"Soyo-san isn't CRYCHIC's bassist?"
"I thought hearing Haruhikage would make you happy…"
Looking at the out-of-control Soyo, Kamijou Mutsuki spoke as if he were being extremely sincere. But seeing that familiar Anon-like uneven gaze on his face, Nagasaki Soyo only felt a vague sense of mockery.
"Who the hell would be happy about that?!"
At this point, Nagasaki Soyo had completely stopped caring about her image. She showed outright hostility and rejection toward Kamijou Mutsuki's act of dancing wildly on her emotional landmines.
"Hey, customer, please keep it down…"
Soyo's completely unrestrained noise finally attracted the attention of the RiNG staff. However, the person who came over this time was not the cute Kasumi-san, but someone Soyo knew.
"Wait, you're—"
"Taki…"
Having her moment of losing composure witnessed by a former bandmate made Soyo freeze on the spot.
However, the shock felt by this RiNG staff member with long dark-brown hair and a cold, aloof aura—Shiina Taki—was even greater.
Although Taki, as a hardcore Tomori-only fan, never had much fondness for the outwardly gentle Soyo, Nagasaki Soyo's "mom-role" persona had always been executed perfectly.
Even when Sakiko quit CRYCHIC back then, she had never shown this kind of…an expression that Taki found hard to put into words.
"Sorry, Taki-chan,"
It had to be said—women really are born actors. Nagasaki Soyo even more so. That instant switch into her soft, cutesy voice was so flawless that even Kamijou Mutsuki couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
"I got a bit too excited just now… I think I disturbed everyone!"
"I'm really sorry~"
"…Hmph. If you're going to argue with your boyfriend, do it at home."
Seeing Soyo return to her usual familiar demeanor, Taki didn't pursue the matter further. She snorted coldly and walked away.
Come to think of it… she'd just now heard what sounded like Tomori singing Haruhikage?
…Nah. Must've been her imagination.
"..."
Taki's words before leaving caused the mask Soyo had just put back on to crack once more.
That guy is not her boyfriend!
Someone that annoying… probably only bugs would like him, right?
Nagasaki Soyo maliciously thought so in her heart.
"What exactly do you want?"
Perhaps feeling that she had already exposed her true self in front of Kamijou Mutsuki, Nagasaki Soyo completely gave up on pretending, staring at him with a darkened expression.
"…Sakiko?"
Looking at the Soyo he had successfully pushed into a breakdown, Kamijou Mutsuki looked thoroughly satisfied.
That sweetness… was no less than Sakiko's yesterday.
"?"
Obviously, the pure-hearted girl failed to understand Kamijou Mutsuki's somewhat unhealthy inner monologue.
"Please don't look at me with such a scary expression, Soyo-chan. I'm just an ordinary CRYCHIC fan, that's all…"
"A CRYCHIC fan…"
In response to Kamijou Mutsuki's words, Nagasaki Soyo let out a cold laugh.
A fan?
What kind of fan shoves their face right up to their idol's trauma to mock them?
She absolutely didn't believe that Kamijou Mutsuki's in-your-face attack just now came from any kind intent.
"To show my love for CRYCHIC,"
Kamijou Mutsuki ignored Nagasaki Soyo's suspicious gaze and continued.
"I've decided to make an anime based on CRYCHIC. Would Soyo be interested in doing voice acting for it?"
"Sorry,"
How should Nagasaki Soyo respond to Kamijou Mutsuki's invitation?
Clearly, this wasn't a question that required any thought.
"I'm not interested in animation or—"
"Sakiko is also voicing a role in this anime~"
Checkmate.
Seeing Nagasaki Soyo's frozen expression, Kamijou Mutsuki already knew the final outcome.
"Saki-chan…"
After what had just happened, Nagasaki Soyo no longer wanted to have anything to do with Kamijou Mutsuki, but he had just presented her with a condition she couldn't refuse.
Yesterday's encounter had merely been a coincidence, and coupled with the fact that Sakiko didn't reply to her LINE messages, Nagasaki Soyo had, in practice, already lost contact with her.
If she agreed to Kamijou Mutsuki's proposal, she would undoubtedly gain a stable channel to keep tabs on Sakiko—an irresistible temptation for Nagasaki Soyo.
"I can agree, but I want to know—your relationship with Sakiko…"
This time, however, Nagasaki Soyo surprisingly didn't let thoughts of Sakiko overwhelm her completely. Instead, she used the leverage she had to extract more information from Kamijou Mutsuki.
"There's no relationship between Sakiko and me."
"But yesterday I saw you with her…"
Since everything was already out in the open, Nagasaki Soyo didn't hide the fact that she'd been there yesterday.
"Yes, I did threaten her,"
Seeing Soyo's expression instantly turn terrifying, Kamijou Mutsuki calmly added, "…but I only wanted her to voice my anime—just like I'm asking you today."
"Other than that, there's nothing else between us right now."
"What happened to her has nothing to do with me."
"…You know what happened to Sakiko?"
Although she still found Kamijou Mutsuki irritating, at this moment Nagasaki Soyo felt that he wasn't lying, and she pressed on.
"To that question… my answer is yes."
"Then do you know why Sakiko quit CRYCHIC? And why she's now—"
Hearing this, Nagasaki Soyo's face lit up with excitement. She leaned toward Kamijou Mutsuki almost impatiently, close enough that he could even catch a faint, subtle fragrance coming from her.
If she could learn the truth behind Sakiko leaving CRYCHIC, maybe she could change Sakiko's attitude—maybe even…
bring back that warm "home" from her memories.
"I'm sorry, but as for the rest of that, please forgive me—I have nothing I can disclose."
However, Kamijou Mutsuki was not swayed by beauty at all, and rejected Soyo firmly.
Although after MyGO!!!!! was finished, what had happened to Sakiko would clearly no longer be something that could be hidden, that was a matter for later. Right now, it was obviously still too early.
If he really told Soyo about customer-service Sakiko's current situation now, Kamijou Mutsuki feared that "Teacher Sakiko" would straight-up go nuclear on him.
"You…"
Seeing Kamijou Mutsuki refuse to answer, Nagasaki Soyo instantly became exasperated.
It was one thing for Mutsumi not to tell her—but why were you doing the same?!
Did you all plan this together?!
"Please sign the contract, Soyo-chan."
"…I hope what you're saying is true."
Although Kamijou Mutsuki's perfectly timed "edging" left her unbearably frustrated, faced with his resolute attitude, she could only give up on continuing to press him.
Taking the pen and contract Kamijou Mutsuki handed over, Nagasaki Soyo was just about to open it—
"Wait—stop right there, Zero-chan!"
A big black rat—
No, a small gray, closed-eyed Tomori suddenly dashed past Kamijou Mutsuki and ran out, followed closely by a pink Saint Anon.
....................