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V2 Chapter 39: Silent Love
🕑 Added 2025-05-12 01:14:10 +0000 UTCWakaba Mutsumi stood obediently at the school gate, still holding her bag. As she saw Togawa Sakiko walking briskly out of the school, she gave her a small nod. Instantly recognizing the gesture, she turned and followed after her, expressionless.
She had come all the way to Haneoka just to see Sakiko, because she had no other choice.
After sending Sakiko several messages without getting a reply, she could tell Sakiko was angry. Meanwhile, Soyo had been acting differently lately, perhaps due to joining a new band, taking an even keener interest in Sakiko's affairs and repeatedly asking Mutsumi about her.
Sakiko didn't want anyone from the former band involved with her now. She had told Mutsumi not to share any information about her with anyone, but Mutsumi, burdened by guilt over the disbandment, couldn't bring herself to refuse Soyo's requests.
That guilt felt like a chain wrapped around her, pressing down on her chest. Mutsumi had no way to break free.
And no one to talk to about it.
"…Honestly."
It wasn't until they were several dozen meters away from the school that Togawa Sakiko sighed and looked back.
Seeing Mutsumi still following her like a little duckling, Sakiko hesitated before choosing a nearby café and dragging the silent girl in. After taking a breath to settle herself, she offered a faint, softer smile.
If Mutsumi had come all the way here, it had to be because of Nagasaki Soyo again.
After placing their drink orders, Sakiko cast a slightly pained glance at the numbers on the bill. But when she saw Mutsumi sitting there with her head bowed like a child who'd been scolded, her frustration melted away.
She sighed gently and spoke with calm kindness. "It's about Soyo, isn't it?"
"…Yeah."
"I already told you not to tell anyone anything about me."
"I haven't said a word."
Mutsumi shook her head slowly.
She really hadn't let slip a single thing about Sakiko.
"It's just that… Soyo keeps asking. She even wants to know where you live now…"
She wants to find out where I live?
If Soyo really learned her address, that would be a nightmare.
"Then just tell her I've moved."
Togawa Sakiko's brows furrowed slightly. She set the coffee cup gently on its saucer, lifting it with refined grace, and took a small sip. The faint bitterness and rich aroma lingered in her nose.
As a trained barista, she could tell immediately that the beans weren't low quality.
But after one sip, she set the cup down.
It wasn't very good.
This coffee had no heart.
Compared to that guy's brew… it didn't even come close.
"Sakiko, have you been happy lately?"
Clink.
The crisp sound of porcelain clashing echoed softly. Sakiko flinched, her body reacting before her mind could catch up. The tiny tremor in her hand made the coffee cup tap lightly against the saucer.
All from a single, casual sentence from Wakaba Mutsumi.
Sakiko held the handle with slender fingers, the calm smile on her face faltering slightly.
"…Why do you ask?"
"Because you smiled."
Wakaba Mutsumi's golden eyes stared intently at Sakiko.
She had caught the gentle, unguarded smile that had appeared on Sakiko's lips as she sipped her coffee, just like the one she used to wear a year ago.
The last time she saw that smile… was when Sakiko was with Kazami Haru.
"I smiled?"
Sakiko looked genuinely confused. She hadn't even noticed the change in her expression.
Was it because she thought of him?
No, no—it couldn't be.
Kazami Haru was just a good friend. Someone she could be herself around. Someone she could laugh with, speak freely with. Nothing more.
So if she smiled thinking about him… that was perfectly normal, right?
Mutsumi didn't know what Sakiko was thinking. All she knew was that it had been so long since she'd seen Sakiko smile like that.
Her gut told her… it had something to do with Haru.
"Was it because of Haru?"
"…What?"
Sakiko's amber eyes widened instantly. She stared in disbelief at the expressionless girl in front of her.
Her face hadn't changed at all, but she'd clearly said "Haru." As someone raised on piano and pitch sensitivity, Sakiko couldn't have misheard it.
"…How do you know him?"
"Mutsumi… just how much do you know?"
Seeing the sudden shift in Sakiko's tone, Mutsumi instinctively lowered her head, guilt washing over her. She looked apologetic, as if afraid she'd said something wrong.
Her reaction calmed Sakiko down just a little.
But even after settling, a nervous buzz still lingered in her chest.
How… did Mutsumi know about Haru?
"I saw you two walking together once… Then later, I talked to him…"
After hearing Mutsumi's quiet explanation, Sakiko's fingers instinctively tightened around the cup handle. A wave of panic hit her—like a secret being uncovered—and her thoughts spiraled into chaos.
Why… why did it have to be Mutsumi who saw that?
"You… didn't tell anyone else about this, did you?"
"No."
Sakiko finally let out a tiny breath of relief. But then a thought struck her, and a faint flush of red rose to her cheeks. She quickly tried to explain, her voice a bit rushed:
"Don't misunderstand. He's just… someone I know. A casual friend, that's all."
"…Okay."
Mutsumi nodded slightly.
That bland, indifferent response made Sakiko even more flustered. After a brief silence, she stood, picked up the bill from the table, and spoke:
"That's all there is to say, right?"
"I've got other things to take care of. I'll be going."
Despite her efforts to stay calm, Sakiko couldn't shake the anxiety. She'd let too much slip just now and Mutsumi's timid nature made her unsure whether or not she'd keep it to herself.
"Mutsumi—"
"Please don't become a messenger."
With that, Togawa Sakiko didn't wait for a reply.
She gracefully grabbed the pricey bill, paid at the counter, and walked straight off toward her part-time job at the Rabbit House café.
Leaving Wakaba Mutsumi sitting there all alone.
Mutsumi stared blankly at Sakiko's retreating figure, opening her mouth as if to speak… but no words came out.
All she could do was lower her head, cupping the mango juice in both hands.
"…You don't like mango juice?"
A teasing yet familiar voice cut through the silence.
Startled, Wakaba Mutsumi slowly lifted her head, only to lock eyes with Kazami Haru, his black hair and dark eyes unmistakable. A faint smirk played on his lips as he casually took the seat Sakiko had just vacated.
"Why are you…?"
"You're wondering what I'm doing here?" Haru chuckled. "Well, I do go to Haneoka too."
He pointed at the gray uniform he wore, and Mutsumi blinked in surprise.
Truth was, he'd noticed Mutsumi standing at the school gate earlier. He couldn't stop worrying about her, so he turned down the pink fuzzball's invite and followed her.
And what he found… was this quiet little woodblock girl, all alone, looking completely crushed.
No matter how you looked at it, she was clearly under pressure from Sakiko.
Left to carry it all on her own, Wakaba Mutsumi had nowhere to turn and Kazami Haru couldn't just walk away.
"Sorry, I overheard a bit of your conversation."
"Looks like you're dealing with a lot right now, huh?"
Wakaba Mutsumi said nothing, her head lowered as she held her mango juice in both hands, seemingly lost in thought.
Kazami Haru was already used to this quiet side of hers.
Mutsumi struggled with expressing herself. Probably because of the overwhelming attention on her celebrity parents, she'd learned to be careful with every word she said.
Afraid of saying the wrong thing, she eventually chose to say nothing at all.
Now, with pressure closing in from both sides, Mutsumi had no outlet, no way to let anything out—just bottling it all up inside.
Even without tears or expression, it was easy to feel like she was on the verge of breaking.
"If you don't mind… wanna talk about it?"
…
Time passed slowly, and Kazami Haru managed to learn quite a bit from Mutsumi about CRYCHIC and Sakiko.
Every time Soyo's name came up, Mutsumi would fall silent, unable to form any words.
But given how bad she was at expressing herself, most of the conversation was driven by Haru's questions, and her replies were limited to small nods or shakes of the head.
Anything even slightly sensitive, and she'd shut down completely.
Fortunately, Haru knew what kind of person she was, and why she was struggling so much.
Anyone else probably wouldn't know where to even start unlocking her thoughts.
"One cucumber cream cake and one Black Forest chocolate cake, please."
Sitting around doing nothing wasn't ideal, so Haru—feeling a bit flush with cash—ordered desserts for them.
Sweets were a universal mood lifter. Sugar boosts dopamine in the brain, a fast track to happiness.
"Mutsumi, did you know?"
"Even though it's called cucumber cream cake, there's no cucumber on top."
Haru sighed, tapping his finger rhythmically against the table. The light tapping drew Mutsumi's full attention. She looked up, golden eyes locking on the boy in front of her.
His faint, almost mischievous smile left her stunned for a moment.
The cake was a cucumber-like green… but no visible cucumber in sight.
"The best part is hidden inside."
"You have to peel away the creamy surface layer to reach the filling deep within, just like uncovering the little cucumber at the center. You've got to actively push past the outer shell if you want to find what you're really after."
Mutsumi blinked, a dazed expression crossing her delicate doll-like face. Her gaze wavered as she looked at Haru.
She slowly raised her fork and sliced into the soft cream cake.
Under the café lighting, the green sliver of cucumber glistened.
Snatch!
Kazami Haru suddenly swiped the cucumber piece off her plate with his fork. Mutsumi froze, the tiniest hint of color creeping onto her normally blank face.
She opened her mouth… then closed it again without saying a word.
As usual, she stayed silent.
Seeing her still so quiet, Haru let out a helpless little laugh. He gently wobbled the cucumber on his fork in front of her and said:
"Of course, that's still not enough."
"If you really want something, you have to say it."
Say it?
"…You're bullying me."
Mutsumi stated flatly, her voice as deadpan as ever, but she looked so adorably serious that Haru almost gave the cucumber back right then and there.
But messing with the quiet little woodblock was too fun. Her flustered look was pure entertainment.
Haru, who had a weakness for kuuderes, took a deep breath to steady himself, imagining silly scenes in his head to calm down. Then he sat quietly, waiting to see what she'd do.
A girl like her, only just beginning to form her own thoughts, trying to understand what it meant to love, trying to give something of herself even under pressure, yet could only stay silent.
Just like the flower language of the cucumber blossom: a silent love.
But silence doesn't solve anything.
One second… two seconds…
"I want to eat the cucumber."
At last, Wakaba Mutsumi spoke with a firm, decisive tone.
"Well said!"
Kazami Haru let out a relieved sigh, looking at her with genuine encouragement.
She had finally taken her first real step, learning how to ask for what she wanted. This was no longer the obedient, reserved noble daughter. This was a girl starting to break free.
Her golden eyes stayed fixed on Haru, and a small, almost invisible smile curved at her lips.
"In that case, don't be afraid to speak up."
"Whether it's to Togawa… or to Nagasaki."
"Even if you're feeling guilty, you've still got to figure out what you really want."
But it didn't seem like Mutsumi was really listening anymore. Her eyes were still glued to the cucumber piece on Haru's fork.
Seeing this, Haru couldn't help but laugh. Just as he was about to give it back—
"Feed me."
"…Huh?"
Haru froze, mid-motion.
Mutsumi repeated herself, calm and expressionless.
"Feed me."
She clearly wasn't joking. Her voice was always so soft and unsure that Haru had gotten used to it—but now, with her sudden assertiveness, he felt caught off guard.
What choice did he have? She was too cute to refuse.
"…Open up."
Haru slowly held the fork out. The usually stoic girl tucked a lock of pale green hair behind her ear and daintily opened her mouth, letting him feed her the cucumber.
Still expressionless, but utterly adorable.
He could've sworn he saw the tiniest smile.
"If you ever run into something you can't solve… you can come talk to me."
"I already did."
Mutsumi's calm eyes stared at him like it was obvious.
"You did?"
"I waited in the park… for a long time."
Her matter-of-fact reply stunned him into silence. He suddenly remembered, he'd never even added her on Line. She didn't even have a way to contact him!
And yet… she'd really gone to the park where they first met and just waited.
If he hadn't happened to see her today, who knew how long she would've waited?
"…I'm so sorry, Wakaba."
"Muuu..."
"…Call me Mutsumi."
Still emotionless, she corrected him.
Even Kazami Haru, who could shamelessly ask to borrow money for pachinko, didn't know what to say for a second. All he could do was apologize profusely and immediately add her on Line.
Mutsumi stared blankly at her phone screen, reading the Line notification without a word.
Neither of them noticed the girl outside.
A tall black-haired girl in a brown school uniform, clearly from Hanasakigawa Girls' Academy, just down the road from Haneoka, stood frozen outside the café.
Shiina Taki had taken off her earphones and was staring through the glass.
She was shocked, absolutely stunned.
The silent, withdrawn guitarist Wakaba Mutsumi, who used to barely speak to anyone outside the band… was now in a café with Kazami Haru.
And even being fed cake.
That was something Taki never could've imagined.
And yet… it was happening.
"…Huh?"
