[MashUp] Ch 44: pay with your lips

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Anon nudged Tomori forward. "Tomori. You make the wish."

"Eh?"

Tomori's head snapped up, flustered, flapping her hands like a startled penguin.

"N-no… I can't! Anon, you should—"

"You were the one who dragged me out here, right?"

Anon cut her off with a teasing smile. "And without you, we never would've made it this far. So this wish belongs to you. You earned it."

"Go on."

She met Tomori's eyes with nothing but encouragement.

Tomori's eyes instantly brimmed with tears.

She looked at Anon, then at the great tree before them. Finally, she summoned every ounce of courage she had ever held in her life.

She stepped forward, clasped her hands together, and closed her eyes.

Her voice was soft, trembling like a whisper, but filled with unshakable sincerity.

"I… I wish… for the courage… to sing the song in my heart… to the whole world."

The moment the words left her lips—

The Tree of Wisdom erupted with blinding light, more radiant than ever before.

A single shimmering leaf, glowing with all the colors of the rainbow, drifted down and melted into Tomori's palm.

Her eyes flew open. She could feel it—something inside her had changed.

"Thank you… Anon."

Tomori turned her head, tears sliding down her cheeks, and showed her friend a smile so pure and beautiful it seemed to light up the whole world.

Ding.

A soft chime rang out.

On the backs of their hands, beside the candy crown and shattered note, a third emblem appeared—a shimmering rainbow leaf.

The world around them began to blur and fade.

Tiramy's voice echoed one last time, tinged with a playful farewell.

"Looks like you've found your treasures. Then… see you on the final stage, mii."

The light dissolved.

Anon and Tomori found themselves back in the main plaza.

Evening had fallen. The park was illuminated by countless glowing vines, like a sea of stars.

Their phones lit up with the time: 6:48 PM.

Somehow, without realizing it, they had spent over six hours in this amusement park.

The little dog fairy reappeared with its two companions, floating before the crowd.

"Dreamers, congratulations on completing the first three trials."

"And I imagine by now… your stomachs must be growling."

"Follow me. We've prepared a grand feast for you."

Led by the fairies, everyone headed into a restaurant called Fairy's Kitchen.

It was built inside the hollow of a massive tree.

Inside, warm lights glowed and soothing music drifted through the air. The scent of creamy chowder and firewood-roasted meat mingled into something rich and comforting.

Everything about the place radiated cozy, storybook charm.

Guests quickly claimed seats, and all the bottled-up emotion from the day spilled out in a wave.

"I swear, I've never played a shooting game that intense in my life!"

"Game? Forget that! When that Phantom of the Opera execution happened, I—me, a grown man—started crying right there. The immersion was insane!"

At the next table, a group of middle-aged women were just as overwhelmed.

"This place is… unbelievable. If I ever take my son to another amusement park after this, he's going to think it's boring."

"Exactly. The bar's been raised way too high!"

"…Though, these food prices…"

One woman glanced at the menu and twitched at the numbers.

"Yeah, classic theme park markup. Way pricier than outside."

"Mom! I want that one! The Fluffy Pancake King Hero Set!"

Her kid shouted excitedly, pointing at the most popular meal on the menu.

She sighed, then smiled at the sparkle in her child's eyes.

"Alright, alright, I'll get it for you. Honestly… after a day this amazing, it's worth the money."

Anon and Tomori found a perfect spot tucked away in the corner.

It was like a miniature opera box: plush velvet sofas in a deep wine-red that hugged you the second you sat down, and even a tiny water channel along the edge where glowing fish swam lazily under soft golden light.

"Tomori, what do you want to eat?"

Anon grabbed the menu, pointing and chattering with excitement.

Tomori didn't even glance at it. She just looked at Anon's animated expression across the table and spoke softly. "Anon… thank you. For bringing me here today."

The sudden gratitude froze Anon for a second. Then she waved her hands awkwardly, cheeks coloring.

"Huh? What's with the polite tone all of a sudden?"

"Weren't we gonna build the best band ever together?"

"In a place like this, of course we've gotta come find inspiration!"

Tomori's cheeks flushed pink as she lowered her head, voice dropping to little more than a murmur.

"Back there… that Phantom's song… I think… I kind of understood how he felt…"

"It was like… having all these feelings inside but no way to say them, so the only way left was to turn them into music…"

Hearing that, Anon leaned across the table, locking eyes with her.

"Then let's write it down!"

"Let's make something even stronger, even gentler than his song—and let the whole world hear it!"

"But first!"

Her tone flipped, bright and brimming with energy again, as she raised the menu high above her head.

"We need food! Nobody can write a masterpiece on an empty stomach!"

Tomori nodded hard, smiling with genuine warmth.

Just then, Anon's stomach gave an alarming twist, no doubt from the gallons of that weird nebula juice she'd been chugging earlier.

"Ugh—nope, can't hold it! Tomori, order something for me, I'll be right back!"

She jumped up, bolting out of the booth. But when she rounded a giant decorative mushroom, she was moving too fast—

—and crashed straight into a solid chest.

"Owww…"

Clutching her forehead, Anon stumbled back, immediately lifting her head to apologize.

"I'm so sor—"

The words froze in her throat.

A boy stood before her.

Short silver hair shimmered faintly like moonlight. His black casual clothes only sharpened the clean lines of his tall frame. And those eyes… dark blue, deep, and impossibly captivating.

He tilted his head, gazing down at the clumsy girl who had just barreled into him.

The moment Anon truly saw his face, her heartbeat stopped cold.

No way.

That face!

Her pupils shrank in shock.

It was him.

The silver-haired figure who had flashed across that promo video, leaving her breathless even in that instant.

"I—I'm really, really sorry!"

Realizing who she had just smashed into, Anon snapped ramrod straight, bowing a perfect ninety degrees.

But instead of anger, a soft chuckle drifted down to her.

"Sorry?"

The boy's lazy drawl carried a teasing edge.

"Words don't mean much if they don't come with some sincerity."

"Huh?"

Anon blinked up at him in confusion.

And then, before she could react, a long, slender hand caught her chin, holding her still.

His breathtakingly handsome face filled her vision, drawing closer and closer until she could barely breathe.

"As compensation for running into me…"

His warm breath made her heart stumble out of rhythm.

"…pay with your lips."

And with that, he lowered his head toward her.

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