Band Girls’ Mixology Mission [195]

Soyo glanced at Sakiko, then turned back toward Kikukawa Kyo.

If asked what she wanted to say to Sakiko, the first words would undoubtedly be a long list of questions:

Why had Sakiko suddenly decided to quit the band, especially after she'd brought everyone together, even pulling off a successful Live?

Why had she not only left the band but also severed all contact with everyone else?

How exactly had Sakiko viewed her—how had she viewed all of them? Had Sakiko truly felt no attachment whatsoever to the times they'd shared?

Soyo had imagined countless scenarios in which she'd finally ask Sakiko these questions. Maybe one day Sakiko would suddenly appear in front of everyone again, joyfully announcing she'd returned, and these painful questions would lose their importance, discarded like forgotten scraps. That was the outcome Soyo once longed for most desperately.

But as time passed with absolutely no news from Sakiko, Soyo had no choice but to lower her expectations, instead fantasizing about a chance encounter on some random street. Yet that possibility brought new worries of its own.

How would she face Sakiko then? Would she hysterically question her, joyfully beg her to stay, or would she not even manage a single word before being coldly brushed aside?

During that private conversation at Kikukawa Kyo's home, Kyo had opened Soyo’s eyes to something crucial. Although Soyo appeared to be the one most desperately searching for Sakiko, she'd never truly made any active effort—only passively relying on Mutsumi’s occasional messages and luck-driven encounters.

Because Soyo had been afraid—afraid of finally receiving the truth from Sakiko herself, terrified of hearing an answer she didn’t want to hear, the possibility that what she had cherished deeply was worthless in the eyes of someone else.

But Kyo had given her the courage to actively change, prompting today’s determination—so determined that Soyo had even resorted to an embarrassing act like following Mutsumi—to finally track Sakiko down.

She’d thought herself ready, but upon meeting Sakiko again, her thoughts had still spiraled chaotically. The emotions long pent-up in her chest nearly choked her breath away.

Then Kyo appeared once again, like a timely rain, offering them an indirect way to communicate.

Thanks to Kyo, the fear inside Soyo’s heart no longer loomed large, overshadowing everything else. Someone new had appeared by her side, capable of giving her warmth.

Thus, those earlier questions were no longer important. It didn’t mean Soyo had fully let go; rather, her priorities had shifted.

Soyo softly leaned closer to Kyo’s ear, and because of her earlier stunt of breathing into Kyo’s ear, Kyo’s head—along with her ear—subconsciously gave a slight, adorable twitch, as if inviting someone to grasp it gently.

A whispered secret flowed softly, spoken to running water. Without a glass bottle sealing it, it still drifted effortlessly toward the person it was meant to reach.

But what about the water’s own thoughts? Was it merely passing along words emotionlessly, casually drifting away after recording them? Or could even water be influenced by others, gradually changing itself?

"I still want to know why you left and why you don’t want to see us again, but…I won’t insist anymore…"

Soyo’s softly moving lips paused briefly.

Having Kyo relay messages between her and Sakiko certainly reduced the awkwardness of directly saying things face-to-face, but it also had its own flaw.

There were things Soyo felt too shy to say to Kyo herself:

I already have something new that I cherish deeply. And this time, I won’t let her disappear again—I won’t let go easily.

If she spoke these words directly to Kyo, as intelligent as Kyo was, wouldn’t she immediately grasp exactly what this "something new I cherish deeply" was referring to? It would be indistinguishable from openly confessing her feelings.

For now, just having this precious chance to remain intimately close to Kyo was already enough to satisfy the constant yearning in Soyo’s heart.

Thus, Soyo forcibly cut short her intended words, instead directly jumping ahead to the next:

"…Maybe someday we can return to how things used to be, laughing and chatting together freely. Or perhaps we’ll never again have another pleasant conversation.

"But either way, Sakiko, at one point you gave me the sense of belonging I desperately needed back then. Thank you."

After finally expressing this, Soyo felt even more drained than she’d expected. Her body briefly softened as she nearly slumped onto Kyo.

"Is that everything?" Kyo gently steadied Soyo, her eyes gleaming happily—proud that Soyo had truly changed.

"Mm."

"Alright. I’ll remember it."

Although Soyo genuinely wished she could keep sitting on Kyo a bit longer, unfortunately a certain person's piercing gaze made her feel as if she were sitting on needles.

Soyo slowly stood, returning to her original spot in the pavilion, a pleasant and gentle smile curving her lips.

Now it was Sakiko’s turn. She carefully placed her school bag down onto the seat, then walked swiftly and decisively over to Kyo.

Seeing Sakiko approach, Kyo lightly patted her lap, now vacant again—this time inviting Sakiko to sit there instead.

The fabric covering that spot was still indented from Soyo’s previous presence, and on the edge of the exposed skin was a faint red mark—a very "rounded" red imprint.

Sakiko silently stared at those marks, shaking her head, firmly refusing Kyo’s tempting offer.

"No need. I'll finish quickly."

Even though Sakiko had rejected the opportunity to sit on Kyo’s lap, that didn’t mean she’d concede defeat just like that.

One second earlier, Kyo was just preparing herself after hearing Sakiko decline her "lap seat," waiting calmly for Sakiko to come closer and whisper in her ear.

The next second, a pair of hands suddenly reached out, decisively cupping Kyo’s cheeks. One hand gently but firmly held Kyo’s chin, clearly feeling her delicate jawline beneath her fingers. The other hand touched directly beside Kyo’s ear, covering nearly half of her cheek; the heat from Sakiko’s palm transmitted directly onto Kyo’s skin, swiftly registering in her brain—shockingly direct.

Immediately afterward, Sakiko quickly leaned forward, stopping mere centimeters from pressing her lips directly onto Kyo’s ear.

Sakiko's movements, from start to finish, were swift and decisive. It was so quick and natural that Soyo only realized what had happened afterward, nearly letting out a startled gasp.

From Soyo’s angle behind Sakiko, it genuinely appeared as if their lips had touched.

Even Kyo herself felt somewhat stunned. The warm breath emerging between Sakiko’s lips was slowly heating the air inside her ear.

Despite the cool rain falling right now, somehow, she suddenly felt quite hot.

---

T/N: these girls are so gay

This is a fan translation of 乐队少女调饮行动 by 林明卿. 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!