Ah, is this one of those classic misunderstanding tropes you see in light novels?
Kyo imagined the scene from Mana's perspective, picturing the layout of the break room in her mind.
It was easy to tell—standing at the doorway, Mana wouldn't have seen the towel in Uika's hand.
Instead, what she would have seen was her usually reliable and mature partner reaching toward a half-dressed girl she had only met a few minutes ago.
Honestly, that reaction made sense.
Kyo glanced at Mana, who was flailing in the air, nearly dropping the box of donuts in her hands. She seemed like she was about to back away—possibly to flee the room entirely.
Letting this misunderstanding spiral out of control could be amusing, but since this whole situation was technically her fault, Kyo figured she should step in before things escalated.
It seemed she had subconsciously equated the break room with a school locker room. Getting changed here probably wasn't considered normal.
She was just about to explain herself when Uika spoke first.
"Mana, calm down. The manager has told you many times to learn how to stay composed."
As she spoke, Uika raised her hand, waving the towel for Mana to see. The ever-present gentle smile on her face had a reassuring effect.
"O-Oh! R-Right, yeah! Haha… Of course! I knew Uika wouldn't do something like that!"
Mana let out an awkward laugh, though the lingering blush on her face showed she hadn't completely recovered from the initial shock. She clutched the donut box tighter and finally stepped inside.
"Seriously, what kind of image do you have of me?"
Uika sighed in mock exasperation, her playful tone effortlessly dispelling the last traces of awkwardness in the air. The atmosphere quickly returned to its usual lightheartedness.
Kyo watched the whole exchange in silence.
Uika hadn't been flustered at all by the unexpected situation. She remained completely composed, quickly assessed the misunderstanding, and within seconds, had soothed the panicked Mana and brought the conversation back on track.
So this is the level of emotional control expected from a rising star in the entertainment industry… Impressive.
Mana bounced over to the table and set the box down, but she kept sneaking little glances at Kyo.
It was clear that she was both embarrassed and curious about this so-called "prodigy" who was supposedly their age.
But she didn't realize that her subtle glances were anything but—both Uika and Kyo had noticed them instantly.
Without a word, Uika unfolded the towel in her hands and draped it over Kyo's shoulders like a shawl, covering most of her upper body.
Then, with practiced ease, she curled her fingers and thunk—knocked her knuckles lightly against Mana's forehead.
"Eep—!"
A tiny, pitiful yelp escaped Mana's lips.
"Mana, that was rude. Kyo is our guest."
Her tone was gentle but firm, her usual warmth now carrying a touch of authority.
To Uika, it didn't matter that Kyo had taken off her own shirt—peeking at someone like that was still inappropriate.
And for an idol, letting yourself get caught doing something like that was practically career suicide.
"S-Sorry, Kyo…"
Mana shrank back, nervously tapping her index fingers together as she apologized.
"It's fine. It was really my fault in the first place."
Kyo waved a hand dismissively—though the motion nearly made the towel slip off. This time, she quickly grabbed it and adjusted it properly.
"I wasn't thinking about how you guys would feel and just assumed it was okay since we're all girls."
Now that she thought about it, the break room was probably a shared space where people came and went all the time.
She hadn't considered that.
Kyo had always been mindful of how she differed from others, and she made an effort to avoid causing unnecessary trouble for those around her.
This situation was no exception.
After a brief pause, she looked up at Mana, whose embarrassment hadn't fully faded.
"…By the way, Mana, were you trying to check out my body just now?"
"Wha—?! H-Huh?!"
Mana let out a startled squeak, completely caught off guard.
"I don't really mind being looked at. It's not like I'm completely naked or anything."
Kyo's tone was utterly casual.
"Back in middle school, girls were always sneaking glances at each other in the locker room—especially at the ones who were more, y'know, developed."
She even chuckled, throwing in a self-deprecating joke about herself.
"But too bad for you, my body isn't anything special. Even if you were curious, there's really nothing worth looking at."
For some reason, even Uika started to feel convinced by Kyo's strangely logical explanation.
What had originally seemed like a rather delicate situation suddenly felt like no big deal under Kyo's matter-of-fact reasoning.
After all, the style of Kyo's bra was similar to a sports bra—simple, solid-colored, and modest enough to pass as a cropped tank top. There was nothing particularly suggestive about it.
"So? Do you want to look?"
Kyo tilted her head slightly, waiting for their response.
No, no, no! That still sounds way too weird!
Uika snapped out of it, mentally shaking her head in exasperation.
What's with this girl? She has zero sense of self-preservation!
Without thinking, she instinctively slipped into the tone she usually used when scolding Mana.
"Kyo, listen carefully. Even if we're all girls, you can't just say things like that so casually."
She crossed her arms and furrowed her brows slightly, trying to look stern.
"Sure, there are situations where it's normal to change together, but most of the time, that kind of openness isn't necessary. And if you go around saying things like that so bluntly, you're bound to give people the wrong idea."
The moment she finished speaking, both Kyo and Mana fell completely silent.
Then, in perfect sync, they turned their gazes toward Uika, staring intently at her exaggeratedly serious expression.
"…Uika, so you're that type of person, huh?" Kyo mused, as if coming to some great realization.
"Right, right! Kyo, bet you didn't expect it, huh? She looks all cool and stylish on the outside, but she's actually a total worrier! Isn't that cute?" Mana eagerly chimed in, nodding enthusiastically.
Just moments ago, they had been awkwardly apologizing to each other, yet now, they had somehow joined forces, unanimously praising Uika for being the motherly type.
This time, it was Uika's turn to feel flustered.
For the first time in a while, she nearly lost control of the emotional composure she prided herself on.
"You two, seriously…"
Mana was one thing, but Kyo—Kyo had seemed so polite and mature at first.
Yet, for some reason, there were these strange gaps in her common sense that kept making Uika instinctively correct her.
What Uika failed to realize was that, at some point, she had already started seeing Kyo and Mana—both of whom were her age—as kids who needed looking after.