I Will Do Everything In My Power To Bring Happiness To The Enchanting Beauty Who Can No Longer Smile. - Chapter 45: The Rumored Childhood Friend.

The Rumored Childhood Friend.

The Next Day — A National Holiday, and Our Second Trip to Tokyo

Since it was a public holiday, the city was once again overflowing with people. Even though it wasn’t part of a long weekend, the crowd was intense.

I wonder if I’ll be able to watch Tsubame’s shoot today, I thought as we made our way to the studio—when a notification sounded from her smartphone.

“Mom,” she said.

“Is it a message from Usui-san?” I asked.

Tsubame nodded and, glancing at her screen, explained the situation.

“They suddenly needed to rent another studio, so the shoot’s going to start an hour later than planned. We might also be using a different location entirely.”

“Oh, does that mean today’s schedule is going to change a lot?”

“Probably. It sounds like there was some internal issue at the agency that made them rent the studio last-minute. Even the director might be pulled into it. Apparently, the afternoon shoot might end up being handled by our usual director.”

As I quietly listened, Tsubame turned her gaze toward me.

“Sorry, Shigure-kun. You might not be able to watch the shoot today either.”

“It’s alright. Is it the same director from last time?”

“Yeah. He’s pretty difficult to work with… though maybe, if it’s you now, he’d be okay with it? If he thinks it’ll lead to a better end product, he might give the green light?”

“No need to push for it. There’ll be plenty of chances.”

I was curious about the shoot, of course, but I didn’t want to get in the way of Tsubame’s work. There was only one thing that truly mattered to me.

“What about you, Tsubame? What would you prefer?”

“…I’m torn.”

“Torn?”

“I want you to see me giving it my all… but I also want you to hug me and say ‘you did great’ afterward. I can’t choose between the two.”

“I-Is that so?”

“Yeah. So either way is good.”

Tsubame looked genuinely conflicted, her brows drawn together in thought. Her mother let out a quiet chuckle.

“In that case, why not let today be about the hug afterward, and next time, you can show him how hard you’re working?”

“…That makes sense. I’ll show you lots of that from now on. Shigure-kun, is that okay?”

“Yeah, of course.”

I just wanted her to do what made her happy. When I said that, Tsubame gave a small, firm nod. Through the mirror, her mother watched us and smiled gently.

“If you two have some free time, what would you like to do? Shall we go to the usual place?”

“…Yeah, that might be best. We’ve got quite a bit of time.”

“Alright. While you two relax, I’ll head out for a bit of shopping.”

The usual place? I tilted my head in curiosity, and Tsubame gently took my hand.

“It’s a private café. A go-to spot for people in the entertainment industry—pretty well-known among those circles.”

“I see. But… can we just walk in and get a seat?”

“I got an email about it along with the other message. The agency reserves a few spots just in case we get sudden breaks in our schedule. It’s something they arranged with the café even before I joined.”

“Huh. That actually makes a lot of sense.”

Considering how things can suddenly shift, it wasn’t surprising that time could open up between shoots.

And so, we decided to head over to the café.

***

Soft jazz flowed through the stylish, high-end café. A long table with a plush sofa, seating maybe four people in total, gave the room a cozy yet refined feel.

It was unlike any café I’d been to before—classy and quietly elegant.

“…This place is amazing.”

“I was shocked too the first time I came. Private rooms cost extra, but since our agency has a contract, it’s all covered for us.”

“Wait, so I can use it too? …Well, I guess it’s a bit late to worry about that.”

“Yep. My manager said it’s fine.”

We’ve even stayed in a hotel together at this point, I thought. If Usui-san approved it too, there wasn’t an issue.

“Let’s check out the menu. There’s a ton of stuff—so many coffee blends I’ve never even heard of. I’m getting melon soda. The one with the ice cream on top.”

“Sounds good. I’m looking forward to it—huh?”

Just as we settled into the sofa and began browsing the menu, a commotion stirred outside.

Though it was called a private room, it wasn’t completely sealed off—just separated by a curtain. Conversations could easily carry through, though so far it had been quiet.

Still, the sounds from outside were noticeably loud—louder than the ambient music could cover.

“What’s going on out there?”

“Maybe a celebrity showed up? I mean, it is a public holiday, even though that doesn’t happen often with this kind of clientele…”

“Yeah, sounds like it… huh?”

As we talked, the sound of footsteps approached.

“Tsubame.”

“Yes?”

I called her name out of precaution, and she immediately leaned against me. If something happened, at least I could shield her. Not that we even knew if the person was coming for us—or had ill intentions.

Then, part of my unease turned out to be right.

“Here it is.”

“…Huh?”

Without hesitation, someone flung the curtain aside. A girl with a half-up hairstyle stood there. She looked familiar somehow.

“…Rea?”

“Long time no see, Nation’s Enchanting Beauty—Sakakibara Tsubame.”

Rea—if I remembered correctly, she was the leader of the junior high girls’ band Berry at Dawn, a group that had recently become quite popular. A third-year in junior high. It was impressive she’d already debuted at that age.

But why is she here? The question was answered almost immediately.

“We’ll be working together on an upcoming shoot, so I thought I’d stop by and say hello. The whole café’s been buzzing about you two.”

“…Right, the music video. I’m only in it for a few seconds, though.”

Ah, so Tsubame’s doing that kind of work too now. Still, barging into someone’s private room like this seemed pretty rude… and then her gaze shifted to me.

“And who are you?”

“Eh?”

“You’re the childhood friend of the Nation’s Enchanting Beauty, aren’t you? Which agency are you with? You’ve got a decent face—are you a fellow model?”

“Wait, what?”

I couldn’t quite process what she was saying, and before I could respond, she leaned in even closer.

“Still, in this industry, good looks are a dime a dozen… Are you from a good family? Maybe your parents are government officials or something?”

“Uh, no, just a regular family, really…”

This was getting intense. Every word she spoke felt dangerously close to crossing a line.

While I forced a stiff, awkward smile, Rea seemed to be mulling something over—and at that moment, I felt a sudden shift in the atmosphere behind me. A gaze—not directed at me, but at her.

“…Now that I think about it, wasn’t the Enchanting Beauty the kind of person who’d even turn down an offer from royalty? In that case—”

“Hey.”

Rea flinched visibly.

The air in the room changed completely.

A suffocating pressure filled the space—thick and heavy like lead. Even though it wasn’t aimed at me, my mouth went dry and sweat began to form on my palms.

The girl at the receiving end was turning pale, letting out a choked gasp, trying and failing to swallow, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

“I thought you came to greet me?”

When I turned around—Tsubame’s face had gone cold, drained of color.

Not quite expressionless—but unmistakably angry.

So even emotions like this show on her face now, huh?

Strangely, in that intense moment, that was the only thought that crossed my mind.