Episode One Hundred and Two
I moved to the landing of the emergency staircase and pressed the call button.
People rarely pass through here. Even so, I covered my mouth with my hand as I spoke.
“Hiname-chan?”
‘It’s been a while. Sorry for the sudden call.’
“No, not at all.”
‘It’s your lunch break, right? Sorry, I’ve been struggling to find the time.’
“That’s absolutely fine… but more importantly, has something happened?”
‘Happened… yes.’
Hiname-chan hesitated on the line.
‘Where should I start… Do you follow social media or online news, Amami-san?’
“Well, as much as anyone else.”
‘Did you know that during Golden Week, tweets about Charles’s handshake event went viral? Or rather, caused a bit of a stir?’
This was starting to sound rather dodgy.
“I know about that… you were saying there was a fan asking you about Ibara-san, right?”
‘Exactly. It was someone who’d bought ten handshake tickets.’
“Handshake tickets?”
‘Ah, handshake tickets are included with CDs. After the live, you present them and get about six seconds to talk to a member per ticket.’
“Six seconds?”
‘Ten tickets would be one minute. Due to infection control and other measures, we’ve gone handshake-free, just talk now.’
What a peculiar culture. How much do CDs cost these days, I wonder?
It makes me wonder again if it’s really okay to be chatting like this normally right now.
‘Sorry, I digressed.’
She cleared her throat and continued.
‘It was an older woman. Late twenties, maybe? A pretty one… And then she suddenly asked me.’
‘Mm.’
‘If I knew Shinomori Ibara’s contact details.’
A chill ran down my spine.
‘You… you didn’t tell her, did you, Hiname-chan?’
‘I didn’t tell her!’
Anticipating the question, Hiname-chan denied it emphatically.
‘I wouldn’t give it to her, would I?’
‘R-right, sorry.’
‘It happens sometimes. So this time too, I politely declined. Then…’
Hiname lowered her voice.
‘She said, “Never mind the contact details, just pass on a message to Ibara.”’
‘A message?’
‘Yes. She said to tell her that Kikuno wants to get in touch.’
‘──Kikuno?’
‘She said she’d understand if I mentioned that name.’
“…A woman’s name, right? Or rather, probably that person’s name…?”
‘I think so. And it seems someone waiting right behind us overheard the first part of the conversation. They took photos too, leading to that whole incident.’
Incidentally, when I searched just now, that tweet had already been deleted. The poster probably took it down after being accused of voyeurism.
‘Um… what do you think, Amami-san?’
“Eh?”
‘Should we tell Ibara about this Kikuno person?’
“Well…”
Hiname-chan’s question left me at a loss for words.
Should we tell Ibara? That’s… well—
What should we do?
It’s hard to judge because we don’t know who this Kikuno-san (tentative name) really is.
At one point, I thought she might be Ibara’s mother.
But that still feels off.
If she really were his mother, why go about it so roundabout?
Then again, if she’s a complete stranger, that’s downright horrifying. Should I just relay what I was told?
“It’s tricky, isn’t it?”
‘Exactly.’
Hiname-chan sighed, ‘Fuu’.
Even over the phone, her distress was palpable.
‘I’m sorry, I’m completely at a loss. We’re in the middle of a national tour, so I really need to focus on the performances.’
Hiname-chan continued, “I’m sorry for bringing up such a strange request.”
She’s hurtling down the idol path at breakneck speed and must be ten times busier than me.
Yet she’s genuinely troubled about Ibara leaving the team. She’s still such a bloody good kid.
…Right.
I can’t let a girl like that carry this kind of worry.
Hiname-chan should focus on her own work. For the fans’ sake, and for her own.
“Thank you for talking to me about it.”
‘Eh?’
“Just focus on the tour for now. I’ll take care of the message.”
‘But…’
“I want you to trust me. I won’t let it go to waste, alright?”
‘Amami-san…’
Through the phone, I heard her exhale in relief.
‘Alright. I’m sorry, but please take care of it.’
“Right. Do your best for the next live show too.”
‘Yes!’
As if she’d made up her mind, the call ended with that spirited reply. That’s fine.
That’s fine, but now then.
I’d rashly agreed to take it on, but what should I do?
Should I pluck up the courage to ask Ibara, or should I just suppress it on my own authority? Which is the right answer?
Puzzling over it, I returned to my seat to find a paper coffee cup with a lid placed there.
I wondered if someone had put it there by mistake, but then my eyes met Momono-chan’s.
She held a cup from the same vending machine.
“Ah, that’s for the morning manju and as a thank you for everything!”
“Eh? Thank you. Sorry, I guess I made you go out of your way.”
“Not at all, Senpai. I’m always in your debt.”
She flashed a bright smile. Her junior skills were as sharp as ever.
“Not at all. I’m the one who’s been helped so much by you, Momono-chan. Thank you, always.”
“Mmmph!”
Momono-chan clutched her chest tightly.
“Wh-what’s wrong?”
“──My apologies. I nearly fell head over heels for you, Senpai.”
“Aren’t you a bit too gullible?”
I found myself slightly concerned about Momono-chan’s romantic prospects. Though that’s none of my business, really.
I sat down at my seat and pulled the knob on the lid. The rich, roasted aroma of ground beans wafted out.
Even though I’d kicked my caffeine habit, the smell of coffee was still wonderful.
Toasty and faintly sweet.
Smells trigger memories. Suddenly, I found myself longing for those sofa seats at Sereno.
Right then, today I’ll skip the herbal tea and have decaf coffee instead.
Aki-san’s decaf coffee is absolutely exquisite, and that’s when it hit me.
That’s right.
Aki-san is Ibara’s cousin.
She might know the truth about “Kikuno-san”.