Awa Subaru could barely hold it in anymore.
She wasn't particularly close to Tsuzuki Chihiro, but knowing that she had some connection to her grandmother made her slightly less wary of her.
But after watching Chihiro stumble right into her grandmother's trap after all that effort, Subaru found herself no longer annoyed with her—she actually pitied her.
Sigh… Some people just have unfortunate faces, and apparently, unfortunate fates to match.
"Um…"
"Little Chihiro, do you dislike acting?"
"Uh."
Tsuzuki Chihiro thought for a moment.
She wouldn't say she disliked it.
And looking at things now… her dream of being in a band was more or less over.
The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth, but if she just went along with this opportunity…
She had received professional recognition.
And considering the skills she had been forced to acquire just to survive, acting might actually be an easier path for her.
But still—deep down, she loved playing guitar more.
She thought about her grandmother. About Raana. About everyone she had met over the past few days.
Even if her identity in the band was fake, even if she had no intention of staying once her agreement with Soyo was fulfilled…
Until that moment came, she wasn't going to choose another path.
Besides, if she did, her grandmother and sister would probably be so disappointed.
"I'm sorry, Awa-san," Chihiro said, deciding it would be best to use her grandmother as an excuse. "My grandmother wants me to pursue music, and personally, I love playing guitar… and bass."
"So, I don't think I'd be able to juggle acting as well."
"..."
Rather than looking disappointed, Awa Tendo's expression softened with even more fondness.
Subaru, knowing her grandmother all too well, shut her eyes and began silently praying for poor Chihiro.
"And what do you think of acting as a profession?"
Here it was.
Subaru knew this was the critical moment.
"Acting?" Chihiro answered honestly, not bothering to sugarcoat anything.
"I think it's an incredible career. I've watched some of the dramas you've acted in, and I really admire your performances."
Though… that was mostly because Soyo forced me to watch them.
"Oh?"
Seeing the smile on her grandmother's face, Subaru's stomach dropped.
Yeah.
There was no way she was letting Chihiro go now.
She wasn't praying anymore—she was mourning.
That said, Subaru did respect her grandmother.
She knew her entire history.
She knew that being recognized as an actress meant everything to her.
After all, her grandmother had debuted as a high schooler at eighteen, becoming famous at a young age. But that success had also distanced her from her peers and her family.
If Subaru had to guess, Chihiro's grandmother, Tsuzuki Shifune, was probably the one person who, despite constantly clashing with her, had always acknowledged her talent.
Even Awa's own daughter—Subaru's mother—had never given her that level of validation.
Otherwise, Subaru wouldn't have been taken under her wing the moment she told her, "I want to act with you, Grandma."
So, was this fate?
Chihiro had unknowingly walked right into it, capturing her grandmother's attention.
Maybe this meant the pressure on her would ease up a bit.
Maybe she'd even get a chance to return to the band after all.
"So, little Chihiro, you don't dislike acting. You just don't know how to explain it to your grandmother, do you?"
"I…"
Everyone was looking at Chihiro now.
Even Nina—who had been preparing to absolutely tear into Subaru during their improv session—was staring at her with conflicted eyes.
She suddenly felt like her instincts about Chihiro had been right all along.
That look Chihiro had when she picked up the guitar that day—full of unresolved emotions—couldn't have been fake.
Even if Chihiro was the "scammer" Momoka had called her, she had no reason to make a face like that when she thought no one was watching.
But then—
What Chihiro said next shook her.
"I… don't think I can meet my grandmother's expectations."
"I've been in bands before, but they all failed. The longest one didn't even leave me a chance to start over."
"Chihiro…"
"I see," Awa Tendo murmured, deep in thought.
After giving Chihiro a long, studying look, she smiled.
"Well then, continue your practice. I'll be stepping out for a bit."
The moment Awa left, Nina exploded.
"Chihiro, you love playing guitar! So why did you say that?!"
"And Subaru—you're just going to let this go? What about the band?!"
"..."
"Isn't guitar meaningless now?"
Chihiro's voice was quiet, her smile perfectly calculated.
"You probably can't understand what it's like to pour everything into a dream, drop out of school, gather bandmates, only for every single band to fall apart because of you."
"But—"
"I get it."
"Momoka?!"
Nina snapped.
"Momoka, whose side are you even on?!"
"Uh… pretend I didn't say anything?"
"But you're all missing the point."
"What happens to me has nothing to do with your original goal, does it?" Chihiro sighed.
"Your band is just starting out.
"Subaru, do you really want to quit just like that?"
"Eh? Why are we suddenly talking about me?"
Subaru had hoped she could sneak by unnoticed while all the focus was on Chihiro.
But somehow, the conversation had looped back to her.
And Chihiro was right—this situation did feel off.
But at the same time, what Chihiro had said made things even harder.
If she returned to the band, what if it failed?
If she continued acting as planned, things would go smoothly—but was that really what she wanted?
Looking at Tsuzuki Chihiro, her grandmother's old rival's granddaughter, Subaru suddenly felt like she had a lot to talk to her about.
"Anyway, you guys should head back. I have to attend a banquet tonight—it's pretty important."
"Subaru, don't change the subject!"
"I'm not changing the subject!" Subaru glanced at Chihiro—who, by some twist of fate, had also been dragged into this dinner.
"You all know Minami Mori, right?"
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with you?"
"My grandmother got me cast in a drama."
"Mori-san is technically her junior, but on this project, she's way above me in seniority."
"Everyone is taking this collaboration very seriously."
"There's no way I can just quit now."
"So after tonight's banquet… I probably won't have time for band practice anymore."
"…What?!"
---
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it... or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf