Chapter 126: A Secret Base Is Strictly First Come, First Served

The two of them had already reached the main road of the Park.

On a Saturday morning, there weren’t many people around.

Because the entire itinerary of going shopping was just a lie Koharu Miura had made up on the spot to deceive Kanzaki Sou, the two of them came to a mutual stop once they reached the main road and were far away from where they had started.

At this moment, Koharu Miura didn’t even dare to look at Kiyono Arisa’s face.

Kiyono Arisa’s sudden question had caused Koharu Miura’s already complicated emotions to become even more tangled.

She was only afraid of seeing that girl behind her blushing; that would be nothing short of a bolt from the blue.

“……None of his business.”

—Eh?

However, after obtaining Kanzaki Sou’s name, a moment of silence passed… just as Koharu Miura was feeling uneasy, not knowing what to say and struggling with whether she should say good or bad things about Kanzaki Sou.

Kiyono Arisa suddenly dropped that line.

A moment later, she put her Sunglasses back on and turned her head away, speaking in her usual cold tone: “Who asked him to save me. I could have driven that pervert away myself.”

“……”

Koharu Miura fell silent.

—What was this?

She had clearly been shaking like a sieve just now, clutching the hem of Koharu’s clothes in utter terror, yet now she was acting tough.

……But, this reaction.

Kiyono Arisa didn’t seem to have an excessive reaction toward Kanzaki Sou.

Koharu Miura became thoughtful.

Although he had appeared in a completely positive, hero-saves-the-beauty image, the good news was that Kanzaki Sou didn’t seem to make Kiyono Arisa develop any extra feelings.

Compared to the development in the original Game, it was hard to say if this was better or worse.

Koharu Miura felt a sense of relief in her heart.

At least the Plot Trigger hadn’t reached a point where it was completely different from the original.

The connection between these two would likely lead them together even if it were stirred into a tangled mess.

Can I only play defense for now?

“Anyway, I’m leaving.”

Just as she was thinking, Kiyono Arisa spoke up.

“Eh?”

Koharu Miura looked over and saw Kiyono Arisa tidying her hoodie which had been ruffled by the wind, returning to her distant “keep away” posture.

“I’m not staying here any longer. That man was right; it would be trouble if that pervert brought people back with him.”

“……Yeah.”

That was certainly true.

Koharu Miura nodded.

“About that… ‘cousin’?”

Kiyono Arisa suddenly spoke coldly.

“Ah? Haha…”

Being called ‘cousin’ made Koharu Miura break out in a cold sweat. She laughed awkwardly, “……Sorry, the situation was urgent, I could only make something up…”

“Because I saw that you didn’t really want to be recognized by others…”

“……Hmph, well, you’re not wrong about that.”

Kiyono Arisa gave a light snort and didn’t pursue the clumsy lie any further.

Waving her hand at Koharu Miura, she set off toward the Park exit.

After taking a few steps, Kiyono Arisa stopped, though she didn’t look back.

“About today…”

Her voice drifted over with the wind, sounding somewhat light.

“Um… thank you.”

“Not just for returning the bag, but also for just now.”

“If possible, let’s not run into each other again. I’m off.”

With that, Kiyono Arisa didn’t linger another second, quickly blending into the flow of people outside the Park.

Xiao Chun Miura stood in place, watching that lonely silhouette, feeling somewhat dazed for a moment.

……Kiyono Arisa, what exactly was the purpose behind her desperate desire to remain unrecognized?

Even though they could be considered acquaintances in the Game.

At this moment, she felt as if she had never truly understood her real self.

“……”

“—Time to go Home.”

—Without entering the Personal Route, there was no way to know that the Idol who was so incredibly shining, warm, and friendly in the Common Route…

Would actually be this indifferent and dismissive of contact in private.

Even on the bus ride back, Koharu Miura was still pondering these questions.

……

After the interlude on Saturday, the rest of the Weekend was so peaceful it felt unreal.

Kanzaki Sou later used LIME to check on the situation with Koharu Miura and “Cousin Arisu,” and only stopped asking once he knew everything was fine.

Meanwhile, Kiyono Arisa seemed to have truly disappeared from Koharu Miura’s World, leaving no trace behind, just like the handbag that had disappeared from her Bedroom.

That Live House ticket was placed in a drawer by Koharu Miura, kept safe for the time being like a quest item with an unknown purpose.

In fact, Koharu Miura knew exactly when it would be used.

This live performance should take place in about a month. In the Game, it existed as a preliminary background for introducing the character of Kiyono Arisa; at that time, the Protagonist learned about the existence of this live show from promotions, and later, when he met Kiyono Arisa, he would be surprised to find she was an Idol member of that group. This was a narrative callback designed into the plot.

Now, this live show was actually placed right before her eyes, leaving her with the choice of whether to go or not.

……Koharu Miura often felt that this sense of trance felt like an elusive dream.

……

Monday.

The School was as noisy as ever.

During the morning assembly, the principal was once again droning on incessantly about precautions for the second half of the semester, making everyone’s ears feel like they were growing calluses.

“Haaa…”

Yui Hori stood next to Koharu Miura and let out a yawn, “—I really don’t want to attend the morning assembly. If only I could just fast-forward to the lunch break.”

“Yui, why don’t you just fast-forward to the end of the school day?”

Mio Sato teased Yui Hori.

“I know a way. Once you get back to the Classroom, just lay on your desk and sleep. When you wake up, you’ll have skipped today’s life.”

“Don’t make fun of me…”

Yui Hori looked away awkwardly.

Then, as if to change the subject, Yui Hori suddenly raised her voice, “Eh, have you guys heard? At that Live House on Store Street…”

Listening to their casual chatter, Koharu Miura’s gaze involuntarily drifted toward the Class 1 line ahead and to the side.

Kanzaki Sou’s figure was easy to find at a glance. He stood there with a straight back.

What made the Air around him feel slightly subtle was that, due to her leg injury, Kondo naturally couldn’t participate in the morning assembly which required standing for a long time. Therefore, that always-conspicuous Childhood Friend who was usually around Kanzaki Sou wasn’t there.

Koharu Miura sighed inwardly.

Sometimes it felt strange not having someone to be at odds with.

Wait, what am I thinking?

Koharu Miura shook her head hurriedly.

What a dangerous thought. Why would she think like that?

This was looking for trouble where there was none; it was completely unreasonable.

Obviously, as long as she didn’t come to School, Kanzaki Sou wouldn’t have contact with her, and she would be much safer.

I can’t think about Kanzaki Sou anymore. I’m thinking about him every single day.

“Hmph…”

With a heavy exhale, Koharu Miura tried her best to look away.

“……Koharu, why are you pouting?”

“—Eh? Me? I’m not… am I?”

“Your expression is already like this and you’re still denying it~ What’s wrong? Who upset you? Let’s go beat him up—“

“Haha, beat him up…”

……

Lunchtime.

Koharu Miura declined Yui Hori and the others’ invitation to go to the canteen to fight for yakisoba bread. She took the Bento her Mother had made and went to the roof of the Teaching Building alone.

Few people usually came to the roof, making it a good place to find some peace and quiet.

Pushing open the iron door, a cool breeze blew in, carrying the distinctive crispness of autumn.

“Phew…”

Koharu Miura walked to the railing, looking down at the bustling campus below, her mood feeling somewhat complex.

Although everything appeared normal, only she knew that this kind of normalcy wasn’t something she could enjoy forever.

Kiyono Arisa’s Secret, Kanzaki Sou’s intervention, and the deviation in the World mentioned by the System earlier.

……There were already enough problems; she really didn’t want to take on any more pressure.

“Oh my, isn’t this Miura-san? Why are you sighing?”

“—Sighing here will chase away all your good luck, you know.”

A gentle voice suddenly came from behind her.

Koharu Miura was startled, nearly dropping the chopsticks in her hand.

The girl spun around abruptly.

Kanzaki Sou was standing at the top of the Staircase, carrying a Bento and looking at her with a smile.

“K-Kanzaki Classmate?!”

Koharu Miura looked at him in shock, “Why are you here?”

Kanzaki Sou gave a slight smile.

“What, is this Miura-san’s secret base?”

“—But actually, I’ve been eating my lunch here for the past few days.”