People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

After thinking about it, Zhenyu felt that with Aine's hard work and visible progress during this period, coupled with her good musicality and learning ability, she should have no problem keeping up with the performance of the two songs under Lixi's steady rhythm and her guidance.

He touched his chin and replied softly, with a hint of uncertainty, "It should... be fine, right?"

"Should?" Li Xi's brows furrowed immediately, his tone clearly displeased. "Hey, Ishikawa, these are soldiers you trained yourself. You're telling me 'should'? I need a definite answer."

Ishikawa Mayu keenly sensed the slight displeasure in Riki's tone, immediately straightened her posture, sat up straighter, and put on an almost ingratiating, reassuring smile. Her tone also became more confident: "What I mean is, there's definitely no problem! Riki-sensei, don't you trust my judgment? Aine has been working really hard lately and has made rapid progress."

"Besides, we have you here, Teacher Lixi, to keep things in check. With you as our anchor, controlling the overall pace, even if Aine occasionally goes off track, you'll definitely be able to bring her back in time. I guarantee she won't cause any major trouble, and she definitely won't embarrass you, Teacher Lixi!"

Lixi's ears turned slightly red again, but this time she glared at him without much intimidation, more like a habitual rebuttal.

Shiina Tatsuki was taken aback by his words, especially the phrases "pillar of strength" and "I will never let you down." They reminded her of the "strict father" analogy that Shin'ya had used to infuriate her. Now, hearing him affirm her abilities so earnestly, a sense of being needed and trusted quietly rose within her, overcoming her earlier displeasure.

She turned her face away somewhat awkwardly, avoiding Zhenyu's overly direct gaze, picked up her water glass and took another sip, trying to hide her slightly flushed cheeks. Her voice was noticeably softer than before, even carrying a hint of reproach that she herself was unaware of, and which lacked any real threat.

"Hey! I've already told you, you can call me whatever you want at home, but don't call me that in public!"

That's what he said, but there wasn't much real anger in his tone; instead, it sounded more like a somewhat embarrassed acquiescence.

“How can you just call me that casually, Mr. Lixi?” Ishikawa Mayu blinked, noticing Lixi’s softened attitude, and then started to take advantage of the situation. “This is from the bottom of my heart. Just think, music arrangement is such a complicated thing. If it weren’t for your patient teaching, I might still be completely clueless. In my heart, you are the teacher I respect the most, without exception!”

He paused, looking at Lixi's blush spreading from her ears to her neck, and at her fingers, which were gripping the water glass tightly and were turning white at the knuckles. He found it extremely amusing, but on the surface, he maintained the sincere demeanor of a "good student," even nodding solemnly, as if to emphasize the weight of his words.

"So, no matter where I am, whenever I think of you, only the words 'Teacher Lixi' will remain in my heart. I will always be your student, and that will never change!"

"You...you shut up!" Shiina Ritsuki felt her cheeks burning, her heart pounding uncontrollably. This guy...how could he spout such nonsense! And with such a serious tone! "My most respected teacher," "My eternal student"...can he just say things like that so casually?!

She abruptly lowered her head, almost burying her burning face in the ice water glass, trying to cool it down with the coolness of the glass. Her voice came out muffled from the rim of the glass, filled with obvious shame, anger, and panic, but completely devoid of her previous toughness.

"Who, who wants to be your teacher forever! Idiot! Don't say another word!"

Chapter 147 (3k) Aine Doesn't Want to Let Down Her Trust

Not long after, the door to RiNG Cafe opened again. Chihaya Aine, pulling a slightly timid Takamatsu Akari along, walked in first, both with slightly flushed faces from rushing. Almost simultaneously, Nagasaki Motoyo also gracefully entered the cafe, her steps composed and her breathing steady, though a bead of sweat on her forehead indicated that she too had arrived as quickly as possible.

"Tachibana-kun! We're here! What emergency happened?" Aine asked impatiently as soon as she saw Shiina Tachibana and Ishikawa Mayu sitting there, her tone full of curiosity and a hint of nervousness.

Li hope crossed her arms, and seeing that everyone had arrived, she raised her chin and gestured to Ishikawa Mayu sitting opposite her: "Hey, everyone's here. Tell them what's going on."

Ishikawa Mayu immediately plastered a slightly exaggerated, obsequious smile on her face, bowed slightly, and drawled, "Yes—yes—Teacher Riki, I'll be at your service right away—"

Shiina Riki turned her face away, her ears turning slightly red, annoyed by his affected manner. She pretended not to hear him, but gently tugged at Takamatsu Akari, who was still somewhat at a loss, and gestured for her to sit in the empty seat next to her.

Zhenyu cleared her throat, her joking expression fading, but her tone was still much more relaxed than Lixi's usual, as she began to explain the situation to the three newcomers:

"To put it simply, it's a joint concert by Popipa and Afterglow. Next Sunday, one of the opening acts had to cancel at the last minute, freeing up about ten minutes of slot." He pointed to Lixi, "Then, our Lixi, who works at RiNG, accidentally hummed our cover of 'Spring Shadow,' and the manager caught him red-handed, so he asked our band if they would be willing to fill in for him."

He was concise and to the point, conveying the core information clearly in just a few words.

"Wow! Lixi is amazing, she got us such an opportunity!" Nagasaki Sue said, gently clasping her hands together.

"Eh—?!" Chihaya Aine's eyes widened instantly, a huge sense of unease engulfing her. "At, at Popipa and Afterglow's concert... opening act?! Us?! Isn't this a bit too early?!"

Upon hearing this, Shiina Tatsuki immediately frowned. Although her tone wasn't as harsh as when she usually scolded him, it carried obvious disapproval and a direct question: "Huh? Didn't you say before that performing on stage was our short-term goal?"

Chihaya Aine glanced instinctively at Ishikawa Mayu beside her, as if seeking validation, her voice trembling with a lack of confidence: "Besides, we haven't even had a single full rehearsal yet! Suddenly having to go on stage, this is just too..."

Shiina Tatsuki said calmly, "Then let's practice."

Her gaze also fell on Mayu, carrying a clear warning—if you dare to go along with Aine, you're finished. At the same time, under the table, she was somewhat annoyed and wanted to give Ishikawa Mayu a light kick to remind him not to undermine her.

However, perhaps due to a hasty movement or a misjudgment of the angle, the kick did not hit his shoe or shinbone as expected. Instead, the side of her ankle, which was wearing indoor soft-soled shoes, grazed Makoto's exposed calf with a bit of force.

"—!"

Ishikawa Mayu was so startled by the sudden contact that her body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and a slight heat involuntarily spread to her ears.

He subconsciously looked at Lixi, only to see that she had quickly withdrawn her foot, her face still displaying a fierce expression of feigned composure, but the suspicious red on her ears seemed to have deepened slightly, and her eyes were also somewhat flickering, as if she was annoyed by her missed kick.

The unexpected touch under the table, and Li hope's clearly embarrassed yet defiant and warning look, made Zhen Yu instantly understand her unspoken message—"You dare to sabotage me?!"

A powerful will to survive instantly overwhelmed his initial thought of "letting things take their course." He almost immediately coughed, swallowing back the words "It was indeed a bit rushed," and turned to look at the uneasy Aine, saying in a more certain, even somewhat unquestionable tone than usual:

"Hello, Ai-yin."

Ai Yin looked at him upon hearing the sound, her silver-gray eyes still filled with panic.

"Didn't you say before that you would become the best guitarist and vocalist, and stand on the biggest stage with me... with all of us?"

He deliberately slowed down his speech so that his words could be clearly heard by everyone.

"—Huh?!"

Before she could finish speaking, Nagasaki Motoyo instinctively covered her lips, a hint of surprise and subtle emotion flashing in her pale blue eyes. She quickly glanced at Mayu, then looked at Aine.

When did Aine say something like that to Masahiro-kun?

This guy... he actually ran away?!

Chihaya Aine's cheeks flushed at Mayu's sudden mention of the "vow," especially under Suze's probing gaze, which made her feel utterly ashamed. The bold words she had impulsively uttered in the video now seemed so pale and...shameful in the face of harsh reality.

"I... I did say that..." Her voice trailed off, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt. "But... but that's different from now! That's Popipa and Afterglow's stage! My... my current level..."

"I believe you."

Ishikawa Mayu interrupted her, his voice not loud, but unusually clear and firm.

“I’ve seen your progress these past few days. From struggling to even do basic scale exercises at the beginning to now being able to roughly recite the main melody of ‘Here the World,’ your finger stamina, sense of rhythm, and that unwillingness to give up are all genuine.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the guitar she was holding, which seemed like a hot potato. His voice softened slightly, but carried an undeniable power:

"Aine, you have talent. Maybe you haven't fully realized it yet, but I know it, and I believe you can do it well."

"..."

Chihaya Aine opened her mouth, but all the words of retreat and complaint stuck in her throat.

She desperately wanted to shout, "No! I can't do it! I'll mess this up!" But if she said that, wouldn't she be admitting to Mayu that she was just a boastful idiot? And... and he already said, "I believe you"...

Finally, as if she had exhausted all her strength to resist, she lowered her head dejectedly, no longer objecting, but also not explicitly agreeing.

Seeing Aine's "acquiescing" attitude, Ishikawa Mayu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Finally... she had temporarily subdued the most difficult one to deal with.

He subconsciously glanced at Shiina Tatsuki next to him and saw that although she still had a stern face, her eyes had softened slightly, and she seemed to be quite satisfied with his "improvisation".

The pressure has now shifted to Takamatsu Akari.

All eyes, including those of Ai Yin who had just "accepted her fate," fell on the petite figure who had been so quiet since entering that she was almost ignored.

Takamatsu Akari kept her head down, her light brown bangs obscuring her eyes. Her hands were tightly gripping the metal box containing the penguin bandages on her knees, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

A wave of overwhelming fear washed over her, like icy tides. The stage, the audience, the spotlight… and the suffocating sense of defeat that might strike again, just like when Crychic disbanded. The mere thought made her want to escape immediately.

She didn't want to go through it again.

"lamp."

Shiina Tatsuki's voice rang out, much softer than when she usually spoke to her, with a cautious, tentative tone.

What do you... think?

The lamp's shoulder trembled almost imperceptibly.

She didn't want to go. She really wanted to shake her head. The words of refusal were on the tip of her tongue.

but……

In her mind, the words Aine had spoken to her with a bright yet resolute smile not long ago, in that dimly lit karaoke room, echoed uncontrollably—

"But as long as we work hard and avoid repeating the same mistakes, wouldn't that be enough?"

Takamatsu raised her head, her light brown eyes timidly sweeping over the people sitting around the table—Lixi's eyes filled with nervousness and anticipation, Aine's listless but still present presence, Suze-senpai's gentle gaze, and... Mayu's calm yet all-encompassing gaze.

She took a deep breath and, with all her might, managed to squeeze out a barely audible sound from her throat:

"……Um."

The response was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, trembling noticeably with uncertainty. It was less an agreement and more a tentative, small nod, encouraged by the crowd and propelled by the atmosphere. Her fingers still gripped the metal box tightly, her knuckles turning white.

But that was enough for Shiina Tatsuki.

Her face instantly lit up with undisguised joy and a relieved expression, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her heart.

Nagasaki Motoyo took in the faint response from the lamp and the joy on Riki's face. She elegantly picked up the black tea that had been served to her at some unknown time, took a small sip, and concealed her complex emotions. Her gaze swept over Ishikawa Mayu seemingly casually, her eyes carrying a clear, mixed meaning of inquiry and a faint resentment.

"Since the lamp has agreed... then let's settle on that."

Ishikawa Mayu received a glance from Suze that was filled with complex emotions, and his face showed obvious confusion. He blinked, completely unable to understand why Suze would suddenly look at him like that. He subconsciously tried to recall if he had said something wrong, but after thinking about it, it seemed that he had only been encouraging Aine?

Why is Nagasaki looking at me like that? What did I do to offend her?

After hearing Motoyo's words, "It's settled then," Chihaya Aine's last glimmer of hope vanished completely. As if all her strength had been drained away, she collapsed onto the cold table with a thud, utterly undignified.

Chapter 148 (3k) Light: Aine Doesn't Want to Perform

After confirming that no one had any other plans, Shiina Tatsuki hurriedly dragged Chihaya Aine to the RiNG front desk's reservation system and began dominating the screen to select rehearsal room slots for the next few days.

“Ms. Rinrinko, could you please reserve three hours of rehearsal time for us every afternoon from tomorrow until the performance? The time slots are roughly between after school and evening. Do you see which slots are available?”

"Every day?!" Chihaya Aine exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this, her pink head peeking out from the side with an expression that read, "This is too much!" "Tachiki-kun! Do we have to practice every day? Even on weekends? We still have classes, homework, and..."

"Huh?" Li Xi turned his head, his brows furrowing habitually. His tone was calm but carried an undeniable sense of pressure. "If you don't practice every day, do you want to forget the lyrics or sing off-key on stage? Or do you think that with your current guitar skill level, practicing once or twice a week is enough?"

As she spoke, she nudged Ishikawa Mayu, who was standing between her and Aine, trying to make herself less noticeable, with her elbow.

“Besides band practice time,” Li Xi said, his gaze still fixed on Aine, but speaking to Zhen Yu, “you also need to practice on your own. Zhen Yu, if you have time, make sure you keep an eye on her practice.”

Aine pouted in dissatisfaction. Mayu was such a busy man, how could he have time to keep an eye on her? He had to work on his Maha account, collaborate with Win-Wing, and study. How could he have so much time to watch me practice piano every day...?

If she could stay with Mayu forever, she wouldn't have to complain like this.

Ishikawa Mayu was caught in the middle, feeling torn between the two. If he sided with Aine and said, "It's too hard," Ritsuki would definitely explode; but if he went along with Ritsuki and said, "That's how you should train," Aine's pitiful eyes made him feel a little sorry for her.

He subconsciously turned around, wanting to cast a pleading look at Nagasaki Sose and Takamatsu Akari, who were sitting in the back rest area, but found Sose sitting quietly next to Akari, while Akari had her head bowed low, her light brown bangs hanging down, almost covering her entire face, and was unconsciously scribbling something on her notebook with a pen.

It seems we can't count on reinforcements.

Zhenyu sighed inwardly, then decisively surrendered. He raised his hands in a gesture that said, "It's up to you," and with a fawning smile, said to Lixi, "No problem, Teacher Lixi! I'll do whatever you say! I trust your judgment; it's all for the good of the band and for the performance to go smoothly!"

Shiina Tatsuki was taken aback by his sudden declaration of loyalty, and then turned his head away somewhat awkwardly, letting out a soft hum through his nose, while a faint blush crept up his ears.

That guy knows what's good for him!

"Hey—! Mayu, you traitor!" Chihaya Aine cried out in distress upon seeing this, her shoulders slumping like a little dog soaked in the rain.

Seeing her dejected look, Ishikawa Mayu smiled helplessly, reached out and gently ruffled her soft, fluffy pink hair. "Alright, stop complaining. Since you've decided to go on stage, you just have to practice like crazy. I'll try to make time for you."

Aine, who was originally sulking, was instantly calmed down by his sudden affectionate gesture. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she muttered softly, "That's more like it." She finally stopped protesting for the time being, and the little knot in her heart caused by Mayu's "defection" was also smoothed out.

Having calmed things down here, Zhenyu's thoughts immediately turned to the figure who had been unusually quiet since the decision to perform was made. He turned and walked towards the rest area.

Nagasaki Motoyo was sitting quietly next to Takamatsu Akari, watching the three people at the front desk who seemed to be arguing, especially Mayu who was caught in the middle. She frowned slightly, wondering if she should get up and go over to Mayu and stand next to him, perhaps she could help ease the atmosphere.

She had just stood up gracefully and straightened her skirt when she saw that Mayu had already rubbed Aine's head to comfort her and was walking straight towards her.

Su Shi paused for a moment, then almost reflexively sat back down, so fast that it even stirred up a breeze.

A faint blush swept across her fair cheeks, and she felt a little embarrassed by her somewhat abrupt action.

She glanced quickly at Zhenyu, who was walking over, and then looked at Deng, who was still looking down beside her. Without making a sound, she quietly moved her buttocks to the side, making room for one person between herself and Deng.

That way... when Shinba-kun comes over, he can sit between her and the lantern.

Ishikawa Mayu naturally noticed Su Shi's somewhat deliberate yet endearing gesture of offering her a seat.

He paused, a hint of embarrassment crossing his mind, but he still quietly sat down in front of the empty seat.

As soon as he sat down, Takamatsu Akari, who was sitting next to him, sensed Masahiro's presence. Her small shoulders twitched slightly, and she looked up at him quickly with her wet, confused, and uneasy light brown eyes. Then, like a startled little animal, she quickly lowered her head and continued to scribble randomly on her notebook with her pen.

"Have they... made a decision over there?" Nagasaki Motoyo turned slightly to the side and asked softly, as if afraid of disturbing the lights on the other side.

“Yes, no problem.” Zhenyu nodded, answering succinctly, but his gaze had already fallen on Takamatsu Akari, who was still bowing her head deeply beside her. He frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible concern, and asked Suze in a low voice, “Akari… what’s wrong? She’s been like this since just now.”

Su Shi gently shook her head, a hint of worry appearing in her light blue eyes: "I'm not quite sure either. Ever since it was confirmed that she would be in the role, she hasn't said much, she's just been drawing with a pen..."

The notebook pages were filled with a jumble of lines, twisting and tangling to form a vast and intricate labyrinth. The pen tip unconsciously traced the walls of the labyrinth on the paper, the pressure varying from light to heavy, as if reflecting the writer's chaotic thoughts that had no way out.

Zhenyu didn't speak immediately, but simply stayed quietly by her side.

After a long while, Takamatsu Akira, who had been keeping his head bowed deeply, suddenly spoke in an almost inaudible voice, in a soft, uncertain tremor: