Theft

Like a dream, the time in Atami was over as quickly as it began. Sakuya entered the training studio on Tuesday afternoon to find Jun already waiting. Haruki was out on an individual photoshoot that day.

“Back from your honeymoon?”

“What? Who told you that?”

“No one. I asked in which hotel you stayed and deduced the rest.”

“Smartass. Did you tell Haru-kun?”

“No. I figured you two have enough bad vibes between you right now as is. What happened so suddenly? Is it a woman?”

“That’s a part of it,” Sakuya said truthfully. He loathed lying and didn’t want to start with his friend.

“Can you fix it?”

“It’s not my place to fix, unfortunately.”

“Great. Just—”

“I know, I know. Keep it together. Keep it professional.”

“As long as you know. Did you have a look at the new steps?”

“I studied them together with the video on the way back to Tokyo.”

Jun jumped up and held out his hand. “Well, let’s see what you remember.”

——

Wednesday started like every weekday—with a morning rush. Kana worked through it like every day, letting the routine and the smell of the freshly ground coffee settle her.

“Did you see the news? Some crazy fans broke into a group’s hotel room and stole their things.”

“Can you even call people like that fans? Sounds more like stalkers to me.”

“What’s the group’s name?”

“They’re that casting show group ‘Candy Apple’.”

Kana’s head whipped around towards the group of women waiting for their takeaway orders to be done.

“What happened to the fans?” she asked. It was not unusual for her to chat with customers, so she had no qualms to ask.

“I don’t know. I don’t think they caught them yet.”

“Aren’t there security cameras in those hotels?”

“Yeah, they released some pictures, but they’re pretty blurry.”

“Why put up the cameras at all then?”

Kana frowned. She handed out the coffees and the second the shop was empty, reached for her phone. It wasn’t hard to find the article. Not top news, but still spread widely enough because they hoped the pictures from the camera would be recognised by someone.

With a sinking feeling of dread, Kana realised that she might be that someone. She opened her messenger app.

09:13 [Kana] I saw the news. Are you alright?

09:17 [Sakuya] Yeah. They broke in last Saturday when we were out shooting on the beach. It was Jun’s room. He’s… well none of us are okay, but he’s okay considering

Kana stared at the message, her breath coming slightly faster.

09:18 [Sakuya] I think you were right when you said there might be a mole in the team.

Just then another customer entered the cafe and she turned off her phone, but her thoughts still circled.

——

[Communication from Sasaki Jun of Candy Apple confirms that personal items of his have been stolen from his hotel room in Atami. The theft took place during the group’s stay to film scenes for their upcoming MV. Jun spoke out on social media, forgiving the fans for their transgression, saying they’re welcome to keep the clothes they took, but hopes they realise that their actions were a break of trust and would ultimately harm not only themselves, but the relationship between fans and artists in general.]

“I think he was too diplomatic,” Kana said, rolling over her bed.

Sakuya had called her after work to assure her he was alright, and she had picked up because she needed to know, despite it all.

“The statement was prepared together with PR. Nothing much he could do.”

Kana gnashed her teeth.

“I know, I feel the same. But the police are involved and advised us not to publish a harsher statement until the thieves are caught. They fear that negative sentiment may lead people to hide them. Besides, negative statements in general…” Sakuya trailed off.

“I went though media training too. Doesn’t mean I agree with it.”

“Mhm.”

“Are there better pictures from the security cameras? Some they only showed you?”

“Unfortunately not. Doesn’t seem like the thieves knew where the cameras were, but the quality is ass, so it doesn’t really matter in the end. Uhm. Kana-chan?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for picking up the call. I wasn’t sure you would.”

“Sakuya, I don’t suddenly hate you. Quite the opposite in fact.”

“I’m glad. Can I come by your place again?”

“Only if you actually buy a coffee this time.”

She could hear Sakuya’s grin in his voice.

“As you command. To be honest, I don’t know when I can come over. The other two know where I go, and can cover for me, but it’ll get suspicious fast.”

“I don’t think Haruki would cover for you.”

“I’m not gonna try to convince you of his character.”

“You better not. I realise we haven’t really talked about Jun all that much. Wasn’t he first place in the whole casting show?”

Sakuya’s voice immediately brightened. “He’s such a good egg. I’m so happy I made the band with him. He’s the quiet type, but you can feel that he cares and he was very popular for that, not only with the fans. He’s the type you know will have your back.”

“Did you tell him what I said about Haruki?”

“Not yet. Honestly, I don’t know how to bring it up, even. Haruki doesn’t behave any differently and the atmosphere hasn’t changed much.”

Kana took a deep breath. “Haruki knows you and me are…”

“Yeah. But he hasn’t asked anything.”

She felt like looking at a lit fuse. There was no way he’d let it go. Unless… those three years really had changed him. He had seemed different in the cafe. The hostile one had been her. Kana sighed.

“It’ll all come out at some point.”

“Yeah. I know. I’ll handle it.”

“You keep saying that.”

“And I mean it.”

“Mhm. I trust you.”

Sakuya sucked in a breath. “You do?”

“As ill-advised as it is.”

“Hey.”

Kana chuckled. “Good night, Sakuya.”

“Good night, Kana-chan.”