Chapter 70: The One Who Knows the Name of Malice

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Translator: Soafp

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As I pushed open the door to Starbulks, a pleasant, roasted coffee aroma teased my nose. The store was reasonably busy, as expected for a holiday afternoon. There were customers with their laptops open, working, couples chatting, and students diligently studying. Amidst these casual scenes, I sat alone.

On the table in front of me were a half-drunk café au lait and a bottle of mineral water that had long since gone lukewarm. Only time passed relentlessly.

After parting with Kagura at the hotel and stepping outside, I had run into Aoi in the park by chance. She had told me that she saw me and Kagura entering the hotel…

Aoi stared at me, wide-eyed with surprise, and was speechless. I knew I had to say something immediately, but my throat was so dry that no words came out.

Aoi bit her lip, glanced at me for a brief moment, then turned and walked away without a word. Her steps were quick, and I couldn’t even try to catch up.

That scene kept replaying in my head over and over.

Why didn't I explain things to her right away back then? Even if it would have sounded like an excuse, I should have said something. Regret swirled around endlessly.

Still, right now, what mattered was Kagura and Marin.

Subaru Koda.

The moment his name came up in their conversation, an uncomfortable sweat broke out on my skin. I didn't get all the details from Kagura, but just hearing that name made it clear that this wasn't a simple matter.

After hanging up the phone, Kagura had said, “I'll contact you when I find out more,” and hurriedly left the hotel.

Several hours had passed since then. Now, I was sitting at Starbulks, waiting for Kagura's call.

What had happened to Marika and Kagura? No matter how much I tried to imagine, I couldn’t come to any conclusions. But with Kōda Subaru involved, it was bound to be something awful. That much I was certain of.

I squeezed the plastic bottle tightly, and it crinkled in my hand. What should I do? What can I do? Think…

I stared absentmindedly at the table in front of me, repeatedly trying to sort out the situation in my head.

My phone vibrated softly. The screen displayed Kagura's name.

I hurriedly pressed the call button.

“Hello, Kagura?”

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

Her usual playful tone was gone, replaced by a tense voice that hit my ears.

“How's Marin?”

“…Honestly, it's the worst.”

In those few short words, everything was packed. I held my breath, waiting for Kagura to continue.

“Koda's using a scandal about Marin's senpai actress from her agency to blackmail both Marin and me. He wants us to entertain him if we want to suppress the scoop.”

“Entertain him…?”

Of course, this wasn't a simple case of “entertainment.” The awful ideas and words stuck in my throat. I instinctively gripped my phone tighter.

I had heard about Koda from both Kagura and Marin, but after that, I had also looked him up online. All the rumors about him targeting young, rising stars, especially newcomers, were dark and disturbing.

“Marin's really scared. She almost cried saying she couldn't do it.”

“What about you, Kagura? Are you okay?”

“…Of course, I'm not okay. But if I don't act like I'm fine, Marin will fall apart even more.”

I could hear Kagura's voice trembling. The effort she was putting into staying composed was painfully clear.

“Anyway, let's meet the three of us in person. We need to figure out what we can do. I'll send you my location.”

“…Okay. I'll come with Marin. Thanks, Hajime.”

After the call ended, I sent my location to Kagura, then placed my phone on the table and let out a deep breath.

Aoi, Marin, Kagura—all of it was tangled up together, and I couldn't figure out where to even begin thinking.

“To blackmail someone with a scoop and force them into bed… That's just awful.”

“Yeah, it's beyond cowardly…”

Suddenly, a voice came from behind me, making me almost jump out of my chair.

I quickly turned around, and there stood the illustrator Ranko, holding a café latte and happily sucking on a straw.

“W-What are you doing here…?”

“I come here a lot, you know. It's a good place to clear my mind when I'm thinking about my illustrations.”

Now that she mentioned it, this was where Ran and I first met. I think we sat next to each other by chance that time too…

Ranko smiled and pointed to the seat next to me.

“Mind if I sit here?”

“Uh, sure…”

After what happened during our livestream collaboration, I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous…

I awkwardly nodded, and Ran gracefully sat down next to me, still holding the straw in her mouth, looking up at me.

“I overheard your call earlier~.”

“Eh…?”

“You were looking so serious, I got curious about what you were talking about, so I… Sorry!”

I couldn't help but bury my head in my hands.

“All of it… was a lie…”

“But it's okay. I'm good with keeping secrets.”

Ranko winked at me with one eye, still sucking on her straw.

It was way too much for my heart. I never expected this girl to overhear everything…

“By the way…”

Ranko twirled the straw around as her expression slightly tightened.

“I actually know that Koda guy.”

“Eh…?”

“If you want, maybe I can help you out?”

As I stared at the mischievous grin on Ranko’s face, I couldn't even begin to process what she meant, and just froze.