Perhaps she still couldn't completely let go of the former CRYCHIC.
But she didn't want that to end up hurting Sakiko.
Feeling Tomori's gentleness, Sakiko-sensei cried even harder.
After all, the more considerate Tomori was, the more selfish Sakiko felt by comparison—and the heavier the guilt in her heart became.
And accompanied by Sakiko-sensei's sobbing, Kamijou Mutsuki's melody grew increasingly impassioned.
"Become rich I'll become rich"
"So many people waste time day and night~"
When Kamijou Mutsuki looked over, Miss Anon was already clenching her fists.
Did he really think she had no temper at all?
"..."
"I'll become rich~"
"All worries left behind at the edge of the sky~"
The song was already approaching its end.
"Become rich I'll become rich"
"And then say from the bottom of my heart that money isn't everything~"
As Kamijou Mutsuki's singing came to an end, the living room fell quiet once more.
The only sound left was Sakiko-sensei's occasional sobbing.
"This song of yours…"
Among the girls present, the sharpest one—Anon—had already vaguely guessed something. She looked at Kamijou Mutsuki with some hesitation.
"I just sang it casually,"
Facing Miss Anon's gaze, Kamijou Mutsuki put away the microphone and said with a smile.
"Now that it's over, let's all continue eating!"
You absolutely weren't singing casually.
Guitar, speakers, microphone—everything flowed seamlessly.
This was clearly premeditated.
But seeing that Kamijou Mutsuki didn't want to elaborate further, and with Sakiko-sensei still sniffling, the high-EQ girl knew that some things didn't need to be exposed.
After the song ended, Kamijou Mutsuki and the cat returned to their seats.
Compared to before, the atmosphere at the dining table was much better.
At the very least, Tomori and Sakiko-sensei no longer had that barrier between them, and Taki wasn't as hostile toward her anymore.
As for why Sakiko-sensei had cried so hard because of that song just now, everyone tacitly chose to ignore it.
Feeling the change in the atmosphere, Wakaba Mutsumi's gaze toward a certain someone also grew increasingly gentle.
While sticking close to Sakiko, Tomori's eyes would also occasionally drift over in this direction. However, Kamijou Mutsuki didn't notice any of that.
Looking at the harmonious scene before him, he felt that not sharing it would be a waste.
So, he took out his phone, snapped a photo of Sakiko-sensei and Tomori cuddling together, and sent it to the one orange-haired rich lady who was the only person not present.
[Soyo: ?]
As expected, a reply came back within seconds.
[Soyo: Why are they still at your place?]
[Soyo: Why is Sakiko there too?]
[Soyo: And what exactly is going on between Sakiko and Tomori-chan…]
In a duplex high-rise somewhere else in Tokyo, Miss Nagasaki Soyo, who had been lying on her bed, had already sat up.
Staring at the photo Kamijou Mutsuki had sent her, her face was filled with confusion and anxiety.
After all, she had originally been browsing CRYCHIC's old website to patch up her wounded heart, when Kamijou Mutsuki suddenly hit her with this. She instantly panicked.
Sakiko had gone back earlier—but why were Tomori and the others there too?
And Soyo, who had witnessed everything before, was very aware of the rift between the two of them. So why did they suddenly look this close again?
Especially Sakiko in the photo—she was giving Soyo a strong sense of being "whitewashed."
What on earth happened?
Soyo felt like she'd somehow missed an entire season.
[Capitalist With a Conscience: Of course we held an amazing dinner together. Care to guess who didn't get invited?]
Soyo silently typed a question mark.
What, you threw a party without her—and now you're rubbing it in her face?
[Capitalist With a Conscience: Don't worry, everyone in the band is getting along much better now. Tomori and Sakiko-sensei have temporarily made up.]
[Capitalist With a Conscience: Even though you weren't here.]
That last line really didn't need to be added.
[Capitalist With a Conscience: Anyway, we're continuing dinner now. Soyo, just relax and rest at home!]
It's because you say that that I can't relax at all!
Looking again at the harmonious, friendly scene of the girls in the photo, Soyo's heart gave a small jolt.
It was a really good photo.
Which was exactly why it felt bad.
Because, in the end—
She wasn't in it.
Oh no.
They're not planning to cut her out, are they?
Soyo—who spent all day thinking about cutting Anon and the cat—couldn't help but start panicking. And then, Kamijou Mutsuki received the same treatment Saki-chan had earlier.
The difference was that, thanks to his foresight, he had already turned his phone off.
And so, with no replies coming back, Soyo started to feel depressed.
She wasn't really about to get cut off, was she?
Please no—at the very least, wait another 100 years before doing something like that!
Clearly, someone was going to have trouble sleeping tonight.
And unlike Soyo's side of things, Kamijou Mutsuki's place was filled with a cheerful, lively atmosphere.
Especially Sakiko-sensei—she almost felt like she'd gone back to the CRYCHIC days.
Of course, she knew very well that a feeling was just a feeling.
An illusion, in the end, was still an illusion.
Some things were never hers to decide.
After dinner, since everyone still had school the next day, the girls didn't hang out much longer and instead went to wash up and get ready for bed.
The villa—originally belonging to Sakiko-sensei—had a bath large enough to accommodate everyone.
Naturally, this did not include Kamijou Mutsuki.
Even Mutsumi probably wouldn't have agreed to that.
And since this was a rich household, there was no need to worry about saving water.
Kamijou Mutsuki didn't even get to enjoy any band-girls bath time.
Tragic.
After that, there was no classic pillow-fight scenario either—everyone simply returned to their own rooms to rest.
Good thing it was Sakiko-sensei's huge villa; otherwise, there might not have been enough rooms.
Just as Kamijou Mutsuki was about to turn in, he heard a knock at his door.
At this hour? Who could it be?
He opened the door—and found Sakiko-sensei standing there in her pajamas.
"…Did you get the wrong door for your night raid? Tomori's room is next door."
Sakiko-sensei, who had just stepped into his bedroom and still looked like she was hesitating over something, nearly choked when she heard that.
"Who would night-raid Tomori?!"
Seriously—what kind of image did she have in this guy's mind?!
"Not Tomori? Then is your real target Mutsumi?"
"Why does it have to be them? Can't it be you?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Sakiko realized something was wrong.
She lifted her head—
And, sure enough, met Kamijou Mutsuki's subtly amused gaze.
"So your target isn't Tomori or Mutsumi… it's me?"
"I guess that's not impossible—as long as you don't make a move on Mutsumi and the others…"
"Who would want to night-raid you—wait, no—"
Nearly getting talked in circles by Kamijou Mutsuki, Sakiko-sensei finally snapped back to her senses. She frowned, cheeks faintly red, and glared at him.
"…Is teasing me really that fun?"
.....................