Chapter 126

Ȓεаđ өṅ ​К​ａтȒｅαⅾıոģĊａғ​е

**In the Recording Studio. (2)**

The day after I met Nozomi-san.

“We meet again?”

“Ah, hello…”

Cleaning duty again, maybe?

I didn’t see any cleaning tools around, but since Nozomi-san was here, I greeted her.

She looked a little awkward, glancing at me nervously. I tilted my head and watched as she slowly walked over.

“Um, I just wanted to say sorry about yesterday.”

“It’s really okay. You didn’t know, right?”

Over-apologizing can be a bit much—especially when it’s coming from someone I barely know.

I had planned to get back to what I was doing yesterday, but I figured I’d talk with Nozomi-san for a bit. If I just left her like this, she’d probably keep feeling guilty.

“Are you here to clean again today?”

“Uh, no… today’s my day off.”

“Your day off?”

I gave her outfit a once-over after hearing that.

Her hair was neatly tied up, and she was wearing the same kind of formal suit as yesterday.

…She looked exactly like someone who had come into work.

I mean, why would someone come to the office on their day off?

I stared at her with a confused expression, and she averted her eyes.

“I _was_ planning to rest for the day, but then I suddenly thought about something and came by… ahaha…”

“Even if you suddenly thought of something…”

Setting aside the fact that tomorrow was Saturday—coming to work on your day off is pretty extreme.

What kind of person voluntarily goes to their workplace on a day off?

Well, in my case, my home _was_ my workplace, so I never thought much about it—but still. Coming to the office on a holiday…

It felt like I was witnessing something that shouldn’t exist. Like some kind of cosmic horror.

“Please don’t look at me like that! I really worked up the courage to come, you know?!”

“…I just don’t understand why you’d need that much courage to come here.”

“Because I thought I might get fired from the company I _just_ got hired at!”

“…Huh?”

What did she mean by that?

I blinked in surprise at her sudden comment.

Fired? Who? Nozomi-san?

I didn’t know much about her yet, so I couldn’t say anything definitive, but still—fired? And what would that have to do with coming to find _me_ at work on her day off?

“Because I made someone important cry and even made her carry a rag! I was sure I’d get fired for that!”

“Uh… I’m really not that important of a person…”

I gave her a look, silently urging her to explain.

And then, Nozomi-san began her story—and it was surprisingly shocking.

Apparently, someone had seen me carrying the rag yesterday.

“…”

“And then that person asked me if I even knew who you were, and started grilling me about what I’d done…”

Her explanation took a surprising turn.

Turns out I was treated like someone very important within the company—and I hadn’t even realized it.

They said that after my debut, the company’s revenue had skyrocketed.

More precisely, my presence had caused more collabs among the original three talents, and a lot of Han Yeoreum’s previous fans had transitioned into loyal supporters of the new group.

To those who understood the situation, Ichinose Natsu was seen as a literal jackpot.

And once the fact that I was a twin came to light, people’s perception apparently just shot straight through the roof.

‘…So _that’s_ why people kept staring at me whenever I walked by.’

I thought they were just curious about my unusual hair and eye color!

I let out a deep sigh, making a mental note to start wearing a wig and hat inside the building from now on.

Why do people like someone like me, who has nothing particularly great going for them, this much?

I started to worry for a moment, but right now calming down the clearly panicking Nozomi-san was more important.

“Nozomi-san.”

“Y-yes!”

“You’re not going to be fired, okay? So please, relax. I’m really fine. Or should I go tell the CEO not to even think about firing you?”

When I said that, she frantically waved her hands, saying that wouldn’t be necessary.

Yeah… maybe it’s best if I just don’t say anything to anyone about it.

Anyway, as our conversation continued, the misunderstanding slowly began to clear up.

When she wasn’t panicking, Nozomi-san turned out to be a surprisingly normal person.

At first, she gave off the vibe of an older sister-type, but now she felt more like a younger sister who had just entered the workforce.

“You really are a good person, Ichinose-san.”

“That’s a weird compliment to hear…”

“I’ll devote my life to you! I’ll repay the insult of making you carry that rag!”

“Instead of calling it an insult, can you just think of it as me doing you a small favor…?”

“Let’s go with that!”

She’s definitely a weird one.

Just moments ago, she looked like she was about to cry—now she looked absolutely touched.

I still don’t really understand this fresh-out-of-school emotional energy.

But maybe this wasn’t just about Nozomi-san—it reminded me of my past self too.

When I first started working, I think I was kind of like that.

‘I’d get all emotional over small kindnesses, and freak out over little mistakes.’

If I made a small error, I’d worry people thought I was incompetent. If someone was a little nice, I’d be overly moved.

Back then, I used to wonder if I was just being overly sensitive. But seeing Nozomi-san now… maybe it wasn’t even that big of a deal.

It just helps to see someone who reacts even more extremely than I did.

“Anyway, you said today’s your day off, right? Now that we’ve cleared things up, maybe it’s time for you to head home and rest—”

“I’ll stay by your side.”

“You really don’t have to, though.”

“I’ll stay!”

Yup. She’s weird.

She said she couldn’t leave now that she was already at the office, at least not before everyone else finished work.

I sighed quietly as I looked at her.

I guess if someone comes to work on their day off _and_ goes home before lunch, people _would_ look at them funny.

…No, I mean—it’s already weird to come to the office on your day off to begin with.

Or is this like, “Maybe she wasn’t actually on vacation after all!” kind of illusion she’s trying to create?

“Actually, it’s because I’m embarrassed.”

I mean, I’ve sung on streams and during lives before, but singing face-to-face with someone was probably a first for me.

Well, there _was_ Koyuki, but that was just a children’s song. And we’re twins—so it doesn’t count! She’s practically me!

When I reacted awkwardly, Nozomi-san gave me a look of understanding.

Okay, I’m glad she gets it—

“I’ll make sure you’re not embarrassed anymore!”

—or not.

I buried my face in my palm as Nozomi-san confidently made her declaration.

What I need right now is a calm and quiet environment to work in, _not_ some motivational pep talk, okay?

When I looked at her with that in mind, she averted her eyes.

I really do think this is just how people act when they want to be around me.

Like Toya or Inari.

“A-actually, I know a _little_—just a _tiny bit_!—about music. Ehehe…”

“You sing well?”

“W-well… I mean, I _guess_ I sing well? Compared to most people, I think I’m a little above average… maybe?”

As soon as I said it, I wondered if that was a rude question—but she didn’t seem to take it badly.

In fact, she seemed rather confident in her own singing ability.

Most people would say they were average or not good at all—but her answer showed she had some pride in it.

“I used to do a bit of busking! And I’ve done live performances at small venues too! Not that many people came, but still…”

“That’s amazing, being able to sing in front of people.”

“Aw, it’s not _that_ impressive… ehe…”

She’s so easy.

Even the smallest compliment made her beam with pride.

Well, if she’s sung in front of people before, I guess it’s fair for her to feel confident.

Hmm… maybe I should ask her for help?

Normally I’d ask Toya, but this is a project I want to keep a secret from her.

Fables