"...Even though it was all just cheap tricks, it still ended smoothly."
Though she hated to admit it, Ai finally pouted, clearly displeased.
"If I'd known, I never would have let Uika go up there."
"Even if you hadn't, the result wouldn't have changed."
Tetsuya shook his head.
"As long as a performance is interesting enough, you never have to worry about Raana. The clever and mature Soyo would have overcome her hesitation and taken the initiative to break the stalemate. Tomori and Taki would have immediately followed suit, doing their best to complete the performance."
"...And what about Chihaya Anon?"
Ai stared expressionlessly at Anon on stage, who was smiling and waving at the audience.
"If everyone else does everything, then what's the point of her existence?"
"Anon is the cause that set this whole story in motion."
Tetsuya said.
"It was her that set me on the path of a designer, which led to me meeting Sakiko. If Sakiko hadn't met me, she wouldn't have been able to design that outfit, nor would she have been able to reconcile with them so easily. As for the band and the live after that, they wouldn't have even been possible."
He paused for a moment before continuing:
"Looking at it another way, if I hadn't become a designer, the two of us wouldn't have reunited so smoothly like this, right?"
"...Are you saying our reunion is also because of Chihaya Anon?"
Hearing this, a flash of displeasure once again crossed Ai's face.
"That's not it at all. Even without Chihaya Anon... our meeting was just a matter of time."
Under Tetsuya's somewhat stunned gaze, Ai slowly took off her baseball cap, revealing her silky, smooth, and gorgeous long purple hair.
"As long as I can stand on the highest stage, become the most dazzling idol... no matter how far apart we are, I will definitely find you. And then... I'll never let go again."
"W-wait, put your hat back on—"
"I'm not happy. Because you gave the credit for our reunion to some irrelevant outsider."
Ai completely ignored the panic on Tetsuya's face and casually tossed the baseball cap aside.
"Since the live you wanted to see is over, the rest of the time belongs to just the two of us."
"Let's go, Tetsu."
"..."
Ai's disguise consisted of only a coat and a baseball cap. With the cap now tossed aside, if anyone with a keen eye were to look their way, they would surely recognize her identity in an instant.
And so, to avoid causing a commotion, and also to soothe Ai's mood, Tetsuya could only let her drag him away from the venue by his arm.
On the other side, out of the same concern as Tetsuya, Sakiko could only stare helplessly at their departing figures, not daring to speak up or stop them.
However, out of worry, she followed behind them after they had completely left the venue, simultaneously taking out her phone and sending several urgent messages to Uika—
...
"...Thanks to you, this performance was a complete success."
After getting off stage, Soyo said to Uika, who was following behind them.
"It's just that it seems we don't have time for a celebration party now."
"You said before that you had something to discuss with me after the live, right?"
Uika looked at Soyo with great interest.
"What is it?"
"It's about Hoshino Ai's plan."
Soyo said, getting straight to the point.
"Besides the live in May, has she revealed any more information to you?"
"...She hasn't."
Uika shook her head.
"After all, I expressed my opposition to Ai the moment I heard about it. Under these circumstances, she definitely wouldn't reveal any more information easily."
At this, she asked with some curiosity:
"Why do you suddenly ask? Have you discovered something else?"
"If Hoshino Ai only planned to use her public influence to force Chihaya Tetsuya's hand, she could actually take action right now, couldn't she?"
Soyo said.
"Her online fanbase has already reached seven figures. As long as she directly announces her relationship online, her current popularity is more than enough to achieve the goal of forcing Chihaya Tetsuya to make a public statement."
"..."
Uika had actually thought about this point as well.
Although announcing it at the May live would certainly be dramatic, upon careful consideration, Ai, with her already massive popularity, didn't need to wait until then. In fact, announcing her relationship while she was in the golden age of her rising career would be explosive material that the gossip news and entertainment industry could easily exploit.
...
"Perhaps she decided to announce it at the May live out of caution..."
"I don't think so. A little while ago, she dared to go into the audience to find someone wearing just a coat and a hat."
Soyo shook her head.
"Or rather, even if that was her original plan, it seems she has a new one now..."
She paused for a moment before asking:
"Did you hear the question she asked right before she left, after she provoked Chihaya Anon?"
"...? What question?"
Uika, who had already turned to leave at that point, looked somewhat confused.
"Did she say something else after that?"
"She asked Anon... if Chihaya Tetsuya 'held her while she slept' the night before last."
Amidst Uika's astonished expression, Soyo continued:
"She seemed very concerned about the photo Anon posted on SNS that day, of her sleeping in the same bed as Chihaya Tetsuya."
"...Wait, so that's what it was about?"
Hearing this completely unexpected new piece of information, and considering the timing, the fragmented memories in Uika's brain suddenly pieced themselves together.
"No wonder Ai suddenly changed her mind and wanted to make a guest appearance. No wonder she suddenly went to confront Chihaya Anon. It was all because she saw that photo..."
Coming specifically to ask if she was "held".
Changing into clothes that were easy to put on and take off before going to find Tetsuya.
And the solo live, which was less than a month away.
Could it be...
A dangerous idea gradually formed in Uika's mind.
And the next second, when she got her phone back and saw the messages constantly popping up, the idea in her heart was further confirmed.
"It seems your worries were necessary."
Under Soyo's dumbfounded gaze, Uika said:
"Just now, Ai forcibly took Tetsuya-san away."
"...Eh?!"