Chapter 32 Shirasaki Kanade's Past (4)

Shirasaki Kanade’s Past (4)

“Amagi-kun, can I talk to you for a moment?”

Summoning all my courage, I called out to him.

Amagi-kun looked a little surprised but quickly broke into a warm smile.

At the same time, my eyes met the girl standing next to him.

The situation felt a bit awkward…

“Chiharu, can you wait for me by the school gate for a bit?”

“Sure, okay.”

I heard them exchange those words.

In that moment, a sense of dread washed over me.

He called her “Chiharu” by name. They must be in a relationship.

After she left, Amagi-kun turned to me and asked,

“So, um, what did you want to talk about, Shirasaki-san?”

At those words, my mind went blank.

Now that I thought about it, he still called me “Shirasaki-san.”

Realizing that fact, I suddenly felt a hollow ache inside.

But I was the one who had approached him, so I had to keep the conversation going somehow.

I had become the center of Luminous Stars.

I wanted to share the news directly with Amagi-kun.

But first, there was something I needed to confirm.

It was about the girl named Chiharu who had been standing next to him earlier.

“Who was that girl just now? What’s your relationship with her?”

“Chiharu? She’s my childhood friend.”

Childhood friend…?

I had no idea.

“I see. You two seem pretty close.”

“Yeah. I can’t say this too loudly, but we actually started dating last month.”

What?

The moment I heard those words, indescribable emotions surged through me.

Deep down, I had suspected it.

I could sense it from their atmosphere.

But hearing it confirmed still hurt.

I wish I hadn’t asked.

When I looked into Amagi-kun’s eyes, they were filled with pure happiness. That made my emotions even more tangled. For a moment, I was at a loss for words. But seeing how happy he was, I decided to suppress my feelings.

“Oh, I see. So Amagi-kun has a girlfriend now. Congratulations!”

I said that with a natural smile.

Good. I managed to lie convincingly.

As an idol, I always have to keep smiling.

Who would’ve thought my idol persona would come in handy at a moment like this? It’s too ironic, but maybe it’s for the best.

After all, the answer was already clear.

Even though I was shocked to the point of wanting to scream inside, seeing Amagi-kun’s happy expression, there was nothing else I could do.

So…

“Amagi-kun, you shouldn’t keep your girlfriend waiting. You should go to her. Sorry for holding you up.”

“Y-yeah… Well then, see you later, Shirasaki-san.”

“Bye, Amagi-kun.”

There were more things I wanted to say, but I decided to end the conversation there.

Then, Amagi-kun walked straight back to his girlfriend.

Left alone by the school entrance, I stared blankly as he walked away with her.

…I didn’t want him to go.

As my vision blurred, I realized I was crying.

At the same time, I felt a sense of relief.

If we had spoken even a little longer, he might have seen me like this.

If that had happened, my feelings would’ve been completely exposed.

So, this was for the best.

Goodbye, Amagi-kun.

I whispered those words and watched as he disappeared from sight—

Recently, my days had been incredibly busy.

A few days had passed since the heartbreak, but I was still struggling to move on.

Among all of it, the one thing that eased my mind the most was my work as an idol.

For better or worse, being engrossed in work kept my thoughts at bay.

Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about Amagi-kun from time to time.

…What is Amagi-kun doing right now?

Are they holding hands, kissing, or even… going further?

As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my carefully made-up face seemed somehow hollow. The realization made my chest tighten painfully.

Will I ever be able to talk to him casually like before?

That thought brought tears I couldn’t hold back. Big drops rolled down my cheeks, ruining my makeup, but I didn’t care.

As I sat wallowing in the dressing room, I heard the faint sound of the door opening.

“Kanade-chan… Wait, are you crying?”

I turned around and saw Amane-chan standing there. She immediately noticed something was wrong and entered the room with a worried look.

I quickly wiped away my tears.

“N-No, it’s nothing.”

Without hesitation, Amane-chan sat beside me and gently wrapped her arms around me.

“Are you sure? It’s okay to cry, you know. Let it all out if you need to.”

Encouraged by her kind words, I couldn’t hold back anymore. Burying my face in her shoulder, I sobbed uncontrollably.

Amane-chan softly stroked my back, her warm touch gradually soothing my heart.

“Do you feel better now? What happened?”

I hesitated, unsure of how to explain.

How could I admit that an idol like me was crying over a broken heart?

So, I gave a vague reply.

“I just… realized that something I wanted might be out of reach forever. It made me sad.”

Amane-chan seemed to think about my words.

“That’s a little abstract, but why don’t you just go for it? The Shirasaki Kanade I know is a super idol who can achieve anything.”

“I’m not really like that…”

“Maybe it’s just not the right time. High school romances don’t usually last anyway.”

Amane-chan might be right. Most high school couples break up eventually. Amagi-kun might not be an exception.

Thinking about it that way, I felt a little better.

“Y-Yeah, you’re right… Oh!”

As I agreed, I suddenly realized something shocking.

By agreeing with her, I had essentially admitted I was heartbroken.

Looking at Amane-chan, I saw a mischievous smile on her face.

“So, Kanade-chan, you really were heartbroken, huh~?”

What?! I’d been tricked!

I hadn’t even said it outright, yet she had baited me into confessing.

“…Amane-chan, you’re so mean.”

I muttered, and she pretended to look hurt.

“Oh no, don’t hate me, Kanade-chan~.”

“I think I’ll keep my distance from you for a while, okay?”

“Don’t be so cold! I promise I won’t tell anyone about this~.”

Saying that, Amane-chan hugged me again.

Despite her usual elegant, Onee-san-like demeanor, she sometimes acted playfully like this. It was confusing.

“I don’t know what the other girl is like since I’ve never seen her, but there’s no way she’s better than you, Kanade-chan. So, worst case, you could just steal the guy back.”

Amane-chan whispered this in my ear.

Her suggestion was unexpected.

Sure, it aligned with what I secretly wished, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that to Amagi-kun.

For me, his happiness was the most important thing.

So, I couldn’t be that selfish—

Today was the recording day for our new song.

While walking through the studio building, I ran into Mika-san, our producer. She looked as busy as ever, but when she saw me, she greeted me cheerfully.

“Kanade-chan, long time no see~!”

“Mika-san, hello!”

“Kanade-chan is the center for the new song, so give it your all~!”

“Yes, I will!”

After exchanging greetings, Mika-san hurried off.

I was about to head to the recording booth when I heard a voice behind me.

“Shirasaki-san.”

Just hearing that voice made my heart skip a beat.

It was a familiar voice.

I couldn’t be mistaken.

It was the voice of the boy I loved.

Turning around, I saw Amagi-kun standing there.

“Amagi-kun, why are you here?”

“Perfect timing. This building is so big I got lost. Could you tell me where the recording booth is?”

“Uh, it’s that way… No, wait! Why are you here, Amagi-kun? This building is off-limits to outsiders, you know!”

Could it be that Amagi-kun was some kind of idol stalker, pretending to be affiliated with the staff to sneak in? I didn’t want to think about it, but the possibility crossed my mind.

I was utterly confused.

But his next words left me speechless.

“Sorry for surprising you. I actually composed the next Luminous Stars single.”

…What?

I stood frozen, staring at him. Amagi-kun, a composer for Luminous Stars? It didn’t seem real.

Could such a miracle actually happen?

“You’re kidding, right?”

“I’m not kidding. I was planning to tell you first, but since you kept your idol identity secret, I thought I’d surprise you. Were you surprised?”

“Y-Yeah, I was surprised…”

More than surprised—I was utterly dumbfounded.

Amagi-kun, composing a Luminous Stars song?

Was this some elaborate prank?

I glanced around but saw no hidden cameras.

It didn’t seem like a joke. What he said must be true.

“I’m looking forward to hearing you sing, Shirasaki-san.”

Hearing those words made my suppressed feelings surge back.

I still loved Amagi-kun.

…What a sinful man, showing up in front of me like this.

As I thought that, I realized something.

The song I was about to perform as the center was composed by Amagi-kun.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of destiny between us.

Maybe we were meant to be.

Lost in my own thoughts, I smiled softly.

As a side note, Luminous Stars—which had been gaining popularity—achieved a major breakthrough with the song I performed as the center.