"Chihiro… does it really have to be like this?"
After finishing dinner, Chihaya Anon—who had been all fired up about achieving greatness in the world of guitar—enthusiastically grabbed Chihiro's hand, insisting that her guitar teacher give her some proper guidance.
However, when Chihiro sat on the bed, spread her legs slightly, and patted the spot in front of her as a signal for Anon to sit between them, Anon suddenly hesitated, feeling a little embarrassed.
Truthfully, Anon had always held some special feelings toward Tsuzuki Chihiro.
To put it bluntly, was it a sister complex? Though Anon never actually had an older sister.
But for someone who had never experienced having one, the idea of an affectionate older sister taking care of her was something she had longed for since childhood. And during her time studying abroad in England, Chihiro had naturally become the perfect "big sister" figure in her heart.
She was beautiful, mature, and dependable.
She taught her practical knowledge she needed to survive in England, noticed whenever she was feeling down, and always found a way to comfort her.
So, Anon had always seen Chihiro as a close older sister—perhaps even a little too close, given her clear tendencies toward a sister complex.
"Didn't you say you wanted me to tutor you in guitar? Don't I need to be in a convenient position to guide you?"
"Well…"
"What are you shy about?" Chihiro smirked, teasingly watching as Anon twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, clearly hesitating. "My little sister always sat in my lap when I taught her to play guitar. I used to guide her all the time when she was younger, so I'm used to it."
"Huh? You mean Raana?"
"Yeah, Raana's really cute, isn't she?"
"Mm."
Chihaya Anon thought about it for a moment before finally making up her mind. Grabbing the guitar from its stand, she climbed onto the bed.
She shifted around a little before stiffly leaning back into Chihiro's arms. But the moment she felt that softness pressing against her back, her face involuntarily started to heat up.
"Play me the song you're practicing right now."
"Got it."
Anon reached over to the nightstand, grabbed her tablet, pulled up the sheet music, and handed it to Chihiro behind her.
"Oh? You can already read sheet music?"
"…I am trying, okay? I'm still struggling with some of the chords, though."
Saying that, Anon steeled herself—so what if I embarrass myself?—and, with Chihiro's warm breath tickling her neck, she nervously but eagerly began to play.
She focused on her own part, of course. With the performance just days away, even if she had originally joined the band for the sake of showing off, Anon now understood that getting through the first song of their debut performance successfully was what truly mattered.
Besides, Raana was the little sister of this guitar prodigy—losing to a family like that wasn't exactly shameful.
"Hmm… Yeah, there's definitely a lot of issues."
As the song ended, Chihiro remained expressionless. If she had played a song this badly, she'd probably never show her face in public again.
But for Anon? It was understandable. Objectively speaking, guitar wasn't her strong suit, but academically and socially, she was definitely an exceptional person.
"Some of your chords aren't pressed properly. I can tell just by watching you struggle—it's obvious you haven't developed the right habits. You haven't practiced enough, and you're not using the right techniques."
"..."
"I'm talking to you, Anon."
"Ah! Y-yeah!"
Chihaya Anon felt her heart pounding wildly in her chest. This was the first time she had ever been this close to Chihiro.
And the most distracting part?
Her bare thigh was pressed against Chihiro's tights, and Chihiro had absentmindedly placed a hand on her waist…
No, wait. This kind of setup might be normal for Raana, but why does it feel like I'm about to get tangled up in some ambiguous girl-on-girl situation?!
"…You're such a slacker."
"Chihiro… do you really think we can make it in time? There's only a few days left," Anon asked, snapping back to reality as Chihiro's exasperated tone reminded her of the actual problem at hand.
Lately, she had been exhausted. There were moments when she regretted everything—after all, she had never been that passionate about forming a band to begin with.
She had just seen how popular it was at school, wanted to fit in, and thought this would be a good way to prove her own talents in a way that people would accept.
And, well… having her incredible Chihiro-senpai around had subconsciously given her confidence. That was probably why she'd stubbornly refused to back down from being the lead guitarist and vocalist.
But in reality? Actually running a band felt like hitting a wall at every turn.
"Thinking about quitting?"
"I…"
"Starting a band was never going to be easy," Tsuzuki Chihiro murmured, resting her chin against the pink-haired girl's head. "You know how in anime, they form a light music club, casually write songs, and even if they don't perform live, they just hang out in the clubroom drinking tea and eating sweets?"
"Yeah, that kind of life doesn't exist."
"Everyone has their own thoughts and goals. You might think your reason for joining wasn't pure, but honestly, you're the most naïve one of them all."
"…Huh?"
"Soyo told me a bit about what's been going on with your band, so I have some idea of what you're dealing with."
"I see…" Anon frowned. "Is Soyo okay? She and Taki both seemed a little off today."
"I have a bad feeling… Our weekend live show—there's no way we're going to make it."
"You don't need a bad feeling. You're definitely going to fail."
"What?! Are you serious?"
"Of course. Look at the state you're all in. You barely practice, you're either arguing or having mental breakdowns, and you never have the full band together. It's always one crisis after another."
"But I feel like we didn't have to rush things like this! A live show this weekend, and two songs at that?! Taki's crazy!"
"Mm… Want me to get revenge for you?"
"Revenge?"
Tsuzuki Chihiro smirked. She had just come up with a plan—one that would let Anon vent some frustration, solve Taki's problem, and even restore Soyo's dignity in one move.
"First, focus on practicing this first song with me tonight. After that, I'll give you a song I wrote a while ago."
"Wait—hold on, Chihiro! You know I can't play your songs!"
Anon's face immediately paled. She could already picture those terrifying practice pieces—the kind that would send sparks flying from the guitar strings and leave the guitarist themselves in ashes.
"Nah, don't worry. This isn't one of my practice pieces. I wrote this one for my old band's drummer."
"She must've pissed me off back then—I don't even remember why. All I do remember is the look of pure terror on her face when she saw the sheet music."
"…Huh?"
"Anyway, here's the plan: you'll say you wrote this song. But after you say that, make sure to nervously glance over at Soyo every few seconds."
"Just do as I say. I don't know if this will fix things with Taki, but I guarantee it'll fix your problem."
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T/N: AHHHHHHHHHHH WHENS MY GIRL ON GIRL SITUATION?? WHY AM I HERE TRANSLATING MY DREAM LIFE FOR YOU GUYS
im back from vacay btw so updates back
...
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!
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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 ✨