Ever since I confessed, she has been acting strange. - CHAPTER 2:THE RUNAWAY SONGSTRESS ARC

Episode 6: A New Threat

“Wow! Even I have to say I feel sympathetic about this counterattack.”

“I’ll gladly accept your sympathy.”

“Ugh…this is way worse than I thought.”

Through the phone, Kazami’s voice was dripping with genuine sympathy from the bottom of his heart.

At this moment, I didn’t even have the energy to retort with something like, “I don’t need your pity.”

“Well, it’s only natural, considering you went out of your way to owe me a favor just to set up this game, only to end up on the receiving end of a counterattack.”

“I’ve reached a point where I don’t even know what to do or how to set things up anymore.”

“Instead of going through all that trouble, why not just confess honestly?”

“That’s impossible.”

“And why is that?”

“I’ve tried a few times, but every time I try to confess, I get nervous and can’t put it into words properly.”
“Ah… so that’s why things got so awkward and ended up like this (・・).”

I felt a bit irritated at the “ended up like this” part, but right now, I didn’t even have the energy to retort, so I deliberately swallowed my words.

“I’m so excited to take my time and work things out slowly. I’ve realized that we’re just too close after trying to push forward recently. I think it would be great to spend a bit more time apart or something like that.”

“Well, you two have been together since you were kids, after all… It’s possible that precisely because you’re so close, he doesn’t see you in that way. Why not? I’m excited to find out.”

“Concerns?”

“If you’re not careful, someone else might snatch him away. For example, while you’re spending time apart, he might run into a new, major rival (a new heroine)—or something like that!”

“A new, major rival (a new heroine)? Like who, for example?”

“Oh, you’re not familiar with the latest news? There’s some buzz going around about a songstress coming to Japan!”

“Absolutely! One of our affiliated companies had the incredible opportunity to manage her concert before. But as far as I know, isn’t that songstress currently on hiatus?”

“I’ve heard the rumors, and they say she’s come to our town! It’s incredible that she’s the same age as us, and she’s a songstress to boot!”

“You’re saying there’s a chance Eito might run into that songstress? That’s quite a far-fetched but amusing joke.”

“Hahaha. Right, right?”

“This is great!”

An electrifying silence hung in the air, and it seemed like Kazami was thinking the same thing!

“If it’s Eito we’re talking about, it’s entirely possible!”

“By the way, what’s Eito up to today?”

“I surprised him by forcing him to take the day off, and even threw him outside! He’s the type to work even on his days off, so I had to do something to make him rest. I thought it’d be good to create some distance to make him notice me, and it worked!”

“………………………………”

Once again, an awkward silence filled the air, and it was clear that Kazami was thinking the same thing.

Could it be that this was a misstep?

“No matter how you look at it, it’s not like he’d just coincidentally run into a songstress on hiatus in the middle of the city, right?”

“Absolutely! No matter how you look at it, that’s just so amazing!”

After ending the call, I eagerly tapped on my smartphone and called Eito without hesitation.

I’m not worried at all! I just really want to hear Eito’s voice. If he answers, I’ll ask how he’s doing. The conversation will go something like this: “Hello, Eito! Are you enjoying your day off? The weather’s nice, so why not take a walk and relax? Okay, bye.”…Yeah, perfect! The conversation simulation is flawless. Now, all that’s left is for Eito to pick up…

…If he answers…

…If he picks up…

This is strange, but I’m not going to let it get me down. He’s not answering, which is unusual. Usually, he’d pick up before the third ring.

“…………………”

I put away my smartphone, pulled out some clothes from the closet, and called out to the mansion’s staff.

“I’m heading out. Please prepare the car.”