It wasn't until Hoshino Ai's figure had completely disappeared that the girls finally recovered from the chaotic, storm-like encounter.
"...So she really was coming for us."
Or to be more precise, she was coming for Chihaya Anon alone.
While the two of them were talking, Ai's gaze hadn't even shifted to the rest of them, the "irrelevant ones."
From the very beginning, she hadn't paid any attention to anyone other than Chihaya Anon.
Thinking this, Soyo couldn't help but let out a slow breath.
From the moment Hoshino Ai appeared before her, she hadn't been able to say a single word.
That stunningly beautiful face made it difficult for her to muster any confidence to confront her, not to mention the huge gap in their status and fame.
She had never felt such intense pressure from a peer before, and she could hardly imagine the immense psychological stress Anon, the target of her words, must be under.
With this in mind, she turned her gaze to Anon, trying to check on her condition.
And as expected, even though Ai was long gone, Anon still hadn't snapped out of her daze.
"Anon..."
Tomori also looked at Anon with a worried expression.
Being more sensitive and empathetic than the others, Tomori had also felt a suffocating pressure while Ai was bearing down on Anon.
"Are you okay...?"
Tomori couldn't help but ask.
Anon, who had been frozen in place this whole time, finally seemed to wake from a dream upon hearing Tomori's call.
But her first question after coming to her senses left everyone stunned:
"Do you think... we can become as confident as her when we become a popular band?"
"...Eh?"
Tomori was taken aback by Anon's question, before stammering out a reply:
"Well... at least I don't think I could be as self-centered as her..."
"Hmm, that's true. I probably couldn't be a stalker and act so self-righteous about it either."
Anon rubbed the back of her head.
"That's the first time I've ever met someone more self-centered than me..."
"Anon..."
Anon's reaction took Tomori completely by surprise.
"You're not just putting on a brave face, are you? She said so many horrible things to you just now..."
"Well, maybe they were a little harsh."
A wry smile appeared on Anon's face.
"But there's no denying that everything she said was the irrefutable truth. Failing to study abroad, being half-baked, my vanity... she hit the nail on the head with every single one."
Although having these scars exposed in front of everyone was deeply humiliating, she had to admit that what Ai said wasn't slander or criticism, but the absolute truth.
And because of that, she hadn't been able to say a single word in rebuttal during their confrontation.
"Anon..."
"But, even if she hadn't said it, my brother had already pointed out all of these shortcomings to me beforehand, and I was already well aware of them myself!"
Anon patted her chest.
"It's because I failed to study abroad that I want to start fresh at Haneoka. It's because I'm half-baked that I'm working extra hard to prove myself with this live. As for my vanity... ahem, that really is my problem. I'll try to post less personal information on SNS from now on."
At this, she bowed her head slightly to the others, looking a little embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, everyone. Because of me, our first live got targeted by Hoshino Ai..."
"..."
Hearing Anon's words, Soyo couldn't help but look at her with an incredibly surprised expression.
She had thought Anon would be just as devastated as she was by Ai's appearance. Yet, not only was Anon not devastated, she was showing a strength and resolve far beyond what Soyo had expected.
"Then, what do you think about her denying your identity as his 'sister'?"
Soyo asked.
"You can't just accept that part, can you?"
"Hm? Isn't she just jealous of me?"
In response to Soyo's question, Anon tilted her head with a curious look.
"No matter how useless I am compared to Nii-chan, the fact that I'm Chihaya Tetsuya's little sister won't ever change... and it's because my brother is so amazing and cool that I like him so much!"
"But... well, the fact that there's a huge gap between me, his sister, and him is a problem. So to change that, I need to work even harder... and I'll need everyone's help."
She looked up at the others around her.
"Maybe I can't beat Hoshino Ai on my own. Maybe it would take me forever to reach her level by myself. But with everyone's help, we might really have a chance to become a band that surpasses Hoshino Ai! So, I'll be in your care from now on!"
With that, she bowed deeply to the others.
"...I was wondering what you were going to say."
Taki was the first to respond to the sudden bow.
"In the end, what we have to do is still the same, isn't it? We focus on making this live a success, and use it as a starting point to keep working towards a major debut."
"That's true, but if it wasn't for my carelessness, Hoshino Ai wouldn't have suddenly targeted us..."
"Soyo already said it, right? Even though the pressure of performing after them will be huge, they've also brought us a much larger audience. In other words, their arrival is also an opportunity for us."
Taki, who had initially felt quite pressured by the situation, had now officially made up her mind.
"Now, we absolutely have to make this live a success, no matter what!"
"...Mhm, I'll do my best too!"
Tomori nodded in agreement.
"To prove to Chihaya-san... that Anon is definitely a good sister who is worthy of him!"
And so, with Anon's unexpectedly positive attitude and the unanimous agreement of the others, their morale, far from plummeting, became even more focused.
However, at the same time, so as not to dampen the spirits everyone had worked so hard to raise, Soyo had another discovery that she didn't tell the others—
(The one who wants to target us... might not be just Hoshino Ai.)
With Ai's individual skill, if this surprise performance was solely her decision, it should have been a solo act. But in reality, the full [Summer Zodiac] had shown up.
Not only that, but Uika's reason for interrupting Ai earlier wasn't to mediate the increasingly tense confrontation, but simply due to a lack of time...
What her own thoughts were in deciding to appear with Ai, probably only she herself knew...
And that final question Ai asked before leaving probably wasn't as simple as everyone thought.
"The meeting between Chihaya Tetsuya and her later... is probably going to be quite something."
Looking again in the direction Ai had left, Soyo fell into quiet contemplation.