Xiao Chun Miura’s voice carried a hint of forced urgency, piercing clearly through the stifling air of the basement.
She quickly descended the final steps and stood unhesitatingly between the security guard and Sou Kanzaki.
The burly security guard was interrupted by this sudden intervention, his brows furrowed into a tight knot, his eyes full of impatience and suspicion.
“And who are you?”
Xiao Chun Miura hurriedly put on an expression of embarrassment and fluster, her tone tinged with earnestness: “Uncle, it’s me?”
“Last time… the time my friend and I came to visit Sugar Starlight, have you forgotten?”
The security guard narrowed his wary eyes, his scrutinizing gaze scraping back and forth over Xiao Chun Miura’s face.
After a long moment, he seemed to have retrieved something from the corner of his memory. His taut muscles relaxed a little—but still remained tense.
“Oh, it’s you… so what?”
“This kid just now swaggered in trying to enter, saying someone from the idol group in rehearsal called him over, and that she was his sister.”
“What’s your relationship with him? I remember your surname is Miura, right?”
Xiao Chun Miura’s heart skipped a beat.
‘Sister?’
‘Huh? That kind of excuse?’
Xiao Chun Miura instantly understood: it was the lie Sou Kanzaki had chosen during his interrogation.
“Ah… well,”
Xiao Chun Miura stammered for a moment, her eyes darting evasively toward Sou Kanzaki.
Then, quick as a flash, she had a stroke of inspiration, and a wry, helpless smile appeared on her face.
“Actually, we’re siblings from a divorced family.”
“Because we usually live with different guardians, so… we really don’t interact much. Our surnames follow our respective parents, so it’s normal that we don’t look like siblings.”
This impromptu lie, combined with her coincidentally red-rimmed eyes, was quite deceptive.
The security guard did not nod immediately. Instead, he let out a cold snort.
“Divorced family? I don’t care what kind of family you have—the idol group people never told me about this.”
Xiao Chun Miura immediately interrupted his questioning, her voice suddenly urgent and matter-of-fact: “That’s not important! What matters is that I asked him to come today. My friend is in rehearsal, I called him over to…”
Her words stuck in her throat.
Because she didn’t know what else Sou Kanzaki had said, Xiao Chun Miura didn’t know how far to stretch the lie.
But Sou Kanzaki, standing to the side, casually shook the DSLR camera in his hand.
“…to have him film, ah, yeah!”
Xiao Chun Miura’s mind raced.
“Recently the idol group wanted to make an anniversary vlog, and they suddenly proposed to do some behind-the-scenes footage.”
“But time was tight, we couldn’t get in touch with a professional camera crew, so I thought my little brother really likes photography and is pretty professional too, so it’s perfect to have him help, shoot some material for DIY editing.”
Xiao Chun Miura’s words in a hurry were so logically tight that they were nearly flawless.
But the security guard was obviously not someone easily fooled.
He frowned, his sharp eyes glancing at Sou Kanzaki.
Sou Kanzaki’s calm-as-water eyes stared straight at the security guard, his tone steady as he chimed in: “Filming the rehearsal process, recording the idols reviewing their practice content—these are themselves the core material prepared for the vlog.”
Hearing Sou Kanzaki’s words, Xiao Chun Miura silently cursed, ‘Damn.’
‘Wrong guess. It seems Sou Kanzaki’s story is even more detailed than mine, and in a different direction.’
Realizing she had contradicted herself, Xiao Chun Miura quickly added, “Right, right! That’s it!”
“Because originally there was no such plan… it was the idol group that suddenly suggested it, asking if we could make an extra vlog. The time was too tight, so we hurried over to help, thinking we could DIY it.”
The basement fell into a brief silence.
The security guard scrutinized the two of them. The skeptical expression on his face seemed especially prolonged under the dim yellow light.
Xiao Chun Miura could clearly hear her own heartbeat; every beat was like a drum strike.
She forced herself to meet the security guard’s eyes, trying to convince him with her gaze.
However, the security guard suddenly grinned.
“You, little girl.”
“To confirm this kid’s story, I just had someone specifically ask the idols in the rest room. The reply they gave was—they didn’t know anyone was coming to film today.”
‘Can’t panic, can’t panic at a time like this.’
Xiao Chun Miura took a deep breath.
“Ah… this… they must be too busy and forgot. The filming is a real thing.”
Xiao Chun Miura quickly adjusted her expression, put her hands together in an apologetic gesture: “But about today’s filming, I really hadn’t had time to tell them yet. The time was too tight. I also didn’t explain the specific handover process to my little brother. I myself got delayed on the way and only just arrived.”
“Neither side communicated well, so that’s why the idols said they didn’t know.”
The security guard pursed his lips.
He pointed toward the idol practice room. “Since you say that’s how it is, fine. Take him over now.”
“We’ll go together for a face-to-face confrontation. If they say they don’t know you, or that there’s no such thing, then I’ll have no choice but to throw you out according to the rules.”
With those words, the sense of suspense that could be exposed at any moment receded like a tide, replaced by a tension of facing a final judgment.
Xiao Chun Miura felt a wave of weakness—the tremor just before the lie is about to be completely exposed… but at the same time, a subtle, almost post-disaster relief rose in her heart—at least, Sou Kanzaki wouldn’t be thrown out immediately.
At least that lie full of holes, at this moment, had barely maintained its fragile logical consistency thanks to her improvisation.
Xiao Chun Miura walked at the front, her back straight.
‘Face them… I have to face them.’
During the short dozen-meter walk to the practice room, Xiao Chun Miura’s steps were agonizing.
‘Kiyono Arisa’s teammates, please help me cover this lie.’
Every thought of hers was like walking on a knife’s edge.
If the idol group members showed even a hint of hesitation, or even a single counter-question, all their disguises would be completely exposed.
Xiao Chun Miura felt an unprecedented pressure.
She glanced back at Sou Kanzaki behind her, still calm, showing no signs of stress—as if he hadn’t been lying at all, or rather, he was already prepared to face any consequences.
‘No matter what…’
Xiao Chun Miura gritted her teeth inwardly.
‘Even if I have to turn this entire livehouse upside down, I cannot let them expose my lie at this moment.’
‘I came here with a purpose. I can’t just be kicked out so easily.’
‘I am their audience. As long as I haven’t finished performing, this play must go on.’
Every step Xiao Chun Miura took was exceptionally heavy, as if she wasn’t stepping on the floor but on some fragile thread that could decide her future destiny.
‘Please, if you can read the room a little, help me cover up the lie.’