11

Chihaya Anon was feeling conflicted.

Today was her first day at Haneoka. Technically, since she had submitted her application online well in advance, and though her family had initially complained, they eventually prepared all the necessary documents for her. After returning to Japan, all she needed to do was go to school early for a confirmation interview.

But she wasn't mentally prepared.

It wasn't that she couldn't adapt to the new environment after changing into Haneoka's uniform. She was more troubled about how she would explain things if she really did run into Chihiro.

Though, realistically, the chances of that happening were low.

Chihiro hadn't applied for a transfer in advance. With all the paperwork involved, it could take over a month—maybe even longer. And besides… with the way she had pretended back then, Chihiro probably still thought she had gone to Tsukinomori.

She had avoided having anyone pick her up at the airport yesterday for a similar reason—if she saw her mother the moment she arrived, either she wouldn't be able to keep up the act, or her mother would end up revealing her little secret first.

Still, what reassured Anon—while also making her feel a bit disappointed—was that Tsuzuki Chihiro was indeed nowhere to be found at Haneoka Girls' Academy.

Instead, she had met a rather eccentric classmate named Takamatsu Tomori.

And, thanks to her social skills and familiarity with Tokyo, she had already made a few friends. This promising start gave her a lot of confidence, though it also made her feel guilty for deceiving them.

"Let's go home together—huh? Oh, are you guys in a band?"

It was after school. Anon had just planned to head home with her new friends when she noticed the instruments strapped to their backs.

"Yep."

"But we only just started."

"Eh~" Anon was a little surprised. Only now did she realize that many of the girls in her class were carrying instruments. "Now that you mention it, it feels like everyone's in a band here."

That reminded her of her best friend from the UK—Tsuzuki Chihiro. Chihiro was an incredibly skilled musician. Back then, Anon hadn't paid much attention to the international music scene, but Chihiro's terrifying guitar skills were undeniable.

If she had to put it in her own words, even ten of her wouldn't be a match for Chihiro.

"Our school has a lot of bands! There are some really amazing ones among our seniors, too. Like Afterglow—one of the third-year bands. The student council president is actually part of it."

"Oh yeah, what about you, Anon?"

"Ah…" Anon suddenly felt like she was being put on the spot. "I guess I can play a little?"

Having met a true expert before, she no longer had much confidence. Though, technically speaking, saying "a little" wasn't a complete lie.

"Really? What instrument do you play?"

"I suppose… guitar and vocals?" The words slipped out without a second thought—words that would've earned her a solid smack from Chihiro if she had been here to hear them.

Of course, Chihiro wasn't here right now. And Anon really wanted to fit in at this school, to have more things to talk about with her friends and earn their admiration. So, her old habit resurfaced, and she didn't think too much about the consequences.

"Me too, me too!"

"Wanna join us? We still need a guitarist."

"Guitar?"

Anon thought about it. If it was just playing guitar, wouldn't she end up being stuck in the background?

That idea disappointed her a little, though she didn't show it. "Thanks, I'll think about it."

---

"This isn't even a question. The immediate point of attack has to be that blonde-haired, weirdly named substitute teacher."

Nagasaki Soyo muttered to herself in a hushed voice. It was almost time for class, and most of the students had gathered in the classroom, their chatter filling the room. Her quiet words were easily drowned out by the noise.

The next class was the final one for the afternoon. If nothing unexpected happened, the teacher for this English lesson would likely be that "Anon" person again.

Sure enough, before long, a stylish figure stepped in through the doorway.

Unlike this morning, this time the teacher was holding a brand-new English textbook, likely borrowed from the school's storage.

Of course, some teachers preferred using textbooks, while others relied on lesson plans—personal habits varied.

That alone didn't reveal anything. Soyo was certain that, at least in terms of credentials, this teacher was legitimate. She possessed the necessary skills and professionalism expected of an educator.

What Soyo needed to do now was use her position as a student to get close to her in a reasonable way—gather as much information about Anon as possible.

Because whether she wanted to stop that pink-haired girl from forming a band or—against her better judgment—repeat her past mistakes by using her to start one, she needed to know everything about these variables.

Soyo suspected that, in her previous life, she had lost because she had ultimately allowed Anon and Raana to integrate into the band. She had let Taki and Tomori get so caught up in the new bandmates that they forgot about their past ones.

She had been the only one who couldn't move on, while the others mercilessly discarded those memories—even going so far as to perform their songs on stage…

That had been the moment when she truly felt betrayed.

No… This time, my goal is to stop it from happening all over again—not to recklessly try again. That will never lead to a good outcome.

She murmured to herself once more. But when the classroom's chatter began to quiet down, signaling the start of the lesson, she finally stopped talking.

Right now, the most important thing was to act like an eager, hardworking student.

Teachers always had a soft spot for diligent students, and that would make infiltrating the enemy's ranks far easier.

"Class rep, let the teacher know where we left off."

"Got it, sensei. Our last teacher, Ms. Nagai, had covered…"

Soyo listened attentively. The substitute teacher's English was clear and fluent, and she genuinely felt that the change in instructors wasn't a bad thing.

And since she was currently playing the role of a hardworking student aiming to study abroad, this fit perfectly with her persona. From the start of the lesson to the very end, Soyo never let her mind wander.

If someone had told her before that studying was the most important thing, that everything else was secondary, she probably would've rolled her eyes and said, The closer your hands are to textbooks, the farther you are from the stage.

But now?

No one could stop her from soaring academically!

As soon as the bell rang for the end of class, Soyo normally would've accompanied Mutsumi to water the cucumbers before heading to wind ensemble practice. But today, she didn't even spare a thought for those things. The moment class ended, she rushed after the beautiful teacher.

"Soyo…"

Watching her friend dash away, Wakaba Mutsumi sat still at her desk, a flicker of emotion crossing her eyes.

"Soyo… seems different."