Band Girls’ Mixology Mission [193]

One thing could immediately be ruled out: the reason Kikukawa Kyo showed that "shy" reaction definitely wasn’t caused by simple physical contact.

Otherwise, she’d have reacted earlier when Soyo sat on her lap, or even earlier—far earlier, who knows how long ago?

The crucial factor must be that last movement—when Soyo breathed softly into Kyo’s ear. In that fleeting moment, exactly which factor triggered the reaction?

If it was simply the act of blowing air, then Kyo had previously done this very easily to Soyo herself. Could it be that although Kyo always acted provocatively, driving everyone else wild, she herself actually had paper-thin defenses?

Or perhaps it was about the spot where the breath landed? Just now, Soyo had breathed onto Kyo’s ear; were her ears especially sensitive?

Though many doubts lingered, Soyo wasn't worried. First, there weren’t many elements involved in that action; by testing them one by one, she'd eventually uncover the truth.

Second, she had already leapt far ahead of Sakiko!

Every detail that Soyo experienced firsthand was completely unknown from Sakiko’s perspective.

Sakiko, you’re one step behind.

Did you think your relationship with Kyo was so secure that you could calmly hand over the first chance of interaction?

Overconfident, arrogant, proud—conceited!

I'm nothing like you. I’ll seize every chance tightly. I’ll never allow you to steal this warmth from me again! I'll make sure you understand clearly what it felt like when you threw us all away—what it means to lose something precious!

Moreover, remember clearly, Togawa Sakiko: you delivered this opportunity right into my hands!

Believing victory was already hers, Soyo’s tone grew even sweeter, her voice softening into sugary gentleness, extending delicately like thin, probing tendrils, aiming to deeply explore and expose Kyo’s little secrets!

"But Kyo-chan, if you can't handle me whispering close to your ear, doesn't that make your proposal of acting as a 'messenger' between Sakiko and me impossible to carry out?"

It seemed as if she was merely worried about mending her relationship with Sakiko, but she was actually testing Kyo. And she deliberately kept her voice soft enough so Sakiko couldn't overhear, continuously hinting to Kyo that if she had any secret concerns, all she had to do was tell Soyo, and naturally, Nagasaki Soyo would carefully guard that secret~

The wicked intentions of this temptress were crystal clear!

At this point, Soyo secretly glanced toward Sakiko to observe her expression.

Unsurprisingly, Sakiko’s expression was currently so gloomy that it practically dripped dark water, resembling a blackened pot bottom smeared with ash, or a careless spill of expensive, powdered perfume, or like a bassist asked, "Hey, why’s your guitar not making any sound?"

Unexpectedly, Soyo’s heart fluttered with a strange emotion at seeing this. The girl who had once been like a pure white moonlight for her—whose kindness and cruelty had equally left deep impressions—was now right in front of her, clearly a step behind. Whether during their band days or after the breakup, Soyo had never imagined this day would come.

What exactly did she feel towards Sakiko? Even Soyo herself probably couldn't explain this contradiction clearly.

On one hand, she was deeply grateful for the kindness Sakiko had shown when she was struggling desperately in an unfamiliar environment, bringing her what was arguably the happiest time after joining Tsukinomori.

Yet, on the other hand, Sakiko’s cold-hearted departure and prolonged silence afterward, as if everything before had been fake, had equally wounded Soyo profoundly.

To this day, the real reason Sakiko had left the band remained a thorn deeply embedded in Soyo’s heart.

But before anything else, I'll seize the happiness in front of me right now. This wasn’t about revenge—Soyo would never again easily let go of Kikukawa Kyo, who had finally appeared before her eyes once more.

Although...

Seeing Sakiko’s expression—seeing this jealousy written all over her face—somehow gave her an unexpected thrill.

Meanwhile, Sakiko appeared gloomy on the surface but had actually long since calmed down internally.

Heh, Nagasaki Soyo, you think you've already won this?

Even if she gave Soyo a temporary lead, Sakiko still possessed advantages far beyond Soyo’s reach: Kyo and I are classmates at Haneoka; I know exactly where Kyo lives; the bookstore where I work is right next to Kyo’s café!

You want to know what triggered Kyo’s embarrassment? Why hurry to find out overnight?

You, who’ll miss your chance today and then need to wait who knows how long for another opportunity—you’re truly the one who’s behind by a step!

So go ahead, continue embracing your delusions until they drown you.

Though currently, the one Soyo was embracing was actually Kikukawa Kyo.

The invisible war among women—truly frightening… This was just another fragment from the world of band girls…

“Mm.”

Using the hand she'd previously stretched out into the rain, Kyo quickly rubbed her ear, wiping away the lingering warmth from Soyo’s breath. Due to her slightly hurried rubbing, her ear now appeared slightly reddened and looked deliciously tempting.

"As long as Soyo doesn’t randomly blow into my ear like just now, it’s fine."

So getting close to whisper wasn't the issue, it was the act of blowing? If it was just sensitivity to airflow, even speaking produced slight currents. So, could it be the warmth produced by exhalation?

No.

Nagasaki Soyo was a woman of astounding wisdom; she wouldn’t jump to conclusions this easily. Her intuition told her there must be another reason.

She had to continue thinking from Kyo’s perspective—what was Kyo’s most prominent trait? Without question, it was water.

Almost all of Kyo’s preferences were obviously connected to water. If she integrated the factor of water into the act of breathing out…

Think carefully, Soyo—remember how Kyo reacted at her home after drinking that bowl of vegetable soup she'd prepared?

It flashed through her mind like lightning!

I’ve got it! The puzzle was solved. The true reason behind Kyo’s embarrassment was actually the water vapor exhaled along with her breath—from Soyo’s mouth!

No further evidence was necessary—Kyo herself practically personified water, and that alone was the strongest proof!

Firmly memorizing this answer in her heart, now was ultimately not the best time to test this theory further. But that didn’t matter—she had already grasped Kyo’s weakness.

Just wait, Kikukawa Kyo!

---

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!