Standing before me was undoubtedly Shirasaki-san. She was undeniably a popular member of a nationally famous idol group and my classmate. I never imagined she would be getting bothered by a man in a place like this.

“Shirasaki-san… why are you in a place like this?”

“I just finished work, so I decided to take a little walk~. And also, I wanted to ride that!”

She pointed to the swing set in the park.

“Actually, I often come here after work. Riding the swing helps me clear my head.”

With that, Shirasaki-san sat down on the swing. Hearing her words, I realized just how busy her days must be. Despite her packed schedule as an idol, this park swing was a place where she could spend some alone time. Shirasaki-san lightly kicked off the ground and started swinging.

“Doesn’t riding a swing remind you of your childhood? Back then, we didn’t think about anything and just had fun.”

Shirasaki-san was swinging high, frolicking innocently like a child. At that moment, her skirt fluttered upwards, and I quickly averted my gaze.

++I-I’ll pretend I didn’t see that….++

While panicking inwardly, I tried not to let her notice.

“Amagi-kun! It might be dangerous to stand there!”

“Eh?”

The moment I reacted, Shirasaki-san jumped gracefully without stopping the swing’s momentum.  For a brief moment, her body floated in mid-air, as if freed from gravity. In the twilight-shrouded park, she looked like a natural-born idol, captivating my heart. As she landed on the ground, she regained her balance gracefully and turned to me with a smile.

“How was it? That jump just now.”

At that moment, I was speechless. Shirasaki-san was so beautiful, just like an idol shining on stage.

“That was amazing, Shirasaki-san. As expected of a genius idol.”

The words came out naturally as I praised Shirasaki-san.

“I-Is that so…? …That’s a little embarrassing.”

Shirasaki-san averted her gaze for a moment, fiddling with her hair bashfully. It was a little funny how she couldn’t handle being praised despite asking for it.

“Ah, my manager.”

Shirasaki-san suddenly muttered as if she noticed something. I saw a woman walking towards us from outside the park. She was tall and slender, with well-defined features and graceful movements that were particularly eye-catching. Her long black hair swayed in the wind, and her refined atmosphere perfectly matched the term “older sister type.”

“I was looking for you because you suddenly disappeared. You were relaxing here after work, I see. And he’s here too. Is this a coincidence?”

For certain reasons, Shirasaki-san’s manager knew me.

“W-well, it’s a coincidence…”

“Manager-san, I’m hungry, so can you take me to dinner? Amagi-kun is coming too.”

Shirasaki-san suddenly said that. And, for some reason, I was included as well.

“Alright. I have the car, so let’s go.”

The manager readily agreed, so I went along with the flow.

!next

We left the park and headed to a nearby restaurant. It was a stylish Italian restaurant facing a quiet street, exuding a calm atmosphere even from its exterior. Candles were lit on the tables, and calming music played softly. After taking our seats at a window table and ordering, Italian dishes were soon served.

“Mmm~ delicious~!!”

Shirasaki-san took a slice of Margherita pizza, savoring the sight of the hot cheese stretching as she took a bite and expressed her thoughts.

“Shirasaki-san, you eat so deliciously.”

“You always make food look so tasty when you eat, Shirasaki-san.”

“So, what you just said was—”

“My true feelings. I don’t have to pretend in private.”

Fair enough. But still, it felt strange to be sitting here having a meal with Shirasaki-san.

“By the way, Amagi-kun, what were you doing in the park until this hour?”

She suddenly asked me a question, and of course, it made sense. It was unusual for someone to be alone in a park at that time of day. I thought about making up an excuse, but since there was no need to hide it and I couldn’t think of a lie, I decided to be honest.

“Actually, I saw my girlfriend cheating on me and going to a love hotel with a senpai, so I was feeling down.”

Upon hearing that, Shirasaki-san’s eyes widened in apparent surprise.

“Wait, Amagi-kun, your girlfriend… cheated on you? I see… so things aren’t going well between you two…”

++Is it just my imagination, or is there something odd about Shirasaki-san’s reaction? Can she be happy that things aren’t going well between me and my girlfriend? No, there’s no benefit for her if I’m cheated on, so that’s impossible.++

“You’ve had a rough time, Amagi-kun. Let your big sister comfort you.”

The manager, who was sitting next to me, patted my head.

“Th-thank you.”

When I thanked her honestly, Shirasaki-san stared at me intently. ++What’s with this pressure…?++

“Going back to the topic, Amagi-kun, what are you going to do about your girlfriend from now on? From what I heard, it seems like the relationship is beyond repair, and I think it would be better to break up.”

“Y-yes…”

“I can’t forgive cheating. If you can’t bring yourself to confront her, I’ll help you get revenge.”

“W-why would you go that far…?”

“I owe you one for saving me earlier from that guy. Besides, you don’t deserve to be sad, Amagi-kun. It’s your girlfriend who’s in the wrong, not you.”

“Is that so? But maybe I was also partly to blame…”

“That’s not true.  You’re a wonderful boy, Amagi-kun.  I can’t forgive your girlfriend for betraying you…”

For some reason, Shirasaki-san seemed more upset than I was. I was happy that she affirmed me, even if it was just flattery.

“…Thank you, Shirasaki-san. I don’t know what I’ll do in the future, but I’ll think about it.”

After much deliberation, I ultimately decided to break up with Chiharu, as Shirasaki-san suggested. Perhaps I should move forward instead of dwelling on Chiharu forever.

Talking to Shirasaki-san made me genuinely feel that way.

!next

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