Taki: "Tomori... do you really want to do this? It's not too late to back out."
Tomori: "It's okay... Mr. Rin... is a very gentle person."
The night was still young.
Anon and Soyo were still with Ryo, learning the secrets of the bass and guitar, while Rana had already headed home after shredding all afternoon. Tomori and Taki had made an excuse to leave Starry early.
By now, they had changed back into their own clothes. Seika wasn't home, having gone to a nearby cafe to pet the owner's dog, so Nijika had taken their wet laundry upstairs to wash and dry it.
"I..." Looking at Tomori's determined face, Taki's words died in her throat.
While Tomori's obsession with Sakiko made Taki feel a sharp sting of jealousy, she could understand the sentiment... because she felt something similar toward Tomori.
Sakiko had taken the isolated, friendless Tomori and dragged her onto a stage, teaching her how to project her heart through song—as Tomori put it, Sakiko made her "human."
Taki's situation wasn't as severe, but the dynamic was the same.
Taki had an older sister four years her senior who was brilliant—the head of her school's wind instrument club and a winner of numerous musical awards. Taki had grown up in that shadow, and she had only been scouted by Sakiko because of her sister's recommendation.
Before the band, she was just as isolated, bottling everything up... until she joined Crychic and met Tomori.
In the beginning, Taki had been quite harsh toward her.
A vocalist has to be able to sing.
What good is a vocalist who can't make a sound?
But then, with everyone's encouragement, Tomori had finally sung. In that moment, Taki felt a wave of healing; Tomori's voice seemed to scream out the very emotions Taki had suppressed in her own heart.
Taki felt as if Tomori were singing for her!
From then on, Taki became the knight to Tomori's princess, guarding her side and even taking the long way home every day just to make sure she got back safely. It wasn't quite romance, but it was far heavier than typical love.
"I'll go with you."
Knowing how deep Tomori's feelings for Sakiko ran, Taki stopped trying to dissuade her.
Besides, there was another reason... was there a chance that what Ryo said was true!?
Tomori wanted a band for a lifetime, and Taki wanted to be with Tomori for a lifetime. The band was secondary; the "forever" part was the goal.
Since Crychic collapsed, their bond had weakened. If they did the things Ryo mentioned... maybe they really could stay together forever!?
The two met Rin Ito at a quiet cafe. When they arrived, he was already waiting in a booth.
"G-Good evening."
Tomori lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper, and sat down without meeting his eyes. Taki didn't look down, but she instinctively averted her gaze, unable to maintain eye contact with Rin.
Tomori might be socially isolated, but her outfit was anything but shy.
She wore a denim blue jacket over a white, wide-necked shirt. A pair of faded black hot-pants, cinched by a pale yellow belt, hugged her hips and the upper part of her thighs, leaving most of her slender, pale legs exposed.
Beside her, Taki wore a black undershirt beneath a white short-sleeved blouse, paired with a denim blue mini-skirt that highlighted her curves and showed off an equal amount of fair skin.
"...Mmm?"
Rin looked at them with a hint of confusion. Nijika and the others had told him about the on-stage leakage, but they didn't know about the private conversation Bocchi had with Tomori afterward.
After Rin had asked whose idea the leakage was, Bocchi had been too terrified to tell him about her "filling" advice.
Seeing Tomori too embarrassed to speak, Taki let out a frustrated sigh.
"I'll say it. Hitori said that being filled to the brim and sealed up before a show gives you courage. Tomori wants to try it..."
"And what about you?" Rin asked curiously. "You want to try it too?"
"O-Of course not!" Taki turned beet-red and slammed her hands on the table as she stood up, only to realize how loud she was and sit back down immediately.
"W-Who knows if you'll do something horrible to her!? I... if you try anything weird, I'll... I'll..."
"You'll what?"
Looking at Taki's adorable, blushing face, Rin couldn't resist poking the bear.
"I... I'll crush you!"
"I see." Rin turned his gaze back to Tomori. "It's nice to have a friend like that. You're like a 'Hime-kishi' from a manga."
"...Mmm."
Tomori's voice was like a mosquito's buzz, her face flushed all the way to her ears.
"Let's go then, my Princess and her Knight."
Rin led them to the hotel. The room was pristine; all traces of Soyo from last night and the Kanai sisters from this morning had been meticulously cleared away.
"Have a seat. Relax. I'm not a monster."
Despite Rin's words, the two were incredibly stiff as they sat on the sofa. Their hands gripped their shorts and skirts so hard their knuckles were white. A fine layer of sweat broke out on their foreheads, and the blush on their cheeks refused to fade.
"It's not too late to change your minds," Rin said with a grin.
"N-No problem!" Tomori took a deep breath and shed her denim jacket. The thin shirt beneath perfectly traced her silhouette... Tomori was surprisingly well-developed.
Just as Rin had estimated, while she looked petite, her chest was substantial. She wasn't a "breast monster," but for a girl standing at five-one, she was quite impressive.
"I don't mind starting right now, but you should probably shower first."
"!!!!"
Tomori and Taki suddenly remembered... after the leakage at Starry, they had only done a quick wipe with wet tissues. They hadn't actually bathed.
Tomori bolted for the bathroom. Rin chuckled and sat next to Taki.
"Aren't you going in too?"
"I... I'm not doing those lewd things with you, so why would I need a shower!?" Taki tried to sound tough, but her burning-red ears betrayed her panic.
"You like Tomori, don't you?" Rin asked out of the blue.
"HAH!? W-What are you talking about!?" Taki's breathing hitched instantly, her composure shattered. "I... I like her, obviously, but not as a lover! Don't get the wrong idea!"
"Coming all this way to watch her do this... I assumed it was a romantic interest. You just think of her as your best friend?"
"I... I don't know." Taki deflated.
Friend... that wasn't a strong enough word.
Besides Soyo and the others, Taki had Umiri in her class, who was a good friend.
But Tomori was different. Taki wouldn't go this far for anyone else.
But a lover...? No, that wasn't it either.
She didn't have romantic feelings; she didn't want to possess Tomori or do "couples" things with her. She just wanted to protect her.
"I understand." Rin nodded. "Tomori is a special existence to you. Like a sacred light you need to guard, right?"
"Yes! Exactly!" Taki nodded frantically. "That's why I have to protect her... You have to be gentle. No rough stuff!"
"Don't worry, I'll be very gentle. However..." Rin's tone shifted. "Are you just going to watch tonight? Being stared at by her best friend might make Tomori even more bashful."
"I..."
Taki was about to refuse, but then a phrase echoed in her mind... Blood-bonded!
When Ryo said it, it sounded ridiculous. But now, it was tempting... to become a blood-bonded sister with Tomori.
Taki couldn't find the words to say no.
"L-Let's just wait until Tomori is out."
Her temptation was written all over her face, and Rin saw it clearly.
Taki might not love Tomori romantically, but she wanted something even deeper... she wanted to be family. She wanted to be the person who shielded her from every storm.
"Fine." Rin smiled and let the topic drop. "By the way, Uika is in your class, right? I heard there's a girl in your year who's a god-tier bassist and plays in like thirty different bands?"
"It's not thirty, it's about a dozen... W-Why? What do you want with her?"
Taki looked at Rin suspiciously.
"I'm scouting. Mutsumi's new band only has two guitarists. They can't just be a duo like sumimi forever. If you get a chance, introduce me."