The one who should apologize, in her eyes, was not Mutsumi.
Soyo parted her lips as if to speak, but at the sight of Mutsumi's blank expression, she held her words back. She bit down hard on her paling lips, her sapphire-blue eyes glimmering with turbulent emotions.
The air by the garden bed grew heavy with silence, but it did not remain unbroken.
Standing still, Soyo slowly lifted her head. Her lashes trembled faintly, betraying her complicated feelings, yet her gaze grew firm, the kind of clarity that only came with opening one's heart.
"The one who should be saying sorry… is me."
"Soyo?"
Mutsumi had not expected that at all. Her golden eyes, usually calm as still water, rippled with panic. The trowel and watering can in her hands nearly slipped, mud still clinging to their surfaces.
She had imagined countless possibilities last night, but never this one.
"I've told far too many lies before. I don't even know how I should apologize to you. But I do know this, from now on… I will never lie to you again."
"You've always thought of me first, but I only ended up betraying your kindness."
"I'm truly… sorry."
Soyo bowed her head as she spoke, her voice soft yet resolute. Mutsumi opened her mouth, but her clumsy tongue found no words. For a moment she panicked, until a memory surfaced, of a certain black-haired boy's meaningful smile.
Suddenly, Mutsumi set aside the trowel and watering can. She crouched down toward the garden bed, not caring as her uniform skirt brushed against the damp earth, and stared intently at something among the leaves.
"Mutsumi?"
Soyo blinked, confused by her sudden movement.
But before Soyo could even ask, Mutsumi stood back up again. In her hand was a cucumber, still damp with dew, glowing faintly under the light streaming through the greenhouse.
"…This is for you, Soyo."
Mutsumi offered it with trembling lips, her voice unsteady.
There was no need to worry if her words were clumsy. If the heart was sincere, it would be understood. And if she feared her answer might come out wrong, then action would speak for her.
This was something Haru had taught her.
"…"
Soyo froze, eyes widening slightly at the sight of the gleaming cucumber in Mutsumi's hand.
Its color and shape were both flawless, a healthy fruit even an amateur could recognize as high quality. It was the result of all Mutsumi's quiet, diligent effort, a product of her care alone.
Perhaps because she felt the weight of that sincerity, Soyo's eyes softened, glimmering faintly. She stepped closer and, once again, drew out her lace handkerchief, gently wiping the dirt that had smudged across Mutsumi's delicate face in her haste.
"Then I'll accept it."
She didn't care that it had just been pulled from the soil, or that flecks of dirt clung stubbornly to it. With her handkerchief tucked away, she carefully took the cucumber, holding it gently as though it were precious.
Their eyes met, wordless.
"…"
A faint joy flickered in Mutsumi's golden gaze, though she had no idea how to express it. She simply stood there like a child, her usually blank face shifting just slightly with emotion.
"All this time I called you my best friend, but I forgot… it was always one-sided. I only took from you, selfishly, without ever considering your feelings. I even used your guilt against you."
"It's fine."
Mutsumi shook her head lightly, leaving Soyo surprised.
"I… also made mistakes. I didn't know how to reach you. I could only clumsily stand in your way. If I had been stronger, I could have spoken with you properly much earlier…"
"It's fine."
This time, Soyo closed her eyes, echoing Mutsumi's words back to her.
A soft smile blossomed on her already gentle features, a smile stripped of all pretense, born purely from her heart. It had been so long since Mutsumi last saw that expression that her golden eyes widened in awe.
"The past, let's let it all go."
A blush crept across Soyo's cheeks. To cover her shyness, she cleared her throat softly. Then, extending her right hand toward Mutsumi, she continued in a gentle tone.
"From now on, we'll start anew. And together, we'll stand by Haru's side."
The sudden gesture seemed to overwhelm the little cucumber fairy's brain. She froze for several seconds before finally reacting, slowly extending her own right hand. At last, their palms touched, fingers interlacing.
"…Mm."
The doll-like girl of few words said nothing more, only gave a small nod, expressing her will through simple action.
She was awkward and hesitant, but Soyo only smiled and closed her sapphire eyes. A shimmer of moisture welled within them, emotions rising like a tide.
Perhaps it was in this very moment that they truly reached mutual understanding.
"Then, I'll be counting on you, Mutsumi~"
At those words, Mutsumi's lips curved faintly. Her right hand brushed against the engagement ring on her left, and across from her, Soyo's eyes narrowed into crescents, her smile soft and warm.
The two girls held each other's gaze for a while, until Soyo suddenly lifted her head as if remembering something.
"Ah, I almost forgot what I came here for. Haru probably hasn't explained it to you in detail yet, has he?"
"…?"
Mutsumi tilted her head in confusion, eyes wide, looking almost childishly dazed. The sight made Soyo chuckle softly, though she quickly pressed her lips together and continued.
"It's about CRYCHIC's performance. Actually..."
She explained patiently, recounting everything that had happened, repeating the words of Togawa Sakiko and Takamatsu Tomori in particular. As she spoke, the dullness in Mutsumi's eyes gave way to a glimmer of light.
For so long, Mutsumi had borne the blame for CRYCHIC's breakup, carrying the weight of guilt on her shoulders. To hear now, after all her struggle, that the truth was not so simple...
It left her silent, emotions tangled and deep.
"Mutsumi, what do you think?"
Soyo noticed her silence and asked with gentle concern.
Mutsumi shook her head slowly, her voice calm and steady. "I don't think… I feel… it's good."
For those who had once been part of CRYCHIC, this matter was perhaps a wound that might never fully heal. Yet now, they had been given a true chance to let go. How could she possibly not support it?
"Then we start practice today. Saki already reserved a studio at RiNG, so after school we'll be doing emergency training. There isn't much time left before we get on stage, you know?"
"Besides, we can't let Haru down."
Soyo winked playfully at the little cucumber fairy before her. Hearing those words, Mutsumi nodded firmly. She understood well enough that this chance for mutual understanding and release had been made possible because of Haru from the very beginning.
Although he always claimed that he had only "given Tomori a little push," those who had once been in CRYCHIC knew perfectly well how much effort Haru had put in for them, how much he had done to reach this gentle outcome.
So of course, they could not let him down.
"Mm!"
The girl nodded, her pale golden eyes growing steady.
…
A few days later.
Ikebukuro District, LiveHouse — RiNG's concert venue.
"The ticket entrance is here, please proceed in an orderly fashion~"
Dressed in a neat staff uniform, his black hair tied into a clean, low ponytail behind him, Kazami Haru stood at the ticket gate, skillfully checking tickets and admitting guests. His sharp, clean features fit the role perfectly.
The reason Haru was working here as "staff" was simple. The original staff member, Taki, would be on stage tonight, leaving a gap in manpower. As the band's manager, Haru naturally stepped in to fill it.
Fortunately, he had plenty of experience helping at STARRY in Shimokitazawa, so this sort of work was nothing at all to him. Even if he were asked to handle the lighting system or fine-tune the sound equipment, it would have been no problem. For him, this was like using an excavator to crack a walnut.
"…By now, it should almost be time."
The performance had yet to begin, but audience members were already filing into the hall.
Perhaps because this live had been arranged on such short notice, with only a few days between announcement and performance, the whole thing had taken everyone by surprise, both audience and performers alike. And since there had been little to no promotion, the number of ticket holders was rather small.
But Haru felt that for the girls about to take the stage, the size of the audience hardly mattered. This performance was for themselves. Even if only a few friends came to watch, it would be more than enough.
"Haru, good evening~!"
The voice was bright and sweet, like a lark's song, instantly catching his ear.
Haru turned instinctively toward the entrance and saw a group of vividly colored heads approaching. Compared to their bright hair, his own dark appearance made him feel somewhat out of place.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he raised a hand in greeting.
The voice's owner, of course, was none other than the ever-cheerful Ikuyo Kita. Her radiant smile seemed to radiate heat and light, like a small furnace in winter, filling the space with warmth.
In truth, she really was a furnace.
In every sense.
"We came to cheer them on~"
Behind her, Ijichi Nijika called out in a lively tone. Haru's gaze shifted briefly toward her, taking in her outfit for the night, and he gave a quiet note of admiration before answering in his usual calm manner.
"Perfect timing, there's still a little while before it starts."
"Anon and Uika are already inside, you'll probably see them once you go in."
Ryo lifted her eyes, the pale gold in them gleaming with meaning as they flicked back and forth between Haru and Nijika. Then, in her cool, detached voice, she finally spoke.
"Looking at Nijika first thing, that's just like you~"
The air froze instantly.
"Eh?! Ryo, what are you even saying?!"
Nijika, who had been smiling happily just moments before, suddenly panicked. Her cheeks flushed red as she stole a quick glance at Haru, only to quickly look away when he turned his head, pretending it was nothing while muttering under her breath.
Haru raised an eyebrow.
"You can kiss recklessly, but you shouldn't speak recklessly."
"My eyes go one by one in order, don't think I looked at Nijika and ignored the rest of you."
"Haru's right… wait, what?"
Nijika had been ready to agree, but suddenly froze. She looked helplessly toward him, her already flushed cheeks now painted with confusion. At last, she sighed softly in resignation.
...Of course. How could she ever expect Haru to behave differently?
After all, his personality was a perfect match with Ryo's.
"I'm so jealous of Nijika-senpai…"
"Don't be jealous!"
Kita's envious comment made Nijika's entire face turn red as she raised her little fists, flustered and cute in equal measure. Whether it was excitement or embarrassment, her complaints tumbled out nonstop, drawing curious stares from the surrounding audience.
All those eyes gathering at once brought unbearable pressure, until finally little Bocchi couldn't stand it anymore and raised her hand timidly.
"Um… shouldn't we go inside already?"
"Oh no, we're blocking the way for other people!"
Nijika quickly realized the attention they were drawing. Flustered, she hurriedly gave Haru a quick nod of acknowledgment before grabbing both Ryo and Bocchi by the arms and dragging them straight into the hall.
Only Kita was left behind, blinking in confusion. She called out in a rush, "Then I'd better go after Nijika-senpai too! Haru, we'll talk later!"
With that, Ikuyo Kita dashed into the hall as well, leaving Haru to swallow his urge to retort. He steadied himself with a slow breath and returned to his ticketing duties.
But just then, someone tapped him on the shoulder.
"Senpai Narita Top Road?"
"For the last time~ who even is this 'Narita Top Road' supposed to be?!"
It was Matsugi Ririko, also dressed in staff uniform. She puffed her cheeks and scolded him, then deliberately winked, as if trying to pass along some secret message.
"Ririko-san, did you get dust in your eyes?"
"It's not like that! I'm just 'simply' telling you that it's already time to switch shifts."
Matsugi Ririko cast a glance out of the corner of her eye, toward the backstage prep room of the Live. The meaning behind the gesture was obvious enough.
"I'll handle the ticket gate here. You should go find a spot to rest for a bit."
As she spoke, she raised her thumb slowly in Haru's direction. He felt both grateful and amused at the same time, only shrugging as he replied casually, "They're all mature enough now. Even if I don't watch over them, they'll do fine on stage."
"That's not the point at all."
"Don't give me that nonsense. Go, go, go..."
Ririko only rolled her eyes, then shoved his back until he was pushed away from the ticket booth. She even waved her hand dismissively after him, muttering something under her breath.
Haru could only sigh helplessly and hand the work over.
There was no reason to refuse anyway. This was, after all, Narita Top Road(NTR)-senpai's goodwill.
As thanks, next time I'll schedule you for the late shift.
Though his lips had just been saying he wasn't worried about them, Haru's stubborn streak was showing. Even knowing full well that with Sakiko and Taki there, nothing could possibly go wrong, he found his steps quickening as he reached for the door to the prep room.
"How's the—"
The moment he pushed it open, his expression froze. All four girls were huddled together in one corner of the sofa, whispering about something. In the middle sat Takamatsu Tomori, cheeks flushed red as she muttered in a tiny voice.
Wait, what exactly is going on here?
"Ahem..."
Haru gave a small cough to announce himself, which made all of them jolt as though struck by lightning.
They scattered apart in an instant. Taki in particular had ears glowing bright red like she was feverish, folding her arms and pretending to sit nonchalantly to the side. Soyo twisted a strand of hair around her fingers with one hand while her other hand jabbed Sakiko lightly in the waist.
Sakiko, who had been trying to shrink away, was shoved out into the open. Her face stiffened, hesitating for a half-second before she donned her usual graceful, lady-like composure. With a faint quiver in her voice, she finally spoke.
"We were just discussing the ensemble. After all, we're going on stage very soon."
"We have to be fully prepared before the performance."
Wait, wasn't that the same excuse Taki used earlier?
And besides, he hadn't even asked them anything yet. Why were they already jumping to explain themselves?