"Ah, Haru, you must be laughing at me in your heart, aren't you?!"
I was wrong, you're the real psychic here.
Maybe it was her natural "woman's intuition." Even though Haru hadn't said a word, his slip was obvious enough that Sakiko, with her thin skin, grew even more flustered. She pressed hard against the hem of her bath towel with one hand.
Haru covered his forehead with his palm and replied in the most serious tone he could muster. "No, no, no, how could I possibly laugh at you? Why would you think that?"
"…If you weren't laughing at me, then why does Haru have no reaction at all?"
The girl's fingers clenched so tightly on the towel's edge that her knuckles turned white, pulling fine wrinkles into the silk as it barely managed to cover the snowy skin at her thighs.
What kind of reaction am I supposed to have?
Unfortunately, Sakiko wasn't having it. Her lips tightened as though she wanted to say something more, but in the end she swallowed it back, leaving only a gloomy expression on her face.
"Anyway… it must be that I just don't have any appeal to Haru!"
"After all, I'm not as cute as Mutsumi, and I don't have Soyo's… Soyo's indecent body!"
Hey! That's pure slander!
Although, the second part I'll admit is true.
Haru rolled his eyes, at a loss for how to respond. After some thought, he realized the stubborn young lady wouldn't listen no matter what he said. So he decided not to waste words on comfort.
"Yah!?"
Her startled, embarrassed cry rang out as Haru easily scooped her into his arms, just like that day when they rushed to the live venue. But this time their destination wasn't Morfonica's stage, it was the private space where only the two of them played together.
"W-wait a second!"
Her fists pounded against his shoulders in a show of resistance, but the force was no more than a kitten's paw. Meanwhile, her fingers betrayed her, clutching the front of his shirt. The laugh rumbling from his chest reached her ears. "Who was it just now who kept complaining?"
His warm breath brushed her ear, and a coral-colored flush broke out across her earlobe.
Sure enough, just a little assertiveness was enough to make her fall silent. The proud young lady from moments before instantly became meek, her face glowing red as she avoided his gaze, revealing her true charm.
"Sakiko, say that line again for me?"
"I won't…"
Her voice was so soft, so spoiled, it seemed to seep into his bones. Togawa Sakiko lay before him, her long, silky blue hair spilling across the pillow, her pink skin showing through faintly in the holy light, her long legs unreservedly exposed.
Damn, is this really weak little Sakiko?!
Her amber eyes, bright as gemstones under the light, rose to meet his. Her expression, so yielding just a moment ago, sharpened in an instant. With a sudden motion she seized Haru's collar.
A complete reversal!
In the blink of an eye, hunter and prey had swapped roles. Her "frail" act had been nothing more than misdirection, and now she loomed above him in full command.
"Sakiko..."
His voice faded into the space between them as she closed the distance.
Haru could faintly smell the mint lingering on her skin. His unfinished words mixed with her presence, her once tense body slowly loosening even as her grip on his shirt grew tighter. The delicate embroidery pressed into her palm.
When they finally pulled apart, a single strand of hair glimmered in the light.
"Haru only needs to lie there… and that's enough!"
Her words were forceful, yet her tone betrayed a lack of confidence. Her cheeks burned hot as she breathed greedily against his neck like Ultraman charging on solar energy.
Her posture wasn't very befitting of a refined lady. Straddling him stubbornly, she looked ready to draw blood, her cute face full of defiance.
"Hold on, let me ask this first!"
"Sakiko, are you sure you really understand what you're doing?"
His cautious question struck her pride like a whip. The girl, who had been too shy to open her eyes, suddenly widened them in shock and indignation.
"Haru, are you treating me like some kind of idiot?!"
"Even I at least know this much!"
Her confidence made Haru raise an eyebrow. He dearly wanted to rub his temples in exasperation, but he knew if he did it would only make her mad.
Still, considering everything, he couldn't resist asking.
"By the way, Sakiko, where did you learn it from?"
"…Manga."
Her entire body trembled, her momentum gone in an instant.
The weak hum of her voice was a far cry from the bravado earlier. Sakiko, who had been so full of confidence, wilted immediately, her shaky breaths hot against his chest as her silky hair brushed across him.
Haru opened his mouth as if to say something, then only nodded meaningfully.
Ah, so that's it.
"You have something to say about that, don't you!"
Her cheeks blazed hotter than a furnace as she puffed them in anger. The sharpness of her eyes made her look like she was about to bite him.
"No comment, no comment."
Haru raised the white flag.
Even so, the look in her husband's eyes made her feel ashamed. As his wife, she still lagged behind, and though fragments of memory lingered from their "dream," when it came to performing together she was entirely passive.
To make sure nothing went wrong on stage, Sakiko had sought advice from Takamatsu Tomori and Wakaba Mutsumi beforehand. But their "guidance" had been… questionable.
One stammered endlessly, managing only to mutter two incomprehensible words after half a day. The other, her face bright red, stayed silent and eventually went to the vegetable garden to demonstrate with a cucumber.
In the end, the only one who actually helped her was Nagasaki Soyo, who had no experience playing in duets herself!
This was utterly humiliating!
"…Anyway, just leave everything to me!"
Honestly, Haru hadn't expected Sakiko to be this dense.
She had been composing since childhood and had perfect pitch, a professional keyboardist. Playing in harmony with someone else should have been trivial. Yet she couldn't even find where the notes fit.
So this is the difference between digital composition and handwritten scores?
Luckily, with Haru guiding her as the band's manager, she gradually found the rhythm. But the process gave her an unnecessary boost of confidence, and the cheerful keyboardist chose to charge forward recklessly, full of bravado.
"Ow..."
…
Several days later, at the Ikebukuro Theater Hall.
As recent news and programs had endlessly reported, Ave Mujica had risen to the peak of fame. Their scheduled tour had finally reached its second stop.
Though the show hadn't begun, the seats were already packed, the audience buzzing with excitement. Backstage, the staff scurried about busily.
"Is the screen ready?"
"Lighting's fine, microphones are all set!"
Haru, wearing a staff badge, held a clipboard as he calmly organized things backstage. Unbeknownst to some, he still wore his performance suit, with his ornate black mask set to the side.
"Manager Kazami, was rehearsal alright?"
A staffer whispered nearby. Haru, composed as ever, answered, "We cleared rehearsal in one go. Just focus on supporting us."
"Y-yes!"
Perhaps it was because his role this time was on drums. The difference between percussion and string instruments had the staff exchanging worried looks.
This manager was simply too versatile. Not only could he effortlessly coordinate backstage, but he could also perform two entirely different instruments on stage, and even act in plays without difficulty.
"I'll leave things here to Inuzou, the stage director. I need to prepare to go up."
"Understood!"
Handing off his duties, Haru strode quickly to Ave Mujica's dressing room. This time he was stepping in as their drummer, filling in for Nyamu.
He had considered talking with Yuutenji Nyamu before this performance, but asking her to return to the stage so soon after stepping down wouldn't have been effective.
So for now, he set that aside.
Pushing open the door, he found the four girls already in costume, huddled together in discussion. The moment he entered, they froze, then all ducked their heads as if nothing had happened.
"…?"
Haru raised an eyebrow.
They were quick to hide, but their flushed cheeks betrayed them even through their masks.
"Ahem! Haru, is it already time to go on stage?"
As the leader, Togawa Sakiko stepped forward. Her hands folded gracefully before her, her elegant stride like a model's. Haru's eyes lit up with a smile at the sight.
"Everything's fine?"
"O-of course! Don't underestimate me."
Realizing his meaning, Sakiko blushed. Even behind the Oblivionis mask, the color spread faintly across her face. Haru couldn't resist tilting her chin up and stealing a kiss, shattering Ave Mujica's worldbuilding.
"W-wait… I'm Oblivionis right now!"
"Sorry, couldn't help myself."
With a sheepish apology, hands pressed together, he earned only a sigh in response. Sakiko coughed, regaining her cool, aloof air. Haru, pleased with his success, glanced over his shoulder.
Three other girlfriends were staring straight at him.
Uh oh. Will he even make it on stage like this?