I Only Want a Single Ending [85]
Kamigawa Saku didn't believe for a second that Yamada Ryo had any genuine feelings for him.
Her acting was so bad, it was obvious she was faking it.
Besides, who'd casually say "I kind of like you" like that?
It was almost too cringey not to laugh.
"Teaching you to compose is no problem."
Yamada Ryo put away her handkerchief and agreed without hesitation.
"Same rate as before—10,000 yen per lesson," she said, throwing out her price.
"That works."
That price was good enough for Yamada Ryo.
If she asked for more, she might scare him off—no need to push her luck.
"Then, let's say that 10,000 yen I gave you earlier can count as my first composition lesson fee."
Since he didn't need her bass lessons anymore, he might as well redirect that money to where it was actually useful.
Ryo pretended to play dumb. "Wasn't that a 'friendship fee'?"
"Want me to go tell Nijika you charged me a 'friendship fee'?"
With that, Kamigawa turned and made as if to head back toward the RiNG studio.
He wasn't the type to let himself be taken advantage of, especially not by someone like Yamada Ryo, who'd definitely keep pushing if he didn't set boundaries.
So going straight to "the authorities" seemed like the best option.
"Fine! Just don't tell Nijika, and I'll do anything you want!"
Ryo immediately changed her tune, grabbing his arm and begging him.
If Nijika found out about this, she'd absolutely make her return the money.
And the composition lesson rate would probably take a hit too.
Kamigawa smirked. "So that 10,000 yen…?"
"Fine, it's for teaching you composition." Ryo begrudgingly gave in to his "outrageous" demand.
"Now we're talking."
Satisfied, Kamigawa stopped in his tracks.
"One thing first, though: if your bass skills haven't improved like you said, or your music theory's lacking, it's not going to work."
Now that the little charade was over, Ryo let go of his arm and turned serious.
"What should I do, then? Should I study up in advance?" Kamigawa asked, a little concerned.
His bass skills were probably solid, but his music theory… maybe not so much.
Ryo smirked confidently. "No need for all that. Just pay me extra."
"...Deal."
Kamigawa didn't refuse.
If it meant he'd learn how to compose, paying a bit extra wasn't an issue.
"Alright, we have a deal."
"Yep."
---
After waiting a bit longer, Gotoh Hitori finally arrived.
She seemed both surprised and deeply moved to see Ryo there.
In her eyes, Yamada Ryo was here just to support her.
Kamigawa didn't correct the tiny misunderstanding.
He let Gotoh Hitori take the stage at the café for her solo performance, while he and his bandmates continued to the practice room to rehearse.
Soon, it was already afternoon.
"Practice is done for the day. Our time's almost up here."
As they finished another set, Kamigawa checked the time and informed them.
"Alright."
They all agreed and began putting their instruments away.
At that moment, Takamatsu Tomori glanced at Kamigawa.
They exchanged a quick look, and he caught on, saying, "Oh, by the way, Tomori has a gift for everyone today."
"A gift? What is it?"
Chihaya Anon perked up, instantly intrigued.
"It's some commemorative paper bags from the aquarium. Saku bought a bunch and wanted to share with the band," Takamatsu Tomori explained.
"Wait, so… who exactly bought them?"
Chihaya Anon seemed a bit confused by the mixed answers.
"They went to the aquarium together," Shiina Taki clarified from behind her drum set, pulling the bags she'd stashed in her locker yesterday to the center of the room. "Saku paid, planning to gift them to Tomori, but Tomori decided to share with everyone."
"You two went to the aquarium together?!"
Chihaya Anon's attention had fully shifted from the gift itself to that revelation.
"Yeah," Kamigawa confirmed without a second thought.
"Oh…"
Chihaya Anon shot a look at Tomori, feeling unexpectedly… uneasy.
She'd only gone to karaoke with Kamigawa once, while Tomori had gone on an aquarium date with him.
And she even got a gift out of it.
Looks like she'd have to keep an eye on not only Kita Ikuyo but also Takamatsu Tomori from now on.
Nagasaki Soyo, already aware of this from the night before, remained unfazed and quietly went over to the bag filled with the paper gift bags.
Meanwhile, Raana didn't care at all—she simply set her guitar down and went over to Kamigawa's bag, where she started munching on the matcha treats he'd brought just for her.
Matcha—delicious!
"Pick out a paper bag you like," Kamigawa instructed. "Anything left goes to Tomori."
"I already chose mine yesterday, so you all can go ahead."
With that, Shiina Taki went back to packing up her own things.
"Alright."
Chihaya Anon nodded and approached the bag, still a bit puzzled by Tomori's willingness to share.
If the gift was meant for her, why share it with everyone?
Or maybe there was some deeper meaning she wasn't aware of.
After all, Tomori had just said, "Saku bought a bunch, planning to share with the band," as if that was the original intent.
Regardless, she would accept the gift.
Everyone else was taking one, and it'd be rude if she were the only one to refuse.
"…Pick one for me."
Having swallowed her treat, Raana tugged on Kamigawa's sleeve with a small request.
"Got it."
Kamigawa glanced at Raana, who'd been growing increasingly attached to him, and headed over to the bag.
Based on his understanding of her tastes, he picked out a few with designs of tasty-looking fish.
Cats liking fish—perfectly reasonable.
After picking out the bags, he placed them by Raana's guitar case.
Just then, Chihaya Anon sidled over, lowering her voice to ask, "So, what's the story behind those paper bags? Did you buy them as a gift for Tomori?"
"You could say that…"
Kamigawa gave a brief explanation of what had happened the previous day.
"Got it," Anon replied, understanding.
Gifting Takamatsu Tomori, their lyricist, as a gesture of appreciation—that made sense.
Then, changing gears, she asked a different question.
"But, why did you two go to the aquarium together?"
---
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!
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