"As expected, with Tomori around, Taki joined right away, huh?"
Kazami Haru scrolled casually through LINE messages on his phone after work. Little Tomori had sent him a bunch of photos from inside RING.
But they were all of weird corners—like table edges and little round balls on the walls.
Oh, this round one kind of looks like a pill bug.
Chihaya Anon, who had added him on LINE before, suddenly pulled him into a group chat called "ANON TOK偡YO." Besides him and Tomori, there was one more member.
The profile pic was a massive, fierce panda head—probably that super popular mascot Mr. Pan, which meant this account must belong to Taki.
In the simulation, he had treated Taki like his best bro. Even though she had a bit of a prickly personality, she was super reliable. Bringing her into the band might even mean free coffee at RING from time to time.
Still... she cares way too much about Tomori.
Now that she knows I'm in a band with Tomori, she's probably going to hit me with that "you trash" glare again.
[Chihaya Anon: @Everyone — After lots of struggles, the band is finally formed! Let's do a team-building hangout this weekend! First, we should talk about roles, band name, and uniforms~]
[Chihaya Anon: Elbow attack.JPG]
[Chihaya Anon: Whining and rolling.JPG]
Apparently upset that no one had replied in a while, that silly pink-haired girl started bombing the group with reaction memes. Haru's phone vibrated nonstop.
Haru found ignoring her kind of fun, so he just kept not replying.
A team-building trip this weekend though?
He probably didn't have plans...
[Yamada Ryo: Free this weekend?]
Out of the blue, his "ex-wife" messaged with her usual bluntness. No beating around the bush, probably because she doesn't know how.
[Kazami Haru: About the band?]
[Yamada Ryo: No. About me.]
Wasn't that a bit too direct?
[Kazami Haru: I've got stuff to handle this weekend. Can't make it.]
[Yamada Ryo: Then today. You're off work, right? I'll be waiting at "Shiba Taisho Ramen" in the southwest district of Shimokitazawa near Haneoka.]
And just like that, she vanished, like she was sure he'd show up.
"Senpai, something wrong?"
Sakiko, dressed in her usual formal wear and ready to head home, noticed the strange expression on Haru's face. He'd never looked this conflicted before.
She noticed him staring at his phone and had a guess.
"Is it about the band?"
That word—band—still stirred something strong inside Sakiko. It was tied to both vulnerability and helplessness.
Even though she had sworn to let go of that past, she still hadn't fully moved on.
She wondered how the other band members were doing now...
Maybe she was the only one still stuck in the past.
"Kind of about the band, but I'm not exactly sure what I need to do yet."
Haru glanced at Ryo's message again. He didn't really understand what she was after. Was it really because she had a secret crush and was reaching out to him?
No, Simulated Ryo had never acted this boldly before they officially became a couple.
In the simulation, the romance had been all one-sided effort from Haru until they got together, then Ryo turned intensely proactive.
"I see... well then, see you tomorrow."
Sakiko's expression cooled as she turned to leave. There was a faint trace of envy in her eyes as she looked at him.
Seems like I'm the only one going home alone tonight. She nodded gently toward him, her eyes briefly revealing a flicker of loneliness. She picked up her shoulder bag and walked out swiftly.
Her steps were unusually fast, like she was running from something.
She paused, furrowing her beautiful brows, and turned around.
Something small and rectangular flew her way. She fumbled a bit, but managed to catch it.
She read the label aloud. It was a popular chocolate biscuit snack in Japan. She'd never really had this kind of treat before. A bit surprised, her eyes lit up.
"Discount snack. You only get half."
Haru had a Pocky stick in his mouth and waved at her.
"Hmph~ I'm not paying you back."
She blinked in surprise at his eyes, then quickly smiled—just a little.
Trying to act aloof, she slipped the Pocky into her bag and didn't dare look back at him.
If he always acted , what was she supposed to do?!
Shiba Taisho Ramen in Shimokitazawa wasn't far from Haneoka High. It only took about 10 minutes to walk from Rabbit House, where Haru worked.
He wasn't surprised Ryo had chosen a place .
That girl's brain didn't work like your average schoolgirl's.
Most Japanese girls don't eat ramen in public. They prefer dainty, elegant meals to preserve their ladylike image.
For a JK (high school girl) to slurp noodles messily in public? Super unladylike.
But Ryo was different. In her mind, ramen had to be slurped to taste right.
As soon as he stepped in, Haru saw that familiar blue-haired girl waving from a corner booth.
She'd picked a corner seat. Haru walked over expressionless, and saw her table covered with food, including pricey tempura and fried squid rings.
"...Yamada-san, just to be safe, can I ask you something?"
"...Do you still have enough money left?"
"Hmm... I think I used it all up."
She raised an eyebrow and stuffed a piece of shrimp tempura in her mouth. The crispy batter crackled as she chewed.
"Oh, and I ordered you the Hell-Spicy Miso Ramen."
"...Ma'am, I think you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm Makoto Itou."
Haru grinned, tapped his neck with a finger, and turned to bolt from the cursed ramen shop.