As the Roselia members head toward their reserved room, I take out my phone and begin searching their names online.
"Ohh, so they're that famous, huh..." I mutter to myself, finally realizing the significance of the group that has just entered CiRCLE Livehouse. "I guess I really am out of the loop." (realizing my lack of knowledge about popular bands).
A yawn escapes me as I glance up at the time. Isn't this supposed to be my lunch break? I let out a sigh, spinning the pen in my hands absentmindedly. "Marina-san... Where did you disappear to?"
My stomach growls loudly, reminding me that my hunger has taken over. I rest my face on the desk, a mixture of frustration and longing evident in my posture.
Just then, a voice, gentle and timid, interrupts my thoughts. "Hey~ Are you awake~"
I slowly raise my head to find the source of the voice – a girl with short, cropped ivory blonde hair and big, sleepy-looking blue-grey eyes.
"I'm awake... Ermm, good afternoon," I manage to reply, a bit surprised by the unexpected interaction.
I find myself caught off-guard.
My eyes widen, and I quickly straighten myself. "Ohh! Uhhmm! Good afternoon!" I stammer, trying to regain my composure.
"Are you new here?" The girl with sharp black hair and keen eyes questions.
"N-No... I mean yes!" I stutter, my cheeks turning slightly pink at my own confusion.
Embarrassment floods me as I feel like I've made a fool of myself.
She raises an eyebrow and sighs softly. "We'd like to use the studio."
"Oh, for practice... Right, hold on..." I hurriedly grab the booking book and flip through it. "Room 2."
"I see, thank you..." With that, the two of them start to make their way toward the studio. The girl with sharp eyes glances back at me before they walk away.
"My name is Mitake Ran, Afterglow's Vocalist. And you?"
"Oh, my name is Nakasone Kyo," I reply, a bit flustered by the situation.
She nods in acknowledgment. "Good to meet you, Nakasone-san."
"Likewise, Mitake-san."
With a final nod, she turns and leads her group to the studio, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Marina-san... I'm begging you to come back quickly...
The sound of the door opening catches my attention, and I look up with relief.
"I'm sorry I'm late!" Marina exclaims, her breath slightly labored as she appears sweaty.
"Marina-san! What were you doing!?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I was actually in a meeting!" She claps her hands together apologetically. "I truly am sorry!"
"W-Whatever... More importantly, can you take over the reception for now? I really need to grab something to eat."
Marina glances at the clock. "Oh, right! It's your break time."
"Y-Yeah..."
"I understand. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. You can go now."
With a sigh, I offer a quick bow and step away from the reception desk, finally allowing myself a break. Exiting the live house, I make my way to the cafeteria and place an order for Meat Sauce Pasta. I wait for a short while until it's ready.
"Thank you for your purchase!" the cafeteria staff says.
I nod appreciatively, a hint of a smile on my lips, and head to a table. Settling in, I eagerly dig into my meal.
"Mmm, that's really good!" I mutter to myself, savoring the flavors that momentarily distract me.
As I'm savoring the delicious pasta, my attention is drawn to two girls. One of them has medium-length, pale pink hair tied into low pigtails, while the other has soft brown hair cascading down. I quickly avert my gaze, feeling a bit self-conscious about being caught staring.
However, it seems that the girl with the pink hair notices my glance and offers me a warm smile.
My immediate reaction is to look away and focus on my food, trying to hide my flustered state.
But then, as I continue eating, the pink-haired girl approaches my table. "That looks good, huh," she remarks casually.
I slowly turn my head to face her. "Oh, y-yeah..." I manage to reply, feeling a mix of nerves and surprise as I take another bite.
"This is my first time seeing your face. What's your name?" she asks with genuine curiosity.
"Nakasone Kyo... I work at CiRCLE as a part-timer."
"Nakasone-kun, I see~ My name is Uehara Himari!" She introduces herself with a cheerful smile. She then gestures to the girl beside her. "And this is Hazawa Tsugumi."
"H-Hello," Tsugumi stammers, her gaze downcast.
"Ermm... Hello," I reply, trying my best to keep the conversation going.
"Hello, Hazawa-san..."
A brief silence follows, leaving me slightly puzzled. Why did they approach me out of the blue? Is there a reason behind it?
"Well, then we gotta go for our practice now~ See ya~" Himari announces, breaking the silence as they turn to leave the cafeteria.
"Huh? Practice? Are they also a band?" I wonder aloud, my thoughts racing.
As I reflect for a moment, it dawns on me – the encounter with Mitake-san earlier.
Could those two girls also be part of a band?
"Oh well... I guess it's not my problem..."
I decide to finish my pasta, and a few minutes later, I return the plate to the cafeteria staff. As I'm heading back to the livehouse, my phone suddenly beeps, indicating a new message or a call.
I retrieve my phone from my pocket and check it:
A message from my Onee-san (sister).
Curious, I open the message and read its contents while continuing my walk back to the livehouse. However, engrossed in reading, I accidentally bump into someone.
I quickly look up to see a woman with slanted turquoise eyes and long, sleek maroon hair, dressed in a mature attire. A sense of embarrassment washes over me.
"I'm sorry," I bow apologetically.
"Hm? Oh, it's fine. Are you also part of a band here? I haven't seen your face around," she asks with a hint of curiosity.
"Oh, no. I'm actually a part-time worker here."
"A part-timer, huh... Well then, let me introduce myself," she says with a smile. "My name is Udagawa Tomoe, Afterglow's Drummer. Nice to meet ya~"
"Y-Yeah... Likewise. My name is Nakasone Kyo."
"Cool name. Anyway, I'm kind of late right now, so see ya~" With a quick goodbye, she rushes into the livehouse, leaving me behind at the reception desk.
"Oh? Looks like you know Afterglow?" Marina remarks, smirking at me. "So, any interest?"
I turn to Marina and shake my head. "Do you think I have a chance?"
"Hm? Well, your appearance isn't bad, and your personality seems fine."
"You're not a very good judge, Marina-san..."
"Hehe, is that so?"
I avert my gaze for a moment before looking back at her with a smirk. "Although, I'm actually more interested in you, Marina-san."
Marina blushes slightly. "Really? Oh well, I wonder..."
Her nonchalant response catches me off guard, but I'm not entirely surprised given her mature demeanor.
With a stretch of my arms, I smile. "Alright, I'll go do some cleaning."
"Mkay~"
I make my way to where I left the broom and start sweeping the hall to get rid of the dust. As I work, a faint sound catches my attention – a voice coming from Room 3, Roselia's studio.