People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Just then, the guitar melody that had been flowing from Ai Yin's fingertips, which was originally somewhat intermittent, suddenly tried to be joined by a familiar song.

"Her cheeks were also sparkling as she came to her senses."

Hot tears wet my face

Why are your hands so warm?

It's a clip from "Spring Shadows".

Her voice was very soft, with a hint of hesitation and uncertainty. She even sang only two or three short lines before abruptly stopping because she was not familiar with the chord changes.

"Ah... here again..." she muttered under her breath, somewhat annoyed, as she put her fingers back on the strings, ready to try again.

However, it was this brief, off-key humming, and the improvement she had made compared to before when she would stumble and fall without sheet music, but now she could play it relatively smoothly, that made a clear look of surprise and approval flash in Ishikawa Mayu's eyes.

She is really... seriously trying to catch up.

Perhaps her focus had finally reached its limit, or perhaps those two overly obvious gazes were simply impossible to ignore. Chihaya Aine slowly stopped practicing. She turned her head back, somewhat puzzled.

When her gaze fell upon Ishikawa Mayu, who had been standing quietly at the door for who knows how long, her silver-gray eyes widened instantly, filled with undisguised surprise.

"Zhen Yu!"

She practically jumped up from her chair, nearly dropping the guitar she was holding, and without even putting it down, she rushed to Zhenyu like a joyful little bird, her face beaming with a smile even brighter than the sunlight outside the window.

"Did you see that? Did you see that?" She tilted her head back, her eyes sparkling, her tone full of eager boasting and seeking praise, like a puppy that had diligently retrieved its frisbee and was waiting for its owner to pat its head. "I practiced by myself! I didn't slack off! Aren't I super hardworking!"

She was slightly out of breath, her cheeks flushed with a healthy rosy hue from the practice and the run, and fine beads of sweat on her forehead. She radiated youthful energy and... a fervent expectation of being recognized.

Looking at her adorable "praise me" expression, Ishikawa Mayu's eyes were practically overflowing with laughter.

He reached out and naturally brushed away a bead of sweat from her forehead with his fingertips; the touch was slightly damp.

"Yes, I saw it." His voice was softer than usual, filled with undisguised praise. "Very hardworking. And, you've made great progress."

His fingertips, carrying a slightly cool body temperature, brought a mild tickle as they brushed against my skin.

Chihaya Aine's face flushed even redder, but her silver-gray eyes shone brightly at his affirmation, staring intently at Mayu, as if filled with tiny starlight.

"Hehe, right!" Chihaya Aine shook her head smugly, tightening her grip on the guitar. Then, as if remembering something, she turned to the lamp that was still sitting quietly by the window and cheerfully invited, "Little lamp, little lamp! Come on! Play that part we just practiced for Mayu!"

When Aine rushed over, Takamatsu Akari had already put down her pen, placed her hands quietly on her knees, and kept her light brown eyes focused on the interaction between the two.

Watching Mayu wipe Aine's sweat, and seeing the undisguised radiance on Aine's face from being recognized, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly, and a gentle and gratified emotion flowed in her eyes.

Hearing Ai Yin's call, she did not get up immediately.

Her gaze unconsciously drifted to the notebook spread out on the table. In addition to the usual messy maze lines, there seemed to be something extra on it today, and the handwriting was more careful and serious than usual.

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, her slender fingers unconsciously brushing lightly across the notebook, as if confirming something, or perhaps saying a brief farewell.

"Little Lamp?" Zhenyu also noticed Lamp's hesitation. He followed her gaze and saw that the notebook had just been closed, but he did not notice the changes inside.

So he assumed that Deng was just shy, so he smiled and waved to her, encouraging her gently, "Come on, I want to hear Deng sing."

"Hey!" Chihaya Aine immediately puffed out her cheeks and nudged Mayu lightly with her elbow, feigning displeasure. "Why do you only want to hear Akari's playing? Where's my guitar? Don't you want to hear me play?"

Ishikawa Mayu was amused by Chihaya Aine and nodded quickly, her tone reassuring: "I want to hear both Aine and Akari's songs, I'm really looking forward to it."

Hearing this, Ai Yin smiled contentedly again, looked at the lamp once more, and waved enthusiastically: "Come on, little lamp!"

As Deng listened to the two playfully bickering, the hesitation in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a joyful feeling of being needed.

She carefully pushed the notebook further into the desk, then slid off the chair like a light little animal, taking small, almost running steps to Zhenyu's side. She sat down in the empty seat next to him, looking up at him with a quiet, complete trust on her face.

"Look, Akari is ready too!" Aine excitedly adjusted her posture while holding the guitar, took a deep breath, and wore a bright smile that was a mixture of nervousness and a desire to perform. "Now, Mr. Ishikawa Mayu, please enjoy a segment of 'Spring Shadow' performed by lead vocalist Akari Takamatsu and guitarist Aine Chihaya!"

As she spoke, she winked at the lamp. The lamp received the signal, took a soft breath, placed its hands on its knees, clenched them slightly, and prepared itself.

Ai-yin's fingertips landed on the strings again. Perhaps because she had an audience, or perhaps because she wanted to perform better, this time, her melody was more stable than before. Although it was still simple, it carried a tenacious spirit of effort.

And Deng, after the melody began, also hummed softly. Her voice was ethereal and pure, blending strangely with Ai Yin's slightly immature guitar playing, like moonlight flowing over stream stones.

Mayu sat quietly between them. To her left was Aine, who was playing earnestly and would occasionally smirk when she hit a difficult chord. To her right was Touka, who was completely immersed in the song with her eyes closed.

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the three in a warm glow. The sounds of guitar, humming, and dust motes floating in the air created a scene of unparalleled tranquility and vibrant life.

Ishikawa Mayu looked at the two girls beside her, one like a small sun burning brightly, the other like a quiet, twinkling star. They were both moving in the same direction, in their own ways.

He leaned back slightly, relaxed his body, and completely immersed himself in the brief but beautiful moment they had created together.

While he was humming, Takamatsu Akari quietly opened one eye and quickly glanced at Mayu's gentle profile beside her, then at Aine's focused eyes opposite her. A soft yet firm light flashed in her light brown eyes, as if she had captured a precious inspiration.

Chapter 165 (3k) New Song

Practice room after school

"Okay! Cut!" Chihaya Aine let out a long sigh of relief, her fingers finally leaving the strings. Her face was flushed from exercise and she couldn't contain her excitement. She turned around abruptly to face the other members, her eyes shining brightly. "How was that? How was that? I played the whole piece! The whole 'Haruhi Kage'! Not a single note was wrong!"

She held her guitar, like a primary school student waiting to receive an award, her chest heaving slightly with excitement.

Nagasaki Motoyo was the first to clap her hands gently, a tender and sincere smile spreading across her face: "Really, Aine-kun, you've improved so much. It's much, much smoother than before."

"Hehe, right, right!" Aine immediately shook her head contentedly, like a cat that had just been stroked, her pink ponytail swaying and almost pointing to the sky. "I told you I was very hardworking! Now there won't be any problems!"

Seeing her smug expression, Shiina Tatsuki crossed her arms and gave a soft "humph." Looking at Aine's gaze, which was practically glued to the guitar strings, she suddenly spoke, her tone still businesslike:

"Can you sing the song without looking at the strings?"

"cough--!"

Chihaya Aine's little bit of smugness was instantly swallowed back, as if she had been choked, letting out a short, dry cough. She turned her face away guiltily, her voice lowering as she mumbled indistinctly, "...Um...almost...but it'll be soon! Really!"

Looking at her like this, Lixi sighed almost imperceptibly. She knew in her heart that, given Aine's starting level and the short amount of practice time she had given, reaching this level was already an extraordinary performance. It was purely due to her indomitable spirit and the encouragement from herself and Zhenyu that she had managed to push through. With the time and amount of practice she had, it was impossible to blame her for not working hard.

Thinking of this, she swallowed back the harsher words that were on the tip of her tongue, and simply pursed her lips without saying anything more.

Ishikawa Mayu walked over with an undisguised smile of approval on her face and reached out to pat Aine's head.

“That’s already fantastic, Ayane.” His voice was gentle yet firm. “It’s much faster than I expected. At this pace, there shouldn’t be any problems before the performance.”

Mayu's praise instantly dispelled the slight disappointment that Aine had felt because of Riki's question. She immediately cheered up, looked up at Mayu with an incredibly bright smile, and nodded vigorously: "Yes!"

Shiina Ritsuki quietly watched Mayu, observing the undisguised, almost indulgent tenderness on his face, and watching Aine's obedient yet smug expression after being soothed by him. His beautiful purple eyes held no anger, no resentment, only an extremely complex, almost helpless emotion. His gaze seemed to say, "Just spoil her."

“Speaking of which,” Nagasaki Motoyo interrupted them, her hands lightly clasped together, a thoughtful expression on her face as her gaze swept over everyone, “we have time for two songs in our performance, right? Besides the already decided ‘Here the World,’ what should we prepare for the other one?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Shiina Tatsuki blurted out almost without thinking, in a matter-of-fact tone:

"Of course it's 'Spring Shadow'."

Nagasaki Motoyo's gentle smile froze instantly. She forced a smile, her gaze instinctively shifting to Ishikawa Mayu, her voice slightly hoarse:

"But...but...Lixi-kun, didn't Ishikawa-kun say before...that we can't just play it without Xiaoxiang's authorization?"

Startled by being called out, Ishikawa Mayu paused for a moment, then realized—right, he hadn't yet told Su Shi about obtaining Shoko's authorization. He opened his mouth, about to explain:

"Ah, about this..."

Just as he was about to speak, a slender figure silently walked into the middle of the crowd.

It's a Takamatsu lamp.

She lowered her head slightly, clutching her ever-present notebook tightly in both hands. Her light brown bangs obscured her eyes, making it impossible to see her expression. Her appearance instantly drew everyone's attention, even stopping Zhenyu, who was about to explain.

Shiina Tatsuki's gaze fell on the notebook in Akari's arms, and her beautiful purple eyes suddenly lit up, igniting with a burning light, as if she had seen some rare treasure. She almost held her breath, her voice trembling slightly with excitement:

"Lights...this...is this...a new song?"

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Takamatsu Akari nodded slightly. She raised her head, her light brown eyes timidly sweeping over the crowd, finally lingering briefly on Ishikawa Mayu and Chihaya Aine. Her voice was soft yet clear:

"Hmm... It was Aine who asked me to write it."

"It was written by looking at Mayu-san and Aine."

These words, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, startled both Mayu and Aine. Aine's cheeks flushed instantly, and she blinked somewhat flusteredly, instinctively glancing at Mayu beside her. Mayu, looking into Akari's pure and earnest eyes, felt as if something had gently struck her heart, a warm current mixed with surprise and indescribable tenderness spreading within her.

Shiina Tatsuki, however, was completely oblivious to the subtle emotions implied in those words. Her entire attention was captivated by the notebook in Akari's hand. Almost with a pious, impatient eagerness, she reached out her hand to Akari, her voice hoarse with intense longing:

"Can... I take a look?"

Deng glanced at Lixi's outstretched hand, then looked down at the notebook in his arms. After hesitating for a moment, he finally placed the notebook carefully, as if entrusting a fragile treasure, into Lixi's open palm.

Lixi snatched the notebook almost as if she were grabbing it and flipped it open abruptly.

Ai Yin blinked in surprise and muttered softly, "Eh? Xiao Deng, you... really wrote it for me?" She remembered that she had only mentioned it casually before, but she didn't expect Deng to take it to heart.

Ishikawa Mayu was slightly taken aback, then recalled the silhouette of the lamp lying on the table and the pencil carefully drawing in the notebook during the lunch break.

Lixi's gaze greedily took in the slightly childish yet incredibly sincere words on the pages. Her breath caught almost imperceptibly, as if struck by an invisible force, and her fingers holding the notebook tightened slightly.

The lyrics... the imagery conveyed between the lines—the desire to rely on each other, to walk side by side, to find light in the midst of confusion...!

She felt that the song was written as if it had glimpsed the unspoken understanding and tension between her and Zhenyu, and expressed the feelings in her heart that she herself had not yet fully understood!

A powerful resonance and indescribable excitement overwhelmed her, making her almost unable to control herself.

Lixi subconsciously moved closer to Ishikawa Mayu beside him, almost shoulder to shoulder, arm to arm, and held the notebook between them so that he could see every word clearly with her.

“Look here…” Lixi’s voice carried an urgency and a slight tremor that she herself was unaware of. Her fingertip pointed to a line on the page, her purple eyes shining brightly, completely immersed in this sudden, soul-stirring resonance.

Their heads were very close, their hair almost intertwined. Zhenyu could clearly smell the unique scent of soap emanating from Lixi, and could also feel her body temperature rising slightly due to excitement.

"Hey! Tanuki! I want to see too!" Chihaya Aine pouted in dissatisfaction as she looked at the two figures almost touching each other's backs.

Like a cat guarding its food, Shiina Tatsuki instinctively shielded Aine's prying gaze with her shoulder, her glance conveying a "don't bother us" message. She quickly refocused on her notebook, her fingertips tracing another lyric, and said to Mayu in a low, earnest voice, "And here... this metaphor..."

Ishikawa Mayu followed her fingertips, carefully reading the words written by Akari with clean strokes. The words were simple, yet they contained sincere emotions and a unique perspective, especially the contrast between "lost" and "guided," "alone" and "us," which made him feel as if he were seeing the subtle reflection of the relationships between the band members, especially himself, Riki, Aine, and Akari, over the past few days.

He couldn't help but chuckle softly, a chuckle filled with undisguised admiration and surprise.

“That’s really well written, Akari.” He looked up at Akari Takamatsu, who was standing quietly to the side with her hands clasped nervously in front of her, his gaze gentle and encouraging. “You’re really amazing.”

After saying that, he seemed to realize that he and Lixi were standing too close. He straightened up slightly, feeling a little awkward, and gave up the best viewing spot he had been occupying. He gestured to Aiyin, who was still pouting, and said, "Aiyin, come and take a look too."

The moment he moved away, Shiina Tatsuki almost imperceptibly pursed her lips, a slight sense of loss flashing through her mind, as if the intimate, warm space they had just shared had been broken. But she quickly composed herself, still clutching her notebook tightly, only slightly turning her body to the side, tacitly acquiescing to Aine's presence.

Chihaya Aine immediately cheered and, like a nimble little animal, darted to Riki's side, curiously craning her neck to read the first original lyrics draft belonging to their band.

Nagasaki Suze stood there, a bitter feeling washing over her as she recalled the scene of Riki and Mayu almost touching heads.

But the next second, she felt someone approaching her.

It was Ishikawa Mayu. He naturally withdrew from the small circle surrounding the notebook, walked a few steps to her side, and stood there with her, watching the chattering trio.

He didn't look at her; his gaze remained fixed on Ai Yin, who was excitedly discussing something, and Li hope, who was intently studying the lyrics. A smile still lingered on his lips, as if he had simply changed his viewing position casually.

Nagasaki Motoyo turned her head slightly, looking at Mayu's sharply defined profile so close to hers, and at the lively scene of the band reflected in his eyes. A warm current quietly replaced the bitterness from before, flowing slowly through her heart.

She subtly and gently moved half a step toward him, until their arms almost touched, then gracefully raised her hand, tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and her face once again revealed that impeccable, gentle smile filled with tolerance and comfort.

"It seems everyone really likes Xiaodeng's new song," she said softly to Zhenyu beside her.

Chapter 166 (Two-in-One): Is Crychic Gone?

Ishikawa Mayu and Nagasaki Motoyo stood quietly side by side for a while, enjoying the unspoken tranquility and warmth of each other's company. He looked at the three people in front of him who were having a lively discussion around the notebook, his gaze gentle.

Just then, Nagasaki Motoyo, standing beside her, took a soft breath, as if making a decision, and broke the silence with her unique, gentle voice:

“Um… Masahiro-kun,” she turned her head slightly, her gaze falling on Masahiro’s profile, her tone carrying a hint of caution as she suggested, “Now that we have a new song written by Kodama… can we… stop using ‘Haruhi Kage’?”

Upon hearing this, Ishikawa Mayu subconsciously turned his head and met Su Shi's expectant gaze. He opened his mouth, a helpless bitter smile appearing on his face, and gently shook his head.

“Su Shi, this new song… the lyrics are great, but the melody isn’t even out yet.” He analyzed the situation realistically, his tone calm. “There are only a few days left. We have to rehearse two songs that are already confirmed. Time is already extremely tight. Where would we find the time to create and rehearse a completely new song that hasn’t even had a melody yet?”

His analysis was reasonable and based on a calm consideration of the reality.

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than—

"I want."

A clear, firm, even somewhat stubborn voice abruptly interrupted him.

Ishikawa Mayu and Nagasaki Motoyo both looked in the direction of the sound.

Shiina Tatsuki had somehow raised her head, her beautiful purple eyes no longer fixed on the notebook, but looking directly and unabashedly at Ishikawa Mayu. Gone was her usual impatience and irritability; instead, her face was filled with an almost burning focus and determination.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the notebook, her knuckles turning white, as if drawing strength from it. Her gaze was fixed on Zhenyu, and she repeated and emphasized her wish clearly, word by word:

"I want our band's first performance to be a song of our own!"