Although she looked more like a gentle and graceful older-sister type on the outside, Nagasaki Soyo was actually a girl starved for love.
Perhaps it was because her parents divorced when she was very young, and throughout her entire upbringing, the "father" role was always absent. [T/N: Daddy issues]
Her mother did love her, but was constantly busy with work and rarely at home.
Soyo understood her mother and never complained, even taking the initiative to shoulder household chores to ease her mother's burden. At such a young age, she was already so understanding.
But occasionally, in the stillness of midnight, she would sit alone at the edge of her bed, looking out at the flickering neon lights outside the window, surrounded by a cold loneliness.
A girl growing up in a single-parent household would naturally have such longing.
Because she was extremely starved for love, when she finally grasped a glimmer of light, she held on tightly and never wanted to let go.
And this trait manifested in a very specific way, extreme clinginess.
What started out as a simple feeding play slowly began to develop in a strange direction.
Bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, living room, even the balcony.
Who knew how much time had passed.
Nagasaki Soyo slightly shifted her body, tightening the arms wrapped around her lover's waist. Her pretty face, flushed and fair, showed no trace of fatigue, only gentle eyes gazing at his peaceful, sleeping face.
With her curved eyebrows and smiling eyes, anyone could tell. It was a look of pure, heartfelt happiness that could only appear after complete satisfaction.
Once, the light that filled Soyo's inner emptiness was called CRYCHIC.
But now, it had become the name of another person.
"What are you thinking about?", As if sensing something, Kaito opened his eyes and met those deep blue ones, misty like a spring lake.
"Nothing," Soyo's pale, tender fingertips reached out and gently caressed his handsome brows and eyes, "I was just thinking… could this moment right now… be nothing more than a dream?"
Otherwise, how could something be so wonderful, it felt unbelievable?
"So…", Her lips curled slightly, her slender, snake-like arms quietly wrapped around her lover's neck. Her soft breath was hot and burning, "Let me… confirm it one more time."
———
Monday, early morning, the sky was slightly gloomy.
Wakaba Mutsumi sat quietly in her seat, staring out the window at the continuous drizzle, her amber eyes slightly dazed.
Last night, her brother still didn't come home.
She waited for a long time, but in the end, only received a message saying [I'll have to stay out another night]. She wanted to ask why, but there was no reply, as if he was busy on the other end.
Moreover…
The girl looked toward a certain empty seat not far away, that was Soyo's seat.
For some reason, she felt a strange, inexplicable unease in her heart.
"Eh? Nagasaki-san finally came!"
"Feels like Soyo-san looks so good today! Her skin condition is amazing!"
"Hey hey, can you share the link? For makeup that works this well, I don't care how expensive it is!"
Suddenly, a commotion came from the entrance.
Wakaba Mutsumi turned her head toward the sound and finally saw that familiar figure with brown hair.
Soyo wore a gentle smile on her pretty face, warmly responding to her classmates' questions, "Mm, I woke up a bit late, but thankfully I wasn't late."
"Makeup? None at all. If I had to say why I look so good… maybe because I'm experiencing something joyful?"
'Something joyful?'
The classmates looked at each other.
For some reason, the face was the same, the uniform familiar, but they still inexplicably sensed a kind of indescribable aura from Nagasaki.
If they had to describe it, it was kind of like… a newlywed wife?
After dealing with those background girls, Soyo walked over to her seat as usual and gently placed her small black leather purse on the desk.
As if she sensed something, she looked toward the green-haired girl not far away and gave a faint smile.
"Mutsumi, good morning."
"…Good morning, Soyo," Wakaba Mutsumi lightly nodded at her friend, hesitated for a moment, but still didn't ask about her brother.
Doing so might expose the fact that she and her brother were living together, and even the neighbor, Little Sakiko, might get dragged into it.
The girl remained silent for a while before saying in a flat tone, "You seem to have… changed a bit."
"Mmhm~", Soyo looked at her with a beaming smile, and in those deep blue eyes, a faint trace of superiority flickered, "Mutsumi, you wouldn't understand, would you?"
Wakaba Mutsumi: "?"
The green-haired girl's doll-like, delicate face looked slightly puzzled.
———
At the same time.
[Shuka Private Academy]
A girl with dreamy, cherry-pink long hair waved her hand energetically, her smile radiant, "Kaito-kun, good morning."
After venting to Kaito under the covers Sunday night, Chihaya Anon had buried herself in bed and freaked out for a long time, rolling around like a caterpillar, feeling like she couldn't face anyone.
But what made Saint Anon great was that she had a resilient side to her personality, and never let small setbacks weigh her down. She could adjust her mindset quickly.
So, once Monday arrived, she acted like nothing had happened and greeted Kaito, who had just walked into the classroom.
"Chihaya-san,"nKaito nodded at her, then shifted his gaze to the corner where Bocchi sat, "And you too, good morning."
"President…", The little social anxiety girl was still her soft and squishy self, like a delicious strawberry daifuku.
She hesitated for a moment, then looked at him with eyes filled with gratitude and admiration, and softly said, "Th-thank you…"
Although Kaito didn't go to the STARRY studio on Sunday to meet up with Nijika and the others because he had to accompany Soyo, Kita, who got her phone back, immediately contacted the whole band to share the good news of her "release."
The others, upon hearing that Mrs. Kita had finally been persuaded and would no longer stop her daughter from participating in band activities, all let out a sigh of relief, especially Bocchi.
To the little socially anxious girl, every member of the band was important. Losing any one of them would make her very sad.
Thankfully, things didn't turn out for the worst.
And all of that was thanks to the president.
The official live performance was scheduled for this Saturday—only a few days left.
Time was tight, but still enough.
Now, the Kessoku Band was in intense rehearsals, trying to make up for the time Kita had been absent.
Bocchi-chan hesitated for a while, then looked up with her blue eyes full of anticipation and asked, "On the day of the official live, President… will you come watch our performance?"
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