Running out of Starry, Kurusu Akira, with his guitar on his back, rushed up a relatively long uphill road in Shimokitazawa.
Tokyo, although located at the southern end of the Kanto Plain and adjacent to Tokyo Bay, has quite a few ups and downs, big and small.
Vine-like thoughts spread as he ran with the heavy load, the elevation difference in front of him subconsciously reminding him of Lavenza in the Velvet Room; it was just like her chest, you could say it was there, but you could also say it wasn't—
'Damn it, why is Iseri running so fast?'
'Next time the track and field club recruits new members, I should kick Sakamoto Ryuji off the vice-captain position and put Iseri on the track more often. Maybe she could bring back some national gold and silver medals for Shujin.'
Afraid of accidentally damaging the priceless guitar on his back, Kurusu Akira had to constantly pay attention to the pedestrians and buildings around him while chasing Iseri Nina, and also deliberately control the amplitude of his movements.
That childish kid, who made him feel both annoyed and amused, quickly disappeared into the crowded flow of people.
He decisively took out his phone, found the name [Iseri Nina] in his contacts, and dialed.
After a short busy tone, the call was hung up.
Kurusu Akira stood on the bustling street, and suddenly, he smiled with relief.
Such stubborn and annoying kids are truly troublesome.
But then again, it's been a long time since anyone dared to play hide-and-seek with a Phantom Thief.
Kurusu Akira hugged his guitar and slowly walked into a public restroom not covered by cameras.
Mementos, activate!
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Iseri Nina carefully slipped out of a public place not covered by cameras, tiptoed to observe her surroundings, and then quickly fled down a street opposite to Starry.
She escaped!
She felt her heart beating very fast.
At the same time, she felt intense guilt and regret.
The girl looked up at the azure sky. She had escaped the Livehouse, had said she didn't want to be in a band, and could now focus more on her studies…
Why did her heart suddenly feel like a large piece had been emptied?
The words Kurusu Akira had spoken not long ago wrapped around her heart like thorny brambles, tightening and causing unprecedented pain.
Iseri Nina aimlessly fled the crowd. After an unknown amount of time, she stopped in a dead-end alley next to a convenience store.
The faces of Ijichi Nijika, Yamada Ryo, and Kurusu Akira flashed before her eyes one by one.
She seemed exhausted, so she squatted against the wall, hugging her knees, and inhaling deeply, as if that could stop the pain in her heart.
After repeating this several times, her heart still pounded violently, but then she suddenly heard a pattering sound, and large drops of water splattered onto the hem of her skirt, soaking dark water marks into it.
Ah, it's raining.
Oh no…
Iseri Nina looked up. The narrow sky framed by the eaves was clear, and warm sunlight streamed down, completely blocked by the buildings, leaving only cold shadows covering her entire body.
She reached out blankly to touch her face.
Her fingertips immediately felt hot and wet.
Her shoulders trembled a few times, then she hugged her knees and buried her face in the crook of her arm.
She was indeed crying.
Iseri Nina wanted to mock herself, but when she opened her mouth, she couldn't stop whimpering, and tears flowed continuously, soaking the sleeves she desperately tried to wipe them away with.
She really wanted to be in a band with them.
The gentle Nijika, the cool Ryo, and the reliable President Akira.
They had invited her so seriously and sincerely.
Just watching them perform made her happy.
'If only I had been brave enough to sing then…'
'If only I had stayed a little longer when they tried to dissuade me…'
'If only I hadn't hung up on the President's call…'
It's such a regret.
Iseri Nina sat alone crying in the empty dead-end alley.
It felt like she was back in that high school in Kumamoto City.
The solitary girl curled up in the dark corner of the staircase, fighting the remorse and fear in her heart with tears.
It seemed everything had come full circle, and her life had returned to that desperate situation where she was understood and accepted by no one.
But this time, she was the one who pushed away the helping hand offered by others.
She didn't dare to touch her phone, which was vibrating constantly in her pocket.
She was afraid to see Kurusu Akira's messages of blame and worry, and even more afraid to see the reflection in her phone screen: a pathetic version of herself—obsessive, sensitive, timid, reckless, and wrapped in a hedgehog-like emotional prickle.
When you feel truly regretful, it's just like the novels describe: a huge hole is scooped out of your body, as if wind passes through, yet you can grasp nothing.
Iseri Nina frantically wiped away her tears with her already soaked sleeves.
The pain overflowing from her heart made even breathing difficult.
Pat-a-pat, pat-a-pat.
Clear footsteps approached.
"Um... are you alright?"
A concerned voice hovered over Iseri Nina's head.
Such a familiar voice, she seemed to have heard it somewhere before... With tear-filled eyes, Iseri Nina looked up and saw an incredibly familiar face.
She had seen this face countless times on Twitter or concert promotional posters—
"Diamond Dust." Iseri Nina murmured in disbelief.
"Um... uh... you should probably call me by my name now, Kawaragi Momoka."
The gray-haired girl, dressed as a delivery person, awkwardly looked at a brick wall nearby. "I haven't been a member of Diamond Dust for a long time."
Normally, if Iseri Nina met her idol at this moment, she would excitedly stand up and ask for an autograph.
And seeing her idol in such a disheveled state, and hearing her declare that she had "left the band," she would be puzzled and angry, wanting to inquire about the situation.
But now, she merely huddled listlessly against the wall, then lowered her face, silent, staring at the ground at her feet with empty eyes. She let the tide-like regret and sorrow repeatedly wash over her heart's wounds, tearing them open again and again until they bled profusely.
Kawaragi Momoka looked at Iseri Nina, who was self-isolated like a hedgehog, refusing to communicate with the outside world, and felt a surge of helplessness.
Suddenly, a rapid, loud sound approached.
Was it footsteps?
Or hooves?
Intense and low, like a sudden downpour, it echoed in the narrow dead end.
A boy with an electric guitar on his back burst into the space, panting.
Sunlight streaked past him like lightning, piercing Iseri Nina's vision, which was shrouded in the shadows of the buildings, like a sharp sword.
Kurusu Akira strode closer and extended his right hand towards Iseri Nina, who was huddled against the wall.
"I told you, you are my hard-won club member. Don't even think about running away."
Iseri Nina trembled as she raised her wet, cold hands and tightly grasped Kurusu Akira's right hand.
The sunlight shone in her eyes, gentle, yet clearly finding its belonging.
The sharp thorns that enveloped her entire body seemed to be instantly severed by a sharp sword.
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