Torrential rain. A gloomy city. An oppressive curtain of water.
The weather had been miserable for days now.
Looking down from inside the rehearsal room, all there was to see was rain.
"Do you think Sakiko will come today?"
Chiose had her hearing aid in, and she was talking quietly with Taki Shiina beside her.
Her waist and stomach ached, the muscles sore and tight.
Probably because she'd barely slept again the night before, spending it at the keyboard until morning.
The stand-in keyboardist really did push herself too hard.
"Who knows what that one's doing."
Taki reached over and stroked Chiose's hearing aid, her fingerprints looping across the pirate ship carved into its shell.
After knowing each other so long, Taki had more or less learned how to work Chiose's hearing aid.
Her distracted fingers drifted downward, until she couldn't stop herself from giving Chiose's earlobe a pinch.
The victim let out a small whimper. Taki Shiina froze and didn't dare mess with Chiose any further.
"Ahem. Ahem, ahem, ahem. …Let's get back to listening to the rain."
Meeting the strange looks from the other three in the rehearsal room, Taki Shiina — rare for her — went red in the cheeks in front of everyone.
The rain was still falling.
The rain had never stopped.
"Am I… crying?"
Sakiko felt as though she had started crying again.
Wretched, pitiful crying.
"No. These are absolutely not my tears."
It was only water running down out of her hair. It had to be.
"Today…"
Today was a special day. Today! Today she, Togawa Sakiko, would put an end to everything that had to do with Crychic!
Over these past few days Togawa Sakiko had left the family alongside her father, and now the household depended on a girl of fourteen or fifteen to support it by herself.
No ordinary shop would ever hire her, so she could only take work that paid a pittance by the hour — delivering newspapers, for instance.
Even then, Togawa Sakiko still wanted to make it to rehearsal. But today, one thing had broken her completely.
[Miss Togawa, please come collect your father as soon as possible.]
That was how the officer at the police station had put it over the phone.
Something welled up in Sakiko's chest that she had no words for.
She had believed she would lead the band to shine, and that its light would be a comfort to her mother's spirit in heaven.
But how was she supposed to play in a band now?
"Forget it… Let it all end. The fantasy has crumbled. I've lost whatever it took to play at bands."
Sakiko walked the road she knew better than any other and came to a stop outside the room where they always rehearsed.
She spared no thought for how bedraggled she looked, none for the hem of her clothes still dripping rainwater.
And then Togawa Sakiko simply pushed the rehearsal room door open.
It wasn't a forceful motion, yet the sound of the door rang out unusually loud.
"Sakiko! Thank goodness, you finally came!"
Soyo's voice rose, and every face in the room turned toward Togawa Sakiko wearing a different expression.
Takamatsu Tomori didn't dare look at her. Taki Shiina flicked her eyes away in irritation. Wakaba Mutsumi kept her back to them all, like some aloof, solitary monarch.
And Chiose Noshiro? Chiose Noshiro was sitting hand in hand with Taki Shiina, the two of them tucked together, sickeningly cozy.
Nagasaki Soyo took a few small steps forward and went on:
"You're soaked through. Are you all right?"
"You haven't been at school, and you don't answer my messages…"
Soyo took out a handkerchief to wipe the water from Sakiko's face, only for Sakiko to catch her by the wrist and stop the motion cold.
It was the first time Togawa Sakiko had ever thought her own behavior rude. But there was nothing for it.
"I came today to say one thing…"
"I'm quitting Crychic."
"Eh? Wait, sit down first, let's talk about it."
Nagasaki Soyo was startled enough that she nearly screamed, but nothing was going to stop what Sakiko had come to do.
This band… she was dead set on leaving it.
"Sakiko? You mean… you're quitting the band?"
Chiose, hearing aid in, rose to her feet with disbelief written all over her face — but someone else moved faster than she did.
"Huh? What the hell are you even saying? Didn't you put this band together a few weeks ago? What is this all of a sudden?"
Taki Shiina rushed forward and seized Togawa Sakiko by the collar, hoisting her up like some scrawny little quail.
Soyo was pleading with her, Tomori had shut herself away, Mutsumi was watching the rain — and Chiose stepped in and caught Taki's arm.
She shook her head, asking without words. When Taki Shiina turned to look, all she saw were Chiose's disbelieving tears rolling down, on and on, without stopping.
"Huh?! You actually made Little Chiose cry — Togawa Sakiko, you—!"
"Don't! Taki! Don't—" Soyo grabbed Taki Shiina's fist just in time; she was genuinely afraid Taki would deck Sakiko the very next second.
In the band, Taki and Chiose were the closest by far — so close they refused to be apart for a moment, like a pair of conjoined twins.
And now Chiose had been hurt… Taki had to be furious past all reason.
"I… I'm the one who wants out of the band, that's all. It has nothing to do with any of you…"
Forced to let go, Togawa Sakiko cradled her arm, and what was left of her judgment sank to its lowest point. She clenched her teeth and turned the blade toward—
Chiose Noshiro, the one still clutching her hand!
"Chiose, you're the one who needs the practice most…"
"What are you talking about? Huh? Little Chiose works harder than any of us — do you even hear yourself? Sakiko, have you really been trying? Little Chiose has worn that thing for the band this whole—"
"That is not what I came here to discuss! Taki Shiina!"
Sakiko had backed all the way to the doorway. Outside, the roar of the rain rose to its loudest, and she had bitten her lips purple.
"Taki… you and Chiose…"
"You're nothing but two defective things huddling together for warmth! Do you actually care about this band? All you care about is Chiose… so why do you talk as if you care about the band more than… more than I do!"
By the time Sakiko understood what she had just said, it was far too late.
Taki and the others were struck speechless by her words. Only one thing was left in Sakiko's head now.
Run!
Not a moment of time would wait on Togawa Sakiko's words, and the one now breaking into a run was that blue-haired girl.
"S-Sakiko!"
Chiose had already thrown herself into this performance. Ignoring Taki's attempt to hold her back, she chased straight out the door.
Corridor. Corridor. Corridor.
After that came flight upon flight of steps and stairwells. Chiose Noshiro stumbled after the girl ahead of her the whole way, her body swaying from the instant she plunged into the downpour.
In her line of sight, Togawa Sakiko was only getting faster.
And what Chiose Noshiro knew was this… someone was chasing her from behind, too.
Long black hair soaked through, purple eyes full of anger and panic — ah, my beautiful girl with the tear mole.
Forgive me my performance. I promise I'll make it up to you.
From this moment on, this rainy night is a stage that belongs to the two of us.
No — from this moment on…
This script, tailored just for you, truly begins.
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