I Just Want A Single Ending!

"This…"

The others instantly realized Tomori knew the slip-up earlier had been her fault.

All the efforts Saku and the rest had put in to cover for her seemed to have made no difference.

But from her expression and tone, it was clear that the mistake hadn't affected her negatively.

Had she managed to regain her composure on her own?

Probably not. If she could shake it off that easily, she wouldn't have made such a mistake in the first place.

She wouldn't be speaking so confidently now, promising she'd sing it right this time, if she truly thought the fault lay with her.

Which left only one possibility.

They exchanged glances, all of them turning to look at Saku, who had retaken his spot by the door.

If they remembered correctly, he'd gone over and spoken to Tomori just now.

Sure, he'd offered encouragement to everyone, but he'd spent a noticeably longer time talking to her—proof enough of his influence.

And it was after that talk with Saku that Tomori had regained not only her composure but her confidence too.

Usually, she'd never say something like that.

All the clues pointed to Saku's intervention.

Maybe I should have been the one to stop the performance…

Taki couldn't help wondering. Could she have pretended to make a mistake herself? Wouldn't it have had the same effect?

No, that wouldn't work.

If she'd made an error, the STARRY members might think her band was unprofessional, making two mistakes in a song they'd practiced endlessly.

Not only would it have done no good, but it also would have hurt the band's reputation.

No, only an outsider like Saku could have done it.

Especially since she didn't even know what had caused Tomori's mistake, let alone how to help her through it.

She was the one who'd first met Tomori and formed the band with her.

So why did it feel like he understood her better than she did?

A strange frustration bubbled up in Taki.

"Well, if Tomori thinks she's ready, let's go again," Soyo said, making the decision for everyone.

"Mm."

Anon nodded softly, adjusting her guitar.

Raana turned her attention away from Ryo, who was still focused on her snacks.

Taki sighed, looking at Tomori again.

At the end of the day, it didn't matter who helped her recover, as long as she was okay.

"We'll start over from the top," Soyo said to STARRY. "If you don't mind listening again."

"Of course!"

Nijika answered enthusiastically.

Then, as always, the intro began to play.

Hearing that familiar music, Tomori, now feeling completely unburdened, slipped smoothly into the song:

"Kawaita kokoro furueru manazashi sekai de…"

(My withered heart, trembling gaze, in this world)

"Boku wa hitori bocchi datta chiru koto shika shiranai haru wa…"

(I was all alone, in this endlessly fading spring)

"Wow…"

Just hearing the first line, Ryo put her snacks down, her full attention now on the music.

This was leagues above what they'd heard earlier.

"That's amazing!"

Nijika murmured in awe.

Gotoh Hitori stayed silent, simply basking in the song.

She really liked this song.

The reason was simple—it wasn't some song glorifying youth, nor was it one of those terrifying love songs.

Even if the lyrics sounded like one at first, anyone who listened closely would understand this was far from a love song.

Hitori even felt a slight resonance with it.

If Nijika hadn't invited her into STARRY, she might still be alone even now.

"…"

Meanwhile, Ikuyo was glued to Tomori's performance, eyes darting between her and Anon, who strummed her guitar effortlessly.

Last time, Ikuyo had been so focused on Tomori's slip-ups that she hadn't paid much attention to anything else.

Now that Tomori was back at her usual level, Ikuyo was both amazed and a little uneasy, especially when she watched Anon play.

Both bands had two guitarists, after all.

Raana's skill far outshined Anon's, while Hitori's skill was leaps and bounds ahead of her own.

That meant Raana and Hitori were a match.

And Anon? Anon was her counterpart.

But…

They'd both been learning from Hitori, yet somehow, a noticeable gap had opened between them.

Sure, Anon had said she'd learned a bit before, but it was only at a beginner level—Ikuyo knew that much.

When they'd first started, there hadn't been much difference between them.

Now, though, Anon's easy confidence as she played was clearly real.

In other words, Anon's guitar skill had already surpassed hers.

Ikuyo pursed her lips, silently clenching her fists.

She hadn't been slacking on practice, even though her mom didn't approve of her being in a band. She'd still found ways to practice at home.

But even with all her effort, she was still nowhere near Anon.

And she remembered Anon's midterm scores too—seventh in the grade.

As for herself? She'd only managed to keep her usual rank, even with Saku's help in reviewing.

Yet Anon was even helping Hitori study.

It felt like Anon was completely outpacing her in every area—guitar, academics, and even everything else.

And, worst of all, Ikuyo was the lead singer.

If she compared herself to Tomori's vocal ability…

There was no need to go into detail.

Ikuyo glanced at the others, who were immersed in Tomori's voice.

That was proof enough.

She had to practice more—much more.

Otherwise, during rehearsals, she'd end up dragging STARRY down.

Actually, she already was.

She hadn't even practiced with the guitar alongside them yet.

Meanwhile, Anon's band was already playing songs like this.

Just a little more, push a little harder.

She couldn't keep going like this.

"Zutto zutto hanasanaide ite…"

(Forever and ever, never let go)

As the final lyrics fell, Spring Shadow came to an end.

"So, how did I do on guitar?"

Anon turned to STARRY—and, more specifically, to Saku—for feedback the moment the song ended.

"You did great," Saku encouraged her with a smile.

Nothing was out of place; she'd performed perfectly, just as they had in practice.

No wonder Spring Shadow sounded so polished after all that rehearsal.

---

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