Staring at the message on the phone screen, Takahashi Mio suddenly felt like her chest was in a vice grip—heart and lungs both getting squeezed.
Sure, Shiratori Seiya said it was just a meal. But what's the difference between a guy and a girl eating alone together and a date?
Right in front of her—his actual girlfriend.
He wasn't even trying to hide it anymore, was he?
But what hurt even more was the fact that Shiratori Seiya would definitely agree to go.
How did that scandal die down so fast? Are netizens and fans way too nice or something?
Jealousy flooded her heart, pumping through her veins like a bad case of yandere fever.
Biting her lip, for a split second, she actually wanted to expose the whole truth.
But the thought barely surfaced before she crushed it under heel.
Too stupid.
Takahashi Mio instinctively wanted to take a deep breath, but remembering Shiratori Seiya was right next to her, she forced herself to hold it in.
She couldn't show that she cared too much.
This was something she'd recently read in a psychology book. In any relationship—whether the guy or the girl—the more one side shows they care, the easier they lose the upper hand. The other person might be happy at first, but over time and with repeated instances, they'll get bored or even annoyed…
Especially considering how many women that scoundrel Shiratori Seiya had orbiting around him.
She could only show a little bit of jealousy.
Not reading the room correctly was basically forfeiting the game.
As that thought flashed through her mind, Mio's fingers—pressed under her thigh—curled tighter. A sharp sting helped pull her focus.
Strangely enough, after two or three seconds, Shiratori Seiya not only hadn't replied to the message—he hadn't even picked up his phone.
Watching the phone screen about to dim automatically, Mio reacted. She narrowed her almond-shaped eyes, smiled sweetly at Shiratori Seiya, and asked:
"Aren't you going to reply to her message?"
Shiratori Seiya didn't speak.
He still hadn't figured out how to face Hōjō Shione.
About what happened last time… it'd be a lie to say it didn't bother him. But the moment he started thinking about why she did what she did, an enormous weight pressed down on him.
Her career. Her emotional state.
He couldn't handle the lightness of being.
Especially since he still couldn't write songs for her anymore…
After a moment, he picked up his phone and replied:
"I've been pretty busy lately. Maybe when I have time."
The message was read almost instantly. But nearly a full minute passed before she replied with a simple "Okay." Then nothing.
Takahashi Mio had assumed he would definitely agree. Following the principle of "out of sight, out of mind," she hadn't even bothered to peek. Now she rested her chin on one hand, gazing at the birds outside the window, clearly worrying about her own future instead.
When class ended, knowing Shiratori Seiya had another lecture next, she hesitated as she packed her books into her bag, then looked at him.
"Um… should I go to class with you?"
Shiratori Seiya was still bothered by the whole Mio-and-Shione situation. Times like this, he preferred being alone. He glanced at her.
"Looks like I haven't assigned you enough study material, have I?"
"…"
Takahashi Mio froze for a second, then forced out a couple of awkward laughs and hurried off. It wasn't until she reached the hallway corner—out of Shiratori Seiya's sight—that she let out a deep breath and angrily kicked the wall a few times.
Scoundrel!
You're just rushing to finish class so you can go eat with her, afraid I'll tag along, aren't you?
She pressed her forehead against the smooth wall, letting the coolness seep into her brow. Ignoring the stares from passing students, Takahashi Mio's anxious heart gradually settled down…
....
After seeing Mio off, Shiratori Seiya leisurely walked toward his own classroom. But just as he reached the doorway, his phone buzzed again.
He instinctively thought it was Hōjō Shione calling—but when he pulled out his phone and saw "Fujikawa Shunpei," he was a little surprised.
He answered. Fujikawa asked if he had time tonight—said the crew was mostly assembled and they should grab a meal together.
Fujikawa didn't push too hard, quickly adding that the date wasn't set and tomorrow or the day after would work too.
Given how respectful the guy was being, Shiratori Seiya felt properly valued. He had nothing else planned today, so he agreed.
After declining Fujikawa's offer to pick him up, Seiya finished his third-period class. Seeing it was still early, he decided to head home first to shower and change.
But the moment he arrived downstairs, he spotted two moving trucks parked by the roadside.
Shiratori Seiya glanced at them, confused.
New neighbors on his floor?
People moving in right after someone moved out—it almost felt like the spot had been cleared specifically for them.
He had a weird bad feeling for no reason. But after thinking it over, he couldn't find anything off, so he shrugged it off and went inside.
After washing up and waiting for the right time, he headed toward the location Fujikawa Shunpei had sent him.
...
It was Shiratori Seiya's first time at Hatsuzakura Izakaya. Back when he was with Shione, most of the record company's celebration parties were held at high-end restaurants around Roppongi Hills.
But he'd heard of this place. They specialized in local creative dishes, and not only did film crews and artists hold parties here—a lot of people with "gray income" also frequented it.
The reason they chose this spot? The izakaya refused to let video bloggers review it. Excellent privacy.
As soon as he walked in, a server greeted him.
"Sir, how many in your party?"
Shiratori Seiya surveyed the interior while stating the room number Fujikawa had booked.
Even though it was called an izakaya, the space was surprisingly large. From the first floor up, everything was private rooms. The decor showed no trace of traditional Japanese culture.
Colored glass lamps, glass doors, round tables—the vibe was more business hotel than cozy tavern.
But when he followed the server up to the second floor, the style suddenly shifted.
Chrysanthemums, swords, and sake bottles intertwined, hanging in the center of the hallway. The walls of the long corridor were covered by a single massive ukiyo-e style classical painting.
Shiratori Seiya walked along, studying it carefully, and subconsciously started calculating how much this izakaya might be worth…
...
"Sir, right this way."
The server slid the door open. Inside, including Fujikawa Shunpei, there were four people.
Fujikawa was the first to react. Without standing up, he raised his wine glass, gestured toward Shiratori Seiya, and smiled.
"X-Sensei, you're here early."
Shiratori Seiya took off his jacket, returned the smile, and said:
"I'm actually late."
The remaining three stared at his youthful face, their eyes going wide for a moment. Fujikawa hadn't mentioned that Shiratori Seiya was that guy—only that he was young. But none of them expected this young.
"Come, let me introduce you…"
—
In the H University self-study room, Nagata Nanase pursed her lips, staring at the questions on her test paper. She couldn't help but glance up at Takahashi Mio, who was blankly staring into space across from her. After a moment of hesitation, she sighed.
"Let's call it a day…"
Hearing that, Mio—who had been zoning out at the table—snapped back to reality. She raised her gaze to Nagata Nanase, confused.
"What's wrong? It's still early, isn't it?"
"Nothing…"
Nagata Nanase shook her head and looked at her seriously.
"Mio, you've got something on your mind, don't you?"
"Eh?"
Takahashi Mio froze, raised a hand to touch her hair, and put on a natural smile.
"Why do you say that all of a sudden?"
"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?"
Nagata Nanase gave her a helpless look, handed her the test paper, and pointed to several essay questions one by one.
Following her finger, Mio blinked. Then, after a moment, she realized what was wrong and awkwardly touched her face…
The answers were all mixed up. The answer to the previous question was written under the next one. A random circle had been drawn under the first question. And as for the last question? She hadn't even looked at it—she'd thought she'd finished everything.
Everyone had their own worries, and Nagata Nanase had no intention of prying into Mio's privacy. She simply said:
"Everyone has rough days. But times like this, you shouldn't force yourself. It's fine to rest well and then pick things back up…"
She paused, then added some comfort:
"You've already worked really hard."
Takahashi Mio lowered her gaze and nodded silently.
"Thank you."
…
Before parting ways with Nagata Nanase at the library, Mio had originally wanted to say something to her. But then she noticed the indifferent expression on Nagata's face and remembered they weren't close enough for her to spill her family drama.
She hadn't even told Haruno Reika about this.
Because she knew that even if she did, Reika wouldn't be able to give any advice. She knew her father's personality best—unless she was prepared to cut ties with him entirely, she shouldn't even think about pursuing her dream.
But even cutting ties might not work. He might still come storming to Tokyo and cause a huge scene…
Taking the train home, Takahashi Mio had no appetite for dinner. With a pat, she kicked off her shoes, tossed her shoulder bag aside carelessly, and curled up on the sofa, hugging her knees.
...
As night fell, a strange sense of loneliness in the dim room gradually engulfed her like a rising tide.
The suffocating feeling in her chest made it almost hard to breathe.
As if to chase away the gloom, she grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. After flipping through several channels, the variety show was the loudest—canned laughter filling the entire room.
Ever since she met Shiratori Seiya, she hadn't watched comedy variety shows like this.
Even though she was currently in a desperate situation, she figured: Since there's nothing I can do, I might as well enjoy myself while I can.
Come to think of it, she'd always been the type to give up easily—unwilling to plan or think about the future… Mio mumbled a few excuses to herself, barely managing to justify her procrastination.
The minute hand on the wall clock moved in circles. She quickly got into the groove, a smile appearing on her face, eventually bursting into laughter.
It was as if she'd forgotten her stubborn, twisted father. Forgotten Shiratori Seiya. Forgotten Hōjō Shione. Forgotten her dream of becoming an actress…
But then, when she saw a female guest in a wedding dress slip and slide into the water on TV, the smile on Takahashi Mio's face froze.
A flash of inspiration struck her mind.
She froze for a few seconds, then got up, shoved her feet into her slippers, and excitedly dashed out the door.
As she ran, the smile returned to her face. It seemed she'd had a brilliant idea—and she couldn't wait to share it with Shiratori Seiya.
However, when she ran downstairs to his apartment building, Takahashi Mio suddenly stopped.
She looked at her own shadow under the streetlamp and suddenly remembered—Shiratori Seiya seemed to have a date with Hōjō today…
The smile on her face vanished once again.
Mio bit her lip and turned to walk back. But after only two steps, she stomped her foot in frustration.
What if that scoundrel didn't go?
Clinging to the last shred of hope, Takahashi Mio took a deep breath and arrived at Shiratori Seiya's doorstep.
But after ringing the doorbell several times, no one answered.
A wave of bitterness surged again. The joy she'd felt earlier evaporated. She felt completely drained of energy, and her heart was once again shrouded in gloom.
She was so upset she even forgot to take the elevator—leaning on the handrail as she trudged down the stairs.
But just as Takahashi Mio's figure disappeared around the stairwell, the door across from Shiratori Seiya's apartment suddenly cracked open.
A slender figure stepped to the stairwell and silently watched her leave…
—
Back home, Takahashi Mio held her phone, staring at Shiratori Seiya's name in her contacts, hesitating over whether to call him.
She glanced at the time in the upper right corner:
22:13
She thought it over carefully, then pressed her thumb down.
Buzz, buzz.
Just as she pressed it, her phone screen suddenly jumped to an incoming call.
[Cousin]
Why was her cousin calling her this late?
Her brows furrowed in confusion, but she still pressed the answer button.
The call connected. Heavy breathing came through the receiver, followed by a familiar, lazy, husky voice.
"Hello? Mio?"
"Cousin? Why so late…"
"Mio… that boyfriend of yours from last time… he's a director, right?"