To sum it up, the current situation was incredibly awkward.
Kazami Haru had used the skill Soyo's Recon and Counter-Recon to detect that he was being tailed. But when he turned around and pinned the stalker against the wall, he was shocked to discover it was Misumi Uika.
What he didn't notice, however, was that Nagasaki Soyo was also nearby.
And, of all things—she had seen the exact moment he was pressing Misumi Uika against the wall.
Why didn't the counter-recon skill pick up Soyo?
Could she secretly be a reclusive goddess from a closed-off world or something?
Haru's thoughts were a mess. The shock of seeing Uika had barely settled before he realized… their current posture was way too intimate.
The alley was narrow, and the distance between him and Misumi-san was minimal. From Haru's angle, he could even take in the fine details of her breathtaking face.
Her flawless, porcelain skin carried the faintest flush, and her deep violet eyes, "noble, seductive", looked up at him with a touch of anxiety.
The height difference made her gaze naturally tilt up, adding an air of youthful shyness.
She really was born to be an idol.
"Haru?"
Soyo's voice came, soft and strained. Instinctively, Haru pulled back from Uika.
Caught in this strange and suspicious scene, and now with Soyo watching, it was clear Haru had no idea how to explain himself. Especially since the current idol in question didn't even attempt to play it cool, she just leaned casually against the wall and stared meaningfully in Soyo's direction.
Misumi Uika wasn't seeing Soyo for the first time.
She, like Takamatsu Tomori before her, had seen Soyo in band videos from CRYCHIC. Uika originally assumed only Tomori and Shiina Taki had ties to Haru, but now?
It looked like the entire band had some kind of relationship with him.
As an idol, Uika was sensitive to people's eyes. When Soyo walked up, she barely glanced at Uika, her attention was entirely focused on Haru.
No matter how you looked at it, Soyo clearly had a special connection to him.
"Huh? Haru, I thought you weren't feeling well today, that's why you skipped practice… I figured you'd still be at home."
"Why are you here…?"
Her puzzled, hesitant tone gradually softened into her usual gentle smile. Her voice was as smooth and warm as always, hands folded delicately in front of her, eyes subtly drifting toward Misumi Uika.
Even with just the corner of her vision, she could clearly see how stunning the other girl was.
This girl… hadn't shown up in the dream.
And the posture she and Haru had been in was obviously intimate. The way they spoke, too, clearly wasn't between strangers.
So… where had she come from? Why was she with Haru, who'd taken a sick day?
Soyo subconsciously reached for her ring finger, but found nothing there.
An unexplainable anxiety began to creep in.
"I wasn't planning to go out," Haru replied, awkwardness creeping into his voice. "But when I was prepping lunch, I realized I was out of ingredients. So I figured I'd grab something outside and maybe do a little shopping."
Maybe it was because he had just finished a long simulation yesterday, but standing in front of the real-world Soyo made Haru feel oddly uneasy.
She wasn't the same Soyo he'd spent a simulated lifetime with, but Haru was sure, this Soyo had deep feelings for him too.
He had taken the day off partly to avoid her, and now 'just stepping out to eat' he'd run into her anyway.
"I see~"
Soyo hadn't expected this either, running into the man she'd been thinking about nonstop.
When she saw the message in the LINE group chat, she had panicked.
Reality had already deviated from the dream. Haru should have gone to practice as usual at RiNG. But now, he'd taken a sick day and disrupted her entire plan.
Still, she wouldn't lose her composure over a simple schedule change.
The reason she was even here in the first place was because she'd been wandering the streets, using her memory of the dream to find Haru's house.
If her future husband wasn't coming to practice, then she'd use her intel advantage and head straight to his place.
And if Haru ever asked how she knew where he lived? She'd just say she heard it from Chihaya Anon. Easy.
"By the way, I've been wondering…"
Soyo smiled sweetly, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly as she spoke with feigned innocence.
"Who is this girl?"
Having stayed quiet until now, unable to find an opening to speak, Misumi Uika suddenly found herself the center of attention. She immediately suppressed the swirl of thoughts building in her mind and flashed a flawless, idol-grade smile.
"Hello, I'm—"
But before she could even finish her introduction, a light, crisp voice rang out like a songbird.
"Haru?"
All three people standing in the alley turned at once.
There, not far away on the street, stood a girl with long, pale-blue hair tied neatly, her face as delicate and breathtaking as a painted portrait. Surprise filled her features as she took a few steps forward, her silky twin tails swaying gently behind her.
Kazami Haru's face, which had already been tense, tightened further the moment he saw her.
Oh no… Sakiko?!
How? Why were all three of them here at once?
He had just stepped out for lunch. That was it. And now not only had he run into an idol who was secretly following him, and the woman he was actively trying to avoid 'his ex-wife in the sim', but now he was face-to-face with the succubus who's been going through a chuunibyou phase lately.
Were they lining up to find him or something?
Was this one of those weird alternate timeline hot zones?
At this point, Haru was seriously starting to wonder if his right hand had inherited the power to break causality.
"Misumi? And… Soyo?"
Sakiko's amber eyes shimmered slightly, her voice uncertain as she stepped closer.
"What are you two doing here?"
She had just finished her early shift and happened to walk down this street. Normally she kept her eyes forward, but today, something had caught her attention. A pull, a feeling.
And when she glanced into the alley… she recognized all three figures immediately.
She even noticed how close Haru and Uika had been. Even if it was probably a coincidence or misunderstanding, she still felt a slight sting of anxiety.
So she'd walked over, abandoning whatever she was doing.
"Sakiko?"
Soyo's expression flickered in surprise. Her eyes shifted discreetly to Haru, trying to read his reaction.
From the look on his face, he clearly hadn't expected Sakiko to be here either.
If this had been before 'if they'd just "coincidentally" met like this' Soyo might've smiled and called it proof that CRYCHIC's fate was intertwined.
But that was the old her.
Now, the changed Nagasaki Soyo had fully abandoned such naive fantasies. Running into Sakiko right now was nothing but trouble.
Because in the "dream," Sakiko was her greatest rival.
"…What's going on here exactly?"
Sakiko's tone cooled as she stepped forward, her gaze settling on Soyo. Her words sounded less like a question and more like an accusation.
She had just scolded Soyo harshly yesterday over the whole CRYCHIC situation. And now here she was again, clinging to Haru?
Was she trying to use her relationship with Haru to push some secret plan to revive the band?
And if that was the case, then what was Misumi Uika doing here?
"I'm not too sure either~ I just happened to run into Haru while walking by, so I said hello."
Soyo faced the questioning head-on, still smiling serenely. Her voice was calm, gentle, and steady.
This poised, composed version of her was drastically different from the one Sakiko had confronted the day before, enough to make Sakiko furrow her elegant brows sharply.
What is she scheming now?
"Haru. What's really going on here?"
Sakiko didn't buy Soyo's version for a second and directed her full attention to Haru.
If she learned that Soyo was harassing him again for the sake of CRYCHIC, she might actually explode this time.
"…I'd like to know too," Soyo added quietly.
Her peacock-blue eyes glinted with subtle wariness, not just toward the unfamiliar blonde girl next to Haru, but also toward Sakiko, whose presence had thrown everything into chaos.
From Soyo's point of view, there had to be a reason Haru took today off.
She wanted to identify what this "variable" was.
With both girls now staring him down, their attention razor-sharp, Haru couldn't help but glance over at the person standing beside him—
The one who started all of this.
This idol, the one who'd followed him and triggered this entire chain of events, still wore a thoughtful expression, as if she hadn't expected to run into Sakiko during her little reconnaissance mission.
Kazami Haru let out a long sigh, nodding with something like resignation.
"Well… it's a bit complicated. I don't think I can explain everything clearly out here."
"We're close to RiNG anyway. Why don't we head over there, and I'll explain it all properly?"
Of course, Nagasaki Soyo wasn't going to reject any suggestion from Haru. The moment he said it, she smiled brightly and nodded in agreement. Misumi Uika, realizing she was the catalyst for all this, couldn't just walk away now either.
Only Togawa Sakiko hesitated, her gaze lingering meaningfully on Uika.
After a brief pause, though, she nodded as well.
"Hmm? That's weird…"
"Why do I feel like Haru isn't home?"
Chihaya Anon, now standing at Haru's front door, tiptoed as high as she could and tried peeking through the peephole with one of her wide, sparkling eyes.
She had been knocking for quite a while with no answer. That made the already-nervous pinkhead even more anxious.
Even when Haru had been running a fever or battling a nasty cold, he always dragged himself over to open the door for her.
But today, all she'd gotten was a casual LINE message: "Not feeling great today, so I'm taking the day off."
Short. Vague. And very suspicious.
"Don't tell me he collapsed or something…"
"No! I at least have to get the door open!"
She glanced at the windowsill next to the apartment entrance, lined with potted herbs and plants.
Her clever eyes gleamed as an idea struck her. She started lifting pots one by one, until—under the third one, the one growing baby cucumbers—she found a spare key taped to the bottom.
"Other girls would be stumped in this situation~"
"Fufu~ this is a wife's privilege."
Holding her head high and puffing out her (still-flat) chest proudly, Anon was beaming.
After all, she had lived a whole simulated lifetime as Haru's wife. Of course she knew all his habits and hiding spots!
This kind of intelligence-gathering? No other vixen could compete. Triumphant, she slid the key into the lock and quietly opened the front door.
She hadn't told anyone about today's surprise visit, especially not Tomori, who had interrupted her last time.
Anon was confident. With some one-on-one time, she'd string together a few well-practiced "heart-throb combos" and steal Haru's heart for good!
"Haru?"
She called softly.
No reply.
Feeling a subtle unease, she slipped off her glossy black leather shoes. Her sheer white tights whispered against the wooden floor, and her gray pleated skirt swayed lightly at her waist with each step.
A rosy blush spread across her already-fair cheeks.
She poked around the entryway a little, hoping to find some slippers but ended up giving up. Something about wearing guest slippers always bugged her.
I'll just buy my own "girlfriend slippers" and leave them here next time.
"Alright… first let's—"
Her heart fluttering with excitement, Anon bit her lip and peeked around the kitchen. No Haru.
Now slightly nervous, she tiptoed toward the bedroom and peeked inside with her cheeks tinted pink.
"…Huh?"
The room was empty. Completely empty.
"…Wait, where's Haru?"
Where was her sick, bedridden, helpless boyfriend?!
"He's actually not home?!"
Stunned, Anon reached up and twirled a lock of pink hair. Her eyes, like smoky pearls, shimmered with a hint of disappointment.
Not knowing what else to do, she sat down on Haru's bed, tipped her head back, and stared blankly up at the ceiling.
Plop.
Anon couldn't help but flop face-first onto the soft bed, hugging a pillow and taking a deep, secretive sniff.
"Mmm… it smells like Haru…"
Caught up in the moment, her expression softened with indulgence, until her eyes suddenly flickered with clarity. Snapping out of her daze, she sat up quickly and checked the band's LINE group chat.
There were no new messages.
Haru actually wasn't home? That was… way too suspicious.
Anon hesitated, then opened Nagasaki Soyo's LINE chat, ready to ask that thieving little cat if her boyfriend was over at her place, but then paused.
If Haru was with Soyo, that sly fox might just pretend not to see the message.
"Possibly!"
Feeling suddenly cunning, Anon switched to messaging Shiina Taki instead. After a brief hesitation, she started typing with her pale, jade-like fingers.
[Chihaya Anon: Rikki, do you know where Haru went today?]
[Shiina Taki: He's with me.]
[Chihaya Anon: ?]
...
"So, what exactly is going on here?"
Standing behind the counter on RiNG's second floor, Shiina Taki ignored the flood of messages from the pink menace behind her and instead narrowed her eyes at the group now gathered before her.
At first, she hadn't thought much of it when Kazami Haru walked in.
But when Nagasaki Soyo followed him in with a smile?
That was when Taki's expression cracked.
She thought Haru had brought Soyo to apologize. But then… Togawa Sakiko appeared behind her.
What is this, some kind of invasion?!
If she didn't know better, she'd think Haru had brought enemy forces straight into camp.
"Soyo-chan, could you get us four Darjeelings, please?"
Soyo, unfazed, smiled cheerfully and held up four fingers toward Taki with an almost playful tone.
Before the words even left her mouth, though, Sakiko 'seated next to Haru' cut in coldly.
"I don't need one."
Soyo, sitting on Haru's left, narrowed her moonlike eyes, gently interlacing her pale hands on the table. Her deep blue gaze flicked discreetly toward the girl sitting on Haru's right, Togawa Sakiko .
Her stare was sharp. Intentional.
As she expected, Sakiko hadn't hesitated to sit beside Haru.
As for the stunning blonde 'Uika Misumi' she'd seemed close to Haru earlier, sure, but so far Soyo hadn't picked up any obvious flags. No need to keep a close eye… yet.
Still, she didn't let her guard down. Who knew if the girl was faking innocence?
Soyo was quite adept at pretending herself, after all. That made her extra sensitive to others doing the same.
"…What even is this?"
Taki's lips twitched.
She honestly couldn't believe Soyo had just casually placed an order with her. Confused and annoyed, she looked toward Haru, who simply gave her a subtle, complicated shake of the head.
No help there.
Didn't Haru say Soyo was coming to apologize?
So why did he bring Sakiko, who already quit the band?
And why was Misumi Uika, here too?
Did they know each other?
Too many questions. Her head was starting to ache.
Taki didn't like Soyo to begin with, and her patience was razor-thin. Her sharp purple eyes were frosty, her arched brows scrunching into a cold, pointed scowl.
With a voice like an icicle, she spoke:
"You're not here… to talk about CRYCHIC, are you?"
That one sentence captured her stance perfectly.
If Soyo dared say "yes," not even Haru grabbing her legs would stop Taki from losing it on the spot.
Hearing the name "CRYCHIC," Sakiko's expression flickered with conflict.
She looked up at Taki's cold, disapproving glare. Of everyone in the band, it had been Taki who took her quitting the hardest. Even now, she looked at her like she didn't belong.
Just as Sakiko inhaled deeply, preparing to explain that she had no intention of returning to the band, the girl seated across from her 'Nagasaki Soyo' cut in with a graceful, gentle voice:
"Nope. I've completely let go of CRYCHIC."
Soyo rested her chin lightly atop her joined hands like a bridge, her voice soft and kind as she smiled serenely.
All she wanted now… was to find the one place she truly belonged. A life, a love, of her own.
She glanced sidelong at Haru. Just gazing at his profile from this close made warmth bloom in her chest. A happiness so intense it felt like she might melt on the spot.
If it weren't for the people around her…
She had to grip her own fingers tightly to keep her emotions in check.
"…Huh?"
Taki blinked in disbelief, staring wide-eyed at Soyo.
She wasn't the only one.
Togawa Sakiko looked just as stunned.
Yesterday, Soyo had cornered her at a ramen shop, pleading with emotion for her to rejoin the band. And now, in less than 24 hours, she was… giving up?
Sakiko suddenly realized—
She couldn't read Soyo at all.
…
Only Haru truly knew: Soyo wasn't lying.
She really had let CRYCHIC go.
And from the look in her eyes, she wasn't about to explain anything further just yet.
She narrowed her blue eyes slightly, though there wasn't much warmth behind them and gently combed her hair back from her shoulder with her long, slender fingers. Tilting her head just a bit, as if pretending to ponder, she smiled lightly and looked toward Togawa Sakiko.
"I'll explain this properly to Taki-chan a little later, okay?"
But the moment she turned to Kazami Haru, her tone shifted into one of utmost gentleness and affection.
"For now, shouldn't we let Haru finish what he was saying?"
"…Right. Then I guess I'll explain a bit more."
Now that the spotlight had been handed to him again, Haru went on to summarize what happened with Misumi Uika. Hearing that it had actually been just a coincidence, the girls around the table exchanged glances, each showing a different flicker of emotion in their eyes.
"So that's what it was~ Just a simple misunderstanding, then."
Soyo let out a subtle sigh of relief, though her calm exterior had been just that: surface-level calm.
When she first walked in and saw Haru standing so close to Misumi, even someone as skilled at "masking" as her had felt her heart waver.
She was prone to anxiety, after all. Even now, her soft gaze lingered on Haru's profile. Her heart beat faster and faster as the memory of the "dream" surfaced in her mind.
If she couldn't hold him close again soon, she might just die.
"Yeah, I really just meant to say hi, nothing more."
Misumi Uika's voice was flawless, her smile perfectly composed as she nodded gently.
But even as she spoke, her eyes remained on Soyo. Watching the way this former bandmate of Sakiko's would glance unconsciously at Haru. Watching the faint, almost tender curve of her lips when she did.
Microexpressions were hard to fake.
Misumi could already tell: Nagasaki Soyo's feelings for Haru were far from ordinary.
And if she counted Takamatsu Tomori and the Sakiko sitting next to her, that made at least three girls with special feelings for him.
Taki was harder to read, but Misumi's instincts told her that wasn't a closed case either.
She remembered CRYCHIC had another member too: the quiet, green-haired girl with no expressions. It wouldn't be shocking if even she had some feelings for Haru.
If Kazami Haru ever wanted to mess with these girls' hearts…
It would be terrifyingly easy.
"…Is that so?"
Sakiko furrowed her brows lightly, nodding with clear hesitation.
She had assumed this was another one of Soyo's schemes but apparently, it really had been just coincidence. Uika was her close friend, she wouldn't lie to her.
Even if something still felt off… she accepted it, for now.
"What I said before was the truth, you know? I'm not going to cling to you anymore, Sakiko."
Soyo's expression relaxed, and she gently twirled a curl of her soft, brown hair with one finger. Her voice was sweet, almost sisterly and it made Sakiko frown again, unsure how to respond.
After a moment of silence, Sakiko finally said coldly:
"…Good."
She had already made up her mind.
She wasn't going to get dragged back into anything with CRYCHIC. She'd left her weak, indecisive self in the past.
"…By the way, Haru, have you eaten lunch yet?"
The topic shifted sharply as Soyo clasped her hands together, looking at Haru with a gentle, hopeful expression.
- - -
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