These two are such a hassle…
Right now, Anon was sandwiched between Sakiko and Tomori. Normally, being the center of attention was something she would enjoy.
But in this case, she was stuck in the middle as a walking barrier.
They obviously cared about each other—so why couldn't they just be honest about it?
Tomori was probably just nervous, unsure of how to start a conversation. She had always been timid, hesitant with her words, never sounding completely confident.
But what about Sakiko?
Whatever her reason was, Anon had already branded her with a permanent label in her mind: stubborn.
And since neither of them seemed like they were going to start a conversation, the three of them continued walking in tense silence, a heavy atmosphere settling around them. Even Anon, usually so chatty, was starting to feel like she shouldn't say anything.
No way! As a social butterfly, I refuse to let things stay this awkward while I'm here!
She needed a topic—something both of them could engage in.
The band? No, no, bad idea.
Even without asking, it was obvious that Sakiko didn't want to bring up her old band. And if Anon tried shifting the conversation to her new band…
What was she even supposed to say? "Hey Sakiko, I gathered up all the old members you left behind. Wanna see how they're doing without you?"
That's a guaranteed punch to the face. Definitely a bad idea.
Wait—she had it! A topic that would definitely get them talking!
"Ahem. By the way, I didn't realize Kyo's place was this close to RiNG."
She cleared her throat and threw the comment out as naturally as possible, forcing the silence to break.
"..."
"Mm…"
…No reaction.
One kept leading the way in silence, the other still lost in thought. Neither of them seemed particularly interested in her attempt at small talk.
Seriously?!
Anon refused to back down. Even if they ignored her, she was not going to let this silence win.
"What do you two think of Kyo? You've both known her longer than I have, so I wanna hear what she was like before."
"I'd like to know too."
This time, the question actually caught their attention.
Sakiko hesitated. It wasn't that she disliked Anon—there was no real conflict between them. And honestly, this topic gave her the perfect excuse to finally say something that had been on her mind for a while.
"She's incredibly talented. Unpredictable. Always ten steps ahead. It's impossible to read her, and before you know it, you've completely fallen into her pace. Even if you try to stay focused, you'll still end up trapped in the little pitfalls she sets up, one after another."
Sakiko's voice was serious—so much so that Anon could hear traces of frustration and resignation mixed in. It sounded completely convincing.
But… it didn't match the Kyo that Anon knew.
"Wait… That makes her sound like some kind of mastermind villain," Anon said, tapping her chin.
"Yeah, was she really that bad?" Tomori added, finally speaking up.
Anon pictured a cloaked figure with half their face hidden in shadow, grinning wickedly while letting out a sinister "Heh heh heh…"
And then, finally, Tomori responded—albeit a little late.
"Kyo is a wonderful person. And… when I saw her at the aquarium, she was breathtaking. Even more dazzling than the emperor penguins."
Anon blinked. "Huh. That's… a very Tomori-like answer. But wait, why the aquarium?"
She had been curious about this for a while now—why did Tomori keep talking about bringing Kyo to an aquarium, as if that would somehow convince her to join the band?
"Aquarium is a NG—Tomori, if you do that again, I'm never going with you!"
Wait… has there been an extra set of footsteps behind us this whole time?
The three walking ahead suddenly sensed something was off and turned around in unison.
"Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, everyone."
Kikukawa Kyo strolled behind them, hands clasped behind her back, walking at a leisurely pace. She had no idea when she started tailing them, but now that she had finally been noticed, she simply flashed them an innocent smile—completely unaware (or at least pretending to be unaware) of how much she looked like a stalker.
"Kyo?! What are you doing here? Are you feeling okay?" Anon was the first to react, voicing the question all three of them had been about to ask.
"Ah, about that…" Kyo awkwardly scratched her cheek, her expression turning slightly mischievous. "Haha, well, I was just really sleepy this morning, so I had my sister call the school and ask for a sick day."
The three of them stared at her, speechless.
Seeing their deadpan reactions, Kyo quickly clasped her hands together in apology and bowed her head. "Sorry for making you all worry. My sister didn't… exaggerate my condition too much, did she?"
Sakiko sighed, realizing the whole situation had been a complete misunderstanding. Still, at least Kyo was fine. "No, the teacher did say it was just a cold. But when we all messaged you and you never replied, we started getting worried."
"Oh, that's because my phone died this morning. I forgot to charge it before I went to sleep, and when I woke up, I just left it charging at home and headed straight to RiNG. I didn't see any of your messages."
So, it had all just been a coincidence.
"You guys were coming to check on me, weren't you?"
The three nodded in sync.
"In that case," Kyo suggested, "since we're already here, why don't you all come over for a bit? Anon and Tomori haven't been to my place before, and Sakiko's only been there once."
Before either of the other two could answer, Sakiko immediately declined.
"No need, Kyo. Since you're fine, I have things to take care of, so I'll be heading off."
The only reason Sakiko had considered coming in the first place was because she was worried about Kyo's condition. Now that she knew Kyo was perfectly fine, she had no reason to go.
As for what she had to do? Naturally, she was heading straight to the bookstore. Even though it wasn't time for her shift yet, she could go there early to read or get some homework done.
She pulled out the study materials from her bag and handed them to Kyo, then nodded politely. "Well then, Kyo, Tomori, Anon—I'll be going ahead."
Watching Sakiko turn to leave, Kyo's gaze flickered with thought.
Then, she turned to Anon and Tomori, pointing toward the apartment building just up ahead. "Wait for me by the entrance. I need to ask Sakiko something."
Anon and Tomori nodded and walked ahead while Kyo jogged after Sakiko.
"Sakiko!"
Sakiko stopped and turned back, looking puzzled. "What is it?"
"I wanted to ask you something."
A flash of Raana's voice echoed in Kyo's mind—'Uninteresting.'
"Back in CRYCHIC, when the decision was being made about whether I or Mutsumi should be lead guitar, I planned to take rhythm guitar from the start. But you also thought it over and suggested that I play rhythm instead. Do you remember that?"
"I do," Sakiko answered, though she wasn't sure why Kyo was bringing this up now.
"I want to know… what were you thinking back then?"
"...Why are you suddenly asking this?"
"I just need to confirm something. And don't hold back—I won't mind even if you just say I wasn't skilled enough."
"No." Sakiko denied it immediately. "Your skill was nearly on par with Mutsumi's. At CRYCHIC's level, it honestly didn't matter who played lead or rhythm. Either of you could have done either role just fine."
"Then why did you suggest I take rhythm guitar?"
Sakiko hesitated for a moment but then decided to speak frankly. "What I'm about to say might sound strange to you, Kyo…"
After another pause, she finally continued.
"I felt like your playing lacked something. Something that could truly reach people—something with soul. Do you understand what I mean?"
Lacking soul…
Kyo fell silent, processing those words.
"You mean… my playing lacked emotion?"
"Yes. That's pretty much it. It might sound ridiculous, but the difference was definitely there."
"I see."
Kyo closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
So, it had always been this way.