V4 Chapter 20: I’ll Do Anything

10:25 AM

A green-haired girl in a dark navy dress stepped wordlessly into a quiet café near Haneoka. The moment she entered, her calm golden eyes scanned the room as though searching for something.

This was a traditional, elegant café—quiet and refined, perfect for serious conversations. Nagasaki Soyo had once discussed Kazami Haru here with Kazami Haru, so Wakaba Mutsumi had a clear memory of this place.

"Mutsumi~ over here!"

A soft, cheerful voice called out.

Wakaba Mutsumi turned her transparent golden gaze in that direction. Sitting not far away was a chestnut-haired beauty, her delicate expression showing not a trace of emotion.

Mutsumi walked over with unhurried steps. In the sunlight, her gold eyes shimmered like stardust. As she sat, her soft, waterfall-like green hair draped gently down, and she quietly faced the other girl.

Without a word.

"You like mango juice, don't you, Mutsumi?"

"I ordered it for you already~ I'm so happy you agreed to meet me today~"

Nagasaki Soyo's voice was wrapped in a flawless, gentle smile. But beneath the table, her left hand was anxiously twisting the hem of her white dress, fingers nervously rubbing against the fabric, betraying her unease.

Of course she was anxious.

After the "Kazami Haru incident," Wakaba Mutsumi's attitude toward her had subtly changed.

Although Kazami Haru had eventually forgiven her and helped smooth things over, it was clear Mutsumi still hadn't truly let it go.

After all, Soyo had used Mutsumi's name to deceive Kazami Haru, all just to get information about Sakiko.

Even the gentlest soul would be upset and Wakaba Mutsumi wasn't really a doll.

"..."

Mutsumi silently nodded.

But from her unreadable expression, Soyo couldn't tell what she was thinking.

Mango juice had always been Mutsumi's favorite. She could drink glass after glass without tiring of it. Yet today, the untouched glass sat before her.

Condensation clung to the chilled drink, droplets sliding down the transparent glass. The vibrant orange-yellow juice cast a warm glow on the wooden table and carried a faint fruity aroma.

If it had been a gift from Kazami Haru, Mutsumi would have savored it.

But Soyo was different.

"Mutsumi, I was so happy that you and Haru came to my live show… but the others did something really inappropriate, and I know it must've hurt her."

"I had no idea it would turn out like that… I've been feeling awful about it."

Soyo lowered her head slightly, her soft wavy hair cascading over her pale shoulders. Her blue eyes shimmered with regret and apology.

She stared at the cold drink in front of her, fingers now nervously fidgeting under the table.

Even this sincere apology didn't provoke a single change in Mutsumi's expression. She simply gazed quietly at Soyo, her golden eyes emotionless, more silent than ever before.

For some reason, Soyo began to feel nervous.

She'd always thought she understood Mutsumi well. But right now, she couldn't read her at all.

Though Mutsumi was as silent as ever, the way she looked directly at her made Soyo feel exposed, like her inner thoughts were being laid bare.

"I really do feel awful! I know it's partly my fault for not stopping the others… I just want to apologize to Sakiko, but she won't respond to me. Mutsumi, you could bring her out again, right?"

"Can you help me meet with Sakiko?"

"I just want to apologize properly, Mutsumi…"

Soyo leaned forward slightly, a physical reflection of her growing desperation.

The pressure of Mutsumi's silence had completely thrown her off. She could no longer keep up her usual composed front—her true intentions were fully laid bare.

"No."

Moments after Soyo finished speaking, Mutsumi softly shook her head.

She had already promised Haru not to act as anyone's messenger again. Especially now, seeing Soyo's state, it was obvious she just wanted to use the excuse of an apology to talk about CRYCHIC again.

There was no way Mutsumi would agree.

Soyo didn't look surprised by the refusal. She still wore her soft smile, though a hint of pleading crept into it.

"Eh? Why not? I just want to apologize to Sakiko…"

"Sakiko doesn't want to see you."

Mutsumi didn't lie.

Her doll-like face calmly delivered the blunt truth.

That short, emotionless sentence made Soyo's smile slowly stiffen. She leaned back against the seat, her fingers absentmindedly twisting a lock of her soft brown curls.

Her expression sobered, the desperation fading into quiet resignation.

There was no turning back for her now.

No matter what, she had to see Sakiko. If not, she might never find her "place" again.

"Mutsumi, why do you always have to say things like that?"

"Even when CRYCHIC broke up… If you hadn't said what you did, maybe we wouldn't have ended up like this…"

Her voice turned cold, proof she'd thrown caution to the wind.

She realized now that her usual smile and soft words wouldn't get her what she wanted from Mutsumi. So she chose to go all in.

"I never once thought being in a band was fun."

That's what Sakiko had said when she quit. And Soyo had heard it from Mutsumi's own lips. That suffocating feeling that surged in her heart at that moment seemed to be still felt now.

Even though she'd told herself "no one was at fault for the breakup," deep down, she still resented Mutsumi for that betrayal.

She'd always blamed her, even if she hadn't said it out loud.

"..."

Hearing that, Mutsumi's golden eyes flickered slightly.

She opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated, swallowing the words before they escaped.

Just as Soyo's eyes brightened with hope, the doll-like girl across from her quietly said:

"CRYCHIC is over."

A cold, blunt declaration—like a blade straight to the heart.

"It's not over!"

Soyo's voice finally broke its soft, calm tone, rising in sharp desperation. Her hands gripped her skirt tightly.

But the moment she met Mutsumi's golden eyes again, her voice softened.

"Everyone in CRYCHIC used to be so close… There has to be a way…"

Mutsumi stayed silent, her expression unreadable. But guilt and remorse stirred beneath the surface.

She had once felt overwhelmed by the guilt of what she'd said.

That's why she'd compromised with Soyo again and again.

But Kazami Haru had told her: "Silence is just a form of escape. It won't solve anything."

If she kept doing what she always had… even Haru would be disappointed in her.

"…I'm sorry."

Her voice calm and resolute, Mutsumi offered a final apology.

She didn't even glance at the mango juice. Rising from her seat, she turned and quietly left the café—leaving Soyo alone, frozen in place like an abandoned puppy.

After walking out, Mutsumi instinctively pulled out her phone, opening a private "favorites" list made for just one person.

But before she could press anything, a sudden force tugged at her wrist.

Soyo had chased after her. Her face, once perfectly composed, was now drenched in sadness and pleading. She grabbed Mutsumi's fragile wrists with both hands—nothing like the girl she had been moments ago.

Mutsumi had never seen Soyo like this.

"I'll do anything! Mutsumi, I'm begging you!"

"If even you, Mutsumi, won't help me… I really don't know what else to do…"

Dressed in a pure white long dress, Nagasaki Soyo nearly collapsed to her knees. The hem, reaching down to her calves, had already picked up dirt and grime from the ground. But she didn't seem to care at all, letting the filth cling to her and render her utterly disheveled.

A flicker of surprise flashed in Wakaba Mutsumi's eyes, she hadn't expected Soyo to go this far.

Yet even more than surprised, Mutsumi felt a deep, quiet sadness for the girl in front of her.

"…I can't help you."

Her calm golden eyes flickered with apology, but it was quickly replaced by unwavering resolve.

She gently pried Soyo's hands away.

The girl with disheveled bangs stood frozen, helplessly watching Mutsumi walk away without even turning her head. In her heart, she could no longer see any light of hope.

Mutsumi, in this state, couldn't be swayed by anything—not reason, not sentiment. Even playing the emotional card wouldn't touch her heart.

She was like a wooden doll.

Nagasaki Soyo had run out of moves.

At that moment, she was like a castaway adrift at sea—unable to move forward or turn back, just drifting endlessly toward some unknown place, the scenery around her endlessly unchanged, like running in place.

…

Failure, failure, failure, failure—

She was completely finished.

Her once-pristine dress was now marred with dirt and stains. Looking utterly defeated, Soyo trudged back to the bottom of her apartment building, her steps hollow and weak.

Just a few paces felt like miles.

Now that even Wakaba Mutsumi had refused to help her, and Togawa Sakiko had blocked every form of contact, she likely wouldn't get another chance to reach her again.

It was over.

The soft, clear blue in her eyes had lost all its light. Her gaze was now cold and lifeless, like still water in a dead pond. She had turned everything into a mess, like a puddle of mud with no shape.

Gripping her shoulder bag tightly, she finally stumbled to the base of her luxury apartment building, her mind dazed and spinning.

"…You're finally back."

In her haze, Soyo suddenly heard a familiar voice.

Already overwhelmed, her heart tightened instantly.

No way… this was her home.

There was no reason for him to be here—

She tried to convince herself, but her anxious blue eyes lifted anyway, quickly scanning the surroundings, her gaze locking on the source of the voice and her pupils contracted.

There he was—a tall, sharp-looking boy with black, shoulder-length hair tied in a low ponytail, leaning casually against the building wall. His deep black eyes, seemingly able to pierce through anything, were fixed right on her.

The corners of his mouth curled into a slight grin, laced with mischief.

"Soyo, you sure took your time coming home."

"I've been waiting out here for a while. Hot day like this, you're not even going to invite me in for a coffee?"

The last person Soyo wanted to see right now… was standing there like he knew she'd come back.

She parted her lips slightly, instinctively stepping back.

This wasn't some hallucination born from her dazed state. Kazami Haru had really shown up, waiting here of all places and it sent a wave of unspeakable panic through her.

"..."

She instinctively turned to leave, but with her weak constitution and poor stamina, she was no match for him. Haru reached out and gently grabbed her wrist before she could flee.

The already fragile girl was now completely overwhelmed. She tried to pull away, but couldn't break free.

"Wait a second."

Fortunately, Haru was quick. If he hadn't stopped her now, she might have actually bolted.

But with everything that had just happened with Mutsumi, Soyo was in complete disarray. Confronted by someone she owed so much to, her words came out in a quiet, jumbled mess.

"I… please, let go of me…"

Wait, was she… kind of adorable like this?

Kazami Haru shook the thought away. Focus.

Worried that holding her wrist might hurt, he loosened his grip a bit, just enough so that it felt more like holding hands than restraining her. But he still stayed close enough that if she tried to run, he'd catch her again.

"I'm not your creepy uncle from another world. No need to run the moment you see me, right?"

He wasn't about to "release the tiger back to the mountain."

Now that Soyo knew he'd tracked her down, if he let her go now, he might never see her again, no matter how long he waited outside. The "queen of tactical retreat and avoidance" would vanish.

"..."

Soyo hung her head, meeting his sudden appearance with silence.

The very strategy Nagasaki Soyo had once used on Wakaba Mutsumi, Kazami Haru was now using on her.

"I want to talk to you. About Sakiko."

The moment the name left his lips, Soyo froze.

Whenever the topic shifted to "Togawa Sakiko," it hit her like a critical hit. She simply couldn't ignore it.

"…I don't want to talk."

She couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze.

And when it came to "Togawa Sakiko," her whole body trembled. She instinctively avoided the topic, because if she let Haru talk about her, it would mean confronting the lies she'd spun.

She was scared.

Kazami Haru: Huh?

Seriously, he hadn't expected that from Nagasaki Soyo.

If it were someone like Shiina Taki saying she didn't want to talk about Haru, he wouldn't have been surprised. But this? Coming from Soyo, the one most obsessed with Sakiko and CRYCHIC?

That was wild.

Nagasaki Soyo not wanting to talk about Kazami Haru was like Mutsumi saying she didn't like Haru!

Are you even the real Soyo?

He suspiciously scanned her from head to toe, until his eyes landed on her formidable emotional armor, confirming she was not, in fact, Anon in disguise.

"Soyo?"

A sudden voice from nearby shattered the tension.

A familiar dark-haired beauty stood on the steps in front of the upscale building, groceries in hand, vegetables and meat. Clearly, she'd just come back from shopping.

She looked toward them with a puzzled expression, her eyes flicking between the two of them.

"…Mom."

Soyo's brain shut down.

She had no idea how to explain this.

Normally, she was the one who did all the cooking and shopping. Her mom almost never went out on weekends.

But of all days, today her mom had decided to go buy groceries, only to come home and catch her like this, wrist in hand with Kazami Haru, her clothes covered in dirt.

How could anyone not get the wrong idea?

"…What is going on here?"

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