“It’s finally time, huh?”
“Are you going to be rooting for Erio? After all, she was the best collaborative partner, wasn’t she?”
“Like I keep saying, please forgive me for that… Obviously, I’ll be rooting for Shiika.”
“Sorry if I’m having trust issues when it comes to you.”
“Shiika is my friend! Erio is my business partner! Both are important, but if I was asked to run over one with a trolley, I would choose Erio Shibuya without hesitation!”
“Wow, can we unpack that?”
Next to me was Mana Akihabara, who always reacted in amusing ways when I needled her about her traitorous collaboration.
On her other side, there was someone else. The key person overlooking this entire operation.
“Who will you be rooting for, Komae?”
“Gakuto, has anyone ever told you that you have a terrible personality?”
“Well, that doesn’t bother me.”
“So people do tell you that. Makes sense.”
The red-haired, handsome Nokia Komae gave a wry smile and an eye roll. He was the one who’d sparked this strife between Shiika and Erio.
Having two girls fight over him and his songwriting abilities… The jerk. If this had been a tug-of-love situation with Shiika as the prize, I’d have given him a merciless noogie. As her elder brother, of course. But this was about artistry, creativity. So there was room for a little bit of extenuating circumstances here.
You’ll live, but only by a margin, you handsome jerk.
“To be honest, I have mixed feelings. I want Shiika to keep releasing songs, and I want her to win.”
“Right?”
“But thinking about the aftermath, if Erio loses… I mean, that gives me pause.”
“The aftermath if Erio loses? I mean, you’ll just collaborate with Shiika, won’t you?”
“It’d be good if that was the end of it, but…”
Komae’s words had heavy implications, and his gaze was downcast. After quickly looking around, he made eye contact with me and lowered his voice. “If Erio loses in public, it will damage her brand. Her reputation as the most talented girl in our year—that she painstakingly cultivated—will be dashed.”
“Well, yeah.”
“How do you think the other students will treat a queen bee who’s lost her crown to a usurper?”
“Oh, come on. Are you saying she’ll be ostracized from the female student body? Those girls are as thick as thieves. Like a sisterhood, right?”
“I mean, let’s hope so… Those girls may be fickle, but they’re still Ryouran High students. Girls who follow the queen bee around like little workers… Compared to normal fans, they’re a prideful bunch.”
“So you’re saying they’ll freeze out Erio? And Erio will become a social pariah? They’ll kick a girl when she’s down?”
“It’s highly likely.”
Komae spoke quite emphatically.
“Of course, they’ll maintain a friendly facade. But under the guise of friendship, they’ll attack her weaknesses. Little snide remarks that she’s not sure are worth taking seriously. And at the same time, the number of hate comments will increase.”
“You sound pretty confident; what are you basing this on?”
“Nothing in particular. I just know it. The girls are all like that at this school.”
Komae spoke coldly.
A playboy womanizer. That mask had peeled away, and I was able to catch a glimpse of his real personality.
I felt like one of my questions about Komae had been resolved.
He may look like a handsome guy who’s experienced with women, but the way he reacted toward Shiika was far too naive. Perhaps Komae actually didn’t have all that much practical experience with romance.
So he aimed to become an entertainer, improving himself, competing with others, and attracting the attention of tons of girls. I felt like I’d seen something a little shameful, something I didn’t want to see.
He was attracted to Shiika, but not in a romantic way. It was more like he admired her for her transparency, for not being like the other girls.
Komae himself might have been unaware of it, but if he was in love with anyone, it was…
“Erio is such an idiot.”
“If she hears you say that, she’ll bite your head off again.”
“Well, she is. She’s stupid enough to think those hangers-on are actual friends. Showing off her skills and achievements without worry. Honestly believing that those savages will be happy for her.”
“Oh, come on. You make this place sound like a den of wolves.”
“Well, just look. See that girl filming the stage with her phone?”
“Yeah… I’ve seen that girl in class. She’s one of Erio’s cronies.”
“And that’s Erio’s phone.”
“Huh?”
“She’s fine with lending her phone to her friends. To record dance lessons, to take photos at scenic locations, or when they go to nice cafés. She hands her phone over to whoever’s available. And now she’s asked one of them to film her midterm exam.”
“Why hand over her own phone? Why not just have a friend get the footage, then send it later?”
“Erio’s phone is a high-end model with a high-performance camera. She earns the most money, so she can afford something like that. And she says it takes the best pictures and footage.”
“So that’s why she has her friends use it… But these days, a person’s phone is as personal as, say, their wallet.”
“That’s why I’m saying Erio’s stupid.”
Komae looked at the stage with pity. There were ten chairs lined up onstage. Erio Shibuya was sitting in one, waiting for her turn.
“She’s like some dumb, wild boar that just trusts its surroundings and charges forward. That’s fine, as long as she’s running at the head of the herd. But if she hits a wall and falls down…then she’ll become food for the hyenas in no time.”
“Hmm, I think I understand.”
“Sorry. It’s got nothing to do with you, Gakuto. Erio’s been really hostile toward you, so I don’t expect you to sympathize with her.”
“Well, I’m not really interested in Erio as a person, so I guess I don’t care.”
“Right. Anyway, just forget this whole conversation.”
“I truly don’t care about her, though. I don’t hold any grudges.”
“Huh?”
Komae blinked, as if unable to figure out what I meant.
“If someone’s an enemy to Shiika, I’ll crush them. If they’re an ally to Shiika, I’ll love them. If they’re neither, they don’t even exist to me. That’s my philosophy,” I said clearly.
“Gakuto…”
After finding out that the hate comments on Shiika’s streams were posted from Erio’s phone, my sympathy for Erio had tanked. But Komae’s testimony had just given rise to another possibility.
What if one of Erio’s so-called friends was the one posting the hate comments, using Erio’s phone?
If that was the case…I figured I could hold off on declaring war on Erio.
At least until I figured out the truth.
Of course, I’d let Shiika win this midterm exam competition first.
“Well, the results will come soon. Whether it’ll be tears or jubilation. All we can do is watch.”
“Heh-heh. You’re right. You’re right, Gakuto.”
Komae turned to look at the front, his face more relaxed now.
I readjusted my position.
Now, let’s see. Let’s see how serious these two vocal prodigies really are.
That was when the mood in the room changed.
Beside me, Akiba poked my side and coughed pointedly.
“What are you doing? How rude is this—you’re getting all chummy with another guy and ignoring the girl who’s sitting right between the two of you?”
“Oh, Akiba. Could you be a dear and go toss this slug outside for me?”
“Hey! You’re cruising for a bruising, mister.”
I was getting comfortable around Akiba now.
I mean, it was just a sign of the deep trust that we had, right?