People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

The coolness of the steps seeped through his thin trousers. He didn't speak immediately, but simply sat quietly beside her.

The moment Shiina Ritsuki sat down, his body tensed up almost imperceptibly. He stubbornly refused to turn his head, but his clenched fist loosened slightly.

Her mind was in turmoil. In addition to the original irritability, she was also a little panicked. She had indeed said too harshly to Aine. Would Masahiro... be dissatisfied with her because of this?

"...Are they really alright?" After a few seconds, Li hope's stiff voice came through, tinged with barely perceptible unease, her gaze still fixed on the ground.

"Mm." Mayu responded, her voice low but carrying a reassuring certainty, "She cried, but we've talked things out. Aine is fine now."

Lixi's shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly, but then she pursed her lips, as if awaiting some kind of judgment.

Zhenyu turned her head to look at Lixi's tense profile in the night, her tone gentler than before:

"Lixi, although I was in a hurry to pursue Aiyin just now, I didn't mean to blame you."

Li hope was slightly taken aback.

“I know you’re doing this for the band’s good and you’re anxious.” His voice softened, with understanding. “Aiyin really needs someone to enlighten her, I understand that.”

He paused, as if choosing his words carefully, before letting out a soft sigh:

"But... you were a bit too angry when you spoke to her just now, weren't you? Those words weren't just reasonable, they were also barbed."

Lixi's lips moved, as if she wanted to refute, but she found herself unable to deny it with conviction. She was indeed overwhelmed by anxiety and an inexplicable emotion at the time.

Shinba didn't delve further into that point; his voice regained its firmness and composure, and he shifted the conversation to something more important:

"but--"

The "but" was clear and powerful, instantly capturing Lixi's full attention.

"No matter what your emotions were, how harsh your words were, or what the outcome was—"

He paused, then made a clear promise, word by word:

"I will share everything with you."

“I said we would face this together, and I didn’t just say it casually. I agree with your reasoning; your approach may be hasty and may have messed things up, but we will bear the consequences together.”

He reached out and gently patted Lixi's still tense arm; the gesture was brief but carried a heavy weight.

So don't overthink things. No matter what happens, I'll always be with you.

Shiina Ritsuki abruptly turned her face away, her ears flushing an unnatural red in the night. She pressed her lips tightly together, as if trying to suppress all the surging emotions within her.

"...Stop talking to yourself!" Her voice was still barbed, but it lacked its previous sharpness, sounding more like a feeble resistance. "Who, who asked you to share the burden! So annoying!"

But those hands, which had been clenched into fists with white knuckles, now completely relaxed, resting listlessly on her knees. A strange feeling of being fully accepted and supported filled her heart with both warmth and turmoil, which she could only mask with an even fiercer tone:

"If you... if you know your responsibilities, then you'd better keep a close eye on Aine from now on," she spoke rapidly, almost incoherently, "and with me... no! with me and Xiaodeng, and with the band, let's move forward together!"

Seeing her awkward expression—clearly her secret had been exposed, yet she was too ashamed to admit it—Ishikawa Mayu finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

The laughter was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly provoking an even greater reaction from Shiina Tatsuki.

"What are you laughing at!" She turned her head sharply, glaring at him with a mixture of embarrassment and anger, her cheeks flushed even in the dim light. Almost instinctively, she raised her hand and punched Zhenyu in the arm, with considerable force.

"Ouch..." Caught off guard, Mayu doubled over in pain, rubbing the spot where she had been hit. "You really hit hard..."

"Serves you right!" Li hope glared at him angrily, but the panic and uncertainty in her eyes seemed to have dissipated a lot with that punch.

Shinji rubbed his arm, which he estimated would be bruised tomorrow, sighed helplessly, looked up at her eyes—still filled with anger but surprisingly bright—and gently promised:

"Yes. Keep going."

Nagasaki Motoyo stood quietly a few steps away, watching the two people sitting side by side on the steps, and watching Mayu's profile as she focused on comforting Ritsuki.

She sighed softly, a mixture of understanding and slight displeasure passing through her mind.

It's like seeing a carefully prepared dinner interrupted; even though you understand the other person didn't mean it, it's still a little unpleasant. She knows very well that Mayu is just fulfilling his responsibility to the band, just like he promised on the rooftop before, that he will eventually return to the "home" where she is waiting.

However, seeing him so focused on another girl—even knowing that their relationship wasn't that kind of—made her slightly furrow her delicate brows. It felt as if her gaze had been briefly diverted; though harmless, it was enough to stir a touch of helpless jealousy.

She gracefully raised her hand, tucked a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the evening breeze behind her ear, and her face once again displayed an impeccable, gentle smile that carried a hint of tolerance and waiting.

It's okay, she can wait.

Just then, two familiar figures walked slowly towards them, hand in hand.

Aine's face had clearly been carefully washed; apart from a faint red mark at the corner of her eye, there was almost no sign of the dishevelment from crying. She forced a bright smile, even more forceful than usual, as if to dispel all the gloom.

Lamp quietly followed beside her, her hand, held by Aine, slightly clenched back. Her light brown eyes glanced at the three people on the steps, finally settling on Mayu, and she spoke softly:

"Um...we're back."

All eyes turned to them.

Shiina Tatsuki's gaze lingered on the lamp for a moment longer, seeing her and Aine's hands clasped tightly. Normally, she might have felt a slight pang of sadness, but at this moment, feeling the strange sense of security that Mayu had just brought, that possessive protectiveness seemed to have faded a lot, replaced by a sense of relief that "they're alright."

Chihaya Aine's gaze swept over Suze's gentle yet inquisitive smile, then over Ritsuki's awkward but now harmless profile, finally settling on Mayu's encouraging eyes. She took a deep breath, as if exhaling all her hesitation and fear, and then, with unprecedented clarity and determination, declared:

"We've made our decision."

"We're going to perform on stage."

Although Mayu had informed them beforehand, hearing Aine's clear statement still brought a subtle sense of relief to Lixi and Sushi. Lixi's tense shoulders completely relaxed, while Sushi gave a more genuine and gentle "That's great" smile.

After Aine finished speaking, she let go of the lamp's hand, took two steps forward, and came directly in front of Riki.

Lixi instinctively tried to turn her head away again, but Aiyin's gaze wouldn't let her escape.

“Lixi,” Aiyin said, her face no longer showing the panic and grievance she had shown before, but instead a calm and serious expression. “I have thought carefully about what you said to me this afternoon.”

Li hope pursed her lips, offering no response, her amethyst-like eyes filled with scrutiny.

“You said I rely too much on Mayu…” Aine said, even smiling a little embarrassedly, raising her hand to touch the back of her neck, “I admit it! It seems… that’s true.”

This frank admission surprised Li hope slightly.

However, Ai Yin abruptly changed the subject, her silver-gray eyes sparkling with a unique light that blended cunning and sincerity as she looked at Li hope:

"But we're teammates now, right?"

She tilted her head slightly, a bright smile blooming on her face that was both mischievous and impossible to dislike.

"Teammates should be able to rely on each other without any problems, right?"

She leaned forward slightly, her tone becoming light and playful, as if sharing some interesting little secret:

"so--"

"Maybe in the future, I'll have to rely on you, 'Li hope'?"

Chapter 160 Zhenyu: Is Lixi concerned about me?

May 24th, Sunday.

Ishikawa Mayu was nestled in the soft bedding, enjoying a long-awaited, undisturbed nap. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting bright dappled patterns on the floor, indicating that it was nearly noon.

A persistent and urgent phone vibration abruptly pulled him from his hazy sleep.

He frowned, fumbled for his phone on the bedside table, and barely opened his eyes a crack. The name "Shiina Tatsuki" was flashing on the screen.

"...Hello?" He answered the phone, his voice heavy with sleepiness and languor, and he subconsciously yawned. "Teacher Lixi...it's only ten o'clock...didn't we agree that today was a day off to relax...why are you calling me so early..."

On the other end of the phone, Shiina Ritsuki's voice paused for a moment, as if he was choked by Shiina's still-sleepy state, and there was a hint of guilt in his tone: "...You, you're not up yet?"

"Ugh..." Ishikawa Mayu yawned again, responding groggily, "A holiday... isn't it for resting properly..."

"Who told you you were on vacation too?" Li Xi retorted immediately, her voice regaining its usual firmness, even carrying a hint of self-righteousness. "I gave them a vacation to relax and recharge! Can your music arrangement studies be compared to theirs? Time is so tight, every minute is precious!"

This blatant discrimination brought Zhenyu to his senses somewhat. He rubbed his eyes and couldn't help but complain, "Teacher Lixi, your double standards are just too obvious..."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Li hope's voice rose slightly, tinged with embarrassment and annoyance at being exposed. "I'm the one who calls the shots! Besides, it's already ten o'clock and you're still not up. What kind of behavior is this! Don't you know that irregular sleep patterns are bad for your health?"

Upon hearing these words, which carried a reproachful yet inexplicably caring tone, Mayu's groggy mind instinctively replied, "Huh? Mr. Riki... is he concerned about me?"

There was an instant silence on the other end of the phone.

Several seconds later, Lixi, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, suddenly raised her voice, filled with obvious panic and embarrassment: "Who, who cares about you! Stop being so presumptuous! I'm just... this is a teacher's basic supervision of students! Taking responsibility for one's health is the most basic requirement!"

"Anyway! Get up quickly, get ready and come over! It's important!"

"...Something important?" Shinji rubbed his eyes, trying to get his brain working again. "Is there some problem with the band again?"

"It's not about the band!" Li hope immediately denied, her tone carrying a subtle hint of dissatisfaction—"Why do you only think about the band?"—but more than anything, an irrepressible sense of pride. "It's 'Spring Shadow'! I... I've arranged it! Last night... I got it done!"

Her voice, towards the end, carried a sense of relief and an undisguised sense of accomplishment.

"You've got it?!" Ishikawa Mayu's voice was filled with genuine surprise and admiration as she fully regained her senses. "Really? Mr. Riki, you're amazing!"

On the other end of the phone, Shiina Tatsuki's lips curled up uncontrollably, a warm current mixed with exhaustion and a great sense of accomplishment flowing through her body. She could imagine Ishikawa Mayu's wide-eyed, wide-open appearance, which made her smugness swell even more.

"Hmph..." She deliberately made her voice sound flat, even a little disdainful, "What's the big deal? It's been so many days, isn't it normal to get it done?"

She paused, trying to suppress the excitement in her voice, and reverted to her "strict teacher" tone, beginning to scold, as if this could mask her true feelings of eagerness to share the good news:

"It's you! You're so far behind in your progress, and you still have the nerve to sleep in? You only started learning the basics last Sunday, and I've been working on it for six days! Do you know how complicated music arrangement is? Harmony progressions, instrument arrangement, emotional build-up... none of these can be mastered overnight. I've finally managed to crack the toughest part, and you're still standing still. Is that even acceptable?"

Her speech became faster and faster; rather than criticizing Zhenyu, it was more like she was venting the tension that had been building up over the past few days and the excitement that was being released at this moment.

"So, get up right now! Wash up! Eat! And then come over here immediately!" she almost commanded, but the slight tremor in her voice at the end of his praise betrayed that she wasn't as calm as she appeared. "I'll show you the complete adapted version, and by the way... catch up on the lessons you've missed! Don't even think about slacking off!"

When Zhenyu listened to Lixi's machine-gun-like "reprimands" on the other end of the phone, she didn't feel offended at all; instead, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, yes, Teacher Lixi is right." He replied obediently with a smile in his voice, while lifting the quilt and sitting up. "I know I was wrong, so I will get up immediately and will never dare to delay Teacher Lixi's teaching progress again."

His teasing "Teacher Lixi" and respectful "student" made Lixi's ears start to burn again.

"Good, good! Hurry up!" she urged sharply, then, as if afraid he would say something else that would make her heart race, she quickly added, "You haven't forgotten the address, have you? I... I'll go check the sheet music one last time!"

"Yes, I remember," Zhenyu replied, already standing up to go wash up.

"Good, good! Hurry up!" she urged fiercely, then her tone became somewhat unnatural and her voice lowered as if she remembered something, "...Oh right, you...you can just come over here."

"Huh?" Zhenyu didn't understand for a moment.

“What I mean is…” Li hope explained awkwardly, speaking quickly, “You got up at this hour, you probably didn’t have breakfast, right? Don’t just buy some random stuff on the way here to make do… My family cooked lunch, and I saved some for you.”

She finished speaking quickly, as if it were a trivial matter, and immediately resumed her assertive tone: "So come straight here! Don't waste time wandering around outside, you hear me? I... I'll go check the sheet music one last time!"

This time, before Zhenyu could react, the receiver went dead again.

Ishikawa Mayu held her phone, stunned for a moment.

We went straight there...and even left some food for us?

The image of Shiina Maki's gentle yet inquisitive smile instantly flashed into my mind, along with the image of Riki blushing but trying to appear calm.

He couldn't help but chuckle, shook his head, and the lingering resentment in his heart from being disturbed while sleeping in completely vanished.

Chapter 161 Li hope is Super Amazing

As soon as Ishikawa Mayu arrived at the Shiina family apartment building, she saw Ritsuki already waiting at the door.

She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. When she saw him appear, she frowned, her tone carrying its usual impatience:

"Too slow! You're always so slow!"

Despite complaining, Shiina Ritsuki straightened up, turned around decisively, gestured for him to follow with her eyes, and then walked ahead without looking back, as if afraid of being seen by the neighbors.

Ishikawa Mayu smiled helplessly. He had set off immediately after receiving the message, even sending a LINE notification ten minutes earlier than the agreed time. However, he was already used to Riki's impatient and hypocritical manner; she had clearly been looking forward to this meeting even longer than he had.

Stepping into the familiar Shiina home, in the entryway, Ritsuki bent down somewhat hastily, took a pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet, shoved them in front of him, and said in a curt tone, "Here, put these on."

Ishikawa Mayu took it subconsciously, but when she looked down, she couldn't help but be stunned.

These are a pair of dark gray men's slippers, made of soft material, with a simple design, and they look brand new.

The last time he came, he was given ordinary guest slippers, but this time…

A thought flashed through my mind in an instant—this was… specially prepared for him, right?

"What are you dawdling for!" Li hope suddenly turned around and glared at him, her eyes fierce but not intimidating. "It's...it's because my sister said we should always have a pair for guests! I just happened to see them and bought them! Is that not allowed?!"

Just then, Shiina Maki, who had heard the commotion, peeked out from the living room with a gentle and knowing smile on her face.

“Welcome, Masahiro-kun.” She greeted him warmly, her gaze lingering on the new slippers in Masahiro’s hand, her smile deepening. Then she turned to her younger sister, her tone teasingly affectionate, “Tachibana got up really early today, pacing back and forth in her room, so restless. I thought she’d call you at seven o’clock, but I had to plead with her, telling her, ‘Masahiro-kun might still be resting, it would be disturbing to call too early,’ before she reluctantly agreed to wait until ten…”

"elder sister!!!"