When he offered his suggestion, Shiina Taki stayed silent, clearly uncertain about what to do.
Logically, accepting his help was a good thing.
But emotionally, something just felt off.
It wasn't that she disliked the idea; it just felt strange.
Maybe it was that she wasn't used to someone offering her kindness so openly—she'd always been used to working things out on her own.
"Oh, I should add something—I don't mean I'd be teaching you five or six days a week," Kamigawa Saku clarified, noticing her hesitance and giving her an out.
"Realistically, it would probably be more like once a week. You know my schedule doesn't have that much room."
"So, don't expect too much," he warned lightly. "Honestly, if things get really busy, even that might be too much."
"I suggest if you have a question, just message me. I'll get back to you when I can."
"That should be how most of this will work."
"…Alright, if it's not a bother."
After a long pause, Taki eventually agreed.
If he had planned to teach her every day, she definitely wouldn't have agreed to it.
Even if he said it was "for the band's development," it would still feel too… awkward.
But this arrangement was more reasonable.
He'd only be offering advice when she needed it.
This was something she could accept. Besides, she could still learn on her own and only reach out when she was truly stuck.
"Then it's settled."
With that, Saku's smile grew a little brighter.
This way, even if they couldn't meet in person often, they'd have a steady reason to keep in touch.
Sure, some might think there was something a bit romantic in two people constantly texting each other.
But since their discussions would focus on music, nothing like that should ever come up.
So, there was nothing to worry about.
"Mm."
Taki gave a small nod.
What is this? she thought to herself.
Seeing her reserved response, Saku felt something was… off.
He'd just helped Taki resolve her dilemma; wasn't she supposed to be back to her usual self?
That focused, determined look she always wore?
Was it his imagination, or did she seem a bit… shy?
"…"
Meanwhile, Taki was feeling thoroughly conflicted.
Saku had solved her issue, and she knew she should thank him.
In fact, she'd been planning to.
But now she wasn't sure how to face him.
After all, she'd recently shared all her innermost feelings about composing with him—even things she'd normally never say.
The issue with composing was solved, but now she didn't know how to deal with him, someone who'd seen that vulnerable side of her.
Just act as she normally would?
That was impossible!
She'd never imagined herself telling Kamigawa Saku so much.
She'd even been annoyed with him before, just for being close to Tomori.
And now?
Taki had to admit, grudgingly, that Kamigawa Saku was a good person.
In a way that made it impossible to hate him.
"Oh, I don't have anything planned for this afternoon," Saku spoke up after a short silence. "If you have any questions about composing, you can ask me now and I'll try to help."
He was trying to fulfill the offer he'd just made, after all.
"Nothing for now."
She glanced at her computer, remembering the composition software she'd uninstalled, feeling a bit guilty.
"Well, just reach out whenever you have a question."
Saku's tone was casual, aiming to keep things comfortable.
"Okay."
Taki replied softly.
What is this? Could she actually be interested in me now? Saku's thoughts ran wild.
Her reaction was just too suspicious; it felt a lot like someone acting nervous around someone they liked.
All those visual novels couldn't have failed him here, could they?
Just as he was deciding whether to test his theory, Taki spoke up.
"Um… I know this isn't really about composing, but could I ask you something unrelated?"
"Or maybe it's related after all," she added quickly.
"Whatever it is, feel free to ask."
Seeing her hesitancy, Saku's voice was soft and reassuring.
"Well then… could you tell me how I might get to know Tomori better?"
Hearing his words, Taki finally voiced the question that had been weighing on her mind.
"Why the sudden question?" Saku asked, caught a little off guard.
"Didn't you just say that to create music that matches Tomori's lyrics, I need to understand her heart?" Taki recalled his earlier words precisely.
"That's right."
"But I don't know how to get to know Tomori better, so I thought I'd ask you."
She looked away slightly, as though embarrassed to admit it.
"Oh, I see."
Now it all made sense to Saku—why she'd been acting so strangely.
It was true—Shiina Taki was facing someone she "liked," but that someone wasn't him; it was Takamatsu Tomori.
She'd just wanted to ask this question, which explained why she'd seemed so self-conscious.
As if she'd ever like him because of something like this, Saku thought, now understanding everything clearly.
"So, do you have any ideas?" Taki's voice held a trace of hope.
"Well… honestly, I'm not entirely sure what to say," Saku admitted, feeling a bit at a loss. "But you do spend time alone with Tomori sometimes, like when you walk her home."
"That's probably your best opportunity."
"Don't you make conversation while walking her home? Do you just walk her back in silence?"
Taki looked a little troubled as she answered, "I do try to start a conversation… but after a while, I run out of things to talk about."
"I never know what to say around her."
"I see. I think I understand your situation now."
Saku nodded thoughtfully.
"But why ask me? I'm sure there's someone who knows Tomori better than I do."
"No, the one who knows her best is you."
Taki's response was matter-of-fact.
Saku raised an eyebrow. "Me? That can't be true."
They hadn't even known each other that long. How could he know her better than anyone else?
"Well, who do you think understands her better than you?" Taki countered.
"Probably the others from Crychic."
He didn't even need to think about it before answering.
At the very least, Togawa Sakiko should know Tomori better than he did.
After all, he only knew that Tomori's lyrics were her innermost voice because of something Sakiko had once said.
But Taki only shook her head in silence.
Saku paused. Could it be that he actually did know Tomori better than the others in Crychic?
Sakiko certainly seemed to understand her better, but now that he thought about it…
Since Crychic disbanded, Sakiko and Tomori hadn't interacted much.
Which meant Sakiko only really knew about Tomori's past, while he knew both her past and her present.
He even knew her preferences in certain things.
Wait… I really am the person who knows her best, Saku thought, bewildered.
The irony wasn't lost on him.
No wonder Crychic had fallen apart.
If he'd been around back then, he would have prevented it from ever getting to that point.
As for why Taki would assume this, it made sense too.
She didn't know about Sakiko and Tomori's relationship; she just knew he'd helped Tomori break through her writer's block and that they'd gone out together recently.
"Alright, I gave it some thought, and yeah—I guess I am the one who knows her best right now."
That is, aside from Tomori's parents, but he wouldn't dare claim to know her better than them.
"Exactly. That's why I'm asking you for help."
Having a real topic to focus on seemed to let Taki set aside her conflicted feelings, letting her give her full attention to the matter at hand.
"To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how it happened either," Saku admitted with a chuckle. "It just kind of… happened."
There was no way he could admit he'd done it intentionally.
While he'd wanted to be good friends with Tomori, ending up as the one who knew her best was more of a bonus.
Even if he explained it, she couldn't replicate it.
"But my suggestion is that you try inviting Tomori out more. Spending time together will naturally bring you closer and give you a chance to understand her better."
"Some things can be rushed, but not this. No matter how much you want to, you can't force it."
"...Invite her out?"
Taki looked hesitant.
"Is that really impossible?" Saku asked. "You two are close enough; it shouldn't be hard to invite her out to do something."
"It's impossible."
After a moment of struggle, Taki admitted as much.
Before he could ask, she continued, "Even walking her home, I only manage to keep a conversation going for a few minutes at most. If we went out alone, I'd be at a total loss."
"I don't even know where she likes to go."
"And what if she doesn't even enjoy spending time with me?"
"Sorry, I hadn't thought it through."
He'd forgotten that people weren't all alike.
Just because he could talk with Tomori all day didn't mean Taki could.
"No worries." Taki brushed it off, though she still seemed disappointed. "Isn't there a way to understand her better without actually talking to her?"
"Even if it's difficult, I don't mind."
For a second, the idea of shady methods like spying or eavesdropping flashed through Saku's mind.
"Nothing like that exists."
Shaking off those ideas, he gave her a straightforward answer.
"I guess I was being a bit unrealistic, then."
Taki knew her request had been a bit unreasonable.
Then Saku's tone shifted, and he smiled playfully. "Though, if you don't mind, the next time I invite Tomori out, I could bring you along."
"Didn't you say you never know what to talk about with her?"
"Well, I can usually come up with something interesting to talk about."
"When the three of us go out, I can keep the conversation going so that you two can talk, too."
"It's not as effective as just the two of you, but it could give you a chance to talk with her in different settings."
"Over time, you might even start finding shared interests."
"Are you serious?"
Taki's eyes lit up, almost not daring to believe it.
"Of course. Why wouldn't friends agree to go out together?"
To Saku, this was a win all around.
After solving each of their problems, he'd already gained a fair bit of goodwill.
Maintaining a friendship with them separately would eventually lead to… certain unavoidable misunderstandings.
People might mistake his outings with either of them for dates—or worse, he'd actually start developing feelings.
But if he went out with both of them?
All those problems would vanish.
One guy and one girl might look like a date, but one guy and two girls?
Who would assume anything romantic about that?
People might even think he was dating both—something no one would seriously believe!
More importantly, the "bonding over time" factor would disappear.
One-on-one outings could lead to something, sure.
But with one extra person?
The chances of anything happening plummeted to zero.
A perfect way to sidestep any awkward tension.
---
Oh? You're still here? Wow. Either you really enjoy my company, or you scrolled too fast and forgot to close the tab. Either way—respect.
Now, since I have your attention, let's talk business. Web fluid, coffee, replacement suits—being me isn't cheap. And last I checked, saving the world doesn't come with a salary. Tragic, I know.
But you can make a difference! By supporting [patreon.com/WiseTL], you're not just helping a poor, overworked Spider-Man—you're securing front-row seats to even more chaos, bad jokes, and possibly a few existential crises.
So go on, be a hero. Support the cause. And who knows? Maybe I'll name my next web trick after you. (Probably not, but hey, worth a shot.)
Stay cool, don't trust bald telepaths, and always double-check your web cartridges.
— Xia Luo 🕷️