Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?

This is the unspoken yet intriguing implication that Miaomeng conveyed.

As expected, Li Xi frowned upon reading this information, but was unable to refute it with conviction.

Why didn't you go and try to break up the fight?

Hailing was completely captivated by the sight, but she still nudged the boy standing next to her with her elbow.

"Because I really enjoy watching women argue."

The boy, already numb to the situation, immediately chimed in with that remark.

"real or fake?"

It's fake. Actually, he had no idea how to handle the situation after the two aunties started arguing.

Even if she wasn't her biological mother, when these women in the band got into a fight, they would say things like, "Children aren't allowed to interfere in adult matters," to Xiao, who was trying to mediate.

Over time, he naturally stopped caring about the aunties arguing over friendships or bonds. In any case, for them, there was no dispute that a performance couldn't resolve.

However, the current situation... seems to be more complicated than he thought.

"...But you only attacked him out of curiosity or because you could profit from it."

Unable to hear Kazama and Hailin's conversation, Riki continued to cling tightly to Meow Dream.

"Oh right, I've never denied that. If the attention is enough to monetize, I wouldn't mind competing with Hatsuka and Mutsuko for Akatsuki, okay? Just consider it adding fuel to the fire for Mujica's battleground, meow."

"How...how could you do this..."

"If Lixi wants to accuse me of using any means necessary, then Xiaojiang, who knew my personality and still recruited me, is also at fault~ Are you willing to blame her? Besides, even if there is some kind of chaotic situation, that's an internal matter for us, isn't it?"

Miss Miaomeng chuckled softly, and in the midst of a dramatic turn of events, she finally played her last trump card.

"The song that Chu Hua wrote for Xiao Jiang is still waiting for him to arrange and compose it."

Guided by the villainous Meow Dream, the bewildered Riki and Kazama's gazes inevitably collided.

"……Eh?"

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Curiosity killed the cat, and it also killed Auntie.

"Oh dear, I didn't want this scene to become so unpleasant... but Tachibana-chan, no matter what, the relationships between the members of Ave Mujica are our own business. I believe that if Hatsuka-chan and Mutsuko were here, they would definitely agree with what I said."

In stark contrast to Lixi, whose eyes darted around and who seemed unsure of himself, Miaomeng sat in front of the drum kit with an air of ease throughout, even managing to spare a moment to casually tap the drumhead with the drumsticks.

"The lyrics that Chu Hua personally wrote for Xiao Jiang will also be composed and produced by him, and then we will perform them on stage—that's our symbiotic relationship."

Miao Meng didn't actually want to say anything too harsh; what she wanted to express was very clear.

Kazama now belongs to Ave Mujica. No matter how much Shiina Riki defends his rights, he will eventually return to those five people.

"...揪球6师轳企〦ba9兒巴e》?..."

Even if she gritted her teeth in resentment, it was no use.

"Of course, I didn't come to you specifically to say these things. After all, I only spend my time on people and things that are valuable."

Miaomeng lowered her head and examined the brand-new, intact drumhead in front of her.

"You're right about one thing, I did come to see you out of curiosity."

"See me...?"

Li Xi raised an eyebrow in confusion. Miao Meng was clearly the internet celebrity who was somewhat famous and many people longed to meet her.

"That's right. Before collaborating with others, I have a habit of finding out about their background and experience in advance, which makes it easier to advance the project."

Miao Meng raised her eyes mysteriously, and her gaze met that of the boy standing next to Hai Ling.

"It's quite a coincidence that I found out about his and Toyokawa Shoko's former teammates—that is, the things they did during their time together."

It was at this moment that Kazama suddenly realized that beneath Miss Meowmee's seemingly nonchalant and glib mask lay a calm and rational side.

"The song 'Spring Shadow' is really good, isn't it? The number of plays and likes on the website is almost comparable to the number of comments and likes on my work. But why—why didn't he choose you guys who are compatible, but instead formed ave mujica with Xiangzi and us?"

At this point, these words were no longer Miaomeng's heartfelt words to Lixi.

Like a whispering little devil, she turned her inquisitive, malicious gaze toward the boy who had remained silent beside Hailing.

"Despite being an all-around genius, you willingly became the behind-the-scenes producer of Ave Mujica. You know, I broke several drumsticks just to catch his eye, just like you, Riki."

Finally, Miaomeng's true intentions were revealed.

Despite seemingly always being at odds with Riki, the only person she truly cared about and was curious about was Kazama.

"So you're interested in me after all?"

The boy blinked, looking slightly surprised, like an ordinary bystander suddenly being invited on stage by the female lead.

"Oh dear, actually, I'm also quite interested in what kind of scandals I can create with Xiao-chan~"

Miss Meow Dream gave her a sweet, flirtatious wink, which made Kazama and Riki suddenly feel that Su Shi's usually affectedly sweet voice didn't seem so pretentious anymore.

"Furthermore, I've also gathered some very interesting information—don't underestimate my intelligence-gathering abilities!"

Seeing that the subtle expressions between the two were still perfectly in sync, Miaomeng, who never gave up on causing trouble, once again played another trump card.

"Before Xiaojiang and everyone else's performance that time, your temporary team wasn't very friendly to him, was it?"

"..."

Li Xi, who had initially seemed to have the upper hand, fell silent. She hadn't expected that Miao Meng, who appeared frivolous and short-sighted, would conduct such a meticulous investigation behind the scenes.

She also knew that "not very friendly" was actually a very euphemistic way of putting it—if judged by Shiina Ritsuki's black-and-white thinking, their initial attitude towards Kazama could be described as "dislike".

Su Shi regarded him as a person with ulterior motives who was colluding with Xiangzi's family. Deng, who was already shy, did not dare to have a deep conversation with him, who had eyes that were exactly the same as Xiangzi's, for fear of repeating the same mistake as before.

And he himself suspected that the boy's initial unreserved enthusiasm and protection of everyone was actually not well-intentioned.

Although everyone's attitudes changed drastically after the boy saved Xiangzi's life after the song "Spring Shadow," she still believed that her initial judgment and actions were completely wrong.

Especially when Riki learned that Kazama's unconditional kindness and help were simply because he was the nephew she would treat as her own son, the guilt and obscure emotions that had lingered in her heart for so long were mixed into an even more complex existence.

Shiina Riki did not continue to refute, and with her head down and silent, she clenched and unclenched her fists behind her back.

What Miaomeng said were all undeniable facts, and they were also the knots in her heart that she, with her deep-seated inferiority complex, still couldn't let go of even now.

"Alright, there's no need to bring up the past. I've almost forgotten about it anyway."

The boy, who was also involved, immediately jumped in and took control of the conversation. Miaomeng also gave him face and smiled as she shut up.

"Okay, okay, I know you're very protective of your own, Xiao-chan. Actually, I didn't mean anything by it, I'm just curious about Xiao-chan's past... Can we start practicing now?"

"Ah, that's exactly what I was waiting for you to say."

Hailing, in perfect harmony with Kazama's rhythm, picked up her bass and tried to put an end to this unpleasant interlude.

"So, are we going to perform together? Or is it enough to leave the stage to the two of you drummers?"

Even though Kazama himself has let go of the past, Riki still can't let go.

"...Let's play together."

Lixi left those words behind, turned around, and sat down on a chair in the rest area.

I want to rest for a while.

She lowered her head, her long bangs covering her eyes and the prominent beauty mark around her eye, making it impossible to see the expression on her pretty, aloof face.

Shiina Tatsuki did not succumb to Nyanmu's probing, but she was defeated by her own moral judgment and her growing sense of inferiority.

"..."

Seeing her friend in such a low mood, Hai Ling knew that in the past she would have rushed over to express her concern in her clumsy way.

But perhaps Lixi wasn't the only one swayed by Miaomeng's words.

She also inadvertently fixed her gaze on the boy's profile, and felt a curiosity that shared the same roots as Miao Meng.

How could Shiina Tatsuki be driven to such a state of introspection and internal strife—just who is this Kazama P?

Chapter Sixty-Eight: You and Me, Destined to Be Misaligned

Shiina Riki became somewhat withdrawn after being charmed by Meow Dream's sweet talk.

She hadn't completely shut herself off, but she still had no desire to continue playing the drums, and sat dejectedly in the rest area.

"Look, to achieve this rhythm, you need to coordinate your hands and feet when using them..."

"Wow~ Xiao-chan is really talented at drums! Who taught you to be so versatile?"

"Actually, they're my family."

"Eh—so you come from a musical family? Xiao-chan is really keeping it a secret!"

Listening to the conversation between Miaomeng and the boy who was instructing her on how to play the drums, Lixi's depression was not dispelled by this ordinary scene; instead, it became increasingly dull and uneasy.

She was feeling uneasy.

On one hand, it might be out of guilt for the past, and on the other hand, she keenly sensed that Miao Meng's curiosity about that boy had led her down a familiar path.

The future Yutenji Wakana will likely follow the same path as Shiina Tatsuki in the present.

She will discover, just like herself, that her future self and the mysterious young man before her are actually intricately connected.

As for what will happen next, it is obvious. (7) 23 Mausoleum Temple (9) Weeping III Si y/*ue- Already.

Shiina Riki sat in the chair, unconsciously clenching her hands slightly.

With Hatsuka and Rakuna serving as cautionary tales, everyone will likely gradually discover the secret that Kazama and they are keeping.

By then... will my existence still be considered special?

"He's throwing a tantrum here again."

"Well--"

But before this self-pitying thought could continue, a sudden, cool touch on her cheek abruptly brought her thoughts to an abrupt halt.

Lixi looked up and saw a can of coffee next to her face, and a curly-haired boy holding it with a smile on his face.

"I came here to help you solve your problems, so why is Lixi, the main character, hiding here all by herself?"

Kazama gently and jokingly started a conversation between the two, successfully pulling Riki out of her self-pity.

"...It's okay if you don't care about me. Anyway, you and those two are teammates. I'm just making a fool of myself."

However, when she raised her eyes to look at Hailing and Miaomeng, who were working together seamlessly on the drums and bass, the gloom in her eyes was almost overflowing.

It seems that Shiina Tatsuki is once again caught up in her sense of inferiority.

If it were someone else, they might find her sudden sense of inferiority rather troublesome, but Kazama not only didn't mind, but instead gently squatted down and looked at Riki's evasive eyes at eye level.

“They are my teammates, and that doesn’t conflict with the fact that Lixi is my partner in keeping my secret.”

That's a cunning answer.

But Shiina Tatsuki also knew that this was his true feeling.

"...You're just too tolerant and friendly to everyone."

"Haha, does Lixi think I'm the kind of male lead in a romantic comedy who treats everyone the same? But I'm not that kind of person. I'm nice to everyone just because they're my family—isn't it natural for family members to be tolerant and understanding of each other?"

...Who wants to be your family?

Shiina Riki could sense that not only had he never considered Kazama as family, but Mikasa Hatsuka had also never looked at him that way.

She must feel the same way I do, wanting a more private and unique relationship.

"You may treat everyone as family, but they may not necessarily treat you as family in return."

Li Xi mumbled out her true feelings, though she knew that such words would not convince the composed young man.

"Your relationship with each of us... is misaligned."

She mustered her courage and revealed the truth.

"……Ok, I know."

Kazama also abandoned his lazy demeanor, which seemed to be indifferent to everything, and directly responded to Riki's probing.