"Hm? Are you two going out?"
On a weekend afternoon, Chihaya Tetsuya, who had just woken up, looked at Chihaya Anon and Wakaba Mutsumi, who were already dressed to go out, and couldn't help but ask with some curiosity.
Anon immediately responded:
"That's right! Mutsumi and I have something to take care of!"
"Do you have enough allowance?"
"Plenty, plenty! I've been saving up what you usually give me!"
Anon said without even looking up.
"Mutsumi and I will eat dinner out! Don't wait for us!"
"Mhm. Well then, you two be careful on the road."
Tetsuya waved his hand.
"Remember to call me if anything happens."
"I know!"
As if she didn't want to hear any more of her brother's nagging, Anon quickly grabbed the sleeve of Mutsumi, who was also waving goodbye, and headed for the door with her.
...
"Sigh... I wish I could have my mainstream debut soon."
After leaving the apartment building, Anon couldn't help but let out a deep sigh.
"Otherwise, even though my physical and mental age are gradually catching up to his, I'll still have to be taken care of by him like this..."
"..."
Hearing Anon's lament, Mutsumi also nodded silently.
Although she knew Tetsuya said those things to Anon out of a sense of responsibility and habit, if she were in that situation, being cared for like that by the person she liked in front of other girls, she would also find it quite embarrassing. But, if no one else was around, being doted on to that extent by the person you liked would surely be quite blissful...
It was no wonder that both Hoshino Ai and Sakiko were so jealous of Anon. Just the thought that she had been cared for by Chihaya-san like this for nearly seven years was enough to make one want to bite their handkerchief in envy.
...
So, if she herself had a brother with whom she could be in a legal relationship, what would she become?
Would she be like Anon, always showing off the affection she received in her capacity as a little sister? Or would she be like Hoshino Ai, falling in love with him early on and never wanting to look at anyone else again?
Mutsumi herself didn't know.
Just these past two weeks of getting along had already created a clear sense of dependence in her heart. If that time were extended a hundredfold, she truly couldn't imagine what she would become—
[Plus, we both want to get a 'piece of the pie' from this plan for ourselves, so there's probably no title more fitting than 'accomplices,' right?]
According to Uika, while she did indeed support Sakiko's plan, she herself also coveted Chihaya-san.
In that case, if I really become Sakiko's "accomplice" as Uika said, can I also use my actions to test the speculations in my heart?
Accomplice...
It was a word used to describe a sinner, but why... when she repeated it in her heart, did a sense of anticipation and joy inevitably well up inside her?
"By the way, Mutsumi, you said before that I should be a little more serious today, right?"
On the other side, Anon, oblivious to Mutsumi's current thoughts, struck up a normal conversation with her.
"To make her feel guilty and nervous, so that she'll be more likely to accept our conditions?"
"Mhm."
Mutsumi nodded and said with a blank expression:
"Sakiko's resources are very limited. We have to save as much as we can for her."
"Then... what if she's not willing to accept the conditions we propose?"
Anon couldn't help but ask.
"Or what if she's not that interested in the buzz from you and Uika..."
"Then we'll find someone else."
Mutsumi's response was decisive.
"Sakiko and I are not fans of [Nyamu], so we don't have any particular attachment to her. If she doesn't accept, we'll just find another drummer."
In Sakiko's plan, [Ave Mujica] was not an amateur band that just anyone could join. If it weren't for the fact that Chihaya-san had acknowledged her fashion sense, and if it weren't for Anon being her fan, she might not have even considered this rookie drummer. Moreover, the current [Starry Sky] was no mere rookie brand. With the high popularity of the two idols from [Summer Zodiac] and the proof of their two exclusive performance outfits, [Starry Sky] had already garnered a great deal of attention and recognition long before it officially launched.
Although it might be a bit rude to say this to Anon, to Mutsumi, who was used to seeing all sorts of celebrities and dignitaries, a so-called popular vlogger with good taste was nothing to speak of.
"Besides, the fact that she ignored your invitation is true, so we are just reacting reasonably."
"...You have a point."
Anon was stunned for a good while before she finally, slowly nodded.
"Whoa, wait, I was seriously surprised just now! Is this what you'd expect from a celebrity's daughter... That aura really is different from a normal person's."
"?"
Mutsumi tilted her head, puzzled by Anon's comment.
Anon continued to explain:
"Should I call it confidence or assertiveness... I feel like you suddenly became a different person just now, Mutsumi! Ah, that's right! It was like your mother!"
"!"
Hearing this, Mutsumi was slightly startled. She immediately realized that her words just now were indeed a huge departure from her usual self.
Although she had always been a doll controlled by her mother, her mother's way of doing things and her deep-seated confidence had indeed influenced her deeply. It was just that under intense pressure, this influence had never been able to manifest.
And now, without her mother's oppressive control and with a clear purpose of her own, the things she had been suppressing deep in her heart were finally being released...
...
Perhaps, from the very beginning... she was never a submissive, obedient, and well-behaved good girl.
Perhaps that was why she preferred the noisy, violent, powerful, and frantic sounds of metal music.
Perhaps that was why her first reaction to hearing the word "accomplice" was not panic, but a dawning sense of joy.
Perhaps that was why she was now considering Yuutenji Nyamu as a candidate for drummer, attempting to use it to earn a favor from Chihaya Anon.
...But, it wouldn't do for her to become an overbearing and annoying type like her mother. So, when necessary, she really did need someone to pull her strings at critical moments, to properly restrain her and keep her quiet and obedient.
As for who to entrust her strings to...
[If you don't mind, Wakaba-san, for the time being, how about I take on the role of 'pulling the strings'?]
(You're the one who said it, Chihaya-san. In that case, I'll be taking you up on your kind offer.)
Beneath Mutsumi's inscrutable exterior, a clear feeling emerged for the first time, one that almost made her break into a smile.
The marionette girl gazed toward the end of her strings, and in an unknown corner of the stage, she gently wound the spring in her heart.