"What exactly do you want to talk to me about? And in private, no less."
Tsuzuki Chihiro had been enjoying watching the show, only to be suddenly pulled aside by Taki. She felt a little nervous.
Could Taki have figured something out? Was she planning to expose her true identity in private?
But as it turned out, Chihiro was just overthinking things.
"I... wanted to apologize to you."
"Apologize?"
A bitter smile appeared on Taki's lips. "Because I used to hold some grudges against you. I originally thought... that you joined a band with Anon because you wanted to use her."
"Me? Use Anon?"
"Ah... that was just my assumption. Now I see that I was mistaken."
Taki looked a little embarrassed, but since the conversation had already gone this far, she saw no point in hiding anything anymore.
"Before, you came looking for me a few times, didn't you? Every time, you'd pretend to ask about Tomori, then inquire if Sakiko had contacted me."
"..."
Tsuzuki Chihiro remained silent. After all, those embarrassing incidents had nothing to do with her—they were all the work of a certain divorced socialite.
"So even when you told me that day that Anon might not be serious about forming a band, I still had my doubts about whether you had another agenda."
"For example... forming a new band with Anon first, then finding an excuse to kick her out once she showed impure intentions, and finally pulling Mutsumi and Sakiko back in."
"How could you even think that?" Tsuzuki Chihiro twitched at the corner of her mouth. "What kind of idiot would come up with such an absurd plan?"
Even that airheaded employer of hers had immediately dismissed the idea as unworkable.
Did such a genius truly exist—someone who wholeheartedly believed that this plan could revive CRYCHIC? Chihiro was convinced they didn't.
"Yeah... it does sound ridiculous."
For once, Taki smiled. She felt as though she had regained the simple enthusiasm she once had for forming a band.
Though, this time around, things hadn't started off as smoothly as before. And within this band... there was still that pink-haired deadweight.
"By the way, when did you start learning composition?"
Taki hesitated before asking the question, afraid that Chihiro might give a date later than when she herself had started. That would absolutely crush her.
But for a question like this, Tsuzuki Chihiro honestly didn't know how to answer.
Because even she didn't quite understand the peculiar talent that was Nagasaki Soyo.
After some thought, Chihiro figured she'd be the one using the "Nagasaki Soyo" name most of the time from now on. To avoid future confusion, it was best to be truthful about things like this.
"If I remember correctly, about two years ago."
She had spent almost two and a half years in the UK, and she'd picked up composition and arrangement while she was there, learning from the band's keyboardist.
Though as a student... she hadn't just skipped paying tuition—her so-called "teacher" had ended up giving her quite a bit of money instead.
"Two years ago?!"
Taki was shocked. Two years ago felt like a long time. Back then, CRYCHIC hadn't even been a concept yet, and she herself had only just started learning the drums.
"But at the time... why didn't you help Tomori compose music?"
"Because everyone in a band needs to find their own role. You can't just focus on yourself and ignore everyone else, right?"
As she spoke, a trace of self-mockery flashed through Tsuzuki Chihiro's eyes. After all, she hadn't understood this before—her pride in her guitar skills had made her play without considering anything else.
"I see..."
"Honestly, I used to dislike bass." Tsuzuki Chihiro continued talking about her own experiences under the guise of another person. "But then I realized... everyone in a band has a purpose."
"Bass is the foundation—it supports everyone else. And the drums? They're the rhythm, the guide that keeps everyone on the right path."
"..."
Taki didn't respond.
Not because she disagreed. On the contrary, after hearing those words, she suddenly felt a new understanding of both the band and Soyo herself.
"I'll write the next song."
"Eh?"
Seeing the puzzled look on "Soyo's" face, Taki hesitated before adding, "I've been learning composition recently too."
"That's great! And you probably want to write a song with Tomori, right?"
"Then... can I ask you for advice?"
If it had been before, Taki would never have discussed this kind of thing with Soyo—someone she only had a neutral relationship with in the band. But now, things were different.
Not just because they had a certain pink-haired safety net, but because Taki had now set Nagasaki Soyo as her first goal to catch up to.
Compared to Sakiko, who left the band without a word or regard for others, and her sister, whom she admired but found difficult to approach—
Soyo seemed like the closest person to her.
And if Soyo had been composing for just over two years yet produced songs at a level she believed she herself could reach with effort, then what did that mean?
It meant Soyo, like her, wasn't some extraordinary genius. She was just an ordinary person who worked incredibly hard to achieve results—proof that persistence and effort paid off. A role model worth learning from.
Of course, Taki would never say any of this out loud. She could never bring herself to tell Soyo what she really thought.
"You want my advice?" Tsuzuki Chihiro was surprised, awkwardly trying to decline. "Honestly, my songs... they're kind of special. In the past, nobody but me even wanted to play them."
"That's even better—"
"Huh?"
"No, I mean..." Taki's face turned red, almost blurting out her true thoughts. "What I meant to say was... we can improve together."
"...Since you put it that way, alright."
Tsuzuki Chihiro sighed, reluctantly agreeing to Taki's request. Internally, though, she was already thinking up excuses to get out of it later.
Or maybe she'd just grab the real Soyo and shake her upside down to see if any new songs fell out.
Because she definitely wasn't about to hand over one of her insane practice pieces for Taki to study.
"Let's play in a band together."
Just as Taki was about to wrap things up and check on how Anon's self-learning was going, a familiar voice spoke up behind her.
What caught her attention, though, wasn't the fact that Raana had suddenly appeared—it was how Soyo seemed momentarily tense upon seeing her.
Of course, Tsuzuki Chihiro's brief moment of distraction was hidden behind Taki's body, so the cat-like girl didn't notice.
"Play in a band? Together?"
"Why are you speaking in reverse order?"
"You're Raana, right?" Tsuzuki Chihiro quickly composed herself, putting on a warm smile as she looked at her younger sister.
"...Big sis, let's play in a band together?"
"Big sis?!" Taki nearly lost it upon hearing that. "You little stray cat! After all those times I had to cover for you when you skipped out on the bill, you never once called me 'big sis' so respectfully!
"You freeloading brat—pay me back!"
"Uh, Taki... how much does she owe you? I'll cover it all."
"Eh?"
Taki stared at Soyo, who looked like she was about to take the fall for this scam.
Wait—just because that stray cat called you "big sis" once, did you actually believe you were her real sister?!