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V4 Chapter 3: You're a Bit Too Conservative.
🕑 Added 2025-05-27 06:26:26 +0000 UTC"Sorry... Did we wake you up?"
Takamatsu Tomori, holding the box of medicine, quickly scurried over in small, worried steps. Seeing Tomori's attention shift, Chihaya Anon let out a silent sigh of relief, she had really started to panic after being caught red-handed. She even found herself starting to explain, almost reflexively.
Looks like she barely managed to smooth things over.
Still, she wasn't sure whether Tomori harbored romantic feelings for Kazami Haru or not.
"It's fine… I just slept a little. Feeling a bit clearer now."
Haru gave a small shake of his head. He was still groggy, but definitely better than earlier.
When he looked up, he noticed the basin of warm water and a clean, damp towel by his bedside. Then he saw the dry towel in Anon's hand and put two and two together. Clearly, Anon had been quietly caring for him.
In that moment, something changed in the way he looked at her.
Wait... The annoying pink-head was taking care of me?
In the "simulator," even when he was sick with a cold, that same pink-haired menace would proudly proclaim that "exercise helps you recover" and launch herself at him. He never imagined she had a gentle, almost wife-like side in real life.
It was… unexpectedly sweet.
For the first time, Haru felt genuinely grateful toward her. He even briefly considered confessing.
"Anon, thanks. Really."
"I-it's nothing…"
Suddenly complimented, Anon nervously twirled the ends of her cherry blossom-colored hair.
A light blush spread across her pale cheeks, and her silver eyes shimmered faintly as she awkwardly looked away, only to immediately meet Tomori's gaze.
Crap. What if Tomori rats me out?
From Tomori's angle, maybe she hadn't seen exactly what Anon had done.
But she'd definitely seen her crawling into Haru's bed, preparing to "pounce." Even if innocent, sweet Tomori didn't fully grasp what was going on, if she told Haru about it later…
It'd be game over.
She'd be branded a thirsty perv trying to make moves on an unconscious pretty boy. Even Haru might start looking at her like she was some unhinged creep.
If that happened, she'd rather just die right then and there.
Fortunately, Tomori didn't seem inclined to tattle. Her warm, amber eyes were fully focused on Haru. Hugging the medicine boxes close, she moved to his side and spoke softly:
"Haru… take your medicine now."
"I found cold medicine, fever reducers, sleeping pills, anti-diarrhea pills…"
"Wait—what?! The last one's definitely unnecessary!"
Haru's eyes twitched as he looked down at the mountain of boxes in her arms.
He knew Tomori was only worried and had scrambled to gather everything she could. He couldn't exactly reject that kind of earnest care… but if he actually took all of it…
He'd probably wake up not in bed, but in the middle of a Holy Grail War summoning ritual.
"Oh no—I forgot about lunch! Tomori, can you put a cold towel on Haru's head? I'll get started on food!"
Realizing this, Anon's face turned slightly panicked.
She glanced at her phone and noticed it was already past 1 p.m. Haru hadn't eaten yet and for someone with a fever, skipping meals was a big deal.
"Mm."
Receiving her 'orders,' Tomori gave a small nod.
She immediately set the boxes of medicine on the floor, and once Anon left, sat beside Haru with a focused look. Carefully, she picked up the cold towel and gently placed it on his forehead, as if caring for a child.
"Tomori, I can do this myself."
"No."
Tomori shook her head firmly and made him lie back down.
She'd made a promise to take care of him and she would make sure he could rely on her.
With that resolve, she carefully wrung out the towel and laid it across his forehead again. Every motion was tender, methodical—she even kept dabbing at his sweat with the cloth.
Haru, caught off-guard by this side of her, didn't know how to push back.
She's too cute.
Thank god he hadn't blurted out a confession to Anon earlier—otherwise, he'd be cheating in record time.
"Mm!" Only once her entire checklist was done did Tomori relax a little. But even then, she stayed kneeling at Haru's bedside, watching him closely.
Now that things had calmed down, her thoughts returned to earlier.
"…"
Tomori lowered her head slightly, her amber eyes dimming with emotion.
She had seen Anon doing something to Haru.
Tomori didn't connect emotionally the way others did, but her sensitivity to emotion was incredibly sharp. Even the tiniest look in Anon's eyes toward Haru didn't escape her notice.
And that realization…
Hurt.
Anon… really did like Haru.
Whether in the "dream" or in the real world, she always had feelings beyond just friendship.
Unlike Tomori—shy and unsure—Anon would eventually say it out loud. She'd confess boldly and bravely, sooner or later.
And when that happened, everything would change.
Whether Haru accepted her feelings… or rejected her…
Tomori would be devastated either way.
She hated how selfish she was.
Anon always wore that bright, radiant smile. But in the dream, after Haru rejected her, she'd hidden away and cried nonstop, completely breaking down.
If Tomori somehow ended up with Haru in the end… then Anon might just leave the band, crushed and their band—this precious band of theirs—would be over.
If she wanted to keep them all together, she'd either have to step aside… or find some other solution—
But right now… she just didn't know what to do.
....
"So, you're saying that while I was out sick, Taki said she'd temporarily take over composing?"
Kazami Haru blinked, a flicker of realization lighting up in his eyes.
"Exactly! Rikki suddenly just announced she'd do the composing, no one could talk her down…"
Chihaya Anon blinked as well, her tone laced with a bit of helplessness.
When Taki had dropped the bomb that she was going to compose, Anon had been left completely dazed.
She didn't know Taki's actual composing level or how deep her music theory knowledge went, but even with her own limited basics, Anon knew: jumping into someone else's half-finished song mid-composition was totally reckless.
"I see."
Haru nodded slowly. He didn't seem all that surprised.
Not because it wasn't a big deal, but because it somehow felt… just like Taki.
To Haru, Taki was someone reliable in nearly every way but she was also someone who, due to family pressures and personal circumstances, constantly struggled with self-doubt. She chased high expectations that never seemed to pay off, and that cycle only made her more anxious, more sensitive.
Taki's self-consciousness wasn't the problem in itself.
It was her iron will and pride.
Faced with her perceived inadequacy, she didn't choose to slack off, she pushed harder, needing to prove herself. She couldn't wait around for help from others, and she absolutely couldn't stand the idea of being overlooked.
So, when Haru got sick and left a gap in composition, she must've felt the pressing need to step up.
"Let's just leave it to Taki. She must've had confidence to take it on."
"Ehhh—?"
Anon let out a long, ambiguous noise, her soft silver-gray eyes clearly displeased as she glared at Haru.
Why did Haru trust Taki so much? He never trusted her like that when stuff went wrong. Puffing her cheeks, Anon found herself… just a little jealous.
Seriously, what the heck!
"Well, guess I'll use this chance to take two or three days off and let my body recover."
Haru actually seemed relieved to give himself a rare break.
"Eh? Aah—!"
Anon, mid-grumble, suddenly froze, eyebrows twitching.
Wait. This was actually perfect.
If Haru was going to stay home and rest for a few days, that meant she had a completely legitimate reason to check in on him constantly!
She'd have plenty of opportunities during this recovery window—
In fact, she almost wanted him to rest even longer!
"You're right! Gotta focus on recovery! Right, Tomori?"
Her eyes flashed with devious brilliance, and her sweet, syrupy tone practically tingled down the spine.
"Mm! Rest is important."
Tomori wholeheartedly agreed. After all, post-fever immunity was low, rushing back to activity could cause a relapse. For Haru's health, he needed to take it easy.
"…?"
Haru squinted suspiciously at the pink-haired gremlin in front of him.
Weren't you just complaining a minute ago? Why the sudden 180?
Wait… Could it be… Is Anon secretly crushing on him and using this as her chance to—
"Haru, the food's getting cold…"
From the side, Tomori gently reminded him, still holding the lunch tray.
Only then did Haru remember she'd been patiently standing there this whole time, holding his meal. He quickly apologized and reached out to take the tray—
But Tomori slowly pulled it back.
Haru: ??
What the hell? Was she trying to starve him until he was too weak to resist?
"You're still weak. Let me help."
Tomori said it plainly and firmly, lifting the bowl of steaming pumpkin rice porridge. She calmly sat at the bedside. The sudden closeness made Haru's heart skip a beat, and her serious expression was unexpectedly captivating.
Crap. Tomori up close is way too cute.
Meanwhile, Anon was still off in fantasyland with her perfect "plan"… and by the time she snapped back to reality, Tomori had already settled beside Haru, spoon in hand.
Dammit! She got ahead of me!
"…I made that rice, you know."
Anon mumbled, twirling a lock of her soft sakura-pink hair.
But since she'd already been caught earlier sneaking kisses and cuddles, she could only awkwardly justify it to herself:
It's fine. Let Tomori have the appetizer… As the real girlfriend, I'll have the main course later.
"Still kinda hot…"
Tomori noticed the steam rising and, sensitive to temperature, furrowed her brows.
Then, under Haru's stunned gaze, the blushing girl gently blew on the spoon to cool it. Once satisfied, she raised her wide, pretty eyes to meet his.
In that moment, her gaze was enchanting, like a succubus straight out of a dream.
"Ah—"
She moved in even closer to feed him. Her warmth passed through her clothes and reached his skin. A soft fragrance of wisteria filled the air around them.
Faced with this setup, Haru didn't hesitate.
Whether it was tofu or porridge—
Free food is free food.
Sure, being spoon-fed by sweet, innocent Tomori was a bit embarrassing, but if she was already doing it, how could he say no? He leaned forward and took the bite.
Warmth slid down his throat and spread through his chest—
"…It's good."
Food from Tomori = delicious.
If she fed it to him mouth-to-mouth, that'd be the ultimate finisher.
"Of course it's good~ I cooked it myself!"
Anon puffed her chest proudly, a grin creeping across her face.
She had been working hard on her cooking skills lately—not just for fun, but ever since learning about the events from the "dream," she had doubled down. Cooking and guitar had taken over her free time.
As the saying goes: The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
She put all her heart into this gentle, flavorful porridge and yet here Haru was, getting fed by someone else…
Even if he said "it's good," it only made her feel slightly better.
But she was still a bit annoyed.
Watching her pout, Haru teased, "Hey Anon, how about you cook for me every day?"
"Hmph~ In your dreams~"
The smile froze on her face.
Wait, did she just say something she'd regret forever?
By the time she fumbled for a way to backtrack, the conversation had already moved on. She could only watch Tomori continue feeding Haru and chatting with him.
Panic rising, she pounced beside them with a whimper:
"Don't leave me out! Haru, try one of my carrot cakes too—!"
…
There was no denying it—when pretty girls look after you, it works miracles.
After just one full night of rest at home, Haru's fever had basically broken. Aside from some lingering fatigue and a headache, the worst of his cold had passed.
"Huh?"
He suddenly noticed something and pulled up his simulator panel.
[Simulatable Targets: Yamada Ryo, Gotoh Hitori, Ijichi Nijika, Kita Ikuyo, Nagasaki Soyo, Chihaya Anon, Takamatsu Tomori, Togawak Sakiko]
[Sim Attempts Available: 5]
"…Where did these sim attempts come from?"
Haru was shocked.
He'd already used up his tries after simulating with Nijika. After that, there hadn't been many chances to recharge, but now, just from yesterday alone, it had jumped to five?
He hadn't noticed due to the fever fog, but now he could guess, Tomori's hug must have done it.
A near-zero distance cuddle equals instant boost.
"Next time, I'm hugging Tomori in front of Taki."
He sometimes hugged the wooden doll-like Mutsumi too.
Too bad adorable Mutsu wasn't a sim target. If she was, the rewards from hugging alone would be off the charts.
As Haru opened the fridge to check what food was left, he idly pulled up his phone to skim through Line messages he hadn't seen all day.
The moment he opened it, more than a dozen messages poured in. Right away, he spotted an angry panda face—that familiar icon of Shiina Taki, her go-to avatar "Mr. Pan."
Without hesitation, he tapped into her chat.
At the top were yesterday's practice absence messages. Today, only one line:
[Shiina Taki]: Haru, how are you feeling today?
[To: Shiina Taki] — Username: Want to be used as fertilizer: "Wow, Taki, you're actually worried about me?"
The moment Haru sent the message, it was immediately marked "Read."
This sneaky little feature showing if the other person had peeked was surprisingly useful, being the one to message first meant you could instantly tell their status. A smirk tugged at Kazami Haru's lips.
But even after a good ten seconds… still no reply from Shiina Taki.
He waited patiently a bit longer, and finally, the panda avatar bounced back onto the screen.
[Shiina Taki]: Just making sure you're still alive. Also, I wanted to talk to you about a few things.
[Want to be used as fertilizer]: I'm feeling way better than yesterday. Honestly, I could head over to RiNG and start practice now.
[Shiina Taki]: Stay home and rest for the next few days. I'll take care of the band practice and everything else.
[Shiina Taki]: And about the song, I really don't think we can afford to delay anymore. I listened to your arrangement audio several times last night, and I want to try continuing the composition myself.
Message after message came flooding in, leaving Haru's eyes slightly overwhelmed.
Clearly, she'd been holding onto all of these thoughts for a while, only hesitating because she didn't want to disturb his rest. Now that he'd finally replied, she immediately dropped everything she'd been holding in since last night.
Taki was so thoughtful it made Haru feel a bit out of sorts.
"She's… really serious about this."
Just from the volume of messages, it was obvious how much effort she'd poured into it in just one night.
"Looks like this isn't something we can sort out over chat…"
Glancing at the barren fridge, Haru closed the door and typed out his next message:
[Want to be used as fertilizer]: Hard to explain over Line. Let's meet up and talk face to face over lunch.
[Shiina Taki]: I'm down. You good to go out?
[Want to be used as fertilizer]: No worries. Come over near my place.
The moment he sent it, the panda avatar fell completely silent.
Even though Haru couldn't see her, he could imagine Taki furiously staring at her phone with a bright red face, whispering "Huh?!" in disbelief while furiously gripping her device.
Teasing a tsundere was way too much fun. He couldn't help but smile.
…
Of course, he wasn't actually going to invite her to his apartment.
Haru picked a nearby café close to his building.
The place had a quiet, relaxed vibe, and their curry was both cheap and delicious, a perfect spot for someone on a tight budget.
After waiting for a while, Shiina Taki finally arrived, fashionably late.
She looked at Haru, frowning a little as she spoke in a slightly awkward tone, "You sure you're okay?"
"A mere flesh wound—"
"Yeah, you're probably fine."
Seeing that Haru still had the energy to joke, Taki let out a small sigh of relief.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have just decided to take over your job without asking."
Taki got straight to the point, apologizing immediately.
She had taken over the composing role without Haru's permission, a role that was technically his. So, naturally, an apology was in order.
She had thought about his health, of course. But her impatience wouldn't allow her to sit by and watch the progress stall any longer. So she had simply thrown the responsibility onto herself.
"I was planning to take a couple of days off anyway. Composing would've stalled regardless."
"Honestly, Taki, you stepping up helped me out a ton."
Hearing Haru's straightforward approval, Taki finally relaxed.
She had been worried he might not trust her enough to hand it off.
After all, he had already written the intro to the song and most people were very particular about their own compositions. It wasn't common for someone to just let someone else finish their work.
"Are you sure?"
Just to be safe, she asked again.
"If I had to hand it to someone, I'd rather it be you."
Haru sipped his mocha, speaking like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Something shifted in Taki's expression.
She, who had lived all her life in the shadow of a genius sister, had never been expected to shine. No matter how hard she worked, the name "Shiina" always conjured her sister in people's minds. Taki's own efforts were invisible, taken for granted.
Only this guy in front of her… believed in her.
She bit her lip slightly, her voice softening just a little.
"…Thanks."
"I heard that. Mind saying it again?"
Haru's teasing grin made Taki's face stiffen instantly.
Those long, foxlike eyes with the beauty mark at the corner shot him a sharp glare. She gave a huff and silently pulled out her audio player and earphones, handing them to him.
"I worked on part of the melody last night. Here. Have a listen."
"Then I'll listen carefully."
Haru put down his coffee, took the device, and slipped on the headphones.
Taki sat across from him, nerves absolutely on edge.
She didn't like Haru that much as a person, but she couldn't deny his insane grasp of music theory and composing talent. Even his most casually written stuff left her speechless.
After a while, Haru slowly opened his deep black eyes.
"Well?"
"I think it's really good, but… a little too conservative."
Conservative?
Taki frowned slightly, not quite understanding.
Sensing her confusion, Haru motioned for her to hand over the sheet music. Taking a pen, he made a few simple changes, adding and deleting just a handful of notes.
In that instant, Taki's violet eyes widened.
With just those slight edits to what had taken her an entire night to craft, the entire melody transformed—its energy surged, the pacing quickened, and yet it flowed seamlessly from the intro Haru had written.
Even without hearing the updated track, Taki was stunned just reading the sheet. Her hands trembled slightly as she stared at the page.
Haru had only listened once.
Just once and he pinpointed the flaws and enhanced the melody that quickly?
[Taki, maybe changing this part like this might work better?]
In that moment of dazed wonder, Taki thought she saw a figure.
A blue-tinted silhouette like the warm morning sunlight in spring, stood quietly beside her.
A voice echoed in her ears, soft and steady, filled with gentle conviction. The presence felt like clear spring water… and its touch ached against her long-buried insecurity.
