Chapter 10 Shirasaki-san, Overwhelmed by an Indirect Kiss

Shirasaki-san, Overwhelmed by an Indirect Kiss

Kanade’s PoV

“When you said, ‘we’re lovers’ the other day—wasn’t that just a joke?”

After school today, I thought back to the words Amagi-kun said to me in the old tea ceremony clubroom as I pressed the vending machine button in the studio and grabbed a cold can of juice.

So far, the recording has been going smoothly.

Still… I never expected him to think it was a joke.

To me, it was a once-in-a-lifetime confession…

The fact that I got all excited by myself is so embarrassing.

Though, considering the situation, it’s understandable why he thought it was a joke…

Amagi-kun is serious, and even if I sincerely asked him to date me, he might reject me because I’m an idol. In that case, maybe keeping a temporary girlfriend position for now is better.

Yeah, that definitely feels like the right move.

Right now, he’s probably heartbroken after breaking up with his ex, so he shouldn’t be thinking about getting a new girlfriend for a while.

He wouldn’t, right…? Probably.

Feeling a bit uneasy about my wishful thinking, I retraced my steps through the building.

Then, I heard Amagi-kun’s voice coming from around the corner.

“Amagi-kun, long time no see~”

“It’s been a while, Sakuraba-san.”

“Come on, I’ve told you to just call me Amane already~”

“Then, I’ll compromise and call you Amane-san…”

“Fufu, as always, you’re as adorable as ever. I love how pure you seem~”

It seemed like Amane-san and Amagi-kun were talking together.

I stopped for a moment and quietly approached a spot where I could hear their conversation.

“I get embarrassed when you say things like that, so please stop.”

Amagi-kun, you cheater!!

Hearing Amagi-kun’s voice, which didn’t sound entirely opposed to her, I screamed internally.

More importantly, what is Amane-san thinking?

Does she enjoy teasing younger guys?

Using adult charm to tempt him like that is so unfair!

“But I’m really grateful, you know? When our group’s popularity was declining, the song you made not only helped us recover but made us explode in popularity.”

“Ah, that was just a lucky coincidence…”

Now that she mentions it, though Amagi-kun has been composing all of Luminous Stars’ songs lately, when the group first formed, someone else wrote them. It must have been a little while after I joined the group.

“You’re so humble… Well, I look forward to continuing to work with you for a long time~”

With those parting words, Amane-san walked away from Amagi-kun.

Right after that, I decided to call out to Amagi-kun.

“You and Amane-chan seem pretty close, huh?”

“Sh-Shirasaki-san. We were just chatting casually.”

Amagi-kun isn’t the type to actively pursue girls, but they’re surprisingly at ease around him, and he’s really popular…

Maybe I should start feeling a bit more alarmed.

“I see… Here, Amagi-kun, take this.”

I handed Amagi-kun the canned juice I had just bought from the vending machine.

“Wait, isn’t this yours, Shirasaki-san?”

“Yeah, but I realized I can’t finish it by myself. Go ahead and drink it first. Besides, I’m too delicate and fragile to open a can of juice.”

I looked up at Amagi-kun with puppy-dog eyes. It might have been a bit overacted, but I was curious to see how he would react.

“You’re being so dramatic…”

“What did you just say? Dramatic?”

It seemed to have backfired on Amagi-kun.

I should probably avoid doing that in the future…

Amagi-kun opened the can I gave him and took a sip.

After finishing, he handed the can back to me.

“Thanks, Shirasaki-san. I was just getting thirsty.”

As Amagi-kun was about to leave, I called out to him.

“Wait, Amagi-kun.”

He turned back to look at me over his shoulder.

“After the recording, do you want to go home together? We live nearby, and I think the manager will give us a ride.”

My suggestion was motivated by the idea that riding in the car would be a safe and lawful way to spend time together, but Amagi-kun replied with…

“Sorry, I actually have a magazine interview after the recording.”

“Interview?”

I tilted my head in confusion.

Now that I think about it, even though Amagi-kun is a popular songwriter and composer, his identity hasn’t been revealed to the public.

So, it’s rare for him to do interviews.

Well, putting that aside…

I stared at the half-empty can Amagi-kun handed back to me.

Should I keep this can at home? No, that would be way too creepy!

While pondering such thoughts, I decided to chug the rest of the juice in one go.

…It was an indirect kiss with Amagi-kun.

My cheeks turned red as I drained the can.

What is this feeling… This is dangerous…