa Mayu's gaze softened. Although cucumbers weren't particularly valuable, growing them personally must have taken a lot of effort, making them a very sincere gift.

He solemnly accepted the bag, feeling the heavy weight of the cucumbers inside.

"I will cherish the cucumbers that Mu-tong grew herself!"

When Ruoye Mu heard these words, a very subtle flicker appeared in her usually calm and unwavering golden eyes.

Although there was still no obvious smile on her face, her slightly pursed lips seemed to relax for a moment, and her lowered eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly. For her, this was almost a considerable expression of emotion and happiness.

Nagasaki Motoyo stood to the side, taking in the whole scene.

Seeing how seriously Mayu treated Mutsumi's feelings, and seeing the almost imperceptible yet real relaxation in Mutsumi, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down completely, and a gentle and gratified smile involuntarily spread across her lips.

A satisfied gleam shone in his blue eyes, as if he saw a long-awaited connection quietly being established.

"Wow! It looks so fresh! And the color is so beautiful!" Chihaya Aine curiously came over, peering into the cucumbers in the bag, and exclaimed with genuine admiration, temporarily forgetting the slight embarrassment she had just felt.

Ishikawa Mayu looked up at the sky. The setting sun had already dyed most of the sky orange-red, and the number of students coming and going at the school gate was gradually decreasing.

"It's getting late, let's not keep blocking the doorway." He turned his gaze to the girls beside him and suggested in a relaxed tone, "Anyway, it's the weekend now... how about we all go get some food together?"

He shook the tote bag in his hand, a refreshing smile on his face:

"Consider it... a thank you for the cucumber, Mu-kun, and also a celebration for our first meeting. It's on me."

The suggestion received an immediate and positive response.

"Yay! Time to eat!" Chihaya Aine was the first to cheer, her silver-gray eyes sparkling as she instantly regained her energy.

Nagasaki Motoyo also smiled and nodded: "Yes, that's a good suggestion."

Takamatsu gave a soft "hmm," a hint of anticipation flickering in his light brown eyes.

Although Ruoye Muku didn't speak, her slightly raised head and her golden eyes, which seemed a little brighter than before, as she looked at Ishikawa Mayu, already made her stance clear.

Ishikawa Mayu turned her gaze to Nagasaki Motoyo, her expression questioning:

"How about we go to that place we went to last time? It's... the buffet restaurant your mother took us to."

He remembered that the restaurant had a nice environment and a wide variety of dishes. The key thing was that the buffet style should be able to cater to everyone's tastes.

After all, since transmigrating, aside from going to convenience stores, I've only cooked for myself and have eaten out very rarely, so my knowledge of restaurants is quite limited.

The restaurant that his aunt from Nagasaki had taken him and Su Shi to was one of the better choices in terms of both taste and experience, in his memory.

Nagasaki Motoyo's eyes lit up when she heard his words.

That memory was equally precious to her, not just because of the food, but also because of the rare warm moments when her mother took time to be with her and Makoto was also present.

A warm current, a mixture of surprise and sweetness, welled up in her heart. She nodded vigorously, her long hair swaying gently with her movement, and the smile on her face was even brighter and more genuine than before.

"Yeah! That shop is great!"

Her voice was filled with unmistakable joy, because what was chosen was not just the restaurant, but also a cherished, shared memory.

"Yay! Let's go!" Chihaya Aine responded immediately, excitedly leading the way out of the school.

"Wait." Ishikawa Mayu gently placed a hand on her shoulder. He glanced at her, his eyes hinting at a reminder, "Have you forgotten something important?"

"Huh?" Aine stopped and turned around in confusion.

Ishikawa Mayu sighed: "Tachiki. She's probably still working hard on the adaptation of 'Spring Shadow' right now, isn't she? Do you think it's appropriate for us to go out for dinner and leave her all alone?"

Nagasaki Motoyo let out a soft "Ah," revealing a hint of apology: "You're right... Riki worked so hard for the band, we really shouldn't forget her."

Takamatsu also nodded silently.

Chihaya Aine stuck out her tongue guiltily. She'd been so caught up in having fun that she'd completely forgotten about the hot-tempered drummer. She quickly pulled out her phone: "I'll send a LINE message to Ritsuki right now!"

Her fingers flew across the screen, a mischievous smirk on her face, as she muttered to herself:

[Aine: Riki~ It's the weekend, don't be busy, let's go out for a meal together! It's Mayu-san's treat! (????)]

Almost immediately, the phone vibrated, and the reply came quickly and urgently.

[Lixi: Don't call me Riki! Also, I'm not going, I don't have time, I need to rearrange the song.]

Chihaya Aine looked at the screen, pouted, turned the phone screen towards Ishikawa Mayu, and said with a hint of "See, I knew it" in her voice: "See, Riki doesn't want to come."

Ishikawa Mayu shook her head helplessly, took Aine's phone, and complained, "You're focusing on the wrong thing. It's no wonder Tatsuki won't come."

[Little Lantern is coming too! She'll be very disappointed if you don't go.]

After the message was sent, there was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, with the screen displaying "Typing..." for almost half a minute, as if one could imagine the intense inner struggle the person on the other end of the screen was going through.

Finally, a short reply popped up.

[Shiina Tatsuki: What time is it? Where are you?]

Looking at the reply, Ishikawa Mayu had a knowing look on her face, as if she had just expected it. After sending the address and time, she handed the phone back to Aine, who was staring at her expectantly.

"nailed it."

Chapter 85 Waiting

"Yay! Mayu-san is amazing!" Chihaya Aine cheered immediately, took the phone, and her face was full of admiration. "She took care of Tachibana-san in one go!"

Nagasaki Motoyo stood to the side and said softly, "Shinba-kun really understands everyone. He always manages to grasp everyone's thoughts perfectly."

That's why she believed that if it was Zhenyu, he could definitely solve all the problems.

Feeling a little embarrassed by Su Shi's words, Ishikawa Mayu glanced away and casually changed the subject:

"None of that matters. The key is... that everyone can temporarily put aside the worries of practice and adaptation, and happily get together like this, which is better than anything else."

As he spoke, his gaze naturally shifted to the quiet Takamatsu beside him, and he asked in a gentle tone:

"You're right, aren't you, light?"

Takamatsu Akari raised her head, her light brown eyes looking at Ishikawa Mayu. Her gaze was clear and focused, filled with pure trust. She nodded vigorously.

"……Um."

Ishikawa Mayu looked at the lantern's earnest response, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. He clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention, and then spoke in a decisive tone, as if giving orders:

"Okay, I'll call a taxi for you guys using a ride-hailing app now. Lixi knows the address, and one car is just right for you girls."

He shook the motorcycle key in his hand, making a slight metallic clinking sound.

"I followed behind on my motorcycle, and we arrived quickly."

This arrangement was reasonable and no one raised any objections.

Chihaya Aine immediately raised her hand and responded enthusiastically, "Understood! I will take good care of Akari, Sose, and Wakaba-san!"

As she spoke, she gave Wakaba Mutsu a friendly smile.

Soon, the taxi arrived, and the four girls got into the car one by one.

The car started, and Aine rolled down the window, leaned halfway out, and waved vigorously at Ishikawa Mayu, who was about to go get her motorcycle:

"Mayu-san! Hurry up and catch up!"

"Okay, sit up straight, it's dangerous." Ishikawa Mayu waved her hand, somewhat helplessly.

This child, really...

Nagasaki Motoyo gently tugged at Aine's sleeve from inside the car, softly reminding her, "Aine-chan, this is dangerous."

Chihaya Aine then chuckled and shrank back into the car, the window slowly rolling up.

The taxi carrying the four girls slowly drove into the evening traffic.

After watching them leave, Ishikawa Mayu turned and walked towards her motorcycle.

He nimbly straddled the seat, but did not start the engine immediately.

The cool night breeze brushed against his cheeks. He took out his phone and opened the chat interface with Toyokawa Shoko.

Recalling her angry message, he couldn't help but shake his head and tap his fingers on the screen.

[Mayu: Okay, okay, I'll keep an eye on Su Shi, don't be angry.]

After sending the message, he stared at the screen, his fingertips tapping lightly on the edge of the phone as he pondered for a moment.

Almost all the original members of Crychic were present at tonight's dinner party, except for Xiangzi...

Although everyone now has a new band and partners, if Xiangzi is completely excluded from such a gathering, or even kept in the dark, given her current sensitivity and stubbornness, she might feel abandoned and betrayed by everyone.

He didn't want her to feel any more of the loneliness of being isolated from her former circle.

Thinking of this, he added, trying to make his tone sound natural and casual, as if he were sharing an ordinary little thing:

[Mayu: Oh right, I took everyone out for a get-together today... Suze, Riki, Akari, and... Wakaba Mutsumi.]

The message was marked as read. A reply appeared a while later.

[Xiangzi: What does this have to do with me?]

The words still carried a hint of lingering rigidity, but compared to the previous angry accusation, the attitude had clearly softened considerably, more like an awkward, defiant attempt to hide the fact that the person cared.

Looking at this typical Xiangzi-style reply, Ishikawa Mayu could almost imagine her awkward expression as she pursed her lips, turned her face away, yet couldn't help staring at her phone screen. The corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve upwards.

He tapped lightly with his fingertips and continued to soothe her:

[Mayu: It's nothing, I just wanted to let you know. Just so you don't hear about it from elsewhere and start overthinking things.]

After the message was sent, there was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

The message "The other party is typing..." flashed and disappeared at the top of the screen several times, as if the person on the other end of the screen was carefully considering their words or undergoing some kind of internal struggle.