However, Anon's invitation seemed to flip some kind of switch inside Tomori, and the expression on the girl's face grew increasingly emo.
"Even if we form a band…"
"We'll fail again."
The camera gave a close-up of Tomori clenching her fist.
"Tomori…"
Seeing Tomori like this, Taki couldn't help but feel a bit of heartache.
But compared to her, another girl was even more shaken.
"I'm sorry, Tomori."
Looking at the sad Tomori on the screen, Sakiko's lips were almost bitten to the point of bleeding.
After quitting CRYCHIC, the one she felt the most guilty toward was probably this dazed, adorable girl who was like a small animal.
"I'm sorry…"
But what she could do amounted to no more than apologizing sadly to that girl like this, when she was all alone. That so-called strength was nothing more than a false lace mask—she didn't even have the courage to truly face her.
At this moment, the anime cut to a new scene.
In the scene where Anon pulled Tomori outside, there was also a shot of Sakiko watching from behind a window.
After that, the camera shifted to Tsukinomori Girls' Academy.
That's right—next, it was Soyo and the "Wakaba Mutsumi's" turn to appear.
Seeing this, Anon let out a sharp sigh of relief. Finally, it was someone else's turn!
If it kept playing, all of her little secrets were going to be shaken out by Kamijou Mutsuki.
But thinking about it carefully, it seemed like she had already exposed more than enough…
"..."
Forget it. She'd just lie flat—whatever happens, happens!
"Mutsumi."
In the anime, Soyo was sitting in a pavilion somewhere in Tsukinomori, seemingly looking at something.
When she saw the "Wakaba Mutsumi" walking over from afar, a smile immediately appeared on her face.
"Sorry, I wanted to talk to you about something before club activities."
"Sit down."
"..."
The "Wakaba Mutsumi" didn't sit. She just stood there, looking at her.
"Has Sakiko contacted you?"
Soyo didn't mind at all. She couldn't even be bothered to pretend—she went straight to the point.
The "Wakaba Mutsumi" seemed used to it, and simply shook her head.
"I see."
Soyo tilted her head to the side.
"I thought that since you grew up with her, you'd be able to get her to reply."
Soyo walked off to one side, turning her back to the "Wakaba Mutsumi" and starting her usual CPU routine, her words filled with concern for Sakiko.
As for "Sakiko-sensei" herself, she probably wasn't moved in the slightest.
Seriously—why are you so fixated on me?
What is it about me that you even like? I'll change it, okay?
Clinging to the band from the past, the carefree Soyo made Sakiko feel as if she were looking into a mirror, seeing her own former, naïve self.
Just looking at her was an immense mockery to Sakiko.
So, even though Soyo had shown plenty of goodwill, the only response she gave was rejection.
At this moment, "Sakiko-sensei" was like a hedgehog, curling herself up tightly, keeping everyone's emotions—whether kind or malicious—outside her sharp spines.
"If only I'd asked more back then."
"..."
"Sorry, Mutsumi."
As if she felt she had said the wrong thing, Soyo turned around and hugged the "Wakaba Mutsumi."
"It's not your fault…"
In reality, it was nothing more than another step deeper into CPU.
Deep down, she had always been hung up on that sentence the "Wakaba Mutsumi" had said back then.
And this frustration had been vented after Soyo rejected her yesterday.
Therefore, the real-world Soyo, watching this scene, felt as if her face had been hit painfully by a boomerang.
Soyo had clearly seen through her true thoughts at a glance, and rubbed her temples with some exasperation.
Has little Mutsuki always been facing such pressure?
Recalling her own indifferent attitude toward this, she suddenly felt that maybe she had been a little too harsh toward her childhood friend.
After Soyo had "PUA'd" the Wakaba Mutsumi, the scene shifted back to RiNG, showing Taki and Ririko interacting.
For efficiency, the lines of these minor characters were temporarily handled by Sakaki Shizuka, the go-to voice actor for Houbunsha animation under Kamijou Mutsuki's supervision.
Although this girl wasn't very well-known yet, her skills were undeniable.
"Tomori-chan"
Meanwhile, at Tomori's home, Mrs. Takamatsu noticed her daughter sitting on the sofa, watching the anime, and her expression turned to surprise.
"This is…"
After all, in her eyes, Tomori, who liked rocks and watermelon bugs, was practically immune to normal hobbies—let alone anime.
So naturally, she felt surprised at what she saw.
"This… is Mutsuki's anime?"
When her mother asked, Tomori responded without even turning her head.
It wasn't just because of Kamijou Mutsuki—she had genuinely taken an interest in this anime.
After all, it wasn't just a story; it depicted real events happening around her.
Watching her own story in the third person gave her a strange feeling.
Moreover, as she continued watching, she felt the distance between herself and Anon and the others shrink a little.
"Mutsuki?"
Mrs. Takamatsu sat down beside Tomori, and before she could react to her daughter's words, her attention was drawn to the anime playing in front of her.
"Can the two of us use a coupon?"
On the screen, Anon was talking to the waitress.
Although Mrs. Takamatsu found the pink-haired girl quite charming, what truly caught her attention wasn't Anon—but the gray-haired girl in a Haneoka uniform behind her.
And she recognized this girl.
Yes, it was her daughter, Tomori.
Her own daughter appearing in an anime was completely unexpected—even as an adult, Mrs. Takamatsu was completely stunned.
"Tomori-chan, what exactly is going on?"
She felt that something was happening with her daughter that she had no knowledge of, and she was eager to get answers.
Tomori naturally didn't hide anything from her mother.
Although her explanation was a bit awkward, Mrs. Takamatsu, fluent in "Tomori language," was able to extract the information she wanted.
This anime was created by Tomori's friend, someone named Mutsuki, based on real-life events. Tomori herself was one of the real-life models, which was why she appeared in the anime.
She even did voice acting for the anime.
And to prevent any misunderstandings from her mother, she even showed her the payment she hadn't spent yet.
The thick stack of Yukichi Fukuzawa bills made Mrs. Takamatsu's heart jump.
A young lady named Mutsuki, who liked anime and came from a wealthy family (?),
Mrs. Takamatsu quickly drew a rough picture of Kamijou Mutsuki.
After all, the name sounded neutral, and she had never thought her daughter's social circle would include boys—so she naturally misunderstood Mutsuki's gender.
....................