As it turned out, cheering up Tomori wasn't all that difficult.
At least, Anon had noticed that as long as Kyo was around, all she had to do was bring Tomori over to her, stand together with Kyo, and let Tomori see that she wasn't being left out. That alone was usually enough to calm her down.
Just like now.
Kyo watched as Anon gently pushed Tomori forward, coaxing her as she did.
"See, Tomori? We're all here with you."
It was undeniably effective.
After all, Kyo couldn't just step back and avoid the two of them—doing that would be outright cruel to Tomori.
So, she let Anon carry out her little scheme with a mischievous grin.
For a brief moment, Kyo felt like she was watching a proud, pink-haired retriever carrying a little black-and-white penguin in its mouth—delivering it straight to her, as if expecting her to take it in.
Alright, fine.
Whether for Tomori's own growth or for Kyo's own commitment to her philosophy of "flowing forward," she would prefer if Tomori didn't rely too much on someone like her—someone who couldn't truly understand emotions.
But until they found a better way…
She could at least be a steady cradle of water for now.
"Tomori, if you ever want to join a conversation, you can try bringing up a topic yourself. It's pretty normal for there to be moments where not everyone understands what's being discussed."
Even if she had to act as a stabilizer, Kyo wanted to do more than just comfort Tomori—she wanted to teach her something practical, too.
Maybe I should organize some of the stuff from my archive wall and put together a little guide for her…
Kyo made a mental note of the idea, then turned back to Tomori, who was now visibly concentrating, trying her hardest to think of something to say.
Unfortunately, when put on the spot like this, most people would find their minds going blank—and Tomori, a poor little penguin thrown into the deep end, was no exception.
In just moments, her eyes started swirling in confusion, like a dazed cartoon character.
You've already done your best, Tomori. ×2
Kyo and Anon, perfectly in sync, each reached out—one gently patting Tomori's head, the other giving her absentmindedly fidgeting hand a light squeeze.
They both sighed at the exact same time.
Since Tomori was at least trying, Kyo decided to take the lead in guiding the conversation.
"Your class is heading to check out the club recruitment booths after the speech too, right?"
She turned to Anon and Tomori, who were in a different class, to confirm that their schedule matched hers.
At Haneoka, the first day of school was essentially the last bit of free time students had before the academic workload kicked in. Aside from class roll call and the freshman welcome speech, there weren't many mandatory activities.
For the rest of the day, first-years were free to explore the various club booths, where upperclassmen put on all sorts of performances to attract new members. The whole thing was lively enough to feel like a mini school festival.
Once Anon and Tomori confirmed that their class had the same plan, Kyo nodded.
"Then let's walk around and check out the clubs while we continue our conversation about bands."
"Ah! Right now?"
Anon seemed to have an objection.
"Can I stop by the classroom first? I want to put my glasses away…"
When dealing with classmates she would be interacting with regularly, the thick-rimmed glasses helped take the edge off her overwhelming social energy. First impressions were important, after all—this way, even if she took them off later, people wouldn't feel as overwhelmed by her presence.
But since they were about to go check out the upperclassmen's club booths, making a striking first impression was actually more important.
In this case, the glasses would only hold her back!
Anon's little schemes +1.
"Hm~"
Kyo let out a thoughtful hum as she eyed Anon, easily seeing through her intentions.
Just as she expected—the moment those glasses had served their purpose, Anon was ready to toss them aside without a second thought.
Unfashionable things? No longer needed.
"W-What is it, Kyo…?"
Anon let out a few awkward laughs.
Had she really been caught this quickly?!
Kyo's expression hadn't changed at all. Her eyes were still as clear and shimmering as ever, like the surface of a rippling lake.
And yet, somehow, Anon couldn't shake the feeling that there was a very smug undertone hidden in her seemingly innocent smile.
"…Go on, go on. We'll all head back to the building together."
In the end, kindhearted Kikukawa Kyo decided to let Anon off the hook.
Anon let out a long sigh of relief.
...
The three of them walked back to the school building together before eventually parting ways. Kyo arranged to meet up with Anon and Tomori on the first floor later, then returned to her own class, Class B.
Sakiko was seated at her desk, sitting upright as she gazed out the window. It was unclear what she was thinking about.
Kyo made her way back to her seat, which was right in front of Sakiko's, naturally drawing her attention.
Without much thought, she pulled off the red ribbon pinned to her chest—a symbol of the school's welcome for new students—and casually tossed it into her desk drawer before settling into her seat.
Their eyes met.
"How do you feel?"
"Do you have to ask?"
Sakiko had expected Kyo to bring it up again.
"Sometimes, I almost miss how you used to be back when you first joined the band—that distant, elusive air you had. If you were still like that, at least you wouldn't be annoying me right now."
"That's just because we weren't close yet. You have to be reserved around strangers, after all."
Kyo was entirely unfazed by Sakiko's sharp words.
"Or… do you want me to go back to that?"
Sakiko fell silent for a moment, staring at the faint smirk on Kyo's lips.
"…No."
"Heh~"
"The way you laugh like that—just breathy little sounds—can be really irritating sometimes."
"Oh? Are you mad?"
"I'm not mad…"
"Liar."
Kyo pulled out the thermos she had prepared earlier, and this time, her smirk turned into a full-fledged mischievous grin.
"If you're mad, how about some lotus seed soup to calm you down? It's still nice and warm~"
Sakiko let out a quiet sigh.
Any lingering frustration she had melted away at the sight of Kyo's expression.
"…Thanks."
She accepted the offer, though she deliberately kept her words short. Anything more would feel like admitting defeat.
But that was exactly what Kyo had been waiting for.
With practiced ease, she swiftly unscrewed the lid.
"Hang on a sec—I let someone else drink from this earlier."
Kyo had a firm stance on sharing drinks. It wasn't just a personal preference; it was a belief. Even if it was just two other people using the same cup, she considered it too intimate to be done carelessly.
But of course, she had come prepared.
She ran her fingers over a small latch on the lid and popped it open, revealing an extra inner layer—transforming the lid into a separate tiny cup.
So that's why this thermos lid looked so much bigger than the bottle itself.
Sakiko accepted the cup of soup Kyo had poured for her.
By now, she was no longer as hesitant about drinking things Kyo offered. She finished the small serving quickly.
It really was good.
Though… it seemed that the "water" sitting right in front of her was even more soothing.
---
T/N: was gonna update earlier but got lazy, so im just doing 4 chapters for today's update, should be an update tomorrow too maybe 4 maybe not
Hello. I'm Enkidu.
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