Chapter 18: Unexpected People

The morning performance came to an end, and the afternoon was reserved for side events.

Ephnel would be attending the event as a representative of the Order Organization.

This was originally Seiran’s job, but now it had fallen on the shoulders of Ephnel, the only remaining senior with the most experience.

Of course, this was only temporary.

Even Ephnel couldn’t handle that much workload at once.

Ephnel was the spokesperson for the Order Organization, so her appearance naturally carried a certain degree of officiality.

Several important figures would be attending this time, which attracted a large number of media outlets.

Although it felt a bit reckless, just like the emergence of an Agent Idol, in this fragmented world, even those stubborn old-timers were starting to explore changes.

In the past, Agents were not such a widely known existence.

“Secret special operations unit” might be a more fitting description.

Later, even after the existence of Agents was made public, the public’s opinion of them was overwhelmingly negative.

At that time, Yanase Naoto was not yet Ephnel.

Something had happened back then, something that had been deliberately buried by the passage of time and had long since vanished from the internet.

But Ephnel still vaguely knew that an Agent was involved in that incident, and that the actions that Agent might have taken had led to public outcry.

The details were never fully revealed online, but it festered like some celebrity scandal, with various opinions circulating.

Although there was no concrete evidence, there was also no official response denying that such a thing had happened.

In short, it had become a gray area of the internet.

Because of that incident, after the existence of Agents was revealed, public opinion was largely colored by a derisive view of them as “irresponsible lackeys of the privileged class.”

Later, when the organization came up with the idea of making Ephnel an idol, it might have been partly to “shed the stereotypical negative image.”

As a result, Ephnel became a hero in the eyes of the citizens, and the project was clearly a success.

But in any case, because of many events and a lot of effort, it was only in the last two years that the existence of Agents had been accepted by the public.

Ephnel went to the preparation room and changed out of her performance costume.

The gift bag Saori had brought was still on the coffee table, but it had been knocked over at some point.

Ephnel thought for a moment and set the gift bag upright.

“Huh?”

A strange feeling washed over her.

She lifted the bag with a sense of suspicion.

It was light.

Although Ephnel hadn’t paid close attention, when Saori had handed her the gift bag, it hadn’t felt this empty.

Ephnel opened the bag and glanced inside.

An exquisite, wood-like box.

The seal seemed to have been made with some kind of sealing wax, in Rin’s unique style.

It looked neatly sealed, not as if it had been opened by anyone.

‘Was it my imagination?’

The resolute and unfamiliar look in Saori’s eyes as she left.

‘She must have been very disappointed…’

The senior she had always admired was actually a timid and hesitant person.

But Ephnel couldn’t agree to Saori’s request, no matter what.

To bypass the person’s own will and strip her of her Agent status—such a thing was no longer just about one person.

Many things can’t be done just because you want to and have the determination.

But saying these things to Saori at this time wouldn’t have shaken her thoughts at all.

Ephnel could only hope that time would give Saori a chance to think calmly.

Ephnel sighed.

“So you’re here!”

Just then, Yonomikenami’s complaining voice came from behind.

“I’ve been looking for you for ages… You just disappeared without a word after the performance. I was wondering where you’d gone off to. What’s wrong? Something on your mind?”

Ephnel put down the gift bag.

She turned around and saw Yonomikenami standing at the door, having changed into her work uniform at some point.

Black stockings, a form-fitting pencil skirt, and a tailored women’s blazer.

Her hair was neatly combed back, and her makeup had been slightly touched up.

She looked like a completely different person from before.

This was Yonomikenami in her manager mode.

Yonomikenami also looked Ephnel up and down, tilting her head in surprise.

“Eh? You changed?”

“That outfit wasn’t very convenient for moving around.”

“True enough.”

Yonomikenami nodded in rare agreement.

That being said, Ephnel was currently only maintaining a minimum level of “resonance.”

The physical and mental energy consumed was extremely limited, so her battle suit was not visible.

If she needed to enter a combat state, she just had to resonate again.

Because Ephnel could be called to deploy at any moment, conserving her stamina was a must.

It was impossible for her to spend too much energy maintaining her full “Exile Form” during a performance.

“By the way, Ephnel, want to grab some lunch together?”

“Lunch… sure, why not.”

Ephnel hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

It was rare for Yonomikenami to make such a non-ditzy invitation.

And, she probably noticed that she was in low spirits and made the offer out of consideration for her feelings.

It would be too unfriendly to refuse even this.

Yonomikenami smiled faintly.

“Hmm, how refreshing. Well then, I’ve booked a nice dessert parlor. Let’s head over now.”

“Yeah… huh…? Hey, wait a minute! Didn’t you say lunch?”

“Eh? Don’t you like it?”

“But! Even if I like it, no one eats dessert for a main meal, right!? And, it’s working hours right now!”

“Oh, right! Work!”

Yonomikenami suddenly clapped her hands.

“That’s right, I almost forgot. I also made an appointment with the new head of the fan club.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be in the afternoon…?”

“The afternoon is reserved for the meeting, isn’t it? There’s no time. It would be too perfunctory to call a quick glance from afar without even a proper conversation before that kind of meeting a ‘meeting,’ right? As your fan, she would cry, you know. Since she’s the current person in charge and someone you’ll be seeing often in the future, it’s better to get to know her a little. This is a suggestion from your manager. And…”

Yonomikenami smiled slyly.

“That girl is very lovable. I really think you should meet her.”

“Lovable or not, what does that have to do with me…”

Ephnel raised an eyebrow, noncommittal.

Although it might sound boastful, Ephnel could say with great confidence: besides her sister, she would absolutely not be swayed by anyone else.

Fifteen minutes later.

The dessert shop Yonomikenami had booked was just outside the venue.

It was quite luxurious and stylish, a very popular brand that had recently been all the rage.

Ephnel got out of the car and, accompanied by Yonomikenami, walked into the shop.

The shop was already full of people.

In this hot weather, the inside of the shop was exceptionally cool.

From inside, you could see the dessert station that served cones and ice cream to the outside.

There was a long line of people outside the dessert station, but it was quiet inside the shop.

“If you don’t have a reservation, you won’t get a seat just by waiting in line. You’ll have to settle for buying some ice cream or a cone from the dessert station to cool off.”

Yonomikenami seemed to have been here many times, explaining with a practiced air.

Although Ephnel was never quite used to Yonomikenami’s flighty way of doing things, there was no doubt that her work ability in handling business matters was always excellent.

The atmosphere in the shop was comfortable.

For a meal or a midday break, this was indeed a good choice.

The music was of a style that made one feel relaxed and at ease.

The lighting was a lazy warm color.

The customers also seemed to have had their “leisure” switch flipped all at once.

But this tranquility was shattered the moment Ephnel arrived.

“Hey, hey… look at the door… could that be…”

Although she had changed into a less conspicuous dress, someone’s gaze immediately fell on Ephnel.

“Is that… Ephnel?”

“Is it really her???”

It was only natural that Ephnel would be noticed.

Like throwing oil on a fire, the customers’ cheers ignited in an instant.

“Ephnel-chan!!!”

One after another, the originally quiet shop suddenly became a chaotic mess.

Because occasional outings were also a regular part of her activities, Ephnel responded to the fans’ enthusiasm with practiced ease.

With great difficulty, they finally reached the top floor.

This floor had been booked in advance by Yonomikenami.

From here, you could see the distant Seikyo Tower, nearly half the city, and the venue.

Most importantly, the place was filled with all sorts of countless pastries and fruits.

It was a paradise of sweets.

Ephnel did indeed love sweets.

Before she became Ephnel, she didn’t actually like them that much.

But after becoming a girl, as if possessed, her hobbies were all pushed from games, novels, and manga into the abyss of snacks and desserts.

In short, although Ephnel didn’t say it, she was very fond of Yonomikenami’s arrangements.

“Hey, don’t just stare at the food, you.”

Yonomikenami smiled ambiguously, nudging Ephnel with her elbow.

“Tch… who’s staring?”

“You’re practically glued to that cream tart, and you’re telling me not to say anything?”

Ephnel tore her gaze away from the huge tart and shot Yonomikenami a glare.

“Never mind. Aren’t we here to meet the person in charge? Where is she?”

“Right there.”

Ephnel looked in the direction Yonomikenami was pointing.

In front of the expansive floor-to-ceiling window stood a girl in a light blue dress, serene and elegant.

She was holding a small portion of cherry cake, slightly bent over and leaning against the window, nervously looking down at something.

Noticing the footsteps of Ephnel and Yonomikenami, she turned her head, and her clear gaze met Ephnel’s.

“Yuki… Yukina???”

Ephnel suddenly froze on the spot, her sister’s name almost slipping out.

“I told you before, you would definitely like her.”

Yonomikenami’s voice came floating over.

Ephnel stood frozen, her expression growing more and more strange—Yukina’s position in the fan club was not low, but Ephnel had never imagined that this temporary new representative would be Yukina.

At that moment, Ephnel suddenly understood everything.

From the very beginning, Yonomikenami’s meaningful smile was a clear sign that she had known about this all along.