"Anon? What's wrong? What are you two doing, running upstairs in the middle of a meal?"
Noriko's voice drifted up from downstairs, and upon hearing it, Anon rushed to the door, shut it quickly, and called back down:
"Mom, don't come up!"
"Honestly... Fine, I'll make some food for you two and bring it up later."
"Phew..."
"Didn't expect this—our little Anon is actually such a filial daughter. Closing the door, are you planning to face me alone?"
It had to be said, compared to that "daughter" who told her to be careful not to get hit by a car on her way out, Anon was much more filial.
Of course, this ridiculous comparison didn't mean much in reality.
"Are you a human or a ghost—wait, no, you're just trying to scare me on purpose, aren't you?"
"You're pretty smart, Anon."
Tsuzuki Chihiro watched as Anon took step after step backward until she had nowhere left to retreat and plopped down onto the bed. Chihiro's lips curled up.
As expected, whenever she faced this fluffy pink-haired pup, she just couldn't resist the urge to ruffle her head.
After giving Anon's hair a few good rua-ruas, Chihiro sat down beside her. She hesitated for a moment before finally speaking:
"Sorry... Actually, Anon, you were right. I did lie to you."
"Those days in England, I was constantly fighting with my bandmates, and in the end, the band broke up. Even when the bassist cried and begged me to come back, I turned her down without hesitation."
"Looking back now... If I could have truly let go of all that, I should've told you long ago that I was never the successful guitarist and lead singer you imagined me to be."
"I'm really sorry that I'm not the idol you looked up to... and that I kept it from you for so long."
"..."
Chihaya Anon parted her lips slightly as she looked at her best friend beside her, who had a bitter smile on her face. After a brief pause, a smile of relief spread across Anon's face.
"Haven't I also lied to you, Chihiro?"
"Hm?"
"I mean, about why I came back home. I lied to you."
Anon recalled the night she made up her mind to return, remembering how she carefully tucked the plushie Chihiro had given her into her suitcase among her clothes.
"So now... neither of us has to apologize anymore."
"After all, you've already told me the truth—wait, no, hold on!"
"What now? Why are you so jumpy?"
"You just said you died! What was that about?" Anon suddenly remembered, her eyes widening again.
"In simple terms, I thought I was just wandering around for a few years without contacting my family. Turns out, they had already bought me a burial plot—one that wouldn't even be ready to use for decades."
"And just now, you also said... Raana is your little sister!"
"Yeah. You know her?"
Tsuzuki Chihiro thought about it. She could reveal the truths she should have told Anon long ago, but as for the agreement she had with Soyo, she still wanted to keep her promise and stay silent.
So at this moment, she had no idea that Anon and Raana had already met.
"Of course I know her. She's in our band. Today, she even—wait, hold on."
"The 'big sister' Raana mentioned... that was you?!"
"So... you're living at Soyo's place now?!"
Oh crap—
Why did Anon suddenly get so sharp? Maybe... she should find a bottle somewhere, knock Anon on the head, and make her forget everything?
"You're really living at her place!"
"Well..."
"You two okay now?"
The voice didn't come from Chihiro or Anon—it was Anon's mom, who had just pushed the door open with a tray in hand.
"Sorry, Anon. And you too, Chihiro. I shouldn't have asked those things just now. I didn't mean anything by it..."
"It's fine, Auntie." Chihiro smiled. "I really like you, you know. You're a lot like my mom—both of you are so kind and gentle."
"Apologizing over something so small, even when it clearly wasn't intentional... With a mother like this, no wonder Anon turned out to be such a sweetheart."
"Haha, well then, you can think of me as your mom too!"
"Mom!"
"Alright, alright, I'll leave you two to talk. Make sure you eat, okay? I won't disturb you anymore."
"Mm, thanks, Mom."
Anon took the tray and set it on the small coffee table. Once her mom had left, she pulled Chihiro down to kneel beside her and started eating.
"Mmm..." With her mouth full, Anon spoke between bites. "You still haven't finished explaining—my question from before."
She glared at Chihiro, who was also eating but seemed to be deliberately messing with her by snatching food away with her chopsticks.
"I'm working at Soyo's place now. Unlike you, I'm a delinquent dropout."
"You didn't go see Raana? No, wait... If Raana knows you're at Soyo's place, that means you did see them already!"
"Since when did your brain start working this fast?"
"I've always been smart, okay? My grades were amazing."
Anon puffed up a little. In front of her best friend, she had been treated like an idiot more times than she could count. But now that she was back in Tokyo—her home turf as Chihaya's former president—was she really going to let Chihiro push her around?
"Yeah, yeah, my Anon is so amazing. Not only are your grades great, you also have incredible talent in guitar."
"Eh?" Anon's eyes lit up. She was well aware of Chihiro's guitar skills. "You really think so?"
"Of course. In the field of air guitar, you're a master."
"...You jerk~!"
Seriously too cute.
Tsuzuki Chihiro had to admit—she rather enjoyed teasing Anon and Soyo. Even though their reactions were different, both were absolutely delightful.
Anon, when angry, would make the most adorable little faces—like a puppy barking at its owner but too scared to actually bite.
Soyo, on the other hand, always tried to maintain a composed, calculating air. But that so-called composure was as flimsy as paper. Poke at her just a little, and she'd fly into a flustered rage—pure comedy gold.
Sigh... Even though she'd still have her little sister to tease when she got home, she'd really miss messing with these two.
"Hm? Anon... Why are your hands getting a little restless?"
"Cough, cough."
Chihaya Anon yanked back the hand she had just placed on Chihiro's tights, blushing furiously. She stammered out an excuse:
"I was just curious! I've never seen you wear these before."
"And... why have you been kneeling on one knee this whole time? Are you about to—ow!"
"Get your mind out of the gutter. You don't actually think I'm proposing, do you?"
"You're slandering me!" Anon gritted her teeth. "I was just wondering, that's all."
"Nothing to wonder about. My right leg's injured, that's it."
"Injured?! Don't tell me Soyo—wait, no, ow, you hit me again!"
"It wasn't her." Chihiro rolled her eyes, feeling a bit sorry for her misunderstood patron.
"Less talking, more eating. And if you slack off on guitar practice later, I'll make sure you match me with a couple's set of injuries."
"...Are you sure you're not some vengeful ghost here to take my life?"
---
...
If you're reading this, then you've wandered all the way to the end. I'm impressed. Stories are like wine—meant to be savored, not rushed. So if you took your time? Thank you.
Of course, the real thanks goes to WiseTL—the one who turned tangled words into something beautiful. I just got asked to wrap things up with a ribbon. Hopefully this counts!
If you enjoyed the journey and want to support the person who made it possible, you can find them here:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Go on. Be generous. They've earned it.
Until next time—read well, rest often, and maybe come visit me at the Hostess of Fertility sometime.
– Syr ✨