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V3 Chapter 15: Nagasaki Soyo Discovers a Crack
🕑 Added 2025-05-16 12:35:15 +0000 UTCMutsumi… where exactly are you going?
Nagasaki Soyo followed behind Wakaba Mutsumi from a distance, clutching her own shoulder bag.
Wearing her deep blue Tsukinomori uniform made her stand out far too much on the street, and knowing how sensitive the wooden doll was to being followed, she didn't dare get too close.
No matter what, Mutsumi couldn't find out she was being tailed!
"Huh? Mutsumi just…"
Soyo watched from afar as Mutsumi checked her phone, then, without a change in expression, turned and walked into a nearby clothing store.
Soyo blinked. Why a clothing store?
Was she shopping for herself? Or was she…
After hesitating a moment, Soyo decided not to follow her in.
If she acted rashly and got caught, Mutsumi would never let her get another chance like this. And if Mutsumi became suspicious, she might shut herself off completely.
No, this time... Soyo had to be patient and play it smart.
"Mutsumi kept staring at her phone before… Someone must've messaged her. I knew it! she must've gotten in touch with Sakiko!"
"But she didn't want to tell me? Is it because of Sakiko…?"
A pang of hurt spread through Soyo's chest.
Every time she remembered that day with CRYCHIC, a weight pressed on her heart, as if someone had ripped a piece right out of her chest. The scar still throbbed, lodged like a thorn that refused to fade.
Calm down. Stay focused.
Soyo wanted to find Sakiko, to talk to her again.
She truly believed that if they could just speak honestly, if they could be vulnerable, the gentle and romantic Sakiko she once knew would understand her again. CRYCHIC… shouldn't have ended that way.
To her, everything that happened was just a misunderstanding. All they lacked was the chance to clear it up…
With her resolve set, Soyo kept her eyes fixed on the entrance of the store.
But even after a while, Mutsumi still hadn't come out.
Just as Soyo began to worry she'd lost her, a girl emerged from the store, wearing a deep blue Tsukinomori uniform and a giant cat head mask covering her entire face.
"…Eh?"
Soyo blinked, her small lips parting slightly. Her gaze locked on the distant cat head.
That had to be… Mutsumi, right?
But what was that outfit?
Still, she wouldn't mistake her. Soyo knew Mutsumi's build by heart by her height, her posture and she was still wearing the Tsukinomori uniform…
Because of the comical headgear, the cat-headed girl drew stares wherever she went. Those gazes worked in Soyo's favor, keeping Mutsumi too distracted to notice she was being tailed.
Before Soyo could react further, Mutsumi had already started heading toward Usayama Shopping Street.
"Alright, just follow for now. Let's see what Mutsumi's up to."
Soyo took a deep breath. There was no time to ponder anymore, she shoved her doubts aside and quickened her pace, moving stealthily after her.
But the closer they got, the weirder it felt.
They were almost at Haneoka High now. Usayama Shopping Street was right nearby.
Why would Mutsumi come all the way out here?
…Unless… was Sakiko at Haneoka?
That suspicion was growing when Soyo suddenly saw Mutsumi stop up ahead.
Standing in front of her was a black-haired boy. He smiled at her with gentle affection as he took the amp from her hands, chatting with her like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Soyo's eyes widened.
"That's…!"
Kazami Haru?
Shock. Confusion. Disbelief.
A storm of emotions spun through her mind.
The person Mutsumi had come all this way to meet wasn't Sakiko.
It was her own band's keyboardist.
"Why would Mutsumi meet up with Kazami Haru…? What's going on between them?"
The two of them shouldn't have had any connection at all. How did they even know each other?
BRRMMMM!
The guitar's shriek snapped Soyo out of her spiraling thoughts.
As she stood there stunned, the trio on the sidewalk had already begun their performance.
A beautiful, unfamiliar melody echoed through the air. Through the vibrations of the instruments, the notes reached Soyo's ears—soft and warm—and her eyes fell upon a pair of slender hands dancing across the black-and-white keys of a Roland keyboard.
Sunlight bathed his back in a soft glow. His dark eyes sparkled with joy.
Kazami Haru stood there calmly, but the look on his face was one of pure bliss. His fingers moved across the keys with smooth precision, the sound of his piano blending perfectly with Mutsumi's electric guitar, the harmony overlapping, layering, and resounding…
"…"
Soyo stood still amid the crowd.
Her long brown bangs shaded her face. Her round, polished nails dug slightly into the strap of her handbag. Her gentle blue eyes were fixed on the boy in the middle of the performance, a flicker of confusion and panic on her otherwise serene face.
Maybe it was her mind's instinct clashing with her heart, but—
Her body moved on its own.
Soyo took a step forward.
She ran.
To avoid being spotted, Nagasaki Soyo instinctively ducked away from the street where the performance was taking place.
"I knew it…"
Now sitting on a park bench, Soyo was breathing in small, shaky breaths. She stared blankly at the pale yellow leaves swaying in the distance as her heart rate slowly settled.
It took a long time for her scattered thoughts to calm. Even now, a glimmer of shock lingered in her eyes.
"Mutsumi, who never really had any friends… knows Haru-san? And she was even willing to perform with him in public? Their relationship definitely isn't just 'friends.'"
The only person Mutsumi had ever been that close with… was her childhood friend, Toyokawa Sakiko.
"Kazami Haru must be connected to Sakiko somehow…!"
Soyo's mind started spinning rapidly, her delicate fingers unconsciously playing with her shoulder-length hair.
It felt like… she had found a crack in the mystery.
Back during the performance, when she saw Haru at the keyboard, playing in sync with Mutsumi, it was exactly like how the romantic and cheerful Sakiko used to look.
Their faces were completely different, and yet… the resemblance was uncanny.
But it wasn't enough. She needed more.
"No matter what, I need to test him."
Soyo interlaced her fingers, her gaze sharpening with resolve.
She stood up, grabbing her bag. Initially, she'd just planned to get close to Kazami Haru to gauge what he knew about CRYCHIC from the sidelines.
But now, it was different.
Now, she was sure that Haru had a connection to Sakiko.
Her instincts told her: Haru might know where Sakiko had gone.
"It's time to call in some backup…"
Soyo slowly took her phone from the pocket of her skirt and opened the Line group chat for the band. Then she switched to her private messages with Chihaya Anon.
…
Somewhere nearby, the crowd erupted into applause.
When Haru looked up, he realized the scene before him had completely changed.
Dozens of people had gathered around to watch their performance. Some of the students passing by were even blushing with excitement, bright smiles lighting up their faces.
Being in a rock band wasn't just about chasing music.
The feeling of being seen—of being recognized—was one of the best highs imaginable!
"We're playing a live show this Saturday at STARRY in Shimokitazawa! If you're interested, please grab a ticket~"
Ryo, having put down her bass, wiped the sweat from her brow. Taking advantage of the crowd, she held up the handwritten sign she'd prepared, the details of the show scribbled boldly in marker.
None of the three were the nervous type. Their public performance had gone incredibly well.
Thanks to their musical skills and maybe their dangerously deceptive good looks, some naïve middle schoolers had already started pulling out their pocket money to buy tickets.
One ticket… two… three…
Their Line tickets were selling like hotcakes.
"Ohohohoho…" Ryo murmured with a strange tone, her brow furrowed in delighted disbelief.
In the blink of an eye, she and Haru had sold out their original ten tickets!
And not just that, the extra tickets they'd brought were selling too!
A flashy blonde gyaru from Shibuya even came up to ask, "If I buy two, can I take a selfie?" and "How many do I need to buy to get your contact info?"
Ryo, catching wind of a lucrative business opportunity, was practically seeing yen signs in her eyes.
So much money!
Bill after bill, ¥1,000 notes piled up in the hand that had just been playing bass.
Even after handing over a portion to Ijichi Seika for the official band funds, there'd be a huge amount left over, and all thanks to the black-haired boy beside her with his dangerously marketable face.
A total money-printing machine.
"Photos, handshakes, fan club membership—monthly fee could be set at…" Ryo quickly pulled out a calculator, fingers flying as numbers danced across the screen. Her usually blank expression lit up in awe.
Even her golden eyes were practically glowing with profit.
"Haru, we're gonna be rich."
"You wish. We're not running that kind of operation."
"All the extra revenue's going to Seika as the band's fund pool."
Haru had seen this coming from a mile away. With a tired sigh, he rolled his eyes and grabbed Ryo by the collar, dragging her away from the hopeful ticket buyers.
Thank god Seika knew how to keep Ryo in check.
If they had let her manage the money, as Bocchi once suggested, the entire band fund would've gone up in smoke within two weeks, due to "unknown circumstances."
"Photos and handshakes are one thing, but contact info? No way."
"Just Haru's info. It's part of the 'rock lifestyle.'"
Watching the pair bicker, Mutsumi stood quietly nearby, cradling her guitar like a doll—still and sweet, like a well-behaved child.
Behind the mask, her golden eyes, so similar to Ryo's, stared silently at Ryo's profile.
Haru, noticing the crowd had grown too large, quickly ushered the girls away after finishing up the last ticket sale, to avoid Mutsumi being recognized.
…
To thank her for the help, Haru treated Mutsumi to some sweets at a nearby café.
"Mutsumi, it's okay to take off the head now."
"It must be hot under there, right?"
Mutsumi nodded gently.
In front of Ryo, she pulled off the cat head mask—revealing her soft, pale green hair, smooth and flowing like a waterfall over her shoulders. Her delicate, lovely face came into view.
Her forehead was covered in sweat from being stuck in the mask, but instead of looking messy, the gentle sheen of moisture made her look even more radiant.
Too cute.
Haru was utterly captivated from the moment she took it off.
Her pale, flushed cheeks… at that moment, she could've asked for anything, and Haru probably wouldn't have refused.
"..."
Even Ryo's calm golden eyes flickered for a moment, observing Mutsumi closely.
This was their first proper face-to-face.
Not good with strangers, Mutsumi only gave her a small nod, then turned to Haru and gently tugged on his sleeve.
Haru instantly understood what she wanted.
"Is it mango juice?"
"…And cucumber cream cake."
Mutsumi's voice was soft and shy, almost like a whisper.
It was exactly that fragile, gentle tone that made people instinctively want to take care of her. She could use it to get away with anything—even the most outrageous requests—without anyone realizing it.
Ryo's gaze sharpened, interest piqued as she watched Mutsumi's every move.
Outwardly, she still looked indifferent but beneath the table, hidden from view, her gloved right hand slowly clenched the hem of her skirt.
In many ways, Ryo and Mutsumi were similar—both cold, expressionless types.
But in truth, they were entirely different.
Ryo was cool, confident, and sharp like a blade. Mutsumi was quiet, fragile, and unreadable—like a porcelain doll.
And both of them shared one thing in common:
When it came to the person they liked, they showed a completely different side of themselves.
This sudden appearance of Mutsumi…
Ryo had never felt such a real sense of threat before.
Mutsumi wasn't like Kita or Anon. She was the Ojousama of Tsukinomori, and she'd come running the second Haru called. Her danger level?
S-Class.
Ryo propped her chin in one hand and said out of nowhere, "Haru, I want the mousse layer cake."
"…Huh?"
Feeling something was off, Haru turned toward her. Her voice had a slightly coquettish lilt, but her calm golden eyes shimmered faintly with an ominous chill.
Something told him... if he refused her now, it would end badly.
Was she jealous? Had seeing him this close to another girl triggered her "First Wife" instincts?
"You both worked hard selling tickets today. Order whatever you want!"
Haru tried not to look at his dying wallet as he gave a grand, generous wave.
Thanks to Bocchi and Tomori, his simulation points had gone up again and when the "Wife's Savings Passbook" ran out, he'll consider taking the route with Sakiko-sensei again. Perhaps there's still a chance to get some relief funds from Sakiko.
Dear Sakiko… Amen.
"Thank you, Haru."
"Haru is such a good person."
Though their voices lacked emotion, both girls still said it in unison.
And honestly, throwing money around like this felt pretty damn good.
Haru ordered a mountain of sweets and drinks. Neither Ryo nor Mutsumi had large builds, but he knew their figures wouldn't suffer—every calorie was going straight to all the right places.
Or maybe it was just his imagination, but…
It felt like both Ryo on his left and Mutsumi on his right… had quietly scooted just a little closer to him.
What is happening right now?
