Episode Fifty-Four
“Ibara, are you free tomorrow?”
That night.
After much deliberation, I decided to ask her straight out.
“Well… Fancy going out together? I’ve been told about a lovely cat café.”
“Huh?”
Fresh from the bath, Ibara blinked, toothbrush clenched between her teeth.
“Huh? Oh?”
She shuffled towards the sink, splashing water.
The sound of running water.
When Ibara returned a moment later, her eyes were shining brightly.
“A date⁉︎”
“Uh…”
Hmm.
If asked whether this was a date or not, it definitely wasn’t.
This was a lie to get Hiname-chan to meet Ibara.
I know it’s not the most honourable way. But after hearing Hiname-chan’s story…
“A d-date… maybe?”
“Really⁉︎”
Ugh.
Stared at with those joy-filled, upward-glancing eyes, my guilt gnawed at me.
“Then let’s meet at the station like before! I’ll come disguised!”
“Yeah, sorry…”
“It’s fine, I’ll feel more at ease that way.”
That wasn’t the kind of “sorry” I meant, but Ibara seemed to interpret it conveniently.
Is that alright? Probably not.
Sorry, Ibara.
“Mmph, a date with Shigure-san. What should I wear?”
Sorry.
I apologised again in my heart to the excited Ibara.
But even so, Ibara should probably meet Hiname-chan.
†
The day of the meeting.
It wasn’t exactly a date… but the thought of walking alongside that stunningly beautiful girl meant I couldn’t show up looking too scruffy.
I wore a reasonably smart outfit and tried styling my hair up.
When I got to the station, Ibara was waiting with a beaming smile, dressed in that sporty outfit from before. Guilt.
“Shigure-san, that outfit suits you!”
“…Ah, thanks.”
As I approached, she slipped her arm through mine.
She was in an absolutely splendid mood. Precisely why the backlash when she learns the truth is frightening.
I should probably start strategising how to appease her now.
We transferred stations and arrived at the cat café in question.
“Here?”
“Er, yeah. That’s the place.”
Inside, Hiname-chan was already seated in a corner.
Disguised and with her back turned, even Ibara didn’t recognise her.
“There are loads of cats.”
“Well, it is a cat café…”
“So you like cats, Shigure-san? I hadn’t really heard that before. Do you watch cat videos on social media or something?”
“Well, I suppose I like it as much as the next person.”
“Oh, I heard you can feed them here too. Fancy a go?”
This is hopeless! My conscience can’t take any more!
“Ibara, I’m sorry!”
“…Eh?”
“Look. This isn’t a date. Someone asked me to bring you here. That’s why…”
Ibara blinked repeatedly.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hiname-chan stand up.
“──What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry. I’ll do anything you want later, but please, just listen to her for now.”
Saying that, I stood up.
When Hiname-chan sat down in the empty seat, Ibara’s eyes widened.
“Hiname?”
“It’s been a while, Ibara.”
Her double-lidded eyes narrowed behind her glasses.
“I’m sorry. Please don’t blame Amami-san. I insisted on this.”
Ibara’s expression grew increasingly grim before my eyes.
“What do you mean? Hiname, you understand your position, don’t you? When did you meet Shigure-san? I shouldn’t have shared any personal information…”
“I think I understand my position. This place is safe, so don’t worry. Besides, meeting Amami-san was just pure coincidence.”
Coincidence was a bit misleading.
For this day, Hiname-chan had invested considerable time and risk.
But I deliberately kept quiet.
I pulled out a chair from the next table and sat down.
“…Hmm…”
Ibara glanced at me.
“So it wasn’t a date.”
“Sorry, Ibara. I lied.”
“…Shigure-san, you’ll be punished later, you know.”
What on earth.
What exactly am I going to be made to do? Scary.
“…So. What was it you wanted to talk about directly that was worth going to such lengths?”
Ibara glared at Hiname-chan as if challenging her.
Hiname-chan, on the other hand, took a deep breath before returning Ibara’s gaze.
“Motomura-san and the president are planning auditions for new members of ‘Charles’.”
“Eh?”
It was me who gasped, not Ibara.
Caught between their two stares, I continued awkwardly.
“Oh, really? As Ibara’s replacement?”
“Yes. They haven’t started recruiting yet, but it seems they plan to make it a big deal, including broadcasting the selection process online.”
“──And?”
Without changing her expression, Ibara urged her on.
“Why did you come to me now?”
“That’s obvious, isn’t it?! Once the new member auditions start, Ibara won’t be able to come back!”
Hiname raised her voice.
Yes. This was the “matter concerning Ibara’s future” Hiname had told me about.
The idol group Ibara belonged to, ‘Charles’, debuted as a quintet.
Therefore, both the vocal parts and the dance choreography were structured with five members in mind.
Recruiting a new member to fill the gap left by Ibara’s departure was surely only natural.
But that meant the possibility of Ibara’s return became zero.
Since she had originally graduated, it might have been as good as zero anyway.
Still, the reason for her retirement was poor health due to insomnia, so if she recovered eventually, perhaps…
I don’t think it’s fair to say that thought never crossed Ibara’s mind or the agency’s.
That’s why Hiname-chan wanted to tell Ibara now.
To tell her, and then, this is just my guess.
“So?”
“You could still make a comeback now. You’re feeling much better, aren’t you? With Amami-san around, you can sleep for a few hours, right? So then—”
“It’s impossible.”
Ibara declared it without mercy, cutting her off.
“I’m not in a state to endure lessons or concerts yet. Besides, the fans wouldn’t accept it. Someone who quit coming back?”
“That’s not true! There are still people waving green penlights at the regular shows. I’ve been asked at meet-and-greets. Isn’t there any chance?”
“That’s lovely to hear, but that’s beside the point. If I actually came back, I’d get slammed. No, it’s not that—”
Ibara finished quietly.
“I have no intention of doing that right now.”
“…Why?”
“It’s got nothing to do with you, Hiname.”
“But I can’t do this without you, Ibara—”
“—Don’t project your own insecurities onto others.”
Ibara lowered her eyes for just an instant, then raised her face and declared.
“It’s no good. You’re the centre, Hiname.”