I_LOVE_RICE+
patreon
V4 Chapter 21: I Gave In Again
🕑 Added 2025-06-01 11:15:32 +0000 UTCThe Nagasaki Household—
Led by Mrs. Nagasaki, Kazami Haru somehow found himself inside Soyo's home.
And wow, it was exactly what you'd expect from a luxury Tokyo duplex. The moment the door opened, a wide entryway, high-end furniture, an unbelievably spacious living room, and towering floor-to-ceiling windows came into view.
Just eyeballing it, the place had to be over 300 square meters. It looked more like a high-end hotel than a place anyone actually lived.
Kazami Haru already knew that someone who could transfer into an elite school like "Tsukinomori" must come from wealth, but he hadn't expected the sheer force of luxury to hit this hard.
He couldn't help but think to himself, Soyo was totally a secretly rich lady.
"Your name is… Kazami Haru, right?"
Mrs. Nagasaki greeted him with a warm smile, bringing out an expensive tea set. The curious sparkle in her eyes made it obvious just how interested she was.
After all, finding a boy pulling on her daughter's arm in broad daylight? What mother wouldn't be curious?
"Yes, thank you very much for having me," Haru said politely, bowing respectfully.
Mrs. Nagasaki's smile deepened.
"Oh, not at all! And to think you're in the same band as my little Soyo~"
"Do you remember that time you helped me up on the street? I didn't get a chance to thank you properly, ran off before I could even introduce you to my daughter."
She was clearly pleased by Haru's polite and sincere demeanor. Glancing subtly at her daughter on the couch, she noticed Soyo hesitating to speak, occasionally glancing away whenever Haru looked her way.
She hadn't expected the handsome boy she couldn't forget to be this closely involved with her daughter.
More importantly, it seemed like their relationship might be more than just "friends."
"So, Haru… would you mind telling me what's going on between you and Soyo?"
"Of course, I'd be happy to—"
After a quick explanation, Mrs. Nagasaki got the gist.
It turned out Haru and her daughter were in the same band. But after a recent live show, some trouble occurred, leaving Soyo upset. She stopped coming to practice and eventually cut off contact.
So, as a friend, Kazami Haru had come to check on her.
As her mother, Mrs. Nagasaki already knew Soyo was just hiding out at home.
Now it all made sense, why Soyo had looked so out of it lately. Just a bit of drama during a live performance, and maybe a small fight with her bandmates. Typical teenage stuff.
But what caught her attention most was Haru's concern. For a "bandmate," he sure was very invested, enough to show up in person.
If this was just friendship… she wasn't buying it.
Kazami Haru, on the other hand, couldn't believe how small the world was, just helping a stranger turned out to be Soyo's mother.
Still, thanks to this lucky coincidence, he could explain everything properly. If Soyo had insisted on hiding and refusing to talk, he really might not have had a way forward.
"..."
Soyo furrowed her brow slightly. With her mom nearby, she couldn't exactly say anything.
She'd always thought her mom was joking when she mentioned a "kind, handsome boy" who had helped her. Who would've guessed it was him?
Now, she didn't even have the nerve to speak to him—too embarrassed, too defeated.
From Mrs. Nagasaki's perspective, Soyo just looked like a kid who'd done something wrong and was scared her friend would be mad at her, which was why she was holed up at home.
But as a professional woman herself, Mrs. Nagasaki had sharp instincts.
From the moment she saw Haru, she had already pegged him as a responsible, thoughtful young man. And if he'd come all this way just to wait for her daughter, it certainly wasn't to scold her.
"I'll leave the tea and snacks here~ You two go ahead and talk."
With a gentle smile, she placed a tray of fancy treats and steaming tea on the table.
Her daughter always acted so mature and dependable, so much so that it made her wonder if she was pushing herself too hard. Maybe she should be showing Soyo a little more care.
Still, seeing someone this reliable at her side gave her peace of mind.
Soyo had such a thoughtful bandmate, there probably wasn't much to worry about after all.
Time to leave the rest… to the younger generation.
"..."
Once Mrs. Nagasaki left and disappeared up the stairs, Soyo finally let out a long sigh.
With her mom around, she had no choice but to wear her "good girl" mask. It was the only way to keep her mother from worrying. But that mask didn't work on Kazami Haru.
Gripping the teacup in her hand, she tried to look composed, her trembling blue eyes fixed on him, waiting for him to speak.
"Your house is huge, Soyo."
"It doesn't feel anyone lives here at all."
The first thing out of his mouth completely shattered her calm.
"You came all the way here just to say that?"
"Of course not. Just making an observation."
Who wouldn't comment on a place like this?
This ridiculously luxurious living room, the towering glass windows with a view over Tokyo, the oversized circular couch, the TV awkwardly placed for formal gatherings, it didn't feel like a home.
It felt like a corporate reception room.
The couch was clearly made for business meetings or events. It'd be perfect for a party, even with all four of the MyGO girls here, it wouldn't feel crowded.
"...?"
Soyo instinctively began fidgeting with her fingers.
The tension of waiting for him to bring up the real reason he was here was eating her alive. That anxiety made her act colder, her voice losing its usual sweetness.
"So what do you want? Why wait for me at the door?"
She already had a guess.
And deep down, she expected him to scold her.
After what she'd done, again and again, no one could be blamed for finally losing patience.
But when Kazami Haru saw her without the fake sweetness and forced politeness, showing her cold, guarded, and even sharp side, he actually relaxed a little.
As she stared at him in confusion, he calmly took a sip of his tea and finally spoke—
"Actually, I knew from the start."
As soon as Kazami Haru said it, Nagasaki Soyo's slender body trembled slightly.
"…What do you mean?"
"You wanted to bring Sakiko back and revive CRYCHIC. You planned to use Anon and me, and then throw us away when we weren't needed."
Haru laid it all bare—calmly, without accusation.
The serene look in his eyes stripped away Soyo's cold, distant mask. She stared at him, stunned, fingers trembling.
"…Was it Mutsumi?"
"No, it has nothing to do with her."
The stuff about "Sakiko" and reviving CRYCHIC wasn't something Mutsumi had told him, but in other areas… well, that was harder to say.
Truthfully, Haru had only managed to track down the Nagasaki household and stage this emotional ambush thanks to Mutsumi.
She'd told him everything that happened between her and Soyo at the café. She even gave him the address.
In the end, Mutsumi had softened.
Even after trying so hard to refuse Soyo, Mutsumi couldn't fully steel her heart. So, after leaving the café, she'd messaged Haru and asked him to check in on Soyo.
And that's how they'd arrived at this moment.
"I figured it out early on because, honestly, you were kind of obvious."
"Then why did you still—"
Soyo had to ask, but the moment she opened her mouth, she froze.
Faced with Haru's almost playful smirk, her thoughts turned to static. Emotions twisted inside her, muddling everything.
All her lies and masks were meaningless in front of him.
He had known the whole time. That she was just using him. That she'd pretended to be Mutsumi to fish for information on Sakiko. And even knowing all that, he still gently comforted her.
"Soyo, are you happy being in this band?"
"…?"
She hadn't expected that question.
Her hands clenched into fists on her lap, trying to summon some courage. Because deep down, she already knew the answer.
But she didn't want to say it.
And not saying it… was as good as admitting it.
Haru took a sip of the fragrant tea, the warmth sliding down his throat, chasing away the chill.
Even as he drank, a soft smile touched the corner of his mouth.
"I feel the same way."
Being in a band… how could that not be fun?
It was because CRYCHIC had been so wonderful that Soyo still couldn't let it go.
All her schemes, her planning—they were just to bring CRYCHIC back. To reclaim the place where she felt like she belonged.
But now… she didn't know anymore.
She stared blankly at the black-haired boy in front of her, overwhelmed by emotions she couldn't express. His calm smile felt like a blade pressing into her chest, and she clenched her fists tighter to keep it all inside.
Haru didn't notice the shift in her. He calmly finished his tea and placed the delicate cup back on the tray.
Then, after a pause, he spoke again—gently.
"I'll try to contact Sakiko."
Soyo shuddered, disbelief flickering in her eyes.
"…Why? Why are you helping me?"
Haru knew she had used him. There couldn't be two keyboardists in a band. If she brought Sakiko back and revived CRYCHIC, what did he think would happen to him?
What was he thinking?
Soyo's mind spiraled out of control.
But that simple sentence from Haru 'that he'd try to reach out to Sakiko' felt like a lifeline tossed to someone drowning. She clung to it with all her might.
Haru didn't answer her question. He just casually kept eating her expensive cookies.
…
After opening up to Soyo, her desperation eased visibly.
And Haru really did intend to arrange a meeting between her and Sakiko. Otherwise, Soyo would never let go. She'd never understand why he put so much effort into forming a new band, after all this.
Because to her, everything was just about bringing CRYCHIC back.
"This is all thanks to Mutsumi. I wouldn't have caught her otherwise."
Smiling, Haru picked up his phone and sent a few messages to Mutsumi on LINE, thanking her and letting her know Soyo had calmed down, for now.
Now, he had to ask Sakiko if she'd be willing to meet with Soyo and have a calm, honest conversation.
Of course...
There were still plenty of other issues waiting.
In the MyGO six-member group chat, unread messages had piled up. Most were Anon flooding the thread with sticker spam and tagging Soyo repeatedly. Occasionally, Rikki would drop in a practice reminder—though lately, she hadn't messaged Haru privately about chords or song structure.
Seemed like she was still a little salty.
Tomori, as usual, was barely active in the chat.
She was probably anxious again. If Soyo stayed like this much longer, Tomori might slip back into full "Shut-In Mode." Haru wasn't sure how much more comforting she could take before she shut him out too.
"Anyway… I should check in with Sakiko."
Resolving himself, Haru opened a private chat with Sakiko.
They hadn't seen each other since she ran off crying after the RiNG live. He hadn't gone to work these past two days, preoccupied with the Soyo situation, so he had no idea how she was doing.
[Want to be used as fertilizer]: You there?
[Togawa Sakiko]: Haru, what's up?
Whoa, that was fast.
He hadn't expected a reply to "You there?" so quickly. It was like Haru had been lying in bed, clutching her phone, waiting for his message.
Was this real life? Sci-fi levels of synchronicity.
Maybe he should try following up with "I like you" and see what happens.
[Togawa Sakiko]: You haven't been to work lately, are you feeling okay?
[Want to be used as fertilizer]: Nah, just dealing with band stuff lately.
The message was read instantly, but then silence.
Haru waited a few seconds, confused and about to follow up when—buzz. His phone vibrated.
[Togawa Sakiko]: Let me guess... Soyo did something again, right?
Yikes. Saki-sensei was too sharp.
[Want to be used as fertilizer]: Actually, I was going to ask… would you be willing to meet with Soyo? She's still hung up on CRYCHIC.
[Want to be used as fertilizer]: If you could talk with her... really talk, maybe she'd finally let it go.
So enviable.
Togawa Sakiko stared at the six characters she had typed, her fingers hovering over the send button. Her raised brows carried a hint of melancholy.
She hesitated, then deleted the text entirely and typed something else instead:
[Togawa Sakiko]: I understand.
She knew she couldn't keep running forever.
So long as she avoided it, this situation would continue dragging on. She had already caused trouble for Haru at the very least, she didn't want to burden him any further.
He'd done so much for her already. She wanted to return the favor.
But still… a heaviness lingered in her chest.
Tomori. Soyo.
Was Haru helping them because of the band?
If one day, she, Togawa Sakiko needed help…
Would Haru do the same… for her?
