"You... you really only ever think of yourself, don't you?"
Seeing Sakiko in such a pitiful, fragile state, Soyo actually wanted to comfort her. However, remembering Rin Ito's claim that he could help Sakiko stand back up, Soyo steeled her heart and looked down at her former friend with a gaze full of cold disdain.
"A band is a community of shared destiny... How much resolve did you actually have when you said those words? You're just a student. Do you even have the capacity to carry the weight of other people's lives? If you can't back up something as heavy as 'shared destiny,' don't let those words leave your mouth so easily."
Listening to Soyo's words, Sakiko clenched her fists so hard her short-trimmed nails dug deep into her palms.
"We all truly believed we were a community. Why didn't you tell us when you ran into trouble!? Why did you never rely on us, your 'destiny' partners!?"
"...."
"I wish you a happy life." With that final, icy remark, Soyo turned and walked out of the garden.
Sakiko kept her head down. She had no words, and she didn't know what to say even if she could find them.
Only after the sound of Soyo's footsteps vanished did Sakiko slowly lift her face. The amber sharpness in her eyes was gone, replaced by tears that made her look incredibly soft and sweet.
"I... I'll join. I'll join your band."
"I have no interest in playing 'Ojou-sama House' with you." Rin Ito rejected her flatly, his face devoid of emotion.
Once, she had treated him with cold indifference because of her pride. Now...
In Rin's eyes, Sakiko wouldn't truly agree out of sincerity until her pride was completely crushed into something soft and fragrant. A simple stimulus wasn't enough to make her surrender her autonomy.
Rin intended to reject her now so she would inevitably go to Hatsune. This would give him leverage over Hatsune. Furthermore, it made him look like he was only helping Mutsumi; with Mutsumi "absent," he had no reason to be "kind" to Sakiko. It would lower her guard for later.
"Mutsumi..." Before Rin could finish his sentence, the sound of rapid footsteps approached. Both turned their heads to see a petite figure emerge from the shadows of a streetlamp.
Standing directly under a lamp at night makes the surrounding area seem pitch black—a trick Rin knew well from his public exposure games with the others. He had been so focused on the broken Sakiko that he hadn't noticed Mutsumi following them.
"Mutsumi?" Sakiko blinked. But Mutsumi didn't look at her; she stared directly at Rin. Looking at her expression, Rin wasn't sure if he was dealing with Mutsumi or Mortis.
This was not part of the plan.
Mutsumi was supposed to stay and watch the live show while he chased Sakiko. He had only shared his location with Soyo. She must have demanded the location from Soyo and taken a taxi here.
"You promised me! I gave you my body, so you have to let Sakiko join the band!"
"???"
Rin was stunned. When did I ever say that? Didn't she ask me to 'grass-feed' her?
Mutsumi caught Rin's eye and gave him a tiny, wicked wink while Sakiko wasn't looking... Rin realized immediately. This wasn't Mutsumi. This was Mortis.
Before Rin could react, Sakiko lunged forward, grabbing Mutsumi and pulling her behind her back to shield her from Rin. Since she started the band, she had read her share of celebrity scandals and casting-couch rumors.
But Mutsumi was Minami Mori's daughter. Sakiko never thought anyone would dare lay a hand on her.
Now, Sakiko thought she saw the "truth." Mutsumi had signed with Rin—an agent outside the Toyokawa umbrella—and sold her body just so Sakiko could have a place to play music again.
"What did you do to her!? Mutsumi, we're leaving! I don't need anything from him!"
"I can't." Mortis, still acting as Mutsumi, paused. "He... he took photos of me."
"!!!!!"
Sakiko felt the air leave her lungs. Photos?
If a normal girl had compromising photos leaked, she could use money to scrub them. But Mutsumi was a superstar's daughter. If her photos hit the web, they would go viral instantly. Even the Toyokawa Group couldn't delete them all before the damage was permanent.
Rin felt a headache coming on. He had been planning a slow burn to get close to her.
Now, the plan was out the window... but perhaps he could play along. He decided to lean into the "villainous bastard" persona from his own adult manga and follow Mortis's lead.
"Heh heh heh... it's too late for regrets now." Rin put on a wicked, predatory grin. "I didn't want to drag anyone else into this, but since Miss Toyokawa has discovered our little secret... hehehe."
"You... don't you know the weight of the name Toyokawa!? The Wakabas are family! You better delete those photos right now, or I'll show you what happens when the Toyokawa Hand comes for you!"
Sakiko's voice was sharp, but she was clearly terrified.
"The 'Toyokawa Hand'? I'm shaking in my boots. I've already set a timer. If I don't cancel it daily, those photos go public automatically. I wonder which is more valuable—my life, or Mutsumi's entire future?"
Rin scanned Sakiko with a lecherous gaze.
"As long as Mutsumi was a good girl, I was going to keep them private. Now, it depends on Miss Toyokawa's 'sincerity'."
Sakiko grit her teeth, her shoulders shaking with rage... It wasn't just Mutsumi. He seemed close with Tomori and the others too. Has he already...? No, they looked normal. He probably hadn't touched Soyo yet.
"I... I'll agree. But... you aren't allowed to touch Mutsumi again. And you stay away from Soyo and the others!"
"That depends on your sincerity, Miss Toyokawa. Hmm... how about this? Give me your panties."
"PERVERT!!!!"
Sakiko turned a literal boiling red. She was fuming, but she was powerless... Even the name of her dynasty couldn't intimidate this man!
"Whether you give them to me or not is your choice. But what happens to Mutsumi's photos... that's my choice."
"..."
Sakiko bit her lip so hard she nearly drew blood. She leaned over and reached beneath her skirt.
A moment later, under Rin's watchful eyes, Sakiko handed a piece of fabric—still warm from her body—to him. Rin unfolded the white cotton triangle in his hand.
With a wicked chuckle, he rolled the fabric into a ball and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Your sincerity is sufficient for today. The photos stay private."
"Mutsumi, let's go!"
Sakiko grabbed Mutsumi's hand and practically ran. She felt a crushing sense of despair. Mutsumi was under his thumb, and the price for "sincerity" would only go up. Today it was panties. Tomorrow? The day after? Sakiko felt her entire future turning black.