Seeing that smile, Nagasaki Soyo's mood instantly brightened.
Saki-chan seemed to have made up with her—they were friends again now!
But…
The joy on her face gradually gave way to melancholy.
It wasn't that kind of closeness. It felt more like the polite friendliness she'd have toward an unfamiliar classmate. She could tell Saki-chan's attitude toward her was distant, as if she wanted to avoid getting tangled up in anything ever again.
…So it really was because of Crychic's breakup, wasn't it?
Was Crychic truly impossible to revive?
Memories of Crychic kept flashing through her mind.
A strand of hair slipped down over Nagasaki Soyo's forehead, half-hiding her downcast expression.
—
After leaving school, Asai Yu headed straight for the newspaper office.
Seeing the route he took, Togawa Sakiko felt a bad premonition rise in her chest.
As expected—this guy was here to quit.
Then came the convenience store.
After collecting the remaining wages and quitting both part-time jobs—successfully killing off the down-and-out Saki—Asai Yu finally returned to the rental apartment.
At the same time, over at the Togawa household—
Togawa Sadaharu picked up a phone call.
"I see. She quit all her part-time jobs? …Alright, then pull all those watchers back."
With that, he hung up. The gloom that had lingered in his heart vanished at once.
So you're finally preparing to come back and take over the family, Sakiko.
—
Inside the body, Togawa Sakiko was sulking hard.
Everything was gone. All the part-time jobs she'd struggled so much to find—this guy had quit every single one of them.
She knew he had his reasons, but emotionally, she still couldn't accept it so easily.
At that moment, the front door opened, and a worn-down Togawa Kiyotsugu appeared in the doorway.
Compared to yesterday's gaunt, hungry look, his face was noticeably rounder now—clearly, he'd eaten his fill somewhere.
"S-Saki… you're back early…"
Under the icy stare of the blue-haired girl, Togawa Kiyotsugu grew awkward, unconsciously wiping the grease still clinging to the corner of his mouth.
…Had Saki changed too?
Looking at the girl before him, Togawa Kiyotsugu felt an indescribable unease.
Perhaps the intimidation from the beer bottle incident a few days ago was still fresh in his mind—he didn't dare linger. Carrying a bag of beer, he quickly retreated into his room.
"See that? His mouth's still shiny with grease," Asai Yu said, clearly directing the comment at Togawa Sakiko.
She'd seen it perfectly clearly herself. After a long silence, she finally muttered,
"Yeah… but where did Dad get the money to eat like that? Don't tell me…"
"Go check my room. Now!" she suddenly said, anxiety flooding her voice.
Asai Yu was confused, but he followed her instructions. Under the bed, inside a hidden compartment, he found a small box.
Opening it, he saw a thick stack of cash.
Oh? Didn't expect Saki to have her own little stash.
"82,000 yen…"
Even Asai Yu was momentarily impressed. For Sakiko-sensei to have saved up this much really wasn't easy.
But then Sakiko suddenly cried out, her voice breaking:
"It's short… there should be 100,000 yen!"
"Eighteen thousand… eighteen thousand yen… it's gone!"
Her voice trembled, growing smaller by the second, until it dissolved into quiet sobbing.
Who took it—did that even need to be asked?
Being betrayed by the one person closest to her—that was what hurt the most.
Asai Yu immediately identified the culprit as well.
Togawa Kiyotsugu.
This middle-aged man had his own stash he wasn't using, and he still went and stole from her?
Hands a little too dirty, huh?
What to do?
Roll up the sleeves—and get to work.
"Cry, cry, all you ever do is cry. What's crying going to fix? Stop it. Watch what I do."
A scene of Sakiko breaking down during the Black Blade Night flashed through Asai Yu's mind as he spoke aloud.
That single line made Togawa Sakiko's sobbing stop dead.
He walked straight to Togawa Kiyotsugu's sliding door, shoved it open with force, and strode inside.
"Did something happen, Saki?"
Seeing the killing intent on the blue-haired girl's face, Togawa Kiyotsugu swallowed hard, trying to look innocent.
The scariest thing in the world is when the air suddenly goes silent.
"Stand up."
Asai Yu crooked his finger.
Togawa Kiyotsugu wanted to refuse—but the icy tone ringing in his ears crushed any thought of resistance. He obediently stood.
Asai Yu grabbed his shoulder and drove a knee straight into his abdomen.
The strike was too fast. Togawa Kiyotsugu had no time to react—his body folded forward like a bow, eyes bulging, saliva spraying from his wide-open mouth.
A surge of agony exploded through his abdomen, flooding his brain, stealing even his ability to breathe.
Asai Yu didn't continue the assault. He stayed where he was, paying attention to Togawa Sakiko inside.
Seeing no sign of protest from her, he felt satisfied.
Looks like Sakiko-sensei was angry too.
He'd originally planned to add a couple of punches, but seeing the man on the verge of collapse, he stopped. He genuinely worried he might kill him—he'd already held back with that knee.
"Keep your hands clean from now on."
Leaving only those words behind, Asai Yu returned to his room.
The atmosphere remained silent for a long while.
Then, Togawa Sakiko's voice echoed softly in his mind.
"…Thank you."
"Mm," Asai Yu replied, saying nothing more.
"By the way," Sakiko added, her tone shifting, "those moves just now… how do you know them? Could you teach me?"
"They come with the package. It's basically sanda," Asai Yu answered honestly. "I can't teach you right now. Maybe later."
Born with it?
That was a thing?
Sakiko felt confused, but didn't dwell on it.
"Since this already happened," Asai Yu said, steering the conversation back, "you should move out."
"…Yeah. Once the first song sells, plus the money I've saved, it'll be enough to rent a small studio apartment," Sakiko admitted. She'd been thinking the same thing today.
"Then you'll have to work hard."
The moment those words reached her ears, Togawa Sakiko realized she'd regained control of her body.
A faint whimper drifted in from outside the room, stirring a flicker of worry in her chest—but she kicked that feeling away the very next second.
Thinking back on everything that had happened today, Togawa Sakiko took a deep breath. Her eyes gradually hardened with resolve.
Continuing to care about that bastard wasn't just irresponsible toward herself—it was irresponsible toward Yu, too.
What she needed to focus on now was her own livelihood.
Being able to earn a solid income just by composing at home was far easier than customer service shifts. That meant she had to work harder—harder than ever.
At the very least, she couldn't waste Yu's efforts these past few days.
With that thought, confidence filled Togawa Sakiko's eyes as she bent over her desk and began composing in earnest.