Kazami Haru had no idea why Nagasaki Soyo had suddenly reached out to him, nor how she had gotten his phone number. But judging from the situation, she was clearly planning something.
To some extent, he needed to be cautious.
Though Soyo's hidden motive was to "revive CRYCHIC", to use underhanded means to remove those she saw as "obstacles", at her core, she was still a kind and innocent girl.
It was just that her personality was… a little tough.
After hesitating for a moment, Haru decided to reply to her message.
[Want to be used as fertilizer: Sorry, I was busy preparing for finals and didn't check my phone.]
[Want to be used as fertilizer: Did you need something, Nagasaki-san?]
Haru remained somewhat wary.
For trivial matters, a simple Line message would usually suffice.
Nagasaki Soyo wasn't as eccentric as, say, "Ex-Wife No. 1", her personality was relatively composed. If she wanted to meet him privately, it likely meant she had something important to discuss.
…Unless, of course, Soyo had a crush on him and was planning to confess?
But that seemed unlikely. In his previous simulations involving Takamatsu Tomori and Chihaya Anon, Soyo, who should have been the most problematic had acted perfectly normal. That, in itself, struck him as odd.
[Nagasaki Soyo: Just call me Soyo, please.]
Less than half a minute after his message was sent, he received a reply.
The speed was simply surprising, it made him wonder if Soyo had been staring at her phone screen, waiting for his response.
[Nagasaki Soyo: It's nothing too important, really. I just have a personal matter I'd like to discuss with you, Haru-san. It's a bit difficult to explain over Line, so if you could spare some time to meet, I'd really appreciate it!]
[Nagasaki Soyo: Of course, if you're busy, don't worry about it at all! Sorry for bothering you!]
Her request was polite yet not overly formal, and her apology made it hard to refuse.
Most people would agree to such a request, let alone Haru, who was her bandmate. After some consideration, he decided to accept and arranged to meet her later.
He wanted to see what she had to say.
[Want to be used as fertilizer: Sure, no problem. Let's set a time.]
[Nagasaki Soyo: I heard Haneoka's finals are almost over, right? How about we meet at a café near the school? I know a nice place~!]
[Want to be used as fertilizer: If you're paying, I'm in.]
Seeing the "Read" notification appear on her brightly lit screen. Soyo, who had just achieved her first goal, allowed a warm smile to spread across her gentle face.
Her earlier anxiety seemed to ease slightly.
Her slightly wavy, chestnut-brown hair draped over her chest as she absentmindedly twirled a lock around her finger.
Her bright blue eyes gleamed with an unusual light as she stared at her phone, her head slightly lowered as if deep in thought.
"Eh? Soyo-chan, who are you texting with such a soft smile?"
"Is it a boyfriend? No way!"
Fukamachi, who had appeared beside her without warning, let out an exaggerated gasp. Soyo's calm expression faltered for a moment, her fingers fidgeting slightly.
Perhaps because it was rare to see Soyo flustered, the other girls around them began teasing her.
"It's nothing… just a friend from the band," Soyo replied, her usual warm smile returning.
She had worn that smile countless times in front of her friends.
"Aww~ I thought Soyo finally got a boyfriend! I was so curious about what kind of guy she likes!"
"Eh~ I've never really thought about that kind of thing."
With practiced ease, she brushed her fingers lightly and began skillfully steering the conversation to match the others.
Nagasaki Soyo was someone who excelled at pleasing people.
Perhaps it was because her once warm and happy family had shattered due to her parents' broken relationship, leaving her without a "place to belong." From a young age, the mature Soyo learned to handle everything on her own.
With her mother often away on business trips, Soyo was left alone in the vast emptiness of her "home." Whether it was laundry, cooking, or any other daily hardship, she overcame everything by herself.
She had grown accustomed to it.
Until the day she realized that even her mother relied on her.
That was the first time she truly felt 'needed'.
Whether it was being needed at home by her mother or being needed by her friends at school, that feeling of being relied upon brought her a deep sense of comfort and security.
Over time, to ensure she would always be 'needed', she learned to adapt to others.
But constantly bending to others' needs slowly caused her to neglect her own 'wants'.
Living in this cycle of accommodation exhausted her, until "CRYCHIC" and Togawa Sakiko appeared, and once again, Soyo was 'needed'.
But this time, it was different.
Gradually, within CRYCHIC, she began to experience genuine happiness, a sense of belonging she had never felt, not even at home with her mother.
She poured all of her emotions into CRYCHIC—
"Soyo-chan, want to hang out later?"
"I'm really sorry! I already have band-related plans today… I promised someone else, so I can't join you all this time…"
Without hesitation, Soyo declined her friend's invitation with an apologetic smile.
Being fellow young ladies of refined upbringing, her friends were understanding. Once they heard it was for the band, they immediately backed off, even expressing interest in meeting her bandmates next time.
Relieved at their response, Soyo let out a quiet sigh.
She had finally found a lead on Sakiko's whereabouts. To reunite CRYCHIC, she refused to sit idly by, she was willing to do 'anything'.
---
The end-of-term exams at Haneoka High wrapped up quickly.
Since Kazami Haru had already arranged to meet Nagasaki Soyo at a nearby café, he bid farewell to Chihaya Anon and Takamatsu Tomori before heading straight to the agreed-upon location.
However, Anon couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
"Haru's busy with something again? Is he going to work part-time?"
"Ugh… I was gonna invite Kita-chan and the others to celebrate the end of exams! If Haru's not coming, what's even the point?"
Anon slung her guitar and bag over her shoulder, her voice tinged with frustration.
Why did Haru always have to be so unpredictable?
She, a certified super-cutie, had been dropping hints left and right! If he'd just ask her out properly, maybe set the mood right, they could've been dating in two weeks tops!
"Next time, I'm making him treat me to ice cream!"
Noticing Anon's sulking, Tomori, her brows slightly furrowed, hesitated for a moment before gently tugging at Anon's sleeve.
"Anon-chan… summer break is almost here."
"We'll have… lots more time together then."
Tomori's quiet reassurance made the pink-haired girl's eyes light up with realization.
Ah—she was right!
Come to think of it, wasn't summer break just around the corner?
Once Haru finished dealing with Kessoku Band's live performances, he'd have to focus on their band's activities. That meant more of his attention would naturally shift to her!
Plus, with all the free time summer break offered, it was the perfect opportunity to get ahead of the competition!
Most importantly, it would limit the moves those other sneaky vixens could make.
The "dangerous women" who lived farther away wouldn't have a chance to get close, and as for the ones nearby, Tomori and Rikki, she already had them completely under control. There was no way they could steal Haru away from her.
If everything went smoothly, they could even fast-forward to some 'steamy' developments by summer…
"Tomori! Thank you~!"
Anon's voice dripped with sugary sweetness as she happily hugged the adorable little introvert.
But unexpectedly, Tomori, who was usually so reactive, didn't respond much this time. Instead, she just stared blankly in a certain direction, her expression slightly puzzled.
Only then did Anon realize something was off.
…What was Tomori looking at?
Anon raised an eyebrow in confusion and followed Tomori's gaze—
Only to immediately spot Haru standing at Haneoka's entrance, chatting with a certain brown-haired girl who was smiling warmly at him.
"...Huh?!"
The pink-haired gremlin let out an incoherent noise as the realization slowly dawned on her.
"That's… Soyo-chan?"
"Wait! Why is she with Haru?!"
Anon's [Vixen Radar] was blaring at full volume!
She had assumed Haru was busy with work today, but no, he was meeting with Nagasaki Soyo, their band's bassist?! Since when were those two close enough to hang out alone?!
Anon had no idea this was happening!
"Wh-why is Soyo…?"
Her tiny gremlin brain short-circuited.
This didn't make sense!
In the dream simulations, Anon had never picked up on Soyo having anything beyond platonic feelings for Haru.
Gentle, motherly Nagasaki Soyo was one of the least threatening members of the band, her danger level was even lower than Rikki's! So why was she suddenly standing there, all smiles, with Anon's (future) boyfriend?!
"Ah—"
It suddenly hit the pink-haired gremlin, Soyo had asked for Haru's contact info before.
Back then, the ever-gentle Nagasaki Soyo had said something about "wanting to stay connected with everyone," smoothly securing Anon's number before casually asking if she had Haru's as well.
Anon, not thinking much of it, had handed it over without a second thought...
"...Did I cause this?!"
Anon's tiny brain buzzed with horror.
Had she, completely unknowingly, just given her potential love rival a free assist?!
"No way! I gotta see what's going on!"
"Tomori, let's go check it out!"
Realizing she couldn't just stand there, Anon was about to dash over, only to find Tomori still rooted in place, staring blankly ahead. Panic crept into Anon's voice.
"Tomori, why are you—"
But Tomori's gaze was locked onto something in the distance, her expression subtly different from before.
Following her line of sight, Anon's eyes widened.
Standing far off was a girl so stunning she might as well have stepped out of an anime.
Her cascading, spiraling blue hair flowed like a waterfall, twin tails tied with black ribbons gleaming softly. Her slender yet graceful figure carried an effortless elegance, every slight movement radiating refinement.
That flawless beauty was the very picture of youthful radiance.
"That girl... isn't that Togawa-san? And she was in Tomori's old band, right? Called... CRYMACHINA or something?"
Anon's sharp memory dredged up the group photo she'd once seen on Soyo's phone, that striking blue-haired girl smiling beside Tomori.
But rumors said some kind of fallout had led to the band's breakup.
Come to think of it, Anon had crossed paths with her once before.
Now, Togawa Sakiko stood perfectly still, her schoolbag held neatly in both hands. Those mesmerizing amber eyes were fixed intently on the distance.
"Sakiko..."
Tomori bit her lip, frozen in place.
Seeing Sakiko again after so long, the perpetually insecure girl could only stare helplessly. Closing her eyes, she could still vividly recall that day, CRYCHIC's disbandment, Sakiko drenched and cold, her sharp gaze laced with something unreadable.
["You're the least capable one here, Tomori. What have you even been doing all this time?"]
From that moment on, she had been "lost."
But after meeting Haru, she had found her direction again.
"I can't... be like before."
Though Tomori's eyes still brimmed with deep insecurity and sorrow, she forced herself to lift her head and gaze toward Sakiko and it was only then that she noticed—
Sakiko, too, seemed to be staring at something.
"...Sakiko?"
Was she looking at Soyo?
"No... She's not looking at Soyo-chan..."
The confusion in her heart momentarily overshadowed her self-doubt.
From this angle, Tomori could clearly see Sakiko's tightly furrowed brows, her gaze wasn't fixed on Nagasaki Soyo, but on someone near her.
Almost as if... she was staring at Haru.
Tomori pressed her lips together faintly, a memory surfacing in her mind.
If she stayed silent like before, if she kept running from the things that mattered, then no matter how many chances she got, she would never change.
This time, she had to make up her mind.
"..."
After a brief hesitation, she took a step forward, toward Sakiko.
"Eh?! W-wait, Tomori?!"
Anon's jaw dropped.
She never expected Tomori of all people to march straight toward that 'Togawa Sakiko'!
Even from this distance, Anon could tell Sakiko wasn't someone to mess with, yet here was their shyest, most fragile member charging right at her!
But on the other side, Nagasaki Soyo was already leading Haru away.
Torn between the two, Anon's brain threatened to short-circuit as she frantically glanced back and forth, utterly paralyzed by indecision.
Should she chase after Haru? Or back up Tomori?
"Ughhh, what kind of mess is this?!"
"I give up!!"
Anon shook her head vigorously like a rattle-drum, as if trying to physically fling away all the chaotic thoughts in her mind.
No matter what, she couldn't let Tomori face that Togawa Sakiko alone!
What if Tomori got bullied?!
"Soyo-san probably doesn't have any ulterior motives... She never showed anything in the 'dreams,' so it should be fine...?"
Gritting her teeth, Anon decided to trust Nagasaki Soyo for now, abandoning the idea of chasing after Haru.
No matter what, she couldn't just leave Tomori to fend for herself!
Meanwhile, Sakiko, still unaware of their presence, kept her brows tightly knit as she stared at the distant figures of Haru and Soyo gradually disappearing. A trace of inexplicable unease flickered in her puzzled gaze.
Just seeing Nagasaki Soyo here had already set off alarm bells in her mind... but she never expected her to be waiting for that guy, Kazami Haru?
What was their relationship?
A restless frustration simmered in Sakiko's chest as she watched the two vanish from sight. She took a deep breath.
No, she had to get to the bottom of this.
Her composure slipping, Sakiko strode toward the school gates while pulling out her phone. Her fingers swiftly dialed a number from her contacts.
After several tense rings, the call finally connected.
[...Sakiko?]
A calm yet slightly fragile voice came through the phone.
"Mmm, it's Muuko?" (Wakaba Mutsumi)
"Hey, I just saw Nagasaki Soyo with Kazami Haru. Do you know what's going on between them?"
The urgency in Togawa Sakiko's tone seemed to make Wakaba Mutsumi fall silent on the other end.
At this moment, Sakiko didn't even realize she had lost her usual composure.
This uncharacteristic display of emotion revealed the hidden thoughts buried in her heart, something Mutsumi immediately picked up on, hence her silence.
But right now, compared to Sakiko's subtle inner turmoil...
What worried Mutsumi more was Kazami Haru being with Nagasaki Soyo.
[Soyo and Haru are in a band together.]
Faced with Sakiko's pointed questioning, Mutsumi offered a simple, understated explanation. Yet those words alone were enough to leave Sakiko momentarily speechless.
"...I see. Thanks for telling me, Mutsumi."
After murmuring her gratitude, Sakiko tapped the screen and ended the call.
Memories resurfaced of Soyo's relentless messages, the way she kept reaching out even after being blocked. What had once been guilt in Sakiko's heart had slowly twisted into irritation.
Now, seeing Haru in a band with her, Sakiko's emotions churned uncontrollably.
But... what did that have to do with her now?
She wasn't anyone special to Haru. At most, they were just... friends who helped each other out.
The thought only made Sakiko more agitated, her grip on the phone tightening unconsciously.
"Sakiko!"
A sudden voice from behind made Sakiko stiffen. She whipped her head around—
Only to find a gray-haired girl standing there, having appeared without warning.
Those dim amber eyes held a trace of melancholy, almost imperceptible. Caught off guard by Tomori's sudden appearance, Sakiko froze for a split second, before her expression hardened into icy detachment.
"...Do you need something?"
Her tone was so sharp and dismissive that the courage Tomori had mustered instantly withered, leaving her standing there, lost and helpless.
"Sakiko, I..."
"I have things to do. Excuse me."
With that curt reply, Sakiko adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag and turned to leave.
She had no intention of engaging with Tomori any further.
Every time she faced her former CRYCHIC bandmate, guilt and self-reproach threatened to overwhelm her, but she had to maintain this facade of cold indifference. Otherwise, all her efforts until now would be for nothing.
Togawa Sakiko refused to revert to her weak, vulnerable self.
"Hey, wait! Isn't that a little too harsh?!"
Anon arrived just in time to witness Sakiko's brutal dismissal of Tomori.
Though she didn't know the exact details of CRYCHIC's breakup, she did know this blue-haired ice queen had abruptly announced her departure without explanation, callously cutting ties with everyone else.
To Anon, that seemed downright selfish.
Tomori, already drowning in melancholy, had finally gathered the courage to approach Sakiko, only to be shut down with a single frigid sentence. Wasn't that just cruel?
As her friend, Anon couldn't just stand by and watch!
"There's nothing to discuss."
But Sakiko's frosty demeanor didn't waver. Her beautiful features might as well have been carved from ice, the hostility radiating off her so palpable that Anon instinctively took a step back.
Just as Sakiko moved to leave, Tomori, her head still bowed, spoke up in a voice barely above a whisper—
"Sakiko... do you know Haru?"
Click
Sakiko's footstep faltered, just for an instant.
She hadn't expected that name to come from Tomori's lips.
"I... I'm in a band with Haru now."
Tomori lifted her gaze, the deep amber of her eyes glinting with quiet resolve.
No more running away.
Haru wouldn't want to see me like that.
"The time I spent with everyone in CRYCHIC... it made me really happy, but it's because of Haru that I found the courage to join a band again. So this time... I won't give up."
"I want to keep making music with everyone... forever."
Sakiko stood with her back turned, her fingers clenched white around the strap of her bag. Her lips pressed into a thin line, brows furrowed as if wrestling down something threatening to spill over, a loneliness so vast it felt like the world had left her behind.
"And... I wanted to tell you, Sakiko... I'm sorry..."
Tomori's voice was soft, but her eyes, warm and unwavering, held no hesitation.
Sakiko left CRYCHIC because I was such a terrible vocalist.
No matter what, she'd wanted to apologize. Even if Sakiko wouldn't forgive her.
"...Don't... get involved with me anymore."
Sakiko's words trembled, just barely.
Then, without another second of hesitation, she strode away. Past the gates of Haneoka High, until her figure vanished entirely.
...
[New Simulatable Target Added — Nagasaki Soyo]
Since he had just finished Ijichi Nijika's simulation, a new slot had opened up.
Who would've thought this woman would show up at the school gates to ambush him? The moment he laid eyes on her, the system immediately registered her as a new simulation target.
"Showing up at the school gates is way too conspicuous, don't you think, Soyo-san?"
Haru's expression remained slightly strained as they walked. He'd assumed Soyo would wait for him at the café they agreed on, not camp out at the entrance like some kind of stalker.
She hadn't even given him a chance to escape.
"Oh, I just happened to have some free time~"
"Sorry, did I bother you?"
Soyo's apology was delivered with a practiced, saccharine lilt, her voice deliberately pitched higher, sweet yet sharp. Her smile was flawless, so polished it was almost comical.
"What if people mistake you for my girlfriend?"
"That's… probably not going to happen, right?"
Soyo giggled softly, her hands clasped neatly around her bag. Her tone was light, but her eyes held something unreadable.
Before he knew it, they'd arrived at her chosen café, a place she occasionally visited with friends. Known for its excellent drinks and desserts, it was a favorite spot for the refined young ladies of Tsukinomori to chat.
She'd even reserved a table in advance.
As she glanced at Haru beside her, a gleam of light flashed in Soyo's eyes.
- - -
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