The Top Idol Next Door Can't Help But Crave My Guilty Pleasure Meals-Chapter 9Volume 1 .1 - I Lacked the Resolve
ROUND 9 – I Lacked the Resolve 1
Upon arriving at the apartment, I check the contents of the collective mailbox.
Pizza delivery, bulky trash collection, private tutoring school flyers.
In just one day, various flyers have been stuffed inside. The mailbox for room 810 is overflowing with flyers; not even a single piece of paper can fit in anymore.
“……”
I get on the elevator and get off to the eighth floor.
As I walk down the communal corridor, the door to room 808 opens.
“Oh my, Suzufumi-kun. Welcome back.”
“Thank you.”
The lady was holding a box with a noshi ribbon (decorative attached to a gift).
“I was just about to visit you. This is a prize I won in the shopping district’s lottery. Here’s a share for you.”
Beside the box, the words’ Platinum Pork’ are boldly written in a strong brush style.
Seeing this brand of meat reminds me of a shocking encounter during spring break.
“Ah, are you sure? Such an expensive item.”
“I won it twice. The two of us can’t finish eating so much fatty meat.”
“You’re so lucky.”
“By the way, the last prize I won was a trip to Atami. I’ll be going there soon. I’m really looking forward to the hot springs.”
“You’re incredibly lucky…”
And you really do love hot spring trips, don’t you—
“Suzufumi-kun, weren’t you good at cooking? Please make sure to cook for your parents and friends too.”
“…Yes, leave it to me.”
With that, the lady went back to her room.
I passed by room 809 and stood in front of the room at the very end——ringing the doorbell.
There’s no response from inside. I know for sure that it’s not because she’s pretending not to be home.
It seems she hasn’t returned today either.
Staring at the box in my hand, I muttered to myself.
“…The one I most want to share this is still missing, huh.”
It’s been five days since Yuzuki stopped coming home.
Perhaps she secretly returns while I’m at school attending classes.
Ever since the day of the live performance, YYuzuki has disappeared from my sight.
My messages go unanswered. Naturally, my calls too.
SNS was being updated regularly, and she had even appeared on live web shows.
It didn’t seem like she was involved in any incidents or troubles.
There’s only one conclusion that can be drawn from this.
——Yuzuki is avoiding me.
Yet I couldn’t think of a reason why.
No, if I think hard about it, it’s not like there aren’t any clues.
For example, a few days before the concert, we walked home together.
From the elevator in the apartment building to the room, we held hands with just our pinkies.
On the day of the concert, I gave her a homemade bento.
Maybe a weekly magazine caught wind of this information and reported it as a romance rumor.
Yuzuki left the apartment to hide and, under the agency’s instructions, cut off contact with me.
But for these five days, I scoured weekly magazines, online news, and even anonymous forums, yet there was no exposure of Arisu Yuzuki’s love life.
If that’s the case, maybe she’s just simply busy with work.
There’s also a fan meeting for the group coming up, so there’s no doubt she’s being chased down by preparations.
I try to come up with these reasons to convince myself, but I still can’t accept them.
After all, Yuzuki has always let me know in advance when she’s going to stay out overnight, no matter how busy she is with work.
——To have no contact for five days is strange, no matter how I think about it.
Literally, it felt like Yuzuki had gone somewhere out of my reach.
Ever since I seared the image of her gallant figure at the live performance into my memory, the idol Yuzuki has been constantly flickering in my mind.
As things stood, I instinctively knew that the future waiting for me is one of gradual separation.
“…Yuzuki…”
It’s not that I’m grieving over not being able to meet the idol, Arisu Yuzuki.
——I wanted to meet Sasaki Yuzuki.
☆☆☆
The next morning, I spotted a familiar figure in front of the school gate.
“Ah, you finally arrived. You’re so late, Suzu~”
Rika smiled and lined up beside me.
“…Hi, Rika.”
“Aren’t you a little low on energy? Your beloved childhood friend came out to greet you, you know~”
Undeterred by my salty response, Rika, walking beside me, has a cheerful expression.
“What’s up with you, ambushing me like this?”
“You’ve been so curt with your messages lately. So I thought, if you have any worries, this kind and gentle Rika Onee-san will listen to you.”
“… It’s nothing. Sorry if I made you anxious.”
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“Really? You’re not forcing yourself?”
Normally, Rika would back off quickly, but she’s unusually persistent today.
I put on the mask of a cheerful childhood friend and forced a smile.
“You worry too much. More importantly, have you been studying for the midterms? You don’t want to get scolded by your mom again and have your part-time work hours cut, do you?”
“Ugh…”
I was well aware that Rika suddenly became weak when it came to the topic of studying.
Using this to get through this situation felt somewhat underhanded though. I couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty.
“Don’t worry. I’ll immediately ask Rika for help if anything happens.”
“Better be true. But if you lie, I’ll come knocking on your door even if it’s in the middle of the night!”
“Yes-yes, you’re welcome anytime.”
Since the second and third-year students have different rows of shoe lockers, Rika and I parted ways at the entrance for students.
It’s shameful that I’ve even got my childhood friend worried about me.
On a whim——I decided to change the route to Class 2-A’s classroom.
Usually, I would go up the stairs right past the student entrance and then move to the back of A class, but I strode to the end of the first-year students’ floor after putting on my indoor shoes this time.
Of course, the reason was to peek into Class 1-B.
I crossed in front of the classroom right before the start of the Homeroom period when most students would have arrived.
This year’s first-years seem to be serious students—when I peeked inside through the fully opened door, most of them were already seated.
However, I couldn’t spot the girl with long black hair and amber eyes.
It seems she hasn’t come to school after all.
