Of course.
A work thrown together over just a few weeks could never hold a candle to her sister's…
Her sister didn't even need to play — she only had to stand on that stage… no, she hadn't even taken the stage yet, and Taki had already been completely routed.
There was never any real resistance to be had. Even with Chiose's help… she still…
Shiina Taki fled the performance hall and ran — down the footpaths, through the corridors of the academic wing, across the gravel paths bordering the courtyard.
The work she'd put forward — it really was a failure that didn't measure up…
Ha… well, it's not like she'd had more than a few days to prepare before going on stage. At least the audience gave it a decent reception, right?
At least she was still a perfectly adequate little sister to Shiina Maki… I…
"Hah—"
"Hah—"
She leaned against one of the ornamental trees in the courtyard, catching her breath, trying to piece together whatever excuses she could to console herself over a performance that had been, in some sense, a success — and in every other sense, an utter disaster.
"My own… lyrics…"
[Sure, the lyrics were nothing special, but the composition was honestly impressive — so talented for her age.]
That girl's words still haunted her like a ghost, even now.
Her lyrics had been pretty awful too, hadn't they?
If Chiose's guitar work and arranging talent hadn't been there to prop the whole thing up, they probably wouldn't have gotten even a lukewarm reception.
"I never should have agreed to this. After I left the Wind Ensemble, I shouldn't have…"
I never should have agreed to do the music festival with Chiose.
Taki couldn't bring herself to say those words out loud.
If she hadn't joined the music festival, she wouldn't have lost anything at all.
But if she hadn't joined — she wouldn't have failed, no, but she would have stayed exactly where she was. Nowhere.
"At the end of the day I just need more practice, more time writing! Chiose told me ages ago the lyrics weren't up to scratch! But I couldn't manage anything better, so I went up there with that version anyway, just to make do…"
"If I could write better lyrics — I could absolutely surpass my sister! There's just… something missing from what I write! But what?!"
"A touch of magic, perhaps."
Just like the first time they'd met.
That clear, languid voice came from behind her — only this time, Taki didn't startle.
"Chiose? I…"
"You absolute idiot, Taki — a complete and total idiot! Why were you running so fast? I tripped chasing after you!"
Chiose thrust out her leg, pointing to the torn mid-calf sock and the scrape beneath it.
The wound was welling blood. It stung.
But it had been deliberate.
"I'm so sorry! I… I was feeling a little low just now, so I ran out to get some air."
Taki crouched down and reached toward the wound to get a better look — but Chiose caught her wrist before she could.
"My injury doesn't matter," Chiose said, her voice carrying that unhurried drawl that seemed to come naturally to her — though Taki could still catch the undercurrent of something softer beneath it. "It's you I'm worried about. Are you feeling any better?"
"Maybe… I don't know."
"What are you moping about?! We won! A total victory! Even if I am deeply, personally dissatisfied with your lyrics."
Of course…
Taki pressed her lips together. She'd known her lyrics were bad.
"Don't make that pitiful face, little Taki. Ordinary as they were — I still liked your lyrics. They were good. They could just be even better."
She's trying to cheer me up, Taki thought.
"R-right… maybe I can write something better next time? I'll—"
"Taki." The casual looseness in Chiose's voice had vanished entirely. "People like us don't say 'next time I'll do this' unless we already have the conviction and the confidence to back it up. Do you? Right now, do you, Taki?"
Anyone could hear that the easygoing lilt had left Chiose's voice. Shiina Taki's violet eyes met those crimson ones.
Chiose's gaze burned so fierce it felt like it might melt her.
"Chiose… does effort without results mean anything?"
"Of course it does — how could it not? As long as you tried, the trace of it is carved into my mind forever. I'll cry for you and be moved by you for the rest of my life. Everything about Taki — all of it — is fascinating to me, and I love it. I love Taki most of all! So please, just believe in yourself a little more!"
The last few words came out almost as a shout, and even Chiose herself was taken aback.
That wasn't part of her script. But seeing the way adorable little Taki was fighting so desperately to hold herself together…
No, no — Yoshiiro Chiose, keep your eye on the objective.
Shiina Taki is standing right in front of you. She pushed herself to the limit trying to look presentable — but you were the one who dragged her onto that stage, the one who deliberately scheduled their performance before her sister's… those little moves had been ruthless, stripping away the last scrap of a veil she'd been hiding behind.
Right here, right now — she's standing in front of you.
Say something. Draw yourself deeper into her heart…
"Pfft — I…" Chiose broke from tears into laughter, looking at the cute, slightly shell-shocked face of the girl with the beauty mark, and pressed down the bittersweet ache rising in her chest.
"I honestly thought you were going to burst into tears, you little fool — hmph, and here you are giving yourself a pep talk instead!"
"What do you take me for?! I'm plenty tough, you know…"
Taki couldn't say something like this so freely to anyone else — she realized that it was only in front of Yoshiiro Chiose that she could express something this awkward and earnest so naturally.
Because she knew: whenever she opened up, Chiose would never laugh at her or tease her for it.
She would answer seriously. She would comfort her properly.
"All right, all right — I know little Taki is the strongest. Hmph. Do you want to go watch your sister perform?"
"Hah?"
Taki clenched her fist. She didn't really want to glare at Chiose but she had to take it out on something — so she turned to the ornamental tree at the side of the path and ground out through gritted teeth:
"Watch her! Of course I'm going to watch! I'm going to see exactly how good my sister really is — and I swear I am going to work so much harder on my writing from here on out!"
"Is that so? That's wonderful. That's my Taki."
"I'm not yours! I am not yours! I'm not anyone's 'my Taki'! I…"
Taki went on fussing and griping — but this time, Chiose didn't rise to the banter the way she usually would.
She just listened quietly as Taki talked about her dreams, her ambitions, the things she was reaching for.
This. This was exactly what she needed to hear.
This was who Shiina Taki truly was.
Chiose took Taki's hand — no warning, no room to pull away.
And just like that, their fingers laced together again.
These past few weeks had all been in service of tearing away the haze Taki had wrapped herself in — making her surrender the fragile pride she'd started with.
From this point on — it would be the process of Taki, hollowed out to the bone, growing back her flesh.
She, Yoshiiro Chiose, would be the remedy — letting every inch of that new growth soak through with the scent of her.
"Pfft."
Chiose laughed — and didn't even notice she had.
"You really are something else, little Taki. Such a little fool."
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