Chapter 119: The Side of That Girl Unknown to Anyone

After being spoken to, Kiyono Arisa didn’t make a sound for a moment.

She stared intently at Xiao Chun Miura, her body tense.

“Did you say good evening?”

After several seconds, she softly repeated Xiao Chun Miura’s words, then took a few steps toward her.

The chestnut-haired girl squinted, only widening her eyes when she was very close.

It was as if, with severe nearsightedness, she could only recognize Xiao Chun Miura’s face at close range.

Her shoulders relaxed slightly, but the cold aura that kept others at bay grew even stronger.

“So it was you.”

Kiyono Arisa let out a sigh.

She stepped back to her original spot, facing Xiao Chun Miura.

Though separated by sunglasses and a mask, Xiao Chun Miura could faintly sense that the expression under the mask was probably full of impatience.

“Were you following me here?”

She asked coldly.

“…… If it’s just a coincidence, you wouldn’t try to blackmail me with it, would you?”

“Eh? N-no!”

Xiao Chun Miura instinctively waved her hands to show that wasn’t the case.

What kind of logic did Kiyono Arisa have?

Is it like this in the game too?

“Then how did we meet twice in a row? Is there really such a thing as coincidence?”

“It’s just a coincidence….!”

Cold sweat trickled down Xiao Chun Miura’s back.

“Stalking is absolutely a misunderstanding! It really was just a coincidence!”

“My friends and I…were singing in a booth over there. I just came out to get a drink……”

Xiao Chun Miura raised the tray in her hand, then pointed to the large booth at the other end of the hallway, trying to prove her innocence.

Kiyono Arisa followed her finger with her gaze.

However, even with her eyes narrowed and brow furrowed, it seemed she still couldn’t see clearly from that distance.

But through the door, the laughter and singing could be heard, naturally the noise of girls having fun.

After Kondo Haruka apologized to Xiao Chun Miura face-to-face, Yui Hori and the others no longer felt any ill will toward Kondo Haruka.

The speed at which girls build friendships is as fast as the speed at which those friendships collapse.

“…Friends, huh.”

Standing at a distance, Kiyono Arisa softly repeated the word.

There was no emotion in the girl’s tone.

Neither envy nor disdain.

Only a kind of indifference, as if she were stating something unrelated to herself.

“– Singing together, huh.

However, after suddenly saying that, Kiyono Arisa clicked her tongue lightly.

Then, she withdrew her gaze and looked again at the malfunctioning vending machine, as if she’d lost interest in Xiao Chun Miura.

She stared at the machine for a few more seconds, then seemed to decide to give up.

“Um…”

Watching Kiyono Arisa turn to leave, Xiao Chun Miura, almost against her will, called out to her.

“That machine — let me take a look.”

Kiyono Arisa stopped, turned her head coldly, and watched Xiao Chun Miura approach.

Feeling the weight of that gaze, Xiao Chun Miura steeled herself, went forward, and fumbled around the side of the machine for a moment before finding a red button.

“These machines do this a lot… If you just press the ‘clean/reset’ button, it’ll usually be fine.”

As she spoke, she pressed the button.

The machine let out a soft whirring sound, then with a “ding,” the red light turned green.

Xiao Chun Miura steadied the cup Kiyono Arisa had placed below, then pressed the hot cocoa button again.

This time, rich brown liquid flowed smoothly into the cup, a cloud of white steam rising.

“Mm, it’s good now.”

Xiao Chun Miura stepped back, signaling that Kiyono Arisa could take it.

Kiyono Arisa stood there, her expression slightly stunned.

She looked at the steaming cup of cocoa, then at Xiao Chun Miura, who stood to the side looking cautious.

Silence spread in the air.

After a while, she reached out and slowly picked up the paper cup.

“…Thank you.”

She gave a terse word of thanks.

Though her tone was still blunt…

Xiao Chun Miura keenly sensed that the aura around Kiyono Arisa, warning strangers away, had diminished just a little.

“It was nothing…”

Kiyono Arisa didn’t reply further.

She held the hot cocoa, pulled her hood lower to hide her face deeper in shadow, then turned to leave.

Just as they were about to pass each other, she suddenly stopped.

Without turning, Kiyono Arisa spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear:

“You didn’t see anything today.”

The voice was calm, without a ripple, but carried an unshakeable firmness.

“I wasn’t here, so you couldn’t have seen me either.”

“I understand…”

The sunglasses on Kiyono Arisa’s face slipped slightly, revealing eyes as cold as ice.

The chestnut-haired girl glanced at Xiao Chun Miura.

A moment later, she didn’t linger, quickly walking to the other side of the corridor.

Xiao Chun Miura stood there, watching her back.

She didn’t head for the exit, nor for any of the large booths.

Instead, she walked straight to a row of small cubicles marked “Solo Booth”, opened one door, and slipped inside.

As the door closed, Xiao Chun Miura caught a glimpse of the cramped space within.

Only a chair, a small screen, and a microphone.

It was a place prepared for those who didn’t want to socialize and just wanted to sing alone.

“……Alone, huh.”

Xiao Chun Miura murmured.

In the game, Kiyono Arisa was clearly a beloved idol, adored by many.

But at this moment, she hid in a tiny solo booth, sipping free hot cocoa provided by the ktv.

This contrast made Xiao Chun Miura feel a nameless sense of sorrow.

Compared to the dazzling Kiyono Arisa on stage, always perfect in the game–

The girl who struggled with a vending machine just to pour a drink, bristling with caution, seemed more alive.

Xiao Chun Miura gave one last glance at the tightly closed “Solo Booth” door, shook her head, then walked toward the front desk.

She quickly filled four cups with drinks, then turned and headed back to the lively booth where her friends waited.

Opening the door, a wave of heat and song washed over her.

“Koharu, you were gone so long~!”

Yui Hori, sitting in the center of the sofa with a microphone, called out.

“We waited so long~.”

“Sorry, the machine jammed a bit.”

Xiao Chun Miura handed out the drinks, passing the lukewarm oolong tea to Kondo Haruka.

“Here.”

Kondo Haruka grunted, took the cup, drank, and her brow relaxed.

“I queued the next song for you too, so don’t think you can just hide in the corner and slack off.”

“–Eh? I have to sing too?”

“You thought you could get away without singing at all? This is ktv, you know?”

Kondo Haruka looked puzzled.

“You came to ktv, used my booth, and still don’t want to sing?”

“…This…”

Xiao Chun Miura looked at her friends singing and laughing together, but in her mind, she pictured the figure hiding in the shadows moments before.

“Alright.”

Looking at the next song already queued on the screen, Xiao Chun Miura took the microphone Kondo Haruka handed her and sighed inwardly.

At least for now…

In this small booth filled with off-key singing and laughter, she could set those thoughts aside for a while.

There would be plenty of time to interact with Kiyono Arisa in the future.

The long-haired girl looked through her glasses at the screen, opened her mouth, and began to sing.