Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?

The boy breathed a sigh of relief under the undivided gaze of Hailing and Miaomeng, and quickly typed on his phone to reply to Lixi.

In that case, I'll do everything I can to make sure you learn something, Lixi. Shall we meet at the recording studio sometime?

"Hmm... See you this week when I'm on vacation? I'm free all day, and I don't have to go to RiNG."

Let me know.

"Hmm... See you then."

After a concise and efficient chat, Kazama put down his phone and Hailing contentedly continued the conversation.

"So, is the communication over? Are you allowing me to enter the scene?"

"Ah, me too! Me too!"

Meow Dream waved enthusiastically from the side, but Kazama seriously suspected that this guy was just trying to join in the fun.

"Well, if you can help me get rid of that guy Lixi's problem."

Kazama nodded, which was a definite agreement to Meow Dream and Hailin's request.

Anyway, this was just a date similar to a class reunion, and Shiina Tatsuki hadn't explicitly told him he couldn't bring anyone else. Her only request was to ask Kazama to help her improve her drumming skills.

Bringing along one of Li Xi's mischievous friends and her companion shouldn't disrupt her study schedule, right?

"Is it...is it to see Lixi?"

However, Chu Hua, who had been quietly listening to their conversation until it ended, couldn't sit still any longer.

She didn't continue, but her eyes, fixed on Kazama without blinking, conveyed a very clear question—

If even Miaomeng and Hailing can do it, why can't we bring her along?

However, Chu Hua herself probably knew that if she asked this question, it would become a somewhat impolite request, so she wisely remained silent, only gazing at the boy with her big, watery puppy eyes looking pitiful.

"...Chu Hua, didn't you say you wanted to calm down and polish the lyrics of your new song for the next performance?"

Finally, it's unclear whether Xiangzi couldn't bear to see her childhood sweetheart looking so pitiful at someone else, or if she simply couldn't stand Chuhua's half-heartedness in the middle of her writing—

"Since Kazama-kun and Kairin-san have their own things to do, wouldn't it be better for us, as their companions, to give each other some space to handle our personal matters?"

In short, Xiangzi used a persuasive tone to guide Chuhua toward the direction she preferred, and even casually placed her left hand on Chuhua's right hand, which was resting on the table.

In the past, this would have been an unexpected and delightful surprise for Chu Hua.

"...That's true."

But now, the understanding Chu Hua only shows a sensible yet disappointed expression when looking at the boy, and remains unmoved even when Xiangzi makes such physical contact with her.

"Chuhua..."

If it were before, the person who would have occupied the blonde girl's heart and eyes would have always been herself.

But now, Xiangzi can only watch with mixed feelings as his childhood sweetheart shows concern and disappointment to others.

Chu Hua smiled forlornly, and smiled back at Kazama under his somewhat worried gaze.

"That's true, Xiaoxiang is right. We're a team, and I believe Xiaojun can handle her own affairs and complete her assigned tasks. Keep it up!"

Knowing what Chu Hua was thinking when she said those words, Xiangzi looked away with mixed feelings.

If it were her—if it were her—Chu Hua wouldn't be so sensible that it's heartbreaking.

"........."

It would be a lie to say that Kazama didn't care about the golden retriever, but he had already witnessed the undercurrent of tension and rivalry between Riki and Hatsuka.

Taking Miaomeng and Hailing along to see Lixi was already playing it safe while repeatedly testing the limits of Lixi's patience. If Chuhua were to be brought along as well, it would probably only trigger a world war.

In short, he had no intention of turning a perfectly good academic exchange into a silent war between women—at least he would be more pleased if such a thing didn't happen to his aunts.

"It's okay, I'll take Miaomeng and Hailing with me. And I definitely won't let this trip interfere with our important business."

As if to reassure Chu Hua, Xiao made her position clear to her in a gentle and soft-spoken manner.

"Once I'm done with this, if you need any help from me, Chuhua, just let me know. For example, composing or arranging lyrics."

"If I remember correctly, this is my job, Kazama-kun."

Even though he was already furious, Xiangzi still maintained basic decorum and gave Kazama a reminder.

"Oh dear... Is that so? That's a real shame, Xiangzi. Although we both tacitly dislike each other, we'll still have to work together for Chuhua's sake from now on. Please take care of me, okay?"

"Hmph...please take good care of me."

Having gained the approval of both Hatsuka and Shoko, Kazama finally turned his attention to the taciturn, long-haired girl with green hair.

Although this was a trivial matter that didn't require Mu's consent at all, and he wasn't the kind of mama's boy who needed to report everything to his mother to feel at ease—he was still very curious about Mu's attitude towards this matter.

Mu, sitting in the corner, said nothing. She simply gazed at him for a long time with her calm, ocean-like eyes, and then gently nodded her head.

Xiao only needs to do what makes her happy and what she thinks is right.

If it were his mother, who raised him single-handedly, she would definitely say this after a long silence.

And Mu's current expression reflects the same thought.

Although I always felt that Mu had become more taciturn since Chu Hua took her home, it seems that she has only become less talkative than before, and otherwise she is perfectly normal.

He smiled knowingly at Mu, and after learning everyone's attitude, he confidently began to discuss the specific meeting time and duration with Lixi.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the chat window, Shiina Tatsuki, who had readily agreed, had no idea what kind of hellish hell awaited him in the future.

Chapter Sixty, the most important thing is harmony's happiness.

After Ave Mujica's legendary performance at the Budokan, their career has been progressing steadily, but there have been occasional unexpected setbacks.

"So, let's meet again when we've arranged a time... um."

Kazama, who had made plans with Miyamo Hailing, walked side by side with the two out of the staff break room, but their conversation was soon interrupted by a pair of smartly dressed men and women in the corridor.

"........."

The sharp-eyed Xiao quickly noticed the press pass hanging around the neck of the short-haired, capable woman, and the camera slung over the man's shoulder.

The two people immediately walked towards them after noticing their arrival, and the woman gave them a warm yet very friendly smile.

"Two members of Ave Mujica, and this staff member—it's a pleasure to meet you all!"

The woman in the lead was exceptionally enthusiastic, and the man, after exchanging brief pleasantries with her, turned the camera on the three of them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you two journalist friends, but it seems we don't have any performances or scheduled interviews today."

Kazama wasn't annoyed that the reporter had mistaken him for a staff member. He nodded and casually inquired about their purpose.

At the same time, Miaomeng and Hailing exchanged glances behind him.

In their shared memory, Kazama had never dealt with reporters before, but now he was handling a sudden reporter attack with such ease right in front of them…

Judging from his appearance, this guy must be an experienced and seasoned professional in the industry. Could he actually be a talent scout or agent who has been trained since childhood?

The two people's suspicions differed somewhat from the truth of the matter, but in reality, they were almost certain.

"This isn't one of our staff members, but Kazama Akira, the one who brought me and Hachiman Kairin into the team. If he had to have a role in our group right now... maybe he'd be closer to the producer?"

Miao Meng smiled mischievously and joked, while Hai Ling nodded and explained her point of view to the reporter.

"Yes, that is, the legendary Kazama P."

"No, no, no, let's leave this kind of work to the professionals."

"Ah... could you be the mysterious figure in the rumors surrounding Mujica who single-handedly built the band but never performed on stage? The much-discussed puppeteer? That's wonderful! We can arrange an interview with you anytime you're available!"

This name sounds so childish... How come some people actually take it seriously?

"Well, shall we exchange contact information later? If we need to reveal our identities in the future, we will definitely choose your media outlet for an exclusive interview. However, in return, please keep my information confidential."

Having been raised by her mother, Mutsumi Wakaba, since childhood, Akira was exposed to the world of cameras and microphones, learning how to interact with them. Before her planned debut, Mutsumi arranged for her to give numerous interviews to various media outlets, demonstrating exceptional ease in handling reporters.

"Of course! Absolutely no problem!"

Therefore, he immediately saw through the fact that the two reporters had come up with ulterior motives.

"So, the reason you two are gathered here is..."

"Ah, that's right! There's been a lot of discussion about the possibility of celebrity offspring, Ms. Wakaba Mutsumi, joining the Ave Mujica group. If possible, could you please pass on our interview request to Ms. Wakaba? We'd be happy to create the first exclusive Ave Mujica member interview tailored just for the two celebrity teachers' most beloved daughters."

The woman's warm tone sounded so familiar that it was hard to refuse, and when Miaomeng next to her heard the words "exclusive interview," her eyes widened—smelling the scent of online attention, her eyes became even brighter than before.

"An exclusive interview? Sure, I'll go get Xiao Mu right now—"

“I’m sorry, but this matter is still pending. Please allow me to refuse.”

However, her excitement was quickly cut short by Kazama's stern-faced wave of his hand in refusal.

"Eh?"

Miao Meng paused slightly, her smile freezing on her face.

"Even if Mutsumi herself is not present, please allow me to decline the interview request on her behalf. If it were Ms. Yutenji Wakana next to me, she would probably be very happy to accept your interview."

"Well, we came here specifically to record an interview because Ms. Mutsu is the child of Mr. and Ms. Wakaba. There are no other members planned to do so at the moment..."

The reporter waved his hand and quickly clarified his thoughts, seemingly mistakenly believing that Kazama felt their visit lacked sincerity.

"I'm sorry, but this is the only matter I need to address on behalf of Mu, who wasn't present."

However, Kazama remained resolute, staring intently into the reporter's eyes without even blinking.

"Okay, we respect everyone's opinion... If you still wish to change your minds, please contact us using the email address and phone number on this business card."

Seeing that the situation was not going well, the female reporter, who knew how to assess the situation, took out a business card from her breast pocket and handed it to Kazama, who was in the lead. She then waved to her male colleague, who was carrying a camera and looked disappointed, and left with her.

"That's something I hadn't thought of."

After watching the two reporters leave, the usually taciturn Hai Ling surprisingly took the initiative to express her own views.

"Is Kazama-kun's inexplicable protectiveness a sign that he sees himself as Wakaba-san's guardian?"

The intuitive detective, Ms. Hachiman Kairin, almost uncovered the truth, but unfortunately, she missed it by a hair's breadth.

"Yeah, Xiao-chan! I really wanted to be interviewed too, but don't think I didn't see that you were trying to shift the blame!"

Meow Dream was also arguing her point, seemingly complaining that Kazama had let this great interview opportunity slip away right under her nose.

"Hey, Yutenji-kun, which side are you on?"

Hai Ling remained calm and composed throughout, and casually made a minor, insignificant comment to Miao Meng.

“I understand that your seemingly mercenary approach is actually just about maximizing exposure and the group’s interests, Miaomeng. If this were an interview with someone else, I certainly wouldn’t interfere, but I can’t compromise on matters of harmony.”

Kazama remained calm and composed. He looked at Nyanmu with a somewhat disappointed expression and simply shook his head silently.

"Although she won't say anything, this will definitely hurt Mu."

"You really sound like you know Mutsu very well... Xiao-chan, do you really think you can make this decision for Mutsu?"

Miao Meng shrugged. Although she felt it was a pity to turn away such a hard-won opportunity, she was even more curious as to why this guy knew so much about Xiao Mu's personality.

"Even if she disagrees, I can't just let it go. Who told her that her closest childhood friend, Ms. Toyokawa Shoko, isn't going to take action? Anyway, I don't care about traffic or whether Mujica will be well-received."

Kazama shrugged dismissively, then, under the watchful eyes of the two, uttered a statement that was utterly heavy with gravity.

"From beginning to end, all I want to guarantee is Mu's happiness."

Chapter 61 He just has a fetish for sex, right?

Kazama Akira doesn't often appear with the members at various interviews and talk shows. If the "puppet master" who rose to fame on the relevant forum is indeed referring to him, then it can be said that he has never shown his presence in front of the camera.

If we consider it a marketing tactic to pique people's interest and create an air of mystery, that's one thing, but if this behavior continues in the long run, even his peers will find it hard not to question his logic.

"That Xiao-chan is so reluctant to appear in the same frame as us—but when it comes to Xiao-mu's matter, he rushes over without hesitation and treats it as his own business."

Just like now.

Time flew by, and the day arrived when Kazama and Riki had agreed to meet. Standing in the sunlight, the short-haired girl with purple hair idly examined her manicured nails that shimmered in the sunlight.

"Hey, Hailing, you said he joined Mujica—could it be just so he could be Xiaomu's colleague?"

She turned to look at the aloof girl who was also standing under the tree waiting for someone, her words full of exaggerated teasing and speculation.