"Kyo, why..."
Soyo's voice wavered with emotion, on the verge of tears. Her tone grew increasingly anxious, yet she had no idea how to salvage the situation with Kyo. Appealing to emotions seemed utterly ineffective—like throwing a stone into a pond and not even seeing a ripple.
Then what about reasoning with her? But did Soyo have any legitimate, compelling argument that could convince Kyo to return to the band?
"Before that, Soyo, could you loosen your grip a little?"
Even though Soyo had no idea how to persuade Kyo, her body had already acted on its own, tightening her hold around Kyo. The worry over Kyo's departure weighed heavier and heavier in her heart.
If there had been at least a fist's distance between them before, that gap had now vanished entirely under Soyo's increasing strength.
Kyo, who had originally been able to meet Soyo's gaze face-to-face, now had no choice but to turn her head to the side as the distance between them shrank even further—otherwise, their lips would have met.
She could clearly feel it—Soyo's body, softer than what one might expect from a high school student with such good nutrition.
So much better than mine.
For the first time, Kyo realized that hugging wasn't always a wholly pleasant experience... At least, this time, Soyo's embrace was definitely not one of affection.
Even though she had asked Soyo to let go, the girl showed no intention of loosening her grip. Kyo sighed but didn't insist any further. After all, this position wasn't exactly uncomfortable for her.
In fact, Soyo's body was quite nice to hold—much more so than her own sister's. Her older sister was all lean muscle, hugging her felt like embracing a block of iron...
Since Soyo refused to let go, Kyo simply rested her head on Soyo's shoulder to save herself the effort.
And just like that, the two were practically whispering in each other's ears, so close that Kyo could feel Soyo's hair brushing against her cheek as they spoke.
"And the second thing I want to say—Soyo, why do you take it for fact that everyone wants to go back to CRYCHIC?"
Soyo's heart skipped a beat.
Such an intimate position, yet the words spoken weren't tender or teasing—they were sharp and merciless. Kyo had torn straight through the self-deception Soyo had wrapped herself in.
That question held a truth too cruel for Soyo to bear. But deep down, had she really never considered it?
Everyone must want to return to those happy days in the band. There were just some misunderstandings between them, but if they could just sit down and talk, everything would be resolved. They could go back to how things used to be.
It seemed like the most natural conclusion—but the flaws in that reasoning were glaringly obvious. Soyo had simply ignored the inconvenient truths and clung to an illusion that worked in her favor.
"I..." Soyo's lips quivered. She tried to argue, to refute Kyo's words, but Kyo, unable to see her face, could still easily imagine that Soyo's expression must be dreadful right now.
But Kyo continued speaking.
"Tomori thinks that Sakiko left because she wasn't good enough, so she took all the blame upon herself. Meanwhile, Taki left because she couldn't stand Sakiko's irresponsibility and the way she blamed Tomori."
"Did you know that?"
Soyo didn't know.
"Of course, I also believe that you didn't just sit around doing nothing. I'm sure you tried to reach out to the others. If Tomori shuts herself off, there's no way you'd be able to find her—I understand that. And if you wanted to bring Taki back into the band, all it would really take is for Tomori to agree to it, and Taki would follow. So I get why you weren't in a hurry to see her."
"But why are you so certain that what they want is to return to the old CRYCHIC?"
Why…
"And then there's Sakiko and Mutsumi. I'm guessing you spent most of your time trying to find Sakiko, right? And your approach was probably through Mutsumi. After all, Mutsumi isn't good at lying—she's way too blunt. Even if she stayed silent in response to your questions, her reactions alone would've been enough for you to tell that Sakiko hadn't gone far away."
"Sakiko left the band on her own accord. She never explained why, but isn't that already telling enough? Something made it impossible for her to stay. Soyo, have you really never considered that?"
One by one, the questions that had surfaced in Soyo's mind—only to be repeatedly ignored—were now being laid out in front of her by Kyo, forcing her to face them.
With Kyo whispering right into her ear, she suddenly seemed downright cruel—like a demon that could see straight into her heart, speaking nothing but painful truths.
Soyo, you were never doing this for everyone. From beginning to end, the only person you were thinking about was yourself.
Kyo didn't actually say those words in the end—because just then, she heard a barely audible voice. If they hadn't been so close, she might not have caught it at all.
"Please, Kyo… stop talking…"
Soyo's voice was already trembling, thick with unshed tears. The polished, refined tone she usually maintained had crumbled, revealing her raw, unguarded self.
Kyo let out a sigh. She realized she might have gone too far. Her intention had been to gently guide Soyo into realizing the truth on her own.
But the more she spoke about Soyo's unwillingness to move forward, the harder it became to stop. By the end, there had even been a trace of anger in her voice.
Now, how was she supposed to end this?
Both Kyo and Soyo had made a mess of things today, each facing the consequences of their own choices.
…She was feeling kind of thirsty.
Kyo smacked her lips, suddenly aware that talking so much had left her in need of a drink.
…Wait. Wasn't she forgetting something?
"Soyo, how long do you simmer vegetable macaroni soup on low heat? Shouldn't the time be up by now?"
As soon as she thought about it, she remembered.
That pot of soup was still cooking!
The sudden shift in topic was too abrupt for Soyo to follow. She blinked blankly for three or four seconds before responding, her voice still carrying traces of vulnerability.
"I think… I think it should be done by now."
"If we're going to have a serious talk, we should at least do it on a full stomach."
Kyo said this with utmost sincerity.
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