In front of the still-sleeping Kikukawa Kyo, Tomori poured out everything she'd always wanted to say, almost as if she was letting it all spill over.
"When I was lost, when I had no idea what to do next… that's when I met you, Kyo, at the aquarium…
"You said that it's hard to make something last forever… but you also told me that if you treasure each happy moment, one by one, they'll add up—and in the end, maybe that can be forever…"
Tomori's voice grew more and more intense, her confession turning almost into a shout.
"Before that, I never imagined I'd ever have another chance like this… to play in a band with everyone again.
"It was you, Kyo. You showed me that even if I run away, even if I lose my way, I can still move forward—"
Her words cut off abruptly. It was rare for Tomori to say so much at once, especially in such a heightened state. Out of breath, she let her head drop, gulping down air, but even so, she still wanted to tell Kyo more of what was in her heart.
"Haha."
Just then, laughter rang out. Kyo had opened her eyes at some point, though Tomori hadn't noticed when.
"Tomori, you really put your whole heart into it." Kyo had "woken up," but her posture was as languid as ever, still sprawled out on the sofa, a gentle smile on her lips—Anon could even spot a hint of embarrassment in her expression.
Kikukawa Kyo, who'd always seemed slippery and impossible to pin down, now actually looked a little bashful?!
Tomori, startled at being called out, immediately thought she'd done something weird again; her earlier enthusiasm evaporated all at once. She was just about to scoot further away from Kyo when she saw Kyo wave her hand.
"Tomori, scoot closer. Anon, shift over a bit too."
It was an odd request. Up until now, Kyo had been sitting on her own small sofa, while Anon and Tomori shared the long couch—Anon a little closer to Kyo, Tomori further away.
Now, Anon and Tomori ended up sitting right next to each other, leaving the end of the sofa free.
Kyo staggered to her feet, looking for all the world like someone just waking up from a nap, and sat down in the spot Anon had vacated. Then—
She simply flopped over, draping her upper body across both Anon's and Tomori's laps.
"Sitting in that sofa was so uncomfortable. Let me lie here for a bit, okay?"
Kyo didn't wait for permission—she was already settled, twisting herself so she could look up at Anon and Tomori, as if playfully begging.
"If you're comfortable, Kyo, I don't mind…" Tomori looked down at Kyo's head pillowed in her lap. The skirt of their Haneoka uniform covered her thighs completely, but she still felt a little ticklish.
"I-I'm fine with it too." Anon, on the other hand, had Kyo's back and waist resting against her legs. Kyo's body was still warm from the bath, with a faint, damp heat clinging to her skin—a sensation that was unexpectedly comforting.
Kyo considered for a moment, then, on a whim, stretched out her legs so her feet were propped up on the armrest, lying completely flat across Anon and Tomori.
Much better. Kyo closed her eyes, looking entirely content.
"Kyo… seriously…"
Unlike Tomori, who was left flustered, not even sure where to put her hands, Anon found herself… almost getting used to this side of Kyo.
It was even more overwhelming than usual, but after all the times Kyo had done something surprising, the shock was starting to wear off. She was, maybe, a little numb to it.
So… maybe I wouldn't mind if good things like this happened more often?
With Kyo settled, the room fell quiet for a moment, as if she might drift off again. Tomori, curiosity getting the better of her, poked Kyo's cheek, then flustered, apologized right away when she realized what she'd done.
After a short silence, just as Anon and Tomori were starting to think Kyo had actually fallen asleep, Kyo spoke again—eyes still closed, her voice as soft as if she were talking in her sleep:
"About that question from before… do you two want to hear my answer?"
There was more? Anon and Tomori perked up, listening intently. Kyo didn't wait for them to reply—she just kept going.
"For me, it doesn't really matter what I choose. Today, well… something happened that made me realize all the effort I've been putting in was completely pointless, and that was… a little hard to accept."
Her tone was calm, despite the words.
"But honestly, it's not failure that makes me sad. I'm not afraid of failing, and I don't think running away is shameful. The real problem is… realizing that I haven't changed at all."
From beginning to end, the one thing Kyo had always cared about was "movement"—a refusal to let herself sink into numbness, boredom, stagnation.
And understanding emotion, that was simply the most direct way she could feel she'd changed from her old self.
Kyo wanted to understand what it meant to feel. But if, in the end, she found it truly impossible—if nothing she did could bridge that gap—she'd simply give up and turn her attention to whatever could offer her something new.
That was why, during her bath, Kyo had considered just giving up, letting herself rely completely on the sensation of water to experience emotion.
It was, without question, a passive choice—a step backward.
But for Kyo, it didn't matter if it was progress or retreat. Progress was nice, if she could have it, but if not, then she'd move backward as fast as she could.
The only thing she refused to accept was standing still.
"But, Tomori… what you said just now made me realize that there are things that really have changed because of me."
And that, for me, is the most important thing of all.
Kyo opened her eyes. The darkness that had clouded them before was gone.
"So even if it doesn't do me any good at all… it's still enough to make me happy."
A smile bloomed on her lips, one so genuine and radiant that its joy seemed to spill over, lodging itself deep in Anon's and Tomori's hearts.
For a moment, both Anon and Tomori just stared, speechless, not knowing how to respond to what Kyo had said.
Outside, the last slanting rays of sunlight streamed through the balcony window, casting the final golden glow of the day into the room.
The dust motes danced in the air, the light landing squarely on all three of them. Kyo reached up and closed her hand around nothing at all.
But even so, the warmth lingered—and everything felt just a little bit different than before.
---
T/N: 4 chaps meeting this weeks quota, last week it was 7dtd this week it was tomodachi life........ teehee
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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