"Sigh… What a mess~"
Dragging a suitcase behind her, Tsuzuki Chihiro strolled through the streets of Roppongi, having just left Soyo's house. A few passersby glanced at her with puzzled expressions, but she couldn't be bothered to acknowledge them.
So, what now? Is she being forced to go home and inherit her grandmother's chain of LIVE HOUSES, settling into the life of a proper Tsukinomori heiress?
…Wait, no. If she actually went to Tsukinomori, forget whether Soyo would throw a fit—she wasn't exactly keen on playing the role of a well-behaved student, either.
Becoming Taki's boss at RiNG sounded much more appealing—spending her days teasing cats and dogs, and occasionally toying with that little "wolf pup" by the coffee machine.
"But seriously, does that girl even realize just how much she's already grown?
…Though, in some ways, she's still ridiculously frustrating."
Thinking back to what Soyo had said about her parents, Chihiro had indeed felt uncomfortable at the time. But after some reflection, she couldn't exactly blame her for it.
Soyo didn't know about her situation. If she did, Chihiro was certain she wouldn't have said those things.
Everyone has moments when they lose control of their emotions. The real issue was that Soyo had just discovered she'd been getting played for a fool all this time—of course, she was going to react that way.
"That said… I wonder how she'll feel when she realizes I took several of her outfits with me? Oh, and helped myself to a few days' worth of salary from her wallet…"
"She'll probably jump up in rage, huh?"
The thought brought a slight smirk to Chihiro's lips. A shame she wouldn't get to witness Soyo's moment of utter defeat in person.
"It's getting kind of late… Showing up at Anon's place unannounced at this hour would be a bit rude. Guess I'll head to Grandma's instead."
After leaving Soyo's house, Chihiro realized she did feel a little homesick—especially for her grandmother and Raana.
Grandma was the same as ever. And from the perspective of "Soyo," Raana didn't seem to have changed much either. She wondered… Would the little one be mad at her bad older sister for disappearing for so long?
As these thoughts drifted through her mind, Chihiro sat on the subway, securing her suitcase between her legs—when a message from Taki popped up on her phone.
At this hour? Why's Taki messaging me?
Though a little puzzled, she opened the message.
[Taki: Soyo, will you come tomorrow?]
That was the first thing she saw on her lock screen. But as she scrolled down, she found several more messages from Taki.
[Taki: I just sent a message to the other you, but she didn't respond.]
[Taki: I don't know if this will mean anything, but… If the person reading this message is the Soyo I remember, I think you'll reply, won't you?]
[Taki: Please… Soyo's really unstable right now. I want to help her. And since you're the most important person to her, I hope you'll help her through this too.]
"…What the hell?"
Was this even Japanese? Or had Chihiro been in England so long that she'd developed reading comprehension issues?
She had absolutely no idea what Taki was trying to say.
First off, based on what Soyo had told her, Chihiro knew that Taki had already figured out the truth. Though honestly, it was a bit surprising—Taki was supposed to be a big dummy, so how had she been this perceptive?
And yet, even now, Taki was still calling her "Soyo"…
Wait—does she not know who I am? Did Soyo never tell her?
"But then, what's this supposed to mean?"
Of course, she knew Soyo was emotionally unstable. But why the hell would she be the most important person to Soyo?
That… made absolutely no sense.
Even if their contract had been canceled, and even if she hadn't actually planned on abandoning Soyo completely, it wasn't like Soyo had any reason to consider her—just some hired hand—important.
And even if she did, how the hell would Taki know?
No matter how she tried to piece it together, it just didn't make sense. But Chihiro wasn't the type to stay stuck on a question for long—she quickly typed out a reply.
[Soyo: I don't get it. Why would you say she's the most important person to me?]
No point hiding things anymore—might as well be direct.
But the next moment, Taki's barrage of messages left Chihiro staring at her screen in complete confusion.
[Taki: Soyo, you really replied.]
[Taki: Of course she's your most important person. You two are bound by fate—you're inseparable.]
…Okay.
Is Taki secretly one of those hardcore yuri shippers?
Because… she really didn't seem like it.
The way she was talking… It sounded like some one soul, two bodies or split personality kind of setup.
But come on—who the hell would actually think like that?
You'd have to be a complete idiot.
Before she could type another response, another message from Taki came through.
[Taki: I don't think she'll show up in the next few days. I know everyone has times when they want to run away. I even lashed out at Anon because of it before… and maybe not just Anon…]
[Taki: In any case, the other you has probably shut herself off, retreating into a place no one can reach. Only you can change that.]
…Alright.
Chihiro had been right—Taki really was a big idiot.
But still, despite being kicked out by her "sugar mama," Taki's little drama act had at least provided Chihiro with some entertainment.
And knowing Soyo—that stubborn, self-sabotaging mess of a girl—she would do something like shutting herself away, ignoring everyone, and wallowing in her own world.
Besides, Soyo's LINE contacts only included the members of crychic.
She hadn't even added Anon or Raana. Hell, she hadn't even been in the band's group chat.
Of course, back then, Soyo had never intended for things to last. She thought everything would be temporary and inevitably fade away, so she never cared about something as trivial as LINE contacts.
But for Chihiro?
That just made things easier.
"Soyo, Soyo… Did you really think this was over? Don't underestimate the first heir of the Tsuzuki family!"
"When you finally come crawling back, desperate to tell me how much of an idiot you were—don't blame me for making you pay up."
With that thought, Chihiro lit up her phone screen again.
After a brief moment of consideration, she sent a message to Taki, who was still oblivious to the truth.
[Soyo: I understand. I'll come tomorrow. But don't call me Soyo anymore. To differentiate myself from the other me…]
[From now on, call me Nagasaki Sakuyo.]
---
T/N: hehe why is taki me
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