"Eh? 'Good day'?"
Hearing Togawa Sakiko's naturally elegant words slip out so suddenly, Chihaya Anon almost thought she had misheard. That abrupt change in Sakiko's manner of speech left her slightly dazed, but she quickly stopped paying attention to it.
Blinking as she came back to herself, Anon couldn't help but ask,
"Sakiko, did you just say that you're 'also' going to look for Haru-Haru?"
Perhaps because the memories of the time loops had made her pick up that ojou-sama way of speaking again, Sakiko lowered her head, cheeks faintly flushed. Even so, her eyes remained fixed straight ahead.
"…That's right. I'm heading directly to Yokohama now to find him."
"It isn't only that I want to know the reason he took today off. There's something even more important that I need to tell him."
At that, Anon's expression stiffened, and she cast a peculiar glance toward Takamatsu Tomori.
But to her surprise, the little penguin only blinked in confusion, as if she knew nothing of what was going on with Sakiko either. That in itself made Anon feel rather conflicted.
Leaving aside what exactly that so-called "important matter" was supposed to be, what shocked both of them even more was the word that had just come out of Sakiko's mouth: Yokohama.
What Sakiko referred to as "Yokohama" was most likely the small apartment Haru had once rented there. But the things in that apartment had been moved out just last week, and as far as anyone knew, the landlord had already rented the place to a family of four.
Which meant...
"…"
Sakiko didn't know Haru had already moved?
Realizing this, the expression on Anon's face twisted into something even stranger. She herself didn't much like Sakiko, but knowing that Sakiko got along well with Tomori and Mutsumi, everyone had silently acknowledged that she also held a place close to Haru.
She had simply never expected that Sakiko wouldn't even know something this basic.
I thought Taki was already unmatched, so whose underling is this supposed to be?
"Um, Saki-chan…"
Tomori's voice was soft, hesitant. Her timid words made Sakiko arch her brows, then let out a long breath. She pressed a hand over her chest and fixed them both with a serious gaze.
So, Tomori was going to ask her what this "important matter" was?
But Sakiko had already anticipated that. By now, she was fully prepared to declare war on the others. She would never again conceal her feelings. She would make her intentions clear, and openly declare her challenge.
"If that's all you want to ask, then I'll tell you directly."
"I like Haru. I'm going there now to confess to him!"
Sakiko no longer hid anything, no longer denied it. She simply lifted her eyes, filled with resolve and conviction, and spoke with words that were honest and bold, as if proclaiming herself with the spirit of Jeanne d'Arc.
She was no longer weak.
Her love was something she had to fight for herself.
But faced with this sudden declaration, Chihaya Anon only gaped in shock, her little mouth slightly open, the sharp tips of her canine teeth catching a glimmer of light. A baffled, peculiar expression spread across her face.
Wait, what was she even saying?
"Saki-chan… a-actually, we just wanted to say—"
Before a panicked Tomori could explain, the blue-haired girl already pressed her fingertips to her chest, eyes burning with emotion.
"There's no need to say anything. I know that both you, Tomori, and you, Anon, also have feelings for Haru. But I will never lose to anyone, because my love and devotion to him are not inferior to anyone else's!"
"Today I will confess to him, no matter what!"
"Let's settle this fair and square, one on one."
With those words, Sakiko turned decisively on her heel, as though bidding farewell to the weak and selfish version of herself from the past, or perhaps simply seeking to correct her former mistakes, pouring out the words she had never managed to say before.
Whatever the reason, she was in no state to listen to anyone now.
She strode away without noticing Tomori's confused expression. Even if she had noticed, she likely wouldn't have cared. Only when her figure had vanished beyond the crowd did the two girls at the school gate finally exchange uneasy looks.
"W-what should we do, Anon-chan?"
"Saki-chan's serious. She's really going to confess to Haru right now…"
Tomori's anxious and frightened expression made Anon lift her left brow. Placing her hands on her hips, she replied in a nonchalant tone, "If she wants to confess to Haru, then let her go. That was bound to happen sooner or later anyway, wasn't it?"
"Still, I didn't think she wouldn't know that Haru already moved. He should have told everyone when he moved out. Or maybe he only told all his girlfriends?"
"Well, once she finds out, she'll probably figure out where the new place is soon enough."
Anon truly didn't mind either way, though Sakiko's sudden change did surprise her.
Not long ago, Sakiko still hadn't dared show her feelings too openly in front of everyone. And now, in just a few short days, she had become a different person entirely, boldly declaring war on her so-called rivals, even daring to march right up to Haru himself to confess.
What could have happened to make her shift her twisted personality so drastically in so short a time?
And more than that, her confident and open attitude, as if certain that confessing would guarantee her success.
Where did she get that confidence? Could she see the future or something?
"Wait…"
Anon's eyes widened suddenly, her gaze fixed blankly on the direction Sakiko had gone.
At that instant, a thought she would never normally dare to imagine began to stir in her mind.
Sakiko, could it be that she also "dreamed" of something?
Thinking it over, her behavior now was strangely similar to her own back then.
Standing beside her, Takamatsu Tomori had no idea of the mess running through Chihaya Anon's head. She only flailed her pale little hands in panic and, in a tone almost never heard from her, spoke with rare urgency.
"…N-no, that's not it."
"Even if Saki-chan makes it to Haru's new place, she won't find him, because tonight… tonight he's going on a date at the planetarium with Uika-chan. And Uika-chan has decided she'll confess to him tonight too!"
This plan for Misumi Uika's confession had already been shared with Wakaba Mutsumi. She had originally invited Haru and Tomori together to the planetarium, but when the little penguin heard, she resolved to make up an excuse to leave midway, creating a chance for Uika to confess alone.
She wanted to help as much as she could, to set the stage for Uika's confession.
But now Sakiko had suddenly declared she was going to confess as well, crashing headlong into Uika's carefully prepared plan. On top of that, she didn't even know Haru had moved out, and had already gone running toward Yokohama.
"…"
Anon froze for several seconds, staring blankly at the little penguin before her.
Eh? No way.
"Then what do we do?! Should we try contacting Sakiko now?"
"N-no… we can't. Ever since the band broke up, we don't have any way to reach her. Even if we did, I don't know what we could say to stop her. Right now she probably wouldn't listen to anything…"
"Then what about contacting Uika instead? Maybe convince her to postpone her confession… save it for next time? We can't have the two of them confessing at the same time!"
"That… that won't work either! Uika-chan has been preparing for this date for such a long time. And this will already be her second confession… she was rejected by Haru once before. If she gave up again now…"
"Then what are we supposed to do?!"
Anon began scratching her head in frustration, spinning in circles on the spot.
At this point, neither Sakiko nor Uika could be stopped. And the one person she usually relied on most, her little boyfriend, was the very one caught in the middle this time!
Haru had already turned down Uika once. If he were told beforehand what her true intention for this date was, then no matter how much effort she put in, it would all feel tainted in his eyes. It might "indirectly," or even "directly," ruin everything she had worked so hard to build.
This was a disaster.
Now Anon understood why the little penguin had been spinning in panic earlier. Of the two of them, she was the one caught squarely between Sakiko and Uika, the one most helpless. No matter which way the scales tipped, it would end badly.
If both Sakiko and Uika were willing to accept a "harem," that might have been one thing. But of all people, Sakiko was the one most fiercely opposed to it. From the words she had just spoken about settling things "fair and square," the problem was already obvious.
The two girls, like headless flies, were utterly at a loss before the situation.
…
Her heart trembled with unease.
When was the last time she had felt this nervous?
Was it the day she resolutely asked her parents to let her live in Tokyo on her own, or the first time she stumbled into her job, full of uncertainty? Or was it when she sat on the couch, gathering her courage to confess her feelings to the boy beside her?
In any case, this was surely the most nervous she had ever been.
"…"
The blonde girl exhaled softly, white mist curling into the air beneath the glow of a streetlamp. A snow-white scarf wrapped around her delicate, pale ears, and the freezing air had left her skin flushed with red.
Misumi Uika rubbed her fingertips together, then tugged her scarf a little higher with a small hand.
"Today's already December 9th… almost Christmas, isn't it?"
She murmured to herself, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Every Christmas in the past she had spent alone, either buried in work or performing as an idol at a Christmas live. No matter what, it was always solitary and cold, with not even time to buy a little Christmas cake.
Uika had never cared much about Christmas. Over the years, she had simply grown used to it.
"But this year..."
"What about this year?"
The sudden voice made her body jolt, and she turned her head, heart pounding, only to meet a pair of warm, jet-black eyes.
A boy with black hair, wrapped in a light gray coat, stood with one hand on his hip. His face, beautiful enough to outshine a girl's, was tilted with a teasing smile. Perhaps surprising her from behind had been amusing to him.
"Haru-kun… when did you get here?"
Nervousness fluttered in her chest. She was afraid he had heard what she had just said.
But Haru, seeing her flustered state, chuckled and replied in a joking tone, "Actually, I've been standing beside you for about five minutes now. You just didn't notice me?"
"Five minutes?"
The flustered girl's ears turned scarlet as she lowered her head, overwhelmed.
Then… he had heard her talking about Christmas?
Haru hadn't expected that this cool, dazzling idol on stage would reveal such an adorable reaction. Only then did he remember that Misumi Uika was, after all, just a sixteen-year-old high school girl. Her usual maturity made the contrast all the more striking.
"I'm kidding. I only just arrived, and heard you mention 'this year.'"
"…R-really? I was just thinking how quickly this year has gone by. It's almost over already."
As an idol, Uika's instincts kicked in quickly. Her mind raced, and she smoothly came up with a plausible excuse. Haru, realizing this, played along without pressing her further. Otherwise, she might have had to say more than she could handle.
After a brief pause, Haru spoke again.
"Tomori couldn't make it today because something came up, so it's just the two of us watching the planetarium program."
"Eh? T-that's such a shame…"
Misumi Uika's gaze wavered. Of course she knew the real reason the little penguin had left.
Since Tomori had worked so hard to help her, she had to make sure she rewarded that effort with results.
Haru felt the sharp winter wind against his cheeks as his eyes drifted toward the park clock in the distance.
"By the way, we agreed to meet at six, but the planetarium show doesn't start for another hour and a half. And Uika, you even came here ahead of time. That means we'll be stuck out here in the cold for a whole hour."
"Eh? But Haru-kun, you came early too, didn't you…"
The blonde girl raised her small fists in a feeble protest.
She might have said it that way, but Haru hadn't actually planned to stand in the cold with her for an hour. He had only come early because he guessed she would, too. Otherwise, would he really leave her alone to wait in the freezing wind?
"…"
Haru took the opportunity to openly study her outfit. A beige coat paired with a snow-white knit scarf, her silky golden hair catching a subtle shine. Her style today was worlds apart from usual, proof of the care she had put into her appearance.
When a girl goes to such effort, a gentleman has no choice but to treat her with proper respect.
"Uika, this might be a bit of a problem."
"…Eh? I-is there something wrong with how I'm dressed?"
The black-haired boy's careful look over her entire figure sent Uika into a panic, making her hurriedly check herself over. She had rushed home right after school at three to shower and change, spending a long time until she was finally satisfied with her look.
Normally she wore loose T-shirts and sneakers, but today, on Sumita Mana's recommendation, she had tried something more feminine. Confidence had never been her strength.
"There's nothing wrong with it. If anything, you're a little too pretty."
Rolling his eyes, Haru pulled a black mask from his pocket.
"You were already striking enough, but dressed like this, you stand out even more. Even with a cap and sunglasses, what if someone recognizes you? Then what? Are you planning to make headlines with me tomorrow and graduate from being an idol in disgrace?"
Uika nodded faintly, though she hadn't heard a single word.
From the moment Haru had called her "pretty," her heart had blossomed like spring flowers. Red little blossoms seemed to float above her head, her giddy joy impossible to hide even beneath her sunglasses.
"Y-you're right."
Her nose tucked shyly into her warm scarf, her flushed face peeked out as she asked tentatively, "Then what should we do? Maybe find a bench and sit down to chat until the program starts?"
Haru gave a helpless smile. "Of course not, we're not going to freeze out here. Let's just walk around town for a while. You can keep the sunglasses on for now, and take them off once we're inside the planetarium. And as for how we address each other, from now on I'll call you Miss Friend A."
"In other people's ears, it might even sound like Ayako or something."
Uika blinked and asked like a curious child, "Then what should I call you? Maybe Friend B?"
"I'm not the famous idol here. Just call me by my name."
Haru gave a wry smile. For some reason, Uika seemed a little airheaded today.
But even that side of her was cute.
"…Th-then shall we go?"
Uika forced down the thundering beat of her heart. She hadn't expected that coming early would turn this extra time into a date, just the two of them. She had to try even harder today. She was determined to make Haru fall for her.
She clenched her little fist in determination, her heart brimming with fighting spirit.
If Haru could have heard her thoughts just then, he might have laughed quietly to himself.
In truth, maybe he had already fallen for her.