In December, there was a launch party for Cosmic Tales of the Paradise Whale. Even without including the entire staff involved with the series, it still wound up being a gathering of around fifty people. Shironagasu-sensei, the manga’s creator, also came to meet them all for the first time. Overall, Suzune felt like the party really strengthened the staff’s bonds and motivation. Shironagasu-sensei was a shy person and only gave the briefest of greetings, but it was still clear how happy the author was to get an anime adaptation. Whenever Suzune got a chance to meet the original creator like this, she always felt a heightened tension—I have to make sure my performance lives up to this person’s excitement. Karin, of course, went into business mode, blinding everyone in her radius with her brightest idol smile. Suzune suspected that this also helped to turn everyone’s enthusiasm up by several notches. Sometime after the party, she heard from Miama that Mami Gamikawa was leaving the company. She was evidently going to work freelance for a while. Even if the managers hadn’t asked her to refrain from saying too much to anyone about the incident, Suzune would never have spread that information around. The only person she’d told was Yuika, who wouldn’t share it either. Around the same time, two other voice actors left Earpo as well. Gamikawa wasn’t a special case. Every year, there were several people who either left the agency or quit voice acting altogether, each for their own reasons. Every time she heard about one of these instances, Suzune would think about how fortunate she was to be able to continue doing what she loved, what more she could do to keep improving as an actress, and the importance of approaching every episode with reverence and care. And then, in the middle of those restless last weeks of the year, it finally came time to record the first episode of Paradise Whale. Karin was more nervous than Suzune had ever seen her before—until the recording session started, upon which she carried herself with the confidence of a veteran, grabbing the directors’ attention and setting a high bar for herself. This was probably why they ended up giving her directions for retakes on several lines, all of which she pulled off perfectly. When Suzune looked back and saw the directors’ expressions, she secretly thought to herself, See?! Isn’t my oshi amazing?! The recording for the second episode would take place early in the new year. That meant the only job related to Paradise Whale left to do this year was the live radio broadcast on Christmas Eve. A few days before it, Karin had sent her a message. What are you doing after we finish recording? Nothing really, why? You have no plans? On Christmas Eve? Quiet, you. Yuika said she had a Christmas Eve date and couldn’t hang out, not even earlier in the day. Apparently, she and her girlfriend were going to be checking into a spa in the morning and spending the whole day getting beauty treatments together. Being single is in right now. Let’s get dinner together, then. When Suzune saw the message pop up on her screen, her heart nearly leapt up her throat and out of her mouth. Did her oshi just invite her out on a Christmas date?! …Okay, maybe it wasn’t a date exactly, but it was still the best present ever. OK, fine. She gave the most casual response she could muster. If she typed anything resembling her true feelings right now, it would probably come out incredibly creepy. Great! I can pick a place for us this time, came Karin’s response. Dining out with my oshi! Despite herself, Suzune was over the moon. She even caught herself indulging in wild delusions like, Maybe I really am going to end up dating my oshi someday? Even though she knew that couldn’t possibly be the case, she could still barely sleep with excitement in the days leading up to Christmas Eve. She forced herself to correct this before it messed up her sleep schedule too much, restoring her regular rhythm and trying to prepare for the day as smoothly as possible. Everything was going great. Cosmic Tales of the Paradise Whale was getting a lot of buzz, thanks in no small part to one of its two leads being Karin Shotsuki, the former DIAGONAL idol who had just relaunched her career as a voice actress. Everyone on the team was doing their best to keep that momentum going into the spring season when the show would finally start airing. And then, Christmas Eve arrived. Suzune was in high spirits as she picked out clothes—I’m getting dinner with Karin today! What outfit should I wear? What about my undies?—when her phone vibrated. It was a notification that she had a message from Yuika. All it said was Are you okay? with a URL attached. Suzune opened the app and tapped on the link. As soon as she saw the page load in, she stopped breathing. Karin Shotsuki, former center of idol group DIAGONAL, is living with a man! That was the huge headline splashed across the top of the article. Suzune froze, listening to the pounding of her heart. She didn’t even have the courage to read the rest of the article. All she could do was stare numbly at the screen. The world seemed to tilt sideways around her. Even though her heart was racing at an unbelievable speed, her body felt strangely cold. Yet at the same time, she felt like she was sweating profusely. She had no idea why she was so shaken up over this. It was about her oshi, yes, but not about Suzune herself. If anything, she didn’t think she’d be this upset even if it was about her. The obvious thing to do was to contact Karin right away and ask if she was all right. But she couldn’t do it. Her finger wouldn’t budge. She was scared—scared to learn the truth. For reasons she couldn’t quite put into words. “Is this true?” Of course she couldn’t just ask that. But if she sent a message now, it was bound to come up. Even if Karin just answered “I’m fine,” or something like that, it would still tell Suzune that there was nothing she could do about it. And that scared her, too. …Don’t be such an idiot, me! Suzune gripped her smartphone so tightly that her fingertips turned white. This is no time to be worrying about things like that! The warmth came back into her body, her blood rushing to her head and flushing her cheeks with shame. I’m sure Karin-sama is the one who’s scared more than anyone right now! What kind of fan fails to support her oshi in an emergency situation?! Suzune kicked her own cowardice to the curb, opened the app, and sent a message. Karin-chan, are you OK? That was all. Short and to the point. And Karin…didn’t answer. Even after Suzune stood there waiting for thirty minutes, an hour, there was no change on her screen. The message was never marked “read,” although that didn’t mean Karin hadn’t seen it. Since it was such a short message, she could have read it in her notifications without opening the app. Suzune didn’t send another text. If Karin didn’t respond to the first one, that meant she was too preoccupied at the moment, so Suzune didn’t want to keep pushing. Just then, Suzune’s phone rang. It was so sudden that she nearly dropped it. …But it wasn’t from Karin. It was Miama. When she went to answer, she realized her throat was parched. I have to take care of my voice, she thought automatically. While this instinctive reaction was only proper for a professional voice actress, it made her a little sad that she couldn’t just focus on worrying about Karin. No doubt Yuika would say that was just part of being an adult, though. Her finger trembled as she answered the phone. “…Hello?” “Sengu, have you heard already?” Suzune swallowed her saliva, trying to wet her throat. “…You mean the article about Shotsuki, right? Yes, I just found out.” It was only as she said this out loud that she realized for the first time: This could affect more than just Karin alone. There was no telling what kind of effect it would have on Cosmic Tales of the Paradise Whale, or on their radio show. Who was the man in question? If it was just a boyfriend, it wouldn’t be such a big deal, but if he was a married man or something like that, there would be serious backlash. And if Karin was perceived as causing this kind of trouble, most production companies might not want to work with her for a while, if at all. “For now, could you come to the office before you head over to the radio station? We just got hold of Shotsuki a few minutes ago, and she said she wanted you to be there when she explains the situation.” “Me? Why?” “No idea. But she insisted on it.” “All right.” “Great. Get here at three PM, then.” “Okay,” Suzune agreed and ended the call. If nothing else, it was a relief that the agency was able to get in touch with Karin, at least. Yet for some reason, a feeling of unease was brewing inside her, like gray clouds filling the sky just before a sudden downpour. Had Karin asked her to be there because they were partners on the radio show? Or because she wanted to explain herself right away, to tell her why she’d kept her boyfriend a secret? “…She doesn’t owe me that.” Even so, she couldn’t keep her feelings from twisting out of control. Whether Karin had a boyfriend or not, it was no business of a mere voice acting colleague. She had no right to her oshi’s personal life, she reminded herself. Exactly—Karin was her oshi. In this situation, it was only natural that she should prioritize communicating with her agency over a message from Suzune. She’d let Karin’s friendliness go to her head a little bit too much. Even now that she knew they were both fans of one another, there was still a line. It was Suzune’s duty as a fan to keep from crossing it. “…I’d better reread my script.” Suzune said this out loud and put down her phone. She didn’t read the article. After all, in just a few short hours, she would know the truth. It would be silly to go out of her way to read the article before then. That was the only reason—she wasn’t afraid to read it! Obviously! Why would she be scared? When Suzune arrived at the agency’s office, the phone was ringing off the hook like she’d never heard before. The secretary answered one call after another, seemingly unable to keep up. “Excuse me, have you seen Miama-san?” Holding the phone pinned between her jaw and shoulder, the secretary pointed at the meeting room. “Thank you very much.” Suzune bowed deeply and headed over to the meeting room. She knocked on the door, which had a sign on it saying it was in use. “Yes?” Miama’s voice came from inside. “It’s Sengu,” Suzune replied. “Come in.” “Thank you.” Suzune opened the door and found that Karin was already inside. As soon as she saw her oshi’s face, Suzune’s heart jolted painfully. “Good morning.” With a standard greeting, Suzune sat down next to Karin like always. Karin didn’t even glance in her direction, her chin held firm as she faced straight ahead. Miama raised her eyebrows, looking bemused by Suzune’s seating choice. It was only then she realized that since she was also going to be receiving the explanation, it might have made more sense to sit across from Karin, instead of next to her. But it was too late now. “Why did this story come out so suddenly?” Before Miama could speak, Suzune blurted out a question of her own. She didn’t even feel guilty about the sharp edge undercutting her tone. Normally, before an article was published on one of Earpo’s talents, the magazine would reach out for more information. At that point, the agency would contact the involved party for confirmation, and they would decide how to proceed. While Suzune wasn’t directly involved in this case, she was still connected to the situation. It was unthinkable that she wouldn’t be informed before the article came out. And yet, here they were. “The article originated from a post on social media. It spread around quickly, and some online news sites picked it up.” Miama showed Suzune the tablet. It displayed several photos, along with text dragging Karin’s name through the dirt. As much as Suzune didn’t want to see this, she couldn’t keep turning a blind eye now that she’d come this far. The photos showed Karin shopping with a man who she appeared friendly with, and a shot of their backs as they walked into an apartment building. Suzune was in shock. She couldn’t say why exactly, but it shocked her all the same. She felt dizzy and on the verge of crying. But it would be strange if she burst into tears in this situation, so she fought to hold them back. Before long, her emotions settled ever so slightly, and it was then that she noticed something else. The text posted along with the images didn’t quite fit. There was none of the typical “gotcha!” smugness of someone who’d captured a scandalous photo of a celebrity. Instead, most of the post was full of rage and resentment about Karin’s graduation from DIAGONAL. “The person who posted this…” It didn’t sound like they were a professional, not in the least. “We think it’s probably a DIAGONAL fan, yes.” Miama finished the thought when Suzune trailed off. “But if they’ve found your home address—this is your home, right?” Karin nodded. “Ah.” Miama paused. “At any rate, it could be very dangerous if your home address has been leaked, so we’ll report this to the police and look into how to proceed from there.” Miama withdrew the tablet and turned off the screen. “Now, our agency generally doesn’t pry into our talents’ personal lives as long as it doesn’t affect their work… But in your case, Shotsuki, since we are capitalizing on your history as a former idol in some ways, we’re going to have to make a statement about this. So, what’s the story?” Karin was silent, deep in thought. “If you’re dating, then fine, we’ll just say you’re dating,” Miama went on. “If it’s an affair, that’s not going to look good, but we can still try and frame it as best we can. But first, we need you to tell us the truth.” Suzune gulped. She didn’t want to hear it—but she had to listen anyway. That was what Karin wanted, after all. Karin looked Miama straight in the eyes and spoke, loud and clear. “…He’s not my boyfriend.” OH THANK GODDDDDD! Suzune was so profoundly relieved that even she didn’t know what to make of it. It was like she’d rocketed from hell straight to heaven, she thought to herself. But of course, she’d suspected as much from the start. There was no way Karin would be dating someone like this. Maybe that was a rude way of looking at it, but either way, she was just so relieved. “Really?” “Yes. The man in the photos is my older sister’s boyfriend. The day these were taken, my sister texted me saying that she was going to be late. Since I was free, I went to pick her boyfriend up at the station, and we got groceries for dinner on the way home. That must have been when the photos were taken.” “Your sister’s boyfriend?” Miama pressed for further confirmation. “That’s right.” Karin nodded. “They’re actually getting married next month, so he’ll be my brother-in-law soon. He comes over once in a while to work on wedding planning and such. Usually, when he’s visiting, he makes dinner for us. I’ve already talked to them about this, and they gave me permission to officially state that he’s my sister’s fiancé, and they’re getting married soon.” Miama looked hard at Karin, who returned her gaze unwaveringly. The explanation made perfect sense to Suzune. She already knew that Karin lived with her older sister. If that was her sister’s boyfriend—soon-to-be husband, in fact—then he must already be like family to her, which would explain the familiarity they seemed to share in the photos. Of course. Karin had never mentioned anything about that sort of relationship, so this was the natural outcome of the would-be scandal. “I see.” Miama nodded. “Then we’ll release a statement to that effect on our website and give the same explanation to the press. Do you still want to do today’s radio show? It might be rough, especially since it’s live and all… If it would be too hard on you emotionally, we could always have Sengu do this one alone.” “I’ll be fine.” “Are you sure?” Suzune asked. “You don’t have to force yourself.” Karin shook her head. “Since we’re taking advantage of my background as an idol, I always knew a scandal was a possibility. This was certainly unexpected, and I’m furious that they dragged my sister into it…but still, I’m not going to run away.” “All right. Go on, then.” Miama clapped briskly. “We’ll take care of things from here. Sengu, look after her, please. I wish I could come with you, but in this situation, I’m afraid we need all hands on deck here at the office.” “Of course. You can count on me.” Suzune pressed a hand to her chest. Karin looked at her, her expression suddenly anxious. “I’m sorry, Suzune-san.” “Don’t be sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong, Karin-chan. So let’s get out there and hold our heads up high.” “Okay.” Karin nodded earnestly. Deep down, Suzune wondered if it would be best to take the day off instead. But if Karin said she wanted to do it, and that was what their manager was requesting, then Suzune couldn’t stop it. All she could do was to have Karin Shotsuki’s back. To support her oshi, no matter what. After many years as Karin’s biggest fan, that was Suzune’s sole duty. By the time they reached the radio station, there was already an explanation posted on Earpo’s official website. In short, it stated that the man was Karin’s older sister’s boyfriend, that he and her sister were getting married soon, and that the agency intended to go to the police about the person who had tracked down Karin’s home address. It also added that Karin would not be returning to her home for some time. She didn’t have much choice. It was only a matter of time before other people deduced her address from the photos, and some were bound to go there to try to get a look at her, no matter how much they were warned against it. The radio staff hadn’t touched on any of those topics in the pre-show meeting, except to suggest that they were welcome to refrain from looking at hashtags or social media during the broadcast this time. Normally, when Karin and Suzune did a live broadcast like this, they would browse their hashtags and read a few questions and comments from listeners. But no matter how many keywords you muted, a handful of nasty comments always found their way through. “No, it’s all right.” Karin refused to change the format this time. It was still an anime radio show, after all. No doubt she was determined to not allow her private life to effect it in any way. Suzune understood how Karin felt. “PaRadio” wasn’t their own personal radio show, even if they did sometimes talk about their personal lives to add to the conversation. It was for fans looking forward to the anime, and Karin didn’t want to erase those fans’ voices. Suzune wished they could get Miama’s opinion as well, but she wasn’t present for the broadcast today. She had to stay behind at the office to help the agency put out fires. Suzune and Karin were just going to have to get through this on their own. “All right, then we’ll try and stay on top of it by muting any keywords that slip through our filters as we go. Hang in there, okay?” At the scriptwriter’s words, Karin relaxed her expression just a little. Once the meeting was over, the staff all left the room, leaving the two of them alone. “I’m sorry,” Karin said quietly. “When I decided to graduate from DIAGONAL, I thought I was ready for whatever people were going to say about me…but I have to admit, this is still kind of scary.” “You don’t need to apologize. None of this is your fault.” “But it’s still causing extra trouble for the staff and our agency. I feel really bad.” “Protecting their actors is part of the agency’s job. They’re just doing their duty as management. And the staff members here don’t have to do anything—they’re just being nice, you know? So just accept their kindness, okay?” Suzune was aware that Karin probably knew all of this already. Still, sometimes it was important to say it out loud anyway. Words really did have power. Words, and voices, gained strength and soul when they were spoken. And a voice actor could harness that power. Otherwise, what would be the point? “Would you mind…holding my hand…?” Karin’s voice trembled ever so slightly. Suzune reached over and placed her hand on Karin’s, which was resting on the woman’s lap. Her hand felt very cold. Suzune wrapped her own around it, trying to warm her up, even just a little. Karin kept staring straight ahead, without even looking at Suzune. Even under these circumstances, her face in profile was beautiful and brave. “…Sengu-san, Shotsuki-san, we’re ready when you are.” A staff member called to them from the other side of the door. “…Let’s go.” Determination flitted across Karin’s face. She stood up, refusing to give in. Suzune nodded and rose to her feet as well. She didn’t want to let go of Karin’s hand, which was still as cold as ever, but her fingers slipped away before they left the room, the faint traces of warmth vanishing all at once. “PaRadio!” As usual, the two of them announced the title in perfect unison, their voices always in harmony. Sitting across from Suzune at the table, Karin was wearing a bright expression. They were alone in the recording booth as always, with the scriptwriter, director, and other staff members watching over them in the control room. Did they look a little more worried than usual, or was Suzune just overthinking it? “Coming to you live! I’m Suzune Sengu, voice of Dr. Miyuki.” “And I’m Karin Shotsuki, voice of Haruka Amami.” “So we have a live ‘PaRadio’ episode tonight…and it’s Christmas Eve, Karin-chan!” “So it would seem. It doesn’t really feel like Christmas in here, though.” “That’s true. I was hoping they’d at least have a tree or something, but no, it’s exactly the same as usual. I’m sort of sad now… Can’t I get a little Christmas cheer?” “What are you looking at me for? You didn’t think I brought you a present, did you?” “Aww…” Suzune’s heart twinged a little. Even knowing that Karin was in a tough situation right now, she couldn’t help having an automatic reaction. I have a present for you though, Karin-sama! Just between us, not as part of the show. She was planning on giving it to Karin when they went out to dinner later. She hoped it would comfort her a little. “Anyway…” Karin changed the subject. “I came in a taxi today, and the Christmas lights were so pretty. Though they sure were shining on nothing but couples everywhere.” Suzune was startled. Did Karin really want to talk about that topic right here, right now? Sure, talking about couples was a standard conversation around Christmas Eve. And it was true that the decorated areas she saw on the way here had been packed with couples. Still…well, if Karin was determined to do this, Suzune shouldn’t hesitate. But then— “Next topic.” The director spoke through their in-ear monitors. That was that, then. They cut the small talk short and moved on. “All right. Well then, as usual, we’ll take a look at some posts in our hashtag now. Let me see…” Suzune tapped on the tablet and pulled up the comments with the radio’s tag. Her blood ran cold. The comments flooding across the screen were a deluge of insults and attacks. This had never happened before. Usually, the people who contributed to their hashtag were all fans of the manga or of Suzune or Karin themselves, so the comments were always friendly and kind. But not tonight. What few positive posts existed were swallowed up by the vast flood of negativity: posts questioning the agency’s announcement, posts mocking them, and even a few nasty jokes with sexual overtones. “Wait, the filter’s not working!” “What? Why?!” Panicked voices rang out in the in-ear monitors. Suzune tore her eyes away from the tablet and looked up at Karin. The blood had drained from her face—she looked white as a sheet. While she was still firmly keeping her expression neutral, her lips had turned purple, her long eyelashes fluttered, and her slender neck was trembling, like she could barely breathe. When Karin had been in DIAGONAL, not one of the members had ever gotten got caught up in a scandal like this. Neither had Suzune, of course. But as a voice actor, she could instantly understand a character’s feelings and put herself in their shoes. That was the result of a heightened sense of empathy. Which meant Suzune knew Karin’s feelings as clearly as if they were her own. Karin must have felt like the whole world was turning against her. Like she didn’t have a single ally left, no one to save her…that must be what Karin was thinking. I have to talk about something, anything…! At this rate, the live broadcast would be a public disaster. But what could she do? Just laugh it off and move on? Pretend all of this awful slander against Karin-chan—her oshi—never even happened? As if I could possibly let that slide! Suzune clenched her teeth. But she couldn’t just start cursing out the commenters, either. That wouldn’t be professional. In which case, wasn’t the best course of action for Suzune to tell Karin that she would still be on her side no matter what? But how? She didn’t know. No matter how hard she wracked her brains, she couldn’t find the right words. The light was fading from Karin’s eyes. No, wait! Suzune immediately gave chase. And so, the words that leapt out of Suzune’s mouth were… “…I love you.” Karin’s eyes went wide, and the vanishing light returned ever so slightly. In that instant, all the pieces fell into place, and Suzune finally understood her own feelings. Ah, I get it now… She’d already loved Karin for a very long time. Suzune had just been putting on an act, pretending not to notice her feelings. Her strange discomfort when the other DIAGONAL member had kissed Karin on the cheek, her distress when she’d seen the article about the scandal, and all the anger she felt now over these slanderous comments…they were all because she loved Karin. Because she was in love with Karin—not just as her oshi, but as a woman! “It’s true. I love you.” Even though they were in the middle of a live broadcast, Suzune didn’t falter at all. Now that she’d made her decision, it was just a matter of committing to it. And she’d always been good at that. People had often told her she was brave. When she stood up on stage, or in front of a microphone, she could switch gears instantly. No, she wasn’t afraid at all. On the other hand, sitting across from her, Karin was staring at Suzune in confusion. Her eyes were wide and a little watery, her long eyelashes fluttering as she held back tears. The tip of her finger was still frozen on the tablet that sat nearby on the table. But a little flush of pink was returning to her cheeks, though they had been so pale before. That was all that mattered. Through her in-ear monitor, she could hear the people beyond the window of the recording booth flying into a panic, but Suzune ignored them. She had to make one thing clear—that Karin’s best ally was right here in the room with her. “This isn’t just for show.” Suzune gazed directly into Karin’s eyes and spoke, her words crystal-clear. “I’m in love with you.” For a moment, time stopped. The comments ceased their endless flow, and she couldn’t hear her in-ear monitor anymore. A single tear trickled down Karin’s cheek, and Suzune held her breath for an equally romantic response. Something like, I love you, too. But the reaction that followed from Karin was quite the opposite. Her perfect eyebrows rose sharply as if in anger, and her hand shot out to press down the mute switch on Suzune’s mic, even as she spoke into her own. “Slow down a minute, Sengu-san! If you don’t read the comments, how will people know you’re just reading a line someone requested?! Come on! Let’s move on to a song already!” Realizing that Karin had resumed the script, the staff went into a flurry of activity. “When it comes to Christmas songs, this one’s a classic! Have a listen!” As soon as the intro started to play, Karin pressed her own mute switch as well, took out her in-ear monitor, stood up, and grabbed Suzune by the wrist. “Excuse us! We’ll be right back!” Before anyone could protest, Karin dragged Suzune by the arm and fled from the booth. “…What was that all about?” Karin shoved Suzune into a waiting room so brusquely that she nearly tripped and fell. Turning around, she saw that Karin was locking the door behind them. Thank goodness. The color had returned to Karin’s face after its earlier deathly-pale state. She was obviously angry, but that was better than her being in despair. “You ‘love’ me? It’s ‘not just an act’? This is a live broadcast, remember?! Do you realize how many people must have heard that?!” “I do.” Now that Suzune was sure of her feelings, nothing could stop her. “But I don’t regret it at all. I wanted to tell you that you have someone who’s on your side no matter what, and it looks like I got through to you. Oh, but it wasn’t just a means to an end. I really do love you. Gosh, I never thought I’d turn into one of those fans who has feelings for their oshi, and now look at me…” Suzune laughed a little too loudly. Why was she in such high spirits? Maybe her feelings were getting detached from reality to help her escape the fact that she’d royally screwed things up. “But you don’t need to worry about it, okay? It’s not like I want you to be my girlfriend or anything like that… Okay, no, yes it is. I do want that, I guess I just haven’t quite wrapped my head around my own feelings just yet.” Suzune smacked her hands together. “It’s just a one-sided love! I don’t mind that it’s unrequited! Don’t worry! I’ll still do my job normally! So let’s just keep going the same way as before, okay? Please?” “Enough already…!” As Suzune went on babbling, Karin practically tackled her with a sudden, fierce embrace. “You don’t get to decide if it’s one-sided! My yuri was never just for show, either!” She shouted it so loudly right next to Suzune’s head that her ears rang. Karin’s voice really was impressive. “If you’re an obsessed fan, then I’ve been one way longer than you! I can’t believe you, Suzune-san! If that’s how you really feel, you should’ve said so sooner! Ever since that article came out, I’ve been worried more than anything that you would get the wrong idea!” “Um…does that mean that you didn’t just ask for me to come to the office to hear your explanation because of the ‘PaRadio’ thing?” Even as they spoke, Karin kept on squeezing Suzune tightly. Between Karin’s unexpected arm strength and the scent of Karin’s hair, Suzune felt a little dizzy. “Of course not! I just wanted to make sure you knew the truth as soon as humanly possible!” “Ooh, I see…” Suzune felt strangely relieved. And then, want began to bubble up inside her. “So…can I…kiss you?” The answer was immediate. “No way.” Karin pulled away from Suzune, enough to look her square in the face. “I don’t want our first time…to happen on a whim like that.” Her face was crimson. I didn’t know people could turn that shade of red. Suzune was delighted. “All right, then…how about tonight, after dinner—” “You’re not supposed to plan that kind of thing, at least not out loud!” Karin yelled at her again. But this time, she didn’t really say no. That was good enough for now. “…Sengu-san! Shotsuki-san! Come back to the booth!” They heard a staff member shouting for them outside the door. “Are you okay now, Karin-chan?” “Why wouldn’t I be?” Karin grinned broadly. Just knowing she’d put that smile on Karin’s face gave Suzune more than enough courage to face whatever awaited them next. “…Sorry, sorryyyy!” They opened the door and rushed out of the room. Somehow, the Christmas Eve live broadcast didn’t end up as a disaster. Suzune and Karin got back just as the song ended, continued the radio show as if nothing had happened, and managed to get through to the end without any issues. For a little while, some people speculated online about the exchange before the song, but eventually, the conversation simmered down, and most concluded that it was just a misguided attempt at yuri fanservice.
Chapter 14
29 min read