"Well, you see, umm..." Anon's index fingers nervously tapped each other, eyes darting everywhere but at Kyo. Her awkward smile revealed an overly conspicuous little fang.
Anon frantically searched her mind, wondering how she could possibly explain that her bizarre behavior just now wasn't actually hers—it had clearly been some non-existent entity momentarily taking control of her...
The key was figuring out how to make Kyo believe her absurd ramblings—wait, no, her heartfelt explanation.
"So, what were you really doing?" Kyo pressed with mischievous curiosity, her earlier image of a rainy-day sprite slowly transforming into something more devilish.
Anon could almost swear she saw a pair of tiny red horns sprouting from Kyo's head.
Kyo-chan is absolutely teasing me again! With her keen observation skills, how could she still be acting clueless? She must've seen everything clearly and was now playing dumb!
Once Anon realized this, she stomped her foot resolutely, turning her back and decisively refusing to engage further.
"Oh~ Are you mad?" Kyo playfully stepped closer, her sneakers gently tapping the ground. Leaning slightly under the spinning dark-blue parasol, she peeked mischievously into Anon's face.
Seeing Kyo's playful gaze partially hidden beneath the parasol, Anon's earlier intention to pretend to be upset instantly melted away. Instead, a soft smile instinctively spread across her face, the kind reserved for encountering something irresistibly adorable.
"I'm not mad."
"Mm-hmm." Kyo nodded, still wearing that faux-innocent expression.
"So... what were you up to earlier?"
"…Kyo-chan, you're so mean!"
"Hehe, alright, alright. I'll stop teasing you."
Kyo straightened up again, taking a good look at Anon's carefully chosen outfit for today.
She was wearing an elegant dress with a slightly fluffy skirt, making Anon look a bit like a fairy-tale princess.
Matching perfectly was the makeup Anon had carefully applied—her naturally rosy lips now shone with a subtle, delicate gloss, complemented by equally dreamy accents around her eyes.
Suddenly, something occurred to Kyo. Under Anon's curious gaze, she hopped backward slightly to put a bit of distance between them, looking carefully at something previously hidden beneath the skirt's hem.
Anon, who'd been confidently—albeit nervously—awaiting Kyo's praise, grew puzzled by this strange action. Just as she was about to ask Kyo what was going on, it hit her exactly what Kyo was looking at.
"As expected from Anon-sensei, the master of sock fashion~" Kyo remarked playfully, eyes sparkling as she admired Anon's socks. Unlike the usual black silk knee-high socks she wore to school, today she'd chosen white ankle socks with eye-catching lace trim.
Clearly, Anon's outfit was thoughtfully coordinated from head to toe.
"Since when did I become the master of sock fashion?!" Anon weakly protested in a tiny voice, before anxiously asking, "Kyo-chan, what do you think of my outfit today? Is it cute? I won't embarrass myself in front of Sumimi, right?"
"You look wonderful, Anon—both you and today's outfit and makeup are really charming."
Kyo expressed her genuine opinion sincerely. Seeing Anon immediately perk up again, she continued thoughtfully, "Anon, didn't you say before that you find my usual shirts and pants a bit boring?"
Hearing this, Anon glanced at Kyo's appearance. Other than the added charm of the deep-blue parasol, there really wasn't any difference from her usual style.
"If Kyo-chan wore something new to match that blue parasol, you'd definitely look amazing."
"Mm-hmm," Kyo nodded mysteriously. "You'll get to see me in a completely different style of clothing today, actually."
"Eh?"
"Hehe, it's still a secret." Clearly, Kyo wasn't planning to reveal more yet, immediately sparking Anon's curiosity about what new clothes she would be wearing.
Anon leaned slightly to peek at the small bag hanging from Kyo's shoulder. Were the new clothes inside that bag? Maybe as a backup outfit if she got sweaty?
With renewed excitement, the two resumed walking, heading towards the talent agency now clearly visible ahead.
Approaching the agency—which appeared ordinary and indistinguishable from surrounding buildings—Anon felt her excitement surging uncontrollably once more.
As they entered, perhaps it was just Anon's imagination, but the air itself seemed to hum with professionalism. It felt like watching athletes warming up before a competition: even though everyone performed similar moves, certain people just exuded a professional aura.
The receptionist clearly had been informed beforehand, greeting them with a perfectly professional, sweet smile. "Good morning, Kikukawa-san. And you must be Chihaya-san, scheduled to visit our agency today, correct?"
"Ah, yes! I'm Chihaya Anon!" Anon, caught off guard by being directly addressed, tensed immediately, responding nervously.
The receptionist's excellent professionalism kept her from reacting to Anon's awkwardness. She simply nodded politely, registering Anon as a visitor but notably not asking Kyo to sign in.
As they moved on from the reception area into the actual agency, Anon observed how relaxed and composed Kyo appeared, contrasting sharply with her own jittery reaction. Her initial excitement began fading into anxiety again.
Ugh...I haven't even met Sumimi yet and I'm already so nervous... How am I going to handle myself later? If I embarrass myself in front of my idols, it'd be better if I never had this chance at all.
Before realizing it, Anon, who'd initially walked side-by-side with Kyo, gradually moved behind her, sticking close for a reassuring sense of safety.
Suddenly, Kyo stopped walking. Anon, distracted by her own worries, nearly bumped into her.
Glancing up, Anon noticed the sign reading "Break Room" on the door in front of them. Kyo's hand was already reaching for the handle.
"W-wait, Kyo-chan, let me prepare myself first—" Anon whispered urgently, wanting just a bit more time to brace herself. But she was too late: Kyo had already opened the door.
Inside, Uika and Mana, who had been relaxing on the small sofa, immediately looked up at the sound of the door. Their gazes met directly with Kyo's and Anon's.
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T/N: heres ur updates :3 meeting the 4 chaps a week quota :3 do u think itd be better to do it earlier in the week to make u guys wait more for the bonus chapters
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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