Chapter 87: The Broken Shoe ①

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Translator: Soafp

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“Alright then, we're heading out!”

Nodoka and Yuzuki left together for Yuzuki's makeover.

I tried to go along too, but Nodoka stopped me, saying, “Then it wouldn't be a surprise.”

So in the end, only Airi and I remained in the apartment.

…As usual, Anna-chan was downstairs with my mother.

“Well then, Ren-kun.”

Airi wrapped her arms tightly around me and deliberately pressed her chest against my face.

“Before Nodoka-san and the others come back, let me give you my first—”

“No, we definitely can't do that here.”

Anna-chan and my mom were downstairs, after all.

“Then shall we go out too? Destination: a love hotel.”

“…I don't mind, but are you really okay with overtaking Nodoka?”

“Ara, Ren-kun's already managing his harem now. That's a good sign.”

There were countless things I could've responded to, yet somehow I couldn't come up with a single proper comeback…

If I simply acted on my desires, this delicate relationship would collapse instantly.

That was exactly why I'd been trying to stay careful about everything.

Though admittedly, it still bothered me how everything seemed to be unfolding exactly according to Airi's plans.

Even so, I was honestly satisfied with the relationship the three of us had built together.

“So then, Ren-kun, what should we do now?”

“Hmm… Wanna play a game or something?”

“I bought a new game recently. Want to play it together?”

“…It's not an eroge, is it?”

Airi's shoulders jerked as if I'd hit the mark perfectly.

“Ren-kun, can you read minds too?”

“I don't need mind reading to figure out something that obvious.”

“It's not obvious to just anyone. I only talk about dirty stuff when it's with you, Ren-kun. I'm only sl*tty for you.”

…Was I supposed to be happy about that?

Before I even had time to think about it, Airi kissed me.

Not just my lips, but all over my face.

And then—

Piroron—

A short notification sound rang out from Airi's phone lying on the bed.

But Airi didn't even glance at it, nor did she try to pick it up.

“Airi, at least check what it is first.”

“If it was truly important, they'd call instead.”

“…Even so, check it. That's an order.”

“Geez, our master only ever uses his authority at times like this.”

Airi picked up her phone and looked at the screen.

“It's a message from Miyoko-san's manager.”

“From her manager?”

“Yeah. Let's see…”

She tapped the screen a few times.

But the next moment, Airi's expression suddenly turned serious.

“Looks like Miyoko-san's gotten herself into a pretty bad situation.”

“Huh? A bad situation?”

“There's a live performance today, but during rehearsal, the heel on her shoe snapped and she fell pretty hard. She sprained her ankle because of it…”

“…!”

The center of the “Jirai-chan Syndrome” was none other than Kokoa-san herself.

And now that same girl was at risk of missing the concert because of a sprained ankle.

On top of that, the broken shoe itself was apparently also a problem.

Clothing could still be patched up in an emergency, but shoes were harder to deal with.

And it apparently wasn't easy to find replacements immediately either.

“Did the manager ask us to do something?”

“No, nothing like that was written. They only sent the current situation, almost like a desperate message.”

The scene there was probably complete chaos by now.

Unable to do anything else, they must've contacted us out of desperation.

“For now, let's head over there ourselves.”

“Before we go, should we pick out a few pairs of shoes to bring with us? Maybe similar designs, but with slightly lower heels or something easier to walk in.”

“Yeah, that sounds good. Ask the manager to send over Kokoa-san's shoe size and a photo of the shoes.”

“Got it.”

As we hurried to prepare, I couldn't help thinking—

…Kokoa-san really did attract one disaster after another.

---

We arrived at a small live house in Tokyo.

Still dressed in her stage outfit, Kokoa-san sat in a chair, pressing an ice pack wrapped in a towel against her ankle while enduring the pain.

“Huh? Ren-sama? Why are you here?”

“We heard you got hurt. Are you okay?”

“So, you came because you were worried about me? That makes me happy! Though I wish I could say it's not serious enough to worry about…”

Kokoa-san stood from her chair and tried to take a step forward.

But the moment she put weight on her foot, her balance collapsed.

“Owow… I ended up in such a pathetic state. Ahaha…”

Unable to fully hide her dejection, Kokoa-san forced an awkward laugh.

I searched for words to comfort her, but ultimately swallowed them back down.

Half-hearted consolation wouldn't help anyone.

I moved closer to the manager and quietly asked:

“How important is this concert?”

“Very important. This isn't a battle event or a free live—it's a paid solo concert…”

“And… how big is Kokoa-san's draw when it comes to attendance?”

“Miyoko alone accounts for at least fifty percent of ticket sales. Sometimes nearly sixty.”

In other words, more than half the audience had come specifically for Kokoa-san.

Even if her injury was the reason, there was no way fans wouldn't be upset if she suddenly had to miss the show.

At the very least, it would definitely ruin the atmosphere of the concert.

“So this is the shoe Miyoko-san was wearing?”

At that moment, Airi picked up one of the pumps lying in the corner of the dressing room.

The heel had snapped clean off at the base, barely hanging on by a strip of leather.

“Huh… Even platform heels can break like this.”

Honestly, when I first heard about it, I'd imagined thin stiletto heels.

But despite the height, these heels were actually fairly thick.

Thinking about it, delicate pin heels weren't really common with jirai-kei fashion.

Kokoa-san awkwardly laughed as she answered:

“Right? Kokoa totally let her guard down! I thought platforms would be safe. And they were brand new too.”

“They were brand new, and yet they broke at the worst possible moment during rehearsal.”

“Yep. It seriously shocked me!”

Kokoa-san slowly explained what had happened.

Apparently, right at the climax of the dance, the heel on her right shoe snapped off at the base the moment she stepped down with force.

Since she hadn't expected it at all, she twisted her ankle badly from the momentum and collapsed on the spot.

I turned back toward the manager.

“By any chance, are shoes provided by the agency too?”

“Ah, no… We either provide the costumes directly or cover the costs, but things like shoes and accessories are left to each individual member.”

“I see.”

Come to think of it, even during the fan events, they handled their own hair and makeup.

Which meant—

“Kokoa-san, did you pick out these shoes yourself?”

“Nope! Aya-chan prepared them for me!”

“Aya-chan?”

“Ah, this girl right here!”

Kokoa-san placed a hand on the shoulder of the girl beside her who had been fiddling with her phone.

It was the black-haired bob-cut girl I'd seen at the fan event before.

“She's our precious cool-type member, Ayano-chan!”

…Cool-type?

Wasn't she the one who immediately got jealous of Kokoa-san last time?

At that instant, an unsettling possibility crossed my mind.

Apparently Airi had thought the same thing, because she spoke first.

“Oh really? So, the brand-new shoes Ayano-san prepared broke, and Miyoko-san got injured because of it. That's what happened.”

At those words, the black-haired bob-cut girl—Ayano-san—furrowed her brows.

“What's your problem? You suddenly show up and start throwing accusations around?”

“When exactly did I accuse you of anything? I only stated the facts.”

“Don't play dumb. Anyone listening could tell you were implying something.”

“So then, Ayano-san, are you saying you're a victim too?”

“Obviously. I picked shoes from a brand I normally wear. How was I supposed to know I'd end up with defective products? I'm worried too, you know.”

Even if it wasn't technically her fault, the fact that concern for herself came before concern for Kokoa-san said enough.

The hostility Ayano-san directed toward Kokoa-san was obvious to anyone watching.

And yet Kokoa-san herself desperately tried to defend her instead of suspecting her at all.

That alone was painful to watch.

Airi held the broken shoe out toward me.

“Boss, look here. Doesn't this part seem strangely smooth?”

“Yeah. And the break starts exactly from this unnaturally smooth section. Doesn't that seem odd?”

“Right? I wonder why it snapped from here. It almost looks like someone intentionally cracked it beforehand.”

I turned my gaze toward Ayano-san and quietly asked:

“Ayano-san… are you absolutely sure nothing comes to mind?”

The moment I said that, Ayano-san's shoulders visibly trembled.