'I saw him today.'
'Though his appearance hadn't changed at all, my heart raced even more than before.'
'No, it seems like every time it beats even faster.'
'I can never suppress this impulse—the urge to get closer to him.'
'Once I see his face, the lens can't help but lock onto him.'
'Everything around him weaves into the most perfect composition and lighting, making me restless with excitement.'
Sakura Airi lay on her bed, clutching a stuffed toy in her arms.
Her braids had been undone, and her long hair cascaded over her shoulders.
Her fair, delicate collarbones peeked out from her collar, while her full, heaving chest pressed tightly against the toy, as if she were embracing someone.
Her gaze was fixed on the wall ahead, covered in numerous photos.
Anyone present would surely recognize the person in those pictures.
However, his presence was absent from this room.
There wasn't a single frontal shot—every photo was taken by Airi in secret.
Among them, Airi's favorite was his face, captured in the glow of the setting sun as he passed by the special teaching building.
The regret was that it was a stolen shot.
Even so, Airi hadn't achieved much—only a pitiful dozen or so photos that were barely acceptable.
Regardless, the girl still felt a thrill looking at these pictures.
Perhaps, having experienced it herself, she finally understood why some fans could become extreme.
Some would maintain a proper distance, while others would develop a strong interest in their crush's private life.
She happened to be the latter.
Airi recalled the scene from not long ago—the first time she encountered a man's scent.
At the time, it only made her blush, but now, in the quiet of the night, she replayed his reactions over and over.
As the scene flashed before her eyes, the girl squirmed restlessly on her bed.
Even though she usually tried to ignore the rumors about him, she could no longer evade her own emotions.
With so many girls around, what harm would one more do?
Airi roughly squeezed the toy in her arms.
Besides feeling resentful, she sometimes wished the others would just disappear—if only she had met him earlier, if only he liked her alone.
Her thighs rubbed against the bedsheet, her hair tips brushing her cheeks and neck.
Though she wasn't doing anything particularly special, her restless body radiated waves of heat.
As if catching a whiff of that once-sweet scent, Airi unconsciously licked her lips.
Her hands gripped the toy's ears, her soft, delicate fingers still seeming to retain that warmth and pulse.
If he were to treat her roughly, things might get even worse.
Just as Airi was sinking deeper into her fantasies, her phone rang from nearby, abruptly cutting off her thoughts.
Flustered, Airi sat up and grabbed her phone.
Her pupils trembled at what she saw.
He was coming over!
Her heart pounded as if struck by something, and a foolish smile spread across her face without her realizing.
She threw herself onto the bed, rolling around in excitement until her already disheveled shirt became even more untidy, revealing a glimpse of her charms.
The next moment, she froze.
No—her room was a mess! He would find out!
Airi hurriedly got up, not bothering to wonder why Kaoruwas visiting.
In that moment, she moved with astonishing speed, packing away all the photos and anything suspicious into boxes!
Just as she finished sealing the last box, the doorbell rang.
Airi swallowed hard, instinctively tucking her hair behind her ears.
Then, remembering what she had just been doing, a blush gradually spread across her pretty face.
Oh no—she forgot about the scent on her! He'll notice… Waaah…
If he thinks I'm a shameless woman… Waaah…
Airi felt a wave of self-pity, but then she reconsidered. After what happened between them last time, it should be fine, right?
Eh, maybe this time he wants to take things further.
Realizing this, Airi grew even more panicked.
Should she take a shower? Change into something cute? If Kaoru wasn't satisfied, she'd regret it for the rest of her life!
Ding—
The doorbell rang again, clearly puzzled by her lack of response.
Airi paced around her room.
What should she do? Should she make up an excuse to delay him for an hour or two?
"Airi?"
Kaoru's voice came from outside the door.
And so, the girl obediently went to open the door.
More than any excuse, she feared making him angry or disappointed.
What if he turned and left?
"S-sorry… I was just… taking out the trash… I didn't hear the bell…"
Airi expected him to be upset with her, but seeing him standing at the doorway, her anxiety and unease melted away like ice and snow, leaving only the sound of her pounding heartbeat.
"I should be the one apologizing for bothering you so late."
Kaoru noticed the girl's slightly disheveled shirt and the way her chest stood out, drawing attention. He glanced past her into the room.
"Mind if I come in?"
"N-not at all…"
Airi nearly tripped over her words.
All sorts of strange thoughts flooded her mind.
After the ice melted, the meadow awaited the rising tide, eagerly anticipating the awakening of life.
Kaoru stepped into her room.
It looked mostly the same, except for the boxes piled in the corner—too odd not to arouse curiosity about the girl's secrets.
"W-would you like something to drink?"
"Tea is fine."
"I'll get it for you right away!"
Watching her slightly flustered and excited figure, Kaoru felt something was off.
The scene from not long ago flashed before his eyes, stirring a restlessness within him.
Could she be thinking he wants to do something?
"H-here's your tea!"
Airi poured him a cup of barley tea, then sat across from him, looking both embarrassed and eagerly expectant.
"Has anyone from Class C been bothering you?"
Kaoru cut straight to the point.
"Eh?"
Caught off guard by the question, Airi let out a rather foolish sound.
"What's wrong?"
Kaoru found it amusing. "Do you think my concern is unnecessary?"
Airi's face flushed bright red, and she waved her hands frantically. "N-no, that's not it! I just… wasn't expecting it… asking so suddenly…"
"It's not that sudden, is it? Honestly, when they started targeting you, I felt it was a bit dangerous."
Kaoru sighed.
In his eyes, Karuizawa Kei, Kushida Kikyo, and Sakura Airi were easy to handle—the others just hadn't figured out the situation yet.
Seeing this, Airi slowly lowered her hands, her voice tinged with dejection.
"Did I… cause you trouble?"
Though Kaoru never said it, she knew she was practically useless—average grades, terrible physical fitness, not particularly smart, no noteworthy talents, timid, shy, socially anxious, weak-willed, and reclusive.
Someone like her…
"No, it's not you causing me trouble—it's me causing you trouble."
Kaoru said, "If you were somewhere else, I guarantee most people here wouldn't shine as brightly as you."
His firmness left Airi at a loss.
Why did he always speak so highly of her?
"N-no, that can't be right… You've helped me so much… and I'm still…"
Kaoru smiled, making Airi swallow the rest of her words.
He then said proudly, "Because you're an idol. For every hundred people who dislike you, a thousand will love you. Even when you hate yourself, your fans will continue to adore you."
Though sometimes she'd argue with fans, sometimes comments would break her, other times she'd be moved to tears by their foolish devotion.
From debut to the final curtain, during Kaoru's time as her producer, he'd seen her cry, seen her laugh, watched her tremble with nerves before going on stage, only to burst forth with dazzling brilliance under the spotlight, and afterward, she'd endlessly scroll through the comments section.
Airi was no different. Even after she stopped updating her tweets, fans still waited in the comments for any news from her.
"I guarantee, Airi, you are absolutely not a burden."
Kaoru said, "Putting everything else aside, just debuting as an idol puts you miles ahead."
Airi could no longer hold back.
Since they'd met, this guy had never once blamed her for anything. Instead, he kept affirming her, nearly making her cry.
"Waaah… I… I understand… I won't say things like that anymore… Waaah…"
She grabbed Kaoru's arm, tears welling in her eyes.
The more she looked into his eyes, the more she loved him.
At this point, even if Kaoru were to push her down, she'd probably be eager for it.
No—even if this person didn't want to "cook," Airi would make sure he got the idea.
Was she supposed to keep humming to his photos in her room forever?
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