It Wasn't Just Temporary? (9)
On the way back.
Once the performance ended, the study group disbanded.
Tae-il walked Ayane home first, then headed out with Sakuya.
It was to keep the promise he'd made during PE class last time.
Ayane had thrown a full tantrum, insisting she come along too, but for once, Tae-il had firmly pushed her away with a resolute expression.
"Really, no?"
"I'll be back by dinner. Just wait quietly."
"Uuuu…."
Seeing Ayane on the verge of tears like a child, Tae-il felt at a loss.
He thought he should make some time for her soon too, then swallowed his reluctance and headed downtown with Sakuya.
As the two walked through a quiet residential neighborhood, Sakuya asked,
"Taichi, you're really gonna do the band thing?"
"Ugh…."
Tae-il let out a weary groan at Sakuya's question.
A moment later, he nodded.
"I want to."
Tae-il's eyes held a deep longing as he said it.
The familiar glint reminded Sakuya of her cousin sister, who dreamed of becoming a manga artist and always had that same look.
It was the gaze of someone chasing a dream.
'He really wants to do a band.'
Only then did Sakuya realize what the scars on Ayane's fingers meant. They weren't from cooking or housework—they were from playing an instrument.
'She knew it too.'
Sakuya had always insisted she'd stay ahead of her, but now it was uncertain again.
Ayane would probably join Tae-il's band, and Iris too.
One guy, two girls.
And one was his childhood friend.
It was straight out of a rom-com. Years of ones she'd watched played out vividly in her mind.
Sakuya wondered.
Did she have a place there?
For some reason, she felt like she was outside that category.
'I've lived a life with zero connection to music.'
If Tae-il had been into sports instead, that'd be different.
'Should I practice an instrument too?'
Sakuya hesitated.
Then she shook her head—Interhigh was right around the corner; what was she thinking?
Instead, she openly grumbled at Tae-il, who was still lost in the afterglow of the performance.
"Congrats in advance, wannabe bandman."
"What's with you all of a sudden? It's kinda scary…."
"Not at all? I'm not mad that our study group turned into a personal concert?"
Anyone could see she was pissed.
She was blatantly signaling it.
Tae-il would usually shrink back, but this time he pushed back unusually strong.
"Yeah, thanks to you, I don't remember a thing we studied today. What now?"
"What do you mean, what? I'll quiz you tomorrow, so study properly. Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am, Sakuraba-sensei."
Tae-il nodded with a wry smile.
"I'll let it slide this once. Your playing was really good."
"You weren't saying much back at the practice room?"
"I know next to nothing about music."
To Sakuya, music was just good or bad—that was it.
Even when her favorite manga got an anime, her take on the OP or ED boiled down to "sounds good" or not.
But Tae-il's performance was different.
Was it because it was Tae-il? Or were live performances just like that? She didn't know. What she did know was that when it came to music, she could only use basic words.
She had no clue how to piece together the feelings it stirred.
It was just… good.
Like how her school friends at games could only yell "Cool!" or "Ace as expected!"
Sakuya didn't want to reduce Tae-il's performance to that kind of simplicity.
'Ah, so it was because it's Taichi.'
Sakuya covered her flushed face with her hand, embarrassed.
She blamed it all on the summer sunset.
She finally calmed down only after they left the neighborhood and entered downtown.
Good thing Tae-il wasn't the type to start conversations.
The first thing they saw downtown was a specialty instrument shop.
Sakuya glanced at the guitars in the window and asked,
"By the way, Taichi, you really not buying a bass 'cause it's expensive?"
"Yeah. The one I want is pretty pricey."
He'd gotten his guitar as a gift and babied it, even changing the strings himself, but for bass, he craved something good.
"My wallet just isn't there yet."
"Even with the extra shifts?"
"That's why this exam's a big deal. If I flunk and get summer makeup classes, my work hours tank."
The gap between part-time and full-time was huge.
Live House evening rushes were fine, but that alone wouldn't cut it.
"Gotta take Ayane to a BARD concert, buy a new keyboard for composition sketches. Plus all the rental fees for software and stuff… My back's already breaking thinking about it."
"And yet you offered to buy me manga?"
"Gifts and rewards are about picking what they like, duh."
Giفت콘 for mobile gamers.
Soccer shoes for soccer fans.
Gift certificates to fancy eats for foodies.
It was obvious, but tons of people ignored it.
If they even bothered with proper ones for close friends or family, that was lucky.
"Manga's cheap anyway."
Tae-il said, then shrugged lightly.
"Hanging with you for this price? Bargain."
Sakuya stopped in her tracks.
Tae-il, who'd reached the bookstore first, held the door open.
"You coming, Sakuraba?"
"…God, you're such a sly fox."
Good it was sunset already.
Sakuya slapped her cheeks to snap out of it and dashed into the bookstore.
Bookstores were quiet public spaces like libraries.
But even there, someone as striking as Sakuya drew murmurs.
As eyes turned their way, she instinctively scanned around and pulled Tae-il to a corner.
Not the manga section as planned—the workbooks area.
"Why here?"
"Saw some kids from our school. Can't have rumors about you, right?"
Sakuya winked.
Weekend guy-girl shopping anywhere screamed date.
Workbooks gave an alibi, at least.
It was all image control to avoid otaku labels.
Tae-il, oblivious, just thought she was thoughtful.
"Ah. But rumors about me?"
"Why do you think you haven't got any?"
Sakuya countered, and Tae-il mumbled awkwardly.
"Well, me and Ayane never had any."
"Really?"
Her tone dripped disbelief.
"Middle school, some annoying kids bugged Ayane, we caused a big scene once…."
"Big scene?"
Still, no lover rumors, Tae-il said flatly.
"School life's like that, right? Even without dating, a few chats and everyone's like, 'You two going out?'"
"Totally. I got that tons with club seniors."
Just Interhigh prep talks.
Teens were like that.
Freak out over their own romance talk, but gossip endlessly about others'.
"In a world where brushing shoulders sparks rumors, sticking with Ayane that much and nothing? …."
Maybe he just didn't look like her match?
At Tae-il's oddly low self-assessment, Sakuya thought,
'Is this Katsuragi's doing…?'
Ayane's image had already crumbled a lot in her mind.
With her possessive vibes, gaslighting Tae-il since childhood wouldn't surprise Sakuya.
"Taichi."
"S-Sakuraba?"
Sakuya grabbed a random workbook and slyly hugged him from behind.
Genders swapped, but in the workbook corner, no one batted an eye.
"First Arisugawa today, now you—why's everyone dying to hug me…."
"Haha. Who knows?"
Tae-il sighed, wondering if he screamed body pillow.
"Perfect hug size, though."
"Just you wait. Guys keep growing even after 20."
"Haha. Looking forward to it."
Sakuya laughed her usual laugh, but inwardly sighed.
'Unlike with Iris, his reaction's kinda meh….'
She'd banked on her size advantage.
His comment last time made her think he saw her as a girl, but apparently not fully.
Sakuya let him go reluctantly.
"Back to it. How do you see yourself?"
"See myself how?"
"Handsome or ugly. That kinda thing."
Tae-il frowned at the sudden question.
"Gotta answer?"
"Not gotta. Just curious. People suck at objective self-ratings, y'know?"
Everyone's standards differed, so did judgments.
Most called themselves average—in their own bubble.
To Sakuya, Tae-il was average but not.
A blatant class-skipper calling himself average? Harsh on other "averages."
"Dunno. Mirror says I'm decent, I guess…."
"Haha. I get it."
Everyone looked better in the mirror.
Tae-il topped out there.
Last refuge for the insecure: mirror self.
Sakuya draped an arm softly over his shoulder.
"Have more confidence. You're handsome. I guarantee it."
"You saying that kills my vibe…."
"Haha. Backfired?"
Tae-il's confidence boost project flopped.
As their eyes wandered, they returned to the manga section.
'Huh?'
Suddenly, Sakuya realized she was casually browsing manga.
She hid her fanning hard from everyone.
Classic closet otaku.
But how'd Tae-il know to use it as a condition?
"Forgot to ask. How'd you know I like manga?"
"Saw you reading mags in the convenience store corner all the time."
"Y-You saw…?"
"Yeah. Clerk looked antsy."
"Ugh."
Sakuya hid her flushed face with a manga.
"…Weird?"
"Huh?"
"Me reading manga."
"Nah?"
She was an otaku thanks to the original work—fact.
But Tae-il was one too.
He'd done live viewing, even otage swept up in the vibe.
Too embarrassed to repeat, but it stuck.
More! Bancho Bancho fully otaku-fied him.
"Told you before. Ayane and I watched all the magical girl stuff as kids."
"Kid stuff's different from adult."
Sakuya had a point.
Otaku wasn't a "proud" hobby for nothing.
Tell normies, get "So what, weeaboo?!" Same otaku infight.
Finding offline kin with matching tastes? Rare.
Tae-il knew.
Online courtesy vanished IRL; they got cocky.
If they were Iris-level cuties, he'd laugh it off.
Sakuya was peak: otaku, hot, cool, mannered.
Damn looks bias.
"Simple: I'm an otaku too. Doesn't bug me with fellow otaku."
"Really?"
"Doubt it? Wanna otaku talk? I can handle most."
Tae-il grinned slyly; Sakuya glared cutely.
"Taichi, you…."
"No biggie. I get how otaku ramble."
Otaku craved their kind.
Tae-il's repertoire was broad, if not as deep as Sakuya's.
Especially her fave sports manga—he'd binged plenty.
Should ace her convos.
"You sure you can?"
"Friends, right?"
Tae-il said casually; Sakuya echoed.
"Yeah… friends."
Maybe with him, she could drop the mask she wore elsewhere.
He'd accept her fully.
She'd planned to invite him home tomorrow anyway; her shoulders shook with resolve.
"Alright. Then I'll follow your advice for once."
"Huh?"
"Exams."
Sakuya shelved the manga.
"Average 80s, and one wish granted."
"Wish?"
"Anything."
Date me? Band together? Fine.
Tae-il jumped at her bold declaration.
"Anything for real?"
"Th-That's kinda risky phrasing? Be more careful?"
Not top ranks, but average—basically handing it over.
Absolute eval, not relative.
"What, expecting something super pervy?"
"As if!"
"Hey, you two alone back there? Keep it down!"
"S-Sorry!"
He'd yelled, then panicked and apologized himself.
Sakuya giggled.
Tae-il gritted his teeth, face red.
"No take-backs…?"
"Of course not."
An irresistible bet was on.