Looking at the familiar sign above the door, and then at Amaya and Tomori, who had already pushed the door open and entered.
Chihaya Anon sighed helplessly: “As expected, this is the place where I was given trouble yesterday…”
Although she was somewhat reluctant to come, the moment she stepped through the doors of RiNG, she was immediately captivated by the atmosphere inside.
As a novice who had never truly experienced a live band scene, everything here felt fresh to her.
Because Amaya Yuu was walking and chatting with Tomori, Anon felt no burden and began to wander around RiNG on her own.
She curiously looked around and finally stopped in front of the band recruitment board.
However, after taking a close look, the recruitment notices were either looking for bassists or drummers; there wasn’t a single one looking for a guitar vocalist or a vocalist.
Although she was relieved not to run into any classmates here, this also made her lose interest immediately.
Amaya Yuu was also wandering around casually, with Takamatsu Tomori quietly following behind him like a docile little tail.
“Is Tomori also interested in the live scene?” He stopped, turned around, and asked, “I didn’t expect you to agree to come here together.”
She shook her head gently.
“It’s just…
I really like the feeling of doing things together with everyone…”
“Then why did you give it up back then?” Amaya Yuu raised his voice slightly.
“About the band.”
Based on Takamatsu Tomori’s previous reaction, he could somewhat guess why Chihaya Anon didn’t want him to talk to Takamatsu Tomori about the band.
“Because…
the band disbanded…” Takamatsu Tomori lowered her head, her voice getting quieter and quieter.
“It was all my fault…
It’s because my singing ability wasn’t good enough…”
“Then how was the band formed in the first place?” Amaya Yuu interrupted her self-reproach, “If your ability really wasn’t enough.”
He paused and looked at her seriously: “If it were truly just your problem, the band would never have reached the point of being formed.
The dissolution of a team is never due to a single-sided reason.”
As he said this, he used his hand to make an explosion gesture.
“But…” Takamatsu Tomori raised her head to look at him.
“But dwelling on the past won’t change it in the slightest.” Seeing that she was about to cry, Amaya Yuu softened and ruffled her hair.
“Do not sigh for time past!
On the path of life, the best way is to look forward and never look back.”
“This is a famous quote from Master Romain Rolland.” He gave Takamatsu Tomori an encouraging smile.
“I…
I understand!”
Feeling the warmth on her head and looking at Amaya Yuu’s warm smile, Takamatsu Tomori’s eyes welled up with tears.
“Hey!” A stern reprimand interrupted their conversation.
A girl with long black hair wearing a RiNG uniform walked over quickly, slapped Amaya Yuu’s hand away, and quickly stepped between him and Takamatsu Tomori, shielding Takamatsu Tomori behind her.
“Don’t go around touching people!” Her eyes were like torches, glaring fiercely at Amaya Yuu, her tone filled with protectiveness.
Although RiNG wasn’t noisy, this sudden commotion still attracted the attention of quite a few people in the hall.
Chihaya Anon was also drawn over.
The sense of déjà vu of the scene before her was too strong; it was exactly the same as the scene she experienced at the entrance of RiNG last night!
She immediately jogged forward, facing the curious gazes from those around her, and quickly tried to smooth things over: “It’s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!
We’re all on the same side, sorry for the disturbance, everyone!”
As she said this, she pushed Amaya Yuu and Takamatsu Tomori, while signalling for the long-haired girl to go up to the less crowded second floor.
Amaya Yuu and Takamatsu Tomori obediently followed Anon, and the long-haired girl also realised she had overreacted just now; she crossed her arms, turned her face away, and silently followed them upstairs.
And all of this was exactly seen by Nagasaki Soyo, who had just stepped into the entrance of RiNG.
“Tomori…!” She called out softly, a flash of surprise in her eyes.
Nagasaki Soyo had originally come to find Shiina Taki as usual today, but she didn’t expect to meet Tomori here.
She immediately quickened her pace and followed them up to the second floor.
“Hey, hey, can you improve your attitude a little?” Chihaya Anon didn’t have a good impression of Shiina Taki to begin with, so her tone naturally wasn’t polite.
“Didn’t I say yesterday that Tomori and I are classmates?”
“Then what about this guy?” Shiina Taki pointed at Amaya Yuu, her tone aggressive.
Just now, she had been working, and in a casual glance, she actually saw Takamatsu Tomori being “bullied” by a tall boy, and she even looked like she was about to cry.
“Tomori has been made to cry by him!”
“It’s not like that.” Amaya Yuu still hadn’t fully grasped the situation, so he could only explain by following the conversation, “We were just talking about the band.”
“Tomori?!
The band?!” These two words seemed to touch a nerve in Shiina Taki, and she immediately bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
“You so-called ‘classmates’ are truly repulsive!”
“Huh?” Amaya Yuu and Chihaya Anon let out sounds of confusion in unison.
But before the two could retort, a distinct voice came from the top of the stairs.
“Taki, speaking like that is too rude.” A girl with long brown hair and an elegant demeanor walked slowly up to the second floor and appeared in everyone’s view.
“So she is Taki…
the drummer of Tomori’s previous band.” Amaya Yuu secretly sized up Shiina Taki, remembering the notebook of Tomori’s he had seen earlier.
“So…
Soyo…” Takamatsu Tomori subconsciously wanted to hide behind Amaya Yuu, but remembering the encouragement from just before, she gathered her courage and looked at Nagasaki Soyo, who was walking over.
“Tomori, long time no see.” Nagasaki Soyo gently took Tomori’s hand.
Takamatsu Tomori lowered her head without responding, but she didn’t pull away either.
Seeing this, Nagasaki Soyo didn’t force it and turned to smile at Amaya Yuu and Chihaya Anon: “I am Nagasaki Soyo, just call me by my name.
This is Shiina Taki, we are both Tomori’s friends.”
“My name is Amaya Yuu, we are Tomori’s classmates.”
“My name is Chihaya Anon!”
Chihaya Anon quickly bowed slightly to Nagasaki Soyo: “Thank you very much for yesterday!
Thanks to you for helping me out at that time…”
Nagasaki Soyo showed a look of realization: “Ah, you are that person from yesterday…”
She waved her hand gently and turned her gaze to Shiina Taki.
“Sorry, Taki has a rather impatient temper sometimes, but she means no harm.”
Shiina Taki turned her face away, but her tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
“It’s not suitable for us to chat while standing, let’s find a place to sit down.” Nagasaki Soyo suggested, then turned to Shiina Taki, “Taki, can we still order?”
“Yes.” After Shiina Taki answered briefly, she reluctantly guided everyone to an empty spot to sit, then turned and walked to the counter to get menus, paper, and pens.
“I’ll have the usual.” Nagasaki Soyo smiled at the other three.
“What would you all like to drink?”
“What is the usual?” Chihaya Anon tilted her head and asked curiously.
“It’s a cup of hot Earl Grey tea.”
“Then I’ll have the same!”
“Does Classmate Shiina have any recommendations?” Amaya Yuu took the initiative to break the ice, trying to ease the tense atmosphere with Shiina Taki.
Although her expression still carried some reluctance, Shiina Taki’s tone softened significantly: “The mocha coffee here is pretty good.”
“Then I’ll have a mocha!”
Shiina Taki seemed to suddenly remember something, and when she turned to Takamatsu Tomori, her voice softened—a gentle tone Amaya Yuu had never heard before: “I remember…
you like mocha, right?
Do you want to try it?”
Takamatsu Tomori lowered her head slightly and remained silent for a moment, then nodded gently: “…Yeah.”