Koharu Miura remained silent, and for a moment, even the wind on the school rooftop seemed to freeze.
She truly had not considered how to answer Arisa Kiyono’s question.
When she had been given the ticket, Koharu had not even realized its purpose or which performance it represented.
Even after she realized it was for the anniversary performance of the group Arisa belonged to, it was long after she had received the ticket.
‘I simply didn’t react like a die-hard fan should have back then.’
So, it was perfectly reasonable for Arisa Kiyono to suspect her.
Cold sweat began to roll down Koharu’s neck.
If she could not establish a connection here, there would certainly be no other opportunity later.
And because of her negligence and failure to account for every detail, this opportunity now seemed ready to be declared dead.
After that, the development of ALISA within the idol group, Sou Kanzaki’s Common Route — and even her own future — would naturally be nothing more than broken bridges over a rushing river… there would be no point in struggling further.
…Fortunately, there was still one thing she could look at positively, so she was not completely without a chance for a turnaround.
‘Standing from Arisa Kiyono’s perspective, once she believes that this mysterious girl with many suspicious points has plans to harm her, she will likely cut off all contact immediately and never accept communication again.’
It was just like the way she had behaved lately — distancing herself from those around her and avoiding being noticed or found.
She did not need to say much to ensure the scene was friendly before she took evasive action.
Because the malice Arisa Kiyono was suffering from was undeniable, she had no obligation to maintain a decent attitude toward someone who might be a potential perpetrator when she was already being persecuted.
Koharu looked at Arisa Kiyono, who stood opposite her with her arms crossed and a sharp gaze.
But in reality, Arisa had not left yet.
This could only mean one thing — Arisa Kiyono was not currently completely on guard against her.
…And it was more than that.
If she were merely not on guard, Arisa would still have no reason to stay.
She had not left — she was still here.
‘Arisa Kiyono believes my words still have some value, which is why she is staying here.’
Koharu’s mind steadied.
The conversation was not over; she still had a chance.
The key now was to make her next words enough to capture Arisa Kiyono’s attention.
Her previous excuse had already been identified as a lie, but in the end, her reason for intervening in Arisa’s affairs was nothing more than the necessity of survival.
That was a useless topic to bring up, so she still had to work with Arisa Kiyono’s identity.
…The more she thought, the more Koharu felt that playing a game behind a screen and confronting a living existence in person were two completely different levels of difficulty.
When playing a game to win over a character behind a screen, she could pause for a long time, think for as long as she liked, and even look up guides to choose specific actions and guide the story toward the future she wanted.
Talking face-to-face with a living being meant that no Choice Branch would appear over their head, nor would they give her infinite time to think.
Likewise, the greatest privilege of being a Player did not exist… she could not save her progress.
She had already felt this way when facing Haruka Kondo, but she believed she had grasped the traits of her childhood friend’s character, and most of the time, she only needed to maintain a passive defense.
Defending was much easier than attacking.
Especially when facing someone whose heart’s wall was even thicker than her own.
A living existence, Arisa Kiyono, who now maintained a lack of trust in everything around her because of her recent experiences.
…She was not the kind of person who could be easily fooled by a few cheap lies.
Just as a dazzling pearl would protect itself with an outer shell.
To get someone like Arisa Kiyono to lower her guard, telling more lies was destined to be useless.
She could only try a sincere attitude.
Koharu gave a bitter smile in her heart.
‘Even if I plan to do that, I can only communicate with her while hiding the truth.’
Koharu took a deep breath, trying to calm her anxious heart.
“…Miura, if you have nothing to say, I’m going back.”
Just then, Arisa Kiyono spoke.
She had lost her patience and believed she had already given this girl a chance.
However, the response the girl had given was a lie.
Arisa shook her head.
“Don’t look for me again. Otherwise, I will report it directly to the Teacher. If you have something to say, talk to the homeroom teacher.”
After saying this, seeing that Koharu was still hanging her head, Arisa’s expression, which had been frowning, grew even colder.
‘There won’t be a next time.’
She turned around, preparing to step away.
Just as she lifted her foot, the girl’s voice came from behind her.
” — Sorry. You’re right, Kiyono, I lied.”
…
Koharu’s voice was a bit tense, carrying a slight, trace amount of trembling.
It was not an act; she was truly quite strained.
After all, the next words involved the issue of her survival. Once said poorly, the path to communicating with Arisa Kiyono through conventional means would be closed.
Furthermore, the explanation she had just thought of still had uncertain parts.
…But.
Meeting the gaze of Arisa Kiyono, who had stopped and turned her head, Koharu slowly and firmly raised her head, letting Arisa scrutinize her expression.
‘But there is no room for further detailed consideration.’
“I’m not the type of idol fan who would wait in line for a whole day to buy a CD or scream like crazy at a concert. In fact, for me, idol activities and that sparkling world… were once things I avoided.”
Arisa Kiyono gave a light chuckle upon hearing this.
She was about to say something but was immediately interrupted by Koharu’s hurried tone.
“I’m indeed not an idol fan, and it was a lie to say I’ve been following you since your debut! But!”
“There is one thing I didn’t lie about.”
Koharu took half a step forward. Her posture, which showed a desire to convey a certain feeling even though she was afraid, caused Arisa to startle slightly. “My desire to help you is real!”
“…Heh, those words again.”
Arisa Kiyono turned her head slightly, the setting sun casting a small shadow over her eyelashes.
“Do you think this kind of empty kindness can support your explanation for all of this?”
“If you aren’t a fan, why involve yourself?”
“Like a private detective… investigating those dark forums and collecting information. This already exceeds the scope of what a normal person would do, doesn’t it?”
“What exactly is your motive — why on earth are you helping me?”
Koharu bit her lip.
“Because I see you destroying the thing most important to you.”
“Someone who is so hardworking and sincere on stage is being affected by some base, dirty acts… I can’t pretend not to see it.”
Though it was insignificant, at this moment, it was the truth that Koharu could speak from her heart.
…She indeed found it a hassle, and she was indeed a coward, but under the desire for survival, the reason driving her actions was not just one.
As a workplace slave who had been beaten down by society and had once longed for something pure and beautiful, a trace of genuine sympathy for this girl surrounded by malice had emerged in a corner of Koharu’s heart.
But that was not enough.
Arisa Kiyono’s brow remained furrowed.
Those cold eyes repeatedly searched Koharu’s face, trying to catch a hint of a lie.
Only this time, she failed. Koharu’s face indeed held nothing but near-clumsy sincerity.
“…Is that all?”
Arisa’s voice was still cold and hard, but Koharu could hear that the aggressive momentum had softened slightly.
The atmosphere on the rooftop fell into a stalemate again.
An awkward silence spread.
Arisa Kiyono obviously did not intend to accept such a vague explanation. The chestnut-haired idol needed harder evidence.
Something that could prove Koharu was indeed on her side and not someone else’s.
“Kiyono.”
Koharu suddenly called out softly.
“What?” Arisa’s tone carried a hint of impatience.
“The group uniform Sugar Starlight is wearing now… you designed it yourself, didn’t you?”
In that instant, the entire rooftop seemed to fall into a vacuum.
The sound of the wind vanished.
The distant noise also disappeared.
Arisa Kiyono’s body, which had been leaning against the wall looking somewhat listless, suddenly stiffened.
“You… how could you know that?”
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