May 3rd, Sunday, 2:43 PM.
Inside one of the recording studios at RiNG LIVE House, the new band members were finally all present with the arrival of Tsuzuki Chihiro.
But judging by the atmosphere, it was clear that Anon and Taki still hadn't let go of their grudge from the other day. The two stood in silent confrontation, as if they were natural enemies destined never to get along.
"Soyo, you're here too. Shall we get started?"
"Wait."
Chihiro hadn't forgotten her little sponsor's desperate request. And honestly, as someone being financially supported like a pampered little canary, she had no reason to refuse such a simple demand.
"Let's hold off on Haruhikage for now. We'll use a different song."
"…Why?" Taki frowned, her gaze sharpening. "Don't tell me you—"
"Because we don't have the rights to it."
Chihiro answered with a perfectly logical excuse—one that she and Soyo had meticulously planned. She had to admit, her sponsor might act like an airhead sometimes, but her knowledge of these former friends was downright terrifying.
She had even predicted that Taki would question it.
"…Copyright issues?"
"Even if we're just using it for practice, it's not like we could ever perform it on stage, right?"
"At the end of the day, Sakiko wrote the song. And since things ended the way they did, there's no need to complicate matters by bringing it back."
"…Huh?"
Taki looked genuinely surprised.
She had expected Soyo to come up with some excuse, but she hadn't expected it to be this… practical.
And she couldn't argue against it.
"But if we don't use that song, what are we going to play? We don't even have a song of our own. Wouldn't using another band's song have the same issue?"
"…Who said we don't have one?"
Chihiro smirked. Technically, this song wasn't hers—it was something her Soyo had hummed out. But since she was currently Soyo, taking credit wasn't exactly stealing, was it?
Under the bewildered gazes of everyone in the room, Chihiro pulled a stack of printed sheets from her bass case.
These were the music scores she and Soyo had spent half an hour working on earlier.
To make sure everyone had a copy, she had printed out four sets.
"This is…"
Taki looked like she had seen a ghost. But despite her skepticism, she took the sheet music anyway. The others followed suit.
If she had thought "Soyo" was just talking nonsense before, now she was completely dumbfounded.
Taki had taught herself composition and arrangement. She wasn't at Sakiko's level yet, but she could take a score and imagine the melody in her head.
And after reading through it…
It was perfect.
No—rather, it was exactly what she had hoped their band's first song would be.
It wasn't like it was the best song she had ever heard, but… she loved it.
It felt like it had been written just for her.
And the lyrics—
They hit every emotional chord in her.
"…You wrote this? When?"
"This afternoon. Just something I threw together."
"…Would it kill you to not act like a show-off?"
Taki rolled her eyes. No way in hell had Soyo just casually whipped this up in a few hours.
This song was far too refined to be something slapped together on the spot.
And yet…
It seemed like Soyo had already set her sights on forming a new band long before any of them had made up their minds.
While the rest of them were still hesitating, standing still—Soyo had already moved forward.
And now, from that new road ahead, she was turning back, reaching out to the friends she had left behind.
At least, that's what Taki wanted to believe.
Two things made her think that way.
First—this song didn't have a keyboard part. Even if she wanted to, she had no idea how a keyboard could be incorporated into the current arrangement.
And second—the lyrics.
"…Soyo."
"…What do you think, Tomori?"
Chihiro turned her attention to the silver-haired girl, who had been completely silent since she received the sheet music.
She had been staring at it with such intense focus that it was clear—she had been captivated.
"…I love it. It feels like it's speaking directly to me."
Until just moments ago, Tomori had still felt disconnected from this whole band formation thing.
But now, reading these lyrics that seemed to echo her unspoken thoughts, a strange warmth filled her chest.
Her reaction made it undeniable—"Soyo" had written this with intent.
She had written it for them.
Taki had always assumed that Soyo wanted to form a band just because she couldn't let go of Sakiko.
But now, she realized—she had been completely wrong.
Still, even though she felt a rush of admiration…
She also felt something else.
A deep, frustrating insecurity.
Someone, please tell me—what kind of cheat code did this girl unlock?!
Wasn't she just the bassist? The one with the least presence in the band?
How the hell had she suddenly become someone who could write and compose songs?
It made Taki's months of struggling to teach herself songwriting feel like a joke.
She had told herself she was doing it for Tomori, but in the end…
She had never actually done anything.
Back in junior high, CRYCHIC had been Sakiko's project.
All Taki had done was listen to Tomori's voice, using it as her emotional anchor.
And now, once again—
Tomori's true feelings had been turned into a song.
By Soyo.
And all she had done was wait.
Wait and wait, day after day—until someone else stepped in to make it happen.
She, Shiina Taki—
Was useless.
"…Hey."
"…What now?"
Hearing Anon's voice snapped Taki out of her spiral of self-doubt. And maybe because she was already on edge, she immediately shot back with irritation.
"I was just wondering… I can't read sheet music. Do you have, like… a guitar tab version?"
"…What?"
Taki suddenly felt a lot less insecure.
Why had she been feeling so inferior?
This pink-haired disaster couldn't even read sheet music.
If they had a better relationship, Taki might have actually grabbed her hands in gratitude.
"…You're seriously asking me that?"
"I mean, yeah! I never learned to read music—ugh, I—"
Chihiro had been about to say something to console her, but—
"…I'll teach you."
"…Huh?"
"I said I'll teach you."
"You? Being nice? What's the catch?"
"…You little—"
"…Thanks, Taki."
Taki froze.
She hadn't expected Anon to actually thank her.
A bit of awkwardness crossed her face.
But in the end, she nodded.
Before she got started, though, her eyes drifted back to Soyo—who had been watching this whole exchange with a smile.
…It seemed like, in this new band, Soyo had already taken Sakiko's place.
"…Soyo, can I talk to you alone for a second?"