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The first time it happened, it was an unintentional occurrence. They were having an after-party for the celebration of their successful live gig. It also doubled as their review meeting for their performance.
Nagasaki Soyo took a spoon from her strawberry parfait, as Taki told them about her observations. Their drummer is the strictest of them after all, and she always makes sure to share anything noteworthy from their performance. Tomori, their vocalist, was probably the only one intently listening to her, while Raana was happily eating her matcha parfait.
“Soyo, are you even listening to me? You missed some notes during the bridge.”
“I’m listening. And it’s not some notes. Only one note.” She retorted, putting down her spoon.
Taki clicked her tongue on her then suddenly switched her attention to their pink-haired guitarist, who was the most distracted person in the room.
“Oi, Anon. We’re still in the middle of our meeting. Put down your phone.”
Glancing at the girl beside her, Soyo noticed the growing frown on Anon’s face.
“You may not have made any major mistake this time, but it doesn’t mean you’re not going to participate in our meeting anymore.”
Oh, Taki noticed as well.
“I just wanted to check the feedback on our live like the usual. Can’t I?”
It was indeed the usual. And by then, Soyo already had an idea why the girl was frowning.
“Look, they said Tomori’s singing made them cry. Or Raana was so cool.” Anon shared with them.
“They get it, don’t they. How truly awesome Tomori is.” Taki commented.
“That’s good and all. But there isn’t a single comment about me, or our costumes! Impossible. I did my best of best this time.”
She watched Anon continue to scroll in frustration before turning her attention away from Taki. It won’t be enough to say the same thing to her about how it’s also a good thing, since nothing was said about her or Taki as well. It won’t convince Anon, and it’s also not good enough to say this time. She deserves more, and Soyo knows it this time around.
They went through with their celebration after a few more pieces of feedback from Taki. When it was time to go home, Soyo took her chance. She and Anon always go in the same direction on their way home, and part ways in the middle. She did consider the possibility of Anon not walking home with her, but that did not happen.
“It’s getting less chilly lately, don’t you think?” Anon said with a smile, rubbing her hands together as the gentle breeze of the night passed through them.
Soyo only hummed in response, glancing at Anon’s face. There was no trace of her frustration from earlier anymore. It is a good thing, but knowing Anon, the guitarist must still mind it and would probably think about it all night.
They walked in silence until they reached where they usually parted ways. By then, Soyo had already made up her mind not to let the chance pass by.
“Soyorin, bye bye—”
“Wait.”
She cut her off, stopping Anon in her tracks as well. She took a step closer to her and held her curious gaze.
“What is it, Soyorin?” The pink-haired tilted her head slightly as she asked.
“I just wanted to say something.” She began. “Actually, you did great today,” she said, almost in a whisper.
“What?”
Anon definitely heard it. Soyo could tell. But the girl looked dumbfounded and probably couldn’t believe what she just heard.
“You did great today.” She said again with more conviction this time. “That part you played together with Raana-chan, you used to struggle with it during our rehearsals. But today was the best ever you played it. So, good job. That’s all I wanted to say.”
Soyo would always look away after saying something like that, but for some reason, she didn’t. Maybe it was also her trying to convey sincerity in her words. Anon stared at her for a moment until she finally asked
“Really?”
“Yes.” Soyo tried to say flatly. And then, she found herself feeling glad that she didn’t look away that time around.
“I see.” Anon shyly looked away, one finger scratching her chin. “I’m glad to hear that from you, Soyorin.”
A slight tint of red dusted her cheeks, with her ear-to-ear smile showing her fang. It made Soyo found herself feeling her heart skip a beat, and for a moment, she wished she could look at her forever.
Anon met her eyes again and gave her a wider smile as she said, “Thank you, Soyorin!”
At that, she finally turned away in an attempt to hide her heating cheeks. “It’s nothing. You’ve earned it.”
They have finally separated ways after a little more pestering from Anon. Soyo took note of how the smile never left Anon’s face as they separated. When she checked her phone to see the time, she saw an unusual reflection of herself. A dim reflection of herself with a genuine smile. It felt strange, and nice, but mostly embarrassing. If she were asked right then what the reason for her smile was, she would have denied smiling rather than answering.
***
It had been a few days since their live gig, and now they were having a regular band practice. Given that she goes to a different school from any of her bandmates, Soyo does not have many chances of meeting them outside of band rehearsals or the gigs unless they plan for a hangout.
“Soyo-chan? Is something wrong?” Tomori, who had just approached her, suddenly asked.
“No, nothing. Why do you ask?”
“It’s just that, you seemed to be staring at Ano-chan.” The vocalist elaborated, glancing at Anon and Taki bickering at the counter for who knows why.
She felt how her face was starting to heat up, so she immediately looked away and then faced Tomori. If it wasn’t Tomori who asked her, she’d have been so annoyed. But since it was Tomori, she knew it was out of worry and not out of any ill intent.
Flailing her hands in front of her, she answered, “No, no! I wasn’t staring at her. I was not staring at anyone in particular.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” she smiled, her usual cover-up smile when she wanted to avoid a topic. “I was in deep thought. I didn’t realize Anon-chan and Taki-chan were already in front of me. There’s nothing to worry about, Tomori-chan.”
She was telling the truth, or at least half the truth. Yes, she was truly deep in thought, but no, it’s not that she didn’t realize that Anon and Taki were already in front of her. Tomori was correct. She was indeed staring at Anon while she was thinking. But there was no way she would admit that.
“Oh. Okay. I’m glad then.”
Tomori finally let her go, much to her, or both of their, relief. Their vocalist really seemed relieved when she said there was nothing to worry about. They were in the middle of their 15-minute break from practice anyway, so she asked Tomori out of curiosity.
“Why were you worried?”
Was there something in the way I stared at Anon-chan? That was what she actually wanted to ask, but she held back.
“Eh? Umm…” Tomori fidgeted, looking for the right words to say. “It looked like there was something you were observing in Ano-chan. I almost thought she might be sick, which was what you might be watching out for. I’m sorry for misunderstanding.”
“O-Oh. I see. It’s okay, Tomori-chan.”
Observing…
Soyo, once again, found herself amazed by Tomori’s view. At the same time, she also wished their vocalist couldn’t have been accurate. Because she was indeed observing Anon. What exactly was she observing? Her smile. Soyo was trying to see if Anon naturally smiled the way she had smiled at her last time. It doesn’t help that Anon was with Taki. She had only seen them bicker all the time, even from the moment she first met Anon.
She stopped observing, or at least stopped being obvious about it, when the two went over their table as well, with Raana trailing behind Taki. Raana was served her second parfait, hot coffee for Taki, and a frappe for Anon, which Soyo assumed must be the new addition to the menu they had heard about from Ririko, the floor manager of RiNG.
Seeing this as her possible chance, she kept Anon at the corners of her vision while pretending to be checking something on her phone. Meanwhile, Anon excitedly thanked their senpai, the drummer of Popipa, Yamabuki Saaya, who served their orders to them.
“Wow, the decorations look so cute!” She exclaimed as she took a picture of her drink.
Soyo caught her wide, excited smile, the one she had been watching out for. And while she was successful at catching it, she felt like it was a bit different from the smile she had seen. Something was missing, and she didn’t know what it could be.
“Are you done? We need to ask everyone for their opinion.” Taki said, looking so annoyed at Anon.
“What is it Taki-chan?” Tomori, who had been writing earlier, was the first one to ask.
Soyo put down her phone, anticipating what the two would say.
“This one is proposing that we hang out somewhere for the summer vacation.”
Oh. So that’s why.
“And what’s wrong with that? It will be fun.” Anon retorted, pouting at Taki.
“Tomori doesn’t like crowded places. How would it be fun for her?”
“It could be a good experience for Tomorin too! And it’s not like we will have to choose a crowded place.”
As the two started bickering again, Tomori looked like she was considering the idea. she was also considering the idea, but, if possible, she wouldn’t like crowded places too. And she knows very well that people usually go to the beach or pool for summer, which are both no doubt crowded.
“Will there be matcha parfait?” Raana suddenly asked, joining the conversation.
Anon thought for a while, then said, “We will have to check for that, but also, we could bring some other desserts with us too.”
“Then, count me in,” contented with the answer, Raana went back to happily devouring her parfait.
Taki, on the other hand, didn’t look happy about it. “I won’t help you out on that.” She was frowning until Tomori finally spoke up.
“I… want to try it.”
“Tomori? Are you sure?”
The vocalist nodded without any traces of hesitation on her face. “If we could avoid the crowd, it would be nice, but I would like to try it.”
“Tomori…”
Taki seemed at a loss for words for a while. She probably felt conflicted being confronted with something she did not expect.
“See, even Tomorin wants to go too!” Anon grinned, declaring her victory. The pink-haired then turned her attention to her. “What about you Soyorin? Are you free to hang out this summer vacation?”
Took you a long time to ask.
Soyo didn’t hide her frown as she pretended to think about it. She actually has a club band practice during the summer vacation. But, it’s not like it was gonna take her whole summer vacation. The club would only take three times a week.
“I wonder… I also do not like crowded places.”
“Aww… Soyorin~”
Now, there’s nothing new with Anon pleading with her for something. But there was something she’s been noticing in herself whenever this pink-haired girl pulls off this move on her. It seems like the more time passes, the easier it gets for her to give in.
“Yeah, yeah, okay. Count me in.”
“Really? Yay!” Anon cheered victoriously once again, then looked at Taki. “I suppose you’ll be ok with it now, too. Rikki?”
“Yes. I get it. I am coming too. Now, you gotta make sure to look for a place that is not too crowded if we go swimming.”
“It’s not like swimming is the only thing we can do in summer.”
“But that’s what you have in mind, right?”
“Well, yes. But I don’t mind if we do something else instead if we can’t avoid the crowd,” looking away, Anon couldn’t deny it.
She saw how the idea made Anon look slightly disappointed. She could tell that Anon must really want to go swimming if they could. So once again, she gave in.
“Alright.” Releasing a sigh, she continued, “I can arrange something so we can have the pool to ourselves. That is, if you’re fine with the indoor pool of our apartment complex.”
All four of them looked at Soyo with the same level of surprise. She knows exactly that it was not because of her access to the facility, but because of the fact that she offered. Even she was still surprised by herself. It was like when she invited them over to her place while waiting for the rain to pass. But she finds it nice that she is starting to get used to it.
“Soyorin~!” Leaning in from across the table, Anon asked with sparkling eyes, “You really mean that, right? You won’t take it back, right?”
“Yes. I meant what I said.” She answered coolly, maintaining eye contact with Anon. But then…
“Yay! Thank you, Soyorin! You’re the best!”
There it was. The smile that made her heart skip a beat last time, and did its magic again this time. It wasn’t the same last time, as that one came with a bit of shyness. Anon’s smile this time was filled with excitement and happiness, knocking its way into the walls she built around herself.
Soyo was the one who felt shy this time. “Let’s decide on the date as soon as possible so I can check with the management early,” she said as she looked away finally breaking her eye contact with Anon.
“Yes, of course! We can discuss it now!”
“We still have practice after this. Don’t forget about that. Our break is almost done.”
“I know, but we still have—aw, you’re right. Later then.”
She thought the two would start bickering once again, but good thing, Taki was right. They only had about 5 minutes left of their quick break, so Anon backed down.
Tomori looked deep in thought, already muttering about the things she would need to prepare. Raana, who just finished her parfait, was reciting to Taki many different names of desserts that she seemed to be requesting for their hangout. Anon was the most excited of them all. She was already glued to her phone, seemingly checking for a new swimsuit she would wear.
It would be just the five of us, though. There is no need to show off. She thought to herself, but she felt herself smile. And before anyone noticed, she stood up and excused herself, saying she would go back to the studio ahead of them.
I probably need to buy some swimwear too.
If anyone asked, she would deny that she was excited, too.
***
Nagasaki Soyo found herself in a rather complicated mood swing lately. No, it wasn’t her from time-to-time mood of wanting to isolate herself and hole up in her room. She hadn’t felt that in a while, which is great, but she was irritable instead.
It was the last day of their finals just before the summer break starts. She thinks that her mood swings could be partly due to how stressful the finals had been. That is not to say that she struggles with her grades. Soyo is doing well with her studies. The stressful part for her would be having to spend extra time on group studies with her classmates because she knows that’s what was expected of her. But it’s not like she dislikes her classmates. It was just tiring for her to keep on playing her role as the Tsukinomori student Nagasaki Soyo.
She breathed a sigh of relief when all of their exams were over, but it was still too early for her to relax. As a celebration, her classmates invited her to go shopping and karaoke with them, which she reluctantly agreed to. Soyo hadn’t been going out with them for a while because of band practice, so she felt like it was necessary to hang out with them this time around.
As they make their way to the shopping mall, her classmates chatter about some daily things. It was the usual. She would listen in, or at least pretend to, and sometimes join in when she needed to. Her relationship with them is so superficial for her.
“How about this one? Do you think I look good in this, Soyo-chan?” Her black-haired classmate held up a swimsuit in front of her.
They stopped by a clothes store first to look for some swimwear. It was a good time for Soyo since she was planning on checking the store anyway for the upcoming plan with MyGo!!!!!, but she wondered why her classmates insisted on it. As it turns out, it was for family gatherings.
“Yes, I think the color would complement your complexion. Maybe you should try it out so you can see how it fits, too?” Soyo then pointed to the fitting area behind her classmate.
“Oh, you’re right! I’ll be right back!”
Soyo waited until her classmate disappeared into one of the fitting rooms. She continued to look around for anything that would catch her eye, like their other classmates. Nothing in particular stood out to her. She was starting to consider buying online when she saw pink strands of hair among the swimsuit shelves.
She then heard someone calling out, “Chihaya?” She looked in the direction from which the voice came and saw two girls. They were also high schoolers like her from a different school, judging from their uniform.
“Are you sure you saw her?” said the other girl.
“Yes. She was also wearing Haneoka’s uniform like the last time we saw her.”
She then glanced back at the pink strands of hair, trying to blend with the clothes, and noticed her Haneoka uniform. Grasping the situation, Soyo quickly went towards the pink-haired, grabbing her and whispering, “Come with me,” into her ear, getting a surprised “Soyorin?” from her. She dragged her as sneakily as possible to the nearest available fitting room.
Only when they got inside the fitting room was Soyo able to look at the pink-haired girl carefully. It’s been a while since she last saw Anon with so much anxiety and nervousness.
“Stay here,” she whispered before walking out of the fitting room.
Soyo looked around to see if anyone had possibly seen them coming there. When she determined that no one was staring in their direction, she looked for the two girls again, who were looking for Anon. She spotted them in the lingerie section, seemingly checking out the swimsuits.
She peeked back in and said, “They’re still around. Are you planning to sneak out of here?” She thought of the way Anon could go from the fitting room to the exit. It should be safe, considering they were unnoticed when they entered the room.
“U-umm. I want to stay for a bit.” Anon responded, pointing to her trembling knees. “My legs were shocked from suddenly getting dragged here earlier, ehehe” she laughed awkwardly.
Bits of guilt started surfacing in her, realizing she was a little forceful with her actions from earlier. It just seemed to her like the situation was urgent, that she had to help Anon right away. At the same time, it was probably not just the reason, but she left it at that.
Sighing, Soyo stepped back. “Okay. Stay here for a while. I will let you know when they’re gone.”
When she went back, her classmates were already looking for her with their swimsuits in their hands. She walked towards them while keeping the two at the corners of her vision.
“Soyo-chan, you haven’t chosen any swimsuits yet?”
“Oh, ah yes. I have tried some, but they don’t look good for me.”
“No way, you have a stylish body. Surely a lot of swimsuits would look good on you.”
“A ha ha. Well, I will try to check the ones over there. You all can go ahead.”
They agreed, proceeding to line up at the counter. Soyo, on the other hand, walked near the two girls who seemed to have stopped looking for the pink-haired girl as they were already checking the swimsuits by then. Or so she thought…
“You know, I’m really worried about Chihaya. Other than not updating her social media accounts, she hasn’t replied to any of our messages. It’s the same for you too, right?”
“Yes. And the fact that we saw her last time. Something must have happened when she went abroad.”
Soyo pretended to browse the different swimsuits while trying not to be seen by them. It’s not like she planned to eavesdrop on them; she just wanted to know for sure that when they leave, they were actually leaving, or that they weren’t going to the fitting room.
“Whatever it is, maybe she isn’t ready to talk to us? When you think about it, she was always our cool student council president, and an honor student.”
I guess she really built a reputation for herself.
“You’re right. If we look at it that way, maybe she thinks we have some kind of expectation of her. Which, I wouldn’t deny, but you know. We’re friends. I wish she would confide in us, too.”
Her hand stopped moving. Their words got to her as if a reflection of herself were staring back at her. A reflection of someone who was trying to respond to everyone’s expectations of them. How odd. She didn’t think she would find herself relating to the pink-haired, attention-seeking guitarist.
“Let’s just go now. The others must be waiting for us.”
“You’re right. Let’s talk to Chihaya at another time. We can go shopping here next time.”
She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the two girls walking out store. After a moment, she quickly went back to Anon in the fitting room.
“They’re gone.” She said, stepping inside the fitting room. She found Anon sitting on the floor with her head resting on her knees.
“Really?” Anon asked, lifting her head to look at her.
Soyo nodded and offered her hand to help her get up. Anon grabbed her hand and slowly stood up.
“Thank you, Soyorin.”
It was weak and shy, with a smile Soyo could tell Anon only forced out. She was guessing that the girl must have had some kind of panic attack earlier. She knew it wasn’t just because of suddenly dragging her into the fitting room.
How troublesome. She thought to herself, but she did not let go of Anon’s hand even as they walked out of the fitting room and went straight to the other exit of the store.
“S-Soyorin?” was all Anon managed to say in protest, but still letting herself get dragged by her again.
Soyo dragged her to the pet park area of the mall. She didn’t let go of her hand until they were both seated on a bench. Only after sending a message to her classmates did Soyo let herself relax. Meanwhile, Anon surprisingly just waited for her patiently instead of asking again, much to her relief, too.
“I couldn’t just let you go home by yourself in that condition.” Soyo finally said, crossing her arms.
“Oh, I see.” Anon said softly, and added, “Thank you again, Soyorin~”
Now that last part sounded like she regained a little of her usual self already.
“But, what about you? Didn’t you come there with friends?”
I’d rather be here than with them. Not that Soyo would actually say that to her, but she couldn’t help feeling surprised at herself for that thought to cross her mind.
“It’s totally fine,” she said, standing up. “I already texted them that I have something urgent to do.” She put her bag beside Anon. “I’m going to buy some drinks at that vending machine over there.”
She quickly walked towards it without waiting for Anon’s response. She heard her yell wait but she didn’t stop. With the embarrassment from her earlier thought settling in, the need for refreshment became more apparent.
Even if she didn’t ask Anon for her preference, she got her a drink anyway, and she was confident it would be what the pink-haired girl would choose, a strawberry milk. Meanwhile, she picked green tea for herself. Without as much as a word, she handed the strawberry milk to Anon and took the spot beside her again.
They sat in silence as they drank. The chill breeze of the afternoon passed by them, and only the noise from passersby could be heard. In Soyo’s mind, many different things run through. She had gone out of her way and done some things that were not like her.
“Aren’t you so kind today, Soyorin?”
“Wha—” Soyo turned to face the teasing pink-haired girl, only to be met by her smirk. “Are you picking a fight with me?” She glared at her.
Anon pouted and puffed her cheeks, and no, Soyo did not find it cute. She certainly did not find it cute. It was more like How dare you pout at me.
“But, isn’t it true? You’ve helped me so much today,” she said, then her eyes flickered as if she realized something. “Actually, it’s not just today. You’ve been so kind and helpful to me lately.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s just your imagination.”
Knowing what Anon meant, Soyo tried to act innocent. And it seemed like Anon bought it, or at least let her off the hook. The pink-haired only hummed in response before turning her attention somewhere else. Soyo finished her green tea. To lessen the suspicion, she did not offer to take Anon’s to the trash can as she does for hers. She just went straight to the trash can and threw her empty bottle there. When she returned, she stopped midway through, noticing the fond look in Anon’s eyes, and another of her wide smiles showing her fang.
“So cute!” Anon held up her phone, taking a picture of what she was looking at.
On the corners of her vision, she could see that Anon was looking at a dog being walked by its owner. But Soyo stayed focused on Anon. She took slow steps, almost hearing only her heartbeats, feeling a surge of happiness inside her while looking at how much Anon adored the dog. This time, she took her chance to snap a photo. She did it quickly. Soyo was sure that she was not seen because Anon was so fixated on the dog. She was glad, but also, she kind of wanted to hide. She could feel herself smiling, and she couldn’t hold it in.
So, when she got close again, she quickly snatched away the empty carton of strawberry milk from Anon, turned her back, and said, “Let me throw this away.”
“W-wait. Soyorin?”
She didn’t care anymore if Anon would tease her again. She needed a way to hide her face for a few more seconds. It was enough time for Soyo to calm down and go back to showing her indifferent expression.
***
The day of their summer hangout came, and Soyo ensured that they had the pool to themselves. Although it was an indoor pool, it had a nice view of the city, situated on the 40th floor of the building. The place was wide enough that they would have to shout at each other if they were to stand on each end of the pool. There was even a jacuzzi area.
“Wow, as expected. This looks luxurious!” said Anon, proceeding to take a selfie after finding a good spot for herself.
Taki and Tomori were still in awe, taking in the view. Meanwhile, Raana went from asking for the dessert to attempting to jump into the pool right away, but Soyo stopped her in time.
“Raana-chan, let’s get changed first, shall we?” Soyo said, quickly grabbing Raana by the neck of her shirt. The rest followed suit, which was enough to convince Raana to wait a little longer.
In the end, Soyo still got a new swimsuit. When she told her mother about the band’s plan, she was so excited for her daughter that she took her out shopping. Her mother insisted on her getting a swimsuit for the occasion.
“Wow, Soyorin!” Anon exclaimed when they walked out of the dressing room. “That looks so good on you! Isn’t that one of the latest swimsuits from that brand?”
Of course, it would be Anon to notice it. No one else in her band is keeping up with the latest trends other than Anon.
“Yes. My mom chose it for me.” Soyo played it cool, trying to ignore the oncoming heat from receiving a compliment.
“Oh! You both have good taste!”
“Thanks. I guess.”
She averted her gaze out of shyness. If it were still her previous self from the time when she was still putting up a façade to use Anon, and being all too polite, she would’ve easily told Anon how she also looked good in her swimsuit. But now, it was not easy for her with her loosened-up facade. Instead of the instincts to respond according to the norm, it was her self-consciousness that kicked in first. And it wasn’t exactly a bad thing.
Just when she thought that the pink-haired girl had already moved on from her, Anon took out her phone and walked closer to her.
“Soyorin, let’s take a picture together!” Anon said excitedly, then added, “Please?” when her expression didn’t change much.
It’s not that she doesn’t want to. She just didn’t see it coming. At the same time, it was not that surprising. This is Anon after all.
“Sure. I don’t mind.”
“Yay!”
Anon cheered, showing her fang. She let her scoot in closer, hooked their arms together while raising her other arm, and snapped the photo. It was just like that other time when Anon helped her with her homework, except that time it was her who took the photo.
Humming in satisfaction, Anon looked pleased with the photo. “That is indeed Human Soyorin~”
“May I see?” she asked, her interest piqued at the mention of Human Soyorin.
“Here!” Anon held the phone in front of her, showing the photo she had just taken.
Soyo found herself amused. The photo came out pretty much like the other time when she took one for her homework. Anon with her wide smile, their arms linked together, and herself with indifference and a peace sign, the Human Soyorin, as Anon said. She was amused by the fact that Anon was satisfied, maybe even glad to have seen it.
“I’ll send it to you later!”
“No need. You will upload it to our band account, right? I can just take it from there.”
“Nope. I won’t upload it there.”
The statement made Soyo quickly turn to face Anon and look her in the eye. The pink-haired wasn’t joking. But before she could ask for clarification, she was stunned by the fang smile and wink Anon gave her. It was another kind of her smile that made her heart skip a beat.
What was that just now…
***
The day went on with Soyo pushing that conversation to the back of her mind. It was easy for her to do since she got occupied with preparing the dessert she promised to Raana. With the ingredients they prepared beforehand and the facilities made available to them, she made shaved ice for everyone with Taki’s help while Anon made sure that Raana and Tomori would get to warm up before they started swimming. Their concern was mostly for Raana, but thankfully, she listened to Anon carefully, knowing the dessert was being prepared.
Soyo mostly watched from the side while they played by the pool. She joined when they all played games, but after that, she just rested on the side. Tomori joined her a little after and started writing in her notebook. She couldn’t help but notice the enthusiasm on Tomori while writing.
Looks like Anon was right about having this hangout.
The said pink-haired girl was still playing in the pool with Raana and Taki. From her view, it looked more like Anon and Taki fighting each other with water splashes while Raana serves as Taki’s backup.
“It’s unfair! two against one! Raana-chan, help me out, I will treat you with matcha parfait in our next band practice!” Anon yelled, pouting at them.
Raana seemed pleased with the offer that Soyo could almost imagine cat ears perking up on her head.
“Alright, I’m in,” their junior said, then proceeded to splash water on Taki.
“Wait! Now that’s unfair!”
She doesn’t know what started their fight. They were peacefully swimming and talking a while ago before it turned into a chaos. She quickly snapped a photo of them, and will probably use it to annoy the drummer later.
“Soyo-chan, you look like you’re having fun.”
Soyo felt like she was caught red-handed. She could feel that she was slightly blushing as she turned to face Tomori, who was smiling at her.
“Do I?”
“Yes. It reminds me of the time when we went to karaoke for the first time.”
“O-Oh. I see.”
Not daring to deny it, she just looked away again and put a palm on her face as if resting her chin on it. But the truth is, she was trying to hide her reddening cheeks from the vocalist.
At that moment, they both had the same thought, that is, gratefulness towards Chihaya Anon.
By the time the sun had set, they all had washed up and changed into their casual clothes. The day is far from over, as they were going to have a sleepover at her place. It was not part of her initial plan when she proposed to have their summer hangout there, but when she told her mother about it, not only that she was bought a swimsuit, but also got told to let her bandmates sleepover since her mother would be out of town for a business trip anyway for a few days.
When she said that they could stay over, Anon was the most excited. Other than the stay over itself, she thinks it’s also the night view and watching the fireworks from her balcony that the pink-haired must be so excited about. Meanwhile, Taki suggested that they could also use the time to plan their next live and their next song.
No one mentioned playing together, but somehow, Anon and Raana brought their guitar. Raana was hardly ever seen without her guitar anyway, but Anon… and Taki, on the other hand, brought her laptop and some of her equipment for composing.
“Uhh. Well, whatever…” was all Soyo could say to them. And she doesn’t really mind. “Just don’t expect me to stay up, and someone’s got to help me prepare dinner.”
“Of course! I will help!”
“Please let me help too, Soyo-chan.”
Anon and Tomori raised their hand, walking up to her. Soyo shot Taki a look when she saw that Taki almost wanted to volunteer too.
“The three of us would be enough. You can concentrate there, okay, Taki-chan?”
The drummer only grunted with annoyance, giving up. The setup was proven productive because by the time the three were done cooking, Taki and Raana were already halfway through a melody they came up with. As for the three, they cooked something simple, vegetable curry.
Soyo wondered as she watched them during dinner how Anon and Taki could still be energetic enough to argue with each other. It was almost amusing with Raana trying to get their attention for dessert, and even while they were watching the fireworks. They only ran out of energy when it was finally time to sleep. As soon as the light was turned off and they lay down, everyone went silent. Soyo could assume everyone fell asleep easily while she, too, was falling into a slumber as she noted on it.
However, a few hours later, she found herself awake in the middle of the night while everyone was already sleeping. She tried to change her position on her bed and kept her eyes closed. After what felt like an eternity, and she didn’t feel sleepy again, she decided to get up instead. She made herself a pot of chamomile tea, then went to take a seat on her balcony.
Soyo doesn’t like staying up late, which is why it is her habit to sleep as early as possible. But, nights like this can be quite unavoidable for her, especially when there are so many thoughts going through her mind. While it was usually some negative thoughts that kept her up, this time, they weren’t exactly negative. She was filled with wonder about herself, her feelings, and her recent actions. Her ability to play it cool and keep her true feelings hidden comes in handy, but she can’t deny to herself how she has been kind to Chihaya Anon lately. And she knows for sure that it was not out of politeness or for the sake of being kind, like how she did it when she was still Soyo-san. It was her actions and what she wanted to do. All because there was something so gentle, and so warm when she sees her smile.
“Looks like you’re just really chilling here, and quite literally too.”
Taken by surprise, Soyo snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the voice and the feeling of something warm being put around her shoulders.
“O-Oh, thanks.”
She didn’t even realize the coldness of the night. It was only made apparent when she started feeling the warmth enveloping her, coming from the blanket. It may have been a summer night, but past midnight was still quite cold. Anon sat beside her and put down her cup as if she knew she had made a whole pot of tea.
“Were you awakened by me?”
“No. I was already awake. I was trying to fall asleep again, but I couldn’t. Then I heard someone get up, followed by the sound of boiling water a little later. I could only guess that you made tea.”
Anon reached for the pot and poured her cup. The relaxing and sweet scent of chamomile wafted into the air, as the pink-haired proceeded to refill Soyo’s cup next.
“So, this was what I smelled earlier.” Anon took a sip, then leaned to the backrest, releasing a sigh of relief. “It tastes good too. I like it.”
Soyo just took a sip from her cup as well, enjoying the relaxing scent. She was wondering how many times Anon had been to her place already for her to remember where the extra blankets were kept. Then she noticed, Anon did not bring one for herself.
How troublesome. “Aren’t you cold?”
“I’m fine.”
“It’s almost 3 in the morning. How can you be fine?”
“You were fine for the first few minutes that you were here.”
Annoyed, Soyo took the blanket and reached for Anon’s shoulder. The blanket was big enough to cover them both. The pink-haired seemed surprised by her action, staring at her with her cheeks slightly dusted with red. She must have been getting cold, yet she was still denying.
“T-Thanks.” Anon finally said.
Soyo played it cool by just nodding to her. They stayed silent for a while, leaving only the sound of them drinking their tea and the distant noises from the cars in the city. It was a comfortable silence, and Soyo could feel her sleepiness finally coming back. But then, Anon spoke again.
“Soyorin, thank you for today.”
She turned to her with a look of confusion.
Anon continued, “If you had not arranged for the indoor pool, we probably couldn’t have gone swimming today.”
Oh, that’s right. “You should thank my mom instead.”
While she may have pulled some strings, it was mostly thanks to her mother.
“I already did. But you’re right. I will tell her in person next time.”
Wait! “What do you mean?! You have my mom’s number? How?”
Anon snickered at the sudden rise of her voice. “That’s beside the point, Soyorin. I still want to thank you because it wouldn’t have been possible in the first place without you offering it.”
She was unamused by how easily the pink-haired girl brushed off the topic of her having her mother’s number. She could only assume that they exchanged contacts on one of the times they’ve met. At the same time, it was a pleasant but also strange feeling for her to have Anon sincerely expressing gratitude towards her for something she did voluntarily.
“What would you have done instead?” Soyo asked, voicing the next thing that came to her mind.
“I don’t know,” Anon shrugged. “Maybe mountain climbing? Camping?”
“Camping sounds nice. I could picture Raana-chan playing the guitar on the campfire.”
“You’re right. That sounds nice.”
Soyo hummed, finding comfort in their agreement. And then she said, “This was actually nice too. the swimming, hanging out together. For that, I believe everyone is thankful as well.”
“You too, Soyorin?”
She could see her fang as Anon grinned at her. It was annoying, but a welcome annoyance at that. Looking away and leaning into the table to refill her cup was her only escape.
“Yes, yes. Now, don’t get too carried away with yourself.”
Soft giggles were heard from the pink-haired, followed by an arm hooking into hers.
And I just told her not to get too carried away with herself.
“It’s warmer this way,” Anon responded as if she heard her thoughts.
She could only sigh and say, “Do as you like.”
Then Anon stared at her with wonder. “Aren’t you really kind to me these days?”
“Ha?” Why are we back on this topic?
“I’m not complaining. Actually, I wanted to thank you once again for last time.”
The pink-haired girl leaned her head against her shoulder as she continued to speak. “I guess I was still not ready to face my old friends. It’s a long story but you really helped me out a lot. So, thank you again, Soyorin.”
“I heard one of them say that they were worried about you, and that you haven’t been responding to them.”
“They said that?”
“Yes. The Chihaya they knew suddenly felt like a stranger to them. And they didn’t even know what happened to you. It’s not a surprise that they are worrying about you. They are your friends after all, right?”
She felt the arm hooked on hers tighten as Anon hummed in response.
“I didn’t want them to worry. But I also did not want them to know of my failure, and for the image I’ve built for myself back when we were in middle school to crumble. What should I do?”
“Maybe, at least tell them to wait until you’re ready. You’ve just been avoiding them, right?”
Her soft voice resounded through her mind as she felt grey eyes staring at her once again. From the corners of her vision, she could make out a surprised expression on her face.
Was it really that surprising? Maybe it was. It was just something that came out of her mouth. Soyo won’t say that it was a sudden thought; rather, it was something she would have wanted to do for herself back when CRYCHIC had disbanded.
She couldn’t understand back then why Sakiko quit the band, and the things that happened after. She wanted to know, and she waited even without being told. At the same time, it would have made so much difference if someone had told her to wait until Sakiko could share it with them. But she also knew now, they were all still young. The things that happened were beyond what people at their age face. And all of it was in the past now. It was good enough that everyone is on good terms with each other after everything. Anon, undeniably, played a big part in that.
“You’re right, Soyorin. Maybe I could consider that. Do you think they will wait for me?”
Anon gazed at her with her vulnerable grey eyes. It was piercing, maybe even heart-wrenching.
“I don’t know them personally. You’ll be the best one to know.” Soyo raised her brows with a nod, not looking away from her. “I think they wouldn’t stop chasing you down the other time if they won’t wait for you, right?”
Soyo only continued to stare back at Anon as a few seconds passed by before she saw the spark grow in her eyes, followed by the softest smile she’s ever seen on her, so soft that it hurt. It was as if she felt her heart get tugged so strongly towards the girl in front of her, who appeared fragile at the moment.
It was nothing special. She’d deny it, but it was her way of trying to comfort the pink-haired and giving her a little push. But Soyo wouldn’t imagine how much her words impacted Anon. She could only have a glimpse of it through the smile she won’t ever forget again, even if she couldn’t capture it physically.
Anon gave out a sweet hum, followed by a firm, “Thank you, Soyorin,” with her undoubtedly favorite expression on Anon’s face. Her smile, that is.
They kept staring at each other, lost in the moment, and felt as if the world had quieted down.
What came over her in that moment? Soyo would never know. But she hates that the memory is vivid in her mind. It recalls her leaning in and letting her lips brush a part of Anon’s cheek, close enough for her cheek to feel her lips. She finished it with a teasing smile as she stood up, offering Anon the other half of the blanket.
In her memory, she even managed to say, “I’ll be going first then. Good night, Anon-chan.” She left and went straight to sleep as if nothing had happened. Unknown to her, Anon was left there, stunned, with a full-blown blush that made her almost not need the blanket to keep warm.
The next morning, Soyo would be holding her laughter in when she sees the bags under Anon’s eyes from the lack of sleep.