Unable to move forward? Uneasy?
Sakiko hadn't expected that answer. Her intuition told her that this might touch on something deeply buried in Kikukawa Kyo's heart.
She didn't press further, at least not yet. If her gut feeling was right—if this really involved some of Kyo's personal secrets—then even if she asked, Kyo would just deflect the conversation again, the way she always did. When Kyo was ready, she'd say it on her own.
Instead, Sakiko shifted the focus. "You said you were afraid Tomori would cling to you… What do you mean by that? She does rely on others, but I wouldn't go as far as to say she clings to people."
Kyo lowered her gaze, looking at Sakiko with an expression that practically screamed: You seriously have the nerve to ask that?
And whose fault do you think that is?
You gave her something beautiful, only to take it away with your own hands. No wonder she's more insecure than ever.
If she didn't know that Sakiko hadn't done it on purpose, Kyo would've rolled her eyes on the spot.
"I was this close to being executed on the spot by Tomori the other day. She even considered trafficking me. That kid's way of thinking is way too intense—she just throws all of her emotions into things without hesitation. It's a lot to handle."
Executed? Trafficked? Intense? All of her emotions…?
One after another, words that absolutely should not be associated with a first-year high school girl—especially one as small and harmless-looking as Tomori—came spilling out of Kyo's mouth. Sakiko wasn't even sure if they were still talking about the same subject anymore.
"What exactly happened that day?" she asked, curiosity piqued. She half-expected Kyo to just be exaggerating for dramatic effect.
But Kyo, seeing the inquisitive gleam in Sakiko's eyes, immediately knew she wasn't being taken seriously. With an annoyed huff, she muttered, "You should experience it firsthand sometime. I promise, it'll be life-changing."
That only made Sakiko more curious.
In her mind, Tomori was still that timid girl—too shy to interact with the outside world, yet possessing an overwhelming, boundless inner universe. A girl who could turn those emotions into stunning lyrics unlike anyone else.
Still, curiosity aside, Sakiko had no intention of going out of her way to interact with Tomori anytime soon.
"Alright then, back to my original question. How's Anon and Tomori's band coming along?"
"They're still looking for members. But Tomori's been busy with the astronomy club lately, and Anon—surprisingly—takes her studies pretty seriously. She said the first few days of the semester are crucial for setting the pace for the next few terms, so she doesn't have the energy to recruit band members yet. For now, they're just asking people they already know in class or nearby."
Even though Kyo had no intention of joining the band, she had promised to stick around and help them out. Over the past few days, she'd been in frequent contact with Anon and Tomori.
"I see. No wonder Anon asked me if I wanted to join…"
"Yeah," Kyo said, then let out a sigh as if she'd just remembered something. "After I turned Tomori down the first time, she's been… less intense whenever she sees me. But she still keeps trying to convince me to join."
Every time they met, Tomori would immediately look up at her with those big, amber eyes—like a small, helpless animal—her gaze filled with hope. Even though she was afraid of being rejected again, she still mustered the courage to ask. And then, just as expected, she'd be disappointed all over again.
But unlike before, Tomori wasn't staying stuck in that disappointment. When it came to this, at least, she was starting to pick herself back up. After a while, she'd try again—each time a little more determined than before. She'd even begun learning how to use small tricks to persuade Kyo.
Though, to Kyo, her attempts at deception were laughably amateurish. They were so clumsy, in fact, that they ended up making her look even more endearing.
Kyo wasn't great at deciphering emotions, but she wasn't heartless. If this went on any longer, she was genuinely worried she'd cave in.
"So, I figure the faster I help them find the rest of their band members, the better. Once they get started, maybe Tomori will be so busy she'll finally forget about me."
Sakiko watched as Kikukawa Kyo helplessly took another sip from her water bottle and could already guess what she was planning.
"You're thinking of asking Taki and Soyo, aren't you?"
This time, it was Kyo's turn to be sharp. "Why not Mutsumi?"
"Mutsumi's family is pretty strict. The only reason they agreed to let her join CRYCHIC back then was partly because of me. And…" A flicker of guilt passed through Sakiko's eyes. "I might not have considered her feelings enough at the time."
"If Mutsumi really can't join, it's fine. Anon can handle the guitar, so it's not like the band would be missing one. With Soyo on bass and Taki on drums, it'd be a complete setup."
"Those two probably would want to be in a band again."
As if suddenly remembering something, Sakiko reached into her bag and pulled out her phone.
Tsukinomori didn't allow phone use on campus, and even though she was at Haneoka now, she still didn't take out her phone during school hours. It had been sitting untouched in her bag all this time.
"Wow. Message bombardment," Kyo muttered as Sakiko turned the screen toward her, showing her the main page of her LINE app. The number of unread messages from Nagasaki Soyo was so high that it needed an extra "+" to indicate more.
"See? If you can get Soyo to join a band again, maybe I can finally get some peace." Sakiko pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of messages.
Kyo mentally pulled up her "information wall," replaying what she knew. She had only spent a short time with Soyo during the break, but even in that brief period, she had noticed something—out of all of them, Soyo had the strongest sense of attachment to being in a band.
"Soyo will probably want to join. It seems like there's something about being in a band that fulfills a certain need of hers." Kyo wasn't completely sure, so she left some room for doubt. But when it came to Taki…
"Taki will want to join. That's not even a question."
"And what about you?"
"Again with this? Didn't I just answer that?"
Sakiko shook her head. "I mean, forget about how your bandmates feel. I want to know your thoughts on being in a band. What does it mean to you?"
Kyo smirked. "Hmm~ Are you thinking about asking me to start a band with you?"
She thought for a moment before shrugging. "Too bad. A band doesn't really appeal to me that much. If I had the choice, I'd rather stay behind my little bar counter, working as a mixologist."
"But," she added, shifting her tone, "just like I promised Tomori—if you ever decide to start a band again, I'll help out however I can. Just like we agreed."
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everyone is on vacation so no character notes this week
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