I Just Want A Single Ending!

After chatting a bit longer with Kita at the café, the two eventually decided to head out together since it was already dark.

After he saw her off at the train station, Saku began his own walk home.

Feels like things have been pretty busy these past few days.

He stretched his arms above his head, thinking over everything that had happened.

But then again, the payoff was more than worth it.

He'd strengthened his friendship with Rikki to the point that he could even suggest inviting her and Tomori out together sometime.

He'd also made plans with Soyo and Mutsumi to visit a hot spring inn over summer break.

Oh, and he was supposed to go to that couple's café with Kita next Saturday?

Well, maybe that one didn't exactly count as a "payoff."

If anything, the real benefit was that now he'd have an excuse to see Kita more often.

All he had to do was use the "study help" excuse.

Sure, he'd told her that his time was limited, but he was the one who ultimately decided whether or not he'd make time.

In other words, staying in touch with Kita would no longer be an issue.

Another bonus was that now he could set up study sessions like they did for midterms—maybe even make it a regular thing.

And best of all, he wouldn't even need to plan these sessions himself.

Kita would be the one who actually needed the help, after all, so they could simply take place under her name.

With her outgoing personality, she'd no doubt enthusiastically invite others, too.

He wouldn't have to lift a finger; just provide the location and let Kita handle the rest.

Meanwhile, he could help her while simultaneously building rapport with other characters he wanted to befriend.

This was perfect.

The more Saku thought about it, the brighter his path to a peaceful, single ending looked, and his pace quickened as he headed home.

---

Monday, afternoon

RiNG Café, second floor

Raana dragged her guitar case over to a spot near the stage.

"Matcha parfait," she said to the barista wiping glasses before moving towards the stage.

After pulling out her guitar and hooking it up to the amp, she began setting up.

Her band didn't have practice today, so she'd come here for one thing: a matcha parfait and some guitar time.

She'd especially taken to the piece Saku had shared with her yesterday.

She'd even had him save it to her phone so she could listen anytime.

The problem was, it took way too many taps to actually get to it on her phone.

Nope—she'd much rather just play it herself.

"Be sure not to share this song around or send it to anyone," she recalled Saku saying when he posted it in the group chat.

But simply playing it? That wasn't breaking his rule at all.

With that, Raana began to strum the opening chords.

A guitar performance?

The young woman in a tailored blazer glanced over, seeing the silver-haired girl on stage.

She was Shizuko Shiraishi, manager of the idol group sumimi.

She'd come here for no particular reason—just to rest with a cup of coffee.

A surprise performance wasn't an issue as long as it didn't disrupt her downtime.

Settling back in her chair, Shiraishi closed her eyes and let her mind wander.

But then, with the first few notes, her eyes snapped open.

"Wait—what?"

The music immediately caught her attention. She sat up, focusing on the silver-haired girl on stage.

As sumimi's manager, she had a trained ear for music and could tell when a song was exceptional.

And this song—whatever it was—was undeniably good.

The thing was, she'd never heard anything like it.

If this had been any other song she'd never heard before, she might have let it go.

But as sumimi's manager, she prided herself on knowing both current and past hits as well as the classics.

If she didn't recognize the melody, that meant it had to be new.

Pulling out her phone, Shiraishi opened a music recognition app.

"No match found…"

Her breath hitched at the screen's response.

Could it be an original piece?

If so, this was an unexpected jackpot.

She had to buy it, immediately. If she could secure the rights to that song for sumimi…

The song reached its crescendo, and Shiraishi's excitement reached a fever pitch.

She understood the immense potential of a hit song.

If they played it right, sumimi could perform it for a lifetime, raking in royalties, concert revenue, and sponsorships.

More money than she could ever count.

Of course, she knew there were no guarantees of a "hit." All she could do was hope it'd resonate with audiences.

But with her experience, she was confident—this song would definitely be popular.

Whether it became legendary or merely "successful" was up to fate, but she'd bet her job it would at least hit the charts.

Watching Raana with gleaming eyes, Shiraishi felt like she'd stumbled upon an undiscovered treasure.

All she had to do was buy the song, and it'd be hers.

Judging by the girl's age—probably no older than high school—she might even be able to secure it at a bargain price.

Just as she'd started planning, the girl wrapped up her performance.

"Raana, your matcha parfait is ready."

A voice from behind the counter interrupted Shiraishi's thoughts. Raana paused, setting her guitar down before hurrying over for her parfait.

Shiraishi seized the opportunity, tracking Raana's every move.

When she saw Raana sit down with her parfait, Shiraishi quickly approached, taking the seat across from her.

Without so much as a glance at Shiraishi, Raana returned to her dessert.

"Raana, right? Mind if I call you that?"

Using her friendliest tone, Shiraishi attempted to break the ice with a smile.

"Hmm?"

Raana looked up briefly before returning to her parfait.

"I was sitting over there just now," Shiraishi explained, pointing to her previous seat. "I heard you playing, and I have to say—I was really impressed!"

Seeing Raana's lack of interest, she decided to cut to the chase.

"Mind if I ask what that song is called?"

Raana thought for a moment, then shook her head.

The song was written for Ichishizuku Sora, a song for their band, but they'd gone with Rikki's composition instead. Since they weren't using Saku's friend's piece, it never received an official title.

"Oh, so it doesn't have a name?"

Shiraishi's heart skipped a beat. If it was untitled, that could only mean…

Raana nodded.

"Did you write it yourself? Or maybe… a friend of yours?"

Shiraishi could barely contain her excitement.

But Raana shook her head.

Technically, it was written by Saku's friend, and she and that "friend" weren't even friends, so neither option fit.

"Wait… what?"

Shiraishi froze, baffled.

If Raana didn't write it and it wasn't a friend's work, then what was it?

Before she could ask, Raana polished off her parfait and stood up, clearly uninterested in further conversation.

"Wait! You like matcha parfait, right?" Shiraishi blurted. "Or… any dessert, really. Order whatever you'd like, my treat! I'd just like to chat with you a bit longer."

"Four matcha parfaits, then!"

Hearing the offer, Raana sat right back down, promptly placing her order without hesitation.

"Alright," the barista nodded.

For Shiraishi, the expense was trivial. She leaned in, eager to ask the real question.

"Can you tell me where you got that song from?"

"... Saku."

Raana thought about his warning and decided he hadn't specifically asked her to keep his name a secret, so she told Shiraishi.

"Saku?"

Running through a mental list of composers she knew, Shiraishi was certain she'd never heard that name before.

"So… is Saku a friend of yours?"

Still eying the parfait prep station, Raana gave a tiny nod.

"Could you… share his contact info with me?"

Shiraishi asked, now practically buzzing with anticipation.

If she could get in touch with this "Saku," the composer of that incredible song, she'd be set.

The song itself was valuable, sure, but finding such a skilled composer would be even more of a win.

Under Shiraishi's expectant gaze, Raana passed her phone over.

"You mean…?"

Shiraishi hesitated, not understanding what she wanted her to do.

"My contacts," Raana said simply.

Realizing she was meant to find the contact herself, Shiraishi couldn't believe her luck.

Opening Raana's contacts, she noted how sparse they were.

It only took a glance to spot Saku Kamigawa in her list.

Wait a second… that name sounds familiar…

Shiraishi vaguely recalled hearing it somewhere but couldn't quite place it.

Oh well, let's just confirm if it's him.

"Saku's full name is Kamigawa Saku, right?"

Raana nodded.

"Thank you."

She quickly saved his number, returnedRaana's phone, and moved back to her original seat.

After thinking over her approach, she dialed his number.

---

Meanwhile, at STARRY

Saku sat at a table, slowly sipping the "fifty billion-yen" drink.

Ever since he and Nijika's sister went to the amusement park, he'd been dealing with Ichichi Seika's antics.

Everyone else paid five hundred yen for drinks. His, however, was now labeled as "fifty billion."

He'd obviously only paid five hundred like everyone else, but Seika's parting words haunted him: "Don't worry—I'll keep the rest on your tab."

Surely, she wasn't serious…

For all the times he'd visited here, the amount was absurdly inflated.

Unless he reached his single ending and got his hands on that theoretical fortune, there was no way he'd be able to pay her off.

Then again, if pranks like this were all it took to appease a protective big sister, he was fine with it.

As long as it didn't really affect him, he was content to play along.

Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Unknown number? Telemarketer?

After a second of hesitation, he answered anyway—just in case it was important.

"Hello, is this Saku Kamigawa?"

The voice on the other end was oddly familiar.

"Yes, speaking. Who's this?"

"Have you heard of the idol group sumimi?"

"Yes, I know of them."

He was actually a fan.

"I'm Shizuko Shiraishi, their manager."

"Oh…"

And now, Saku knew why her voice sounded familiar.

They'd worked together briefly on a commercial shoot where she handled most of the project logistics.

But how had she gotten his number?

And what could sumimi's manager possibly want with him?

As though reading his mind, she explained, "Apologies for calling out of the blue, but I'm reaching out because I recently heard Raana's performance of a certain song…"

---

T/N: GRARARA, here's my guess he's gonna say NO obv but offer to make another song for the girls using his brrrrrrand NEW STUDY CARRRRD and because of that he gets to hang out with Uika

Ichinose was blocked :D