By the time she ran off, Kaoru finally realized he hadn't given her a Christmas gift yet.
'Looks like it'll have to wait until next time.'
Since it wasn't too late, Kaoru headed to the mall and personally picked out a few gifts, which he then gave to Shiho Manabe and the others.
Kamuro Masumi, Airi Sakura, Haruka Hasebe, Sakayanagi Arisu, Karuizawa Kei…
Compared to the days at the agency, the number of people had dwindled significantly, and Kaoru couldn't help but feel a little relieved.
Still, he hadn't forgotten about Ai Morishita, Miki Yamamura, and Hiyori Shiina.
It was just that they rarely had opportunities to interact, and suddenly giving them gifts would seem too odd.
If he had held a Study Group gathering a few days earlier, it might have been easier.
He could have handed the gifts to Airi Sakura, Haruka Hasebe, and Miki Yamamura in person.
Kaoru sent a message to Kamuro Masumi, asking if Sakayanagi Arisu had assigned her any tasks.
Soon, Masumi replied in the negative.
Seeing this, Kaoru simply wished her a Merry Christmas and told her that magic would appear in her room tonight.
Masumi warned him that stealing keys was a capital offense, and breaking into a girl's room was an even graver crime.
Ignoring her warning, Kaoru returned to the dormitory and left a pack of cold medicine he bought from the convenience store outside Mako Amikura's door, with a small note attached.
Next, Kaoru headed to Haruka Hasebe's room.
"Merry Christmas."
Since he had asked Haruka in advance, Kaoru had no trouble seeing the girl in her loungewear—a slightly loose nightgown that hid her curvaceous figure.
She clearly had no plans to go out, and the sound of a TV drama playing in the background confirmed she was quite the social butterfly.
"I thought you were joking. Instead of spending time with your girlfriend, you're here giving me a gift?" Hasebe Haruka looked surprised, her eyes shining with unconcealed delight as she gazed at Kaoru.
"Aren't we friends?" Kaoru handed her the gift box. "Though, I'm not entirely sure what you like."
"No, it's fine. That makes me really happy. No wonder Kaoru has a girlfriend." Haruka smiled brightly.
"Am I the only one?"
Understanding her implication, Kaoru quickly added, "I'll be giving gifts to Airi and Miki later too."
"A bit of a playboy, aren't you?" Haruka's tone was oddly teasing. "Can I open it now?"
"Go ahead." Kaoru nodded.
Haruka unwrapped the gift box and found several CDs inside.
"These are the complete commemorative editions of Straylight, Cometik, and Noctchill. And this one is a personal solo I really like. If you're interested, I think you'll enjoy these girls' voices."
As he spoke, Kaoru carefully observed Haruka's reaction.
"That's surprising. Do you usually like idols too?" Haruka seemed thrilled, as if she had found a kindred spirit.
"When I asked you before, you didn't seem interested. I thought you didn't care for them."
"I looked them up afterward and realized I actually liked them," Kaoru replied, noticing nothing unusual.
"Then I remembered you seemed really into them, especially mentioning that grand stage performance, so I bought these CDs for you."
"Because their producer is amazing. That grand stage was on par with some top girl groups, and they even invited special guests—it was an all-star show. I heard they might even go on tour later." Haruka smirked playfully.
"Honestly, Kaoru, you're so much like him. Are you his secret love child or something?"
"Yeah, and I even have the idols' phone numbers. Want them?" Kaoru shot her a sidelong glance.
"Of course! Can I also get an autograph?" Haruka naturally extended her small hand. "Even on my palm is fine—I don't mind."
"If you want autographs, you'll have to come with me," Kaoru said. "Twenty-eight idols—just name who you want."
"Hmm, I want twenty-nine autographs." Haruka blinked at him.
A sense of unease crept over Kaoru.
Why did this feel so deviously familiar?
"The producer's already dead."
"Yeah, what a shame."
"Why are you so curious about him?"
"Did I say I was?" Haruka tilted her head. "From the start, I just thought you resembled him, that's all."
Kaoru couldn't probe further.
This woman seemed easy to handle, but her mind was just as sharp as theirs.
"Well, since I've given you the gift, I'll take my leave. Don't want to bother you."
"Wait." Haruka stopped him. "I haven't given you anything yet."
With that, the girl dashed back to her room, her skirt fluttering over her pale thighs, her chest rising and falling with each step.
The sound of her quick footsteps soon signaled her return.
"Here, this is for you."
Kaoru looked at the item she had shoved into his hand.
Though familiar, he feigned ignorance and cautiously asked, "What is this?"
"This? It's a souvenir from when I attended the live performance." Hasebe Haruka showed a hint of nostalgic smile before leaning in slightly and whispering into Kaoru's ear.
"It was given to me by the late producer. I feel like it has a connection with you, Kaoru, so I decided to give it to you."
"T-this is too valuable." Kaoru swallowed hard.
This was an early commemorative item—back then, he only had idols like Hiori and Tanaka Mamimi around him.
"Don't worry, I still have plenty of things like this." Hasebe Haruka sighed. "Speaking of which, I was really disappointed I couldn't get tickets for the grand stage back then."
Kaoru felt his fingers trembling but managed to steady himself in time.
"Maybe there'll be another chance."
"I hope so."
"..."
Hasebe Haruka watched him leave, the corners of her lips curling slightly.
It seemed her instincts weren't wrong—she had indeed caught his attention.
She had thought it was just a coincidence of names, but who knew miracles could really happen in this world?
Could it be that he had faked his death before?
Her gaze darkened as memories of the past surfaced.
Truthfully, she had only stumbled upon a live performance video online before.
While she found it pleasant, it hadn't been enough to make her a fan.
What truly drew Hasebe Haruka's attention was a chance encounter.
One morning, she heard that an unknown upperclassman at her school had passed an idol audition, causing quite a stir.
Perhaps out of curiosity about the agency the upperclassman belonged to, even middle school students sneaked into the performance venue.
Hasebe Haruka was dragged along by her only two friends.
Though it wasn't the upperclassman's performance, the live show left a deep impression on her.
During the final thank-you segment, Hasebe Haruka met the producer—a tall, slender figure who exuded an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
Returning to her room, she placed the CD on her bedside table next to a photo of the producer.
After staring at it for a while, she lay down, her fingers instinctively reaching downward.
"I-I had already given up on getting close to you... But you came to me yourself... D-don't blame me..."
With slightly ragged breaths, the girl turned on her side, squeezing her fingers lightly as her soft murmurs seemed to sink into quicksand.
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