After another ten minutes of walking, Mirei finally stopped in front of a café. It was slightly fancy, with soft lighting spilling out through the windows, and unlike the bustling city streets outside, the café itself wasn't too crowded. Kaede sighed in relief, her legs thanking her for the break.
"This one looks nice!" Mirei announced cheerfully, turning to Kaede with a playful grin. "Come on, I'm starving. Oh, and by the way, make sure your wallet's ready. I'm ordering everything on the menu." She winked, her teasing tone clear.
Kaede raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms in mock disbelief. "That's not happening. You're on a diet, remember?"
Mirei's playful expression suddenly turned to one of surprise. She blinked at Kaede, her eyes wide. "Wait… how do you know about my diet? I don't think I've ever told anyone that. Are you some kind of stalker?"
Kaede's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't meant to let that slip! She had learned about Mirei's diet from reading idol trivia online back when Mirei was still the leader of Celestial, but she couldn't exactly explain that now. Panic flickered across her face as she quickly tried to backpedal.
"N-No! Of course not!" Kaede stammered, her face flushing. "It was just… a lucky guess! I mean, lots of girls go on diets, right? So I just figured… you know, random guess!"
Mirei squinted at her, clearly amused by Kaede's awkward attempt to cover her tracks. "Hmm," she hummed, tilting her head. "A random guess, huh? You sure you're not secretly obsessed with me?" She stuck her tongue out teasingly.
Kaede groaned, rubbing her temples. "You're impossible," she muttered, but couldn't help but smile at how carefree Mirei was.
Just then, the waitress arrived at their table, snapping Kaede out of her thoughts. After skimming the menu for a bit, they placed their orders, with Mirei sticking to a modest meal, as expected of someone on a diet. Once the waitress walked away, Mirei shot Kaede another playful glance.
"Looks like you're lucky today, Kaede," Mirei teased, leaning across the table slightly. "Since I'm on a diet, I'll be going easy on you. For now." She punctuated her teasing by sticking her tongue out again.
Kaede sighed dramatically, but the playful atmosphere between them eased her mind. Still, it was strange. Mirei was so different now. When she was part of Celestial, she always appeared cool, composed, and sassy in public. But here, in this world, she was lighthearted, playful, and genuinely adorable. Was this her true personality?
As Kaede pondered this, Mirei suddenly leaned in closer, her expression becoming more serious. "Hey, Kaede," she whispered, as if about to reveal something important. "Can I tell you a secret? You can't tell anyone, okay? It's just between us."
Kaede's heart skipped a beat. A secret? Between the two of them? Did this mean Mirei saw her as someone special—someone she trusted? Feeling both excited and nervous, Kaede nodded slowly, her full attention now on Mirei.
Mirei glanced around the café for a moment before leaning in even closer, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Okay, so… I have a crush on a guy."
Kaede's heart sank instantly. Of course, it was normal for a high school girl like Mirei to have a crush on a guy. Still, the news hit Kaede harder than she expected. She forced herself to smile and nodded, pretending it didn't bother her. "Oh? That's, uh, great."
Mirei nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling. "Yeah! He's a senior at Aoyama Boys' High School. He's the captain of the basketball team!"
Kaede kept nodding, though the excitement was starting to drain from her face. "Uh-huh."
Mirei's cheeks flushed slightly as she continued. "I've been thinking… I'm going to confess my feelings to him tomorrow!"
Kaede almost choked on air. "What?! Tomorrow? Why are you confessing already?" she blurted out, her disbelief impossible to hide.
Mirei tilted her head, a bit surprised by Kaede's reaction. "Why not? I think he's cute, and I've been crushing on him for a while. Might as well tell him how I feel."
Kaede ran a hand through her hair, trying to make sense of Mirei's reasoning. "Okay, wait. Have you… even spoken to him before? Are you friends?"
Mirei shook her head, her expression completely innocent. "Nope, never talked to him."
Kaede's eyes widened in disbelief. "Then… does he know you at least?"
Mirei giggled softly. "Nope. He doesn't know me at all."
Kaede stared at her in shock. "Are you for real?!" she asked, exasperated. "You're just going to walk up to this guy, who you've never talked to before, and confess?!"
Mirei nodded confidently, flashing a determined smile. "Exactly! It's foolproof, right?"
Kaede couldn't help but laugh at the sheer absurdity of Mirei's plan. "I don't think that's how it works, Mirei."
But Mirei was undeterred. She leaned forward, clasping her hands together as if praying. "Please, Kaede, I need your help! Can you be there for moral support? I'm gonna need backup!"
Kaede sighed, utterly defeated by Mirei's unshakable confidence. "Unbelievable. You're crazy, you know that?"
Mirei only grinned, clearly taking the remark as a compliment. "Crazy in love, maybe!"
Kaede couldn't help but shake her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. Despite how wild and unrealistic Mirei's plan was, her enthusiasm was contagious. "Fine, I'll help you. But only because I'm curious to see how this disaster turns out."
Mirei beamed, her playful energy back in full force. "Thanks, Kaede! You're the best! With you by my side, I know I can do it!"
Kaede sighed again, though a part of her was amused by Mirei's unwavering determination. How could someone be so confident about confessing to a guy she didn't even know? Still, there was something about Mirei's lively personality that made it hard for Kaede to say no.
After the two shared a few more laughs, the conversation took a more casual turn. As they sipped their drinks, Mirei's expression softened slightly, and her playful demeanor faded just a bit.
"You know," Mirei said, her tone suddenly more thoughtful. "I've always had this dream… of becoming an idol."
Kaede froze, her body tensing up. The words sent a shiver down her spine. It felt like deja vu—like she had heard Mirei say those exact words before. Hearing it again, in this new world, made her feel strangely heavy, as if some hidden weight was pressing down on her heart.
Mirei didn't seem to notice Kaede's reaction. She simply smiled, a wistful expression on her face. "I know it sounds silly, but… I've always wanted to be up on stage, performing for people, making them smile."
Kaede could only nod silently, her mind racing. Mirei was already an idol. At least, she used to be. But in this world, that dream was still just a dream.
As they sat there, sipping their drinks and chatting under the warm glow of the café lights, Kaede couldn't shake the feeling that there was something much deeper going on. This world, Mirei's new life, and her own place in it—it was all still a mystery. But one thing was clear: the more time she spent with Mirei, the more her feelings for her deepened and the more complicated things became.