People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Chihaya Aine couldn't help but laugh out loud when she saw Kana's anxious reminder, and rolled around on the bed while hugging her pillow.

[Aine: Panic? Why should I panic? (￣▽￣*)]

[Aine: Kana, did you know? Mayu just voluntarily 'reported' everything to me, you know?]

[Aine: He not only told me who I met and what I did, but he even told me that he came to find me right after chatting with another girl!]

[Aine: What does this mean? It means he's completely open and honest, and... he really cares about what I think!]

[Aine: What do I have to worry about when I see such a silly girl who only has me in her heart and even tells me her whereabouts?]

She paused, then tapped her fingers lightly, with an unprecedented, confident composure.

[Aine: So, I'm not in a hurry at all now.]

[Aine: Since he's been so well-behaved, of course I'll wait for him patiently.]

[Aine: I'm waiting for the day he confesses his feelings to me~?(????)]

On the other end of the phone, Kana was completely speechless when she saw the string of confident, even arrogant, messages from Aine.

She raised her hand, slapped her forehead hard, and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Oh no... I've really made things worse!"

"Mio, Mio, your 'catalyst' plan didn't make Aine feel threatened at all; on the contrary, it made her feel more at ease and more confident!"

"No... to be precise, I made things worse! If I hadn't been so honest and told Aine about Mayu's reaction and Mio's bottom line in detail, how could she have been so emboldened!"

Kana could almost see that, given Ishikawa Mayu's taciturn and awkward nature, it would be a long time before he took the initiative to confess. And Aine's current "sitting calmly on the sidelines" attitude clearly indicated that she had no intention of taking that step.

"These two... they're both so slow! It's driving me crazy!" Kana's inner voice screamed, feeling utterly exhausted from being a "double agent," completely worried about her best friend's love life.

She collapsed onto the bed, replying weakly:

[Kana: ...Fine, whatever makes you happy. (-_-)]

[Chanel: I only hope that I can hear good news from you two before I die.]

[Aine: Don't worry~ It will definitely happen! (????)]

Ai Yin smiled and put down her phone, feeling so happy she could fly. She picked up her guitar again, feeling as if the notes flowing from her fingertips carried a sweetness.

Yes, she no longer needs to be anxious or take the initiative to push anything forward.

Zhenyu's feelings have been clearly conveyed through his clumsy yet sincere actions.

All she had to do now was wait patiently and enjoy the feeling of being carefully cherished by him.

The day when her knight finally mustered the courage to say those words to her in person.

Just as her thoughts drifted away, immersed in a sense of composure and "having the big picture under control," her phone vibrated again, and a new message from Zhenyu popped up at the top of the screen.

[Mayu: Are you busy?]

Those three simple words were like a tiny needle, gently puncturing Ai Yin's newly formed, slightly smug bubble.

"Oh no! This is terrible!"

She was so engrossed in reading Kana's report and analyzing Mio's character that she completely forgot that Masahiro was waiting for her reply on the other end of the phone!

Just now I was scribbling away in my notebook with such fervor, but now I'm ignoring her messages! Doesn't that make her seem like she doesn't care at all?

The ease she had just displayed vanished instantly. Chihaya Aine hurriedly switched back to her chat with Mayu, her fingers flying across the keyboard, a faint blush rising on her face from anxiety and a hint of guilt.

[Aine: No, no! Nothing's wrong! (。>︿<)]

She first denied it three times, then immediately began making excuses in an attempt to salvage her image.

[Aine: Just now... just now Mom suddenly called me! Yes! Mom asked me what I wanted to eat for breakfast tomorrow! That's why I couldn't reply in time! I definitely didn't mean to ignore Mayu!]

The excuse was so lame that even she thought it sounded terrible. After sending it, she immediately buried her burning face in the pillow and let out a frustrated whimper. So fake! Stupid Aine!

Chapter 140 His singing is at least better than his guitar playing.

To make up for it, she immediately sent another message, her tone clingy and obviously coquettish and ingratiating.

[Aine: Mayu~ Are you sleepy? Want to chat a little longer? I can still stay awake for a while! (????)]

[Aine: Or... shall I sing you a song? To lull you to sleep?]

Looking at the reply from Aine, which was clearly flustered and ingratiating, Ishikawa Mayu could almost imagine her flustered and blushing on the other side of the screen, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.

[Mayu: I'm not asleep yet.]

Immediately afterwards, he saw Ai Yin's suggestions to "lull you to sleep" and "sing you".

Sing?

Ishikawa Mayu was slightly taken aback.

Come to think of it... he had never actually heard Ai Yin sing properly before.

An idea popped into my head uncontrollably: what if... her singing skills were at the same developmental stage as her guitar skills?

This assumption sent a chill down his spine.

Li hope's volatile and demanding face, with its almost obsessive standards for music quality, vividly appeared in his mind. Just watching Ai Yin practice guitar was enough to make that drummer frown and feel depressed.

If it's discovered that Aion, as the lead vocalist, also has significant... "room for improvement" in her singing...

Ishikawa Mayu could almost hear the sound of Shiina Tatsuki crushing the drumsticks, and the cold gaze she cast at him, her "introducer" and "band partner," a mixture of anger and "you've found a great lead singer."

No!

For the sake of peace within the band, and to avoid being torn apart by Li hope, the risks must be assessed in advance!

This thought acted like a wake-up call, instantly overshadowing the subtle flutter that arose from imagining how cute Ai-yin might sound when she sang.

He immediately sat up straight and typed a reply with a serious expression:

[Mayu: Okay.]

After sending it, he felt it seemed too hasty and a bit abrupt, so he quickly coughed lightly, trying to make his motives appear more "legitimate":

[Mayu: Speaking of which, as the lead singer of the band, I've never really heard you sing properly. This is a good opportunity to test your vocal abilities beforehand, so that...]

He paused, swallowing back the blunt truth of "lest Li hope beat me to death," and instead used a more tactful approach:

[Mayu: ...to avoid any mishaps during joint practice.]

Yes, that's it. It's purely for the band! Not because I wanted to hear her sing!

He emphasized this to himself, as if doing so would allow him to ignore the faint expectation deep within his heart that he himself was unwilling to admit.

Chihaya Aine was taken aback when she saw Mayu's reply.

To test...sing skills?

This guy... actually thought of this at a time like this?!

A strange mix of competitiveness and a slight resentment that "this guy is so clueless" welled up inside her. She puffed out her cheeks and muttered a soft hum at her phone screen.

"Alright, Ishikawa Mayu, you want to test me, right?" she muttered, a fighting spirit igniting in her silver-gray eyes. "Then let me give you a good test!"

She took a deep breath, sat up straight on the bed, cleared her throat, and instead of singing a cappella, picked up the Bluetooth speaker next to her bed, quickly connected it to her phone, and found the instrumental version of "Here the World"—a song she had practiced countless times because she liked Sumimi, and which was also the song that Mayu had fought for for their band to cover.

She wanted him to know that Chihaya Aine was more than just someone who could play the guitar like she was playing cotton!

A gentle yet captivating prelude flowed through the room.

Ai-yin closed her eyes, adjusted her breathing, and immersed herself in the emotions of the song. When the vocals began, she started singing.

Her voice was clearly transmitted to the other end through the phone's microphone.

No longer was it the nervous trembling of an interview, nor the energetic liveliness of everyday speech, but a clear, gentle, yet resilient voice. She accurately grasped the melody and rhythm, maintained steady breath, and poured her emotions into the performance, perfectly conveying the song's anticipation of the world and the subtle anxieties within. Although a slight technical immaturity could still be heard, her natural timbre and rich emotion were enough to make one's eyes light up.

Ishikawa Mayu wore headphones and listened quietly.

When Ai Yin's singing voice came through, a clear look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

This... is completely different from what he expected.

It wasn't the level he imagined, the level that required emergency training, but rather... quite good.

Her voice is very distinctive, clear and pleasant, and her emotional expression is very natural. Although there are still traces of needing to be polished in some of her high notes and vocal transitions, it is more than enough for the basics of a band's lead singer.

My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, immediately relaxed, and I even felt a strange sense of relief. Thank goodness... at least Lixi won't be so fierce when it comes to the lead singer.

However, after feeling relieved, another emotion began to quietly arise.

On a quiet night, listening to a girl sing a song just for you through headphones, especially since this girl is... this feeling seems to be... more special than expected.

He had only intended to "test his skills," but he was now involuntarily drawn in by her singing, completely absorbed in it. It wasn't until the song ended and the accompaniment slowly faded away that he snapped back to reality.

[Aine: How was it? Mayu-sensei, was it... was it passable? (????)]

Ai Yin followed closely with a message that made her a little nervous and a little proud.

Looking at this sentence, Ishikawa Mayu could almost see her tilting her chin slightly, waiting for praise. She shook her head with a helpless smile and typed on her phone.

[Mayu: Hmm.]

[Mayu: Much better than expected. Her vocal quality is excellent, and her emotional delivery is also good. If she refines her technique a bit more, she shouldn't have any problems with band rehearsals.]

Chihaya Aine automatically filtered out the part about "skill refinement," her gaze fixed firmly on the words "much better than expected," and her silver-gray eyes instantly lit up, as if she had fallen into the stars.

Hehe... I got praised!

[Aine: Really? That's great! Hehe, looks like I have a lot of potential as the lead vocalist! (★ω★)]

She rolled around on the bed, phone in hand, feeling a surge of joy. The fact that he seemed surprised and appreciated made her happier than anything else.

After the initial excitement wore off, a wave of fatigue washed over her. She yawned slightly, and a few tears welled up in the corner of her eye.

[Aine: Hmm... I think I'm a little sleepy.]

Ishikawa Mayu looked at the message and then glanced at the time; it was indeed getting late.

[Mayu: Okay, then get some rest. You have class tomorrow.]

[Aine: Okay~ Mayu, go to sleep early too! Goodnight! (。?ω?。)ノ?]

[Mayu: Goodnight.]

Chapter 141 Our Firm Doesn't Forbid Dating

May 20th, Wednesday, 7:20 PM.

The lights were on in Studio 7 of Win-Wing Studio.

With an impeccable sweet smile on her face, Mana Junda and Hatsuka Mikami cooperated with the photographer's requirements for a set of promotional photos. She radiated in front of the camera, every glance and every pose precisely capturing the charm befitting a "national idol."

"Okay! Cut! Ten-minute break." The director's voice finally rang out.

Almost instantly, Mana's habitual, bright smile vanished like a receding tide, replaced by a barely perceptible hint of fatigue. Instead of immediately engaging with Hatsuka beside her as usual, she went straight to her personal lounge chair, picked up her phone, and unlocked the screen.

As I swipe across the screen, the chat window at the top of the LINE chat interface remains quiet with the contact named "Zhenyu".

It's almost 7:30. Last night, around this time, Zhenyu messaged her saying she was almost there.

Although she was perfectly rational, she knew that with the visitor pass given to her, Mayu could go upstairs on her own, and the agency therefore didn't arrange for her to pick her up again, which was perfectly reasonable...

But looking at the screen with no new message notifications, a subtle feeling, mixed with disappointment and a slight sense of annoyance that even I felt was a bit unreasonable, quietly welled up inside me.

That idiot, didn't he ever think of sending a message like "I've arrived" or "I'm up here"?

A new round of shooting began. The lights refocused, the photographer loudly directed the positions, and the crew surrounded Mana, urging her to touch up her makeup and get ready.

She pursed her lips, attributing this inappropriate emotion to work fatigue, put her phone back in its place, walked to the center, and forced herself to stop thinking about that socially inept guy.

Just as the photographer raised his hand again, ready to signal the start—

The heavy soundproof door of the photography studio was quietly pushed open a crack.

A figure hesitated for a moment before slipping in, the movement showing a cautiousness as if afraid of disturbing others.

Mana's gaze was almost instinctively drawn to the tiny movement.

It's Ishikawa Mayu.