Chapter Fifty-Seven: I Hope You Never Remember

The two of them arrived at the entrance to the backstage corridor, where they were quickly stopped by a staff member with an official badge.

“I’m here to see Norika Hoshino. Could you please call her?” Chen Zi’ang said seriously.

Hearing the name Norika Hoshino, Suzuna Tsukimiya breathed an internal sigh of relief. So it was just someone who knew her manager.

“You need something with Ms. Hoshino?” The staff member, a short-haired young woman, eyed him with suspicion.

“Public Safety Officer.” Chen Zi’ang showed his phone, where his ID, complete with photo, was displayed.

“Oh, Public Safety Officer—wait, why is it a photo?” The young woman frowned. “Where’s your physical ID?”

“I need to see Norika Hoshino, not Maki Kiryu,” Chen Zi’ang replied, putting away his phone. “If something happens, can you take responsibility for her?”

The question startled her, and she quickly pulled out her phone and dialed:

“Hello, Norika? There’s someone here claiming to be a Public Safety Officer who wants to see you. Yes, at Exit Three…”

Norika Hoshino hurried over, and when she saw Chen Zi’ang, she was momentarily stunned.

“It’s you?”

“Ms. Hoshino,” Chen Zi’ang said quickly, “I need a word in private. It concerns an important security issue at this concert.”

If someone else had said this, it would have been impossible to earn her trust so easily. But Chen Zi’ang moved in those circles, and he had once cured Maki Kiryu’s nightmares…

“Come inside,” she said coolly, gesturing them in.

Inside an empty meeting room, just as Norika Hoshino was about to ask a question, Chen Zi’ang spoke rapidly:

“We’re working with the Public Safety Bureau. We’ve identified 24 ticket-holders who have recently visited an epidemic zone outside Polar City. They must be taken for immediate quarantine. If the disease spreads in a packed venue like the Budokan, it’ll be impossible to contain.”

“Epidemic zone?” Norika Hoshino repeated in disbelief. “What epidemic zone?”

“Lingyi Town.” Suzuna Tsukimiya handed over her phone, displaying the official notice that Lingyi Town had been placed under lockdown. “Please, read this.”

Norika Hoshino opened the link. It was indeed an official announcement from the Polar City transportation department, stating that all buses to Lingyi Town were suspended due to public health concerns, and passengers on these routes were to report to the Public Safety Bureau at once.

“How do you know 24 of them came to the Budokan for the concert?” Norika Hoshino pressed, rubbing her temples in frustration. “Where did that number come from?”

Though she didn’t directly refuse, her circuitous questioning showed her reluctance to cooperate, even if she couldn’t yet find a reason to say no. Chen Zi’ang grew anxious and explained quickly:

“The Public Safety Bureau has already sent official text messages to those 24 individuals, instructing them to report immediately for screening.”

“But in a concert environment, most people won’t even notice a text. We have the list and their seat numbers, but the venue is too large for us to contact each person individually. That’s why we need your help—just remind these fans to check their phones and escort them out of the Budokan.”

“If this is an official request, we’ll certainly cooperate,” Norika Hoshino finally voiced her concern. “But how can I verify your claims? I need solid evidence, not an ID photo that could be doctored or a website notice.”

“If I may,” Suzuna Tsukimiya interjected, “didn’t the Public Safety Bureau send official texts? Find one person from the list, check their messages, and that should prove it’s real.”

“Text messages aren’t proof,” Norika Hoshino insisted, shaking her head. “If a cell tower is hacked, a spoofing program can fake a sender’s number. If you want to search privately, that’s your business, but if I use the organizer’s authority and it turns out to be false, we’ll face backlash…”

Chen Zi’ang’s frown deepened. This manager was far too cautious. Instead of arguing, it might be faster to just track down the seat numbers himself!

He was just about to give up when a familiar voice sounded from outside the door:

“Norika, do as he asks.”

Xia Zili swept into the room, still dressed in her extravagant stage costume. She smiled at Chen Zi’ang and then turned her gaze to Suzuna Tsukimiya.

Though Suzuna wore a pleasant expression, she was inwardly swearing up a storm.

“Huh?” Xia Zili thought to herself. This girl looks… oddly familiar.

But she knew there was no time to waste. She turned back to Norika Hoshino.

“If this truly is a highly infectious disease, we need to find those people immediately. If it spreads any further, the consequences could be disastrous.”

“But what if it’s a false alarm…” Norika Hoshino said, half-laughing in exasperation.

Yuki, are you too trusting? Do you just believe anything people say?

“I trust he wouldn’t lie to us,” Xia Zili said, turning to Chen Zi’ang with sincerity. “What would be the point? For fun? To cause trouble? It just doesn’t add up.”

Norika Hoshino fell silent, unconvinced by Xia Zili’s faith.

The longer you work in this business, the more you understand that in a vast forest, all sorts of birds exist. For example, fan gifts were always handled by assistants, since in the past, a fan had hidden razor blades inside a plush bear, leaving the star with a cut hand… Who knew what kind of oddballs lurked in a crowd this size?

But since Maki Kiryu had spoken, Norika Hoshino could hardly contradict her own star—such pragmatism was a manager’s survival skill. At Maki Kiryu’s level, it was the agency that needed her, not the other way around.

“Alright,” Norika Hoshino decided swiftly and efficiently. “Give me the list. I’ll assign staff to the task.”

“Thank you.” Chen Zi’ang quickly added her as a contact and sent over the list.

The Public Safety Bureau’s list was straightforward: name, age, gender, and ticket seat number.

Norika Hoshino glanced at it, added Chen Zi’ang to the staff group chat, and assigned the list to four employees.

Though the organizers were finally cooperating, Chen Zi’ang remained on edge. He thanked both Norika Hoshino and Xia Zili earnestly before hurrying off.

He needed to ensure all twenty-four individuals were found and gathered outside—none could be missed.

Suzuna Tsukimiya lingered behind. As she was about to leave, she turned back to Xia Zili.

“So you haven’t remembered, have you?”

“Remembered what?” Xia Zili paused, then her eyes lit with hope. “You know me, don’t you? You feel it too? Even though we’re strangers, it’s as if we’ve known each other for years…”

Norika Hoshino, standing by, was thoroughly confused and about to interrupt, but Suzuna only smiled.

It was a smile tinged with meaning, almost mischievous, as if she were harboring some secret:

“If you haven’t remembered, then I hope you never do. Honestly, you seem well-suited to being a singer. Let’s leave it at that—I wish you great success with your concert.”

With that, she turned and left without a backward glance.

“What’s with her?” Norika Hoshino grumbled, annoyed.

Though she couldn’t make sense of the exchange, the faint malice in the other’s tone was unmistakable.

But the next instant, Norika Hoshino’s blood pressure shot up.

For Xia Zili had suddenly burst through the door and rushed out.