People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Aine felt the gazes directed at her, especially Mayu's silent stare, which made her feel uneasy. She forced herself to remain calm, her speech unconsciously quickening as if trying to find more plausible excuses for her retreat, her voice rising slightly:

“Look, we…we haven’t even decided on a band name yet! And we don’t have stage costumes! We haven’t prepared anything! And…and Xiaodeng also thinks that if we go on stage now, it might…maybe it’s still not appropriate…”

Her voice grew softer and softer until it became almost a mumbled whisper, and she lowered her head, lacking confidence.

"Light?" Nagasaki Motoyo's gentle voice rang out as she looked at the petite figure standing silently behind Aine. "Why are you suddenly saying that? Is there... a special reason?"

When Takamatsu Akari's name was called, her shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly. She lowered her head deeply, her light brown bangs completely obscuring her expression, her hands gripping her skirt tightly, and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, as if it might break at any moment:

"Because...it will end..."

This answer surprised the others present.

Takamatsu finally raised her head, her light brown eyes filled with moisture, as if they were about to drip. Her gaze timidly swept over the three people in front of her before finally settling on the ground.

"If we go to a concert... the band will be disbanded."

Chihaya Aine stared blankly at the lamp: "...What do you mean by 'the end'...?"

The lamp didn't look at anyone else, simply turning her head to the side, as if that would allow her to escape all the gazes directed at her, and also the fear that lingered in her heart like a destiny. She answered Ai Yin's unfinished question with silence.

Mayu suddenly remembered what Aine had told Akari: to at least try until their first performance. Was Akari afraid the band would fall apart after their first show? What had happened between those two girls on his way here?

He looked at Aine with a questioning gaze, trying to get some clues from her. But at this moment, Aine seemed to be isolated by an invisible wall, not daring to meet his gaze at all. She awkwardly turned her head away, leaving him only a profile full of avoidance and unease.

The two girls, one to the left and one to the right, tacitly blocked his view and kept him out of the eye of this sudden storm.

Seeing this, Nagasaki Motoyo gracefully stood up, walked to Akari who was still looking down, and gently took her cold little hand in hers. Her voice was so soft as if she was afraid of disturbing something: "Akari, thank you for telling us your thoughts. You must be very anxious, but this time we will communicate well, and there will definitely be no problem. So don't worry, okay?"

Her tone was gentle, carrying a calming power, trying to dispel the gloom surrounding the lamp.

However, Gao Songdeng seemed to be burned by the gentle touch, and abruptly withdrew her hand. She didn't look at anyone, nor did she respond to Su Shi's words. She simply turned around silently and walked outside alone with small, almost inaudible steps. Her small figure cast a lonely shadow under the lamplight.

"Light..." Ai Yin called out softly, her face filled with worry and helplessness.

She glanced in the direction the lantern had left, then quickly looked at the silent Ishikawa Mayu beside her. She bit her lower lip, as if she had found an excuse to temporarily escape the suffocating atmosphere, and forced a smile. "I...I'll go check on the lantern!"

After saying that, she practically fled, quickly chasing after the lamp's figure and leaving the ring's hall.

Shiina Riki looked at the empty doorway, then at the two silent people beside her, clicked her tongue in annoyance, and suddenly stood up.

"I'll go tell Ms. Rinrinko that today's rehearsal is canceled!"

Chapter 151 The Rooftop

Ishikawa Mayu stood rooted to the spot, his gaze still fixed on the doorway where Aine and Akari had left, as if he could still see their hurried figures as they fled. An unprecedented sense of bewilderment and loss gripped him.

Ai Yin... the Ai Yin who was always full of energy, like a little sun revolving around him, a little clever and fond of acting cute, just now didn't even dare to look at him, and even turned her head away in an almost escapist manner, shutting him out of her world.

This girl, whom he had always thought was easy to understand, was someone he couldn't understand the first time...

A warm, soft hand gently covered his slightly clenched fist hanging by his side.

Mayu paused slightly, turned her head, and met Nagasaki Motoyo's pale blue eyes, which were close to hers and filled with worry.

“Mayu-kun,” her voice was as soft as a feather, with a magical power to soothe anxiety, “Don’t worry too much. Aine and Kodou… probably just need some time alone to sort out their feelings.”

She squeezed his fist slightly, the warmth from her fingertips trying to dispel the coldness in his palm.

“It’s okay,” Su Shi looked up at him, a gentle yet somewhat forced smile on her face, as if she were sharing his burden. “I will stay here with Zhenyu-kun. No matter what happens, I will be by your side.”

She moved closer to him almost imperceptibly, nearly leaning against his arm, the faint fragrance of her hair lingering around his nose.

Normally, Zhenyu might have felt a little uncomfortable with such close proximity, but at this moment, the immense emptiness and confusion in his heart made him subconsciously crave this unreserved warmth and support. He didn't pull away, but simply stood there silently, letting Su Shi hold his hand, conveying unspoken comfort.

Shiina Tatsuki returned, her face clearly showing displeasure and annoyance. When she canceled the appointment, she probably received quite a few looks from Rinrinko that said, "Young people are just impulsive."

As soon as she entered the room, she saw Nagasaki Motoyo practically pressed against Ishikawa Mayu, holding his hand and whispering something.

Meanwhile, Ishikawa Mayu, who was usually so carefree and even a bit annoying, was now like a large dog drenched in rain, head down, her whole body radiating an suppressed irritability and... disappointment that mirrored her own.

Lixi paused for a moment.

The anger she was about to unleash inexplicably caught in her throat when she saw Mayu's appearance.

This guy... he can make that kind of expression too?

It wasn't the feigned pitifulness of the usual kind, nor the embarrassment of being teased, but a genuine sense of distress and helplessness.

A strange sense of resonance, like "So you can be like this too," abruptly calmed the anger in her heart.

She clicked her tongue in annoyance, strode over, her tone still sharp, but the target was no longer Zhenyu, but this suffocating situation:

"Hey, stop standing there like an idiot, you're annoying to look at." Li hope's voice interrupted the tender atmosphere that Su Shi had created. She didn't even look at Su Shi, her gaze fixed on Zhen Yu. "Let's go."

Ishikawa Mayu seemed not to have completely snapped out of her thoughts, and upon hearing this, she subconsciously responded with a low "...Oh."

Almost instinctively, he followed the direction Lixi turned and took a step.

Nagasaki Motoyo stood there, watching as Masahiro obediently followed Riki. Her perfect smile froze for a moment, her fingertips tightened slightly, and her meticulously manicured nails almost dug into her palm.

That Shiina Tatsuki…! Of all times, at a time like this!

She was furious. The atmosphere had been so good just now, and Zhenyu-kun was clearly letting his guard down and needed someone to rely on. They were about to take things a step further... and she had ruined it all!

On the surface, she simply smoothed her long hair behind her ear, quickly caught up with the two, and said in a gentle voice, "Well, it's good to get some fresh air in a different environment."

After taking only a few steps, Ishikawa Mayu seemed to come back to her senses. She looked blankly at Riki's tall but irritable back walking ahead of her, then looked around at the corridor that wasn't an exit, and asked in confusion, "Wait... where are we going?"

Lixi, who was walking ahead, didn't even turn her head and said irritably:

"The rooftop. It's better to get some fresh air than to suffocate down there."

Her tone remained sharp, but her pace slowed subtly, as if she were checking to make sure the people behind her were keeping up.

Ishikawa Mayu didn't ask any further questions, but silently followed. Nagasaki Motoyo also maintained a perfect smile, following closely behind, though the smile didn't fully reach her eyes.

The iron gate to the rooftop was pushed open rather roughly by Li hope, making a creaking, screeching sound.

A cool evening breeze swept in, dispelling the stuffy air in the hallway and slightly easing the lingering oppression in the three people's hearts.

Lixi walked straight to the edge of the rooftop, placed his hands on the railing, looked down at the city lights coming on, took a deep breath, and then exhaled heavily, as if trying to squeeze out all the pent-up frustration in his chest.

Zhenyu stopped beside her and, imitating her, leaned against the railing. The wind cleared his head a little.

He glanced at Li hope's delicate profile, then looked around, finally fixing his gaze on Nagasaki Suze beside him. She was gently tidying her wind-blown hair, her face once again displaying an impeccable, slightly worried, gentle expression.

“Zhenyu-kun,” Su Shi said softly, her voice sounding somewhat ethereal in the wind, “Are you feeling better? The wind here is very comfortable.”

Zhenyu nodded, then shook her head. The environment was more comfortable, but the knot in her heart remained untied.

He hesitated for a moment, then turned his gaze back to Lixi, and finally spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching her ears:

"Li hope."

Shiina Riki, who was holding onto the railing, moved her shoulder almost imperceptibly, but did not turn around. She only let out a muffled sound from her nose: "...Hmm?"

“Thank you,” Ishikawa Mayu said. He understood that although her method was crude, Riki had sensed his state and was trying to do something in her own way.

Lixi's body visibly stiffened. She seemed completely unprepared for a thank you. Several seconds later, she awkwardly and without turning her head, tossed out a sentence, her tone slightly softer than before, but still stiff:

"...Stop talking nonsense. I'm just bored by myself."

Nagasaki Motoyo watched this scene, her fingertips slightly curling. Masahiro's thanks to Ritsuki left her with a bitter taste. She had just comforted him for so long, why hadn't he... been there?

Just then, Ishikawa Mayu turned around, looked at her, and whispered, "Thank you too, Suze."

His eyes were earnest, filled with gratitude. Although Su Shi's comforting words couldn't solve the fundamental problem, that companionship and gentleness were indeed the lifeline he desperately needed at that moment.

Nagasaki Motoyo paused for a moment, then a smile softer than the sunlight bloomed on her face as she gently shook her head: "You're welcome, Shinba-kun. It's what I wanted to do."

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Chapter 152 Su Shi: Let's not go on stage anymore.

Looking at Nagasaki Motoyo's smile, which was even gentler than the afterglow of the setting sun, Ishikawa Mayu nodded slightly and whispered, "...Mm."

However, after nodding, he fell silent again.

Nagasaki Motoyo took in his appearance, and the small joy that rose in her heart because of his thanks was quickly replaced by a stronger desire to perform and control.

This is a golden opportunity to completely envelop him with gentleness when he is at his most vulnerable, and make him depend on you.

She leaned forward slightly, her pale blue eyes filled with a tenderness that could drown a person, and she tried to make her voice softer and gentler as she was about to speak.

"Hey, you—"

A harsh, impatient voice abruptly broke in, shattering the tranquil atmosphere that Su Shi had carefully created like a stone.

Shiina Tatsuki had turned around at some point, arms crossed, brows furrowed, his gaze fixed on Ishikawa Mayu, who was looking down.

Seeing his dejected appearance, the nameless anger in her heart flared up again, but this time, it was mixed with more things that she herself couldn't sort out—displeasure at him being so depressed because of another girl, and a trace of... annoyance at seeing him like this.

She probably meant to say, "You're an eyesore," but as the words reached her lips, looking at his wind-blown hair and downcast eyelashes, she hesitated strangely, her tone shifting to:

"Are you alright?"

The question, coming from Shiina Tatsuki's mouth, carried an extremely awkward and stiff quality, even more unnatural than when she usually swore. She immediately pursed her lips after speaking, as if somewhat regretting her sudden display of "concern."

Ishikawa Mayu was abruptly pulled out of her own quagmire by her extremely un-"Lixi" way of asking questions, and looked up in surprise.

He had assumed that, given Lixi's personality, she would relentlessly question him about the lamp's condition or continue to reprimand Aine for deserting her post. But instead, she asked... him?

“I thought…” Zhenyu murmured her doubts aloud, “…you would be more concerned about the light.”

This sentence was like flipping a switch.

Shiina Tatsuki's cheeks flushed bright red instantly, not from anger, but from the embarrassment of having her secret thoughts exposed.

—What does "paying more attention to the lights" mean?

—Aren't I asking you this?!

—Asking you first is equivalent to…

A sense of panic, as if she were thinking, "Wouldn't that make me value him more than Xiaodeng?" instantly gripped her, making her almost bristle like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and immediately retort.

However, just as she took a deep breath, about to transform her embarrassment and anger into sharp words—

"Teacher Lixi."

Ishikawa Mayu interrupted her.

His shoulders slumped slightly, and his eyes, which usually held a hint of aloofness or a smile, were now so downcast, honestly reflecting his helplessness.

“I think I… don’t understand.” He said in a low voice, almost as if the wind could carry it away, with a kind of vulnerable honesty, “I don’t know what Aine is afraid of, and I don’t know how to reassure Tohru… I thought I could do something, but now it seems… I can’t do anything right.”

He looked at Lixi, his eyes filled with undisguised confusion and a desire for guidance: "Teacher Lixi, how...did you understand the lamp back then? What should I do?"

Zhenyu's rare appearance, showing weakness and dependence, was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the anger that Lixi had just ignited to mask his inner panic.

Is he... asking me for help?

Isn't he always acting like he can handle everything? Shouldn't he be busy catering to that pink-haired idiot? Why is he looking at me like that now? As if I'm the only person he can grasp who understands this predicament?

A strange sense of satisfaction from being needed and trusted, mixed with complex emotions about his current state, quietly spread through her heart, overshadowing the slight displeasure she felt from his mention of Ai Yin.

He was relying on me at this moment. This realization made her awkwardly look away and look back at the traffic below, but her grip on the railing loosened slightly.

Just as Shiina Tatsuki took a deep breath, organizing equally clumsy words of comfort, trying to respond to this dependence—

"——Lixi."

Nagasaki Motoyo's voice rang out again, softer than before, yet carrying an undeniable, direct force. Her face still wore a perfect expression of worry, but her fingertips unconsciously and slightly anxiously fidgeted with each other. She couldn't let Ritsuki continue "comforting" her any longer; the dependence that Shin'yu had just established needed to be guided by her.

“I think,” Su Shi lowered her eyes slightly, her voice carrying a heavy tone as if she were sharing the same experience, “maybe… we were wrong from the very beginning.”

Lixi and Zhenyu looked at her at the same time.

Su Shi raised her head, her light blue eyes looking directly at Zhen Yu, her tone gentle to the point of cruelty: "Forcing everyone to step onto an unfamiliar stage and face an unknown audience... the result is like this, putting Aine and Kodama under so much pressure, and possibly even... hurting each other's feelings."

She sighed softly, as if making a difficult decision: "So... how about we don't go to the concert?"

“I won’t be performing on stage anymore,” Su Shi continued, her voice growing softer yet striking Mayu’s heart like a hammer blow. “Isn’t it good to just play in the rehearsal room like we are now? At least… that way, we won’t get hurt anymore, and we won’t… break up again.”

Zhenyu was stunned.

For him, there was no compelling reason to go on stage. If it was to protect them, giving up seemed to be the simplest and most direct choice.

However, the instant this thought arose, another image suddenly crashed into his mind—

That night, during the video call, the girl's eyes sparkled, filled with unprecedented seriousness and longing, as she declared to him:

"I want to become the best guitarist, and stand on the biggest stage with you... and with all of us!"