Ah, holy crap, how is this cat so wicked?
The moment she shows up she rips the lid right off Uncle Ayato’s secrets.
Uchiha Ayato didn’t answer Kaname Raana’s question; he merely glared at her relentlessly with a gaze brimming with hostility.
Kaname Raana tilted her head, blinked a couple of times, and then made a perfectly matter-of-fact decision—— “I’m off.” The troublemaking little cat Kaname Raana seemed utterly unaware that she’d just lit a firecracker under Uchiha Ayato; she simply felt that an Ayato who refused to say a single word had turned into a “boring man.” No answer to be had, and the parfait was finished too—so it was time to go.
Kaname Raana hopped down off the sofa cleanly and crisply, completely ignored the stand-off between Uchiha Ayato and Chihaya Anon, and left of her own accord.
Chihaya Anon paid Kaname Raana no mind either, merely standing where she was and fixing Uchiha Ayato with a stare that could break him out in a cold sweat.
Uchiha Ayato: “…” No, seriously—could little Chihaya please stop putting your Uncle Ayato through the wringer?
At the end of the day, the two of us don’t have any special relationship yet, right?
Uncle Ayato has his own life too—don’t be so possessive!
Under the crushing pressure, Uchiha Ayato gave in after all.
He gave an awkward little laugh and explained to Chihaya Anon: “I can play a tiny bit, just messing around for fun—it’s nothing worth mentioning.” Chihaya Anon stared at him, still saying nothing.
Her eyes were practically scrawled with the words “I don’t believe you,” her cheeks puffed out round and full—one look and you could tell she was waiting for him to take the lie back himself.
Silence is harder to handle than an interrogation.
Uchiha Ayato: …
Goddammit, it’s over between me and Chihaya Anon!
“Fine, fine, I admit it.” He heaved a sigh: “The truth is, I can play a little bit of every instrument—keyboard’s the one I’m smoothest with.” Anon’s expression loosened up a little, but that huff of indignation clearly hadn’t dispersed yet.
“Then…” She opened her mouth, her face none too pleasant: “When we were signing up for the culture festival and I invited you to join the band, why did you say you couldn’t play?” The instant she thought of this, Chihaya Anon was suddenly seized by a fit of indignation—— Back then she’d excitedly told Uchiha Ayato she wanted to put together a temporary band, and asked him whether he could play any instruments and whether he was interested in joining.
Uchiha Ayato had been leaning against the windowsill at the time; he’d turned his face to the side, his expression carrying a desolation she’d never seen on him before: “Anon, you know how it is—I’ve been an orphan since I was little.
Where would I ever have gotten the chance to learn this stuff?” She’d been stunned for a good long while back then, and then a great, hard-to-describe lump of misery had welled up in her heart; she’d felt she’d asked a really stupid question, and for a long while afterward she’d been secretly blaming herself.
And the result?
This jerk had actually been putting on an act!
Faced with this question, Uchiha Ayato, unhurried and utterly straight-faced, opened his mouth: “I did it so as not to shatter the all-girls-band worldview—Anon, you ought to be thanking me.” “It’s the Great Age of Girl Bands; the band members absolutely have to be all girls!” “If a guy like me gets mixed in, the aesthetic’s all wrong.” Of course, this was just an excuse.
The real reason was that Anon and her teammates were all simply too unskilled, and Uchiha Ayato had no obligation to play headmaster.
The moment Uchiha Ayato got these words out, Chihaya Anon didn’t know for a moment whether she ought to be mad or to laugh.
She turned her head to the side, not wanting him to see that tiny curve at the corner of her mouth that she was about to lose control of.
This guy—why is it that he can always just laugh and grin his way out of dissolving every conflict?
Anon took a deep breath, got her expression back in order, and turned her head back around again.
“Then how about now…” Her tone softened, taking on a few notes of wheedling: “I want to hear it.” “The sight of Ayarin playing the piano—I want to see it with my own eyes.” At this point, the secretary and the treasurer, who’d been nearby this whole time soaking up the drama, also crowded in: “Yeah, yeah, we want to hear it too!” “The vice-president’s really got a mean streak—why’d you hide it from everyone for so long?” [Social Quest: Complete Haruno Sakura’s request.
Reward: Ninjutsu: Regeneration Technique] Ah, a quest’s here~ That’s right—he’s doing it to complete the quest; it’s definitely not that he can’t refuse Chihaya Anon’s expectations!
Dammit, it’s over between me and Chihaya Anon!
Uchiha Ayato rose to his feet and walked toward the bar counter: “Matsugi-nee, that piano in the public area—mind if I borrow it for a bit?” Ririko was just tidying up a stack of receipts; hearing Ayato’s words, she froze for a second, then smiled and nodded: “Of course you can, Uchiha-kun—go right ahead.” On the first floor of RiNG, an upright piano stood against the wall of the public area; because the place had only just opened, there was basically no one around it.
Ayato sat down on the piano bench and casually shoved his sleeves up a bit.
Anon came down after him and planted herself beside the piano; her two companions quietly trailed over as well, stopping a little farther off and exchanging a glance with each other.
Uchiha Ayato tested a few notes, then placed his hands on the keys.
The next second, notes came flowing out from his fingertips.
Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.
3, first movement.
Chihaya Anon didn’t recognize the piece, but she could tell this was genuinely top-tier craftsmanship, utterly unlike that playing-house band of theirs.
As those hands moved across the keys, Uchiha Ayato’s entire aura changed.
Ayarin…
So melancholy, but also really, really good-looking.
Heh heh heh heh…
Anon stood there, forgetting all about her earlier anger and resentment, completely immersed in the world of the music and the visual impact of it all.
The piece came to an end, the final note dissolving into the air, and Uchiha Ayato lifted his hands from the keys.
He turned his face to the side and looked toward Chihaya Anon: “So, did you get your wish, Madam President?” [Social Quest: Complete Haruno Sakura’s request.] [Quest Status: Completed.] [Reward dispensed: Ninjutsu: Regeneration Technique] In truth Ayato was only being polite; whether or not Anon had gotten her wish, he had no idea—in any case, his own goal had been achieved.
Chihaya Anon came back to her senses, wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, and worked hard to press down the flutter that had just risen up in her heart.
“…It’s not enough.” She straightened up again, hiding that brief spell of dazed distraction without a trace, her expression taking on a few shades of righteous indignation: “That piece just now felt really impressive, but I couldn’t follow it.” “So?” Ayato cocked an eyebrow and looked at her.
“So…” Anon paused, then worked up her courage: “Play ‘Für Elise’ or ‘Mariage d’Amour’—those I can follow.” The corner of Uchiha Ayato’s mouth twitched; the instant he heard these two pieces, he knew exactly what Chihaya Anon was scheming.
Little Chihaya’s heart was plain for all the world to see.
“Not playing.” Uchiha Ayato flat-out refused Chihaya Anon, standing up and pushing the piano bench back into place.
“Eh?
Why not?” “Because I don’t want to let you get your kicks.” “Kuyashii, how could you be like this…” Stinky Ayarin, keep up that tough talk all you want—once I’ve gotten you good and smitten, I’m definitely going to make you play it for me a hundred times!
No, that’s not enough—I’m going to make you hold me, take my hands in yours, and play it that way, ya!!
Chihaya Anon conceded defeat out loud, but in her heart she was quietly keeping a tally.
At this moment, Uchiha Ayato seemed to remember something and looked toward Chihaya Anon: “Oh right, Anon, do you have anything on after this?” Chihaya Anon blinked: “Nope.
We finished joint rehearsal today, and everyone’s just discussing where to go shopping.” “Then come back to my place with me for a bit.” Ayato said offhandedly: “I’ve got something to give you.” The moment these words came out, Chihaya Anon froze right where she stood.
Go—go to Ayarin’s place?
Uchiha Ayato’s home—she’d never once been there.
For three years, she’d known he lived nearby, known he lived alone, but she’d never set foot inside.
And now, he’d brought it up himself, saying “come home with me.” Could it be that…
Chihaya Anon: A star invitation?
Isn’t this maybe too soon?
But still, if Ayarin’s willing to do a proper confession—if he absolutely insists…
“Um…” Anon turned all bashful in an instant, her little face flushing bright red too: “I—I’ll call my mom first.” Uchiha Ayato: ???
____ 👻🔥Heey!
Walnut-chan for more chapters!🔥👻 🔥 New history: Uchiha Reborn in Jujutsu Kaisen: The System Thinks I’m in Konoha, but I’m Not Help us reach these goals: