This was the first time Sakiko had ever seen Kikukawa Kyo this serious.
Even on the day they had become bound by fate, Kyo had never been this earnest before.
Kyo seems to value "feelings" a lot…
"I understand."
Sakiko gave only a simple reply, but she didn't say what kind of attitude she would have toward Tomori from now on.
Kyo didn't press her for an answer. People were different, after all. The belief that people who cared about each other should never treat each other with indifference—that was something rooted in Kyo's own narrow, one-sided understanding of emotions, shaped by the only form of love she had ever known: family.
Kyo had never been neglected by her family. She had always been surrounded by love, and she returned that love to her parents and sister. Part of her desire to keep moving forward, to avoid becoming someone stagnant and dull, stemmed from not wanting to make her family worry about her.
Now that she had spoken her mind, whatever Sakiko chose to do was up to her.
Whether she continued to keep her distance from Tomori and the other members of CRYCHIC or maintained at least the most basic of connections—it was all up to Sakiko.
At worst, Kyo figured she could just make sure to comfort Tomori whenever she got left out in the cold.
That was fine. Kyo had always been the type to keep flowing forward, unaffected by others.
But now, seeing Sakiko looking so conflicted, Kyo let out a quiet sigh.
She obviously cares. She was the one who asked about Tomori first, after all. So why can't she just be honest about it?
"Lotus seed soup. Want some?"
Kyo shook her thermos in front of Sakiko. "It's warm. Drinking something warm always helps you relax."
"Not right now, Kyo. We're in the auditorium."
Sakiko blinked at her for a moment before exhaling with a small smile. The Kyo sitting in front of her now was the same Kyo she was familiar with. She gently declined the offer.
"Then how about later?" Kyo pressed, still determined to get Sakiko to try it.
"Alright."
After Kyo's words earlier, Sakiko had already started forming her own thoughts. And now, seeing Kyo shift from scolding her to trying to comfort her, she felt the knot in her chest begin to loosen.
Maybe this is Kyo putting her own beliefs into practice—toward the people she cares about…
She hadn't even tasted Kyo's lotus seed soup yet, but somehow, she already felt like she had been soothed.
Maybe Kyo herself was the real remedy.
...
"Listening to speeches really makes you sleepy."
"Well, maybe so, but Kyo, you fell asleep way too fast."
The speech ended quickly—or at least, that's how it felt to Kyo. She had barely closed her eyes before Sakiko was shaking her awake, and suddenly, the freshman welcome ceremony was over.
Students began leaving the auditorium in an orderly fashion, just as they had entered. Kyo and Sakiko walked out side by side, stepping into the open space outside.
"Probably because I didn't sleep well last night," Kyo murmured, stretching her arms. Sleeping on a plastic chair wasn't exactly comfortable, and her neck and back had stiffened. "Or maybe it was the lotus seed soup. It really does calm you down—I sat down, and the next thing I knew, I was out."
In just three sentences, she had already circled back to promoting her lotus seed soup.
Sakiko glanced at her, watching as Kyo held up her thermos in one hand while presenting it with the other—just like a salesperson in a TV commercial.
She chuckled behind her hand. Now that they had left the auditorium, she didn't have to mind formalities anymore.
She had been about to humor Kyo and go along with her little sales pitch—until she noticed two people standing by the roadside ahead, seemingly waiting for someone.
Chihaya Anon and Takamatsu Tomori.
Kikukawa Kyo naturally noticed the two standing ahead as well and was slightly surprised.
If Anon and Tomori were waiting for them, then Anon—who knew that she and Sakiko were in the same class—would also be aware that this meant Tomori would have to face the very person who had caused her distress earlier.
Kyo observed Tomori carefully.
Although her hands were still tightly clenched in front of her chest, betraying her nervousness, she didn't seem particularly frightened or shaken.
In other words…
Looks like Anon is even more proactive than I thought.
She must have been the one to encourage Tomori to wait here for Sakiko. But wasn't that a little reckless? Anon probably didn't know about Tomori and Sakiko's past conflicts—what if things were too difficult to resolve and they ended up repeating the same scene from before?
Given Anon's previously displayed social skills, she didn't seem like the type to make such a mistake.
Just as Kyo was wondering about it, Anon shot her a meaningful look from afar.
Ah… I think I said something like, "Sakiko and Tomori don't have any bad blood," earlier.
So Anon must have thought that, since Kyo was here, this was the perfect chance for Tomori to finally talk things out with Sakiko.
And aside from that, Anon probably also trusted that Kyo—whom Tomori depended on—would be able to keep Tomori emotionally stable even if the conversation didn't go well.
Not bad, Anon!
It was only now that Kyo found herself truly starting to like this energetic yet perceptive pink-haired girl. Up until now, she had approached Anon with a bit of calculation, thinking that her personality might be a good influence on the more delicate Tomori.
Kyo didn't slow her pace and continued walking toward Anon and Tomori. What pleased her was that, after only a brief moment of hesitation, Sakiko followed along as well.
"Sa-Sakiko…"
Tomori's amber eyes widened in surprise when she saw that Sakiko wasn't avoiding her this time. She stammered slightly as she greeted her.
Sakiko's stiff expression wavered before she finally let out a sigh and smiled helplessly.
"Tomori, you're still just as shy as ever."
"…I'm sorry."
Even though Sakiko's words were clearly just a casual remark, Tomori still took them as criticism for not having changed, lowering her head in guilt.
"I'm not blaming you."
Sakiko cut off her self-reproach, her tone calm. "I told you that day, didn't I? It was my own issue."
Hearing those words directly from Sakiko—who had left the band, seemingly because of her—Tomori was left momentarily confused. But finally, she managed to lift her head and meet Sakiko's gaze.
"But Sakiko said… that I still needed more practice…"
"Yes. So please continue to work hard and keep practicing."
Sakiko left it at that, offering no further explanation. She gave a small nod and a polite bow—her demeanor courteous, neither cold nor particularly warm—before stepping forward to leave.
As she passed by Anon, Anon caught the faintest whisper of a "thank you."
Startled, she instinctively turned to look at Sakiko, but all she saw was her walking away as if nothing had happened, as if that tiny word of gratitude had been nothing more than a figment of her imagination.
"Heh."
Kyo, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, finally spoke. "Still as awkward as ever. And she completely forgot about my lotus seed soup, didn't she…"
"Kyo, what exactly happened between Sakiko and Tomori?"
Anon, puzzled by Sakiko's words, which sounded more like a blessing yet felt completely off, couldn't help but ask.
"I have no idea." Kyo wasn't lying. "But at least things are better than before, right? And that's enough."