Slipped of a Tongue

"Yeah! Leave it to me!" Tomoe declared with unwavering determination, drawing strength from the support of her fellow bandmates.

With newfound confidence, Tomoe made her way toward me. "Nakasone! Good afternoon!"

I didn't respond immediately, completely immersed in the rhythm game I was playing. Tomoe leaned in, peeking at my phone screen. "Ohh! That game! I see I see. I understand you for ignoring me. Take your time."

A few seconds later, the song was finally done, and I immediately let go of my phone in frustration. "Arghh! I can't perfect combo it!"

Tomoe offered me a comforting smile. "You did your best. Good job!"

"Yeah... Thank-" I began to respond, but I was caught off guard when I noticed Tomoe still sitting there. "Tomoe-san?!"

"Yo!" she replied cheerfully.

"W-what are you doing here?! I thought you were with Afterglow?"

Tomoe shook her head. "Nope. Actually, the AC in my home broke down and it's kind of a mess right now. So, I thought I'd hang out here for a bit."

"Y-Yeah... I don't mind."

She beamed with gratitude. "Ohh! Thank you, Nakasone!" Tomoe settled onto the sofa near the entrance, making herself comfortable.

I should give her something...

I left my reception desk and approached Tomoe. "Tomoe-san, how was Ako?"

Tomoe chuckled. "Oh? Ahahaha, same as always, but she's still as cute as ever!"

"That's good. At first, I was actually confused about what she was saying, but I think I'm slowly getting the gist of it."

Tomoe smiled warmly. "Yeah, she's being herself after all, so it's alright!"

I nodded. "Well, do you mind staying here? I'll go get us something."

"Eh? Really?"

I nodded, "Really."

"Sweet! Thank you, Nakasone! Then I'll get the pasta."

"Great, then I'll do the same."

I headed out of the livehouse, making my way to the cafe to order two pasta dishes. After a few minutes, I returned to the livehouse, carrying a tray with our meals.

"Here you go!"

"Ohhh~ Thank you, Nakasone-kun!" Tomoe clapped her hands in delight. "Thank you for the food!" She eagerly dug into her pasta. "Mmm~ That's some good pasta!"

As I watched her enjoy her meal, it brought to mind someone else – Moca.

"By the way, how did you join Afterglow?" I inquired while observing her eat.

"Why the sudden question?" Tomoe looked intrigued.

"Hmm, I'm curious."

"Curious, huh? Well, I guess I can tell you, but in exchange, I want you to be honest with me."

"Hm? Alright, Deal."

"Sweet." She put the fork down and look at me, 

"Well, it all started as an idea to help us stay connected. A girl band made up of 5 childhood friends. When Ran moved to a different class in middle school, the rest of us decided to form a band so we could still see each other. Did you know that Ran founded Afterglow as an attempt to rebel against her father, who wanted her to inherit the school?"

"Eh? Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously! She started Afterglow as an act of rebellion, but things have changed between her and her father since then. Now they're on better terms, and he's no longer forcing Ran to inherit the school. She's become more active in flower arranging and has shown her passion for flowers."

"Wow, that's quite a story."

"Yeah, it's been an interesting journey," Tomoe agreed, taking another bite of her pasta.

So these five girls are childhood friends. It feels like from a novel or something.

"Then one more question..."

"Ask away."

"Tsugumi-san... No, Hazawa Tsugumi... Judging by her appearance, does she seem like a frail girl to you?"

Tomoe burst into laughter, catching me off guard.

"What's so funny?" I asked, a bit flustered.

"Ahaha, sorry, it's just that you got it all wrong. Sure, she might give off that impression, but Tsugumi is a normal high school girl. She's hardworking, optimistic, and rarely gets discouraged. Despite not being widely recognized, she works even harder than most."

"Oh... I see," I nodded, "Then I have an idea."

Tomoe leaned in, intrigued. "Oh? Let me hear it."

"How about we create a new song together? I'd love to help you guys!"

Tomoe couldn't help but laugh again. "Pfft~ Ahahaha! Well, that answers my question."

Crap, Slipped of a tongue

I blushed, realizing that I had accidentally revealed my intentions.