Countless questions swirled around in Uika's mind.
Was Kikukawa Kyo truly the girl she'd met by the seaside?
If so, the persistent déjà vu she'd felt, the subtle "distance" in Kyo's demeanor—all of it would suddenly make sense.
Even the way Kyo had abruptly pointed out, right in front of Mana, that Uika wasn't satisfied with sumimi's current style. It could be easily explained now.
Because that girl—at least as far as Uika remembered—was exactly that kind of person:
Arrogant.
Though that girl had helped her before, Uika had to admit the girl—Kyo—carried herself with an inherent confidence so natural that nothing around her could truly catch her interest.
Even though Kyo now appeared drastically different from that cold, distant figure, perhaps beneath her sugary sweetness she was still fundamentally inhuman.
From Kyo's perspective, Uika's struggles and anxieties were merely facts, plainly observable and casually voiced without a second thought.
It was as simple as a child casually knocking over a sandcastle they'd just built; there was no malice—just indifference.
Yet, new questions quickly arose.
The past version of that girl openly wore her arrogance, but now Kyo concealed it behind a layer of sweet, adorable charm—drawing people close, only to gleefully jab at them unexpectedly through a hidden crack in her sugary facade…
How cruel!
If this behavior was a conscious choice, then that made Kyo even worse!
What exactly happened to make her become like this? She'd undeniably grown more appealing, but why?
"Kyo-chan, you're amazing! Can you show us more?" Mana stared at Kyo in astonishment, awestruck by her extraordinary acting skills.
If Kyo's earlier confession performance had seemed overly dreamy, the cold and indifferent persona she portrayed just now was utterly flawless, with no hint of acting.
It almost felt as though Kyo was really that type of person!
Watching Mana's carefree, cheerful demeanor, Uika could easily guess what she was thinking. This kid still hadn't noticed anything off about Kyo, had she?
Uika sighed quietly.
If only Mana weren't so innocent, so oblivious, Uika wouldn't feel nearly as guilty about potentially leaving sumimi one day.
"Why did you sigh suddenly, Uika?" Mana asked curiously.
"It's nothing." Uika smiled softly, her eyes filled with gentle affection as she looked at Mana.
"So, have we settled on the direction for the new song?" Kyo asked.
"Mm, the idea sounds great. The only question left is who's going to take each of the three roles."
Despite saying this, Uika already had a clear idea of role assignments.
Mana was perfect for playing the cute, impulsive girl who initiated the confession, and Kyo—well, undoubtedly she'd play the third character effortlessly, practically portraying herself.
"Me, me, me! I wanna be the girl who confesses!" As expected, Mana eagerly volunteered. "I'll definitely portray her just as cutely as Kyo-chan!"
"And what about you, Kyo-chan?" Uika still checked with Kyo.
"I'll take the third role." Kyo's eyes lingered meaningfully on Uika as she answered, her thoughts unreadable.
Since the basic idea was settled, today's task was effectively complete.
"Oh, look at the time!" Mana suddenly exclaimed. "It's lunchtime already! Kyo-chan, you haven't tried our staff meals yet, right? They might not have tons of variety—gotta keep it nutritious and all—but they taste great!"
"Oh, the agency has a cafeteria?" Kyo tilted her head curiously.
"Not exactly. Someone prepares the food outside and delivers it here," Uika explained patiently.
"We better hurry! If we get there first, we can pick our favorites. If we're late, only leftovers will be waiting for us. The adults at the agency usually treat us nicely, but during mealtimes, they act like high-schoolers fighting over food at the cafeteria—even though they're grown-ups!"
Mana grabbed the rehearsal room's door handle, assuming a running stance. It was clear she'd long been accustomed to battling adults for lunch.
So young, yet already locked in deadly combat with adult slackers. I've underestimated you, Warrior Mana! Uika silently mused. You've already experienced the darkness of two of the adults' Seven Deadly Sins—sloth and gluttony.
Playing along, Kyo prepared to run as well, but Uika quickly stopped her.
"Mana, you go first. Can you grab meals for me and Kyo-chan too?" Uika approached the door, gently taking control of the handle from Mana. "There's just a minor detail here that we need to quickly discuss. We'll join you very soon."
"Got it!" Mana, completely unsuspecting, gave a mock salute before bravely charging towards the lunchroom battlefield, her figure full of determination.
Uika quietly hoped Mana would return victorious—otherwise, both she and Kyo would be left hungry.
The moment Mana dashed out, Uika promptly shut the door she'd just opened, sealing Mana's resolute yet tragic figure from view.
At the same time, she'd neatly trapped herself and Kyo together in the rehearsal room—a space neither large nor small.
To call the room small wasn't accurate—it could comfortably accommodate a band and still have space left for several people to roll around freely.
Yet somehow, now that Uika found herself alone with Kyo, this same room suddenly felt shockingly small. When she practiced here with Mana, she'd never noticed this cramped, almost suffocating feeling before.
Despite the cool air-conditioned air, Uika felt nervous sweat trailing down the back of her neck.
Am I really this nervous? Reflexively, Uika lifted her hand to brush away the droplets that had slipped down to her collarbone. When she raised her eyes again, Kyo was staring at her with a mysterious, half-smiling expression.
"Uika-senpai, is there something you want to talk to me about?" Kyo's voice revealed nothing of her intentions. "You even deliberately sent Mana away first."
Then, suddenly smiling brightly, she teased, "Ah—could it be that you're planning to confess your feelings to me?"
Was this Kyo's true self, or was she still performing?
Uika honestly couldn't tell. After all, hadn't Kyo herself instructed her on how important it was to act convincingly?
Uika abruptly realized that, despite wanting to clarify things herself, she'd just locked herself in with someone she knew very little about—a person whose capabilities were practically genius-level.
Which one of us was really the prey here?
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