"Did you get hurt anywhere?"
Everything had happened so suddenly. Though she knew it was an instinctive decision, the fact that she and Kikukawa Kyo had ended up hugging each other—and worse, tumbling to the ground together—was a bit too much for Sakiko to process. Now, locked in an intimate, side-lying position and staring into each other's eyes, she found herself momentarily dazed, at a complete loss for words.
It was Kyo who spoke first. As she let go of Sakiko, she glanced at her, a hint of concern in her gaze, noticing how the other girl seemed almost frozen in place.
"I'm fine." Sakiko quickly snapped back to her senses. The first thing she did upon regaining her composure was scan her surroundings, worried that someone might have witnessed such an embarrassing scene. She then stood up in haste, attempting to regain her usual composure. However, the faint warmth lingering on her cheeks betrayed her—they remained subtly flushed, refusing to fade.
Kyo got up more slowly. The fall had at least managed to jolt her back to full awareness. She began gathering up the empty bottles scattered around her from the past hour, tossing them back into the plastic bag that had originally held the drinks. The last thing she had opened was a carton of milk pudding.
"You should head out first, Kyo. I'll stay here and clean up a bit." After getting up, Sakiko picked up the vacuum cleaner that Oga-senpai had left nearby, pretending to fiddle with its settings.
It's just a vacuum cleaner. There are only, like, two or three buttons.
Kyo thought to herself but chose not to call her out on it. Given what had just happened, feeling awkward was completely understandable—especially for Sakiko, a proper young lady who likely had very little experience with such close physical contact.
And even if she did, it was probably all with me.
Kyo made a vague murmuring sound in response, deciding not to push Sakiko any further. Obediently, she grabbed the trash bag and left first.
"Yo, little sis, what the hell was all that racket back there?"
The moment Kyo reached the cashier counter, her older sister leaned in with a grin full of mischief. It was always baffling how, despite their nearly identical faces, her sister managed to exude such an unserious air.
Kyo shot her a look of disdain and pushed her away. Their sibling dynamic was the perfect picture of an exasperated younger sister dealing with an annoyingly nosy older sister. She tossed the bag of bottles and cartons into the designated bin beneath the counter.
"Tsk, tsk. That didn't sound like just a fall—it sounded like wrestling. Go change your clothes. You're covered in dust."
After all that commotion, Kyo's white button-up shirt—an unfortunate choice given how easily it showed dirt—was now layered with a noticeable haze of dust.
"Do I still have any spare clothes here? I didn't bring a change today."
"Nope."
"Ugh, then I'll just switch into the uniform from VA-11 next door. It's air-conditioned anyway, so the long sleeves won't be too hot."
With that, Kyo pushed open the door connecting the bookstore to the café's backroom and slipped inside.
Her sister, Kikukawa Yuu, found herself growing even more curious. She couldn't see any obvious signs of what had just happened, but her gut told her something was up. Though she knew it was a long shot, she had really been hoping to catch a glimpse of her little sister looking flustered.
A little while later, Kyo had yet to return, but Sakiko had already finished tidying up the lounge area—most of it had been cleaned earlier by Oga, so she had only needed to take care of the spot Kyo had been occupying. The vacuum cleaner was now properly stored in the staff room.
When it came to Sakiko, even Yuu had to rein in her usual teasing attitude. She observed Sakiko's expression carefully, hoping to find some kind of clue, but unfortunately, the girl's face gave nothing away.
Sigh. A battle between two masters, and I can't even tell who won.
"Kyo went to change. She should be back soon," Yuu offered as a conversation starter.
Sakiko merely responded with a quiet "Mm" before excusing herself. "I'll get back to work." Then, she turned and walked away.
No, no—something's definitely off.
Sakiko was usually a little stiff when it came to Kyo, but this was different. Her whole demeanor screamed deliberate avoidance, like she was forcing herself not to think about Kyo at all. In the past, she would occasionally ask Yuu about Kyo's daily habits, but now, she had suddenly adopted a cold and distant attitude. It was overacted—too unnatural.
Looks like my little sis still has the upper hand.
Yuu shook her head, letting out a soft chuckle. She didn't push the matter further and turned her attention back to work.
However, just as she opened the ledger, the wind chime at the bookstore's entrance jingled—the sound of the door being pushed open. Instinctively, Yuu glanced toward the entrance.
Amid the crisp, delicate chimes of the wind bell, a girl stepped inside. She wore a pure white, elegantly simple dress without any adornments. Atop her head was a wide-brimmed hat, reminiscent of a straw hat—perfectly suited for the sweltering summer heat. From beneath the hat's brim, her long, straight, pale green hair cascaded freely. Her golden eyes held an indifferent, detached gaze, and her small, expressionless face only added to the porcelain-like quality of her appearance. She clasped a small handbag in front of her with both hands—
Kikukawa Yuu recalled something Izumo from Tsukinomori had once said: If you don't want your knees to bump into the bag you're holding in front of you, you have to limit your stride and pace. It's a way to cultivate the elegance and posture of a proper lady.
She's really beautiful.
Yuu couldn't help but admire her silently. But it wasn't just beauty—her slightly drooping brows and complete lack of expression, so typical of the kuudere type, made her look like a perfectly sculpted doll, crafted with meticulous precision.
The pale green-haired girl took small, measured steps toward the cashier counter. She looked at Yuu but didn't speak right away, simply staring at her in silence.
Yuu found this a little odd and was about to ask if she needed help when the girl finally spoke—almost as if she had needed a moment to adjust to conversing with someone.
"Excuse me… is Sakiko here?"
Her voice was soft and carried the same emotionless tone as her expression. There was hardly any fluctuation in her intonation, giving her a delicate, almost fragile impression—one that easily stirred a protective instinct in others.
She looks kind of familiar… Have I seen her somewhere before?
Yuu wasn't entirely sure of her identity or why she was looking for Sakiko, so she refrained from answering directly. Instead, she decided to ask a few questions to clarify the situation. But in the end, she didn't have to—
"Mutsumi?"
The door behind Yuu swung open, and out stepped Kikukawa Kyo, now dressed in her "bartender battle attire." Though she had merely changed out of her dusty clothes, she had even gone as far as to properly fasten the uniform's tie.
Hearing the name, Yuu finally recalled where she had seen this girl before—on the archive wall. She was a member of the same band as Kyo. However, compared to the other members, Mutsumi's placement on the archive wall was relatively off-center, and there were fewer notes recorded about her. That explained why Yuu's impression of her wasn't as strong.
This doll-like girl was none other than Wakaba Mutsumi. Upon seeing Kyo here, Mutsumi tilted her head slightly, as if puzzled, and without any preamble, bluntly asked:
"Kyo, what are you doing here?"
Even though they had once been in the same band and, by all accounts, should have been quite familiar with each other, Mutsumi made no effort to exchange pleasantries. Instead, she got straight to the point, her tone stiff and direct.
Kyo, however, didn't mind in the slightest. Though she had never been able to read what was going on in Mutsumi's mind, that was precisely why she had spent more time observing Mutsumi than anyone else during their time in the band. As a result, she had come to understand Mutsumi's behavioral patterns and tendencies inside and out.
Kyo knew perfectly well—Mutsumi simply wasn't one for small talk.
But that question… it left Kyo feeling slightly unsettled. Mutsumi's inquiry wasn't just casual curiosity about why she was here.
Kyo responded with a smile, instinctively shifting into full observation mode, carefully studying Mutsumi's every movement and expression.
"Are you here to see Sakiko for something, Mutsumi?"
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T/N: I DONT THINK ANY OF YOU READS THE THOUGHTS SECTION SO IM GONNA JUST TRY POSTING IT HERE
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