23

Tokyo, Ikebukuro. Under the golden hues of the evening sun, the city looked like a ripened orange.

Standing on one side of the street, Nagasaki Soyo didn't rush to cross. Instead, she remained by the traffic light, silently observing everything happening in the distance.

This time, she noticed something she hadn't seen in her previous run—Chihaya Anon grabbing Tomori's arm.

"But… it doesn't look like they're arguing."

From this distance, there was no way Soyo could hear their conversation. She wasn't a lip reader, so she could only guess based on their expressions.

Before long, Taki burst out of RiNG like a radar locking onto its target, stepping in front of Tomori.

She didn't need to hear anything to know—given Taki's impulsive nature, she had probably jumped to conclusions the moment she saw Tomori bowing her head in apology, assuming she was being bullied.

Honestly… I should've seen this coming. Taki never agreed to form a band for the sake of CRYCHIC. She only did it for Tomori.

That much hasn't changed. And from the start, Taki's attitude toward Sakiko has always been openly hostile.

Could they really overcome these walls between them and come together as a band once more?

Soyo furrowed her brows. She wasn't sure if it was right for her to feel so discouraged, but she knew—this might be her last chance.

There's a saying: Three ordinary people can outsmart Hideki Tojo. Even though there were only two of them—herself and Tsuzuki Chihiro—it was obvious neither of them were just ordinary people.

With that thought, a glimmer of confidence and anticipation flickered in Nagasaki Soyo's heart.

As for what happened next? She didn't need to watch. Everything played out exactly as before—Anon bared her fangs, Tomori ran away, the pink-haired one got scolded.

And once Anon stormed off in frustration and Taki headed back inside RiNG, Soyo finally started moving. She crossed the street, making her way toward the scene.

Right now, the most important thing is to take advantage of the conflict between Taki and Anon.

Taking a deep breath, Nagasaki Soyo adjusted her backpack and stepped inside. As expected, the first thing she saw was Taki, now back at the counter, looking like she was getting ready to close up shop.

"We're closed… Soyo?"

Taki was already in a bad mood today. The moment she heard the automatic doors slide open and footsteps approach the bar, her first instinct was to snap that she was off the clock and didn't want to be bothered.

But when she saw it was a familiar face, she hesitated.

Even so, despite recognizing Soyo, Taki didn't exactly want to talk to her.

"Think you could make an exception and push back closing time for an old friend?"

Soyo smiled sweetly, her expression warm and friendly—so much so that it made Taki's skin crawl.

"Are you feeling alright?" Taki rolled her eyes but didn't refuse. "Earl Grey, right?"

"Mhm."

"Pay first. 680 yen."

"The price went up?" Soyo raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"Take it or leave it. If you don't want it, don't waste my time."

"..."

Soyo was momentarily at a loss for words. She didn't even want tea right now—she'd just had a whole cup with Tsuzuki Chihiro across the street. There was no way she could drink another.

But she needed an excuse to stay.

With no other choice, she pulled out a 1,000-yen bill and set it on the counter.

After receiving her change, Soyo didn't leave. Instead, she pulled up a barstool and made herself comfortable.

"What was going on with Tomori just now? Looked to me like some pink-haired delinquent was giving her a hard time."

Picking sides early was crucial. In her last run, Taki had barely given her, a founding member of CRYCHIC, any respect in the early days. Maybe that was because she had sided too much with an outsider.

Perhaps… choosing Anon as my lever from the start was a mistake?

"You saw?"

Taki's hands paused mid-movement. Her voice was cold, and her displeasure was obvious.

"That girl… trying to drag Tomori into forming a band? How selfish." Taki resumed her work, though that didn't stop her from venting her frustration about Anon. "With the way Tomori is now, if she tries again, she'll fall apart. Even if she doesn't know the full story, she shouldn't be pushing so hard."

"…That's true."

"Huh?"

Taki shot Soyo a puzzled glance, then smirked slightly. "Normally, wouldn't you be lecturing me right about now?"

Soyo took the cup Taki handed her, lifting it elegantly for a small sip before replying with a calm, composed smile:

"I just think… judging by that pink-haired girl's attitude, she's not going to give up so easily."

"So I was wondering… what if Tomori actually does get convinced by her? What will you do then? Join her new band?"

"..."

Seeing her words take effect, Soyo was delighted. But she kept her expression steady—calm and unhurried.

She knew that, with Taki's personality, she was seriously considering the possibility.

On one hand, Taki didn't want Tomori to join a band again. To her, as long as Tomori wasn't hurt by music anymore, that was the best outcome.

But on the other hand… Taki did want to be in a band with Tomori.

After all, Taki's attitude toward Tomori had changed after their first live show.

Soyo used to think it was an exaggeration to say music had that much power. But looking back now, it made sense.

After all, why was she, Nagasaki Soyo, so attached to CRYCHIC?

Yes, it was full of precious memories. Yes, it was her first true home.

But another reason—one she had overlooked—was that she genuinely loved the songs Tomori and Sakiko had created together.

Even if she had been ignoring that fact all this time…

"I can give you a suggestion, if you'd like."

"What is it?"

Seeing how seriously Taki was considering her words, Soyo smiled—like a master strategist weaving a web.

"What you're afraid of is that the new band won't last, and Tomori will end up getting hurt again, right?"

"..."

"Then why not go and ask that pink-haired girl yourself? Find out why she wants to form a band. See if she's even capable."

"I've heard, you know… Some people don't form bands out of passion or dedication."

"They just want to chase fame. To stand in the spotlight."

"Some of them dream of being a lead guitarist and vocalist but lack the skill. And when they do join a band, they slack off or constantly make excuses."

"If she's one of those people, then you can rest easy rejecting her. After all, a band like that shouldn't even exist in the first place."

"You…"

"Don't look at me like that. I just think that if you're going to form a band, you should at least find reliable people. You wouldn't want to be manipulated by someone with ulterior motives, right?"

For a split second, guilt flickered in Soyo's eyes. But she hid it well.

"Why are you suddenly bringing all this up?"

Taki raised an eyebrow, suspicious. The biggest mystery to her was why Soyo was acting so out of character. But she had to admit—she was convinced.

"I just worry about Tomori," Soyo replied simply. "And… maybe I feel a little guilty."

"Guilty?"

"It's nothing. You wouldn't understand."

Of course Taki wouldn't understand.

After all, in her previous run, before Soyo had been sent back, she had simply ignored Tomori when she was feeling down.

Thinking about it now… Hadn't she spent all that time pushing CRYCHIC further and further away?

But it didn't matter.

This time—she was absolutely confident.

The advantage is mine.