It was January—the third term of middle school. Togawa Sakiko could only stay at this school for at most two more months before the April advancement came around.
At this point, CRYCHIC was probably as dead as dead could be. A pity; if given the chance, Asai Yu still wanted to try to save them. He rather liked that god-level band combo.
Walking through the school gates, a pale-green figure flashed into Asai Yu's view.
Jade-green medium-length hair, pale-golden eyes, eyelids drooping, an aura of faint melancholy wrapping her like a shawl.
No one else—Wakaba Mutsumi, Sakiko's close friend.
Wakaba noticed him too. Her previously dim eyes brightened at once; they widened so much she froze in place, dazed.
"Sakiko… she came to school?"
After a brief daze, Wakaba hurried over.
"Sakiko…"
"You should know her."
Togawa Sakiko asked, and by now she'd nearly accepted this 'second personality' thing.
"Yeah, I know her—Wakaba Mutsumi, childhood friend."
Asai Yu answered inside his head.
"Sakiko, you…"
Wakaba opened her mouth to ask more, but stopped. She was scared; the Sakiko now was unstable, and she didn't want to provoke her.
"Nothing—just made up my mind. Let's go."
Asai Yu tried to sound as cool and distant as Sakiko normally did, but seeing the green-haired girl's worried expression softened his tone a little.
"Is that so… okay."
Wakaba nodded instantly, her mood lifting.
So Sakiko finally came to her senses?!
Silently, she fell in step behind Asai Yu, and they headed toward the classroom.
Something about Sakiko felt different today, Wakaba thought as she watched the blue-haired girl's back.
In the classroom, Asai Yu took his seat. The room wasn't full yet, but each student who entered inspected him with surprise before greeting him.
He replied to each greeting, bantering a little—he even added a teasing "stocking fall" joke to almost every line.
"No more 'stocking fall' jokes!" Togawa Sakiko snapped, unable to stand it.
"Why not? We are noble ladies who drop stockings."
Asai Yu countered.
Hearing "stocking fall" again made Sakiko's face flush so hot she could've boiled, and she had no real comeback. Even as a disembodied consciousness she felt herself blushing—damn him.
From the side, watching the blue-haired girl chatting easily with the other 'ladies,' Wakaba's heart stirred.
Maybe the old Sakiko really is back!
After a moment's thought, Wakaba steeled herself and came to attention beside Sakiko.
Seeing a sudden little cucumber appear beside her, Asai Yu worried a classic scene was about to play out—though perhaps he was overthinking it.
"Sakiko, are you still going to Haneoka?" Wakaba asked, gathering courage.
Asai Yu shook his head. "No. I'll stay here after advancement."
At that, Wakaba's held breath released like a sigh of relief. She knew Sakiko's situation. If Sakiko stayed, things must be getting better. Great.
But Sakiko immediately protested, panic flaring: "No! You have to go to Haneoka. Tsukinomori's tuition is too expensive! Haneoka has scholarships!"
"Tsukinomori offers better education. Staying here is better—Tsukinomori it is." Asai Yu's tone allowed no argument.
Haneoka raises the darker Sakiko; Tsukinomori raises the purer Sakiko—of course Tsukinomori was better.
"No—Haneoka!"
"Tsukinomori."
They argued back and forth until Togawa Sakiko finally gave in, choking on the words. "But we really can't afford the tuition… or do you want to go back to the family?"
Sakiko was proud—even godlike—but she could endure hardship; Asai Yu knew that once you broke her pride you might as well have snapped her spine. That hollowed-out Sakiko would lose her spark—something the original storyline had already shown.
"You'll go home, of course. But not humiliated—return with status. That's for you to decide; I won't interfere much." Asai Yu replied.
Sakiko froze. He actually didn't argue?
Still, returning 'high and mighty' to the family—achieving that even as a top-stream band star would be difficult.
"Anyway—first, over the next two months, we need to scrape together tuition." Asai Yu said.
"You make it sound easy, but we really have no money…" Sakiko sighed, then began muttering about expenses, budgeting, complaints—her small-town, working-class breath showing through.
Asai Yu's ears pricked. He hurried to reassure her. "Stop whining, Big-Sakiko-sensei. I'll figure out the money. Don't worry."
After all, making money for Sakiko was making money for him—and it improved his life-experience too. Win-win.
"Good. It's decided—you're on money duty. After all, we're the same person, doing it for ourselves!" Sakiko perked up the moment someone promised to earn for her.
Where'd that freeloading streak come from?
Asai Yu felt like he'd seen through her nature. But he wasn't about to do everything by himself—hah, nice try.
Seeing Sakiko zoning out, Wakaba quietly returned to her seat.
Morning classes began. The math teacher looked at Sakiko when he entered, lingered a little, then started teaching.
Halfway through, Asai Yu was bored beyond belief.
Neon Japan math was absurdly simple—the junior third-year material was stuff he'd learned in elementary school. This was supposed to be a prestigious school; other schools must be doing even worse.
"Big-Sakiko, are you even listening?" Asai Yu asked inside her head.
No answer—so he raised his internal volume.
"Hmm? Huh? What?!" Togawa Sakiko snapped awake.
Of course she hadn't been listening. Can a consciousness nap? Apparently yes.
"Pay attention. You expect a scholarship to Haneoka while dozing off?" Asai Yu said.
Sakiko felt shame. Maybe she hadn't slept well last night; she'd drifted off mid-lecture.
"I'll listen properly!" she promised.
"I'll supervise," Asai Yu said.
Sakiko, who'd planned to sneak a nap, jolted back to attention at that. Her frustration was silent; she could only watch the math symbols on the blackboard through the body's eyes.