People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Ishikawa Mayu's voice came from the speaker, carrying her usual gentle tone.

"Huh? I can still..."

"Stop and rest. Practice is not something that can be done overnight, and injuring your finger will only delay your progress."

Looking at Mayu's earnest gaze on the screen, Aine hesitated for a moment, then obediently put down her guitar and muttered softly, "Okay..."

"You worked very hard today." Ishikawa Mayu added, seeing her somewhat disappointed look, as a form of encouragement.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Aine immediately beamed with joy again, her earlier slight grievance vanishing instantly: "Right, right! I told you I had plenty of energy today!"

She grinned and made a "V" sign at the camera, then stood up: "I'll go get the aloe vera gel! My fingers really do hurt a bit..."

Watching Ai-yin run off energetically, Ishikawa Mayu shook his head helplessly, his gaze returning to the music composition textbook spread out beside him. The books Li hope had given him were indeed quite profound; he needed to invest more effort into them.

Aiyin quickly returned with the aloe vera gel and sat back down in front of the camera. As she carefully applied the cooling gel to her fingertips, she subconsciously looked up at the screen.

On the other end of the screen, Ishikawa Mayu seemed to have forgotten he was still on the phone. He was looking down slightly, the warm light from the desk lamp outlining his handsome profile. Strands of hair fell down, partially obscuring his eyebrows and eyes. His slender fingers gently turned the pages of the book, his expression more focused than ever before, as if he were completely immersed in the world constructed of musical notes and logic.

This quiet and serious demeanor is completely different from that of "Teacher Maha" who revealed a gentle vulnerability because of her message during the live broadcast, from that of Ishikawa who is always lazy and carefree at school, and even from the slightly helpless way he urged her to practice just now.

A mixture of admiration, curiosity, and a deeper flutter of excitement quietly spread through her heart. She stared at him, momentarily forgetting to move or speak.

Seemingly noticing the prolonged silence, Ishikawa Mayu looked up from between the pages of her book, glancing at the screen with a hint of confusion, only to meet Aine's unblinking, clearly distracted, silver-gray eyes.

"...What's wrong?" He felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze and subconsciously touched his face. "Is there something on my face?"

"Ah!" Aine snapped back to reality, her cheeks flushing red instantly. She quickly waved her hands, "N-nothing! Nothing at all!"

She hurriedly looked away, her heart pounding even faster at being caught peeking. However, as she looked down at her hands, which she had just applied aloe vera gel to, an idea popped into her head.

Chihaya Aine looked back at the screen, raised her hands, which she had just applied aloe vera gel to, in front of the camera, pouted slightly, and said in a tone that was both aggrieved and coquettish:

"Mayu-kun~ Look!"

Upon hearing this, Ishikawa Mayu, on the other side of the screen, instinctively looked at the hand that Ishikawa had extended in front of the camera.

Those were the hands of a young girl, perfectly proportioned. Her fingers were slender and long, her skin fair, the pale blue veins almost visible beneath. Having just finished practicing, her fingertips had a lovely pink tinge from being pressed so hard, like the color of cherry blossoms in spring, a striking contrast to the snow-white skin on the back of her hands.

Her rounded nails were neatly trimmed, with a healthy pearlescent sheen. At this moment, the tips and pads of her fingers were slightly red from repeatedly pressing the strings, and even faint, almost imperceptible, indentations were visible, adding a touch of "medal" to her beautiful hands, a testament to her diligent practice. A cool, transparent film of aloe vera gel covered her reddened fingertips, shimmering moistly under the light, making those few pink spots appear even more endearing.

She gently wiggled her fingers, and the charming pink and moist sheen at her fingertips swayed slightly in front of the camera, like a restless, wronged little elf.

“I’ve tried so hard today,” Aine’s voice softened, slightly nasal, sweet enough to overflow with honey, her eyes glistening as she looked at him, “My fingers hurt too… Look, here, and here, they’re all red…”

As she spoke, she carefully and gently touched her reddened fingertips and pads with the fingertips of her other hand, her movements as if she were in real pain.

"So..." she drawled, blinking her large, silver-gray eyes, her gaze filled with expectation and a hint of mischief, "Could you... give me a reward?"

Chapter 114 (Two Chapters Combined) What's Wrong?

Ishikawa Mayu looked at Aine on the screen, her finger raised and her eyes gazing at him expectantly, her silver-gray eyes filled with anticipation of "praise me" and "reward." He almost immediately recalled the soft, delicate touch of his fingertips when he helped her apply aloe vera gel last time, and the uncontrollable burning sensation in his ears.

He sighed silently to himself. Sure enough, he had little resistance to this guy's coquettishness…

"A reward?" He tried to maintain his composure, but his voice was gentler than usual, tinged with a helpless indulgence. "What do you want? Do you want... to hear me play the violin?"

He remembered that she seemed to have always been interested in his violin playing.

When Chihaya Aine heard "play the violin," her eyes lit up for a moment, but she quickly shook her head, her pink hair swaying as she did so.

"Although I really want to hear Mayu play the violin..." She tilted her head, a smile of mystery and anticipation on her face, "but today, I want a different reward!"

"Anything else?" Ishikawa Mayu was a little surprised. Apart from music-related items, he couldn't think of any other "rewards" he could offer.

"...What kind of gift do you want? A new guitar pick? Or an effects pedal?" He tried to think of musical instrument accessories.

"No, no~" Aine wiggled her finger, but silently noted it down in her mind: Oh? So you can ask for a gift after all? I'll consider it next time!

Looking at her smiling like a cat that had just stolen some cream on the screen, Ishikawa Mayu rubbed his temples and tentatively offered an option that he felt was already a bit "crossing the line": "...It can't be that I have to go to the movies with you next week, can it?"

Ah! That's a good idea!

Aine was so surprised she almost jumped up, but then she forced herself to remain calm, tapping her chin with her finger as if deep in thought. "Hmm... let's keep that suggestion for now! But that's not what I want right now, Makoto-san, keep guessing~"

Seeing her clearly happy yet still keeping him in suspense, Ishikawa Mayu was completely exasperated. He leaned back in his chair and asked, as if giving up, "...So what do you want? Just say it."

Chihaya Aine knew when to stop, realizing she couldn't tease her any further. Her cheeks flushed slightly, her fingers unconsciously twirling the ends of her hair, her voice lower than before, tinged with shyness and anticipation:

"Um... Mayu-san... could you... sing me a song?"

Ishikawa Mayu was taken aback; she hadn't expected her to make this request. "Sing?"

“Yes!” Ai nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him. “I want to hear Mayu sing… in Donghuang language.” She added, recalling the melody she had glimpsed at karaoke before, and the world that belonged to “Teacher Maha”.

This time, Ishikawa Mayu was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected Aine to suddenly make this request, especially specifying the Eastern language. He remained silent for a few seconds, looking at the girl's expectant, even pleading, eyes on the other end of the screen, and ultimately softened.

“…Okay.” He let out a soft breath. “What kind of music do you want to hear?”

"Huh? Type?" Aine was taken aback. She had only wanted to hear him sing on impulse, especially in that language she didn't understand but found exceptionally gentle. She hadn't thought about what kind of singing he wanted. She stammered for a moment, her cheeks flushing even more, her voice barely audible, filled with obvious shyness and embarrassment:

"Just...something gentle...that's fine..."

She was too shy to say the words "love song" directly, but she still hinted at it with gentleness.

Can this idiot Mayu understand?

"Something gentler?" Ishikawa Mayu looked at her inexplicably blushing cheeks and evasive eyes. Although he found her reaction a bit strange, he didn't delve into it. He pondered for a moment, and a lighthearted melody and lyrics suddenly flashed through his mind.

"...What's Wrong with 'Why Not'?" he asked.

"What's Wrong?" Ai Yin repeated the song title, which she didn't understand but thought was very beautiful, and nodded vigorously. "Yes! That's the one!"

Ishikawa Mayu cleared his throat and sat up slightly. He didn't look at the camera, his gaze slightly turned to the side, as if he were a little embarrassed. Then, he spoke softly.

There was no accompaniment, only his clean and gentle voice, clearly coming through the microphone:

"The sky longs for rain, I wish I could live next door to you..."

"Standing there like an idiot downstairs, looking up and counting the dark clouds..."

"If a piano appears in the scene, I'll sing for you, even if a lot of water is poured down on me..."

His singing wasn't particularly passionate, even bordering on casual humming, but the melody was light and cheerful, and the lyrics were full of clumsy yet sincere imagination and closeness. The flowing Donghuang language, like a warm stream, gently enveloped the loving voice on the other side of the screen.

Chihaya Aine held her breath, staring intently at Mayu humming softly on the screen. He turned his head slightly, his eyelashes casting faint shadows under his eyes, his expression unusually focused and gentle.

She couldn't understand the specific meaning of the lyrics, but the melody's warm, innocent, and sweetly innocent feeling flowed effortlessly into her heart. This feeling... was so wonderful. It moved her more than any Japanese love song she had ever heard.

Especially when he sang the chorus, his voice unconsciously rose slightly, carrying a frank sincerity:

"I'll sing this song for you, it doesn't have any particular style..."

"It simply means that I want to bring you happiness..."

"To thaw the frozen river for you, to be a moth drawn to the flame for you..."

"Nothing is not worth it..."

"I'll sing this song for you, it doesn't have any particular style..."

"It simply means that I hope you are happy..."

"I'd toss and turn at night for you, what's wrong with giving up the world for you..."

"..."

As the song ended, Ishikawa Mayu seemed a little embarrassed, raising her hand to touch the back of her neck, her gaze shifting back to the screen: "...That's about it. Is it... okay?"

There was no response for a long time on the other end of the screen.

Chihaya Aine remained in the position of hugging her knees, her chin resting on them, her entire face and neck flushed a beautiful crimson. Her silver-gray eyes seemed to be veiled with moisture, shining brightly as she stared at him blankly, as if she had not yet woken from the gentle and sweet dream constructed by his singing.

Looking at Aine's clearly absent-minded, blushing face on the screen, Ishikawa Mayu felt a mixture of amusement and inexplicable embarrassment. He waved towards the camera, trying to bring her back to her attention: "Hey, Aine?"

"Ah!" Chihaya Aine suddenly jolted awake, as if she had been forcibly pulled back to reality from an overly sweet dream.

She blinked her still slightly hazy, silver-gray eyes, focusing on the culprit on the screen who was causing her heart to race.

A thought that had been swirling in her mind became incredibly clear and firm. A sly yet sweet smile spread across her face, and she unconsciously leaned forward, bringing herself closer to the screen.

"Makoto—" she drawled, omitting the familiar "classmate" suffix, "Do you still remember the promise we made at the karaoke bar?"

The expression on Ishikawa Mayu's face froze instantly, and his hand, which was halfway through its swing, stopped in mid-air.

KTV... a promise?

His mind raced back to the present, and his memory suddenly froze on ten days ago.

In the dimly lit private room, he casually sang a few lines of a song in Donghuang language. Ai Yin's eyes lit up as she leaned over and praised him for singing well. She even said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "If I didn't not know Donghuang language, I would really like to sing a duet with Zhenyu."

And at that moment... seemingly to end the conversation, and indeed with a slight sense of pride after being praised, he casually replied...

If you'd like to learn, I can teach you a few phrases sometime in the future.

At the time, I thought it was just a harmless, perfunctory polite remark, like an adult saying to a child, "I'll take you to the amusement park next time." Who would have thought...

Ishikawa Mayu's pupils contracted slightly, a chilling premonition coiling around his heart like a cold snake. Almost instinctively, he recalled the lyrics of the song he had just sung, "Why Not?"—

"I really want to live next door to you..."

"I'll sing for you..."

"I want to make you happy..."

"What's wrong with giving up the world for you...?"

These...the lyrics...!

It’s over.

Why did he have such a brain fart and choose this song?! There were so many other songs that could have showcased good lyrics and melodies! Why did he choose this one with lyrics so straightforward they were almost a confession?!

Chihaya Aine watched him freeze instantly, his eyes darting around, his ears turning a visible shade of red in embarrassment. A surge of triumph and sweetness welled up inside her. She held up a delicate pink index finger and wagged it triumphantly in front of him, mimicking the tone he'd casually mentioned in the karaoke room, and slowly repeated:

“You—at—then—said—” she deliberately enunciated each word clearly, making sure each word hit his confused mind, “'If you want to learn, I can teach you a few phrases later if there’s a chance.'”

She tilted her head, her smile as sweet as honey-coated poison, her silver-gray eyes gleaming with an air of unwavering determination.

"Now, the opportunity has arrived?"

This idea did not come to mind on a whim.

The idea had already quietly sprouted when she first glimpsed the vast Chinese world of "Maha_official" and watched the rapidly scrolling bullet comments and messages that she could barely understand with the help of translation software.

She wanted to know more, to get closer to that unfamiliar, dazzling man.

Learning Chinese is not just about having more legitimate time alone with him, not just about having more shared, untold secrets with him, but also about... one day, being able to personally understand every post he makes, every lyric he sings, and read the passionate discussions among his fans, instead of forever being separated by a blurry barrier of translation software.

She wanted to truly and without barriers enter Mayu's world.

Now, after listening to this song he sang especially for me, this desire has become stronger than ever before.

This song is so beautiful. She wanted to know what kind of song he had chosen for her, and what kind of feelings were hidden in the lyrics.

Maya Ishikawa: "..."

He looked at the pink-haired girl on the screen, who was smiling like a cunning little fox, and then thought about the meaning of the lyrics, as well as the endless, chillingly ambiguous interpretations and interactions that might be triggered by "teaching her a few words"...

A massive wave of regret overwhelmed him completely.

I'm... doomed.

He let out a silent lament in his heart.

Looking at the pink-haired girl on the screen who was smiling like a cunning little fox, Ishikawa Mayu felt that her escape routes were being blocked one by one.

He was going to make one last desperate struggle!

“Aiyin, the language of the Eastern Empire… is notoriously difficult. The pronunciation, intonation, and characters… are completely different from Japanese.” He tried to make his tone sound like an objective statement rather than an excuse. “It’s probably much more difficult than you think.”

Upon hearing this, Chihaya Aine's smile faded slightly, but her silver-gray eyes remained fixed on him with an unwavering determination.

"Does Mayu think... I can't learn it?" Her voice was a little lower than before, less coquettish and more serious. "Does Mayu not believe me?"

The question was asked casually, yet it made Ishikawa Maho's heart skip a beat.

He looked at Ai Yin's suddenly serious expression. In those always energetic eyes, a kind of... dissatisfaction similar to being questioned was clearly reflected at this moment, and even a hint of stubbornness that was not easily detected, as if some sensitive area had been touched.

He suddenly remembered that her return from England... didn't seem to have been a pleasant experience. He didn't know the specific reasons, nor had he ever asked, but it was undoubtedly a setback. At this moment, seeing the fleeting glimmer in her eyes, a light that seemed to say "I don't want to be rejected again," the words he had originally wanted to use to describe the difficulties of Chinese instantly stuck in his throat.

Even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, he doesn't want Aine to get hurt... even though his original intention was just to get himself out of trouble.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” he softened his tone, with a hint of persuasion, “it’s just… Aiyin, your main focus right now should be on guitar practice, right? Lixi’s arrangement of ‘Spring Shadow’ is progressing quickly, and the band rehearsals won’t wait too long for us. If you’re also distracted by learning a completely new and very difficult language, I’m afraid you…”