I Just Want A Single Ending!

Should I give it a shot?

On the way home, Kamigawa Saku was deep in thought, replaying his recent interactions with Takamatsu Tomori.

Introverted, eccentric, uncomfortable with communication, and seemingly burdened by her emotions.

Those were the traits he'd pieced together to understand Takamatsu Tomori's personality.

By being straightforward, he'd managed to become her friend—but just barely.

It would be next to impossible to rely on such a fragile connection to happily spend three years of high school together.

Sure, he could improve their relationship over time, but that would be too slow, and it would take a ton of effort to keep it going.

Honestly, it wasn't worth it.

But he had an idea that could drastically improve their friendship.

If he could somehow help her overcome her current emotional struggles.

It was clear that she was still deeply affected by CRYCHIC's breakup.

She'd even mentioned things like never wanting to be in a band again.

So, if he could help her work through this and let go of her guilt…

Their friendship could definitely deepen into something meaningful.

He'd already thought of a way—helping her start a band again.

However, while it sounded simple, there was no way he could do it alone.

He'd need some help from others to make it happen.

And if no one else was willing to help, well, then he'd have no choice but to give up.

After a moment's consideration, Kamigawa Saku made his decision.

Alright, I'll at least give it a try.

Even if it failed, it wouldn't hurt him much.

But if it worked, he'd hit the jackpot.

And maybe it could even help bridge the gap between him and Shiina Taki.

---

The next day, Saturday.

Kamigawa Saku found himself once again on the second floor of RING's café.

"What are you doing here again?"

Shiina Taki, who was taking his order, sounded less than pleased.

"This is a café, right? I don't see the issue with me coming here for coffee." Kamigawa Saku replied casually.

Despite her unfriendly attitude, he remained unfazed.

"What do you want to drink?"

Clearly, Shiina Taki had no interest in chit-chat.

"I'll order in a bit—I'm meeting someone."

Kamigawa Saku glanced at his phone. It was still fifteen minutes until their agreed meeting time of ten o'clock.

"Wait, you invited Tomori here?"

Shiina Taki instantly connected this to yesterday's events.

"You're reading too much into it. It's not Tomori; I do have other friends, you know," Kamigawa Saku reassured her.

Hearing this, Shiina Taki's demeanor noticeably improved. She left him a glass of water and returned to the bar without glaring at him like she did yesterday.

It wasn't long before his guest arrived.

"Sorry for being late."

Chihaya Anon jogged over and apologized politely.

"It's fine; I'm early anyway."

Kamigawa Saku checked the time again. There were still seven minutes until ten.

Noticing the pretty girl sitting across from him, Shiina Taki let out a small huff, her opinion of Kamigawa Saku plummeting even further.

Yesterday, he was here with Takamatsu Tomori. Today, he was meeting another girl.

It was hard not to question his character.

"May I take your order?"

Still, Shiina Taki dutifully played the part of the server.

"Saku, do you have any recommendations?" Chihaya Anon asked, trusting his expertise.

"The Earl Grey tea here is pretty good; I'd recommend it hot," Kamigawa Saku suggested with a smile.

"Then I'll have that."

Chihaya Anon made her choice quickly.

"I'll go with a mocha."

Kamigawa Saku enjoyed trying different drinks whenever he visited this café.

"Alright."

Noting down the order, Shiina Taki left.

Chihaya Anon looked at him curiously. "By the way, you messaged me last night saying you had something important to discuss in person. What's up?"

That was why she'd made a special effort to come.

"I want to invite Tomori to join a band. So, I wanted to get your thoughts on it." Kamigawa Saku got straight to the point.

As soon as he mentioned it, he felt an intense gaze on him.

It was, unsurprisingly, coming from Shiina Taki.

Had she not been preparing their drinks, she'd have demanded an explanation right then.

"Tomori? You mean Takamatsu?"

Chihaya Anon paused, only realizing who he meant after a moment.

"That's right."

Her expression shifted, looking at him strangely. "Since when did you two get so close?"

"Just yesterday afternoon. We went through something… unique, and we ended up becoming friends," Kamigawa Saku explained briefly.

The moment he said this, he could feel Shiina Taki's stare growing even more intense.

"In that case, you might as well call me Anon," Chihaya Anon said smoothly. "Since we're in the same band now, keeping things so formal just feels distant."

"Of course." Kamigawa Saku reciprocated. "Feel free to call me Saku."

With that out of the way, Chihaya Anon returned to the main topic.

"Why the sudden change of heart? Last time we asked, you ran for the hills."

"That was then; things are different now."

"Different how?"

"Well, now I'm friends with Tomori, so I want to help her work through her issues." Kamigawa Saku's tone was matter-of-fact.

"What issues? Are you talking about her saying she'd never want to be in a band again?"

Chihaya Anon considered his words carefully.

"Yeah, that stems from the emotional fallout of her last band breaking up."

"So you're planning to promise her that you'll stay in a band with her forever, hoping that'll help her move on?" Chihaya Anon guessed at his intentions.

Kamigawa Saku didn't deny it. "What do you think?"

"It's not a great idea. Committing to something as heavy as 'forever in a band'—if you make that promise and then break it, you could end up worsening her issues." Chihaya Anon was clearly against the idea.

"I know that."

Kamigawa Saku was aware that this idea was more idealistic than realistic.

If it were just up to him, maybe he could commit to it.

But with Chihaya Anon involved, he couldn't make the decision alone.

"So, if you already know it's impossible, why even ask me?" Chihaya Anon asked, puzzled. "Or did you just want to run it by me?"

Before he could respond, Shiina Taki returned with a tray.

"Here's your hot Earl Grey tea and mocha coffee."