"Even though you quietly lower your shoulders in secret—"
"The vast blue sky remains dazzling as ever."
"..."
"You've already worked hard enough."
"Even if you stumble along the way—"
"You still manage to stand up again."
"..."
At first, Soyo felt a bit self-conscious. Singing in front of a real musical genius like Chihiro—it was kind of embarrassing.
But then she thought about it. This song was written by Taki. If it's embarrassing, that has nothing to do with me.
With that comforting thought, she found herself relaxing. And as she continued singing, she started to get lost in the music—feeling emotions she hadn't quite grasped before.
This song was, in a way, the first track their new five-member band had ever played. Back then, she hadn't liked it much. It was too loud, too chaotic—nothing like Haruhikage's gentle warmth.
The softness of Haruhikage came from the piano—its ethereal sound carried a sense of companionship, a steady force pushing everyone toward something greater.
But Blue Skies, Walking Together had a much faster tempo. It had an entirely different style from Haruhikage, and rehearsals had been a mess. She never had the heart to focus on the music itself.
Even during practice, her mind was elsewhere. Taki had even called her out for it, saying her bass playing had become careless.
And honestly? She hadn't cared. At the time, it didn't matter to her whether they played Blue Skies, Walking Together or Cloudy Skies, Walking Alone. It was only after everything fell apart that she finally looked at the lyrics with the mindset of analyzing what went wrong.
Now, having returned to this point in time, Soyo finally understood what this song truly represented.
It was a promise—to start over.
But what did CRYCHIC's version of Blue Skies, Walking Together mean? Why did a fresh start have to mean leaving Sakiko behind?
A replacement would always be a replacement. No matter how good the lyrics were or how lively the melody sounded, for Nagasaki Soyo, it still felt like something was missing—like a certain warmth had vanished completely.
No piano. Without a piano, she wouldn't accept it.
"…Soyo, you actually have a really gentle side."
"…Huh?"
"I mean, this song. The lyrics are really gentle."
Soyo was still processing the statement. She had never once associated this song with herself. And hearing Chihiro say something like this—in that tone—was more shocking than anything else.
"…What's the name of this song?"
"Blue Skies, Walking Together," Soyo answered flatly. "Can you transcribe it? Including the arrangement for other instruments?"
"Do you even know who you're talking to, you self-proclaimed genius idiot?"
"I—ugh, forget it. I won't compare myself to a musical delinquent like you. Your flaws are way more noticeable than your talents."
Chihiro didn't seem bothered by the jab. She just laughed and casually grabbed Soyo's laptop, downloading the necessary software to start arranging the track.
Soyo didn't push any further. Instead, she sat beside Chihiro, trying to sneakily pick up some skills while they worked.
She knew music theory and could read sheet music, but turning a vocal melody into a full score? That was something she would need to study before she could pull it off.
And right now, there was no time for that.
"…Alright. This should do it. No need to practice a demo, no need for further arrangement. That should be enough—are you satisfied now, sponsor mom?"
"Mm."
Soyo nodded and immediately stood up, putting as much distance between them as possible. She even patted down her clothes, as if trying to shake off the fact that she had been sitting so close to Chihiro just now.
"…Hey."
Maybe it was because she was seeing a different side of Chihiro—Soyo couldn't help but ask:
"You said before that you had a band back in the UK, right?"
"…Yeah. What about it?"
"After the band broke up… did you ever consider getting back together?"
Chihiro let out a short, sharp laugh.
"Who in their right mind would want to be in a band with a lunatic like me?"
"…But when you've been practicing bass with me these past few days, you don't seem as immersed as you do when you play guitar."
"Bass?"
"If you dare insult bass, I swear—"
"…Ahem." Chihiro cleared her throat, sensing an imminent threat. "I don't know. Maybe I've just given up?
"I used to be so arrogant. I thought the stage should revolve around people like me. Maybe that's why I only ever thought about myself when I played guitar—never about anyone else."
She leaned back slightly, eyes drifting to the ceiling.
"But now, I don't care anymore. Even when I see people playing guitar in front of me, it doesn't excite me at all."
"…Why?"
"Because none of them are as good as me."
"…But they have bandmates. And you're alone."
"…So are you."
"You little—"
Soyo barely stopped herself from swearing outright. She clamped a hand over her mouth, reminding herself to maintain the elegance of a refined young lady.
"I'm nothing like you. CRYCHIC only fell apart because of an accident. If not for that, we probably never would've broken up. We could've just kept having fun together forever."
"…Is that so?"
Chihiro didn't look convinced.
Soyo's expression darkened.
"…What are you trying to say?"
Doubting CRYCHIC's bond before Sakiko left—that was the same as doubting everything she had ever fought for.
"Nothing." Chihiro smirked, but there was something bitter in it. "Just chalk it up to me being a sore loser who can't stand seeing other people happy."
She knew if she said anything more, they'd end up arguing. So she wisely dropped the subject.
"…Your sister really is a lot like you."
"…"
Chihiro was too exhausted to question why Soyo seemed to know way too much about her sister.
"…How so?"
"She's just like you—completely obsessed with the guitar, with no regard for anyone else."
"…Okay, you can say that about me, but don't talk about my sister like that. She's not heartless. Who exactly has she abandoned?"
"…Me. I'm the one who's dying here, okay?!"
Soyo couldn't take it anymore. She threw a punch at Chihiro's side, then stormed off—
—Only to come back a few seconds later.
"…This is my room. Get out."
"…Tch. So bossy. Are you hitting menopause or something?"
"…What did you just say?"
"Nothing, nothing. Your top strategist is heading out now—don't worry, I'll get the job done!"
"…Wait."
Just as Chihiro was about to leave, Soyo stopped her.
She pulled out her wallet, flipped through some cash, and handed Chihiro 35,000 yen.
"…This is more than I expected. We only signed the contract on Wednesday."
"…But we met on Monday."
"…Fine. Just don't ask for a refund later."
Soyo rolled her eyes and started pushing Chihiro toward the door.
"What time are you coming back for dinner? I'll make sure it's ready."
"…I'll call you later. I'll grab groceries—you just wait and eat."
"You'd better not ghost me. Don't leave me starving here."
"Relax. I'll be home by 7:30 to cook for you, Soyo-hungry-hungry."
"…You don't have to make it sound so gross."
Watching Chihiro—who still had her face—wave goodbye and leave, Soyo found herself smiling just a little.
Maybe she… actually liked this new life.
Having someone around at home did feel different.
And sometimes, Chihiro was so reliable, it almost felt like—
"…Wait, a mom?! Nagasaki Soyo, what the hell is wrong with you?!"