Sakura Airi's Past

"I've always been very shy since I was little."

Opening with those words, Sakura spoke while timidly sneaking glances at Hoshino's expression. Hoshino smiled faintly and reached out to take her little hand. Sakura blushed and struggled twice, but could not pull free, so she let him hold it. At the same time, she seemed to lose her nervousness, and her voice became much steadier as she continued.

"I... I never had many friends either, because I couldn't do anything, and nobody liked playing with me... Sometimes, I even found those lively, cheerful kids my age a little scary. I didn't dare get close to them. Before I knew it, I had always been alone."

Hoshino gazed tenderly at her profile and asked, "What happened after that?"

"After that... it was the usual sort of thing. Unremarkable people like me would always get bullied a little at school..." Sakura's voice gradually fell. "Actually, it was only a little bullying. Maybe I was really too inconspicuous back then. Even the classmates who liked picking on people never noticed me."

Hoshino paused slightly, then wrapped both hands around Sakura's small hand as if to comfort her.

Sakura gave him a shy smile and continued, "Then, because of my father's work transfer, my family moved, and I transferred to a new school. There was nobody there I knew before. My mother thought it might be an opportunity for me to change, so she encouraged me to apply for a magazine's photo model audition. She said that kind of work would let me meet more people and would be good practice for me."

"And then you became a gravure idol."

"At first... Mom hoped I could become part of a singing-and-dancing idol group, but that required strong communication skills. I was someone who was afraid even to speak to a makeup artist..." Sakura gently shook her head. "Later, I became a gravure idol because the job didn't require me to deal with too many people. The photography team was relatively fixed, and I didn't have to appear in public either..."

"I think that job suits you quite well too. And you really did a great job. I looked at your blog—you have over a hundred thousand followers."

Hoshino was telling the truth. As an idol who had debuted not long ago, Sakura—or rather, "Shizuku"—had seen her popularity rise quickly thanks to her sweet looks and outstanding figure. Though she was still far from top-tier celebrities, she could already be considered a rising star who drew attention within the industry.

But—

"Did something happen afterward?" Hoshino asked quietly. "I looked up the records. Shizuku's idol activities suddenly came to a halt last year. I guessed that something must have happened then, causing you to abruptly stop working and choose to come to this school, cut off from the outside world."

The instant he saw Sakura's reaction, Hoshino knew his guess had basically been correct.

"So Hoshino already knew."

"No, it was only a guess... Did something really happen? If Sakura doesn't want to talk about it, you don't have to."

"No, it's not some secret I can't tell." Sakura stubbornly shook her head. "During the second semester of my third year of middle school, I was harassed by a so-called 'stalker fan.' I don't know how, but that person found out my home and school addresses."

Remembering those unpleasant memories, Sakura's face darkened. "During that time, that person would often wait outside the school and follow me all the way home. Not to mention the messages online—even the mailbox at home would always be stuffed with letters full of nonsense."

"The worst time was when he lay in wait near my house and rushed at me when I got close, trying to hug me. Luckily, the man next door heard the noise and came over, helping me out..." Sakura suddenly sucked in a breath. "Hoshino, y-you're hurting me..."

Only then did Hoshino realize that, in his anger, he had unconsciously gripped Sakura's hand too tightly. He hurriedly released her. "Sorry."

"It's okay..."

"It won't hurt after I blow on it." Hoshino held Sakura's little hand and theatrically blew on it.

Sakura lightly bit her lower lip, staring unblinkingly at Hoshino with her large eyes. Her hand and her heart both felt a little itchy.

The feeling was strange, and it vanished the moment she became aware of it.

"Hoshino..." Sakura gently curled her fingers. "It doesn't hurt anymore..."

"Oh." Hoshino naturally took Sakura's hand again, placed it on his lap, and continued kneading her soft, boneless little hand. "Uh, where were we?"

Sakura pursed her lips and gazed at him reproachfully. "Kaka was right. Hoshino really does seize every chance to get handsy with girls."

"Then will Sakura hate me?"

Sakura shook her head. "I won't hate Hoshino."

"Then I'll take a mile." Hoshino smiled and opened his arms, pulling Sakura into an embrace. The girl's soft, delicate body stiffened for a moment before she melted against him.

Hoshino contentedly held her hand and continued playing with it. Sakura did not want to resist either. After steadying her breathing a little, she chose to continue her earlier story. "After that incident, I was so scared that I didn't even dare leave my room. I could only take a leave of absence and stay home. Since I couldn't go to the shooting locations, my idol activities had to be suspended too."

"What happened to the guy who was stalking you in the end?"

"He was scared off at the time. We called the police afterward, but there was no concrete evidence that he had committed any actual assault, so in the end, nothing came of it." Sakura let out a quiet sigh. "I only heard that the person who sent me harassing letters, the one who followed me outside school, and the one who ambushed and attacked me near my house were not the same person. I don't know much about the details."

"I see..." Hoshino pondered for a moment, already having made up his mind.

He held the girl in his arms even tighter and whispered into her ear, "Sakura, what happened before is in the past. No matter what happens from now on, I'll protect you. Don't worry."

"You already protected me today..." Sakura recalled how, in the club activity building not long ago, Hoshino had suddenly rushed out and driven back that vicious man. Her heart was filled with a sense of safety. "Thank you..."

"Hoshino's arms are really warm... I want to keep leaning against him like this forever..." A trace of tenderness lingered in the girl's heart. She tilted her head slightly, resting her cheek against Hoshino's chest. Listening to his strong heartbeat, she gradually became immersed in its rhythm.

"Sakura," Hoshino's gentle voice sounded beside her ear, "do you like being a gravure idol?"

"That..." Sakura hesitated for a while. "I don't know."

"Don't overthink it. Just consider this: if you removed every other interfering factor, would you still want to start working as a gravure idol again?" As Hoshino spoke, he rubbed his cheek against the top of her head. The girl's hair smelled wonderfully sweet. "No matter what you decide, I'll support you."