For Minato Academy, the arrival of Soyo and Mutsumi, students from that noble girls' academy, indeed filled everyone with admiration.
However, it was precisely because of the significant sense of distance between them.
That everyone only dared to discuss it in low voices with people they knew.
Of course, the envy was naturally very intense.
After all, to be someone waited for by two noble young ladies was simply too much happiness.
And amidst the constant envious gazes of those passing by.
Soyo and Mutsumi noticed Shouko walking out of the teaching building and gradually walked a few steps inward from one side of the gate.
"Let's go. I didn't expect you two to come looking for me at the same time."
Under the shocked gazes of everyone around, Shouko led the two toward the distant station.
"It's actually that terrifying demon legend!?"
"No wonder she's so forceful; it turns out she had a very good family background all along."
"So it's Shouko, no wonder..."
Shouko had long since become a celebrity in the school, so naturally, everyone knew of her.
But facing this bloody and terrifying legend, combined with the noble young ladies who now seemed to be waiting quite humbly.
Everyone's already fearful hearts suddenly became even more terrified.
However, Shouko naturally didn't care much about this.
But hearing the amazement coming from around her, Mutsumi couldn't help but say curiously: "So, you are this famous."
Nodding, Shouko grinned: "It's alright. A few kids saw that I had a hearing impairment and wanted to bully me, so I stabbed them into the hospital a few times, and then I became famous."
"Hiss!!!"
Hearing this, Soyo couldn't help but take a sharp breath and instinctively took a small step back.
But she immediately realized it was somewhat inappropriate and, hurriedly suppressing the fear in her heart, took another step forward.
And Mutsumi was also startled into a momentary pause, then quickened her pace by two steps to catch up.
But just as she wanted to speak yet didn't know how to start.
She saw Shouko hand over an exquisite black and red tarot card depicted with gold thread.
"I'm actually quite good with tarot cards. This is the card I drew for you, the hanged man. It's yours."
"Okay..."
Regarding the kindness shown by Shouko, Mutsumi nodded and chose to accept it.
And Soyo, standing beside her, couldn't help but curiously look at the face of that tarot card.
"the hanged man..."
"It has meanings such as sacrifice, changing perspective, and waiting for an opportunity."
"the hanged man is suspended in the air in an upside-down posture."
"It looks like suffering and hardship, but in reality, it's a kind of willing sacrifice, or perhaps waiting for the right moment to be reborn??"
Soyo, who had some understanding of tarot cards, was a bit confused; this card didn't seem to match Mutsumi at all.
Shouko smiled and pulled out another card, handing it to Soyo: "It's fine, I've also done a reading for you."
"Ah, okay, okay, thank you very much."
After Soyo accepted it very solemnly, she saw that the exquisite card face was actually the sixth card of the Major Arcana, The Lovers??
She had thought that Shouko would give her the twentieth card, Judgment, to let her forget the past.
"The Lovers card..."
"It carries the meaning of romantic relationships, but also involves choices."
"The card usually depicts a man and a woman facing a choice."
"It could be a decision within a romantic relationship, or it could symbolize a choice between different values or paths."
Listening to Soyo's description, Shouko nodded and smiled: "Correct. Isn't the CRYCHIC Band an unforgettable first love to you?"
Hearing this, Soyo's expression became somewhat gloomy.
And Mutsumi, after glancing at Soyo, focused her gaze back onto Shouko.
Previously, she had focused more of her attention on Sakiko.
Although she would notice the others, it was more from Sakiko's perspective.
But Shouko happened to be the least active one in the band, an existence who was an observer just like her.
This led to the fact that, although they had spent some time together in the CRYCHIC Band, she knew the least about her.
If it weren't for Shouko's sudden movement yesterday... she wouldn't have realized at all that the most peripheral Shouko was actually the most formidable character.
And just as the three were gradually walking away... Rikki, who had finished school at Haneoka Girls Academy and come to Minato Academy to find Shouko, had only just arrived.
But seeing that Shouko was actually walking with Soyo and Mutsumi, her gaze couldn't help but turn somewhat cold.
With a cold snort, she turned and directly returned the way she had come.
Clearly... within the CRYCHIC Band, Tomori was the one with the weakest ability.
And the fact should indeed be so, leading to Tomori being directly isolated by the others.
Previously it seemed like everyone was on good terms, but in reality, everyone still had other thoughts in their hearts.
Dammit, this is just too much!!!
Rikki recalled the longing in Tomori's eyes and felt it wasn't worth it for her, yet she was unable to tell the other party about this matter.
Tomori, who had already been badly hurt yesterday, would surely be even more upset if she heard this news.
Sigh!!!
With a deep sigh, Rikki's original feelings of hatred toward Sakiko and Shouko.
At this moment, had directly escalated to include everyone else in the CRYCHIC Band except for Tomori.
"A trash band like this... it's actually quite a good thing that it disbanded."
"It's just that Tomori is so pitiful..."
"And I don't dare to explain things to her in detail. Is it really over between us?"
The immense frustration in her heart caused Rikki extreme pain, yet she couldn't bring herself to take that step to find Tomori.
Because she herself was also filled with confusion about the road ahead.
Even if she went to find Tomori... she couldn't do anything besides tell Tomori about these bad things.
In fact, because of her emotional state, she might even deal several more severe blows to Tomori.
Sigh!!!!
...On the other side... seeing Soyo, who usually talks a lot, and Mutsumi, who usually doesn't talk much, both remaining silent...
Shouko smiled and looked back as she led the two towards the station, asking,
"Tonight, I'm planning to stay at Soyo's house. Is that okay??"
"Eh, my house? Today? Okay, I... I understand."
Shouko's words instantly brought the somewhat gloomy Soyo back to life.
Recalling the conversation between the two of them this morning, Soyo was already starting to prepare her strategy to win over Shouko.
Mutsumi, however, was a bit hesitant. She had actually come to find Shouko because she wanted some private time for just the two of them.
If they went to Soyo's house, it was obvious that this request could not be met at all.