After much persuasion, Kikukawa Kyo finally got Sakiko to order a cup of Earl Grey tea. Instantly, she dropped her previous sulking expression and cheerfully headed behind the bar to prepare the drink.
Sakiko could only watch Kyo walk away in exasperation before glancing at Mutsumi, who seemed completely immersed in the music. Could she really blame Mutsumi for not being cautious of Kyo's actions? Mutsumi probably didn't even fully understand these things herself.
With curiosity, Sakiko leaned closer to the propped-up tablet to check what song was playing.
Being an excellent student, she had no trouble understanding the long string of English words that made up the song title.
"Death," "Rock," "Assault"…
These rather rough and wild words, combined with the album cover displayed on the music app—featuring a man screaming madly—created a stark contrast with Mutsumi, who sat there quietly with an indifferent expression, her hands neatly resting on her lap as she listened obediently.
Is she really listening to metal? And not just any rock song with a touch of metal influence, but full-on heavy metal that perfectly fit the stereotype.
Sakiko knew that Mutsumi had never shown much interest in the songs CRYCHIC used to perform, but she never expected this to be her preference.
She looked at Mutsumi again, watching as she gently swayed to the music. Even when Sakiko played the piano in the past, she had never seen Mutsumi react like this.
Rather than interrupting, Sakiko patiently waited for the song to finish. Only after Mutsumi removed the earphones herself did she finally ask:
"Mutsumi, do you like listening to metal?"
Mutsumi, her face still slightly flushed, nodded. It was only then that Sakiko realized—the redness wasn't from Kyo's blatant disregard for personal space, but rather from the intensity of the music itself.
"I see…" Sakiko nodded.
What others didn't know was that, outside of the "elegant" music the Togawa family had trained her in, she had secretly listened to a lot of metal herself. Songs with heavy, dark themes had always satisfied her inner chuunibyou tendencies…
A violent melody played by a discarded doll—just imagining it gave her a rush.
Wait, Sakiko, now is not the time to be thinking about this. You called Mutsumi here because you had something you needed to ask.
By the time Kikukawa Kyo finished brewing the Earl Grey tea and made her way over to deliver it, she could see from a distance that Sakiko and Mutsumi were deep in conversation.
Sakiko's expression didn't look good.
Kyo narrowed her eyes slightly. She noticed that Sakiko was frowning, her lips pressed tightly together in a thin line.
For something to trouble Sakiko this much—maybe even make her angry—if she was asking Mutsumi about it, then it was probably something related to her family.
Kyo quietly recalled the time when she had, without discrimination, pried into everyone's affairs, including her deeper research into the Togawa family…
Yeah, this probably isn't something I should be stepping into.
After thinking it over, Kyo decided to continue bringing over the tea, but she deliberately approached from an angle where Sakiko could see her. She also made her footsteps a little louder as a subtle reminder.
"Mutsumi, I understand now. Let's leave it at that for today."
Noticing Kyo's approach, Sakiko decided to drop the unpleasant topic. She had already learned what she needed to know.
"Miss, your tea."
"Thank you." Sakiko took the cup, and without putting it down, she immediately took a sip. Her previously furrowed brows relaxed at once.
"As good as ever."
"It's my pleasure." Kyo, in an exaggerated manner, made a grand sweeping motion with her right hand before placing it over her chest, finishing with an overly dramatic bow.
"…Mango juice is good too," Mutsumi suddenly interjected.
"Ah-la."
Kikukawa Kyo blinked, pausing for a moment to think. Then, without moving her right hand from her chest, she mimicked the same motion with her left hand, bowing once again. This resulted in an odd, clumsy stance—both hands crossed over her chest in an exaggeratedly dramatic pose.
"And I deeply appreciate Miss Mutsumi's grand praise~"
"Pfft."
Sakiko couldn't help but laugh, quickly raising a hand to cover her mouth in an attempt to keep herself from laughing too much. Still, a soft breath of amusement escaped her lips. Even Mutsumi did the same, pressing a hand against her mouth.
The heavy atmosphere from earlier instantly dissipated.
With just one ridiculous action, Kyo had forcefully broken the tension, throwing Sakiko's emotions completely off track.
"You little troublemaker…" Sakiko muttered, pretending to scold her before sighing. "Sit down already, Kyo."
"Oh? I wasn't expecting there to be something for me too?" Kyo gasped in mock surprise.
"Alright, stop messing around. And put your hands down already—aren't you afraid people will think you're weird if they see you standing like that?" Sakiko reached out to knock on Kyo's arm, since Kyo was standing and her elbow was the only thing within reach. "I just need to explain a few things to Mutsumi about you and me, that's all."
"Got it…"
Kyo was just about to sit down when she realized that the chair she had previously shared with Mutsumi while listening to music had been moved—to the other side of the table, where Sakiko now sat across from Mutsumi.
However, Sakiko hadn't taken it for herself. Instead, she had placed it beside her, as if waiting for Kyo to sit there.
Do we really need to sit this close just to talk?
Although puzzled, Kyo didn't hesitate for long. She simply walked over and took the seat next to Sakiko.
Sakiko said she wanted to explain things to Mutsumi, but she didn't seem to have any intention of letting Kyo speak. Instead, she went ahead and told Mutsumi about the "contract" between the two of them herself.
Their relationship really does run deeper than what they showed back when CRYCHIC was together, huh…
For Sakiko, the contract was something that tied directly to the pride she had always upheld. The fact that she could explain it so easily to Mutsumi meant she truly trusted her.
Meanwhile, Kyo was secretly updating the intelligence board inside her mind, adding new information to the ongoing records she kept on everyone. But before she could fully process her thoughts, she suddenly felt Sakiko grab hold of her sleeve.
"Mutsumi, even though I have this contract with Kyo right now, you shouldn't go trusting this smooth-talking fox so easily."
"Eh?" Kyo gasped. "Wait, me?"
Ignoring Kyo's protests, Sakiko maintained a serious expression as she warned Mutsumi, "This kind of person may seem harmless on the surface, but every other sentence she says is a trap. Who knows how many schemes are running through her head at any given moment?"
Mutsumi stared at Kyo for a moment, as if analyzing her. Her gaze shifted to the shimmering water curtain that constantly flowed around Kyo.
Then, she nodded.
"Mutsumi, you too—"
Sakiko looked at her approvingly, relieved that Mutsumi had understood her warning. At least now she wouldn't have to worry about her getting tricked by Kyo.
But Kyo was quick to counter.
"And what exactly is inside that brain of yours, Sakiko?" she fired back with a smirk. "Gothic dolls, contracts, darkness… You can say all those words with a completely straight face? Seriously, how unbelievably chuunibyou of you. Don't you think so, Mutsumi?"
"Wait—this is—"
Mutsumi turned to stare at Sakiko this time.
Then, once again, she nodded.
Kyo, victorious, burst into laughter.