People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Inside the room, Shiina Tatsuki buried herself deep in the blankets, only her burning red ears showing. Every word her sister said pierced her ears.

"Good boy," "A bit silly," "Very serious," "I approve of you," "I quite like him"...

She shook her head violently, burying her face deeper into the soft fabric, trying to dispel these "dangerous" thoughts.

What's there to like! He's just a troublesome guy! He made her lose face so much today!

But... the way he listened attentively in class that afternoon, the look in his eyes when he offered that rough but insightful idea, and the solemn way he received the textbook...

Shiina Tatsuki slammed her fist on the pillow in frustration, feeling as if she were being torn apart by these two completely different emotions.

Outside the door, Shiina Maki didn't wait for her response any longer. She had said what needed to be said, the seed had been planted, and the rest was up to Ritsuki to process and face on her own.

She hummed an unknown tune in a cheerful mood, turned around and went downstairs to start clearing the dishes from the dining table.

Shiina Tatsuki remained in an ostrich-like posture, not moving for a long time.

As the night deepened outside the window and the city lights spread out like a galaxy, she slowly, very slowly, lifted her head from under the covers.

The heat on my face seemed to have subsided a bit, but my heartbeat was still somewhat erratic.

Just then, the screen of her phone, which she had tossed onto the bed, lit up, emitting a faint light.

She hesitated for a moment, but still reached out and took it.

Sender: Ishikawa Mayu.

【Um… Riki, please don’t misunderstand what Maki-nee said today! I didn’t mean anything by it! I really just came here to learn!】

Looking at the message, which clearly conveyed panic and a desire to distance himself, Shiina Tatsuki curled his lip.

A misunderstanding? Of course she knows! There's no need to emphasize it!

A feeling she couldn't quite define—whether it was anger or disappointment—surged into her heart, causing her to irritably turn off the screen, place her phone face down on the bed, and not reply.

She sat there with her knees drawn up to her chest for a few more minutes, but her mind kept replaying his focused gaze during the afternoon lecture, and the musical notes they had edited together on the screen when they were close together.

Finally, as if she were sulking, she suddenly got out of bed.

The room was dark, with only the faint blinking of the cursor on the computer screen in sleep mode and the blurry neon lights of the distant city outside the window, outlining the cold silhouettes of the furniture.

The darkness made her feel safe, and it seemed to give her chaotic thoughts a place to hide.

She walked barefoot to the desk, her slender ankles tracing graceful lines in the dim light, the soles of her feet making a barely audible sound as they touched the wooden floor.

She reached out and touched the mouse. The screen instantly lit up, the cold white light becoming the only source of light in the room, illuminating her face, which still had a slight blush but had regained its focus, casting a clear silhouette on the wall behind her.

She pulled up the project files for "Spring Shadows," her gaze sweeping over the parts that the two of them had discussed that afternoon and which had already seen some progress.

Then, she skillfully opened several professional music production tutorial websites and sound libraries. While staring intently at the screen, she unconsciously raised one foot, her slender ankle gently resting on the knee of her other leg.

The bare, jade-like foot was fully revealed in the darkness. Its shape was graceful and delicate, and the skin, illuminated by the dim light of the screen, shimmered with a smooth, ivory-like sheen. The instep was so white it was almost translucent, revealing faint, pale blue veins beneath.

The rounded toes sometimes playfully curl inward, forming an alluring arc, and at other times lazily stretch out, the toes slightly pressing down, stretching the delicate skin of the soles, revealing a natural, unconscious charm. The ankles gently rotate, causing the slender Achilles tendons to appear and disappear, as if silently echoing the complex notes and chords flowing in the mind, adding a touch of lively beauty to this focused and tranquil scene.

Night was falling.

Chapter 106 Familiar Loneliness (3k)

Time flowed quietly in the stillness. The sky outside the window gradually changed from a bright blue to a warm orange.

Su Shi sat on the sofa in the living room, a magazine beside her that had been open for a long time but hadn't been turned over. The room was quiet, with only the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. Her thoughts had already drifted to someone who was "studying" in someone else's home.

Are you getting really into the discussion? Riki is indeed very strict and serious about music... I wonder if Shinba-kun will get a lot of flak?

A touch of worry crossed her mind, but more than that, there was a subtle expectation that she herself had not clearly perceived—expectation for him to come back, to share the day's progress, and for the two of them to sit at the dining table, as usual, to fill the empty apartment with warmth and life again.

She picked up her phone, tapped the screen lightly with her fingertip, and sent a LINE message that seemed to be testing the waters.

[Su Shi: Zhen Yu-kun, how's your music arrangement training going? When are you likely to be back?]

The message has been read.

One second, two seconds... a minute passed.

That subtle waiting gradually turned into a barely perceptible anxiety. He saw it, so why wasn't he replying? Was he too engrossed in his discussion with Li hope, or...?

Just as she was about to put her phone down, the screen finally lit up.

[Mayu: Sorry, I was just listening to Riki's explanation. Um... Shiina-nee-san invited me to stay for dinner, so I won't be back for dinner tonight.]

Shiina-nee-nee... invited him to stay for dinner.

Su Shi was stunned. A strange, unsettling sense of familiarity slowly washed over her like a tide.

This feeling...

She subconsciously looked up, her gaze unfocused as it fell on the empty living room. The last rays of the setting sun streamed through the French windows, casting long, lonely patches of light on the floor.

The empty house, the silence with only her, the notice that she wouldn't be back for dinner...

Scenes long forgotten flashed uncontrollably.

It was an evening like this, and she had carefully prepared dinner, eagerly awaiting the sound of the lock turning. Her phone lit up; it was a message from her mother.

[Mom: I'm sorry, Su Shi, I have a last-minute business dinner at work and won't be home for dinner tonight. Please heat up your food yourself.]

[Mom: I have an important client to meet, don't wait for me for dinner.]

[Mom: There's been a problem with the project that needs to be dealt with; it'll be late. You should go to sleep first.]

The reasons are varied and ever-changing. For the company, for the clients, for the project... for this "home".

But the outcome never changed.

From initial disappointment and grievance, to later silence and understanding, and finally... numbness.

She learned to stop questioning her mother, to smile and say, "It's okay, work is important," to face a table of food that was gradually getting cold on her own, and to digest all the silence alone in this overly spacious house.

That cold loneliness was dispelled after Mayu appeared. The house became lively, there was someone across the table, and the night lights became warm.

but……

She remained holding her phone, her fingertips icy cold.

On the screen, the words "I won't be back for dinner" seemed to possess a cold, magical power, dragging her back to those countless lonely dusks and nights.

She thought she no longer cared about her mother's repeated absences.

She thought that Mayu's appearance had completely filled that void.

But now she sadly discovers that the deep-seated, lingering loneliness she felt was never truly gone. It merely lay dormant, waiting for any similar situation to easily resurface and bring her back to reality.

Why are the two things conflicting: supporting Shin'ya's efforts for the band and longing for him to come back and be with her?

She should be happy for him, pleased with his dedication and progress. But why did this familiar, suffocating bitterness well up inside her?

A drop of warm liquid fell unexpectedly onto the phone screen, blurring the few cold words.

Su Shi stared blankly at the water stain, then subconsciously raised her hand and touched her wet cheek.

Did she... cry?

For something as trivial as this?

A wave of absurdity and self-loathing washed over her. How could she be so selfish? Mayu was clearly doing something important, for the band, and even indirectly for her desire to rebuild Crychic…

She pursed her lips tightly, took a deep breath, and tried to suppress her surging emotions.

We can't do that. We can't let him find out.

She wiped away her tears, her fingertips trembling as she tried to type "Okay, I understand" or something more considerate like "It's okay, studying is important~" into the reply box.

However, similar text messages from her mother flashed through her mind, interspersed with the messages Zhenyu was receiving at that moment.

All the disappointments she had forced herself to swallow, all the cold dinners she had faced with a smile... all the grievances that had been covered up by "being sensible" seemed to find a breakthrough at this moment, surging and burning her throat, making her unable to even utter a hypocritical "okay".

She abruptly turned off her phone screen, as if that would sever the unsettling associations. A tightness gripped her chest, and that familiar, chilling loneliness crept up her spine, trying to drag her back to the dark days before she met Zhenyu.

No.

That's not right.

She couldn't just sit there and let herself be consumed by this feeling of helplessness. She had to do something, she had to grasp something to fill this sudden emptiness, and she also had to... make Mayu realize the warmth of this "home" and her existence again.

Do something...

Her gaze instinctively drifted towards the kitchen. There were still ingredients in the refrigerator…

Almost instinctively, she stood up and walked to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator, her gaze sweeping over the ingredients before finally settling on the cocoa powder and gelatin sheets stored in the cupboard.

Chocolate pudding.

Mayu seems to have a fondness for sweets, especially those with a slightly bitter and mellow flavor. Moreover, the preparation process requires patience and meticulous waiting, which provides a temporary anchor for her chaotic thoughts.

She tied on her apron and began skillfully weighing, heating, and stirring. Each step was performed meticulously, as if she were conducting a precise ritual. The warm milk, mingled with the aroma of cocoa, filled the kitchen, bringing a false sense of comfort.

However, when the mixture is poured into a delicate glass and left to cool naturally before being placed in the refrigerator to solidify, that blank, aimless waiting time allows those awful thoughts to creep in.

She fled the kitchen as if escaping, and almost instinctively pushed open the glass door connecting to the balcony, stepping into the cool night air.

The early summer night breeze carried a refreshing coolness, caressing her slightly flushed cheeks. Leaning against the railing, she looked up, her gaze involuntarily falling upon the familiar window upstairs.

Total darkness.

He hasn't come back yet.

At Shiina's house... did you get along well with Ritsuki?

This thought is like a tiny thorn, stuck in my heart, not deep, but with a persistent, subtle ache.

She waited quietly in the hazy night, just like countless nights before when she waited for her mother. Only this time, the person she was waiting for had changed, and her feelings had changed from numb acceptance to anxious anticipation mixed with unease.

The night breeze ruffled her long, honey-brown hair, and she shivered slightly, but her thoughts became clearer.

What should we do next?

Just like before she met Zhenyu, should she put on a perfect smile, say considerate words, and gently pull him back onto his own path? — This was her most skilled and, in her opinion, most effective weapon. With just the right amount of care, she would create a comfortable sense of dependence, making him accustomed to her presence, accustomed to this warm and peaceful haven she had built.

but……

The words that Mayu once said to her flashed through her mind—"You don't need to wear a mask in front of me."

Will he, who can see through her disguise, be completely captivated by the same tricks again?

So, instead of expressing your true grievances and anxieties, tell him directly, "I feel very sad eating alone, and I'm afraid that you'll abandon me again and again because of 'more important' things, just like Mom did."

The moment the thought crossed her mind, she felt a surge of intense shame and panic.

Why should I show him my vulnerable, fragile, and possessive side?

This is too dangerous.

My mother once said, "Mom needs you," but in the end, work always comes first.

……

With a "snap," a warm light shone from the dark window upstairs.

He is back.

Nagasaki Motoyo took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, turned around and walked back inside, going straight to the bathroom mirror.

The girl in the mirror still had slightly red eyes, and her brows held a lingering sense of loneliness and unease.

No, it can't be like this.

She turned on the tap and gently splashed cold water on her cheeks until the dampness was completely gone. Then, she picked up a comb and carefully smoothed her somewhat messy long hair, making sure every strand was in its proper place.

Then, she looked in the mirror, slightly twitched the corners of her mouth, and adjusted the expression in her eyes.

Don't be too enthusiastic, or it will seem contrived; don't be too indifferent, or it will defeat the purpose. Be gentle, be appropriate, and show just the right amount of care, but without revealing any demanding or dependent attitude.

The role she plays is that of a perfect, considerate neighbor, a supportive friend who helps him with his band activities and offers comfort when he is studying hard…

A presence that would not bring him any pressure, but would only provide warmth and comfort.

She practiced several times until the smile on the person in the mirror looked flawless, and only a gentle, all-encompassing glimmer remained in her eyes, locking away all the surging selfishness and unease deep within.

well.

that's it.