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V3 Chapter 11: I’ve Always Thought of Taki As…
🕑 Added 2025-05-14 10:53:57 +0000 UTCShiina Taki's sudden apology genuinely caught Kazami Haru off guard.
He never imagined that someone as prideful and assertive as Taki would be so honest and straightforward in apologizing. Honestly, he'd always thought of her as a dependable bro through and through.
Thanks to the simulation, Haru was already familiar with her blunt and easily-provoked nature.
So being hit with something this sincere, he was left unsure how to react.
"…"
Seeing Haru's prolonged silence, Taki, who was already forcing down her embarrassment, began to boil. Her fingers, still wrapped tightly around her drumsticks, turned pale from tension.
Her usually sharp, hawk-like face now blushed a soft, almost bite-worthy pink.
"It was wrong of me to doubt you and… that bet you mentioned earlier still stands."
Oh no.
Why does Taki suddenly seem… kinda cute?
Haru quickly shook his head. He couldn't let his "brotherly bond" go weird.
"It's fine. I get it, it was about Tomori, so I understand why you reacted like that."
"Besides," he added, "I can tell you're really serious about making this band work. You handle all the behind-the-scenes stuff like gear setup and logistics, things I can't manage on my own. I've always been grateful to you, Taki."
Starting a band wasn't as easy as it looked.
Just like with the girls in that other band next door, Kessoku, who claimed to form a group overnight but in truth, most of the work was done by Nijika, with any live events practically handed off to her big sister.
As a "ghost member" splitting time between Kessoku and MyGO, Haru barely had the bandwidth to deal with rehearsal coordination, equipment management, or venue applications.
Taki did all of that.
Every time they met for practice, all they had to do was glance at the neatly prepared sheet music she'd made. No fuss, no wasted time. In the sim, she even handled their live event paperwork.
That's why Haru trusted her.
As a bandmate, she was incredibly reliable.
"Huh…? You're thanking me?" Taki blinked in disbelief.
She instinctively crossed her arms and looked away, trying to maintain her usual no-nonsense demeanor. But the way her fingers twitched betrayed her flustered state.
"This is just the bare minimum for a proper band."
"It's nothing, really."
To her, everything she did was simply expected. Necessary.
Because honestly? There wasn't anyone else in the band she could rely on.
Sweet but airheaded Tomori, that ditzy pink-haired girl, the ever-distracted vegetarian Soyo, and now a stray cat guitarist who was clearly trouble, none of them were capable of handling logistics.
"Compared to composing a song, this stuff is easy," Taki muttered softly.
To her, composing music was still too far beyond her. In that regard, Kazami Haru reminded her all too much of Togawa Sakiko, reliable and frighteningly talented.
Haru never gave her a reason to worry and maybe it was that massive skill gap that made her feel so useless, so outclassed and insecure.
Just as Taki was starting to feel the weight of her own frustration, Haru let out a small sigh and looked at her like she was being dumb.
"To me, you're way more dependable than I am. I can't handle all that complicated stuff."
He didn't just thank her, now he was praising her, too.
Taki frowned slightly. She could tell Haru wasn't trying to flatter her or smooth things over, he truly meant what he said.
And that was what threw her the most.
She wasn't used to being praised.
"Don't put me on too high a pedestal," Haru added. "That track I played earlier, it's only half finished. There's a lot that still needs improvement, but as the one who composed it, I can't see the flaws on my own."
"So I'll need someone to help revise and fine-tune it when it's done."
He wasn't just being humble.
Haru knew full well where he stood. The songs from the simulation might've been brilliant, but they were created by a future version of himself.
Right now, he wasn't confident he could write music worthy of Tomori's heartfelt lyrics.
And if it wasn't good enough, not just Taki, but even he wouldn't be satisfied.
"So, what do you say?"
Haru's words snapped Taki out of her daze. In his eyes, her music theory knowledge was impressive and if one person's skills weren't enough, then combine them.
As the one most committed to making this band work, Taki was his best shot.
Taki hesitated for a beat, then exhaled slowly.
"…If you're serious, then fine." She raised her fierce violet gaze.
"To make your song worthy of Tomori's lyrics, I'll help you polish it to perfection."
Haru smiled at her determined expression and held out his hand casually.
Taki blinked, clearly not expecting that. She paused, then set her drumsticks aside.
"Looking forward to working with you."
Her pale, delicate hand gently gripped his.
Haru could still feel the strength in her palm, honed by years of drumming, but he also noticed the softness, the warmth of her fingers.
She'd probably never even touched a boy's hand before.
Having gone to all-girls schools all her life, Taki had no real contact with guys. Even with her cold and commanding personality, this close contact made her shy.
Her usual frosty demeanor was now tinged with a deep, blushing red.
"Haru, just so we're clear," she said in her usual serious tone, trying to suppress the butterflies in her chest.
"If your composing ends up being crap, so bad that I can't even fix it—"
"I'm sending you back to rewrite it from scratch."
Despite her blush, her words were cuttingly firm.
Haru found it oddly… cute.
"Deal. I'll count on you, Taki."
Taki hadn't expected her mood to swing this wildly. She quietly scolded herself and took a deep breath to calm down.
Strangely, she didn't dislike Haru as much as she used to.
She used to be completely on guard around this lazy, smug guy, but now, she could tell, he wasn't just talking big.
He was serious about making this band work with Tomori.
"There's one more thing. About the live event—"
Just as she was about to bring it up, Haru raised a hand to stop her.
Then, he gestured toward the rehearsal room door.
Taki raised a brow.
She turned to look and instantly, her tension spiked again.
…
"Anon-chan, are you sure this is okay?" Tomori whispered with concern, tugging gently on Anon's sleeve.
Haru had explicitly told them to wait outside, but once Raana started enjoying her matcha parfait, Anon immediately ran back to eavesdrop.
"It's totally fine!" Anon said smugly, flipping her cherry-pink bangs.
"Rikki-chan and Haru don't get along well. What if something breaks out? We have to be ready!"
The only time she could think this fast was in moments like these, Chihaya Anon instantly came up with a "justifiable" reason for her actions and annoyingly, it even sounded reasonable enough that no one could argue against it.
But no matter how good her excuse was, with her ear pressed against the door, she still couldn't hear a single thing.
Nothing at all.
That only made her more anxious. Who knew what was happening between a guy and a girl alone in a room together? What if they got too close in there and something happened?
Especially dangerous was Rikki, trying to go from "godmother" to "mother" for real? That couldn't be allowed!
The thought of just standing by and watching Taki and Haru grow closer, it was a huge crisis for Anon, who dreamed of a happy romantic ending.
"Ugh, I can't hear anything at all…"
"That's a rehearsal room for a band. Of course it's soundproofed," said Nagasaki Soyo, who had quietly joined her, smiling gently as she approached.
Seeing the look of frustration on Anon's face, Soyo suddenly had an idea.
With a too-casual, knowing smile, she suggested, "Why not crack the door open just a little? It won't make a sound, even when opened."
"You're right!"
Soyo's suggestion instantly validated Anon's scheme. She had been feeling a little guilty about trying to spy through a door crack, but if gentle, trustworthy Soyo said it was fine, then it couldn't be that bad.
That's why Soyo was the best! So perfectly in sync with her!
And most importantly, Soyo had no interest in Haru, so there was no need to worry about her being a threat. Unlike that tsundere Rikki, Soyo was totally safe.
"Umm, but…"
Tomori, still unsure, nervously tugged on Anon's sleeve. Even if she didn't approve, she didn't really know how to stop the pink-haired menace.
"It's fine, Tomori! Even if we get caught, it's not a big deal~"
With that, Anon pressed herself to the door and started turning the knob—slowly, carefully…
But just as she cracked it open a little, the door was yanked open from the inside.
Caught completely off guard, Anon lost her balance and tumbled forward—
—face-first into Haru's chest.
"Ribbit?"
Her adorable face froze in awkward embarrassment, plastered against his shirt.
As she looked up, she saw Haru's mildly amused expression and behind him, Taki's absolutely murderous glare.
A bead of cold sweat ran down Anon's back.
"Ahaha~ Great weather today, huh?"
Yeah, she was totally sweating now.
"What do we have here? And Soyo too?"
Haru narrowed his deep black eyes, staring down at the awkward pink-haired intruder.
He expected Anon to eavesdrop, what he didn't expect was that she'd drag Tomori and Soyo along for the ride and turn them into her co-conspirators.
This girl could rally a crowd with just nonsense.
"Sorry, Haru-san," Soyo quickly stepped in, soft smile unfading. "I think Anon-chan was just worried you and Taki might not be getting along, so she wanted to check in."
"Yeah yeah! Plus, with how soundproof that room is, we couldn't hear a thing!"
Grateful for Soyo's lifeline, Anon nodded her little head vigorously and with her pitiful expression, Haru obviously didn't get mad.
But behind him, Taki was furious, her face dark enough to leak pitch-black ink.
If she weren't so tsundere, she wouldn't have pulled Haru aside in the first place just to apologize.
Now, who knew how much of that heartfelt moment these girls had overheard?
Taki's shame and frustration were boiling over.
She shot Anon a sharp glare, then clicked her tongue under her breath.
Still, she chose to believe their "excuse" and took a long breath, redirecting her focus to the topic at hand.
"I was just discussing the band's next steps with Haru. I want to hear everyone's thoughts."
"The band's…"
That word alone made Tomori perk up, her delicate brows furrowing with worry. She looked to Haru, unsure.
He noticed her anxiety immediately and with a subtle wink, reassured her.
That was all it took for her nervous energy to melt away.
"So, what's the topic?" Soyo asked, though she had a hunch already.
"Live," Haru said, with a proud little smirk.
The word made everyone pause.
"Since the new song's nearly done, isn't it time we planned our first live performance?"
As if she'd been waiting for this moment, Taki pulled out a chart she'd made. It was a Live House performance schedule, something she'd stayed up late to put together.
Haru's eyes immediately landed on "STARRY," where Kessoku Band was listed.
Another slot, under RiNG, showed an opening: one band had dropped out, and the schedule now had a red empty slot for next month.
Taki, being a staff member at RiNG, wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by.
"So that's why you were meeting with the other staff…"
Soyo's eyes lit up in realization. She looked at Taki's serious expression and felt something stir.
"If we're serious about being a band, doing a live show is inevitable."
Taki's promise to Tomori wasn't just for show.
She had been dead serious about making this band work from the start. That included arrangement, logistics, everything, and now, even organizing their debut live.
"Eh?! But next month is already summer break! Isn't that way too soon?!"
Anon's nerves kicked in hard.
She'd only been learning guitar for less than a month. There was no way she felt ready, especially since she'd never set foot on a real Live House stage.
Performing at RiNG wasn't anything like middle school talent shows. Back then, even if she just wore a guitar and sang, no one cared and even if she messed up, the crowd—mostly middle schoolers—couldn't tell the difference.
"I think our current level is fine." Taki, arms crossed, brow furrowed. "Our coordination sucks, sure, but that can be fixed with practice."
"So… should we do it or not?"
