That was strange...
Did I see that wrong?
Looking at Mutsumi's calm, unchanged expression, Sakiko couldn't see anything "off." The moment she turned back to the stage, Rin's hand returned to Mutsumi's rear.
This secret groping is quite stimulating... Does Mortis just enjoy doing 'bad things' right in front of Sakiko?
It was a thrill, for sure. The only downside was the lack of privacy in a public venue.
Sakiko occasionally glanced back at them, but the two appeared entirely focused on the live show. Mutsumi was even standing on her tiptoes to see better.
As the stage lights dimmed, a familiar group appeared, capturing Sakiko's full attention.
Before the lights flared up, she saw a petite figure holding a microphone with both hands, standing at the very front for a final sound check.
TANG-TANG-TANG!!!!
The spotlights hit the stage, and a figure Sakiko knew all too well appeared.
She was so familiar, yet so alien.
The girl was Tomori Takamatsu, but her gaze was no longer lost; it was firm and unwavering.
Sakiko felt Tomori's gaze pierce through the crowd to find her. No... it wasn't just a feeling. It was real. Beside her, Rin was waving to Tomori, drawing her eyes directly to their position.
"Um... uh..."
Standing on stage after so long, Tomori was frantically swallowing her nerves. Her voice echoed through the speakers into Sakiko's ears.
Last time, Sakiko had been the one to give her water and comfort her. This time...
Tomori's eyes fixed on Rin. Feeling his gaze, she felt a surge of warmth in her stomach, as if Rin's hand were currently stroking her hair with gentle encouragement.
Compared to Tomori, Anon was a total wreck. Her eyes were vacant and her body was rigid; her fingers were practically frozen on the guitar strings. She looked more nervous than Tomori—even more nervous than Bocchi.
Truly, all pink-haired guitarists are built different!
"F-First time meeting you all. We're a substitute band... please, be kind to us! This song... this 'Haruhikage'... is for my best friend."
"Is everyone ready?"
Soyo shot a look at Taki. The rhythmic click-click of Taki's drumsticks snapped Anon out of her trance.
Taki looked at the nearly-pissing-herself Anon with a sigh... I should have made her get filled too!
The music started with the drum beat, and then... it died instantly.
"I-I'm sorry." Anon swallowed hard. "P-Please, one more time."
The music started again, but failed after a few seconds. Seeing Anon's panic, Tomori stepped over and handed her own water bottle to her, just as Sakiko had once done for Tomori.
Soyo began a playful banter with Rana on stage to ease the awkward tension. A moment later, a composed Anon set the water down and returned to her spot.
The music and drums flared up again. Anon still missed a few notes, but she kept the rhythm.
"You're hanging your head in a corner no one sees, yet the blue sky remains so dazzlingly bright~"
Tomori's voice was still strained and sounded like she was "trying too hard," but she found the courage to scream her heart out on that stage.
Just as Rin had told her—it didn't matter if the singing was perfect, as long as the emotion reached the target.
Sakiko stared at Tomori in a daze until Mutsumi, standing beside her, spoke.
"There is no place for you in this 'Haruhikage'."
The words snapped Sakiko's heart in two... It was still "Haruhikage," but her keyboard parts had been deleted and replaced by Anon's guitar. Mutsumi's old part was being played by the heterochromatic girl.
Initially, Sakiko felt a sense of relief, but the crushing weight of being "replaced" was supposed to hit her later, alone in her room. But having Mutsumi point it out so bluntly made the tears overflow instantly.
The memories... she was singing about their shared memories!!!
"Don't follow me!"
Mutsumi watched as Sakiko turned and bolted in tears. She didn't chase her.
Mutsumi: [Saki is in a lot of pain.]
Watching Sakiko break made Mortis incredibly happy. If she were in control, she'd be clutching her stomach in laughter... You've been pressuring Mutsumi for months; today it's your turn for some pressure~
However, that line hadn't been Mortis's idea; Rin had told Mutsumi to say it. But it wasn't enough. Mutsumi stayed behind while Rin chased after Sakiko.
As he ran, Rin activated location sharing with Soyo.
Sakiko might be a former heiress, but her stamina was impressive.
She ran at a pace that would make a track star sweat, crying the whole way! A normal high school boy might actually have lost her!
With no destination in mind, Sakiko ran blindly to vent her frustration and grief.
Rin stayed far back, occasionally checking Soyo's location on his phone.
The girls only had a one-song slot. After "Haruhikage," Soyo immediately said her goodbyes to Anon and the others and dashed out of Ring to hail a taxi.
Sakiko finally stopped in a small park, sitting on a bench under a streetlamp to try and catch her breath and her composure.
It was dinner time; the park was mostly empty save for a few passersby.
Rin didn't enter the park. He waited at the entrance until Soyo's taxi pulled up.
"She's in there. Say exactly what I told you. She'll stand back up... at least, she'll be angry enough to stand up."
Rin and Soyo walked into the park together. They didn't hide their footsteps, ensuring Sakiko noticed them. Seeing them, Sakiko instinctively tried to flee.
Soyo lunged forward and grabbed Sakiko's wrist. Sakiko thrashed and struggled, but exhausted from her long run, she couldn't break Soyo's grip.
"Did it sound good without you?" Soyo asked in a cold, clinical voice. "You were the one who formed Crychic, Sakiko. I've spent every day since the breakup trying to bring us back together... You said the band was a community of shared destiny, but you're the one who abandoned us."
Soyo stole a glance at Rin. Saying these things felt incredibly satisfying, but she was terrified she was burning her bridge with Sakiko forever.
Sakiko was everyone's "White Moonlight," even for the aggressive Taki.
"No one asked you to do that!" Sakiko grit her teeth, her voice cracking with a sob. "Let go! Don't you ever talk to me again!"
Sakiko looked away, unable to meet Soyo's eyes. Soyo released her wrist and grabbed her shoulders instead, forcing her to face her. She narrowed her eyes and pierced Sakiko's tear-filled amber gaze with her own.
"You... you really only ever think of yourself, don't you?"