People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Her beautiful purple eyes were shimmering with tears, shining brightly with shame and indignation; her cheeks were flushed, and her lips were slightly pouting.

Her voice rose, trying to mask her racing heart with fierceness, "Who cares if you like it or not! I'm packing my things! You, you go back right now!"

As she spoke, she hurriedly began to tidy up the sheet music on the table, which was actually quite neat. Her movements were so large that she almost crumpled the paper, and she looked completely flustered.

Seeing her unusual behavior, Ishikawa Mayu still didn't quite understand why she suddenly "lost her temper," but she still nodded obediently.

"Okay, I'll head back now. Thank you so much for today, Teacher Lixi."

He picked up his things, walked to the door, and then looked back at her once more.

Lixi still had her back to him, her shoulders slightly hunched, as if she was trying her best to minimize her presence.

Only when the door closed did Shiina Riki, as if all her strength had been drained, slowly slide down to the floor and bury her burning cheeks deep in her knees.

Outside the door, Ishikawa Mayu was still deep in thought as she walked downstairs:

"Was Teacher Lixi angry just now? Musicians' emotions are really hard to understand."

Chapter 163 (Part 2) Xiangzi: Where's my ticket?

May 25th, Monday noon.

Before the school bell had even completely stopped ringing, Ishikawa Mayu had already appeared by the back window of Class B classroom.

He didn't rush inside, but leisurely leaned against the wall by the window, his gaze easily locking onto that familiar figure through the bright glass.

As expected, Toyokawa Shoko hadn't finished tidying up yet. She was slightly bowing her head, her slender fingers slowly and deliberately gathering the textbooks and notes on the table, her movements still carrying a trace of the elegance and orderliness that belonged to a young lady, which contrasted sharply with the hurried classmates around her.

Seemingly sensing the gaze from outside the window, Xiangzi subconsciously looked up. When her eyes met those smiling eyes outside, she visibly paused.

"...!"

She immediately lowered her head in a panic, her composed movements instantly disrupted, turning into a flustered frantic affair.

The textbooks were roughly stuffed into the schoolbag, the pencil case was only half-zipped up before being thrown in, and finally the rest of the things were almost haphazardly swept into the drawer before suddenly standing up and almost running out of the back door of the classroom.

"You, you..." She ran up to Zhenyu, her breath slightly rapid from the jog, her cheeks flushed, and she glared at him, her voice filled with embarrassment and annoyance, "Didn't I say I'd wait for you on the rooftop? Why did you come here... to be so conspicuous!"

As she spoke, she kept glancing nervously around, afraid that other classmates would see her.

Seeing her cautious demeanor, Ishikawa Mayu couldn't help but scoff, his tone casual and dismissive.

“What reason do I need to wait for you?” He shrugged, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. As he spoke, he reached out and straightened the collar of his shirt, which was slightly crooked from his haste. “When I wasn’t busy before, I would sometimes wait for you at the convenience store after get off work.”

Xiangzi was taken aback by his self-righteous attitude, her cheeks flushed even more, and she retorted stubbornly, "Back then... I didn't make you wait back then either!"

“Yes, yes, yes,” Zhenyu nodded readily, but a knowing smile appeared on her lips as she deliberately dragged out her words, “So—it’s me who wanted to wait for you.”

He leaned closer, looking into Xiangzi's evasive eyes, and added softly:

"But then again, weren't you quite happy that I was waiting for you back then?"

"You...!" Toyokawa Shoko realized she couldn't argue with this guy at all, so she angrily turned her head away, stopped looking at him, and strode quickly toward the stairwell.

After walking a few steps, she realized the person behind her wasn't following immediately, so she couldn't help but turn back. Seeing Zhenyu's still leisurely, slow-paced manner, as if he were strolling in his own backyard, she became even more furious. She lowered her voice and said angrily:

"Let's go!"

After saying that, as if afraid that he would say something she couldn't handle, or that more classmates would see it, she turned around again, this time almost running, her blue hair drawing a hurried arc in the air.

As Zhenyu watched her fleeing figure, he finally chuckled softly before taking his own steps and following her at a leisurely pace.

The two went up to the rooftop one after the other. The midday sun was just right, and a gentle breeze blew by, bringing the warmth of early summer and ruffling Xiangzi's blue hair, which fluttered lightly against her cheek.

She raised her hand somewhat awkwardly and gently tucked a few unruly strands of hair behind her ear. This action revealed her earlobes, which were still faintly flushed, and were particularly clear in the sunlight.

She deliberately walked to the center of the rooftop, creating some distance between herself and Zhenyu, before turning around, putting her hands behind her back, and slightly raising her chin, trying to appear as calm as usual. However, her slightly flickering eyes still betrayed that she was not completely at peace.

Seeing her feigned composure despite clearly caring, Zhenyu's smile deepened. He slowly strolled over, stopping only when he could clearly see her slightly trembling eyelashes.

"What do you think of the adapted version of 'Spring Shadow'?" he began, his tone casual yet conversational.

Xiangzi was taken aback by his directness, then glared at him with a hint of annoyance: "Didn't I tell you on LINE yesterday? It's really good."

She paused, seemingly feeling that this was too lenient on him, then frowned slightly, scrutinizing him with a hint of judgment: "You, you specifically called me up here, you didn't just want me to praise you... and Shiina-kun to my face again, did you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhenyu was not embarrassed at all. Instead, he seemed to have thought about it seriously for a moment, then nodded without hesitation, a smile playing on his lips: "Hmm... It does feel pretty good to be praised to my face by someone as amazing as Xiangzi."

"You...!" Xiangzi was stunned speechless by his shameless arrogance. He pointed at him, unable to utter a word for a long time, his cheeks turning even redder with anger. How could this person be so... so shameless!

Seeing her adorable, speechless expression as she pointed at herself, Zhenyu finally couldn't help but chuckle softly. He toned down his playful expression, looking at her calmly, his voice softening slightly:

“Because Xiangzi, you’re always a bit reserved on LINE,” he said softly, with a hint of imperceptible patience. “You just reply with a ‘That sounds nice’ and that’s it, as polite as replying to a stranger’s business email.”

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze intently capturing her slightly flickering eyes, his tone filled with sincere expectation and a hint of unwavering insistence that she couldn't escape:

"What I want to hear is Toyokawa Shoko's most genuine feelings after all the politeness and distance have been stripped away."

"So, the only option was to bring you here."

Xiangzi was speechless at his words. Looking at his focused and persistent gaze, she swallowed back the rebuttal that was on the tip of her tongue. She turned her face away uncomfortably, clicked her tongue softly, crossed her arms over her chest, and unconsciously rubbed her arms with her fingertips.

She paused for a moment, as if carefully organizing her thoughts, or perhaps struggling with some kind of habitual defense mechanism within herself. Finally, she took a deep breath, turned back to look at Zhenyu, her eyes less filled with the embarrassment and more with the earnestness of a creator.

“…Alright.” Her voice was calmer than before. “Since you insist on listening.”

"Overall... the direction of the adaptation has indeed captured the core of the original song." She began, her tone objective, as if she were conducting a professional appraisal. "Shiina's interpretation of emotions is very accurate, especially the transition between struggle and explosion, that layered sense of tearing and the final decisive break through the constraints... it is more outward and impactful than the original song."

Her voice suddenly lowered, and her gaze drooped slightly, landing on the ground between them. With a hint of awkwardness, she muttered softly:

"...The addition of the violin part gives this piece...an elegant yet resolute feel...I...love this part the most."

After saying that, she seemed to regret revealing too much of her true thoughts, and immediately raised her head again, trying to cover it up with a fierce look. But she found that Zhenyu was staring at her without blinking, with an incredibly bright, even a little silly smile on his lips, a smile full of undisguised smugness.

Ishikawa Mayu nodded with feigned seriousness. "It seems I haven't been cherishing your 'treasure' enough?"

Seeing his smug, almost arrogant demeanor, Xiangzi's subtle emotions were instantly replaced by speechlessness. She glanced at him disdainfully and said irritably:

"Shouldn't you usually be modest in this situation? Say things like 'Oh, not at all,' or 'There are still many shortcomings'?"

Upon hearing this, Zhenyu not only did not restrain himself, but instead shrugged as if he had heard something interesting.

"Under normal circumstances, that's definitely the case."

"But Xiangzi, you're being modest—I'm afraid you'll pretend you didn't see it~"

Xiangzi was completely speechless, choked by his words. He could only glare at him fiercely, his face flushed, and squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth:

"...You scoundrel!"

Zhenyu ignored Xiangzi's unintimidating evaluation, his smile faded slightly, and his tone became more serious.

“By the way, this Sunday, our band is going to open for Popipa and Afterglow’s joint concert.” He looked at Xiangzi with a calm gaze, “Most likely… we’ll be performing this adapted version of ‘Spring Shadow’.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiangzi's expression froze for a fleeting moment, almost imperceptibly.

Her slightly raised chin slowly relaxed, and her arms, which had been crossed over her chest, fell silently to her sides. A complex emotion flashed quickly across her amber eyes—a sudden realization, a moment of understanding, but more than anything, an indescribable sadness, like moonlight briefly obscured by clouds.

The melody that once belonged to Crychic, written by her own hand, is about to resonate in a place beyond her reach, in a completely new guise. Meanwhile, she herself remains trapped in the mire of reality.

A touch of bitterness quietly crept into my heart.

However, this bitterness did not last long.

She looked at Ishikawa Mayu standing before her—the boy who had once struggled alongside her in the cracks of life, but now, through his talent and hard work, was about to stand on the stage. And her former teammates, Suze, Riki, Akari… they were all moving forward too.

Instead of dwelling on the shadow of Crychic's disbandment, they seized a new opportunity, formed a new band, and are about to embark on a new journey.

A purer emotion slowly overwhelmed the personal sense of loss.

She took a small breath, lifted her eyes again, and looked at Zhenyu. The darkness in her eyes quietly dissipated, replaced by a clear and sincere light. The corners of her mouth curved upwards into a shallow, yet incredibly genuine, smile.

“...Is that so?” Her voice was soft, but it carried a sense of relief and a hint of genuine, barely perceptible joy. “Then...congratulations to you.”

She paused, as if confirming her feelings, then repeated herself more clearly and firmly:

"Congratulations, Shinba. And... everyone."

Xiangzi remained silent for a moment, her amber eyes quietly gazing at Zhenyu, filled with relief, comfort, and a faint expectation that even she herself was unaware of. Suddenly, she gently extended her hand towards Zhenyu, palm facing upward.

Zhenyu stared blankly at the fair, well-defined hand in front of her, momentarily stunned, her eyes filled with obvious confusion.

Xiangzi tilted his head slightly, a sly and mischievous smile appearing on his face. His tone was light, as if the heavy atmosphere from just moments before had never existed:

"Where's my family member ticket?"

"Family/family ticket?" Zhenyu was even more confused, her mind not quite processing it.

"What?" Xiangzi's smile grew even more "friendly," and he took a step closer, almost feeling the pressure emanating from her. "You wouldn't have... already given away the family ticket, would you? To some 'more important' person?"

She emphasized the words "more important," her eyes sharp as if she could see right through Masahiro.

"How could that be!" Zhenyu immediately denied, plastering a fawning smile on her face, her tone exaggeratedly sincere. "I just confirmed that I'd be participating in the performance, and I came to report to you as soon as possible! You're the first person I notified outside of the band!"

As he spoke, he carefully observed Xiangzi's expression. Seeing that although she was still half-asleep, the suspicion in her eyes had lessened slightly, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly assured her:

"Don't worry! As soon as the tickets are issued, the first one will definitely be reserved for you!"

Xiangzi looked at his confident expression, gave a soft "humph," acknowledging his statement, and slowly withdrew her hand. She turned around, facing the open view outside the rooftop again, the breeze once more ruffling her hair.

"That would be best," she said softly, her tone devoid of emotion, but the slight upturn of her lips betrayed that she was not in a bad mood at the moment.

A gentle breeze on the rooftop ruffled their hair, and sunlight cast long shadows on them. A silent, warm understanding flowed quietly between them.

“So,” she cleared her throat, steer the conversation back on track, “how are your preparations going? It seems like there’s not much time left.”

"Yes, we're practicing intensively." Zhenyu also put away her joking expression and nodded. "As for Aine... we still need to spend more time on her, but she's very motivated. You've also approved of Lixi's arrangement, so all that's left is to work on the coordination."

When he mentioned the band and his teammates, Xiangzi's eyes flickered slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She softly hummed in agreement.

"Then do your best," she said, her tone calm but with genuine encouragement. "Don't... mess it up."

"Don't worry." Zhenyu looked at her with a firm gaze, giving a short but powerful promise.

Xiangzi met his gaze for a moment, then nodded slightly. She didn't say anything more, just gave him one last look before turning and walking towards the rooftop entrance. Her blue hair drew a clean arc as she turned, her silhouette still carrying her unique temperament, a blend of resilience and vulnerability.

Zhenyu stood there, watching her figure disappear behind the door, until the footsteps gradually faded away before slowly turning his gaze away.

Chapter 164 (3k) Aine's Changes

The conversation with Xiangzi on the rooftop actually took much longer than listening to her play the piano.

By the time Ishikawa Mayu pushed open the door to the Astronomy Club's activity room, half of the lunch break had already passed.

The familiar air, carrying a hint of dust and the distinctive scent of stone, wafted in from inside the activity room.

The first thing that entered his ears was a guitar melody that, while still somewhat raw and occasionally stumbling, was exceptionally firm and resonant.

Ishikawa Mayu looked up in surprise.

Chihaya Aine was sitting on the sofa with her back to the door, her head slightly lowered, her long pink hair tied into a neat ponytail, and she was intently holding her guitar.

Her fingers moved across the strings somewhat clumsily but with unusual persistence. Occasionally, she would press a wrong note, then immediately frown, click her tongue softly, and start the passage again without being discouraged.

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting a soft glow on Chihaya Aine's slightly sweaty forehead and focused profile. Her overly serious demeanor was a stark contrast to her usual playful and joking manner, always looking for a moment of relaxation.

Zhenyu stood still, not immediately making a sound to disturb him. He had originally thought that Aiyin would complain about him being too late, as usual, or pester him to start the Donghuang language lesson first, putting off the practice as much as possible.

Unexpectedly, she had already started practicing on her own? And judging from her posture, she was so engrossed that she didn't even notice him coming in.

Compared to her previous almost self-torturing guitar practice, Ai-on's current practice is full of anticipation and effective, which Mayu can see.

—Yes, she finally took Lixi's sharp words to heart. "Too reliant on Zhenyu," "Does she even have any ideas of her own?"... These words pierced her heart like needles.

Chihaya Aine's current intensive practice is less about preparing for the stage and more like a silent declaration and proof: Look, even without Mayu watching over me, I, Chihaya Aine, can still practice and work hard!

A feeling mixed with relief and a little complexity spread through his heart.

Ishikawa Mayu gently closed the door and turned her gaze to the other side of the room. Takamatsu Akari was quietly lying on the desk by the window, her light gray hair falling around her cheeks, her pencil scribbling something on her open notebook.

However, compared to Ai-yin, who was immersed in the music, Deng was not so engrossed, so she noticed the movement at the door first.

She looked up, her light brown eyes meeting hers. The moment she saw Zhenyu, her eyes brightened slightly, and a gentle, reassuring smile appeared on her face.

Takamatsu opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say hello.

Ishikawa Mayu immediately raised her index finger, made a "shh" gesture to her lips, gestured with her eyes to Aine who was facing away from them and fully absorbed in her practice, and shook her head slightly.

Deng immediately understood, nodded vigorously, covered her mouth with her hand, revealing only her smiling eyes to show that she understood. She put down her pen and, like Zhenyu, quietly turned around to look at the figure who was working hard.