Taki was really taking this seriously now.
Monday, Taki had vocal lessons after school and didn't come to Chiose's place.
Tuesday, she spent the day memorising lyrics and took her evening lesson, then slept over at Chiose's for the night.
Wednesday, she skipped school — Chiose took her out to the deep mountains to gather inspiration.
Thursday, the moment Taki got to school she was already sharing her latest ideas with Chiose. Most of the time it was just Chiose listening while Taki talked away to herself, but Taki didn't mind one bit — she was glowing.
Friday, after her lesson, Taki went straight home to practise. She said she wanted to surprise Chiose.
"Chiose! From next Monday — no wait, from the day winter break ends and school starts again — I'm going to show you everything I've been drilling all holiday! Just believe in me, okay?!"
"Sure."
It was the last day before winter break, and Chiose hadn't particularly wanted to come to school. But the moment she thought about Taki showing up, she dropped any idea of playing hooky.
The girl in front of her had been working herself half off the ground these past few weeks. Chiose had quietly kept pace beside her the whole time.
[Finally. Taki is completely on track now. That was a lot of work.]
The current class was maths. Chiose was covertly copying out lyrics for Taki.
It was purely to save Taki's time — so she'd have more energy for the things that actually mattered.
[Now that Taki's on the right path, I don't need to hover over her every second of the day. I just need to play a good supporting role. From here on out, my designated position is: devoted housewife.]
"Little Taki! Are we still going to catch a movie after school?"
"Hmm…" Taki's eyebrow gave an almost imperceptible twitch.
"Sorry, Chiose — I found a senior I want to ask about my pronunciation issues. She also writes lyrics, so I was hoping to pick her brain a bit more… I'm really sorry! I'll go with you to the movies this weekend instead."
"Oh."
No movie? Alright then.
That really is a shame, though.
You're running out of chances to sit in the dark with me.
"Well then — do your best, little Taki."
...
Busy, busy, everyone's busy. Better that way.
A dim bedroom. A half-open window. Curtains trembling in a draught. Really, a murder would have completed the atmosphere.
Alone at home, Yoshiiro Chiose was learning bass from a bass tutorial programme on TV.
"Now, dear viewers at home — the single most important thing you need to know about bass is this: when someone asks you [why doesn't your guitar make any sound] or [you actually named your guitar? You called it a bass? What a weird name] — at that moment, you grip the neck of your bass as tightly as you can, and then, just like me —"
The host hoisted the bass high in the air, like a medieval executioner, and brought it crashing down onto a random audience member in the front row.
BANG —
"— you smash it right into their skull."
"Now that's rock and roll. Absolutely cannot be learned."
Chiose changed the channel. She already knew plenty of skull-smashing techniques — that wasn't what she was after!
Three quiet knocks on the wooden door — not too fast, not too slow. That was Taki's knock.
"Don't you have a key?! If you make me come open the door, I'll smash your head in with the bass!"
Skull-smashing technique! Applied!
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Taki pushed the door open herself, wiping the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve as she stepped inside.
"Well, well — so you do remember where home is." Chiose sniffed.
Her tone was pure long-suffering wife who'd spent the entire day waiting for her husband to come back. She walked over, gently slipped Taki's jacket off her shoulders, and handed her a bottle of ramune soda.
"Sorry — cough cough — I asked so many questions today, but I came away with so much. I feel like I can write better lyrics now, and sing even better songs!"
"Really?! That's wonderful! Do you want a hug as a reward?"
"No I don't!"
Taki pushed Chiose away, cheeks flushing red — but her expression was practically shouting a message so obvious a child could read it:
I really do want one. I'm just a little tsundere about it. Please hug me more.
Yoshiiro Chiose was one of the very few people in the world who could read Taki's face. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her.
"Little Taki — still feeling troubled about anything?"
"Not anymore. When I'm this busy, there's no room for any of that."
"That's right — life, troubles, overthinking — just boot them all out of the way!"
Chiose's voice was as soft as ever. She understood Taki as well as ever. She knew what Taki needed — and she gave it to her.
Taki stood there in the embrace, her hands drifting uncertainly back and forth across Chiose's back.
She was so glad that her best friend's best friend was also her. She loved having a friend like this — one who responded to her needs, who put her first.
She loved… being with Yoshiiro Chiose. No need to worry about being abandoned — because Chiose showed her, every single day, through every small action:
I will never leave you.
A sense of security — the rarest thing in the world. And Shiina Taki had somehow gone and claimed it entirely for herself.
[Ah. Just the two of us, like this, forever. That would be enough.]
A spark of inspiration tore through Taki's mind. Her eyes went wide.
"I've got it! I figured it out! I finally know how to continue those three lines I was stuck on!"
She broke free from Chiose's arms, flipped her notebook open, and started writing furiously.
Just write — just write!
"Ah ah — boot all your thoughts out of the way!"
"Just the two of us, together, singing for a love that will never fall apart…"
Is that too out-there? Hmm…
"Go go go!! Little Taki! It's so good — I could read it all day!"
Really?!?!?!
Then…
"I'll keep going?"
"Yes, keep going! Go!"
Across the pages of the notebook, lyrics poured out like a stream running free:
[思いを蹴って,]
(Ah, just boot all those feelings out of the way,)
[二人でしてんだ,]
(just the two of us, together,)
[壊(わす)れない愛を歌う,]
(singing for a love that won't break — won't be forgotten,)
[言葉を二人に課して,]
(with the power of words between us,)
[誓いをたてんだ,]
(we make our vow,)
[忘れない愛を歌うようにね,]
(singing always for a love that will never be forgotten.)
...
After that furious burst of writing, Shiina Taki — who had already run the whole way to Chiose's apartment — was now completely drenched in sweat.
When inspiration hit, there was truly no stopping it. Her pen was still racing through the last line while her mind had already leapt ahead ten, twenty lines more.
"Phew —"
Taki let out a long breath and held the finished lyrics out to Yoshiiro Chiose.
Chiose had deliberately moved herself to the far side of the room earlier, careful not to disturb Taki's flow.
"Alright, let me have a look… mmm."
Chiose read the lyrics carefully, turning the meaning of each line over in her mind — and then looked up at Shiina Taki for a long, quiet moment.
"Huh? What — that expression —"
"I knew it." Chiose sighed softly.
Yoshiiro Chiose placed her hands on Shiina Taki's shoulders. Scarlet and violet reached across time and space to meet.
"Taki — you make me so incredibly proud. I think I fell for you at first sight."
____
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