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“Umiri-san, what is this all about?”
Taki Shiina was only met with the loud slurping of the girl sitting across from her, enjoying her drink while as deadpan as ever.
After a few seconds, the drink was put down and the girl spoke up. “Right, there is someone I would like you to meet, Taki-san. We felt it was important we speak to you together.”
“Hah?”
This was unusual. Taki liked to think she had a good grasp on Umiri Yahata. Ever since entering Hanasakigawa, the two had been close, seemingly resonating with each other despite the headaches Umiri would constantly give the drummer. The two have seen each other at their best, and at their most pathetic. Even if she never said it out loud, Taki considered Umiri a friend, maybe the best friend she has outside MyGo. That’s why she considered this whole situation strange.
Umiri has never taken her to RiNG for anything other than an impromptu practice session. Umiri has also never introduced Taki to anyone personally, tending to just send her contacts through texts or just telling her a simple “look this person up”. Yet here she was, sitting with the bassist as she kept looking at the entrance, expecting someone else to show up.
“Is this related to MyGo? If you are suggesting we sign to some record label, you know we aren’t looking to do anything like that right now.”
“Ah, it's not that, but it is about MyGo. Oh, there she is, excuse me one second.” Umiri stood up and walked to the entrance as Taki turned around to see just who wa-
“HAH?!”
“Taki-chan, um, it's nice to see you!”
The beautiful soft voice of Tomori Takamatsu rang through Taki’s head for a few moments before replying “Tomori-chan, what are you doing here? We didn’t schedule any practice today. N-not that you can’t come here on days off either. You’re always welcome here, haha.” Real smooth Taki, real smooth.
“That would be because I asked Tomo-chan to come here.” Hah? For a second, the drummer had forgotten that Umiri was even here, her brain being rewritten to give Tomori her utmost attention. What would Umiri want with Tomori? She didn’t even know the two knew each. Wait, did she call her Tomo-chan?
Umiri sat down in her seat while Taki scooted over a bit to give Tomori some room next to her, only for the vocalist to sit next to Umiri.
“Um, Taki-chan, we have something we want to tell you, especially since you mean a lot to the both of us.” Tomori said, almost a whisper, but Taki’s ears have been trained to pick up all of Tomori’s frequencies.
“Is something the matter, Tomori-chan? Umiri-san didn’t get you into any trouble did she? I know she can be an idiot, but if she did, I’ll knock some sense into her.” Protective instincts were on full display as Taki quickly ran through her mind all of the worst scenarios Umiri could have dragged Tomori into. Stealing, underage drinking, breaking into the zebra exhibit at the zoo (she still can’t believe she did that), anything that could ruin poor Tomori’s innocence.
“No, um, Umiri-chan, um, didn’t do anything wrong. Please don’t be mad at her.” pleaded Tomori, giving Taki that wet-eyed, scared stare that always made her want to shield the vocalist from the world.
“I-its fine, Tomori-chan. I’m not mad. So, uh, why are you here, with Umiri?”
Tomori opened her mouth only for Umiri to beat her to the punch. “Oh, it's because we’re dating.”
Hah?
“Hah?”
Hah?
Tomori’s face was red as she slowly nodded, and she lifted up her right hand from under the table, revealing her fingers interlaced with Umiri’s.
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH?
Dating. Tomori was dating Umiri. Umiri was holding Tomori’s hand, right now, in front of Taki, out for the world to see. Dating. Tomori and Umiri. Dating. A couple. Romantically involved. Tomori. And. Umiri.
“Um, Taki-chan?”
Although only seconds passed, the inside of Taki’s mind experienced pain for millenia. Tomori Takamatsu was dating Umiri Yahata. Taki had lost to Umiri Yahata, fucking generational fumbler Umiri. Taki had always had an inkling that Tomori did not carry the same flame for her that she did for the vocalist. She saw how Tomori looked at Sakiko, whether it was now or when Crychic was around. Taki would have even accepted Anon winning Tomori’s heart, even if she would never let the pink creature know. But Umiri? It felt like the universe itself was out for her.
“Oi, Taki-san!” Taki snapped out of her stupor, seeing Tomori and Umiri looking at her warily.
“O-oh, um, congratulations, you two,” It stung to say that. “H-how long has, uh, this been going on for.”
“About two weeks now. Tomo-chan felt it was best we let you know first as you are acquainted with the both of us, and we finally found a time we all were free.” Umiri relayed, not fazed at all by Taki’s stuttering. Although, Taki figured Umiri probably didn’t even notice that.
“That’s right, um, I really wanted you to know, Taki-chan, since you always look out for me. I-I’m very grateful, and now I have Umiri-chan by my side now too!” Tomori looked so happy saying that Taki almost felt sick. Was Tomori saying she didn’t need Taki anymore? Was Umiri replacing her? No, no, Tomori isn’t like that, Taki had to remind herself that Tomori would die before she even thought of replacing someone.
“H-how?” The two lovebirds gave Taki a quizzical look, and Taki hoped they didn’t notice her voice was giving out. “How did you two get so close?” She had to know, she could not leave her without answers.
“Oh, we met when you were sick a few months back. I was tasked with getting you our notes for school that day, but Ave Mujica had practice scheduled that afternoon. I ended up running into Tomo-chan in the street beforehand and she said she could give them to you.” Taki remembers Tomori visiting her to give her the day’s missing schoolwork. She still felt bad that Tomori had to go so far out of her way for her.
“Umhmm, that’s right. I was looking at some rocks and Umiri-chan came up to me and started looking at them too. She asked me to deliver the notes to you and gave me her number so she could contact me in the future for anything else.” Umiri just gave Tomori her number like that? It took weeks for Taki to work up the courage to ask Tomori for hers. “After that, we started talking about rocks we found and um, well, we talked about more stuff about ourselves.”
“Hah? Hold on, Umiri-san, you started talking to Tomori-chan about rocks?”
“Hmm? I don’t know why that’s surprising, I told you before that I love rocks.” Umiri replies in that deadpan tone of hers.
“I THOUGHT YOU MEANT THE MUSIC!” Taki was going to have an aneurysm.
Tomori flinched at the sound, and Taki calmed down once noticing. Umiri meanwhile shot Taki a glare, her expression saying “Don’t scare her like that again”. Taki sighed, “Sorry, I was just… surprised.”
“Ah, don’t apologize, Taki-chan,” Tomori said before eating a bit of her parfait.
“Hmm, Tomo-chan? Face me.” Tomori faced Umiri, allowing Umiri to take her thumb and wipe the corner of Tomori’s mouth. Taki just barely caught a glimpse of whipped cream on Umiri’s thumb before she licked it clean, giving Tomori a light smirk. Tomori was a blushing mess while Taki’s mind began to shut down.
What the fuck was that? Did she just? Hah? HAH? WHEN DID UMIRI GET SO SMOOTH? SHE WATCHED UMIRI BITE HER TONGUE 5 TIMES TRYING TO ASK OUT A CLASSMATE MONTHS AGO? SHE’S SEEN UMIRI FAIL THE MOST BASIC OF PICK UP LINES. DID SHE GET REPLACED? IS THIS A DREAM? A NIGHTMARE? IT'S A NIGHTMARE RIGHT? NO WAY CAN UMIRI PULL SOMETHING LIKE THAT OFF IN REAL LIFE. HAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH????????
Taki could feel herself slowly disintegrate, not able to handle the shock that her friend was sweeping her crush off her feet. Maybe this was a nightmare, and Taki will wake up, relieved that Umiri is still a loser at love and Tomori isn’t snuggli- oh my god they are snuggling now.
Umiri had her arm around Tomori now, and Tomori was slightly leaning into her. No words were exchanged as the couple basked in their happy atmosphere while Taki watched in her chair, mentally checked out. A ding from Tomori’s phone was enough to bring her back to reality.
“O-oh, um, sorry but my mom wants me to come home to help her with dinner. I-I’m sorry for leaving so soon. A-and don’t worry Taki, I’ll tell the rest of the band soon, so you, um, don’t have to hide this.” Tomori got up to leave, going to leave some money for her parfait before Umiri stopped her.
“I’ll pay for you, Tomo-chan. Also, if you don’t mind, I’ll walk you home.” Tomori tried to stammer that she was fine, but ended up accepting as she went ahead. Umiri went to follow before her arm was grabbed by Taki.
“Umiri-san,” Taki breathed heavily, venom dripping from her words, “please, take care of Tomori-chan. She’s a fragile girl, and if I find out you hurt her, you’ll be lucky if you ever pick up a bass again.”
“It’s alright, Taki-san. I won’t let any harm come to Tomori. And anyway,” Umiri started… blushing? (Hah?) Taki managed to catch the bassist whisper, “she’s not the fragile one,” before turning to leave.
And that would have been fine, Taki managed to survive a Top 5 Worst Days of Her Life, if not for one final detail. Right before she left, Taki saw it. A small, red bruise, right on the side of Umiri’s neck. She’s not the fragile one. This truly was a nightmare.
“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Saya Yamabuki would later clock in for her shift, only to find her coworker passed out on a table, dead to the world as RiNG’s Stray Cat continuously poked her asking her for matcha.