Chapter 112: You Must Not Appear in Front of Kanzaki Sou!

Along the way, Kanzaki Sou didn’t bring up any heavy topics.

This made the atmosphere between them lighten, and Miura Koharu’s tense nerves gradually eased.

She couldn’t help but admit that, if you set aside matters of life and death…

Chatting with Kanzaki Sou was actually a really relaxing thing.

He was a good listener, knowledgeable and well-spoken, able to keep up the conversation no matter what she said—a truly ideal companion for a talk.

When they arrived in front of the Store Street at the station, Miura Koharu realized it was about time to part ways.

At this hour, the Store Street was bustling with people.

“It’s a bit crowded.”

Kanzaki Sou shifted his body slightly, silently moving to the outer edge to shield Miura Koharu from the hurried passersby.

Miura Koharu looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed.

It seemed like a normal action for Kanzaki Sou.

But Miura Koharu always felt she didn’t deserve such kindness.

“Everyone—good afternoon!!”

At that moment, a powerful beat of electronic music pierced through the noisy crowd and reached their ears.

“We are ‘Sugar Starlight’! Please support us!”

It was the energetic, overlapping voices of several girls.

Even though it was amplified through a speaker and tinged with a hint of electric distortion, the energy was still overflowing.

Miura Koharu instinctively turned toward the sound.

In a small square at the entrance of Store Street, four young girls in Stage Outfits were passionately promoting something.

And quite a crowd had gathered around them.

“Underground idols, huh.”

Kanzaki Sou also stopped and looked in that direction.

“A live show in a place like Store Street is pretty rare.”

“…Is it?”

Miura Koharu replied absentmindedly, but her gaze was fixed on the girls’ outfits.

It was a Stage Outfit in deep blue and silver as the main colors.

The layered skirt was adorned with sequins and star decorations, with a hint of gothic loli style, yet it was modified for stage performance, exposing the shoulders and part of the waist.

It wasn’t that Miura Koharu thought the outfit was pretty.

She just felt she’d seen it somewhere before.

A strange sense of déjà vu.

Where had she seen it?

“—Miura-san?”

Kanzaki Sou noticed Miura Koharu’s daze.

He looked at her eyes, which were staring ahead, as if she were desperately recalling something.

He seemed to think of something.

“What’s wrong? Are you interested in that?”

Kanzaki Sou asked gently.

“Ah? No… I mean, maybe a little?”

Miura Koharu was distracted by other thoughts, and her words were muddled.

As she glanced over, she realized Kanzaki Sou had already started walking.

“If you’re curious, let’s go have a look.”

Kanzaki Sou naturally led her toward the small square.

“If you’re not in a hurry, Miura-san, it’s fine to watch for a bit.”

“Eh? W-wait…”

Miura Koharu instinctively wanted to stop him, but she couldn’t think of a reason, so she could only follow Kanzaki Sou’s lead.

They drew closer and closer to the temporary stage.

The music grew louder, the energetic singing ringing clearly in their ears.

The smiles on the four girls’ faces were dazzling, each movement bursting with energy, as if this corner of the street were a brilliant stage.

While absentmindedly responding to Kanzaki Sou’s occasional words, Miura Koharu stared intently at the Stage Outfit.

What was it?

She kept her eyes fixed on the swaying outfit.

After a long moment, a scene from deep within her memory, as if struck by lightning, sharpened from blur to clarity.

In her memory, a doll-like girl with long chestnut hair wore that outfit, hiding in the backstage shadows, with a lonely yet stubborn expression.

“_-!!

Miura Koharu’s pupils contracted instantly.

She remembered!

That Stage Outfit was the uniform of the underground idol group that Kiyono Arisa belonged to!!

And the trigger for Kiyono Arisa’s Personal Route—

It was a day before winter break, when the protagonist Kanzaki Sou happened to see a live street performance by this underground idol group on Store Street and recognized Kiyono Arisa from school!

“Crap…”

A chill shot from Miura Koharu’s feet to the top of her head.

This was clearly the Trigger Point for Kiyono Arisa’s route!

And the timing was wrong!

In the game, it should have happened right before winter break, when Kanzaki Sou came to shop alone.

Why was it happening now, in autumn, just after the sports festival?!

The System’s warning from last night seemed to explode in her ears.

Miura Koharu’s heart tightened.

If Kanzaki Sou saw Kiyono Arisa now—

Wouldn’t Kiyono Arisa’s Personal Route start several months early?!

“They look like they’re giving it their all.”

Kanzaki Sou’s voice came from beside her, seemingly unaware of the panic in the girl next to him, his gaze still on the stage.

“Even though the place is plain, that passion really moves you.”

His steps didn’t stop.

Only ten meters remained to the small square.

No!

I can’t let this happen!

I can’t let him see Kiyono Arisa!

“K-Kanzaki-kun!”

Miura Koharu suddenly stopped, her voice rising with nervousness.

Kanzaki Sou paused, turning to look at her.

“What’s wrong?”

“I…um…”

Miura Koharu’s gaze flickered in panic, finally landing on a sign across the street.

It was a Sweet Shop she and Yui Hori had visited before.

“I…I just remembered!”

“I went to an amazing place with my friends before! Right across the street!”

“I really wanted to recommend it to you! It’s super good!”

“Let’s go there now, okay?!”

“…Sure.”

Kanzaki Sou withdrew his gaze from the stage and focused back on Miura Koharu.

He showed that trademark gentle smile.

“If it’s a place recommended by Miura-san, I definitely have to try it.”

“Let’s go.”

Upon hearing this, Miura Koharu felt as if she’d been freed from a guillotine, her entire body limp with relief.

“…Yes! Let’s go!”

She didn’t dare linger for even a second, nor give Kanzaki Sou a chance to look back.

Almost yanking Kanzaki Sou’s sleeve, she dragged him across the street toward the Sweet Shop as if escaping.

Behind them, the energetic singing continued.

“Starlight! Shine! Our dreams—!”

Miura Koharu didn’t look back.

But in the moment she turned, her peripheral vision couldn’t help but sweep across the simple stage.

The four girls were striking their ending pose.

One, two, three, four.

The number was correct.

But…

A huge question suddenly popped into Miura Koharu’s mind.

Why wasn’t Kiyono Arisa, the girl with chestnut hair who always stood at the center, among them?