I Just Want A Single Ending!

Well done…

Hearing Saku's praise for Chihaya Anon, Kita Ikuyo felt a pang of something uncomfortably close to jealousy.

But she had to admit, Anon really did deserve the compliment.

Not only Saku but everyone else shared their thoughts on the performance, filling the rehearsal room with a mix of feedback and encouragement.

Even Gotoh Hitori murmured a few quiet words.

Among the voices were scattered notes on minor issues, but none of it was harsh.

"You're all so amazing," Ikuyo said with a genuine smile. "Especially you, Anon! Your guitar playing was incredible!"

That was truly how she felt; there wasn't a hint of pretense.

Yes, there was no jealousy in her feelings toward Anon—only admiration.

Anon's skill didn't come from shortcuts; it was the result of her hard work.

So if Ikuyo wanted to catch up, she'd have to push herself even more.

"Really? I still have a long way to go, especially compared to Raana," Anon replied, looking modest, though in reality, she hoped they'd keep complimenting her a bit longer.

She loved hearing it.

All the hours of practice, study, and effort were worth it for moments like this.

The others, however, simply noted down the feedback they'd been given without much fuss.

Most of them, except Raana, had performed at live shows before and were used to large audiences.

As for Raana, she never cared much about these things anyway.

"Thank you all so much."

After the feedback session, Saku thanked the STARRY members as they prepared to leave the rehearsal room.

"No need for thanks. Just come listen in on one of our practices sometime," Nijika Ijichi replied casually.

"Of course, we will."

There was no reason to refuse.

"Let's keep practicing," Taki said, picking up her tablet filled with notes on areas for improvement once STARRY had left.

Most of the feedback had come from Ryo; Nijika and Hitori had only mentioned one or two things, while Ikuyo's contribution had mostly been compliments.

"Sure!"

---

After practice ended and they were preparing to go their separate ways…

"Here."

Taki approached Saku, handing him a carton of panda-themed coffee milk.

"What's this…?"

Her sudden gesture caught Saku completely off guard.

What was going on today? Why was she acting so… considerate?

Was this a dream?

"Thanks for what you did earlier," Taki said nonchalantly. "And… sorry."

"Now I get why you're thanking me, but what are you apologizing for?"

Seeing she was sincere, Saku accepted the drink.

"Those things I said to you earlier—I didn't really mean them. It was just the situation."

With that, Taki had no intention of chatting further and walked away without looking back.

"…"

Saku glanced down at the coffee milk, then at her retreating figure, her words echoing in his mind. He couldn't help but laugh.

Looks like the tsundere finally showed up.

He unwrapped the straw, poked it into the carton, and took a sip.

It tasted pretty good.

So, handling Taki meant working through Tomori, huh?

Today had definitely raised her opinion of him.

With any luck, maybe next time she saw him alone with Tomori, she wouldn't look at him like she wanted to burn a hole through him.

Those looks were a little intense, after all.

---

Leaving STARRY, Saku didn't go home with Soyo. Instead, he found a café nearby for dinner.

After ordering, he took a moment to assess the situation.

Though Tomori's issue seemed solved for now, it was only a temporary fix.

If she continued struggling to write lyrics for an extended period, it was bound to happen again.

She'd fall back into self-doubt, questioning whether she'd ever be able to write a single line.

Even if that scenario seemed extreme, knowing Tomori's heavyhearted nature made it hard to rule out.

He had to consider that possibility.

If things ever got to that point, pulling her back would be much harder.

And he wasn't going to let it come to that.

So, he needed to tackle this while Tomori was in a good frame of mind.

But what was stopping her from writing the lyrics in the first place?

Saku didn't have a clear answer.

There were too many possible reasons—lack of inspiration, self-criticism, dissatisfaction with her drafts…

The only way to get to the bottom of it would be to ask her directly.

Which meant he'd have to find a chance to talk to her, see if she'd open up about it, and hopefully help her sort it out.

If he managed to solve this, the benefits would be more than worth the effort.

First, Tomori would definitely appreciate it.

She cared so much about the lyrics that her struggles were affecting her singing.

If he helped her out of this, her gratitude would be only natural.

Then, there was Taki's approval to gain.

If he solved such a crucial issue for someone she cared about, she'd have to acknowledge his efforts, right?

It would also speed up the band's progress, boost his credibility, and probably earn him more goodwill from everyone else.

If Tomori completed the lyrics, Taki could compose an arrangement for them, giving the band a new song for practice and potential live shows, bringing them closer to their next performance.

And when the others saw how dedicated he was to helping Tomori, they'd likely find him reliable—a trustworthy addition to the group.

And when it came to gaining favor, he'd be shocked if his efforts didn't earn him at least a little appreciation from them.

In other words, solving Tomori's lyric-writing block would be nothing but gain for him.

And if he didn't manage to solve it?

Nothing lost.

At the very least, he'd leave a good impression on Tomori for trying.

Of course, solving it would be ideal.

Not just for the rewards—but for Tomori's own peace of mind.

After all, he wanted to have a joyful high school experience with Tomori, with all of them together.

He didn't want to see any of them worrying over things like this.

---

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