If she replied now, she wouldn’t be able to say much to Sou Kanzaki before class started.
‘Besides, he might not even be able to see it for a while.’
Despite that thought, Koharu Miura sent a reply: “I have indeed been there. Did something happen, Kanzaki?”
She was genuinely curious about what had prompted Sou Kanzaki to seek her out.
Even if he didn’t see it now, the afternoon was long.
Once he noticed her reply, he would likely respond by the time school was over.
Another reason…
Koharu didn’t want to leave Sou’s message hanging.
She couldn’t say why, but it felt uncomfortable to leave a LIME message from Sou Kanzaki unread.
Ring, ring, ring —
Just as she hit send, the school bell rang from the speakers in the corner of the corridor.
Koharu quickly shoved her phone into her jacket’s inner pocket and ran back to the classroom.
……
With her mind preoccupied, time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, it was time for school to end.
Koharu politely declined her friends’ invitations to go out and headed to the school rooftop alone.
It was quiet there, making it a convenient spot to chat on her phone for a while.
…Her original plan was to contact Arisa Kiyono immediately after school to share the intel she’d gathered, the questions she had, and the information she wanted Arisa to provide.
That had been the plan after their initial agreement on the rooftop.
But now, Sou Kanzaki’s appearance had completely thrown off her rhythm.
If she didn’t address his suspicions first and keep him calm… if he started investigating on his own and followed the trail of her visit to the livehouse…
— If he somehow found Arisa Kiyono, the consequences would be unpredictable.
“…”
Reaching the rooftop, Koharu opened her phone.
On LIME, the avatar for “SS” was pulsing with new messages.
[Yes, because I heard some related topics while helping out at the Student Council. It’s not exactly a small matter. If it’s convenient for you now, Miura, could we talk for a bit?]
Koharu stared at the message and pondered for a moment before replying.
[I can.]
‘He heard it at the Student Council?’
‘Does that mean it’s unrelated to anything else?’
Ding-dong.
Sou responded almost immediately after Koharu sent her reply.
Perhaps he had also just finished school and was holding his phone.
[You were at that livehouse, right, Miura?]
[Yes. Did something happen at the Student Council?]
On the other side, Sou quickly sent a long block of text.
[Actually, an anonymous report was dropped into the Student Council’s mailbox. It mentioned students from our school visiting off-campus entertainment venues.]
[The whistleblower was quite specific, claiming they saw several students from our school at a livehouse in Sakuragicho last Wednesday. They want the Student Council to investigate this violation of school rules.]
[But you don’t need to be nervous, Miura.]
‘An anonymous report?’
Koharu felt a wave of dizziness.
If someone saw her, did they also see Arisa Kiyono?
If the report said “that idol looks a lot like Arisa Kiyono,” her entire world would collapse!
[Which names… were mentioned in the anonymous report?]
Koharu sent the message with trembling fingers. She didn’t even realize her palms were soaked with cold sweat.
Sou’s reply followed instantly.
[The letter mentioned four people.]
[Koharu Miura, Yui Hori, Mio Sato, and Yuzuki Yasuda.]
Seeing the list of names, Koharu froze in place. The extreme tension she felt snapped like a tight string, echoing sharply in her mind.
‘Arisa Kiyono isn’t there…’
She instinctively lost her strength and leaned against the cold concrete pillar. Arisa’s name wasn’t there.
‘Did that person miss her?’
‘Or did they intentionally report all the girls from Class 5 who usually hang out together?’
[Are… Are there only those four?] Koharu asked, unwilling to let it go. The weeds of “wrongness” were growing wildly in her heart. [Are there any students from other classes?]
Sou: [Yes, those are the only four names listed. All students from Class 5. The whistleblower seems very familiar with your class.]
Koharu stared at the screen. This was incredibly strange.
If the whistleblower really saw her there, why did they include Yui Hori and the others who hadn’t gone? And if the target was their little group, why choose those three specific days last week?
“Miura? Are you still there?”
The phone vibrated again. Sou had sent another message.
[Are you worried about disciplinary action, Miura?]
[Actually, while the school doesn’t recommend going to livehouses alone, they aren’t on the “strictly prohibited” list like game centers. According to the regulations, these places require guardian supervision. If students gather there privately, it usually only results in a verbal warning.]
[Besides, this is the first anonymous report we’ve received, and the evidence isn’t very solid—just a few blurry background photos. The Student Council doesn’t plan to report this to the school administration yet. After all, if a formal investigation starts, it wouldn’t be good for anyone’s reputation.]
Koharu breathed a small sigh of relief.
At this moment, Sou’s posture as a composed top student actually seemed somewhat reliable.
[Then why did you come to me…]
Sou: [I just happened to see it while I was organizing the files. After all, you’ve helped me out quite a bit in the library lately, and I’d hate to see you get a mark on your record for something like this. So, as a classmate, I thought it would be best to give you a heads-up.]
[Just be more careful when you go to places like that from now on. If you’re caught by the Discipline Committee, I won’t be able to help you cover it up.]
[I’m sorry, Kanzaki! I’m truly sorry!] Koharu replied almost reflexively. [I’ve caused you trouble, and thank you so much for the warning. I… I’ll be more careful from now on.]
As she typed those words, Sou’s face—always wearing that polite yet inscrutable smile—floated in her mind.
Even though he was the one warning her and helping her keep it a secret, the creeping sensation in her gut didn’t fade at all.
‘Why was he the one in charge of organizing those files?’
‘How did he pick her name out of so many others at a glance?’
‘And… who is that whistleblower?’
[Kanzaki, what exactly did the report say?] Koharu asked tentatively, gathering her courage. [I’m not questioning you. I just feel like if I knew who it was, I could… go explain it to them. Maybe there’s a misunderstanding.]
She really wanted to confirm whether the whistleblower was Post 49.
If that person could track Arisa’s schedule, then tracking a nobody like her who was investigating Arisa wouldn’t be impossible.
Sou’s messages stopped for a few seconds.
[I only caught a glimpse of the details. The full file is in the folder at the Student Council office.]
[I heard about it from the other students in charge of taking reports, and I happen to be heading to the Student Council office after school to finish some things. If you’re really worried, I can dig it out and take a closer look, or ask the student who received the letter.]
[I’ll contact you on LIME when I have more specific information?]
Koharu looked at the words “contact you,” and her heart felt as heavy as lead.
[Okay, I understand. I’ll leave it to you then, Kanzaki.]