"I'm getting off here, so I'll head out first."
"Mm-hmm, see you tomorrow, Soyo~"
After saying goodbye to a few friends from her club, Nagasaki Soyo stepped off the train in high spirits. From here, it was less than a five-minute walk to the entrance of her high-rise apartment building.
Come to think of it, she had been looking forward to coming home every day lately—something completely unlike her past self.
Not to mention, before returning to this timeline, during those days of utter disappointment, her spacious yet empty apartment had only amplified her loneliness.
Especially on days when she took leave from school. Sometimes, after lunch, she would lie down for a nap, only to wake up hours later—when it was already nighttime.
The entire apartment would be pitch black. That sensation, like the whole world had turned off its lights, made her deeply uncomfortable. Even after turning on her desk lamp, the loneliness never really faded.
But over the past few days, that feeling had subsided a lot.
There was no helping it—her new housemate was just too good at causing trouble. Though calling it "trouble" wasn't quite right. It was more like she never had the time to dwell on feelings of loneliness anymore.
After all, she was too busy clashing wits with Chihiro.
"I'm home~"
Soyo kicked off her shoes, but just as she was about to slip on her indoor slippers, she noticed that Chihiro's shoes were already lined up neatly at the entrance.
She's back already?
"Chihiro?"
"Ah, Soyo-baby, you're home! Mommy's cooking dinner for you~"
"…Are you sick or something?"
As always, the foul-mouthed brat was back at it. She never missed a chance to tease Soyo over that one slip of the tongue from two nights ago—shamelessly taking advantage of her.
But a single retort was enough. Saying too much might just provoke this master manipulator into making things worse.
"Hey, Chihiro…" Watching the stunning girl—now back in her usual appearance—busying herself in the kitchen with an apron on, Soyo approached her with a bit of a coaxing tone.
"How did things go today? Did it all work out?"
"You're really eager about this, huh?"
Tsuzuki Chihiro looked at Soyo, whose eyes curved into little crescent moons as she smiled, feeling both amused and exasperated. "Your dear Chihiro was on the case—what could possibly go unresolved?
Taki already apologized to me, said she was in the wrong that day."
"Huh? She actually apologized?"
Soyo's face was filled with disbelief. Wasn't this a little too far-fetched for someone as short-tempered as Shiina Taki?
"Are you doubting me?"
"N-no… not at all."
Instinctively lowering her voice under Chihiro's intimidating aura, Soyo suddenly felt like she had lost all dignity as the one funding their meals. But since this whole mess had been resolved, she wasn't about to nitpick over minor details.
Thank goodness. At least now, in Taki's eyes, Nagasaki Soyo wouldn't be seen as some kind of sinner anymore.
But as she recalled the follow-up plans she had discussed with Chihiro, Soyo couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about how they were toying with Taki like a pawn.
Still, as long as the outcome was good, that was all that mattered. There was no turning back now.
All she could do was place her complete trust in the girl before her and quietly wait for their victory.
As long as she could bring everyone back together, she was willing to do anything.
I've come this far for CRYCHIC.
No one ever asked you to.
You're just a regular student—can you really take responsibility for someone else's life?
As Soyo watched the vegetables simmering in the pot, she stared blankly, lost in memories of the past—or perhaps, the future.
Yes, no one had asked her to do this. Even now, everything she did was of her own accord. She was willing to go so far as to stage an elaborate scheme involving a "stand-in," not caring about the consequences.
And it was true—she was just an ordinary student. She couldn't take responsibility for someone else's life. But she refused to accept that things had to end in such a muddled, senseless way.
This was her final attempt. The closest she had ever been to uncovering the truth.
She had placed all her hopes on Chihiro. No matter what reason had led to CRYCHIC's downfall, she was determined to bear it all.
Because… this was the one thing she couldn't let go of in this second chance at life.
"Dinner's almost ready. Stop standing there like an idiot, Soyo."
"Ah… okay."
Tonight, Nagasaki Soyo was unusually obedient.
Though she wouldn't go so far as to say she had surrendered to Chihiro, today, she truly felt grateful for her presence.
Maybe… Chihiro was the key to changing everything.
"Soyo, what's Haruhikage?"
"…Huh?"
Hearing Chihiro casually throw out that question as they ate, Soyo froze in place.
Meanwhile, Tsuzuki Chihiro simply smiled. "You seem really attached to that song. Or rather… you can't forget it, can you?"
"That's… CRYCHIC's first song. And their last."
There was no reason to hide it. Even if she didn't say anything, Chihiro could easily get the answer from Taki.
"Do you want to hear it?"
"Yeah."
Soyo's lips curled into a small smile. Standing up, she moved from her seat across from Chihiro to sit beside her, pulling out her phone.
She tapped on a video she had never once considered deleting.
The screen lit up with a familiar recording studio. The setup wasn't all that different from the room Chihiro had been spending her time in these past few days.
And the people in the video? They were all faces she knew well.
Though the quality was a bit blurry, it was easy to spot the grinning girl closest to the camera—Nagasaki Soyo, making goofy expressions. Next to her stood Wakaba Mutsumi, alongside Sakiko and Tomori. And sitting behind the drum kit, of course, was Shiina Taki.
"Uh… did you always talk like that back then?"
"I told you to listen to the song, not roast me."
"I'm just really fascinated by you, that's all."
"…"
Soyo blinked, momentarily taken aback. But realizing Chihiro was probably just teasing her, she rolled her eyes and let it go.
As the video continued, after a bit of casual pre-show chatter, the piano-led intro of Haruhikage began to play.
...
"So? What do you think?"
The song wasn't particularly long or short, but to Soyo, it felt like she had just relived an entire lifetime. Looking at Chihiro, who remained silent, she couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
"It's a great song. I can tell… Sakiko really was an incredible composer and arranger."
"If I had joined a band and our very first song was this perfect, only for everything to fall apart right after… I'd probably be just as obsessed with it as you are."
"Alright… I guess I can kinda understand why you're so stubborn about this."
"…"
I've come this far for CRYCHIC.
No one ever asked you to.
That conversation echoed in Soyo's mind once more.
She didn't want to admit it, but Chihiro—who always bickered with her—had just said something that, while not exactly supportive, made her feel… like she wasn't alone.
"Thank you, Chihiro… really, thank you."
"But honestly, this song doesn't feel rock enough. See, Sakiko downplayed the other instruments to highlight the vocals. The mix favors the keyboard way too much, and Taki's drumming, along with Wakaba's guitar, didn't get much room to shine—"
"Chihiro…"
"Oh, right, I forgot to mention the bass, but—"
"Shut up already! You tasteless jerk!"
Yeah. Definitely thanked her too soon.