My Sky, All the Stars Lit Up...

Even at night, the guild was still as noisy as ever.

The three old men had been drinking all day and this was the last time. Makarov, his face flushed and neck red, was slamming his fist on the table and bragging to Rob about how he single-handedly took down a dragon—albeit a sub-dragon—back in the day.

Yajima, standing nearby, added insult to injury, revealing that he had actually been chased for eight blocks by that dragon back then.

Natsu and Gray started fighting again over a piece of roasted meat, flames and frost colliding and creating hissing steam in the air.

Lucy hid in a corner, one hand covering her face, the other holding a glass of juice, muttering, "I don't know them, I don't know them."

Happy perched on Natsu's head, clutching his hair tightly with his tiny paws, cheering on his good buddy.

Elfman swaggered around the arena, flexing his muscles while brandishing dumbbells and shouting "Manly!"

The entire guild was like a boiling pot, in complete chaos.

Jiang Bai led Mirajane back from outside, and when they opened the door, they were greeted by this chaotic scene of demons dancing wildly.

Mirajane smiled, her eyes crinkling, and naturally took his arm.

Erza sat alone at the bar, holding a strawberry milkshake in her hand.

Seeing the two enter, her gaze lingered on Jiang Bai for a moment, and a composed smile curved her lips.

You're back?

She put down her spoon, stood up, and walked over to Jiang Bai.

"Yes, I'm back."

Jiang Bai smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair.

Her rosy hair looked especially soft under the warm yellow light.

Erza let him rub her a couple of times, then tilted her head slightly, her gaze passing over him and landing on Mirajane behind him.

The two women's eyes met briefly in mid-air.

Erza winked at Mirajane.

Mirajane raised her eyebrows and returned a slight smile.

What was exchanged in that instant was incomprehensible to others.

But both of them knew in their hearts that tonight was Mirajane's time.

This was an unspoken understanding they had known for a long time.

Jiang Bai led Mirajane toward the center of the guild, his steps neither hurried nor slow.

"Old man, could the guild lend me their services for a little while tonight?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly drowned out all the noise.

Makarov stopped bragging, looked up, his wrinkled face full of question marks, "You brat, what do you want?"

Sing a song for my daughter.

As he said this, he glanced at the bar out of the corner of his eye.

The word "home" encapsulates both of them perfectly.

Erza's fingertip paused lightly on the glass.

Mirajane's fingers, which were wrapped around his arm, tightened slightly.

Makarov hadn't even reacted yet. "Singing? You brat, you can sing too..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

The next second.

All the lights in the guild went out.

It wasn't just one or two lights, but all the light sources—chandeliers, wall lamps, bar lamps, even the tiny flame that Natsu spewed from his mouth—were all extinguished at the same instant by an unseen force.

The entire space was plunged into complete darkness.

"Huh?!"

"What's going on?!"

"Is there a power outage?!"

Just then...

A soft beam of light fell from mid-air.

That was a beam of light, as cold yet gentle as moonlight, condensed from Jiang Bai's Telekinesis, enveloping him and a small area around him.

At the edge of the pillar of light, countless crystals of Telekinesis swirled slowly like stardust, shimmering with a silvery-white light.

Within this circle of light, something appeared out of nowhere.

It was pure white, like a giant crystal harp, with strings formed from pure magic, flowing with a pale blue glow.

There were several other musical instruments made of the same material, each with a different shape, but all of them exuded a dreamlike brilliance.

"He did all of this using his Telekinesis..."

Lucy covered her mouth, her voice trembling with excitement.

As the most artistic girl in the guild, she knows these musical instruments very well.

What kind of godlike level of mind control is this?

"These musical instruments... Jiang Bai can't possibly play them all, can he...?"

Jiang Bai said, "I don't know how, but I remember the accompaniment. Don't worry about whether I play it correctly or not, just tell me if the background music is the same."

At this moment, the person sitting in the center of the halo is no longer the "Infinity" who terrified the Magic Council.

His fingers rested on the keys of the Telekinesis piano.

Mirajane was just three steps away.

From the moment the lights went out, she seemed to forget how to breathe.

She stood there, her hands clasped in front of her, her long eyelashes trembling, her eyes filled with only his image.

All that past maturity, that effortless smile, is gone now; she's just a little girl in love.

Fingertips landed on the cold piano keys.

The first note fell.

It's not a high-energy drumbeat, not rock music that burns through your head.

It was a gentle, clean piano prelude, like the first ray of spring sunlight filtering through a window, so light it warmed the heart.

Each note was like a pebble thrown into the center of a lake, creating ripples in everyone's hearts.

The sentimental Lucy's eyes welled up with tears after hearing only the intro.

"I've forgotten how long it's been"

I haven't heard from you again

Tell me your favorite story...

Jiang Bai's voice wasn't professional, but it possessed an irresistible quality—deep, gentle, and restrained.

There are no fancy techniques, nor any deliberately drawn-out endings; it's like whispering in your ear, telling a secret that belongs only to the two of you.

The guild was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Natsu dropped the grilled meat he was holding onto the table, and he even forgot to pick it up.

Happy loosened his little paws slightly on Natsu's head.

I thought about it for a long time.

I started to panic.

Did I do something wrong again...?

Mirajane's hands gripped the hem of her skirt tightly.

Something was brewing in her eyes, a mixture of bittersweetness and warmth.

The question, "Did I do something wrong again?" made her heart feel as if it had been clenched tightly by something.

She could hear the fear in the protagonist's voice, the trembling fear of losing someone important—and this man, strong enough to stand against the whole world, was now earnestly showing her that tenderness.

Jiang Bai's gaze swept over all the onlookers, landing solely on her.

He smiled and continued singing.

You said to me while crying

Fairy tales are all lies

I can't be your prince...

Pause.

The music fell silent for half a second.

The string section of the Telekinesis Orchestra unfolded perfectly, like a tidal wave pushing the emotions of the entire song to its first climax.

Then--

You might not understand.

Ever since you said you loved me

My Sky

The stars are shining...

Mirajane covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

She didn't know why she was crying.

But that line, "My sky is full of stars," felt like something had slammed into my heart, shattering all my longings and fantasies about love.

"Xiao Bai..." she choked out softly.

Makarov stopped drinking at some point.

Those old eyes, clouded by alcohol, were now unusually clear.

He looked at the brat in the center of the circle, at his eyes that were now unbelievably gentle, his lips moved slightly, and he sighed softly.

"You little rascal, you've really grown up. I'm getting old too."

Rob, standing beside him, patted him on the shoulder, and the two white-haired old men exchanged a knowing look that only friends of several decades could understand.

Yajima, on the other side, chuckled softly, "This kid... he's going to kill every love song I've ever heard in my life."

The music began to intensify.

The drum kit, imbued with Telekinesis, exploded without warning, pushing the song's rhythm to its most intense point.

Jiang Bai's voice rose in pitch.

I wish I could become a character in a fairy tale.

The angel you love

Spread your arms and they will become wings to protect you--"

It was no longer a low murmur.

This is a promise.

It is a declaration.

In front of the entire guild, he unabashedly uttered the most passionate words a man could utter, driving them into everyone's ears.

Erza's fingers, which were holding the glass, twitched slightly as she uttered the words "I'll protect you."

Of course she knew this song was for Mirajane.

But when that word "you" reached her ears, she couldn't help but think—this guy, the promise he made to protect her for a lifetime was clearly made to the two of them.

However, she is not the main character tonight.

She finished the milkshake in one gulp.

The sweetness slid down my throat; it was very sweet.

But that's not enough.

Next time it's her turn, it has to be even sweeter than this.

She made a decision in her heart.

The accompaniment of the Telekinesis Orchestra reached its peak, with all the instruments resonating at the same moment, causing the entire guild space to tremble slightly.

The chandelier had been turned on again at some point, but no one paid any attention; everyone's eyes were glued to the man.

Mirajane's vision was already blurry.

She looked at the person enveloped in a soft halo, and at the tenderness in his eyes and brows as he sang, and a corner of her heart that had been taut for so long finally collapsed.

The girl who once hid all her wounds with a smile can finally cry without any reservations.

It's not because of pain.

It's because I'm loved so earnestly.

Jiang Bai looked at the glistening tears in her eyes and smiled.

In the last musical phrase, he softened all his strength, his voice becoming almost tender.

You must believe

I believe we will be like in fairy tales

Happiness and joy are the ending...

The last note faded away.

The Telekinesis instrument transformed into tiny specks of light, slowly dissipating like fireflies, vanishing without a trace before Mirajane's eyes.

The beam of light quietly went out, and all the lights were relit, illuminating the entire guild hall.

The silence lasted for three seconds.

Then--

Natsu was the first to jump up, a cold piece of grilled meat still dangling from his mouth. "I'm about to get fired up! Jiang Bai, when did you learn this move?!"

He ripped the Happy from his head and waved it wildly.

"Happy, did you hear that?! It's so beautiful! Even though I don't understand it at all, it sounds amazing!"

Gray didn't argue with him as usual.

"Brother-in-law is such a man! So manly!" Elfman roared, holding up the dumbbells.

Levy's face was already streaked with tears, her nose was bright red, and even several pages of her book were wet with tears.

Lucy wiped her tears with her sleeve, her voice trembling with sobs, and said, "No... I have to write him into my novel... It's too... Waaaaa o(╥╥)o..."

Makarov picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp, then slammed his hand on the table. "See that! Yajima! That's my son!"

His tone was full of blatant boasting.

Grandpa Yajima didn't argue with him.

He looked at the figure in the center of the crowd, then at his old friend's smug face, slowly shook his head, and muttered with a low laugh, "Fine, yours."

Then, the two old men, who had known each other for decades, looked at each other and burst out laughing at the same time.

Jiang Bai, the focus of the crowd, had already stood up.

He walked up to Mirajane, looked at the girl whose face was already streaked with tears, gently raised his hand, and used his thumb to wipe away the moisture from the corner of her eyes.

"Does it sound good?"

The voice was very low; only two people could hear it.

Mirajane didn't say anything.

She simply looked at the man before her, at those eyes that had just held the tenderness of the entire Milky Way, then bit her lower lip hard and threw herself into his arms.

The people around them consciously stepped back a few paces, giving the two enough space.

"Okay, Mira, if you cry again, your eyes will be swollen tomorrow."

"I want to go home!" Mira said sullenly.