Chapter 61: Reciprocity (Patreon)

The noisy background of the shop grew quiet in that moment, the sound stripped away as if submerged at the bottom of the sea.

The girl with long, flaxen hair had the elegant air of a young lady, holding her chopsticks in one hand.

The corners of her eyes were a little moist, her sockets stinging. She blinked rapidly to ensure her emotions were in check.

This subtle change wasn't obvious under the lights. She quickly composed herself, once again exuding a gentle aura.

It gave Chihaya Kaiser a strange feeling, as if she were reminiscing about the past.

Weren't she and Anon the same age?

He picked up a piece of eel with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth with some rice. The fish and rice mingled as he chewed before he swallowed it all.

The boy stopped his chopsticks, looking directly at the girl's face, not flinching away in the slightest. It was an open, honest gaze.

"I've seen the video for that song."

"..." Hearing this, Soyo Nagasaki's body stiffened slightly. Her gaze didn't waver, but it became a little vacant.

He didn't say anything more, simply stating a fact.

Prying into the past of someone you've only just met would definitely make them put their guard up.

For now, I've just said this one thing. You asked me, and I answered. Now it's up to you whether you want to talk or not.

Chihaya Kaiser wasn't in a hurry. If she didn't talk this time, there would be a next time. He'd complete the quest eventually.

Soyo Nagasaki just smiled, tried a side dish, and steered the conversation toward the new band, discussing with Anon what they should name it.

They were about to perform, and they still hadn't decided on a name.

Seeing the topic changed, he focused entirely on his meal. He'd see how things were on Saturday.

Even though his portion was twice as large as Anon's and Soyo's, it still wasn't quite enough for a growing boy, and he quickly polished it off.

The two girls across from him had only eaten half their food. They were still discussing band matters, with Anon doing most of the talking while Soyo offered occasional opinions.

Chihaya Kaiser still felt something was off but couldn't pinpoint what it was. He finished his food and listened to the two of them talk; the atmosphere was cheerful and harmonious.

She took out her phone and took the opportunity to ask Chihaya Kaiser, "Do you want to exchange contact info?"

Chihaya Kaiser's first instinct was to look at Anon. This was her friend; he needed to see what she thought.

The pink-haired girl gave a silly grin and added the contact for him without a moment's hesitation.

"Ehehe."

"I don't mind my little brother becoming friends with my friend."

With Anon's approval, Chihaya Kaiser had no more reservations. Having her as a contact would make completing his quest easier.

"I told you, I'm the older brother."

"How sneaky. I’m the one next to my friend, so I should be the older one."

"Even if there's a before and after, it's only a difference of a dozen seconds. We agreed I'd be the older brother for these three months."

The siblings' bickering was normal, a form of communication, but Soyo Nagasaki found it quite interesting to watch.

She tilted her head and chuckled lightly. "You two get along so well."

"Well, yeah. We live together, so of course we're close," Anon said, poking at her eel with her chopsticks while resting her chin in one hand.

"I see..."

Her thumb rubbed ceaselessly against her index finger, occasionally twisting up and down. Her gaze lowered slightly, and when she looked at Chihaya Kaiser, there was a certain softness in her eyes.

This person was just like her. He'd experienced a band breaking up and was now forming a new one.

But why... could he be so open-minded about it?

Just because of a single promise, he could completely give up on his old band and prepare for a live show with a new one.

The curiosity in Soyo Nagasaki's heart was completely piqued, and it wasn't something he could explain away in just a few words.

But she couldn't just lay her own past bare and had no reason to ask, so she could only continue eating her eel rice bowl.

The trays were empty. None of the three had wasted any food; they'd all cleaned their plates.

Chihaya Kaiser picked up Anon's guitar, handed it to her, and then shouldered his own.

They left the restaurant together and walked down the street.

The three of them couldn't walk side-by-side, as that would block most of the path, so Chihaya Kaiser hung back behind the two girls, less than two meters away.

He yawned, thinking about how he'd failed to complete the quest and hadn't been able to ask about why the former band broke up.

It felt like Soyo Nagasaki wasn't an easy person to get information from. As for the other two, that long, black-haired girl named Taki Shiina didn't seem easy to talk to either.

So should he start with Tomori Takamatsu?

Lost in thought while following the two of them, head bowed, he didn't even notice they had reached the end of the road.

Chihaya Kaiser saw the pavement change and realized they were at the station. He looked up at them.

The two girls said their goodbyes, and he waved to Soyo.

On the train ride home, the scenery rushed backward outside the window. The car was nearly empty. He sat next to Anon and took the chance to ask her.

"Do you know why that band... crychic, um, why they broke up?"

"Eh?" She tilted her head, thought for a moment, poked her lips with her finger, and finally shook her head.

"I don't know."

That was what he'd expected. He went home with Anon. He worked on refining details while she practiced "Haruhikage."

The next day, at school.

Chihaya Kaiser still carried his guitar on his back. After starting high school, very few people actually knew he played.

Lately, almost no one had been giving him love letters, probably because he'd rejected too many.

He returned the book he'd borrowed to Nukumizu and started discussing its contents with him.

"Isn't there a bit too much 'little sister' content in this book?"

"I actually think the little sister parts are the best," Nukumizu said, taking the book back and putting it in his bag.

"I've finished the next part..."

"Stop, no spoilers." He immediately stopped Nukumizu with a wave of his hand.

"Then I'll lend you the next volume."

"You're a lifesaver," he said with a smile.

Nukumizu seemed hesitant, as if he wanted to say something. He held out the book to lend it but held on to it tightly.

He let go, watched the book being taken and placed under a textbook, and thought about how they'd been discussing novels from time to time recently.

In the end, he didn't say anything.

During lunch break, just as Chihaya Kaiser opened his bento box, he saw a beautiful girl draped over the windowsill, looking completely drained of energy. She was leaning so far into the classroom that her chest was inside, using the wall to support herself.

"Come with me..."

Even her voice was weak and listless, as if she could drop dead at any moment. Every word seemed to float unsteadily.

By now, plenty of eyes in the classroom were on them. The boy's eyelid twitched, but he still grabbed his bento, made his way through the aisle formed by the desks, and went past the classroom door.

Staying any longer would only attract more attention. It was better to leave with her as soon as possible.

She walked very slowly, swaying back and forth. It looked like she might fall, but she always managed to right herself in a peculiar way.

Students passing them in the hallway would glance at them out of the corner of their eyes. Some would whisper, but they would fall silent as soon as he got close, which annoyed him.

Shikiya Yumeko led him to the student council room. Chihaya Kaiser stopped at the door.

There were only three people in the student council room today. Last time, there was also a handsome boy, but he wasn't here today. The remaining members were the student council president, a girl he'd seen a few times on disciplinary duty, and Shikiya Yumeko.

He asked, "Is it okay for me to go in? I'm not a member of the student council."