People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Adhering to the principles of "not speaking while eating" and "absolutely not offending Riki," Ishikawa Mayu focused intently on savoring the food before her. The grilled fish was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the chawanmushi was smooth and delicious, and the fried chicken nuggets were cooked to perfection... Shiina-nee's culinary skills were indeed impeccable.

Shiina Tatsuki kept her head down the whole time, eating her red bean rice in tiny bites, almost counting grains of rice at a time, her cheeks still burning. She didn't dare look up at her sister, let alone at Ishikawa Mayu across from her, and could only focus all her attention on the bowls and plates in front of her, as if that would allow her to hide herself from this suffocating embarrassment.

Fortunately, aside from her initial "deadly" declaration about red bean rice, Maki didn't say anything else that made hearts skip a beat. She simply encouraged the two to eat gently, occasionally chatting about lighthearted topics like school and music, and the atmosphere gradually eased.

Lixi's tense nerves finally relaxed little by little as her sister engaged in normal conversation and Ishikawa Mayu remained obediently silent.

Sure enough... I was just overthinking it, wasn't I? Maybe my sister was just having a whim, or maybe she really felt that we had guests today and needed something special to eat? She tried to convince herself, attempting to banish the glaring red bean rice and its possible implications from her mind.

Just as the dishes on the table were almost finished and the atmosphere had calmed down, Shiina Maki gently put down her chopsticks, a gentle smile tinged with regret on her face. Her gaze swept across the table, and she sighed softly:

"Speaking of which, today was really a bit rushed. We didn't have enough materials at home, I really felt bad for Ishikawa-kun..."

She tilted her head slightly, her smile still gentle, but the glint in her eyes instantly set off alarm bells for Lixi, who knew her sister's personality well.

“Or…” Maki’s tone rose lightly, as if she were describing a beautiful vision, “On a joyous day like today, it would be truly perfect if we could have a whole, sizzling sea bream on the table.”

"——!!!"

"Pfft—cough! Cough cough cough…!"

She choked on her own saliva, bursting into a heart-wrenching cough. Her face instantly turned purplish-red from suffocation and extreme shame and anger. She clutched her chest, coughing so hard she bent over, tears streaming uncontrollably from her eyes.

"Lixi! Why are you choking so badly? Drink some water!" Shiina Maki immediately put on a concerned expression, quickly handed over a glass of water, gently patted Lixi's back, and spoke with a tone full of worry, as if the shocking words she had just spoken had not come from her mouth at all.

Lixi grabbed the water glass and gulped down several mouthfuls, barely managing to suppress the itching in her throat. Her face remained flushed, instead turning even redder with shame and anger. She abruptly stood up, the chair legs scraping harshly against the floor.

"I'm full!"

She practically forced out those words through gritted teeth, her voice hoarse, tinged with a lingering cough and a heavy nasal tone. She dared not look at her sister's "innocent" face, much less at the seemingly petrified man beside her. Turning around, she sped out of the restaurant like a rocket, heading straight for her room.

"boom!"

The loud slam of the door slammed echoed throughout the apartment, a testament to the homeowner's near-collapse of shame and rage.

The restaurant fell into a deathly silence.

Ishikawa Mayu stood frozen in place, her fingers gripping the chopsticks turning slightly white.

Although he wasn't particularly knowledgeable about Japanese traditions, the combination of "red bean rice" and "grilled sea bream," along with Maki's meaningful tone and Riki's intense reaction... even if he were an idiot, he would completely understand the unsettling subtext behind this meal.

This is no longer a hint, it's practically an explicit statement!

Ishikawa Mayu felt his cheeks burning hot, almost as hot as Riki's had been. He abruptly put down his chopsticks and, almost mimicking Riki's movements, stood up with a "whoosh," making a loud noise from his chair due to the suddenness of his action.

"No, thank you so much for your hospitality! Shiina-neechan! I'm full too! The food was delicious! I'll take my leave now!"

He stammered his farewell, wanting nothing more than to escape this place of trouble that was making his heart race and his brain overload. He bowed slightly to Shiina Maki, then turned and tried to slip away.

"Oh, Ishikawa-kun, please wait a moment."

Shiina's gentle yet undeniable voice sounded from behind him, like an invisible rope that tripped him up.

Ishikawa Mayu's body stiffened, and she turned around very slowly, with a hint of despair in her eyes.

Shiina Maki was still sitting at the table, resting her chin on her hand, with her signature knowing smile on her face, her gaze fixed on his empty hands.

“If I remember correctly,” she tilted her head slightly, her tone light as if discussing the weather, “when Ishikawa-kun came, he brought his beloved violin, didn’t he?”

Ishikawa Mayu nodded subconsciously.

“So,” Maki’s smile deepened, her gaze lingering meaningfully on the closed door of Riki’s room upstairs, “are you planning to… go home empty-handed like this?”

"——!!!"

Ishikawa Mayu froze instantly.

Violin!

He had completely forgotten about it! The violin case was still in Lixi's room!

A chill ran down his spine. This meant... he had to knock on Lixi's door.

To confront Shiina Tatsuki, who is likely so ashamed and enraged that he wants to destroy the world?!

Seeing his face turn deathly pale and his eyes filled with a sense of impending doom, Maki-neechan considerately added, her tone as light as if she were offering a second, perfect option:

"Of course, it's fine to leave the violin at our house for now. Anyway..."

She paused, and her purple eyes, which resembled Li hope's but always held a smile, clearly reflected Ishikawa Mayu's panic with nowhere to hide.

"Ishikawa-kun... will he be coming to continue 'studying' tomorrow, right?"

These words, like a final judgment, fell gently, yet completely blocked all his escape routes.

Ishikawa Mayu felt like she was being roasted over a fire.

On one side was the gentle yet unquestionable gaze of Shiina Maki, and on the other side was the oppressive atmosphere in Riki's room, a mixture of shame, anger, and murderous intent that seemed to solidify into a tangible force.

Escape? Qin is still inside.

Stay? Come back tomorrow?

That means stepping back into this "battlefield" that triggers his social anxiety and makes his heart race.

Both options lead to the final boss, "Shiina Tatsuki," the only difference being whether you die sooner or later.

He took a deep breath, as if heading to the execution ground, and moved toward Lixi's tightly closed door with a look of resignation.

Maki Shiina sat leisurely at the dining table, resting her chin on her hand, a knowing smile on her face, as if she were watching a wonderful drama.

Standing in front of that door that seemed to emanate a chill, Ishikawa Mayu felt her fingertips getting cold.

He hesitated for a long time before finally raising his hand and gently knocking on the door.

"Knock, knock knock."

The sound was so soft it was almost inaudible.

There was complete silence inside; not even a breath could be heard.

Ishikawa Mayu swallowed hard, steeling herself, and raised her voice slightly, trying to make it sound calm and harmless.

"Lixi... um, my... violin is still inside. I... I've come to get it."

After saying this, he held his breath, waiting for the possible outburst of anger from inside the door, or perhaps no response at all.

After a few seconds of suffocating silence—

"Click".

The door wasn't opened; instead, it was pulled open from the inside with a narrow crack.

A slender hand, its knuckles slightly white from the effort, emerged from the crack in the door, tightly gripping the handle of his dark violin case.

The hand swiftly handed the violin case out, the movement so fast it was as if it were discarding a hot potato, and then it was about to pull it back, as if lingering for even a second would contaminate it with something bad.

Ishikawa Mayu quickly reached out and took it, his fingertips inevitably touching her slightly cool skin. His hand trembled violently as if startled, and instantly disappeared behind the crack in the door.

"boom!"

The door was slammed shut again, the sound a little softer than before, but the refusal was just as clear.

Holding his recovered violin, Ishikawa Mayu stood there, feeling a strange emptiness in his heart.

Although he knew that Li hope must be extremely embarrassed and angry right now, this complete isolation still made him feel a sense of indescribable loss.

He looked down at the violin case in his arms, preparing to turn and leave this place that had exhausted him—

"Whoosh!"

The door suddenly opened a crack again, and several thick books with worn covers were abruptly thrown out through the gap, scattering at his feet. Then, the door slammed shut again.

Ishikawa Mayu paused for a moment, then bent down to pick it up.

It consisted of several music theory and composition textbooks, with many sticky notes tucked between the pages. The blank spaces were filled with dense notes and analyses, the handwriting clear and strong, and occasionally there were even some casually drawn waveform diagrams or chord diagrams—all in Li hope's handwriting.

This is... a book she used when she was studying on her own?

A muffled, yet remarkably clear, voice came from inside the door, its tone sharp and menacing, striking his eardrums through the door:

"Tomorrow! At three o'clock in the afternoon!"

"Next time you come... send me a LINE message ten minutes in advance!"

"Take these back and look at them! Don't lose them! Don't get them dirty!"

After shouting those words, there was no more sound from inside the door, as if all the strength had been used up.

Ishikawa Mayu instantly understood the deeper meaning behind this instruction—by giving him advance notice, she could "meet" him outside the door, completely eliminating the possibility of being "captured" by Maki again and repeating today's embarrassing scene.

He stood there, holding his violin and those heavy textbooks, the slight disappointment in his heart replaced by a mixture of helplessness and a knowing amusement.

Sure enough, it was Li Xi's simple and direct approach to solving the problem.

He exhaled softly, carefully tucked the textbook into his arm, hugged the violin, and turned to walk towards the entrance.

"So," Shiina Maki said softly, still seated at the table, as if confirming something for the last time, with a smile, "Ishikawa-kun... will you come again tomorrow?"

Ishikawa Mayu nodded slightly, almost subconsciously.

"Ah."

After the answer came out, he realized that he wasn't as averse to the idea of ​​"facing Li Xi's wrath again at 3 pm tomorrow" as he had imagined.

Seeing him nod in confirmation, Shiina Maki's smile grew even more satisfied.

Not only did he muster the courage to face his younger sister, but he also agreed to study tomorrow. Looks like this kid is pretty good!

She took her phone out of her loungewear pocket, smoothly brought up the LINE friend request screen, and handed it to Ishikawa Mayu with a smile.

“Ah, that’s perfect.” Her tone was light and natural, without the slightest coercion, yet possessing an irresistible charm. “Since you’re coming again tomorrow, let’s exchange contact information? It’ll make it easier to stay in touch. And…”

She tilted her head slightly, glancing meaningfully at Lixi's closed door. Her voice lowered, tinged with a helpless yet indulgent tone: "Lixi, that kid, has a quick temper, and sometimes she likes to keep things bottled up inside... If there's anything... well, something worrying about her, if I can find out in time, I can take better care of her, right?"

These words are reasonable and full of love for his younger sister; there's absolutely nothing wrong with them.

But beneath that gentle exterior, Ishikawa Mayu could almost clearly see the words "eyeliner" and "insider" gleaming.

Is this... is he being used as a "spy"?!

His social anxiety instincts made him want to back down, but under the gentle gaze of Maki-neechan that seemed to see right through him, and faced with the "established fact" that he had just agreed to come again tomorrow, he found that he had no room to refuse.

Silently, with a touch of resigned tragic resolve, he took out his phone and scanned Maki's QR code.

With a "ding," the friend was successfully added.

Shiina Maki looked at the new contact on her phone, smiled with satisfaction, and then, as if she had completed all the necessary procedures, stood up gracefully, nodded slightly to Ishikawa Mayu, and gave a formal self-introduction.

"Now, let's formally introduce ourselves again. I'm Riki's older sister, Shiina Maki."

Her voice remained gentle, but carried a more solemn tone.

"Lixi...can be a bit willful at times, and has a bad temper, but she's a very serious and reliable girl when it comes to music. And in the future, in the band, and... well, in other aspects,"

She paused, a subtle glint in her purple eyes, "I'm afraid I'll need your help a lot."

Ishikawa Mayu nodded hurriedly, her voice a little dry from nervousness: "You, you're too kind, Maki-neechan. It's me... I should be thanking Riki-san for her guidance."

He felt cold sweat beading on his forehead. This woman... her skill level is too high.

"Hehe, likewise." Shiina Maki's smile became even more genuine. She stepped aside to make way for the doorway, her tone light and cheerful. "It's getting late, Ishikawa-kun, take care on your way. See you tomorrow~"

"...See you tomorrow. Goodbye, Maki-neechan."

Ishikawa Mayu almost simultaneously turned the doorknob and fled from the Shiina apartment building.

As the slightly hurried footsteps outside the door gradually faded away and finally disappeared at the top of the stairs, Shiina Maki's smile, a mixture of satisfaction at "mission accomplished" and amusement at "watching the show," deepened.

She turned gracefully, walked briskly up the stairs, and gently knocked on Lixi's closed door again.

"Lixi, Ishikawa-kun has already left."

There was no response from inside the door, only a more obvious, muffled sound, like someone burying their head in the blanket.

Maki didn't seem to mind and continued talking, her tone filled with undisguised approval: "She's a good kid. Although she seems a bit slow and not very good at handling unexpected situations..."

She paused, recalling the boy's restless posture at the dining table, his face flushed to the roots of his ears, and his final act of mustering the courage to knock on the door, and the corners of her mouth curved into a deeper smile.

"...However, it's clear that he takes music very seriously and highly recognizes your abilities and contributions."

She spoke these words with exceptional clarity, knowing that for Lixi, who yearned for recognition, this was more important than any casual praise.

The room remained silent, but Maki seemed to sense that the tense atmosphere behind the door had loosened almost imperceptibly.

She pressed her advantage, then said softly:

"My sister likes him quite a bit."