Shiina Tatsuki opened her mouth slightly, as if to say something, but in the end, she said nothing.

It was not said aloud.

That's why this guy is always so cunning at times like these...

Looking at Chihaya Aine not far away, Shiina Tatsuki blinked her beautiful eyes and then lowered them.

"So, Tomori, is there anything you want to say to me?"

At this moment, the gray-haired girl on the other end of the video call looked serious, while Shiina Tatsuki's face was slightly flushed.

This was the first time she had been looked at so intently by Xiaodeng, and her gaze began to wander.

Book 1: Confusion Together - Chapter 44: The First Blossoms of a Triangle

Memories of the RING practice room quickly surfaced in his mind, and Takamatsu Akari fell into reminiscence.

“Before, Taki, no, didn’t he look haggard? He even had dark circles under his eyes during training.”

"Well, that's nothing to mention, Tomori."

The black-haired girl tried to appear indifferent, but the slight redness at her temples couldn't lie.

Looks like I need to get some proper rest from now on, otherwise I'll get nagged about my dark circles for ages.

Whether it's love sounds or lights.

she thought.

"No, that's not true, Taki is lying!"

Takamatsu shook his head like a rattle-drum, his expression serious.

“At first, Taki said it was nothing to worry about, and I really thought it was nothing to worry about, but that’s not the case.”

"Staying up late is tiring enough, but being busy with band matters makes it even more tiring!"

The gray-haired girl's eyebrows furrowed tightly, gradually forming a deep "川" (river) shape between them, and the wrinkles on her forehead became more and more obvious.

Recalling that night when she practiced relentlessly as Kita, Takamatsu Akari was still somewhat dazed.

In the still of the night, repeating monotonous lyrics, a tense and anxious heart...

Each of these factors was actually hindering her.

This pain is definitely not something that Li Xi simply dismisses as insignificant.

"I... I don't have the abilities of Aine or Suze. I can neither read atmosphere nor understand anything profound..."

"Tomori..."

Shiina Riki's eyes widened, gradually filling with surprise and emotion.

"Therefore, I don't want Taki to sacrifice himself. If it really has to come to that, then don't lie!"

"Because I will really believe everything Taki says!"

Taking a deep breath, Takamatsu Akari uttered her last words.

"Tomorin means that Riki should try not to push herself too hard, but if she really has to, she should talk to Tomorin properly! Don't pretend to be strong!"

A cheerful and sunny explanation came from not far away, and Shiina Tatsuki's face, which had been showing an expression of uncertainty, immediately became calm and relaxed.

"Hmph, you don't need to tell me."

After retorting to Chihaya Aine, Shiina Tatsuki's brows relaxed, and she turned back to look at the earnest girl on the screen.

"Okay, I understand, Tomori. I won't lie to you anymore."

If it were just about not lying, Shiina Riki was certain that she could do it right now.

But not forcing yourself? That's probably a bit difficult, Shiina Tatsuki thought to himself with a wry smile.

"As long as I haven't caught up with my sister, Xiangzi, I can't stop."

A flame seemed to burn in her eyes, and her body involuntarily tensed up slightly.

He wanted to become Shiina Tatsuki, not someone else's appendage.

This is her final bottom line and vision.

"But hearing Tomori say these things at least shows that I have a place in Tomori's heart, right?"

A smile involuntarily crept onto Shiina Tatsuki's lips, and a blush quickly crept onto her face. Being able to hear Kodama's true feelings was truly a wonderful privilege!

"Riki, what are you grinning about? Your train has arrived, right? And your cell phone too, now it's my turn to chat with Tomori!"

She snatched the cute phone from Riki's hand and said with a speechless expression.

"Huh? What's the rush? It's not like I'm not going to give it to you."

Listening to Chihaya Aion's disparaging remarks, Shiina Tatsuki felt an unnamed anger welling up inside him.

"Fine, I won't argue with you. I'm in a good mood."

"gone."

When the train arrived at the station, Shiina Tatsuki slowly boarded the train, leaving only a silhouette with her back to Chihaya Aine.

Bye-bye, Riki!

Watching the train speeding away into the distance, the pink-haired girl revealed her fangs, waved at the distance, and wore a sly smile.

"Riki's gone, so now it's just me and Tomorin!"

So what if Riki and Xiaodeng talk on the phone and video chat?

Don't forget, the phone that Koden used belonged to Chihaya Aine! Could a mere rikki do that?

With a satisfied smile, Chihaya Aine turned her head and walked towards her own train.

……

……

It's nighttime, backstage at sumimi's music show, in the dressing room.

The door lock clicked, and a girl with neat blond hair and purple eyes stepped out from the shadows behind the door.

"..."

Without saying a word, Mikasa Hatsuka simply leaned back on the sofa, her exhaustion filling the lounge.

"So, how many months have you been in Tokyo?"

She couldn't quite remember when she came to Tokyo from her small island.

Taking her phone out of her pocket, she skillfully scrolled to the section about Xiangzi, and Sanjiao Chuhua's gaze gradually softened.

"Saki-chan? I wonder how you are? Have you seen what I look like now?"

Looking at the message from Xiangzi from a year ago, she realized that she wasn't so tired anymore.

Xiangzi has replenished his energy for today.

When she woke up from her resting state, she glanced to the side and realized that her partner had been sitting in front of the dressing table at some point.

"Ah, Xiao Chu, you're awake? Did I wake you up?"

The star girl named Junda Mana turned her head in confusion, and then saw Mitsumi Hatsuka with her eyes open.

"No, I opened my eyes by myself."

Smiling and shaking her head, Misaka Chuka stood up from the sofa.

It's been several months since Mana debuted as a member of sumimi. Although she's been tired and bored during this time, she can still find enjoyment in it thanks to Mana-chan.

"Well then, I'll be going now, Mana-chan."

Waving goodbye to her partner, Mikasa Hatsuka put on sunglasses and a mask.

Her destination was the planetarium.

As dusk settled, the city's hustle and bustle gradually faded away, the streetlights along the streets emitted a dim yellow glow, and a gentle breeze swept by, carrying a touch of the night's unique coolness.

I don't know when it started, but visiting the Tokyo Planetarium has become a habit for Mika Mika.

Regarding knowledge about stars, Triangle Chuhua frankly admitted that she didn't know much.

More than any beautiful stars, she preferred watching them constantly circling and rotating in the sky.

You could say she simply enjoys looking at the stars, nothing more.

However, what keeps her coming to this planetarium

There is another reason, which is a gray-haired girl.

In the past few days, she seems to have found herself becoming another person in her dreams, and in that person's memories, there also seems to be such a planetarium?

However, in the month or two since she came to the planetarium, she has not yet met the gray-haired girl.

Shaking her head, Misaka Hatsuka stopped thinking about the dream and stood at the entrance of the planetarium, looking up at the city sky.

"Xiangzi, are you looking at the same sky as me now?"

The night sky was still, and the girl's heartfelt words traveled through the vast sea of ​​stars, unknowable.

Book 1: Lost Together - Chapter 45: RING's Stray Cat

Tokyo, the next day, RING.

In the bright practice room, several girls were practicing methodically. If someone were next to the drummer, they would definitely be able to see the piece they were playing.

During the brief pause between songs, just as Shiina Tatsuki was about to review the performance, the practice room door suddenly opened, and a quirky-looking girl appeared before them.

Stopping his drumming, Shiina Tatsuki frowned as he looked at the uninvited guest who had suddenly barged in.

At that moment, the group of people who were practicing stopped and turned their gazes to the white-haired girl they had never seen before.

Despite the gazes coming from all directions, Kaname remained unmoved and walked straight toward Shiina Tatsuki.

"Ah."

After glancing at the sheet music on the shelf for only four or five seconds, the girl nodded thoughtfully, then ran to the side without a word and knelt on the ground.

Shiina Riki stood up, wanting to say something to stop Kaoru's actions, but the unpredictable girl remained unmoved.

What are the stray cats doing here?

Because of her work at RING, Shiina Tatsuki had some impression of the band girl named Kaname Rakuna, but they didn't actually know each other.

Filled with doubts, Shiina Tatsuki looked bewildered.

She genuinely had no idea when they had come into contact with this girl.

"Hmph, hmph, hmph, hmph—"

A beautiful melody suddenly came from the mouth of the white-haired girl with heterochromatic eyes. Everyone looked up in surprise, their eyes all focused on the intruder.

Under the plectrum, the strings produced familiar music as the girl manipulated them with her right hand, a song that everyone present knew all too well.

Spring Shadow

"You can play and sing 'Kasuga Kage' after just watching it for four or five seconds?"

Shiina Riki's eyes widened and her mouth slightly open.

She had only ever seen such skill and speed from her beloved predecessors, Afterglow and PopiPa!

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like