After school, Kaede sat on her bed, with a sigh, Kaede decided to distract herself. After a quick shower, she sat down at her desk and opened her laptop. Out of curiosity, she started searching for popular music artists, wondering if any of the idol groups or musicians she knew still existed in this world.
To her surprise, all the artists were exactly the same as in her original reality. The same chart-topping pop stars, the same rock bands, the same singers—all of them were there. Except for one. Celestial. No trace of them. No songs, no albums, no mention of the group at all. It was as if they had never existed.
Kaede frowned, her curiosity piqued. What was going on? Why was Celestial the only thing missing from this world? And how was Mirei now a normal high school girl instead of the idol leader she had always been?
Determined to find some answers, Kaede typed "Mirei Nakamura" into the search engine, hoping to find something that might explain the situation. To her disappointment, the only result that came up was Mirei's Instagram profile.
Kaede hesitated for a moment before clicking on the link. As Mirei's profile loaded, Kaede scrolled through the pictures. They were all just normal high school photos. Group selfies with friends, shots from school events, candid moments of Mirei smiling brightly in her casual outfits. She looked carefree, happy, just like any other teenager.
Kaede's heart skipped a beat when she spotted something familiar in a few of the photos—herself. There she was, standing next to Mirei in group photos, laughing with her, even posing for selfies together. The images were so ordinary, as if they had always been close friends. But to Kaede, it was jarring. Were they really that close in this life?
Before Kaede could dwell on it further, there was a knock at her bedroom door.
"Kaede," her mom called from the other side, her voice warm. "Mirei's here. She's asking for you."
Kaede froze, blinking in confusion. "M-Mirei?" she repeated under her breath. What was Mirei doing at her house?
Still, she quickly grabbed a jacket and rushed downstairs, her mind racing. As she reached the front door, she saw Mirei standing there, dressed in a cute and casual outfit—a soft pink hoodie and a short skirt. Her hair was neatly styled, and she had a playful smile on her face.
"Hey, Kaede!" Mirei greeted, her voice cheerful. She looked even prettier than usual, Kaede thought, her heart skipping a beat.
Kaede blinked in surprise, trying to gather her thoughts. "Uh, Mirei… what are you doing here?"
Mirei rolled her eyes, her smile turning mischievous. "What do you mean, 'what am I doing here?' I came to get you, duh." She tugged on Kaede's sleeve lightly. "Let's go to the café. Now."
Kaede stared at her, dumbfounded. "Now? It's already 6 PM…"
Mirei grinned, clearly enjoying Kaede's confusion. "So what? Are you on some strict bedtime schedule or something?" she teased, poking Kaede's cheek playfully.
Kaede's face flushed. "O-Of course not! It's just—aren't you tired? You had dance practice today."
Mirei waved her hand dismissively. "Nah, I'm fine. I wanted to hang out and talk to you. So, are we going or not?"
Kaede blinked, still trying to keep up with Mirei's spontaneous energy. But how could she say no when Mirei was being so insistent—and cute?
"Fine, fine," Kaede relented with a sigh. She turned to her mom, who was standing nearby, watching the exchange with a knowing smile.
"Mom, I'm going out with Mirei for a bit," Kaede said. "I'll be back later."
Her mom nodded, waving her off. "Alright, just be careful. Don't come home too late."
With that, Mirei practically dragged Kaede out of the house, her grip firm but playful. As they stepped out into the Tokyo evening, the city was alive with its usual vibrant nightlife. Neon lights flickered in the distance, and the streets were bustling with people heading to bars, restaurants, and cafes.
For the first thirty minutes, Kaede and Mirei walked aimlessly through the streets, passing by café after café without stopping at any. Kaede was starting to feel exhausted. Mirei, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered, skipping ahead while glancing at the different shops.
"Mirei," Kaede groaned, finally stopping in her tracks. "Can you just pick a place already? We've passed, like, twenty cafes."
Mirei turned to her with a sly smile. "I'm trying to find the perfect one. You know, a place with the right vibe."
Kaede raised an eyebrow, her patience wearing thin. "Right vibe? What does that even mean?"
Mirei tapped her chin thoughtfully, her smile widening. "Hmm, maybe we should go to the most expensive café around here. You did say you're treating me, right?"
Kaede stared at her, dumbfounded. "Are you serious?"
Mirei's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Hehe, maybe." She stuck her tongue out playfully, clearly enjoying teasing Kaede.
Kaede sighed, though she couldn't help but laugh a little. Mirei's playful personality was infectious, and even though she was frustrated, she found herself smiling. "I can't believe you."
Mirei shrugged, looking as carefree as ever. "Believe it, Kaede. You promised to treat me, so I'm making sure it's worth it."
Kaede shook her head, but deep down, she was glad they were spending time together like this. Even if Mirei was a little unpredictable, Kaede found her personality refreshing—almost like a breath of fresh air in this new and confusing reality.
As they continued walking, Kaede couldn't help but wonder: How had they become so close in this world? And why was Celestial missing from it? There were so many unanswered questions, but for now, she decided to push them aside and focus on the present—on Mirei.