Another ordinary day in the middle of a long summer break. Right now, Kikukawa Kyo was curled up on her bed, lying on her side, idly scrolling through her phone.
Shoko had already been working at the bookstore for three days. Her older sister couldn't stop singing her praises and was even considering giving her a raise.
Meanwhile, Kyo's own salary had been stuck at 1,400 yen for who knows how long. So biased.
She hadn't been to the bookstore these past few days. Her relationship with Shoko should be completely stable by now. After setting off the landmine she'd unknowingly buried with her hasty words that rainy day, at least there wouldn't be any new problems for a while.
I really don't want to deal with anyone's emotions so intensely again anytime soon.
Might as well just stay home and mess around on my phone.
Unlike most people who mindlessly scroll, Kyo always had a clear goal in mind whenever she picked up her phone—watching videos of rivers, streams, and oceans, listening to strange ASMR recordings of water draining from a bathtub, and learning how to make drinks she hadn't tried before…
Wait, aren't these all kind of the same thing?
Ding.
Her LINE notification tone rang. Kyo assumed it was Suzu messaging her again, but when she checked, she saw that it was from someone with a lotus flower avatar and the username anon_London.
Oh, it's her. Kyo still had a pretty strong impression of this person.
A couple of days ago, she'd been searching for unique drinks from London. But all she could find on Wikipedia were dry explanations, and she wanted to know what actual people thought of them. So, she turned to Instagram.
That's when she came across a post by anon. Judging by their past posts, they were a Japanese student studying abroad in the UK, probably arriving early during the summer break to get used to life there.
Ever since their first post announcing, "I'm in London!", anon had been visiting trendy cafés all over the city. Their posts, filled with multi-angle photos and overly theatrical descriptions, actually helped Kyo learn quite a bit about the local drinks.
But anon didn't seem like a real beverage enthusiast. Most of the drinks in their posts were just seasonal trends—exactly the kind of content you'd expect from someone chasing social media clout.
Their first real conversation had started when anon posted about trying to brew tea themselves after buying some tea leaves and tools. The end result was so rough that Kyo couldn't help but leave a long-winded comment explaining proper tea-brewing techniques.
She hadn't thought much of it, but that very night, the other girl slid into her DMs. Introducing herself as Chihaya Anon, she enthusiastically thanked Kyo, saying her advice had been a huge help.
One thing led to another, and before Kyo knew it, she'd somehow ended up exchanging LINE contacts with Anon and becoming friends.
[anon_London]: Kyoooo, help me out—between these coffee beans, which one's the best?
[Madame Kyo]: You haven't even mastered brewing tea yet.
[Madame Kyo]: [Sticker: Gloomy sigh]
[anon_London]: Hehe, don't worry! I'm still practicing my tea-making too!
Kyo didn't mind Anon's scattered focus. After all, not everyone was as passionate about mixology as she was.
Even if Anon was only learning for the sake of following trends, Kyo didn't mind helping her out.
After recommending a few coffee beans with good flavor and beginner-friendly qualities, Anon was incredibly grateful.
[anon_London]: Thanks, Kyo! Hehe, with these, I'll have something to talk about when school starts!
[Madame Kyo]: Must be tough being in a foreign country by yourself, huh?
[anon_London]: Yeah, there are a lot of challenges. But I'm sure I'll settle in and make friends!
So much energy… Even through text, Kyo could practically picture a pink-haired puppy bouncing around excitedly.
Fitting in with people, huh… Kyo stared at those words, feeling a little wistful.
[Madame Kyo]: Well, good luck. And if you ever have any drink-related questions, feel free to ask me.
[anon_London]: Yay! Love you, Kyo!
Unlike Kyo, Anon was clearly the outgoing, cheerful type. Judging by her social media presence, she'd probably have no trouble blending in—she might even become pretty popular.
Just as Kyo finished replying to Anon and set her phone down, another Ding rang out.
Anon again? She checked her phone, but this time, it was someone else.
[Lady Shuku]: Kyo, are you interested in idols?
Idols?
Kyo blinked.
---
"Oh my, we're truly grateful that Ms. Kikukawa Shuku has accepted our invitation. With your support, I'm sure sumimi is about to enter a thriving period of growth in their career."
Inside an idol agency office, the manager beamed as she placed a cup of hot tea in front of their esteemed guest.
This was none other than Kikukawa Shuku—an industry-renowned talent. Even without the collaboration, just having the chance to meet her in person was enough to make the manager thrilled.
"Uika, Mana, come say hello."
At the manager's call, the two girls standing nearby stepped forward—Misumi Uika and Sumita Mana, both key members of sumimi, the agency's highly anticipated rising idol unit.
"Hello, Ms. Kikukawa."
Uika, with her striking golden hair and deep violet eyes, carried herself with natural grace. Even when facing a distinguished senior in the industry, she remained poised and composed.
"H-Hello…"
Mana, on the other hand, had a more understated appearance that emphasized her youthful charm. But unlike Uika, she seemed nervous, clutching the hem of her outfit and stammering slightly as she greeted their guest.
"Oh my, what a pair of lovely darlings." Shuku chuckled softly behind her hand. "Watching your rehearsals earlier, I could already see your talent and hard work. All I've done is offer you a better opportunity—without me, you would have still found success."
She's a kind person.
Uika could feel it. Encouraged by Shuku's gentle words, Mana, who had been timidly shrinking behind her, hesitated before slowly stepping forward.
Despite being a prominent figure, Shuku had no airs about her. Even with rookies who had debuted less than a year ago, she was willing to teach and collaborate with patience and sincerity.
With someone like her supporting them, sumimi was bound to gain traction soon. If that happened, maybe Sakiko would notice me more easily…
But beyond that, something else about Kikukawa Shuku intrigued Uika—she looked strikingly similar to a guitarist from CRYCHIC, the band she had once seen on Sakiko's SNS.
Could she be her mother?
"Speaking of which," the manager began, "Ms. Kikukawa, you mentioned bringing your daughter to visit the agency today?"
"Yes," Shuku nodded. "She's about the same age as Uika and Mana, so I thought it would be good for her to experience a different field. Thank you for agreeing to this request."
"Oh, not at all, not at all," the manager waved a hand dismissively. Bringing family members to the agency was no big deal.
Besides, Shuku's daughter was exceptionally talented in her own right. If this visit somehow sparked an interest in becoming an idol…
The manager didn't even dare to dream of it. If that miracle were to happen, the agency would undoubtedly pour all their resources into supporting her.
Listening to their conversation, Uika's thoughts began to stir. She recalled that CRYCHIC group photo she had seen before.
Could I be meeting one of their members today?
Could I learn something about Sakiko from them?
Knock, knock.
A sudden rapping at the door interrupted her thoughts. A small head cautiously peeked through the doorway, locking eyes with everyone inside.
"…Ah."
"Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, everyone."
Kikukawa Kyo blinked and stepped into the room.
The moment Uika laid eyes on her, she knew—this was the guitarist from CRYCHIC.