Chapter 32: Truth, Misconceptions, And Accelerating Love


TL: Akabane


***


After a day of stomach cramps and constant stress, I drop Sasaki off at the station, and just as I'm finally on my way home, I get an incoming call on my phone.


Is this ...... Mizuki's number?


"Yes. This is Makishima."


"I'm waiting for you on the bench of the square ...... in front of clock tower right there."


"How is the song?　Was it helpful?"


"I don't want to talk about that, I want to talk about something else."


With that, Mizuki hung up the phone.


From the looks of it ...... it looks like she's found out that me and Sasaki aren't dating.


I'm sure someone with eyes as good as Mizuki's can see right through that.


I was prepared to be pissed off, so I headed to a large park nearby and sat down on a bench in front of the clock tower.


After a while, someone sat down silently, spacing one bench for three people.


This perfume is ...... Mizuki.


"Oh, thank you for your time, Mizuki-san."


We don't make eye contact with each other, just look ahead as we begin our conversation.


"You, did you cheat me?"


Single-mindedly. Mizuki said this in a more cold tone than usual.


The moment I hear that, a chill runs down my spine.


I knew it.


I didn't realize that the downside of going on a date as usual and not making a couple's appeal would show up so easily.


"I'm sorry."


Under the sunset sky, I turn to Mizuki and bow deeply.


Now that it's come to this, I have no choice but to apologize honestly.


I lied.


"Yes, you did ....... but I think it would be more correct to say that it was a secret rather than a lie."


"Secret?"


"Why did you do that?"


Mizuki raises her sunglasses and expresses her anger with her eyes.


I'll have to explain everything properly.


I took a breath and then decided to tell her how I really felt.


"......B-Because, I'm scared."


"Scared?"


"If I went on a date with Mizuki-san and it was picked up by a weekly magazine, I would lose everything ...... my soccer career. That's what I was afraid of!"


For some reason, Mizuki's body trembled as I shared my true feelings with her.


Is she so angry ...... that she's shaking?


"Are you serious about that?"


"I'm sorry!"


"No need to apologize, though. If you really are afraid of the weeklies, you two should break up right now. I mean, why don't you break up?"


"What ......?"


"Why are you dating that girl when you can be so guarded about being with me?　You've been contradicting of what you've been saying and what you've been doing earlier."


What are you talking about, Mizuki?


And what do you mean by contradictions?


"Eh ...... that's why I said I'm not dating her. That was all a lie."


"Lies ......?　And you're not dating?　What do you mean?"


"Yes?"


We're both confused because we're not talking to each other.


That's funny. Didn't Mizuki find out we weren't dating?


"You said earlier that it's a lie, but ...... what on earth are you talking about?"


"I mean, we're not dating. Me and my girlfriend met a few weeks ago."


"......Ha? So that's why you're not dating?"


Mizuki's eyes widen in surprise, as if she had never seen such a cool look on her face.


"You're holding hands, right?"


"Technically, it's my pinky finger, but..."


"She's been talking about something the whole time."


"That's because she's a talker."


"And you're not dating?"


"Yes."


Mizuki holds her head up, wrinkling her brow.


"...... I wonder if my sensibilities are strange."


"Well, what you wanted to say was that I lied about having a girlfriend, wasn't it?"


"No. ......"


Mizuki turns around and narrows her eyes.


"What I wanted to say was about her."


Her thing ...... is Sasaki's?


"That girl ...... Kiraboshi Ayane, right?"


The air freezes in an instant.


I've been exposed, the situation I had feared the most.


I didn't want Mizuki to find out that Sasaki is Ayane Kiraboshi herself.


"You noticed that, didn't you?


"At first, I thought it was just a resemblance. But since we've been friends for two years, there's no way I wouldn't have ...... noticed."


Mizuki stares off into the distance as if looking back at the glory (of the past).


That's right.


Mizuki is the leader and Sasaki is the center.


How could two people who built an era not recognize each other?


"If you want to continue to live a ...... normal life playing soccer, I dare to give you some advice."


"Advice ......?"


"Kiraboshi Ayane is already dead. But there will always be people who praise people after their death, and the legend of Ayane Kiraboshi will not disappear even after her death. In other words, there will always be people chasing scandals, and it will never end."


"Are you saying that Sasaki will be chased for the rest of her life?"


"Of course. If that Kiraboshi Ayane's story, of which there was no information at all after her graduation, goes up ...... it will definitely be on the top news stories of all the news stations. There are many people who wish for that girl to turn into an actress or return to the talent business."


"That's crazy!　She's finally free now!"


"It's not strange. In exchange for her enormous popularity, she lost her personal life. It's impossible for her to return to a normal life now."


Mizuki was right, Sasaki has to hide her face wherever she goes.


She wears a mask and glasses all the time, whether she's at the university or out and about. That girl likes to talk, but when there are a lot of people around, she shuts up.


Maybe Sasaki doesn't even have the right to live freely anymore.


"You were a fan of Ayane Kiraboshi, right?　You must be a lucky guy to be able to meet your idol."


"No."


"If ...... you're not, then there's no reason for you to be obsessed with that girl, right?　It's dangerous to get involved with Ayane Kiraboshi any further."


"Dangerous?　Are you saying that I should insulate myself from her right now?"


"That's right. That girl who retired from show business has no choice but to fight her loneliness ....... She knew that herself, and she's prepared for it. But she is taking advantage of ...... your kindness and goodwill."


"You're wrong!　Sasaki..."


"If an ordinary person like you gets involved with that girl, you will have to bear the same fate as her. Do you understand the weight of that?"


"The weight ......?"


"If information about your relationship or personal information were to get out to the public, you would definitely be bashed. This isn't mean or anything, it's a serious warning."


Well, I can see Mizuki's point.


If the world finds out about this, even an ordinary person like me will have my personal information spread.


People who were fans of Kiraboshi would no doubt be slandered.


But I can't believe that I'm so concerned about that that I'm going to cut off my relationship with Sasaki. ......


"...... Sasaki wouldn't have gotten into this mess in the first place if she hadn't had a fight with Mizuki-san!　Don't you feel any responsibility either!"


"...... I don't."


Mizuki said coldly and stood up from the bench.


"I loved that girl, so I gave her a way to live. But she ...... chose a man over her life. That's all that matters."


"Oh, a man?　Who is he?"


"I don't know either. But that girl said she would quit the entertainment industry rather than become independent. She said, she would be the one doing the cheering, not the one being cheered."


From the side to be supported, to the side to support...?


"It was rumored among the members that she had a picture of a certain guy, and I heard that she flew overseas for him after she retired. ......"


"I don't think that's what Sasaki was talking about--"


Her first love, the guy ......?


"You, do you know anything about that?"


"Yes ....... But this is something Sasaki and I talked about when we were alone, and I can't tell Mizuki-san."


"Right. Well, I'm not interested either ...... since I've insulated myself from her."


Sasaki said she came to Tokyo looking for her first love, whom she saw at work when she was in high school.


Assuming the photo she had from her idol days was that person.......


"When did you hear the rumor about the photo you were talking about earlier?"


"...... I think it was, umm, three years ago?"


Three years ago ...... would be when Sasaki was a sophomore in high school in terms of age.


"Why do you ask about that?　I warned you, didn't I?


"Sasaki is supposed to be looking for that guy."


"Huh......?"


"Mizuki-san is right, Sasaki has a hard life after she retired. But you know what, that's unreasonable, it's not right that she became an idol who gave someone hope, who gave someone courage, but that girl herself can't be happy!　So I want to find that guy and I want Sasaki to ...... be happy."


"......You are really kind. If I had been as kind as you at the time, maybe this wouldn't have happened."


Mizuki fixes her sunglasses and walks away with a light wave of her hand.


"Tell that girl that if she ever wants to go back ...... she can always come to me."


For someone who claims to have insulated herself, Mizuki also seemed to care about Ayane Kiraboshi.


I don't know why she had a fight with Sasaki, but Mizuki doesn't seem like a person who would do something terrible, and I selfishly thought that her kindness must have been avenged.






---


Makishima's misunderstanding further complicates the story...?


Next time, "Sasaki's true feelings to be revealed."



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