"That way, your finances will be a bit more flexible, right?"
"Yes, but... Ah!!!"
Before Sakiko could finish, Shouko bit down hard.
"There are no 'buts.' Just accept reality."
"But, Soyo and the others..."
"Leave Soyo to me. The others definitely won't be going back to the CRYCHIC Band cottage anymore."
"Shouko, can't I reorganize the CRYCHIC Band after some time?"
Lifting her head, she looked at Sakiko's unwilling face right in front of her.
Shouko shook her head and bit the other's ear again.
"Mutsumi's ability is fine, but the others' abilities don't meet the requirements for your commercial band."
"But..."
"Wouldn't it be nice to let CRYCHIC Band remain a beautiful memory? After all, first love is always bittersweet."
"..."
Seeing Sakiko being stubborn, Shouko directly changed the subject.
"In a bit, go to the Police Headquarters and pick up your father."
"Okay..."
"Don't take the Toyokawa Family matters to heart either; focus on improving yourself first. However, your father is indeed a major problem."
"I will... I will definitely make Father change back."
"What, are you going to tell him everything I told you??"
"No, is that not okay??"
Looking up, she met Shouko's eyes.
That intense sense of aggression made Sakiko unable to help but avert her gaze.
"Don't tell him these things when you go back. It's only useful if he walks out of it himself."
"Okay..."
"You can try other methods. If they don't work, tell me. After all, it's for your father's own good."
"O-Okay..."
"This is the second step of your growth: communicating with people. Go and try your best."
Saying this, Shouko completely let go of Sakiko.
Seeing a flash of loss in the other's eyes, she instead snapped the belt in her hand twice in the air.
"I know it's hard; your useless old man must have gone through a lot."
"But humans, in most cases, still live based on emotions."
"Actually, his malicious slacking—isn't that just his way of telling you not to bother with him anymore?"
"So, go ahead and give it a try..."
"If it really doesn't work, tell me. I'll help you educate your father. Actually, I quite enjoy doing that kind of thing."
As Shouko said this, she struck Sakiko once with the belt.
"Ah!!!!!"
Sakiko screamed from the strike and quickly dodged further away.
"Does it hurt..."
"It hurts..."
Tears began to well up in Sakiko's eyes again.
Shouko smiled and nodded, taking out the new clothes she had prepared from her backpack and placing them in front of Sakiko.
"These are your new clothes. Everything from now on will be a new beginning."
"Well then, I'll... be going first."
Then, she wrapped the belt back around her arm.
"Remember to message me when you need to."
"That old man of yours isn't hard to educate. One whipping a day, and I guarantee he'll feel refreshed."
A brilliant, filial smile appeared on Shouko's face as she put her backpack on her back.
She turned and walked to the door, but stopped again under Sakiko's puzzled gaze.
♪~ I'll no longer look back at the places I walked with the one I loved.
♪~ And the scenery I saw back then.
♪~ I'll only focus on racing through the present.
♪~ What will I encounter?
♪~ Sometimes stopping, sometimes questioning the meaning.
♪~ I must not have become an adult yet.
♪~ The things I see now, the people I meet now.
♪~ Among all of this, I only gaze straight ahead.
♪~ ~To My Ten-Year-Later Self~
An extremely gentle a cappella song flowed slowly from Shouko's mouth into Sakiko's ears.
"This song is called 'Letter Song: To My Ten-Year-Later Self'."
"Since we started because of music, let's end today with music as well."
"CRYCHIC Band isn't the end; it's the beginning of the future."
"Even though the future will be difficult, time passes very quickly."
"I hope the future you won't regret the choices the current you has made."
"Keep it up, Sakiko..."
After saying those final words, Shouko opened the door and left immediately.
The clothes were just something she had brought along just in case, seeing that it was raining today.
The song was also a gentle Japanese song she used to listen to often in her previous life, but which didn't exist in this one.
But none of that mattered; it served as a final closing word to heal poor Sakiko.
She really was too kind... As the door to the room was closed by Shouko.
Sakiko was left alone in the room, wrapped in a white bath towel.
Feeling the constant blowing of warm air on her head, she couldn't help but hug her knees.
Resting her chin on her knees, tears couldn't stop gushing from her eyes.
"Thank you, Shouko, thank you so much."
"If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I really would have continued down a path of infinite repression."
"'To My Ten-Year-Later Self'... huh."
"What a gentle song, you jerk!!"
"I didn't expect you to have such an overbearing personality."
"I knew you had a strong personality usually, but this is the real you, isn't it?"
Thinking back to the ruthless way Shouko had just spanked her without hesitation.
Sakiko gently touched her thigh, which was turning blue.
Then, she raised her hand to touch her somewhat sore ear.
"That really hurts, couldn't you have used a little less strength?"
Although she was complaining, a warm smile hung on the corners of Sakiko's mouth.
Shouko had appeared harsh on the surface, but she had given her the sense of security she was currently lacking yet desperately craved.
"Soyo, who longs for friends and a home; Rikki, who feels inferior because of her older sister..."
"Mutsumi, my childhood friend who always obeys me; and Tomori, who is sensitive inside yet doesn't know how to communicate."
"Everyone is great, but you, Shouko, are the most special one."
"What an interesting woman..."
"Saying things like if you were a boy, you'd definitely pin me down hard."
"If I were a boy, I'd also pin you down hard and whip you hard, you jerk!!!"
"It's all black and blue..."
"Now, I can only wear long skirts."
"No, my father is still waiting for me, I have to get there quickly."
Her eyes inadvertently noticed that the sky had turned completely dark.
Sakiko was startled; she quickly washed her face.
She went to the bedside, pulled off the white bath towel, and threw it aside.
Then... she very carefully unwrapped the new set of clothes Shouko had given her.