On the way to the station, the three walked in silence.
As they passed by a convenience store—
"Yumiko, wait for me here. I'm going to grab some snacks," Ebina Hina said.
Before Miura Yumiko could respond, Ebina Hina had already stepped into the store, leaving Miura alone with Su Yu.
Miura Yumiko opened her mouth slightly but hesitated.
Since that incident, she had never been alone with Su Yu again.
Yet, for some reason, the further she stayed away from him, the stronger her feelings grew.
"Yumiko," Su Yu called her name.
"…Yeah?" Miura Yumiko lifted her head.
The way he said her name made her heart skip a beat.
"I've already confirmed my relationship with Yui and Yukino," Su Yu said calmly.
"…They accepted each other?" Miura Yumiko's eyes widened in disbelief.
Su Yu nodded. He had no intention of hiding it from her.
Miura Yumiko stared at him. She wanted to say she could accept it too—but the words wouldn't come out.
The moment she remembered Yuigahama Yui's words, her heart filled with guilt.
Su Yu could tell exactly what she was thinking.
"You're very beautiful. Without makeup, you look so natural—I admire that."
"You're a wonderful girl, Yumiko. The way you treat your friends proves that."
"But deep down, you're fragile—even more so than Yui."
Hearing this, Miura Yumiko's eyes instantly filled with tears.
She turned away from him, trembling slightly.
She didn't want to hear any more.
Su Yu sighed softly.
If he continued speaking, Miura Yumiko would only feel more despair.
He glanced over at the convenience store.
Inside, Ebina Hina was watching them with a knowing smile.
She made a small gesture—as if hugging an invisible person.
Su Yu raised an eyebrow.
Does she really think I should hug her?
"Su… Su Yu-kun, I… I'm sorry. Can you… Can you just go ahead without me?" Miura Yumiko said weakly.
"I don't want you to see me like this… I don't want you to see me cry. I want you to remember me at my best…"
Before she could finish, Su Yu pulled her into his arms.
Miura Yumiko froze.
For a few seconds, she had no idea what to do.
Inside the store, Ebina Hina smiled slightly and lowered her gaze to a magazine.
Su Yu remained silent, simply holding the girl who was breaking down in his arms.
A thought surfaced in his mind:
"Is it really okay to make a girl who likes me feel hopeless?"
The answer came immediately.
"Yumiko, I'll give you a chance," Su Yu said gently.
"…A chance?" Miura Yumiko turned around, her eyes shimmering with hope.
"Do you want to become an idol?" Su Yu asked.
"…An idol?" Miura Yumiko was taken aback.
She didn't understand what being an idol had to do with the opportunity Su Yu was offering.
Or rather, the sudden shift in topic threw her off completely.
"The first time I heard you sing, I felt like you could become an idol," Su Yu said.
"You… You're saying you want me to become an idol?" Miura Yumiko's expression darkened slightly.
She had thought… maybe…
"I don't want you to be just a pretty face."
"Yukino is working on my anime. Kawasaki Saki will be my assistant. Ebina might become a scriptwriter. Yui is working hard to improve her cooking.
"If you're willing, I can help you become an idol. That way, you'll hold a special place in my life."
Every word was clear and deliberate.
Miura Yumiko looked toward the convenience store.
"…And what about Hina and Kawasaki?"
"They're different. I gave them jobs, not opportunities."
Hearing that, Miura Yumiko hesitated.
If she became an idol… what kind of place would she have in Su Yu's life?
"I plan to marry Yukino in the future, so…"
"I can take care of myself," Miura Yumiko cut in immediately.
"As long as you secretly marry me too, I'll be happy.
"I'll give you all the money I make as an idol—I'll even help you earn more," she said, staring at him with desperate determination.
Su Yu looked at her.
Her voice, her willingness to sacrifice everything for him, made it hard to reject her.
A girl who was willing to do this much for him…
"…You don't have to go that far. If you become an idol, I'll promise to be with you."
"And if… someday, you don't love me anymore, I'll leave."
Before Su Yu could finish his sentence—
Miura Yumiko kissed him.
Inside the store, Ebina Hina's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
For a brief moment, a complicated expression flashed across her face.
Then, she lowered her gaze again—but this time, she wasn't reading the magazine.
Outside, Su Yu didn't return Miura Yumiko's kiss—but he didn't pull away either.
She kissed him for several minutes.
When she finally pulled back, her face was flushed.
As if suddenly remembering something, she gazed at Su Yu with serious eyes.
"That was my first kiss."
"I could tell. You're not very experienced."
Su Yu casually pointed it out.
"I… I'll get better! If you just give me a chance, I'll definitely improve!" Miura Yumiko said, her face bright red.
"There's no need to 'improve.'" Su Yu sighed.
"You're going to be an idol, which means no dating allowed. You need to focus on your career."
"…Then what about us?"
"I'll buy an idol agency. If you really want to debut, it'll take some time."
"…I'll become a top idol. Just wait and see."
"In that case, we won't have time to go on dates."
"Then I'll keep a low profile. Whenever you're free, we can go on dates."
"No need to keep a low profile. Go all out. Shine as brightly as possible. I want to see you at your best."
Su Yu and Miura Yumiko continued talking for another half hour.
She had made her decision—to become an idol and show Su Yu the best version of herself.
Su Yu was confident that with her singing ability and stage presence, she could reach the top.
Of course, it wasn't time to buy an idol agency just yet—but this was the first step.
Fortunately, there was an immediate opportunity.
The studio producing Su Yu's anime, Flash Animation, needed a singer for the OP and ED themes.
That could be Miura Yumiko's first step into the industry.
But—
"Su Yu-kun, I want to prove myself through my own efforts. I don't want you to feel pressured to help me," Miura Yumiko said confidently.
"I understand. I'll have Yukino arrange it—you can visit Flash Animation on weekends with Ebina."
Su Yu wasn't surprised at all by her determination.
"Ahem."
A voice interrupted them.
Su Yu turned to see Ebina Hina standing nearby, holding a bag full of snacks.
Miura Yumiko's face turned bright red as she hurriedly let go of Su Yu's hand.
"Yumiko, I bought a ton of snacks. Let's have a sleepover at your place tonight. We need to have a long talk," Ebina Hina said with a smile.
"…Okay," Miura Yumiko nodded, her gaze filled with gratitude.
She knew—this opportunity wouldn't have happened without Ebina Hina.
Notes-You can read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X