“Lunch break is over,” Arisa Kiyono said, looking at Koharu Miura.
Her tone carried a sense of exhaustion, as if it came from another world.
The girl with long, chestnut hair stood up straight by the wall.
She brushed the dust off her skirt, tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear, and made a move to turn away.
At a glance, it was clear she intended to leave then and there.
“Wait, Arisa!” Koharu Miura’s voice was a bit shrill.
She couldn’t help it; she admitted she was in a hurry.
She had finally caught this opportunity, but the sudden ringing of the bell had ruined everything before they could even get to the main point.
“We haven’t talked about those things yet…”
“But it’s class time now, Koharu,” Arisa interrupted her, her gaze sweeping over the half-open school rooftop door.
With the school bell ringing, the secret environment that belonged only to the two of them no longer existed.
They both had to return to their classrooms immediately and couldn’t continue the conversation.
“Then… what about after school?”
Koharu almost wanted to skip class altogether. But since Arisa had already said that, she could only temporarily suspend the conversation.
After all, regardless of their mental states or their identities outside of school, at least here, both people talking on the school rooftop were students.
However, now that she had seized this chance, Koharu didn’t want to let it go so easily.
With a look of determination in her eyes, she added, “After school, let’s go to that KTV in the Store Street where we met last time — or you can pick any quiet place you like?”
“I need to talk to you in detail.”
Feeling like that wasn’t enough, Koharu added, “Those things are really important. They involve so many things…”
“…”
Arisa looked at Koharu’s anxious expression, her lips twitching slightly as if she wanted to smile.
That sincere plea was indeed pure, and she did want to hear what the girl had to say, but…
The curve of Arisa’s mouth quickly turned into a self-mocking smirk.
“After school?”
“Sorry, Koharu, but you seem to have a beautiful misunderstanding of ‘school life’ for someone like me.”
She stepped forward, walking a few paces toward Koharu. As she was about to pass her, she stopped and turned her head.
The sunset cast a shadow over her eyelashes, making her gaze appear even deeper.
” — I won’t be waiting until after school.”
“Starting from the third period this afternoon, I have to go to the livehouse for the Anniversary rehearsal.”
“Actually, even being able to come to school for the morning classes today was the result of me working hard and skipping my shift over there.”
“Eh…?”
Koharu was stunned. She knew Arisa was busy, of course, but for an idol’s schedule to be squeezed to this extent during a critical period like the Anniversary… it was far beyond her understanding.
“Does that mean… we definitely can’t find time this afternoon?”
Koharu’s voice dropped. If she couldn’t establish an effective communication channel today, their next meeting might be on that Anniversary stage, which was full of uncertainty.
That sense of powerlessness, of being pushed along by destiny, caused a surge of unexplainable panic in Koharu.
Arisa looked at Koharu’s dejected appearance and remained silent for a moment.
She was actually hesitating. Although this girl was still of unknown origin, acted strange, and even knew secrets that not even her closest confidants were aware of, it was undeniable that their conversation on the school rooftop about the Group Uniform had indeed lit a small spark of warmth in her heart, which was on the verge of withering away.
If there really was someone in this world who could see through her disguise… even if that person might be a bother, they might also be her only exit right now.
“Though we can’t meet in person…” Arisa’s voice became somewhat hesitant, as if she were in the middle of a great internal struggle. “But if it’s just exchanging… investigation results.”
Koharu snapped her head up.
“If you don’t mind…” Arisa pulled her mobile phone out of her school uniform pocket. It was a private model decorated with exquisite accessories. “You should have that, right? LIME.”
“I do! I have it!”
Koharu responded hurriedly. Her clumsy movements from overexcitement made her look just like a rookie fan girl.
In the slightly dim corner of the Teaching Building entrance, the two of them quickly and silently completed the friend exchange.
Seeing the avatar named ‘ALISA’ appear on her friend list, Koharu felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest.
This wasn’t just a contact; it was a lifeline to the hope of survival.
“I don’t have time for small talk, so unless it’s about that ‘Post 49’ or new information you’ve found, don’t message me.”
Arisa looked down and operated the screen rapidly, her tone still maintaining that arrogant coldness.
“I know! I understand!” Koharu nodded vigorously, her smile so sincere that it made Arisa look away uncomfortably.
“I’m leaving.”
Arisa put away her phone without giving Koharu another glance.
She straightened her school uniform collar, and in that instant, she transformed back into that unattainable, prickly idol.
Her footsteps were light and steady as she disappeared down the corridor, leaving Koharu standing there alone, staring blankly at the friend interface.
She clutched her mobile phone tightly to her chest as if she were holding the most precious treasure in the world.
While mentally cheering herself on, she sprinted toward the Class 1-5 classroom.
By the time she burst into the room out of breath, the mathematics teacher was already standing at the podium.
“Koharu, you’re late.”
The teacher pushed up his glasses, his tone flat without much reproach.
After all, in the eyes of the teachers, Koharu had always been an obedient student with a thin presence, even if her personality was a bit odd.
“I’m sorry, Teacher!” Koharu bowed repeatedly and, under the playful or curious gazes of her classmates, ducked her head and hurried back to her seat.
As soon as she sat down, she felt a sweet-scented breath lean in close.
“Koharu — !”
It was Yui Hori’s voice. This lively best friend, who could always accurately capture school gossip, was currently covering her mouth, her eyes sparkling with the excitement that only appeared when she discovered a big scoop.
“Where did you go just now? We looked everywhere for you right before lunch break ended.” Yui lowered her voice, her tone carrying a hint of blame and unhidden curiosity.
“Ah… I went to the Old School Building to get some air.” Koharu hurriedly pulled her textbooks out of her student bag, casually tossing out an excuse she had already used many times. “There aren’t many people there, so it’s quiet.”
“Getting some air? Can you get some air and end up drenched in sweat?” Yui clearly didn’t believe her.
She reached out to help Koharu tidy her messy hair, then her tone suddenly became mysterious.
“But more importantly, Koharu, there’s been a major incident.”
Koharu’s heart skipped a beat.