Hu Tao pressed a purification talisman onto the cover of the journal, and Cartis once again sank into sleep within its pages.
Staring at the now-silent notebook, Jiang Bai spoke with quiet reflection.
“This... is probably the true meaning of what we do at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.”
“To accept one’s due and fulfill one’s duty,” Hu Tao replied evenly.
If we take someone’s coin, the matter must be handled right.
That had always been her princ...
Jiang Bai walked over, his tone tinged with a hint of regret.
“Too bad there’s no way to record this… A shot of the Nail would’ve made a perfect cover for Cartis’s travel log.”
“Oh, I’ve got something!” Hu Tao perked up. “There’s a kamera in my ring, stored in a wooden box. Give it back to me and I’ll dig it out—”
Since the explosives had all been unloaded, there was no need for Jiang Bai to keep Hu Tao’s ring any longer. The two of them switche...
2025-05-09 12:59:56 +0000 UTC View PostEarly morning.
Hu Tao woke from her dreams to find herself inside a tent, her expression still a bit dazed.
What happened last night again?
When did I fall asleep?
She yawned and stepped out of the tent, still groggy.
“Good morning, Director,” Jiang Bai called out with a smile as he warmed up some milk.
“Morning~ When did I fall asleep last night?” Hu Tao rubbed her eyes and yawned a few more times.
“...
2025-05-09 12:59:51 +0000 UTC View PostHe first teleported to the base of the snowy mountain. Taking out the Four-Point Compass, he saw the needle pointing further up the slope — so he kept teleporting higher.
After a few more jumps, the compass finally shifted direction.
Following the new path, Jiang Bai eventually spotted Hu Tao nestled in a small hollow, shielded from the wind, warming herself by a fire.
A smile crept onto his lips. He scooped up a snowball and quietly crept closer.
Then he raised his ...
2025-05-09 12:59:47 +0000 UTC View PostAfter all the tossing and turning, the sky outside had darkened completely. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, leaving the night sky draped in black while the neon lights of the city illuminated the ground like a sea of colors.
When Soyo was home alone, she rarely turned on the lights while staying in her room. Now that Kyo was already asleep, there was even less reason to do so.
People tend to become more sentimental at night. Sitting beside Kyo, Soyo gazed at her a...
2025-05-09 12:58:28 +0000 UTC View Post“Kyo?”
Seeing Kyo suddenly slump onto the dining table without moving, Soyo panicked and quickly approached to check on her.
Up close, she called Kyo’s name and gently shook her shoulder, but there was no response.
Soyo’s anxiety spiked. Worried that something might be wrong, she was about to shake her harder—
But then Kyo let out a few soft, incoherent murmurs, shifted into a slightly more comfortable position, and continued sleeping.
Only then did Soy...
2025-05-09 12:58:24 +0000 UTC View Post“I understand.”
Soyo gave a somewhat forlorn smile. For some reason, Kyo’s mind automatically supplied an imagined voice-over to that expression—“But isn’t this fine too?”
“You must be hungry too, Kyo. Let’s eat.” As if to show she had nothing more to say on the matter, Soyo finally ladled herself a few spoonfuls of vegetable soup.
“Mhm. Well then, for the second time—I’m digging in.”
Finally, she could eat in peace. She wasn’t ex...
2025-05-09 12:58:20 +0000 UTC View Post“Hmm…” Kikukawa Kyo bit down lightly on the chopsticks in her mouth, pausing just as she was about to take a bite of food.
“Didn’t I just tell you not too long ago that I have no interest in bands?”
“Yeah.” Soyo nodded.
“You really are relentless, huh.” Kyo sighed, closing her eyes.
Though she called her “relentless,” Kyo wasn’t actually angry this time. Soyo wasn’t an idiot—after she had made her distaste clear, if Soyo still wanted to re...
2025-05-09 12:58:15 +0000 UTC View Post"Alright, I think that about covers everything I wanted to say. Let’s get the rice together, Soyo."
Kyo acted as if nothing had happened—like she wasn’t the same person who had just said all those shameless words, thrown herself into Soyo’s arms, and outright admitted that she liked her.
Seeing that Soyo was still frozen in place, Kyo waved a hand in front of her face.
"Hey, hey, you still there?"
Meanwhile, Soyo’s mind was a complete mess.
The cold and...
2025-05-09 12:58:09 +0000 UTC View PostThankfully, the vegetable soup was saved just in time.
It was all thanks to Soyo’s attention to detail—she had remembered to lower the heat beforehand.
Otherwise, she and Kyo might’ve had to order takeout for dinner. And since this was Kyo’s first time visiting Soyo’s house as a guest, that would’ve made this “first-time” memory feel a little… underwhelming.
Lifelessly, Soyo fetched a pair of heat-resistant gloves and carried the steaming pot of vegetable s...
2025-05-09 12:58:03 +0000 UTC View Post"Kyo, why..."
Soyo's voice wavered with emotion, on the verge of tears. Her tone grew increasingly anxious, yet she had no idea how to salvage the situation with Kyo. Appealing to emotions seemed utterly ineffective—like throwing a stone into a pond and not even seeing a ripple.
Then what about reasoning with her? But did Soyo have any legitimate, compelling argument that could convince Kyo to return to the band?
"Before that, Soyo, could you loosen your grip a little?" 2025-05-09 12:57:59 +0000 UTC View Post
"So then—"
Kyo’s legs were practically wrapped around Soyo’s waist, the two pressed tightly together.
This was entirely Soyo’s doing—she had been the one who didn’t want Kyo to leave, the one who had stubbornly held her in place. But now, with them stuck in this position, Kyo had only spoken a few words before Soyo already felt like she couldn’t handle it.
Back at school, there was a simple, childish game people would play sometimes—a staring contest.
T...
2025-05-09 12:57:54 +0000 UTC View PostAlright, well—this was awkward.
Kyo tried shifting her body, but keeping herself propped up in this arched-back position was already a struggle.
And as for her lower half—since she was still kneeling, with Soyo’s body wedged between her legs, there wasn’t much she could do even if she wanted to push herself free. It had only been a few seconds, but her legs were already starting to go numb.
She was completely stuck, unable to move.
Soyo, can you at least do...
2025-05-09 12:57:50 +0000 UTC View PostFor a moment, the only sound in the vast living room was the hum of the hairdryer, its noise jarringly out of place.
Soyo stared at Kyo, who was pinning her down, each and every word Kyo had spoken ringing clearly in her ears. When she heard the word "disgust," it felt as if something had clenched tightly around her heart.
Soyo's lips parted slightly, as if to speak, but when she saw Kyo’s expression, the words died in her throat.
Why? Why is Kyo making t...
2025-05-09 12:57:45 +0000 UTC View Post“Kyo… will you sleep with me tonight?”
The constant hum of the hairdryer filled the spacious room, its volume just right—loud enough to drown out any hesitation in Soyo’s voice, yet still allowing Kyo to barely make out her words.
At the same time, the noise concealed the slight tremble in Soyo’s voice, hiding the fear of rejection beneath the whirring wind.
Even Kyo, with the source of the noise so close behind her, struggled to pick up on the uncertainty waveri...
2025-05-09 12:57:40 +0000 UTC View PostBefore drying Kikukawa Kyo’s hair, Soyo didn’t forget about the vegetable pasta soup simmering on the stove. She lowered the heat to prevent it from overcooking.
By the time she returned to the living room with the hairdryer in hand, Kyo was already sitting properly on the couch, waiting patiently for her.
If only I really had a little sister like Kyo…
The thought surfaced in Soyo’s mind before she could stop it.
But reality was never that convenient. ...
2025-05-09 12:57:36 +0000 UTC View Post“Kyo, do you think this dish is too plain?”
Soyo still remembered what Kikukawa Kyo had said behind her earlier and felt a little awkward about it.
“It’s not bad. Just an observation.”
Kyo shook her head, then glanced Soyo up and down. Her gaze briefly paused at Soyo’s chest—so subtly that Soyo didn’t notice—before she continued, “Soyo… vegetarian?”
Soyo blinked, noticing that Kyo seemed a little different from usual. Right now, she looked langu...
2025-05-09 12:57:32 +0000 UTC View PostAs expected, Soyo’s bathroom was quite spacious—at a glance, Kikukawa Kyo estimated it was at least four times the size of her own tiny bathroom.
“The bathtub… it's huge.”
Now completely undressed, Kikukawa Kyo crouched beside the bathtub, stretching her arms wide in an attempt to measure its length.
Feels like you could do synchronized swimming in here… Well, at least my brain's working enough to make dumb jokes again.
The water hadn't even started running...
2025-05-09 12:57:27 +0000 UTC View PostKyo gazed at the clouds outside the window.
Soyo gazed at Kyo.
A golden haze stretched across the distant horizon, dyeing the sky in the hues of dusk. The soft light aged everything it touched, like an old photograph, yellowed with time.
This time of day always made people reminisce.
Soyo looked at Kyo, watching as the glow of twilight enveloped her as well. She was someone from the past, yet at the same time, someone who had never truly left. An undeniable link to the...
2025-05-09 12:57:22 +0000 UTC View Post“The Soyo residence is really tall.”
When only two people are inside an elevator, the atmosphere often turns awkward. Staring at the indicator showing their destination—45th floor—Kikukawa Kyo decided to break the silence.
Soyo wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that remark, but letting the conversation drop felt equally awkward. Instead, she turned the question back on Kyo. “Do you like living in high places?”
“My family’s place is just a regular apartmen...
2025-05-09 12:57:18 +0000 UTC View Post"Kyo won’t suddenly disappear, will she?"
Soyo’s voice was so quiet it was almost a whisper, carrying a distant, wistful air—like she was lost in reminiscence.
It was obvious who she was thinking about. Even though they had said their goodbyes, Sakiko had vanished without a trace afterward.
Taki immediately understood who Soyo was referring to. Crossing her arms, she let out an annoyed eye roll. As far as she was concerned, everything was Sa...
2025-05-09 12:57:13 +0000 UTC View PostKyo had never been one to care.
She didn’t mind being used. She could always tell when someone was trying to take advantage of her, and as long as it didn’t bring her any real harm, she was often willing to go along with it.
She didn’t mind when her family restricted her from drinking too much of certain beverages. She understood that whatever limits they placed on her were meant to protect her health. And though Kyo pursued all kinds of drinks, she never turned down a simpl...
2025-05-09 12:57:08 +0000 UTC View PostAfter a short wait, Taki walked over with a tray of drinks, just as Kyo had predicted—three cups, lined up neatly.
She placed the tea and coffee in front of their respective recipients, and when she reached Kyo, she eyed the cappuccino she had put extra effort into decorating. Compared to Anon's, the latte art was noticeably more refined. With just a bit of extra force, she set it down in front of Kyo, making a deliberate thud on the table.
"Hmph."
Expecting ...
2025-05-09 12:57:04 +0000 UTC View Post"I'll have the usual," Soyo said with a cheerful smile—though her way of ordering was far from proper.
This immediately made Taki raise an eyebrow and sigh softly, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she dutifully jotted it down in her small notebook. They had once been bandmates, and while she wouldn’t claim to know Soyo inside out, she at least remembered what she liked to drink whenever they went out together.
Soyo's smile grew even brighter. She loved these little detail...
2025-05-09 12:56:59 +0000 UTC View PostKikukawa Kyo’s unexpected revelation filled Soyo with excitement, though she was careful to keep her emotions in check. The joy of reuniting with an old friend provided the perfect cover, ensuring no one could find fault in her reaction.
But soon, a question arose in her mind—why had Kyo brought Anon into this?
Kyo believed that Soyo longed for the sense of family that came with being in a band. Because of that, she assumed Soyo would eventually be willing to join.
But K...
2025-05-09 12:56:54 +0000 UTC View PostAfter scolding Kikukawa Kyo for not drying her hands properly, Soyo took out a neatly folded handkerchief she always carried with her, gently laying it across her palm.
“Kyo, would you like to dry your hands? Or would you rather leave them as they are? Which would you prefer?”
Compared to her earlier conversation with Anon, Soyo’s tone had always been warm and impeccably composed, making it easy for someone she had just met to feel comfortable.
But when s...
2025-05-09 12:56:50 +0000 UTC View Post"Ah, o-okay!"
Suddenly addressed from behind, Anon quickly stepped aside, making room for the newcomer.
"Thank you."
Soyo naturally stepped forward, positioning herself beside Anon as she turned her gaze toward the request board. Her expression remained composed and focused, as if this had truly been her only reason for approaching.
As Anon made space, she turned to glance at the girl who had just arrived. The first thing she noticed was her well-maintained, silky brow...
2025-05-09 12:56:45 +0000 UTC View PostWhat exactly happened to Sakiko?
Throughout the entire break, Nagasaki Soyo had persisted in sending Sakiko messages on LINE every day, occasionally even calling her. Yet no matter what she did, there was never any response.
Back when they all performed together, bringing Haruhikage to life as CRYCHIC, they had been so happy. So why had Sakiko suddenly decided to leave the band? Why had she disappeared without a word, cutting off all contact?
After Sakiko left,...
2025-05-09 12:56:41 +0000 UTC View Post"We’re here."
"Whoa, this place looks so high-end!"
Standing at the entrance of RiNG, Kikukawa Kyo and Anon peered inside. At first glance, words like professional and formal immediately came to Anon's mind, making her a little nervous.
Though it was probably too late to worry about this now… Am I even good enough to perform at a live house? Kyo had told her that in this era of all-girl bands, live houses welcomed even inexperien...
2025-05-09 12:56:37 +0000 UTC View Post"I'm sorry, I have to organize the records left by the previous Astronomy Club president, so I can't go with you…"
Inside the Astronomy Club's activity room, Tomori apologized to Kikukawa Kyo and Anon with a guilty expression. Since she was the only member of the club, she had to sort through the records left by the former president on her own. On top of that, she needed to decide on the club's research direction for the future, and she had only a few days to submit it to the advisor...
2025-05-09 12:56:31 +0000 UTC View Post