Ryosuke was sitting anxiously in the exclusive booth of a luxurious restaurant one night. With him were Anji-san and his personal manager, Sugiyama-san. He and Sugiyama-san just arrived a moment ago from his individual jobs then met Anji-san. They currently were waiting for more people to come.

“When will they arrive?” he asked Anji-san who was the one organized the meeting.

Looking at his watch, Anji-san answered, “In about a quarter hour from now. Johnny-san himself will arrive later after attending some business.”

A waiter came serving drinks for them, and he took some gulps before taking out his script for his coming drama. Sugiyama-san excused himself to make a call while Anji-san was busy with his phone, seemed replying to messages. Shrugging, he decided to just memorize the script. Yet, his mind could not concentrate, instead drifted to another thought.

It had been a week since he visited Mirai and confessed to her. He had received her answer about Akira’s case two days ago, and had told Johnny-san about it. That was why this meeting was held. Johnny-san intended to gather all JUMP members and their individual managers to talk about the matter, because this case would affect all of them.

His phone buzzed, and he immediately picked up the call. It was Kanata. Lately they contacted each other more frequently, communicating about the progress of the case.

“When we should file the law suit?” Kanata asked.

“I’m discussing it. I’ll inform you once we have decided.” He answered.

“Alright. And, just for you to know, Suzuki Kaji-san has offered to help.”

Kaji-san was once a lawyer before he pursued the career in diplomacy.

“Ah, it’s very good,” he replied. “His knowledge in the law will be useful.”

“Yes. Then, I’ll be waiting for your news.” Kanata said to end the call.

Once he put down his phone, he heard Anji-san asked. “Was that Hongo Kanata?”

“Yes.”

“You’re quite lucky to have many supports in this case, Yamada,” Anji-san remarked.

“Lucky?” He pondered over the remark. “Yes, I think you’re right.”

“I hope we’ll have all the good luck so that it will go as we plan it.”

He only replied with a small smile. He caught the sarcasm in Anji-san’s words. After all, Anji-san was strongly against the plan Johnny-san had made for this case. He understood it very well, for he himself could not get rid of his anxiety over the plan. It was like a boomerang that could hit them back if they were not careful.

As Anji-san returned to busy himself with his phone, silence hang in the air. He put his script into his bag, then browsed into the messages in his own phone. The recent messages were mostly from Kanata, discussing about Mirai and the preparation for their plan.

He sighed inwardly as remembering about Kanata reminded him of another memory which was painful yet necessary to be done. The said memory replayed in his mind.

“It’s because I love you and I want you to be able to admit that you love me back.” He confessed to Mirai that night.

Mirai widened her eyes though she had known it long before.

“I... don’t.” She stuttered. “I’ve told you before. I... love someone else, Yamada-kun.”

“Who? Hongo Kanata?” He taunted more.

“Y-yes.”

Before he could form a reply, the door behind him was pushed open.

“Stop using me as your cover, Mirai,” suddenly Kanata’s voice interrupted.

Mirai gasped in horror while he turned around and saw Kanata stood on the door.

“Ka-Kanata... did you hear...?” Mirai was panicked.

Kanata stepped slowly approaching them. “I heard everything from the momen he confessed to you.”

“It’s... that...,” Mirai stuttered worse.

“That’s all lies,” Kanata straightly cut her off. “If you really love me, how if I say that I love you back more than as friends?”

“Wh-what... are you saying, Kanata?” Mirai’s shocked face had him wanted to stop Kanata from continuing, but he also wanted to see how she would react.

“I love you just as Yamada does,” Kanata replied. “If you really love me, can you just tell Yamada that you choose me over him?”

Mirai’s gaze immediately turned to him and he could see the fear in her eyes. He did not want to pressure her, but...

“I... I can’t.” Mirai lowered her gaze, then she looked back to Kanata, saying, “You two are precious for me. I can’t choose one over the other.”

“Please, stop lying, Mirai. You’re too obvious, don’t you know? In the hospital, when you were in trance, you only responded to him. You are denying the fact that you love Yamada, because you want to protect him, am I wrong?”

Mirai kept shaking her head. He was not sure whether it was a negation or her way to ask Kanata to stop talking.

“But, do you realize that you did it all wrong?” Kanata did not stop. “You want to protect him, but by denying your feeling, you only hurt him. By using me to cover it, you hurt me. But worse is, you hurt yourself, and that make us hurt even more. So, stop lying, Mirai.”

Mirai’s tears streamed down, and he wanted so badly to brushed it off.

“No...,” she started taking steps backward. “I don’t hurt anyone. I don’t love anyone. You’re wrong, Kanata.”

“Mirai...” he and Kanata called in sync.

“NO! Please, stop it!” Mirai’s histeric voice invited Kazumi to come over immediately. “Please...stop... I don’t want to hear...”

“Mirai,” Kazumi pulled Mirai into her embrace.

“I don’t hurt anyone, Kazumi...”

Kazumi made a soothing noise, “Ssh, calm down. Let’s get you to rest.”

Kazumi led the crying Mirai away after sending reprimanding look to both him and her brother.

He sighed. What happened that night had caused another trauma for Mirai. Tachibana-san scolded them when she came to the house an hour after Kazumi called her to inform the state Mirai was in. It was surprising even for him because that was the first time he saw how the usually composed Kanata boiled in anger that had made him provoke Mirai by confessing.

“How is she, Tachibana-san?” He soon asked when Tachibana-san came out from Mirai’s chamber.

“I have her drink sleeping pill. Kazumi is accompanying her.” Tachibana-san took a seat beside Kanata, right across him. “What happened actually?”

He waited Kanata to answer but since the latter seemed unwilling to speak, he told the elder about his visit and what happened afterward. Tachibana-san obviously got upset hearing the story.

“Both of you confessed at the same time? And force her to answer?”

“It’s not like that,” he tried to explain better.

“I was the one who forced her, Sensei,” Kanata eventually spoke. “I asked her to admit her true feeling.”

Tachibana-san shook her head disapprovingly, “I’ve told you, Kanata. Don’t force her. She needs to realize it by herself. What you did just now might cause her another shock. How could you be so careless?”

“I was angry, Sensei. I lost myself. Sorry.” Kanata replied with remorse.

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