The afternoon classes dragged on in an agonizing atmosphere.
The screeching sound of chalk against the blackboard forced Koharu Miura’s wandering attention back to the lesson.
‘Although I’m sitting upright and staring at the examples in the textbook, the characters seem like living things, twisting and rearranging themselves in my vision.’
Finally, they morphed into Arisa Kiyono’s eyes, hidden behind those sunglasses.
Koharu barely absorbed a single word during the afternoon lessons.
Over those several hours, her mind drifted away from the classroom — filled with adolescent hormones and the smell of chalk dust — toward an unknown livehouse venue.
There, on an empty stage, Arisa Kiyono’s figure cast a massive shadow under the high lights, completely enveloping Koharu’s heart.
The more she thought about Arisa, the more Koharu realized that sitting here daydreaming was pointless.
‘But I definitely won’t be able to see Arisa at school today.’
School would let out immediately after the afternoon classes. The chances of seeing Arisa again within the school grounds today were slim.
‘But building a connection with Arisa — the earlier and deeper, the better.’
Establishing a bond with Arisa would inevitably take time.
Every day delayed meant progress that should have happened today would be pushed to tomorrow or the day after.
If this continued until the time when Arisa and Sou Kanzaki were destined to meet according to the game’s original plot, things might spiral out of control.
However, as she thought about it, Koharu realized something.
‘I don’t remember the name or address of that livehouse.’
It should have been on the ticket Arisa gave her; she had even glanced at it. But she had been preoccupied with other thoughts at the time and failed to memorize the name or the address.
She originally planned to go home and check the ticket, but as she looked at the sunlight beginning to slant outside the window, the anxiety in her heart grew stronger.
If she went home and then took the train to the city center to find the livehouse, it would surely be pitch black by then.
For her current self — she didn’t want to waste a single moment.
Moreover, Sou Kanzaki’s warning on the school rooftop at noon was still ringing in her ears. It was hard to say whether those suspicious people outside the school would only appear there.
There was no need to take extra risks.
‘Since I’ve decided to intervene, I can’t dawdle anymore.’
Koharu took a deep breath and scanned the classroom, finally locking onto Yui Hori. Yui was currently hiding her mobile phone behind a textbook, busy messaging someone.
Since she had confirmed that the livehouse Yui frequently visited was the same place where Arisa’s group was holding their anniversary performance, getting the address directly from Yui was definitely the fastest way.
Finally, the bell rang, ending the class Koharu had been anxiously waiting for.
As the teacher’s “Class dismissed” echoed, the quiet classroom instantly erupted into a frenzy. The sounds of chairs dragging, zippers opening, and girls laughing about where to get dessert after school intertwined.
“Phew — I finally survived!”
Yui stretched exaggeratedly and bounced up like a spring, reaching Koharu’s desk in a few strides. “Koharu! What was up with you this afternoon? It felt like your soul had flown away.”
“Oh? Did some boy from Class 1 say something to make your heart race while we weren’t looking? Are you still reeling from it?”
Her suggestive gaze and teasing tone made Koharu sigh inwardly.
‘You’re one to talk! You were playing with your phone in class!’
Koharu almost blurted it out. That was Yui for you — obsessed with gossip, eternally energetic, but sometimes truly overwhelming.
“Yui, it’s nothing like that.”
Koharu packed her student bag while adjusting her breathing, trying to look as natural as possible. Now came the crucial part.
Without stopping her movements, Koharu spoke as if casually mentioning it. “By the way, Yui… that livehouse you mentioned at noon… the place where that group called Sugar Starlight is having their anniversary. Could you send me the address?”
The air suddenly went still.
Yui froze in place, as if someone had pressed a pause button. One second, two seconds.
“Waaaaaaaah!!!”
An ear-splitting scream exploded in the classroom.
Mio Sato, who was wiping the blackboard, flinched so hard the chalk dust scattered everywhere.
Yuzuki Yasuda, who was reading comics in the back row, also jerked her head up with a confused expression.
Naturally, the other students looked over as well. Koharu hurriedly gestured for Yui to calm down.
“Keep it down, Yui!”
“Koharu! I knew it! I knew you actually cared! You really want to go, don’t you!”
Yui tossed her bag aside, her face flushed with excitement. “I knew you were different from them, Koharu!! I didn’t misjudge you!”
“Haha…”
‘Indeed, I am different from the others,’ Koharu mocked herself internally.
“Are you finally taking this step?! Oh my god! You have such great taste! You really know how to appreciate talent! As your best friend, I’m so relieved! Come on! I’ll take you there right now!”
“Not only are we going to that Starry Sound, but we’ll also hang around the back dressing room door. Maybe we’ll run into the band members or even the idols!”
Looking at the fanatical Yui, Koharu sighed deeply in her heart. She had long anticipated this kind of scene.
But it was because of this anticipation that she became even more determined: she absolutely, positively could not let Yui follow her.
‘Arisa Kiyono’s current state is extremely unstable. She’s like a startled animal standing on the edge of a cliff, hypersensitive to any sound.’
‘If I go alone, I can lower her guard by appearing as someone who just “happened to pass by without any ill intent.”‘
‘But if I bring Yui? That energetic voice and that presence that instantly draws attention everywhere would definitely be the final straw that breaks Arisa’s mental defenses.’
‘In Arisa’s eyes, the best-case scenario would be me being shut out. The worst-case scenario… Because she knows me and knows I know her, if she thinks I intentionally brought a bright, cheerful friend to see her, I can’t rule out that she’ll think I’m a jerk who’s showing off my normal life and bringing a friend along out of curiosity to spectate someone else’s misery.’
“No… Yui, listen to me.”
Koharu forced an awkward and weak smile. She skillfully slumped her shoulders, making herself look more fragile and unsuited for such a lively atmosphere.
“I’m not actually going there to watch the performance. I’m just a bit curious. Since you made it sound so amazing, I wanted to look it up on the map to see if it’s far from my part-time job.”
‘The truth is, I don’t even have a part-time job.’
Koharu paused and showed a self-mocking expression. “I think I’d be terrified the moment I stepped into a place with so many people shouting… I just want to see the sign from a distance… That’s all.”
This near-humble confession instantly struck Yui’s simple heart.
Looking at her petite, quiet friend who would blush even when speaking loudly, the fanatical flame that had been stirred in Yui’s heart quickly flickered out.
“Ah… right.”
Yui stepped back somewhat guiltily, her tone softening. “Sorry, Koharu. I got too excited. I always forget you’re not used to big crowds yet.”
She picked up her bag with a bit of regret and sighed. “If you’re that scared, I won’t take you with me. But I can give you the address. It’s in an alley in Sakuragicho 3-chome, very close to the station. The shop’s name is Starry Sound. I’ll send the spelling and the address to your LIME. If you happen to pass by, just stay far away from it.”
“Yeah, I know, Yui. Thank you.”
Koharu confirmed the location Yui sent via LIME and mentally noted the red dot. She had finally put Yui at ease.
‘I feel a bit sorry for Yui, but she really can’t appear in front of Arisa Kiyono with me. At least not until I’ve established a connection and earned her trust.’
Yuzuki Yasuda walked over and patted Koharu’s desk. “Professor Yui is always so impulsive. Koharu, if you really just want to pass by and look, go early and come back early. Don’t linger there too long. Be careful.”
Having finished wiping the blackboard, Mio Sato also approached.
“Thanks, Yuzuki, Mio. I’ll be careful.”
“And thank you, Yui,” Koharu said, turning to Yui and thanking her sincerely. “Next time, if I really want to go, I’ll definitely ask you to lead the way first.”
“You said it! No taking it back!” Yui’s smile returned instantly.
……
A few minutes later, the group walked out of the teaching building.
The setting sun dyed the sports field a magnificent orange-red, and the bustle after school echoed in the air.
At the fork in the road in front of the station, Koharu waved goodbye to her friends.
“So, we’re splitting up here?” Yui waved her phone. “Koharu, get home safely!”
Koharu waved back with a smile. “See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow, Koharu!”
“See you tomorrow, Mio, Yuzuki.”
Koharu stood at the intersection, watching the cheerful figures gradually disappear around the street corner. The smile on her face faded little by little.
Standing on the crowded street, Koharu felt the last bit of warmth from the setting sun.
Go home? No, she couldn’t go home yet.
……
Sakuragicho, 3-chome. Blue and purple sign.
‘Got it.’
Although she didn’t have the ticket with her, that didn’t stop her from checking out the environment first.
If she didn’t personally confirm the situation of the place Arisa called the “anniversary,” she probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.
She turned around. Instead of heading toward the platform leading to her home, she walked in the opposite direction — toward the bus stop for Sakuragicho.
……
Sitting on the swaying bus, Koharu leaned against the window, watching the scenery fly past.
From the uniform school district to the residential district filled with life, and then to the commercial outskirts that were gradually becoming busier and a bit chaotic, she looked down at her student bag, mentally simulating the scenes she might encounter shortly.
‘If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll see the group members practicing. If I’m unlucky, maybe I’ll just find a closed iron gate. But no matter what, I have to go.’
It was a near-instinctive urge, like seeing a faint light in a dark labyrinth. If she didn’t grab hold of it tightly, she feared she would spend the rest of her life in regret.
‘Why is being a minor character more tiring than being the protagonist?’
She once again whispered a complaint to the window pane. Looking at the silhouette of the delicate girl reflected in the glass, her gaze gradually became firm.
Happy New Year! Let Sou Kanzaki and Koharu Miura send their greetings!
