Confessions From the Shadows: My Eyes Were Always on You, Sakura Miko
Hololive Production. A place where countless talents sparkle and shine. Everyone's eyes are glued to the stars laughing on stage. But not mine. My eyes were always on that girl in the corner of the hallway, practicing her dance moves desperately, messing up again and again.
My name is Shirase Kotone. As a plain, ordinary staff member, I have always watched her from the shadows. Miko-senpai—Sakura Miko. A person who stumbles so many times, looks like she's about to burst into tears, yet still ma
Confessions From the Shadows: My Eyes Were Always on You, Sakura Miko - Awakening — The Truth of What Must Be Protected
Only Miko's voice echoed through the room.
"...Kotone-san, are you okay right now?"
The hand gripping her smartphone trembled.
Kotone stood frozen in the middle of her dark room. She'd been crying until just moments ago, but the tears had already stopped. In their place, a tight, crushing pain spread deep within her chest.
(*Miko-senpai's voice is shaking.*)
It was the same voice from that night — when she'd been crying alone in the underground restroom. Weak, fragile, on the verge of breaking, yet still desperate to cling to someone. That kind of voice.
"Miko-senpai... I..."
Her voice came out hoarse. She didn't know what to say. About Yukino, about Ryou-san, about becoming a surveillance target. But she couldn't say any of it.
"...Kotone-san, you haven't been coming to the studio lately."
Miko's voice grew even smaller.
"I was lonely. I kept thinking... if Kotone-san were here, Miko would feel so much more at ease."
—Something snapped inside her head.
Kotone gasped. No — her breath stopped entirely.
(*Lonely?*)
(*Because I wasn't there?*)
It was impossible. Miko-senpai had countless fans, staff members, Yukino. She'd always believed that someone like her wouldn't make any difference whether she was there or not.
But still—.
"Senpai, I've... been watching your streams too. All this time."
Her voice trembled. But she couldn't stop.
"That night, too — I was watching the whole time. I'm the only one who knows just how hard you work, more than anyone else. So..."
Tears began spilling over again.
"Tomorrow, I'll definitely come to the studio. I'll come see you, Senpai."
"...Okay. I'll be waiting."
The call ended.
Kotone clutched her smartphone to her chest and sank down on the spot.
Miko-senpai needed her.
That fact alone made the despair from moments ago feel like it was melting away, just a little.
(*I won't run anymore.*)
(*If it's to protect Senpai — I'll do anything.*)
She wiped her tears and lifted her face.
The next morning, 5:30 AM.
In the entrance of Cover Tower, still empty of people, only Kotone's footsteps echoed.
She passed through the dimly lit corridor and headed for the sixth floor. She'd seen Ryou's summons message just thirty minutes ago.
(*What could he want at this hour?*)
A bad feeling swirled deep in her chest.
Ryou stood in front of the kitchenette. His short, neatly trimmed black hair, his tired-looking, gentle brown eyes. Today, he'd removed his glasses and was touching the back of his neck with his right hand.
"...You came. Good, Shirasawa-san."
"Good morning. Um, what did you want to talk about?"
Ryou held out the envelope in his hand toward Kotone.
"Open it."
When Kotone opened the envelope, inside was a bundle of old documents. The edges of the yellowed paper were frayed, bearing marks as if they'd been copied over and over again.
"These are the cover-up documents from the Nanasan Incident three years ago."
Kotone's hands stopped.
"The truth that wasn't written in the official reports is here. The staff and talents at the time were set up by a faction war within upper management. TRG was established as a tool for power struggles."
She flipped through the documents.
Written there, in dispassionate detail, were the names of upper management who had maneuvered behind the scenes of the scandal at the time, the originals of fabricated evidence photos, records of how internal whistleblowing had been suppressed.
"...Why do you have this, Ryou-san?"
"I don't want to sacrifice anyone anymore."
Ryou leaned wearily against the wall.
"Three years ago, I couldn't stop that incident. I made excuses, saying it was the rules, and turned a blind eye. As a result, one staff member resigned, and a talent ceased her activities."
Ryou's voice trembled, just slightly.
"Your situation resembles Nanasan. Something might be set up for Sakura Miko's birthday event too. Fight for what you truly need to protect."
Kotone gripped the documents tightly.
Following TRG. Obeying the rules. She'd thought that was the right way for a staff member to be.
But — it wasn't.
"...Ryou-san."
She raised her face.
"I won't hesitate anymore. If it's to protect Miko-senpai, rules and everything else — none of that matters."
As Ryou put his glasses back on, he smiled just a little.
"...Hmm. That's a good look in your eyes."
9:00 AM.
In the hallway of the streaming studio, Kotone stopped in her tracks.
From the shadow of a pillar, a girl with swaying silver hair appeared. Straight hair reaching down her back, with only the right side braided. Her pale, snow-like light blue eyes stared intently at Kotone.
"Hey, Kotone-san. I'm going to tell Miko-senpai everything today. About how you got in my way."
Yukino wore a mischievous, impish smile as she peered into Kotone's face.
The old Kotone would have trembled in fear right here.
But — now was different.
"I treasure Miko-senpai more than anyone."
Yukino's smile froze in an instant.
"I won't let anyone deny that. Not you, not upper management, not TRG."
"...Wh-what are you saying?"
Kotone looked straight into Yukino's eyes.
"Besides, you must realize it too, deep down. What you really want isn't to collaborate with Miko-senpai. It's to secure your position within the agency — isn't that right?"
The smile vanished completely from Yukino's face.
"N-no, it's not! Yukino really does admire Miko-senpai—"
"It's true that you admire her, isn't it? But more than that, you're impatient. Because you're a newcomer, you feel you have to produce results quickly. You need someone to acknowledge you. Isn't that right?"
Yukino bit her lip. Her large eyes grew moist, welling up rapidly.
"...What do you know about it?"
Her voice trembled. The mask of the little devil cracked and peeled away audibly.
(*This girl is lonely too.*)
Kotone realized it for the first time. Yukino's aggressive attitude, her sudden approach toward Miko — all of it was the flip side of her terror of being abandoned by others.
"Won't you make a deal with me?"
Yukino, holding back tears, looked up.
"I want to protect Miko-senpai. You want to secure your place within the agency. Why don't we cooperate for each other's goals?"
Yukino fell silent for a while. Then, she gave a small nod.
11:00 AM.
In the back seats of the café "Moondrop," Kotone and Yukino sat facing each other.
It was a small shop, the scent of blended coffee drifting through the air. Fourteen seats in total. There were no other customers.
"...Yukino... really does love Miko-senpai, you know."
Yukino wrapped both hands around her cup and murmured quietly.
"But I was just as scared. I'm a newcomer, I don't have any achievements yet, and I could get fired any time. So I was desperate."
Kotone nodded silently.
"The way you look at Miko-senpai, Kotone-san... it's so gentle, but it also looks like it hurts so much. I was jealous. I wished I could feel that way about someone too."
Tears streamed down Yukino's cheeks.
"...Yukino-san, you're not alone."
Kotone spoke quietly.
"Me, Miko-senpai, Ryou-san, all the staff at the agency — we all recognize your talent. So please, don't be in such a hurry. You already have a place where you belong."
Yukino laughed through her tears.
"...What's with that? Saying that to me, your enemy."
"I don't think of you as an enemy. You're a rival. We both treasure Miko-senpai."
Kotone explained the plan.
The concrete steps to turn upper management's conspiracy against them at the main event. Yukino listened with a serious expression.
"...Got it. Yukino will cooperate. But this is only because I don't want to lose to you."
Though she put on a brave front, Yukino showed Kotone a genuine smile for the first time.
Kotone gave a small nod.
At that moment — her smartphone vibrated in her chest pocket.
She looked at the screen. An incoming call from Ryou.
"...Hello?"
"Shirasawa-san, we've got a problem."
Ryou's voice was more urgent than she'd ever heard it.
"A faction within upper management has started moving. There's a high possibility you'll be placed under suspension before tomorrow's event. The time you have left is just today."
Kotone gasped.
(*It's finally here.*)
"...Ryou-san, I have a request. Before I'm suspended, please let me handle just the final preparations for tomorrow's event. Even if it means I end up resigning."
She sensed Yukino gasp beside her.
On the other end of the call, after a long silence, Ryou let out a sigh.
"...Hmm. If you're willing to go that far, then it's a superior's duty to at least prepare a final stage for your grand exit."
"...Thank you so much."
She ended the call.
Kotone drained the cold coffee left in her cup.
The bitter taste slid down her throat.
"...Are you really prepared to resign?"
Yukino asked in a trembling voice.
"I'm here to protect Miko-senpai. Even if I lose everything for that, I won't have any regrets."
Kotone's voice didn't waver.
She stood up and placed the money for her coffee on the table.
"...Well then, I'll see you at the event. Yukino-san."
Without looking back, Kotone pushed open the café door.
Outside, it was almost noon.
The sun reflected off the glass windows of Cover Tower, shining brilliantly.
She walked out into that light.
Her final day was beginning.
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