Dream Star

After making a meal for Lila, it was clear that he wouldn"t be able to rest here. It"s not like the two were doing anything, but Kiryu felt like he was disturbing them. So he left when he could. Thankfully Rosalia wasn"t home when he came back. If Rosalia found out he was sick, then things would be worse for him. Kiryu didn"t know how long he spent lying down on the bed, unable to get any sleep.

When he hears the sound of somebody downstairs, at first, he thought it was Rosalia, but his gaze fell on the clock. She ought to be at filming; it isn"t her. The only other person who has his house key is Lila, but obviously, it wouldn"t be her. Kiryu groggily got up and made his way down.

He somehow made it, only to see a pair of familiar kind eyes — a girl with long maroon colored hair.

"Ah, hold on, don"t stand up," Kotori said.

Kiryu glanced over and spotted the ingredients scattered on to the kitchen table. Could it be, this is the reason why she said something about later. He wouldn"t be surprised if she noticed it before him; she"s always been rather sharp. To catch a cold before winter has properly started is laughable in a way.

He isn"t surprised to see her, "Lila gave you the keys?"

"Uh," Kotori nodded awkwardly. "She told me she wanted to come here herself, but since she isn"t in good shape too .."

"Don"t explain, I understand."

Because he did, Lila she -- she still kept his house key. For him, that was enough.

"I brought all sorts of stuff that"s good for a cold, so just leave it up to me."

"That"s a lot you"ve got there," Kiryu commented.

He picked up one of the ingredients only to have Kotori take it from him, "I"ll make it all myself, so you sit tight and rest." He blinks, "I"m brewing a special herbal tea soup, grating some apples, and making vegetable soup. . ."

He watches as the brown-haired girl looked around at the cupboards, clearly confused. Of course, she"s puzzled, she"s never been here before, she wouldn"t know where anything is. Kiryu sighs as he reached over and opened the draw in front of him, holding up the knife, "Looking for this?"

"Ah, thank you! But you should be resting."

He cuts her sentence and pa.s.sed her the chopping board, "You"ll need this too. And also this. This. . "Kiryu gradually produced equipment out from the cupboards.

"Um, Austin-san, I think you should. .. rest. ."

"This much is no big deal. It"s not as though I have a fever. Two pairs of hands are faster than one."

Besides, if he doesn"t get his body moving, then he will start feeling restless again.

"Okay."

But thinking about it now, he does feel quite a chill in his body. The chill aside, though, he doesn"t feel feverish, and it would be strange for him to let her cook for him.

Kiryu understood that the reason Kotori was here was because of Lila. It"s not as though they are going out anymore, yet she"s still carefully watching over him properly.

After a few minutes, Kiryu found himself peeling the skin of the apple while Kotori washed the vegetables.

"Grated apples, huh. My mom would always make it for me when I was sick as a kid."

"My mom, huh," Kiryu thought about his mother. "She wasn"t the type who liked to cook."

Whenever he thought of his childhood, memories of Teras.h.i.+ma Lila would emerge. Besides, even when he was younger. The one cooking for him when he was sick was Lila.

Him and Ayase strangely got along with each other. So they didn"t cook in silence and spoke about a variety of things. It made him feel a bit better. Whenever he spoke with his friends, Lila would always come up, and things would turn awkward. Everybody is doing their best, acting neutral, and everything. But that"s what makes it even more awkward.

That"s why speaking with somebody outside their circle made him more comfortable.

Once they finished preparing the two of them sat down on the two chairs — a bowl of soup with vegetables with carrots and potatoes in front of him.

The grated apples were in a container, including a warm cup of honey tea. The same went for the girl opposite him.

"You ended up having to do the majority of the work. I"m sorry for pus.h.i.+ng you when you"re sick. "

"It"s fine, you did all the work at Lila"s, and I should be fine since I took some medicine. Come on, have your soup before it cool."

"Okay." Kotori picked up the bowl in her hands and took a sip using the spoon. While she drank the soup, Kiryu took a bite of the grated apple. "It"s good."

His gaze softened, "Yeah. Since your here, do you want to talk about your song?"

"I don"t want you to think I came here because I had hidden intentions."

Kiryu laughed, "Don"t worry about it. I did agree to write the melody for you. I"ve wanted to talk about it with you too. How would you like it to be?"

Though he conjured something up, he still isn"t sure if it was enough. He doesn"t know Ayase that well yet.

"I"m still not sure. I feel bad about this after all the advice you gave me, but …"

"No, it"s fine. This is part of the songwriting process."

Kotori nodded, "I want to confirm. What kind of music does the audience like? No, what kind of music will they enjoy? I"m writing this song for me, but I am writing for them too. What kind of performance will make me the winner?"

By this point in her explanation, his lips curved into a smile. All your ideas are pouring out, you know?

"I want to win. I know my chances are slim in contrast to the others, but I still want to try it. I won"t give up before it"s started. Initially, I joined this compet.i.tion so that I could meet with Lilchan but…"

"Huh?"

Kotori blinked, "You didn"t know?"

"No, I didn"t."

So she joined because of Lila? That girl is indeed the symbol of every person"s dream. Kiryu knew that many people respected Lila, but he didn"t think that even Ayase...

"I want to make those watching happy as well."

"Happy?"

The girl laughed awkwardly, "Yes. I indeed advanced with good scores. But it felt like something was lacking in my performances. After re-evaluating myself, I realized what it was. I was only focusing on putting on a good performance and ignored the audience. That"s why this time, I want to see people smile."

"She resembles Lila." Then again, that"s what he thinks about whenever he sees anybody who has been inspired by her.

Back when he first met Lila. Yeah, she came in like a storm. Before he knew it, his life revolved around only her.

"One day, I"ll become the number one songwriter."

"Me too. One day, I"ll become the number one idol."

"Ah!! Me too! I will be like mommy and sister."

"Then, do your best."

That"s right. That was their dream. Before Kiryu could say anything in response, though, he hears the sound of a door clicking. Crud, he didn"t think she wouldn"t come back so soon.

"Kiryu-kun, I"m b-" Rosalia stood frozen at the door when she saw Ayase. The girl"s expression dimmed. "Who is this?"

Kotori seemed startled, "Um...I…"

Rosalia angrily walked over and clung to his arm, "Are you bothering Kiryu-kun? He doesn"t accept requests anymore."

Requests? Kiryu glanced over and saw how nervous Kotori seemed.

"Rosalia quit it. I"m only discussing the song with her. I mentioned it already, right?"

"So, this is her…" Rosalia didn"t seem pleased with his explanation, "Why are you writing a song for her and not me?"

Kiryu sighed, "Do you really need it?"

"Yes."

Such a stubborn woman. He glanced over at Ayase, who kept quiet. The girl was silently observing them. Kiryu knew that she would have a lot of questions, which is why he shrugged Rosalia away.

"Ayase, I"ll walk you out," Kiryu felt terrible about sending her away suddenly. But if she remained here then, Rosalia would surely do something.

Kotori understood and picked up her bag. "Then, I"ll be on my way."

"I"ll walk you out."

The entire time, Kiryu felt Rosalia"s piercing gaze, but he ushered Ayase out quickly. He didn"t say a word until they were outside, and beside the gates.

"I"m sorry about that."

Kotori shook her head, "No, it"s alright."

"So, uh," Kiryu awkwardly ran his hands through his silver locks. "I hope you don"t mind, but could you keep this a secret for me?"

Kiryu knew this was unreasonable. Ayase is Lila"s friend. Of course, it would be normal for her to keep this a secret.

To his surprise, the girl laughs, "I wondered why you looked so tense there. Sure, that"s fine."

Huh? This wasn"t the reaction he expected.

"You don"t…"

"Well, I can"t judge you. You"re single right now, so…"

"Uh, we"re not…"

Kotori"s gaze softened, "I think I understand Austin-san. You"re lonely, and you miss Lila."

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He looked down at his feet, "It was an accident on my part. I know what kind of woman she is, but one month ago. I was dying of loneliness. I couldn"t take it anymore, so I accepted her offer. Do you think badly of me now? Just because I"m lonely, I sleep around with the woman who wants Lila dead."