Haru's lips twitched slightly. He chose not to dig too deeply into the topic of his little girlfriends' chatter, and instead asked in a subtle tone, "There are less than ten minutes left before we go on stage. How is everyone doing with preparations?"
"No need to worry desuwa!"
Togawa Sakiko cast a sidelong glance at the other girls standing nearby, then placed her right hand on her chest as usual, her graceful posture matched with a warm smile.
Standing here, she no longer seemed like the cold and imposing Oblivionis, but rather the gentle and radiant Togawa Sakiko, soft as moonlight. The sight made Haru's eyes flash with momentary realization.
But he quickly caught himself, his tone laced with teasing. "You're sure everything's fine?"
"Don't underestimate us, Haru!"
"Even if it's been a whole year since we all last performed together, the bond we built back then hasn't gone anywhere. And in this past year, we've each grown so much compared to before. It's just a stage performance… it will be fine!"
Sakiko's confident and serious expression was persuasive, but not far away, Miss Soyo twirled a strand of hair around her fingertip and remarked in a faint, meaningful voice,
"Even if you say that, didn't we still make mistakes during yesterday's practice?"
"T-that was because yesterday wasn't a good day…"
"And what about this morning's rehearsal?"
Shiina Taki rolled her eyes and casually added her jab. Their back-to-back teamwork left Sakiko, who had been standing proudly with hands on her hips, suddenly tongue-tied.
"Something like that happened?"
Haru raised his eyebrows in surprise.
For Miss Sakiko, the keyboardist of Ave Mujica, there was no doubt her skills were at a professional or even higher level. She had kept her composure in the pressure of the Budokan, yet here she was flustered over a live show at RiNG?
Was it just him, or had Sakiko become more innocent since she started dating?
Sakiko knew she couldn't deny the truth, her adorable cheeks reddened as she silently accepted it. But her pride would never allow her to look bad in front of Haru, so she puffed her cheeks and spoke firmly,
"In any case, the training these past days has all been for this performance. Once we get on stage, there's no way anything will go wrong! Just watch from the audience, Haru, and I'll prove it to you with my actions!"
With that, Sakiko turned gracefully, her skirt's petal-like folds spinning in a dazzling sweep as she strode toward the stage, leaving the other four girls exchanging glances.
"She's gotten less and less steady, hasn't she."
Taki pressed a hand to her forehead with a weary sigh. Dropping her arms from her usual cross, she picked up her drumsticks from the table and got ready to follow Sakiko.
"Do you even need to ask? There's only one reason."
Soyo shot a glance toward Haru, and Taki's face quickly shifted to understanding.
Wait a second, they're blaming me for this?
Haru rolled his eyes at the girls staring at him. Being so wrongly accused, he almost wanted to jump on the table and proclaim his innocence in the loudest and most reckless way possible.
"But I get why Sakiko's like that too. After all, the fact that we can bicker and laugh together like this, it's thanks to a certain idiot working hard behind the scenes. Don't you think so, Taki-chan?"
Indirect jabs, huh?
Taki froze awkwardly. Crossing her arms felt wrong, leaving them at her sides felt even worse. With all eyes now on her, her cheeks turned a vivid shade of pink. She coughed lightly and forced herself to speak.
"…Yeah, I guess I should be thanking you."
Well, this just got awkward.
Haru didn't know what to say, his conflicted expression clear for all to see. Taki, who was already struggling to contain her embarrassment, felt her face burn even hotter.
"What's with that look? Got something else to say?"
"Shouldn't there be a thank-you gift? Where's the sincerity in your gratitude?"
"…Huh?"
Taki's eyes widened in disbelief as Haru pointed seriously at his cheek, the gesture as blatant as a signboard. She bit her lip in shame and anger, grinding her teeth. Even Wakaba Mutsumi couldn't help smiling.
Soyo deliberately glanced at her phone, then drawled lazily, "At this rate, the show's about to start. Only a few minutes left, I'd say."
That gave Taki no way out. Red-faced, she finally spat the words out one by one,
"You'll pay for this…"
Chu!
She planted a quick kiss on his cheek, then spun away with her drumsticks. Her blush crept all the way up to her ears, making her even more endearing. Haru barely held back a laugh, forcing his expression into something neutral.
"Did I go too far teasing her?"
"Taki-chan's just all talk. What she really feels inside… well, who can say?"
Soyo smiled with narrowed eyes, her teasing tone carrying a weight that could make anyone shiver. At that moment, she was the apex predator of the room, even making Mutsumi clench her fists lightly.
"…I want to thank you too, Haru."
Her voice fell like crystalline raindrops, clear and delicate. The shy girl with reddened cheeks leaned in to give him a kiss as well, then quickly pulled the flustered Tomori forward, urging her to do the same.
All Haru had wanted was to mess with Taki a little, yet it had somehow turned into a contest.
"Now Sakiko's the only one left. But that's her fault for running off ahead."
Soyo tapped her cheek with a finger, then rose onto her toes and kissed him again, smiling radiantly before grabbing her bass and heading for the stage. Mutsumi waved her hand lightly and followed.
Only Tomori remained, still clutching her notebook.
"Haru, are Anon-chan and Raana-chan here too?"
"They're all already in the audience watching. You don't need to worry."
"That's a relief."
At those words, the little penguin seemed to let go of a heavy burden, her face breaking into a gentle smile. She nodded softly at Haru, her gaze gaining firmness.
Haru chuckled and reached out to pat her head.
"I was worried you girls might get nervous before going on stage, but it looks like I was overthinking it. Now go, and give them a proper farewell performance."
Tomori blinked in surprise, then nodded even more firmly.
"Mm!"
...
Her heartbeat quickened, the fingers gripping the microphone tightening until they turned pale.
Below the stage, scattered faces gazed at her. She had long since grown used to this platform she had stood on several times before, no longer feeling stage fright. Her legs were firmly planted at the center, chest lifted, eyes focused straight ahead.
"Thank you, everyone… for coming to see this performance. But before we begin playing, there are some words I want to say."
Takamatsu Tomori held the microphone in both hands, her gaze gradually filling with genuine emotion.
"In the past, I was lost in life, knowing nothing. It was Sakiko who took my hand, who taught me what human feelings truly are. I have always been, and always will be, deeply grateful to her."
Sakiko blinked in surprise, then gently narrowed her eyes in warmth.
"But things never go the way we want."
"Problems arose between us… and sometimes the important words were left unsaid. What happened in the past cannot be undone. But even so, we can still move forward, we can keep walking toward the future."
Tomori lifted her eyes, speaking with a seriousness beyond imagination. Her focus and determination made her look utterly different from the girl she used to be, so different that it made people want to chase after her, to stand at her side.
Suddenly, she paused.
She had spotted the black-haired boy in the audience. He was still dressed in his neat staff uniform, but in his hand was a bright pink glow stick that clashed with his usual style. He waved it gently with a smile.
The black-haired boy moved his lips, as if speaking to her.
Though she could not hear his words from the stage, somehow she understood what he meant. Her eyes widened as if she could hear Haru's voice echoing deep within her ears.
[Go for it!]
In that moment, she tightened her grip on the microphone.
An endless current of emotion and strength seemed to surge from her heart to her limbs. The trembling in her voice disappeared, and the little penguin's eyes shone wide as she raised her voice with newfound power.
"This Live is for our past! And it is also for our future!"
"Even when the performance ends, our friendship will not!"
Tomori understood perfectly what this performance meant.
It was a farewell to the CRYCHIC of the past, a true curtain call for the ending that had come too late. Yet disbanding did not mean their souls would no longer be connected. The feelings they shared would not fade away.
"Please listen to our song, 'Haruhikage'!"
The soft and melodious sound of the keyboard began the performance, its gentleness echoing across the entire hall. The emotions were so intense they felt tangible, as if they could be seen, and they swept through every heart present.
Her voice was still as tender and sweet as always, but now it was filled with strength of the soul. She sang with steady skill, carrying raw emotion on the rising melody, climbing step by step toward the heights.
What was this feeling?
Most of the audience had come only by chance, knowing nothing about the Live beforehand. Many had intended only to pass the time. Yet here they were, stunned by the sheer force of impact.
Among them, Haru could not help but smile.
"…You've really grown."
In the past, even singing at all had been impossible for her. And when she did, her limited lung capacity forced her to struggle, so all she could do was desperately shout.
But now, she had grown little by little.
Compared to that timid penguin from before, she had become someone remarkable.
She no longer needed to shout, and yet she was shouting from the depths of her heart.
Haru slowly closed his eyes, letting her emotions wash through him, and immersed himself in the performance with the rest of the crowd, until the final notes faded like time slipping away.
The song ended.
The audience, shaken back to themselves, burst into applause. Cheers and shouts of anticipation filled every corner of the hall. On stage, the girl who held all eyes upon her pressed her lips together, her eyes faintly red.
"Thank you so much, everyone!"
With one last deep bow of gratitude, she brought the performance to a close.
The others held back their emotions as they gathered around Tomori and returned backstage. Then came a flood of praise, so much that the little penguin who had felt sad moments earlier now stood frozen in surprise.
"Tomori, you were amazing!"
"That performance was incredible…"
Taki and Sakiko showered her with compliments, leaving Tomori clutching the microphone in flustered confusion. Seeing her dazed look, even Soyo, who had intended to praise her too, couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright, alright, let's calm down a bit."
"Can't you see Tomori doesn't know what to do?"
Taki and Sakiko immediately pulled back their excitement, exchanging slightly embarrassed glances. They forced themselves to calm down, and turned to apologize to the penguin.
"It's… it's fine."
Tomori raised her brows lightly, trying to look serious.
Just as she was about to speak again, the dressing room door swung open. Haru stepped inside with a smile, waving them over. Then he deliberately stepped aside.
A slim, pink figure darted past him, and in the next instant, Tomori was caught in a fierce hug by a girl as radiant as spring blossoms.
"Tomori! You were amazing!"
"Anon-chan?"
Tomori blinked in shock at the sudden impact, then instinctively wrapped her arms around Chihaya Anon, gently patting her back as if to soothe her excitement.
Anon suddenly raised her head, her eyes reddened. "I saw everything from the audience! You really… really gave it your all!"
"Thank you…"
Tomori's cheeks flushed, her own shyness showing through.
"Next time, at our Live, I'll work even harder!"
"Don't push yourself too much, alright?"
Haru muttered half in exasperation as he reached out to pinch the penguin's smooth cheek. Then he handed her the notebook he held. Tomori's eyes lit up at once as she carefully took it from him.
Seeing her reaction, Haru couldn't help but laugh.
"Tomori, there's still something you want to say, isn't there?"
"…!"
Tomori nodded firmly. Under the puzzled stares of the girls around her, she slowly opened the notebook in her hands, revealing a page filled with neatly written lyrics.
"Anon-chan…"
"These are the lyrics I wrote… for MyGO's next Live. What do you think?"
The tightly packed yet perfectly orderly handwriting showed her seriousness. Her eyes shone with expectation as she held the notebook out. Chihaya Anon, overwhelmed, could only accept it in surprise.
Shiina Taki's face lit up with astonishment, and she finally realized aloud, "So that notebook Tomori gave Haru before… it was filled with lyrics for a new song?!"
"She was worried her writing wouldn't be good enough, so she insisted on having me check it over first." Haru chuckled and winked, then added with a slightly smug grin, "Seeing how hard you've all been working these days, I decided to put in some effort myself."
"The new song is already finished."
The girls all froze at once. Togawa Sakiko was the first to react, her beautiful eyes widening in disbelief as she exclaimed, "MyGO's new song is already written!?"
"When Tomori gave you that notebook, it was only a few days ago, wasn't it…"
A human composition machine?
For the first time, Sakiko felt the weight of 'talent.' She suddenly remembered how, in the dream world, she had once taught Haru music and piano, only to be completely surpassed in the end.
In the blink of an eye, he had reached a place far beyond her reach.
"…You really haven't changed at all, have you?"
Fortunately, after months of experience, Taki already understood what kind of musical monster Haru was. At this point, she no longer felt inferior because of things like this.
If anything, she had grown used to it.
"I worked so hard, Taki. Don't I deserve the same kind of 'reward' as earlier?"
"In your dreams!"
Taki's face went crimson as she bared her teeth at Haru. Embarrassing herself once in front of everyone had been more than enough. And now Anon and Sakiko were here too, there was no way she was letting that happen again.
"Reward? What reward?"
Sakiko blinked in confusion, but Soyo smoothly brushed it aside with a cheerful smile before she could dig further.
The noisy chatter around them did nothing to disturb the two at the center. Under Tomori's nervous and hopeful gaze, Anon, notebook in hand, took a deep breath, then hugged her tightly again, her eyes shining.
"Tomori, let's perform this song next time!"
"In fact, I can't even wait… I want to start practicing right now! Rikki, Soyorin, and Raana-chan, stop pestering Haru! Let's get to work on the rehearsal for our next Live!"
"You're the one who needs to calm down! We just came off the stage, you know!?"
Watching the girls argue in front of him, Haru could only let out a weary sigh.
Anyway, first things first: time to eat.