CHAPTER 22
Kiyomi stared at Miyu.
That smile came too fast. Too clean. It was as if nothing had ever happened.
Miyu leaned back in his chair, chatting casually with Takumi and Rin. His tone was light, his expressions easy; there was no hesitation, no trace of tension—just the same bright, effortless presence he always carried.
(Has he always been like this? Am I just imagining things?)
Takumi took his seat next to Kiyomi while Rin sat next to Miyu. As soon as they settled, Takumi suddenly bawled, leaning his head heavily onto Kiyomi's small shoulder.
"Kiki~!"
Everyone was startled. In unison, they asked whether he was okay or not.
Takumi remained bawling, his voice muffled.
"I need help... with... my assignment," he sniffled between his words. "I need these extra credits to pass..."
(Eh? He gets assignments to pad his grades? Unfair!)
"Just don't be lazy next time, Takumi..." Miyu scolded him immediately.
(Lazy? He never skipped classes... and he's always on time during his basketball training...)
"Takumi-san, if you put in the effort, you can definitely pass next time. By next time, I mean finals..." Rin said jokingly. "Probably... I'm not sure."
(Wait... did they miss the part where Takumi's grade can be padded with assignments?)
"Kiki~!" Takumi wailed louder.
Kiyomi placed a hand on Takumi's hair. Gentle, soothing.
"Okay…" he whispered.
At the word of agreement, Takumi wrapped his arms around Kiyomi and squeezed him hard in a crushing hug.
(This is hot!)
When he finally let go, Rin was already talking, wearing a bragging, smug smile.
"By the way, my sister Renge said she'll let me meet the Cerb-3ros members later today."
(He has no idea...)
"Really? Lucky you... I wish I could meet Miyuko-sama," Miyu said, his voice dripping with mock envy.
(You're literally Miyuko-chan... what are you talking about?)
"Man, I wish I could join you, Rin. But I have to start working on my assignment," Takumi said, his expression falling into genuine disappointment. "Must be nice to be able to meet Sakura-chan."
(I am right here, Takkun!)
Rin lifted her hands, flashing a V-sign while sticking her tongue out. "Yay~!"
The Idol Club members continued talking about idols until the next class finally started. Their chatter and laughter carried softly through the quiet room—a gentle background hum that made the morning feel lighter than it had just minutes ago.
Once classes were over, Kiyomi changed into his Sakura outfit and wig, then headed straight to the Inferno Talent office.
Outside, he met up with the other members, the familiar weight of the wig and outfit settling over him like a protective shield.
After a few brief greetings, they stepped inside and made their way toward the studio for rehearsal. But instead of their instructor, who usually arrived first, they were greeted by their manager.
"No rehearsal for today," Mio said, her expression unreadable.
Without further explanation, she guided the trio toward the conference room. Inside, the Producer and his assistant were already waiting, their presence thickening the air with official tension.
The meeting began the moment the three of them took their seats.
Daichi gestured for his nephew to start. Izumi nodded and stood, passing a stack of papers to Mio, who distributed them to the idols and staff.
Izumi cleared his throat, his gaze sharp.
"For the next two, maybe three days, you won't be rehearsing," he announced. "Instead, you will be recording for your first MV."
Miyu raised a hand, eyes fixed on the schedule in front of him.
"The schedule says 9 AM. As in, the morning? Is that a typo?"
"No, it's not," Izumi replied coldly. "Recording indeed starts at nine in the morning. And yes, I didn't type in when it ends, either. Because it might take a very long time."
"What if we have other things to do in the morning?" Renge asked quickly.
Izumi exhaled, unconcerned with hiding his annoyance. He shot them a look heavy with disdain.
"Either you work hard to become an idol, or you work hard to flip a burger. The choice is yours."
(Man, we can't really complain about their demands because, technically, we're also lying about our identities. Let's not push back…)
Cough. Cough.
Daichi coughed deliberately, eyes fixed firmly on Izumi.
Izumi turned toward him, genuinely confused.
"Don't be condescending," Daichi warned.
"Condescending?" Izumi protested, throwing his hands up. "Uncle, I'm just helping them make the correct choice for their lives."
The room fell into a tense silence. No one dared to argue. One staff member quietly slipped out, seeking to escape the mounting pressure.
Daichi didn't respond directly. Instead, he turned to the idols with a calm smile.
"I apologize. My nephew is still learning," he said, bowing slightly.
Miyu, sensing the fragile atmosphere, immediately stood and approached Izumi, extending a hand.
"Don't mind it!" he said brightly.
(Miyu-chan, I don't think you should be trying to catch his attention…)
Izumi smiled faintly at Miyu, but deep down, his pride felt as if it had been bruised. To him, the gesture carried pity rather than reconciliation.
The discussion that followed became a careful back-and-forth. Miyu advocated for a more balanced schedule, reminding everyone that the idols had other commitments—education, personal activities—that couldn't simply be set aside.
Eventually, they settled on a compromise: recording from 9 AM to 3 PM.
(It's a reasonable time… but at the end of the day, I still need to skip classes.)
The meeting wrapped up quickly, leaving the trio with a few hours to kill before the day truly ended. By 7 PM, they were winding down, grabbing dinner and vibing together at a corner table in WackRonald. The neon lights of the fast-food joint flickered softly above, casting a warm glow that felt far removed from the cold tension of the Inferno Talent conference room.
In the middle of their conversation, a girl quietly slipped into the chair next to Renge.
"Waaa!" She raised her hands suddenly, trying to startle him.
"Rin!" Renge cried out, his face lighting up with genuine excitement.
The two were a perfect mirror of each other—the same sharp eyes, the same mischievous energy, the same angular features. They collapsed into a boisterous hug, laughter spilling over as they clung together for a few long seconds.
As they finally let go, Renge turned to the group, gesturing his sister. He introduced Rin to his friends.
"Thank you for taking care of my bro—sister…" Rin said, catching herself mid-slip at the last possible second.
(That was so close…)
Kiyomi reached up and wiped his forehead, the phantom sensation of cold sweat prickling his skin even though he wasn't actually perspiring.
"The pleasure is ours," Miyu replied, his voice smooth and professional, a subtle curve of his lips softening the formality.
"By the way, you two look familiar. Have we met before?" Rin asked, studying Kiyomi's and Miyu's faces closely through their makeup.
(Oh no… she notices…)
Panicked, Kiyomi blurted out without thinking, "No, we don't know each other… it's our first time meeting. I swear!"
(I'm a fool…)
Rin's expression flickered with doubt. Even Kiyomi could feel how defensive and awkward his words sounded.
"Like Sakura-chan said, it is indeed our first time meeting," Miyu interjected immediately, doubling down to save the moment. "You likely feel that way because many idols use similar makeup styles, which is why we might look familiar to you."
(Nice save, Miyu-chan!)
"Really?" Rin tilted her head, clearly considering it.
Beside her, Renge felt the tug of conflict. One part of him wanted to share the Cerb-3ros secret with his sister; another part wanted to maintain a strict boundary between his idol life and private life.
"Yeah, that's true," Renge said, reaching out to ruffle Rin's hair lightly, steering the mood back toward safety.
Rin chose to trust her brother.
As their conversation drifted naturally, Rin shared stories about her university and clubmates, oblivious to the irony that the very people she was describing sat right in front of her. Laughter bubbled up, warm and easy, and before long, they all huddled together for pictures.
"I will show this to everyone!" she chirped, thumbs flying across her screen as she posted the photos to Juicetter and Idolgram.
(It feels good making a friend happy…)
Kiyomi and Miyu's phones buzzed simultaneously in their pockets as Rin tagged them in the posts. The two exchanged a brief glance, smiled, and shrugged it off, letting Rin have her moment of joy.
When it was time to leave, everyone parted ways at the station. Everyone, except for Kiyomi. Before Miyu could step onto his train, Kiyomi reached out and caught his hand.
Miyu turned back, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
"Kiyomi-chan?"
Kiyomi's expression was stiff, unusually serious. The air between them felt taut, charged. Miyu instinctively straightened, giving Kiyomi his full attention.
"Um… Miyu…" Kiyomi started, his words tentative, each one weighted with the pulse of his racing heart.
Miyu stepped closer, tilting his head just slightly, an unspoken patience in his gaze.
"Tell me. What is it?"
"You messaged me on LONE—" Kiyomi began, his voice catching, but before he could finish, Miyu leaned in, close enough that the warmth of his breath brushed Kiyomi's ear.
Miyu's lips parted, forming words, but—
A roar of metal and wind cut across the platform as another train thundered past on the opposite track. The screeching rails and the rush of air swallowed Miyu's voice completely.
(Eh? What did he say?)
Kiyomi strained, ears tilted, heart in his throat—but the words were lost to the noise.
When Miyu finally leaned back, he didn't repeat himself. Instead, he gave Kiyomi a warm, lingering smile, one that felt sweet yet warm like honey.
Kiyomi stood frozen on the platform, watching as the train doors slid shut. Miyu disappeared into the car, swallowed by the crowd of passengers, leaving Kiyomi behind. He remained there long after the tail lights vanished, chest tight, mind spinning, trying to unravel exactly what had just happened.