"That is indeed a bit difficult..."
To Anon's surprise, after hearing her question, a troubled expression actually appeared on Mutsumi Kamijo's face.
"Eh? But didn't you just say..."
"I did say that, but the most basic... same-sex marriage laws aren't recognized."
"???"
"And while such things are commonplace in this world, we do need to consider what others might think..."
"That's not what I meant by 'agree' at all!"
Anon felt like she was on the verge of losing her mind.
Does this guy feel physically ill if he doesn't mess with people?
"Of course, there's also the most important thing..."
"...What?"
"Tomori is my wife! I won't give her to you!"
"You're still hung up on that?"
Anon couldn't help but squint at Mutsumi.
"I'm suddenly starting to doubt whether trusting you was the right choice..."
"Ahem," hearing this, Mutsumi let out a couple of light coughs. "Young people shouldn't be so unable to take a joke."
"So you admit you were just messing with me for fun?"
"...Getting Tomori to join the band is actually quite simple."
"..."
How can this guy act as if nothing just happened?
"You just need to find one person..."
"Find someone?"
Anon felt like she was playing an RPG, and Mutsumi was the NPC giving her a quest.
"A girl who is gentle and generous, passionate and beautiful."
"She might be a little vain, she might have her own little schemes, and she might choose to run away when faced with difficulties..."
"...But when you need her, she will absolutely not let you down!"
"At first glance, you might think she's a bit too slick and worldly, but when you truly get to know her... you'll discover the gentleness and kindness hidden in her heart."
"She... is far more amazing than she herself imagines!"
"Who is that? She sounds like the heroine of a manga or something..."
Hearing Mutsumi so earnestly praise another woman right in front of her, Anon felt an inexplicable twinge of annoyance.
Besides, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu from his description.
"Her name... I think you know it, Ano-chan."
"I know her?"
Seeing Mutsumi's half-smiling, teasing expression, Anon felt completely uncomfortable.
"Stop being mysterious. Who is it?"
If I knew someone with such a distinct personality, I shouldn't have trouble remembering her, right?
"Chihaya Anon... That is the girl's name."
"Chihaya..."
Anon finally realized, and her cheeks instantly turned bright red.
"You... I..."
She pointed at Mutsumi, stuttering for a good while, unable to form a complete sentence.
"...What do you mean by that?"
Although it was meant to be a question, her tone sounded more like she was whining, which only added a touch of embarrassed anger to her eyes.
This jerk! He doesn't play fair, launching a sneak attack on an innocent teenage girl like me.
How can he say such embarrassing lines to my face with a perfectly straight expression?
"I am merely stating a fact."
The one responsible for making a young girl's heart flutter seemed completely oblivious.
"At a time like this, the only one who can help Tomori is you, Ano-chan, isn't it?"
It had to be said, the title of "Saint Anon" was well-deserved. While she was a bit of a novice in terms of skill, the formation of MyGO!!!!! truly depended entirely on her efforts.
"I believe that you, Ano-chan, can help Tomori-chan move past the shadows of her past and form a new band together."
"You... you've been praising me this whole time... Are you up to something?"
Anon was getting overwhelmed by Mutsumi's compliments and could only try to put on a fierce expression.
But the alluring blush on her cheeks was impossible to suppress, and her heart was beating uncontrollably.
"Hmph, you underestimate me, don't you? I'm not the kind of girl you can win over with just a few simple compliments..."
This is just a scumbag's scheme, calm down, Chihaya Anon!
But...
Gentle and kind, passionate and generous, only she can help Tomori...
The girl lowered her head, trying to hide the smile on her face that was harder to control than the recoil of an AK-47.
He complimented me. I'm so happy (^▽^)
In reality, given Anon's excellent looks and personality, she was long accustomed to receiving praise.
It was just that Mutsumi was on a whole other level. How could a simple girl withstand this kind of tactic?
"...Besides, you haven't actually done anything, have you? How have you helped me?" Anon said, struggling to suppress the surging emotions in her heart, as if trying to change the subject.
"That's true... but I can introduce you to the remaining band members."
"The remaining band members?"
"A free-spirited stray cat guitarist, a pressure-freak drummer who stresses everyone out equally, and a bassist who's a relic of a former dynasty obsessed with bringing back her 'emperor'..."
"Are you serious?"
Even Anon was at a loss for words after hearing Mutsumi's descriptions.
"Just hearing about these people sounds like a recipe for disaster..."
"That's why we need our great Saint Anon..."
"Flattery will get you nowhere!"
Despite her words, the girl couldn't stop her cheeks from blushing again.
Saint Anon... what's with that weird nickname?
"In any case... I'll think about what you've said..."
She didn't refuse him outright.
Afterward, they exchanged LINE contacts, and without so much as a goodbye, Anon fled as if escaping. Too much had happened today, and it would probably take her a lot of time to sort through her thoughts.
After watching Ano-chan leave, Mutsumi first glanced discreetly at the conspicuous patch of green hair outside, then turned his attention to Miss Taki.
"Waitress, I'd like to order."
"Tch~"
Hearing Mutsumi call for her, Taki couldn't help but click her tongue in annoyance.
"...What do you want?"
Her tone was incredibly harsh, her customer service attitude basically zero, but Mutsumi didn't seem to mind in the slightest.
"Do you sell cucumbers here?"
"?"
Coming to RiNG to buy cucumbers? Is he nuts?
"No!"
"Then do you have cucumber-flavored cake?"
"No."
"What about a parfait?"
"We don't have that either!"
"What kind of establishment are you running if you don't have anything?"
"You're deliberately trying to start trouble, aren't you!"
Taki had a short fuse to begin with, so she certainly wasn't going to be polite with Mutsumi.
"Rikki, be polite to the customers, okay~"
Seeing that a fight was about to break out, an orange-haired girl wearing the same uniform as Taki walked over.
"Ririko-senpai..."
Upon seeing the newcomer, the expression on Taki's face softened considerably, but her brows remained tightly furrowed.
From her perspective, Mutsumi was the one who had started it.
After all, who comes to a live house to buy cucumbers?