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V6 Chapter 17: Maybe I've Liked Haru All Along
🕑 Added 2025-07-04 12:53:29 +0000 UTC"Ancestors! This is urgent, my bloodline ends with me..."
Kazami Haru, whose head was spinning with a chaotic mess of thoughts, made no attempt to resist as Shiina Taki grabbed him. Just moments ago, Taki had shown a soft, almost bashful side, but now her demeanor had flipped completely. In an instant, she had turned into a bristling hedgehog, sharp and unyielding.
Her twilight-colored violet eyes were sharp as a hawk's.
This was bad.
After confirming his relationship with Soyo yesterday, Haru hadn't stopped her from getting affectionate. Who would've thought Nagasaki Soyo would stealthily leave a hickey on his neck? Now, a faint red mark still lingered on his skin.
The mark was obvious, and Taki spotted it right away.
"Haru, what the hell is going on?!"
At this moment, Shiina Taki's brows were deeply furrowed. Her romantic, lavender eyes brimmed with disbelief.
She had never imagined herself getting this worked up. But now, faced with the unmistakable sign of a kiss on Haru's neck, she found herself reacting without thinking.
There was no way this was Tomori's doing.
With Takamatsu Tomori's pure and spacey personality, she probably wouldn't even notice something like this, let alone leave such a mark on Haru.
Which meant that someone, without Taki knowing, had crossed that line with him?
"Don't you dare try to play dumb with me! Who the hell left that mark on your neck… Wait, are you already dating someone?"
"Who is it?!"
Shiina Taki, her emotions spilling over, couldn't care less about her so-called "place" right now. Grabbing Haru by the collar, she shot question after question in a low, icy voice. Yet deep down, she knew the truth that she was just a bandmate, a friend.
Even if Haru really was dating someone, she had no right to say anything.
But her heart ached. It tightened and twisted with sadness, like a fear of being left behind. She bit down hard, as if to hold herself together.
She was only worried about Tomori. She didn't want to see Tomori hurt, that's all...
Knowing there was no hiding it now, Haru tried his best to remain calm. He understood Taki, in her current emotional storm, wouldn't be able to listen to reason. Her dreamy violet eyes locked onto him, unrelenting.
He took a deep breath, then spoke evenly.
"...It was Soyo."
Soyo?!
The name hit Taki like a jolt.
She had known for a while that Nagasaki Soyo had feelings for Haru. But after everything that had happened, she had never looked at Soyo kindly. And now, in such a short time, they were already together?
What kind of bitch...
"You've got to be kidding me…!"
"Kazami Haru, don't you realize Tomori's always had feelings for you? Even if we're talking about who knew you first, it was her! Are you telling me you've felt nothing for her all this time?!"
Still clutching his collar, Taki shook him furiously, shouting his full name through clenched teeth. Her deep purple eyes glinted with raw frustration and pain.
Was she an idiot?
What right did she, Shiina Taki, have to question him like this?
Haru, still in her grip, gradually calmed down. Compared to Taki's exploding emotions, his own panic seemed trivial now.
Her furious voice rang in his ears, stirring emotions that had long been buried. Trying to soften the blow, Haru responded gently.
"Of course I know how deeply Tomori feels about me. And after all this time with her… I've long since fallen for her too."
Taki's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected him to admit it so openly. Her grip on his collar loosened slightly.
But then her expression shifted to something more conflicted. The question burning inside couldn't be held back any longer.
"...If you say you've already fallen for Tomori, then what's going on with Soyo?"
He'd known this moment would come, he'd have to tell Taki everything. And now that it was here, Haru couldn't help but feel a little anxious. But he cared too much to lie, or to downplay it.
Even if he knew the next second might end in a punch, he still looked up, black eyes steady.
"I love Soyo too."
"...What?!"
Taki stood frozen, her hand falling away from his collar. A sharp pain pierced her brain, as if a nail beneath the skin was slowly digging into her nerves, cruel and unrelenting.
That left her thoughts and emotions tangled in a complete mess.
No matter how she tried to make sense of it, she never imagined she would hear that kind of answer from him.
"Wait a second! You said you love both… Tomori and Soyo, but aren't you already dating Soyo now?"
Shiina Taki didn't believe for a second that something like a kiss mark could be left so casually. As much as she disliked Nagasaki Soyo, she had known her long enough through the band to understand her personality well.
If they weren't already dating, Soyo would never cross physical boundaries like that.
To Taki, that mark on Haru could only mean one thing, Soyo was already his girlfriend.
"I am dating Soyo right now… but I can't give up my feelings for Tomori either. So I'm dating her too."
Shiina Taki: …what?
Now it all made sense.
Kazami Haru, who claimed to love two people, was actually dating them both. In her eyes, that was plain and simple, cheating. A total two-timing scumbag move and one of the people he was doing this to… was Tomori, the one Taki cared about most.
A rush of anger surged up and widened her eyes.
"You've got to be kidding me!!!"
Her delicate and beautiful face hardened with rage. Burning with anger, she grabbed Haru by the collar and instinctively clenched her right fist. But the black-haired boy in front of her didn't flinch or resist; he let her hold him.
Even with her raised fist hovering over him, his eyes held no fear.
"You bastard…"
A deep helplessness spread from her heart through every limb. Her tightly clenched fist began to tremble.
Damn it, why couldn't she hit him?
Taki's whole body trembled as she tried to steady her breathing. She was angry enough to want to punch him square in the face, but now, at the critical moment, she couldn't bring herself to follow through.
No matter how much she tried to avoid the thought, the reason slowly crept into her mind.
"Haru, do you even understand what you're doing?!"
Her voice, thick with suppressed emotion, trembled from her throat. Haru watched the way her shoulders shook.
He had expected that once he came clean, the hot-tempered Taki would hit him and then throw him out of the house. But instead, she'd slammed on the brakes at the very last moment.
Just questioning him like this, while trying to stay composed, this was Shiina Taki at her most restrained.
"I know."
"You're toying with Tomori's feelings, do you realize that?! If you want to make this right, you still can. Go break up with Soyo right now and be honest with Tomori, choose her."
At the very least, if he did that, Taki would still have a reason not to hit him…
But Haru had made up his mind from the moment he took this path. Even if Taki stood before him like a blade drawn, even if her fist came down on him, he wouldn't regret it.
He simply raised his black eyes and met her gaze without flinching.
"My feelings for both Tomori and Soyo are absolutely sincere. So I can't give up either of them. No matter what you say or do, I won't regret it. I've decided to date them both, and eventually, I want to marry them."
"You—you never thought about whether they would even agree to that?!"
"They already have. Tomori and Soyo both agreed. I'd never force anyone."
They both… agreed?
Taki pressed her trembling lips together and stared at his familiar face, stunned.
The weight of that revelation hit her so hard, she didn't even know what to say. Confusion churned around her like smoke, blurring the edges of her anger. Normally sharp and hot-tempered, she now looked fragile.
Why had it turned out this way?
She could understand someone as naive as Tomori agreeing to something like this. But even that vile woman Nagasaki Soyo went along with it? Wouldn't this give others false hope, too?
If Anon confessed to him next… would she have a shot too?
"It's ridiculous…"
If Haru had only chosen Tomori, then she could've cleanly given up. That would've made things easier.
"Why does everyone fall for someone like you…? Tomori, Soyo… even Umi… even I…"
Taki's voice, worn with exhaustion, came out as a faint murmur. But even at that volume, Haru's sharp ears caught it loud and clear.
"Wait, Umi… and you?"
Wait a second! This was a lot of information to process.
Haru had already been feeling conflicted because of his mixed emotions toward Shiina Taki. But hearing that, a confession, straight from her mouth left him completely stunned.
If this had been Taki-bro, suddenly confessing, maybe he could have dealt with it.
After all, in one of the simulations, he'd sensed that Taki had feelings for him beyond friendship. But hearing from her directly that even Yahata Umiri liked him, no matter how much he'd told himself to stay calm, that blew all his composure away.
"I—"
Taki suddenly realized what she'd just said. Her soft violet eyes widened in alarm.
Her thoughts were already scrambled; now her mind went completely blank. Her chest rose and fell with uneven breaths, and the sharpness in her eyes melted into confusion.
She instinctively took a few steps back.
"Wait, Taki!"
But just as he sensed something was wrong, she yanked open the bedroom door and bolted. Her movement was so sudden, Haru didn't even have time to stop her.
Even in her own house, she still ran.
"This is bad…"
Haru frowned, cursing under his breath, then wasted no time. He flung the bedroom door open and chased after her.
But this time, Taki was fast, too fast. All he heard was the slam of the front door and the clatter of shoes. She was gone.
Rushing to the door, Haru collided head-on with Shiina Maki, who had come out after hearing the noise. She glanced at the door, bewildered.
Seeing Haru running after her, she seemed to get the gist of what happened.
"Haru-kun… what happened with Taki?"
"Sorry, I—Taki and I had a bit of a fight! I need to go after her right away—"
But before he could take more than a few steps, Maki gently held him back by the shoulder.
The ever-gentle Maki, with all the grace of a Yamato nadeshiko, arched an elegant brow. Her violet eyes, so much like Taki's, studied Haru's flustered expression with quiet interest. She simply smiled and spoke slowly.
"I don't know exactly what happened, but it looks like a classic lovers' quarrel."
"..."
Haru froze for a moment but chose not to explain further.
"Little Taki has always been stubborn and proud, even as a child. Once she's made up her mind about something, no one can stop her. I used to wonder how she'd ever find someone to marry, with a personality like that…"
"But since she met you, Haru-kun, she's changed a lot. Even I can see it… she really trusts and relies on you."
"Now that you're finally dating, I hope you, as her boyfriend, can be a little more patient with her, okay?"
Hearing that, Haru recalled Shiina Taki's cool, refined face. In his mind, he could almost hear her trying to sound indifferent and aloof.
Even though she always acted serious and strict around him, whenever he was troubled, that cold, dark-haired girl was always the one to show him the most quiet, detailed care.
Honestly… he couldn't help but give in to her a little.
A faint, helpless smile rose to his lips. Looking at the beautiful woman in front of him, he spoke softly.
"Got it, Maki-san."
"Hehe~ Make sure you cheer her up, okay?"
With her gentle words still ringing in his ears, Haru waved briefly, then pulled open the front gate and dashed out.
By the time he left the Shiina household, evening had fallen.
The golden glow of sunset had already dipped beneath the dusky horizon, leaving behind only faint traces of twilight. Warm light shimmered against the rough concrete like the last flickers of a dying flame.
"Good thing I learned a bit of tracking in Hawaii…"
Haru crouched low and examined the asphalt carefully, fingers brushing the ground like they were strumming guitar strings.
Using the tracking skills he'd picked up from Soyo, Recon and Counter-Recon Lv.3, he could get a general sense of where Taki had gone. But more than anything, he relied on pure instinct.
And luckily, Haru had absolute confidence in his instincts. If this were FGO, his Clairvoyance would probably rank at least a solid B+.
…
Shiina Taki was an absolute mess.
"What the hell am I even doing?!"
Frustrated and exhausted, she shook her head hard. The moment she realized what she'd let slip, her body had gone into full-on run mode. Her legs had moved before her brain could even process what was happening.
She was supposed to bury her feelings for him forever. Deep, deep down.
"And now I've gone and said something like that… I don't even know how to face him anymore…"
She didn't even want to imagine what Haru would think after hearing her say that. Most likely, he'd be confused, awkward, maybe even put off. After all, Haru had never really seen her as a woman, not once.
Hearing something like that from her could only leave him troubled.
"He says he loves Soyo and Tomori… wants to date both of them, marry them… That's completely insane! Did he ever think about what kind of consequences that would have?!"
"But if that really happens… then what about Umi's feelings?"
Still tangled in her emotions, Taki scratched at her silky, dark night-colored hair in frustration. Right now, she couldn't afford to deal with all these complicated feelings.
What was she even supposed to do now?
She'd run away from home… but she couldn't just run back, could she?
It was almost dinnertime, and she had nowhere else to go. Haru, stubborn as always, would probably still be waiting at the house. But the last thing she wanted right now was to see him again.
"Taki!"
A voice familiar and completely unexpected called her name. The moment she heard it, her body froze, every muscle tensing.
She turned and spotted a familiar dark-haired figure not far away.
And the moment she saw him, she turned to flee.
There was no way Haru would let her go now. He immediately broke into a run and chased after her.
As a drummer with serious stamina, Taki should have easily outpaced him. But no matter how long she ran, Haru kept right on her heels. Worse, as her stamina started to run out, the distance between them began to shrink.
"When the hell did he get this much endurance?!"
Stunned, she gritted her teeth and darted into the crowded commercial street, hoping to lose him in the swarm of people.
"Man, Taki really can run, huh?"
Haru's expression was complicated as he kept chasing. If it weren't for his recent endurance upgrades, he might've lost her already.
As long as he stayed on her tail, he was bound to catch up eventually. But knowing how stubborn she was, she might push herself past her limit just to keep running. He needed to close the gap, fast.
"Was that… Haru?"
On the right side of the pedestrian bridge, Takamatsu Tomori stood in her Haneoka school uniform, staring blankly into the distance. Just moments ago, she thought she saw Haru dash past in a hurry.
She'd rarely seen him look so panicked, and that made her worry he was dealing with something serious. But she had no idea how to help him.
Clutching her little fists, Tomori frowned anxiously, peering down the direction Haru had disappeared in. But his figure was already gone.
Thump thump thump…
(MUSIC)
The sound of shoes hitting concrete echoed in her ears.
Startled, she turned toward the left side of the bridge.
There, a girl with flowing, midnight-black hair was rushing up the steps. Her long hair whipped behind her, swaying wildly with her movements.
"Taki-chan?"
"Wha—Tomori?!"
The sudden meeting on the bridge caught them both off guard. Seeing Taki, Tomori's face filled with gentle concern, and she instinctively opened her mouth to ask how she was doing.
Since MyGO's last failed performance, Taki had disappeared without a word. Tomori had been worried sick about her ever since.
Taki's gaze shifted uneasily, like she was trying to avoid eye contact. She looked troubled, even guilty. But hearing Haru still behind her, she clenched her teeth and forced herself to speak.
"I've got something urgent going on, so please Tomori, please let me through!"
"Eh?"
Startled by her tone, Tomori flinched and instinctively tried to step aside. But she moved too quickly and lost her balance.
Just as Tomori was about to fall on the bridge, Taki lunged forward and caught her in time, helping the little penguin find her footing again.
"Tomori, are you okay?!"
"…Mm. Thank you, Taki-chan."
Takamatsu Tomori, still holding Taki's hand after helping her up, looked visibly nervous. But she wasn't thinking about herself, her worried gaze stayed fixed on Shiina Taki.
"…Taki-chan, you haven't replied to any messages lately… Haru and I have both been really worried about you."
"I—!"
Before she could finish, the sound of hurried footsteps rang out behind them. Haru had finally caught up and, seeing what was happening, seized the moment to grab Taki's wrist.
Finally, he had her.
Knowing there was no point in running anymore, Taki just shook her head in resignation. She didn't struggle as Haru held onto her wrist to keep her from escaping again.
"Haru? What's going on with you and Taki…?"
The little penguin seemed totally lost. Haru noticed her too.
If Tomori hadn't been here, making this an unintentional pincer move, catching Taki would have been much harder. But now that they were all together, it was the perfect time to clear the air.
"I've been chasing Taki this whole time. The moment she saw me, she bolted."
His tone was half-exasperated as he glanced sideways at the dark-haired girl beside him.
"But now I've finally caught her… All this because you blurted out that you had a crush on me, and now you're embarrassed? Seriously? Was that worth running like your life depended on it?"
"Huh?! Who—who the hell has a crush on a scumbag like you?!"
Flustered and furious, Taki tried to retort with her usual bite. But with Haru still holding her wrist, her fierce presence seemed to waver.
Even her sharp tongue lacked its usual venom.
"You said it yourself, remember? Don't tell me you're toying with my feelings now?"
"You've got some nerve saying that!"
Taki was so annoyed she clenched her fist again, ready to throw hands. Tomori, sensing things were about to escalate, panicked.
"Don't fight, you two…"
With Tomori watching, Taki couldn't go full rage mode. She bit her lip and lowered her eyes, her expression complicated. Haru let out a small sigh of relief.
The little penguin, who'd been listening the whole time, wore a puzzled look. When she heard Haru say that Taki liked him, something clicked in her mind. She carefully spoke up.
"Taki-chan… you like Haru too, don't you?"
"I— I don't!!"
Taki flailed, face burning red. She looked like she might combust on the spot.
"More importantly, aren't you dating this guy right now, Tomori? Did you know he's still dating Soyo? He said he loves both of you and wants to be with both of you, do you really understand that?!"
Taki had expected Tomori to look hurt or betrayed. But the little penguin only blinked for a moment, then shook her head.
With her innocent face turned surprisingly serious, she responded in a calm, clear voice.
"…Haru is also dating Mutsumi."
Wait, what?
Taki was too stunned to even argue. She let out a long sigh, unsure how to respond.
But then she suddenly froze, eyes widening in shock.
"Hold on, a third girlfriend?!"
Having already come clean, Haru didn't hide anything anymore. He answered plainly and sincerely.
"…I am a scumbag, after all. There are many people I love. But for every one of them, my feelings are serious."
"No matter what happens, I won't betray anyone. I'll put in every drop of blood, sweat, and tears, and make you happiest girls alive!"
Taki's mouth opened, then closed. Completely speechless. Beside her, Tomori gently tugged on her sleeve, her voice soft.
"Don't blame Haru too much for this… I actually feel the same way as him. I know Anon-chan and Soyo-chan both love him too. We all share those same feelings…"
"And Taki-chan, you do too."
As Tomori spoke the truth aloud, a soft blush crept over Taki's cheeks. Her thoughts and feelings had been laid bare before everyone, and she didn't even know how to respond. She tried to protest, weakly.
"But… this kind of thing is impossible! Dating and marrying everyone…"
Tomori simply shook her head.
She reached out with both small hands and gently clasped Taki's.
Her amber eyes shimmered with warm golden light, overflowing with honesty.
"If Haru only dates me, then Anon-chan, Soyo-chan, and you too, Taki-chan will all be hurt. I know how painful it is to love someone and not be able to be with them… I don't want anyone else to feel that way."
"If we all date Haru, then we can stay together forever."
"I want to be with you forever too, Taki-chan."
Taki stared at their linked hands in a daze. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her eyes darted around, overwhelmed.
But seeing the small, gray-haired girl speaking with such sincerity, Taki despite knowing how ridiculous it all sounded, felt something begin to soften inside her.
Still, Haru didn't love her, did he?
As if reading her mind, Haru's lips curved into a faint smile. He took a breath and, with a seriousness unlike anything he'd shown before, said:
"I never said I didn't love you, Taki."
If Taki liked you, would you give her the same answer?
He remembered that question, asked long ago, during a conversation with Umiri Yahata. Back then, he didn't have a clear answer.
But now, everything was different.
Because the truth was...
He had already fallen for Shiina Taki.
"You…"
Her mind went blank as those words crashed over her like a wave.
She shot Haru a sharp glare, but her face, normally so composed, was now flushed with deep color. Even the beauty mark under her eye, always striking, seemed to glow with emotion.
Everything was a mess from her thoughts, her feelings. She couldn't make a decision now.
"I—I can't accept that… not yet. I need time to think."
At least for now… she couldn't say yes.
…
Once you truly fall for someone, your thoughts and emotions begin to orbit them completely, beyond all control.
Shiina Taki had never imagined she'd have a day like this. The absurd words and images from yesterday still played vividly in her mind, keeping her awake the entire night.
Especially when she recalled that idiot Kazami Haru's final words, how could she possibly sleep after hearing that?
"You look like you're doing better today. Though it also looks like you really need coffee."
At some point, the cool and elegant girl with shoulder-length black hair had appeared beside her desk. She set down a familiar bottle of Kiss coffee in front of Taki, her voice laced with a teasing tone.
"…I look like I'm doing better today?"
Taki pointed to her dark circles with a deadpan expression, lifting the coffee bottle she'd just been handed.
"Mm, definitely better than yesterday."
Yahata Umiri's calm reply made Taki frown. Her lavender eyes stared down at the wood grain of the desk, her fingertips gently brushing across it.
Her entire demeanor had clearly changed, something Umiri picked up on. She cracked open her own can of coffee with a casual flick of the wrist, feigning indifference.
"Heading to band practice today?"
"Of course."
Taki answered without hesitation. Her decisive tone stood in stark contrast to how she'd been the day before.
Sipping from her canned coffee, Umiri said softly, "So you're not running away with your tail between your legs today, huh? Did something good happen yesterday?"
"Nothing happened."
Taki kept her gaze fixed on the Kiss-branded can in her hand. As she glanced at the green-eyed girl beside her, a strange feeling stirred in her chest. Almost involuntarily, she spoke.
"Hey, Umiri."
"I have this friend… she and one of her friends both like the same person. But she doesn't want to ruin their friendship, and at the same time, she can't let go of her feelings. What do you think she should do?"
Umiri's expression didn't change, but her dark green eyes shimmered with a peculiar light as she stared at Taki.
She didn't respond immediately, and just as Taki turned to look at her in confusion, Umiri finally opened her mouth.
"That's easy."
"If your 'friend' really values her friendship, then she should come clean and tell the other person how she feels. At the very least, there won't be any secrets between them."
Taki's expression grew more complicated at that response. She furrowed her brows and pressed further.
"But what if… she really does love that person, but doesn't want to hurt her friend in the process? What then? I mean, that's what my friend is worried about."
Umiri paused, her right hand gripping the handle of her instrument case a little tighter.
"Then she has two options."
"She can either stay far enough away and support her friend's relationship from the sidelines, burying her own feelings for good…"
"Or they can both be honest and confess their feelings to the person they like, leave the choice to them."
But something like that… was impossible.
Taki knit her brows tightly, her lips parting to respond. Only for Umiri to suddenly turn on her heel. With her instrument case slung over one shoulder, she glanced back coolly over her shoulder.
"Of course, there's one other option."
"The two of them could just… date the same person. Maybe that'd fix everything."
With that, Yahata Umiri walked out of the classroom without looking back, leaving Taki sitting there, lips pursed, her deep violet eyes watching her retreating figure with a trace of something unspoken.
So Umiri… liked Haru too, didn't she?
"…"
The thought of Kazami Haru dating three girls at once gave Taki a headache. But knowing Umiri's feelings, she couldn't help wanting to support her, even push her forward. She couldn't just stand by and watch a friend be denied happiness.
So then… what should she do?
