People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

He had clearly been asking his way here, and his face still bore the traces of lingering nervousness and fatigue from navigating unfamiliar surroundings.

However, when the gaze finally fell upon Mana, standing under the spotlight in a glamorous stage outfit, the confusion and slight helplessness in her eyes instantly vanished, as if she had found a guiding light.

Mayu breathed a sigh of relief, and her tense shoulder line relaxed.

Immediately afterwards, the corners of his lips naturally curved upwards, revealing a smile.

A paper bag with a familiar logo was quietly lifted up slightly by Mayu and swayed gently in her direction.

The photographer, who was about to give the instructions, keenly captured the subtle change in Junda Mana's expression through the viewfinder—it wasn't a professional sweetness, but a heartfelt, instantaneous radiance of surprise, mixed with a hint of shyness, making her smile more vivid and radiant than ever before, as if all the light in the studio had converged in her eyes.

"Snap!" "Snap!"

The photographer pressed the shutter almost instinctively, capturing this fleeting yet incredibly real moment. Staring at the photo on the screen, a look of extreme satisfaction crossed his face, and he couldn't help but mutter a soft exclamation of admiration:

"Perfect! That's the feeling! It's amazing, Mana!"

Mana was startled awake by the rapid clicking of the shutter and the photographer's exclamations, realizing that she had been completely absorbed in exchanging glances with Mayu, even forgetting that she was being photographed. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she instinctively tried to composed herself, but the genuine, overwhelming joy welling up inside her kept the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile, and her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

Ishikawa Mayu glanced at the time on his phone screen; there was still a short break before his rehearsal with Producer Matsushima. He looked around, found a rather inconspicuous folding chair near the wall, and sat down, intending to wait quietly until the filming was over.

The photographer seemed to be inspired by boundless creativity; his eyes sparkled behind the lens, and his instructions to Mana to adjust her poses and expressions became increasingly concise and efficient. And Mana Junda, standing under the spotlight, was in remarkably good shape.

The filming, which was originally planned to take some time, is progressing at an unexpectedly smooth speed.

"Great! Excellent! Mana, keep it up!...Cut! Perfect!" The photographer excitedly called for a stop, looking at the burst of photos in the camera, his face beaming with undisguised satisfaction. "These sets were very smooth! We can extend the break by ten minutes!"

He put down his camera and scanned the studio, quickly locking onto the black-haired boy sitting against the wall, trying to make himself inconspicuous.

With a cheerful and knowing smile on his face, the photographer strode towards Ishikawa Mayu.

Just as Zhenyu was relaxing and thinking, "Finally, I can rest," he saw the unfamiliar middle-aged man who had just been directing the filming with an aura of authority walking straight towards him. His body instantly stiffened, and his social anxiety instinct made him subconsciously want to shrink back. Unfortunately, there was a wall behind him, and there was nowhere to escape.

"Young man, you must be Maha?" The photographer stopped in front of him, his tone unexpectedly kind, even tinged with admiration. "Those best shots of Mana were all taken after you came in!"

His voice was loud and clear. He patted Zhenyu on the shoulder, smiled, and said in a tone that said, "I've been there," lowering his voice slightly:

"Relax, don't be nervous! Win-Wing is different from those idol agencies that create a bubble of personas. We focus on singers and talented performers! We don't have those empty 'no dating' clauses."

He winked at Zhenyu, implying, "As long as it doesn't affect normal work or damage the public image, the agency is open to normal interactions with the opposite sex, even dating. After all, real-life romantic experiences are a valuable asset for singers to understand songs!"

"Come more often when you have time! I noticed that Mana was much more efficient than usual today. The faster she finishes her work, the earlier she can finish and get some more rest, right? In our line of work, being able to leave on time is a huge blessing."

Junta Mana sidled up next to the photographer, waved her fist, and looked at Mayu defiantly, saying, "Did you hear that? Come more often so I can get some rest!"

The photographer watched this scene, laughed heartily, patted Zhenyu on the shoulder, and then turned away with satisfaction to check the results of his shoot.

Looking at Mana, who stood with her hands on her hips and an air of "I'm absolutely right," and then glancing at the well-meaning, smirking looks from the staff around them, Ishikawa Mayu could only sigh helplessly, rub her temples, and mutter in response:

"...I'm really defeated by you."

This guy always manages to make it impossible for him to refuse in such a self-righteous way.

Chapter 142 Mana: Envious of Hatsuka

Ishikawa Mayu shook her head, handed over the paper bag she had been carrying, and said in her usual calm tone, "Here, this is for you."

Junda Mana's eyes lit up, instantly forgetting her earlier "protest." She happily took the paper bag, opened it, and sure enough, inside lay the donuts she had been longing for, covered in a thick layer of chocolate sauce—and there was more than one.

"Wow! There are two today!" she exclaimed in surprise, but then, as if remembering something, she looked up at Zhenyu suspiciously, "Wait... don't you usually only bring one for me? Why are there two today..."

Her gaze swept over the inside of the paper bag, then she noticed that Zhenyu seemed to be carrying something else in her other hand, her eyes becoming even more inquisitive: "Even if the second donut was intended for Chuhua, what's the other one you're holding?"

Mayu Ishikawa glanced at the other handbag and replied naturally, "...Yesterday, that newcomer Mio helped me out a little. So I brought something as...a return gift."

"Oh—? A return gift?" Mana drawled, a knowing, slightly teasing smile on her face. Just as she was about to tease her a bit more, she saw Mayu suddenly put on a stern face and glare at her fiercely.

“And another thing,” he pointed to the paper bag in Mana’s arms, his tone serious, “there will be no 'fuel' tomorrow.”

"Huh?!!"

Mana Junda's smile froze instantly, replaced by genuine panic, as if she had heard some kind of apocalyptic news.

"W-Why?! No way, Mayu!!"

"Why?" Zhenyu rolled her eyes at her, pointing to the "evidence" in her hand. "You do the math yourself. Am I coming here every day for the next few days? What if I bring you high-calorie desserts every day? If this continues, do you even care about maintaining your figure?"

He imagined the scene, couldn't help but shudder, and his tone became even more somber:

"When you break out in pimples or the number on the scale jumps up because you ate too many sweets... that photographer uncle from earlier will definitely tear me apart! I don't want to be blamed for 'causing the national idol to gain weight'!"

Seeing that Mayu was so serious, as if he had already imagined the miserable scene of being chased by the photographer in his mind, Junda Mana was stunned for a moment, and then burst out laughing.

At this moment, Misaka Chuka also walked over, with her usual smile on her face.

"Hatsuka! You've come at the perfect time!" Mana, as if seeing a savior, immediately handed over the paper bag like a treasure. "Mahana brought donuts! Have one too! Share the 'evidence'!"

Misaka Hatsuka gently shook her head, her voice gentle yet firm: "I don't need it, Mana. As you know, the producer just reminded us yesterday that we need to be careful about controlling the sugar intake during the promotional period."

Mana's shoulders slumped instantly, and she muttered, "Why are you like this even, Hatsuka..."

Seeing this, Ishikawa Mayu immediately felt like she had found an ally and hurriedly said to Hatsuka, "Hatsuka-san, perfect timing! Please, for the next few days... keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't consume too many desserts."

Upon hearing this, Misaka Hatsuka's gaze lingered for a moment on Mayu's slightly embarrassed yet earnest face, then glanced at Mana beside her, who was holding a donut bag and had a "I don't care, I just want to eat" look on her face, and the corners of her lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

She nodded slightly to Zhenyu.

"I will." She paused, her gaze lingering on Mayu for half a second longer than usual. Her voice remained calm, yet seemed to carry a subtle gentleness. "Also, Ishikawa-kun, thank you for yesterday."

Ishikawa Mayu paused for a moment, then subconsciously uttered an "Eh?"

"Throat lozenges, they work very well." She added softly, without saying much more, but the gratitude in her eyes was clear enough—thank you for the timely care, and also for his thoughtful choice to convey it through Mana, which preserved her composure and avoided unnecessary embarrassment.

Ishikawa Mayu realized what was happening, looked away somewhat embarrassed, touched the back of her neck, and replied softly, "...No, it's nothing. It's good that Miss Hatsuka is alright."

He paused, as if to cover up the awkward atmosphere, then quickly turned his gaze to Mana, who was still wailing about running out of food, and urged her with a hint of exasperation: "Anyway, you better control yourself for the next few days! Do you hear me?"

Mana Junda, clutching the donut bag, puffed out her cheeks and glared at him with a mournful look. But in the end, under his "fierce" gaze and with Hatsuka's silent support, she reluctantly dragged out her words: "I know—now—! You stingy Mayu!"

Junta Mana, cheeks puffed out, clutched her "last treasure," complaining under her breath, but her eyes involuntarily drifted towards Mayu, a hint of probing in them, as she muttered casually:

"Well... since we're out of 'fuel,' are you... still coming tomorrow?"

Ishikawa Mayu gave her a disapproving look, her tone carrying a sense of entitlement, and replied:

"Come on. What else?"

He paused, recalling the photographer's earlier comment, "If she comes a few more times, she can finish earlier." Although he felt embarrassed by the teasing, he had taken the logic to heart. His voice softened slightly, carrying a sense of resignation mixed with concern:

"So that you can rest as soon as possible and avoid straining your voice again, what other way can I do besides come and 'keep an eye on' you?"

Upon hearing this, Junda Mana's face, which had been drooping due to the lack of food, instantly brightened, and her eyes lit up as if stars had fallen into them. She tried hard to suppress the upturned corners of her mouth, but the joy that welled up from the bottom of her heart could not be hidden, and finally turned into a smile that was even sweeter than the donut in her hand, with a touch of smugness.

"That's more like it!" she snorted, tightening her grip on the paper bag.

Sankaku Hatsuka stood quietly to the side, glanced at the time, and gently broke the somewhat childish "standoff".

“It’s almost time,” she said to Masahiro, her tone calm. “Ishikawa-kun, we should head to the rehearsal room. They should all be here by now.”

She paused, then turned her gaze to Mana, who was still holding the donut: "Good luck with your next shoot!"

"Okay, okay! You guys go ahead!" Junda Mana waved her hand, her tone still carrying a hint of resentment about the lack of donuts, but mostly a satisfied feeling of being reassured. Watching Mayu and Hatsuka turn and leave, she muttered softly, with a touch of coquettish complaint, "Bad Hatsuka, she just stole Mayu away..."

However, she knew that rehearsals couldn't be delayed, and she was sensible enough to understand that. But seeing that Zhenyu could go to work with Chuhua as if it were perfectly normal, she couldn't help but feel a slight pang of envy.

Chapter 143 Sobbing Mio

When Ishikawa Mayu and Mikami Hatsuka entered the rehearsal room one after the other, Kana was already there, sitting on her bass amp, looking down at her phone.

Hearing the noise, Kana looked up and glanced instinctively behind Mayu and Hatsuka, a hint of surprise on her face.

"Hatsuka-senpai, Ishikawa-kun." She greeted them politely, then muttered to herself with some confusion, "That Mio guy... isn't she here yet?"

She thought that with Mio's enthusiasm, she would definitely find a way to come with Masahiro-senpai.

Upon hearing this, Misaka Hatsuka simply smiled gently and said calmly, "It's alright, it's not time yet, let's wait a little while."

Ishikawa Mayu naturally had no objection. He nodded, walked straight to the spot where he had sat yesterday, carefully put down the violin case, took out his phone, and began to look through the arrangement notes he had made before, temporarily isolating himself from his surroundings.

Time ticked by, and the scheduled start time for rehearsal drew ever closer, but Mio Serizawa was nowhere to be seen. Kana couldn't help but glance towards the door a few more times, feeling somewhat puzzled.

Just then, the door to the rehearsal room was pushed open hastily with a "whoosh".

Mio Serizawa stood panting in the doorway, her cheeks flushed from running, a few strands of her brown hair clinging to her forehead, looking somewhat disheveled. Even more striking were her usually bright, sparkling eyes, now visibly red-rimmed, her eyelashes wet, as if she had just rubbed them vigorously, or even was on the verge of tears.

"I'm so sorry! I almost arrived late!" She bowed to the three people in the room, her voice slightly breathless and nasal.

Seeing Mio's disheveled and pitiful appearance, the three people in the rehearsal room were all startled.

"Mio? What's wrong?" Kana was the first to jump up from the bass box, walk a few steps to her side, and look at her reddened eyes with concern.

Sanko Chuka frowned slightly, her tone gentle yet concerned: "It's alright, don't worry, take a breath. Have you encountered any trouble?"

Even Ishikawa Mayu, who had been looking down at her phone, was startled by the commotion. She looked up, saw the girl at the door who looked like she had suffered a great injustice, hesitated for a moment, then closed her phone, stood up, and walked over.

Looking at the three people who had gathered around, especially Ishikawa Mayu who stood in front of her, Serizawa Mio lowered her head guiltily and aggrievedly, muttering softly, "N-nothing serious..."

As she spoke, she reached out her hand, which had been behind her back, and held a cup of milk tea that looked to be filled with generous ingredients. She carefully handed it to Ishikawa Mayu.

"This... is for Senior Zhenyu..." Her voice grew softer and softer, almost burying itself in her chest.

Ishikawa Mayu was visibly taken aback when he saw the milk tea suddenly handed to him, a slightly confused expression on his face. He subconsciously took the slightly chilled drink, feeling the fine water droplets as his fingertips touched the cup.

"...What is this?" he asked, somewhat puzzled.

Mio sniffed, her voice thick with nasal congestion, and explained softly and haltingly, "Because...because senpai said yesterday...that he would bring me something delicious...I don't know if senpai was joking, but...but I think senpai is such a kind person, he wouldn't make promises lightly...so I thought...I'd buy a milk tea to thank senpai..."

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt, her eyes reddening further, and her voice trembling with even more obvious sobs: "But...but on the way here I ran into producer Matsushima...She, she saw me holding milk tea and scolded me fiercely, saying how could a newcomer be so careless about her image...I, I almost cried from the scolding..."

She raised her wet eyes and looked at Mayu pitifully, as if seeking approval and comfort: "Later I quickly explained that it was for Ishikawa-sensei to teach me, to thank you for guiding my practice... Only then did the producer reluctantly let me off the hook, saying it wouldn't happen again..."

Ishikawa Mayu lowered his head. He could already feel Hatsuka's sharp gaze, and even Kana was glaring at him angrily.

"No, no!" Mio noticed Hatsuka-senpai's slightly reproachful gaze and Kana's almost fiery eyes. Panicked, she quickly waved her hands, her voice urgent as she defended Mayu, "This, this has nothing to do with Mayu-senpai! I insisted on buying it myself! Senpai was just... just mentioned it casually yesterday. I was being too serious and almost caused you trouble..."

Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and her head drooped down, like a little animal that had done something wrong. The feeling of grievance she had just felt was replaced by self-blame, and her eyes looked like they were about to redden again.

Seeing Mio's self-reproachful expression, on the verge of tears, Ishikawa Mayu's heart softened. He disregarded Hatsuka's calm yet intensely oppressive gaze and Kana's almost fiery glare. He instinctively lowered his voice, speaking with clear apology and reassurance:

"Don't say that, Serizawa. I'm the one who should apologize..." He awkwardly touched the back of his neck, his tone embarrassed, "Yesterday... I really wasn't joking. I brought what I promised you."

He paused, his gaze drifting to his satchel resting against the wall. Inside lay a carefully selected box of semi-baked cheesecake and a small piece of Basque cake. However, in this moment and under these circumstances, he simply couldn't bring himself to take them out.

"but……"

Hearing his affirmative answer, Mio's eyes lit up for a moment, but quickly dimmed again. She shook her head vigorously, her voice still slightly nasal, but her tone was unusually firm, as if she were convincing herself: "Yes! I know, I know you wouldn't make a promise lightly. But... but Producer Matsushima is right, I... as an idol, I really should manage my figure well, I can't indulge myself too much..."

She took a deep breath, as if she had made a huge decision, and looked up at Zhenyu with her still slightly red eyes, forcing a smile: "So... thank you for your kindness, senior! As for the cake you brought... I... I still can't accept it this time."

“Mmm,” he responded softly, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment and apology, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the cool rim of the cup. “This milk tea… I’ll enjoy it. Thank you, Serizawa.”

He paused, his gaze drifting, not daring to look directly at Mio's still reddened eyes.

“As for… what I brought,” he said in an even lower voice, “…we’ll talk about it later.”

After all, bringing out those high-sugar, high-fat desserts now would undoubtedly be a challenge to the agency's authority and would make things even more difficult for Mio.

When Mio Serizawa heard him accept the milk tea and thank him, a relieved smile finally appeared on her face again. Although the smile still carried traces of the lingering grievance, her eyes finally regained a glimmer of light.

Mikasa took in everything, her gaze sweeping lightly over Mayu's slightly embarrassed face and Mio's "evidence" milk tea. She didn't say anything more, but simply clapped her hands at the right moment to bring everyone's attention back to the main topic.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, we should start today's rehearsal." Her voice was gentle yet authoritative, as if the little incident had never happened. "Mio, go tidy up and get some water. Kana, check the equipment connections. Ishikawa-kun, let's get ready too."

Chu Hua's words were like a timpani, instantly dispelling the slightly awkward and chaotic atmosphere in the rehearsal room.

Upon hearing this, Kana immediately suppressed her anger towards Masahiro and turned to check her bass and effects pedals.

Mio quickly sniffed, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and replied, "Yes! Senior Hatsuka!" She then jogged to her keyboard to begin preparing for practice.

Chapter 144 Compensation

Under the professional and calm guidance of the host, the rehearsal proceeded smoothly.

Perhaps because of the little incident earlier, Mio Serizawa was more silent than usual, focusing all her attention on the piano keys and the sheet music in front of her, as if trying to dispel the previous embarrassment and grievance with her focused performance.

As Ishikawa Mayu cooperated and gave guidance from the side, his gaze occasionally swept over the corners of her still slightly red eyes, and the guilt he felt for indirectly causing her to be scolded became even clearer.

A short break has arrived.

Ishikawa Mayu walked to the side, picked up the cup of milk tea he had placed next to the music stand, hesitated for a moment, then inserted the straw and took a sip. The cool, sweet liquid with a rich milky and tea flavor slid down his throat, perfectly relieving the thirst brought on by rehearsals.