The glow of the phone screen slowly faded, and the blonde girl leaning against the lounge sofa closed her eyes.
"Ui-chan, Ui-chan! We're lucky there's no work this afternoon. How about coming shopping with me?"
The lively, playful voice drifted into her ears, making Uika slowly open those crystal-violet eyes that shone like a starry sky. Her lips curved into a graceful smile without her even thinking, and she spoke in a light, elegant tone, unhurriedly.
"Mana-chan, last time we went to the amusement park we already got lectured by the manager, remember? If the two of us go wandering around together again, the chances of being recognized will be much higher."
Those gentle yet cruel words made Sumita Mana let out a helpless sigh.
As members of a hugely popular idol group, admired for their dazzling presence on stage, their freedom as ordinary people was severely restricted. Even something as simple as shopping, a pastime most girls took for granted, was a luxury for them.
And that was to say nothing of love, something girls their age looked forward to and longed for in their hearts.
Thinking of this, Mana blinked, then couldn't resist placing her two small hands over the sofa where Uika lay, asking in a curious, expectant tone, "Hey, hey, what have you been doing on your days off lately? As far as I know, you haven't been to 'Evening Primrose' much. Let me guess… have you been meeting that boyfriend of yours?"
"…I've told you so many times already, Mana, he's not my boyfriend yet."
A faint blush bloomed on Uika's delicate, pale cheeks. At this point, having been caught by Mana more than once, she couldn't even be bothered to explain. After all, most of Mana's teasing remarks were basically true, and between them there was no need to hide anything.
Wakaba Mutsumi had told her before, her feelings for Haru were far too obvious.
Anyone even slightly familiar with her could see it at a glance.
"…Seriously? Haven't you been to his place a bunch of times?"
"That's true, but…"
Uika trailed off, unsure how to explain her situation.
Seeing her friend caught between the bliss of love and the pain of hesitation, Mana's expression turned strange and incredulous. Until now, she had never imagined that the word "loser" could ever apply to Uika.
In her eyes, no man of any type could possibly resist Uika's charm.
"…Ui-chan, don't be mad when I say this. That boy you like… does he even like girls?"
Uika: ?
Such a bizarre question made Uika pause for a moment, but she quickly blushed and said, "Of course he likes girls, Mana! That's obvious… I can promise you that much."
"Then what, is he made of stone?!"
Mana shook her head in disbelief, then let her gaze run up and down the other girl.
"As much as I hate to admit it… Ui-chan, your face is gorgeous, and your figure is just a bit more alluring than mine! On top of that, you've got a great personality and you're a beloved idol on stage. If I were that boy, I wouldn't have been able to hold back for long!"
"Don't tell me, Ui-chan, that after all this time and effort you still haven't made any real progress?!"
Mana's shocked retort made a flicker of panic cross Uika's eyes. She quickly pressed her hands against her knees, then fumbled and brought them together in front of her. The golden strands of her hair swayed behind her with every nervous movement.
"Come to think of it, I've been meaning to ask… Uika, did you grow your hair out? Did that boy ever say something like 'you look better with long hair'?"
The relentless barrage left Uika completely off balance. Feeling the rising heat in her cheeks, she lifted a hand to cover her eyes as if that could hide her embarrassment. But this only made Mana's gaze turn even stranger.
This is bad, Uika is completely under his control!
Mana could only shake her head, a little exasperated at her overly innocent friend. She couldn't just stand by and watch Uika like this any longer.
It was time for Sumimi's "Love Detective Mana," to step in.
"Uika, what's your plan from here?"
Having made up her mind, Mana leaned in to ask. Uika, whose ears were burning red, gradually relaxed a little. But faced with such a private question, she could only stammer her reply.
"In a week… I have a date with him, the one we promised to go on…"
"A date?"
Mana's eyes lit up at once. She said with excitement, "If he agreed to a date, then he definitely has feelings for you. This is a rare chance. On that day, wear your 'victory lingerie.' Keep a couple of 'rubber' in your pocket, and then let them drop out by accident so he sees them. Trust me, the mood between you will instantly turn romantic."
The once-innocent country girl Uika blinked in shock. She had never imagined her "love detective" would suggest such shamelessly bold tactics. The blush on her ears spread to her neck, and her fine, delicate lashes trembled like broken fan.
"Eh? Isn't that… a bit…"
"It's fine. If the usual approach doesn't work, you've got to bring out the heavy artillery. As long as you take the initiative, that boy will never be able to resist you."
Under Mana's knowing gaze, Uika felt as if her heart was about to leap right out of her chest. No, if this conversation kept going…
"M-Mana! I just remembered I have something to take care of later, so I'm leaving now…"
Heat surged through her blood, scorching her from within. Unable to bear the burning embarrassment, she hastily threw the words out, grabbed her shoulder bag in front of Mana, and bolted like a frightened rabbit.
…
Once outside the lounge, Uika pressed her lips together and fanned at her face with her small hands as if she could cool herself down that way. But the more she thought about Mana's "wicked plan," the hotter her ears burned.
"Would that really work… on Haru?"
She rubbed her lengthening golden hair, murmuring in conflicted tones. Even though she had rejected the idea outright earlier, deep down she felt that this seemingly indecent plan might actually have some merit. She was already wondering if she should try it.
She had to take the date seriously.
Lost in thought, Uika eventually found herself in front of the "Evening Primrose" planetarium. She hesitated, then decided to save it for her date next time.
"…But I rushed out so quickly just now, I don't even know where to go."
Go back to the apartment? There was no point at this hour, and she didn't like being alone there.
Go to Haru's place? Dropping by all the time would just bother him…
After a moment's thought, she shook her head. She decided to find a café to sit and rest while planning the date.
"…Hm?"
Maybe it was her habit as an idol to scan the crowd from the stage, but her sharp eyes caught a familiar pale-blue figure crossing through the crowd ahead. She blinked.
"That's..."
Realization widened her violet eyes, and she instinctively began to follow.
The small, light-blue figure weaved through the crowd, with Uika close behind. They moved past the maze of shopping streets into a quieter area of small shops. Only then did Uika get a clear look at the back of the figure.
"…Saki-chan?"
For someone like Uika, who had grown up with Togawa Sakiko, even a glimpse of her back was enough to recognize her instantly. This wasn't the first time she had run into her here. Curious and puzzled, she watched as Sakiko, dressed in a gray-white dress, headed straight toward the far corner of the shopping district.
The scene felt strangely familiar, and a premonition rose in Uika's mind.
"This direction… could it be Rabbit House?"
A moment later, as if to confirm her suspicion, the blue-haired girl strode confidently into a café with the sign "Rabbit House."
Uika stopped in surprise, hesitating for a long moment before deciding not to follow inside.
"Is Saki-chan meeting someone here today?"
A certain black-haired figure popped into her mind, but she frowned slightly.
Something felt off. After entering, Sakiko didn't choose a seat. Instead, she spoke to a staff member with a serious expression. The staff kept bowing, as though apologizing after being scolded.
While Uika's thoughts raced, Sakiko headed straight toward the back of the café.
"If I remember right, that way is for staff only…"
The possibility dawned on Uika, widening her violet eyes in surprise.
Saki-chan… could she be working at this café?
Her mind in turmoil, she instinctively turned away and took two steps back. A swirl of doubts and guesses flooded her head, and as she recalled Sakiko's recent "changes," her expression slowly stiffened.
To avoid being noticed, she unconsciously put some distance between herself and the café.
"What on earth is going on…?"
The blonde girl's face showed a trace of bewilderment. Ever since she had been treated as a "rival in love," things between them had been awkward, and now, seeing a scene like this, Uika was completely at a loss.
She didn't know how she should face Sakiko again.
Because it felt as though she had accidentally uncovered something Sakiko had kept hidden.
"Uika?"
The sudden, soft call pulled Uika out of her tangled thoughts.
Standing behind her in casual clothes was Haru ...
Today, he had only planned to stop by the store to check on things. But the moment he reached the entrance, his attention had been drawn to the familiar figure. He recognized her instantly.
Even though she wore a hat and sunglasses to hide her identity, the silky, lustrous gold of her long hair was impossible to conceal.
"Uika, is today a day off?"
"I happened to have the day off, so I was just wandering around nearby…"
Haru lifted an eyebrow slightly. At first glance, he could already tell something was off.
Today, Uika's face was marked with tension and unease she couldn't hide. Faced with his gaze, she instinctively lowered her head to avoid it, and even her hands, hanging naturally at her sides, had tightened around her jeans, as if afraid he might discover something.
Connecting this with the fact that she had been standing outside Rabbit House just now, Haru began to suspect.
"Sakiko?"
His tentative question made Uika's eyes tremble slightly.
Seeing her reaction, Haru understood exactly what was going on.
Someone had been "outed." He wouldn't say who.
Rubbing his temples in mild exasperation, he figured that for now, it seemed only Haru had discovered something, while Sakiko inside remained unaware. That meant the situation hadn't yet reached its most troublesome stage.
"Uika, can I ask you to come with me for a moment?"
The sudden request made Uika pause, but she still gave a small nod to the black-haired boy in front of her.
Taking the chance, he glanced inside the store. Seeing that Sakiko seemed to be in the back and out of sight, he led Uika away from the Rabbit House area.
Sharp and perceptive as always, Uika raised her gaze in thought. It seemed his actions had told her something.
Did he… know about Sakiko?
Seeing her hesitant, conflicted expression, Haru couldn't help finding it a little amusing.
"As we say back home, a smart man knows when to play his cards right. I know exactly what you saw, so you might as well tell the truth and save us both some trouble."
"Yes!"
Startled, Uika's eyes trembled slightly, which made him chuckle.
"It's fine, I was only joking. You saw Sakiko just now, right?"
At that, Uika's expression slowly softened. She pressed her pink lips together, hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded gently.
What exactly was going on with Sakiko?
She wanted badly to ask the "insider" in front of her, but she also knew she couldn't. If it were something that could be told casually, Sakiko wouldn't have gone to the trouble of hiding it from everyone.
Haru nodded inwardly, then spoke with a show of resignation.
"Actually, I'm the manager of Rabbit House now."
"You're the manager?"
Uika's small mouth parted slightly in surprise, and she furrowed her brows at the sudden revelation.
"Sakiko really is working here, but I'd like you not to mention it to anyone."
Until now, only Haru and Sakiko knew about her part-time job. But today, with her guard lowered, Sakiko had been spotted by Uika passing by.
Haru had no intention of making up an excuse or trying to fool her. For all her gentle, serious demeanor, Uika was sharp-minded and capable. There was no point in hiding it from her.
Better to be honest from the start than risk creating a rift later.
"…I understand."
Uika nodded obediently, the gentle violet of her eyes glinting faintly.
Just knowing that Sakiko worked here was enough for her to deduce several things: why the family's young lady would take such a job, and why, if it were just to help Haru, she would bother to keep it a secret from everyone.
Her suspicions all pointed toward a certain "answer," but she had no intention of voicing it.
From any angle, she had decided to bury this matter deep in her heart.
…
Haru looked at the girl standing silently in place and sighed quietly.
"By the way, do you know my new address since I moved?"
"…I do, but I didn't expect you to move so suddenly."
Her tone was slightly unnatural. The news hadn't only come from Haru himself.
She had also heard it from Wakaba Mutsumi.
His move wasn't just about changing homes; it was about living together with Mutsumi, his "fiancée." Hearing it from Mutsumi herself had left Uika both deeply envious and a little empty inside.
That familiar little apartment had suddenly vanished from her world.
The disappointment and dejection in her eyes didn't escape Haru's notice. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly said, "Uika, would you like to come to my new place for dinner tonight? You can help me pick up some groceries on the way."
"…Eh?"
Uika's violet eyes widened.