I Just Want A Single Ending!

[Agree]

[Refuse]

As soon as she made her offer, Saku saw options appear before him.

He was sure Nagasaki Soyo had something to discuss with him.

Otherwise, there was no reason for her to randomly ask him to walk home together.

After all, they hardly knew each other.

"Of course," he replied, narrowing his eyes with a warm smile.

He was curious to see what Soyo was up to.

[Strength +3]

"Thank you," Soyo responded, seeming genuinely pleased by his acceptance.

And so, they started walking toward their apartment complex.

But to Saku's surprise, Soyo didn't bring up anything serious. Instead, she chatted about trivial topics, like she was just passing the time.

It got to the point where he started wondering if he'd been overthinking her intentions.

Could it be that I just misjudged her? Did she really just want to walk home together?

They continued chatting until they reached the elevator.

Just as Saku was beginning to feel guilty for his suspicions, Soyo pressed the button and said casually, "It's been a while since I've enjoyed a conversation this much. It's still early—how about stopping by my place? We can finish our talk."

"Sure."

So that's what she'd been leading up to.

"Though… are you sure it's alright if I just come over? Wouldn't it be awkward if your family got the wrong idea?" Saku feigned a bit of hesitation.

"It's fine. I'm usually home alone."

She had considered that, of course.

Since her parents' divorce when she was young, her mother had been constantly busy with work, rarely home except on occasion.

So, there was nothing to worry about.

"Same here." Saku replied with a smile.

"Oh, really? Sounds like your parents must have pretty busy jobs, too."

It was something they had in common—both living alone, in the same apartment building, and in the same band.

Quite the coincidence.

But Saku calmly corrected her. "No, both of my parents passed away."

"…I'm sorry for bringing that up," Soyo apologized quickly, silent for a moment.

The sense of connection vanished.

Although her mother was often absent, she was still alive and provided some family presence.

Compared to Saku's situation, she realized she was actually quite lucky.

"It's alright. I've been used to it for a long time," Saku replied casually. "If I weren't, I wouldn't have been so open about it."

"'For a long time…'"

The words lingered in Soyo's mind.

It was easy to infer that he'd lost his parents at a young age.

She found herself feeling unexpectedly sympathetic toward him.

"Just so you know, I'm not telling you this to seek sympathy," Saku added, seeing her reaction. "I just mentioned it naturally. No need to dwell on it."

"Alright."

Soyo hesitated, feeling conflicted.

She hadn't yet decided whether to go through with her plan involving Saku.

Even though he'd said he didn't need sympathy, her heart couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for him.

But before she could make up her mind, the elevator doors opened on the top floor.

---

"Would you like some tea?"

After leading him into her apartment, Nagasaki Soyo asked Saku, who was seated on the couch.

"That'd be great."

He nodded, and while she disappeared into the kitchen, Saku took the chance to observe her home.

How to put it…

It felt as empty and quiet as his own place—a strange and somewhat familiar chill.

Soyo returned shortly, setting a steaming cup of tea in front of him.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

With that, Soyo took a seat across from him.

"So, are we picking up where we left off?" Saku asked, remembering her previous comment.

"Actually, I wanted to talk about the band."

Soyo had decided to go forward with her plan, with a slight adjustment.

Once Togawa Sakiko joined, she wouldn't kick out the others who weren't part of CRYCHIC.

It was simple, really: she saw a reflection of herself in Kamigawa Saku.

The way she cared about CRYCHIC was because she'd invested all the affection she lacked into it, making it her home.

Maybe Saku, having lost his parents early, was starting to invest his love into this new band as well.

Thinking about this had made her reconsider her plan.

"What would you like to discuss?"

Saku sat up straight, sensing this was going to be serious.

Soyo absentmindedly toyed with her fingers, then asked, "What do you think of our band's version of Spring Shadows?"

"It's pretty good."

Lacking musical expertise, Saku gave a careful response.

Soyo continued, "How does it compare to CRYCHIC's version?"

"I'd say… they each have their own charm."

Saku kept his answer neutral.

"I remember you're a CRYCHIC fan, right?"

Soyo hadn't expected that answer. Normally, a fan would blindly favor their favorite band.

"I am," he confirmed. "Always have been."

"I thought you'd say CRYCHIC's was better." Soyo looked mildly disappointed.

"But I'm our band's manager now," Saku replied with a professional smile. "I can't exactly bad-mouth our band, can I?"

"Still, saying they each have their charm isn't exactly wrong," he added.

Soyo took the chance to expand on her point. "Replacing a keyboard with a second guitar definitely sounds different. It's not bad—but it's just not the same."

"What do you mean?"

Saku, still new to bass, didn't quite follow.

"Spring Shadows was composed by a keyboardist, and CRYCHIC doesn't use two guitarists, so the composition was designed with the keyboard in mind from the start," Soyo explained earnestly. "Even though we've reworked it for two guitars, I still feel like it's missing something."

To her, the best version of Spring Shadows would always be the one from her memories.

"I guess that makes sense."

She'd managed to convince him.

"So… don't you think our band could use a keyboardist?"

At last, Soyo revealed her true intention.