Chapter 187: You'll Never Know What the Person on the Other End of the Phone is Doing
The night deepened swiftly, the hour hand already sliding past ten o'clock.
On the second floor of a detached house in Meguro Ward—
A girl with silvery, waist-length hair, a slender yet voluptuous figure, and skin as pale and luminous as fresh milk, sat completely unclothed on the edge of her bed. Her focus was directed toward the laptop resting before her.
"...It's already past ten." Kani Nayuta's gaze drifted to the time displayed in the bottom corner of her screen. She raised her arms high above her head in a languid, full-body stretch. "That's enough for today!"
Having declared this, she saved and closed the Word document she'd been working on, then shut down the computer entirely. Picking up her phone from the bedside table, she noticed a newly received video file. The sender was Kasumigaoka Utaha. The video's thumbnail featured two boys and a girl… and a strangely out-of-place 'Ripe Mango' cardboard box? The background was unmistakably a brightly lit stage.
"Eh…!?"
Kani Nayuta froze for a second, then instinctively tapped the video to play it. Once it finished, a rapid-fire barrage of messages flew from her fingers toward Kasumigaoka Utaha's chat window.
[Kani Nayuta]: "What's going on??"[Kani Nayuta]: "Where did you all go without me?!"[Kani Nayuta]: "Was this filmed today?"[Kani Nayuta]: "Winter-sensei actually performed on a real stage!"[Kani Nayuta]: "Σ(｀д′*ノ)ノ!"
"..."
[Kasumi Utako]: "It was filmed this afternoon. We went to a live house in Shimokitazawa."
Kasumigaoka Utaha, lying on her own bed, replied with a complex mix of emotions coloring her tone.
Almost immediately, Kasumigaoka Touji felt the digital equivalent of a complaint being lodged against him via Kani Nayuta.
[Kani Nayuta]: "How could you! You didn't even take me to the live house!"[Kani Nayuta]: "And Winter-sensei performed and I wasn't even there to see it, waaah (╥╯^╰╥)!"
However, Kasumigaoka Touji was temporarily occupied and couldn't deal with the fallout. Nor did he ask Kasumigaoka Utaha to handle it on his behalf. A short while later, after the mental switch, it was him who picked up the phone and replied.
[Touji.]: "This time was a bit of a spontaneous thing. I'll take you next time for sure."
He then gave Kani Nayuta a brief summary of the afternoon's events.
The response was an emoji depicting someone 'clutching their chest, heartbroken to the point of suffocation.'
This was quickly followed by a wave of regret.
[Kani Nayuta]: "I knew I shouldn't have rushed home to work on my manuscript after school today! I actually missed Winter-sensei's first stage performance (╥╯^╰╥)I¨!"[Touji.]: "It wasn't really my 'first performance' in that sense. I was singing someone else's song, just helping out. It doesn't count as my own show."[Touji.]: "Next time, I'll perform one of my own songs."[Touji.]: "That will be the one that counts."[Kani Nayuta]: "When is 'next time'?"
The girl's reply was instantaneous. Kasumigaoka Touji thought for a moment before typing his response.
[Touji.]: "When Gotou-san is able to face the audience directly and can coordinate well with her bandmates… At that point, I'll ask them to provide the accompaniment for me."[Kani Nayuta]: "I see…"
Kani Nayuta paused for a couple of seconds, then deftly shifted the subject.
[Kani Nayuta]: "Speaking of which, I feel like Winter-sensei is getting to know more and more girls!!"
She appended a cute emoji of a character puffing out its cheeks indignantly.
For reasons he couldn't quite pinpoint, Kasumigaoka Touji felt a twinge of guilt upon reading her message. He hesitated briefly before replying.
[Touji.]: "It does seem that way…"[Touji.]: "I really have met quite a few girls since the semester started. But they're just acquaintances, friends at most. It's not… that kind of relationship."[Kani Nayuta]: "I never said it was that kind of relationship! Why are you getting so defensive, huh? eye roll.jpg!"
Kasumigaoka Touji felt a bit sheepish, caught by her perceptive remark. He sent back a 'virtual spanking' emoji in retaliation, then changed the topic again.
[Touji.]: "How's the novel progress? How many words did you manage today?"[Kani Nayuta]: "Over six thousand, almost seven! Hmph hmph, (￣︶￣)."[Touji.]: "Finished, then?"[Kani Nayuta]: "Not quite. Just the final chapter left. I'll write the ending tomorrow and it'll be done."[Touji.]: "Ganbatte!"
"..."
After this brief exchange, the idle chatter came to a natural end.
Kasumigaoka Touji allowed the thoroughly exhausted Kasumigaoka Utaha to rest properly and gently sent her consciousness off to the 'Pure Land' for recovery.
——It's true what they say: you never really know what the person on the other end of the phone is doing!
...
The next day, Tuesday!
When Kasumigaoka Touji opened his eyes, the first thing he registered was the soft, persistent patter of drizzle against the windowpane. He rose and walked to the window, drawing back the curtains to reveal a world washed in shades of gray. The sky was a dim, heavy blanket, and a veil of silken spring rain enveloped the entire city.
"Speaking of which, the rainy season will be here soon," he murmured softly to himself, standing before the window. Tokyo's rainy season typically began in June and lasted through July, and it was now late May.
As he'd noted before, Kasumigaoka Touji had never been fond of rainy days. They meant carrying an umbrella—an annoyance—and the inevitable splashes that dirtied his trousers during the commute. However, with his current telekinetic abilities, those practical worries were a thing of the past. He still carried an umbrella, of course, but now it was merely for appearances' sake. The last thing he wanted was to attract undue attention and end up as a subject on some laboratory operating table.
Kasumigaoka Touji turned from the window, left his room, and went downstairs to wash up and prepare a simple breakfast. Shortly after, he and Kasumigaoka Utaha left the house together, each holding an umbrella. As an extra, invisible precaution, he wrapped a thin layer of telekinetic force around Kasumigaoka Utaha's feet as well, a gesture that earned him a look of mock-resentful envy from her…
"..."
Time flowed quickly, and soon it was noon.
Nap Club Activity Room—
"Gotou-san, what's wrong? You look like you have something to say but are holding back." Kasumigaoka Touji asked with a light chuckle between bites of his lunch. He had noticed Gotou Hitori stealing occasional glances in his direction all through the meal, her expression a familiar mix of hesitation and pent-up speech.
"Ah… that…" Gotou Hitori stammered, an embarrassed flush coloring her cheeks. "Nijika-chan asked me to go to 'STARRY' after school this afternoon. She said there's something they want to discuss… so I probably won't be able to come to the club today."
She was acutely aware of her own academic shortcomings. Kojima Kana-sensei had specifically asked Kasumigaoka Touji to tutor her—a kindness meant for her own benefit—and she genuinely felt she had improved a lot recently. The idea of skipping a session filled her with guilt.
"Is that all? You can just say things like that openly next time," Kasumigaoka Touji encouraged her gently. He then paused, glancing toward the window. "I saw the weather forecast. It's supposed to rain heavily between four and six PM. I was actually thinking of heading home a bit early today myself."
"In that case, I'll go home early too," Kato Megumi stated mildly, carefully picking up a piece of tamagoyaki with her chopsticks.
Kumin Tsuyuri, who had been quietly observing nearby, piped up upon hearing this. "If neither of you are staying, then I suppose I'll just go home as well."
"I can't make it this afternoon either. I still have to go home and finish rushing my manuscript," Kani Nayuta added, her gaze shifting to Gotou Hitori. Her curiosity got the better of her. "Gotou-chan, when is your band's next performance? I'll make sure to go and support you next time!" (She made a mental note to attend secretly).
"Eh? Next time…" Gotou Hitori was taken aback for a moment. She thought it over before replying, "I think it might be a while. Our band is still missing a lead vocalist… and once we find one, we'll need to practice together properly…"
As she spoke, her eyes drifted almost involuntarily toward Kasumigaoka Touji. In truth, Gotou Hitori deeply wished Kasumigaoka Touji would join the band. He was someone she already knew and, more importantly, someone she genuinely enjoyed being around. Furthermore—if they found someone else, she had no idea what that person's personality would be like or if they would be easy to get along with. As someone crippled by social anxiety, this was a source of genuine worry for Gotou Hitori.
"I see…" Kani Nayuta murmured thoughtfully. She didn't know much about the process of bands recruiting members, but it certainly didn't sound easy. It seemed like it might be difficult to arrange within the current semester. She wondered if she'd be able to see Kasumigaoka Touji perform during the summer break…
I really shouldn't have gone home to work on my manuscript yesterday—!
A fresh wave of regret washed over Kani Nayuta.