I Just Want A Single Ending!

Following the voice, they turned to see Nagasaki Soyo walking over with a gentle smile.

"What are you all discussing? Mind if I join?"

She approached them slowly, her voice soft as she spoke.

"Soyo, what brings you here?"

Shiina Taki seemed visibly surprised at her arrival.

"I just came for some tea, but then I happened to overhear something that seemed… relevant to our band," Nagasaki Soyo explained.

Originally, she'd just been passing by and thought she'd stop by for a coffee and maybe chat with Shiina Taki.

But when she arrived upstairs, she'd noticed Shiina Taki sitting with two unfamiliar people, and they seemed to be discussing Spring Shadow.

Curious, she couldn't resist coming over to check it out.

"And who might this be?"

Noticing another unfamiliar face, Chihaya Anon turned to Kamigawa Saku for an introduction.

"Nagasaki Soyo, CRYCHIC's bassist," Kamigawa Saku provided a brief explanation.

"You invited her, too?"

Chihaya Anon instinctively assumed it was part of his plan.

After all, their band just happened to need a bassist and a drummer.

And now here they both were—it seemed almost too convenient.

"How could I? We've only met once, and she just said she's here for tea."

Kamigawa Saku hadn't expected Nagasaki Soyo to show up either.

"I think your name's Kamigawa Saku, right?"

Nagasaki Soyo turned to him, recalling his name after a moment's thought.

He was her downstairs neighbor, the one who'd greeted her just a few days ago.

"That's right," Kamigawa Saku confirmed with a nod before extending an invitation. "As you might have overheard, we're discussing CRYCHIC. Would you like to join us?"

Chihaya Anon didn't object to his suggestion.

While another stranger in the conversation might seem odd, considering she was a bassist and had once been a member of CRYCHIC…

It made no sense to turn her away.

Who knew? By the end of today, she might even have her band lineup complete.

Chihaya Anon couldn't help feeling hopeful.

"Then I'll join in," Nagasaki Soyo replied with a smile as she took a seat.

"This is Chihaya Anon…"

Kamigawa Saku repeated the introductions he'd given to Shiina Taki.

"A new band, huh." Nagasaki Soyo kept her friendly smile. "So, why bring up Spring Shadow?"

"Well…"

Seeing that neither of them seemed inclined to explain, Kamigawa Saku gave a quick recap of the conversation they'd just had.

"So, you're planning to invite Tomori to join the band."

Nagasaki Soyo took out her phone, found a video, and pushed it over to them.

"This video has Spring Shadow in it. If you're curious about Tomori's lyrical skills, feel free to give it a listen."

"Got it."

Kamigawa Saku tapped play.

The song Spring Shadow began to play, the vocals filling the room.

悴んだ心ふるえる眼差し世界で

(A weary heart, trembling gaze in this world)

私はひとりぼっちだった散ることしか知らない春は

(I was alone, in this spring that knows only how to wither…)

...

...

The song soon came to an end.

"So, what do you think?" Nagasaki Soyo took her phone back and looked at them expectantly.

"It's excellent."

Chihaya Anon admitted that the lyrics were impressive.

She felt a deep connection to them.

"Fantastic. Otherwise, I wouldn't be a fan of CRYCHIC," Kamigawa Saku added, reaffirming his enthusiasm.

"Huh? Kamigawa, you're a fan of our band?"

Nagasaki Soyo looked a bit surprised.

"Yes, and Shiina here can back me up."

Kamigawa Saku gestured toward Shiina Taki, prompting Nagasaki Soyo to look her way.

"It's true. Before I even told him about Spring Shadow, he recognized it and even knew the names of all five members in our band."

"I see."

Nagasaki Soyo absentmindedly fidgeted with her fingers.

"So, Chihaya, now that you've heard Tomori's lyrics, do you want to invite her to join the band? Her skills are clear, aren't they?"

"…"

Chihaya Anon hesitated.

She did want to say yes, but the lifelong commitment still felt overwhelming.

"If Tomori joins the band, I'll join too." Nagasaki Soyo sweetened the deal. "Your band still needs a bassist, right? And I happen to be one."

"Well…"

Chihaya Anon's resolve weakened even further.

"Huh? Why the sudden interest in joining?"

Shiina Taki was just as taken aback by Nagasaki's unexpected offer.

"What's wrong with me wanting to play in a band again?" Nagasaki Soyo looked perfectly innocent. "Besides, if Tomori joins, you'll join too, right?"

"…Yeah."

Shiina Taki couldn't deny it.

"That's why I'm considering it. We're all familiar with each other—wouldn't it be nice?" Nagasaki Soyo smiled warmly.

Shiina Taki had no more objections.

Then, glancing over at Chihaya Anon and noticing her lingering uncertainty, Shiina Taki recalled something from earlier and turned to Kamigawa Saku.

"By the way, you still haven't explained why you think Tomori would reject the idea of forming a lifelong band if I asked her now."

"It's simple—timing." Kamigawa Saku took a sip of his coffee before explaining. "Have you ever wanted something so badly that you were ready to buy it on the spot?"

"But for some reason, you held off, thinking you'd get it later."

"Then a few days passed, and suddenly, you didn't want it anymore."

"So here's the question—when Tomori brought up the idea of joining a band again and we turned her down, do you think if you went to her now, she'd say yes?"

"…If it were me, I'd have agreed on the spot," Shiina Taki said, accepting his reasoning.

But the more she thought about it, the angrier she felt. Why couldn't she have been the one to encounter that opportunity?

Instead, these two clueless strangers had stumbled upon it.

How unfair.

"But if that's true, wouldn't it mean we'll fail if we try inviting her to join the band now?" Nagasaki Soyo raised a new concern.

"We won't fail."

Kamigawa Saku sounded confident.

"Why not?"

"Because of all of you."

Initially, Kamigawa Saku had planned on relying solely on Shiina Taki to make the invitation more compelling.

But now, with another former CRYCHIC member, Nagasaki Soyo, in the mix, persuading Tomori seemed even more achievable.

"Um…"

Chihaya Anon raised her hand timidly.

"Have you made up your mind?"

In an instant, everyone's attention turned to her.

"I just want to ask—couldn't we find a way to convince Takamatsu to join without such a heavy commitment?"

Chihaya Anon was aiming to get all the perks without any of the drawbacks.