"Sorry to keep you waiting."
After comforting Tomori, Rin returned to Ring with her and Taki.
Mortis resumed her role as the "Mutsumi-bot," remaining silent. Rana continued eating her parfait like a cat. Anon was giggling at Tomori, while Soyo maintained her "Gentle Mother" facade, welcoming them back.
"There was a small misunderstanding, but it's settled now." Rin smiled and glanced at Soyo. "If there's nothing else, let's get down to business."
"Business?" Anon tilted her head. She understood why Tomori might have business, but Rin? What was his business?
"Soyo asked me to give your band some professional advice."
While answering Anon, Rin tried his best to avoid eye contact.
It wasn't guilt. It was just that every time he looked at Anon's face, he wanted to laugh. He couldn't stop thinking about the "Pink Little Dragon" meme.
Actually, she was the "Pink Non-Milky Dragon."
Anon's chest was at the same table as Nijika and Kita. You couldn't call it a flat board, but "file" was a perfectly accurate description.
But looking at her face made Rin think of her goofy "dragon laugh," which made him want to laugh.
No... I have to hold it in!
Rin sucked in his cheeks, trying to maintain a straight face.
"That's right~ He's a manager under Karen Entertainment. Besides Mutsumi, he's even scouted Uika Misumi from sumimi. He's a pro; his advice will be invaluable."
Anon winked at Tomori. Tomori's usually blank face registered pure shock. She had assumed Soyo was so angry it would take days to win her over.
"Our... band?"
"Of course it's our band." Soyo blinked, a hint of cunning in her eyes. "Unless Tomori doesn't want me to join?"
"No! That's not it at all!" Tomori was so excited her eyes watered. She grabbed Soyo's wrist. "Let's go! To the rehearsal room!"
Soyo: "What should we play? The song we know best is Haruhikage."
Tomori: "Th... then let's do Haruhikage."
Taki: "Stray cat... can you handle Mutsumi's part? Sakiko... we can't change the keyboard part on short notice, so we'll just have to wing it."
Inside the rehearsal room, the girls chattered away, assigning roles and tuning instruments. The Pink Non-Milky Dragon watched them, her mouth opening and closing as she realized she had no part in the conversation.
Just as they were about to start, Anon finally found a gap.
"W-Wait a second!" Anon stopped the group before the first chord of Haruhikage could be struck. She gave an awkward laugh and pointed to herself. "What about me?"
"You?" Taki frowned. "Can you even play guitar?"
"Uh... I've played a little before... but I can sing! I could be the vocalist! Maybe... maybe a duo?"
Anon's voice got quieter and quieter until even she didn't believe herself.
"I have a friend who joined a band with zero musical knowledge and now she's the lead singer and guitarist," Rin comforted Anon while suppressing a laugh. "Just practice with everyone and you'll be fine."
"Mmm..."
Though disappointed, Anon realized she had to take it slow.
The familiar guitar melody began, and the original Crychic girls looked dazed. They were transported back to that summer, but... that summer was never coming back.
Taki was the first to snap out of it. Following her drum beat, Soyo's bass kicked in. After the intro, Tomori's voice filled the room.
"In this world bathed in light... The most precious person blooms... This spring that knows warmth... For me... for you... sheds hot tears..."
Normally, Tomori was like a timid animal with a soft, stuttering voice. But when she sang, she was powerful and raw. It was as if she were pouring every unsaid emotion directly into the lyrics.
Singing Haruhikage for the first time in months, Tomori's voice soon gained a tearful edge. Even Mutsumi felt a twinge in her chest listening to it.
As the song ended, Rin, Mortis, and Anon offered their applause.
The moment the music stopped, Soyo stripped off her bass, set it aside, and ran to Rin. "Mr. Rin, what did you think?"
"It was great. A very moving piece." Rin winked at Tomori.
"And how do we... how do we compare to professional bands?" Soyo asked tentatively.
She knew their current level. She knew the hope was slim. But she still held a flicker of expectation—the hope that they could be signed like Mutsumi, allowing Crychic to be resurrected.
"Mmm..." Rin pondered, feeling their expectant gazes. "You have potential. There's a lot of room for growth!"
To be honest, that was the only polite thing he could say. Truthfully, it was a mess.
The emotion was there, but the technique... ahaha.
Rin wouldn't even compare them to professionals; they were two tiers below Kessoku Band. Aside from Rana, who could probably go toe-to-toe with Bocchi, the rest were... cough, cough.
Aside from Soyo's gloomy expression, the others were fine. They weren't surprised by Rin's evaluation. They weren't in a band to debut or become idols; they just wanted to play in the rehearsal room and occasionally apply for a slot at Ring.
Getting a slot at Ring was much easier than at Nijika's place. Ring made its money from rehearsal rentals; the live shows were free, so they didn't have the "sell enough tickets or pay out of pocket" rule that Nijika's sister enforced.
Here, you could apply for a slot even if you weren't singing—just to express yourself.
"As long as you enjoy playing, that's what matters. Making unforgettable memories is the priority!"
"Exactly!" Anon nodded repeatedly with her arms crossed. She let out a silent sigh of relief. If they were already pro-level, she'd be completely left out.
Now, her main goal was to master the guitar and integrate herself into the group.
"Mutsumi-chan~ teach me guitar~!"
"Okay." Mortis nodded and handed the body back to Mutsumi.
Mortis: [Just endure teaching her for now. I'll help you get revenge later!]
Mutsumi: [Okay.]
The girls continued in the rehearsal room—sometimes playing, sometimes practicing, sometimes just messing around. They looked genuinely happy... except for Soyo.
She was acting happy, but the darkness in her eyes couldn't escape Rin.
She wanted a band with Sakiko and Mutsumi. The name didn't matter; what mattered was the original five. She didn't want Anon, and she didn't want Rana.
She pulled out her phone and discreetly messaged Rin.
Soyo: [Could you wait for me after everyone leaves to go home, Mr. Rin?]