Chapter III
No Apology
"Let me see, let me see!" The guys from Tobio's class started to gather around, squinting their eyes as one of them zoomed in the mysterious face beside Akari's.
"I can't tell who he is," one of them chimed in, rubbing his chin. "But I can tell nothing's going on between them."
"How are you so sure? Did you take this photo?"
"No, but look. Is this the kind of look you would give to your lover? You can't deny that she looked terrified here."
The other took a closer look, frowning. "You're right! She didn't look happy at all… Was her boyfriend abusing her?"
"Where did you get that dumb idea from?" One of the guys ruffled his hair in frustration. "Argh! Why does his face have to be blurred? Wouldn't it make these pictures more believable if the uploader just revealed his face in the first place?"
"Well, I heard it somewhere that they can't just reveal a noncelebrity's face without their consent. It's like an unspoken rule among the journalists."
Little did Tobio know that he'd been holding his breath throughout their conversation. His posture also became less tense after he heard the last line. He breathed out loudly, causing the group to shift their gaze toward him.
"What's wrong with you, Kageyama?" One of them gave him a strange look. "Oh, don't get your hopes up just because you two paired up for a group project!"
They still talked to him, meaning they hadn't realized he was the guy in those photos.
Even so, he wasn't sure whether to be pleased with the current situation or not. More importantly, he was still safe. At least, for now.
Meanwhile, Akari had actually gotten better. Once her sister returned from her workplace, she treated her to a lot of sweets, the things she couldn't enjoy under normal circumstances since she would be put on a strict diet by her company most of the time. Just when she was getting ready to go to school, her manager came to pick her up.
She knew something must have happened to get him to fetch her early in the morning. Especially when her company had approved of her focusing on her studies in her little hometown.
"Do you know why I came here?" Asked Takagaki as soon as she opened her apartment's door.
"Because I almost got stabbed by a stalker yesterday?" Akari hazarded a guess.
"Well, it's one of the reasons." The older man sighed, eyes looking serious. "You haven't checked the news, have you?"
Akari looked into her phone right away. She tended to neglect her phone whenever she was busy with something else. Much to her surprise, she received countless notifications. Mainly from her manager and her brother who stayed in Tokyo with their parents. But then, the shocking news popped up on the home screen of her phone, reporting that she was caught in a dating scandal with one of the students from her school. The article also provided several candid photos for evidence. Without further ado, she clicked on the link where the proof was referred to, which directed her to a fan site whose layout she could recognize.
The stalker from last night owned that site! After all, he used to dedicate that blog to her before he was attracted to the other member of Pink Panthers (Yua, to be precise). Seemingly, he wasn't joking when he said he wanted to jeopardize her career…
Nevertheless, the blurry face caught her attention. It was Tobio's, for certain. Suddenly, she felt bad for dragging him into this… when he only happened to be there when the stalker targeted her.
"Oh, but he's just my classmate." She looked up at her manager, not breaking eye contact. "There's nothing going on between us."
"I know. I met him yesterday, remember?" Reminded Takagaki. "I've already told the boss about it this morning and he seemed to believe me as well. Maybe he just wants to talk it out with you and instruct you on the best course of action to address this problem. We can't be reckless right now. Many of Yua-chan's fans already blamed you for her departure, and if you weren't being careful enough, I'm afraid it would take longer for you to make another appearance on the broadcast."
The older man then took her bag over, "Let's go. The boss wants to see you."
She lowered her face, fists clenched tightly. That's it. She was at her limit already, yet they kept pushing her to the absolute. She'd had enough. She was so sick and tired of being treated like a fat cow they could milk any time. Obviously, all they cared about was money and never her well-being.
"Got it…" Having said that, she succumbed, letting her manager carry her bag and lead her to the car.
Before she knew it, they'd arrived in the parking lot of the company. She mostly spent her time brooding on the road, thinking about what she would say to the chief executive and not to make his blood boil, by all means. Her nails digging into her sweaty palm, as soon as her manager who sat on the driver seat noticed her high-strung demeanor, he turned to her.
"There's nothing to be scared of," he began. "You're not at fault and the boss is in a good mood today. If worse comes to worst, he will only yell at you."
You don't say. Still, she flashed a polite smile. "Thank you for the ride, Takagaki-san."
She let out a sigh before entering the building. Alright, here we go. Nothing to be scared of. She had been reprimanded by the boss one time and she still survived it, come what may, meaning she would survive this one as well.
Since it was still early in the morning, she didn't have to stumble upon anyone in the corridor. It also had been quite a while since she explored the company building by herself. Usually, she would only go straight to the practice room and spend the night and the day there practicing with her group. The being said, she noticed something while walking along the corridor. The walls were decorated with framed photos of the Pink Panthers throughout their careers. It had been almost three years since Akari debuted and she couldn't help but notice her transformation. How time flies… She paused for a moment, mesmerized by each photo. Although the changes in her appearance were too drastic to be ignored, she began to wonder if the passion she had for music was still the same. Sure, she still enjoyed herself while performing on stages and meeting her fans, but not everyone thought she deserved to be where she was now.
There were times when she felt like giving up. This time, for instance.
She was greeted with a stern face the moment she stepped into the office. She swallowed her saliva and thought to herself, Is that the kind of face the boss makes when he's in a good mood?
"Take a seat, Akari." The elderly man gestured. His gaze softened over time.
She ensconced herself before him, hands clasping together and face turning down.
"I've heard from Takagaki. We're asking the paparazzi to take down those pictures since reporters from news outlets have been bombarding us with questions. We will leave it unconfirmed until the backlash dies down." Suggested the chief executive. "For your own sake, I'm asking you to keep a low profile for the time being. Don't post anything on your social media as well."
"I understand."
"Take a day off for today, we'll inform the school." The director continued, "Takagaki will pick you up from school starting next week. Make sure your panic attack isn't coming back when you're in public. Just take a deep breath, okay?"
Apparently, her boss was telling her to suppress her panic attack. As of then, plenty of therapists were found jobless.
In the end, she only let loose of her folding hands and nodded. "Got it."
"You may dismiss then."
Following the director's order, Akari got up and left the office quietly. Just when she closed the door behind her, a black look appeared on her face, her jaw clenched. She pressed her quivering lips together to hold her anger back in. Had she prepared herself earlier, she wouldn't have to bump into her manager and get sent over to the office. At a time like this, a distraction would be of great help, though...
She wondered how her classmates were doing at school right now.
Tobio only went home after he was satisfied with the quick-sets he'd developed with Hinata. The 3-on-3 match was tomorrow, after all, but he was more than confident in their skills to stupefy the upperclassmen. He, Hinata, and Tanaka stopped by the Sakanoshita store to purchase some pork buns on their way home. The three exited the store one by one with Tobio leading the way. To Tobio's surprise, the return trip went on in silence. It didn't feel right somehow... especially when both Hinata and Tanaka had been reunited.
"Hinata, you're a genius!" Exclaimed Tanaka from behind. "Now that you mentioned it, Kageyama is carrying the same bag as the guy in the photos!"
He spun his body around spontaneously, almost choking on his bun. "What?"
Little did Tobio know that his identity was still at risk.
"Besides Kageyama, who else would use a training bag to school?" Hinata added.
"Kageyama, you bastard!" Tanaka jumped at him, his arm strangling his neck. "Say, are you dating her? That Hirose Akari?"
"Of course—"
Suddenly, the memory from yesterday played back in his head. "I'm her boyfriend."
Her boyfriend.
Boyfriend.
"... not." He spoke in an undertone, his cheeks flushed from sudden embarrassment.
Be that as it may, Hinata and Tanaka didn't seem to hear his last remark.
"Unbelievable! How shameless!" Hinata mocked.
"You punk! How dare you date an idol and admitted that just now without shame? Don't you care about her safety at all?" Tanaka hit Tobio in the head, then his tone softened. "Damn you, Kageyama. You may have broken many men's hearts, but we won't let you live if you dare to break her heart."
"I'm not dating her!" Tobio screamed at the top of his lungs. "I'm not dating anyone!"
Hinata and Tanaka exchanged a confused look before the junior frowned at Tobio. "How dare you denied your relationship with Akari-chan! And you call yourself a man? A man would never do that!"
"Tanaka-san, you're so cool! So manly!" Praised Hinata with sparkling eyes. "But, isn't it a good thing that Kageyama isn't dating Akari-chan? Since you're such a big fan of hers."
"Well," Tanaka crossed his arms over his chest. "He admitted it at first, didn't he? Then, he suddenly denied it. Isn't it suspicious?"
"For me, Kageyama has done nothing but raised suspicions from the start." Hinata scowled. "Anyway, Kageyama, why haven't you told any of us that you're dating an idol?"
"I don't have any obligations to tell you guys about everything in my life." Tobio stared angrily. "As I said, we're not dating. Stop twisting the truth."
"Alright, alright. It's okay to keep secrets to yourself." Tanaka patted his back. "Just so you know, your secret is safe with us—"
Without notice, the blond shop owner came out and yelled at the three, "Shut the hell up, you brats! Just go home and eat a proper meal!"
The next Monday, the school was in chaos because the alleged boyfriend of Hirose Akari had finally been figured out.
As Akari walked past the corridor, many of the students were whispering to each other and stealing strange glances at her as if she was moving around without a stitch on. Outside the class, a few classmates whose faces she could easily recognize had already been waiting for her.
"Akari-chan! Tell us the truth!" The first girl whined. "Is it true you're dating Kageyama-kun?"
Before long, Tobio walked into the class guiltlessly. His gaze explored the room as he was aware of the unusual tension.
"How dare you beat us, Kageyama!" One of the guys shouted.
"What's with all the commotion?" He took a look around, catching sight of diverse expressions, from rage to disappointment.
"Don't play dumb, you bastard!" A male student yelled. "We warned you to never cross the line! Fans aren't allowed to date their idols!"
"It's all right, Hitomu, you're not the only one who gets your heartbroken." His friend hugged him in condolence. "Idols are humans too, after all. They can date whoever they want…"
"This is ridiculous," Tobio said as he put down his bag on his desk, running away from the class afterward.
"Why is he so upset?" One of the students tilted his head, his eyes following Tobio before his back vanished at the end of the corridor.
Okay, this is bad. Akari thought to herself. She didn't know Tobio very well yet. For that reason, she was unable to envision his train of thought. Having said that, he had helped her get away from the stalker the other days ago and the least she could do was thank him properly.
"I'll talk to him!" She announced before exiting the classroom.
After looking high and low for him, Akari eventually found him within spitting distance of the vending machine, gulping down a small packaged milk. Although he was aware of her presence, he looked the other way instead.
"Kageyama-kun," called her. "We need to talk."
He only turned to her after she'd stared at him determinedly. "About what?"
"I—" she hesitated, her voice cracking. "I'm sorry... For getting you involved in all this. I know you only told the stalker that we were a couple because you were only looking out for me. But the encounter with him—it's a problem I should've handled better on my own! So, let me at least clarify to our classmates that you were only helping me out at that time."
His gaze softened when he saw her lower her head, "... What are you apologizing for? It wasn't even your fault, to begin with. Did you expect me to do nothing and watch you get stabbed by that psycho? You should learn that there are things in life that you can't control, Hirose."
"Sorry—"
"And don't apologize too much. This is why people always take you lightly." He turned away to hide his reddened face. "Probably."
"Okay." A soft laugh escaped her lips. He realized that her eyes would turn into half-moons when she was giggling. "It was the first time someone ever told me that. Anyway, let's get back to class before the bell—"
...rings.
"Yeah, let's go." Tobio walked ahead and Akari followed suit.
"Do you still want me to explain this misunderstanding or not?"
He paced up so that anyone wouldn't spot them together, "Just do as you like!"
Once Tobio crossed the threshold of the classroom, every pair of eyes riveted to him, yet no one had the nerve to make a noise. Akari came behind shortly after. She took a deep breath before opening her mouth, "Listen up, everyone, I have an important announcement to be made."
Author's note: Another update! Sadly, I won't be updating until next week (or longer) due to finals. Please wait patiently for me! Anyway, are you guys familiar with idols? I'm not sure whether J-Pop idols are as strict as K-Pop, though. Since I mostly follow K-Pop idols. If you have any J-Pop groups you'd like me to listen, just let me know~
