I Just Want A Single Ending!

"Nope, that's Taki's private business." Yahata Umiri rejected the question outright. "Even if it concerns you, I can't tell you."

"Don't tell me… Did Shiina say something bad about me behind my back?"

Judging by her reaction, Kamigawa Saku couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious.

Generally, if someone had complimented him, they wouldn't mind letting it slip.

"I wouldn't call it bad, per se. Maybe… peculiar."

As she said this, Umiri recalled the scene.

(Rewinding to some time ago)

One morning, in the classroom of Class 1-B at Haneoka Girls' School…

Kamigawa Saku… chatting away with Tomori behind my back…

Reading through the chat logs in their band's LINE group, Shiina Taki gritted her teeth, clutching her phone tightly.

She'd gone to bed earlier than usual the previous night, feeling a bit sleepy.

As soon as she drifted off, Saku had posted a message in the group chat.

Takamatsu Tomori happened to be online and replied with a line or two.

And Kamigawa Saku, undeterred, had taken the chance to start a casual conversation with Tomori.

If it had been a private chat, she might not have known.

But they'd done it right in the group, and she'd seen every bit of their exchange.

Even more irksome was sensing a genuine happiness in Tomori's responses—like she was thrilled to be talking to him, not just being polite.

The problem was, if she was this cheerful with him in the group, how would things go in their private messages?

The thought alone gave Shiina Taki a weird, uneasy feeling.

"Good morning. What's up with you?"

Carrying her bass case, Yahata Umiri approached her curiously.

"Nothing."

Shiina Taki turned off her phone screen, glancing up.

"You seem pretty mad. Even your expression's all twisted," Umiri observed keenly, noticing something was up.

"No, I'm not."

At her words, Taki quickly put her phone down and rubbed her cheeks.

"Is this about that Kamigawa Saku guy?" Umiri asked as if the conclusion was only natural.

After all, she knew Taki had started getting back into the band scene.

These days, Taki had been listening to music every morning, even air-drumming along—an obvious sign of how excited she was.

So when she showed this kind of reaction, it was almost certainly tied to her band's manager.

"…"

Shiina Taki said nothing, unwilling to reveal more.

"Seems like it," Umiri concluded, seeing her silence as confirmation. "So, do you like him? You always seem to react to everything he does."

"What?! Me, like him? Are you joking?"

Taki's denial was swift and definitive, with not a hint of tsundere coyness.

"Then you must dislike him," Umiri concluded calmly.

"…Not quite. I wouldn't say I hate him." Taki hesitated, finally settling on an answer. "We just don't get along."

From a rational standpoint, Saku was almost flawless as their band's manager—reliable, efficient, and very satisfying.

But when her own feelings got involved, watching Saku interact with Tomori like that irritated her to no end.

So if she had to describe her view of him, it wasn't that she disliked him. Nor did she particularly like him.

They hadn't spent enough time together to really understand each other, and her feelings were mostly tied up in how he acted around Tomori.

She didn't like it, but she respected his competence.

All in all, as a bandmate, he was fine.

"I see."

Umiri seemed to take it all in with a thoughtful nod.

(Back to the present)

"'Peculiar words…'?"

Saku repeated the term, trying to think of anything it might imply.

But he couldn't come up with any helpful ideas.

"That's just my interpretation," Umiri clarified, seeing he was curious. "For Taki, it was probably just a normal statement."

Due to Taki, she'd developed a bit of curiosity about Kamigawa Saku herself.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed to Kikuri's request to meet him.

"I see."

Without knowing exactly what Taki had said about him, he could only go by Umiri's description.

"So, what do you think of Taki?"

Now it was Umiri's turn to ask him a question.

"A friend and bandmate."

Even if her reaction to him had a bit of hostility due to Tomori, he still considered Taki a friend.

"Oh, and you can tell Shiina my opinion. No need to hide it for me."

"Got it. If Taki ever asks, I'll pass it along," Umiri agreed.

Saku chuckled awkwardly. "Though, I doubt she'd ever ask."

"Should I tell her for you, then?" Umiri offered.

"Nah, let's go with what you said. If she asks, let her know then."

Asking Umiri to tell Taki directly seemed unnecessary.

It would just make things weird.

"Understood."

…

After a bit more small talk, Umiri glanced at the clock on the wall and excused herself. "I should get ready now."

"Alright, see you later."

Watching her as she walked towards the break room, Saku sorted through what he'd learned about her.

The most relevant points were that she and Taki were friends and classmates, and that the bands she supported frequently performed at this live house.

So, perhaps he could start coming here more often.

There hadn't been much reason to before, but with Umiri around, it felt worth making an exception.

One minor regret was that he hadn't gotten a chance to exchange contact info with her.

No helping it—it was their first meeting, after all.

Maybe next time.

A bit later, as he was waiting for the performance to start, Kikuri reappeared beside him.

"Where's Umiri? Why are you alone?"

"She's getting ready."

Saku answered truthfully.

"Perfect, I'll keep you company for her show, then."

Kikuri, as casually as ever, joined him to watch the performance.

---

Hello! Thank you so much for reading this chapter. WiseTL has worked hard to bring these wonderful stories to you, and I'm so happy we could share this moment together! Don't you think stories are a little like dreams? Each one has its own colors and shapes, and they grow even brighter when shared with others.

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