Although there was no longer any doubt about Takamatsu Tomori's reasons for forming a band, Tetsuya hadn't forgotten another thing he had happened to learn in the process—
"...You're saying Tomori placed all the bla for the band's disbandnt on herself?"
"Not only that, she seems to deeply regret being unable to do anything for you back then."
The next day, Tetsuya faithfully relayed what Tomori had told him.
"That's probably the opposite of what you intended, isn't it?"
"Yeah..."
Togawa Sakiko couldn't help but furrow her brow deeply.
"I always knew Tomori wasn't the type to bla others, but... after I said such awful things that day, does she really not hold even the slightest bit of resentnt towards ?"
"Not only that... according to her, she seems to still be very grateful to you."
Tetsuya said:
"She said you were the one who taught her how to properly interact with people, that everyone in [CRYCHIC] gave her the chance to change. In her eyes, you're the hero who led her out of her loneliness for the first ti. In a situation like that, no matter what awful things you said to her, given the way that child thinks, she would probably interpret it as your 'disappointnt' in her."
"How could this happen..."
Sakiko sighed in frustration.
"There's a limit to romanticizing the past, isn't there? I'm not nearly as gentle as she imagines..."
"I, however, don't think it's romanticization, but rather her genuine feelings at that mont."
Tetsuya shook his head.
"A child's world is limited to their ho and school. And for Takamatsu-san, who had always been alone at school, the world she understood was far narrower than we imagine. In a situation like that, even the faintest ray of light is enough to illuminate her heart. Not to ntion you then provided her with a place she treasured most, a place to belong that saved her from loneliness... Rather than saying she's overly romanticizing her impression of you, it's more accurate to say that this is the real image of you in her heart."
"..."
Tetsuya's explanation made Sakiko fall silent.
Although she knew Tomori had lived an incredibly lonely school life before, she had never truly considered what it ant for her to be the one to first extend a hand to Tomori in that situation.
Just as Tetsuya had said, a child's world is incredibly narrow, to say nothing of a lonely person who had never had any friends or anyone who understood her before—
Eh... wait a second.
If I think about it from that angle, then not just Tomori, but Taki and Soyo... on that day, because of her rash and cruel words, did they each go through their own different kinds of pain and self-recrimination?
...
"Chihaya-nii's way of thinking... is a bit too mature, isn't it?"
Whether it was the realization of the harm caused by her long-standing negligence or her admiration for Tetsuya's empathy, Sakiko's heart was filled with bitterness.
Sakiko, who had always prided herself on her maturity and hard work, while continuously recognizing the mistakes of her past, once again felt the insurmountable gap between herself and Tetsuya.
"He's only three years older than , so why is he able to notice so many things that even I, the person involved, couldn't see..."
"Actually, it's only because of my recent experiences that I've co to realize these things."
Faced with Sakiko's self-doubt, Tetsuya replied:
"Ever since I saw Ai's image on the screen, I've thought about a lot of things... The reason I valued our promise back then so much was because, at the ti, Ai was the only person I had to rely on. And because of that, I saw every little mont between us as my everything. But now, I'm no longer an orphan with nothing. I have a family, a dream worth fighting for my whole life, and companions I can trust. If I were still bound by that narrow-minded version of my past self, it would be far too immature."
"..."
I see. Chihaya-nii also had the chance to realize these things because of what happened with Hoshino Ai.
It's just that right after, Chihaya-nii imdiately made up for his mistake with the outfits he designed himself, completely freeing himself from the shackles of the past.
And here I am, still not ntally prepared to face them, and I don't even know how to begin to make up for the imnse pain I've caused everyone.
She wondered how much more ti it would take before she could, like Tetsuya, make a true break with her past.
Just as Sakiko was silently expressing her admiration for Tetsuya, his next words made a sowhat stunned expression appear on her face:
"I think Ai probably realized this long ago, and that's why she chose to beco an idol."
Tetsuya looked out the window at the night sky, his voice filled with emotion.
"It wasn't a lie, nor was it a betrayal. She was just using a completely different persona to break free from the shackles of her past... She's the one who's truly mature."
"...Huh?"
Those unexpected words sent Sakiko's mind into a storm.
Hoshino Ai? Beca an idol to escape her past?
Eh? Is that how Chihaya-nii understands Hoshino Ai's reason for becoming an idol?
He was making so much sense just a mont ago, why did he suddenly arrive at a conclusion that's the complete opposite of reality?
This near-blind romanticization and trust was just like Tomori's... Ah, could it be because of Tomori? Because he was just trying to see things from Tomori's perspective, he accidentally caught her 'sickness' of never holding suspicion or malice towards anyone!
But on second thought, if she hadn't deliberately hidden the truth about Hoshino Ai, Chihaya-nii probably wouldn't have co up with such an absurd guess...
However, if she told Chihaya-nii the truth, that would lead to other problems...
The current misunderstanding, while completely contrary to the facts, had in a way stimulated Tetsuya's positive thinking, so it wasn't actually a bad thing.
On the contrary, clearing up the misunderstanding could very well trigger a chain reaction, leading the situation to a completely uncontrollable state.
(I knew it. I have to keep hiding this from him...)
Gazing at his profile, which was free of any trace of gloom, Togawa Sakiko once again made her judgnt.
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