Tsuzuki Chihiro felt like she was busier than the Prime Minister. Every day, it was either one person looking for her or another person asking to meet.
If someone was looking for her, then fine, she had to deal with it.
If they were looking for Soyo, though… somehow, she couldn’t just sit back and ignore it either.
And then there were situations like just now—where they were looking for both her and Soyo at the same time.
“Whatever. I did promise Nina last time… When I had her come to RiNG to put on that show for Taki, she said that if she ever needed company for something, she could drag me along.”
“I didn’t think she’d actually take that seriously… but a promise is a promise.”
Chihiro got up from bed and stood in front of Soyo’s vanity mirror, fixing her hair.
Her deep wine-red hair rarely saw the light of day, and as she looked at her reflection, she almost felt like she was staring at a stranger.
Strictly speaking, she didn’t like her own appearance. Not for any particular reason—just that without makeup, she looked a little too soft, a little too weak. She always felt like she gave off a pitiful vibe.
…Which, admittedly, wasn’t too far from the truth.
But she refused to acknowledge it. She hated the idea of being looked at with sympathy.
That was why, even though she was getting along with Sakiko now, there was still a part of her that wasn’t quite comfortable with it.
Of course, this soft, delicate face did have its advantages. Aside from Soyo—who already knew her too well—she could easily act her way into anyone’s good graces.
Might as well wear Soyo’s clothes again today… She has plenty, anyway.
After picking out an outfit from Soyo’s closet, Chihiro got herself together and headed out the door.
She had agreed to meet Iseri Nina at the Yoshinoya beef bowl restaurant nearby. A quick search on her phone led her straight to the spot.
But when she arrived, she realized it wasn’t just Nina waiting for her—Momoka, someone she’d only interacted with a few times, was there as well.
“You’re… Tsuzuki Chihiro?”
Momoka gave her a once-over. Out of politeness, she kept her expression neutral, but there was an undeniable air of skepticism behind her gaze.
“Yes, that’s me. You must be Momoka-san, Nina’s friend.”
“Chihiro…”
“Uh.”
Nina, standing in front of her, had a complicated expression. Chihiro had no idea how to explain what had happened on the phone earlier.
“Nina, didn’t you say Soyo was coming?”
“Soyo…”
“Yeah, you said we should ask someone reliable for help. Seriously, Nina… Am I that unreliable?”
“But you insisted you didn’t want to come! And then you said it was perfectly normal for Subaru to quit the band if she got a boyfriend—how is that normal?!”
“I was just being realistic. If she actually cared about the band, she wouldn’t be quitting all of a sudden.”
“Uh…” Chihiro, standing off to the side, was thoroughly lost. “So… can I go home now?”
“No!”
For once, there was no disagreement—both Momoka and Nina gave a firm rejection.
Though, their reasons were different.
Momoka wasn’t particularly interested in getting the drummer back—she just wanted to see who this “scammer” was that Nina had been obsessing over after just one night.
Nina, on the other hand, had a more complicated mix of motives.
She did want to bring Subaru back… but she also wanted to take this rare opportunity to finally say everything she’d been holding in.
Yet now that Chihiro was standing in front of her, she suddenly didn’t know how to start.
Especially after that phone call… Ever since then, her mind had been spinning nonstop, and one question had been bothering her the most:
What exactly is going on between Soyo and Chihiro?!
“Fine. Since this was originally Soyo’s promise, I’ll help out as her ‘friend.’”
“Just so you know, I’m not expecting much from this mission.”
“Momoka, shut up!”
“So, where are we going to find her?”
“Hmm…”
Nina thought for a moment before quickly settling on the most likely place Subaru would be.
A few days ago, when she had returned the phone she borrowed, she had visited that acting school. But something about Subaru that day had felt off.
If she had to describe it…
She was kind of like Soyo.
The way she spoke felt forced, unnatural—like she was playing a part.
As the three of them made their way toward the acting school, Nina kept sneaking glances at Chihiro’s profile, as if searching for similarities between her and Soyo.
“…Am I that good-looking?”
“Ah—n-no, that’s not it!”
Nina jumped in surprise and quickly looked away.
But thanks to all her observing—and the very unsettling fact that when she called Soyo earlier, it was Chihiro who answered—an outrageous idea began forming in her mind.
“Um… Momoka-san?”
“What? Are you chickening out now? Weren’t you the one who dragged us all the way here?”
At the entrance of the modern-looking acting school, Momoka smirked, teasing Nina for her tendency to throw little tantrums.
“But honestly, I think this is going to backfire. If she thinks her boyfriend matters more than the band, no amount of lecturing is going to change her mind.”
“Is that… really how it is…”
“You have dated someone before, right?”
“Have you?”
“……”
The sudden silence was all the answer needed.
To cover her embarrassment, Momoka cleared her throat and swiftly redirected the question to Chihiro instead.
“I’m too busy with work. But I assume Tsuzuki-san would know all about this kind of thing.”
“Uh… I’ve never had a boyfriend either.”
“…Huh?”
“But I have had a few girlfriends.”
“…HUH?!?!”
Nina jumped like she had just seen a ghost. Her whole body stiffened as she cautiously eyed Chihiro.
“Y-you’re not saying your ‘girlfriend’ is… S-Soyo, are you…?”
“Just kidding.” Chihiro waved dismissively, cutting her off. But then, as if realizing something, she frowned and asked, “Wait—what did you just say? So- what?”
“Ah—n-nothing!”
No way… It’s really true?!
Suddenly, Nina understood.
Why Soyo and Chihiro were so similar.
Why, when she called Soyo, it was Chihiro who answered.
And why Chihiro had picked up the phone while half-asleep.
This is terrifying… Tokyo is terrifying!
Smack!
Nina yelped, rubbing her head where Momoka had just smacked her. She shot her a look of protest.
“What are you even thinking about? Your face is bright red. Weren’t you the one who wanted to come here and find Subaru? What, are we just going to stand outside until nightfall?”
“I—I am going!”
Nina—who had just formed some very unsettling new theories about girl bands—felt her legs trembling as she stepped forward.
—
This is a fan translation of 素世同学，恭喜你被我优化了 by 杰克喵. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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