17

"What's wrong, Togawa-san?"

Tsuzuki Chihiro was genuinely puzzled. She had expected that, at most, her words would surprise Togawa Sakiko, maybe even make her feel a little sympathetic.

But Sakiko's reaction—standing frozen in place as if she'd been petrified, her whole body stiff and unmoving—was something Chihiro hadn't anticipated.

"Ah… N-no, it's nothing."

Sakiko snapped out of it, momentarily freeing herself from the heavy emotions that had gripped her. But when she looked at Chihiro again, her gaze was undeniably different from before.

"…Sorry. I didn't know."

"It's fine."

Chihiro didn't seem to care much, but that only made Sakiko feel worse.

She had briefly considered whether Chihiro was lying, but…

Who would joke about something like that?

Chihiro didn't seem like the kind of person who would make such a cruel joke.

At least, from the hour or so they had spent together, Sakiko could tell that this girl wasn't lacking in emotional intelligence—or intelligence in general.

Maybe she had just been bottling things up for too long, and that's why she ended up sharing something so personal with a near-stranger.

Honestly… meeting Chihiro almost feels like fate.

Setting aside such dramatic thoughts, Sakiko found herself liking the girl more after their conversation.

"So, will you be working here full-time from now on?"

"Probably." Chihiro decided not to lie. "I need to take care of some personal matters this week, but starting next week, I should be here full-time."

"I see… That's good." Sakiko smiled. "The workload here can get intense sometimes, but it's not like we're constantly swamped.

"I'm usually here in the afternoons. You should sit next to me from now on."

"Sure. I'll be counting on you, Togawa-san."

"No problem."

Sakiko flicked her hair back with practiced grace and smiled warmly.

"We're almost at the subway station. Which way are you headed?"

"Toward Tokyo Station."

"Ah… then we're not going the same way. My place is near Ikebukuro."

For a second, Sakiko hesitated.

She was actually a little disappointed. Maybe it was because she had found a sense of connection with Chihiro—she had kind of wanted to share the walk home.

But that was fine. At least she had someone her age to keep her company at work now.

---

"I'm home."

Nagasaki Soyo unlocked the door and called out as she stepped inside.

It wasn't like she was expecting an answer—she just felt the need to say something.

Maybe it was her way of protesting the loneliness in this big, empty house.

Her mother was always busy with work, but Soyo never complained. After all, her mother was working hard to ensure she had a good life.

But this time, things were different.

Unlike the past week, she finally had a goal.

For that goal, she was willing to put everything else on hold for now.

"Tsuzuki Chihiro…"

She wasn't entirely sure if that was even the girl's real name.

But without any other concrete information to go on, she had no choice but to call her that for now.

Given that this woman had a habit of using one name to deceive someone, only to use that person's name to trick the next…

It was highly likely that Chihaya Anon had been one of her victims as well.

Which meant things were crystal clear now.

"This girl wasn't trying to get close to me just to meet Anon.

"She was trying to confirm that Anon wasn't at this school."

She had baited out people who might recognize Anon by using the name Anon, and once she was sure there was no immediate danger, she continued to enjoy a free ride at the school.

Unbelievable! Just how bold is this girl?!

Soyo realized now that the situation was entirely different from what she had originally thought.

Tsuzuki Chihiro hadn't spoken a single honest word.

She might have a pretty face, but she was a professional con artist.

Even her looks didn't quite match the description that Nina had given her. It was clear this woman had extensive experience in deception.

If it hadn't been for sheer coincidence, Soyo might have actually believed she was an English teacher.

"…But seriously, how does a scammer end up living in a five-star hotel? This whole thing is completely illogical! How did she pull that off?!"

Then again, the fact that she had been exposed on the first day filled Soyo with a strong sense of superiority.

Hah! So what if she's good at acting?

This is Nagasaki Soyo, Second Loop Edition. All your little schemes are useless against me!

"…But this also means I might be her next target."

After all, she was the only one who had approached her first.

A con artist like Chihiro wouldn't let an easy mark slip away.

Soyo could expose her at any time.

From what she had gathered, Chihiro might not even be that involved in Anon's desire to form a band.

But if she did that…

Then all the effort she had put in during her last loop would have been for nothing.

Now that she had gained an advantage, Soyo couldn't help but feel a little overconfident.

Not that she noticed it herself.

She was simply thinking about how she could make use of an expert scammer like Chihiro.

After all, while Chihiro might have failed to fool her…

That was only natural.

She was Nagasaki Soyo—blessed with a sharp mind, the painful lessons of her past loop, and a little extra luck on her side.

Of course a mere fraudster wouldn't stand a chance against her.

But that didn't mean Chihiro wasn't talented.

If she could find a way to use her skills…

"…Maybe things wouldn't have to end the way they did."

A sharp pain stabbed through Soyo's chest as she recalled the image of herself kneeling by the fountain near Sakiko's house, begging her not to leave.

She still couldn't understand why Sakiko had been so heartless—why she had cut ties with her so easily when they had once been such close friends.

But more than anything, she regretted that things had ever reached that point.

No matter how many times she told herself that she wouldn't dwell on reuniting CRYCHIC this time…

Deep down, she could never truly let it go.

"I should lay low for now… At least until I gather more useful information."

Lying on her bed, Soyo let her thoughts drift to a future where CRYCHIC reunited on stage—playing an unedited, full version of Haruhikage.