"Taki, you like Haru, don't you?"
Yahata Umiri's cold and emotionless voice pierced through the air like a sudden flashbulb, making Taki's heart seize.
The mercenary girl, who had never openly expressed her own thoughts before, now abruptly dragged out every hidden feeling Shiina Taki had been trying to bury deep within.
Seeing the sharp frown on Umiri's face, Taki blinked in disbelief. Holding her chocolate milkshake, she fell into a short silence.
"...How could I possibly like someone like that?"
She gritted her teeth, as if trying to suppress the chaos in her heart.
She remembered the way Kazami Haru had looked at her when he confessed, so different from his usual self. Her heart had started beating uncontrollably, like it was caught in a net of emotion. A faint flush began to creep over her pale, alluring face.
Realizing it, Taki quickly turned her head and lowered her gaze, as if trying to hide the change in her expression.
"…"
Umiri stared at her without a word. Whatever she'd been about to say, she swallowed it instead.
Their quiet exchange didn't interrupt the noisy classroom atmosphere, but one girl seated just behind them narrowed her eyes with a strange look.
Misumi Uika hadn't meant to eavesdrop, yet somehow she'd stumbled across a piece of stunning news.
Haru had confessed to Shiina?
Her thoughts turned into a tangled mess. She closed her eyes slowly, trying to calm the rising wave of emotion inside her.
But it didn't work.
A sharp pain tore through her chest. Clutching her skirt in an effort to keep her face calm only forced her feelings to show.
Her eyes briefly flickered with disappointment as a misty sheen clouded her pale violet gaze, like a mirror fogging over.
It hurt. It stung. And more than anything, she was jealous...
She had confessed to Kazami Haru from the bottom of her heart, and he had turned her down. Yet now, the girl who received his confession seemed completely indifferent. The contrast cut like a blade, turning Uika's emotions into a rollercoaster she couldn't get off.
Her carefully maintained smile began to fade, visibly losing all its color.
"...Am I just not good enough?"
The words slipped from her lips in a whisper, soaked in bitterness so deep it nearly solidified. Umiri caught the emotion immediately.
Her eyes, previously fixed on Taki, now lifted subtly to glance at the so-called perfect idol across the room. The blonde girl still wore her flawless smile, but Umiri, who always seemed so detached, saw something familiar in her now.
Something resonated.
Snapping back to herself, Umiri closed her eyes, then refocused on the girl beside her.
"If you really like him, then stop hesitating."
"Otherwise, you'll regret it."
Leaving those words behind, Umiri picked up the music box she'd left resting on the desk.
As she walked out of the classroom, her jade-green eyes briefly locked with Uika's in the air between them. The glance lasted only a moment, a fleeting illusion like a reflection on water.
And just like that, they brushed past each other, as if nothing had happened.
"Hey! Umiri—"
Taki blinked in surprise, frowning as she turned her head to see Umiri already walking out of the room.
She clutched her milkshake, uncertain what to do. Umiri's blunt words had left her reeling.
Did she like that reckless, fast-talking guy? Even someone as stubborn as Shiina Taki had to admit that yes, she did. Every moment they'd shared was still vividly etched in her mind.
She'd once tried desperately to forget him. It hadn't worked.
Again and again, he had pulled her out of the pit of self-loathing. No matter how often she lied to her friends or to herself, she could never lie to her own heart.
"Ugh, this is giving me a headache…"
Her slender brows drew together into a deep frown.
She kept trying to calm herself down, adjusting her breathing again and again. But no matter how many times she reset, the memory of his confession came back in full force.
Why did he have to like so many people?
If he only liked Tomori, then Taki could've just let go and moved on.
But this nonsense about "liking everyone", how was she supposed to accept that?
"And Umiri too! Saying I like him…"
She was clearly hiding her own feelings, and yet had the nerve to call her out?
While Taki fumed, Misumi Uika sat a short distance behind her, watching the black-haired girl's back with a complex expression. She opened her mouth, as if to say something to Taki.
But the words never came.
…
3 p.m. — RiNG
After all its setbacks and chaos, the band might have been even more resilient than anyone thought.
Even after an internal explosion nearly tore them apart, once the problem was resolved, they pulled together again without hesitation. That was because every member had already shown their absolute worst to one another.
And because they had accepted each other's true selves, they could keep moving forward through the fog.
Of course, the journey ahead still promised plenty of sniping and bickering.
"…"
Silence, tonight, was the bridge at Cambridge.
The girls gathering for the renewed band meeting all wore subtly awkward expressions.
Especially Anon, who had recently chosen to "run away" from the band. Gone was her usual lively, self-centered confidence; ever since she'd shamelessly returned, she hadn't looked comfortable for a second.
Soyo absentmindedly played with her hair and didn't seem inclined to speak. Tomori, ever shy like a small animal, grew restless in the silence. Raana, the ever-free cat, busied herself licking the last of the matcha parfait from her spoon. Even Taki, who usually kept everyone in line with stern lectures, looked rather distracted today.
Kazami Haru, surrounded by the girls, also found himself feeling a little off.
What is this? Are we holding a meeting, or did we all just get sentenced to life in prison?
To an outsider, it might've looked like they'd just rage-queued three ranked matches and were now stewing in the aftermath, sulking in silence.
Seeing his pink-haired girlfriend throwing him increasingly desperate glances for help, Haru, who had planned to keep a low profile, sighed and reluctantly opened his mouth under the weight of their stares.
"Anyway... this meeting was Taki's idea, right? I think it's about preparing for the next live performance?"
Mentioned by name, Taki snapped out of her daze and returned to the present.
Frowning slightly, she replied coolly, "Preparing for the next live is only part of it. More importantly, we need to reflect and seriously evaluate what went wrong last time, so we don't embarrass ourselves on stage again."
As she spoke, Taki's sharp eyes turned directly toward the pink-haired girl sitting opposite her.
"Starting with you… What was with quitting the group chat without a word and disappearing like that? You'd better give us a proper explanation."
"T-That was just… an accident!" Anon replied, visibly sweating.
She had thought running away to London would solve everything, so she hadn't even bothered leaving herself a backup plan. She'd quit the group chat without hesitation, then posted a bunch of melodramatic nonsense like she had terminal brainworms.
Now that she'd been dragged back, seeing the mess she left behind made her want to curl up and die.
Soyo, twirling a strand of light brown hair, seized the perfect chance to throw shade.
"An accident? Hard to imagine, really~"
"I thought maybe some pathetic loser got dumped and couldn't handle it, so she tried to flee like a pitiful mutt?"
That's a savage line!
"Soyorin?! Who're you calling a pathetic loser! I wasn't dumped—"
Flustered, Anon scrambled to argue, but Soyo narrowed her eyes and coldly cut her off.
"I've already told you, don't call me that."
"And as Taki said, about this whole 'reflecting' thing… you really do need to own up to what went wrong during the last live."
She'd thrown the entire performance off at the culture festival, then tried to flee by plane like a sulking brat. Worst of all, she'd seduced Soyo's dear husband without her knowledge.
The fact that Soyo was even sitting here talking about it was already a miracle.
If her husband weren't watching from the sidelines, she would've been a lot less polite.
"I-I really messed up last time. I'm seriously sorry, everyone!" Anon bowed her head, defeated. "But I promise I won't make the same mistakes again in the next live!"
Soyo's words had come at her like a blade—sharp, direct, unrelenting. And while Anon might usually be thick-skinned, there was no way she could just brush this off.
She whimpered and lowered her head without resistance.
"…"
Soyo was the type who softened when others bowed their heads. Seeing the mouthiest pink-haired gremlin now meekly apologizing, she held her tongue.
But the moment Soyo stopped, Taki picked up without missing a beat, arms crossed, her voice cold.
"A live performance mistake is just the surface issue. Technical flaws can be fixed through practice."
"But the bigger problem is that you went ahead and left the group chat without saying a word after the live. What were you thinking? Do you have any idea how worried Tomori was because of you?"
"Failing once and deciding to run away, you've really left me speechless."
"Have you ever truly considered what this band means?"
That was a critical hit if ever there was one.
Haru looked at the dazed Anon beside him, feeling a little dizzy himself.
Still, Anon had seriously screwed up. He couldn't exactly step in to protect her right now.
"S-Sorry, Rikki…"
"Hah? I said, stop calling me that!"
Normally the least compatible duo, Shiina Taki and Nagasaki Soyo, were now standing shoulder to shoulder.
Their back-to-back verbal barrage left the pink-haired troublemaker flinching and helpless. When asked about quitting the group, she had no good explanation. She could only sit there with watery eyes, looking like a scolded puppy.
How was she supposed to explain this?
She couldn't exactly tell Taki that she'd left because of her bet with Kita that she had to stay away from Haru. That she'd acted like a total idiot and booked a plane ticket to the UK on a whim.
If Taki found out, she'd absolutely tear her apart for being a romance-brained mess.
Thankfully, only Haru and Tomori knew the truth, for now.
"Uuu..."
Overwhelmed, Anon looked to Haru and Tomori for help. Her pitiful face was enough to move even the little penguin's heart. After a long silence, Tomori finally spoke.
"Um… I think Anon-chan knows she messed up…"
"Even though, yeah, she was in the wrong this time..."
Tomori! That's not comforting, that's just stating the obvious!
Haru sighed silently. Watching the pink-haired girl get relentlessly dogpiled, he couldn't help but roll his eyes. Seeing her desperately begging him for rescue with her eyes, he figured he had no choice.
If he didn't step in soon, she was probably going to burst into tears.
"Anon's already reflected on her mistake with me. So how about we let her off the hook this time? She said she'd redeem herself during the next live."
Kazami Haru opened his palms and explained to the group. Anon blinked in confusion beside him.
Wait, she never said anything about redeeming herself.
Seeing her dumbfounded look, Haru calmly reached under the table and gave her soft waist a swift pinch. The pink-haired girl flinched, cheeks reddening, then quickly caught on.
She whipped her head up and nodded furiously, as if trying to stir up a whirlwind with her pink bob.
"Y-Yeah! I promise I won't let anyone down in the next live!"
"I won't mess up again! I'm really, really sorry, everyone!"
Seeing her apologize repeatedly, and with even Haru stepping in to smooth things over, the fury in Taki's chest gradually began to fade.
With arms crossed, she sighed heavily and turned her gaze to Haru, speaking at a measured pace.
"Then let's start planning for the next live. A lot of bands have been performing at RiNG lately… I originally planned for us to go on right after the culture festival live."
"But thanks to someone's screw-up, we had to cancel."
"And now all the slots have been snatched up. If we want to perform, we'll either have to wait a month… or find another LiveHouse."
While Taki continued her detailed briefing, Haru, half-listening, suddenly felt a soft, subtle touch on his arm. His gaze flicked sideways.
On his right, Soyo was quietly caressing his hand.
But her face remained cool and unreadable, not a trace of emotion to be found.
This woman… clingy!
Realizing he couldn't let her gain the upper hand, Haru immediately reached back and gave her hand a teasing squeeze. Soyo, who'd been feigning indifference, shivered slightly. Her icy blue eyes flickered with a rare hint of warmth.
Haru raised an eyebrow, amused by her reaction.
He was just about to consider upping the mischief, when a cool, soft sensation came from his left.
Haru: ?
Come on, girls…
On his left, Anon had quietly reached over and pinched his side, right where his abs were. Her cheeks were tinged pink, a proud and slightly smug look on her face.
Her eyes clearly said, "Go ahead, fight back if you dare." The kind of look that made him want to grab her cheeks and give her a good lesson right then and there.
"..."
Now it was Haru's turn to struggle.
You girls are getting out of hand!
His stunned silence must've seemed like compliance, because Soyo suddenly began inching closer again, emboldened by what she took as a green light.
Just as she was sneakily stroking her dear husband's abs, her hand "accidentally" bumped into an unfamiliar one.
Soyo instinctively looked up and met the gaze of Anon, who had also raised her head at that exact moment.
"—Excuse me, are any of you actually listening?"
Shiina Taki's sharp violet eyes narrowed coldly. Her usually beautiful face now looked as frosty as an arctic wind, her gritted voice barely concealing her frustration.
Since the start, only Tomori had been responding. The others were standing around like they were statues from a roadside shrine.
All stone-faced. Did they think they were sacred relics?
Soyo was the first to recover, pulling her "offending" hand away with practiced grace. Calmly looking down at the performance schedule on the table, she twirled a strand of hair and responded lazily.
"Apologies~ I was just thinking about whether we should consider another LiveHouse. You can go on, Taki."
She didn't even blush while lying through her teeth!
Anon stared in shock at the composed Soyo, unable to believe that this brown-haired fox had just done something so shameless, then turned around and lied like it was nothing.
A top-tier villainous fox!
"...Is that so?"
Taki gave her a strange look, face unreadable. Then she glanced toward Anon, who was acting weird too.
Something felt… off.
"Haru, what do you think?"
Taki furrowed her brows and turned to him.
She wanted to take the band seriously, but final decisions weren't her strength. She struggled to account for everyone's circumstances and often came across as too stern or inflexible.
When it came to key decisions, the only person she really trusted besides Toyokawa Shoko… was this guy.
Asked for his input, Kazami Haru raised an eyebrow, scanning the documents in front of Taki.
In less than half a second, he closed his eyes.
"Let's perform at STARRY."
"Huh?"
As Kazami Haru replied with casual ease, all the girls fell silent for a moment.
On his left, Anon quickly scanned the schedule again and blurted out in a flustered voice, "If we're going to perform at STARRY, the next available slot is this week…"
"That gives us less than a week, including today's practice! Isn't that way too soon?!"
There was barely any time to prepare!
Soyo, meanwhile, lightly twirled a lock of her chestnut hair. Of course she supported Haru's suggestion, but how the others felt was anyone's guess.
Glancing idly at Anon, she spoke up, "To be honest, everyone's performance during practice wasn't any worse than when we were about to disband. The issue at the culture festival live was more about mindset."
"If we're serious about this band, then it's not just talk. Use these few days to properly build some actual chemistry."
Haru's explanation, cool and composed, made a subtle glimmer flash in Taki's eyes. She had actually come to the same conclusion in her planning last night. His past words about "trust" still echoed in her mind.
If they didn't cut the knot now, nothing would ever change.
"And besides, after we got thoroughly beaten at the culture festival, shouldn't our comeback happen at STARRY, right in front of them?"
"You're no worse than they are."
The moment he said that, something shifted in their expressions. Even Soyo furrowed her brows slightly, remembering the sting of losing to a non-Mygo version of Forget-Me-Not. It had been gutting in a way she couldn't even describe.
If there was a chance to take it back, of course she wanted to.
"Or what? Are you all scared after just one loss?"
"Haruuuu~ That kind of provocation is way too immature, okay~?"
The pink-haired rascal quickly bounced back to her usual self, flashing a mischievous grin with her small fang peeking out. But even if she said that, the fire in her eyes told the truth that losing to Kita Ikuyo had left her seething.
"What do you think, Tomori?"
"…I want to do the live!"
Seeing the little penguin nod so earnestly, Haru smiled softly.
"Then it's settled. We'll tighten our coordination over the next few days. I mean, we already lost hard once, it can't go worse than that, right?"
"Also, just putting it out there, I won't be performing."
"Eh?! You're not going to perform, Haru?!"
Anon's confidence vanished in an instant. She looked like an abandoned puppy, eyes wide in disbelief.
But Haru just reached out and affectionately pinched her soft cheek, looking at her like she was a silly child.
"Of course I'm not going on stage. If I did, the setup would be different from the culture festival. This time, you all have to take it back on your own terms."
"Besides, does your teamwork fall apart without me?"
That shut Anon right up. If Haru performed and they succeeded at STARRY, it would look like Mygo only succeeded because of him. The perception from fans and others would change completely.
This was clearly the better call.
Haru had also made up his mind to step into a more behind-the-scenes role.
As the composer for three different bands, continuing to perform live with one of them was already becoming difficult. And if Mygo and Zesshou Band both debuted as professional groups, he couldn't exactly shuttle between them.
Following Ave Mujica's example and focusing on composition was clearly the smarter path.
"But yeah, the timeline's a bit tight. Less than a week…"
"Even if we're playing something we all know, like 'Blooming Blue Snowflower', we still need to drill it. We'll need to carve out more time for practice."
Hearing that, Anon blinked and pursed her lips, her gaze drifting to Haru. Then, like a light bulb went off in her head, her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"If that's the case, how about we do a training retreat?"
"The STARRY live is on Sunday, right? So we could start our retreat on Friday night, do focused practice, and then head to the venue together afterward."
"Our performance outfits still need to be made too, so we could use the time for that as well!"
A training retreat?
Haru's eyes lit up in mild surprise.
He hadn't expected Anon to come up with such a genuinely solid idea. Two straight days of focused practice would definitely help build momentum. More importantly, living together would help break down any lingering awkwardness.
"I… I'm fine with it. My parents would probably be really happy…"
"If Tomori agrees, I agree."
"I think it's a great idea~"
The rest of the girls each voiced their support for Anon's suggestion. As a wandering cat, Raana obviously had no objections.
Seeing the group's unanimous shift in energy, Haru nodded thoughtfully.
"Then I'll drop by to check in on your practice. Pop in for some surprise inspections."
"What are you talking about, Haru?"
Sitting to his right, Soyo tilted her head with a smile so radiant it was borderline terrifying.
"As a member of Mygo!!!!!!!!, of course you'll be staying with us too, right?"