Chapter 227: Chaos, Part 2
Last weekend, Misuzu had actually sat down for an interview.
It wasn’t sothing arranged by her agency or part of so official press tour.
No, this one was a bit different.
She had been casually approached by a well-known Utuber.
One of those popular online personalities who road the streets with a cara and a mic, grabbing quick interviews with rising stars or influencers they happened to spot in public. There was no lighting rigs nor makeup artists. Just a street mic, an HD cara, and authenticity.
And this ti, that spotlight had landed right on Misuzu.
The topic was her and the film she was going to appear in.
Though her role in the movie was a minor one—barely a few minutes of screen ti—it still mattered.
Because this wasn’t just another photoshoot or a comrcial.
This was film. Cinema.
And for soone like her, already one of the most talked-about up-and-coming models of her generation, this small step was a massive leap in another direction.
She stood there, beautiful as ever even under the harsh natural light, her composure as polished as her glossy bangs. Her expression was bright, lips curved into a practiced, effortless smile, but beneath that, you could almost see the excitent in her eyes.
The kind of gleam that cos from doing sothing you’ve longed for.
“How did this opportunity co about?”
The mic hovered in front of her, and for a second, she tilted her head slightly, thinking.
“Well, it’s been a long-ti dream for ,” she said. “I’ve been trying to get into acting, but I didn’t have the ti before. Life kept getting in the way, y’know? So I’m really happy to finally get the chance.”
She chuckled softly at the end, her fingers brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. You could tell she wasn’t just giving a rehearsed line. It ant sothing to her.
“Sounds like the film’s going to be a blast with you in it. I heard you’ve only got a small role, though. Do you think that’s enough to launch you into bigger opportunities?”
The question was blunt, but she didn’t flinch.
“I don’t think having a small role automatically ans you’ll be overlooked,” she said confidently, her posture straightening. “Sotis it’s about the process, like taking one step at a ti to reach the top. And it doesn’t really an much if you don’t put in the work. You need to audition, push yourself, and stay hungry for it. If you just sit back and wait for things to co to you, or rely on luck or fate or whatever, you’ll just end up rotting away.”
Her tone hardened slightly as she said that. Her gaze didn’t waver.
“What I’m trying to say is… If I want more roles, I’ve gotta earn them. And that’s what I plan to do.”
That answer left a bit of a beat in the air.
“Got it! Thank you. So, lastly, there are a lot of fans who want to know more about you, Yuki-san. Could you share a bit about yourself? You know, a little self-promotion?”
She blinked at the phrase. “Self-promotion?” she repeated with a light laugh.
“Yeah, anything’s fine. Your hobbies, stuff you enjoy, what drives you to keep going—just sothing for the fans to connect with.”
Misuzu turned her eyes upward, tapping a finger against her chin in thought. Her long lashes fluttered as she humd.
“Hmm~ I don’t really know. I guess I like trying a bunch of different things. I’m in a lot of school activities, but just little bits here and there. I’ve also tried gaming a bit. Reading books is sothing I enjoy when I have ti, and I’ve started doing so vlogs too.”
She paused and her lips curled upward.
“Ah! And social dia. I really love posting on social dia. It’s fun.”
There was a glow in her voice when she said that, like soone who genuinely enjoyed sharing glimpses of her life.
Then, out of nowhere, she turned toward the cara and smiled. But this smile was different.
It was gentler and more intimate.
“As for what motivates to work hard…” Her voice softened.
There was a shift in her expression. It was a quiet, almost bashful sincerity. Her cheeks were tinged with a slight blush, but she didn’t look away.
“It’s because I know soone is working just as hard, for our sake. This person helps in so many ways… even helping get into character. Things like that. Soone I like a lot.”
She took a breath and said it, plain and proud.
“I’d say this person is the one I love the most in the entire world.”
The interviewer paused. Even the mic seed to freeze.
She didn’t say any nas, so the entire country wouldn’t know who she was talking about. But everyone in this classroom—no, probably the entire school—knew exactly who she ant.
It was Kouhei.
In the back of the room, he sat up straighter, his fingers tightening slightly around the edge of his desk. Heat rose up his neck. He could feel the dozens of glances slowly turning toward him. His ears burned. His shoulders stiffened. He tried to keep a straight face, but internally, he was spiraling.
“Oh? That’s interesting. Is this person your boyfriend by any chance, Yuki-san?”
Misuzu giggled.
“Hmm… Calling him my boyfriend feels like a bit of a stretch,” she said, brushing off the question with a shrug. “I don’t really know how to label our relationship, honestly. But what I do know is that this person is my cute kouhai.”
She bead. There was no hesitation. Just that sa proud, serene smile.
She hadn’t said “boyfriend,” thank god. But… that was still a bombshell.
A huge one.
Especially considering the entertainnt industry’s unspoken rules. Rising stars like her weren’t supposed to have public relationships. Fans liked the fantasy. Managent liked the clean image. Anything that hinted at romance—at attachnt—could tarnish a career before it even started.
So what would happen to her now, after that little confession?
And yet—strangely—none of that seed to matter.
If anything, her words only made people admire her more.
Because it wasn’t just what she said—it was how she said it.
That quiet resolve.
That gentle confidence.
That unshakable conviction.
In a world full of masks and scripted charm, Misuzu had shown sothing real.
And people couldn’t help but fall in love with her a little more because of it.
“Fufufu… Now then, Kouhei-kun, you know now how much I love you too, right? So…”
She leaned in, closing the distance between them with a gentle but assertive step. Then, right there in front of everyone, she kissed him.
“Love lots too, ‘kay?”
And in that mont, the world seed to freeze. Like ti itself had held its breath.
***
Finally, the school day had co to an end.
Kouhei was exhausted.
Honestly, it was probably the most drained he had ever felt.
He hadn’t even done swordsmanship practice with Aria today, and yet his body felt heavy, like he had just run a marathon in his mind.
“Look, it’s the Harem Guy…”
“Harem Guy…”
“He really got all those cute girls to fall for him. What’s even up with that?”
“Right?”
“I feel like I’ve been missing my chance to get close to him too. I like him as well, but how could I even compete with girls like them?”
“Yeah… They’re on a whole different level.”
“Okumura-senpai’s such a smooth talker to pull that off.”
“Which is why they’re calling him the Harem Guy now. Makes sense.”
Kouhei could only let out a long, deep sigh.
The three girls responsible for earlier’s chaos had gone off to the Student Council Office.
Apparently, it had sothing to do with the Faction War between Yuuna and Souichiro.
So now, Kouhei was waiting for them.
While everything around him was moving at a dizzying pace, he suddenly felt a strange sensation—like sothing drilling into his back.
“Hm?”
It felt like… soone was watching him.
And they were.
Soone, just out of his line of sight, had recently caught wind of the day’s unfolding drama.
She wore a calm, serene smile—but that smile didn’t reach her eyes.
No… It was a dangerous smile.
She was looking directly at Kouhei with that unreadable expression.
She hadn’t heard the morning rumors about Yuuna.
She hadn’t seen Hina kiss him earlier either. She’d been running late to school.
She also missed the scene at lunch where Nagisa had stord into his classroom, kissed him in front of everyone, and boldly confessed her love.
Nor had she seen the interview clip where Misuzu declared his love to a very large audience, and kissed him too.
She only heard about everything now.
“…Okumura-kun?”
Kouhei turned at the sound of his na.
It was Ichinose Hiyori.
She was approaching him.
“Not going ho yet?” she asked, tilting her head ever so slightly.
Her voice was sweet, polite even.
But there was sothing in her eyes that made his heart skip a beat—and not in a good way.
That smile on her face…
It looked warm at first glance… but there was no warmth in it at all.
Only an unsettling stillness that sent a cold shiver crawling down Kouhei’s spine.
Reviews
All reviews (0)