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Sayo stared at her phone as she walked under the night sky, Roselia’s group chat catching her attention.
Lisa had explained that she’d be an hour late for tomorrow’s practice, and the rest of them were debating if they should still hold it or cancel instead.
Though with a concert coming up, which was also why practice went on for so long that day, Sayo’s response was expected.
“We should hold practice as normal.”
The others easily agreed, though Sayo couldn’t help but be bothered by their reluctance.
‘Maybe I should make some cookies…’ Sayo thought to herself. It would surely brighten the mood, plus it’d be a waste to not make use of the cooking class she took.
Nodding to herself, Sayo slipped her phone into her pocket as she gazed at the area around her.
Her eyes widened in surprise as Hazawa Coffee came into view. Usually the shop would be dark like the others at that time of day, but for some reason the lights were still on.
It was on her way home anyway, and she was honestly a bit curious, so she slowly approached the shop and peered through a glass pane.
“That’s…” she murmured in surprise.
Tsugumi was playing the keyboard in the lobby of the café, a serious expression on her face as the melody filled the room.
Sayo could hear the muffled sound of Tsugumi’s playing, a small smile forming on her face.
Sayo moved to leave but stopped as she glanced at Tsugumi again. She’d normally leave the situation alone, but she was interested.
She gently knocked on the door to the café.
…
She knocked a second time.
…
A sigh escaped her lips. Tsugumi couldn’t hear the door.
Going to the next simplest option, Sayo reached for the door handle and quickly opened it, the bell ringing as she stepped inside.
“Hazawa-san?” she called out calmly.
Tsugumi jumped in shock as her name was called, her eyes widening as they found Sayo.
“S-S-S-Sayo-san?!” she stammered in panic, but quickly exhaled as she tried to calm down. It took a few moments.
“What are you doing here, Sayo-san?” Tsugumi asked as she stepped away from the keyboard, joining her hands together in front of her as she walked toward Sayo.
“I was curious if something was happening. The lights aren’t usually on this late,” Sayo explained.
“Ah, yeah, I was just practicing,” Tsugumi said as she laughed bashfully.
“Oh!” Tsugumi exclaimed as a sheepish look appeared on her face. “Was it bothering you? Is that why you came inside? I’m sorry Sayo-san, I’ll-“
“It’s not a bother,” Sayo cut her off before Tsugumi could get too carried away, sighing as she glanced around the room.
“Like I said, I was just curious. I couldn’t even hear your playing until I was right outside. Though I am worried about how your parents feel,” Sayo said as she turned toward the stairs.
“Ah, my parents are on a trip right now, so I’m by myself,” Tsugumi explained with a smile.
Sayo nodded.
“I see…but why play here instead of your room? And at this time of night as well,” Sayo asked, but quickly shook her head afterwards.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude and barrage you with questions.”
“T-That’s okay! I don’t mind! It’s always fun talking with you, Sayo-san,” Tsugumi said happily, earning a blush from Sayo.
“I-Is that so…” Sayo murmured as she averted her gaze.
“And as for why…I was messing up a lot while playing in my room, so I thought playing somewhere else might help…it didn’t,” Tsugumi said quietly as she brought her eyes to the ground.
Sayo looked at Tsugumi again, crossing her arms as she spoke.
“It’s true that some notes sounded off…but certainly not to the extent that you’d need to practice this late. Although, I’m one to talk…”
Tsugumi laughed as she gently scratched the back of her head, embarrassed.
“Well…I still need to get better! Ran-chan, Moca-chan, Himari-chan, Tomoe-chan…they’re all working hard too, so I need to catch up so I don’t bring them down!”
Sayo was stunned for a moment.
“Hazawa-san…” she murmured.
After a bit, Sayo slowly reached into her pocket.
“You said something about wanting to play somewhere else, right? Would CiRCLE work?” Sayo asked casually as Tsugumi gave her a confused look.
“H-Huh? Well, yes, but it’s closed at this time…” Tsugumi said quietly.
Sayo pulled a key out of her pocket.
“I have this, so that won’t be an issue.”
“Huh?!” Tsugumi repeated as she quickly stepped forward to examine the key.
“Sayo-san, how do you have a key to CiRCLE?! Did you start working there?” Tsugumi asked excitedly as Sayo smiled.
“We practice so late into the night that Marina-san eventually gave us a key. I guess she wanted to go home earlier?” Sayo explained as she questioned it herself, unsure on the exact reason.
“Well, I’d love to go with you!” Tsugumi said happily as she grabbed onto Sayo’s free hand in excitement.
“H-Hazawa-san?!” Sayo stammered in panic, her face quickly becoming red.
“O-Oh! I’m so sorry, Sayo-san!” Tsugumi apologized as she backed away, a blush appearing on her face as well.
“I-It’s fine. Let’s go then,” Sayo said as she turned to leave, hiding her face from Tsugumi.
Tsugumi waited until Sayo was outside the café. As soon as she was alone, she raised a hand to her chest as she took a few deep breaths.
“Coming!” Tsugumi called out as she chased after Sayo.
They walked side-by-side on the way to CiRCLE as Tsugumi quietly hummed to herself.
Sayo had been trying to figure out which song Tsugumi was humming, but eventually gave up as she glanced toward her.
“Hazawa-san.”
“Hmm?” Tsugumi asked as she turned her head toward Sayo with a smile.
“That song you’re humming. What is it?” Sayo asked as Tsugumi blushed and moved her gaze to the ground.
“O-Oh! I didn’t know I was humming. It might’ve been the new song we’re making,” she said shyly, causing Sayo to raise a brow.
“You didn’t know? You must be in a good mood then,” she said with a small smile.
Tsugumi’s eyes glittered with excitement as she looked back at Sayo and nodded.
“I am! Getting to be at CiRCLE at this time of night is exciting!”
“Really? It’s still the same place,” Sayo said simply, not quite understanding it.
Tsugumi shook her head.
“It’s different! Like visiting a school at night! And I get to do it with you, Sayo-san!”
Sayo was taken aback, blushing as she quietly cleared her throat.
“I suppose I never thought about it that way. Though I don’t see how the last part changes anything. Would it not be the same with Mitake-san or Aoba-san, for example?”
“O-Oh! Well…” Tsugumi trailed off as her eyes darted between Sayo and the ground.
“Um…it’d be fun with them too, but I think you’re special, Sayo-san,” Tsugumi whispered, her face turning red as she looked away.
Sayo was shocked for a moment, averting her own gaze as she thought of how to reply.
“I…think you’re quite unique as well, Hazawa-san,” Sayo answered quietly as her mind filled with a million thoughts.
‘Does Hazawa-san…? No, she’s just being friendly,’ Sayo thought to herself as she softly scratched her own cheek.
Tsugumi stayed quiet as her blush deepened.
The rest of the walk was short but quiet, both of them absorbed in their thoughts.
Eventually they reached CiRCLE, and Tsugumi waited patiently as Sayo unlocked the door.
“I’m not sure it’ll live up to your expectations,” Sayo warned as she pulled the door open and held it for Tsugumi, who excitedly stepped inside.
Tsugumi ran a hand along the wall as she glanced around the dark room.
“I think it’s…here!”
She flipped a switch, the ceiling lights turning on as Sayo watched Tsugumi’s eyes sparkle.
“Is it really that exciting?” Sayo asked in disbelief, but Tsugumi just nodded twice.
“Mhm! See? We’re the only ones here,” Tsugumi announced cheerfully.
Sayo couldn’t help but smile a bit at how ecstatic Tsugumi was.
“That’s true. Shall we start playing?” Sayo asked as Tsugumi looked back at her in surprise.
“Huh? You’re playing too, Sayo-san?”
“Of course,” Sayo answered as if it was obvious, a smile immediately appearing on Tsugumi’s face as they walked into the live house.
…
…
As Sayo hung the guitar strap around her shoulder, she glanced curiously at Tsugumi, who was sitting on a nearby chair and happily looking back at Sayo.
“Hazawa-san? Are you not feeling well?” she asked in a concerned tone.
Tsugumi waved her hands in front of herself in dismissal.
“No no no, I’m fine! I was…hoping I could hear you play, Sayo-san,” Tsugumi said with a faint blush.
Sayo was surprised.
“Me? Well…I suppose it’s fine,” Sayo relented, taking a position on stage as she readied herself.
Tsugumi held her hands together as she waited. She could hardly contain her joy.
‘Sayo-san looks so beautiful when she plays…’ she thought to herself, a smile already forming on her lips before Sayo even strummed the first chord.
After a deep breath, Sayo began playing.
As Sayo finished, Tsugumi immediately began clapping, an expression of almost-childish excitement on her face.
“That was amazing, Sayo-san!” Tsugumi said happily as Sayo grabbed a nearby chair and placed it next to Tsugumi’s, sitting afterwards.
“Thank you, Hazawa-san,” Sayo said before taking a drink from her water bottle.
“The way you can stay so calm and focused on stage! Ahh…I wish I could do that,” Tsugumi continued her praise, earning a faint blush from Sayo in response.
“Stop it…” Sayo lightheartedly complained under her breath, not loud enough for Tsugumi to hear.
Before she could be drowned in compliments, Sayo perked up as she glanced at Tsugumi.
“Why did you suddenly request that anyway?” she asked simply.
Tsugumi’s gaze traveled to the floor as her expression turned bashful.
“I just wanted to watch you play, Sayo-san. I think you’re incredible,” Tsugumi admitted.
“Hazawa-san…” Sayo murmured, unsure what to say.
“And not just your playing! Oh, not to say your playing is bad or anything! It’s really good! It’s just, um….” Tsugumi trailed off after becoming flustered, but eventually calmed down with a deep breath and continued.
“Everything, Sayo-san. The way you’re able to inspire others with your music, how calm and cool you are on stage, and…you’re really sweet too!”
“S-Sweet?!” Sayo blurted out in surprise as her face turned red.
Tsugumi brought her gaze back to Sayo as she explained.
“Um, before meeting you in the cooking class, I heard from Ako-chan you were really serious and strict! And it made me a bit worried,” Tsugumi explained as Sayo made a mental note to question Ako the next day.
“But you signed up to make cookies for Roselia! I think that’s incredible! And you were patient and nice in the class, and I really appreciate everything you said to me! And I loved going to the knick-knack shop with you after, and everything else too! Being around you makes me super happy! I-I really like you, Sayo-san!”
The room went quiet as Sayo was stunned into silence and Tsugumi realized she had just blurted out an entire speech about Sayo without even being asked to.
…and that she had confessed to Sayo at the end.
Tsugumi could feel her face get incredibly hot as she sat there in silence.
‘I just made Sayo-san really uncomfortable, didn’t I?’ she worriedly thought to herself.
“I-I should leave,” Tsugumi murmured as she stood from her chair, but as she moved to leave, her wrist was gently grabbed.
“Please wait, Hazawa-san,” Sayo said quietly with an averted gaze.
Tsugumi slowly sat in her chair again, hands in her lap as she nervously waited for whatever Sayo had to say.
The room was quiet for another minute before Sayo spoke.
“…I believe I’ve said this before, but you’re too harsh on yourself, Hazawa-san.”
“Eh?” Tsugumi made a sound of surprise as she turned toward Sayo.
“I…think you’re incredible as well. You say you’re not as good as the other Afterglow members, but I don’t think that’s true. You lack confidence, but there’s no reason for that,” Sayo explained as she brought her gaze to Tsugumi.
Tsugumi gulped from nervousness. It was never difficult to stare into Sayo’s eyes until now.
“It’s…very comforting being around you, Hazawa-san. I believe you have a lot of good points, and honestly…I look up to you in quite a few aspects. So, when you say that you’re incompetent, or that you’re inferior to others…it bothers me…hearing those things about the person I like,” Sayo confessed as a deep blush formed on her cheeks.
Tsugumi was frozen for a few moments as the heat returned to her face.
“S-Sayo-san…so…you…” Tsugumi stammered, in disbelief at what she heard.
“…please don’t make me say it again,” Sayo begged as she looked away, embarrassed.
“Sayo-san!”
Tsugumi wrapped her arms around Sayo, a bright smile on her face as tears welled up in her eyes.
Sayo smiled as she brought a hand to Tsugumi’s cheek, the two of them gazing at each other for a long moment before their lips connected.
Sayo and Tsugumi stood outside the entrance to CiRCLE, hands linked as they stared at the sky above.
“…it’s gotten pretty late,” Tsugumi pointed out as a sigh escaped Sayo’s lips.
“Yes…I imagine Hina’s wondering where I am,” Sayo said as she pulled her phone out of her pocket with her free hand.
Her eyes widened in surprise and she quickly slid the phone back in her pocket.
“Is something wrong?” Tsugumi asked curiously as she tilted her head.
“…she’s definitely wondering where I am,” Sayo corrected herself as Tsugumi giggled.
“We shouldn’t keep her waiting then!” Tsugumi suggested happily.
Sayo showed a small smile as she nodded.
“You’re right. Let’s go.”
Sayo gently squeezed Tsugumi’s hand, and the two began walking to their homes with exciting news to share.