People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

Looking into Riki's eyes, which were filled with an unwavering determination, and at the radiant light on her face—a mixture of devotion to music and anticipation for the band's future—he was momentarily speechless. He understood her feelings, but the practical difficulties were also undeniable.

“Lixi, I understand your thoughts, but…” he tried to explain, his tone hesitant, “…the timing…”

"Zhen Yu."

Shiina Tatsuki interrupted him, her voice unusually calm yet carrying an undeniable power. She took a small step forward, closing the distance between herself and Mayu, her gaze intense, as if trying to see right through him.

"You and me," she uttered clearly, her eyes filled with unwavering determination, as well as a sense of trust and reliance.

"—Let's compose the music together."

“Just like how we got ‘Spring Shadow’ done,” she added, her tone filled with confidence in their previous collaboration and a subtle intimacy that only the two of them understood. “You can do it, I know. If we… work together, we’ll definitely make it.”

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

Chihaya Aine and Takamatsu Akari also stopped their discussion, watching this scene with bated breath. Aine's eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation, while Akari clenched her small hands slightly, her light brown eyes filled with silent support.

Nagasaki Motoyo stood to the side, watching the unyielding aura between Riki and Mayu, as if connected by an invisible bond, and a clear unease swept through her heart. Riki's gaze was too intense, and that "I can't live without you" dependence made her feel a kind of potential threat.

However, another thought took hold of her mind more strongly.

"Spring Shadow"...that belonged to Crychic, to Xiao Xiang, to that unbroken dream of the past. She couldn't bear to have an outsider sing that song, carrying so many complex emotions, on a stage without Xiao Xiang. It felt like a... defilement.

Rather than letting the treasures of the past be "tainted," she would rather support this new song, fraught with uncertainty. At least, it belongs to the band "Now," to... the future that Shinba-kun and everyone else are creating together.

The scales in her heart had already tipped. Su Shi gracefully raised her hand, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her face regaining its gentle, considerate, and understanding smile, and she softly joined the conversation:

“What Riki said makes a lot of sense.” She looked at Masahiro with encouragement and support in her eyes. “If we can use our own music as the starting point for the band, it will be very meaningful. Although time is tight, I believe in Masahiro and Riki’s abilities.”

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Aine and Tou before finally settling on Mayu. Her tone softened, yet carried a strange persuasiveness: "Besides, everyone seems really motivated, doesn't they? It's worth putting in a little effort for our band's 'first song,' isn't it?"

Mayu's gaze shifted from Riki's determined eyes to Suze's gentle yet firm smile, then swept over Aine's expectant face and Tama's silent yet utter trust.

Li hope's trust, Su Shi's support, Ai Yin and Deng's expectations... all eyes were on him, carrying weight and warmth.

The real difficulties still loomed like huge rocks in his way, but he could almost hear the sound of those rocks loosening.

He looked at Lixi, at the unwavering light in her eyes, which contained not only her dedication to music, but also her complete trust in him, Ishikawa Maho.

"...Really." He sighed softly, as if resigned to his fate, but the corners of his mouth involuntarily curved upwards into a helpless yet somewhat eager smile.

He raised his hand and rubbed the back of his neck. Finally, under Lixi's tense and expectant gaze, he nodded solemnly.

“Alright.” His voice wasn’t loud, but it reached everyone’s ears clearly, carrying a certainty like accepting a challenge. “Then… let’s give it a try.”

The moment Shiina Ritsuki saw him nod, her tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly, and a huge, warm current mixed with joy and relief washed over her entire body. She even felt a slight sting in her nose, and quickly blinked hard to force back the untimely moisture.

"Mmm!" she responded forcefully, her eyes shining brightly.

Nagasaki Motoyo seemed to have a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, letting out a soft sigh of relief, and a more genuine and gentle smile appeared on her face: "Great, then it's settled? We'll sing 'Here the World' and our own new song on Sunday..."

"Do not."

Ishikawa Mayu calmly interrupted her.

This decisive denial stunned both Sue and Chihaya Aine, who almost simultaneously exclaimed in surprise:

"Huh?!"

Su Shi's smile froze instantly, and she looked at Zhen Yu with confusion and a hint of unease. Aine blinked as well, tilting her head in bewilderment: "Zhen Yu? Didn't we agree..."

Shiina Tatsuki frowned, his purple eyes filled with questions as he stared intently at Mahiro, waiting for his explanation.

Ishikawa Mayu's gaze calmly swept over the crowd, finally landing on Nagasaki Motoyo's astonished face, and she announced clearly:

"Sunday's program includes 'Here the World' and an arrangement of 'Spring Shadow'."

He paused, as if to make his decision seem more unwavering, and continued:

"I have already obtained the performance rights for 'Spring Shadow' from Xiangzi."

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up huge waves in everyone's hearts.

"What...?!" Nagasaki Motoyo instinctively covered her lips, her pale blue eyes widening in shock, filled with disbelief. She...she had absolutely no idea about this! When did Shinba-kun...

Shiina Tatsuki stood quietly to the side, holding her notebook.

She was well aware of Nagasaki Motoyo's intentions—she simply didn't want Aine to "taint" the memories of "Kasuga Kage" belonging to Crychic on stage, which was essentially a way of rejecting Chihaya Aine, an "outsider," from integrating into their former circle.

However, as long as Suzuki doesn't stop her from making music with Makoto and Kodama, and doesn't hinder the band's progress, she simply can't be bothered with these petty thoughts.

So she only glanced briefly at Su Shi, whose face showed shock, before turning her gaze back to Ishikawa Mayu. Her other hand unconsciously tightened its grip on the notebook in her arms—it contained the new lyrics written by Akari, representing their "present," the future she truly longed to create with Mayu.

However, another dissenting voice arose.

"Wait a minute!" Chihaya Aine raised her hand, her face showing urgency and confusion. "Maha! Why does it have to be 'Kasuga Kage'? I think... I think 'Here the World' would be just as good!"

Her words made Lixi frown instantly. Normally, she would have thought Aine was making excuses to avoid the more technically complex *Spring Shadow*. But remembering Aine's breakdown and subsequent recovery on Saturday evening, Lixi forcefully suppressed the reprimand that was on the tip of her tongue. She took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound inquisitive rather than accusatory:

"Why? Give me a reason. Is it because you think 'Spring Shadow' is too difficult, or... do you not want to sing it?"

Chihaya Aine was flustered by Ritsuki's direct question, and she quickly waved her hand to explain, "No, no! I have indeed practiced 'Spring Shadow' very well, and... I actually really like this song."

Moreover, it was only because Mayu specifically went to the agency to obtain authorization for this matter for the sake of the band and for her that she understood the weight of this sentiment better than anyone else. However, this sweet realization was not something she could directly express in front of everyone at this moment.

She hesitated for a moment, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. Her gaze flickered towards Ishikawa Mayu, and her voice gradually lowered, carrying a hint of embarrassment, yet remaining very earnest:

"Here the World... was it a cover song that Mayu managed to get the rights to perform from Win-Wing agency? If we don't sing it at the performance... will the agency think that Mayu isn't taking this collaboration seriously enough? Will it... have a negative impact on Mayu's future career?"

She looked up, her silver-gray eyes filled with pure worry.

"I... I just don't want to cause trouble for Mayu, and I don't want things to affect Mayu herself because of the band?"

Shiina Tatsuki was stunned by Aine's explanation. She hadn't considered the practical factors from the agency's perspective.

The thought that insisting on singing "Spring Shadow" might cause trouble for Mayu made her waver instantly.

She subconsciously turned to look at Ishikawa Mayu, her purple eyes filled with questioning and a hint of barely perceptible worry—if that were the case, then the performance of "Kasuga Kage" should probably be postponed.

Seeing the obvious concern in Riki's eyes and feeling Aine's pure concern for him, Ishikawa Mayu felt a warmth in his heart. He gently shook his head, a reassuring smile curving his lips.

“No, it won’t.” His voice was gentle yet firm. “You don’t need to worry about the agency. When I applied for the authorization, I already stated that it was a backup track for the band, and I didn’t say that it was going to be used at the concert. Besides, Win-Wing values ​​the potential for long-term cooperation and the quality of the music itself. One change in the track list won’t have any impact.”

"Are you really... alright?" Takamatsu asked softly, a hint of worry still lingering in her light brown eyes.

"Yes." Ishikawa Mayu nodded affirmatively.

Then, he looked at Nagasaki Motoyo, his eyes encouraging, "Besides, I specifically invited Shoko over this time. Haven't you always wanted to have a good talk with Shoko? Perhaps... this is an opportunity."

As Ishikawa Mayu finished speaking, the gentle smile on Nagasaki Motoyo's face froze instantly.

Invitation... Xiangzi?

Let her come to this show? To see this "new" band, in which she, Motoyo Nagasaki, is involved, but no longer includes Shoko Toyokawa, playing Crychic's "Kasuga Kage" on stage?

An indescribable panic gripped her heart instantly. She felt a slight chill on her fingertips, and her hands, clasped together in front of her, unconsciously tightened.

No… this is not what she wants at all. She wants everything to go back to how it was when Crychic was still around, with Makoto.

She invited Xiangzi to watch the performance, to see her play that song from their past in a new band without Xiangzi...

This is tantamount to personally holding a public funeral for Crychic in front of Xiangzi.

"This is not reconciliation...this is farewell."

"Doesn't this...doesn't this take us further away from reviving Crychic?"

"If even I'm standing here, using this song to vindicate the 'new' band... then how can Crychic possibly come back?"

A chilling sense of despair slowly spread from the depths of her heart, making her limbs feel cold. Subconsciously, she tightened her hands, which were clasped in front of her, and her neatly trimmed nails unconsciously dug into the skin on the back of her hands, causing a slight stinging pain, but it was nothing compared to the dull ache in her heart.

In the end, she could only manage a weak, barely perceptible smile as she forced a smile, her voice light and hollow in response:

"...I see."

"...Thank you, Shinba-kun."

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Chapter 167 Family Ticket

After finalizing the repertoire for next weekend's performance, Ishikawa Mayu had everyone focus on practicing the adapted version of "Haruhi Kage" while he and Shiina Tatsuki moved to a corner of the rehearsal room to begin preliminary discussions on the composition's framework and direction, based on the inspired lyrics in Akari's notebook.

Lixi was clearly already immersed in the excitement of creation. She quickly sketched possible chord progressions and rhythmic patterns on her tablet, occasionally looking up to talk to Zhenyu, her purple eyes sparkling with focused attention.

“Here, I think the verse could be introduced with slightly hesitant arpeggios…” Li hope tapped the screen with her fingertips, speaking very quickly.

“Yes, and then the pre-chorus section gradually increases the tempo’s driving force,” Mayu continued her train of thought, “to prepare for the climax of the chorus, like…”

His words were interrupted by a slightly abrupt, noisy bass groan.

The two stopped their discussion and looked up. Nagasaki Motoyo was holding her bass, her head slightly lowered, strands of hair falling across her forehead, obscuring part of her expression. She seemed to be trying to keep up with the root note of the Aine guitar, but her fingers appeared somewhat stiff; she had clearly pressed the wrong note just now.

“Hey, Nagasaki, you…” Shiina Tatsuki’s brows furrowed immediately, her displeasure at being interrupted and her dissatisfaction with her obviously out-of-focus performance. She was about to point out the problem.

"Lixi." Ishikawa Mayu gently touched her arm, signaling with his eyes for her to calm down. He lowered his voice, leaned close to Lixi's ear, and spoke in a volume only the two of them could hear, his tone carrying a hint of knowing guess, "Maybe... knowing that Xiangzi is coming to see the performance, she's a little too concerned. Give her some time to adjust."

He recalled Su Shi's unusual reaction when she heard that Xiangzi was coming. Her overly forced smile and empty "thank you" made him feel that something was wrong, but at this moment he was more inclined to attribute her mistake to the nervousness and excitement of facing an old friend.

Li hope pursed her lips and swallowed back the reprimand that was on the tip of her tongue.

She knew perfectly well what Su Shi was thinking; she was still holding a grudge against Crychic and Toyokawa Shoko, who had already disbanded.

Although she felt that this behavior of dwelling on the past was somewhat foolish, Su Shi was, after all, a friend she had known for a short time and with whom she had a decent relationship. She didn't want to speak ill of Su Shi in front of Zhen Yu, and could only hope in her heart that Su Shi could see reality as soon as possible and get rid of this pointless obsession.

"...Okay." She replied somewhat reluctantly in a low voice, refocusing her attention on her tablet, only occasionally glancing at the bass group out of the corner of her eye, her brows still slightly furrowed.

Ishikawa Mayu watched as Suze silently adjusted her bass straps and placed her fingers back on the strings. Her usually ramrod-straight back now conveyed an indescribable stiffness and loneliness. He assumed it was nervousness, and a soft, understanding feeling welled up inside him—he wasn't incapable of understanding the trepidation one feels when facing someone important.

He withdrew his gaze and re-engaged in his heated discussion with Li hope, unaware that beneath his lowered eyelids, what surged was not tension, but a deeper, colder resolve.

-----------------

The practice session ended in an atmosphere that appeared calm on the surface but was actually turbulent underneath.

Although Shiina Riki was annoyed by Suze's several inappropriate mistakes, she didn't say much for the sake of Mayu and the upcoming new song composition. She just packed her things more heavily and faster than usual.

“Oh, right, Tatsuki,” Ishikawa Mayu said, as she packed up her violin, turning to Shiina Tatsuki who was quickly stuffing a music stand into her backpack, “about the tickets for Sunday’s performance… you know, the family tickets, how do we get them?”

Lixi paused, looked up, and a knowing glint flashed in her purple eyes. "Oh, that? Just go find Ms. Rinrin; she's in charge of this." She said, deftly zipping up her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder. "Everyone's here now, let's go get the tickets together, so we don't have to notify each other separately later."

As she spoke, she took the lead and walked out of the rehearsal room, her steps as swift as ever, but this time she didn't forget to turn back and signal to everyone to follow.

"Let's go." Ishikawa Mayu nodded to Aine and Akari, then looked at Nagasaki Motoyo, who was quietly holding her bass and seemed lost in thought. "Motoyo, want to come along?"

Su Shi seemed to be startled awake by his voice, trembled slightly, raised her eyelids, and quickly put on a thin smile: "Okay, sure."

The group followed Lixi through RiNK's somewhat noisy corridor to the front desk.

Ms. Rinrinko was standing behind the counter, checking the schedule on the computer screen. Hearing footsteps, she looked up and gave a professional, friendly smile.

"Shiina-kun, is there something you need?"

“Miss Rinrinko, we’re here to collect family tickets for Sunday’s opening performance,” Riki explained succinctly.

"Ah, okay, just a moment." Ms. Rinko bent down and took an envelope containing tickets from under the counter, skillfully counting the tickets and handing them to each person in turn. "As is customary, each member has two family tickets, so you can invite family or friends to watch."

Shiina Riki took the two tickets that were his, stuffed them into his pocket without even looking at them, and seemed not to care much about them.

Chihaya Aine, holding the tickets, her eyes sparkling, had already begun quietly calculating: "One for Eri, and the other... maybe for Kana? She seemed to have said she'd come to support me when she has time..."

Takamatsu carefully held the two thin pieces of paper, her light brown eyes fixed intently on them as if pondering something important. She muttered softly, "One... for Mom. The other... Dad's been very busy lately, he can't come, who should I give it to...?"

When Nagasaki Motoyo took the ticket, her fingertips paused almost imperceptibly.

Those two thin pieces of paper felt incredibly heavy in her hands. She stared blankly at the performance information printed on the tickets.

Family... friends...

It would be fine to give a ticket to my mother, but she prioritizes her career above all else and probably won't have time to attend the concert.

As for friends...

A familiar, chilling sense of loneliness quietly enveloped Nagasaki Motoyo.

She subtly folded the two tickets in half, then in half again, until they became a small, inconspicuous square, and then silently and quickly stuffed them into the side pocket of her bass bag, as if trying to hide some unspeakable secret.

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Chapter 168 Su Shi: Hug

After saying goodbye to everyone at the entrance of RiNG, Ishikawa Mayu got on her motorcycle and returned to her apartment first.

After parking his motorcycle, Ishikawa Maho went straight to the 45th floor and stood at the door of Nagasaki Motoyo's house, skillfully taking out the spare key from under the doormat.