In the end, even as they left the karaoke place, Kikukawa Kyo and Anon walked Tomori all the way to the train station. Before stepping inside, Tomori even turned back to face them, speaking with unusual seriousness.
"Today… I had a lot of fun."
It seemed that Tomori had completely forgotten about "questioning" Kyo again about why she wouldn't join the band. Of course, aside from Tomori's tendency to only focus on one thing at a time, the real reason was that Kyo had skillfully kept steering the conversation elsewhere.
As they watched Tomori disappear into the station, Kyo and Anon continued walking side by side. Anon needed to head to another station, while Kyo's home was nearby. Yet, instead of going straight home, she chose to walk with Anon a little longer.
"If you want to ask something, just ask."
Surprisingly, Kyo was even more open with Anon than she had been with Tomori, despite knowing Tomori for longer.
Anon glanced at the mysterious girl walking beside her, bathed in the warm hues of the setting sun.
At first glance, Kyo didn't seem particularly striking—beautiful, yes, but not in an aggressively eye-catching way. Her beauty was something that unfolded slowly, like a lotus blooming on water, only truly revealing itself once you focused on her. And with it came her strange yet intriguing personality.
She was polite, always saying the right things in conversation—warm and approachable without ever crossing a line. But at the same time, she had a mischievous streak, occasionally slipping in a teasing remark that felt just a little too intimate, catching people off guard. It made anyone who thought of her as simply a well-mannered girl feel momentarily flustered.
And just when you started thinking she was just a playful rich girl, you'd catch glimpses of something sharper beneath the surface—something calculated.
Yes, calculated.
As Anon walked with Kyo toward the station, she replayed the events of the day in her head. It had been a short but incredibly eventful day, and now, looking back, Anon could see all the little moments that had felt just a bit too deliberate.
Someone without social awareness wouldn't have noticed it at all. They'd think the conversations had just flowed naturally, unaware that they had been subtly led along the entire time.
But Anon was socially perceptive.
She realized that throughout the day, Kyo had repeatedly, intentionally steered the conversation toward the topic of forming a band.
And she was good at it. Every transition was smooth, never forced—so much so that it wouldn't have even stood out if Anon hadn't been paying attention. But what truly raised her suspicions was the way Kyo had spoken to Tomori earlier.
That had been the only time Kyo had shown a firm, almost forceful side. It was as if, at that moment, her plan had reached a point where subtle guidance was no longer enough, and she had to push it forward more directly.
Kyo really wanted Anon and Tomori to form a band together. That was Anon's conclusion.
And now, as if Kyo had sensed what she was thinking, she had simply handed over the opportunity for Anon to question her.
Anon opened her mouth. Why do you want me and Tomori to form a band?
That was what she had meant to ask. But in the end, she let it go.
Because to Anon, Kyo's actions weren't actually a big deal.
Guiding a conversation was something Anon had done plenty of times herself back in middle school—sometimes to get a few extra compliments, sometimes to earn someone's approval.
Even today, in her effort to make a fresh start, hadn't she also tried to lead others in her own way?
So, in the grand scheme of things, Kyo's scheming didn't matter.
What truly piqued Anon's curiosity wasn't why Kyo wanted her and Tomori to form a band.
It was why Kyo was willing to go this far for someone else.
To put it bluntly, while Anon liked Tomori, her original reason for wanting to be in a band was ultimately selfish. Forming a band with Tomori and Kyo was guaranteed to make her stand out, to draw people's attention. At the end of the day, it was for herself.
But Kyo, after successfully convincing them to form a band, had chosen to step away.
What was she gaining from this?
Was she really doing all of this just for Tomori?
In the end, Anon decided against asking.
It was too personal, too deep a question.
Even though she had almost seen Kikukawa Kyo's naked body today, she had technically only known her for a single day… or maybe she'd known her for much longer, if Kyo really was Rainy Lady.
"…Kyo, um… what's your username? On LINE or any other social apps?"
Anon asked the question awkwardly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kyo blinked. She clearly hadn't expected this. After all, she had practically invited Anon to ask something more meaningful, yet this was what she chose?
Anon really does have a great personality.
Putting on an exaggerated pose, Kyo rested her chin on her hand and deliberately drew out her words.
"Hmmm… what could it be—?"
"Kyo, come on! Don't tease me like that! You said I could ask you anything!"
Kyo chuckled and finally dropped the act.
"You've probably figured it out already, right? My username is 'Rainy Lady.'"
"Ugh… so it is you…"
Anon visibly deflated—a rare sight, considering that role had mostly belonged to Tomori throughout the day.
"I actually thought you'd try to avoid this topic. I was waiting for you to add me first so I could watch you realize the truth yourself."
"…Because this is something I was going to have to face eventually."
Anon let out a small sigh before continuing,
"I already ran away from my awful experience in London. But if I kept ignoring the fact that you are Rainy Lady, then my whole 'fresh start' would just be a joke."
Kyo suddenly stopped walking and stared straight at Anon.
"…What?"
Caught off guard by the intense eye contact, Anon reflexively met Kyo's gaze, but after a few seconds—when Kyo still hadn't looked away—she grew flustered and glanced aside.
Being stared at by such beautiful, deep ocean-like eyes… It's hard not to feel something.
"…I was just thinking that you might actually be my type."
"Huh? Oh… I see…"
Anon nodded absentmindedly—until the words fully registered.
"Wait, WHAT?!"
Her face instantly turned red, her hands flailing in midair as if trying to physically grasp onto an explanation.
"W-Was that a confession?!"
"Was it—?"
Kyo giggled and answered with a deliberately vague tone before breaking into a light run, moving ahead of Anon with quick steps.
For Kyo, Anon's decision to avoid the topic at first but ultimately choose to confront reality—to move forward rather than remain trapped by the past—aligned perfectly with her own belief:
Reject stagnation. Keep moving.
So, Kyo thought, she probably did like Anon.
"Hey! Don't just run off—explain yourself! I'm not as easy to fool as Tomori!"