Bzzzz…
The last note still lingered faintly in the air, vibrating through every corner of the studio. As the pale, slender fingers of the girl drew out the final sound, the room returned to the same silence it had held before they began.
The green-haired girl slowly came back to herself, drawing her thoughts away from the music and lifting her golden eyes with a dazed expression.
This was Ave Mujica's usual practice studio.
Standing still, Mutsumi gently set down her pick and the pink, seven-string guitar in her hands. With the final song complete, today's training had come to an end.
The little cucumber stood quietly, just like always, lifting her gaze and carefully scanning her surroundings.
Yuutenji Nyamu was sprawled lazily in a chair, completely worn out and with no concern for appearances. Her easygoing attitude made it clear she didn't care what others thought. As for Misumi Uika, the band's vocalist, she was catching her breath in quiet little gasps. For someone who also worked as an idol, this level of training wasn't particularly demanding.
Yahata Umiri, who had been growing increasingly close to Mutsumi lately, calmly set down her bass as if it were just another day, her expression blank as she turned to face the true leader of the band—
Togawa Sakiko, the "Oblivionis."
Even now, she kept her face tense, eyes staring straight ahead.
"…Good work, everyone. That's it for today."
"I'll message everyone on Line with the time and content for our next session."
Only when Sakiko finally spoke did Nyamu truly relax. She rubbed her sore wrists and collapsed onto the sofa in the lounge area.
"So tired, Sakiko… Can't we get a proper day off sometime?"
"Our next performance is just around the corner. We need to be perfect by then."
Unmoved by the complaint, Sakiko's expression stayed cold and sharp, as if even a grain of sand would be unwelcome in her presence.
"Come on! A little break now and then wouldn't kill us!"
"We haven't even had a party for our last show yet! A celebration! You know, a party!"
Uika, clutching a bottle of mineral water, looked like she wanted to say something, but hesitated. Given the recent awkwardness between her and Sakiko, even as childhood friends, it wasn't easy to speak up.
As for the ever-quiet little cucumber, no one expected her to chime in.
Umiri, as usual, said nothing. She simply pulled a can of KISS coffee from her bag, popped it open with one hand, and took several strong gulps. She had no questions about Sakiko's decisions, only carrying them out without hesitation.
Thankfully, they were all growing accustomed to the intense training. Nyamu's complaints were little more than habit at this point.
Humans. Pretty amazing, right?
"…"
Mutsumi stood with her guitar in the corner, and noticed that Uika seemed like she wanted to speak to her.
She had mentioned something about a "date" before. Now that the day Uika invited Haru out was getting closer, her naturally self-conscious and heavy-hearted nature was making her visibly anxious.
But this was something she couldn't bring up with Haru directly.
Mainly because of someone she'd recently encountered, Nagasaki Soyo. As one of Haru's girlfriends, she was undeniably strange. There was something quietly off about her, something that instinctively made Uika want to avoid her. But she couldn't very well say that to Haru.
That was why she wanted to take this chance to talk directly with Mutsumi. Mutsumi was the one person she could trust, the only one she could confide in without holding anything back.
Catching the intent in her eyes, Mutsumi gave her a small nod, about to respond—
When a clear, cool voice suddenly spoke beside her.
"Mutsumi, do you have a moment?"
Togawa Sakiko, shouldering her bag, had approached and spoken up without warning. The tone in her voice left no doubt, she wanted to talk in private.
Mutsumi was taken aback by the sudden request. But her childhood friend's expression was more serious than usual. Unable to ignore that weight, she glanced at Uika.
Uika gave her a knowing shake of the head.
Seeing Sakiko looking so unlike herself, it was clear this was something important.
Mutsumi cast a quiet, apocucumberetic glance at Uika.
"…"
Then, as if switching masks, she returned to her usual composed, unshaken demeanor. Her shimmering golden eyes lifted calmly to meet Sakiko's.
Then she gave a soft, silent nod.
"Whew…"
Seeing that Mutsumi didn't resist, Togawa Sakiko let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Her amber eyes, soft and radiant like polished gems, narrowed slightly. A complicated expression slowly surfaced on her face. Then, she turned and led Mutsumi out of the recording studio.
…
The soft jingle of bells chimed near her ears as Sakiko gently pushed open the glass door of Hazawa Café. With the shy and reserved Mutsumi following behind her, she walked toward the seats in the back. Before Mutsumi could say anything, the blue-haired girl was already seriously scanning the menu.
Now that it was December, the temperature had dropped to freezing.
Only cozy cafés like this kept the heater running at all hours. The pale green-haired girl, her ears red from the cold, instinctively looked up and carefully studied Sakiko, who had suddenly invited her out.
Ever since Ave Mujica had settled into its groove, the two of them hadn't really had any one-on-one time.
"It's cold today. Would you like something warm, Mutsu?"
The gentle, considerate tone of Sakiko's voice made Mutsumi nod without thinking.
Why did Sakiko feel… unusually soft today?
"Then let's have two Darjeelings, please. Mutsu, would you like something sweet as well?"
"…"
Mutsumi quietly shook her head. More than food or drinks, she was concerned about why Sakiko had brought her here in the first place.
Seeing Mutsumi's ever-calm demeanor, Sakiko hesitated, her eyes filled with an unspoken tension. Her lips parted as if she wanted to speak, but she couldn't get the words out. Her cheeks flushed red, and she forcibly swallowed her question back down.
Noticing her friend's strange demeanor, Mutsumi furrowed her brow slightly and asked with concern:
"Sakiko?"
"S-Sorry, I spaced out a little."
Sakiko inhaled deeply, forcing herself to stay calm. Mimicking the way Haru usually handled work, she rubbed her temples to refocus.
After a few deep breaths, she finally pulled herself together. Then she suddenly lifted her soft eyes and stared straight into Mutsumi's, her voice rigid and unnatural as she spoke:
"I heard… about the Wakaba family suddenly announcing your engagement."
It took everything she had to say that.
Mutsumi blinked in surprise. Of all the things Sakiko might have asked her about, she hadn't expected this.
"No matter how hard you try to act like nothing happened… you know you can't hide something like this from me."
"And that ring on your left middle finger... that's an engagement ring, isn't it?"
Sakiko bit her lip slightly. In an instant, her demeanor had shifted back into that of the sharp, cold Oblivionis. Her hawk-like eyes locked onto the delicate, silver ring on Mutsumi's left hand, it was impossible to hide.
Mutsumi just sat there, silent, unsure how to respond.
It seemed her mother hadn't made a big public announcement after all. Judging by Sakiko's attitude, she didn't know who the fiancé was, she didn't know it was Haru.
"This kind of thing… it's just not right!"
"You're only sixteen, Mutsu. Suddenly being arranged into a marriage with someone you've never even met, how is that acceptable?! Didn't you say anything to your parents? Didn't you tell them how you feel?!"
Sakiko raised her voice in frustration. Her emotions had stretched to the breaking point like a rubber band pulled too tight, and now that it snapped, she couldn't hold back anymore.
Faced with such urgent concern, Mutsumi didn't know how to answer.
For both Haru's sake and Sakiko's, she couldn't tell the truth.
She hadn't been forced into anything by her family... in fact, she had fought for this. This outcome had only come about through her own determination.
"Two Darjeelings, please. Enjoy."
As the server placed the steaming cups on the table, Sakiko instinctively reeled herself in. Lowering her head, she quickly spoke to Mutsumi in a hushed, regretful voice:
"Mutsu, I'm sorry… I got too worked up just now."
"It's okay. I know you were just worried about me."
Mutsumi gave a small shake of her head. Oddly enough, being misunderstood made her feel a little conflicted inside.
Now she understood why Sakiko had been so hesitant earlier.
Even after calming down, it wasn't something that could be brushed off so easily. Sakiko adjusted her tone, but her eyes were still filled with concern so tangible it almost had weight.
She bit her lip slightly, then spoke.
"But something that determines the rest of your life… shouldn't it be with someone you actually love?"
"Mutsu… can you really accept this?"
"I can."
Mutsumi shook her head, answering without hesitation. Sakiko was stunned.
"How could you possibly accept this? Mutsu, you have to know—"
"He's a good person. I really like him."
The doll-like girl sitting across from her spoke plainly, expressionless.
And in that moment, every word Sakiko had been about to say disappeared.
Because she knew that Mutsumi had never once gone against her family. If she had suddenly been told she was engaged, it made sense she would simply accept it without resistance.
That was just the kind of person she was.
Sakiko clenched her fists slightly in frustration, then let out a long, weary sigh.
She couldn't very well tell Mutsumi to go back home and fight with her mother. Even a year ago, she wouldn't have had the nerve to say that, and now she was no longer the naïve, fragile daughter of the Togawa family either.
But if she had never rebelled against her own family… would she end up just like Mutsumi someday?
"…"
The space between them went completely silent after Mutsumi's calm reply.
The little cucumber, always clumsy with conversation, parted her lips slightly but said nothing. Her porcelain-like, dazed face stiffened awkwardly, and she could only fumble for the ring on her middle finger, trying to smooth over the tension.
She was in trouble. She had no idea how to say it.
After a long pause, the wooden girl hesitated for a few seconds before finally lifting her eyes and speaking gently:
"Sakiko… have you fallen for someone too?"
The sudden question made Togawa Sakiko's shoulders jolt. Her right hand, still holding her cup of Darjeeling tea, began trembling in the most unladylike way. She was so nervous she didn't even notice the flaw in Mutsumi's phrasing.
"Is the person you like… Haru?"
Mutsumi's unexpected question left her speechless. She didn't know whether she should deny it by saying "It's not Haru," or claim she "didn't like anyone at all." But this was Mutsumi... her other half, the one person she trusted most, someone as close as a sister. They understood each other better than anyone.
Even if she tried to hide it or fake her emotions, it would never work. Mutsumi would spot even the tiniest detail she hadn't noticed herself and see right through her. So with Mutsumi, Sakiko didn't need to wear a mask.
"Yes. I like him."
With a stiff expression, she brushed aside a strand of her pale blue ponytail with her index finger, then quietly set her teacup down on the saucer.
She had admitted it.
A shy flush crept up Sakiko's cheeks. The elegant, composed face that always looked so graceful on stage was now frozen with nervous tension. She had just confessed her true feelings to her "other half."
In this moment, she wasn't a refined daughter of a noble family. She wasn't the sharp, commanding leader of Ave Mujica.
She was just a girl in love.
"…"
Mutsumi stared blankly at her, speechless for a long while.
She had always suspected that Sakiko harbored feelings for Haru. In fact, Sakiko might have known him (maybe even loved him) before Mutsumi ever did. But even now, this timid girl still hadn't been able to say a word to him.
Which was probably why things had gotten so complicated around Haru… and why the one who stood closest to him, Sakiko herself, remained completely unaware.
Sakiko exhaled slowly, then furrowed her brows as she thought about Mutsumi's current situation. Gritting her teeth, she looked at her seriously and declared:
"Mutsu, I love Haru."
"I'm pouring everything I have into this feeling. I'm living with the resolve to marry him. I want to entrust my life and future to him, and for him to do the same. I'm willing to give up everything for that."
"This is my love, from the depths of my heart. So Mutsu, you must never treat something as important as an engagement like it's some trivial matter. Marriage has to be with someone you love, someone whose heart aligns with yours!"
"If you're struggling with anything, just come to me. No matter what… I'll be there for you!"
Watching Sakiko speak with such firm resolve, Mutsumi once again fell into silence.
She knew how deeply Sakiko valued things like "fate," no matter how intangible they were. Despite her proud exterior, Sakiko was fragile like glass and desperately in need of love. Once she gave her heart to someone, she'd fall hard, but that intensity also made her stubborn.
Togawa Sakiko would never want to share the person she loved with anyone.
"…I understand."
Mutsumi finally nodded, though her heart was a swirl of emotions.
If she told Sakiko now that her fiancé was Haru, it would devastate her. Sakiko's yet-unspoken feelings would be crushed before they ever had a chance, and it was entirely possible she'd never approach Haru again.
No. That couldn't happen.
Even if Haru were to confess to her now, she might accept, but Sakiko could never handle being one of many. There was no doubt her confession would be rejected. And besides, the whole matter with Soyo hadn't even been resolved yet.
But what was she supposed to do?
…
Once the pace of the move settled, Haru informed everyone about it.
He didn't mention that he was living with Mutsu, but even just the news of the move caused a bit of a stir.
Not only did the band want to relocate their meeting space to his new place, but the five girlfriends from MyGO!!!!! couldn't resist visiting right away. The very next day after Haru shared the news, all five showed up together.
"Rikki! Hurry up and ring the doorbell already!"
"Urusai!(Sybau💔) If you're so eager, why don't you do it yourself?!"
Prompted by the loudmouthed pink-haired girl behind her, Taki's face stiffened.
Haru had only mentioned he was moving to a slightly bigger place… yet here they were, standing in front of a towering, standalone villa. Just walking up to the door and reaching for the doorbell had her trembling.
"…Is this really Haru's new place?"
"The nameplate says 'Kazami,' and the address matches…"
Even Chihaya Anon, who had once visited Soyo's ultra-luxurious penthouse, was stunned into silence. She kept checking the address over and over. This house was… absurdly big.
"…"
Nagasaki Soyo stood beside the little penguin, eyes locked in confusion on the "Kazami" nameplate.
After all, having a nameplate meant the house had to be under his ownership.
Just as her thoughts spiraled into chaos, the front door creaked open from the inside.