Night of the Confession
(I went and said it…)
(I went and confessed to Anzu-chan…)
(Uwaaa, what the hell do I do? That was a confession no matter which way you cut it. I can’t lie my way out of this one, it was the real deal, y’know…!?)
(... My face feels so hot right now. I wonder what kind of face I was making back there. I didn’t put her off or come off too desperate, did I…?)
Are you alright, Kaoru-kun?
Uwaaa!?
Kukuku. You didn’t need to be so surprised you topple out of your chair. Talk about an old-fashioned comedy reaction there.
You were the one who called out to me so suddenly…
Wait, huh? Where did Adonis-kun and Koga-kun go? Weren’t those two just here a moment ago…?
They went off to the baths. To be exact, you had even answered them when they invited you with. Just how up in the clouds is your head at?
Uwah, I wasn’t listening one bit. I guess I responded subconsciously.
Hmm… Your face has been changing colors left and right, I had thought you might be under the weather…
Kaoru-kun. Something happened to you, hasn’t it…
… Huh~? Not really? It’s all good over here ♪
That there’s a lie. You can’t deceive these eyes. It’s clear as day to me that something’s weighing heavy upon your mind.
Hmm. I wonder what you could possibly be worried over? Assuming you aren’t chasing after women, could it be work-related… or what else…?
Ah, could it be that you confessed your love to the young lady?
What…!?
Oh? What’s with that reaction? I was trying to weasel an answer out of you, hm?
Kaoru-kun… By any chance, did you actually…?
… Yeah. I confessed to her.
…
H–Hey. Come on, say something! It’s not like I was planning to confess to her you know!?
It’s just, when I heard Anzu-chan was going out on dates with Kojika-san, I just couldn’t… stand there and do nothing, or like— I just ended up blurting it out to her, I guess…
It was like my standing, my relationship with Anzu-chan… All that stuff just flew right out of my head, and it was like I was overcome by this feeling to just stop her from leaving, I guess…?
There’s no “I guess it went like this” here. What on earth did you do?
Hey, even you would ask me when I would “finally” confess to her!
Because I didn’t think you were actually going to do it…
… No, perhaps I do bear some responsibility for goading your little romance on…
Uuu… I don’t really know what to do with myself when you’re so apologetic like this, Rei-kun…
Kaoru-kun. I know you know this as well as I do, but we are idols.
A plethora of fans love and adore the creature called the “idol”, and so that creature lives to return that love to each and every one in equal manner.
If it became known that such an idol was pouring a special helping of his love into one person, many fans would feel betrayed.
That’s not to mention… that if that special someone were a producer, it won’t end with a mere scandal.
The young lady gives everything she has to bring out our sparkle.
That said, what do you think is going to happen if that person gets caught up in a love affair with a dream-selling icon, as the one who molded our very careers? You don’t have to be a genius to imagine how that would go.
And even if you two did begin a relationship, if it becomes exposed to the public…
A litany of slander like, “They’re mixing work and pleasure,” “She’s showing favoritism towards her favorite pet idol” would crop up, and your reputation and the young lady’s reputation would completely plummet.
And sparks from that fire would land right on Adonis-kun, Koga, and myself as your fellow members of UNDEAD.
…
What happened tonight could grow to be a matter far bigger than an ordinary dating scandal.
A romance between an idol and a producer is a line that should never be crossed. You are attempting to walk along the precipice of something very dangerous right now.
... Yeah. That might be true.
I’ve been really reflecting on it. No matter how worked up I felt, I shouldn’t have let myself blurt it out, y’know?
As an idol, what I did was basically a betrayal to our fans. And it risks putting you and Koga-kun and Adonis-kun and Anzu-chan in a tough spot, too.
Indeed. If you understand that what you did was dangerous, then that’s—
… But.
I’ve got no intention of retracting my confession.
Putting how I felt into words and conveying that made me realize it all over again.
That I’m in love with Anzu-chan.
I’d hate to just lie my way out of it and tell her it was a joke or something.
I— I want to take my relationship with Anzu-chan to the next level.
…
… Is that right? Well, you’ve already said it to her, so it’s not like you can take it back.
If you’ve determined yourself to such a degree, there’s nothing more I can say to you. You should do whatever you think is right, Kaoru-kun.
Besides, I’ve watched over you from your side all this time.
It’s a little troubling for me as the leader of UNDEAD, but if you feel that way about the young lady, it’s not like I’m unwilling to support you.
Huh? Seriously?
So? What about the crucial answer? She gave you an answer, didn’t she?
Well, about that… As soon as I confessed to her, the staff called Anzu-chan over.
Things were awkward, and we had to go back to work, so we just went about our business like nothing happened.
... What terrible timing.
Yeah. So now, all I can do is sit around and wait to see what her next move is.
Honestly… I suppose you’ll be left on pins and needles for some time, then.
Listen to me, Kaoru-kun. Keep this matter a secret from Koga and Adonis-kun for the time being. If the two of them knew, they wouldn’t be able to act like nothing’s happened around her.
Yeah, I get it. I don’t want this to be any more of an inconvenience for those around me either. I’ll act casual the best I can from here on out.
That’s the spirit. I shall assist in ensuring no trouble ignites until you reach a conclusion with the young lady.
Sorry for the trouble I’ve caused, Rei-kun.
Kukuku, it’s too late for that ♪
Anzu-chan’s the type to take things seriously, so given her standing and everything, I doubt she’s shrugging this off as a light issue. I have zero clue what her answer will end up being…
But I’ll wait properly.
I won’t treat that confession like it was just some joke. I really meant it, and going forward, I’m going to make sure you know that, slow and proper.