"So," Kikukawa Kyo, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up, "Anon, do you want to see the rest of the agency first, or should we head straight to our rehearsal?"
Though Anon had ostensibly come to visit the agency, her real interest was clearly sumimi. If sumimi hadn't had any upcoming activities, Anon might have been interested in casually exploring their usual workspace.
But now, right in front of her, was an opportunity to watch sumimi practice live! There was no way Anon would let this chance slip through her fingers.
However, a certain word in Kyo's statement caught her attention.
"Our?" Wait, did I just hear that right?
Anon's face instantly lit up with astonishment. She stared incredulously at Kyo, mouth agape, unintentionally revealing her cute little fangs.
"Hehe~"
Seeing exactly the expression she'd anticipated, Kyo chuckled with satisfaction. Beside her, Uika and Mana quickly picked up that Kyo had been hiding something and shared knowing smiles.
"Hey, don't leave me out like this! Is it really what I think it is? Quit teasing me already, Kyo-chan!"
Anon couldn't resist softly whining about Kyo's mischievous behavior right in front of her idols.
"In a way, I actually am part of sumimi now," Kyo admitted, finally satisfied with the memory of Anon's shocked reaction. "But I'll only participate in certain events."
"To put it simply," Kyo continued, "You could think of me like a hidden bonus character in a game. Before I'm revealed, the developers can use me as a selling point to attract more players, and then I'll show up whenever necessary. Something like that."
"Wow…" Anon clasped her hands over her mouth, stars practically sparkling in her eyes. "That sounds so cool!"
Anon initially thought Kyo had invited her to the agency simply because Kyo's mother was famous in the entertainment industry. But who would have guessed Kyo herself was actually a secret member of sumimi!
Secret. That was an enticing word if she'd ever heard one. Secrets meant mystery, and mystery granted a unique kind of charm.
As the saying goes: "A secret makes a woman woman."
And Anon, who had casually followed gaming trends, knew that hidden characters were usually far more powerful than ordinary ones.
Did that mean… Kyo-chan was even more impressive than Uika and Mana?
"We've also been looking forward to performing with Kyo!" Mana chirped excitedly. "Right, Uika?"
Uika nodded gracefully. "I've been preparing extensively for Kyo-chan's debut song. Actually, today we mainly wanted you to listen to the current draft of the track. Adjusting it before rehearsals or filming officially begins is a crucial step."
Anon quietly glanced at Uika, clearly wanting to say something but feeling hesitant. Of course, this little gesture didn't escape Uika's notice. "Anon, do you have something to ask?"
Before she knew it, Uika had started calling her directly by name—and surprisingly, Anon felt perfectly at ease.
"Um… In public announcements, it's always said that Uika-san writes and composes all of sumimi's songs. Is that true?"
"It absolutely is!" Mana answered eagerly, cutting in. "Uika is incredible! She always creates songs that perfectly match my singing style. They feel so smooth and natural!"
The sparkles in Anon's eyes multiplied rapidly—Kyo thought to herself that Anon's eyes alone could probably power Tomori's astronomy club reports for a full year.
The group had already settled into a harmonious atmosphere. Although Anon still felt a little reserved around her idols, both she and Uika were natural conversationalists.
Mana, meanwhile, was simply a lovable girl who nobody could dislike, and Kyo could smoothly adapt herself to any social situation.
What surprised Kyo most was that despite the range from excessive maturity to youthful innocence, they were all actually the same age.
Now that everyone was comfortable, it was time to move onto the real matter.
"But before listening to Uika's new song, isn't there something else important?" Kyo gently reminded.
The other three were momentarily puzzled, but Anon caught on quickly. "Are you talking about the new outfit you mentioned before, Kyo-chan?"
Her words immediately reminded Mana and Uika, prompting Mana to let out a sudden squeal of excitement.
Mana quickly grabbed Kyo's arm, impatiently dragging her towards the door. "Kyo-chan, come with me! The manager already put your stage costume in the changing room!"
Kyo didn't even have time to respond before being whisked away by Mana, leaving the lounge suddenly empty except for Uika and Anon.
Anon, who had finally relaxed, now grew nervous again after her most familiar friend vanished, leaving her alone with Uika.
Uika laughed softly, her polished, idol-trained smile instantly putting Anon's heart at ease. "Since Mana took Kyo-chan to change, let's sit and wait here for a bit."
"Okay!" Anon nodded eagerly.
She had always imagined Uika as a cool and somewhat aloof figure from the screen, never realizing how approachable she was in person.
Under Uika's guidance, they took seats on the sofa. As the host, Uika took initiative to start the conversation.
"Anon, do you and Kyo attend the same school?"
"Yeah, we both go to Haneoka. Actually, Kyo-chan is in the class right next to mine."
"Haneoka… I've heard it's very focused on academics with intense pressure. You must be quite capable yourself, Anon."
Anon replied easily, completely unaware of how skillfully Uika had guided the conversation. Even Uika felt slightly guilty at how effortlessly she had coaxed out information.
Uika hadn't forgotten that last time she'd intended to approach Kyo directly to gain insight into Sakiko's current situation. But during their previous interaction, Uika had felt as if she were being watched—not simply observed during casual conversation, but as if every movement, every word was scrutinized from behind a cold, impassive machine.
Rather than observation, it had felt more like surveillance.
The feeling was inexplicable, yet Uika trusted her intuition. She worried that Kyo might have already noticed her hidden intentions. But today offered another chance.
This time, she'd take a more indirect, roundabout route, using Kyo as a stepping stone, through Anon's casual comments, to uncover clues about Sakiko.
If it meant seeing Sakiko again, Uika didn't mind a little trouble.