What a horrible little cat.
She’d walked in and blown Ayato’s cover in three words flat.
Uchiha Ayato didn’t answer Raana’s question.
He just stared at her with the full weight of hostile eye contact.
Raana tilted her head.
Blinked once.
Then reached the obvious conclusion — “Leaving.” The incident cat, Kaname Raana, did not appear to realize she’d just lit a fuse under Uchiha Ayato.
All she knew was that a silent Ayato was a boring Ayato.
Parfait finished.
No answer coming.
Time to go.
Raana hopped off the sofa and walked out with complete indifference to the standoff she’d left behind, not sparing either of the older students a glance.
Chihaya Anon didn’t chase after her.
She just stood there, training a look on Uchiha Ayato that made his skin prickle.
Uchiha Ayato: …
Little Sister Anon, please stop grilling Uncle Ayato.
At the end of the day, it wasn’t like they had some special relationship yet, was it?
Uncle Ayato was allowed to have his own life.
Possessiveness had its limits.
But under the pressure, Uchiha Ayato caved.
He laughed awkwardly and offered an explanation.
“A little bit.
I just mess around, it’s nothing serious.” Chihaya Anon stared at him.
Still hadn’t spoken.
Her eyes said very clearly: I don’t believe you.
Her cheeks were puffed up, the look of someone waiting for him to take back a lie he hadn’t technically told.
Silence hit harder than interrogation.
Uchiha Ayato: …
God.
I’m cooked, aren’t I.
“Alright, fine.” He sighed.
“I can play a little of everything.
Keyboard’s probably my best.” Anon’s expression cracked open just a fraction — but the irritation obviously hadn’t fully cleared.
“Then…” She pushed it out, voice dropping into something cooler.
“When the school festival was coming up, I asked you to join the band, and you told me you couldn’t play anything.
Why?” And just like that, the memory came crashing back — the anger in it real and fresh.
She’d been so excited, going to Uchiha Ayato and asking if he played anything, wanting to put together a temporary band.
He’d leaned against the window, turned his face to the side, and something in his expression had gone quiet and almost…
lonely.
“Anon, you know I grew up in an orphanage.
It’s not like I had opportunities for that kind of thing.” She’d been struck dumb for a second.
Then a big wave of something guilty and sad had washed through her, and she’d spent a long time quietly beating herself up for asking such a thoughtless question.
And now it turned out — He’d been acting.
“I was trying to preserve the integrity of an all-girls band,” Uchiha Ayato said, with perfect seriousness.
“You should actually be thanking me, Anon.” “The age of girls’ bands — by definition, band members must be girls.
All girls.” “Me, a whole male person, inserting myself into that — the aesthetic would be completely wrong.” Of course, that was just his excuse.
The real reason was that Anon and her bandmates were not at a level that warranted his involvement.
Uncle Ayato had no obligation to carry the whole band.
The words landed on Chihaya Anon and left her suspended between outrage and laughter, not knowing which to choose first.
She turned her face sideways so he couldn’t see the corner of her mouth losing the battle.
Why did this person always manage to take a problem and dissolve it with a well-placed line?
Anon breathed in slowly, pulled her expression back under control, and turned to face him again.
“Well, then…” Her voice went soft.
A note of something that was very close to pouting crept in.
“I want to hear.” “I want to see Ayarin play.
With my own eyes.” The secretary and treasurer — who’d been hovering at a discreet distance enjoying the show — started drifting closer at this.
“Same!
Same!
We want to hear too!” “Vice-president, that was mean, hiding this from us for so long!” [Social Mission: Complete Haruno Sakura’s request.
Reward: Ninja Art — Regeneration Jutsu] Oh, a mission~ Right.
This is purely for the mission.
It has nothing to do with being unable to refuse Chihaya Anon when she looks at him like that.
Nothing.
God, I’m so cooked with Little Sister Anon.
Uchiha Ayato stood up and walked toward the counter.
“Masuzu-san — the upright piano in the public area, is it alright if I borrow it for a few minutes?” Masuzu Riruko looked up from a stack of receipts, surprised, then smiled and nodded.
“Of course, Uchiha-kun.
Go right ahead.” The public area on RiNG’s first floor had an upright piano against the wall.
Since the place had only just opened, almost no one was nearby.
Ayato sat down on the bench and rolled his sleeves up one notch.
Anon followed and positioned herself by the piano.
The other two quietly trailed after her, stopping a little further away, exchanging a look.
Uchiha Ayato tested the touch briefly, then placed his hands on the keys.
The next second, notes flowed out from under his fingers.
Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No.
3.
First movement.
Chihaya Anon didn’t recognize the piece.
But she could hear it — this was genuine, top-tier technique.
A completely different world from their little band’s fumbling rehearsals.
And when those hands moved across the keys, the whole atmosphere around Uchiha Ayato shifted.
Ayarin…
He looks so melancholy.
But god, he’s beautiful like this.
Hehehe…
Anon stood there and forgot completely about being angry.
She was just gone — lost in the music and the visual of it.
The last note dissolved into the air.
Uchiha Ayato lifted both hands from the keys.
He turned and looked at Chihaya Anon.
“So?
Did you get what you came for, Madam President?” [Social Mission: Complete Haruno Sakura’s request.
Status: Complete.
Reward Issued: Ninja Art — Regeneration Jutsu] Technically he was just being polite — whether Anon got what she came for wasn’t really the point.
The mission was done.
Chihaya Anon came back to herself, wiped the corner of her mouth, and aggressively suppressed the flutter still happening in her chest.
“…Not enough.” She stood straight, hiding the moment of blankness behind an expression of complete authority.
“That piece sounded impressive, but I don’t understand it.” “And?” Ayato raised an eyebrow.
“So…” Anon took a small breath, and with considerable effort, pushed the words out.
“Play Für Elise.
Or Reverie.
Something I can actually follow.” Uchiha Ayato’s mouth curved.
He knew exactly what she was after with those two songs.
Little Sister Anon’s intentions are obvious to everyone.
“No.” He stood, pushed the bench back into place.
“Why not?” “Because I’m not going to give you the satisfaction.” “Kuu ya shi— You’re the worst…” Oh, you just wait, Ayato.
Once I have you wrapped around my finger, I’m going to make you play me those songs a hundred times over.
No, not enough.
I want you to hold me and guide my hands while you play it.
Chihaya Anon surrendered on the surface while quietly filling a ledger in her mind.
At this point, Uchiha Ayato seemed to remember something.
He looked at Anon.
“Oh, right — do you have any plans after this?” Chihaya Anon blinked.
“Not really.
We finished practice, and the others are talking about going shopping.” “Come back to mine for a bit then.” He said it casually.
“I’ve got something for you.” Chihaya Anon froze.
Go to…
Ayarin’s…
place?
Uchiha Ayato’s apartment.
She’d never been inside.
Three years, and she knew he lived nearby, knew he lived alone — but she’d never once stepped through that door.
And now, out of nowhere, he was asking her to come back with him.
Could this be…
Chihaya Anon: A special invitation??
Was it too soon?
But if Ayarin was being genuine, and he wanted her there…
“About that…” She immediately went shy, face going pink.
“I — I need to call my mom first.” Uchiha Ayato: ???