"Since it was rushed… I mean, the video—there might be some shortcomings in certain aspects."
Facing Sakiko's suspicious gaze, Kamijou Mutsuki said with a smile.
"But it's more than enough."
"Don't worry, it's just an ordinary fan-made video!"
It's exactly because you say that that I can't feel at ease!
Sakiko couldn't help but complain inwardly.
But at this point, she had no choice but to watch the video together with everyone else.
Thinking back to the ambiguous lyrics she had sung before, the girl couldn't help but sigh softly in her heart.
Please let this be at least somewhat normal…
Under the curious gazes of the girls, the video finally began.
[This video is a fan-made work and does not reflect reality. Any resemblance is purely coincidental.]
Right at the start, it had the same disclaimer as the previous "Guest."
The comments, as expected, played along enthusiastically.
"Does not reflect reality"
[This is reality!]
[LOL]
While the comments were full of cheer, "Sakiko-sensei" subconsciously held her breath.
After all, everyone here had personally experienced Kamijou Mutsuki's ability to "cause chaos."
But she wasn't the same as before anymore!
She admitted that Tomori's previous live performance had caught her off guard.
But gamblers don't lose every day—and "Sakiko-sensei" wouldn't cry every time!
Did Kamijou Mutsuki really think that just making a random video would break her defenses?
Sakiko: I will win!
Meanwhile, Taki frowned slightly as she watched the video.
After all, she had sung these kinds of strange songs with Sakiko before.
Wait—this time it's a solo by Sakiko?
Then it's fine!
[I've had a few decent partners before, so I wasn't really lonely~]
Along with the lyrics appeared scenes from before CRYCHIC disbanded. The expressions of the girls around subtly turned complicated.
As for the comments, they were already having a field day.
[Maybe I was too carefree, made them uneasy, that's why it all ended in failure~]
The very next line cut straight to Sakiko leaving CRYCHIC—even including that close-up from Soyo's memories.
Even though she had seen it many times before, watching her own "black history" replayed still made Sakiko's face darken.
Did Kamijou Mutsuki bring her here just to publicly execute her again?
Especially with Tomori right beside her, making her feel inexplicably uneasy.
[I don't have any lingering shadows or demons, so don't take it to heart~]
[I'm not that fragile—besides, what kind of wound is that anyway~]
The animation showed Sakiko standing upstairs, watching Anon pull Tomori along as they ran—her figure lonely and distant.
When she had sung it before, it hadn't felt like much.
But now, seeing it paired with the video, Sakiko suddenly found it hard to keep herself together.
So from that moment on… someone had already taken Tomori's hand in her place?
And she had only realized it now…
[…I didn't lie. Why would I lie?]
The scene returned to that rainy day, where Sakiko declared in front of Tomori and the others that she wanted to leave CRYCHIC.
[You understand me—I've never pretended with you~]
Yet in the animation, when faced with Tomori's question, Sakiko's eyes were filled with hesitation and sorrow.
[When did I ever lie? Don't think you're that unforgettable~]
But the visuals showed someone scrolling through the CRYCHIC website on a phone—and then the shot cut to Sakiko herself, holding that very phone.
Who taught you to edit videos like this?!
And yet, this sequence pushed the emotional weight of the lyrics to the extreme.
The comments were flooded almost entirely with "tsundere denial," and even Taki could hear the forced bravado in Sakiko's voice.
Even the usually airheaded Tomori seemed to suddenly understand something.
Why Sakiko had run away after hearing her performance of Haruhikage that day…
Even though she had said those things to her before.
What if, from the very beginning…
Sakiko had just been putting on a brave front?
"Sakiko, you…"
"I'm not, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!"
Before Tomori could finish, Sakiko cut her off immediately.
But the hoarse, trembling tone—almost like she was about to cry—even startled Sakiko herself.
And after she said it, the girls around her all looked at her with complicated expressions.
Sakiko froze for a moment, then belatedly touched her cheek.
Feeling the dampness at her fingertips, confusion filled her heart.
When did this…?
Meanwhile, the singing in the video continued.
Because some parts involved potential spoilers, Kamijou Mutsuki had made slight edits—replacing them with earlier scenes of Sakiko alone, looking despondent.
There weren't many such changes, so although it had some impact, it didn't affect things too much.
Of course, Kamijou Mutsuki had also considered remaking a full version after the anime finished airing, and releasing it together with other fan-made songs.
It might be a bit troublesome, but he believed—
At this moment, the song that suited Sakiko the most… was this one.
["My name is Sakiko Togawa."
"What's your name?"
As the song reached its interlude, the video didn't pause.
On screen was half of Tomori walking, while on both sides played fragments of her past memories with Sakiko.
"Do you want to start a band with me?"
"We are a community of shared destiny in music."
Back then, "White Sakiko" was so gentle, so full of life.
"I really want to become human!"
"Tomori, your expression right now is great~"
The final shot showed that bright, smiling Sakiko speaking joyfully.
"Let's have another live together next time!"]
This is how you edit a video?!
Sakiko felt like her buried memories were relentlessly attacking her. Every line spoken by that past version of herself felt like a question directed at who she was now.
Maybe Tomori had already moved on to a new life…
But was her own choice really the right one?
By the time Sakiko came back to her senses, her face was already covered in tears.
And not just her—Tomori's eyes were also wet, and even Taki's eyes had turned slightly red.
That guy… wasn't this going too far?
Even Soyo—who had supposedly already let go of CRYCHIC and now had her thoughts set on Kamijou Mutsuki—looked about the same as Taki at this moment.
Because no matter how cold Sakiko had become afterward…that past version of her "White Sakiko" really was like a moonlight that lingered in everyone's hearts.
Even Anon—who could be considered an outsider to all this—felt her eyes sting with tears.
The only one who didn't seem too affected… was probably the cat-like girl, calmly eating snacks.
As for the comments, they were already wailing in unison.
We came here for fun—why are you stabbing us with emotional damage?!
There are knives everywhere!
[It's been a long time since I came to this restaurant, didn't expect it to be redecorated~]
The animation showed Sakiko and Mutsumi at Hazawa Coffee Shop, before quickly cutting to the five members of CRYCHIC together.
A wave of "time gone forever" melancholy instantly washed over everything.
[That corner window still smells like roses~]
"Everyone, look at the camera~"
In the animation, Soyo was calling everyone in CRYCHIC to take a photo.
Seeing this, the real Soyo finally couldn't hold it in anymore—her eyes brimmed with tears.
[Now that you mention it… I do remember~]
In the animation, Sakiko turned her head—and the scene instantly cut back to the time before CRYCHIC disbanded, when everyone was still together.
Wait, are you seriously chasing them down with emotional damage?!
At this point, the screen was completely flooded with comments like "tears."
Many viewers who came for laughs were now wiping their eyes while cursing.
As expected of a capitalist—so scheming! You tricked us in here just to hurt us!
"That's too much… senpai…"
A certain emotional red-haired girl had already buried her face into a pillow, crying.
[I didn't lie—why would I lie~]
The animation showed the iconic scene from Episode 8.
But combined with the lyrics, the meaning it conveyed was completely different.
[You know, one of my flaws… is that I forget things easily~]
The scene shifted—only Sakiko remained, walking alone down the street, desolate.
[I didn't lie—I really am grateful for tonight's company~]
[But somehow… I'm not used to it~]
Now the animation had reached the scene of Sakiko attending MyGO's first live.
Then suddenly, it cut—as if returning to the days of CRYCHIC performing together.
Instinctively, Sakiko reached out, trying to take Tomori's outstretched hand.
But when she came back to her senses… she realized everything had already changed.
[I didn't lie—why would I lie~]
"Haruhikage—this is our song."
"Your lyrics… are the voice of your heart."
"My song… is also the voice of my heart!"
As the song continued, past and present scenes interwove, echoing one another.
[If you love someone—but can't have them—what does that even mean?!]
In the animation, Sakiko completely broke down—she ran out of RiNG in tears, disheveled and overwhelmed.
And in reality, Sakiko was no different.
At this moment, she was already crying uncontrollably.
She thought she had changed. She thought she had grown. She thought that after everything she had been through, she was no longer afraid of any storm.
But looking back now, Sakiko realized—she hadn't moved forward at all.
If anything, she was worse than before.
It hurts. It hurts so much!
"Sakiko, this girl…"
Seeing this, Taki finally let go of that last bit of hostility she held toward her.
Anon, meanwhile, suddenly realized something—
Could it be that Sakiko… was actually a tsundere?
She always acted cold and distant, but had never truly let go of Tomori and the others?
Anon couldn't help recalling how she had once felt jealous, thinking Tomori and the others cared too much about Sakiko—their "past"—and ignored her.
Even that live performance, where Tomori "cut ties" with Sakiko and made her break down in tears, fleeing just like in the anime…
A large part of that had been because of her.
Anon: Oh no… I've become the villain!
But then again, as the one who formed the new band, wasn't it only natural for her to think that way?
After all, Sakiko never said anything, and always acted like she didn't care.
Now, though, Anon didn't mind anymore.
If they cared so much, they could just reconcile—why go through all this unnecessary trouble?
[…I didn't lie—it was love that lied~]
In the animation, Tomori—still shown only from the waist up—walked forward once more.
But the scenes on either side were no longer gentle like before.
"Still clinging on… how pathetic."
"CRYCHIC is already over."
"I ended it myself."
"There's no way it can come back!"
The gentle "White Sakiko" from Tomori's memories had, at some point, become the cold and distant "Black Sakiko."
[It brought you here, telling me…]
"That weak version of me is already dead!"
On screen, Sakiko faced forward with unwavering determination—
And then, the image shattered.
[…that what I longed for might still have hope!]
With every lyric, another piece of the past shattered, as if symbolizing Sakiko severing ties with her former self.
This climactic section struck straight at the soul—leaving the viewers' minds blank from the impact.
[I didn't lie—may you become a happy bride~]
[My feelings, please just…]
[Forget them~]
"I… refuse to forget!"
In the end, Kamijou Mutsuki chose not to cut this slightly spoiler-heavy scene.
When recording the song earlier, he had deliberately asked Sakiko to voice that line.
Though it revealed quite a bit, it was perfectly measured—just enough to act as a teaser for the final episodes of the anime.
Later on, this brief few seconds would become a major point of discussion among MyGO fans.
Speculations ran wild—some even thought it was fake footage released to mislead viewers.
After all, this was just a fan-made video, not even from an official account.
Of course, that was all for later.
Right now, Sakiko, still crying, looked at that unexpected scene—and felt a strange mix of embarrassment… and longing?
But under Tomori's tearful gaze, she didn't have the luxury to dwell on it.
At the same time, the other girls looked at her with complicated expressions.
So this… had been his real goal all along?
Anon frowned slightly.
She knew it wouldn't be that simple.
"Sakiko, could it be that you…"
In the end, it was Taki—her gaze somewhat strange—who broke the silence.
"…are exactly what he called a tsundere?"
"I'm not…"
Sakiko tried to deny it, but her voice was weak—completely lacking conviction.
"I…"
"Saki-chan—"
Before she could finish, Tomori—eyes still wet with tears—suddenly hugged her tightly.
"I misunderstood you before."
She held Sakiko so tightly that it was almost hard to breathe.
"Come back… everyone… let's start over!"
Ordinary viewers might still be confused about why Sakiko left the band.
But the girls present already had a rough idea of what she had gone through.
And now, that reason was no longer an obstacle.
So why had she acted so distant, even causing Tomori to misunderstand?
The song had made it painfully clear—
She had just been putting on a brave front. Just being stubborn.
So now that the misunderstanding was cleared, and she had found her resolve, Tomori wouldn't let her keep hiding behind that tsundere facade.
Of course, "come back" didn't mean reforming CRYCHIC.
But even without the band—
they were still friends.
And now, they were all employees under Kamijou Mutsuki anyway.
So in the end… nothing had really changed.
Right?
Feeling Tomori's embrace, Sakiko fell silent.
In the end, all her thoughts condensed into a single word.
"…Mm."
Just like Kamijou Mutsuki had said before—
Everything she had been so concerned about…
might not have mattered to Tomori at all.
All this time, she had just been fighting herself.
And only now—did Sakiko truly reconcile with her past self.
....................