Chapter Text
"Anon-san. "
"Hm?"
" I'm sorry— I believe I told you I'll be there when you need me, but perhaps I should've specified ." Sakiko nodded to herself. " Yes. It's on me. There's no need to apologize."
Anon finished chewing and swallowed. She looked at Sakiko with a big smile. "What do you mean? Eating lunch with your friends is deathly important!"
Sakiko grew concerned at that, her voice going up. "D-Deathly...?" She looked to Anon's side, finding Tomori.
MyGO's frontman brought her hands to her chest and nodded meaningfully. “Lunch is important. With friends.”
The blue-haired girl let out a breath. "Then... this isn't some intervention, or medical emergency?"
Anon stuck a sausage into her mouth, one of its tentacles sticking out as she spoke. "Not at all." She said, almost questioning.
She had truly, honestly just wanted to eat lunch together with Tomori and Sakiko. It's been a hectic few weeks with CRYCHIC, MyGO's lives, and their school's Valentine's event— Anon wanted some normalcy too! And if her schoolmates see her casually hanging out with the Tomori and the Oblivionis? That wouldn't be so bad either.
She hides a snicker while chewing her food.
As she does, Tomori's already placed her chair next to Sakiko, her hand in the other's hair. "Saki-chan, your ribbons..."
The girl is surprised at first, but the two seem to slot into place instantly. "Ah, these are a gift from Soyo. Lovely, aren't they?" She said as Tomori ran her fingers through her hair.
Anon, having noticed it earlier, spoke her mind. "You look really good, Sakiko-chan!" Although when Soyo was picking them out, she thought it was cute on Soyo, not someone else . Maybe she ought to get her some ribbons as well.
Sakiko smiled, breezy. "Thank you. Do send her my thanks."
“Saki-chan. What did you do with my notes?” Tomori started.
“That’s—” Sakiko cleared her throat. “I disposed of them, of course.”
Tomori looked down. “I didn’t see them in any of the school’s bins.”
“You would go looking there?!”
Anon tilted her head. Wow, Sakiko-chan’s eyes are pretty. No, wait. Not that. Why couldn’t Sakiko thank Soyo herself? Though it did allow her to show off.
Anon took her own chair and put it beside Sakiko, effectively sandwiching the girl between her and Tomori. The pianist watched her curiously as she pulled out her phone.
"...Anon-san! We're not supposed to use our phones." Sakiko reprimanded, looking around.
"It'll be quick! Come on, don't you want to thank her? She loves pictures."
Distressed, Sakiko looked to Tomori again for help.
"She does."
"That's not...!" -what she’s worried about! And that's when Sakiko realized exactly what Tomori and Anon's relationship was like— not that barging into her home didn't give her any hints.
Despite her concerns, she did her best to show off her ribbons and smile as Anon took a picture. The girl angled the screen away from them though, which made it a little difficult.
It took a few tries, and Sakiko grew more panicked by the second.
"Soyorin's going to love this!"
[Image description: A 0.5x selfie. Anon is holding the phone with her left hand and throwing a peace sign with her right. Sakiko does not know which camera to look at, but she's smiling and her eyes are enlarged. Tomori is emphasizing the ribbons with her hands. Light is coming from the window where Anon is closest to. Their lunches are laid out on 2 connected desks.]
guess what!!!!!!!! 🕊️🕊️
Sakiko watched the girl tap away at her phone excitedly. And then, her worst fear comes true.
"Is Togawa-san here? Togawa-san~?" A student shouts from her classroom door. "Toga- Oh! Chihaya-san! So you're here too!"
“Hello~!” She waved excitedly with her left hand, effectively showing off her phone for the world to see.
“You’re needed in the student council room! That’s all!” Was all they said before scuttering away.
Sakiko’s mouth could only hang open. It’s over, isn’t it? Her hopes of joining the student council and rebuilding in Haneoka are gone, and it’s all Sakiko’s fault. If she hadn’t been so excited to use Soyo’s gift, if she looked after Anon better…. none of this would’ve happened.
“Aw, man~!” Anon whined. “I would’ve eaten faster if I knew that was today.”
Yes… Sakiko thought. If she hadn’t stopped their lunch to clear up a misunderstanding… if she just understood the situation faster…
Tomori turned towards her. “See you tomorrow, Saki-chan.” And then, the girl hugged her.
Oh, Tomori… soon I shall know only death’s embrace.
“C’mon, Sakiko-chan!” Anon got up to her feet already.
Sakiko dragged her feet to follow Anon, but how enthused could one be for their execution, she thought.
Out in the hallway, Anon spoke again. “I knew the Prez was going to introduce us to the rest of the student council, but isn’t Monday too soon? And during our lunch break?” The girl looked back at her. “Don’t you think so too, Sakiko-chan?”
Oh. Right. Sakiko definitely knew that and didn’t forget about it. She cleared her throat before speaking. “I quite agree. Although they must have their hands full, too.”
Anon hummed, troubled. “Ah, I guess that’s true.”
Deep breaths, O Sakiko. She’s over the initial shock of Anon and Tomori inviting her now, and her record should stay clean, too.
Finally recomposed, Sakiko spoke. “Anon-san.”
The girl turned to face her but kept walking backward. “What’s up?”
That’s dangerous! She almost shouted instinctively, but she’s made up her mind. “Thank you for your help. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate it.”
Anon scrunched her brows. “The school event? Well, I got nominated for it, and I thought it was pretty fun.”
Sakiko shook her head. “No. With CRYCHIC.”
Anon continued walking. “Oh. Don’t thank me, I wanted to do that! No nomination required!” She smiled and pointed at herself with her thumb.
Sakiko’s breath was taken away. Such an easy declaration for someone she’s had less-than-friendly conversations with before the whole debacle. Being noon, there was only artificial light in Haneoka’s corridors, but she swears Anon was glowing. Truly, she was dazzling.
“I understand… your band must be important to you.” She smiled. She’s more than happy to entrust Tomori, Soyo, and Taki to such a bright, cheerful girl. CRYCHIC was gone, but maybe these 5 could strive towards their own, perfect band.
Anon turned back around, finally looking at where she was going. “They are, but… I did it for you too.” She scratched her cheek. “And maybe… myself?”
Sakiko got in lockstep with her. “What do you mean?” She said, intrigued.
“Err… like, atoning?” Anon shook her head and laughed, something pained. “I don’t know what exactly happened, but…” The girl looked forward, but she seemed so far away. “Wanting to forget everything, leaving it all behind… I get that. But it’s impossible, isn’t it? Because everything you do will always be colored by your past.” Anon smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I wanted you to understand that, too.”
Sakiko froze in her tracks. Anon claimed to know nothing, but she might as well have been there with her all this time. What would have beaten this girl down to motivate such words, such kindness?
She looked out into Haneoka’s grounds. She notices the trees dancing, the laughter of a girl chasing another. It’s been months since she left Tsukinomori, but only now did Haneoka feel less like her prison and more… alive. Vibrant.
Sakiko watched Anon. Despite her words, there was a spring in her step, an assuredness in how she moved. Did she know where she was going? Did it matter to her at all?
She knows this feeling—She’s charmed. Positively stricken. Had they met sooner, would anything have changed? Would CRYCHIC have been able to continue without her, Anon in her stead? The Simon to help bear the cross?
…No. There’s no use thinking about that now. CRYCHIC was beautiful because it never had time to be anything else. Did she regret leaving the way she did, the venom she spat? Maybe so, but none of them should have to carry the weight of someone else’s life. Even now, she stands firm.
She looks back at it now and thinks— understands— that it could all have been a footnote in the band's history. That if they kept building moment upon moment, precious and difficult, into a lifetime of CRYCHIC… it would all have been different, for better or worse.
But she didn't want that uncertainty. She wanted CRYCHIC to continue being this warm place for all of them, a band where they could all feel ordinary.
Sakiko watched the girl (who was dangerously close to hitting a trash bin) and pondered her words. Everything you do will always be colored by your past, Anon said, and she was right. Oblivionis was supposed to be her out; a way to avoid her memories turning sweet or sour. Yet the crux of it was she didn’t want to let go. She didn’t want anything to tarnish it, not even herself. That much was obvious now. No... maybe it always was.
Sakiko walked up to Anon who had tripped while she was lost in thought. With a smile, she extended a hand to the girl. “Anon-san… you’re simply amazing.”
The guitarist pouted. “Hey, now…”
She had thought about ‘entrusting’ her previous bandmates to the girl, but such a thing feels conceited to say now. There was no one more worthy than her. Perhaps, this was how it was always meant to be.
“I would have wished to meet under better circumstances… but I’m done dwelling on those kinds of thoughts.” Time has started moving for her again. She couldn’t be stuck in the past while everyone else was moving forward.
Anon rose to her feet and listened carefully.
CRYCHIC was gone. She had made so many mistakes and hurt so many people, and yet there was a place for her here still.
She won’t let it go to waste.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Sakiko Togawa.” She smiled. “Would you mind being friends with me?”
Her weak self is gone, and a new hero is born.