“Mutsumi~”
The next morning at school, Nagasaki Soyo spotted Wakaba Mutsumi and naturally jogged over to her, striking up a conversation.
“Sorry about yesterday—I was asking the teacher about something.”
“Asking about something?”
Soyo was a little surprised that Mutsumi actually followed up on something so seemingly trivial, but she didn’t mind the change. If anything, it made her feel a little relieved.
“Yeah, I just wanted to ask how to practice spoken English more efficiently. After all, Anon-sensei’s pronunciation is really precise, isn’t it?”
“Mhm.” Mutsumi nodded. Though something about it felt off to her, she didn’t press further.
But just because Mutsumi didn’t ask didn’t mean Soyo wouldn’t talk.
At least for now, she had decided she wouldn’t bring up the band again. History had already proven that path to be a dead end.
So what she needed to do was make sure Mutsumi understood her stance, and through her, pass the message along to Sakiko. That way, Sakiko wouldn’t feel pressured anymore.
Of course, just because she wasn’t taking action herself didn’t mean she couldn’t let someone else do it for her later.
And right now, Soyo felt like Tsuzuki Chihiro might be the key to turning everything around.
“Mutsumi, actually… I also asked about studying abroad.”
“Studying abroad?”
Mutsumi stiffened immediately. She stopped walking and turned to Soyo with a look of pure confusion.
“Soyo, are you planning to leave Japan to study overseas?”
“Maybe. My family’s considering it—after high school, I’d go abroad for university.”
“But…”
“But?”
“…” Mutsumi opened her mouth but then realized she didn’t know what to say.
It just felt… too sudden.
And it didn’t match the Soyo she had always known—the Soyo who had probably been the most devastated by CRYCHIC’s breakup.
To Mutsumi, Soyo’s best option was to move on from it.
But not like this.
“Mutsumi, I’ve already come to terms with it.” Soyo sighed. She knew that when it came to someone as reserved as Mutsumi, she had to be direct.
“CRYCHIC is in the past. I used to be trapped in it, but now I realize that some things are better left behind.”
Soyo felt a little guilty.
The truth was, she had mentioned studying abroad for two reasons.
First, it made sense for her cover story—if Mutsumi ever checked with Chihiro, she would probably give the same answer.
And second—more importantly—she wanted to make sure Sakiko heard about it.
Maybe… just maybe, there was a tiny chance that Sakiko would come to her on her own.
Maybe she’d finally tell her everything she had left unsaid.
And maybe, just maybe, things could go back to how they used to be.
Soyo knew it was a long shot, but she couldn’t help hoping.
More than anything, she wanted to know—did Sakiko still consider her a friend at all?
“But let’s not talk about this now. It’s not up to me anyway, and I still have three years of high school left. It’s too early to say anything for sure.”
Soyo smiled, putting on a carefree front as she and Mutsumi silently walked the rest of the way to class together.
That afternoon, since there had only been one English lesson in the morning, Soyo didn’t bother seeking out Tsuzuki Chihiro after school.
From Mutsumi’s perspective, Soyo really did seem to have stopped thinking about the band since yesterday.
She had been paying full attention in class—especially in English, where Anon-sensei had even called on her a few times.
That only made Mutsumi’s feelings more complicated.
Had Soyo truly moved on?
Or was she just putting on a brave face?
That was what Mutsumi couldn’t figure out.
The change had happened too quickly, without any warning.
During lunch, Soyo had invited her to help water the cucumbers they were growing, just like before.
Mutsumi hadn’t asked a single question.
It felt like they had both grown used to this quiet understanding.
And after school, Soyo went straight to club as usual—nothing seemed different.
But Mutsumi knew something was off.
So instead of heading home, she took a detour.
To another girls’ school nearby—Haneoka.
—
“She’s wearing a Tsukinomori uniform, right?”
“She looks like a doll—so cute!”
“Eh? Isn’t that the daughter of that comedian, Wakaba?”
“Seriously? Are you sure?”
“Of course! She’s from Tsukinomori, and her mom’s a famous actress. She’s a total rich girl!”
The chatter buzzed in Togawa Sakiko’s ears as she stood near the school gates.
Naturally, she spotted the familiar figure standing there.
Sakiko frowned.
If Mutsumi had come looking for her, there was only one possible reason.
And not too long ago, she had blocked that person on LINE because she didn’t know how to deal with her.
Looks like she’d have to be late for work today.
Sakiko sighed.
She was more worried about Mutsumi standing at the gates attracting too much attention, so she walked past her without a word.
Mutsumi understood and quietly followed behind her.
They didn’t stop until they reached a small café with no familiar faces around.
“Why did you come all this way without telling me?”
“Because you won’t reply.”
“I told you already—don’t talk about me to other people.” Sakiko didn’t deny ignoring Mutsumi’s messages. She really hadn’t checked her phone much today.
“You standing out there like that? That’s way more trouble for me.”
“Even if you didn’t say anything, it’s already too late.”
“…”
“…This is good.”
Sakiko took a sip of coffee and let out a small sigh of satisfaction.
Then, her expression turned serious again.
“Alright, go on. Did Soyo send you?”
“No…”
“No?”
“She… seems to have moved on.”
“…Isn’t that a good thing? Saves you from being stuck in the middle.”
Sakiko was momentarily taken aback but quickly recovered, forcing a small smile.
If Soyo had really let go, then that was for the best.
Honestly, while she had found Soyo’s persistence frustrating, she also felt guilty about how things had ended.
If she was the only one still stuck in the past while everyone else had moved on…
Then that was for the best.
“But she said she’s planning to leave Japan. After graduation, she’s going to study abroad in England.”
“…England?”
Sakiko was visibly shaken by that.
“…Are you sure she’s actually moved on? And not just saying that to get a reaction out of me?”
“I don’t know…”
“…You really let her use you as a messenger again.” Sakiko sighed, shaking her head.
She stood up and grabbed the bill.
Before leaving, she turned back and said one last thing:
“Mutsumi, you can’t let her use you like this anymore.”
—
This is a fan translation of 素世同学，恭喜你被我优化了 by 杰克喵. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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