Chapter 120: The Idol’s Panicked Back Figure (3000)

Happy times are always short.

Time flew by amidst singing and laughter.

When Yui Hori’s throat finally began to turn hoarse, and Yuzuki Yasuda’s eyes showed a trace of drowsiness, the clock in the private room pointed to 8 p.m.

“Phew… That was great! I really sang my heart out!”

Yui Hori collapsed onto the sofa, stretching lazily with satisfaction.

“It’s about time to head home, right? It’s already eight. If we stay any later, our families will start to worry.”

Mio Sato checked her phone and reminded everyone.

“Ah, it’s already that late?”

Yuzuki Yasuda looked a bit surprised.

“I have to catch the last train home.”

“So, should we call it a day?”

Yui Hori looked over at Xiao Chun Miura and Kondo Haruka.

Xiao Chun Miura was just setting down her hand drum, and when she saw Yui Hori looking over, she glanced at Kondo Haruka sitting beside her.

The host was still sipping her last mouthful of oolong tea.

Although her hair was a bit messy, compared to the girls who had just finished singing energetically, Kondo Haruka actually seemed quite calm.

“Yeah, let’s break up for today.”

Kondo Haruka nodded, showing no intention of making anyone stay.

“I’ve had enough singing anyway.”

Clearly, she still wanted to sing a little more, right?

Hearing Kondo Haruka say this, Xiao Chun Miura keenly noticed a faint trace of loneliness flicker in the maroon-haired girl’s eyes—almost unnoticeable.

The group gathered their things and left the private room.

At the front desk, although Kondo Haruka insisted on treating, under the girls’ strong demands, they ended up splitting the bill.

Yui Hori and the others started saying their goodbyes.

“Then, Kondo-san, Koharu, we’re heading off first!”

“Bye~ Let’s hang out again next time!”

“Be careful on your way home.”

As the noisy group walked out the door, Xiao Chun Miura turned her head to look at Kondo Haruka, who was still sitting in the lobby.

“Kondo-san, aren’t you leaving?”

“I’m waiting for my ride.”

Kondo Haruka looked down at her phone, her brows slightly furrowed.

“My parents just messaged me—they said there’s a bit of traffic, so they’ll be about twenty minutes late.”

“I see…”

Xiao Chun Miura glanced at the thick bandage on her foot, thoughtful.

She turned to look at the bustling night street outside the glass window.

Letting an injured girl wait here alone really didn’t seem reassuring.

Even though it was the strong-willed Kondo Haruka, since they had already “declared a truce”…

It was still better not to just stand by and do nothing.

“—I’ll wait with you for a bit.”

Thinking this, Xiao Chun Miura turned back to look at Kondo Haruka.

She spoke naturally.

“Besides, I’m not in a hurry to go home.”

“…Eh?”

Kondo Haruka looked up, a bit surprised.

But immediately, her expression cooled, and her gaze shifted away.

“No need. I’m not a kid. I can wait by myself.”

“I know you can.”

Xiao Chun Miura smiled and pointed to the lounge area beside the lobby.

“But I’m a little tired now, so I want to rest before leaving.”

“The lounge is right here. You’re not going to chase me away for the staff, are you?”

“Might as well use this time to sit for a while over there. Is that a problem?”

Kondo Haruka opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to argue.

But she realized—there was nothing to argue against.

So, in the end, Kondo Haruka just turned her head and let out a light humph.

“Do as you like…”

Her words were still sharp, but she didn’t say anything else.

The KTV lobby’s lounge area was fairly spacious, with a few soft sofas and some fashion magazines.

Because it was dinnertime, there weren’t many people around—only the occasional passing staff or customers who’d finished singing.

The two of them found a spot toward the back and sat down.

Kondo Haruka carefully stretched out her injured foot, while Xiao Chun Miura casually picked up a magazine and started flipping through it.

The air quieted, leaving only the gentle jazz playing in the background.

“……Hey, Miura.”

After a while, Kondo Haruka suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

“What’s up?”

Xiao Chun Miura looked up from the magazine.

“Today…thanks.”

Kondo Haruka’s voice was soft, her gaze fixed on the patterns on the floor.

“…For singing with me.”

“Kondo-san, we all came here to sing in the first place. It’s not like we were just here for you.”

Xiao Chun Miura smiled.

“And we were the ones mooching off your fancy private room, weren’t we? We’re the ones who should thank you.”

“That’s a separate issue.”

Kondo Haruka said stubbornly.

“—That Hori girl, the one I almost ran into during the sports festival, that was her, right?”

“She’s loud, but that kind of carefree attitude…that personality, I think it’s nice.”

“Yui’s just that kind of person.”

“I can tell.”

Xiao Chun Miura felt a little surreal.

If this had been a conversation with Kondo Haruka before, it definitely would’ve turned into a tense showdown.

But now, there was a strangely peaceful atmosphere.

The conversation drifted aimlessly.

However, since their interests didn’t overlap much, the topics weren’t particularly deep.

Many subjects ended after only a single exchange.

Xiao Chun Miura even considered bringing up Kanzaki Sou as a topic.

But just thinking about it, she knew Kondo Haruka would blow up, so she quickly swallowed the words that almost slipped out.

Just as their conversation fell into a brief silence and Xiao Chun Miura racked her brain for a new topic—

“Bang—!”

A not-so-soft door slam sounded from the depths of the hallway.

Right after, came a string of hurried footsteps.

“Tap tap tap tap—”

The footsteps were fast and heavy.

Noticing the unusual sound, both Xiao Chun Miura and Kondo Haruka instinctively looked up toward the corridor leading to the private rooms.

The next moment, a figure dashed out from there.

The instant she recognized the person, Xiao Chun Miura’s pupils narrowed slightly.

A gray hoodie, hood pulled low, and a mask covering the face.

Wasn’t that Kiyono Arisa?

At this moment, she looked a bit off.

Unlike before, when she maintained a cold and guarded posture, now she had her head down, running straight out.

She was in such a hurry that she almost bumped into a signboard by the front desk.

“Hey! Be careful!”

The young guy at the counter shouted.

But she paid no attention, didn’t apologize, or even glance to the side.

“Ha…Ha…”

Even from several meters away, Xiao Chun Miura seemed to hear her rough, uneven breathing.

And that wasn’t all.

As she passed by the lounge area—

By the shifting lights of the lobby’s disco lamps, Xiao Chun Miura seemed to see it.

From the edge of the sunglasses on the brown-haired girl’s face, a shining trail of water slid down.

Xiao Chun Miura froze.

Tears?

What happened?

Earlier, when they bumped into each other by the drink machine, she had seemed cold and wary, but her emotions had been stable—not at all like someone about to cry.

Did something happen in that small, single-person private room?

Xiao Chun Miura instinctively tried to stand up.

But before she could move, a voice beside her stopped her.

“……Who was that?”

Xiao Chun Miura froze in place.

Kondo Haruka frowned, watching the figure that had rushed out the glass doors and disappeared into the night, her face full of confusion.

“Running that fast, didn’t she almost crash into something?”

She complained.

“And dressed like that… Wearing sunglasses at night, what is she, a superstar?”

Seriously.

Thinking so, Xiao Chun Miura sat back down on the sofa.

Kondo Haruka was here.

If she chased after Kiyono Arisa now to check on her, Kondo Haruka would definitely start asking questions.

Besides—

Remembering the way Kiyono Arisa fled just now, plus her words: “You didn’t see anything today.”

Constantly emphasizing “didn’t see,” “wasn’t here,” “didn’t do anything.”

It felt like Kiyono Arisa was hiding from something.

If that’s the case, even if she chased after her, it would be hard to get an answer.

More likely, Kiyono Arisa would just become even more guarded.

“……Probably something urgent came up?”

Xiao Chun Miura withdrew her gaze, forcing down her unsettled feelings, and tried to sound natural.

“…People run into emergencies sometimes.”

“Yeah—true.”

Kondo Haruka didn’t dwell on the little incident.

She glanced down at her phone, and her face brightened.

“Ah, my parents are here.”

She pushed herself up using the armrest.

“They’re at the door.”

“I’ll help you over.”

Xiao Chun Miura quickly got up to support her.

The two of them walked out of the KTV entrance.

The night wind was cool, clearing her mind.

A black luxury car was parked by the roadside, hazard lights flashing.

“Well then… I’m off.”

Kondo Haruka stood at the car door, turning to look at Xiao Chun Miura.

“Yeah, see you Monday.”

Xiao Chun Miura waved with a smile.

“We’re not even in the same class.”

Kondo Haruka grumbled.

She seemed like she wanted to say something else, but in the end, she just turned and got in the car.

Before the car left, Kondo Haruka rolled down the window, revealing half her face.

“That magazine you were reading.”

“Hm?”

Magazine? The one in the lounge?

“What’s wrong?”

Xiao Chun Miura asked.

“The outfits were too tacky. They don’t suit you. Don’t copy them.”

With that, the window rolled up and the car drove away a few seconds later.

Xiao Chun Miura stared blankly at the receding taillights.

Even as she left, she couldn’t help but say something like that.

Seriously…