People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

That was Aine's vow.

A chilling sensation instantly crept up my spine.

If... if giving up is the right thing to do, then what about what Aine said back then?

Was it just a casual remark, a pretty word she made to comfort herself when she was in a bad mood, and not something she truly meant?

Or perhaps... he, Ishikawa Mayu, has been selfishly and wishfully believing in that vow, even encouraging and pushing her because of it, without ever considering whether it was what she truly wanted, which has now driven her to the brink of collapse.

Chapter 153 (3k) Zhenyu: As expected, I still can't leave Su Shi

"...I think I really made a mistake." Ishikawa Mayu muttered to herself, her voice hoarse.

"Hey, you—"

A voice interrupted his thoughts, which were almost trapped in a vicious cycle.

Ishikawa Mayu looked up somewhat blankly and saw that Shiina Tatsuki had turned around and was facing him.

She didn't immediately refute, nor did she erupt; she simply stood there quietly, her hands slowly clenching until her knuckles turned white. After a few seconds, she turned to look out onto the rooftop, her gaze falling on the promotional song for Sumimi playing on the large screen in front of her. Her voice was unexpectedly calm:

"...I want to go on stage."

“I…” Her voice remained calm, yet carried a heavy weight, “When I first heard the light singing, I felt that the song… was about me.”

“The lamp transformed all my… indescribable emotions into song,” Lixi continued, her tone carrying an almost devout dependence that she herself was unaware of, “making me feel that I… also deserve to live.”

A faint, almost imperceptible smile flickered across Zhenyu's lips, only to be quickly suppressed. He knew, of course, who the song was truly meant for. Lixi's accidental yet incredibly sincere identification with the character made him feel a little amused, a little sorry for her, and even a little touched—it turned out that Lixi also had such clumsy yet profound emotions.

"So when I found out we could form a band again, I was really happy." Li hope's voice lowered, tinged with a hint of melancholy. "I thought... Deng felt the same way I did. But..."

Her words trailed off, but the disappointment and confusion in her unfinished sentence were clearly conveyed. She turned her head, her gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Zhenyu, carrying a questioning tone and a hint of barely perceptible expectation, hoping he would understand.

Ishikawa Mayu listened in silence.

Lixi's calm yet turbulent emotions, and her rare, empathetic probing, were like a glimmer of light illuminating his chaotic thoughts.

He looked at Lixi's clenched fists and slightly tense profile, then suddenly spoke in a low voice, picking up where she left off and responding to her probing:

"I... can probably understand a little bit about that feeling of being pulled out of the mire by someone's voice or presence."

Li hope turned his head abruptly, looking at him with some surprise. Su Shi also widened his eyes slightly, waiting intently for him to continue.

Zhenyu's gaze was unfocused, as if he had traveled through time and space back to that corner where he had just started school and still preferred to be alone.

“At first, I was always alone at school, going my own way.” His voice carried a hint of wistful reminiscence. “I think that was actually not bad. It was quiet, convenient, and I didn’t have to deal with troublesome interpersonal relationships.”

“Then… that noisy girl Aine transferred here.” As he said this, the corner of his mouth curved almost imperceptibly, a shallow curve with a hint of helplessness and a warmth that even he himself was unaware of. “Without saying a word, she dragged me out of that… self-righteous comfort zone.”

He paused, his gaze finally focusing as he looked intently into Lixi's beautiful purple eyes, his tone becoming clearer and more serious:

"It's all thanks to her that I got involved in forming a band and had the opportunity to... play with everyone."

"That's how I had the chance... to get to know you, Lixi."

Shiina Tatsuki's heart felt as if it had been suddenly clenched by something, then instantly released, and a strange warmth surged through her.

When Mayu mentioned Aine, she still felt a subtle unease.

But then, he clearly and deliberately separated "knowing her" from "everyone" and solemnly stated it as a separate result.

It turns out that in the trajectory of his life that was changed because of Aine, "getting to know Shiina Tatsuki" was a point that he needed to emphasize and that was worth remembering.

This realization sent a jolt through her body like a tiny electric current, making her ears burn and almost too hot to meet his gaze. She abruptly turned her head to stare downstairs, as if the traffic had suddenly become incredibly captivating, only her slightly flushed earlobes betraying her turbulent inner turmoil.

The hand resting on the railing tightened unconsciously at the knuckles.

The gentle smile on Nagasaki Motoyo's face was almost impossible to maintain.

She heard it clearly—Mayu-kun had specifically listed "knowing Riki" separately! What about her? She and Mayu-kun were clearly neighbors, and had known each other much earlier and more naturally! Why wasn't she specifically mentioned? A bitter jealousy mixed with resentment at being outdone welled up in her heart.

But she quickly suppressed these emotions. The bigger picture was more important; the most urgent matter was Aine! As long as Aine could be eliminated, Riki... didn't like Mayu anyway, so there was nothing to worry about.

She immediately stepped forward, her face regaining its impeccable smile, filled with gratitude and encouragement, as she gently intervened:

“See, Masahiro-kun, Riki-kun,” she said, her gaze shifting between the two of them as if she were their staunchest supporter, deliberately ignoring the particularity of the sentence that made her jealous, “It is precisely because everyone’s feelings are so important and the connection between us is so precious that we should convey them to each other properly.”

She looked at Lixi, her tone gentle and persuasive: "Lixi, why don't you... tell Xiaodeng these things? Tell her what her singing means to you, tell her how much you want to stand on the stage with her again."

Lixi's body stiffened for a moment. The ripples that had just been stirred by Zhenyu's words instantly subsided, replaced by a deep-seated timidity and stubbornness. She lowered her head, her voice muffled:

"...Because this is my selfish thought."

She didn't want to bind the lamp with her own expectations anymore, afraid of seeing the lamp's more troubled and painful expression.

"Why can't you always say the important things..." Su Shi sighed softly, her tone filled with regret, as if recalling Crychic's past, "But you don't want to repeat the same mistakes, do you?"

Her gaze shifted to Mayu, and she said meaningfully, "Besides, you're not the only one who thinks this way now, are you? Mayu-kun... although the reasons are different, he must also want to fulfill his promise to stand on the stage with someone important, right?"

She tried to bring the two of them on the same side, to confront their shared stance of "wanting to take the stage."

In her view, as long as Mayu and Riki stand firm, Aine, who cannot keep up, will naturally stand out and face increased pressure.

"Just tell Xiaodeng your thoughts clearly," Su Shi said to Li Xi, her voice full of trust. "Just like Xiaodeng moved you back then, your feelings will surely move her too, and she will understand you."

Lixi remembered the feelings she hadn't been able to convey when she was in Crychic, and the regrets caused by her silence. She didn't want to go through that again.

She raised her head, her gaze passing over Su Shi and looking directly at Zhen Yu. Her purple eyes flickered with complex emotions, including tenderness for Deng and the lingering turmoil caused by Zhen Yu's words. In the end, all of these emotions transformed into a firm determination.

"I don't want Xiaodeng to experience that loneliness again." Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable power.

Ishikawa Mayu quietly looked back at her, clearly receiving the signal in her eyes that sought allies and support. He saw the softness and courage beneath her hard exterior.

He took a half-step forward, shortening the distance between himself and Lixi, his gaze calm and earnest, as if making a solemn promise:

"Mm," he responded softly, his voice not loud, but exceptionally clear, "Let's do it together."

An indescribable sense of relief quietly spread through Lixi's heart, calming the slight unease she felt from revealing her innermost thoughts. Looking at Zhenyu's earnest face so close to hers, the warmth that had just subsided in her ears seemed to be returning. She nodded slightly, somewhat awkwardly, accepting his alliance.

Meanwhile, Nagasaki Motoyo's perfect smile froze completely.

She carefully steered the conversation, facilitating this heart-to-heart talk, but in the end, a solid barrier of "us" was formed between them, completely excluding her.

She watched as Zhenyu stared intently at Lixi's profile, and saw Lixi's awkward yet visibly relaxed posture. A strong sense of being ignored and bitterness instantly overwhelmed her. She felt like a transparent, insignificant background figure.

Just then, Ishikawa Mayu seemed to suddenly remember something, raised his hand to look at his watch, and frowned slightly.

"Oh no," he exclaimed, his voice slightly hurried. "At this hour... I have to hurry to the office, or I'll be late."

He subconsciously looked at Su Shi, his face showing an apologetic yet naturally dependent expression: "Su Shi, I'm sorry, we won't have time to have dinner together today."

Nagasaki Motoyo was still feeling the "neglect" emo when she heard those words, and a chill ran through her heart. See? Even our usual dinner together has to give way to other things?

However, before she could even adjust her expression to respond to this "rejection," Ishikawa Mayu's next words followed immediately.

"So...can I ask you for a late-night snack? I'd like to eat your ochazuke (rice with tea)."

Ishikawa Mayu felt a little embarrassed by her somewhat impolite request, which sounded like both a plea and a command. Her voice unconsciously lowered, tinged with shyness, as she added softly, as if explaining, yet also as if talking to herself:

"...Really...I think I've completely become inseparable from Su Shi."

——! ! !

Nagasaki Motoyo suddenly raised her eyelids, a hint of disbelief flashing in her pale blue eyes. Then, the boundless sense of loss and bitterness, like ice and snow exposed to the sun, instantly melted away, replaced by a burning, almost overflowing joy and pride.

“Of course you can.” Su Shi replied almost immediately, her smile no longer a carefully calculated mask, but a genuine, bright smile with a hint of sweet shyness. “I’ll prepare ochazuke for Shin-kun when he comes back. Good luck with your work…”

Her feelings at this moment were completely different from before.

So what if Li hope is temporarily on his side?

In the end, won't Maho still return to that "home" where she is waiting and where she has prepared warm food?

Chapter 154 Aine: Why Isn't Mayu Looking for Me?

Chihaya Aine herself didn't know how she got home.

Faced with her parents' concerned inquiries, she could only manage a weak excuse that she was "tired from rehearsals" before locking herself in her room. She had no appetite for dinner; she ate a few bites haphazardly, then claimed she had no appetite and retreated back to her room.

She lay on the sofa, her phone screen going dark and then back on repeatedly, but the pinned chat window remained eerily quiet.

"He should be at the firm by now, right?"

"How's work going?"

Is he... still angry with me?

This unresolved anxiety was driving her almost crazy. She grabbed her phone abruptly, her finger bypassing the pinned name and opening the chat window with Kana.

[Aine: Kana! Are you there? Are you there? (。>︿<)]

After sending the message, she held her breath and waited.

[Kanna: Yeah, what's up?]

[Aine: Um... you know... Masahiro, how did he do at the agency today?] She carefully chose her words.

[Kana: Mayu-kun? He's doing well. Although he seems a little troubled, he's still very professional during rehearsals, and he's cooperating smoothly with Hatsuka-senpai and Mio. What's wrong?]

"……fine."

"...The cooperation went smoothly."

Chanel's reply was like a cold stone, crashing heavily into Aine's heart.

He's... doing well.

He wasn't discouraged by her last-minute withdrawal, nor was his work affected by her. He continues to shine in his musical world, alongside new and excellent teammates...

A surge of emotions, a mixture of disappointment, resentment, and even more self-loathing, welled up inside me.

See, Chihaya Aine, you really are insignificant. The earth will still turn without you, and Mayu... can still do his job just as well.

[Aine: It's nothing, nothing! Just asking casually! Hehe! I hope the rehearsal goes well! I'll go get busy now! (￣▽￣*)]

She typed out these seemingly effortless characters with all her might, even adding her usual emoticon, and then quickly exited the chat interface with Kana, as if delaying even a second would expose her clumsy disguise.

After ending the conversation with Kana, the room fell into a suffocating silence once again.

Ain tossed and turned in bed in frustration, but the soft mattress now felt like it was covered in invisible thorns, making it impossible for her to find a comfortable position.

The scenes from RiNG that afternoon kept replaying in my mind—Makoto's slightly furrowed brows, and my own cowardly, almost fleeing figure.

"Aaaaaah—!"

She buried her face in the pillow and let out a silent scream.

My gaze involuntarily drifted to the guitar leaning against the corner of the wall.

Normally, when she's feeling this upset, she might pick up her guitar and practice to numb herself, or at least make some noise to dispel the loneliness.

But today, she didn't even want to touch it. A dull ache throbbed faintly from the bandage wrapped around her fingertip, as if reminding her of her afternoon's failure and embarrassment.

She scrolled through her phone restlessly, aimlessly switching between various social media platforms, but her gaze kept involuntarily drifting to the time at the top of the screen.

Nine o'clock, nine-thirty, ten o'clock...

At this time of day, if Zhenyu had finished her work at the agency, she would probably send her a message saying "I'm done." Even just those three simple words would feel like the end of the day, giving her peace of mind.

However, that familiar notification tone did not sound today.

10:10, 10:20, 10:30...

The dialog box remained silent.

A strong sense of unease, like cold vines, coiled around her heart, tightening ever more.

Is he still working? Or... does he really not want to talk to her anymore?

She opened the chat window with Kana again, her fingers trembling slightly with nervousness.

[Aine: Kana Kana! Are you home yet?]

[Chanel: I got home a long time ago, what's up?]

Aine's heart sank. Kana had already gone home, so Mayu must have left the agency long ago as well.

He's been home for so long and hasn't contacted her yet...

Chihaya Aine took a deep breath, almost using up all her courage, before trembling as she typed the next line.