As soon as Touma stepped onto campus, a strange sound echoed in his mind.
“…Haa…
haa…
mm…” “Huh?
This is…
Tsukinomori Girls’ Academy?” Sakiko’s voice still sounded sleepy.
“You’re awake?
Then it’s time for class.” Touma walked into the classroom, found his seat, and sat down.
“Class…” Sakiko immediately felt a headache coming on.
Compared to going to school, she’d much rather spend her time doing the things she loved, such as composing music, making money, or forming a band.
Sitting at his desk, Touma kept feeling someone’s gaze on him.
When he turned his head, he found Wakaba Mutsumi looking at him.
Their eyes met, and Mutsumi quickly looked away, lowering her head to the book on her desk.
So this was Wakaba Mutsumi.
The type who would quietly stare at someone whenever she had the chance.
Touma withdrew his gaze.
Soon, class officially began.
With his supervision and reminders, Sakiko finally settled down and focused on studying.
After several classes, it was noon.
Touma took out his lunchbox, planning to find somewhere quiet to eat.
Just then, Wakaba Mutsumi walked over.
“Saki, let’s have lunch together.” “Sure.” Touma nodded.
The two found a bench outside the school, sat down, opened their lunchboxes, and quietly ate in silence.
After a while, Mutsumi suddenly spoke.
“Saki…
when I went to your house a few days ago, I couldn’t find you.
Your uncle said you had moved…” “I did move.
It’s not far away.
I’m living by myself now.” Touma looked at her.
“Want to come take a look sometime?” “I can?” Mutsumi’s voice carried a hint of nervousness, though there was even more happiness in it.
“Of course.” Touma nodded, then took out his phone.
“If anything comes up, contact me through my phone from now on.
My dad’s been acting a little strange lately, so be careful.” “Okay.” Mutsumi’s reply came much more energetically than before.
Still, the latter half of his sentence filled her with concern.
When she’d visited the apartment that day, Sakiko’s father had indeed seemed very strange.
There was something unsettling about him that had genuinely frightened her.
“Alright, hurry up and eat.
Otherwise your food’s going to get cold.” Sakiko’s voice suddenly rang out in his mind, urging him impatiently.
“It wasn’t hot to begin with.” Touma was speechless.
Did she just not want him talking to Wakaba Mutsumi anymore?
Surely Sakiko wasn’t that heartless.
Thinking back to a similar incident before, Touma became increasingly convinced…
She was jealous.
Getting jealous of her own second personality.
As expected of someone specially selected by the gods.
There really was no one else like her.
After lunch, as they walked back toward the classroom, Touma couldn’t help overhearing conversations among the female students.
“Did you hear?
Morikawa-san’s band got an original song, and it’s really good.” “Huh?
Did they write it themselves?” “No.
They said they bought it from RiNG.
You just give your lyrics to one of the staff members, and in less than two weeks you get a complete song, along with the copyright.” “The quality is really high, and it’s much cheaper than music companies.
One song only costs around 100,000 yen.” “Seriously?!
I just formed a new band recently.
I have to check out RiNG.” …
Almost one-third of the student groups he passed were discussing the same topic.
Touma knew that the name “Oblivionis” was about to become famous throughout Tsukinomori.
Still…
A song costing only 100,000 yen?
The way these students talked, it sounded cheap.
It seemed he’d underestimated the spending power of wealthy young ladies.
Especially these girls who were obsessed with bands.
As for Sakiko, she was already more than satisfied with all the attention.
The praise from those students even made her feel a little smug.
“As expected of me.” Touma ignored her and instead thought about how to discuss raising the price with Ms.
Matsugi.
Beside him, Wakaba Mutsumi had also overheard the students’ conversation.
She noticed the subtle change in the blue-haired girl’s expression.
For some reason, her intuition told her that Saki was closely connected to all of this.
After school, at three in the afternoon, Touma arrived at RiNG.
He greeted Matsugi Ririko before heading upstairs to the café on the second floor.
The first thing he saw was a piano placed in a perfect spot.
It had probably been moved there yesterday.
Then his eyes met Shiina Taki’s.
Touma paid her no attention and walked straight toward the piano.
However, Taki suddenly called out to him.
Keeping her head lowered, she quietly said, “Um…
Sakiko…
thank you for what happened that day.
Ms.
Ririko told me everything…” Touma paused for a moment before remembering she was referring to the day he had spoken up for her.
“It’s nothing.
Just be more careful at work from now on.
Don’t get into arguments with customers.” “I know…” Taki replied awkwardly.
Somehow…
She felt like Sakiko had changed quite a bit again.
Under Taki’s gaze, along with those of several customers, Touma walked to the piano and sat down.
So the pianist Ms.
Ririko mentioned…
Was Sakiko?!
A look of surprise flashed across Taki’s face.
The next moment, Touma’s fingers settled onto the keys.
A light, soothing piano melody drifted through the café.
Listening to it, even Taki unconsciously slowed the pace at which she polished the teacups.
The other customers did the same, all turning curious eyes toward the piano.
Most of the people who came to RiNG were students with at least some understanding of music.
They could all appreciate the technical skill behind the performance.
Even those who couldn’t still found it beautiful.
What a genius.
Taki bit her lip and quickly resumed wiping the counter.
At that moment, Matsugi Ririko also heard the beautiful piano music.
She came upstairs, and when she saw Sakiko playing with complete concentration, she couldn’t help smiling with satisfaction.
Partnering with her had truly been one of the best decisions she’d ever made.
Since most of RiNG’s visitors were band members, anyone who heard such impressive piano playing was happy to stop by the second-floor café for a while.
Before long, every seat was occupied.
Among them were familiar faces.
One of them was Takamatsu Tomori.
She stared blankly at the blue-haired girl seated before the piano, memories of CRYCHIC surfacing in her mind one after another.
Meanwhile, Touma remained completely immersed in his performance.
Even while playing, he was treating it as practice.
At that moment, Sakiko suddenly spoke.
“Touma …
are you secretly learning my composition skills?” “How can you call it secretly learning?” Touma replied.
“I’m learning fair and square.” “So?
Is there a problem?” Sakiko fell silent for a while before finally saying, “…Teach me how to play the piano.”