The sun today was just as fierce as ever, the air drier than it had been for days. Standing beneath the blazing rays, Anon felt as if her skin were being grilled. Breathing in this hot, parched air made her throat itch with unbearable dryness.
Yet, contrary to her physical discomfort, Anon's mood was buoyant—ecstatic even!
That morning, she'd received a message from Kikukawa Kyo. Though brief, she read it again and again, doubting whether she was still dreaming.
In short…
"I actually get to watch Sumimi rehearse live?!"
After squinting, rubbing her eyes, pinching her leg, repeatedly opening and closing the message, and even putting on her glasses, Anon finally confirmed that this wasn't some spam message or a delayed April Fool's joke. It was real—Kyo had invited her to visit Sumimi's talent agency today.
The message fully woke Anon from her sleepy stupor. Unable to suppress her excitement, she shouted out loud. Driven by sheer thrill, she got ready at lightning speed, carefully picking out the perfect outfit and accessories, even applying the makeup she'd bought after watching a video by MeowDream.
And so, a whole hour ahead of schedule, she arrived near their agreed meeting place.
Upon reaching the spot, a wave of scorching heat slapped her senses awake again. Seeing no sign of Kyo, she glanced at the time on her phone, realizing she'd have to endure this heat for another hour. Only then did her previously sky-high excitement slowly begin to deflate.
Maybe I got too excited...
Taking refuge under the shade of a roadside tree, Anon replayed her morning from the moment she woke up. She recalled the subtle mix of surprise, confusion, and worry on her mother's face after witnessing her early morning frenzy, and felt a small pang of embarrassment.
Come on, I used to be a student council president and even went abroad before. Now I'm acting like some clueless fangirl..." Anon mentally scolded herself, trying to calm her still bubbling excitement
If Uika or Mana saw her losing her composure and made the same expression her mother did this morning, Anon felt certain she'd dig a hole right then and there to bury herself.
Maybe I should message Kyo-chan and find a cooler spot to wait.
Taking out her phone, Anon texted Kyo, then paused, staring blankly at the glowing screen.
Before she realized what she was doing, her screen suddenly switched to the SNS app, already prepped with a post that read: [Woo~ Today, Anon has a chance to watch Sumimi rehearse live...]
Her eyes widened as she saw that it even included a selfie of herself making a cute wink with a peace sign!
When…? Was I hypnotized or did time stop?!
Anon whipped her head around frantically but saw no suspicious people—in fact, there wasn't a single passerby within ten meters.
She glanced again at the nearly-complete post. Just one tap, and she'd instantly attract loads of attention…
"N-no way!" Anon quickly squeezed her eyes shut, resisting temptation. She swiped back to the home screen, force-closing the SNS app without even looking at the save draft prompt, mercilessly crushing this mysterious, spontaneous moment of vanity.
That was terrifying... some monster craving likes woke up inside me just now. Luckily, my willpower is exceptional, and I overcame temptation.
Though Anon desperately wanted to show off the fact that she was getting to see a famous idol group in person, she understood clearly: Sumimi's popularity meant any careless post could cause unnecessary trouble. Doing that would betray Kyo-chan's goodwill, something she absolutely wanted to avoid.
However vain she might be, Anon knew better than to cross certain lines.
Though she'd done nothing, Anon felt exhausted by her internal chaos. She checked her appearance through her phone camera to ensure her carefully applied makeup was still intact. Thankfully, despite all the earlier fuss, nothing had smudged.
"Haa—" she sighed, reopening LINE to see if Kyo had replied.
"Nothing yet...? Hmm?" When she first opened the chat with "Lady Kyo," there was only her own unanswered message—not even marked as read. But suddenly, the message status changed to "read," immediately followed by a reply.
Right behind you.
Anon spun around and found herself facing a large, dark-blue umbrella obscuring most of her vision, except for a pair of legs clad in pale gray sneakers.
The umbrella playfully spun, shifting slightly to reveal a pair of vivid blue eyes even deeper than the umbrella itself. For a moment, Anon felt as if those eyes had emerged directly from the blue fabric.
"Ta-da~" the umbrella flipped upward dramatically, revealing Kyo in a lively pose. With a charming smile, she leapt into Anon's vision like a magician making a sudden appearance.
"Wooow—!" Anon enthusiastically clapped in response.
Pleased with Anon's reaction, Kyo rested the dark-blue parasol on her shoulder again, gently fiddling with the blue tassels hanging from its handle. Her playful liveliness abruptly shifted into quiet elegance. Her smile faded to a subtle, graceful curve, perfectly complementing her serene posture.
Though it was bright daylight, sunlight filtered through the umbrella's blue fabric cast colored shadows around her. For a fleeting moment, Anon felt Kyo resembled some mythical fairy only visible on rainy days, about to guide her deeper into a misty, rainy realm.
But before Anon could fully savor this charming image, Kyo's next words instantly made her break into a cold sweat:
"Anon, what were you doing just now? It was really funny~"