Soyo Nagasaki Has Set Her Sights on You / A Lifetime's Resolve

Nagasaki Sose has locked onto you

Toyokawa Sakiko pretended nothing had happened as she returned from the bathroom. Riki didn't pry, and the two of them simply demolished the hot pot together. They didn't drink much of the broth, though, since it was fattening. What a waste of all that purine-rich soup—never finding a worthy master.

"Is this your assignment?" Toyokawa Sakiko leaned over to look at the sheet music on the laptop.

"Yeah. I'm planning to upload it to a video site and see how people react. I was just wondering who could play it, and then you showed up. Perfect timing," Riki said.

"This score is incredible." Toyokawa Sakiko scanned the sheet music, her eyes widening in surprise. She'd known Riki was a top student at a place like Keio University, but now it seemed she'd underestimated him. He was far more talented than she'd imagined.

"People say that all the time. Everyone else is just an ordinary person born in the era when I'm around." Riki wore the serene air of someone without equal.

It would've been better if his nose hadn't been pointed at the sky and his mouth hadn't been grinning from ear to ear.

"Am I the one who's going to play this?" Toyokawa Sakiko asked.

"Yeah. If I play it in the video, it won't get many views, and I won't be able to rake in money from the viewers. It's better to have a beautiful girl play it. We'll split the profits fifty-fifty," Riki said.

The piano was in the bedroom. When Toyokawa Sakiko sat down and looked at it, she felt as though she'd been transported to another time. Once upon a time, she'd played the piano just like this at home.

"Is the piece called My Dearest You?" Toyokawa Sakiko asked, reaching out with her slender fingers to press a key. Unlike her delicate, beautiful appearance, every note she played was forceful. The melody began lightly, like a fond memory of youth, before it plunged into sorrow, the notes falling like raindrops. It drew the listener in completely.

Teacher Da Xiang's piano skills were incredible. Was this the talent of the fallen noblewoman, Miss Toyokawa?

"This piece..." Toyokawa Sakiko studied the score, lost in thought.

"I wrote it for you before we met... before you came to my house."

No wonder it seemed so familiar. But why was it called My Dearest You? Toyokawa Sakiko shot Riki a suspicious look.

Riki calmly uploaded the video he'd just recorded to Bilibili.

Seeing Riki's evasive glance, Toyokawa Sakiko's lips curved into a gentle smile.

The video had only just gone up when comments started appearing. Riki and Toyokawa Sakiko read them together.

"Holy crap, Teacher Da Xiang!?"

"Has Customer Service Xiao Xiang changed careers to become Piano Xiao Xiang?"

"Don't tell me Sakiko can afford a piano now! No, let her stay poor for at least another ten years!"

"Which cosplayer is this? She's so accurate! Her boyfriend must be a real bastard!"

Toyokawa Sakiko's expression darkened. Did these people really enjoy seeing her struggle so much?

And they were even saying Riki was her boyfriend...

"I'm blocking them!" Toyokawa Sakiko huffed.

"Come on, don't. Blocking them might hurt our reputation, and we won't make much from the views," Riki advised.

Toyokawa Sakiko hesitated, but in the end, the weight of her financial troubles made her give in.

Still, the situation brought back memories of when Crychic had first formed. Back then, Shiina Riki had also angrily threatened to block people, while Nagasaki Sose had gently talked her down...

Wait, did being with Riki make her as happy as she'd been with Crychic?

Without a doubt, her time with Crychic was one of the greatest treasures of Toyokawa Sakiko's life. Now she was just as happy with Riki. Did that mean he was as important to her as Crychic?

"Is there something on my face?" Riki asked, puzzled by Toyokawa Sakiko suddenly staring at him.

"Ah, sorry." Toyokawa Sakiko snapped back to reality and quickly turned away, her cheeks faintly flushed.

Handsome boys like me always attract the attention of beautiful girls. Even Teacher Da Xiang can't help it. I really am a sinful man. Perhaps it's fate... Riki sighed.

"Ring, ring—"

Riki picked up his advisor's call. A voice came through from the other end. "Riki, I saw your piece. Your girlfriend played it beautifully. I didn't expect you to improve so quickly. I'd say you're probably even better than your senior now."

"Do you have the wrong idea, Professor? I don't want to sound rude..." Riki said confidently.

"They're the ones who have to prove themselves!"

Click—

The call ended.

Old geezer. He couldn't even toss me a few coins.

"Is it okay to talk to him like that?" Toyokawa Sakiko asked, concerned.

"It's fine, it's fine. My advisor and I get along great. I even tutor his daughter, who's in third grade," Riki said with a smile.

The relationship between teachers and students in China seemed different from the one in Japan, Toyokawa Sakiko thought curiously. Then she frowned. "There's one more thing. I'm not your girlfriend, so remember to clear that up."

"Got it."

Under the pressure of Toyokawa Sakiko's gaze, Riki obediently nodded.

Kids say the darndest things. He was only joking.

"There's something else." Toyokawa Sakiko smiled at Riki. "Since I may be coming to your place often from now on, I hope we'll get along."

Riki stared at her radiant smile. Toyokawa Sakiko really was a beautiful girl. When she smiled, it felt as if the whole room grew brighter.

"Then can I call you Sakiko-bao from now on?"

"Absolutely not," Toyokawa Sakiko replied firmly.

Riki furrowed his brows. He was pretty unhappy about it, but he couldn't think of a good argument.

When Riki woke up, he was back in the rented apartment again. Toyokawa Sakiko was probably in the room next door, as usual. His phone buzzed.

Toyokawa Sakiko: [I left your lunch by your door. I'm heading to school now.]

Unlike college students, whose intelligence had already begun to decline, high schooler Toyokawa Sakiko was still at the peak of her mental faculties, not yet contaminated by college students' stupidity.

Looking around the empty room, Riki decided he should buy some things for everyday life, since he'd be staying there often. As for money, the little gold nugget his dad had given him when he started college should be worth something.

Riki wasn't a pushover, either. He talked the gold shop owner into sweating behind the counter and got a pretty good price. Then he went to a convenience store and bought a bunch of things.

But just after stepping outside, he spotted a familiar gray-haired figure from behind. Riki walked over and asked, "Are you picking up rocks?"

Takamatsu Akari looked up a moment later. "You're the person I met at Ring before..."

"My name's Riki," he said with a smile. "Classes at Haneoka are about to start, aren't they? Is it okay to still be here?"

"Hello." Takamatsu Akari nodded. She felt there was something comforting about Riki, and couldn't help telling him what was really on her mind. "One of my friends, who used to be very close to me, takes this road to school. But she just passed by without paying attention to me."

"Maybe she has her reasons," Riki said after a moment's thought. Toyokawa Sakiko certainly had her own reasons.

"Her reasons...?"

"If you were really close before, then she must have cared about you sincerely, too. Maybe something happened that made her feel more sensitive. If you want to help her, try to understand what's going on in her heart."

"I'll do my best." Takamatsu Akari thought it over and nodded. Looking at Riki, she asked, "Can I come to you if I run into problems again?"

"Sure, if I'm nearby. The bell's rung, so hurry along. Don't be late, Takamatsu Akari."

Takamatsu Akari nodded and headed for the school gate. Then she suddenly realized she hadn't introduced herself. How had he known her name?

And there was something strangely reassuring about him.

Could he be the key to my becoming human?

Takamatsu Akari returned to the classroom and sat down. A message from Nagasaki Sose suddenly came through.

Nagasaki Sose: [Photo. Akari-chan, this is the person responsible for making Sakiko leave the band. He's a bad person. You mustn't believe anything he says.]

Takamatsu Akari stared at the photo of the handsome black-haired boy and couldn't help freezing.

It was Riki, the person she'd just met at the school gate.

He'd spoken so gently. Could he really be a bad person?

Just then, Takamatsu Akari heard the teacher's voice from the front of the classroom. "We have a new student joining our class today, Chihaya Anon."

"Hi, everyone! I'm Chihaya Anon, but you can just call me Anon. It's nice to meet you!" The pink-haired beauty smiled brightly. When she noticed Takamatsu Akari looking at her, she smiled and waved.

Riki waved up at Toyokawa Sakiko from below the office building.

"I brought your lunch. Should I bring it up?" Riki asked over the phone.

"No, people might think we're dating. I'll come down," Toyokawa Sakiko said quickly. She stood up during her break and headed downstairs.

A female coworker smiled. "Sakiko, did your boyfriend bring you lunch?"

Toyokawa Sakiko's face stiffened. She sighed and didn't bother to explain. "Yeah, he's downstairs."

"I saw him, too. That boy is really handsome."

Of course he is... Toyokawa Sakiko felt a little pleased.

The two of them sat in a nearby park with their lunches on their laps and started eating. Sunlight fell in scattered patches through the leaves, and the spring breeze rustled the branches. Toyokawa Sakiko sat beside Riki. If this were a Tokyo Love Story, Toyokawa Sakiko would be the heroine, and Riki would grudgingly take the role of the hero.

"Sose called me again," Toyokawa Sakiko said.

"She still hasn't given up?" Riki asked.

"No. But this time she wasn't asking for me. She wants to meet you."

Riki: "?"

What did that have to do with him?

"She seems to think you're the reason I left. She's probably planning to confront you," Toyokawa Sakiko said calmly. "So I thought I'd have you meet her."

Riki: "?"

When I put a question mark, it doesn't mean I'm confused. It means you're the one with a problem.

"You're my partner, after all. It'd be a pain if she kept bothering me, so go and get her to give up," Toyokawa Sakiko said coolly.

"I doubt she'll give up that easily." Riki sighed. He'd thought he was just an amused bystander on solid ground, but it turned out he was one of the people caught in the vortex of gravity.

How terrifying.

Wait, had Empress Akari's gravity already pulled him in, too?

Riki thought back to his conversation with Takamatsu Akari. He couldn't think of anything he'd said that might've made her curious about him, so he finally relaxed.

"Anyway, I'm counting on you." Toyokawa Sakiko stood up, ready to get back to work as Customer Service Xiao Xiang.

"Wait, you've got a grain of rice stuck to your mouth," Riki hurriedly said.

At Ring, Riki sat in his seat, feeling extremely nervous. Nagasaki Sose was about to arrive, after all. She was quite calculating, so he'd better get his talking points ready.

But after a while, he realized Nagasaki Sose wasn't the only one who came through the door. Takamatsu Akari was with her, too.

You even brought the jungler?

Cowardly tactics would not be tolerated!

Riki started to panic. Being outnumbered two to one was a lot of pressure.

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A Lifetime's Resolve

When Riki saw Nagasaki Sose, she noticed him, too. Her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and she walked over with Takamatsu Akari before sitting down.

"Although we've met before, let me introduce myself anyway. My name is Nagasaki Sose." The brown-haired heiress introduced herself expressionlessly. "This is Takamatsu Akari."

"What did you call me here for?" Riki asked, feeling a headache coming on as he looked at Nagasaki Sose's hostile expression.

Nagasaki Sose interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on them. She narrowed her eyes at Riki. "First, I'd like to ask: what's your relationship with Sakiko-chan?"

"We're just friends."

"Then why are there photos of you in Sakiko-chan's phone album?" Nagasaki Sose demanded. Before, only members of Crychic had been given that privilege. There was no way an ordinary friend would get the same treatment!

When did she take those?

Riki thought for a moment. "For some reason, we've been seeing each other often lately. Other than that, there's nothing special between us."