"..."
Looking at the cutesy-voiced girl in front of him, Kamijou Mutsuki fell silent.
My target isn't you this time… so why did you come up to me on your own?
Good grief, are we reversing the heavens here?
And why would Soyo take the initiative to talk to him?
Although she shared a "mom" role like that angel from Shimokitazawa, this young lady certainly wasn't the type to be so proactive.
As for being dazzled by male charm—impossible. He wasn't the White Sakiko that Soyo's special attack worked on, after all…
So that's it, huh?
Yesterday… she saw him?
With a guess forming in his mind, Kamijou Mutsuki's face broke into a smile once again.
"…No, the person I'm waiting for has already arrived."
After all, he would meet them eventually—order didn't matter.
"..."
The look of surprise hadn't vanished; it had just shifted to Soyo's face.
"Let's move somewhere else to talk. I'm sure you don't want an audience, either."
Though she could only be considered a nouveau riche for now, in terms of appearance and aura, Soyo was top-tier at this young ladies' school—naturally drawing attention.
Her approaching Kamijou Mutsuki, an outsider and a handsome guy, had already caught the eyes of many. Some of the other young ladies were even beginning to speculate about their relationship.
Could he be Soyo-chan's boyfriend?
He looks so gentle and handsome!
"…Mm."
Taken aback by the unexpected development, Nagasaki Soyo couldn't even maintain her usual elegant young lady posture. She simply responded with a subdued nod.
Then the two of them left under the gossiping eyes of the surrounding young ladies. Among the group, however, one green-eyed "Mutsumi" looked noticeably out of place, his gaze unusually serious.
This boy… is the one Father mentioned…
Why is Soyo-chan with him…?
As if recalling something, the seriousness in the girl's eyes shifted to worry.
And then, unnoticed by everyone else, the green-eyed Mutsumi quietly followed after them.
-----------------------------------
RiNG was arguably the most famous livehouse nearby. Whether from Haneoka, Hanasakigawa, or even Tsukinomori where Soyo attended school, girls who played in bands loved to gather here.
At the same time, it was also a place that held many precious and complicated memories for Soyo.
For reasons unknown, Kamijou Mutsuki had chosen this as the location for their conversation.
After two girls with pink and gray hair happened to enter a private booth, Kamijou Mutsuki and Soyo followed them inside.
"Cute Orange-san, could we have two cups of hot Earl Grey, please?"
"Hehe young man, you sure know how to talk"
This guy…
Truly, he was a flirtatious man!
Watching the waitress, Kasumi-san, smile so widely at Kamijou Mutsuki's words, Soyo thought to herself.
Although initially flustered by Kamijou Mutsuki taking the lead, Nagasaki Soyo quickly regained her composure.
From her perspective, there was no way Kamijou Mutsuki could know her.
Even if he had learned something about her from Sakiko, his expression when spoken to previously proved he wasn't waiting for her.
As for why he responded the way he did…
To Soyo, the answer was obvious: he saw her and was infatuated!
Even though she rarely interacted with the opposite sex, Soyo knew her own charm very well.
Especially when Kamijou Mutsuki looked at her, the smile on his face was completely uncontrollable—further confirming her suspicion.
Kamijou Mutsuki: I've caught a disease where I can't stop smiling whenever I see Soyo.
Furthermore, Soyo recalled that yesterday, Kamijou Mutsuki had shown something to Sakiko, and her expression had changed instantly.
At the time, her mind had been full of Sakiko, so she hadn't thought much of it.
But now, thinking carefully…
Could Sakiko have been coerced by this guy?!
After all, with a personality like his, surely someone as cute as Sakiko would also be a target of his.
It was even possible that Sakiko quitting Crychic was because of…
So that's why Sakiko didn't want her to get close—she didn't want to drag her into it.
Indeed, Sakiko wasn't really that cold toward her—she still cared!
Nagasaki Soyo felt as if she had already guessed the truth, almost moved to tears.
No matter what, she absolutely had to save Sakiko from the man in front of her!
"Um… may I ask why you've come looking for me?"
Nagasaki Soyo set down her cup of hot Earl Grey, her expression troubled, her voice almost sweet to the point of being cloying.
"Being approached out of the blue by a stranger… I was pretty startled myself."
Soyo began subtly probing for information, but this little playful act, rather than annoying Kamijou Mutsuki, struck him as awkwardly cute.
So… how should he respond?
His target had suddenly changed, clearly throwing off Kamijou Mutsuki's original plan.
But soon, a smirk appeared on the boy's lips.
"…Kusanda kokoro furueru manazashi~"
Soyo: "???"
Kamijou Mutsuki had just killed the match.
"Sekai de boku wa hitoribocchi datta~"
Nagasaki Soyo had thought she could remain composed no matter what Kamijou Mutsuki said.
Until the voice of Haruhikage rang out, she realized she was still too young.
And Kamijou Mutsuki wasn't singing carelessly—the voice and delivery, even if not exactly like Tomori's, were indistinguishable, clearly well-prepared.
This sudden ambush immediately brought back memories of when Crychic hadn't yet disbanded—the warmth, the sense of fulfillment.
"Chiru koto shika shiranai haru wa~"
Kamijou Mutsuki kept singing, pouring everything into it.
"Um…"
Nagasaki Soyo tried one last time to stay composed, but it was clearly futile.
Moreover, the singing awakened not just the happiness of the past, but also the pain and despair from Crychic's breakup.
"Maitoshi tsumetaku ashirau~"
"Shut up…"
The poised, young-lady smile on Nagasaki Soyo's face finally broke. The painful memories, continuously assaulted by the song, shattered her reason.
"Kuragari no naka ippōtsūkō ni~"
"Tada tada kotoba o kakinagutte~"
"I said shut up!"
The breakdown of a minor—sometimes it happens in an instant, just like what had happened to Soyo-san.
She stood abruptly, face darkened, and slammed her hands hard on the table in front of her.
The sudden loud noise not only interrupted Kamijou Mutsuki's singing but also drew astonished glances from those around them.
"Why are you singing Haruhikage?!"
You've got to be kidding me!
This, more or less, perfectly captured the girl's state of mind at that moment.
.......................