People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Looking at Aine's eager, even somewhat mischievous, reply, Kana could almost picture the sly, triumphant smile on her face, and shook her head helplessly.

[Kanna: Okay! I'll keep your secret and be a good 'double agent'! (。-ω-)zzz]

[Kana: But seriously, Mio is incredibly dedicated to shipping couples, you'd better be prepared.]

[Aine: Don't worry~ I'm the female lead! (?o?o)??]

Meanwhile, in the rehearsal room.

When Ishikawa Mayu pushed the door open and came in, Mikasa Hatsuka was still sitting in the corner chair, resting with her eyes slightly closed, seemingly unaware of his return.

But this is just right. If Miss Chuhua saw that I had bought throat lozenges, I would have to spend time explaining it to her.

He gently placed the white plastic bag with the convenience store logo next to the water bottle near the Triangle Chuhua. The bag was slightly ajar, and you could vaguely see a box of common throat lozenges inside.

The whole process was quiet and quick, as if it were just a trivial item being casually placed down while passing by.

However, all of this was seen by Mio Serizawa, who was hiding behind the sheet music and only had her bright, sparkling eyes showing.

Watching Ishikawa Mayu gently place the bag of throat lozenges next to Hatsuka-senpai and then walk away as if nothing had happened, remaining completely quiet as if she had just casually placed something insignificant, Serizawa Mio, hiding behind the sheet music, widened her eyes even more.

She covered her mouth to prevent herself from making any strange noises, but the little voice inside her was screaming wildly:

"I saw it! I saw it! Senpai Mayu—he's so thoughtful! He seems like he doesn't care about anything, but he noticed that Senpai Hatsuka's throat was sore and even went out of his way to buy throat lozenges!"

"And what's more! Doing good deeds anonymously! This kind of quiet, gentle care...it's just so touching!"

Mio felt her understanding of "senpai Mayu" had been refreshed once again. This gave her a strange sense of confidence in her plan to "play the villain" and provoke Aine—it's only natural for such an excellent senior to have "competitors"!

After a while, Mitsuba Hatsuka, who had been resting with her eyes closed, slowly opened them. Perhaps because she had rested well, her eyes were clearer than before.

She habitually reached for her water glass, but her gaze naturally fell on the conspicuous white plastic bag next to her, inside which was... a box of throat lozenges?

Mikasa glanced at the two people who were still in the rehearsal room.

Mio had her head down, but her shoulders were slightly tense, clearly paying attention to this side; Ishikawa Mayu had his eyes closed, seemingly resting, but his overly upright posture and slightly reddened ears betrayed that he was not as calm as he appeared.

Chu Hua's gaze lingered on Mayu for a moment, then turned to Mio, who was closest to her and seemed to have been nearby the whole time, and asked softly:

"Mio, did you put this here?" She shook the box of throat lozenges in her hand, her tone questioning.

"Huh? It wasn't me!" Mio immediately raised her head, waving her hand forcefully, her face full of "it has nothing to do with me," but her bright eyes involuntarily and suggestively glanced at the guy who was resting with his eyes closed.

Although Mio didn't say anything, the direction of her gaze was too obvious.

Misaka Hatsuka received silent confirmation. She didn't ask any further questions, but simply watched Mayu's retreating figure, a barely perceptible curve appearing at the corner of her lips, before putting away the throat lozenge.

Just then, the door to the rehearsal room was pushed open, and Kana, who had ended her communication with Aine, returned.

"Kana is back?" Mitsumi Hatsuka saw her, stood up with a normal expression, and clapped her hands. "Okay, everyone has rested enough, right? Let's hurry up and go through the last part. That's enough for today, okay?"

Chanel paused for a moment, then nodded and quickly returned to her seat.

…………

Perhaps the short rest had an effect, as Mitsuba Hatsuka's condition was much more stable than before. The final joint practice went quite smoothly.

"Okay, that's all for today. Thank you all for your hard work." Producer Matsushima's voice came from the control room, marking the end of today's rehearsal.

Ishikawa Mayu had the fewest belongings; he practically just packed his violin into its case and carried it on his back. He nodded slightly towards the producer's control room and Hatsuka and the others as a farewell, then turned and left the rehearsal room first, his movements swift and decisive.

Chanel quickly packed up her bass bag.

"Senior Chuhua, Mio, I'll be going now!" She waved goodbye and turned to walk towards the door.

"Okay, be careful on the road," Chu Hua replied gently.

Just then, as if suddenly remembering something crucial, Mio called out in a clear voice, "Ah! Wait! Senpai Mayu! Please wait!"

Ishikawa Mayu, who had already reached the corridor, paused and turned around, somewhat puzzled.

Kana also stopped subconsciously and looked at Mio.

Mio rushed up to Mayu, clasped her hands together, and beamed with a bright smile that was a mixture of apology and anticipation. "Um... Mayu-senpai! I'm so sorry to have stopped you so abruptly! It's about some details from the ensemble performance earlier... When I go back to practice, if I encounter anything I don't understand, could I... ask you through LINE? I really won't bother you too much! Please!"

As she spoke, while Mayu was engrossed in her words, she subtly turned her head and, with clear, quick mouthing, gestured to Kana standing next to Mayu: "Remember to report!"

Kana instantly understood Mio's entire intention. She couldn't help but rub her forehead, a look of exasperation on her face.

Ishikawa Mayu clearly didn't notice Kana's reaction.

He was caught off guard by Mio's sudden and direct request.

Faced with a junior's request under the guise of "asking for music advice," what could Ishikawa Mayu say but could only helplessly hum in agreement?

"That's great! Thank you, senpai!" Mio's face instantly lit up with a bright, satisfied smile. She immediately pulled out her phone, deftly pulled up her LINE QR code, and handed it to Mayu. "Senpai, here! You can scan me!"

Zhenyu stared at the phone screen, which was almost pressed against her face, paused for a moment, and finally resignedly took out her own phone, her movements slightly stiff as she began to operate it. A notification sound rang out indicating successful addition.

"All done! Please take care of me from now on, Shinba-senpai! Be careful on your way!" Mio put away her phone with satisfaction and bowed energetically to Shinba once again.

Zhenyu nodded, said nothing more, and quickly left.

Seeing that things were over, Kana quickly nodded helplessly to Mio, mouthed "Okay," opened the door, and left the rehearsal room before Mayu, ready to fulfill her duty as an "insider."

Only Hatsuka and Mio remained in the rehearsal room.

Hatsuka was tidying up the effects pedal cables, her movements unhurried and deliberate. Mio, while slowly organizing her keyboard tabs, couldn't help but steal glances at Hatsuka out of the corner of her eye.

She watched as Chu Hua took the box of throat lozenges out of her bag, unwrapped it, took one out and put it in her mouth, then continued quietly tidying up the equipment. Her profile looked calm and beautiful under the light, showing no particular emotion because of the lozenges.

Mio felt a tickling sensation in her heart, with countless questions churning within her:

"Does Hatsuka-senpai know it was Mayu-senpai who bought it? What's she thinking? Does she think Mayu-senpai is so kind? Ahhh! I really want to know!"

But she didn't dare ask. After all, Senior Chu Hua didn't seem like the type to discuss such trivial matters with others.

Chapter 135 Mio: Masahiro is not an outsider

After the rehearsal ended, Ishikawa Mayu didn't leave Win-Wing Agency immediately. He hesitated for a moment, then circled around to the vicinity of Junta Mana's usual dressing room, where he happened to run into her coming out.

"Mana," he called to her.

"Huh? Masahiro? Rehearsal's over?" Mana smiled immediately when she saw him. "How did it go?"

"Okay. It's over." Zhenyu nodded and reported succinctly, "I'm going back."

"Okay, be careful on the road!" Mana smiled sweetly and waved at him. "You've worked hard today, great musician!"

…………

Back in the quiet apartment, the familiar scent enveloped her. Ishikawa Mayu carefully placed the violin case against the wall, sank into the sofa, closed her eyes, and let out a long, silent sigh.

It went more smoothly than expected.

Although the newcomer named Serizawa Mio was so enthusiastic that he couldn't handle it.

The image of Mio's incredibly bright eyes, always full of curiosity and energy, flashed through her mind, along with her fearless and chattering manner. Maho subconsciously rubbed her temples.

What an energetic junior...

Completely different from Kana's quiet personality, this energetic personality should be very popular if the group debuts in the future.

However, his thoughts soon drifted to another key figure in the rehearsal room today—Hatsuka Mitsumi.

I was thinking of sending her a message to ask how she was doing. After all, he was the one who bought the throat lozenges, and although he didn't say it explicitly, it wouldn't be unreasonable to care about what happened next, right?

Someone as focused on professionalism and efficiency as her certainly wouldn't want her health condition to delay the progress...

Throat lozenges... I don't know if they'll work.

The thought lingered, making him somewhat concerned. He subconsciously reached for his phone, opened LINE, and paused for a moment on Mitsukasa's contact page.

Forget it...

He said to himself.

Asking specifically about it seems overly deliberate and concerned. Given Miss Chuhua's serious and independent personality, she probably wouldn't like having her health excessively scrutinized. Moreover, their relationship doesn't seem to be close enough for casually inquiring about personal matters.

After hesitating for a moment, his finger slid across the list and finally stopped on Junta Mana's name.

As a teammate and senior, it would be more natural and appropriate for Mana to show concern.

[Mayu: I'm home.]

[Mana: Received! Thanks for your hard work! Today was amazing!]

[Mayu: Hmm. Also... there's something else.]

[Mayu: During rehearsal today, I noticed that Hatsuka-san's voice didn't seem to be in very good condition; it was a bit hoarse. It's probably because her schedule has been too packed lately.]

[Mayu: If it's convenient for you, could you remind her to get more rest?]

[Mana: Huh?! Is Hatsuka alright?!]

[Mana: I knew her voice sounded a little off today! She even said she hadn't slept well! She was definitely exhausted!]

Mana: Thank you for telling me, Mayu! I'll message her later and tell her to get some rest! Honestly, that kid is always working so hard...

Mana: But then again—

Mana's tone suddenly shifted, taking on a hint of teasing and inquiry.

[Mana: I didn't expect Mayu to be so thoughtful! She's actually paying so much attention to Hatsuka's condition?! (!?!)]

Looking at the teasing emoticon on the screen, Ishikawa Mayu sighed and immediately typed a clarification.

[Mayu: They're teammates, for goodness' sake! If we don't take care of them, it'll definitely affect our training sessions.]

[Mana: Oh—? It's just because of the combined training effect? ​​I understand, I understand~(￣ω￣;)]

[Mana: Don't worry, I'll look after her in my own name, and I won't expose my 'thoughtful' junior! Hehe!]

He paused, his fingertip hovering over the screen for a moment, before adding another sentence. Compared to the awkwardness of needing an excuse to care about Hatsuka, caring about Mana seemed much more natural.

[Mayu: Besides, Hatsuka-san is Mana's friend, right? It's not surprising that she cares about your friend.]

After sending that sentence, Zhenyu seemed to feel it wasn't enough, and with a tone he himself didn't realize—a mixture of helplessness and seriousness—he quickly typed:

[Mayu: Um...you too, you really need to make sure you get plenty of rest and don't push yourself too hard.]

He recalled Chu Hua's exhausted appearance today, and then thought of Mana's equally packed schedule, and couldn't help but mutter a complaint under his breath. His fingertips unconsciously typed the thought out and sent it out:

[Mayu: Sigh, all of you idols are like this, never taking care of yourselves. You always make me, an outsider, worry about you...]

Shortly after he sent the message, his phone vibrated, and a voice call request from Junda Mana popped up on the screen.

Zhenyu paused for a moment, then pressed the answer button, somewhat confused.

"Zhen Yu is not an outsider!"

Mana's clear, slightly anxious, and even faintly shy voice immediately came through the receiver. Her voice was louder than usual, as if she wanted to emphasize the weight of her words.

"Huh?" This sudden, serious announcement caught Zhenyu off guard.

“I said—Mayu, you’re not an outsider!” Mana repeated, her tone incredibly certain. “So… caring about us from now on isn’t ‘meddling’! It’s… it’s only natural!”

Her voice came through the receiver, carrying a strange warmth that gently touched Mayu's heart.

Before Mayu could respond, Mana seemed a little embarrassed by her overly blunt words and quickly said, "P- Anyway, remember that! I'm going to message Hatsuka! Bye!" before abruptly hanging up the phone.

Hearing the busy tone in her ear, Ishikawa Mayu held her phone, somewhat dazed. Mana's declaration, "I'm not an outsider," seemed to still echo in her ears, carrying her unique, undeniable warmth.

Just then, my phone vibrated again; it was a new message from LINE.

[Mana: Since Mayu says so... then from now on, the 'important task' of supervising me and Hatsuka's health is officially handed over to you! (?o?o)??]

Looking at the text Mana sent on the screen, which carried a playful expression yet seemed to contain a certain trust and dependence, Ishikawa Mayu was stunned for a long time. In the end, he could only raise his hand to rub his temples and mutter to himself, his tone carrying a kind of indulgent helplessness that even he himself did not realize:

"...Really, they're all more troublesome than the last."

Even so, the corners of his mouth curved upwards almost imperceptibly.

Chapter 136 Mio: I can take my senior to explore the store

The warm water washed away the fatigue from the rehearsals.

Ishikawa Mayu emerged from the bathroom, drying his half-dry hair, and walked to the kitchen. He skillfully opened the refrigerator and took out the milk pudding that Nagasaki Motoyo had prepared for him, served in an exquisite glass bowl.

He sat back down at his desk with the pudding in his hand, and habitually picked up his phone to see if Ai Yin had sent any messages.

On the screen, the chat box from Chihaya Aine remained silent, while another name displayed an unread notification—Serizawa Mio.