"Well now~ You must be the designer my daughter mentioned! I've heard all about you from Soyo. Thank you for taking care of my daughter!"
"You're too kind. If anything, I'm the one who has been in her care."
"By the way, you're a little too thin, aren't you? Do you really eat properly?"
"I am, for what it's worth, trying to gain weight..."
"Is that so~ What a shame! If I didn't have that meeting tonight, I would have bought some drinks to bring back!"
"Th-that is... I'm still a year away from being able to drink, so..."
"...Eh? No way! You're only nineteen this year? Hahahahaha! What's this, you're still just a kid! By the way, is little Anon the same age as my daughter?"
"Yes, she is!"
"What a cute child! And, a nineteen-year-old designer... how amazing! You're definitely going to become someone incredible in the future!"
"..."
Watching the laughing, mature woman, the cheerful Anon, and Tetsuya, who was caught between them with a bewildered look on his face, everyone couldn't help but stare, dumbfounded.
And the first to snap out of the shock was, naturally, Soyo—
"Mom! What do you think you're doing!"
She was so flustered that she even forgot to use the elegant phrasing constantly emphasized at her prestigious school.
"This is a little too rude to our guest!"
"Hm?"
Hearing Soyo's cry, her mother first looked stunned, then said with a carefree air:
"Oh, it's fine, it's fine! A fine young man like Tetsuya here definitely won't mind! Right?"
"...Yes."
Hearing that name, a look of helplessness appeared on Tetsuya's face.
"As long as you're happy, that's all that matters..."
"Aaaah, honestly! Mom!!!"
Seeing the increasingly pained look on Tetsuya's face, Soyo rushed over to her mother and pulled her away from him.
"You must be tired from work, right? You should go back to your room and rest!"
"Eh? What are you talking about, I'm not tired at all!"
Soyo's mother put her hands on her hips.
"More importantly, I haven't even said hello to everyone else yet~ Hello everyone, I'm Soyo's mom! You can call me Auntie or Sis, either is fine!"
"...Honestly!"
Watching that "childish ghost" excitedly run off to greet the others, Soyo covered her face in shame.
"I really shouldn't have let her come..."
"...She's quite a vibrant mother."
Tetsuya, finally able to escape for a moment, couldn't help but remark.
"Completely different from the workaholic I imagined."
"I'm sorry... my mother has caused you trouble."
Even Soyo, who usually enjoyed bickering with Tetsuya, didn't have the heart to speak ill to him at this moment.
"How should I put it... she's brilliant at her job, but her personality has always been very childish. Whenever she encounters people or things that interest her, she'll cling to them like a grade-schooler..."
"..."
Tetsuya turned to look towards the living room.
At that moment, Soyo's mother was sitting next to a mortified Sakiko, happily chatting with her about something, while Uika sat smiling on Sakiko's other side, occasionally chiming in...
"She seems like a very fun adult."
"...She's always like that."
Soyo also looked over, a hint of indescribable helplessness and exhaustion in her eyes.
"She completely disregards others' opinions and feelings, just immersing herself in her own world."
At this, she couldn't help but sigh.
"But in the end, it's my fault. If I hadn't talked to her about you starting your own brand, she definitely wouldn't have come to this party so enthusiastically... She's more interested in your personal brand than in our band."
"..."
Hearing this, Tetsuya subconsciously looked at Soyo.
Sure enough, on her profile, which was merely looking a short distance away, Tetsuya could see a clear sense of distance and loneliness.
...
"Nagasaki-san."
Tetsuya said, picking up the gift bag he had been holding.
"This is a gift for you. Please accept it."
"...You can't be serious?"
Soyo was a bit dumbfounded.
"Never mind that bringing a gift to a celebration party is unnatural in itself, but for you, the hero of this live, to prepare a gift instead... in what position am I supposed to accept this?"
"Speaking of heroes of the live, you're definitely one of them, right?"
Tetsuya handed the gift bag to Soyo.
"The outfits Sakiko and I made were just one of the conditions for the live's success. You were the one who put them to good use. And... you also worked hard behind the scenes to make this live happen, didn't you? Whether it was communicating with me, or encouraging and guiding the others when they ran into problems."
"..."
Soyo's eyes widened slightly.
"I didn't do anything that amazing. I just... retold them the lessons you and Sakiko taught me, but in a different way."
"You're not being honest with yourself."
Tetsuya shook his head with a small laugh.
"Well then, just think of it as my thanks. Thank you for forming a band with my sister, and thank you for being willing to forgive the... stupid things Sakiko did before."
"Don't you dare talk about Sakiko like that."
Soyo took the bag with a huff.
"But, I'll accept your 'thanks'..."
She said, opening the gift bag.
And when she saw what was inside, her previously defiant expression instantly turned into a stunned one.
"This is..."
She slowly pulled the gift out and murmured in a daze:
"A photo album?"
"Mhm, a photo album."
Tetsuya nodded.
"The reason you were so attached to [CRYCHIC] before was because you lacked a sense of security and belonging, right? The old home you were forced to leave, a new environment where you didn't fit in, the band you couldn't hold onto, and a mother who couldn't give you peace of mind... These experiences made you insecure and constantly afraid of loss, and made you always feel like you were all alone... But things are different now."
Tetsuya said.
"You, Sakiko, and Mutsumi have cleared up your misunderstandings and restored your relationship. The new band already has a common goal, and you've even completed a live together that proves your future prospects. The song that once ended everything has once again become your beginning. The things you cherish will only grow from this moment on."
"But, for you, who has always lacked a sense of security, these things alone are surely not enough to fully hold onto this fleeting joy. So why not use photos to preserve these things in a physical form... starting with today's party."
Watching the girl slowly hug the photo album to her chest, Tetsuya asked with a smile:
"So, Nagasaki-san, this gift... do you like it?"