《The Girls Fell in Love With His Songs, and Before Long They Fell in love With Him》 CH 1 ¡°Fufunfufun, fufu~nn. It¡¯s bad, This is a pretty creepy one, even from the side.¡± I Remove my headphones and wash my face. I look out the window and see that the sun is already rising, reminding me of the beginning of the day. ¡°Fuaaah~, I¡¯ve done it again. Well, fortunately, my class is in the afternoon, so I¡¯ll go to bed after uploading the song.¡± I am used to seeing these sunrises, but no matter how many times I see them or how many times I bathe my body in them, I can¡¯t help but feel uncomfortable. It is shameful that I have to stay up all night even though it is not my job to do so. Of course, I am aware that I am deviating from the main task of a student, which is to study. ¡°Well, I just have to study hard.¡± I consider this period of being a college student to be the last grace period in which I am allowed to play before becoming an adult. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m slacking off on my studies. ¡°I¡¯m slee¡­.py¡­..¡± I collapse on my bed, not caring that my foot is caught in the charging cable of my computer. After the encoding was done, I slipped in and out of consciousness right then and there. I woke up just as the sun was rising, with an hour to go until noon. The computer was left on and placed at my feet, so I kicked it off just as I got up. ¡°Good grief, I¡¯m living a degenerate life ¡­¡­¡­w¡± Recognizing that screen in the process of picking up the computer, I was at once awakened from my sleepwalking consciousness. The number of comments and high ratings is increasing at an ongoing rate. It is so fast that it is visible. ¡°Is this more ¡­¡­ than the last one?¡± I think the songs that I had previously uploaded to video posting sites had received a certain amount of recognition, but this time the number seemed to be increasing at twice the speed of that time. Perhaps it is the fact that it is just before noon that makes it easier to be seen, but it is still exciting to see the remarkable growth in the number of comments. ¡°I knew it was coming from Twitter quite a bit.¡± The Twitter account has also received quite a few replies to the tweet that the video was uploaded. Of course, many of the comments inside were critical, but the praise seemed to outweigh them. Some of them even criticized the critical comments. Of course, I¡¯m happy to hear comments like ¡°I was very moved,¡± but most of all, I¡¯m very happy that so many people saw it and felt something about it. Such lack of desire may be Otaku-ness, though. Then. ¡°Ah¨C, I¡¯ve got quite a few coming this time.¡± Numerous applications were received in direct messages on Twitter. In other words, it is an offer to ¡°let our 00 sing this song.¡± I have done this before and have already offered it to some people. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m good enough.¡± Compared to the professionals, I still think I am not good enough, and I am not even good enough to be compared to them. The only reason I¡¯ve ever gotten buzz is because the singers were great and sang the songs I wrote so well. ¡°Still, it¡¯s nice to be recognized in this way.¡± I look at about 10 offers and wonder which person I should give this song to. I think it would make sense to give the song to an artist who has provided the music before, but this time the song was mixed with catchy phrases, but still realistic about the lyrics, and no one thought it was a good fit. That¡¯s why I was looking at the new offer I received this time. ¡°Oi, Azusa. Don¡¯t be so cheeky and ask for it, too. Mirei and Kotoha too¡­¡­¡­Don¡¯t ask it in private.¡± I was stunned to see the email notification that came at about the same time. [Rin, I want to sing that song.] [Rin senpai~! You wrote that song for me right! I¡¯m going to sing it!] [Rin kun, I¡¯m the only one who can sing that, right? Please give me the lyrics and song?] I can¡¯t stand how free they are¡­¡­.They are just taking advantage of me. And all three of them don¡¯t even doubt that they¡¯ll sing. They are extraordinary people. ¡°Those guys. Ah but there¡¯s another one¡­.¡± ¡°Name is¡­..Harushita Suzune? I think I heard it somewhere ¡­¡­¡± The account name was completely different, but the contents stated. [My name is Harushita Suzune. I was very moved by the song you mentioned, ¡°Rendezvous of Sadness¡±. I would be very grateful if you could let me sing it for you.] The name Harushita Suzune caught my attention and I did a search. Then 50,000 search results came up. But I could recall only the images that came up at the top. ¡°Is Harushita Suzune that ¡­¡­ Harushita Suzune¡­?¡­ She was very successful, but I thought she retired. ¡­¡­¡± The online article did say that she ¡°retired two years ago at the young age of 18¡±. I mean, we were the same age. her singing voice? ¡­¡­. I couldn¡¯t recall it too vividly, so I went on YouTube and pulled up a video of her singing from her old idol days and listened to it. In that video, the focus was on her incomparable looks, so I plugged in my earphones and concentrated only on my ears. The sweet sound of her earthy voice and that bell-ringing tone in the upper register. The sound of her voice is pleasant and comfortable, even if I don¡¯t pay attention to it. From there, after a short 3 minute video, I had come to one conclusion. ¡°This is the only person I can ask. Let¡¯s ask this person.¡± This was the beginning of the birth of Harushita Suzune and Nagishiro Rin, the most powerful tag team that would revolutionize the music world. (TL/N : So this was the first chapter, I found this WN and thought that this one might be interesting¡­.so, stay tuned for more !) ¨C CH 2 After finishing my college lectures, I immediately went home. I had been so absorbed in listening to Harushita Suzune¡¯s music since then that I realized I had forgotten something crucial. ¡°I forgot to reply!¡± You can call me an idiot or you can call me a fool. By the way, I personally find the latter more damaging. It doesn¡¯t matter. If I don¡¯t hurry, she may give up. I can¡¯t let this opportunity pass by. But, my house is in the heart of the city, and even more, the university is located more than 30 minutes from Shinjuku where I have to take a train, so it takes me a long time to get home. If I thought about it calmly, there was no way that the other side would have declined, but at that time I was driven by a sense of frustration that made no sense to me. I run from the station to my apartment and put the key through the keyhole. But it doesn¡¯t open in any way, whether it is rushed or not. No, no. ¡ª already open. But that doesn¡¯t mean I suspect the thief. ¡°Hey, Kotoha! Don¡¯t come into my house without permission! And lock the door!¡± ¡°Ara-, sorry~. Rin kun¡± The one who replied in a voice that sounded not at all offended and even had a glamorous tone that tickled men¡¯s desires was Shirakawa Kotoha. someone who has provided music before. At 24 years old, she continues to attract men in this world, and I, who have never been in love before, would have been beaten to the punch in a second. Even now, the voice melting in my ears and the glimpse of her legs even from afar is cutting into my rationality with excitement. ¡°Good grief! You broke in here without permission!¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay~, I got a little time off.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a scandal, going in and out of a man¡¯s house?¡± ¡°If Rin kun did something to me, it might happen, right? Pregnancy? Oh no, Rin kun, you¡¯re so naughty.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything yet!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you anytime~¡± This way of treating younger people like fools. She probably thinks of me as a younger brother. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m the one who rents a room in this apartment. The landlord can come and go as he pleases.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve been very grateful for that.¡± It was Kotoha who provided assistance when I said I was going to live alone. My parents were against it, and I was a minor, so there was nothing I could do, but then Kotoha reached out to me. I can honestly say that I can¡¯t thank Kotoha, the actress, enough for all the help she has given me, including money. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Rin kun is a normal college student or not, but you don¡¯t have to pay for it. Instead, you can pay me with your B O D Y.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll pay you back when I¡¯m a working adult! Just wait for a while!¡± ¡°Ahaha~, Rin kun is cute~. Do you want to live with me?¡± ¡°Nope !¡± It was a strong temptation. I later regretted it to death. Wait, That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few things I need to take care of, so make yourself at home. Until then, I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t offer you any hospitality.¡± ¡°Ara~, Rin kun, you are a gentleman after all.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well, okay.¡± She look at my computer and says, ¡°This is not important¡± Oh, it¡¯s close. It smells good. Oh no, reason. ¡°I¡¯m just a child in that respect.¡± ¡°Uuu¡± She saw through it. ¡°But could it be¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, I was thinking of asking this person to do the song I put out today.¡± ¡°Hmmph~¡± There, Kotoha becomes furiously grumpy. ¡°So it¡¯s not me?¡± ¡°Et-to, this¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s , not, me?¡± An attitude of disapproval. An atmosphere in which an appropriate response is never tolerated. Kotoha is the type of person who gets all hot and bothered when it comes to songs. Is she really an actress? I try to put up a lot of theories, but it seems that she is not going to be convinced by my mended excuses, so I tell her honestly. ¡°Listen, Kotoha. This song is not suitable for you. That doesn¡¯t mean that Kotoha is not good enough, it means that Kotoha can¡¯t perform with this song. The song I¡¯m asking you to do, I want to write just for you.¡± I answer with a serious expression, looking straight at Kotoha. I tried to tell it like it is, but the response was ¡­¡­? ¡°F-Fuuun, J-Just for me? O-Okayy, you have convinced me.¡± For some reason, Kotoha subtly averts her gaze and says in a superior attitude. The face appears to be flushed, but this is a self-interpretation peculiar to Otaku. For a guy like me, with a rugged face and no relation to the freshness of life, such talk is irrelevant. It¡¯s a waste of time to get my hopes up. ¡°So, please do me a favor.¡± ¡°Yeah, just this once, just this once! Mine¡¯s next.¡± ¡°Yes yes¡± With a bitter smile, I contacted Harushita Suzune about the offer. While waiting for a reply, though, Kotoha was strangled when she found out that I had made an offer to a woman. CH 3 The reply from Harushita Suzune came back sooner than expected. [Thank you. I¡¯m glad to hear that. I would like to hear more about you, so can we meet and talk? If you specify a date and time, I will keep my schedule open.] The reply seemed quite positive. It¡¯s a done deal as long as it¡¯s not too much of a deal. As soon as I thought that, I suddenly began to feel nervous. The other party is that super idol. I remember that at the time there were many fans who followed the tremendous popularity of the show. Often, they were talked about in school because of their close age. The thought of meeting such heavenly beings above the clouds makes me tense up. ¡°Well, maybe it¡¯s too late for that.¡± The experience of meeting popular actress Kotoha and other people in the category of celebrities has built up considerably over the past few years. Still, I¡¯m nervous, not because the woman Harushita Suzune is more popular than they are, but because she¡¯s closer to the stars than any of them. You see, there is an undeniable sense of reality with people who know better than those who are below the clouds. ¡°In the meantime, I need to set a date and time.¡± Although retired, she is still a superstar. I am afraid to make her wait. For now, I have chosen Saturday this weekend. I¡¯m sorry that we are still exchanging direct messages, but I can give her the email address when we meet. ¡°Haaa¡± I finished typing my reply, and my strange nervousness eased a bit. I had been quite nervous without realizing it. ¡°And yet.¡± What kind of person is she? Why on earth did she retire, and why did she choose my song at this point in her life, wishing to revive it after her retirement? Where did she find out about me in the first place? ¡°Well, putting aside the details, she¡¯s a beauty, isn¡¯t she?¡± -a retired superstar herself meets me alone. That alone was enough to make me feel excited and allowed me to have a good sleep that day. The long-awaited weekend arrives surprisingly easily. It is already June, and the humid heat brings discomfort, but what makes it even more unsettling is that I am about to meet her. I looked at my watch and saw that it was a little after 10:30. The scheduled time was 11:00 a.m., so I felt I had arrived a little too early, but I could not make her wait. ¡°I mean, would it have been nice to meet face-to-face at a family restaurant or something? Or at least someplace a little more fashionable. But I don¡¯t want to be noticed for being too tall.¡± After a period of continuous monologue, one woman appeared. She was wearing a wide-brimmed hat, so I couldn¡¯t make out her face very well, but even so, I recognized her, Harushita Suzune, at a glance. The atmosphere that is created is different. She wears a one-piece dress and has slender legs extending below the knees. What can I say, well, she was already beautiful. Hey, words. I mean, I¡¯m so nervous. I can already tell it¡¯s not something I should be seeing up close. When the woman saw that I was the person she was meeting, she lifted the front side of her hat a little to look at me. ¡°Are you Nagishiro san ¡­¡­?¡± Then she checks my face and anxiously asks me a question. ¡°Well, y-yeah. Maybe, I think I¡¯m the only person with the last name Nagishiro who is standing in front of a family restaurant.¡± I tried to show some composure, but my mouth stuttered in an instant. This is the limit of an otaku, I hope she will forgive me. However, perhaps somewhat surprised by my answer, she giggles. ¡°You should have waited inside.¡± ¡°Ah¡± I understand this. It¡¯s a big mistake. CH 4 I ordered the hamburger set because I hadn¡¯t eaten anything in the morning, and Harushita ordered the Milanese doria. She was always smiling at me, and I couldn¡¯t help but know that her smile was a continuation of my first mistake. The dignity of the lyricist and composer is zero. ¡°H-Hey ! I wonder if it¡¯s okay at a family restaurant. I¡¯m not even going to say something about a family restaurant, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Nono, I come to these places sometimes, too.¡± ¡°Oh, really! That¡¯s unexpected.¡± I felt a little closer to these people who also come to these places. The other side was either used to that kind of reaction, or they thought I was childish for reacting like a child, and laughed bitterly. So I say this. ¡°Anoo¡­Forget about the first one. Ahm right ! It was, [I just got here]¡± So I say as I remember, and she finally can¡¯t take it anymore and her voice leaks out, [Fufu¡­..Fufu¡­¡­..] Funny, I remember Azusa told me to say this when meeting someone on a date. Seeing me wondering, Harushita san tells me while wiping tears from her eyes. ¡°That line isn¡¯t meant to be an excuse. They are meant to reassure the girl.¡± Mhmm, I didn¡¯t understand a bit what it meant. But since I don¡¯t want to say that here, I¡¯ll look it up later. ¡°And you said [Ah]¡± ¡°It¡¯s, uh, oh, yeah. I¡¯ll say, [ah] no matter what the situation is¡± ¡°Heeee, is that true?¡± ¡°Would you like to try it?¡± ¡°You ate my pudding yesterday.¡± ¡°Ah¡± Harushita san laughs with her stomach in her hands. She seems to be more in the mood for laughter than I thought. ¡°You really are funny, Nagishiro san.¡± ¡°I still think you¡¯re making fun of me.¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not like that.¡± I was about to pursue the matter when she blurted it out, but the food was brought to me before I could do so, so I was put on hold. Harushita san seemed unable to stop laughing, though, and had not been able to eat for some time. When we both had finished eating our meals, Harushita san starts talking to me. The main topic of this time. ¡°Well, you said you¡¯d provide the music.¡± ¡°Yes¡± So, oh first of all, I give her my business card. It¡¯s just a business card with my address and email address. ¡°Ano¡­.cell phone number?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. I don¡¯t have a cell phone¡± ¡°Eh, It is rare. I can¡¯t believe you don¡¯t have it in this day and age.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t need it.¡± There were a few times I wanted to play an app game of an anime I was into, but my parents strictly wouldn¡¯t let me in, so I didn¡¯t need to. Especially, I don¡¯t have any friends with whom I can communicate. ¡°So if you need anything, just contact me at the e-mail address I have on there. I don¡¯t really need the formality, just what you need.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡± ¡°Also, I don¡¯t think we should have too many chances to meet. Because with a face like this, I think it would be better if people don¡¯t talk about you being attacked or threatened.¡± I was quick to explain the situation as fast as I could. It¡¯s an explanation I¡¯m used to, and one I don¡¯t want to go on too long about. However, despite the fact that I told them this kind of preamble when I offered them the song, some of them are still fond of coming to see me frequently¡­¡­. ¡°We met this time because I thought we should at least get to know each other¡¯s personalities. I thought it would be a bad idea to have an online-only relationship. In fact, it would be better if we didn¡¯t meet at all. [Look] I said, urging Harushita san to look around. ¡°Eh¡­¡­.¡± I can hear a few odd eyes and concerned voices around the table here and there. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with those two?¡± ¡°Picking up girls? Or¡­.¡± I¡¯m used to this kind of atmosphere, but it must be something Harushita san is not so used to. And it shouldn¡¯t be pleasant either. ¡°If it¡¯s something that would be too much work for you to do by email alone, just email me and tell me that you need me. I¡¯ll probably call you via Skype or, if that¡¯s not possible, from my home phone. In the meantime, if you get a call from this number, please let me know.¡± I quickly write the phone number of the apartment I am living in on the back of my business card. I already know that I can call the landlord if I ask. And it was about time that the eyes of those around us began to turn stern. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± Me trying to walk away from the place with the bill. ¡°W-Wait!¡± Harushita san hurriedly pulled me aside. I turn around, flustered because she suddenly got up from her seat. ¡°A-Anoo, the guarantee is¡­!¡± Then I realized that we hadn¡¯t talked about money and rushed back to my seat. It was not a good look for me to leave the room, but I didn¡¯t want to be loudly talking about money. Then she begins to say with an anxious look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry to say this, but ¡­¡­. Actually, I don¡¯t have much money, and, uh, I¡¯m really sorry, but I don¡¯t have the money to pay you right now. ¡­¡­¡± Harushita san says very apologetically and downcastly, just as she said. But I, on the other hand, felt a sense of surprise. Even though she retired, I would have thought that she used to be a fairly successful idol and had no shortage of money. ¡­¡­ Since she was still a minor at the time, her money may have been managed by her parents. However, it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°I¡¯m not being paid anything, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡­¡­.?¡± She looks at me with a roll of her eyes, as if she can¡¯t believe what I¡¯ve said. So I keep explaining what I said. ¡°I try not to get too much money or anything. I¡¯m ashamed to say that I don¡¯t think I can make a good film if I¡¯m looking for money. ¡­¡­ Besides, I can¡¯t accept money because I¡¯m still an amateur.¡± ¡°Amateur is outrageous! You¡¯re such a big seller¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But I am still an amateur. I think not getting paid is also an escape for me. I don¡¯t get paid, so I don¡¯t have any responsibility.¡± When I finished, she looked mysterious ¨C even a little sad ¨C and after a moment, nodded. ¡°I understand. Then let¡¯s go with the policy of not accepting or giving any money.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡± Harushita san concludes enthusiastically, as if she had suddenly thought of something. Is it my imagination or was there an accent on the ¡°is¡± in ¡°the money is¡± ¡­¡­. (TL/N : I can¡¯t understand this part, the original is [ šÝ¤Î¤»¤¤¤«¤Ê¡¢¡¸¤ª½ð¤Ï¡¹¤Î¡¸¤Ï¡¹¤Ë¥¢¥¯¥»¥ó¥È¤¬¤¢¤Ã¤¿¤è¤¦¤Ê¡­¡­] please tell me if you guys know the meaning of it, thanks!) CH 5 I, Rin Nagishiro, am a university student. So, of course, there is nothing unnatural about going to a campus and listening to a class in a large auditorium. It should not be unnatural, though. ¡°I-It¡¯s him. Uwaa, we¡¯re in the same class¨C¡° ¡°Natsuko, he can hear you! Shh! you don¡¯t know what he¡¯ ll do to you if he hears you, so you shouldn¡¯t say it in public too much.¡± It is said that they are never pleasantly, if not unnaturally, impressed. No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s better for them to be talking in class than for me to be just standing there. But I was used to this kind of backbiting, and especially on this campus, I was used to that kind of treatment, so it wasn¡¯t something that bothered me. ¡°Hey, be quiet over there.¡± When the professor quickly warns her, she surprisingly goes quiet. As the professor proceeded to teach the class again in the quietened auditorium, I wrote down what she had said in my notebook. ¡°Excuse me, Professor Omori. May I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Oh, Nagishiro. What, another long one?¡± ¡°S-Sorry¡­¡­..¡± ¡°Haha, It¡¯s all right. Well, if it¡¯s going to be long, we can use my room. Follow me.¡± Professor Omori is one of my economics majors who teaches from a manager¡¯s point of view, and although her classes are very challenging, she is able to teach very in-depth content. I have been taking her classes every semester ever since I took them as a freshman. Being in her early 30s, and being a woman, she was apparently unusually fast to become a professor, but apparently her achievements abroad were praised and she was able to become a professor soon after returning to Japan. ¡°A-Ano !¡± Then another female student walks in. ¡°What is it, Kasugai? You have a question too?¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± As the female student summons up her courage, Professor Omori chuckles and says, [Follow me] She took a breath, as if truly relieved by her words, but this was a familiar sight by now. Her name is Kasugai Sumire. She is a classmate of mine, and she always comes to Omori-sensei¡¯s class to ask questions, as she has a serious temperament. She is the same kind of person, so to speak, who was fascinated by Omori Sensei¡¯s classes. You don¡¯t want people to think we¡¯re the same kind of people. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡±Yess¡±¡± We followed the professor out of the preparation room. University professors often have a residence at the university in addition to their home. It is not a villa, but a workspace. In the case of Omori sensei, the room is piled with books and cluttered with lecture materials. ¡°Can I get you a hot cup of tea?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry for troubling you¡± I always wonder why she is sorry, but in Kasugai, that is probably the first thing she set out to come up with. Be that as it may. For the next few minutes, when I asked questions, the professor did not give me immediate answers, but gave me hints and helped me to figure out the answers on my own. Sometimes it became like a discussion with Kasugai, but at that time, the Professor did not interrupt and seemed to enjoy listening to what we had to say. Sometimes when the usually quiet Kasugai gets heated up, I get heated too and have to be quieted down by the Professor, but it¡¯s a lot of fun. After a few minutes, the conversation came to a halt just as sensei offered me some rice. ¡°I heard some rumors in class again, Nagishiro.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Well, it happens all the time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to judge people by their appearance. right, Kasugai?¡± When the professor shakes her hand at Kasugai, Kasugai nods her head. ¡°This is not good, but to tell the truth, I was really irritated. I thought I was going to drop their credits.¡± ¡°Sensei, that¡¯s abuse of authority.¡± Sensei has also had to deal with many difficulties in the past because she is a woman, and she always expresses her anger at prejudice. Still, I¡¯m not sure about dropping credits¡­¡­ ¡°Hey, I can just tell them the report was terrible and they¡¯ll drop it.¡± I give a cool-headed response. In response, however, the professor laughs and Kasugai chuckles. ¡°What, did I say something funny?¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, you idiot. If I flunk your report, that means I have to leave the university too. Right, Kasugai?.¡± When she shakes it at Kasugai again, she nods her head. Then continue. ¡°Nagishiro¡¯s report, I had a professor show it to me once for reference. That made me feel very threatened. I thought, [If I don¡¯t do this, I might fail the credits.]¡± ¡°Hey, sensei, you can¡¯t show them to me without permission.¡± ¡°Nono, I had to do something.¡± ¡°It was really well organized and easy to understand, and it was written from a variety of angles, so if it was compared to this, I would lose my credits.¡± We both giggle, but I don¡¯t really know the general standards because I haven¡¯t had a chance to look at other people¡¯s reports. So I can¡¯t ¡­¡­ follow the conversation too much. ¡­¡­ ¡°Then, sensei, show me your report on Kasugai this time.¡± So I made this proposal instead. The professor then agreed with two words. ¡°Okay, fine¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t ! Sensei, no, okay?¡± Kasugai resists with desperate eyes. Professor Omori is capricious, so if you don¡¯t resist firmly, she will do it because she is in the mood. But the professor seemed to find it even more interesting. ¡°Then I¡¯ll show it when you¡¯ll date.¡± She began to ramble on and on. Me and Kasugai¡­¡­? ¡°Hey, sensei, that¡¯s not going to happen! right, Kasugai?¡± Kasugai shook her head with all her might. She was shaking her head with a blush on her face, looking like a small animal. ¡°No, no, no, what are you talking about, you two.¡± But the professor looks puzzled and drops a further bombshell. ¡°Nagishiro, the person you¡¯re going out with isn¡¯t Kasugai, it¡¯s me, okay?¡± ¡°Hah?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The professor¡¯s unintelligible statement left me and Kasugai perplexed. However, when the two of us eventually recognized the meaning of the statement, the temperature in the room suddenly dropped. Kasugai And I looked at the professor with very cold eyes. This professor, how marriage-oriented is she? ¡­¡­! The professor, however, seemed to be surprised by our reaction, and impatiently made excuses. ¡°Y-You know, I¡¯m already 30 years old, right?¡¡It¡¯s time for me to get married. Besides, well, Nagishiro is smart, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± She was a fool. The professor was a fool. Single around 30, oh dear. CH 6 It was getting dark, so I stopped working on the report and moved on to making dinner. Even when I cook rice, it is not to make something particularly tasty, but rather to stir-fry vegetables, cook rice, and make miso soup, even if it tastes a little bad, just from a nutritional standpoint. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll just cook one pot as usual¡­¡± I was lightly washing the rice when I suddenly noticed something unusual. There is a rattling sound at the front door. ¡°This sound is ¡­¡­¡± It is not a home delivery. If it was a home delivery, he would have pressed the intercom first. I mean, the only people I know who would barge into someone¡¯s room and try to enter without ringing the intercom are the thief and this person. ¡°Mirei? Hold on a minute!¡± I hurriedly wipe my hands and head to open the door. I opened the door and there was the person I had envisioned. Her long, river-like vivid black hair and the guitar she carries on her shoulder. All of these can be called trend marks of Tatsumi Mirei. ¡°Too slow.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ever too late to open the door for someone who comes to someone¡¯s room¡­..¡± ¡°Quick¡± ¡°Yes yes¡± She is supposed to be older than me, but this lack of communication conversation is.. However, this is normal for her, so I don¡¯t even point it out to her and bring her up to the door. Then, without any approval from the landlord, she put down her guitar at random and began to relax on the sofa. ¡°Haa¡­¡­It¡¯s finee¡± When I tried to resume making dinner without worrying about it, Mirei called out to me. ¡°Dinner?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. I thought it was time for dinner.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡± Too¡­what¡¯s with [too] ! ¡°Since when did I become your servant?¡± ¡°Shut up. I¡¯m hungry. quick.¡± ¡°Ahhhhhh!!! Okay !¡± I give up to Mirei who seems to be able to break in anyway ¡°Instead, you just sit back and wait!¡± I have no choice but to cook two cups of rice. It does not take that much time to cook two servings of rice. However, it does not seem good that I feel I am allowing too much selfishness. ¡°I mean, I told you not to come over to my house too often, didn¡¯t I?¡± While eating dinner, I was at a loss for a topic, so I said what I had been wanting to say since Mirei¡¯s arrival. I have told her not to come to my house, and I don¡¯t mean just a few times. I have told her dozens of times, maybe even hundreds of times. However, she was still pouting when she heard what I had to say, and continued to eat her food without paying attention to me. ¡°Delicious¡± ¡°Thanks, but not that ! I¡¯ve told you before, you had the same reaction before!¡± ¡±So Rin, shut up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me that !¡± This is the one that¡¯s really persistent. She won¡¯t listen even if I tell her. I let out a sigh. ¡°I understand, Mouu, Next time you come over, send me an email or something.¡± ¡°Yess¡± This lack of formality. Contrary to its adult-like appearance on the outside, few people may know how childish it is on the inside. Tatsumi Mirei She made her debut as a high school student about five years ago. She first debuted with an anime song, but later her popularity exploded when she sang the theme song for a famous TV drama. I took advantage of the peak of her popularity and offered her a song. But I was offered the song by her manager. She writes her own lyrics, but recently she has become interested in composing music and comes to my house to watch me compose and ask me questions. Like the actress Kotoha, she too has been on TV and her face has been selling well, so she should not go into a man¡¯s house too often, but she does not listen to me. She is also incredibly beautiful, and although she is two years older than me, she is even hotter than me, so it is awkward for me to be in the same room with her. ¨CWell, I¡¯m a man, too, you know. ¡°Rin, you have stopped eating. Do you want me to feed it to you?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want it! You eat quickly and go home!¡± ¡°I brought a sleeping bag, so I¡¯ll stay.¡± ¡°Haa!? Well, of course you can¡¯t have a man and a woman in the same room!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± No, you can¡¯t do that. ¡­¡­ I¡¯d care. ¡­¡­ ¡°A-All right, if you insist on sleeping here, I¡¯ll leave! I¡¯ll go to the nearest hotel.¡± ¡°But Rin, you can¡¯t afford it.¡± ¡°Shut up! Who¡¯s fault is it that I have to leave!¡± ¡°I¡¯d give you money.¡± I thought we were having a silly argument, and suddenly Mirei mumbled something lonely. But this story was also repeated. ¡°I told you before, I don¡¯t need the money. Most college students are on a tight budget to begin with. It¡¯s only natural that they don¡¯t have money.¡± ¡°But thanks to Rin, we sold a lot.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what¡¯s wrong with you. You¡¯re the one who made the sale.¡± There is no doubt about this. She has certainly won popularity on her own. But Mirei continues, with a stern look on her face. ¡°But Rin, you didn¡¯t let me sing that song last time.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Hmm? Huh? Now the mood got pretty serious for a moment, didn¡¯t it? What are you going to say there? I mean¡­ ¡°You¡¯re still resenting me for that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious. I¡¯ll resent you for the rest of my life.¡± Quite a few complaint e-mails were received from Mirei, but it seems that the dust had not yet settled. What¡­¡­. ¡°Quickly, make my music.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not your servant!¡± So that was a disaster, as I had to work hard that day on a song, and Mirei could see me doing it all the time. Of course, I haven¡¯t slept a wink. CH 7 Nagishiro Rin. Composer name Kazashiro Rei What he composes is basically love songs. The catchy melody is music to the ears, and many people sing along. It is one of the top songs sung at karaoke. The lyrics were written from both male and female perspectives, and were widely sympathized with and talked about by both. He has shown talent in both songwriting and lyric writing. However, some of the comments are critical. ¡°Just the singer that is good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a rip-off of that song.¡± ¡°Otaku Songs.¡± Some of them are criticisms that he acknowledges, but the fact that there are criticisms is proof that he has sold so well. However, people who seem to be in this industry, i.e., the music industry, often use the word ¡°genius¡± when talking about Kazashiro Rei. He is a genius, his talent is natural, they said. His lyrics have phrases that express the heart in a way that has never seemed possible before. There is something about his music that fascinates people, although he don¡¯t know why. And most notably, he can write songs that follow the singer. Tatsumi Mirei, Ikuta Azusa, and Shirakawa Kotoha, in particular, have provided many songs, and numerous producers have roared at the songs that fully utilize their voices, moods, and even their looks. These guys had so much talent. Even the producer couldn¡¯t see the charm of these girls, but Kazashiro Rei brings out the best in them. That¡¯s why they say he is a genius. In fact, few people know how old he is, what he looks like, and what kind of personality he has, so the rumors are spreading with a tail. There is only one piece of information that is certain. This is bad news for this neighborhood, but one thing is certain. That is, he does not take on the job. He may write a song and offer it to someone else, but he never writes a song for someone else who asks him to offer it to them. ¡­¡­ actually does something similar, though. There is no deep reason for this, he does not want to write songs as a job, but there is no word spread about it. Anyway, as a result, he has settled down in such a way that he must be a free spirit. There may be a preconceived notion that geniuses are free men. He is beginning to become one of the seven wonders of this neighborhood, and now there is another rumor about him. [Kazashiro Rei has written a song for retired super idol Harushita Suzune.] Unknown to the parties concerned, this also caused a tremor in this world. ¡°Mirei, have you been seeing Kazeshiro san lately?¡± ¡°Yes. yesterday.¡± ¡°I see¡± Upon hearing Mirei¡¯s response, haa, Tatsumi Mirei¡¯s manager blurted out. (Why won¡¯t that man ever get in touch with us!) It is against Kazashiro Rei. The manager had recently received a job offer to have Tatsumi Mirei sing on one of his songs. Theme songs for TV dramas, commercial songs, or even animation songs. The manager knew exactly why he was getting those job offers. It was because when she sings his songs, Mirei wears an air of not being her, in a good way. Sometimes she is a young maiden genuinely in love, sometimes she is a pathetic woman who rages against the absurdities of the world. Every aspect was unknown and new to the manager. This made her even more of a fan of the singer Tatsumi Mirei. She is not the only such person, many people have discovered Mirei¡¯s charm through his songs. Then, inevitably, I would ask him to write a song. (I wish he¡¯d make one for me too!) However, I already know that it is impossible to make a request to him publicly. Mirei and I once went to his house to ask him directly for a job, but he politely refused. He said he has been dealing with his competitors in a similar manner. So my only request is. (You¡¯re all I have, Mirei!) This is the reason. But she doesn¡¯t seem to understand this, and the trouble is that she just meets with him whenever she feels like it. ¡°I¡¯m in your care again.¡± ¡°Yeah, I understand¡± Once again, I let out a sigh. She is the one who definitely doesn¡¯t get it. At any rate, I¡¯ll bring him a pastry next time. CH 8 A month after providing a song to Harushita Suzune, I received a call from her. [I¡¯ve got a CD ready and I¡¯d like to give it to you, do you have time?] When I saw the email, I let out a sigh once. Or is it more of a sigh? ¡­.. ¡°I said we should avoid seeing each other right¡± My angry voice that echoes through the house of one person. I¡¯m not that furious when I say I¡¯m furious, but I¡¯m somewhat angry because of how many of them are similar to me. ¡°What is it? Is it that guys who get popular are made to not listen to others? Huh? Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Whether it is Mirei, Azusa, or Kotoha, why do so many of them not listen to me? As I was thinking this, I received a text message that continued. [I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s too loud. I can hear you outside.] ¡­¡­ What? Outside? How far outside? Then I thought, ¡°No way,¡± and fearfully approached the front door to look out through the through-hole. And what did I see there? ¡°Good morning, Nagishiro san.¡± There was. Harushita san, Harushita Suzune, was there. ¡°Waa!?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t react as if you¡¯ve encountered such a ghost, Or rather, open the door quickly.¡± ¡°W-Wait, why are you here?¡± ¡°Just please.¡± It¡¯s not fineeeee! A-Anyway ! ¡°How did you get here!? I don¡¯t remember letting you in the apartment!.¡± This apartment building is very secure and you should have to be let in by one of the residents to get inside the apartment¡­¡­! I have given the keys to Kotoha and Mirei so they should be able to get in, but of course I haven¡¯t given them to Harushita san. ¡°I told the landlord what happened yesterday, and he let me through right away?¡± That old man! Protect my privacy! ¡°So, I hope you¡¯ll be quick.¡± Betrayed by the most important position as ¡°landlord,¡± I had no choice but to raise the smiling Harushita san to my house. ¡°So why did you suddenly decide to come to my house again?¡± At any rate, there was no doubt that she was a VIP, so I prepared the best tea (note: just black tea) and the most expensive sweets (note: common akafuku) that I had at home. Yeah, definitely not enough. Anyway, I put them down, she sat on the couch and I sat on the cushions and we started talking. ¡°You know what you said in your e-mail? I just finished a song and thought you should hear it.¡± ¡°¡­.I guess with the CD you could have just mailed it to me at or just sent me the data for the song in the first place¡­¡± ¡°Oh, yes! I hadn¡¯t thought of that.¡± Harushita san reacts in a deliberate manner. This is definitely a sure thing. What on earth is the purpose of this? I thought she seemed to have a kind and gentle personality as far as I could see. At any rate, I found out that she has a pretty good personality this time around. ¡­¡­ ¡°Here it is.¡± Harushita san hands me a CD saying so. It is a blank CD. ¡°Thank you. May I have a quick listen?¡± ¡°Eeh, of course¡± After receiving Harushita san¡¯s approval, insert the CD into the computer. I actually wanted to hear it as soon as possible, as it has been on my mind for a long time. I put the earphones to my ears and press the play button with nervousness and excitement in my heart. ¡ªFrom that moment on, I forgot that Harushita san was right in front of me. ¡°How is it¡­..?¡± As expected, she was anxious, and when I removed the earphones, she asked timidly. Hmm, impressions. I¡¯m not sure how I feel about it. ¡°¡­¡­ was so good. Really ¡­¡­. Thank you.¡± When I first offered the song, I tried to apply Harushita san¡¯s voice to the song using only my imagination, but it matched the song far better than I had imagined. Not only the skill with which she sings beautifully on high notes, but there is also something about the lyrics that carry all the emotion and appeal directly to our hearts. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be heat. (Is this the retiree¡¯s song ¡­¡­?) If so, she is clearly a genius. Harushita Suzune is a genius. The woman in front of me is an undeniable genius. ¡°That¡¯s good to know¡­¡­.¡± The person in question, by the way, looks deeply relieved and relieved at heart. Let me ask her at this point. ¡°Harushita san is ¡­¡­ it, were you really retired ¡­¡­?¡± But my question didn¡¯t seem to make sense, and she asked me back what it was about. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean to be rude about that ¡­¡­. It was so good that I didn¡¯t think it belonged to someone who was retired, so I thought maybe you were working somewhere ¡­¡­¡± When I honestly revealed what was on my mind, Harushita san giggled. Her smile, which was quite dainty, reminded me of the way she used to be when she was an idol. ¡°Is there something wrong ¡­..?¡± ¡°N-No, Nothing !¡± She laughs at me, saying I¡¯m a strange person. ¡°So, to your question, I was really retired. I wasn¡¯t particularly active, or under any other name, for that matter.¡± [I kept training, though] she says shyly. I, on the other hand, am stunned. She is a true genius, after all. She is as talented as Kotoha and the others ¨C although it is not a good idea to compare them because they excel in different ways ¨C or even more talented than they are. This is definitely the song. ¡°I think it will sell. I¡¯m sure it will sell. In fact, I will buy it.¡± ¡°T-Thank you?¡± She was now puzzled by my serious declaration. CH 9 ¡°So, to change the subject a bit, are you going to take this as an opportunity to get back in?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right¡± Yes, she¡¯s plainly saying, [Yes, you¡¯re right.] ¡­¡­ Maybe this is what you call top secret? ¡°I don¡¯t mean to ask, but is that something you¡¯re allowed to talk to me about?¡± ¡°Fufu. it¡¯s fine. Perhaps you are worried?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. That Harushita Suzune is back, and isn¡¯t that the kind of thing that would be the number one trending topic on Twitter?¡± She doesn¡¯t seem to realize how big a news story it is. ¨CSpeaking of big news, I think this situation of being alone in the same room with Harushita Suzune is also a pretty bad situation. She is still laughing while I am in a panic. She¡¯s a happy-go-lucky person. ¡°Oh! Of course I won¡¯t talk about it or anything!¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re talking about. Please calm down.¡± ¡°And while you¡¯re at it, I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d keep my name out of your mouth too!¡± ¡°Yesyes, Kazashiro san¡± I say this to add something I forgot to mention when we first met. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s okay with it because she¡¯s been through the entertainment industry before, but just in case. If I say I¡¯m forgetting something, it¡¯s like I¡¯m forgetting something. Ah! ¡°You diverted me, but what did you come here for in the end!?¡± ¡°No, so, what was it, you see, I came to give you a CD.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me the same reason as if it¡¯s a joke!¡­..You really had something to do with it, didn¡¯t you?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but shout out loud. And it¡¯s bad because the honorifics are about to come off. Fortunately, Harushita san is just smiling. ¡°Well, indeed, you are right, Nagishiro san. I¡¯ve got plans.¡± ¡°Please say so from the beginning¡­¡­¡± When she finally confessed, she was smiling and covering it up. She has a wide variety of smiles, both good and bad. For better or worse. ¡°So what are your plans?¡± I ask when she has calmed down a bit. ¡°Yes, For one thing, I wanted to get direct feedback on the song. ¡­¡­¡± Hmmm¡­I nod my head because there are a lot of people like that who are in the music business. I think it is a truth that there are things that can only be conveyed directly rather than through literal impressions. As I listen to her story, thinking seriously, she suddenly chuckles. As if to say, now that¡¯s not good. ¡°Hey, Nagishiro san.¡± The alarm bells in my heart are still ringing. Stop, say no more. ¡°Let¡¯s go on a date now.¡± I see. I knew it was not a good thing. Mid-July. In the middle of summer. Me and Harushita san were at a cell phone store in Akihabara. ¡­¡­ha? ¡°Why am I here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to buy Nagishiro san¡¯s cell phone.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get in.¡± Harushita san walked into the store without listening to me. I could not stay outside alone in this hot weather, so I had no choice but to follow her. ¡°Welcome~. Are you changing models?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m here to buy new.¡± ¡°What? Really? That¡¯s very unusual!¡± Harushita san lightly communicates with a female waitress. Harushita san smiles amiably and the clerk responds in a friendly manner. ¡°So, are you happy with what you have?¡± ¡°No, it belongs to this person.¡± ¡°Hoo?¡± I bow my head respectfully as Harushita san introduces me to her. I have to be polite, just because my face is scary, or I would be reported immediately. But the clerk, I don¡¯t know how she took it, suddenly starts grinning. ¡°Araa~, I see. Then, let me show you around~¡± ¡°Y-yes, I¡¯m in your care¡± What is this person? I don¡¯t know, but she seems to be enjoying himself. And Harushita san, who had been standing next to me earlier, was looking at the color of my cell phone before I knew it. ¡°Hey, sir?¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± And as I look around, the clerk, who has been approaching me rapidly before I know it, asks me, lowering her volume with her hand. ¡°Is that, your G I R L F R I E N D ~?¡± ¡°Eh, Eeee!?¡± ¡°She¡¯s very beautiful~! How did you get her?¡± ¡°Did I get her? No, I mean, it wasn¡¯t her.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Nagishiro san?¡± ¡°Eeee!?¡± Harushita san, who had approached me suddenly, entered the conversation, presumably in response to my loud voice. What the heck, have they all mastered shrinkage ¡°No, no, it¡¯s nothing~. I will show you around, so please feel free to look around the store with your companion.~¡± ¡°Well, please do.¡± Harushita san bowed her head with a bow and went back again. Wait a minute, you made me lose my timing to clear up the misunderstanding. ¡­¡­ ¡°Then, please sit down over here~.¡± No longer in control, I maturely listened to the clerk. (Muu, How do I say no¡­.) As I listened to the clerk¡¯s explanation, I was thinking about it. Buying a new cell phone and registering all sorts of things was cheaper than I thought it would be. Hmmm, I sometimes thought this would be a good idea. But the monthly charge for data communication was still a problem for me, a poor man. I had no one with whom I would need a cell phone in the first place, and when I asked myself if I could use what I had paid for, I concluded that I should not sign up for a cell phone contract. However, it was hard for me to say no to Harushita san after all, since she had brought me here. I felt sorry for the waiter who was enthusiastically explaining everything to me. (Well, if I tell them honestly that I don¡¯t have any money, I can go for it.) After the explanation, it¡¯s time to talk to the clerk. ¡°Um, I¡¯m terribly sorry.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with this plan. I think this is the color I want.¡± Harushita san interrupts me again and points to the material the clerk is holding. ¡°Wait, Harushita san! Wait, Harushita san! I don¡¯t have any money.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± ¡°Haa!?¡± Harushita san says something so out of the blue that I can¡¯t help but yell out. ¡°What, trouble?¡± ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a cute little girl being blackmailed.¡± Some of the customers around us tried to call the police, but that was managed by the clerk who explained the situation to them. That¡¯s it. ¡°What are you suddenly talking about, Harushita san?¡± ¡°No, so I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± ¡°You forgot, Harushita san? I said I wouldn¡¯t get paid!¡± Harushita san tries to play dumb, but I nail her to the wall. I told her that it was not my job and I would not get paid. But she looks like she knows that. ¡°Yes, I remember. You said you never get paid.¡± ¡°Then¡± ¡°But this time I¡¯m giving Nagishiro san a cell phone, not money, right?¡± ¡±What a cliche!¡± Harushita san is somewhat boastful, but it is a complete clich¨¦. It is a ton of nonsense, like something a swindler would say. ¡°How can that be acceptable!¡± ¡°Fufu~n¡± Harushita san is in a good mood. What could possibly put her in such a good mood? ¡­¡­I mean ¡°Didn¡¯t Harushita san say you didn¡¯t have much money?¡± If I remember correctly, I think she said something like that. I guess I shouldn¡¯t say too much, but I can¡¯t pretend to be. However, Harushita san immediately returns it as if to say that she has already included it in the mix. ¡°I¡¯ve taken out all my savings. It¡¯s hard right now, as you can imagine, but it looks like the money will come in soon. And I hear it¡¯s going to sell, no doubt about it?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± The pace is completely pushed by Harushita san. I have to say something back. ¨C-but mercilessly, she will give me a no-no. ¡°Please give up. I don¡¯t care how much you don¡¯t like it. Even if you say you won¡¯t buy it right now, I will buy it and send it to your room.¡± Apparently, there are no more moves to be made. It¡¯s a total losing battle. ¡°The money should be used for advancement in the ministry.¡± At least it¡¯s a loser¡¯s howl. CH 10 So, after being forced to buy a cell phone, or rather, having been forced to buy a cell phone, I was tired of everything, so Harushita san and I went to a nearby coffee shop. Of course, it was my treat. ¡°I didn¡¯t think Harushita san was that pushy.¡± ¡°No, no, that was just Nagishiro san¡± ¡°As I said, I think that theory is crazy. ¡­¡­¡± My image of her changed from my first impression, to the point that I wondered if she was actually crazy. At first I thought she was a bit more ladylike and gentle, a bit more aware of her surroundings. ¡­¡­ No, she may actually be a kind and considerate type of person, but apparently she chooses the right person. Thanks, I was not chosen. ¡°By the way, Nagishiro san. Would you like to exchange line?¡± ¡°Line?¡± Line is that thing, the line of communication tool that has newly developed in place of e-mail or something like that. I haven¡¯t heard this word in a while. ¡°I¡¯ve just installed the application for you. Here, open it.¡± When I touched the application, there was a field to set my profile, so I set the name ¡°Nagishiro Rin¡± and the icon as an image of a piano for now. ¡°¡­¡­ is very plain.¡± Harushita san quickly picked up the phone in front of my wondering eyes and gave it back to me after quickly setting up some settings. ¡°I¡¯ve added you as a friend.¡± Harushita san urged me to look at the screen of my cell phone after saying so. I looked down and there it was [Suzune] has become my friend. Oh ¡­¡­ maybe this is it. ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say I got a girl¡¯s e-mail address.¡± I say ¡°girls¡± in general, though she is a super idol under the sun. But when Harushita san heard the words I uttered, she pressed her mouth shut. ¡°Mail address¡­¡­.Fufu¡­..! that word is old. ¡­¡­! Nagishiro san, did you come here 10 years ago?¡± ¡°Rude! Time travel is not like in Steins Gate! Oh, but steins gate is the age of mail-addresses!¡± To add, ¡°Steins gate¡± is an anime that was created about 10 years ago. It is based on a video game, but it is so interesting that it is considered a good idea to watch it even from the anime. And apparently ¡°Steins gate¡± got through to Harushita san, who was very amused. As usual, her sense of humor is shallow. Oh, by the way. ¡°Why did you go to such lengths to buy me a cell phone? If you wanted to talk business, you could have just texted me.¡± I still hadn¡¯t heard why she wanted me to have a cell phone. I can¡¯t think of any particular reason why I should have a cell phone, and I don¡¯t know what Harushita san is thinking. That¡¯s what I thought and asked her, but for some reason she put her hand on her chin and started thinking. ¡°Come to think of it, why ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°I wanted to do something to repay you, but you said you wouldn¡¯t accept money, so I went to ¡­¡­. But why a cell phone? Especially since it doesn¡¯t have to be a cell phone.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have one!¡± Oops, something like a blur came flying out, so I reflexively tapped out. I shouldn¡¯t have done that. I must be careful. ¡°¨Cwhat is this, a prank?¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite an elaborate prank!¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not a prank, is it power harassment?¡± ¡°Since when is there a hierarchy between you and me?¡± Harushita san is laughing hysterically, but I¡¯m serious here! I mean, how many times have I heard this kind! ¡°Well, all joking aside.¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved you were joking.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know why.¡± ¡­¡­ I wonder if she¡¯s okay. But she seemed to have found the answer. ¡°If I may say so, ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Nagishiro san¡¯s eyes looked lonely when you told me you didn¡¯t have a cell phone. ¡°¡­¡­¡­..¡± I look lonely, huh? ¡°It¡¯s the emotion that seems furthest away from me, though.¡± It¡¯s the kind of thing I¡¯ve never really felt. In the last few years, I have not even recognized the existence of such feelings. But Harushita san. ¡°I think that¡¯s the emotion most familiar to Nagishiro san.¡± ¡°What, are you trying to say I¡¯m a loner?¡± ¡°Nono¡± She doesn¡¯t laugh at times like this. Somehow I had the feeling that she did, and in fact ¨C she did. Then she explains in a mysterious tone of voice: ¡°I am not a good person¡± ¡°Familiar might be the wrong word to use. I think it is Nagishiro-san who understands the feeling of loneliness the most and also the least realizes it.¡± ¡­¡­ I think there was a lot I didn¡¯t know yet to understand this statement of hers. I had never thought deeply about emotions and felt that the two phenomena of ¡°understanding¡± and ¡°feeling¡± were almost synonymous. Even though I just didn¡¯t understand it¨C there was something that stuck with me somewhere in my mind. And no one knew at the time that this would take Nagishiro Rin as a composer to an even higher level. CH 11 ¡°I¡¯m home~¡± I finally got my day off after splitting up with Harushita san. But it¡¯s already evening! So now that the spontaneous event has been resolved, the rest of the day is free. ¡°I¡¯ve already finished my assignment and I¡¯m going to write a song. I want to write a song for Kotoha soon~.¡± ¡°Did you call me?~¡± ¡°Just in time, there you are¡­¡­¡­there you are?!¡± ¡°I am~. Welcome home Rin kun~¡± ¡°Why are you here ~¡± I looked closer and saw a pair of heels on the front porch that looked pretty pricey. I noticed¡­¡­. I can¡¯t help but be disappointed when I notice it, though¡­¡­ ¡°How many times have I told you not to go into my house without permission ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Rin kun gave me a key, so I guess I can come in?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have the key back.¡± ¡°Nooo~, Rin kun you pervert~¡± She is a difficult person to deal with in any way. She is not childlike like Mirei, on the contrary, she is very sneaky and is easily shaken off. ¡°Heyy heyy Rin kun¡± Kotoha, such a proper human being, is looking at me and laughing. ¡°Hmm, what is it?¡± The smile was so deliberate that I responded and asked her how she was doing, and she seemed to have some kind of blue streak on her forehead. ¡°A-Are? W-what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No~ somehow~¡± There, Kotoha sniffs the sofa, the room, and the room. After checking the smell of the sofa and the room, Kotoha once again puts a smile on her face. Then, a cold word. ¡°Somehow~ I can smell a Woman¡± ¡°A woman¡¯s smell?¡± Hah? Woman¡¯s smell? ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you smell like?¡¡You¡¯re the only woman in the room right now.¡± ¡°Nono Rin kun. She is not here right now¡­.today there was a woman beside me here right?¡± Hmm, was there? The only woman who comes to my house, if not Kotoha, would be Mirei, but she¡¯s not here today¡­¡­wait There was ¡°No, Don¡¯t tell me¡± ¡°Tell me. Spit it. There was, right? Spit it¡± Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! There¡¯s something black coming out of Kotoha san! ¡°Right now¡­¡­¡­.There was¡­..¡± I, unable to resist my fear, easily spit it out. Kotoha sama, who heard my miserable confession, smiles with a satisfied look on her face. ¡°Okay. Rin kun. Punishment ¡î¡± Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!! ¡°Hohehe. Hahahihahahihahamuhahahahihahahamuhohahahaha (So how did I end up like this?)¡± ¡°Araa~Sorry~. I just got really angry.¡± ¡°Hoehehefufuhahehahaha, hehahaehehehahehehahehahaha!! (If that were allowed, there would be no need for the police ministry!!) ¡° ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s Rin kun¡¯s fault for bringing a woman into this room.¡± It¡¯s quite a stretch to say I brought her in, and to begin with, even though Kotoha is paying for it, this is still my house! I don¡¯t care if I brought her in! ¡°That¡¯s no good! Rin kun, you mustn¡¯t have a woman for the rest of your life, okay?¡± ¡°Why the hell not! Binding play?! I mean, don¡¯t read my monologue without my permission!¡± ¡°Rin kun will be single for the rest of his life~ do you understand?¡± ¡°How would I understand !¡± Why should a person have to decide to be single at the age of twenty? Also, she has a great nose. How could she recognize the smell of a woman who had been there six hours earlier? Kotoha was spraying deodorant all over the place, but I couldn¡¯t smell Harushita at all. ¡°So what were you doing with this woman? From the looks of it, it wasn¡¯t exactly after the fact.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything like that! she just made a CD with songs on it and she wanted me to listen to it!¡± I showed her the CD as if it were proof. Kotoha takes the CD and checks the binding. It¡¯s just another CD. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± ¡®Well, that¡¯s okay. It¡¯ll be on the market next week anyway.¡± I should add, of course, that I won¡¯t tell her who the singer is. Kotoha is also a member of the industry, so she doesn¡¯t complain about that in particular. Kotoha listens to a song on the earphones that were left plugged into the computer. About 20 seconds later, her face ¨C her face changed to a look of surprise and she turned to us in a hurry. Apparently, she immediately recognized who was singing. Still, I neither affirm nor deny, but only urge her to listen to the rest of the story. After that, she just kept listening with a mysterious look on her face and let out a sigh when she removed the earphones. ¡°Rin kun¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ot-to, Don¡¯t tell anyone, okay?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t tell. I mean, even I¡¯m still too surprised to feel it. ¡­¡­¡± She even looks somewhat like she is about to cry. Perhaps Kotoha is one of those who have been waiting for Harushita san¡¯s return. ¡°I have to go to the bathroom.¡± Kotoha gets sentimental moods too, huh? That¡¯s a bit of an unexpected aspect. I was listening to the sound of the bare water called ¡°jaa,¡± thinking that I was missing the point, too. CH 12 ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be happy to hear it. That girl¡¯s voice hasn¡¯t faded at all, and she¡¯s ¡­¡­ great.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would turn out this good. It¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°No, no, no, Rin-kun is as good as it gets. I wish I could sing that song too~¡± ¡°Give me a break, I¡¯ll write another time¡­¡­ I was just thinking of writing a song for Kotoha to sing next time anyway. Let¡¯s leave it at this time. Then, I heard an unfamiliar sound. ¡°Is that¡­¡­ ringtone?¡± ¡°Hm? Not Kotoha¡¯s?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t have a ringtone like this, okay?¡¯ ¡°So it means¡­¡­..¡± Is it mine? My phone. ¡°¨CFumu. It¡¯s my phone¡± ¡°What¡¯s that ! I didn¡¯t get a report that Rin kun bought a cell phone, did I?¡± I thought that if I showed a serious reaction, Kotoha would go through with it, but that was indeed not the case. But that line was definitely from Harushita san. If she sees it, it¡¯s over. I¡¯ll be beaten to a pulp again, just like before. ¡°Yes, I found it on the side of the road. Actually, I picked it up off the side of the road there.¡± ¡°Then you could at least show me what¡¯s inside, right?¡± ¡­¡­bad, it¡¯s bad if she sees it. I¡¯m sure Kotoha already thinks something is fishy, but there is a definite difference between admitting it and not admitting it. ¡°¡­¡­you shouldn¡¯t do that because it would be a private matter for that person.¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a confession?¡± ¡°No, because it¡¯s about the privacy of the person who dropped it off. Definitely not mine.¡± ¡°Then just the notification, okay? You should be getting notifications now, right? So, if we look at that and ask the person who contacted you, we can figure out who dropped it off, right?¡± That¡¯s not good. The person who contacted me is the one who made me buy the phone. ¡°I think it¡¯s malfunctioning, and apparently it won¡¯t turn on.¡± ¡°You heard your ringtone earlier, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That sound is coming from my stomach. It¡¯s a signal that I¡¯m hungry and I need to eat.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got whipped cream on your cheeks.¡± It¡¯s baddddddd!!! ¡ª it comes to this. ¡°Run!¡± ¡°Wait¡± She grabs me by the arm. Well, I guess she¡¯s read this far¡­¡­. Or rather, Kotoha, Ouch I let out a single breath like a chess player who has decided to resign. Once I get to this point, there is only one thing left to do. ¡°Please exchange lines with me!¡± ¡°Yes, with pleasure.¡± Apparently, I was right. I ended up getting beat up. I was able to get Kotoha¡¯s contact information (?) in this way. After Kotoha left, I was looking into this and that function. Although I tried to add Twitter, Line, and a few other applications, I may not have a chance to use them in the end, because nowadays, computers are easier to use. The line was also put on my computer for this occasion, so I didn¡¯t look at my phone very often. ¡°I should have asked for her phone number anyway. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be using it for anything other than phone calls anymore.¡± I am partly sorry for having Harushita san buy my cell phone, but it looks like I will have to put it in sleep mode for a while. And by the way, I am happy to report that I have also added lines to Mirei and Azusa. I heard that I can remotely register as a friend by putting a QR code on my e-mail. Then, Azusa immediately replied. [Rin senpai, you finally got a line! Did you buy a cell phone by any chance?] Apparently, she even imagined that I had bought a cell phone because I had put in a line. This girl is as smart as she looks. When I admitted that I had bought a cell phone, I continued to receive these emails. [I¡¯ve registered you as a friend!¡¡Senpai, let¡¯s call you now!] A phone call? I wondered and immediately heard a vibrating tone from my phone. I looked at the screen of my cell phone and saw that it said ¡°Incoming call from ¡®Azusa''¡± and below that was a call button. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Ahh-! Rin senpai-! Good evening-!¡± When I put it to my ear, a lively voice flew from there. ¡°Aren¡¯t you still at work?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just taking a break! If Rin senpai bought a cell phone, I can¡¯t keep quiet!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the logic?¡± Ikuta Azusa. She is the most popular member of the popular idol group ¡°Shanponika! a very popular and successful idol group. The popularity of the group led to the development of an unprecedented solo album while belonging to an idol group, which was also an unprecedented breakthrough. Her popularity is soaring as she shows her side as an artist. The first single chosen was a song I provided, a rhythmic melody with her lively voice that captured not only idol fans but also ordinary fans. Such a super successful idol. ¡°I can call you every day from now on! I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡± I would be mistaken, too, because she would say things like that. She¡¯s too soft on the side. ¡­¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t want you to call me every day. Call me again if you have something important.¡± ¡°Muu~, I can¡¯t help it! You¡¯ll have to ask me out on another date next time!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t because you¡¯re an idol.¡± But fortunately (?) She is more careful about scandals than others because she is an idol. So, unlike Kotoha and Mirei, who come and go without permission, she is not likely to come to my house. ¡°Then I¡¯m hanging up-¡± ¡°Oh, Senpai! I¡¯ll be on TV again tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m., so watch me!¡± ¡°Yesss. Then go for it!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± A phone call that hangs up with a pout. ¡­¡­No choice, I¡¯ll just make a reservation to record it for now. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be mad if I tell her later that I didn¡¯t watch it. CH 13 A week later, the world received shocking news. [Harushita Suzune revives her mission after a two-year recharging period!] Word of her comeback spread quickly, and the single CD sales exploded. The number of downloads also easily surpassed those of other top artists and ranked first in the world. So much so that the return of the former superstar and national idol was eagerly awaited. The momentum has not let up since then, and a program commemorating her return to the show was already aired only one day after her return. The Harushita Suzune on TV was definitely the Harushita Suzune I met, and I had a strange feeling. That¡¯s how I¡¯m affected by her re-break. The number of video views on YouTube has doubled for every video, and the number of followers on Twitter has increased by one digit, finally surpassing one million. Her songs brought the spotlight to the less-recognizable position of songwriter. ¡°I knew she was great. I¡¯ve looked at her reputation and there¡¯s hardly a bad word written about her. If she¡¯s that popular, of course she¡¯s going to have her antagonists. ¡­¡­¡± As for me¡­¡­ antis increased even more. The fact that a terrific singer named Harushita san sang my song made it extraordinarily popular, and it was the singer¡¯s ability that made my song sell. I don¡¯t deny it. As I was checking the response to Harushita san¡¯s song, I let out a sigh when I saw the slanderous comments against me. It¡¯s not so exhausting as to be overwhelming, but it¡¯s not pleasant to look at either. Once I stop ego-surfing (no, I was looking up something about Harushita san), I reply to the emails that have been piling up. I send a firm refusal email for each job offer I receive. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve said a lot of times that I don¡¯t work.¡± As I was processing the offers while complaining in this way, I noticed one unusual request. [My name is Yamada, and I am a producer at TVXX. I¡¯m sorry for the sudden announcement. I would very much like to do a kind of documentary program on the composer ¡°Kazashiro Rei¡± ¡­¡­] A description of the planned program followed. He surveyed the general public about the songs I wrote and presented them in a ranking format. In between, he talked about how Kazashiro Rei composes his music and what he pays attention to when writing lyrics, and the performers talked about their most memorable songs. [I¡¯d like to do a show like this, but I need your permission and a request to appear on it.] ¡°Hmm.¡± I feel like I¡¯m listening to him¡­. ¡°This is a no¡± It¡¯s bad to show my face because it could interfere with my college life, and most importantly, I don¡¯t want my own image to be echoed in the song. In fact, although I¡¯m called a composer, I¡¯m not that big of a deal. It is a matter of taste, no matter how far one goes. I mean, the only people who could be interesting if only the composer or lyricist were taken out of the picture would be top-level people like Aki Hata or Tomoya Tabuchi. Both are geniuses who have created many hit songs, especially anime songs. I am not that great of a person, and I have done so little that I am afraid to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. With these various circumstances included, I contacted him to decline the offer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s hard for me to show my face, and I haven¡¯t accepted a job, so I can¡¯t give you my permission. I apologize.¡± I put in one contact and, surprisingly, received a reply right away. [Eee! Senpai, why do you refuse!] It was a line from Azusa that I had exchanged just recently. Oi! ¡°Hey, what are you talking about?¡± [Don¡¯t play dumb with me! It¡¯s the one on TV that Yamada P. just told me about!] No, you should hide it a little better! Why are you getting so close to the producer and why is he even reporting to you about his work! ¡°You heard from Yamada san that I turned him down.¡± [I can¡¯t approve of something like that! I¡¯m supposed to be in it, too, so even if you can¡¯t allow me to be in it, please allow me to be in the show!] Then I told her at the end that I had to go to work, and she stopped replying. No, no, no, selfish! What the hell, this girl just pushed her own convenience on me! As I was losing my temper alone, I received an apology from Yamada san. [Sorry. I was just with someone¡­.However, I would like to ask you to do the program again from here as well. Even if it¡¯s difficult for you to appear on the show, a letter message would be fine.] Yamada san somehow manages to get the program on the air. When he makes some concessions like this, I feel like the one who stubbornly doesn¡¯t allow it is the bad guy¡­¡­ I hate myself for feeling guilty. Or perhaps a compromise is here, given that Azusa is likely to file a complaint until I allow it. ¡­¡­I hate to be very negative in my decision, but ¡­¡­. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to do the show, but I don¡¯t want to show my face and I don¡¯t want to get paid. ¡° Phew, I take a breath. Well, if this gets publicity and sells Azusa¡¯s music, I guess that¡¯s a good thing. It¡¯s not like I do anything in particular to begin with, so I guess I don¡¯t have the right to stop them. It¡¯s not my job when I¡¯m not on TV. -although I decided on the permission with such a light heart. Later, when the program¡¯s air date and time were set, the cast was announced, and when I found the names ¡°Harushita Suzune,¡± ¡°Tatsumi Mirei ,¡± ¡°Ikuta Azusa,¡± and ¡°Shirakawa Kotoha¡± among them, I almost had a stroke. I¡¯m already anxious now. CH 14 ¡°Five seconds to live! Three, two, one.¡± The director signals, and cheerful music begins to play. Then one man vocalizes loudly. ¡°The ¡°Let¡¯s Talk about Composer Kazashiro Rei¡± event has begun!¡± First, the two male and two female moderators are pulled off the screen by the camera. ¡°My name is Hatsuo Maru, and I will be your host today, and I mainly write lyrics.¡± ¡°Yes,I am TV announcer, Yoshizumi Sato, and I look forward to working with you today!¡± Drawn by the tension of the one out-of-place man in an aloha shirt, female announcer Sato also greets him smilingly. ¡°Well~, Sato san.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I was looking forward to this day so much I couldn¡¯t sleep!¡± ¡°ara, really?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s Kazashiro Rei, you know. I¡¯m going to call him ¡®Kazashiro-sensei¡¯ this time, but isn¡¯t there anyone in the industry who doesn¡¯t know about that guy?¡± ¡°I see. It is true that even an ordinary person like me knows the name of Kazashiro sensei.¡± Oh, of course, Maruhatsuo sensei, the announcer adds. ¡°HaaHaaa, Compared to Kazashiro sensei, I am a mere fraction of the industry.¡± ¡°No that¡¯s not right¡± At this point, the director says, ¡°Please move on.¡± The director gives a cue to introduce the guests. ¡°Now, I¡¯d like to introduce you to our lovely guests here.¡± The announcer change the story according to that instruction. ¡°I understood~. After all, they were all superb guests. Yamada san, the producer, said, The schedule and the fee were really tough¡± ¡°Yes, yes, please don¡¯t tell that kind of backstory here. Let¡¯s go ahead and introduce them!¡± and here the camera switches from number 1 to number 2, with the spotlight on the opposite side of the moderator. ¡°First of all, let¡¯s start with this person. She is a very popular actress, and also made her debut as a singer, Shirakawa Kotoha!¡± ¡°Hi~, I¡¯m Shirakawa Kotoha. I look forward to working with you today!¡± Then, next, Azusa and Mirei were introduced. Azusa stood there, aware of the TV shots, while Mirei, as usual, gave a flat greeting with a careless look on her face. ¡°Yes, thank you. And now on to ¡­¡­ the man of the hour! Go ahead!¡± ¡°No, no¡­¡­. My name is Harushita Suzune, nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Wow! It¡¯s really Suzune chan! I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d come back to life!¡± Suzune laughs at Maruhatsuo¡¯s excitement. She is really in trouble, but she doesn¡¯t seem to feel bad about it. ¡°Wait Maru sensei, there is one more¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, sorry, Sato san! And I¡¯m also sorry about our guest. There is actually another person who is coming. He is a composer who has written numerous songs and is just as popular as Kazashiro sensei! Here you go!¡± Maruhatsuo introduces another female guest to the screen. ¡°I¡¯m Nozaki Haruka, composer. It¡¯s a little bit painful for me to be here among all the gorgeous guests, but I look forward to working with you at ¡­¡­.¡± Haruka bows politely, and Maruhatsuo follows up again. At the rate the program is going, it will run out of lenght, so these parts will probably be cut. ¡°Yes. Well then, guests, I look forward to working with you today!¡± At the sound of Maru¡¯s voice, the 100 or so spectators gathered applauded, and the program began. ¡°Yes, we went from tenth to eighth, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing~. All of the songs are so well-known that it feel like an all-star already.¡± Kotoha reacts to Maru¡¯s statement. ¡°What do you think of Shirakawa san¡¯s song, which was also ranked in the list? What is your impression of Kazashiro sensei?¡± ¡°I have the image that he is very serious about what he does. I think he has a strong feeling that he wants to make good songs rather than just sell them.¡± Hohoho, Maru nodded mysteriously. Azusa joined in the conversation. ¡°I understand! He doesn¡¯t care about money at all, doesn¡¯t he? he doesn¡¯t even get paid all the time.¡± ¡°Eh ? Is that so ?!¡± The lyricist, Maru, and the composer, Haruka, responded greatly to this. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure of it. In fact, he told me directly that he would not accept the money.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s what I was told too!¡± Kotoha and Azusa confirm Maru¡¯s question. ¡°Um, perhaps ¡­¡­ Tatsumi san and Harushita san as well?¡± ¡°Yes. He doesn¡¯t get paid.¡± ¡°I told him I would indeed give it to him, but he refused.¡± The four of them talk about how they experienced the same thing there, recalling what they did at that time. ¡°Eh, not getting paid for all those successful productions, that¡¯s amazing¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a person. He is already a great person. Haruka and Maru both shouted in astonishment, and from the audience, ¡°What?¡± Suzune was delighted to see the reaction. She had decided that she would definitely tell her beautiful story of ¡°not getting paid¡± today. This may be a sign of anger toward him for not getting paid, or it may be a way of repaying him for the wonderful music he has provided. (I¡¯m kind of frustrated that Kotoha san beat me to it, but ¡­¡­, oh well¡­) As for Suzune, she was already filled with a sense of accomplishment because she had said what she had intended to say. So she couldn¡¯t imagine that Kotoha was thinking the same thing. unknown to these women, their battle had just begun. It was a disturbing start CH 15 ¡°Okay, then we looked at the 7th through 4th places and so on~. They are all well-known songs. This must have been quite a ranking problem for the viewers~¡± ¡°If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t want to rank these songs~¡± Maru mumbles his impressions as if talking to himself, and Sato takes over. Apparently, this is the style that will be used for this program. ¡°Tatsumi san, do you have a favorite piece of music by Kazeshiro sensei?¡± When announcer Sato shakes Mirei, she replies in a matter-of-fact manner. ¡°It was the first song he ever wrote for me.¡± ¡°is it ¡­¡­ [androids]?¡± ¡°No, that one was posted online. After that.¡± ¡°Then maybe [Dramatic Las Vegas]?¡± Mirei replies to Maru¡¯s question, ¡°That¡¯s it¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first song he wrote just for me. It was because he wrote it with me in mind.¡± Silence from everyone. The people around her were at a loss to respond to what they thought was a na?ve line from a maiden in love, but they were finally brought back to reality by the sight of her saying it without hesitation and without restraint Kotoha rushes in to confirm. ¡°O-Or, since he wrote it for Tatsumi san, it matched the tone and range of her music?That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah¡± ¡°¡±¡±Haaaaa¡­¡­¡±¡±¡± Azusa, Kotoha, and Suzune, who had been tense at Mirei¡¯s sudden statement, were relieved. Next, Maru, Sato, and guest composer Haruka are also relieved. ¡°I almost thought we had a broadcast accident¡­¡­. Could you please be a little clearer?¡± ¡°?¡± Mirei raises a question mark at Maru¡¯s point. Apparently, she did not realize that her words were misleading. Sato, thinking it would be a bad idea to continue this topic any longer, changed the subject to Haruka. ¡°B-By the way, what are the characteristics of Kazashiro sensei¡¯s compositions, Nozaki san?¡± With the flow back to the script, Haruka was able to speak calmly. ¡°Well. There is something mysterious about his music. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m a composer, but I even feel an eeriness.¡± ¡°Eerie?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s going off on some crazy chord progression, or using some unusual technique. It¡¯s all in the textbooks, and there¡¯s nothing remarkable about it. But ¡­¡­¡± I am one of them, Haruka says, laughing. ¡°I understand that~ After he came out, I was told, [I¡¯m not satisfied with these lyrics. It¡¯s bad for business for us.]¡± ¡°Oh, that kind of thing is hard, isn¡¯t it?¡± The two musicians get into a lively conversation. And then Azusa enters the scene. ¡°Ah that kind of thing happens too~ Our producer is always saying, [Please get me a song from Kazashiro sensei somehow.] And I think that Senpai¡¯s songs make me want to sing them as a singer.¡± ¡°Ahh I know what you mean, Azusa chan. I don¡¯t like to sing my own songs at karaoke~, but I end up singing them¡± Kotoha responds to Azusa¡¯s statement as if it were an insert. ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s because you have so much work to do that you don¡¯t take on any more.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± The announcer, Sato, responds to Suzune¡¯s words that were taken to summarize the event. ¡°I heard that he has not agreed to do any work. I guess that¡¯s because he¡¯s too busy.¡± She said this, but Suzune knew it was not the case. He had told her the reason for not taking the job when they first met. Still, she wanted to brag somewhat about Kazashiro Rei, so she used a form of speculation to make up a story. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s even more difficult for me~. Often, I am the one who is offered the job because Kazashiro sensei won¡¯t take it, so I have no choice.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s time to move on to the next ranking!¡± Sato proceeded with the program by cutting off the never-ending conversation. Maru, who was cut off, was stunned as the audience laughed. CH 16 The program recording is in its final stages, and as for the ranking, it is the most exciting time of the show, as the third to first places are announced. The show also had a different kind of excitement than the producers had in mind. ¡°First place went to the new single, ¡°Sadness Rendezvous,¡± which was released at the same time as Harushita san¡¯s recently announced resurrection.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stop listening to this song over and over again~. I mean, I¡¯m not sure if I should put these songs in the same ranking, but they are all in the top 10 to begin with!? What a waste!?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine that he did all this by himself. He really is an amazing person.¡± Sato and Maru each give their impressions after watching the VTR. (Video tape) Suzune, Mirei, Azusa, and Kotoha were listening to them with satisfaction, and Haruka was immersed in the afterglow of the song. ¡°How is it, Harushita san? you won the first prize with flying colors.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sorry. I am very lucky to have been given first place out of all these entries.¡± ¡°No, no, not at all.¡± Sato and Harushita exchanged their opinions. Sato thinks that it is true that it was easy to get votes because it is a new work and is the most well-known. ¡°Shirakawa san came in second, Tatsumi san came in third, and as I mentioned earlier in the ranking, Ikuta san¡¯s song came in fourth. I think the fact that they are not all performed by one singer means that Kazashiro¡¯s songs are diverse and appealing.¡± ¡°I agree. Of course, I think it¡¯s because of the singing ability and charm of everyone here today who is a guest here, but still, I think it¡¯s because of Kazashiro san¡¯s songwriting.¡± Here, Maru and Haruka make a statement as if they had been shown the way. This is, of course, their expert opinion in response to the anti-comment that ¡°the singer is just amazing.¡± By softly denying it, both Maru and Haruka hoped that the public¡¯s opinion of Kazashiro Rei would be a bit more upwardly revised. So this was something they had talked about in their pre-show meeting. Kotoha adds, as if on top of that. ¡°Well, if you tell him that, he¡¯ll just say, [you guys are just great singers!]¡± ¡°Is that right?. He is a very humble person, isn¡¯t he? I can¡¯t help but feel that he¡¯s becoming more and more likeable.¡± ¡°For my part, I think the opposite is true [The creator is just amazing.]¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit of an exaggeration, don¡¯t you think?~¡± Maru responds to Kotoha¡¯s statement by laughing. But Mirei responds to this in a surprising way ¡°I get it. As I sing, I feel as if my limits are being pushed higher and higher. It¡¯s like I¡¯m being allowed to sing.¡± ¡°Yess. It¡¯s like I¡¯m singing comfortably, but at the same time it¡¯s not me singing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very interesting.¡± Haruka shows interest, perhaps because she is curious about the same composer. ¡°I mean, the more I dig, the more I find out about Kazeshiro sensei¡¯s charms.¡± ¡°His charm are endless.¡± When Haruka shows her determination to give up on the idea of not being able to tell the story, Suzune follows up. ¡°If there was another show like this, I would love to have this group back together again to talk about it.¡± When Suzune says so, everyone verbally agrees. ¡°I think so too ! I wish they would make it a regular show!¡± ¡°I¡¯m in. There is so much more I haven¡¯t told you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice~ I¡¯ll ask them to make me a regular member then. ¡° Maru struck a pose of exaggerated dismay at the flirtatious four. ¡°Give me a break~ who¡¯s going to pay the fee~! I¡¯d like to have Kazashiro sensei appear on the show, but he doesn¡¯t get any money! The audience burst into laughter. As for Maruhatsuo, he would probably be better off as a comedian than a lyricist. ¡°Shall we have another drinking session then?~¡± ¡°Hey, Kotoha san! I don¡¯t want to hear the old man¡¯s word for a drinking party from a pretty girl! But I¡¯ll join you¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m underage, is that okay?¡± ¡°Ummm, no~!¡± ¡°Cruel~!¡± they thought it would end in a peaceful mood. Everyone thought so. ¡°Let¡¯s end the program at this point. Any last words, Harushita san?¡± To end the program on this good note, Sato asked Suzune for a comment. ¡°Thank you very much for your time today. It is a great honor to win first place out of this very distinguished group.¡± The first step is to start with a standardized sentence that seems to have been prepared from the beginning. ¡°As expected of Kazashiro Sensei¡­¡­ but are they all his works?¡± and self-commentary to get a laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I will be able to sing Kazashiro-sensei¡¯s songs again¡­¡­ but I¡¯ll do my best to sing as his number one fan, so please take care of me then.¡± She responded with what would probably be called an honor student. ¡°Kazashiro sensei¡¯s¡± ¡°The number one¡± ¡°Fan?¡± There were three people who took a bite out of her statement (I don¡¯t need to reveal the three here). ¡°Yes, I¡¯m his biggest fan.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m his biggest fan. I¡¯ve been with him the most and he¡¯s taught me so much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the first one he has met, remember?¡± ¡°No, it is I, Ikuta Azusa, who has provided him with the most songs!¡± Suzune, Mirei, Kotoha, and Azusa each speak their minds. The mood in the hall suddenly turned sour. The audience was in a state of confusion, and the staff was also in a panic because of the sudden situation. ¡°For the most part, if you¡¯re talking about spending a lot of time together, I think I was the most recent person he met.¡± ¡°So You¡¯re the girl who smells like that~! I thought so.¡± ¡°Then I will call senpai ! Ehem!¡± ¡°I can make a phone call anytime I want. Don¡¯t mount me with that.¡± While Maru and Sato were in a panic over the situation that was already out of control, Nozaki Haruka was thinking long and hard about meeting Kazashiro Rei. ¡°Excuse me, ladies¡± ¡°Outsiders keep their mouths shut.¡± ¡°Fueeeh?¡± Maru tries to stop them, but is kicked out by Mirei. ¡°A newcomer has no right to be called a fan in the first place.¡± ¡°A newcomer¡­¡­.!? R-Rude !! I¡¯ve been watching all of his videos for a long time!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been watching since I wasn¡¯t getting much play.¡± ¡°It¡¯s [kotoha senpai], the old timer ! Just because it¡¯s old doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s good!¡± Endless arguments. Or rather, just bickering. It is a child¡¯s quarrel as to who knows the best about the child. ¡°This is a total cut. ¡­¡­¡± As Sato muttered in a whisper, the program ended in an unnatural way when it aired. However, it was rumored that the girls continued to argue long after the cameras had stopped. ¡°What the hell is this?¡­¡­¡­¡± This was Rin¡¯s line when the tape (uncut version) was later sent to her by producer Yamada san and he checked it with fear. [Now I¡¯m going to ask you to come out too!] I looked at the accompanying message and thought that it was completely out of character. No, I have more to say to the four girls than that¡­¡­ After deleting the video sent to him, Rin immediately pretended he had not seen it and started writing a song. CH 17 Just the next day after the terrible and tragic recording tape was sent to Rin. Kotoha sent him a line. ¡°I¡¯m going to your house today. Please make sure to open the door for me ?.¡± That¡¯s me after seeing that recording site. For now, I¡¯m going to check the escape route in case of emergency and buy some alcohol to appease Kotoha. It may be unnecessary since Kotoha brings a little (and I say little because I am not familiar with alcohol) expensive-looking alcohol when she drinks alcohol anyway, but if it is not enough, she is out at that point, so there is nothing better than leaving it there. ¡°She¡¯s absolutely unhappy.¡± I can already tell from this sentence. She is obviously very angry. Moreover, the cause of the incident was definitely the quarrel between the four women. What she couldn¡¯t say in front of the TV, or what she still couldn¡¯t say after all she had said, was quite radical, but of course she would blurt it out to me, who seemed to be a participant in the situation. To begin with, this sort of thing has happened before, and I have heard numerous complaints. Producers are touchy, some actrees are cutting corners on their work, and so on. Many of her complaints have her own passion, but ¡­¡­ this time it doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. As I was worrying my head about her coming visit, it seemed that the misfortune continued, and another call came in, this time to my cell phone. [Senpai! Can we meet up tonight~? I¡¯m sorry to bother you at the usual place~.] It is Ikuta Azusa. The ¡°usual place¡± is a room in one of the studios, a measure to avoid any scandal because she is an idol. It¡¯s not a good outward appearance to be meeting with a man alone. But unfortunately, we have a prior engagement. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have something to do today. Can we do this another time?¡± Even though Kotoha¡¯s business is indeed a matter of concern, it is not good to be indifferent. Usually Azusa understands this, but not today. [Hee~ I see. By the way, may I ask who your partner is?] Azusa asks, perhaps sensing something, or perhaps just curious. ¡°Uh, well, friends.¡± [Friend] Azusa is even more suspicious when I answer somewhat blurrily. I am afraid that the tone of her voice drops a little. [Is it the male gender or the female gender?¡­¡­ Is it a man or a woman?] ¡°Et-to¡­¡­.female¡± [Hoo~ A girl who takes priority over me, huh?~] Ah, this is bad. By the time I thought that, it was too late. [I¡¯m going to Senpai¡¯s house today¡î] Ah, I am not particularly interested in following today. Gentlemen who thought that it would be even worse to come to a man¡¯s house because it would be a scandal. I said so. Of course I said that. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have a lady coming over, right? If so, it¡¯s okay because you are friends!¡± So they say. It is sad that what is coming is Kotoha, who is as much a star as Azusa, which makes it even more (really even more) believable. Therefore, I have prepared tea and sweets as a hospitality to Azusa, who arrived first. ¡°Your house is beautiful~! It¡¯s a little cluttered in places, but there¡¯s nothing unnecessary.¡± ¡°Please, just stay calm ¡­¡­¡± Azusa, unable to hide her excitement at coming to a house for the first time, explores here and there, fishing through bookshelves and peeking under drawers. ¡°Mumu~. It¡¯s not here~¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ero book ¡° (You guys know what this is right ) ¡°T-T-There is none!¡± I didn¡¯t want to hear that word from a pretty girl. ¡°F-first of all, I didn¡¯t even buy it!¡± ¡°Ehh~ Senpai is so pure~! This guy~!¡± ¡°S-Stop it¡± Azusa is so soft. Why is it so soft even though our bodies are just a little attached to each other? ¡­¡­! As I was having trouble dealing with the situation, I heard a ping-pong sound from the door. Looking for a place to escape, I jump to my feet and open the front door. ¡­¡­ Thank God! ¡°Hi~, Rin kun. Good evening.¡± The beautiful woman who appears when I open the door stops my thinking for a moment. ¨CI forgot about it! ¡°So your errand was to meet with Kotoha senpai here?¡± ¡°You have no remorse for trying to see a woman without telling me, do you?¡± The mood is already nasty. Ugh, Kotoha is still the type of person who gets along with everyone, but Azusa is the type of person who gets along with everyone ¡­¡­ ¡°Well, this is the first time you¡¯ve been here right~? Am I better than you? Something like that.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not true! It was just that it was difficult for me to visit senpai¡¯s house because I am an idol, but we have met a lot elsewhere, haven¡¯t we?¡± ¡°But if you don¡¯t know about this house, that means you don¡¯t know Rin kun at all, right?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not true!¡± Kotoha says, ¡°Well, then,¡± to Azusa, who is getting upset. ¡°¨CYou don¡¯t suppose to know where Rin kun hides his erotic books, do you?¡± Gulp. ¡°No, he didn¡¯t buy it! Right? Isn¡¯t that right, Senpai?¡± I do my best to turn my face away from Azusa¡¯s pure eyes. I¡¯m sweating a lot. Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s hot. ¡°Aree~ Rin kun, Did you lie like that? You¡¯re so cute~¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not lying!¡± I try desperately to look good while Azusa is watching him. Kotoha glanced around my room and headed for the closet without hesitation. Wait, why! Why there! ¡°Okay, found it~¡± Kotoha reveals the existence of the erotic book by shaking it. Azusa is looking at me with a jealous look. This is a bad one. Kotoha¡¯s smile says it all. ¡°Why! How did you know where it was! I properly changed the place from before!¡± ¡°Ahaha, No matter how many times you do it, it¡¯s useless. Rin kun is so easy to understand~¡± She¡¯s a monster, this woman. That sucks. Let¡¯s use a safe this time. CH 18 ¡°By the way Ha- san¡± ¡°Wait a minute, what¡¯s ha san?¡± ¡°Kotoha senpai so ha san!¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s better than long¡­¡­.. So, what?¡± ¡°¨CWhat are we going to do about this no-good senpai?¡± Hi, I¡¯m no good senpai. I¡¯m a no-good senpai who hid an erotic book and lied about it because he did not want to be pulled away by Azusa, a kouhai, and Kotoha easily found out. To be honest, I am scared of what they will do to me. I¡¯m shaking with fear that Kotoha will beat me to a pulp like she did before. Surprisingly, however, Kotoha didn¡¯t seem too angry. ¡°I think it¡¯s only natural for boys to look at naughty books~? She said. That¡¯s great, Ha-san! ¡°But, I just think you should be careful, Azusa chan, okay? Because, Rin kun, you look like a harmless guy, but in fact, you are, a B E A S T~¡± ¡°It sounds like I am a man with a lust for flesh who attacks people without regard. And I don¡¯t have a harmless face!¡± I¡¯m not proud of it, but I have frightened someone with this face quite a few times¡­¡­.I¡¯m really not proud of it. However, the two ignored my distressful cries, and were enjoying the sushi and a few snacks that they had ordered. ¡°I knew that white wine goes well with sushi~uwaa~¡± ¡°¡­¡­there is a minor, so be careful.¡± ¡°Yess~ Do you want some too, Rin kun?¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna decline that. I¡¯m not much of a drinker.¡± ¡°Ah~ That¡¯s~ you¡¯re worried you¡¯re going to get drunk and mess with the beautiful woman in front of you~?¡± ¡°I am not a lusty man!¡± I certainly try not to drink too much alcohol in the presence of women. ¡­¡­ No, that, that¡¯s the only reason. I¡¯m afraid of myself, especially in front of people like Kotoha and Azusa, who would make me feel weak. Sympathy may indeed be a temporary comfort, but it surely weakens you. A weak sound makes one that much weaker. Besides, it¡¯s best to have this kind of flat conversation with these girls. We interfere with each other, but we do not intrude on each other. We understand but do not dominate. I think it is just fine to eat together like this and have a good time. ¡°Rin senpai is very serious, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I like about Rin kun, though.¡± They understand me. At least more than someone I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s enough happiness for me, and it¡¯s more than enough for me. So I hope this relationship lasts for the rest of my life. ¨CWhile I was thinking that, I am now in the midst of such a drinking game, I am now in an emergency situation. ¡°Rin kun, go out with me~. And write a song just for me. okay~? Please.¡± ¡°No~ Rin-senpai is mine~ Let¡¯s get married instead of going out with each other~¡± Two drunks are born¡î No, not ¡°¡î¡±. It¡¯s a real emergency. Kotoha on the right arm and Azusa on the left. A flower in both hands, you might say. Idiotttttttt!! ¡°I understand that Kotoha is drunk, but why are you also intoxicated, Azusa¡± ¡°Fuaaaaann, Is it the smell~¡± ¡°Smell?!¡± I¡¯ve never heard of getting drunk from the smell!! How weak is she ?! ¡°Kotoha! You¡¯re a working woman! Don¡¯t just show up at someone¡¯s house and get drunk! At least save your breath!¡± ¡°Ummmmmmmnn, I¡¯m fine at Rin kun¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Not fine !!!¡± At any rate, I have to do something about this situation. It is indeed bad when I hit a soft part or something. ¡ª I mean, it¡¯s so soft, girl¡¯s pp. ¡°Buhuu!!¡± I hit myself. I hit myself with so much force that I reaped my consciousness. I punched myself in the cheek with all the force I could muster, so much so that no consciousness or blood went to my arm. ¡°bad, I have to do something fast. ¡­¡­¡± I hurried toward the bed. I dragged them along the way, but even a super idol would forgive me for this. I throw them both on the bed and turn down the air conditioning. I want to keep them as cool as possible to keep them from getting drunk. but the two people I¡¯m supposed to have dumped immediately fall off the bed and come to my feet. ¡°Rin kun~?¡± ¡°Rin Senpai?¡± They no longer seem to be in a bad mood. Stop it. I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s in a bad mood, am I? Stop it? But my wish didn¡¯t come true, and the two of them hold tightly to my legs. ¡°Hey, stop, it¡¯s hard to move¨C!¡± The next moment when I started to walk away to forcibly peel them off, my pants came off because they were pulling my pants off. ¡°Aree, Eh. eh !? KYAAA!!!!¡± I scream into the room. They still don¡¯t stop, and as soon as they see that my pants are off, they cling to my legs again. ¡°Next, pants, right?¡± ¡°Next is pants, right?¡± It was these people who were covered in lust, damn them! I ended up spending the night in the bathroom that day. It was cold. I will never let Kotoha drink alcohol again, and I will never let her drink in front of Azusa. CH 19 Summer vacation in college starts late and lasts a long time. Our university is on summer break in August and will be on summer break for the entire month of September. The reason is simple, they have created an environment that makes it easy to take on many challenges. With a time frame of two months, it would be possible to attend an internship or even study abroad. Well, as I am already a junior in college, I am planning to go for an internship this summer. ¡°I¡¯m hoping to get a job offer.¡± My career goal is to be a businessman in an IT company. Even though I know it will be difficult to get a job at a very big company like Google, I would like to get into a company that is close to it. However, I am also interested in a career in the news media, and I would like to try my hand at publishing, and there is no end to my hopes. In short, I am still undecided. By going on an internship there, they will be able to experience what a real job is like and use it to help them decide their future. ¡°What do you think, Omori sensei?¡± That is why I decided to come to the university the day after the university went on summer break, thus consulting with Omori sensei. Omori Sensei is an economics teacher whom I have often taken care of and trusted. Many students are scared of her intimidating atmosphere, cold personality, and her movements and facial expressions in places, but in reality, she is just a single at 30 woman with an explosive desire to get married. ¡°I¡¯m not a single at 30 woman, I¡¯m telling you I¡¯m just 30.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s single at 30¡± I also add, not giving up. ¡°So, sensei, I don¡¯t know which one to apply for first. Also, should I apply for one long term or multiple short term ones?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡± I¡¯ll get back on track. Internships are usually divided into two main types, short-term and long-term. Roughly speaking, short-term internships are for a month or less, while long-term internships are for a month or more. As for the long term, they say that some places can give you real money. The teacher crosses her arms, crosses her legs, and takes me seriously. She has a bad attitude, but she is actually a nice person. ¡°Well, I¡¯d recommend the long term. Better to focus on one.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only the summer of your junior year. It¡¯s better to learn what a job is rather than what profession, because it will benefit you later on.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The opinion of someone who has walked through life longer than you is very helpful. What is in the future for me is in the past for sensei. She is very persuasive. I¡¯ll continue with the question. ¡°What do you have to say about your profession? Like, [Don¡¯t do this kind of work.]¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a specific job title, but I¡¯d prefer something that pays a salary. Work is about getting paid to work. There are some things you can¡¯t feel when you volunteer.¡± And every single thing she says is logical, which I appreciate. How valuable it is to be given firm guidelines like this, rather than being told, [It doesn¡¯t matter which one you choose, just choose the one you like.] I thought I had grown up and joined the ranks of adults, but it looks like ¡­¡­ I¡¯m not quite there yet. ¡°Thank you for going out of your way to consult with me on your day off. I don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡± ¡°Thennn, You¡¯re going to be my husband.¡± ¡°Then, excuse me¡± Watch out, watch out, as soon as I respect it a little, this is it. ¨CShe¡¯s beautiful, just get married ¡­¡­. Please. So I was about to apply for a long-term internship and found someone who could help. She is Tatsumi Mirei, a popular singer who is well known and respected. She has a weekly radio show and invited me to join her management team. Not for free, of course. [I want you to make the next song with me.] But it was on the condition that. Well, Mirei had recently learned how to compose music, and since it was my first experience and I wanted to work with her, I readily agreed to do so. ¡°I¡¯m Nagishiro, and I¡¯ll be working for you to the best of my ability starting today! I look forward to working with you!¡± However, I was afraid that they would not look at me very well because of my so-called connections. ¡°Yes~, I¡¯ve heard about you~! Hi there, I¡¯m Miki, and I¡¯ll be taking care of Nagishiro san this time~.¡± He spoke to me cheerfully. At the same time, there is applause in the office, and everyone present gives a warm welcome. ¡°Welcome to ©–©– Broadcasting!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this~!!¡± ¡°Yo, Manly man!¡± While there was a bit of happiness at the unfamiliar treatment, there was more confusion. ¡°W-What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°No, no, actually.¡± When I asked Miki san, who was in charge of the project, why, he simply spat it out. ¡°Nagishiro kun, they say you¡¯re actually that famous kazashiro sensei~! ¡°Hee!?¡± It was a tremendous exposure. Wait a minute, now what? ¡°So, since we are in charge of Tatsumi san¡¯s radio, of course we are big fans of Kazashiro sensei~! Without noticing my stunned state, Miki san proceeds with his story. Someone nodding yes or no in the background. Or some were so moved that they were holding their eyes with a handkerchief. It was a sparse impression, but it was certainly not the gaze of a college student. ¡°We were all really thrilled and impressed, and when we listened to Tatsumi san¡¯s song composed by Kazashiro sensei in the morning, we all got into a weird tension. Oh, it¡¯s very unfashionable.¡± Wahaha, Miki san laughs. No, no, no, wait! ¡°Wait a minute, where did you get that information?¡± ¡°That¡¯s already from Tatsumi san¡¯s manager.¡± Miki san said it as if it were a matter of course. That¡¯s not such an easy thing to say. ¡­¡­ ¡°Ah, Of course I won¡¯t take any pictures, and I won¡¯t give out any of your personal information. If anyone does that, I will cut his head off.¡± It was a relief for the time being, but is not a good place to start¡­¡­¡­wait, Eh? ¡°going to cut off head, Miki san?¡± ¡°Yes, I am the president of this company.¡± What! Why is the president giving direct guidance to a mere intern! ¡°No, we¡¯re already competing with each other for the job since Kazashiro sensei said he¡¯s coming.¡± Teehee, The president says. [Boss, that¡¯s not fair!] [You¡¯re abusing your authority!] [You fat bastard!] and [You fat] No, it¡¯s just normal bad-mouthing. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to take charge. As long as it¡¯s my job, I won¡¯t show any mercy, no matter how much you are Kazashiro sensei, okay?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, That¡¯s what I intended to¡± Miki san¡¯s sudden change to a more serious tone makes me tense up. His serious face is certainly convincing when he is called the president of the company. And I think vaguely. I kind of like the atmosphere of this company An environment in which you can say what you think without being overbearing in terms of hierarchical relationships. A work environment that is well balanced with a firm sense of discipline. The people are warm and welcoming, and the atmosphere is full of laughter. ¨CI¡¯ll have to thank Mirei later for showing me such a nice place. I was thinking something like that. ¡°So I¡¯m asking you, would you be willing to appear on the radio?¡± But that one, I knew it was a mistake to tell him about me. ¡°No!¡± I got to work as if I were running away. CH 20 ¡°Good evening~, This is Suzuki from ©–©– Broadcasting Corporation~. ¡°Good evening everyone. My name is Tatsumi Mirei.¡± ¡°Yes, so as usual, with Tatsumi san¡¯s plain greeting, we present to you ¡°Mireta Sono Bassari Toxic Radio¡±. Please look forward to it~¡± ¡°Please look forward to it¡± Mirei¡¯s voice followed by a cheerful female commentator. The radio recording began. ¡°Well~ It¡¯s so hot today~¡± ¡°It¡¯s really hot. Why do I have to stay in this closed room?¡± ¡°B-Because it¡¯s a radio¡­..¡± Gahaha, the laughter of the producers and broadcasters echoes loudly. I feared that their voices would be included, but apparently it is more enjoyable for the listeners to hear them if I let them in the other way around. So, this is a program in which we have Tatsumi Mirei, a very successful singer, cut off your letters cold and fast. I wonder where in the world the demand for such a program would be generated, but judging by the number of e-mails sent, there must be quite a demand for it. ¡­¡­ There are no end to the number of M men in the world. And where am I now? I am inside the broadcast booth. Not outside, but inside. For those who don¡¯t understand, in radio, there are two separate rooms, one for the basic broadcasting booth and the other for the director and sound engineers. Since they are separated from each other by a transparent partition, they can see each other¡¯s faces and, as mentioned earlier, can hear each other¡¯s voices. But the broadcast booth is basically off limits to all but the performers. So why am I in such a place? ¡°What a surprise! This time we have a ¡­¡­ special guest! Come on in!¡± ¡°Nice to meet you ¡­¡­. My name is Kazashiro Rei and I mainly write lyrics and music. I look forward to working with you. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Nice to meet you¡± This is how it is. ¡ª Hmmm? Why? Why do I have to go out in this place and be exposed to the public? (Note, only talk, not show faces.) Well, I was doing an internship at ©–©– Broadcasting. Somehow they knew I was Kazashiro Rei and gave me a big welcome. But in the meantime, I am here on an internship, so take the job seriously. Sort the mail and coordinate the equipment. Ah, yes, that¡¯s where Mirei came in. ¡°Rin, let¡¯s do it together, radio.¡± What does she say? ¡°Today is work day you know?¡± What a thing to say. And after hours and hours and hours of arguing, Mirei¡¯s manager said to me, ¡°I introduced you to this company, didn¡¯t I?¡± I had no choice. -No, I knew it, why am I on the radio? ¡°Now, I never thought I¡¯d be doing this for the first time in the media. How are you feeling, sensei? ¡°eh, yeah, that¡¯s. You understand while seeing me right?¡± Hahaha, the producer¡¯s laugh that pierces through. Ah, this feels good. I feel as if I said something funny. ¡°Rei, there¡¯s no need to be nervous.¡± And since she cannot use my real name, Mirei, who usually called me ¡°Rin,¡± called me ¡°Rei¡± today. Wouldn¡¯t it be more funny if I answered her ¡°it¡¯s cold~¡±? I¡¯m sorry. (TL/N Rei ( Àä ), means cold) ¡°The two of you seem to be getting along pretty well, don¡¯t you?¡± And here, Suzuki san, who seems to like such a juicy story, looks at me with a smirk on the face. ¡°N-No, we have somewhat of a business relationship. You see, as you all know, I have provided some of my music to Tatsumi san.¡± Mirei glaring at me ¡°Mirei san?¡± ¡°Why the question mark?¡± ¡°No, um, I¡¯m trying to determine the distance.¡± She seems very unhappy, probably because I usually call her Mirei. But as expected, if I call her by her name, her fans would complain and stab me the next day, so please don¡¯t do that. Ask Suzuki to proceed with the story, showing that the relationship is still awkward. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Futsuota corner then! Unfortunately, Kazashiro Sensei is making a complete surprise appearance, so all addresses are to Tatsumi san, but please forgive me, Sensei.¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s sudden for me, too. Besides, I¡¯m interested to see how Mirei san will respond.¡± ¡°I will do my best to meet your expectations.¡± ¡°What did I expect?¡± I quickly tsk tsk Mirei¡¯s comments and wait for her to read the letter. Futsuota, by the way, is an abbreviation for ¡°Futsu no otayori¡± (TL/N : letter from a regular customer) ¡°Then let¡¯s start with the first case. It¡¯s radio name ¡°Mushikui san¡± ¡° ¡°Thank you.¡± After Mirei¡¯s phase, Suzuki san reads it out. ¡°Well, [Good evening, Suzuki san, Miretaso. This is my first e-mail. I always wake up to the sound of Tatsumi san¡¯s singing voice. It is your wonderful singing voice that helps me wake up early. Now I listen to this radio to accompany me when I go to bed. Please take care of yourself and do your best.]¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After reading it, Suzuki san puts the mail on his desk and begins to dig deeper into its contents. ¡°Now, you say that you wake up every morning to the sound of Tatsumi san¡¯s singing. Is that your alarm? How about it, Tatsumi san?¡± ¡°Uh, that one. I appreciate that, but the way you say it is a little ¡­¡­.It was a bit of a pull¡­.. Still, it seems like this is your first e-mail, so I can¡¯t help it. Thank you so much for listening to the radio.¡± I can tell that she is trying to use a roundabout way of expressing her thoughts by suppressing her desire to say them frankly. Or rather, listeners can feel it. Still, Mirei¡¯s use of honorifics and concern for others is refreshing and a bit mature, reminding me that this girl is also a member of society. Like with Omori sensei, this kind of thing is happening a lot these days. ¡°By the way, Tatsumi san, do you use an alarm clock?¡± ¡°Yeah, I got a cell phone.¡± ¡°Do you play tunes and stuff?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a video of Rei on YouTube that I play in the morning.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing pretty good yourself!¡± It was a hell of a hobby. No, this is not the place to laugh, producer! CH 21 ¡°So, here¡¯s the next corner.¡± Somehow I can¡¯t deny the feeling that I¡¯ve already exhausted in Futsubota¡¯s corner. I don¡¯t know why, maybe I¡¯m nervous because it¡¯s my first time on the radio. No¡­¡­.There is a more obvious cause, but let¡¯s keep it to myself. I¡¯ll keep it to myself, because I have my own privacy. ¡°Next up, since Kazashiro-sensei was kind enough to visit us, we have [Ten Questions from Tatsumi san]!¡± ¡°What a cheap name.¡± Gahaha. This is a good time to laugh. And while I am at it, let¡¯s laugh as I glare at the staff members. ¡°Tatsumi san and Kazashiro-sensei are acquainted with each other, but this time he will be answering questions for listeners who do not yet know him. Incidentally, I asked the staff to make up five questions, I, Suzuki, made up one, and Tatsumi san made up four.¡± The mine is already hidden in that description. Mirei made up the question, and I have a bad feeling about that. I mean, you know me pretty well, don¡¯t you? ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start with the staff.¡± ¡°Come on in.¡± Well, then, take a breath. ¡°One. How old are you now?¡± ¡°It is a secret.¡± ¡°Second. How did you come up with the name Kazashiro Rei?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just something I came up with at random.¡± ¡°Third. Which do you prefer, writing lyrics or composing music? And which do you do better?¡± ¡°Fourth. Is there anything you keep in mind when writing a song?¡± ¡°Well, interesting stuff. I don¡¯t try to force myself to make something at all.¡± ¡°Fifth. Would you be willing to show your face sometime?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a question, that¡¯s a job offer, and I decline.¡± After five slurred questions and answers, Suzuki and Mirei ask for more information about the content. ¡°And what about your pen name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just as it is. It¡¯s kind of close to my real name. I think Mirei san would understand, but the letters look alike.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even know until now!¡± Nagishiro Rin. Kazashiro Rei. Yeah, they¡¯re kind of close. They have the same radical. Maybe. ¡°You said you were better at writing lyrics than you were at composing music ?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still not very good at either of them from a professional point of view. Even so, in composing, I just make up phrases that feel good to me, whereas in lyric writing, I work on the lyrics until they hit the spot.¡± ¡°What are some of the things you keep in mind when you¡¯re writing a song that you enjoy?¡± ¡°I have no intention of becoming a professional from the start. It¡¯s just something I do on the side.¡± When I say this, Suzuki returns the question as if surprised. ¡°Eh, so you¡¯re not a composer by profession?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a regular guy.¡± ¡°Eh~I didn¡¯t expect that~¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t really thought about it.¡± If the song is written by a college student, his/her age will be revealed, and if the song is a playful song written by a college student, the artist who provided the song will suffer reputational damage. It would be better to blur it out appropriately. And since I have no plans to become a composer, I¡¯m not too far off the mark. ¡°Ah, the producer said he would formalize the job offer again.¡± ¡°Please tell them I decline.¡± The producers and directors were out there with their heads in the sand, but I don¡¯t know about that. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask you my next question. How are you enjoying the radio?¡± It was a serious question, typical of radio assistants. ¡°Well¡± Hmmm, if you ask me if it¡¯s fun. ¡°It¡¯s fun. Of course I get nervous, but I think it¡¯s more fun than that. When I get e-mails from so many people, I learn a lot about people¡¯s daily lives, and it¡¯s fun to listen to the two of you talk.¡± ¡°T-Thank you! It makes us happy to hear you say so!¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad. I thought it would be a nuisance since I asked so suddenly.¡± Mirei puts her hand on her chest as if she is a little relieved. You can almost hear the sound of ¡°Ho!¡± I guess Mirei was worried about me, too. I¡¯m not used to this kind of place. ¡°No, no, no. Of course it was annoying, but it was a better experience than that.¡± When I spit a little venom, the outside world laughs pleasantly, as intended. Even now. It¡¯s a fun place to talk, and part of me is sad that it¡¯s almost over. ¡°Then come back next week as a guest.¡± ¡°No, I refuse to do that.¡± Watch out, I was so close to being swept away by the good vibe and having to work again next week. No, I¡¯ll still be working as an intern, though. So now that we¡¯ve got the punchline, let¡¯s do the last ¡­¡­ last. ¡°Then I will ask you a question at the end of the day.¡± ¡°U,uu¡­.G-Go ahead¡± This is it. I can¡¯t afford to be picky, so I¡¯m ready and waiting for her to ask me a question. ¡°Then the first one. Do you have a girlfriend?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡± ¡°Is there a girl?¡± ¡°There is not¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Why am I being doubted by Mirei san!?¡± Why are you asking me to remind you? No, no, no, where did that suspicion rise from? When I told her I was innocent, she smiled a little and then moved on to the next question. ¡°Have you ever had a girlfriend before?¡± ¡°Another private question, I guess. No, I¡¯ve never had a girlfriend, so to speak.¡± ¡°Girlfriendless history equals ¡­¡­ tree age?¡± I¡¯ve always wanted to be a tree, though. And Mirei, taking notes in the margins of the script. It¡¯s all so neatly done, like a little animal. ¡°Next. What kind of girl is your type?¡± ¡°Why all that stuff from earlier! ¡­¡­ I guess someone who is normally kind. But still someone who is equal.¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°For example¡­..For example, someone who can be there for me, support me, teach me things, and make me laugh. Someone who can teach each other things and make each other laugh.¡± Memo memo, that is. The corners of my mouth are a little bit upturned, though. ¡°Teaching each other. Fufufu.¡± I even heard some creepy voices. Scary, scary, quick last question. ¡°Then the last one. Who is your favorite artist?¡± ¡°I feel like that¡¯s wrong, except perhaps the answer is ¡®Mirei Tatsumi!¡¯ Well, I like you very much, Mirei san. I will continue to support you, so keep up the good work.¡± I think it was a good way to end the show. It was nicely put together and got a few laughs. ¡°Thank you very much. I¡¯ll do my best. ¡­¡­ please give me the next song as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Please wait! I¡¯m trying not to force myself to make it!¡± The last one hit me where it hurts the most. Wow, that¡¯s not funny. Interns are great, but it¡¯s time to start writing songs. This broadcast ended with me vaguely thinking that I would like to do my best in both areas. CH 22 ¡°Ooh, Ohhhh!¡± I was impressed. When I saw what I had taken out of the envelope. Radio appearance fee for work at 00 Broadcasting, including radio preparation. 20,000 yen combined. I was reluctant to accept a radio appearance fee, but the president stubbornly tried to give it to me with the unintelligible theory, ¡°Well, today was a 5,000 yen/hour day,¡± so I decided to accept it gratefully. I really appreciate the story. I had never had a part-time job before, and since I depended on my parents to send me money, I had no experience in earning money on my own. Of course, I was not paid for the songs I wrote. That¡¯s how I earned my first money by myself. Two paychecks. ¡°What shall I spend it on? Or save it?¡± Come on, college students must be withering away with their savings. Something important is going on here. ¡°Then what? I¡¯ll be generous and go out drinking with my friends or ¡­¡­ didn¡¯t have any friends like that.¡± Well, then, think about how the average college student spends his money. Manga, games. Well, that¡¯s great. I think it¡¯s a bit of a waste of time, though. Travel. Rejected for the same reason as drinking. I should just wake up to fashion for the sake of being innocent. No, for what? Why do I have to be a scruffy guy? ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯ll save up a little more and buy a guitar or something.¡± After all, I can¡¯t be like a college student. The conclusion I chose was [saving money] That day, as I was immersed in songwriting, the house intercom rang. ¨C-Haaa Would it be Mirei or Kotoha again? What, or Harushita san? But when I opened the door, there was a man there. Or rather. ¡°Hello, this is 00 Electric!¡± It was a stranger, dressed in work clothes. Huh? 00 Electric? ¡°Excuse me, can I help you?¡± ¡°We have delivered the TV you ordered!¡± Wait a minute, I didn¡¯t order a TV. ¡°Sorry, I think you have the wrong room.¡± ¡°Et-to, I¡¯d like to confirm the order, please! The purchaser is ¡­¡­ Harushita san? Harushita Suzune san!¡± ¡°Aah, I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s mine, I forgot I asked for it, I¡¯ll stamp it and take care of the rest.¡± No, no, no, we are not even that close yet, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to call this, though. ¡ªHarushita youuuuuuu!!!! Is this your doing, Harushita san?! No I can¡¯t even decide what to call her!? ¡°I just remembered that Suzu-sama by the same name recently made a comeback to show business. I¡¯m a huge fan.¡± ¡°No~ it¡¯s a coincidence! My girlfriend has the same name~.¡± Oh no, I completely started reading in a barbed voice in the middle. Why do I have to be in such a hurry? I looked into the face of the contractor who was bringing a heavy-looking TV by himself. ¡°Oh, I see! There are so many coincidences in this world! Actually, my current girlfriend is my ex-girlfriend¡¯s mother.¡± (TL/N : now what genre this belongs to¡­.) Too close, He Almost knows. He is definitely a type B person. Wait, I think I heard some great statements, but oh well. ¡°Is this the right place~?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine. The TV stand hasn¡¯t even arrived yet, so if you could just put it somewhere appropriate.¡± I talk as if I had ordered a TV stand. Good grief, it¡¯s a sad thing to become a good liar. ¡°Is the extra outlet here okay?¡± ¡°Yes, then please¡± Beside the contractor fiddling with the wiring, I saw a notification on my phone. I had a hunch somehow, so I went to check it out. [Have you received the TV by now?] I almost swung my cell phone full force and blew it out of the sky with a line that sounded like it was about someone else¡¯s business. That¡¯s close Chill out and reply. ¡°If you sent me a TV set, you¡¯re trying to pick a fight with me, and that¡¯s what you¡¯re trying to do, so I understand.¡± Hmm, I guess I wasn¡¯t cool at all, 5 seconds ago. [You said, You don¡¯t even have a TV, so I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ve received quite a bit of money in the past month or so, so I will distribute it.] It seems that she got a taste of my previous cell phone. It¡¯s like she doesn¡¯t care as long as she doesn¡¯t have to hand over the money. I¡¯m going to pay my bills properly, though, and my debt will only go up and up and up. ¨CHeyy, you¡¯re ignoring my story! [Please watch our show on this TV.] I could have guessed who ¡°we¡± were, but I dared not and replied. [We¡¯ll have a good talk next time.] At least I¡¯ve decided how I¡¯m going to spend the money I was going to save. ¨CI have to buy a TV stand. CH 23 I have had an experience that approximately none of the human beings living on this planet will ever have. I mean, if anyone in Japan has ever had an experience like this, please bring it to me immediately. Absolutely, because he is either lying, a hallucinatory person, or has some kind of major illness similar to that. So what is it that such a normal person would never experience? It is the experience of waking up on a strange beach. A beach. A beach. Hmmm, I don¡¯t understand what I mean. Did I put it too simply? All right, I¡¯ve belabored a lot, so let me try to explain again. ¨CI don¡¯t even know if I should say the beginning of the matter, but for now, the beginning was last night. I definitely slept at night on the bed in my room. I don¡¯t remember the exact moment I fell asleep, but I definitely entered a state of sleep because my memory of being in bed was cut off after a certain time. And when I woke up, it was a beach where the seagulls were crying. ¡°Hee?¡± I was sleeping with a parasol. The sun was already directly overhead because of some shading material. Maybe I didn¡¯t get enough sleep last night so I slept until that time¡­¡­Wait ¡°What is this placeeeeeeeeeee??????!!!!!!!?¡± When I woke up, I smelled the tide. I looked closer and saw that I had changed into my swimsuit and was wearing a hoodie I didn¡¯t recognize. And here we are. No, no, no, the details don¡¯t matter. ¡°Where am Iiiiii?!¡± Confusion, disorientation, bewilderment, and fear. Where in the world am I and what has happened to me? Is this real in the first place? Yes, it must be a dream. It may seem a bit realistic, but it is a dream. Indeed, yesterday I was writing lyrics and lost in my imagination. This is an extension of that. ¡°Ara, good morning, Rin kun. You¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°Ah, good morning Kotoha.¡± Oh yeah, even Kotoha comes up. So this is what is commonly called a nightmare, is it? ¡°It¡¯s noooooottttttttt! Kotoha, why are you here!?¡± ¡°Eh, Rin kun was brought here by me.¡± ¡°The culprit is her¡ª¨C!!!!!¡± The culprit has revealed herself without a care in the world. And Kotoha, without a trace of malice, smiles. And yet, she blatantly flaunts her proportions. Plump b****s and supple legs. The contrast between the black separate swimsuit and her white limbs is exquisitely erotic. Not good for sleeping. ¡°Hey, tell me where we are.¡± It could be the beaches around Kanagawa or Shizuoka, or perhaps Okinawa. ¡°This is Hawaii ?¡± ¡°No way, overseas!?¡± I knew it was too hot! It¡¯s too hot! ¡°You, why¡± ¡°well, I have a photo shoot here today~¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask why you were here, I asked about why you brought me here!¡± ¡°Well~ That¡¯s¡± I don¡¯t know why Kotoha, upon hearing my question, approaches me so pretentiously. And the next action She took was ¡­¡­ suddenly started touching my body. ¡°Wai-, You-¡± It flows from the arms to the shoulders, chest, and lower abdomen as if tracing, with a subtle pause where the tips of fingers and fingernails may or may not touch. ¡­¡­ ¡°Oi, Wait, Stop!, Where are you touching?¡± ¡°Fufu~. Cute~?¡± I felt a rush of electricity running through my body, and together with Kotoha¡¯s innate sexuality, I felt like She was forcing my male instincts to wake me up. My body is getting more and more on fire. I won¡¯t say where, but something is about to react. ¡°Wai-, please stop!¡± ¡°Kyaa¡± The instinct of self-preservation that kicked in there forced Kotoha to push away, and together we collapsed, me too. ¡°Well, This is¡­¡± The position of the body is like after pushing down. Kotoha¡¯s lips, which are plump and sufficiently moist, are right in front of my eyes. Seeing Kotoha¡¯s embarrassed face stimulated my male instincts even more. I was hardly thinking straight at this point anymore. I want to own the woman in front of me. Something like a desire to conquer overflows. 20 centimeters to go, 10 centimeters to go, 5 centimeters to go. My lips and Kotoha¡¯s lips were getting closer and closer. ¡ªNyaa ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª?!¡± The corner of Kotoha¡¯s mouth turned up devilishly and she came to herself in the nick of time. I quickly stood up and distanced myself from Kotoha. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. I couldn¡¯t hold back my joy anymore.¡± ¡°W-What did I do¡ª!!¡± ¡°I was so close to Rin kun¡¯s first kiss.¡± Next to Kotoha¡¯s disappointed look, I reconfirm my actions. Did I just ¡­¡­ try to kiss Kotoha? ¡°Kotoha, hit me. Hit me all over.¡± ¡°No, no, no, Rin kun. You were so close to stealing a kiss from this beautiful actress, you know? You are about to regret it even more.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that positive minded! Also, the day after I kiss you, I will get stabbed in the back!¡± Oh, man. It was pretty serious. I was reminded that she is a beautiful actress, and that if she gives off a slightly seductive vibe, I¡¯m a sucker for her. ¡°Muu~ I was so close to getting married on the ¡®take responsibility¡¯ course. Then we could have lived together and you would have written me a lot of songs¡± ¡°Don¡¯t abuse your body for a job! Seriously, stop!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve learned that Rin kun is susceptible to tricks of the sexuality trade, so I guess that¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me!¡± I got angry. Like a little kid. ¡ª¡ªWait! ¡°You never told me why I were brought here!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later~¡± Such a long time. I mean, the astonishing fact that the current sequence of events took place within 10 minutes of me waking up from sleep almost makes me swoon! CH 24 Then Kotoha led me once to a hotel where she said my luggage had been delivered. The time is past noon, and as soon as I check the time, I start to get hungry. Humans are strange. So we decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant. ¡°So what is the purpose of bringing me here? What do you want by kidnapping me to this island far away from Japan?¡± First, I ask the premise. If I don¡¯t know this, I don¡¯t know how I should behave on this island, and I don¡¯t know when I will be able to return home. ¡°Ah~ It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll be back in Japan tomorrow.¡± ¡°Serious?!¡± ¡°You look happy, Rin kun.¡± ¡°No, actually, I¡¯m already starting to get homesick. It¡¯s my first time abroad and it¡¯s so sudden that I¡¯m having a hard time settling down.¡± I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve even made my passport yet. ¡­¡­ Is it too late to worry about the details? ¡°So why am I here?¡± ¡°Hmmm¨C¡± Kotoha replies while dexterously carving the steak meat with a knife. ¡°Today, I had a photo shoot for my book.¡± ¡°Hooo¡± Kotoha starts talking about something somewhat unrelated. ¡°That¡¯s why I came to Hawaii.¡± ¡°Yeah, and what about me?¡± ¡°Yeah, an escort.¡± ¡°Seriously, this has nothing to do with it!¡± What¡¯s with the escort? That¡¯s a pretty serious irrelevance! ¡°Well¨CI have a manager and everything. But It¡¯s kind of lonely, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Not that ! Don¡¯t kidnap me in the middle of the night and take me overseas for that reason!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, we¡¯re filming later. Let¡¯s go play in the ocean afterwards!¡± ¡°Listen to me!!!¡± I wonder if she took me in for such a trivial reason. I didn¡¯t know there were people in this world who abduct one person abroad just because they are lonely. The world is full of bizarre things. Well, still. ¡°You¡¯ve got to have fun abroad, right?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. That¡¯s the spirit?¡± ¡°You should be sorry!¡± It would not be a bad idea for Kotoha to give me a good opportunity to enjoy the tropics for a day. Swim with a bang, or burst with a bang! There was a time when I thought that I would be able to do it. I¡¯m scared of going abroad. I don¡¯t know English. There were good-looking men with flabby abs and beautiful bomber-class girls all over the place, and the sense of exoticism was not half bad. I thought about going out to the ocean and swimming for a little while, but I couldn¡¯t play alone and after floating in the water for an hour I didn¡¯t even want to be in the ocean anymore. I was so tired, both physically and mentally, that I returned to my hotel in the evening and lay down on my bed. ¡°Rin kun, may I come in?¡± ¡°Hmm, Kotoha, huh? Have you finished filming yet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already getting dark, and I think I¡¯ve taken as many pictures as I can.¡± She came into the room with a towel draped over her shoulders, perhaps after a shower or with a little dampness in her hair. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay, Rin kun. Stay lying down.¡± She restrains me from getting up and sits on the edge of the bed. I was getting tired of playing and Kotoha was getting tired of working. And yet she was very mature and caring, a side of her I didn¡¯t know existed. I¡¯m kind of embarrassed about that, so I bring up the subject at random. ¡°Does Kotoha come overseas like this a lot?¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so~ The last time is Paris I think?¡± ¡°Oh, you mean that one? You went to Versailles or the Palace of Versailles? Let me see your pictures.¡± ¡°Rin kun, you always seem so mature, but you¡¯re so childish in that way.¡± By the way, the place I want to go to the most right now is America. New York is cool. ¡°On the contrary, what have you been doing lately, Rin kun?¡± Kotoha is fidgeting around on the bed, asking me something. She is probably wiping her head. ¡°I recently started working. It¡¯s what we call an internship.¡± ¡°Heh, what was in your mind when you do it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in my third year of college. It¡¯s time for me to start moving toward my future.¡± Being a junior in college, it is not time to play. The moratorium is nearing its expiration date. ¡°You¡¯re talking like that again. If you pursue a career in music, your future is already guaranteed.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ve told you many times. Music is a hobby, not a job. I¡¯m not ¡­¡­ suitable for professional.¡± ¡°Hmmn~¡± Kotoha replies in a kind of bored voice. Then she takes a breath and says something that gets to the heart of the matter. ¡°Are you still afraid to go pro?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You become a musician and lose your escape route. Aren¡¯t you afraid of losing the excuse that I¡¯m an amateur?¡± yeah ¡­¡­ may be. Once you make it your job, you will be evaluated relentlessly, and you will have to accept that evaluation as you go about your work. The way out is cut off. Maybe I¡¯m just procrastinating about attending college halfway through. Still. ¡°¡­¡­ I don¡¯t work. I¡¯m not talented enough to be confident in myself.¡± The path of music, and an industry like Kotoha, will only rot if you have no talent. No one will help you, and the only thing you can rely on is your own strength. I shouldn¡¯t be qualified for that. ¡°Yeah¡± When I gave my own answer, Kotoha nodded somewhat satisfied. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to give me an answer yet. If you still want to come to this world, I¡¯m on your side.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing, you¡¯re so dependable, it feels like we¡¯ve got connections.¡± ¡°Fufu, You can always count on me.¡± Me and Kotoha laughing at each other in a foreign land. It¡¯s like a love romance. ¡°Well, by the way, Rin kun?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Suddenly, Kotoha closes the curtains and turns off the lights in the room. What is it? That¡¯s what I thought and tried to get myself up. ¡­¡­ ¡°¡ª-I can¡¯t move.!¡± ¡°Ahaha, you finally realized it.¡± The whole futon is secured so that the body cannot move. That reminds me that Kotoha was moving frequently earlier. ¡°¡ª-You!?¡± Only my mouth moves, so I resist with my mouth as best I can. But apparently she didn¡¯t hear me. ¡°[My favorite artist is Tatsumi Mirei] right?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C!¡± That¡¯s what I said at the end of the radio show I did with Mirei last week. That¡¯s what Kotoha just said. This means. ¡°Did you listen to the radio?¡± ¡°Of course that¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it~? Because Rin kun said he was going to be on the radio~¡± Kotoha is gradually approaching, rope in hand. ¡°Hey, you, what are you doing with that rope!¡± ¡°no~that radio was just [uncomfortable]~ The two of you flirting endlessly ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Y-You know!? I¡¯ll talk to you after you fix me a little more¡ª¨Ceek!¡± ¡°You have to know who¡¯s the best, right?¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!¡± Incidentally, it seems that an agent prepared by Kotoha was standing by at the exit of that room. CH 25 5-6 minutes Source The next day, after managing to reach Japan while being beaten up (I will refrain from telling you who beat me up for his own privacy). I came out to Akihabara to buy electronics, and I only took a short train ride. I say electrical appliances, specifically computers. I usually use a computer when I write songs, and in that sense, a computer is a necessity. I had been writing songs on a laptop computer, but I couldn¡¯t deny that it was lacking in specs, and I felt that it had been in use for more than two years and was nearing the end of its useful life, so I decided to buy a new, stationary computer. A desktop model would have perfect specs, and the notepad can be used exclusively for writing school reports. So today I came here to find out how much it would cost to buy a new computer, and to check my budget. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that home-built computers are more cost-effective, but I¡¯m not sure.¡± I¡¯ve taken note of all the parts needed to build a computer in one step. If I can add up the prices of the parts and compare them to ready-made computers, I should be able to buy one next time I come back without wasting money. ¡°I knew those maniacs would be in Akihabara.¡± That is why Akihabara. What is not here is not in the Kanto area either. Putting that aside, I first came to a store that sold finished computers. After a short walk down Denkigai Street, I entered a store that caught my eye. ¡°Whaaa¡ª-I knew it will be expensive¡± Of course, I mumbled in a small voice so that the shopkeepers could not hear me, but my voice might have been louder than I had imagined due to the higher price. It is not affordable for a student to begin with. That is, a college student might be able to go there if he lives at home and spends all his part-time job money, but it would take six months to get there. After all, I have to assemble the computer by myself, even if I have to go through the trouble of making it. To some extent, Rin boy¡¯s mind is made up here. At any rate, I knew it was impossible, so I left early and headed to the next restaurant. ¡°Next, over there.¡± Next is a store where many computer parts are gathered. I had checked the location of that on the map. On the road, a face I knew was there. ¡°It¡¯s Azusa, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°?! Rin senpai!¡± She was in disguise and her face was completely hidden, but it was easily recognizable to anyone who knew her. After all, you can¡¯t erase the aura, you know. She was looking around as if she was looking for someone at the intersection in front of her. She was probably meeting someone or something. So I was going to say hello and goodbye right away. ¡°Sss-senpai¡­..please come here for a moment!¡± ¡°Ou, Wai¨CWhat?!¡± When I thought she was focused on me, she said, ¡°Come, please,¡± and took my hand in a messy manner and immediately ran off. Azusa suddenly pulled my arm strongly, and I was momentarily confused. What is it? But she soon cools down. Or rather, I made her calm down. I have never seen Azusa like this. (Not normal for Azusa to be this forceful ¡­¡­) Azusa is running as if running away from something. When I looked closely, I found that the sweat she was sweating was unusual. So I looked back, but could not see the presence of anything in particular chasing me. ¡°Azusa, let¡¯s stop for a moment.¡± There is no imminent threat. We need to calm down and assess the situation once and for all. But she doesn¡¯t stop. She runs single-mindedly. The feeling, the hand holding hers is stronger than at first. ¡°Azusa!!¡± Apparently my voice had not reached her ears. The second time I called out to her, she stopped firmly. ¡°Haaa, Haaa¡± ¡°Oii¡­.!? Are you okay Azusa!!¡± When I managed to raise Azusa¡¯s nodding body and remove her mask and sunglasses, a very blue face appeared. ¡°Hey, Hey !? What¡¯s wrong Azusa !? what happened?!¡± Azusa laughs at my face while I¡¯m in a daze. She¡¯s anemic and probably not getting her blood circulating properly. Maybe the heat is getting to her, and she is suffering from heat stroke or dehydration. For now, it¡¯s an ambulance, fast. I must call them as soon as possible. But I¡¯m in a hurry, my fingers are shaking, and it¡¯s only at times like this that I make the mistake of pressing the wrong number over and over again. Oh no, hurry, hurry! I finally call for an ambulance, and I lay her down on a towel in the shade so that her head rests on it. I wait patiently, irresponsibly frustrated by the ambulance that doesn¡¯t arrive easily. Fortunately, there was no commotion in the alley, but that would not be the case if an ambulance arrived. ¡°What in the world is going on here? ¡­¡­. The always energetic Azusa.¡± A few minutes later, an ambulance arrived and carried Azusa away. CH 26 I went to the hospital alone, because there was no way they would let me ride in the ambulance. Fortunately, the location of the hospital where she was to be transported was given to me. It was a hospital in the city, so a 20-minute cab ride got me there, and soon I was on my way to the reception desk. ¡°Excuse me, Azusa san, could you tell me the room where Ikuta Azusa san is staying?¡± ¡°E,Et-to¡­¡± ¡°Please, Azusa is¡­.. business associate of mine!¡± But even so, the nurse at the reception desk does not easily shake her head. That¡¯s right. The entertainment industry is a job, and it is not easy to get through it. Azusa is one of the best in her field. So I might be an observer who heard about Azusa¡¯s hospitalization. As I was pondering how to go to visit her, I had an unexpected helper. ¡°That person is my manager. It¡¯s okay, let him through.¡± It was really an unexpected helping hand. Because it¡­¡­helped me at this point in my life. ¡°Harushita san ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, I am Harushita Suzune.¡± I was at a loss for words at the arrival of such an unexpected person. ¡°Et-to, why?¡± ¡°I heard that Ikuta san was taken to the hospital.¡± No, nonono ¡°Your job?¡± ¡°Job?¡± Today is a normal weekday. There should at least be work. ¡°Well, I told them what happened and I¡¯m out¡± ¡°Seriously?!¡± Is the entertainment industry that free? ¡°Well, let¡¯s hurry up and go to the room where Azusa san is hospitalized instead of selling oil here. ¨CNagishiro-san would be better off there, wouldn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Ah, Yeahh¡± So we cut the small talk short and hurried to Azusa¡¯s hospital bed. At one point, we were told that her life was not in danger, but we do not know the details of the situation. Me and Harushita san rush to the elevator. Our destination is on the sixth floor. ¡°Or rather, I became Harushita san¡¯s manager before I knew it.¡± I broached such a topic because of the complicated situation of being alone in a small box, and the anxiety that seemed to be coming through me if I didn¡¯t somehow turn it into a laugh. ¡°Ara, Will you be my manager, Nagishiro san?¡± ¡°Nope, I don¡¯t want to be the manager of someone who sends things to my house without my permission. And I will definitely pay you back for the TV someday, so please give me a receipt.¡± ¡°I see. Then you can be a full-time composer. Also, I didn¡¯t get a receipt, so you don¡¯t have to pay me.¡± While we were exchanging such nonsense, the elevator was making a crazy sound. It seems to have arrived at the destination floor. I leave Harushita san behind and run straight to the room where Azusa is. ¡°Azusa!? are you okay?!¡± ¡°Oh, Rin-senpai~¡­¡­ and Suzu-senpai ¡­¡­¡± Azusa is blatantly depressed when she confirms Harushita san¡¯s presence. Hey, that¡¯s rude. Wait, ¡°You look good, Azusa.¡± She looks very healthy and her complexion is very good. She does not have the face of a sick person, but rather her usual idol. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m fine! Thanks to you, thank you very much!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re well. ¡­¡­¡± And that¡¯s where I¡¯ll take it one step further. ¡°Was there something ¡­¡­?¡± Why was she in Akihabara in disguise? And why did she take my hand and run away the moment she saw me? There were so many questions I wanted to ask. As for Azusa, who was asked the question, her shoulders shook in an understandable manner and she sank into a pensive pose. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± And because I say this, I feel like things are getting more and more serious. ¡°Threats, I heard that. ¡­¡­¡± When Harushita san made this complement, I could not hide my surprise at the unfamiliar word. ¡°Threats¡­.?¡± When I looked at Azusa, her panicked appearance affirmed this fact. ¡°What do you mean by threats?¡± I was having a hard time grasping the situation, but Azusa seemed to have finally given up and told me everything that had happened. ¨CI received a threatening email at our office last night. -It was a story that had no roots. They said, ¡°You¡¯re dating a celebrity 00, aren¡¯t you? ¨CIf you don¡¯t break up with him, ¡­¡­ that, you know, I¡¯m going to kill him. ¨Cso I asked him to take the day off work, but he sent an email to our side in the morning. ¨CHe was in a high-security apartment that our manager chose for us, so we would be safe there. ¡­¡­ ¨CI was so scared that I went to Akihabara to look for Rin senpai. And Azusa carefully told me the sequence of events from last night, following the timeline. There was a point during the session where she seemed to be having a hard time, but Harushita-san was rubbing her back and making her feel at ease. ¡°So, how did Ikuta san find Nagishiro san¡¯s location at ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the GPS I put in Rin senpai¡¯s cell phone!¡± ¡°Hey, when did you put a GPS in a phone I just bought?¡± Well, Azusa is in a difficult situation right now, so I¡¯ll pursue it another time. ¡°¡­¡­So what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°Of course it would be a hiatus.¡± I thought I was asking Azusa, but what came back was from Harushita san. ¡°I can¡¯t go out in the city in my present dangerous condition. I guess I¡¯ll just have to stay home.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve filed a police report, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll catch the killer in a week or so.¡± Harushita san is probably more familiar with such things. She also gave some concrete figures, which I thought were right on the money. At least for me. But Azusa seemed different. ¡°I¡¯ll¨CI¡¯ll do it. I will¨CI will do my job. No matter what.¡± Her voice is full of power, perhaps a sign of her firm determination. It was her passion for her work, and it seemed to be her pride in being an idol. But still. ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Azusa. When things settle down, you can work again. You don¡¯t have to do it now.¡± The risks are too high now. And there is no need to do it now, because that risk will be eliminated if she is patient for a little while. ¡°¡ª¨CI have someone waiting for me.¡± However, the one who still did not nod her head was a woman named Ikuta Azusa. ¡°There are people waiting for me. I have fans who are waiting for me. I can¡¯t just stop for ¡­¡­1 week.¡± Then she gets up from the bed. ¡°¡±¡­¡­¡­.¡±¡± It was impossible for me or Harushita san to stop her from doing so, at least. ¨Cbut this was a mistake. It was definitely a mistake. It was probably the next day. [Ikuta Azusa is sent to the hospital after a fan pulls a knife on her.] This is the first time such news has been released. CH 27 What went wrong? That¡¯s all I¡¯ve been thinking about since I got home from the hospital. What did I do wrong? [You¡¯re in love with that guy!! you¡¯re an idol, you¡¯re in love with him!!! you¡¯re cheating on us !!!] Just remembering it gives me shivers and chills that won¡¯t go away. What in the world did I do? I have to admit that I disagree with the idea that idols are not allowed to be in love, but even so, I have never been in love. I was told by the office that it was not allowed. Besides, I¡¯ve never been in love yet. I am still at that level of wondering what love is. As a woman, I am still immature. On what grounds am I supposed to fall in love and be hurt? ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-¡± Or is this irresponsible attitude wrong? Do I have to be the kind of person who blames myself for all of this, that it is my fault that this has happened? ¨CIf that¡¯s the case, maybe this world is hard to live in. It¡¯s just not for me. Thinking this made me feel better, as if I had somehow escaped responsibility. I¡¯ll bring one of the knives from the kitchen at home. I don¡¯t use it much, so I think it¡¯s one that cuts well. It¡¯s strange. I would have been so scared of the same knife being pointed at me, but now I don¡¯t feel much fear. I wonder why. ¡°I¡¯m afraid to do it by myself. I wonder if someone will do it for me.¡± I was mumbling something like that, imagining this stinging me. I am indeed afraid of hurting myself. So I suddenly start thinking about something very out of tune and off the mark here. ¨CI wondered if I were to be killed, who would be the best person to kill me? Is it my parents? Or my ¡­¡­ sister. Aah, but I can¡¯t let my sister do such a pitiful thing like killing her sister. She would probably do it while crying. That makes me sad too. Well, then, let¡¯s consider removing people who are related to me by blood. For some reason ¨C really, for some reason ¨C it was Rin senpai who first came to mind. ¡°Rin senpai, huh?¡± I try to picture that person¡¯s face. ¡ªFufu. If I asked him to kill me, he would definitely get angry. I can already imagine his angry face. And thinking about Rin senpai, I began to feel a little sad about dying. It¡¯s a strange story. ¡°Speaking of Rin senpai¡­¡± Checking cell phone line. It doesn¡¯t seem like the kind of action a suicidal person would take before dying. Still, I check. I¡¯m pretty sure I had several lines and incoming calls in the morning. When I went to the talk screen with Senpai, I knew there were a lot of them coming, so I scrolled down with my finger and looked at them from the top. ¡°Fufu, He¡¯s really worried about me. I¡¯m so glad.¡± I received many lines from other people, but Rin senpai¡¯s made me the happiest. I felt that Rin senpai was probably the most concerned about my life. I felt that the others had some kind of ulterior motive behind their messages. But after about an hour or so, the ceaseless stream of incoming calls like that disappeared. Not a single call from there. I felt sad. I wondered if Rin senpai had grown tired of me. Did he no longer care about me? ¡°I¡¯m so selfish.¡± This kind of personality is probably what caused this incident. I always think about myself, so I¡¯ve been punished for that. The heavens gave up on me, my fans gave up on me, and Rin senpai gave up on me. I don¡¯t have any regrets in this world anymore. Just when I thought it was time to switch from my cell phone to a knife, I decided it was time to get ready. One line came. [Hey, I¡¯m calling you now, and you absolutely have to pick up. Absolutely] It was Rin senpai. And soon after, a phone call came in. After some hesitation, I eventually decided to take it. It was because I was somehow expecting it on my own. ¡°Hello¡± [Oh, you¡¯re here! Hold on a minute!] He called and told me to be sure to pick up, but I had to wait for something. I don¡¯t get it. I wanted to hang up the phone to hear my senior¡¯s annoyed voice, but I couldn¡¯t because I was afraid I would get really attached to him. In a room with no other sounds, I listen carefully to the sound coming from Rin senpai¡¯s phone. Apparently there was someone nearby who said, ¡®Hey, is this okay?¡¯ or ¡®Just be quiet for a minute, maybe three minutes¡¯. What is the point of being with others when I am in such a difficult situation? I ask Rin senpai in frustration. ¡°Hey, Senpai, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up.¡± Then, Senpai said this ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready.¡± And he continues. ¡°I¡¯m not very good at this, but just listen quietly.¡± It was the most masculine voice I had ever heard, and it took my breath away. A beat from there. I heard it from the phone. ¡°Guitar¡­.?¡± The sound of jingling. That¡¯s strange. Rin senpai didn¡¯t even own a guitar, let alone have the skill to play it. But the way he played with such faltering technique was definitely not that of a professional. It must be Rin senpai. learned to play it in a day!? So good ¡­¡­. But that was not the only surprise. ¡°?¡± I heard a song. It was Rin Senpai¡¯s song. Beautiful voice. Not so much that he is good, but the way he sings, as if he puts all of his feelings into it. ¨Cthe way to reach the heart, the way to sing. Warm tones. Warm melodies. Warm performance. Listening to it somehow makes me feel warm inside. A warm gas is born from the core of my being, and it fills my whole being. My body was cold, but my heart was melting. I fall on my bed and listen with my cell phone close to my ear. Naturally, I beat a rhythm with my fingers. And if I listen to the lyrics carefully, I realize that this was not a love song. I thought Sensei only wrote love songs. My head can¡¯t catch up with it anymore. My mind may not be able to keep up, but my heart is at peace, my thoughts are moving sluggishly, and the lyrics of the song are soaking in. Go for it, go for it! No, we will always be together, so let¡¯s grow together, so let¡¯s rest together. Lyrics like that. Before I knew it I was in the song. Out of reality. For about three minutes, I guess. I was surrounded by happiness. ¡°Uu, gusuu, Ueeeeeeeeee!!!!!¡± When Senpai finished playing the guitar for the last time, I couldn¡¯t stop crying. (TL/N : Wew¡­That¡¯s kind of dark) CH 28 [Fuuh, Thanks for listening¡­..Azusa?] ¡°Hik, Ueee!!¡± [A-Azusa? W-Wait!] ¡°Ueeeeeeeee!!!¡± I couldn¡¯t stop the tears. They spilled out helplessly, and even if I wanted to say something, I couldn¡¯t. am I crying because I am sad ¡­¡­ No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m crying because I¡¯m happy. ¡°Senpai, Rin Senpai!!!¡± [Yes, I know. All right, calm down.] ¡°U-U-U-Ueeeeeeeee!!¡± [Just calm down!?] I can¡¯t do it. Why isn¡¯t he in my room? I would have hugged him if he was there. It wasn¡¯t dignified to expose myself to any more crying, so I cowered in bed and cried with a pillow in my arms. Either way, it was lame. ¡°Senpai ¡­¡­ now.¡± After a little while, when I finally calmed down a bit, I could barely get it out. [Ah? ¨COh, the guitar. Mirei helped me practice a while ago. It went rather well for a first time, didn¡¯t it?] ¡°¡­¡­ No, that¡¯s not it. No, that¡¯s something too.¡± [Hmm? The song? I had a song I was working on before, but it didn¡¯t work well as a love song. When I thought about writing a song for Azusa, I remembered it.] ¡°write a song for Azusa¡±, huh? Hmmm, I¡¯ll record it and listen to it one more time. ¡°Did you make ¡­¡­ for me?¡± [Yeah. I didn¡¯t think I could successfully get Azusa back on her feet if I just said something normal, and the only thing I could do was write a song.] What can I say, I think senpai is versatile. But I like senpai who lives humbly like that. ¡­¡­¡­.Like, huh? Do I like Senpai? I mean romantic feelings, of course. ¡°Have you ever fallen in love with someone, senpai?¡± [What the heck, out of the blue] When I ask something out of the ordinary, he sounds so suspicious that I can tell even through the phone. That¡¯s right, it¡¯s a word that shouldn¡¯t exist between me and Senpai. ¡°No, this time you were talking about being in love with someone. It¡¯s not particularly relevant, but somehow¡± For some reason, I spoke too quickly in an explanatory tone, but I just faked it and listened to Senpai¡¯s answer. Then, in an embarrassed tone of voice, Senpai said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡±. [¡­¡­ Well, there is.] He said. I wonder why. Hearing this, my heart aches. ¡°When? Now, now?¡± [No, it¡¯s not now!? It was in high school!] And I find myself relieved when I hear these replies. Is this what they call jealousy? ¡°How did you feel then?¡± I¡¯m already hearing things I don¡¯t need to hear. I can¡¯t control it well. [Oh? So, you know, that. I¡¯m all about that person.] Oh. I don¡¯t have those symptoms. That¡¯s not love. [I¡¯m not her boyfriend, but I get annoyed and anxious when she talks to other boys, well, that¡¯s just how I feel. Don¡¯t make me say embarrassing things ¡­¡­!] Hearing Rin senpai¡¯s words, I feel relieved. Maybe I am not in love. I mean, I¡¯m an idol, so I¡¯m not worried about whether or not I¡¯m in love because of my job. Of course, if I look at the reality of the situation, I would be anxious about such things, but right now it¡¯s something more primitive than that. There is anxiety about love, an unknown emotion. I think it is probably because I am still a child. My mind is not mature enough to accept new things. So I feel like I don¡¯t need to know about love yet. I¡¯m over capacity for love right now. But, [Hey, Mirei. I haven¡¯t hung up yet. Huh? You want to stay over? Don¡¯t be silly, hey, stop it, calm down, don¡¯t be violent, and for God¡¯s sake, don¡¯t tear up the bookshelves.] ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Rin senpai is playing with Tatsumi-senpai. I can clearly imagine the scene. I¡¯m starting to feel a bit peevish. I don¡¯t have a reason, but I¡¯m starting to get annoyed. Not love, not love. ¡°It¡¯s not love, it¡¯s not love, it¡¯s not love, it¡¯s not love, it¡¯s not love, it¡¯s not love, it¡¯s not love, it¡¯s not love.¡± [A-Azusa?! What¡¯s wrong] Mindless mindless vexation dispersed. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. ¡°Evil spirit, Go away!¡± [Ah!] I hung up the phone. This is how Rin senpai tries to deceive my mind. Fiuh ¡­.. L-Let¡¯s have him sing that song one more time. I-It¡¯s not that I wanted to hear Senpai¡¯s voice again. (TL/N : Tsundere?) CH 29 ¡°Hey, you bring the glass?¡± ¡°O-kee~boss~!¡± ¡°Okay, here we go! Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡±¡± It was almost September, and I was at a drinking party at 00 Broadcasting, where I had been an intern. It¡¯s really just a drinking party, nothing special to celebrate. Even I¡¯m still a month away from being taken care of, and I¡¯m not talking about other employees who have left the company. The employees simply love to drink. ¡°Look, how about you, Kazashiro-sensei!¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­.I think I¡¯ll pass on this one.¡± ¡°I see~. As expected of sensei, in a tavern like this where the common people come, is there any sake to suit your palate?!¡± ¡°No, I just turned 20. ¡­¡­¡± My birthday is in October, so I¡¯m almost 21. There¡¯s no way a guy who¡¯s been an adult for less than a year could possibly know the difference in the taste of alcohol. ¡­¡­! I guess it would be a different story if I only drank good alcohol in the Kotoha class. But I don¡¯t dislike this kind of place. ¡°Kazashiro sensei, Why don¡¯t you go ahead and get a job with us, too?¡± One of the employees, still young, was getting tipsy and made a light-hearted suggestion. But the producer, broadcaster, and director respond to them fiercely. ¡°You idiot! Of course Kazashiro sensei is going to become a composer as it is!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! He is now a university student, but in the future he will be a leading composer in Japan, or even in the world!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not the kind of guy who fits into a small company like this!¡± W-Wait. First of all, what is a composer ¡°like¡±? And what does it mean to be ¡°spoiled¡± by the status of a college student? Am I being forced into the status of a college student? And don¡¯t call your own company shabby! And I have no intention of becoming a composer! Everyone¡¯s alcohol is getting around and things are heating up. Well, some people are excited even without alcohol. ¡­¡­ ¡°Senpai~, let¡¯s drink more!~¡± ¡°You¡¯re a minor! Why are you here!¡± ¡°Rin, I¡¯m sleepy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sleep here?!¡± Azusa and Mirei are on both sides. Azusa was just a guest today ¡­¡­. Mirei was not really excited. In my mind, they are like two caring children, and it is a difficult situation to have them next to me at a drinking party. Nevertheless. ¡°¨CAzusa, how are you doing at work?¡± A week later, Azusa returned to show business. I and others in the office thought that she should take more time off, but Azusa said she was fine and decided to return to work. [I really wish I could have been back sooner!] I am amazed at Azusa¡¯s mental strength, because she said so innocently. ¡°Oh no, I can¡¯t afford it anymore! I¡¯m having so much fun at work!¡± Azusa was smiling from the bottom of her heart. Her carefree smile was dazzling. ¡°W-Well, that¡¯s all right then.¡± I¡¯m the one who can¡¯t help but be gobsmacked by that smile. No, get a grip. ¡°That¡¯s fine, but ¡­¡­ its, like, really scary, isn¡¯t it? To treat your fans the same way you¡¯ve always treated them?¡± I know it¡¯s a topic that shouldn¡¯t be rehashed too much, but if you force yourself to work too hard, one day you will reach your limits. I wish I could make a firm break with her, but Azusa responded with some strange words. ¡°It¡¯s ¡­¡­ really okay. I have more feelings to be swept up in right now than feelings of fear. ¡­¡­¡± Azusa blushes. No, I have no idea. But something seemed to strike a chord with Mirei, who was watching the scene next to me. ¡°Rin. Drink more. Here.¡± Suddenly she offered me a drink. ¡°Here, drink so much you¡¯ll lose your memory. Quick.¡± I had to drink a little too much beer to join the drinking party. I¡¯m going to get stoned if I drink any more. ¡°No~ Kazashiro-sensei is irresistible!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so jealous of these two beautiful girls¡­¡­. I¡¯m jealous of your work, I¡¯m going to be a composer in my next life!¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t look at me, please help me!¡± Azusa is strangely closing the distance between us! And she¡¯s pushing me around! ¡°Rin. If you get too drunk to understand anything, I will take care of you at home. And I won¡¯t let you leave until you make a song.¡± ¡°Rin-senpai, come on the show with me next time! It¡¯ll sell!¡± ¡°Kazashiro-sensei, will you come to the after-party as well? You¡¯re coming, aren¡¯t you? Ehehehehe~~~¡± These guys ¡­¡­ are all ¡­¡­. ¡°Enough of this!!¡± As soon as the meeting was over, I left the money and quickly went home. Alone, of course. CH 30 Now, I thought that the Azusa case had been resolved and a peaceful daily life had arrived, but peace, after all, does not last long. Ding-dong. The house intercom rings. Well, did I buy anything by mail order? I don¡¯t generally use mail order, so I wonder if it¡¯s important to mail it. I mean, this pattern has happened before. ¡­¡­ ¡°Yees¡± ¡°Hello! This is XXX Transportation! I¡¯m here to deliver the humidifier you ordered!¡± ¡°Humidifier¡­¡­¡­.?¡± Unexpected words are uttered by the courier, and I am puzzled. Of course, I don¡¯t recall buying a single millimeter of such a thing. I definitely did not buy it. But strangely enough, I have an idea. Strange, isn¡¯t it? I have one name floating around in my mind as a possible suspect. ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry. May I ask who the purchaser is¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who bought it, but it was shipped from ¡®Harushita Suzune¡¯!¡± That person! Not once, but twice! I mean, if I include the cell phone incident, it¡¯s the third time! No, wait, calm down, me. You¡¯re being rude to Harushita san. Don¡¯t call her ¡°that person¡±. If she went to the trouble of sending me a humidifier, why don¡¯t I just pay for it again? Fortunately, this time I have some money on hand thanks to the intern. And with that in mind, the line comes in at the same target timing as before. It¡¯s Harushita san in a hundred shots. I Check the contents of the line. [I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve received the humidifier I sent by now, but this time it¡¯s the one I bought and used only once. It¡¯s secondhand, so you don¡¯t have to pay for it.] ¡°That person! She¡¯s getting weirdly smart!¡± ¡°Oh, um, sir?!¡± ¡°¨CExcuse me¡± ¡°Eh, yeah. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me!¡± Fiuuh, I accidentally showed the courier what I couldn¡¯t show him. In the meantime, I¡¯ll check Amazon later and return the price for a new one properly. I settled down to reply to Harushita san for the time being ¨C or so I thought. Ding-dong. The house intercom rings once more. What is it? Did the delivery person forget something? ¡°Yees¡± ¡°Senpai!¡± ¡­¡­ Hmm? Something sounds familiar. No, no, no, no, that can¡¯t be right. I don¡¯t know any couriers. ¡°Senpai?¡± Okay, once I took a deep breath for a reality check and closed the front door. ¡°Fuuuuuuu, haaaaa¡± Okay, I¡¯m ready to get my mind right. Let¡¯s open the front door again. ¡°Yees¡± ¡°¡­..Senpai, What are you doing?¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± Right in front of me was a face I knew well. Azusa was right in front of my house. As expected, I could not hide my surprise. ¡°WWwwwww-Why are you here?¡± Or rather! You have to ring the intercom to enter this apartment!? I can understand at 100 paces that she has my room number, but it doesn¡¯t make sense that she would just slink into the condo and be right in front of my room! ¡°Is that it!? Now you are going to ask Kotoha or Mirei for a spare!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Wrong is scarier! not that is too scary!¡± At last, the key to my room was scattered all over the place!? ¡°Senpai, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡­. See!¡± ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s this?¡± I was handed a paper bag. Inside was Akafuku, a specialty of Mie. ¡°Um, what do you mean?¡± ¡°You see, you see, that¡¯s it. I¡¯m not good at anything, but please be kind to me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you say when you get married.¡± Why should I be asked to marry an underage girl? ¡°Oh, no.¡± ¡°Ou¡± ¡°It¡¯s boring.¡± ¡°No, you only think it¡¯s a social call when the word doesn¡¯t come up right away. Also.¡± [Don¡¯t put it in the same category as ¡°I¡¯m not good at anything, but please be kind to me.¡±] ¡°So what are you doing here after all?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, I forgot.¡± I ask again what the intention of her visit is. Then, with a full-blown smile, she dropped a bombshell that sounded like it was about to go off with a bang. ¡°It¡¯s called neighborhood greetings!¡± Neighbor, greetings ¡­¡­?¡¡Why did Azusa greet me as a neighbor? Did she just move into an apartment nearby? What a roundabout way to think and avoid getting an answer, but I had already reached one conclusion. Why was she able to easily get past the entrance to the apartment building? And the word ¡°neighborly¡±. Yes. ¡°I¡¯m moving into room 504 right above this room today! My name is Ikuta Azusa !¡± Hey, you gotta be kidding me. Come on. ¡°Jaaaan. Here are the keys!¡± ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re kidding.¡± Oh no, it¡¯s the one that¡¯s not a joke. So, a super idol, Ikuta Azusa, has moved into the floor above me. Yeah, it¡¯s sudden. Lovely. After this, the manager gave me explanations, all of which I had to agree with. [After the previous incident, I thought it would be better to have someone I know in the same apartment building.] [She¡¯s still a minor, so I don¡¯t think it would be a good idea to get her a very expensive apartment.] [Since she asked for it, please take care of her.] Oh, this is one I can¡¯t say no to. CH 31 For the first two weeks after Azusa¡¯s return, she was pulled into work. She was still doing what she had always done as an idol, but more often than not, she was appearing on news programs. After all, the public seems to be interested in how the woman, Ikuta Azusa, has fought the stalker¡¯s threats or how she has managed to return to the entertainment industry. In the end, she turned it down, but apparently there was even talk of publishing a book. That is why she has been so busy ever since her return to work, but it seems that things have finally cooled down and she has been able to settle down. So they proposed to hold a party called ¡°Azusa¡¯s Happy Return Festival,¡± which sounded like a very stupid party. As the name suggests, it¡¯s supposed to be a gathering to celebrate Azusa¡¯s return to show business. ¡°¨Cwhy is it my house?¡± ¡°How could we possibly use a restaurant for a get-together with all these people?¡± ¡°No, on the contrary, I¡¯d like to know why you thought it would work at my place.¡± ¡°Well Well¡± And to my surprise, the host of this meeting was, unexpectedly, Harushita san. Perhaps she felt something as a fellow idol. The five members were myself, Harushita san, Azusa, Mirei, and Kotoha. Harushita san was in charge of selecting the members, and I called as acquaintances in an easygoing manner. If I was feeling clever, I could have called a member of Azusa¡¯s same group or something. ¡­¡­ Sorry Azusa. ¡°Excuse mee!!!¡± As I was saying this, the main character, Azusa, came into the house. She was the second person after Harushita san. Well, She just came down from upstairs. ¡­¡­ ¡°Senpaai, Why do you look like you¡¯re in despair after seeing the reality of the situation?¡± ¡°Oh, you hit the nail on the head, Azusa. ¡­¡­ You¡¯re right on the money. ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Muu. Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re not celebrating!¡± ¡°Uwaa¡± She came at me with a punch. She¡¯s a scary one. ¡°Come to think of it, what happened to Shirakawa san and Tatsumi san?¡± Harushita-san, who was putting out the dishes to get ready, asked. Hmmm, she¡¯s a nice person, but ¡­¡­ she sends me appliances . The person in question is waving an absurd theory that ¡°I didn¡¯t give him any money,¡± but it¡¯s not right in any way. I wonder if it¡¯s like exchanging money for a library card. Be that as it may. ¡°Oh, Kotoha and Mirei. Mirei will be here soon. Kotoha said she has to work a little longer, so you should start first.¡± ¡°Was that so?¡± Well, it¡¯s a bunch of superstars. There is such a thing. There is, there is. ¡°Then it¡¯s time to start serving. Nagishiro san, could you do it for me?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. Sushi, pizza, something like that?¡± ¡°Yes, and I¡¯ll make a quick salad for the rest of you.¡± ¡°Wow, you can cook. That¡¯s great.¡± I am honestly impressed. She must be busy with her work, but she can even cook? ¡°And I¡¯ll give you the money later, too.¡± ¡°We¡¯re splitting the bill today, okay?¡± Please don¡¯t try to pay for everything yourself. I beg you. And as I was talking such nonsense, I heard a rattling sound coming from the front door. ¡°Rin, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Oh, Mirei, just a minute.¡± It seems that Mirei has arrived. For Mirei, she has done the blistering thing of calling me and coming in at a good time. Always do that. When I went to the entrance to prepare to take out my slippers, however, there was a familiar face there besides Mirei. ¡°May I interrupt you¡­..?¡± ¡°Well, uh, I think it was Nozaki sensei ¡­¡­wasn¡¯t it? The composer.¡± If I am not mistaken, she was the composer who was in the special program with Mirei, Azusa and others, wasn¡¯t she? I believe her name is Nozaki Haruka san. ¡°Nice to meet you. Kazashiro Sensei.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, it¡¯s nice to meet you, too.¡± I can¡¯t hide my bewilderment at the unexpected visitor. I mean, if you can talk so well with people you don¡¯t know, then you don¡¯t have a communicable disease. I mean, what does it mean to be a communicator? ¡°I see you¡¯re younger than ¡­¡­ I thought.¡± ¡°Haha. Oh, uh, don¡¯t tell anyone else about me¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, of course.¡± Uh, yes. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. Or rather. ¡°Um, why even Nozaki sensei¡­¡­? Ah, no, you¡¯re more than welcome to visit ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I was actually in a meeting with Tatsumi san until a few minutes ago. When I was about to leave, Tatsumi san invited me to join her and I am ashamed to admit that I followed her. I also wanted to have a chat with Kazashiro sensei¡­¡­.¡± Tehee, Nozaki san was smiling. She was a very young person with a wonderful smile. A sense of innocence, along with that margin of maturity. That¡¯s it, it¡¯s a strike. I mean, you just said you wanted to talk to me?! I know you meant you wanted to talk about composing, but I¡¯m glad to know that. ¡°¡­¡­ Rin, what are you doing?¡± ¡°What!? N-Nothing? I¡¯m sorry for the messy house.¡± ¡°Ufufu, Thank you.¡± I came back from the monologue because Mirei called out to me. But still, what the heck, I¡¯m surrounded by nothing but beautiful girls, thankfully. And I feel like there¡¯s one person who¡¯s trying to kill me from the living room. So the number of participants unexpectedly increased, but the meeting proceeded without incident, I feel. ¨C it was a lie. CH 32 ¡°I know what you mean! Sometimes I feel better when I¡¯m writing a minor key piece than when I¡¯m writing a major key piece.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is. I don¡¯t understand how it is that I feel more uplifted when I am writing a ballad. And I never thought that Kazashiro sensei would sympathize with me. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. This is a private place, so I¡¯m ¡­¡­ embarrassed if you call me by my pen name.¡± ¡°I see. Fufu, Interesting guy.¡± After celebrating Azusa for a while and finishing our meal, Nozaki sensei and I were talking about composing music. Maybe the composers don¡¯t interact much with each other. She seems to have accumulated a lot of stories that she can¡¯t get across, and she is spewing them out to me all at once. ¡°Then, Nagishiro san. So, is that okay? From the looks of it, I think I am older than you.¡±¡± ¡°Is that so? I am 20 years old, of course, but Nozaki Sensei also looks very young.¡± ¡°I¡¯m 30 years old.¡± ¡°Eeh!¡± I was ridiculously shocked. I didn¡¯t know there was such a young and fresh around 30 woman in this world! Hey, stop, don¡¯t think about Professor Omori. She¡¯s a beauty too, but in her own way! ¡°you are so calm, as expected.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called being old. I don¡¯t want to say it too proudly, but¡­ The older ones I¡¯m around are Mirei and Kotoha. Mirei is very childish on the inside, and Kotoha gets angry at me in weird places. I had never met an older person who could afford to do this. Mirei, thank you so much for bringing Nozaki sensei to me. I appreciate it. ¡°Come to think of it, do you and Mirei often work together?¡± ¡°Well, yes. I¡¯ve provided some of the music and we often have meetings. ¡­¡­Well, it seems that lately she¡¯s been very attached to Nagishiro san, so it looks like I may be out of work soon.¡± ¡°Ahaha, You are joking again. The songs that Nozaki san writes are so wonderful that I even use them as a reference for my own songwriting!¡± ¡°Fufu, Thank you¡± When I gave her my unreserved praise, Nozaki sensei smiled wryly in a mature manner. I felt the age difference between us was greater than my actual age. I mean, does this ¡­¡­ look good? Does it look good? Is it love!? or the birth of a couple with an age difference!? I was indeed carried away after the Azusa matter was resolved. I was carried away, but¡­. There was no such good news. ¡°Um, what are you doing?¡± A chilling voice comes flying from the entrance of the dining room. With that, I realized at this moment that I was being stared at with half-lidded eyes from all around me. A woman comes in suddenly and looks down at me from her slender, tall figure. No, looking down on me? ¡°A-Aree? Kotoha ? W-Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m late, I just finished work.¡± ¡°Ah, Et-to, this¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to congratulate you, Azusa~. But first, I got a little something to do~! She smiles strangely and puts the bag down quietly. Oh, what is she going to do with her hands? ¡°Hey, Mirei, can you help me?¡± ¡°Hmm¡± ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Mirei silently holds my leg. It Hurts It Hurts It Hurts It Hurts. Not so hard! ¡°Ha-san, I¡¯ll help you too!¡± The arms are locked. The base of the arm is sealed from behind, and Azusa¡¯s plump chest hits my back very hard, but if I am preoccupied with that now, I could die. I mean, I feel like I¡¯ve been in this situation before. No, wait. Not like that time! ¡°Harushita san, help me!¡± ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m washing dishes.¡± ¡°Damnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!¡± I appreciate you doing the dishes for me, but!¡¡But right now I have more important things to do than dishes! My Life! No, but still ¡­¡­! ¡°Nozaki sensei! Please, these guys are trouble!¡± Nozaki sensei is kind and will definitely help me out! It should be ¡­¡­! ¡°Hmm, you are so popular with three beautiful girls, huh?¡± However, Nozaki sensei is not moving immediately and is thinking about something. Uh, hey, this is not the time! ¡°But I still don¡¯t have a boyfriend~¡± Oh, I think you misunderstood something. I don¡¯t think this is relevant right no!? ¡°Hmm.¡± And then, when I thought I showed one more sign of distress, she finally smiled at me. ¡°Sorry ?¡± and the sentence was carried out by Kotoha at the same time that Nozaki sensei gave up on me. ¡°Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!¡± I was glad that this room was well equipped with soundproofing. Otherwise, it would have been mistaken for a murder scene by now and the police would have been there. CH 33 After being beaten up (by whom, I¡¯ll keep quiet for their privacy), Kotoha came and congratulated Azusa for reorganizing, and everyone was relaxing in my room, each in her own way. ¡°Hey, Rin kun¡± ¡°Fuaai, Fuanfehofu¡± ¡°No need to be silly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you beat the sh*t out of me?!¡± I was beaten to a pulp. I can¡¯t go against Kotoha san anymore from now on. But Kotoha acted as if she didn¡¯t care about that anymore and asked me something else. ¡°Hey, how did you get Azusa back on her feet?¡± ¡°¡­¡± And the content of that was something that had become a rather sensitive topic in my mind two weeks after that. I can¡¯t say it. ¡­¡­ No matter how much I wanted to do something for Azusa, I can¡¯t say that I wrote a song for her and performed it over the phone, that¡¯s too stinkin¡¯ bad. ¡­¡­ No, at the time, I was certainly giving it my all and I was crazy about it, but in hindsight, it¡¯s a mess and embarrassing. What a crazy itty bitty guy, writing a song and playing it for one girl. ¡­¡­ ¡±I¡¯m also concerned about Azusa chan. But I heard that she was so depressed that her manager¡¯s call got refused by Azusa chan, so I wondered what kind of magic Rin kun used on her.¡± At least it must be true that I am not doing anything magical. Yeah, I¡¯m not lying. But as I blurted out my response, Kotoha now turned to Azusa. ¡°Can you tell me about it, Azusa chan?¡± ¡°E-Et-to¡­..H-He encouraged me very passionately¡­..!¡± Hey, why the shyness there! Hey, you¡¯re misleading her! ¡°Hmmm¡± ¡°Um, Kotoha san? ¡°All right, spit it out.¡± ¡°Kotoha san!?¡± ¡°¡­¡­So I did¡­..¡± Why should I have to tell my own story of my many embarrassing actions? What kind of torture is this? ¡°So you did that, Nagishiro san.¡± ¡°When did you hear that, Harushita-san?¡­¡­¡± ¡°I was interested.¡± Harushita san nodded her head in admiration, but I was very embarrassed. I would feel less embarrassed if she laughed. No, Kotoha might laugh at me. She might be laughing because she thinks the younger kid is a jerk or something. That¡¯s what I thought, and then I saw Kotoha. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Not fair¡± ¡°Ha?¡± Kotoha looks unexpectedly puffy. Oh, did I do something wrong again? ¡°Make it.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¨Cmake one for me! And in a genre that Rin hasn¡¯t made yet! Then sing it for me when it¡¯s just the two of us!¡± ¡°Haaaaaaaaaa?!¡± No, no, no. How can that be? ¡°It¡¯s not fair. Only Azusa chan, and Rin kun even gave his first time¡± ¡°Huh, Heh? Hah?!¡± No, the way you say it! ¡°Hehee~. Isn¡¯t it great! Rin senpai was really cool at that time, and he sang with so much emotion, it was amazing!¡± ¡°Oi, Stop it, It¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fair. Sing for me too.¡± ¡°Order?!¡± Kotoha is more childish than ever. I wonder if Kotoha wants a song like that. ¡°All right, Rin kun. For now, you¡¯re going to sing the song you wrote for Azusa chan.¡± ¡°Right now!? here? Right here in front of these people!?¡± Nozaki sensei and Mirei give their approval to Kotoha¡¯s proposal. ¡°Ouu, I¡¯d love to hear something other than Nagishiro san¡¯s love songs.¡± ¡°Me too, I want to hear it one more time.¡± ¡°Nozaki sensei!? Mirei!?¡± I¡¯m an amateur singing in a place full of professionals like this! They¡¯ll beat me to a pulp, lynch me and make mincemeat out of me! ¡°No, no, no, no!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a spoiled brat, Rin kun ?.¡± ¡°Scary, scary, scary, scary!¡± ¡°Here, Rin. Guitar.¡± ¡°Rin senpai!¡± ¡°What is it?!¡± ¡°Nagishiro san, I would like to ask you to do the same for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say no to!?¡± And Nozaki sensei just stares at me smiling!¡¡What is this? ¡°Oh, my God, I just have to sing right?!¡± I sang enthusiastically in desperation. I was better received than I had expected, and one sensei, Nozaki sensei, even said to me, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to become a singer? ¡± But her kindness was painful to my heart. Flattery is tough in the presence of these members. Except for Nozaki sensei, the other four were just dumbfounded without any feedback. I wonder if they are that envious of Azusa for having a song written just for her. With these thoughts in mind, the day came to an end. ¡ª In hindsight, this may have been Nagishiro Rin¡¯s first live performance where he played guitar and sang with many singers later. CH 34 I don¡¯t have any friends in college. Well, the fact that I am a tough guy has a lot to do with this, but even I had someone I could call a friend. ¡°It has been a long time, Rin dono.¡± ¡°Yeah, that tone hasn¡¯t changed for you either, Sawamura.¡± Sawamura Kenji. Same university as me, undergrad in science. He is a human being whom I befriended in high school and is actually a good looking guy. In high school, he was more innocent, but his appearance and personality were a disaster, and he experienced relationship entanglements due to his female relationships. Then he changed his appearance and became a dull college student. ¡°Why don¡¯t you do a more good-looking guy¡¯s voice? Even your tone of voice is forced, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same with Rin dono, is it not? You are a really gentle person, but because of your face, Rin dono is also distancing himself from others, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°No, I think they just don¡¯t come by, okay?¡± Sawamura was one of the few people who approached me after I had been a tough-looking guy since high school. He is a valued friend and someone I respect. Such is the case with Sawamura, who came this time. ¡°Akiba, isn¡¯t it? I feel at home in Akiba, that I do.¡± ¡°I agree with that. Because I feel like I¡¯m in the majority here.¡± The two of us had come to Akihabara. Not only is he a nerd, but Sawamura is a pretty good one as well. After Sawamura got a makeover in high school, we spent a lot of time talking about anime and manga at school. We also have good taste in each other¡¯s hobbies. ¡°Let¡¯s get going right away, then. Let¡¯s go shake hands with Mizuno Shizuku!¡± ¡°Oh! I want to get going too, so I¡¯ll be right there!¡± So we went straight to the top floor of the anime store. ¡°I knew she had a great song, Shizuku san! I downloaded it as soon as it came out and have been listening to it all the time lately.¡± ¡°As expected of you, Rin dono. You know what you¡¯re doing. The lyrics for this song were written by Maru san, and the music was composed by Nozaki sensei, so they put a lot of effort into it.¡± Today, Shizuku was shaking hands to commemorate the release of her new single. The composer was Nozaki sensei, who had recently visited my house. No, I would never tell Sawamura that. He would be envious and resent me. Nozaki sensei is a successful composer who usually wrote theme songs for TV dramas and the like, and of course she was quite well known among anime fans. The fact that such a person provided the voice for Mizuno Shizuku, a voice actress who is now rapidly gaining popularity, created a synergistic effect that had fans quite excited even before the release of the product. The PV is still playing all the time at the stairs waiting for the handshake. She is not very tall, but she is beautiful with slender legs. And of course, the most distinctive feature is her voice, as she is a voice actor. Usually, she has a cute and fluffy voice, but depending on the character she plays, she can make her voice low and throaty, or even higher and make it sound like a cute non-human animal. By that, she lowered her voice because this song is cool and chic, and that¡¯s cool too. The fact that she is usually a laid-back person makes the gap between the two even more striking. ¡°Soon, Rin-dono!¡± ¡°Oh, oh.¡± I would like to see a few more PVs, but she should be right there in person. Up the stairs and through the curtain lowered from above, we were sucked into the booth. ¡°O-Ooouu¡­.!¡± There was still a line in the booth and we were still far from Shizuku san, but even from this distance we could recognize her presence. Oh man, there¡¯s an aura. The aura. That¡¯s¡­.She has an aura as much as Kotoha and others who look like they are going somewhere else. She will definitely become a superstar and take the voice acting world on her shoulders. ¡°Sawamura, I¡¯m impressed. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I am too, that I am. In fact, I¡¯m already in tears, that I can¡¯t see anything. ¡°We¡¯ll get there somehow, won¡¯t we?¡± I really can only thank Sawamura for inviting me to come here. I am too grateful. The time to shake hands was ticking away. All I could think about was what I was going to say and what I was going to have her sign. ¡°Yes, next!¡± I go in front of Shizuku san with my nerves as Sawamura shakes his hand and deliriously shakes hers. ¡°What¡¯s your name~?¡± ¡°Oh, my name is Nagishiro Rin¡­¡­.¡± ¡°?¡± Oh no, my voice might have been too quiet. She looks so curious. However, it seems that my fears were unfounded, as Shizuku san smiles at me and then holds out her hand. Oh, it¡¯s a handshake. Oh, man, my God, my hands aren¡¯t sweating or anything, are they?I¡¯m okay, right? I¡¯m wearing pants so I won¡¯t be recognized¡­¡­. (TL/N : I don¡¯t understand the last statement¡­.) ¡°How can I help you?¡± ¡°N-No!? Nothing?¡± Oh no, I have to be quick. Fearfully, I put my own hand on the hand that was put in front of me. Oh, wow, it¡¯s so small. It¡¯s so fresh and slippery. ¡°What are you doing now, Rin kun~?¡± ¡°Y-Yes! Oh, I¡¯m a student.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Oh, I see. Oh, no, no, you looked a little more mature.¡± ¡°Oh, you are scared, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m sorry, you got to shake hands with this guy.¡± I mean, it¡¯s amazing. I can¡¯t believe that even with such a strong face, she would smile and shake my hand. I¡¯m sure she must have a lot on her mind, but it¡¯s really amazing that she doesn¡¯t let it show on her face. Shizuku san responds to my response happily. ¡°Oh, no, you¡¯re not! Aren¡¯t you a pretty good looking guy~?¡± ¡°handsome!? That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°Is that so? If you get your hair done a little better, you¡¯ll be a very handsome man~!¡± ¡°A-Ah, thank you!¡± I¡¯m so happy. Oh, I¡¯m so happy. As I was soaking in the pleasure, Shizuku san talked to herself for a bit. ¡°¨CI thought it was that guy ¡­¡­¡± She was mumbling in an inaudible voice, but quickly returned to her expression. ¡°Do you do music?~¡± ¡°Oh, music!?¡± What a question. W-Why!? Why music ?! ¡°No, no, no, that¡¯s not true. And I don¡¯t sing.¡± Oh, but do I sing my songs when I put them on the Internet? Just in case. ¡°W-Why are you talking like that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t have any particular reason. It¡¯s just that you sound alike somehow.¡± ¡°Do we sound alike?¡± ¡°Yes¡± I have never been told that my voice is similar to someone else¡¯s. I wonder if it is because she is a voice actor and she notices people¡¯s voices. I wonder ¡°By the way, that guy¡­¡± ¡°His name is Kazashiro Rei.¡± Ugh!!!!!!!!!! CH 35 ¡°H-Heee. I-I didn¡¯t know there was such a person.¡± Oh no, I stutter too much. ¡°I-I¡¯ll have to listen to that guy¡¯s music sometime.¡± I¡¯m about to be discovered by the amount of hand sweating. I have to retreat. Retreat Retreat ¡°Wait a minute?¡± I¡¯ve been caught!! Huh? ¡°Kazashiro sensei?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m Nagishiro you know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the tone, it¡¯s so one toned that it¡¯s really easy to understand.¡± ¡°I always speak with one accent.¡± ¡°That statement is very fluent.¡± I¡¯ve been thinking lately that I¡¯m actually not very good at faking it. No, but there should be no proof. She won¡¯t find out about this. If I just get out of the way, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Well then, thank you very much for your time today. I am thrilled to shake hands with you, Shizuku san. I¡¯m rooting for you, good luck!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± I did something unfunny, like shaking hands with her. I¡¯ll buy a couple more CDs next time and charge Shizuku san. Then I ran away and went into a restaurant in Akihabara. It is a saize (Saizeriya (Italian restaurant chain)) After all, it is Saize that is friendly to marginal college students who have no money. ¡°¨CSawamura had already received a job offer from a major company, right?¡± ¡°Well, yes, that is true. My love of computers has paid off, that it has.¡± Sawamura is quite fond of computers and has been acquiring programming skills since high school. Well, even so, there was nothing to indicate a career in competitive programming, and he was just doing it as a hobby, such as making games, but he was picked up by a major company. ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty comforting to be a junior in college with a job offer?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m glad to get out of the bonds of job hunting, that I am, but I¡¯m more grateful to get paid for the internship, that I am.¡± Well, it¡¯s true that his current appearance is just that of a dark-rooted nerd. It¡¯s good that Sawamura has a decent work environment, because it seems like it would be difficult for him to get a part-time job. ¡°The Otakus have unlimited money to spend, that they do.¡± ¡°That way, huh?¡± ¡°You can never have enough money¡± I¡¯m an otaku, but I¡¯m probably not even an otaku, since I only lightly watch anime. If there is such a thing as a real otaku, it would be the type of otaku that contributes to the economy. ¡°How is Rin dono these days?¡± ¡°What a vague question.¡± ¡°What about, for example, college life, that is?¡± Hmmm, college life. I would say that it is neither particularly good nor bad. ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯m starting a seminar in the second semester.¡± Is it someone else¡¯s problem? Is it someone else¡¯s business? Well, it¡¯s someone else¡¯s business. ¡°I had a seminar my sophomore year, and sure enough, I was all alone.¡± ¡°Rin dono is not good at socializing, that he is.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s true. This time I¡¯m going to a seminar with a professor I¡¯m close to, so I think it¡¯s still okay.¡± ¡°Professor Omori, that it is? That professor is becoming well-known in our university.¡± ¡°Eh, why?¡± I wonder, is she famous for being a beautiful single woman around 30? No, I guess she is famous for being a professor at that young age, even if we leave that aside. ¡°I hear she¡¯s taming the Yankees.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that me!??!?!¡± Who¡¯s being tamed!? If anything, it¡¯s her who is being taken care of! ¡°I mean, are there really any rumors like that going around? Isn¡¯t it just you?¡± ¡°No, I heard a new student talking about it the other day, that I am sure of.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think this is the kind of stuff you hear in the first six months of school.¡± Is it really interesting to hear a rumor that a professor from who-knows-where is taming a Yankee from who-knows-where? ¡°And apparently the person spreading the rumors is from the economics department.¡± ¡°¡­¡­The enemy was among our own people?¡± I wonder if I could really call all the people in the economics department my relatives. ¡°Rin dono is really a good person, that he is.¡± ¡°I really do, though.¡± Apparently, having a bad face is a defective thing in a human being. ¡°It¡¯s definetly Kazashiro Rei~!!¡± Before going to bed, Mizuno Shizuku was excited in bed, remembering today¡¯s events. ¡°That voice, it¡¯s just like singing! That way of speaking, it¡¯s the same as the radio.¡± She was an enthusiastic Kazashiro Rei fan. The first thing she liked about him was his voice. After all, she is a voice actress by profession. She fell in love with his voice in the beginning. But she liked the way he sang more than that. Many singers these days are the type who sing mainly with technique in order to show off their singing ability. At least that¡¯s what she thought. And unabashedly¡­¡­ She didn¡¯t like that type. What are the lyrics attached to the song for? ¨Cit is because of the desire to deliver the song through the medium of song. A love song is a sad and happy thought of falling in love, while a cheering song is an encouragement and comforting yell. Shizuku thought that songs were meant to convey or express such things. So, ever since she started voice acting, she was hesitant to make her own debut as an artist because she had doubts about the way those modern singers sing. She had no guidelines on how to sing. It was then that Kazashiro Rei appeared. It¡¯s not even a song. It¡¯s as if you shout your feelings and then the song follows. She was so impressed with such singing that she cried the first time she heard it. From there, Shizuku learned about singing from his songs. She has heard his songs hundreds of times, and if anything, her music player only contains songs sung by Kazashiro Rei. She later learned that Kazashiro Rei¡¯s day job was writing lyrics and composing music. He had always liked lyrics as well, and this fact made her like him even more. She doesn¡¯t even know what he looks like, but lately, she has been thinking about him all the time and wondering when his next song is going to be uploaded. She was jumping for joy when She heard he was going to be on the radio, and She was angry when he had a friendly conversation with Tatsumi Mirei. ¡°¡ªI like him better.¡± She genuinely liked Kazashiro Rei. She liked his songs and the way he sang, but most of all she was interested in him. (my goal is to sing songs together, and to make our life together ¡­¡­ already!) Most of her thoughts these days are this. It is what is commonly referred to as love. But all along this was just an unreached unrequited love, because She did not know what kind of person he was. Until yesterday. Today, however, She was able to meet someone who appeared to be Kazashiro Rei. ¡°Nagishiro Rin huh¡­¡­?¡± When she was told, the almost coy reason for the similarity of the letters in his name convinced her that he was Kazashiro Rei. ¡°I¡¯ll have the manager look for him!¡± It won¡¯t be long before Rin¡¯s college is discovered. (TL/N : Oh yeah BTW, Sawamura is talking with the ¡°Gozaru¡± type so I just translated it like that) CH 36 Well, well, well. My latest addiction is cooking. ¡­.There¡¯s a girl on the floor above my apartment who said that ¡­¡­.. ¡°Rin senpai! I¡¯m here to make another one today!¡± This is the culprit this time. She is that girl who wears all black like in a certain cartoon. ¡°Why every day¡­¡­ ?¡± ¡°? well of course That¡¯s because my parents told me, [When you cook, you mustn¡¯t do it alone!]¡± ¡°why so confident ¡­¡­¡± I think Azusa came the day after she moved in. I heard that cooking is her obsession ¡°But, I¡¯d say you can¡¯t cook at all.¡± ¡°I-I just recently started!¡± ¡°What¡¯s your specialty?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ stir-fried vegetables.¡± Ah, yes, it looks like she¡¯s just getting started. This, ¡°This is not a cup of ramen or egg rice!¡± kind of feeling. But the vegetable stir-fry she makes is so easy. Just add oil, stir-fry vegetables and meat, add seasonings from the supermarket, and you¡¯re done. It¡¯s delicious, but anyone can replicate it. ¡°Ah, well, that¡¯s fine! I can eat with senpai too!¡± She was in such a good mood that the hairs on her head seemed to stand up happily. The small animal-like appearance is somewhat similar to Mirei. ¡°So what are you making today?¡± ¡°Yes! Today it¡¯s omelette rice!¡± ¡°Woow, that¡¯s good¡± Nagishiro Rin, a big egg lover. I think any egg dish is delicious, and I love that luxurious feeling when you put an egg on top of it. Why is it so rich for such a low unit price? ¡°What are the ingredients?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve already bought it!¡± ¡°More prepared than ever.¡± Oh, I remember when she came into the house, she was rustling around and carrying a supermarket bag. Well, there is usually always something missing and I end up having to go shopping. As expected, a story about an idol and a guy shopping at a supermarket would be a bad idea if it got out, so I had to go alone. ¡°Well, do you need any help?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine !¡± And she always absolutely insists on cooking alone. When I ask her why, she won¡¯t answer. I was easily turned down, so I dozed off on the couch, meekly watching TV. ¡°What is the situation? Explain, Rin.¡± ¡°Oh, um, I¡¯d like to know, too. ¡­¡­¡± Let me explain! I¡¯m Nagishiro Rin, a college student composer! The day I invited my house friend (who just recently became one), Ikuta Azusa, into my house (she came in on her own), she made me an omelette rice. I was so relieved by Azusa¡¯s seemingly smooth cooking that I was unaware of the sleepiness coming from within. The man (sleeper, gender unknown) gave me a sleeping pill (just sleepy) (I didn¡¯t take it) and when I woke up, I saw ¡­¡­. Besides Azusa, one other person, to my surprise, Harushita san, had arrived and was fighting over the cooking area! ¡°¡ª¡ª¨CIs what happened¡± ¡°First of all, it¡¯s funny that you invite the little girl into your home.¡± ¡°Is that little girl me?!¡± I heard protests from the kitchen, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the point now. Because for some reason Mirei is angry. ¡°What¡¯s that Bob (Hair) doing here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you mean Bob, do you, Harushita san? I¡¯d like to know that, too¡± ¡°Speak up, Rin.¡± ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t know either!?¡± This is a complete misunderstanding. I don¡¯t know why Harushita san came here either. When I hurriedly asked Harushita san for an explanation, she told me in a relaxed tone. ¡°I just happened to be passing by Nagishiro san¡¯s house the same day I bought the speakers, so I came over.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s on purpose!? I¡¯ve been persistently refusing you lately, so you just changed your policy!?¡± Harushita san used to send me home appliances, but recently I have been firmly refusing to accept them. I suppose this is a countermeasure to that. ¡­.I think she is learning something, or maybe it¡¯s just getting pushed around. Hey. ¡°So, how did Harushita san get into the house?¡± ¡°Ikuta san just let me in.¡± ¡°Hey Azusa, this is not your house.¡± ¡°Tehe¡± Not that. If you were allowed to do so, there would be no such law as trespassing in this world. ¡°So how did Mirei do it?¡± ¡°The little girl there let me in.¡± ¡°Oi little girl !!!¡± I will never forgive this little girl (19 years old). Never. ¡°So why did Azusa and Harushita san get into a fight?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in a fight. I just went into the house and found that Ikuta san¡¯s cooking was too dangerous, so I just gave her some advice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true! That¡¯s how she interferes with my cooking for Rin senpai~!¡± ¡°No, no, oh, look, if you don¡¯t season it there, it will all go away.¡± Ah, a conversation that explains the reason for the fight. Harushita san has completely good intentions, but Azusa misunderstoods. ¡°Azusa, calm down. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to find a way to get a good taste of the food. Your cooking has a unique taste, and I understand Harushita san¡¯s concern, but I can handle that kind of taste, so I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°S-Senpai¡­¡­¡± Somehow it all came full circle. Good, good, good. ¡°¨CSo why is that little girl here in this house?¡± ¡­¡­. I forgot to put out one fire. I found that Mirei was scary when she was angry, though not as much as Kotoha. CH 37 The summer vacation, which had been so long, ended easily and without warning. With that, the internship is gone and I am back to the same routine as before. If there is one thing that has changed, it is the start of seminars in college classes. Simply put, it is like a small-group class, which is common among liberal arts students. Some of them even go on trips with seminar members, but that¡¯s far from me¡­.. Or rather, in the first place, anything that might cause such flirting between men and women is forbidden in the seminar that Professor Omori is in charge of. (I won¡¯t say why, to her credit.) The first such seminar had begun in the new school year. ¡°So I¡¯ll have each group turn in a report for each class. I have created two groups of five on my end, so please change seats once.¡± I Follow Professor Omori¡¯s instructions and move to my seat as posted on the whiteboard. ¡°Ah, Nagishiro kun ¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Oh, Kasugai san. We¡¯re in the same group.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­.! F-Finally¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm? What did you say?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing!¡± She is Kasugai Sumire, who for some reason sometimes behaves strangely. She is the girl who always accompanies me when I go to ask Omori sensei questions. Of course, we were not that close, but it was very nice to have a familiar face. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be in your care¡± ¡°Y-Yes! M-Me too!¡± Perhaps this was Omori sensei¡¯s consideration for me, who has few friends. But again, being a group of five, not everyone is in a group with everyone they want to be. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m with him.¡± ¡°Eh. Wow, Nagishiro¡­¡­¡± ¡°Worst ¡­¡­¡± Apparently, three other girls in the same group did not think well of the same thing she did and complained. Well, that¡¯s right. I wouldn¡¯t want to be in the same group with a scary-looking guy like me either. ¡°Oh, Hayasaka is in that group over there. I would have preferred that one¡± ¡°That handsome guy? Wow, then you¡¯re totally screwed¡± ¡°Haha, Emi, that¡¯s terrible.¡± Speaking of Hayasaka, is that the very handsome Hayasaka? Well, that¡¯s definitely a miss. ¡°A-As expected, they are saying too much, aren¡¯t they? ¡­¡­ I-I¡¯m going to give them a warning¡­..!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I mean, you can¡¯t give warnings or do anything if you¡¯re that nervous.¡± And it wouldn¡¯t help if Kasugai san bought into the hate by mistake. ¡°Haaaa¡­.¡± Unfortunately, the road ahead is not easy, but that¡¯s OK. After that, Professor Omori gave a brief explanation of the whole process and handed down the day¡¯s assignments. In the meantime, a group of people formed a group on line and agreed to divide up the work and each summarize the relevant parts of the report, but¡­ ¡°Obviously, that¡¯s a lot for my page. ¡­¡­¡± I feel like I have 3 times more than others. Why is that? ¡­¡­. I mean, you think I¡¯m scary, so why would you want to harass me like that? If it were me, I¡¯d do the assignment for him. That, or the three of them are not afraid. Well, I don¡¯t have a problem with the amount of work I have to do myself, but I feel like I¡¯m going to be somewhat fractured. ¡°All right, let¡¯s take a break.¡± I think I had some green tea that I had bought before. It¡¯s not that I like green tea, but something warm in my body is kind of calming. ¡°Hoee¨C¡± I¡¯m a little depressed with a big fishing report assignment in front of me. Let¡¯s make a little music. ¡°Yes, ding-dong.¡± ¡°!?¡± The intercom speaks!?¡­.. It can¡¯t be ! ¡°Either ring the intercom or give me a more decent greeting.¡± ¡°Sorry Sorry¡± When I opened the front door, Kotoha was there. I knew by her voice that it was Kotoha, but it was unusual for her to come in the evening, given her busy schedule. ¡°Well, you¡¯re quick¡± ¡°I finished work early~¡± No, I¡¯m not surprised. I would rather be surprised if that Kotoha comes after contacting me. ¡°Hey, was Rin kun in the middle of writing a song?¡± ¡°Hmm? Yeah, just for a change. Come up for now.¡± Despite appearances, Kotoha is an actress. She must be tired. Kotoha sits down on the sofa as soon as she goes up to her room. She also checks the smell of the room, but since I made sure to set up a deodorant, she probably doesn¡¯t know that Azusa is here. That¡¯s me. I am growing up. ¡°Hmmm. It smells a little funny, but ¡­¡­ well, maybe it¡¯s just my imagination.¡± What¡¯s more, I told Azusa not to come today. Perfect. ¡°Do you want something to eat? I can make something light.¡± ¡°Yeay~! It¡¯s Rin kun¡¯s homemade food~!¡± I¡¯ve been helping Azusa with her cooking, and I¡¯ve learned to cook some of it myself. It is an improvement of girl power. ¡°Okay, just give me a minute.¡± Let¡¯s make it quick and easy. ¡°So, Rin kun. You look kind of tired, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ah? I¡¯ve got some college work to do.¡± I don¡¯t know about myself, but she said I looked somewhat tired. Well, college has just started. ¡°Let me see~. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± While I was fiddling with my computer after lunch, Kotoha peeked in. too close, too close, stop, stop, stop. ¡°What, you¡¯re going to do all of this?¡± ¡°Ah? Ahh, well yeah¡± ¡°Eh, Isn¡¯t that hard?¡± Kotoha rolls her eyes at the 20+ page slide. The script looks more daunting with all the text. Maybe she didn¡¯t know that college students have it harder than she thought. ¡°Well. I got pushed around a little bit.¡± ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that awful?¡± ¡°It happens all the time. I don¡¯t really care, so it¡¯s okay.¡± For some reason, Kotoha is more angry and frustrated than I am, the one who was hit. ¡°Maybe I should complain.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯d be seriously freaked out if you came out of nowhere, so don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°I mean, college is such a crappy place.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Besides, it¡¯s not a good idea to lump them all together.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± I¡¯m talking about the fact that some people are pushy about assignments and others are not. ¡°I hope so.¡± I was grateful to Kotoha, who would have been angry with me for my sake, and wrote my report until late that night. CH 38 ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it for today¡¯s lesson.¡± Whew, finally, Omori-sensei¡¯s 90-minute class is over. College classes are usually 90 minutes long, and there is usually some sort of break for chit-chat or other relaxation in between, as it is usually difficult to concentrate. However, Omori-sensei¡¯s class is so hopelessly Spartan that she uses up the full 90 minutes of it and leaves not a speck of dust behind. Therefore, Omori sensei¡¯s classes are often called ¡°hassle¡± among university students, and this seminar was not filled to capacity, and probably half of the people in this room were selected by lottery. In fact, all the people are sleeping like they are bored. The only ones awake are ¡­¡­ Kasugai san and handsome Hayasaka. Well, Professor Omori¡¯s classes are a physical challenge, so it can¡¯t be helped in some ways. ¡°Because this week¡¯s report is to summarize the scope of what we did today and write down what we think we should do.¡± The professor said quickly and left. After that, we had a discussion among the group ¨C but not before I got a call about an hour after class, and this time my area of responsibility was even larger than before. ¡°Huh, I guess I¡¯ll stay and do it today. ¡­¡­¡± When I try to do it at home, I am tempted to write songs, so I decided to go to the university library, even if it means tying myself up that I can¡¯t leave until I finish today. Ping, a sound is heard when the student ID card is passed through. Security is rather decent at this university. The number of books in the library is one of the largest in Japan, and some of them may make you wonder if they are really necessary.¡¡I wonder if there are people who read Chinese books, let alone the Chronicles of Japan. ¡°Whew. This amount is indeed ¡­¡­¡± This quantity is indeed a tough one. Even just for the sake of it, there are so many resumes in Omori sensei¡¯s class that there are a lot to look at, but when you have to do more than half of it by yourself, it¡¯s tough. ¡°Oh well, I guess I¡¯ll just have to do it. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°A-Anoo!¡± As I was mumbling to myself, she suddenly spoke to me from behind, startling me unexpectedly. ¡°K-Kasugai-san ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, excuse me¡­.¡± Kasugai san apologizes for her loud voice. As expected, that voice was loud and echoed throughout the place She looks a little shy. ¡°Um, what¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°No, no! I-I didn¡¯t follow you ¡­¡­!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. Also, calm down.¡± ¡°Hiiiii!?¡± She was so upset that I put my hand on her shoulder, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. Well, it would be scary if a man like this approached me. ¡°So¡­¡­¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± Finally, when she seemed to have calmed down, I cautiously asked her questions so as not to provoke Kasugai san. Then it seemed that dialogue was finally possible, and she answered politely. ¡°I¡¯m always here. It¡¯s so quiet and easy in the library.¡± Hmmm. Not in any bad way, but it was just the way I imagined it. ¡°So, I was here today, but today I saw Nagishiro kun coming in. ¡­¡­¡± So why does Kasugai san make an apologetic face? Then, after a short pause, she speaks in broken chunks. ¡°Today, everyone was pushing Nagishiro kun to do assignments, so I had to help him out!¡± Apparently, she saw me being forced to do a large number of assignments and was driven to do me justice. Hmmm, that¡¯s usually a happy story. I mean, I think from the top that Kasugai san is a very nice person, even if she is a bit timid. ¡°So can I ask you to ¡­¡­, please, ¡­¡­?¡± I suddenly became respectful while paying my respects to such a kind Kasugai san. This is a common pattern of men who are not accustomed to women. Kasugai san¡¯s smile blossomed when she heard my reply. ¡°L-Let¡¯s go for it!¡± And then, frightened, she made a fist and weakly raised her right arm. With Kasugai san¡¯s help, the assignment was surprisingly completed in about an hour or two, and it was still time for a snack. ¡°Thank you, Kasugai san. It was supposed to take me about three more hours, but you saved my life.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s good to learn how you make your reports, Nagishiro kun!¡± So, I was at a coffee shop near the university, as if it were snack time. It is a relaxing space with warm-colored lighting. The interior is not overly formal, but rather a retreat based on an antique interior. I sometimes come here when I¡¯m tired, or when I need a break, or when I need to make up a reason not to be home. ¡°And yet, I didn¡¯t know there was such a place ¡­¡­. I didn¡¯t know that. ¡­¡­¡± And Kasugai who had initially been intimidated by the idea of being in a coffee shop alone with a man, finally seemed to get used to it after taking a break from drinking cocoa. I mean, cocoa as a college student is so cute. ¡°Do you come to these places often?¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­¡­. I like coffee shops and such, but I don¡¯t often come¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wow, you look like you would be in a coffee shop.¡± Libraries look good, but coffee shops look good too. When she was seriously writing her report, her thin-framed glasses gave off a cool vibe, but when she came to a place like this and smiled at me, she looked like a cute high schooler. Her hair is long and tied into two pigtails, but other hairstyles seem to suit her. If you look closely, you can see that her eyes and nose are well-defined and she is usually in the cute category. ¡°W-What is it ¡­¡­? what¡¯s ¡­¡­ on my face?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Because I was staring at her so intently, Kasugai san looked away in embarrassment. And then, she suddenly made an apologetic face, as if she had just remembered something. It was the same face she showed me at the library. ¡°That ¡­¡­ sorry ¡­¡­. Nagishiro kun was forced to do a lot of assignments, and I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t say anything, even though it¡¯s cheating like that. ¡­¡­¡± If anything, she seemed heartbroken about the assignment. ¡°But you did help me today.¡± ¡°I think we really need to do it equally. ¡­¡­ And I get kind of angry when I think about these girls who push people around and then play with them like they don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing. ¡­¡­¡± I had never seen that kind of Kasugai san¡¯s face before. It was indeed a face that seemed to reveal anger. So I had the impression that she was mad at me and she was just another person making that kind of face. And then, she.. ¡°I-I¡¯ll help you every week from now on!¡± She said something encouraging and comforting. That kindness was genuinely appreciated. CH 39 It was mid-November, and the university had been in session for a month. That day, an incident occurred. It must have been quite cold in Japan, so I think it was the day I went to university thinking that I needed gloves. No, unless there is a very irregular (Kotoha) that the stage suddenly changes to America, it won¡¯t happen. Well, there was no particular warning or sign of an incident, and it was so easy to tell where it was an incident and where it was not. ¡°Whee~, it¡¯s so cold!¡± I had underestimated the cold I felt in the morning and was walking to the auditorium, melting my numb hands with my breath. As usual, I took classes, ate lunch in the cafeteria, and then took classes again. The usual routine of life as usual. That routine was fleetingly shattered in front of the economics building where I always took classes with professor Omori. I was surprised to see a beautiful girl standing at the door before entering the building, who stood out conspicuously for a college student. She looked too good to be here. But I knew that person¡¯s name. ¡ª¨CMizuno Shizuku. She is a successful voice actor of the moment, who I had also attended a handshake session with about two months ago. The popularity of the brand shows no sign of fading, so much so that it is hard to say how long this ¡°now¡± has been in season. Such a successful voice actress among the best-selling ones was standing right there. A certain amount of crowd had already gathered and students from the university were looking at her, but no one tried to talk to her and there was little space around her. That¡¯s why she stood out. Now, even I know a very popular voice actress like that. Sure enough, when she noticed my presence, she waved her hand at me. ¡°!?¡± I turn around in a hurry. But there is no one around me. ¡°Hey, you!¡± I am at a loss, but she comes up to me. Naturally, the eyes around me are on me at the same time as on her. ¡°Eh, me?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡± Oh no, I can¡¯t think straight. Why did you go to college, Shizuku san? Why did you come to me? I try to think, but the turbulence gets in the way and I can¡¯t think straight. ¡°Hey, Nagishiro kun?¡± Suddenly, my name is called, and I can¡¯t help but turn my voice inside out. I am embarrassed. ¡°Fufu¡± Shizuku san, on the other hand, seems to be trying to enjoy my upset, smiling with plenty of room to spare. Perhaps she feels like a great success ¡°Hmmm~¡± Then Shizuku san turns her head slightly and the corners of her mouth hang up again. ¡°W-Why?¡± I had a bad feeling about this, so I asked ahead of time. ¡°Hey, Nagishiro kun? Nagishiro kun is¡­¡­¡± She suddenly comes close to me and whispers in my ear. ¡°¡ª-Kazashiro Rei, right?¡± And those words made my mind go blank. ¡°Uh, first of all, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, no, no, I just barged in!¡± Eventually, after that shocking encounter, I remembered I had class and hurried to the classroom. In the meantime, I had to wait for Shizuku san because I needed to talk to her. ¡°So, what¡¯s the story? If it¡¯s a confession, I¡¯m okay with it.¡± ¡°The confession was made earlier by Shizuku san with tremendous power. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha~!¡± There is something innocent and childish about Shizuku san. I don¡¯t mean that in a bad way. But my impression of her has changed since the handshake session. ¡°S-So, on to the main topic. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm ?¡± ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m Kazashiro Rei? ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Aaah~¡± Now, incidentally, I¡¯m at a coffee shop, and she is poking at her parfait with a long spoon while she listens. I¡¯m not talking that lightly! It¡¯s a matter of life and death for me! ¡°I asked my manager to look into it, and after a lot of work, he found it.¡± ¡°Why!?¡± ¡°I knew that you were that Kazashiro sensei. All I had to do was to get the backstory.¡± ¡°How did you know!¡± ¡°And then that famous Shirakawa Kotoha walks into your house. Makes me sure¡± ¡°Well that is yeah !¡± It was me who was bad. The security was lax. ¡°Well, it seems that Shirakawa san¡¯s side came in discreetly, but our side has Nagishiro san¡¯s house staked out, so¡­ You know that, don¡¯t you?¡± I know, I know. Sorry, Kotoha. ¡°S-So, what do you want from me, Shizuku san? ¡­¡­¡± I wonder, will she threaten me or something? How much money do I have to pay her to get her to forgive me? ¡°Hmmm~¡± I wait for her reply with a pounding heart. I feel like I¡¯m being rushed, but it¡¯s probably just my imagination. She slowly opens her mouth. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to do anything in particular. Well, if I say I¡¯m here on an errand, I just came to make sure you are real?¡± ¡±I-Is that so?¡± At least it¡¯s a relief. Shizuku san doesn¡¯t seem to be a bad guy, and I¡¯m sure I can just get her to calmly keep her mouth shut. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it a lot, but college seems to be busier, so I¡¯m not going to do it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but thank you.¡± ¡°Ah, but yes.¡± Just as I was about to take a breath, Shizuku san looked at me as if she had a flash of inspiration. ¡°Call me ¡®Shizuku¡¯ from now on!¡± Well, now, the turbulent times of college life. It is a start. CH 40 ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Rin kun? You seem to be having a hard time lately.¡± ¡°Oh, ah ¡­¡­ a little heartache, huh ¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m tired and doing laundry when I¡¯m approached by Kotoha, who is checking her script on the couch. I mean, why is she in my house with her own face? No, it¡¯s true, she¡¯s paying my rent for me now instead! ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you full of assignments again?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, I¡¯m getting by on the assignments, but it¡¯s more than that. ¡° Since then, I have received a phone call from Shizuku san every day at night. She is also busy, so she can¡¯t devote too much time to it, but she dexterously makes time to call me every day. ¡°What? You don¡¯t get enough sleep?¡± ¡±Well, if it¡¯s that, I don¡¯t sleep well.¡± The call itself is only 10 or 20 minutes, and it¡¯s before 11:00 a.m., so I¡¯m not losing any sleep over it. As you would expect, she is a professional and does not do anything to wake up the quality of her work due to lack of sleep. But I am just a college student. ¨CI am not the kind of man who can fall asleep immediately after hearing a beautiful girl¡¯s sweet, melting voice at night. I guess it didn¡¯t help that it was a voice actor whose voice I originally liked and supported. I could listen to her voice forever, but it would leave reverberations in my head and distract me. I can¡¯t sleep at night. ¡°Are you okay? Lack of sleep is bad for you, okay?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah¡­¡± Saying so, Kotoha has not tried to return home even at 9 pm. I guess it¡¯s a good thing that her house is also in Tokyo and it takes about 20 minutes by train from here. By the way, I have never been to her house. I¡¯m innocent. ¡°¨CHmmm. Something like you¡¯re hiding something.¡± ¡°No, No? Nothing?¡± Kotoha¡¯s intuition is as keen as ever, which chills my liver, but fortunately she quickly went back to putting red lines in the script. Perhaps it is actually a busy situation. ¡°Hey, is Kotoha okay?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m¡­¡­.fine though¡± Then, for a moment, she seemed to show an air of distress, but soon returned to her usual dignified face. She seems to have some kind of problem, but it¡¯s not something she can talk about. I guess that¡¯s about it. Then it¡¯s not something I would listen to deeply. Because she is a professional and has nothing to offer me in the way of advice. ¡°Haa¡­.¡± I sighed and thought about having a cup of coffee. ¨CBooo Boooo Cell phone rings. It is an alarm, so there is no active ringtone. But that quiet sound sends a warning to my head. (Oh, it¡¯s Shizuku san! ¡­¡­ It¡¯s Shizuku san! Oh no, oh no) No, calm down. Kotoha is not as bad as looking at other people¡¯s cell phones. She¡¯s just busy right now, and I can go get it with a casual look on my face. Target, on the desk. Aim is good. March! I could casually pick up my cell phone, go through the call once, and then tell Shizuku san that I can¡¯t make it today. Yeah, perfect. Now, let¡¯s collect the phone, and¡­ ¡°Rin kun, it¡¯s ringing. ¡­¡­ eh?¡± Kotoha must have seen it when she kindly took my phone to hand it to me. [You have an incoming call from Shizuku Mizuno] Kotoha looks at the display and then adjusts it by patting her face once. By the way, I am at my wits¡¯ end. ¡°Um, ¡­¡­ Kotoha san?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, hold on, I¡¯ll remember¡± Kotoha works her head single-mindedly. The script is already on her lap. From there, she began to groan. If I had to describe it in broken English, I would say, ¡°Ugh, I could have remembered that in just a few minutes.¡± ¡°Ah¡± She remembered. ¡°It¡¯s the voice actor girl. I¡¯ve met her before.¡± Apparently, Shizuku Mizuno and Shirakawa Kotoha knew each other. Oh my, how strange. ¡°She has a cute face and a cute voice, but when it comes to acting, she is very serious.¡± Hmmm. ¡°So, I think¨Cshe likes Kazashiro Rei, right?¡± Gulp!! ¡°Oh yeah, yeah, she said she¡¯d like to meet you sometime.¡± Yes, yes, she said it, she said it, and Kotoha is convinced. Oh oh oh, is she convinced? ¡°All right, Rin kun. Let¡¯s get you to tell me what happened, all of it, honestly, shall we?¡± She was not convinced. Having said that, she understood me to a certain extent. At first she thought I was using Kazashiro Rei¡¯s name to woo her. Kotoha knows that I am an otaku of a certain level. So she thought that the reason me and Shizuku san knew each other was that I was using my face as a composer. So, with that misunderstanding cleared up, she seems to be in a bit of a better mood. ¡°So why is she calling you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a serious situation¡­¡­.¡± I think the phone call started out as a trivial matter. We were talking on line, and when I asked her what she was careful about in her acting, she said, ¡°It¡¯s too long to explain, so do you mind if I call you?¡± And that was the way it went. Then, she just started making phone calls instead of lines. ¡°Well, Rin kun isn¡¯t calling her, is he?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡± ¡°Then just say that you didn¡¯t really want to call her.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes. No.¡± Because, you know. Even if I don¡¯t want to call her, I¡¯d still like to hear her voice. ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t have a choice. ¡­¡­ ¡°Zero remorse, huh?¡± ¡°I do, I do!¡± I¡¯m not sure what to reflect on Either that I was losing sleep over the phone with her, or that I didn¡¯t tell Kotoha that I was on the phone with her. ¡°..Haa¡± When she sees that I am not showing any remorse, Kotoha lets out a big sigh. Then, she suddenly begins to speak. ¡°Me ? I don¡¯t care who you go out with, Rin kun.¡± ¡°Hee?¡± It was something unexpected. Of course, I didn¡¯t think Kotoha was that much into ordinary people like me, but from her attitude up to now, I thought she would want me to refrain from such cross-dressing. But It¡¯s not ¡°Rin kun, of course, has a good face and a good personality. If it were true, he would have a high income. From a woman¡¯s point of view, he is a perfect candidate.¡± I thought that was indeed too much of a lift, but she had something else she wanted to tell me, so I shut up. She continues her explanation with over-the-top gestures, like an actress. ¡°But, Rin kun, you haven¡¯t even faced yourself yet. What will you do in the future? What kind of future do you want?¡± I want to build happiness with my family. I want to be famous for my work. I don¡¯t have a vision of anything like that ¡°I¡¯m not saying you have to face it right now, okay?¡¡Life is long, whether you¡¯re in college or in the workforce. You can get it back as much as you want.¡± She says that even after I enter the workforce, if I find something I want to do, I should give it a try. ¡°But, it should be Rin¡¯s dream, not someone else¡¯s. It¡¯s okay to let someone else influence your life, but you shouldn¡¯t let someone else take over your life.¡± With every word, Kotoha¡¯s serious words reach my heart. Her words were heavy for me, as she had mastered one thing or another. ¡°So it¡¯s okay to love a woman. You can marry someone you don¡¯t even know who she is. But¨Cmake sure that person is someone who loves you.¡± Myself. Not Kazashiro Rei, but Nagishiro Rin. ¡°Because if you do that, you¡¯ll end up becoming a musician just because she accidentally fell in love with you¡± Because that would be too naive an idea and would be subject to elimination. No industry is sweet. The sweet juice that is only visible is the end result of hundreds of times more painful bitterness behind it. ¡°So, Rin kun, you should love those who love you. And you should find your own way.¡± Perhaps thinking she had said too many harsh things, Kotoha finally chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± She said. Her words stayed with me and I lost sleep that day. CH 41 I shrank when I was surrounded by four beautiful girls in the food court. What is this? What is this strange, heavy atmosphere? Each of the four beautiful girls called me by a different name, which also caused a strange silence. ¡­¡­How did this happen? It¡¯s not like I did anything particularly bad nor did I do something wrong. But why are these girls, who were so close, became sour to each other. I asked myself why this was happening while the girls were staring at each other. ¡°Hey¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, the gyaru peaks up. At her words, everyone except her flinched and shook their heads. ¡°What do you think you guys were doing?¡± ¡°Eh, no wait¡­¡­,I¡¯m shopping with my family¡­¡­.¡± With my eyes spinning, I insisted that i¡¯m doing shopping with my family as if it was a good excuse. But the gyaru interrupted me and said[You¡¯re lying.]. I didn¡¯t intend to lie. I¡¯m not, but, remembering my step sister¡¯s words, I can¡¯t say it¡¯s a lie, and I¡¯m at a loss for words. ¡°Well, where are you mom and dad? I¡¯d like to say hello to them, since they¡¯ve been so good to you both¡­¡­.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡­.¡¯ Of course these girls don¡¯t know that my parents are overseas. In the current state, if they know that the two of us are living alone, the situation will get worse, so I desperately think of excuses. My step sister, on the other hand, just looked down quietly and didn¡¯t say a word. When the gyaru analyzed the situation with her eyes, she said [Sigh¡­..i knew it.] and sighed. ¡°So, are the two of you dating?¡± That one word made the tension even more larger. My step sister looked more and more depressed, my childhood friend stared at me with a confused expression, and the idol sama turned her face away, as if she didn¡¯t want to hear it. ¡°No you¡¯re wrong ! ! We¡¯re not dating, okay?¡± I waved my hands and denied that we¡¯re dating. My step sister¡¯s expression turned pale at that statement, and the other three looked a little relieved. ¡°Then why were your arms crossed?¡± Suddenly, a painful question comes from my childhood friend. ¡°Surely, isn¡¯t it weird to cross your arms even though you¡¯re not boyfriend and girlfriend?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­..¡± If we¡¯re a close sibling then it might make sense, but you can¡¯t help but think it¡¯s strange that we were pretending to be strangers at first, but now we¡¯re crossing arms. ¡°Recently, I saw the two of you going to school together¡­.you know?¡± I was speechless when my childhood friend stared at me with suspicious eyes and cross-examined me so hard that I couldn¡¯t even make a sound. ¡°Besides, the day that Sora chan collapsed, Rikku panicked like unusual¡­¡­¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s because we¡¯re family¡­¡­.¡± [[You stay quiet Matsudaira kun (Rikku)]]. My childhood friend and gyaru interrupted my words, perhaps because of their growing distrust in me using the excuse that we¡¯re family. ¡°What do you think, Soracchi?¡± After shutting me up because I made a bunch of excuses, the gyaru turned around and asked my step sister¡¯s true intentions in a calm tone. My step sister didn¡¯t raise her face and just kept silent. ¡°I knew it, you like Rikku, don¡¯t you?¡± My step sister shrugged her shoulders at the words that seemed to say that if you don¡¯t say it, you won¡¯t know it. ¡°Hahaha, there¡¯s no way¡­¡­¡± When I tried to deny those words with a dry laugh, my step sister, who had been silent until just now uttered¡­¡­., [¡­.That¡¯s right.].. ¡°Yeah that¡¯s right ! ! ! I like Riku ! ! Not as a brother, but as a man ! ! ]. I was taken aback by her words. It¡¯s true that I had a vague feeling that my step sister was fond of me. But I thought it was as a step brother, not as a man¡­¡­. The gyaru was at a loss for words when she heard my step sister¡¯s true feelings, and my childhood friend glared at my step sister. And then, Idol sama bites her lip. After those words were spoken, there was silence for a while. Stubbornness, confusion, jealousy, sorrow¡­the heaviness of the atmosphere reached its climax as the emotions piled up over and over again. ¡°I see. Sora chan also likes Matsudaira kun, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Eh?¡± When those words spilled out from my childhood friend¡¯s mouth, my step sister raised her face, the gyaru¡¯s face twitched, and idol sama, whose face had been averted just a moment ago, looked at my childhood friend¡¯s face. [Sora chan too¡­..] These words were filled with my childhood friend¡¯s true feelings. I thought I was starting from scratch with my childhood friend. But she must have had different feelings than I did. When I saw my step sister and my childhood friend staring at each other, the gyaru joined the conversation. ¡°So that means you two liked Rikku too¡­¡­¡¯ The two of them who were restraining each other were surprised by those words. No wonder, she just told me that she likes me yesterday. Despite her bewildered state, I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m in this situation. I¡¯m such a coward¡­.. [Hey you?. You shouldn¡¯t be so down on yourself you know? If you do that, you¡¯ll only be able to see yourself, and you won¡¯t be able to recognize the goodwill of others.] Suddenly, Aigou san¡¯s words passed through my mind. These girls hated me ¡­¡­.No, I thought they hated me. However, each of them has expressed their own feelings of affection for me. Have I come up with an answer? The answer is NO. Except for Idol sama, I have not given a clear answer yet. I was just being confused and ambiguous¡­..and I guess the bill for that has come due. Is this situation good? I am happy to receive affection from the three of them now¡­.. But even so, I distrust these girls. Yeah¡­.. ¡°So, what do you think, Kawabe kun?¡± Suddenly, Idol sama who had been silent until a moment ago opened her mouth. She was the only person to whom I gave a clear answer. And that Idol sama asked my answer. ¡°I¡­..¡± My words drew the gazes from the four of them. I had no choice but to answer¡­¡­. CH 42 ¡°I¡¯ve heard your story, Nagishiro kun?¡± ¡°Shizuku san!?¡± A beautiful girl came between me and Yamashiro. She is not tall and has a body shape that gives the impression of being active, but in fact, she is a voice actress. She is very unbalanced when described in this way. It was Mizuno Shizuku. ¡°Hey, so Nagishiro kun. You have to call me Shizuku.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t. ¡­¡­¡± It is not easy to call out to a celebrity. As for Kotoha, Mirei, and Azusa, it must have taken a year before they could be called out and hush-mouthed. Well, that¡¯s because I have the impression that these girls are more of a handful before they are entertainers. The other four were left out of our conversation. Few people in the voice acting profession are known for their faces as well. Although voice actors are becoming more and more visible these days, many people still know them only by their voices. That¡¯s not the point. ¡°Why are you here ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm~?¡± When I was too surprised, she smiled, as if she had just pulled off a prank. ¡°Well, we were supposed to be on a date today.¡± She said that ¡°D-Date?¡± Surprisingly, it was Kasugai san who responded to these words. Yamashiro and the other three looked dumbfounded and pulled back their earlier evil looks. And of course, I am the most surprised. ¡°D-Ddddddate!? I-I haven¡¯t heard about it!¡± ¡°Calm down. You¡¯re making a fuss.¡± No, no, no!?It¡¯s strange that you don¡¯t make a fuss when you are suddenly asked to go on a date. ¡°E-Excuse me.¡± Yamashiro finally regained her composure when she saw me making a fool of myself and talked to Shizuku san. ¡°Well, Nagishiro kun and I were just having an important conversation. Would you mind not interrupting?¡± Yamashiro seems to really want to push the assignment on me. While reassured that Kasugai san would not be involved, I feel that it is indeed a hassle. However, Shizuku san¡¯s tone of voice was more serious, and she immediately put aside the smile that had appeared on her face a moment ago. ¡°Serious? Aahh.¡± From her tone of voice, it¡¯s as if she¡¯s different. Normally, she seems like a girl with a lot of time to spare, but now she is in battle mode. I can tell that Shizuku san is wearing an angry look on her face. Naturally, it is also for Yamashiro ¡°¡­¡­.!¡± She was supposed to be a voice actress. She was not an actress. But, (Is it that easy to change the atmosphere ¡­¡­!) She is so different that for a moment you might be under the illusion that she is the same mild-mannered, maverick person you were talking about earlier. ¡°Oh, by the way, yes. You were saying something strange earlier.¡± The voice is different. It sounds low and resonant, yet it seems to hold the air around you from above. Such a voice. It was as if a personality was being formed by the voices of the people here. ¡°I¡¯m not going to say anything bad about it, so don¡¯t do it. Don¡¯t do anything that will disturb Nagishiro kun.¡± ¡°Hiiiii!¡± Yamashiro was getting weak in the face of lines from Shizuku san, who is shorter than her. I was also scared by the sheer force of the situation. Since it is like that even for me, who has not been told directly, the pressure on Yamashiro, who has been told face to face, must be unparalleled. ¡°Look, if you still want Nagishiro kun to do it, I will submit this voice recorder to the university.¡± With that said, she pressed the play button, and from there the conversation we had just had came on. Apparently, she had been listening to our conversation the whole time and came in at the right time. ¡°Okay, ¡­¡­! Okay, I understand¡­ ¡­¡­¡± However, that was just the final straw, and it seemed that Yamashiro and others had no desire to get involved any further. With Yamashiro, whose eyes were slightly moist, in the lead, the girls ran off campus. ¡°T-Thanks¡­.¡± ¡°Ahaha. It¡¯s fine!¡± I thank Shizuku san and she reacts theatrically. I did not feel the stinging atmosphere there that I had felt earlier. ¡°U-Ummmm¡­.¡± Then Kasugai san walks in. ¡°E-Excuse me, who are you ¡­¡­?¡± Kasugai san asks timidly, as if the image of Shizuku san from earlier is still burned into her mind. ¡°Oh, I never told you. My name is Mizuno Shizuku. What a surprise, I am Nagishiro kun¡¯s girlfriend!¡± ¡°Ehhhhhhhh!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding when I say that.¡± I would like you to stop making jokes at random. Because Kasugai san is sitting next to me, too surprised. Apparently, she has an unrestrained personality ¨C but I knew that from our recent line conversation ¨C she easily makes appropriate statements. Well, she doesn¡¯t say anything important, so I think she¡¯ll be fine, but I¡¯m somewhat worried. ¡°Well, more importantly, Nagishiro kun, no, Rin kun!¡± ¡°You changed the way you call me without my permission.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a date!!¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of it!¡± Date, date, date, and¡­ She is already ready to go. It seems that she already knows where she is going and is checking train routes, but wait. ¡°Well, I have an assignment with Kasugai san, ah, this girl, after this. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°What?! I got rid of them, but you still have a task to do?¡± I say ahhh and hold my head up. She really is a person who changes her expression a lot. ¡°Gu¡­..My next vacation is the week after next. ¡­¡­ mmmm. I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± As one would expect from a popular voice actor, her schedule is apparently full. I mean, you can¡¯t go on a date with someone like me in the first place. I don¡¯t think the office would okay it. ¡­¡­ And so, just when she thought her plan had come to a screeching halt, an unexpected helping hand came from an unexpected source. ¡°Oh, um¡­ I don¡¯t mind, you know. I mean, maybe tomorrow¡­¡± It¡¯s Kasugai san. Apparently, she said we could postpone our plans to do the assignment together to tomorrow. But this was both a helping hand to Shizuku san and a difficulty for me. (Hey, Kasugai-san!? and I¡¯ve never been on a date before. I¡¯ve never been on a date with a beautiful woman, or rather, with Shizuku san, but it¡¯s absolutely impossible for me to go on a date with a beautiful woman.) I was writing a lazy and plausible reason earlier, but in the end, I am just scared of the date. But Kasugai san also has a hundred percent good intentions, so of course I can¡¯t blame her. ¡°Okay, that settles it!¡± Thus, a guerrilla date with Shizuku san was set. No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ever a date!!! CH 43 ¡°Okay, here¡¯s our date today.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious about the ¡°today,¡± part. ¡­¡­¡± Shizuku san and I came to a shopping mall in Tokyo Ah, I never thought I would see the day when I would be standing next to someone like Shizuku san. I should have dressed up nicer with nicer clothes. I don¡¯t have that kind of ability, though. ¡°Hey, what are you doing, follow me!¡± ¡°R-Roger!¡± ¡ª¨CRather than standing side by side, I was just following behind. By the way, Shizuku san is wearing a mask. It is said that it was for disguise and to care for her throat as a voice actor. The first place we entered was a clothing store. She said that she wanted to buy new winter clothes for the coming winter. ¡°Hey? Which one do you think is better?¡± It seems to be a scarf A pink and navy striped scarf in one hand and a simple khaki colored and white in the other. She seemed to be asking which of those would be better. ¡°E-Ehhhh¡­..¡± This is the pattern. The kind often seen in dramas and animations. And what a partner it was, the ultra-beautiful Mizuno Shizuku. There is a lot of pressure on the selector. Which one is it? I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s expecting that much, but she looks at me innocently with a look that says, ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°U-Uuuu¡­.¡± ¡°Hey come one, which one?¡± That¡¯s it, Shizuku san is definitely doing this on purpose. She wants to see my suffering face so badly! I can¡¯t mourn for such things, so I¡¯ll try to think about it maturely. Close my eyes and imagine Shizuku san put on the two knitted scarves inside my head. The pink and water scarf gave a fresh impression, while the khaki and white scarf gave a more mature impression. I am a little uncomfortable with the fact that my brain is reproducing it so well. ¡°Hmmm~¡­.¡± both look good on her. To be honest, it is difficult to choose one or the other. So what I mean by that is purely which one is my preference. I¡¯m really indecisive, I wonder if I can choose for such a selfish reason. ¡°Okay, five seconds ago. Three, two, one.¡± ¡°Ehhh!? T-Then, Then go for that khaki one!¡± ¡°Yeah! Okay! I¡¯ll buy it!¡± With that, Shizuku san went off to buy it. I really made her buy it with my choice. That¡¯s it, for now, I¡¯m the guy who will be thinking a lot about whether or not this choice was the right one for the next week. And then we both came to a buffet-style restaurant. I wondered what a buffet for two would be like, but apparently she was hungry and wanted to eat a lot. ¡°Hnnn~ Delicious!¡± ¡°Wait, Shizuku san! I told you not to be too noticeable!¡± I hurriedly remind Shizuku san while she is happy to eat the food. Since she is in the middle of eating her meal now, the mask she had on earlier is naturally removed. So, if someone who knows her sees her, she is immediately recognizable as Mizuno Shizuku. It¡¯s not good to be found out. Seriously, no. No, I don¡¯t think I have anything to be guilty of, nor am I in any kind of a relationship with anyone, but if they accidentally suspect me of anything, I¡¯m screwed. ¡°Well~ I knew I love eating with the man I love.¡± ¡°L-Love!? P-Please don¡¯t say it so lightly!¡± ¡°Eh, but I love you?¡± Shizuku san is still straight-forward and yet frank. She rolls her eyes and cranes her neck. ¡ª but I was remembering Kotoha¡¯s words when she said she liked me. [Choose people who like you] she said. Not Kazashiro Rei, but someone who likes Nagishiro Rin. So, which of me does Shizuku san like more, it¡¯s not that hard to answer. Kazashiro Rei. Because, that is, she had said she liked me from the first (actually second) time she met me. Even if she knew about Kazashiro Rei at that time, she would not have known about Rin Nagishiro yet. She likes Kazashiro Rei, a person, a composer, who does not exist in this world. ¡°I-I see¡­..¡± I¡¯m the one who gets weirdly hurt by her words of goodwill. It¡¯s kind of pathetic. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, are you out of spirits?¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s nothing!¡± It is not good to spoil the atmosphere during the meal. I quickly straighten my posture. Just one last question. ¡°Do you think I am Nagishiro Rin ? or Do you think I am Kazashiro Rei?¡± To such a kind of philosophical question, Shizuku san said bluntly after pretending to be a little worried. ¡°Hmmm. Both of you, right? You are Nagishiro Rinkun, and Kazashiro Rei kun!¡± I felt somewhat redeemed by her smile as she said it with pride. CH 44 ¡°Haaaa, that was fun, Nagishiro kun!¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡± Yes, it was supposed to be a fun event. Having the opportunity to talk with the voice actor I liked, and at the same time being able to share my hobbies even just a little, this time must have been fun. Still, after the ¡­¡­ meal, I felt like I wasn¡¯t fully immersed in our time together, or rather, I felt like there were thoughts clinging to me that were getting in the way. ¡°Haa¡­.¡± I let out a small sigh so that Shizuku san would not notice. Just the fact that I am not enjoying myself in this way makes me want to despise myself. Still, I cannot involve others in my feelings. I don¡¯t want Shizuku san to leave with bad feelings. I can¡¯t afford to mess everything up. For her, it was a date with her favorite Kazashiro Rei. ¡°Thank you very much for your time today, Shizuku san.¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, no, no.¡± ¡°I really enjoyed it. It was a very valuable experience for me.¡± I knew from experience that socializing was a good way to hide emotions. ¡°Then, See you again somewhere¡± I¡¯ll close with an abstract way of saying ¡°somewhere¡±. I was afraid that if I stayed in Shizuku san¡¯s presence any longer, I would expose my weakness. The image of Kazashiro Rei in Shizuku san¡¯s mind must not be destroyed. After saying goodbye to Shizuku san I left her as if to escape. She watched back. About a week after that, in December. I was suffering from a slump. ¡°Hmmm, I can¡¯t seem to get it right. ¡­¡­¡± A melody comes to mind, but I can¡¯t think of any lyrics to go with it. ¡ª No, it¡¯s not that I can¡¯t think of it. The lyrics will come out. The process for writing lyrics has not changed, nor has the spirit of getting there. What changed was when the lyrics were written. ¡°¡­¡­ sickening, this.¡± All the lyrics I write are not accepted as lyrics. It looks like a swamp of delusions. It seems like a dull man¡¯s escape from reality, and I don¡¯t feel like singing those lyrics. To be clear, it¡¯s disgusting. ¡°I¡¯ve been convinced until now.¡± Until now, I had rather thought that all my lyrics were just my imagination and an escape from reality. I was reopened to the idea that that was fine. So I had no hesitation in writing lyrics, and I have never been in such a slump. I Use the backspace key to erase the lyrics I just wrote, one by one, using the backspace key. Have I been writing lyrics like this for a while ¡­¡­? I suddenly became curious and looked at the lyrics data of my songs on my computer. ¡°¡­..¡± But I still don¡¯t particularly think about it. After all, I think it is because I have the feeling that the songs I have already written are out of my hands. It looks like such a ready-made product, made by someone else. Of course, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t love the songs I write, but there is a sense that they are somehow different from my own. But in contrast, what is not yet finished is one hundred percent mine. ¡°Hmmm, I think I finally peaked.¡± With a sneer, I drink my coffee. The coffee felt lukewarm. I Drop the music software I use to compose music on my computer and watch the videos that come up on the video sites that come up in the [recommendations for you]. This has been a recurring theme lately. Ah, I can¡¯t help but feel so miserable about myself. ¡­¡­ I feel like I have become the average college student who wastes time wasting time that I was determined not to become. And now I realize that until now I had been composing music and fulfilling my sense of superiority with it. I was apparently feeling fulfilled and superior because of my fame and the fact that I was appreciated for who I was, even if I was a bit of an antagonist. Not your average college student, or so I wanted to think. ¡°What a crap, ¡­..I am.¡± I close the video I was watching, lie on my back on the bed, look at the blank ceiling, and try to wrap my head around the cause of my slump. It was after I had what seemed like a date with Shizuku san that I got into a slump. ¡­.No, Come to think of it, the reason I changed my mind at that time was because I remembered Kotoha¡¯s words. [Do you think I am Rin Nagishiro? or do you think I am Kazashiro Rei?] I remember myself asking Shizuku san this. Thinking back again, what a pathetic question. I scoff that when I asked this question, I probably wanted her to say, ¡°You¡¯re not Kazashiro Rei, you¡¯re Nagishiro Rin kun.¡± So, in a rush, I guess I wanted her to recognize me. I guess I wanted her to admit that I was attractive to her, not as Kazahiro rei To Mizuno Shizuku, a person who is recognized by the public. ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of using Shizuku san to fulfill such desires.¡± In fact, Shizuku san answered as I thought she would, and I was happy too. But now that I think about it, I can¡¯t help but wonder if Shizuku san was flattered by my feelings. The thought is a negative spiral. What can I say, it¡¯s really pathetic. I have only piled myself up so much that I could collapse so easily. ¡°I should stop writing songs.¡± CH 45 Come to think of it, I thought I hated being a composer for such occasions. I suddenly remembered that. I remember that not making it a profession was a precautionary measure in case my songs stopped selling. I think it was something like that, although I had forgotten about it in the middle of the show because I was weirdly fixated on not becoming a composer. Well, of course, as Kotoha has told me in the past, I guess the most important thing is that I am afraid of going pro and getting criticism. When I think about it, I even feel that, on the contrary, it was this kind of precaution that put me in a slump. ¡°I guess it all comes down to what you deserve.¡± It was kind of refreshing. When I thought that I had brought this on myself, I couldn¡¯t help but feel foolish and didn¡¯t want to think about it any further. In the end, it is my fault. When I changed my mind about that, I instantly realized that I was hungry. ¡°Do I want to eat something?¡± Cooking is a hassle, so I just eat a cup of ramen. I Open the lid and pour boiling water directly from the pot. After all, this kind of life fits my size. Nothing special, just a normal life. After this day, Nagishiro Rin, Kazashiro Rei stopped writing songs. ¡°Weird¡± Mizuno Shizuku thinks about this. ¡°He hasn¡¯t given an update in a month.¡± It is already mid-December. The last time Kazashiro Rei wrote a song and uploaded it to a video site was in early November. It means that there has been no update for a month already. ¡°This never happened before~¡± Shizuku grunts like a child as she turns over in bed. Legs flapping, beds creaking and making ominous noises. She had no choice but to watch the previous video and heal her ears. ¡°Haah~, nice. Yeah, great.¡± No one asked her for a review, but she seems to be one of those people who have to give her opinion. ¡°But what¡¯s going on ¡­¡­¡± Speaking of Kazashiro Rei, the pace of his compositions is quite fast. He is a tremendous talent who releases a new song at least once a month or even faster, while providing music to various artists. It has been a month and a half now, and he has not been heard from. In addition, and this was not important information for Shizuku, She did not hear of any new music being released by the artists to whom he has contributed songs. Of course, there is no such thing as a radio appearance, which there was one before. ¡°Ah,mouu, there really aren¡¯t many godly times anymore~¡± That episode in which Kazashiro Rei appeared on the radio was called ¡°the divine episode¡± among his fans, and Shizuku is not the only one who has repeated the archive on YouTube dozens of times. Originally, it is not only Shizuku but also his general fans who are attracted to his voice. About 10% of the fans are attracted to him as a singer, not as a composer or lyricist, according to Shizuku¡¯s experience. The reason why it is called a god episode is because that broadcast was the only time he had a chance to hear his true voice, as far as the airwaves were concerned. So Shizuku, who searches Twitter for Kazashiro Rei¡¯s name about once every three hours, was as excited as a child when she caught word that he was going to appear on the radio. ¡°Ah~, I¡¯m so free~¡± As someone who is always thinking about him and watching his videos, the fact that there are no updates is a situation where She has many time to spare. Of course there is plenty of work, but in the sense that there is nothing to do in one¡¯s leisure time. ¡°I think I¡¯ll abuse my authority and go on one more date.~¡± Yeah, that date was great. Shizuku recalls. She was excited just to have Kazashiro Rei ¨C whose real name is Nagishiro Rin ¨C next to her. She couldn¡¯t recognize him, hidden by his hair, but he had gentle eyes, and his style was outstanding, tall and slender. She doesn¡¯t know because she has never had a boyfriend, but she remembers thinking that this must be what it feels like to walk side by side with a boyfriend. Besides, it was nothing but paradise to hear His voice that close Best Memory. But when she follows the memories chronologically, she will eventually arrive at the point where one question was asked. ¨CDo you think I am Nagishiro Rin? or Do you think I am Kazashiro Rei? ¡°I wonder what that was all about?¡± From that point on, he became unflappable and kept pondering something, even though they were in the middle of a date. What else could it be when you are dating such a beautiful girl? She glared at him, but when She saw the serious look on his face, She didn¡¯t feel like blaming him. And that look on his face when we parted. That face ¨C at least ¨C I didn¡¯t think it was a face that Kazashiro Rei should make. It should not be the face that a man named Nagishiro Rin should make. ¡°I knew there was something there. ¡­¡­¡± She can¡¯t help but connect the face he was making with the reason his songs are not updated. Come to think of it, his replies to her lines lately have been somewhat haphazard, yet still sad. It¡¯s as if he has realized something. ¡°¡ª-I hope I¡¯m imagining things.¡± Shaking her head, she shakes off the strange fantasies that come to her mind. And by the way, She is thinking about it ¡°All right, work, work, work.¡± Tomorrow, supposedly, is the opening night of an animated film. The recording was done many months ago, so in case She can see the movie in the theater, she should look back at the animation and think about the words she speaks. Besides, there was Fujikawa Kotoha who will be making her first attempt as a voice actress, at tomorrow¡¯s stage greeting. Let¡¯s ask her a lot of questions about Kazashiro Rei, or rather Nagishiro Rin, and go straight to his house if I dare. Shizuku was looking forward to the next day¡¯s work with such thoughts in mind, but it was not to be. Before that ¡­¡­ because the two girls had a fight. CH 46 At the stage greeting, a car carrying Kotoha, Shizuku, and their manager was traveling from Shinjuku to Nagoya, the next stage greeting destination. They go in a large car, with Kotoha in the first row from the back and Shizuku and her manager in the second row. The car was already on the highway, and the navigation system told them they would be there in another hour. Shizuku was scheduled to ride with another performer on the return trip, so this was the last time she could sit down and talk with Kotoha. It seemed to her that the next one would be quite a bit further down the road again. So Shizuku boldly asks Kotoha. ¡°Ah, um, Kotoha san!¡± ¡°Hmmm~, what is it~?¡± Kotoha is 24 years old, whereas Shizuku is two years younger. Yet, because actresses have more opportunities to appear in public than voice actors, their fame and popularity are very different. So Shizuku asks nervously in a respectful tone. But for some reason, she couldn¡¯t contain her excitement any longer than that. Kotoha seemed to have finished checking her schedule and responded in a relaxed manner. ¡°I-I need to ask you something!¡± For some reason, she felt nervous about mentioning Kazashiro Rei¡¯s name, but when she tried to ask her, she was still unafraid to ask. ¡°Is this about Rin kun?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Surprisingly, Kotoha was the first to mention Rin¡¯s name. Kotoha explains to Shizuku, who is puzzled because she does not expect Kotoha to mention the name, as if she is revealing something to her. ¡°I knew you were making an approach to Rin kun. Maybe you know this, but I go to Rin kun¡¯s house sometimes.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Indeed, she knew. Kotoha¡¯s visit to Rin¡¯s house was also how she found out about Rin¡¯s background. But the fact that this is known to Kotoha means that Rin has told Kotoha. While feeling some jealousy that Rin and Kotoha are such good friends, Shizuku tries not to show it and returns the words. ¡°Well, then, do you know what Nagishiro kun is up to these days?¡± But Kotoha¡¯s eyebrows lifted a little at those words. ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­¡­.¡± Kotoha gives a thorny reply to Shizuku, who genuinely asks a question. Shizuku feels uncomfortable with this attitude. She could understand if she just didn¡¯t know, but she didn¡¯t understand why she was so grumpy. ¡°Was there something ¡­¡­?¡± Shizuku asked fearfully. She wanted to avoid provoking her, but She simply couldn¡¯t stop herself from asking questions because she was curious about what was going on. ¡°¨Cit¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious. I don¡¯t think I can do anything by asking, but tell me.¡± Kotoha¡¯s way of speaking set the mood in the car on a sour note, but Shizuku still held her ground. It may have something to do with the fact that Kazashiro Rei has not been updating his videos lately. There is no option to back down from the original drop. Seeing such a straightforward Shizuku, Kotoha replies in a straightforward manner. ¡°[I¡¯m quitting music] he said¡± Kotoha looks pained to deliver that short line. It represented her feelings. But Shizuku, too, could not hide her bewilderment at the words said on her part. ¡°Stop music?¡± When she asked back, this time Kotoha explained in detail, clutching tightly the earphone attached to her cell phone. ¡°A week or so ago, I got a line from him. It was very long for him.¡± From there, she explained the contents of the line. First of all, there was a massive amount of apology. He said he was doing the unthinkable as a music provider, and he was sorry for being so selfish. The main issue was that he was in a slump and could not seem to write songs, so he asked her to stop providing music. The same information was emailed to her office and record label, so apparently he is serious. He asked them to stop providing music for an indefinite period of time, and that he would not provide any more music in the future as a sign of his resignation since he would stop providing music for such an irresponsible and selfish reason. Such was the content of the line Kotoha explained to her. ¡°¡­¡­ is he ok?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°to hold him back or something¡­.¡± After the line is explained, Shizuku asks a question. She was curious about how Rin was doing now, but she thought Kotoha wouldn¡¯t know that, so she asked another question. But Kotoha does not like being asked questions like that. Her irritation naturally manifests itself in every word she says. ¡°I did, of course I did. I tried calling him and telling him in person, but all he could do was apologize again. He even said, [Please make it stop, please.]¡± ¡°T-That kind of thing¡­.¡± Kotoha continues with her gaze down at the dark screen of her phone. ¡°But I also told him to come back, even though it might take a while. Write songs for me again.¡± Kotoha laments sadly. ¡°But he says it¡¯s impossible. ¡­¡­ He can¡¯t write his own songs anymore.¡± Kotoha¡¯s voice is blurred with tears. Unable to bear to see her so weak, Shizuku looks out the window. But from there, Kotoha¡¯s voice becomes small. ¡°This is ¡­¡­ your fault.¡± She muttered. And once the weir is cut, it is easy to break down emotionally. ¡°Because you seduced Rin kun, ¡­¡­. You made him feel like a fool, so he couldn¡¯t write songs!!!! She spits the words at the drops, as if to vent her anger. ¡°You seduced him with your delusions of liking him, and you drove him into a slump!!!¡± ¡°E-Eh!?¡± However, Shizuku, suddenly faced with the brunt of her anger, was unable to catch up with her thoughts due to the sudden turn of events. She didn¡¯t expect to be blamed by Kotoha. It was unexpected for Shizuku that she would reveal such anger. Kotoha mercilessly slaps a verbal tirade into Shizuku, who is dominated by such amazement. ¡°Do you like Rin kun? Don¡¯t make me laugh. You¡¯re only interested in him as a composer anyway!¡± The words came from Kotoha in the same momentum of dissipated anger. But She questioned that statement. ¡°Am I only interested in him as a composer?¡¯ The absence of an idea cooled her rapidly heated thoughts. ¡°Me ¡­¡­? Of course not! I, I, I ¡­¡­ really like him!¡± Shizuku, her face a little red, shouts loudly. She could see her manager sitting next to Shizuku with her eyes peeled back, but Shizuku ignored her. ¡°I like Kazashiro Rei too. But I like Nagishiro Rin!¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s a lie! Rin kun suffered from being caught in between reality and the fact that you only like him as a composer like tha!? See, I was right after all.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that!?¡± The women¡¯s words became more and more passionate, but there was no one here who could restrain them from arguing with each other. ¡°I told Rin kun. Choose a woman who will love Nagishiro Rin, not Kazashiro Rei.¡± ¡°??¡± But, as expected, the words came to Shizuku¡¯s head. ¡°Are you saying that I am crazy about Kazashiro Rei and not Nagishiro Rin?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s a lie. How could someone who had never even met him in person fall in love with Rin kun?¡± ¡°No ! I liked his voice from the beginning, and when I met him, I liked his personality and even his face ¡­¡­¡± The very drop of a maiden¡¯s face, shamelessly yet strongly assertive. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re lying. It¡¯s easy to see that you¡¯re just saying that.¡± But Kotoha stubbornly refuses to admit it. Angered by Kotoha¡¯s attitude, Shizuku turned around from her earlier passive attitude and retorted harshly. ¡°Why are you so stubbornly refusing to acknowledge his own attractiveness? Isn¡¯t that proof that you think you are only attracted to Kazashiro Rei, and not to Nagishiro kun yourself?¡± At these words, Kotoha¡¯s tongue, which had been spinning in anger, stopped. Suddenly, the air inside the car freezes as if time has stopped. ¡°¡­What are you talking about¡± Kotoha, perhaps not anticipating this rebuttal, asks back, a little less enthusiastic than before. ¡°I mean it as it is. Isn¡¯t it because you only care about Kazashiro Rei? You think Nagishiro Rei is nothing more than an accessory to Kazashiro Rei!¡± ¡°H-Hey you!¡± But then again, the temperature rises with Shizuku¡¯s directness. The argument heated up. Or so it seemed. For some reason, Kotoha, who had spoken logically earlier, was at a loss for words. For some reason, Kotoha could not think of words to logically reply to the objection Shizuku was making. In the meantime, the drops are folding. ¡°You¡¯ve been worrying about the songs he¡¯s going to play for you all day! What about Nagishiro kun? He is suffering from the trouble of not being able to write songs, and all you do is worry about the songs! Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­..!!¡± Shizuku speaks without a curtain. She is not willing to give an inch in front of Kotoha, who is older than her and even more senior to her in the entertainment world. ¡°How many good things can you name about Nagishiro kun?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I-I think the same about Rin kun as I do about Nagishiro kun, and I don¡¯t like either one in particular. ¡°Well then, if you really believe that, could you please not meddle in other people¡¯s love lives? You only think of Nagishirokun as a tool to help you write songs.¡± And at last Kotoha could not say it back. She could not rule out that the seemingly harsh point made by Shizuku was not the case. (I am¡­¡­ I am¡­.!!) Kotoha, of course, wanted to say something back. She has never once thought of Rin as a tool, and she likes Rin quite a bit if you ask her whether she likes her or not. But ¡­¡­ was that really about Rin? She was attracted to the songs he wrote, to the lyrics he wrote, and to his talent. Then what about his face? What about his personality? Which of the elements that attracted him to her is present in Nagishiro Rin? [Choose a woman who will love Nagishiro Rin, not Kazashiro Rei] The words she uttered felt as if they were constricting her, making it hard to breathe. All along, she thought that Shizuku was in love with Kazashiro Rei. She had thought that no one who would approach Rin would like his personality anyway. So She knew it was not a good idea to let him get close, too close. If he himself is not recognized, he will eventually go under. But ¨C it was her who was crushing it. She kept the girl who liked Rin away from him, and yet she took advantage of Kazashiro Rei by pretending to be a stranger as if nothing had happened to him. The person who had assumed that Rin was unattractive was her. More and more, she was narrowing the scope of Rin¡¯s existence, the meaning of his existence. ¡°¡­.Ah¡± (I suck. I suck.) It¡¯s no wonder Rin kun is so attached to her. ¡°Sorry¡­..Rin kun¡± The voice of a frail little girl brought this commotion to an end. CH 47 The actions they took since that car fight were in stark contrast. Kotoha¡¯s action was noninterference anyway. She Immediately execute the cancellation of the apartment as requested by Rin. Rin had apparently moved to a place with lower rent and was living on a part-time job. When Kotoha got asked by Rin to do that, she was shocked, of course, but more than that, she was afraid that she would be a bad influence on Rin even more. She was afraid that she would destroy so much talent because of her own fault. She feels even more self-loathing that she still sees him only as a talent. At times like this, she realizes that she is not the person who should be involved with Rin, and for some reason, this reassures her. She just wonders why. Even though that¡¯s how she wants to distance herself from him. Thus, by cutting the contract for the condo, she feels as if she has lost her connection with him. And that is what makes her feel inexplicably lonely and inexplicably regretful. ¡°The human heart is a mess.¡± This line is like a masterful observation. It doesn¡¯t suit me. ¡°Aah, yeah¡± There is only one thing left to do. I made one phone call to get it done. In contrast, Shizuku. Shizuku was looking for Rin. She went to his apartment, but there was no longer any sign of him living there, and he had apparently moved out. She asked the university, but as expected, they refused to give her the student¡¯s personal information. ¡°In truth, it would be easier if only I could ambush him at the university. ¡­¡­¡± Currently, Shizuku was in a studio in Tokyo where she did postrecording. She¡¯s been working a lot lately, and her next day off is Christmas Eve. The next step would be the New Year¡¯s holiday, and Rin would not leave the house. In other words, the next Christmas Eve was the last chance. (Somehow, I have to find out where Nagishiro kun is by Christmas Eve. ¡­¡­.) Shizuku is impatient as she looks at her line talk screen, which has not received a reply for more than two weeks now. With her impatience under control, she heads for the recording booth again today. But on December 23, the day before Christmas Eve. Then, an unexpected helper appeared. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mizuno Shizuku san. My name is Ikuta Azusa!¡± ¡°¡­..?¡± A petite woman showed up at Shizuku¡¯s house early in the morning. ¡°E-Eh!¡± It was a popular idol, Ikuta Azusa. ¡°May I come in?¡± Oh my God, what am I wearing now?) When she sees Azusa wrapping herself in her coat, she realizes that her attire is not appropriate for meeting her. Just wearing pajamas and one gown. It¡¯s the worst first meeting She¡¯s ever had. (But, I can¡¯t help it!) No one is blaming her, but she make excuses in my mind. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s suddenly here, and that she¡¯s coming too. ¡­¡­! Why did you come to my place!?Or rather, what did you come here for? And at 7 o¡¯clock in the morning. I had many questions, but first of all, I could not make her wait outside in such cold weather. She hurriedly turns up the temperature of the heater in her room, and while she¡¯s at it, also turns on the kotatsu to welcome Azusa into the house. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a nice place!¡± ¡°Ah, uh, well, yes.¡± She was definitely going to say that Azusa lived in a better place, but decided against it, thinking it would be a bad idea to talk about such a money-related matter with a minor. ¡°Um, I have coffee and cocoa¡­¡­¡± ¡°Uh, cocoa, please!¡± Azusa smiles and says clearly, ¡°I can¡¯t drink coffee because it¡¯s bitter,¡± and Shizuku¡¯s nervousness eases. ¡°Here you go¡± ¡°Thank you! Fuuu Fuuuu¡± The way she cools her cocoa is no different from that of a child. She thinks the voice-over idols are properly human, even the super idols. ¡°Um, so what¡¯s going on here so early?¡± ¡°Oh, yes, yes.¡± Remembering her business, Azusa puts down her mug and her face changes from a soft expression. ¡°Actually, you know. Ha san, I got a message from Kotoha san.¡± While saying ¡°message,¡± Azusa took a note out of her bag and handed it to Shizuku. ¡°This is¡­..?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell by looking at it?¡± What is written is a list of kanji characters starting with Tokyo. It should be in the form of an address that anyone can understand. ¡°This is Rin senpai¡¯s address.¡± It belonged to someone who was exactly what Shizuku had expected. ¡°Nagishiro kun¡¯s ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± The only address she could think of at this point was Rin¡¯s, but she couldn¡¯t figure out why Rin¡¯s address would come up from Azusa. No, in fact, She understand that she came to tell her that Kotoha taught her, but She can¡¯t connect Azusa and Kotoha in any way with the keyword Rin. Perhaps sensing Shizuku¡¯s confusion, Azusa adds an explanation. ¡°As a matter of fact, I once received a song from Rin senpai, as I¡¯m sure you know.¡± ¡°Nn¡­¡­Ah, is that so?¡± ¡°We got to work together on TV and became good friends.¡± As she said this, Azusa¡¯s face looked as if she was in a huff. I guess they weren¡¯t that close, Shizuku thought, and proceeded with her story, thinking of unnecessary things. ¡°So why did Kotoha san give me this?¡± Of course, that is what She was concerned about. She didn¡¯t think that Kotoha would do anything to help her against her, since she had been in a fight before. But Azusa explains her question in Kotoha¡¯s words. ¡°She said [atonement.] I asked her about it, but she only said that. She said there was nothing else she could do for him.¡± ¡°Atonement¡­..¡± Sin. If she says so, that would be a sin against Rin. That she had unknowingly denied Nagishiro Rin¡¯s existence and unnecessarily pushed him into a corner. (Yes, I have to tell Nagishiro kun that I like him myself, no matter what it takes.) Then She remembered her mission. What she has to do now is to tell him how she feels so that there is a misunderstanding. Maybe that will help him. And at the same time, She almost imagined ¡­¡­ and stopped. Now that he was unhappy, she felt bad for him for thinking such a thing. ¡°T-Thank you!¡± ¡°No, no, no. ¡­¡­.The truth is that I wanted to be the one to go!¡± Finally, Azusa¡¯s grandiose sarcasm made Shizuku, on the contrary, lose a good deal of her strength. I have to go. I have to go to Nagishiro kun¡¯s place. (TL/N : Damnn the change of POVs, I hope you won¡¯t get confused¡­) CH 48 It¡¯s a little before 9:00 in the morning. I wake up. Today is not a holiday or anything, it is the middle of a weekday. I simply wake up late myself. A cold wind blew through the room as I got out of bed. The apartment is not flatteringly equipped, and the windows do not close properly. ¡°Fuuu¡± My hair was shaggy, but I didn¡¯t want to bother with it and didn¡¯t feel like putting it in order. I felt hungry, but it was too much trouble and I didn¡¯t feel like cooking. I think to myself, I am not living a good life. But still, it doesn¡¯t inspire me to make a proper living. At the very least, I get dressed, brush my teeth, and do what I need to do to get ready enough to maintain my dignity as a human being. Come to think of it, it has probably been two weeks since I have been away from music. ¡°What are those guys doing?¡± Harushita san, Mirei, Azusa, and Kotoha. People to whom I have provided songs. What are those women doing now? I had recently stopped watching TV, so I had no information about these girls. ¡°I¡¯m not even qualified to think about it.¡± I asked the girls for permission to stop providing music. I was surprised that they eventually forgave me, but I guess the girls had something to think about. I don¡¯t want to think about what that is exactly, though. ¡°Haaa¡± It is a recent habit that when my thoughts stand still, I immediately imagine something not good. It¡¯s not good. It seemed to me that one should not irresponsibly treat others badly, even if only in one¡¯s imagination. So let¡¯s shake off the evil thoughts and think about college. That was until A ¡°ping-pong,¡± a sound announcing the arrival of the visitor, sounded. ¡°Who might that be¡­¡­?¡± To be honest, they were the first people I thought of. Prompt for a song. Protest against throwing out a composition. If you think about it for a moment, you will come up with one idea after another. So I didn¡¯t want to show my face. I didn¡¯t want to be blamed, but I didn¡¯t want to witness that these girls, with whom I had been getting along so well, only thought of me as Kazashiro Rei. I had thought about it, but didn¡¯t want to make it a reality. But still, if it is them, it is the least polite thing to do, to meet them face to face and ask for their forgiveness. It¡¯s not something I can refuse to face on the basis of one of my feelings. ¡°May I ask who you are? ¡­¡­?¡± I opened the door with a certain degree of preparedness, and also with a certain degree of some abstract expectation, but what I found there, however, was a person I did not expect. It was Mizuno Shizuku. ¡°Uh, uh, ¡­¡­, Shizuku san ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while!¡± I can¡¯t get my head around the smirk on Shizuku san¡¯s face. ¡°I-I¡¯ll be with you in a minute.¡± I take a breath and turn to Shizuku san again. ¡°Um, how did you find this place ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Kotoha san, Fujikawa Kotoha san told me about it.¡± No, no, no, wait. I am getting more and more baffled by the explanation. Why is Kotoha¡¯s name mentioned there? -I think Kotoha didn¡¯t think well of Shizuku san How could it be that Kotoha and Shizuku had become acquaintances, and to top it off, they had become such good friends that she gave Shizuku the address of where I had moved to? I mean, it¡¯s Kotoha to begin with, so if she had something to say, she would have come to me herself. ¡°W-Why did you come here?¡± ¡°¡ª-Ah, that¡¯s, hmmmm¡­¡± Then I ask these questions, and the words instantly become embarrassingly mumbled. I no longer understand. But now that she is in such a state, I am more relaxed ¡®It¡¯s already 9:00, what about your work¡­¡­¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s okay! It¡¯s an errand that won¡¯t take too long.¡± ¡°I-Is that so?¡± The volume of Shizuku san¡¯s voice suddenly became louder as if she was fooling around. I have a feeling that this is definitely not okay, but if she says it¡¯s okay, let¡¯s just say so. ¡°So what¡¯s this thing you do that doesn¡¯t take a lot of time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s, um, that¡­¡± After all, as soon as I asked her the reason for her visit, Shizuku san stiffened. But of course I have no idea why she came. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­.Um¡­.uuu, Stay with me!¡± ¡°What are you really doing ¡­¡­¡± Shizuku san is getting into the swing of things right in front of me No, if you want to get into it, do it before you ring the intercom. ¡°H-Hmmm¡± Shizuku san clears her throat. Then she straightens her back, corrects her antics, and adjusts her gaze to my eye level with a slight angle of elevation. ¡°Nagishiro kun.¡± I was thrilled that she called my name in a clear voice, but more than that, her next words shook my brain. ¡°Please have a date with me tomorrow at ¡­¡­!!!¡± D-Date!?Tomorro!? Tomorrow is December 24t!? It¡¯s Christmas Eve, you know. ¡­¡­. CH 49 I kept looking at the line screen and thinking. [2 o¡¯clock in the afternoon, in front of Ikebukuro station!] I don¡¯t have to tell you, the line came from Shizuku san. ¡°Fuu¡­..¡± I know it sounds extravagant to say, but I honestly wasn¡¯t in the mood for a date with Shizuku san. This is because it reminds me of a previous date. The feeling of being miserable just being next to someone. I mistakenly think she likes Nagishiro Rin, and the gap between reality and reality beats me up. I am afraid of feeling miserable like that. So I can¡¯t make the decision to go on a date with her. ¡°Ah, how could that possibly be right?¡± Apparently, I haven¡¯t been awake long enough to think straight. I go to the sink to wash my face again and look at my face in the mirror. Ugly face. Hair is bouncing all over the place and my beard is a little long. I can¡¯t believe I met Shizuku san with this face. If it had been me not long ago, I would not have shown this kind of face in front of Shizuku san, of whom I am a big fan. I¡¯m sure I had the minimum in place. ¡°I¡¯m not going to do it. I¡¯m not the right man to walk next to Shizuku san.¡± I can¡¯t even take care of my appearance, and I¡¯m feeling gloomy about the date. Let¡¯s call on line to say no, I think, and I pick up my phone. -Ah, by the way, I have to cancel this cell phone as soon as possible because Harushita san is paying for it. I wonder if that thing can be cancelled by myself. Then, I opened Shizuku san¡¯s chat screen again. I think about how to word my refusal. But before that, I received a new line from Shizuku san. [Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!] ¡°¡­¡­¡± I didn¡¯t have words. I was frankly pleased with the statement that she was looking forward to a date with me. I¡¯m a bit of a cheapskate. Even though my head is thinking that I¡¯m being complimented, I¡¯m still very nervous inside. I take the statement to be serious. ¡°No, but if Shizuku san said something like this to me, anyone would.¡± Any man would be pleased to be told by such a beautiful girl. It¡¯s only natural. I¡¯m a guy too, and of course I like her more than most people. I¡¯m a fan. So it is not strange or particularly conscious to be flustered by her words. -that is not what I should be thinking about right now. If I say no, it means I¡¯m going to screw it all up. It ruins everything she had the courage to say and the fact that she cares about me like this. Am I sure that ¡­¡­? I wonder if I, who have nothing to offer, can hurt a girl who cares about me, and I wonder irreverently about that. I come up with such excuses. ¡°No, don¡¯t do that. Don¡¯t make Shizuku san sad.¡± Like that, I¡¯m still a jerk. I could have just told her frankly that I wanted to go, or excused myself that way, but I was looking for reasons from other people to justify my actions. I am trying to hide my important feelings for the sake of my own trivial shame, and yet I am trying to participate in the once-in-a-lifetime event that is dating. Let¡¯s be honest and expose myself to Shizuku san as I am. Just as she had the courage to do. At one o¡¯clock in the afternoon, that is, an hour earlier than I was supposed to meet my date, I was at the meeting place. (Oh no, I¡¯m not wearing anything weird, am I? I¡¯m not lame, am I?) In case you were wondering, I had borrowed clothes from my former handsome friend, Sawamura, for the occasion. It was nice to admire the handsome man and his stylish clothes, but here I was feeling uneasy because I felt that perhaps I was not worthy of them. In addition to other things, I cut off a bit of my hair that had grown out and had Sawamura set it up for me. I intentionally had my hair bounced a little to give it a rougher look, but I have a feeling that this does not suit my dark-rooted self. Well, what I mean is that I am in pain for one more hour until Shizuku san judges me. Then don¡¯t come early, idiot. If it¡¯s bad, please tell me it¡¯s bad. Oh, but I¡¯ve put a lot of energy into it, so I¡¯m embarrassed. Please don¡¯t tell me. While waiting, I simulate the worst case scenario. £ª ¡°Aaa~ Nagishiro kun!¡± ¡°Ah, Shizuku san.¡± She gets out of the car and finds me. Then, as soon as she confirmed my presence, Shizuku san came running toward me, waving her hand. Eh-hohoho. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Nagishiro kun.¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± Shizuku san is out of breath with her hands on her knees. She seems to have come in a hurry. ¡°Fuuu, Sorry, hey¡­.?¡± And the moment she looks up and sees me, she freezes. ¡°I, um, I tried to give it a makeover.¡± ¡°Ah, oh!¡± Shizuku san is clearly flustered. Her face is drawn. ¡°How¡­..is it?¡± ¡°Aaah yeah¡­.? It looks good on you, it looks good on you, you know¡­¡­.?¡± £ª Toughhhhhhhhhhh!! Flattery! The toughest! I wish you¡¯d tell me it doesn¡¯t look good on me anyway! And if we continue in that pattern, it¡¯s the one where we stay uncomfortable with each other while we continue to be distanced from each other. I die, I can die. I was in a cold sweat at my robust imagination, but still the clock was not advancing at all. Perhaps because I am wearing clothes that are quite eccentric from my normal self, I feel that the eyes of the people around me are looking at me. ¡ª I mean, I feel like they are gathering. ¡°Hey, ¡­¡­, wait, who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, but ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wow¡­..!¡± Oh, that¡¯s harsh. This is definitely the kind of thing that is laughed at. It is heartbreaking to see a group of high school girls around me looking at me and gossiping. If you guys don¡¯t walk with a guy on Christmas Eve, you¡¯re just as much of a loser as I am!!, my mind is poisoned. I waited for an hour, enduring such stares. A black car pulls up to the roundabout, and a glistening woman from inside ¡°Haaaa, haaa, you wait?¡± Dashing from there, Shizuku san is the one gasping for breath with her hands on her knees in front of her. Maybe it¡¯s because it matches the scenery I just simulated, or maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m getting chills down my back and my heart is racing. ¡°Fuuu, sorry, hey¡­..?¡± She looked up and rolled her eyes at me. (TL/N : Yeah, £ª is the simulated scenario) CH 50 ¡°Nagishiro kun¡­.right?¡± ¡°Eh, yes, I am though..¡± Shizuku san reaffirms the mystery. The words were so unexpected that I could not hide my confusion. But since Shizuku san didn¡¯t give me anything back next, I was nervous as I was being impatient. (Oh man, I did it.) There is a great possibility that I was too enthusiastic and struck out. Or perhaps something like that. She asked me, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it looks good on me. I got a little carried away, Ahaha¡± I smiled and faked it, but inwardly I was too embarrassed to admit that I was about to burst into flames. I want to burn up and turn to ashes. As I was thinking this, Shizuku san turned her face away from me and muttered something small. ¡°No, um, t-that kind of thing¡­.¡± Compliment¡­¡­Complimenttttt!!!! The makeover was a clear failure. It was not something I was accustomed to doing. ¡°W-Well then, L-let¡¯s go¡­.?¡± She began to walk faster, perhaps noticing that there were even more eyes around her with the arrival of a beautiful girl named Shizuku (Hey, hey, hey, I didn¡¯t hear any of this!!!) Shizuku, on the other hand, could not hide her excitement. It was a handsome man who was at the rendezvous. (Well, I thought the material was good!) When we first met, i.e., when Rin came to shake hands with Shizuku, she did indeed think that he could be better if he paid more attention to his hair and clothes. But She never thought that it could turn out so well. (There has been some girls who¡¯s obviously been eyeing him with a lot of color earlier.) She looks around Even though it was a weekday, high school girls in their uniforms were looking at us and talking about something. Some of them are high school girls who are looking at him with great excitement, and Shizuku is flying cancer to them. Having said that, Shizuku is not able to look directly at Rin. Walking at a fast pace, she reconstructs today¡¯s date plan. Her original plan was to stay at the Sunshine Aquarium until the evening, then have dinner and confession, but apparently she is not confident that she can stay alone with him at the aquarium and walk next to him for more than four hours. Or rather, at this point, she is already out of breath and needs a place to settle down. ¡°Shizuku san.¡± ¡°Hiii!?!¡± She is intensely flustered when Rin suddenly comes up to her and says her name. She thought she was used to good-looking men to some extent, but apparently the combination of the condition that she likes him and the condition that he is exceptionally good-looking made her surprisingly conscious of him. ¡°P-Please calm down.¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t talk to me so suddenly!¡± If he is going to talk to her, he needs to show the signs of doing so. If she turns around and sees a handsome man there, it could lead to an accident. ¡°Sorry¡­..¡± ¡°Aaah, no, it¡¯s okay! So, what is it?¡± She reflects on the fact that it was a form of upsetting. She lacked composure. She needs to show more seniority. ¡°No, I mean, where are we going today?¡± ¡°Aah, it¡¯s fine I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± She turns her head frantically, not even showing that she was just now thinking about it. A place where one can feel at home. A place where one can calm one¡¯s mind. If possible, it is better not to see the other person¡¯s face for that moment only. (No, of course I¡¯d love to see it!) She comes up with an ambivalent feeling, tweaking herself. ¡°Let¡¯s make it a movie theater!¡± Shizuku san and I headed to a movie theater. It was a safer choice than I had expected, but perhaps Shizuku san was just getting off work and was tired. I can sit down and have a calm time there. ¡°What would you like the movie to be about?¡± ¡°Hmmm. Whatever is fine.¡± We both check the lineup in front of the movie theater. This is because, when two people are distressed together in a movie theater, they are concerned about the eyes of those around them. Shizuku san is wearing a mask today, but the outfit itself is a bit more flamboyant. She is wearing a brightly colored coat and a miniskirt and black stockings underneath. It looks quite unbalanced, but it is amazing that she can wear it. And a khaki scarf around her neck. Oh, that one, that one¡­i think The moment I realized it, my face got hot. That was the choice that Shizuku had told me to make before. I was inexplicably happy that she was wearing it, and yet I was also frustrated. ¡°Nagishiro kun?¡± ¡°Whuaaa!?¡± As I was thinking this, Shizuku san peeked out from below. Whoa, that¡¯s close! It smells kind of fluffy and nice, and the way she looks up at me is so innocent, this is bad¡­.. ¡°D-Don¡¯t approach me suddenly!¡± ¡°Aah, sorry¡± I really think she needs to be a little more careful. It¡¯s a good thing Shizuku san is wearing a mask right now, otherwise it would have been a near accident! ¡°Well, let¡¯s watch this then.¡± She chose a Hollywood detective movie, taking care to avoid such embarrassment as much as possible. Ah, even I would have to calm down. Thinking that I would win if I made it to the cinema screen (although I don¡¯t know what I would win against), I walked into the theater and ordered my ticket. ¡°What about the seat?¡± Neither Shizuku san nor I are very good with machines, so we were a little embarrassed to place our order at the manned ticket booth. ¡°Which area would you prefer?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ somewhere around here.¡± Shizuku san points a little further back than the middle. I was just about to make it around there myself, so I didn¡¯t really have to wonder about it. ¡°Okay, this is it¡± ¡°Last month we started introducing couples seats, if you¡¯d like to try those.¡± So I tried to tell the waiter where we wanted to sit, but before I could do so, the waiter made another suggestion. ¡°¡±C-Couple seats!?¡±¡± We both harmonied. We were obviously flustered, but the waitress continued her explanation with a blank expression. ¡°Yes, sir. We have a lower price there.¡± What else is there to do but sit down! What the heck! what kind of view is possible with the partitions gone! ¡°Besides, those seats are a little further away from the others, so as long as you don¡¯t make any noise, you can do whatever you want¡­..¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take a regular seat!¡± I¡¯m pretty sure these clerks are just kidding themselves to relieve stress! Don¡¯t make me jump over here just because you¡¯re working on Christmas! ¡°Maam, What about you?¡± The clerk checks with Shizuku san, who had said nothing during the process. Shizuku san looked downcast and lost. ¡°S-Shizuku san?¡± ¡°Um, those seats are cheaper!¡± Then, instead of immediately refusing, she confirms it with the waiter. The waitresses are quick to bite on that. ¡°Yes. Today is Christmas. And we are offering a better price than usual.¡± Hey, Shizuku san? Just say no quickly, will you? Shizuku san? After taking a breath, Shizuku san tells the waiter. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take that seat, please!¡± ¡°Shizuku san!?¡± I didn¡¯t miss the grin on the waiter¡¯s face when Shizuku san said that. But that¡¯s not the point. I was racking my brains about how I was going to endure the next two hours. CH 51 ¡°Uwa, Wawawawawa¡± ¡°Calm down, Nagishiro kun.¡± ¡°Whose fault is it that you think it is?¡± Twenty minutes before the movie¡¯s showing time, Shizuku san and I were sitting side by side in the rumored couples¡¯ seats. It is like a two-seater sofa, but what makes it different from a sofa is the height of its backrest. Perhaps the room is not visible from behind, but it has a private, closed-off feel, giving the illusion that it is a space just for two people. ¡°Come on, calm down.¡± ¡°Haaaaa, Haaaaa¡± ¡°Take a deep breath okay? Come on, take a deep breath.¡± ¡°Suuu¡­¡­..!?¡± As Shizuku san urges me to take a deep breath, the nice smell of the person next to me directly stimulates my nose. Ugh, what a sweet and colorful scent. It¡¯s definitely coming to kill me. ¡­¡­ ¡°You okay?¡¯ ¡°S-Somehow¡­.¡± I¡¯m so anxious to be in this proximity with Shizuku san for the next two hours. ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t been to the movies in ages.¡± Shizuku san starts talking to me to relieve my nervousness. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve seen them at screenings and stuff, but not on the screen.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Ah, really? I see. Come to think of it, Shizuku san has been in several animated movies as a voice actor. As I recall, the last time I saw her, she was the heroine in a movie directed by a big name director who also cast Kotoha. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t been able to go see it yet because of all the things that have been going on lately. What a chat we had, and I was able to calm down a lot, too. ¡°about to start, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± It also got me a little excited about the movie. This may be the best way to watch a movie. ¡°By the way¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡± Shizuku san mumbles something to me, and I involuntarily move my body closer to listen. As I pulled my face close to hers, Shizuku san whispered into my ear in a tone that seemed to go right to the core of my body. ¡°Nagishiro kun is the first person to come to the couples¡¯ seat with me!¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!?¡± Her sweet whisper made me feel as if my whole body was on fire. ¡°¡­¡­¡± The movie reached its climax and I was supposed to be immersed in the film, but I was pulled back. The reason is in the scene. ¡°Hnnnn, John ¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, Maria!¡± A kissing scene that was as thick as it could be. That¡¯s what they were showing me. A man who has to go to a battlefield with a low survival rate, and a woman who simply prays for his safety. When the man returns home from the war, they burst into each other¡¯s thoughts and embrace. Yes, I was impressed myself, and the flow of the film was perfect. But I just want to say one thing. (Awkward¡­¡­¡­!!!!!) Just like when a drama turns into a rich love scene and your mother finds you. Since we were not dating or liking each other at all, there should not have been a single reason to be embarrassed. But now we are sitting together in the legendary couple¡¯s seat. It is that of a couple in form only. I glance next to me. ¡°¡­¡­¡­!?¡± She watched the screen intently, yet blushed at the occasional graphic cut. She was showing such a relaxed attitude before the start of the event, but surprisingly, she seemed to be a first-timer in that way. No, it¡¯s tough for me to face this scene too. With Shizuku san immersed next to me like that, I, on the contrary, kept coming back to reality. And then I calm down and think about it. How impossible this situation is now. Watching a movie with a woman beside me. Sitting in a couple¡¯s seat, attached to each other. Moreover, the other person has a good enough personality and looks good enough to take care of herself. The more I look at it, the more it seems out of proportion to me. Or rather, we are not even allowed to be put on the same scale in the first place. If she is the moon, I am not even a speck, but a stone on the side of the road. I am the same whether she is there or not. So the fact that she devotes her resources to a rock like me is something that would normally be denounced. It is the kind of thing that would bring condemnation if God were watching. So I had to change my way of life, I thought. A way of life that would not bother her. I thought, ¡°Let¡¯s try to live in such a way that is neither good nor bad.¡± ¨Cthanks to Shizuku, Rin is slowly, gradually becoming more positive. But it was in a different direction from what the public expected. CH 52 ¡°Haaaa, that was fun!¡± ¡°Yes, indeed, that scene in particular ¡­¡­¡± After watching the film, Shizuku felt a great sense of relief. As for Shizuku, it was strange because she had been engrossed in the movie since the middle of the show, but Rin looked somewhat blown away and refreshed after leaving the theater. That¡¯s what makes it so unintentionally anticlimactic. ¡°Then, Nagishiro kun, what are you going to do after this?¡± ¡°After this, huh¡­.?¡± Shizuku¡¯s plan was to go straight to the restaurant and confess her feelings. She hoped that by honestly telling Rin how she felt, she could help Rin to stand up for himself. But Rin has already recovered on his own. At least that¡¯s what it looked like to Shizuku. No more worries, she said. So she wondered what to do after this, or rather, what not to do. She said she would rather do something poorly than do something now that he was able to get back on his feet by himself. So She thinks only one thing. She would like to enjoy a little more time alone with him. The only thing she was afraid of was being told to go home already. ¡°A-Ah right, I know a nice restaurant near here. Do you want to go?¡± ¡°restaurant? Ummm ¡­¡­¡± Rin looks down and shows signs of distress. To be honest, she wasn¡¯t sure if he was getting tired of being with her and wanted to go home. ¡°It¡¯s really good!¡± ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re right. ¡­¡­¡± Shizuku tries to keep him back somehow. She seemed a bit like a heavy woman, but she was happy to know that she liked Rin that much. (Don¡¯t worry, I love Nagishiro kun.) When she said it back to Kotoha, she honestly wasn¡¯t sure. This is because she had never thought of Nagishiro Rin and Kazashiro Rei separately, so she did not know who she was in love with. But She can see it clearly now. She genuinely enjoys being with Rin, because that¡¯s how she feels. She didn¡¯t need a song, or lyrics. Just the fact that he was next to her was a joy. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go?¡± ¡°No¡­.¡± However, Rin is still not keen on the idea. She thought that if she kept him any longer, Rin might hate her, and if he did, he might leave for the day. At that point, Rin shyly pulls out his wallet and excuses himself. ¡°Sorry ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t have much money ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yeah¡± She didn¡¯t get around to that. Indeed, she should have realized that living in such a modest apartment was also a sign of his desire to save as much money as possible. ¡°I-It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have much money and I think we¡¯re going to have to split it¡­¡­.!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± An unexpected line from Rin stopped Shizuku in her tracks. Then, after a short pause, shizuku broke out in spurts. ¡°Fufu, Eeeh, what¡¯s that¡± ¡°What is it! It¡¯s a matter of male honor!?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so important about that?¡± ¡°It really matters!¡± Rin¡¯s voice becomes even louder, perhaps embarrassed by being laughed at. But Shizuku never cared about such things. ¡°I mean, I make good money. Did you really think I was the kind of person who would be stingy with money?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! Men are supposed to pay!¡± A rather old-fashioned idea, Shizuku thought. In a world where gender equality is sung about, there is probably not a majority of people with such stubborn ideas. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t like it when younger people buy me drinks.¡± ¡°Please be patient! You¡¯re pretty stubborn, Shizuku san!¡± He said earlier that he couldn¡¯t afford to buy a drink. Is it something that is non-negotiable even if you have to raise money that you don¡¯t have? ¡°F-Fufufufufu¡± ¡°What is it¡­..?¡± Rin wonders when Shizuku starts laughing again, as if remembering. ¡°No, no, I just thought it is fun.¡± ¡°This one is a matter of good name though ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Okay, okay, Nagishiro kun.¡± Laughing at one point, Shizuku held up her index finger as if she had an odd idea. ¡°If you want to buy me a drink, let¡¯s go to Saize.¡± (Saize : Probably a food chain or somethin) ¡°Saize¡­¡­?¡± The sudden suggestion raised a question mark in Rin¡¯s mind. ¡°Seriously, Saize? ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s Saize.¡± Me and Shizuku san are at Saize. It¡¯s that famous inexpensive Saize ¡°I thought it was a fancy restaurant called Saize¡± ¡°Hmmm, good thinking.¡± Quite a bit easier to talk to Shizuku san on this date. In particular, the language is quite broken over here. ¡°But I never thought the day would come when I would come to Saize with Shizuku san.¡± ¡°Rude. Even I come to Saize a lot.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± That¡¯s a surprise. Knowing this, Otaku would spend about 20 hours a day at Saize ¡°Does Nagishiro kun come here often?¡± ¡°Well, yes, it¡¯s cheaper after all. Especially these days. ¡­¡­¡± Lately, I haven¡¯t had the energy to cook, so I¡¯ve been making do with convenience store rice balls and eating out at random places. Eating out, though, was the only place to come to save money. ¡°¡ª¨CNagishiro kun, you look much better than yesterday. As I was reminiscing about my life over the past few days, Shizuku san suddenly said something like that to me. I¡¯m feeling better, huh? That sounds a little different. I know that saying ¡°I¡¯m feeling better¡± might be interpreted as if I had regained my motivation, but I don¡¯t have any motivation right now. I have no motivation for anything. I just reopened it. I just decided that if I was going to have a normal life anyway, I would at least try to stay out of the way of those going up. ¡°Well, yes.¡± However, I don¡¯t dare deny it. If I dared to deny it, I might worry Shizuku san again and cause her to worry for nothing. ¡°I see¡± And it seemed to me that Shizuku san probably saw through all of those thoughts as well, and responded. ¡°Do you write songs?¡± Then she asks in a natural way. ¡°Ah, of course I wouldn¡¯t mind either way? I¡¯m just genuinely curious.¡± So it comes with that kind of complement. ¡°Hmm¡­..¡± I put time aside while pretending to be troubled, but as a matter of fact, I had the answer in my mind. ¡°Maybe¡­..I won¡¯t make it¡± It was a little hard to say, but I tell her nonetheless. I thought it would not be good for Shizuku san if I decorated myself in a strange way and revealed my true self. I felt I had to say exactly what a worthless man I am like this. ¡°I see¡­..¡± Shizuku san mutters mysteriously while looking out the window. I wasn¡¯t sure about the emotions involved. Is she sad or does she have other feelings? I hope it¡¯s not a disappointment, and I hope it¡¯s not irresponsible. But Shizuku san was honest enough to reveal what was on her mind. ¡°I have to admit, I was a little disappointed.¡± My heart creaks at the word ¡°disappointment.¡± ¡°I liked Nagishiro kun¡¯s music, and I first got to know him through his songs.¡± It is complicated. I didn¡¯t know whether to be happy or sad. I Wait for Shizuku san¡¯s next words. ¡°Actually, it was Kazashiro Rei that inspired me to sing.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but listen back to such a story that came out of nowhere. The person who made the announcement had a look of satisfaction on her face, though. ¡°You didn¡¯t know that right?¡± ¡°No, no, no, of course not.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t tell anyone.¡± Shizuku san speaks happily. Maybe she¡¯s happy with the way I surprised ¡°So I can¡¯t pretend that Kazashiro Rei didn¡¯t exist, and I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t have feelings for him.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Shizuku san with an apologetic tone. Contrary to the words, it becomes less sharp and squeezed. ¡°But, But¡­..you know?¡± Shizuku san looked up, drank down the water she had fetched, and took a deep breath. From there, she said as she nodded off. ¡°Now I am graduating from Kazashiro Rei!¡± A mysterious graduation announcement. And one from there. An unexpected proposal. ¡°So at least, please write a song for me!¡± -no one knew at the time that the song thus composed would be Kazashiro Rei¡¯s last song. CH 53 ¡°How do I write a song, ¡­¡­?¡± I left Shizuku san and came home and blurted it out. I don¡¯t think there was much dissatisfaction in my words when I said ¡°blurted out¡±. I had been so lost in thinking of myself as Kazashiro Rei or Nagishiro Rin, and even depressed by it, but when she asked me to write a song for her, I did not feel bad about it. In fact, I am happy that my existence is being recognized. Such an inconsistent way of being seems terribly ugly. Kazashiro Rei is a part of me, after all, it seems I think of him as a part of me too, somewhere. It is childish to think that Kazashiro Rei would be so terribly depressed that he is not himself when it comes to his own self in matters of love. It¡¯s not even close to selfishness. ¡°Anyway, the song.¡± After returning home and putting down my luggage, I immediately started working on a song. But it doesn¡¯t mean that I have to write a song. Because I replied to Shizuku san, [I¡¯ll do my best if I can.] Even in places like this, I take precautions against her who told me that she would graduate from Kazashiro Rei. It¡¯s really a cowardly, self-pretentious, misogynistic man, really. So I have to do my best to make it somehow. I had to make sure to write a song at the end to bring closure, or so I thought. ¡°But yeah¡­¡± Even though I knew this in theory, what caused me to be encouraged by Shizuku san to do this in the first place was that I was in a slump of not being able to write songs. That is not something that can be recovered in a short amount of time. In fact, I¡¯m sitting at my desk right now thinking of lyrics, but I can¡¯t come up with anything good at all. So, I decided to re-listen to some of the melodies I had thought about and saved up until now, just for the sake of something to do. ¡°I think I put it in a folder here somewhere.¡± For the first time in a long time, I don¡¯t even know which of the many folders I¡¯m looking for. This makes me realize that I really have not been composing music for a long time. ¡°Ah here it is¡± I Plug a wired earphone into my computer and listen to them one by one. I Listen to various types of sounds at random, some pop, some balladic, some rock. Then, with music dripping in my ears, I create the lyrics. But ¡°No, no, no, no.¡± I Pull the earphones out of my ears and roll over on my back on the bed. The lyrics ¨C I can¡¯t think of any. I used to have the feeling that I had some lyrics in mind, but nothing seemed to fit. I had forgotten how to write lyrics. ¡°Ah, seriously it¡¯s bad¡­¡± It makes me laugh. I feel as if everything I have accumulated up to this point is falling apart again and I have to start all over again from scratch. I can¡¯t believe that after all that I¡¯ve done, I¡¯m back to zero just by not writing for such a short period of time, a couple of weeks. ¡°Haaa¡± Regret, or rather despair. I¡¯m blinded. This kind of feeling probably comes from the fact that I was thinking in the corner of my mind about the path to becoming a composer. As a composer, I have a certain amount of potential and experience. It¡¯s like, if I¡¯m in trouble, I¡¯ll just become a composer and make some money there. But that was not the case. Experience is now back to square one, and as I am in a slump, I have no more potential than a poor amateur. Not becoming a composer with insurance finally made me lose even my life insurance. It is only foolish to look at it from the side. I am a fool to the point where I could be asked endlessly why I made such a choice. ¡°Ah, what did I do wrong?¡± Was it a mistake to stop writing songs when I was in a slump, or was it a mistake not to make the decision to become a composer sooner? Or was it a mistake to try to preserve my own dignity as Nagishiro Rin? Looking back, I could think of so many things that were wrong, and I wondered how I had gotten myself into this situation. If only I had made at least one right choice, none of this would have happened. I felt so weak, letting myself be carried away by my emotions for a moment. Well, I guess I¡¯m actually weak. ¡°the song¡­..is imposible¡± Shizuku san might be disappointed, or dismayed that I can¡¯t even make one last attempt. But I can¡¯t help it. Perhaps Shizuku san would agree. She might look a little sad, but she will probably forgive me easily. ¨C-and would never think of getting involved with me as a person ever again. I feel lonely. It¡¯s true that I enjoyed the time I spent with Shizuku san, and I felt comforted by the fact that she thought a little better of me. I may never see someone like that again in the future. But don¡¯t be picky. If I spoil her, I¡¯ll just get in her way. She won¡¯t want to be with me this time around, so if I want to be with her or something, that¡¯s a nice inconvenience for her. Being with people you don¡¯t want to be with is a punishment. ¡°¡­.Okay¡± This time, this time we¡¯re going to break up. That¡¯s what I thought, and I picked up my cell phone. When I turned it on, the Twitter application that had been previously left open appeared on the screen. Then I happened to notice that the word ¡°Mizuno Shizuku¡± was trending in the Trends section. ¡°Shizuku san¡­.?¡± Suspiciously, and with a vaguely unpleasant feeling, I touched that trending text. One tweet came up at the top of the search results. It has also received over 10,000 retweets. One photo was posted there. A photograph of a tall man and a smaller woman beside him, taken from behind, against a background of late evening. The man was looking forward so I could not make out his face, but the woman was wearing a mask and looking at the man, so I could lightly see her profile. Apparently the two are talking in a friendly manner. ¡ªbadump !! Then a strong shock seizes my heart, and I¡¯m just barely able to control the tension. Because the woman¡¯s attire looked exactly like the attire of the woman I had seen about an hour earlier. And the wording that fits under the picture. [I think that¡¯s Mizuno Shizuku, the voice actress, isn¡¯t it?] I understood everything in that moment. CH 54 Without a doubt, I was at the bottom of my life. I was convinced of that. The abuse that overflows when I swipe my phone¡¯s screen. [I believed in you. I¡¯m not a fan anymore.] [Do you enjoy betraying your fans?] [Scum who make eyes at men.] There were more spineless words, but these are the only words that get retweeted by all kinds of people on the internet. Maybe that¡¯s why I see so many of these bad words and accusations. ¡°Why, why¡­..!!!¡± I was angry at myself for putting herself on the shelf. How can they only mutter such things? How can you say whatever you want about such unconfirmed information? Such anger strikes me. And that¡¯s when I finally feel a sense of guilt. ¡°My fault¡­.huh¡± How could I be offended by such bad words? I am not a victim in this case, nor am I a third party. Undeniably, I am a perpetrator. It was a bit of a diversion. Shizuku san is also wearing a simple disguise, and I didn¡¯t expect it to be put on the Internet or to be hit so hard. No, that¡¯s another excuse. I actually went on the date because I wanted to go out and have fun, even though I knew it was such a risk. I wanted to be with Shizuku san ¨C I went on a date with her. ¡°I¡¯m a real asshole. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m a real asshole.¡± I must have caused her a lot of trouble, and I have disillusioned her with the character image that Shizuku san had about Kazashiro Rei, and now I have turned her into the next person to be subjected to unjustified name-calling. I have done nothing wrong, and Shizuku san herself has done nothing wrong, but I have made her suffer because of my thoughtless words and actions. Perhaps she has heard about it. I really wanted to die. I wanted to kill myself for hurting Shizuku san, who had reached out to a fool like myself. I want to deny it anyway. The man in the photo with Shizuku san is not her boyfriend, is not qualified to be such a person, and is definitely not a scandal. Shizuku san has done nothing wrong. Maybe Shizuku san has a position to take, so I can¡¯t talk back strongly. She is not at fault herself, but if she directly refutes the issue in person at a time like this, she will agitate her fans even more. So I wanted to talk back to them myself instead. I asked them to stop saying bad things about her because ¡­¡­ it¡¯s all my fault While these unstoppable, yet stagnant thoughts were going round and round, I suddenly changed my mind. ¡°- now it¡¯s my turn to help her, isn¡¯t it?¡± Yes, she¡¯s been helping me all along, so why did I only come up with self-satisfied thoughts like dying when she was in a tight spot? It¡¯s true that I was the one who got her into this predicament, so it¡¯s not right to say that I would help her. It is a travesty to talk that way. But words don¡¯t matter, and details don¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t even care what I look like now. Now, I¡¯ll do whatever I can to help her. ¡°No, I have to do whatever it takes.¡± There is no other way. The way out was already cut off. £ª ¡°Aaaa¡± I did it, I think as I did an ego-tweet on Twitter. I did this completely. ¡­¡­ Even though I try to make it funny, it¡¯s still, hard. ¡°Nagishiro kun, I hope you¡¯re okay. ¡­¡­¡± I Toss the tablet device at random and lie on my back in a large position on the bed. -It seems to me that Nagishiro kun will blame himself for this incident, although he seemed to have recovered quite well from yesterday¡¯s date. I hope it doesn¡¯t go back to the way it was before. ¡°But I mean, how many times have I seen this shot?¡± I bring my phone close to me one more time and open a certain photo. A photo from the tweet that was the basis for the current uproar. Perhaps it would be an intrusion of portrait rights or something like that. Something about the office said they would work in that direction. Still, this picture. If it wasn¡¯t a picture taken by someone I don¡¯t know, I would definitely save it. ¡°This girl looks like she¡¯s having fun!¡± No, well, it¡¯s me. I mean, I actually really enjoyed being with Nagishiro kun. Let me try to recall about yesterday¡¯s events. First of all, that makeover. That was foul, right? If he was so cool, I would have been more prepared if he had sent me at least one selfie. Hmmm. When we took the plunge and tried the couple¡¯s seat, I was nervous, but Nagishiro kun was even more so. That was cute~ Then there is Nagishiro kun, a gentleman for nothing. You¡¯re 100 years too early to treat me to a meal! I appreciate the gesture, but it¡¯s not nice to be bought a meal by someone younger than me. Then, and then, and then I remember a lot of things. Strangely enough, the time that seemed so fleeting at that place yesterday seemed endless if I capture the moment, the memory. ¡°Ahaha. I can¡¯t deny strongly enough what was written on the Internet.¡± The girl in the photo. This is totally in love. In love. Well, it¡¯s a one-way street no matter how I look at it. If this looks like a couple, then you¡¯re not looking hard enough. We see each other in a different light. The girls look at the boy with the eyes of someone she likes, but the boy look at her with the eyes of a friend. ¡°That¡¯s just the way it is, you know?¡± To say that I betrayed my fans would be a mistake. I had no intention of betraying them, and in fact, I don¡¯t have a boyfriend. But I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve made my fans feel bad. If you make people think that their favorite celebrity was dating behind their backs, then fans won¡¯t be able to keep up with them. And even if you admit it, but in my case, I have to deny it because I¡¯m not really dating. So this can only be seen as an attempt to hide it away. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, it can¡¯t be helped. ¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s all my fault. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m playing with two guys, and twice. I was just lucky on the previous date. I was simply lucky that I didn¡¯t get my picture taken on the previous date. If I get carried away with it, it¡¯s because I¡¯m not professional enough, and I don¡¯t deserve to be called out on it. Can¡¯t help it, but ¡°Wish I could have done ¡­¡­ a bit more.¡± If I could, I would do it a little more, even a little longer. ¡ªI wanted to be a voice actor. I wanted to continue voice acting and see myself playing such and such a character. There were several animations I wanted to be in and many people I wanted to work with. But this time, I¡¯m going to¡­¡­. No, don¡¯t give up. I know my credibility will be ground down because of this and I will not be able to get the job. I just have to start from scratch again. Again¡­¡­. I started from scratch. I can do it. ¡°¡­.Fuu¡± Wiping my tears messily, I think about the future. Don¡¯t cry, this is no time to cry. ¡­¡­Don¡¯t cry, me. Don¡¯t cry, me. ¡­¡­! ¡°Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahnnnnnnnn!!!¡± I had the feeling that something important mentally had been broken. That feeling that no matter how much I try to mend it, I can¡¯t fix it, that something in the middle of me has been broken beyond repair. I wondered if I was done for, and indeed I was. That time. Puuun *Sfx A notification rang from my phone, which was on silent mode. ¡°¡­¡­..What is it?¡¯ Both Line and Twitter notifications should have been turned off. I generally turn off all other notifications all the time. I picked up my phone, wondering about the timing of the notification, which didn¡¯t quite ring a bell. Then I saw the notice and remembered. YouTube notifications. This is the only channel in which I was notified when there was any movement. [Kazashiro Rei will stream in two hours.] It was the channel of my favorite person, who had nothing for the past month. CH 55 Two hours before the start of Kazashiro Rei¡¯s show. About 10 minutes after the notification came in, the number of viewers had already exceeded 5,000. ¡°Just what I expected from Kazashiro Rei. ¡­¡­¡± I am one of those 5,000 people. The time is almost 19:00. People who have finished their work are probably waiting for the Streaming to be noticed. But there was a reason why so many people gathered. [Kazashiro Rei will Stream? It¡¯s his first tim!? Will he finally show his face?] [No, I don¡¯t think so. Maybe he¡¯s just going to talk or something.] [I wonder if we¡¯ll be able to hear his normal voice or something.] The comments section is still very much alive, even though the streaming hasn¡¯t started yet. Yes, this is Kazashiro Rei¡¯s memorable first live streaming. It is an opportunity to connect in real time with Kazashiro Rei, who until now has only posted videos. Speaking of YouTube Live, it¡¯s a chance for us to make our voices heard directly to the streamer, with the streamer actually reading our comments. I would have definitely commented on that too, posing as a regular fan. Well, that kind of goofiness aside. This stream, which had no title. The demographics of those who came to watch varied. Some came to get to know Kazashiro Rei¡¯s true self as a composer, while others expected to hear him play as a singer. Then there are probably people who just came to see the show for some reason, like maybe he¡¯s going to release a new song or something. The fact that so many viewers have come together with their own separate reasons for doing so shows just how versatile Kazashiro Rei is. So what am I here to see for? That¡¯s because ¨C I have a hunch. My scandal. Kazashiro Rei¡¯s, or Nagishiro Rin¡¯s, live delivery was decided shortly after that. There is something, and it has to do with me. That¡¯s what I thought. No, this could really just be self-consciousness. Maybe he has recovered from what happened today and is looking for a way to resurrect himself in a different matter than my scandal. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m a little embarrassed. But then, I think that¡¯s a good thing. If Nagishiro kun is positive about trying to revive it, that really makes me happy from the bottom of my heart. If a person like myself could pull the genius that is Kazashiro Rei out of the depths of the swamp, that is an accomplishment that will more than break my life. It is worth a change in worldly terms. But it¡¯s a little frustrating. I don¡¯t seem to be able to be in the same world as Nagishiro kun. Because even if I revive it, I¡¯m not going to be able to stand on the same line. ¡°No, maybe Nagishiro kun can use his connections.¡± I quickly dismissed from my mind the silly thought that if Nagishiro kun was serious about becoming a composer, he might be able to use his connections to get me an appointment ¡­¡­. I didn¡¯t think Nagishiro kun would do that for me, nor did I think he would care about me that much in the first place. ¡ª No, maybe if I ask him, he¡¯ll do things for me or something. But that¡¯s because I asked, not because I¡¯m important or anything. To Nagishiro kun, someone like me is insignificant. He wouldn¡¯t go out of his way to help someone who is crawling on the ground from a cloud. ¡°¨CAh, stop, stop! I¡¯m just going to enjoy Kazashiro Rei¡¯s streaming today!¡± It would be a waste if I did not genuinely enjoy it, since he was going to deliver it. It¡¯s a bleak future anyway, and I need to think only of fun things now. When I returned to reality and checked my watch, I found that there was only one hour left until the scheduled stream time. I don¡¯t want to go to the bathroom in the middle of the day or anything like that, so I¡¯ll take a shower first, and while I¡¯m at it, I¡¯ll take care of my skin. I carefully massage when blood flow is good after a bath to prevent swollen and fatigued feet. These actions had already become routine, so although I started out doing them for work, there was no reason to stop now. It is a kind of occupational disease. ¡°Fiuuh. Okay okay¡± With a cup of coffee milk in one hand after a bath, I lie down on the living room mat and set my cell phone in a position where I can see it easily. I¡¯m all set. ¡°Oh, one minute left.¡± Thrilling and exciting. I am excited and at the same time nervous as myself for some reason. I¡¯m not worried if he shows his face. I¡¯m not worried about how people will react, not that I have anything to worry about, but if they say even the slightest bad thing about him, I¡¯ll be the one who gets upset. I¡¯m Nagishiro kun¡¯s guardian. Shortly thereafter, it was time for the scheduled stream. But still the thumbnail remains the same, it¡¯s still dark, and I don¡¯t hear any voices. ¡°Damn, I¡¯m getting impatient ¡­¡­!¡± I talk to myself like a full-fledged otaku, and at the same time I can feel my heart rate going up and up and up. Calm down~, calm down~. At times like this, it seems ¡­¡­ that if you do sutra chanting, it will calm you down. I won¡¯t do it, though. Eventually, the mute was released, and I could hear the ambient sounds picked up by the microphone, as well as a giggling sound. What¡¯s what ¡­¡­? What are you going to do ¡­¡­? I wondered if the people watching were feeling the same way I was, and the commenters began to murmur. [Is it about time?!] [Is it just audio?!] [Please say something!?] Just as the sound of the microphone begins to enter the room, the comment section comes alive at once. I thought I would get carried away and use the ¡°super chat¡± feature to throw money to the streamer, but apparently Nagishiro kun has set it up so that you can¡¯t do that. Muu¡ª Unfair Feeling frustrated at being unable to do anything but simply be passive, I quenched my thirst with a cup of coffee milk to calm down. As I did so and tried to calm down, I heard footsteps approaching from the stream It¡¯s about time! It was like a sixth sense, if I may say so, that I had no reason to do so. I had a feeling it was about to start. And in response to that. [Ah, uh, can you hear me? Can¡¯t you hear me¡­¡­] ¨CIt¡¯s Nagishiro kun¡¯s voice! The tension exploded, and with a quick swipe operation, ¡°I hear you!¡± they commented. Why, I wanted to be the first to comment. But the same comments flowed like a mountain. [Ah, I see. I guess I can tell by your comments. ¡­¡­! Thank you, everyone. ¡­..] How Nagishiro kun also reminds me of the existence of the comment. [Are you a natural?] [Are you stupid?] [It¡¯s your first time. It¡¯s not your fault.] The comments start to get a little rough. What is stupidity, stupidity? Whoever said that, come out in the open for a minute. [Ah, sorry, I¡¯m sorry, ¡­¡­. I¡¯m new to this. ¡­¡­] I followed him saying, ¡°It can¡¯t be helped! Your mischievous side is also cute!¡± That¡¯s me, nice follow-up! And that¡¯s where Nagishiro kun responds to viewer questions. [What are you doing today? Ah, well, it¡¯s like a press conference. ¡­¡­ Well, as you can imagine, I don¡¯t have the standing to hold a press conference, so I¡¯ve decided to make it this way¡­¡­] ¨CPress conference? Nagishiro kun¡¯s mouth uttered a word that I had never thought of, and both I and the audience were in an uproar. [Press Conference? Did something happen?] [Maybe he¡¯s going on a hiatus or something.] I see so many speculative comments, and I too am driven by anxiety about every single one of them. Then there were no comment replies for a while, and my agitation accelerated. Does this mean that it is a difficult question to answer? While I was fantasizing about a series of unpleasant things, the screen suddenly changed to white. One man can be seen in the angle of view. It takes a moment to figure out who it is. For the most part, this channel is Nagishiro kun¡¯s channel. But even without going through such thoughts, I recognized him at a glance. It was because he ¨C Nagishiro kun ¨C was exactly the same as I had seen him today. Same clothes, same hair. And the same face. [Hello, my name is Kazashiro Rei.] I was so surprised that I almost had a stroke when I finally recognized the fact in that greeting. CH 56 [Oh, what a handsome guy!] [I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s him.] [He¡¯s so young! Kazashiro Rei is so young!] [What, he¡¯s just a good-looking guy.] The comments section accelerates as the camera is turned on. Comments flooded in like hot water at the sudden appearance of a well-dressed man. [Are you in your 20s?] [You¡¯re so young.] [You¡¯re so handsome, thank you for being born.] The comments flowed too fast for me to read each one carefully, but generally the atmosphere was one of high praise for Nagishiro kun. I also think that he was a handsome man when I saw him from the front like this. [Uh, ¡­¡­ I am Kazashiro Rei. Sorry ¡­¡­, this is a little embarrassing.] What is there to be ashamed of ?! This handsome guy What kind of bullshit is telling handsome guys to stick their chests out? Or rather, yes. Is it okay to show his face !? Isn¡¯t it too risky for him to show his face while he is still a student? I¡¯m not a guardian, but I worry about him like a parent. [Ah yeah, ¡­¡­ but ¡­¡­. Hmm?Oh, umm, ¡­¡­.] And Nagishiro kun is fidgeting in front of the camera. Ah, what an unfamiliar beginner, like a little animal. Cute. Not that!!, I¡¯m already restless too! And there, as we (I took the liberty of including Nagishiro kun) were puzzled for the first time, I saw a comment flow in that got to the heart of the matter. [Oh, Kazashiro Rei is Mizuno Shizuku¡¯s boyfriend?] It was as if my heart was grabbed by the eagle and my heart rate increased at the same time as I was doused with more cold water. It is such a contradictory, mixed-up feeling. Yes, in that picture that triggered my flameout, Nagishiro kun was not wearing a disguise at all. At that point he didn¡¯t even know what he looked like, and rightly so. But things are different now. This is how he showed his face in front of everyone. ¡°What are you doing, Nagishiro kun?!!¡± I noticed the grand mistake Nagishiro kun had made and immediately took action. I¡¯ll comment anyway to make up for the mistake. ¡°They look alike, but it¡¯s not the same person¡­ because the clothes are the same¡­¡± However, it was difficult to follow them when they were even wearing the same clothes. If it¡¯s just the faces, it would be nice to say that they¡¯re two people, but¡­ -Really, why this timing! If only it had been a month or so after that picture went up, I would have disappeared from everyone¡¯s memories, and they would never have connected the man in that picture with Kazashiro Rei! I blame Nagishiro kun in my heart. No matter how mentally positive you are, this is indeed a bad idea. Even Kazashiro Rei¡¯s reputation would suffer. Please! Please, please, please let that comment go through and no one will find it! I could only pray so. [Oh, you just said the word [Mizuno Shizuku san.]] ¡°Eh?¡± For some reason, Nagishiro kun picks up on that comment himself. ¡°Wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What are you doing?¡± I am the one who would have gone in so loudly that it might have been annoying if my neighbors were there. No, but indeed this makes no sense. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s going to dig his own grave. [Oh, is Mizuno Shizuku¡¯s boyfriend Kazashiro Rei?] [Yes, he looks like the guy in the picture.] [As expected, someone as successful as Mizuno Shizuku wouldn¡¯t choose an ordinary guy.] It may have started with a few people, but by now everyone has connected the man in the photo with Kazashiro Rei. It¡¯s a complete failure. There is nothing I can do about it now. Still, I tried to figure out how to make up for Nagishiro kun¡¯s mistake, but I was stuck in limbo. I could not think of a way to change this situation. Why, why is Nagishiro kun¡­¡­¡­.!!! I felt something akin to anger. I had just gotten better and was finally moving in the right direction after using up all my life. All my hard work will be for nothing. ¡­¡­ !!!! You just had to work harder up there! I feel such intrusive anger and then lament the absurdity of this world. ¨CI can¡¯t even manage my own life, so of course it¡¯s impossible for me to do anything about others. I¡¯m thinking of something masterful like that. That¡¯s when I finally became aware of the video. [I¡¯m¡­¡­¡­¡­ Kazashiro Rei and Mizuno Shizuku are not in a relationship.] Despite my feelings, Nagishiro kun declared strongly. For some reason, those words almost hurt me, but more than that, I thought it would be useless to say it now. The world of the Internet is not so easy. Even if you know it is not true, it can be spread, and if you just deny it, it will only add fuel to the fire. ¨CI wonder if this is the end for me and Nagishiro kun. The two of us are dragging each other down and hitting rock bottom. It made me a little bit happy. I know this is inappropriate, and I know it¡¯s an ugly feeling, but it was more reassuring than if it had ended only for me. Besides, we may be able to get along even better with other people in the same situation. I¡¯m starting to feel at ease. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not the point !!!!¡± No, it is not. Although such feelings have come up, they are temporary and come on in a flash. That¡¯s not what I really want. They are just newcomers who have been popping up. No, my underlying feelings are ¡­¡­ No !!! I wish Nagishiro kun would play a more active role! I want to see Nagishiro kun shine more! ¨CAnd I want to see more smiling Nagishiro kun. Don¡¯t give up on me. Think of something, think of something. ¡­¡­!!! Even if I lie¨Cand Nagishiro kun might really hate me if I do¨CI must excuse myself by any means necessary! In the meantime, I had to change the flow of comments at ¡­¡­ and went to see what the viewers had to say, but a strange thing happened. [Oh, so he¡¯s not her boyfriend.] [So you¡¯re still free] [I knew it. I thought so from the beginning.] ¡°What¡¯s ¡­¡­ happening ¡­¡­!?¡± The spark that had been there earlier had been extinguished cleanly. There is no trace of the atmosphere that existed earlier, of the desire to beat them up. Why? Why? When I looked toward Nagishiro kun¡¯s image as if seeking an answer, he said, as if to answer my question. [Kazashiro Rei and Shizuku Mizuno are business partners. I write the music and she sings it. That¡¯s all there is to our relationship.] I didn¡¯t quite understand what he was saying. CH 57 Why is it that the comment section, which was so colorful, is so easily settled? Wondering and thinking about it, I don¡¯t have an answer. Because I know ¨C and I just found out today ¨C that the internet fire is not that easy to put out. It¡¯s not that kind of rationality. I can¡¯t think straight anymore, and then I¡¯m all out of it with even more relief. I sway and melt and lean against the side of the bed. ¡°What did you do ¡­¡­ Nagishiro kun ¡­¡­¡± It would have been more convincing if they had told me that everything that happened today was a dream. There is a fun event, then I hit rock bottom, and then it¡¯s over as if nothing happened. This kind of seemingly unconnected story is, indeed, dreamy. [I¡¯m sorry, but I know you probably have questions or doubts, so I¡¯ll answer them. I really have nothing to hide, so you can ask me anything you want] And Nagishiro kun is nervous, but composed. Well, it¡¯s true that there¡¯s something to be blamed for¡­ Hmm, not without it. If I were in Nagishiro kun¡¯s shoes, I would not be so composed. To say that I have no romantic feelings would probably be a lie. So, on the other hand, Nagishiro kun doesn¡¯t have romantic feelings for me. ¡­¡­ I guess I shouldn¡¯t go any further than that. I Shut up and watch the streaming happen. [Why were you two together on Christmas Eve?] [That¡¯s because Shizuku san was busy and this was the only place she had free time in her schedule. It goes without saying that my schedule was free. It¡¯s just a coincidence that it fell on Christmas Eve.] This is true. The truth is that I invited him, but it is true that today was the only day he was available. [Where did you go after this photo?] [Well, ¡­¡­ I¡¯m embarrassed to say that we went to saize. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s really embarrassing, but I¡¯m poor. ¡­¡­ Oh, but of course I didn¡¯t ask her to buy me a drink or anything! I¡¯m splitting the bill!] This is also true. It¡¯s cute to see him getting a little impatient with the tweets in the comments. This kind of seemingly back-and-forth response may be the reason why the current turmoil has magically subsided. No, but I don¡¯t think you have to say ¡®split the bill¡¯ with pride. ¡­¡­ [What did you eat at Saize, Shizuku san?] [I feel like I should ask permission from ¡­¡­ Shizuku¡¯s office before I answer that. ¡­¡­ we wasn¡¯t eating anything tremendous, but just in case ¡­¡­] Why is this guy making me out to be some kind of character who likes weird stuff? I had a regular squid ink pasta! I don¡¯t need permission from the office for that! [What do you think of Shizuku san?] ¡ª and here a direct question came up. This is a genuine question, but at the same time, someone was probably still left with a bit of doubt. If he answers in the wrong way, the fire from earlier will return again. And I was nervous for another reason. ¡°Nagishiro kun, I wonder what you think of me. ¡­¡­¡± Come to think of it, I have never heard of such a thing. We chatted a bit when we shook hands, but I don¡¯t think I ever asked him what he thought of me. [about Shizuku san ¡­¡­? Hmmmm¡­¡­] And Nagishiro kun is definitely flustered at such times. This guy, definitely did that on purpose. ¡­¡­? [No, well, of course I think she¡¯s beautiful. She¡¯s so beautiful¡­..] ¡°Eh, really!?¡± I¡¯m honestly glad because I thought he was the type of person who was indifferent about such appearances. Let¡¯s hand down the story to my children and grandchildren until I reach the point where it¡¯s crazy. [And she is a very kind person and very caring. ¡­¡­] A standing compliment. It¡¯s a pity that it seems to be a common phrase, but I¡¯m still too simple-minded to be happy about it. Am I an Easy Heroine? [I think it¡¯s cool that she is so sincere in her work.] And I am more than happy to receive compliments about my work. Actually, I haven¡¯t received many compliments on my work. That¡¯s because I¡¯m not there yet. But since he¡¯s made it so much more exciting, I know the punchline. [But¡­ she¡¯s not going to be a romantic interest.] This pattern. Up and down, this pattern. He will say that I¡¯m not his type, that my voice doesn¡¯t match his, that my stories aren¡¯t interesting, and on and on. God dammit! [A nice person like that would not be ¡­¡­ a match for me.] ¡­..Eh? [I can¡¯t come up with the idea of going out with someone. Even if I were to go out with someone who is disproportionate to me, I would immediately fall apart. I¡¯ve never had a girlfriend, as I said before on the radio, so I¡¯m just imagining. ¡­¡­] What, did you think I was like that ¡­¡­? Not flattering? Not flattering? No, no. I hastily type a comment ¡°Flattery.¡± This is internet slang for sarcasm, which means ¡°thank you for your compliments¡±. In other words, I¡¯m flattering myself, right? It¡¯s like asking, well, if you say it, it¡¯s self-deprecating. The thought that went into it goes without saying¡­.. [F-flattery!? I¡¯m not flattering you, I¡¯m telling you the truth! She¡¯s is really an amazing person!] Perhaps my thoughts were received, my comment was picked up by Nagishiro kun. Perhaps others have made similar comments. -yes, I wanted him to deny it. I wanted him to say he was not flattering. Even that may be flattering, but it may also be self-satisfying, or rather, absolutely self-satisfying. Still, this response¡­¡­. ¡°So, he really thinks like that¡­¡­.¡± I was so happy that I wanted to cry. I was really happy to be recognized by that Kazashiro Rei. I have admired his music ever since I first heard it. I was happy to be recognized in this way by the one I had always admired and loved for so long. [She is so kind and beautiful looking, and yet she is so passionate about her work and doing such high quality work. I think it¡¯s really amazing.] ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯ve worked so hard to get here. ¡­¡­¡± I thought from the bottom of my heart I realized that I had romantic feelings for Nagishiro kun, but most of all I had a longing for him. I¡¯m not sure which is stronger. ¨CNo, I don¡¯t think either way. Because these things are not comparable. ¡°Aaah~, hahahaha!¡± I felt lighter in a real sense. I feel like I¡¯m clearing up something that I¡¯ve been holding on to not just today, but for a long time lately. When I realize it this way, I realize I didn¡¯t have much feeling. I even wonder what I was worried about. And the joyousness continues. At the end of the stream, Nagishiro Rin said this. [I¡¯ll be performing a song I wrote for her in a month¡¯s time. Please listen to ¡­¡­ if you like.] It was the revival of Kazashiro Rei that many people in Japan, or perhaps the world for that matter, had been waiting for. CH 58 ¡°Well ¡­¡­, I¡¯ve done it. ¡­¡­¡± After I finished the stream, I felt refreshed and a little regretful at the same time. Because I declared in front of more than 50,000 people watching that I would be performing the song in a month¡¯s time. It was fine until I said it. ¡°It¡¯s one thing to be able to write a song, it¡¯s another thing to be able to perform it ¡­¡­¡± It does not mean that I will be able to write because I said so, but I am merely at the starting line now. Any skills or senses that have been lost during the past month must be regained within a month. If I can¡¯t do it, this time¡­. ¡°There¡¯s no end in sight, right?¡± I finally showed up. Now there is nowhere to run. It is safe to say that by showing my face, I am sure that people at the university will find out about me. When I couldn¡¯t do it, there was a storm of bashing from all over the place. ¡°Oh, by the way¡­¡± Then I remembered one thing. Come to think of it, there must have been one thing I was determined to do when I showed up. It¡¯s something so important to me that it¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime decision, and so trivial that the world would probably say, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s too late for that now?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to go over there tomorrow ¡­¡­.¡± I¡¯m a little, or rather a lot, nervous when I think about where I¡¯m going. I am embarrassed and have no face to match. But ¡­¡­ probably an unavoidable path. I mean, if I avoid it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to write a song anytime soon. ¡°Okay¡± For now, let¡¯s wait until tomorrow, or maybe a little later, before I write a song. Today, all I want to do is sleep. In a room filled with cold air, I wrapped myself in the futon and fell asleep, simulating tomorrow. It was a quiet Christmas Eve, like the best sleep I¡¯ve had in recent memory. Ding-dong. The time was 6:00 in the morning. There is no doubt that it is annoying. Still, since I am dealing with such a person, I need to aim for a time of day when the weekly reporters and paparazzi will never be around. ¡°Hmmm¡­not coming out.¡± Checking the room number I had written down on my phone, I enter the same room number again and ring the intercom. I¡¯m hoping she¡¯ll come out soon. I don¡¯t want to be this shabbily dressed, ping-ponging prowler in a tower apartment building where such rich people seem to live. ¡°¡­¡­ yes. Who is it ¡­¡­?¡± The other party sounded sleepy and angry. It could be irritation at being woken up so early in the morning, or it could be that the brain has not yet awakened in the first place. ¨Cwell, it doesn¡¯t matter. ¡°Kotoha, it¡¯s me. Open up.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± When I called out to her, the other person fell silent. Long, long silence. It must have been about 3 minutes before she broke it. That¡¯s really a stretch. ¡°R-Rin kun !?!??¡± I don¡¯t exactly give a name, but she can probably tell by the voice and the camera or whatever she¡¯s looking at from that side. Also, it was refreshing to see Kotoha really surprised like this. Even if I don¡¯t actually see her, I can tell what kind of situation she¡¯s in by the volume and pitch of her voice. ¡°W-Wait a minute!? I¡¯m still in my pajamas, I¡¯m not wearing any clothes, I haven¡¯t brushed my teeth, and I just woke up! I mean, how did you find me here?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re awake, though.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to answer my question huh! Just give me five minutes!!!¡± ¡°Yeah¡± I hear a slamming sound, as if someone forgot to turn off the intercom, but I don¡¯t pay attention and wait slowly. The reaction to getting up early has come here, and I am sleepy. I guess it was indeed a bad idea to come on the first train. ¡ª No, but it¡¯s a little ¡­¡­ or rather quite awkward to think that I¡¯m going to face Kotoha after this. I had asked her to let me disassociate myself from various work-related matters, and yet here I am. If a samurai saw me, he would kill me, but I¡¯m not a samurai, so forgive me As I was once again reviewing the arrangements I had thought up in my mind, the door to the apartment entrance opened. Apparently, she is ready to go ¡°Fiuuuu¡­.¡± Where was my composure earlier, I became even more nervous when I entered the apartment.. Perhaps it was the entrance to this cramped, even sprawling condominium. But when I got here, I couldn¡¯t back out. I have to go. ¡°¡­.Okay¡± I pulled myself together and pressed the elevator button. £ª ¡°What do I do, what do I do?¡± I managed to brush my teeth and get dressed, but there wasn¡¯t enough time to do more than that, so I¡¯m left with a clean slate. Then I think I should put on my makeup at this time, but I am too nervous to even get that done. I wonder, how could Rin kun come at such a time? What reason? Perhaps I have done something wrong again? Is it too irresponsible to say ¡­¡­ by unknowingly hurting Rin kun again? Anyway, there is not a single errand I can think of. Did he come here to get angry, to apologize, or to say something? I was so scared. I had a feeling that something definitive would be said again. ¡°Let¡¯s just be prepared. ¡­¡­¡± No matter what he says, I have to be prepared to not break down and cry on the spot. As expected, I would like to be seen crying by a boy four years younger than me named Rin kun, but only in a drama. Ding dong Here is him !! The intercom in front of the house rings, which means Rin kun is almost there. Phew, take two big deep breaths. Remove the chain, unlock the key, and slowly open the door. ¡°Rin kun¡± ¡°Y-yeah, Kotoha. Long time no see¡± This awkward distance. I wonder if this is the kind of reaction I have when I meet an ex-boyfriend or something. I¡¯ve never had a boyfriend. ¡°A-And anyway, can I come in?¡± Indeed, it is cold here. ¡°G-Go ahead¡­..¡± ¡°Then, if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡­.¡± I wanted to leave already. No, I¡¯m at home. I lead Rin kun into the living room. Rin kun walks around looking at the walls, the floor, and the ceiling. ¡­¡­ Please don¡¯t stare too much, it¡¯s embarrassing. I¡¯m walking in front of Rin kun so that he can¡¯t see my face without makeup as much as possible. ¡°Can you hold on a sec, ¡­¡­? I¡¯ll make something hot¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a big help. ¡­¡­¡± I lead him to a desk with a chair and then fetch him a drink to escape. Temporary withdrawal. In front of the kitchen, I breathe a sigh of relief. Apparently, he¡¯s not angry. A bit of relief. ¡°Yes, here you go~¡­¡­¡­huh!?¡± I almost dropped what I was holding in my hand when I spotted Rin kun as I came back toward the living room with two mugs. Because Rin kun ¨C he was on his knees. ¡°Kotoha! I have a favor to ask you!!¡± I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on today anymore. CH 59 ¡°Asking is ¡­¡­ this kind of thing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to say that ¡­¡­¡± I had come with Kotoha to a real estate agency in Tokyo. It was my first time here, but Kotoha must have visited here at least twice. Because. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you want to re rent that apartment ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ that¡¯s embarrassing.¡± (In a Samurai Way) I didn¡¯t know what to say, I was using old fashioned language. I thought it was only samurai who said that, but apparently I say it too. ¡°No, I¡¯m just glad it was my day off.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite a worrying statement, ¡­¡­.¡± Today is supposed to be a memorable day, Christmas. Even if you are not a Christian with an extraordinarily good heart, it should be a day to play and live if you are Japanese. ¡°Well, actors have a lot of time off, but we don¡¯t get to hang out with our fellow actors because we don¡¯t have the same opportunities to have time off together.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­¡­¡± I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m still a college student, but maybe working people are like that. For that matter, I¡¯m sure Kotoha is hard at work. ¡°Sorry Kotoha ¡­¡­. I¡¯m sorry to have bothered you on such a precious vacation.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s true that Rin kun has never been here before.¡± The only reason I got down on my knees and had her bring me to this place was to move out of my room. From the battered apartment I was temporarily living in, to a room in Tokyo with a rent just barely not exceeding 100,000 yen, which is expensive compared to my height. It was to return to my previous room. ¡°Thank you for your patience. We have confirmed that the room is available.¡± ¡°Then please do.¡± I respond to the clerk¡¯s explanation with a bit of a bite. I wanted to make a decision before I changed my mind. ¡°Now, please send me your name, address, and the bank account you wish to register¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, I got it.¡± The clerk seemed slightly annoyed by my quick reply, but I didn¡¯t care. In the bank account section, I wrote down the number of my account. ¡°Rin kun¡­.?¡± ¡°Okay, please¡± Kotoha, sensing the significance of this action, speaks to me in surprise, but I pay no attention to that either. There is nothing wrong with this. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go take care of the formalities, please wait a moment ¡­¡­¡± I let out a long breath as I watched the clerk pull back into the back of the room. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come by the coffee shop for a minute? I have something I want to talk to you about.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Well, I wanted to talk to you for a minute.¡± After leaving the estate, we stopped at a nearby coffee shop directly on the street. Since both Kotoha and I were in disguise, the waiter at the coffee shop showed surprise for a moment, but he quickly guided us to our table. It was nothing special, just one of those chain restaurants. Anywhere where I could sit down and talk is fine ¡°One iced cocoa.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have it hot and black.¡± Kotoha looked surprised at my order, but I was in the mood for cocoa today. Maybe I¡¯m too tired to want something sweet to drink, even though it¡¯s not even noon yet. ¡°I¡¯ll be done with my errands before lunch, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡­¡­ got it.¡± Eventually, drinks arrive. The waiter didn¡¯t seem to want to stick around for our emitting, near-breakup atmosphere, and quickly went back to the kitchen. We happened to be the only ones in the coffee shop. I thought it was the perfect time to talk. ¡°Kotoha¡± I began the conversation in a tone lower than usual, as if to bring seriousness to my words. Kotoha didn¡¯t seem to mistake the meaning of the word, either, and after a few moments of wondering out the window, she took off her mask and sunglasses and turned to face me. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not too big of a deal. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Let me preface this by saying. The story I¡¯m about to tell her is a big deal to me, but it may not matter to Kotoha. After taking the precaution of not surprising Kotoha too much, I cut her off. ¡°I¡¯m ¡­¡­going to be a composer.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªEh?¡± Kotoha, however, rolled her eyes. Something was different from what she expected, and she was not surprised to find that it was not the word she had assumed. ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡­, let¡¯s go back to ¡ª¡ª like before¡ª¡ª¨Cwait, I¡¯m not the one to talk, am I?¡±¡± ¡°¡­¡­ yeah.¡± Apparently Kotoha understood what I meant correctly. Yes. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to make ¡ª¡ª composer my career.¡± Clearly, I confided. For the first time in this world, I declared. ¡°Y¡­..yeah¡­..¡± Kotoha¡¯s tone was unclear. I had no idea how she was feeling. I don¡¯t know if she was so surprised that she didn¡¯t feel it ¡­¡­, no, she seemed to be chewing on it in the present time. She seemed to be sad, happy, or some other emotion, but I don¡¯t know which emotion. ¡°I see¡­¡­¡­..¡± Eventually, Kotoha started crying. I can¡¯t tell because she has turned over, but she is probably crying because she is blowing her nose and holding her eyes. Then, in a muffled voice, she mumbled something that sounded like a mumble, as if to drop it. ¡°Thank god¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± It was a word that sounded more like relief than joy. That¡¯s what it sounded like. ¡°Thanks ¡­¡­.¡± So I say thank you at that point in time. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± However, the person in question did not seem to understand why she was being thanked. So, I put my thoughts into words as if I were revealing the seeds. ¡°Because, you know, Kotoha always says, [You still want a way out?] So she always encouraged me. She supported me in becoming a professional and said she would be on my side.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I made up my mind to become a pro too. Kotoha¡¯s word has been simmering in my mind for a long time. I kept asking myself, [Do I have to become a pro, or can I just run away?]¡± Without Kotoha, I would have chosen to maintain the status quo, and I don¡¯t think I would have been able to make the decision to become a professional this time. I¡¯ve been making excuses all along for not going pro with my usual gibberish, excuses for not making composing a career ¡°So it¡¯s thanks to Kotoha that I became a professional. Thank you ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh no, I don¡¯t deserve to be thanked. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± But she does not want to accept the gratitude honestly. ¡°Because I, I, I ¡­¡­!¡± Kotoha wanted to say something, but I was niggling, so I told her what else I wanted to talk about. ¡°Oh, and if I become a composer, I¡¯ll drop the name [Kazashiro Rei].¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I meant to say this as an added bonus, but Kotoha reacted greatly to it. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t have to do that, ¡­¡­. If you use your real name, you risk that much, and you lose some of the people who were fans of Kazashiro Rei, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s a trivial matter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s trivial ¡­¡­?¡± Kotoha wondered at the word ¡°trivial,¡± but to me that was a trivial matter. ¡°You see, Kotoha said. Choose someone who likes Nagishiro Rin, not Kazashiro Rei.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s!¡± Kotoha has leaned forward as if about to jump on me, but I continue talking. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking ever since, which am I or am I not Kazashiro Rei?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°But someone told me. But someone told me that there is something attractive about me not being Kazashiro Rei.¡± One person taught me even though it nearly ruined my life. She encouraged me. Kotoha may have an idea of who that person is. Her expression is clearly depressed. ¡°I¡¯ve been worried for a long time. I was afraid that if Kazashiro Rei¡¯s true face was like this, the people who always listen to his songs would become disillusioned and stop listening to him.¡± I have been hiding my true face for more than three years now. I could never show my face or use my real name if I thought that I would be disappointed if I showed my face now. I couldn¡¯t even think about it. But someone told me. It¡¯s going to be okay. ¡°So I¡¯m going to use my real name and just be myself. Well, maybe I¡¯ll go away to some extent. ¡­¡­ I¡¯ll write better music than that!¡± ¡°Rin kun¡­.¡± I¡¯m embarrassed because Kotoha is staring at me seriously. ¡­¡­ Is there something on my face? She¡¯s staring at me like she wants to say, ¡°What¡¯s that on your face?¡± ¡°Rin kun¡± After correcting her posture, Kotoha slowly let out her last words as if to ground them. ¡°Welcome, I guess.¡± CH 60 ¡°I really, really wanted to apologize to you.¡± After my once-in-a-lifetime confession, Kotoha uttered such a thing. ¡°Apologize for ¡­¡­ what?¡± I have a lot of memories of being bothered, but I don¡¯t remember being bothered. Looking for an idea, Kotoha was quick to tell me. ¡°You see¡­¡­, I told Rin kun, [You should choose someone who likes you, not Kazashiro Rei]. I told him to choose someone who would love him and not Kazashiro Rei.¡± ¡°Yeah, but?¡± ¡°Huh¡­.It¡¯s not¡± ¡°Wrong?¡± I¡¯m not sure if she just says it¡¯s different. I Wait maturely for the words to follow. ¡°Of course I meant what I said, and I really do ¡­¡­ mean it. But it doesn¡¯t mean I have no other intentions.¡± ¡°What does that mean? ¡°Yes. And a bad one, more specifically, a ¡­¡­ devious one.¡± Kotoha said this with bitterness. It was the way a person in such a weak position talks, as if she were coming clean about her crimes. ¡°At that time, I think I was jealous of Shizuku san.¡± Then, after a slight inflection, the word that came out was a word that would go far beyond my imagination. ¡°¡­¡­ jealous?¡± ¡°Yeah, jealous.¡± As far as I knew, Shirakawa Kotoha was the furthest thing from the word ¡°jealousy¡±. She made her acting debut at the age of 20. Her popularity has soared as she has gained a reputation for combining her exceptional acting talent with a mature charm at the young age of 20. The following year, she even made her debut as a singer, and she quickly established her position as a ¡°national actress.¡± A strong person who has worked hard and managed to get what she wants only through her own efforts. She feels such feelings as ¡°jealousy,¡± which is the kind of emotion that the have-nots feel. It was nothing but a surprise. So when Kotoha blithely said that, I was at a loss for words. And the other party is that Shizuku san. ¡°She had something I didn¡¯t have, ¡­¡­. And yet she takes away the things that are important to me, that¡¯s how I felt.¡± There are probably few people other than me who know that Kotoha has such a weak and sneaky side. I just found out about it myself. ¡°important ¡­¡­?¡± In return, Kotoha repeats what I said. The tone of her voice had dropped, but there was something refreshing about her face. I guess you could say that the possession had fallen off. But it was somehow not healthy. ¡°When I heard that Rin kun was getting along with Shizuku san and that he was getting along with a cute girl, I thought to myself, [Rin kun will be taken away from me,] or [My favorite song will be taken away from me]¡± I didn¡¯t interfere with Kotoha, who spoke frankly. Kotoha laughs a little self-deprecatingly. ¡°I thought, I¡¯m going to be removed from Rin kun¡¯s interests, or Rin kun is going to lead a normal life and stop writing songs. I thought about these things, associated with them, and became anxious.¡± Kotoha laughs a little self deprecatingly. ¡°It¡¯s stupid, really. Even though I said that, I thought that you were just a tool for composing Rin kun¡¯s song, you know?¡± She said to go out with people who would look properly at myself, but the person who said that didn¡¯t look inside myself. I see, yes, it may be tempting to self-mock. But, ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡­ wrong, isn¡¯t it?¡± That¡¯s not true. That¡¯s not what Kotoha really meant. ¡°As I said before, Kotoha has been thinking about my future.¡± She was concerned about the future. She was there to pat me on the back for my hesitation, and yet she was also firmly waiting for me to make a decision. ¡°But!¡± ¡°Even if it was a percussive thing to do. But ¡­¡­ that¡¯s not enough to worry me like that.¡± Even if, hypothetically, Kotoha was urging me to become a composer for her own sake. I knew painfully well that it wasn¡¯t just that ¨C and more than anything else, Kotoha herself should have known that. ¡°First of all, Kotoha could have threatened to cancel the apartment if I didn¡¯t become a composer, right?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ¡­¡­ do something that stupid.¡± When I jokingly say so, she replies like a fool. Little by little, Kotoha began to feel more energetic. She is returning to her usual challenging tone, and she is also becoming more frontal in her condescension toward those who do not make the effort. I think that is the original Kotoha. Not condescending, but downward, such a kotoha is not a kotoha. ¡°I¡¯m really grateful to Kotoha, but I don¡¯t hold any grudges at all.¡° This was the one feeling that remained with me after I had cleared out everything that had been going on, and it was a feeling that was not a lie. ¡°I see¡­.¡± Kotoha¡¯s completely weepy face crumpled and contorted once more, then bloomed into full bloom. ¡°You¡¯re so ¡­¡­ grown up, Rin kun.¡± ¡°I¡¯m long past twenty.¡± After the usual idle conversation, I felt fine, as if I had cleared everything up. Date, then conflict, then self-loathing. Shizuku san¡¯s comfort, Christmas Eve, flames. The face to face stream, the composer¡¯s declaration, and Kotoha¡¯s tears. In retrospect, it will probably be said that this was a difficult time. It was a period of so much intensity, hard work, and frustration that time would never weather it. And I¡¯ll probably brag later on that I decided to become a composer during this period. I will properly remember this hardship then. Suck it up, future me. Thus, my story has moved one step forward, I thought. (TL/N : wow¡­what a nice arc¡­not that heavy but still touching) CH 61 January 3rd. It was the last day of the three days of the year, and the world was still in a relaxed atmosphere as if enjoying a New Year¡¯s vacation. But then I was back in my newly moved and former apartment, and there were about five familiar faces gathered in my room. ¡°Rin, get out of the cardboard.¡± ¡°If he was going to move in, why didn¡¯t he just move in with me? Living together sounds great, doesn¡¯t it?¡± My ears already hurt. No, maybe it¡¯s my head that hurts. The five people who came were all supposed to be very famous and above the clouds in the eyes of the public. They are divinized by their fans, who would never dream of having such a secular conversation with them. But ¡­¡­ from my point of view, I recognized that the people here were somewhat screwed up, or in short, not to be divinized If anything, they give the impression of being a handful. ¡°I see you have the TV I sent you. I¡¯m glad to see that you are using it properly.¡± It is Harushita Suzune who sends furniture to me and does not take offense at all. She used to have a black bob, but recently she has been growing her hair out and it is about semi-long. Everything seems to be related to the drama in which she appeared before. Although an idol by profession, she is also an artist. Well, that goes for everyone here. She seems to sell herself as a neat and tidy character, but I have learned over the past six months of our relationship that she is somehow more than just that. ¡°Really, It can¡¯t fit six people in here. Little girl, get out.¡± Tatsumi Mirei said this as she walked through the living room with difficulty and came to my room. She is a full-fledged singer and songwriter, performing guerrilla-style gigs with guitar in hand. She does not seem to be the type of person who likes to appear on TV, but she does have a regular radio show. She is a sloppy person who doesn¡¯t keep her hair in place very often, but the ends are still neat and tidy. I really only want her to fix her sleeping habits. ¡­¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t call me short!!! First of all, you are not that tall !!¡± And it is Ikuta Azusa who gives off a solid image with her short chestnut-colored hair, called chibi (Little girl) by Mirei. In case you are wondering, she is only 18 years old and in high school. However, her work ethic does not naturally fall into the category of a high school student. Because she is an active idol. ¡°Shanponika!¡± is a five-member idol group that is currently the talk of the town and is said to be close to dominating the idol world. She is the center of the five-member idol group ¡°Shanponika!¡± She has tickled the hearts of her male fans with her natural behavior, which is reminiscent of that of a small animal. ¡°Wow, this is quite a group of people.¡± While feeling various surprises in the room she sees for the first time, Mizuno Shizuku enters at her own pace. She is the person who has been most helpful to me in the recent past, and who gave me a helping hand when I was in the middle of a slump and in despair. She is a slender-looking girl around 160cm with light pigmented hair, perhaps slightly bleached. She is 20 years old, same as me. Neither of us has had a birthday yet, so if we are in the same school, that means we are classmates. A successful voice actor who seems to be leading the future of voice acting, she was recently chosen to narrate a prime-time show. Together with her artistic activities, she has outstanding recognition among voice actors. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt this kind of atmosphere. ¡­¡­¡± Last to appear in a relaxed manner was Shirakawa Kotoha. She is taller than Shizuku san and has nicely flowing black hair, giving the impression that she is the most mature of the three. She is an actress with not only exceptional looks, but also a realistic performance, and is now becoming a face that all young people know. Inevitably, the scope of her activities expanded, and when she entered the music business, she was a hot topic of conversation. ¡°Phew, sorry to have brought you all here.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d have plans on the third day of the month.¡± This group of members gathered together and managed to put it all together, sweating despite the already overstuffed atmosphere. I think Harushita san was being sarcastic, but I¡¯m not going to go there. ¡°What is it, senpai? I heard you have something important to tell me. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°No way. ¡­¡­, pregnant!?¡± ¡°Eh¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡± Azusa and Shizuku san seem to be having fun. They seem to be on the same wavelength, perhaps thinking about the same amount. I mean, I¡¯m a guy !!!! ¡°It¡¯s ready. ¡­¡­¡± Kotoha rubs her own lower abdomen in a theatrical performance. Seriously, it¡¯s not fashionable, so don¡¯t do it. ¡°Well, let¡¯s leave those idiots out of it.¡± Whew, I take a breath and then I talk. It has become quite comical, but what I am about to tell the audience is both important and a decision I have made. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of becoming a ¡­¡­ composer!!¡± What I had told Kotoha before the year began. A composer in the sense of an established professional, not a hobbyist as previously. Of all the crossroads in life, this is probably the road with the most mountains and valleys. I made up my mind to choose there. I wanted to let the people I was helping know that first hand. ¨Cwhat will be the reaction ¡­¡­? I looked up and opened my eyes and there ¡ª- were five very bored looking girls. ¡°What, you mean like that?¡± Mirei said. ¡°I feel like it¡¯s too late ¡­¡­ now.¡± Harushita san said. ¡°I knew that, though.¡± ¡°I kind of noticed that too!¡± and Kotoha and Shizukusan said that ¡°I-I¡¯ll be supporting you!!¡± Only Azusa encouraged me, fiddling with her own cell phone. It was not something to be concerned about, and she demonstrated that kind of intent with her attitude. Perhaps it is their own consideration. Perhaps Kotoha was laying the groundwork. These people are trying to say this. [Welcome to Hell.] In other words, the world I¡¯m about to enter is not a sweet one. They are telling me that this is not a world where you can be satisfied just by stepping into it. ¡°Well, but it was good, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Harushita san says this. While raising the corners of her mouth a little. ¡°¡¯For the most part, by the time you get to know these members, it¡¯s like you¡¯ve already got your foot in the door of a more troublesome world!¡± ¡°Well~. I wonder if Rin kun will eventually start to care about the producer¡¯s mood.¡± Azusa and Kotoha are being ridiculous. Hey, is the entertainment world really that tough? ¡°Ugghh, but at last Kazashiro Rei has entered the music world. I¡¯m numb~¡± Then, Shizuku san, who had not yet become familiar with the members of the group, said something like that in a way that seemed to calm me down with deep emotion. ¡°Oh, but your name is going to be Nagishiro Rin, right? Well, I don¡¯t care either way!¡± She was her, and she was totally back to the ¡°Mizuno Shizuku¡± I knew. Since that incident, we have not been able to meet and talk properly, but after that scandal was over, she is now working as a voice actor. I really didn¡¯t know which way things were going to go there, so I¡¯m glad it went in the right direction for now. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s the way it is for now, so have a bowl today!¡± ¡°¡±¡±Yeahhhh!!¡±¡±¡± ¡°And after that, help me write my song!¡± ¡°¡±¡±Haaa!???¡±¡± Huh? I haven¡¯t been able to break out of my slump for a bit yet, so I thought I¡¯d ask for your help. ¡­¡­? I was just getting into a good vibe. ¡°That¡¯s Rin kun for you. ¡­¡­¡± I felt that this murmur that Kotoha let out represented the opinions of everyone present. CH 62 Time was passing, and January was coming to an end. The cold was only getting colder, and if anything, it seemed to be peaking around here. In the midst of all this, I went to college as a matter of course and was called by Professor Omori at the end of class. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mess, but who cares?¡± The room I entered after Omori sensei was the teacher¡¯s private room at the university. It was a place I often visited when I went there to ask questions. There are several thick books on the shelves, as thick as this one, and it is evident that the teacher is a studious and research-oriented person. ¡°Sensei, maybe it¡¯s time to get your books in order.¡± ¡°No~ I¡¯m sorry ¡­¡­ I¡¯m not willing to give up any of my books. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then take it back home.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t have room to put it at home either. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± After all, they say, you can¡¯t throw away a book. I think that kind of ¡°study more than lover¡± attitude is the reason why people are missing out on marriage. ¡­¡­ If she likes to do it, it can¡¯t be helped. ¡°For now, just sit around there.¡± She brings a pipe chair from beside her desk and holds it out to me. Then I run both the electric heater and the air conditioner and make sure there is hot water in the pot to make coffee. ¡°So, um, what is it ¡­¡­ ? I was called out of the blue.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry, sorry.¡± It was as if she had forgotten why she had really called me up. The earlier conversation upset you. ¡­¡­. ¡°Gohom¡± Coughs After a single cough to keep up appearances. ¡°Nagishiro. Is it true that you¡¯re a composer, ¡­¡­?¡± Then, as if in fear, she asked a question from a low posture. But the content of this question was exactly what I had imagined. ¡°Well, in a manner of speaking, yes. ¡­¡­¡± I had expected it, but was a little embarrassed to admit it. It was by no means that I was doing anything embarrassing, but I was embarrassed that people would think I was just a transient flirt of a college student. However, Professor Omori asked suspiciously. ¡°I was told by a fourth-year student in my seminar to look up Kazashiro Rei¡­¡­.¡¡A fourth-year student in my seminar told me about it, and I looked it up, but ¡­¡­ turned up an awful lot of hits.¡± ¡°Aah¡­.um¡­.¡± I was so embarrassed about it that if I had a hole, I would want to get in it. It was very embarrassing to be told by someone who knew my pen name, or rather the name I came up with. ¡°What, you look down and shyly ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Because I have already abandoned that name!¡± This was not a matter of being too embarrassed to speak out. This was my declaration on YouTube at the same time three days ago, on January 24, the day Mizuno Shizuku announced her new single. And yet it was a decision I had made all along. I¡¯m embarrassed to say that it¡¯s been picked up as news by various web media outlets¡­. It¡¯s kind of embarrassing and shameful all the time. ¡®Well, I¡¯m not a music guy, so I hate to say I don¡¯t know, but ¡­¡­. I just know it¡¯s gaining popularity.¡± ¡°Enough! Please really stop!¡± ¡°The article, [Why does Kazashiro Rei only offer his music to beautiful female artists] was quite interesting, you know? It gave me a glimpse into Nagishiro¡¯s taste in women.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t trust an internet hoax at a glance from a would-be university professor!¡± In these days when information literacy is so important, I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s such a good idea. ¡­¡­ It makes me want to hold my head up a little. ¡°Well, so here¡¯s the thing.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want everything we¡¯ve talked about, can I go home?¡± ¡°Oh, relax.¡± The professor chides me for throwing a tantrum and trying to leave. She seemed to be choosing her words carefully and did not speak up easily, but finally she cut to the chase. ¡°Are you ¡­¡­ going to quit this college?¡± ¡°Aaah¨C¡­¡­¡­¡± It all made sense as to why I was called away and why the professor looked somewhat unflattering. ¡°Indeed,¡­¡­ since being here is not a plus when it comes to being a composer.¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Professor Omori agrees with what I said. I belong to the economics department at my university. Even if I study hard here, there is nothing that will lead me to the future, as I have already decided to live my life as a musician only. ¡°That¡¯s actually something I¡¯ve been struggling with ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I-I see¡­..¡± When I told her that I was actually leaning toward dropping out of school, the professor became overtly depressed. I was kind of happy. I was happy that there were people who were sad to hear that I was quitting. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll find anyone like that in your students. ¡­¡­ ¡°But I think being here has helped me in my music career.¡± So, not to return the favor, but to make up for the self-satisfied guilt, I was talking about that. ¡°I joined a club my freshman year, and it didn¡¯t work out. I also had the experience of taking classes with 100 other students, and I never would have known that there were such unique professors until I came here.¡± ¡°Nagishiro¡­.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that, ¡­¡­ but I certainly think it will continue to help me in my songwriting.¡± There are many things that I was able to experience because I joined a university. Now I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll live soon, and I may never actually be useful or feel useful, but I didn¡¯t think it would be a waste of time. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll stop, but I¡¯ll ¡­¡­ come back to report on that when I do.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah¡± Professor Omori is a bit tearful. I think that kind of quietness is a little cute. I wonder if showing such weakness to men would make her popular with them, and I¡¯ll keep thinking about it as an afterthought. ¡°I¡¯m rooting for you, Nagishiro. I¡¯ll be rooting for you.¡± ¡°¨C!!! Thank you¡­..¡± However, I still think I have a good teacher. She is a really respectful and great teacher. ¡°Also, when you get on TV or something, introduce me to some ¡­¡­ hotties!¡± ¡°I knew this was the way it was going to turn out.¡± Really, if it were not for the love aspect, she would be a respected teacher. £ª ¡°¨CLook!! it¡¯s Rei¡¯s new song!!¡± A blonde woman shows her cell phone screen to the manager who is driving in a car on the coastline. She is at the age of turning 20 in just one more year. Although she still looks innocent, her style as an artist is already that of a veteran as well as that of a superstar. Mia Brooks. She made her debut as an 18-year-old in the year before last and captivated the nation with her first single. In one year, the young woman rose to the top of the world¡¯s artists. She is different from other such singers, and has been focusing on one composer from an island country for the past year or so. ¡°Mia. The composer has changed his name. He is going by his real name, Nagishiro rin.¡± ¡°Nagisiro ¡­¡­ rin?¡± She liked the pronunciation of the word somewhat. Rin, Rin, Rin ? and excitedly spluttered in the car. Those areas are still age appropriate, or rather a bit young. ¡­¡­ Mia learned about the Japanese because Sophia, a fellow artist, told her about them. Everything seems to be popular among women in the same young age group as her. They say it is popular among American singers. The girls were focused on the melody, and of course Mia was too, at first. Some are light pop songs, while others are ballads that will unintentionally loosen your tear glands. All of the songs resonated with Mia. But that¡¯s Mia, indeed. Not just a superstar. She studied Japanese to understand his songs. In her mind, lyrics are as important as songs. The fact that the lyrics are unintelligible makes the song half as appealing, if not less so. So she made sure to study Japanese and actually learned some Japanese from his lyrics. The manager was also from the same country and spoke Japanese, so learning Japanese was not that difficult. And as she came to understand the Japanese language, she also came to understand that it is impossible to speak of Nagishiro Rin as a composer only in terms of his compositions. She found the lyrics to be just as lovely as the music. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t it about time I made my debut in Japan?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Mia. You just want to meet Nagishiro, don¡¯t you?¡± She has no intention of hiding it. Rather, she¡¯s opening it The manager sighed deliberately, but showed no sign of paying attention. ¡°¨CWell, yes, I guess so. But if you have to clear your schedule, that¡¯s at least two months, right?¡± ¡°Eeh? What kind of plans do I have?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t show it.¡± It¡¯s a bad habit of Mia¡¯s to want to procrastinate as soon as the manager show her. She seems to care about her fans, but she goes ahead with what she likes. ¡°And ¡­¡­ he seems to have a girlfriend, too?¡± The manager, in return, shows Mia one image at a red light. This is a photo that she already know is a hoax, but it worked for ¡­¡­ mia. ¡°Wat!? what is this!? Where did you get this from¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Well, he seems to be popular in Japan, so he must have a girlfriend or two.¡± Mia seems to have a tendency that once she likes a song, she also likes the person itself. She was completely taken with the woman who provided her with her first debut song, and she also has a considerable fondness for Rin Nagishiro. Perhaps the reason she wanted to go to Japan was because she just wanted to meet and talk with him. Songs and such are probably of secondary importance. ¡°Why¡­..¡± Mia¡¯s shoulders slumped and she hung down. Just as the manager¡¯s strategy. Now she shouldn¡¯t even want to go to Japan ¡­¡­ for at least a month or so. The manager who thought so, however, was easily dashed. ¡°I¡¯m going to ¡­¡­, Japan.¡± ¡°¡ª-Huh!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going !! To prevent any more strange insects from sticking to him!!¡± The manager doesn¡¯t know where she learned that kind of Japanese, ¡­¡­, and it makes the manager want to hold his/her head¡­. Apparently, they went in the wrong direction. ¡°Haaa¡­.¡± Thus, the story was about to start up again, unbeknownst to Rin. (TL/N : Eeheheh, Dokidoki) CH 63 ¡°Heee~, Mia Brooks is coming to Japan next month.¡± After a month of being so busy all the time, I was spending a relaxing weekend for the first time in a long time. While eating snacks and looking for any news of interest, I slack off and enjoy my vacation. I thought to myself that it was a way to spend a holiday like an old man, but I didn¡¯t even dislike wasting time that much. ¡°Hmm?¡± I heard the phone on the bed shaking. ¡°Okay okay, what can I do for you today?¡± Since I have a tendency to forget things, I have an alarm that goes off in advance on days when I have important appointments. But I don¡¯t think I had anything special to meet people today. ¡­¡­ I turned on my cell phone screen and saw that I had apparently received a message, not an alarm. [Senpai! May I come over to your house today?] It was from Azusa. Azusa was supposed to live on the floor above me in this apartment because of a threatening email from a fan. Azusa moved here because it is better to have someone nearby who can be relied on immediately in times of need. So often she would visit in this sort of guerrilla fashion, and that¡¯s happened a lot since I¡¯ve been back here. This time, too, the pattern will probably be the same anyway. ¡°Hey hey Roger that¡± I type a message, hit the send button, and toss my phone on the bed. Then immediately my phone vibrated. I opened my cell phone and found a message from another person. [Rin. I¡¯m coming over there today.] And this time it seems to be definite. Can you at least ask for permission ¡­¡­? Please¡­¡­. And then a further message. [Rin kun~. I¡¯m going to visit your house today. Please leave it open?] And furthermore. [May I come by today?] [Nagishiro kun, I¡¯m coming today!] Harushita san and Shizuku san came to me with lines one after the other. As expected, when it goes on like this, you realize it¡¯s not a coincidence. ¡°Oh, I see, today is my birthday. ¡­¡­¡± Come to think of it, yes, Mirei, Azusa, and Kotoha celebrated me last year at this time as well. It seemed early to think that it has already been a year since then, but that may be because the past year has been so rich in content. ¡°It¡¯s not every day I get to ¡­¡­ celebrate my birthday.¡± It may be a frequent thing among women, but most boys are not familiar with birthdays and such things. And now that I am a college student and less connected to others, I feel as if it is a rare occurrence to have my birthday celebrated. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m a happier man than I thought. ¡­¡­¡± I may be a really lucky guy, as the only person with whom I can celebrate is also the person with whom I am celebrating. ¡°How did this happen? ¡­¡­¡± As the night went on, I had to rethink that idea, which may have been wrong. The reason is, well, you know. It¡¯s quicker to see it in person. That¡¯s why I looked in the kitchen with horror and found ¡­¡­. ¡°Move aside, please. I¡¯m cooking.¡± ¡°Oh my~, aren¡¯t you a brat for someone so much younger than me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m ¡­¡­ younger or older, does it?¡± ¡°Rin kun likes older women, though, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± In a terribly swarthy atmosphere, Harushita san and Kotoha were fighting over the kitchen. Perhaps it is because they have already bought food for each other, but they show no signs of backing down. ¡­¡­Or rather, don¡¯t just quarrel and reveal my irrelevant type of woman!! How do you know, huh? Harushita san is also in trouble¡­ Even if you say that, haa? That¡¯s all you¡¯re going to get from me. At any rate, the atmosphere was such that I couldn¡¯t even look at it, so I decided to quickly leave. ¡­¡­ Now there was a fight in the living room as well. ¡°Hey, Mirei san! That¡¯s my seat!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I¡¯m next to Rin.¡± ¡°Then give me the other side!¡± ¡°Ah! Even Shizu san!¡± As the dishes were being moved, Azusa, Mirei, and Shizuku san were just fighting for space. They are supposed to show that it is their seat by placing their own cell phone or bringing their favorite beverage nearby. Or perhaps they are trying to extort food from me¡­¡­?¡¡I¡¯m scared. I¡¯d definitely prefer to have a quiet Harushita san or someone next to me. I mean, Azusa. She is calling Shizuku san [Shizu-san]¡­¡­. Can¡¯t you do something more about that naming sense? ¡­¡­ So there were sparks everywhere in the room and the homeowner had no place to stay. I want to run away to somewhere that is not here anymore. ¡­¡­ I gave up and put on my headphones to escape reality and spent about an hour making music, and eventually I heard my name being called. ¡°Rin kun~? It¡¯s Dinner~¡± It is Kotoha who calls out to me, somewhat like a mother. A voice comes from the kitchen. The way the end of the word goes up so much is subtly creepy, similar to my own mother. And when I went to the kitchen to help out, I was unaccountably a bit surprised to see Kotoha there. She must have come directly from work, still dressed in her outgoing attire and modest yellow-green transparent apron. Her hair was tied up in a bun, through which I could see the nape of her neck, which accentuated her femininity. As I look away, Kotoha seems to notice and calls out to me while serving the food. ¡°What, Rin kun? Did I look like a married woman to you?¡± ¡°I-Idiot !! That can¡¯t be true!¡± ¡°It becomes a formal word. Is that a good sign~?¡± ¡°Eeei, Come quickly with the food!¡± ¡°Fufu, It¡¯s so simple and cute.¡± ¡°Noisy!¡± I made a misguided appeal to be angry, but I guess Kotoha, who is a real professional, saw right through it. She grinned and handed me a plate with a hamburger on it. ¡°Hamburg ¡­¡­? Seems plain for a kotoha. ¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s embarrassing to be awed that it¡¯s your birthday. It¡¯s just as well that we meet as usual, and spoil each other as usual. I am really mad at her because she knew my personality and made the food a little different than usual, or not at all. ¡°How¡¯s it taste?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. I was worried whether it would suit Y-O-U-R taste.¡± (Kotoha said [You] with an [Anata] which can means [You] or what a wife calls her husband..well you¡¯ll understand) ¡°!?!?!?¡î!!¡± Suddenly Kotoha takes on a married woman¡¯s tone, which unintentionally shocks me and almost makes me drop my plate. That surprise is indeed a ¡­¡­ bad idea. ¡°Ah, Rin kun is really interesting.¡± ¡°P-Please stop¡­!!!¡± Even though I had already lost my strength earlier, I could not hold myself any longer. I thought, and I had a flash of inspiration for a counterattack. ¡°Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention¡­¡± ¡°Eh, what is it Rin kun?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to drink.¡± ¡°What?¡± I haven¡¯t forgotten the devastation that went on before. Alcohol should never be allowed with Kotoha. After making sure I nailed it firmly, we moved on to the meal. CH 64 ¡°Okay ,then, Nagishiro kun on his 21st birthday. Cheeerrsssss !!!¡± ¡°Wait a minute, Shizu san is in charge? I¡¯m usually the one in charge there!¡± ¡°Here¡¯s to you, Rin kun.¡± ¡°O-ooouu¡± ¡°Aaah¨C! Why is Ha-san running loose!¡± ¡°Congratulations, Nagishiro san.¡± ¡°Ahh, Harushita san¡­.. thanks ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Muuuuu!!!¡± ¡°Shut up, little girl.¡± ¡°Mirei san, aren¡¯t you being too harsh?¡± So, without any trouble (?), we were getting ready and moving on to the meal. We moved on to the meal. By the way, if you ask me if I am at the birthday table, I am not. I just bring my chair and eat to escape from them. The kotatsu is completely occupied by the women. ¡°As I said, I¡¯m not sure I can stay there. ¡­¡­! Sorry, boys of the world!¡± As expected, my capacity was not big enough to eat a meal comfortably there surrounded only by beautiful girls. Especially Shizuku san and Azusa are wearing shorts in this cold weather, so I can see their glorious thighs from the kotatsu. It¡¯s a sight for sore eyes. Well, the ladies did seem to get along at first glance, but they did not, and from my point of view, they just seemed to be joking around with each other. ¡°Miine¡± ¡°Ah, Mirei san, please don¡¯t take my fries!¡± ¡°Suzune san is thinner than she looks on TV!¡± ¡°Mizuno san? I hope you don¡¯t say that while looking at me. I don¡¯t think Harushita san and I are that different.¡± ¡°Umm¡­..that¡¯s¡­¡± Yes, it¡¯s a very good relationship. ¡­¡­ Let¡¯s leave it that way. The atmosphere seemed to be getting a bit too stuffy, so I turned on the TV and changed the program. There were wide shows and comedy shows on, but unfortunately, none of them had members here. I had no choice but to turn on a news program, and the topic I had just been working on was featured on the news. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Mia Brooks. I heard she¡¯s coming to Japan.¡± It was Kotoha who opened her mouth. She sounded like she knew something about it, so I asked her. ¡°What? Kotoha knew about this from the beginning?¡± When I asked, it was Azusa who returned the answer. ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of it senpai? It¡¯s already the talk of the town. ¡°Is that so?¡± I knew that she is a famous artist, but I thought that visiting Japan was a common word. ¡°Is it really that controversial?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Because it¡¯s that Mia san.¡± You say this as if it were obvious, but I¡¯m not sure. It may be a common story in your world. ¡­¡­ Then Harushita san, who was standing next to Azusa next to me, added her explanation, holding her head a little. ¡°It is unthinkable that people are paying so much attention to her before she even arrives in Japan,¡± ¡°¡­I see¡± When I think about it, when I think about superstars coming to Japan, I always imagine a scene where their fans are so excited after they arrive in Japan. If you think about it, it is unusual that so many people are making a fuss as soon as they decide to come to Japan. Harushita san, who can explain things like that in a way that I can easily understand, is a celebrity, but she seems somewhat like an ordinary person. Maybe she¡¯s simply too smart [Mia san is coming to Japan next week!!] As I watched the exuberant reporter¡¯s comments, I thought about turning on the TV one more time next week. ¨Cwho was the initiator? It could be the good-natured Azusa or the awfully distant Shizuku san. It could be Kotoha, the strategist, or Mirei, the uncompromising Mirei, or perhaps inadvertently, Harushita san. Anyway, it is no longer certain whose words were the ones that sparked the war. Now they just had to get away with it, without trying to extinguish it or let it go. [Rin. I¡¯m going to sing Rin¡¯s first song, aren¡¯t I?] says Mirei as if she has made up her mind. [What are you talking about sleepwalking about? Nagishiro kun¡¯s last song as Kazashiro Rei was me, so Nagishiro Rin¡¯s first was me too, right?] Shizuku san says without offending. [Your first time will be with ¡­¡­ me!] Azusa blushed for some reason It was Kotoha and Harushita san who were looking on high, but their eyes were not protective, rather they had the eyes of military strategists. This was what I found out when I sneaked a look toward the living room from my room. Even now, as I gently close the door, I can still hear the girls arguing in my room next door. ¡°Haa ¡­¡­ they really do forget themselves when it comes to songs. ¡­¡­¡± Even these women do not like to fight (I think). There is just a genuine desire to sing as many songs as possible. So I was not going to blame these guys, nor could I blame them. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve only gotten one song, so give it to me!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°But I think Mirei san, who receives the most, should decline!¡± ¡ª Oh, I can see the faces of each of these people when I hear them bickering. By now, Shizuku san is probably puffing her cheeks out and Mirei is probably looking like she deserves it. Azusa is Azusa, energetically raising her hand and expressing her opinion. ¡°Can I have a minute¡­..?¡± Then I heard a cool voice. ¡°? It¡¯s fine though¡± It was Kotoha who opened the door and entered. ¡°E-Excuse me.¡± Her slender legs peeking out from under her knee-length skirt and her ample b***s visible even through her blouse. I would have thought nothing special anytime I saw them, but for some reason I am now bizarrely aware of them. ¡°W-What?¡± I ask her what she wants so that she doesn¡¯t realize how flustered I am. Kotoha then answered in a whisper than usual, holding the skirt up. ¡°Y-You know what? I need to talk to you.¡± Kotoha was kind of teasing now. She was teasing and cute. Her movements and language were as primitive as if she were a high school student, a far cry from the spare, married appearance she had just shown me. My heart, still in its prime as a boy, was racing. ¡°You know, Rin kun, ¡­¡­¡± Kotoha shyly sat down next to the bed where I was sitting. Kotoha came up next to me at a distance that was almost shoulder-to-shoulder, obviously with that kind of awareness. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to ¡­¡­ say this for a long time. ¡­¡­¡± Unbutton the top button of her blouse. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of her slender, beautiful fingers as they delicately unbuttoned the buttons. Kotoha came one more closes. Her dark hair is already touching my arm and tickling me a little. ¡°Rin kun¡­..¡± ¡°Kotoha¡­..!¡± Her sweet scent melts me. I could feel Kotoha¡¯s breath close to me and her fresh lips in front of me. Her lips seem to want something, and I instinctively know what it is. Sucked in, sucked in. ¡­¡­ ¡°¡ª¡ªWhat are you doing, you two?¡± That¡¯s where it stopped. Kotoha immediately returned to her usual face as if nothing had happened and quickly closed the button. ¡°It was a little hot, so I just came over here.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­..I see¡± Harushita-san looked at Kotoha with half-lidded eyes, then shifted her gaze to me. ¡°No, no, no! It¡¯s really, really nothing!¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Harushita san left the room, saying only that the rice was getting cold, so please come back soon, and Kotoha followed her out of the room. ¡°E,Eeeee, Eehhhhh!!!!????¡± Alone in the empty room, I agonized for a while. CH 65 This is the second Saturday in February. On this day, I was headed to a public bathhouse for a change. I had been at home working on a melody for the next song I was going to write, and I just couldn¡¯t come up with any ideas. In the past, I had just waited for ideas to flow out of me without doing anything, but now that I had decided to become a composer, I couldn¡¯t afford to take that kind of leisurely approach. If I am going to do this as a job, I can make deadlines, and such passive behavior may lead me to inadvertently cross deadlines. So I need to find a way to solve the problem, even if it forces me to do so when I¡¯m stuck. Thus, the public bathhouse. With a minimal change of clothes and some money, I headed to a nearby public bathhouse. It is around 11:00 p.m. and it is already dark all around. I¡¯ve never lived my life going out at night, so it¡¯s kind of refreshing. ¡°It feels kind of liberating.¡± After passing through a street lined with apartments, restaurants were still open for business with their lights twinkling. The area is lined with family restaurants and chain taverns, and even at night it is not dark enough to get lost. Next time, it might not be a bad idea to be canned in a place like this. Lyrics and such could be thought of for places like this. Euphoria rises in the city at night, which is unfamiliar to me. It was somewhat unrealistic, like I was in some unknown city. ¡°Hmm, Hmm, Hhhhmmmmmm~~~¡± Was it because I am so excited that I am humming a tune? I failed to notice the lone woman following me from behind. When I arrived at the bathhouse, there was a man in his 30s standing at the reception desk. ¡°Okay, U-Umm¡­.A-Alright¡± He was on the phone, but when he recognized me coming in, he smiled. Still, he is dexterous, as he is able to entertain customers over the phone without interruption in conversation. As expected, I did not feel comfortable going inside the curtain without permission, so I waited for a few minutes. ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡± A man at the reception desk approached me from the counter. ¡°I understand this is your first time here?¡± ¡°Eh, Well, yeah¡± He confirms in an assertive tone that he remembers every face of every guest who comes in. And as soon as the receptionist confirmed that it was a first-time visitor, he proceeded to go through the manual, wiping the sweat off his face. ¡°Please use the lockers in the changing rooms to keep your valuables safe. Please take care of your own keys.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah¡± ¡°A-Also, we have a sauna and oxygen capsule at your disposal. We will charge you extra for the oxygen capsule, though. The sauna is free, so definitely keep using it.¡± ¡°O-Okay¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, one more thing. After your bath, please drink the fruit milk we sell in our store. It¡¯s your first time here, so we¡¯ll serve you.¡± ¡°Heee, Whaaa¡± ¡°Well then, enjoy your stay.¡± The waiter had said all he had to say, and when I finished paying the fee, he withdrew to the back of the room. I was handed the key, and I was left alone with a pout. ¡°¡­..Well, Can¡¯t help it¡± It kind of looked like the clerk was beating his chest, but it wasn¡¯t really a big deal. At any rate, I headed toward the men¡¯s baths. The inside of the bathhouse was covered with very clean white tiles, so much so that I felt as if I might slip and fall. Resisting the urge to jump into the bath with a zap, I wash my head and body. The shampoo is probably better than the one I have at home. The containers are different. It had writing on it that I couldn¡¯t tell if it was English or not, but it smelled like roses. I scrubbed my head, scrubbed my body, and took a bath first. ¡°Buhaaaa~¡± I take a dip in the hot water, sounding like an old man. The bath is not a hot spring, so the water is no different from that at home. If I may say so, the temperature is a little high. Still, it felt fresh. For some reason, I had a profound realization that life was so free again for the first time. I guess I hadn¡¯t truly separated from my parents yet, or I didn¡¯t know that I could do these things on my own. Already this alone was quite a refreshing change of pace and I feel inspired. Well, so much so that I honestly forgot about the music until now. The interior design of the bathhouse seems to have no particular attention to detail, and it is safe to say that there are no pictures of Mount Fuji painted on the walls or a bleak landscape. Perhaps the freshness will wear off after a few visits, but for now, this was fun enough. ¡°Come to think of it, I don¡¯t see anyone at all.¡± As I was observing the bathhouse, I suddenly realized. There were people in the beginning, but after 10 minutes, there was no one in sight but me. There is no sound of the shower, no echoing sound of the tub falling to the floor, as a matter of course. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not exactly a place to linger.¡± The water is set at a relatively high temperature, so you cannot stay in the hot water for that long. I¡¯m definitely going to get a cold sore, too. It¡¯s time to get out. After getting out of the hot water, I wipe off all the water from my body with a hand towel that I brought with me. Then I tried to open the door. ¡­¡­ ¡°What? It won¡¯t open?¡± The door does not open properly. I tried putting a hand towel nearby and pulling with both hands, but to no avail. Perhaps someone has carelessly locked the door. ¡°Oh well, they¡¯ll notice when someone comes along again anyway.¡± Then I remembered that I had not yet been to the sauna I was looking for. The owner of the restaurant also reminded me to [definitely go] and I would be sorry if I didn¡¯t. My body is just about to cool down again, and I¡¯m feeling just fine. Follow the floor plan by the entrance. The sauna was located behind the wash area. A sign on the entrance door warns of heat stroke and dehydration. ¡°Oh, wow.¡± The inside is wooden, a complete change from the bathhouse. Many, many trees are stacked on top of each other, creating an enclosed space. ¡°This is a nice place ¡­¡­¡± Perhaps the simplicity of the bathhouse construction was due to the particulars of the place. It was so well done and had such a calming atmosphere that it made me think so. I can see why the owner recommends it. I closed the door and took one deep breath. As soon as it closes, I feel the high humidity inside. The crisp air is irresistibly hot. It was a little uncomfortable. ¡°Hot, Hot hot hothothothot¡± I Enter through the entrance and try to sit in the front There were towels laid out where I sat, but my calves inadvertently came in contact with the wood and were hot. I felt like I was going to get burned. ¡°P-Phewww¡± Alone in the empty sauna, I cross my arms and bear it. This could be a spiritual discipline, I thought, as I waited desperately to sweat. I was slow to perspire, perhaps because I am not a sweaty person, and after about five minutes, sweat finally began to run down my forehead. ¡°So hot¡± Naturally, it¡¯s hot, but I haven¡¯t stuck around long enough to go outside and get a sense of freedom yet. Let¡¯s try for another 10 minutes. I put the hand towel on my waist and got myself fired up once more, and that¡¯s when it happened. ¡°Hi?¡± In the sauna, I had a vision of a blonde woman who was not supposed to be here. CH 66 ¡°E-E-Ehhh¡­¡­.!??¡± I may have even gotten something important out of my body in my sweat. Because I have seen a woman who should not be there in the sauna in the men¡¯s room. ¡°Oh, what¡¯s that? You¡¯re not responding.¡± The woman has a towel apologetically covering her thighs from the upper chest of her body. Her golden hair was tied up in a single knot, from which a woman¡¯s distinctive coloring emanated like a boiling potion. ¡°It¡¯s weird, I thought I was supposed to have a beautiful body. ¡­¡­¡± I Close my eyes and take a deep breath. Apparently, I am so hungry for women that I fantasize about these situations. I must throw away all my troubles. ¡°Hmmm, I¡¯m embarrassed, but I¡¯ll take the plunge and remove the towel¡­..¡± ¡°W-Wait!!!!¡± Oh, Bad, this woman almost took her own towel right now¡­!? I rush to get a firm hold on her right arm and raise it up. So it was about time I acknowledged what was happening right here in front of me. ¡°Ah, you noticed.¡± The woman looked relieved and laid her rich chest out in relief. I hurriedly looked away from the towel because I felt like I was about to see something I wasn¡¯t supposed to see. ¡°No, but I didn¡¯t realize you were an ¡°armpit¡± person. ¡­¡­ That¡¯s a little embarrassing. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡­.Ehh!?!¡± I pulled my arms up and her body was at a slight angle as a reaction to my pulling her up, and, yes, I could see her fresh, slightly sweaty armpits just as she was looking at me. ¡°Ah, sorryyyyyyyyyy!!!!!¡± I hurriedly averted my eyes when I realized I had caught sight of it, but my memory seems to excel only at times like this, and the slightly naughty picture was stored in my brain. Ugh ¡­¡­ I hate you, my talent ¡­¡­. Thank you. ¡°I heard that Japanese boys are shy, but you¡¯re surprisingly aggressive ?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not it!! Wait, why are you here!?¡± I hurriedly move away and sit at the edge of the room, leaning forward lightly. But without mercy, the woman sat down next to me. ¡°Eh, wait, umm!?¡± ¡°Well, well, well, calm down, calm down. Don¡¯t worry about it. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°What are you going to do!?¡± Danger of life, danger of life!? Am I going to die here today!? In the sauna!? ¡°I¡¯m not thinking about taking it and eating you, okay?¡± ¡°Is that¡­..so?¡± I don¡¯t feel like I can trust her in any way. Or rather, first. ¡°How did you get here?¡± I swear, this is a men¡¯s bath. It¡¯s not a place for women to come in. I mean, there¡¯s no way she would have thought to come in in the first place. ¡°Well, what about that? It¡¯s a trade secret.¡± ¡°The most important thing was hidden!¡± ¡°Or rather, who are you?¡± ¡°Ummm ¡­¡­ that¡¯s a secret¡± You¡¯re not going to tell me anything, are you? ¡°Look, look, you can ask me more questions, okay?¡± ¡°How can you say that from a mouth that hasn¡¯t answered a single question ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Tehe?¡± ¡°Where did you learn such Japanese?¡± ¡ª¨Chmm? Rather¡­¡­ ¡°So you speak Japanese.¡± ¡°Yes, I am! I¡¯ve practiced!¡± I was surprised when I looked at the woman because she suddenly started speaking loudly, and she had a look of pride on her face because she had bigger b****s than most people. I beat myself up for inevitably looking at her body and look away. Reason, keep up the good work. ¡­¡­ We¡¯re almost there. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry then. I¡¯m leaving, so I¡¯m going to go¡­¡­¡± ¡°What? You wouldn¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve already given up, would you?¡± The blonde girl instantly leaned in close when I tried to get up from my seat. Oh man, bare skin contact is definitely not good. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m already giving up on that one!¡¡I¡¯ve already raised the white flag. !? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I understand! I¡¯ll stay here a little longer!¡± She said, ¡°Well, I forgive you,¡± and we went back to the proper distance. No, I have no idea what is appropriate anymore. ¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­So what on earth are you doing here?¡± It¡¯s time to know a little more about this mysterious woman, so I ask more questions. I had prepared my next question thinking that they would not tell me anyway, but surprisingly, the woman seemed to be willing to answer. ¡°Hmmm¡­ ¡­¡­. Reason, huh?¡± She leaned forward and put my hand a little on her chin and thought. I feel that every gesture like this is theatrical. It is the same type as Shizuku san¡¯s. ¡°I wonder ¡­¡­ if I may ask, an affair investigation?¡± ¡°Am I your boyfriend?!!¡± ¡°The future¡¯s?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to have a girlfriend who won¡¯t even tolerate my ex-girlfriend¡¯s presence !!!!¡± I mean, please don¡¯t say ¡°girlfriend¡± with pride. I know it¡¯s a joke, but it¡¯s just too heartbreaking. ¡°Well~ as expected, Rin. You¡¯ve got a good sense of humor, too.¡± ¡°N-Not that !¡­..Eh?¡± Eh? Just now? ¡°Do you know my name ¡­¡­?¡± Yes, I think I was called by my first name. When I threw the question at her, she seemed to find the response amusing and laughed heartily. ¡°Fufufufu, What? What¡¯s with that reaction? How is it possible that I don¡¯t know Rin¡¯s name? Even the world¡¯s top artists know his name?¡± The woman is pouting and laughing, but it¡¯s a bit hard to hear. ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± ¡°Just like I said. You¡¯re not like me¡­ you¡¯re getting attention in America right now, you.¡± ¡°Eh¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that blank expression on your face? You¡¯re really funny, Rin.¡± That would indeed be a surprising move. ¡°May I ask you a few details ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Okay Where do I start with ¡­¡­?¡± She seemed so happy to be so distressed. For the rest of the day, she told me about Nagishiro Rin in the U.S., and then she talked about American culture and so on. I forgot that she was a woman and that this was a men¡¯s bath, too, and we got into a lively conversation. Incidentally, my gaze never once went down from her face, though. As we did so, we became more and more comfortable with each other, and in the end we left the sauna together on good terms. L-Let¡¯s just say that we changed clothes separately. When I got out of the bath and came back to the reception desk, there was some kind of conversation going on between the owner and a foreign woman in a suit. ¡°I know, she¡¯s really a pain in the ass, isn¡¯t she? I told her I was going to see her again today, but she wouldn¡¯t listen.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not as talkative as Mia san, but my son is cheeky¡­¡± ¡°Ara, isn¡¯t that good. I don¡¯t even have time to have kids because of Mia¡­..¡± ¡°T-Thanks for your hard work ¡­¡­¡± Apparently, they were having a good time complaining about someone else. ¡°Do you know each other?¡± The woman seemed to be a foreigner, so I asked the woman I had just talked with in the sauna. The woman, however, was no longer next to me and had already interrupted the conversation with the owner. ¡°Hey! What are you doing!? There¡¯s Rin!!?¡± ¡°Oh, Mia. Welcome back. Were you able to see Nagishiro?¡± ¡°Hey, he¡¯s right there !! What if he finds out that I¡¯m Mia?¡± ¡°What, you haven¡¯t told him yet? Maybe you really think that ¡®operation¡¯ or whatever it¡¯s called is going to work?¡± ¡°Hey!? Even Olivia said, [It¡¯s fine]!¡­¡­ Oh, Perhaps you didn¡¯t care?¡± It got kind of noisy. I heard that the blonde girl I was talking to earlier was complaining something to the woman in the suit. ¡°Well, excuse me, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± It looked like there was no more room to stay, so I bailed out the woman I had just met and tried to leave. However, a woman in a suit noticed this and whispered something in her ear. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t say that. It¡¯s Mia.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you!¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you exchange phone numbers?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s right. Well, then¡­¡­.!¡± She comes toward me as if she had made up her mind. ¡°Oh, um, would you like to exchange contact information?¡± ¡°Ummm, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t bring my cell phone.¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± A woman in a suit is laughing hysterically in the background. I am very sorry about something. The woman in front of me also gradually flushed. Then, as if the dam that had been holding back her emotions was about to burst, she burst out in a single breath. ¡°Then contact me here tomorrow! promise me!¡± ¡°Ah, umm¡± ¡°Answer?!¡± ¡°Roger¡­.¡± Satisfied that she had given what looked like a business card, she left the bathhouse with her suit. After they are out of sight, I check her business card. On it was a numeric phone number and an email address. The phone number was unfamiliar to me, and I wondered if she really was from overseas. And in the middle of the business card is her name in written English. Mia Brooks. That. ¡°Mia, brooks¡­?¡± I thought the name sounded familiar, and I converted a lot of things in my head. Mia, Mia¡­¡­Brooks¡­. ¡°Ah!!!¡± That¡¯s how I met Mia. CH 67 Now, thinking back, Mia san met in a way that made no sense to me. No, she is familiar with my first name from the beginning, Brooks san? At any rate, I went home that day and did an image search to see if it was her or not, but I still thought it looked like the face I had seen at that public bathhouse. Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s just my imagination. The next day, I received a call from Mirei. [You¡¯ve made your debut as a composer, now get on the radio.] Mysterious imperative form, but maybe this is out of concern I have not yet publicly announced that I have decided to make my debut as a composer or that I will be changing my name. I just told someone who has been a great help to me as a composer, and now I¡¯m with an unknown composer who hasn¡¯t even released a song yet. I would like to think that Mirei was also concerned about those things and suggested this¡­¡­ And this offer was a great deal for me. Like I said, I¡¯m in a position where I desperately need to raise my profile. It¡¯s called connections, and well, I¡¯ll use the connections I have. It¡¯s like a save data transfer, like a remnant from when I was Kazashiro Rei. Also¡­if I¡¯m not working, I¡¯ll remember what happened yesterday. It¡¯s not confirmed yet, but the thought that maybe I had seen that Mia Brooks naked was all I could handle. To top it all off, I even composited Mia¡¯s appearance on TV with a nude photo I had inadvertently saved in my head yesterday. It is indeed a human being out of his mind. By the way, when I left yesterday, she said [Well, contact me here tomorrow! promise!] But of course, I can¡¯t. If it was Mia, I would be too afraid to call or text her, and if it wasn¡¯t Mia, I would just be suspicious. As you can imagine, there was no way I could contact her. -and well, in light of all that, I decided to accept Mirei¡¯s invitation today. This was the first work of the composer ¡°Nagishiro Rin¡±. ¡°I-It¡¯s being a long time¡± So I had come to the building where 00 Broadcasting Corporation, where I had interned before, was located. Mirei was not here yet, but I had a lot of people I wanted to say hello to, so I came a little after noon. ¡°Oh, Kazashiro sensei! ¡° ¡°It¡¯s been a while!¡± ¡°Hey, have you grown taller?¡± ¡°You, Are you an old relative ?¡± When I visited their office, they warmly welcomed me despite my sudden appearance. The homey atmosphere doesn¡¯t seem to have changed. Everyone stops working and comes over here. But a shadow comes running toward me before anyone else. ¡°Kazashiro sensei!¡± President. Miki san. A strap with a holder containing an IC card is hung from her neck, and her hair is swept to the side. He is a 40-plus year old man with a good-looking physique and a good-natured appearance. In fact, he seems to be well-liked and is much admired by his employees. ¡°Um, it¡¯s too close¡­..¡± ¡°Oops, excuse me!¡± His agile movements are unimaginably agile from his plump body. A setting with a useless gap. ¡°Long time no see, Miki san¡± ¡°Yes, I missed you very much, too!¡± From there I got to talk a little about what¡¯s been going on. ¡­¡­ mainly mine. [I was surprised to see your face on YouTube, or I heard your song the other day, too.] I¡¯m happy to talk about myself, but it¡¯s embarrassing and I¡¯d rather hear the story on ©–©– broadcast anyway. Or rather, embarrassing. ¡°How is Miki san these days?¡± ¡°Me? Lately,employees have been strict again, saying [Increase my salary] or [You should work too]¡­¡± That¡¯s a well-rounded person, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s why you¡¯re so carefree, isn¡¯t it? All the employees are nodding their heads in the background, but that¡¯s acting or a play to get laugh, right? There¡¯s something about one person who is particularly murderous. ¡­¡­ ¡°Y-You¡¯re having fun right?! I¡¯m glad.¡± I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s best not to go too far into this conversation. ¡°I know it¡¯s pretty early, but let¡¯s have a radio meeting! Where is the broadcaster?¡± I left the president as fast as I could, and then we discussed the content. ¡°Okay, so today¡¯s guest was Kazeshiro rei san, or rather, Nagishiro Rin san~! See you next week!¡± The radio broadcast itself went smoothly. During the session, Mirei kept asking me things like, ¡°When is the next song? and ¡°Hurry up and write it down,¡± but I managed to get through it with the help of her assistant, Suzuki san, who helped me around. Seriously, Mirei. Remember, ¡­¡­. But she has no bad intentions and is just being honest, which again is troublesome to hate. ¡°Thanks for today, Mirei.¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Mirei responds simply when I thank her again. The response is as simple as ever. ¡°Well, Mirei. When¡¯s your next gig?¡± ¡°Hmmm~¡± When Mirei silently glanced at the manager, the manager quickly showed her the calendar in her notepad. It¡¯s kind of a good move, and on the contrary, it¡¯s making me cry. ¡°Next up is Valentine¡¯s Day Live on Feb. 14.¡± ¡°Heeee. Are all the female artists getting together for a live show?¡± Once more Mirei looks at the manager. The manager makes a large circle. Apparently, Mirei had no grasp of anything but what she was singing. ¡°There¡¯s Bob, Chibi, and Shiro.¡± ¡°Harushita san, Azusa, and Kotoha?¡± Bob, chibi. Kotoha is a Shirakawa, so she said it like that. That¡¯s terrible. ¡°Also, that loud one.¡± Apparently, Shizuku san has become known as a noisy one. well, she is very energetic, but then again, so is Azusa. ¡°Well, then, I guess I¡¯ll go see¡± ¡°Come. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± Then Mirei¡¯s face, which had been pouting, relaxed a little. I¡¯m still not used to Mirei smiling, and I¡¯m not surprised that I was taken aback. It¡¯s not fair that these people who don¡¯t usually smile is smiling ¡­¡­ ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong Rin?¡± ¡°N-Nothing ! February 14. I¡¯ll keep my schedule open.¡± I Record it in a notepad in my brain. When I get home, I¡¯ll write down my schedule on my computer. I left 00 Broadcasting with such thoughts in my mind. It was already around 20:00, so I took the train down to the nearest station and bought dinner at a convenience store. I went home immediately. I was completely out of it, perhaps from a sense of accomplishment for the first time in a long time, and I fell into despair as soon as I got home. ¡°Welcome back. You¡¯re back late.¡± In this cold winter, someone had parked the car in front of the apartment building and was waiting for me. A woman of exceptional proportions with blonde hair that shines even in the dark. The way she gets out of her car and walks toward me is strangely eye-catching, and I am transfixed by her every move. Even in this cold weather, she is showing her supple legs to the fullest, and she is oddly sexy. On top she wears a coat of a less conspicuous color, but it matches so well that it looks as if it were made for her. Above, it is exceptionally well-proportioned and beautifully shaped. The contradiction of being mature while remaining juvenile could not be more natural, and it is both cute and beautiful. ¡°Ah, Um¡­.¡± There, I finally recognized that she was ¡°real¡±. Not by logic, but by instinct. She was unmistakably Mia Brooks, whom I met yesterday at the public bathhouse. CH 68 ¡°Eh, Mia san¡­.?¡± The person in front of me is exactly the same person I met at the bathhouse yesterday. It was unmistakably her, despite the slight difference in hair style. ¡°W-why are you here?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so cold. It¡¯s so cold.¡± She lightly brushes off my questioning and makes a show of it. I think she deserved it because she came all the way out of the car and was cold, but when she said she was cold, it made me feel like I was making her wait. I kind of feel like I¡¯m going to fall for a scam in the future. ¡­¡­ ¡°Um¡­Then we can talk in the car.¡± I make a suggestion, and she signals something with her eyes to the woman sitting in the driver¡¯s seat of the car. What? The next moment I thought, the car starts up and the front lights brighten. Not long after that, the car unceremoniously drove away. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Aaah, too cold¡± Why did that car go away!? It would have been warmer if we talked in that car! ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the nearest family restaurant¡­¡­¡± ¡°I walked a lot today in heels, I can¡¯t move anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± If you were so exhausted, you didn¡¯t have to wait today?! You¡¯re lying for sure!? I was tempted to make a comment to her, but I could not do so, considering the fact that I was dealing with Mia san. Or rather, I know what she means. But that is indeed not the case. After all, it was Mia Brooks. She is a very famous person who is active in the U.S. and, by extension, the whole world. Of course, I could not just casually let such a person into my house, and if anything, it would be bad to even see her at this time of the day when the sun had set. ¡­¡­, but I guess she got the idea that I was thinking that way. ¡°Ah, If it¡¯s the paparazzi who have been following us, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve already gotten rid of them¡­ ?¡± What is ¨Cget rid? I¡¯m curious but too scared to ask. ¡­¡­ In the meantime, let¡¯s put my hands together for the paparazzi. And let¡¯s put my hands together for my future. After all, I am about to let an extraordinary person into my home. ¡°Um, sorry for the cramped space, but here you go¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, so this is Rin¡¯s house!¡± Mia san already looked excited when I brought her up to the door. I know, the first time you come to a house, you get more or less excited. Well, I think there are only a few people in this world who can raise the tension on the side of welcoming Mia san. ¡°Then I turn on the stove and wait for a while. Until the kotatsu gets warmer, stay quiet around there and ¡­¡­wait!¡± ¡°Heeee, I didn¡¯t expect you to read a book~!¡± When Mia san took her eyes off me, she moved to the bookshelf before I knew it. I¡¯m nervous, and I don¡¯t want her to make unpredictable moves. ¡°For now! Please Stay in your seat!¡± ¡°What~? Oh, well, you must have something interesting!¡± I don¡¯t have anything to be ashamed of in this room now. It¡¯s because Mirei found it when Kotoha came over the other day and got rid of it. I cried tears of blood at the time, but now that Mia san is coming this way, I am very grateful. The awkwardness of being discovered is very different. Mia san seems to have agreed, though reluctantly, and returned to the living room. It seemed that she had been strolling here and there on her way to the airport. ¡°What would you like to drink?¡± ¡°Then Cocoa !¡± ¡°Roger that¡± Mia san cheerfully responds by raising her hand. Such gestures and choices, such as cocoa, are appropriate for her age, or rather, she makes me realize that she is not even 20 years old yet. Somehow, the fact that she is a superstar makes me think, but I guess she is still just a girl of age. Then while I was making milk cocoa, I was thinking about her purpose for coming here. The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that I stood back from contacting her. I was told to be sure to contact her, but as I expected, I hesitated and didn¡¯t contact her. I wonder if she was angry about that. But then, was it a coincidence that we met at the bathhouse yesterday? A chance encounter in the men¡¯s sauna. What an unrealistic plot. It must have been intentional. If that¡¯s the case, the question is why would a superstar named Mia Brooks go to such lengths to see me? As I recall, I heard in the sauna yesterday that I have some recognition in the US. Maybe through that, Mia san learned about my music and liked it more than she thought she would. ¡°If that¡¯s all you¡¯ve come here for¡­..you¡¯ve got to limit to your curiosity¡­¡± Or, if it were Mia san, she would be able to make someone come just by telling them to come. The veto power is practically nonexistent. Still, it is very bold of her to come on her own, and in a way ¡­¡­ very interesting. Maybe you have to be that crazy to become a superstar. ¡°Rin? Is it beeping?¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, It is¡± I was jolted back to reality from my thoughts. I guess I hadn¡¯t heard the warning beeps of the microwave. ¡°Here you go¡± I Take the hot cocoa along with my own coffee and place it in front of Mia san. Mia san thanked me and immediately put her mouth on it, and then took her mouth away from it, saying ¡°hot hot¡±. ¡°Fuuuuu, fuuuu¡± ¡°Cat tongue, yeah?¡± ¡°Cat tongue¡­¡­¡­? Aaah, right. I¡¯ve always hated hot things.¡± Mia san says a little childishly. It made me smile a little. ¡°What is it~?¡± ¡°No, I just felt like, this is the superstar that¡¯s going to populate that world.¡± ¡°Bad? It¡¯s not bad right!¡± It kind of reminded me of when I first had Kotoha, Mirei, and Azusa. I remember well how amused I was at the time, thinking that every one of them was wearing a cat in front of the TV. (TL/N : I don¡¯t get it) Then, when Mia san¡¯s hot cocoa was about half gone and moved to the kotatsu, I decided to ask her directly. ¡°Why did you come here today, Mia san?¡± When I posed the question, Mia san answered in a tone of voice as if she remembered. ¡°Because Rin never contacted me! I wanted to get back at you, get back at you! I wanted to surprise you.¡± ¡°Is that why you came all the way here ¡­¡­ all the way to get rid of the paparazzi?¡± ¡°Of course! I mean, Rin is Rin! You¡¯ve got a lot of nerve to stand me up!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not normally that scared to give out my contact information like that.¡± ¡°No excuses!¡± Kicking and kicking in the kotatsu. It hurts it hurts it hurts ¡°Well, and then there¡¯s that.¡± ¡°??¡± ¡°Song ! Now make it up and play it!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­Ehh!?¡± It¡¯s already 9:00 p.m.!? I¡¯m going to make it now!? ¡°That¡¯s a bit of a stretch. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk back to me! Ah, I¡¯m staying over tonight.¡± ¡°Ah, eh ?! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhh!??¡± No, she said a great thing without hesitation!? She said something so casually and easily that it might cause an eruption of Mt. Fuji ¡°Imposibble! And about that ! I¡¯m sure your manager would not allow it.¡± ¡°She was happy to say, [I¡¯ll sleep better today ¡­¡­]!¡± ¡°That personnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± For some reason, Mia san seemed to be trusted, but for me, the worst of the worst was also the worst. I had no idea that a 100 percent risky event like letting Mia san stay at my house had suddenly occurred. ¡°Come on, quickly make it?¡± ¡°First is food, this girllll!!!!¡± I¡¯m prepared to stay up all night today. Or rather, I¡¯ll do my best without sleeping a wink. CH 69 Shah. Clang, clang, clang. Squeak. Squeak, squeak. Shah. ¡­..weird Even though there is a thick wall separating this room from the bathroom, and I have headphones in my ears to create even more of a wall. Why is it that the sound of a shower and the accompanying metallic noise in the bath reach my ears so vividly? Maybe the big guy has a name for it. After all, it¡¯s a common problem among boys! I don¡¯t know why, but I have a disease in which I can only hear the sound of a woman bathing very clearly. Wait there¡¯s no such thing as a maniacal disease! While making a self-tack, I still try to squash the troubles that pop into my head one by one in the manner of swatting a fly. ¨CWell, what I mean is that I am unusually aware of Mia san¡¯s presence in the bath, to put it simply. I can¡¯t help it. I mean, the beautiful Mia san is using the bathroom in my house. No doubt the place where she stepped on her bare feet will be purified and the leftover water from the bath she took will smell good. The idea is sickening, me. ¡°Hah ¡­¡­, how did this happen ¡­¡­¡± It all started after I came out of the bath. Naturally, Mia san said she had come with the intention of staying the night, so I assumed she had come after taking a bath and making appropriate preparations. So I unplugged the bathtub, and I even simulated that she could use my bed and I could sleep on the couch. But as soon as I left the bath, she said. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a bath too~¡± The words were uttered in a spontaneous manner. ¡°Eh, bath¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, I sweated under the kotatsu, too.¡± The bare legs that were held out to me were simply beautiful and even luscious. No signs of swelling at all. But I found herself inexplicably sexy and smitten, so I decided to give her a bath to wash away my guilt over her. And so it has been up to now. Hearing the sound of the shower, I suddenly imagine Mia san washing herself. A drop of water dripping from that blonde hair falls gently according to gravity from her pure white neck. It climbs up one of the voluptuous twin hills and falls from the top. It falls slowly down the supple limb and is absorbed by the toenails. ¡°¡­¡­ what the hell am I thinking ¡­¡­¡± I was just a pervert. I was undeniably a pervert. I decided it was a bad idea to listen to the sound of the bath any longer, so I played blaring rock music through my headphones. My ears were buzzing, but I managed to reach a state of detachment from wordly desires. It was difficult to make music while listening to the explosions, so I gave up and meditated on my chair, when Mia san came out of the bath and entered the room. ¡°Rin? Thanks for the shower.¡± She is wearing the short-sleeved short pants I usually use for home wear. I am a little taller than Mia san, so it seemed like it would be just right, but the assertion of the clear presence of b****s made it rather a little tight. ¡°Really, why didn¡¯t you bring clothes when you were planning to stay the night ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I thought I¡¯d have enough underwear. and you know, I can borrow clothes from Rin.¡± As if to check her own appearance in my clothes, Mia san spreads her arms on the spot and does a cartwheel. ¡°How about it? If it doesn¡¯t fit, I can lend you a hoodie.¡± ¡°?I don¡¯t need that~?¡± She looked somewhat pleased with herself and was stepping around looking at her reflection in the mirror. I was relieved to hear that the size seemed to be okay. ¡°Hm? What was Rin doing?¡± And there, Mia san seemed to wonder about my outfit and asked me. Mia san points out to me and I check my figure. Headphones in my ears, papers written in English spread out on the display. ¡°Oh, no, this is, well, a worldly desires ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Worldly desires?¡¯ ¡°N-Nothing !!¡± Good. I¡¯m glad She don¡¯t know the word ¡°godly desires¡±. She almost noticed that I was trying my best to reap the annoyance that came from imagining Mia san¡¯s bathing scene. Mia san had a question mark on her head with an innocent look on her face, but her interest soon shifted to something else. ¡°Oh, this is the computer Rin usually uses to write songs! Let me see.¡± Then she approaches my chair half covered and brings her face close to the computer screen. At that moment, a fluffy sweet scent wafts from her, and the annoyances that should have been banished reassemble. Why does it smell so good!? You must have used the same shampoo as me. Even up close, there is not a single brim of hair, golden hair that flows down, shining as silently as the Milky Way. I couldn¡¯t help but want to try to comb it out with my hands. ¡°Wow, wow, even the ones that were submerged are still there!¡± Mia san was absorbed in my computer, not caring about my fainting in such agony. These natural types who come to kill men are still the biggest threat. You¡¯re right, keep your reason, me ¡°Hey, give me the mouse!¡± ¡°Eeeeehhh!!??!?¡± Now Mia san rides even more. Oh, I can feel the soft sensation on my arms¡­oh, maybe she is not wearing her top underwear!?! No, I don¡¯t know how much that one would change the feel, but whatever was hitting my arm now was a natural one. This is a bad one. ¡­¡­ ¡°Hey Mia san¡­..¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± She turned around in response to my words and I saw her face right there. I think it is beautiful without a single blot even in such close proximity, its face that seems to have been made by God with such painstaking care. Then my gaze gradually moved down from the position of the eyes, and there they were fresh cherry-red lips. The distance between us was as close as I could get, and my heart was about to be sucked into it as it was. ¡­¡­ ¡°¡­¡­..Ah!!¡± Finally realizing her current state, Mia san poofed her face away. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s different. ¡­¡­. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose or anything.¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± ¡°I just got so excited when I thought that what Rin had created was there. ¡­¡­¡± ¡±I know, I know.¡± Mia san¡¯s cheeks are upturned and even her ears are stained bright red. Combined with the fact that her skin was always fair, the change was remarkable. ¡°Let¡¯s just calm down for once.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re right¡­.¡± I go outside once to pour a drink to lower the temperature in this room, which has risen so quickly. The time is already around one o¡¯clock in the evening, which means that the mood may be reddening on both sides. ¡°Haaaa¡­.that was bad¡­¡± I think I said it was a close call, but I think I was expecting it. I had thought at that moment that it could happen. I don¡¯t know if I would try to touch anyone just because she is a beautiful girl, I¡¯m ¡­¡­. I was saddened by my lack of moderation, and yet when I returned to my room after taking a longer time because of the cooling down time, Mia san had already gone to sleep in my bed. ¡°Have you gone to bed already?¡± As if it was a lie that I had been so conscious of her, Mia san seemed to have changed her mind. It was wrapped in layers of blankets on the bed, all in one pile. She looked like a tiny baby bug. ¡°She must have been tired.¡± I turned off the light in my room and just said good night, even though she probably didn¡¯t hear me, and I left the room too. Not surprisingly, I did not notice that Mia san¡¯s ears were still red, hidden by her hair. CH 70 When I woke up in the morning, there was no way that Mia san would be ¡­¡­ in front of me (because I slept on the couch), and she woke up so late that I had to go out of my way to wake her up. I had trouble keeping my eyes open because her clothing was somewhat disheveled, but I got over that with a spirit of steel. I don¡¯t know if I was just getting used to it or if I was just a little less excited because it was morning, but I want to praise the fact that it wasn¡¯t that hard. I am growing up. Definitely my tolerance for blondes is getting stronger. So today was breakfast with Mia san. I have rarely had breakfast with other people since I became a college student, so it was a bit of a breath of fresh air. Mia san bites into her toast with a vacant eyes, as if her brain has not yet fully awakened. ¡°Um, Mia san,¡­¡­.what about your job?¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already 8:00 in the morning¡­.. have you heard from your manager?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡± This is no good. She is completely sleepwalking. She¡¯s still a bit sleepy and bouncy in some places. I mean, I wonder if the manager is not a bit too carefree? Just letting such a beautiful girl stay at a man¡¯s house would normally not be approved, but she didn¡¯t hear from her until the morning. ¡°People in the U.S. must be fast-paced, I¡¯m sure they are¡± ¡°Hmmm¡± I leave Mia san, who is completely sleepwalking, alone and get myself some breakfast. Because today is today and I have plans too. In fact, I had a meeting with Harushita san today to discuss the next song. It is not that Harushita san is the only one who is special I have plans to have meetings with Mirei, Kotoha, and also with Azusa. It¡¯s indeed time to get serious about composing music. Well, I still had some time before my appointment, and I wasn¡¯t in any particular hurry, but just as I was thinking ¡­¡­. What was the brutal sound of a ding dong. ¡°Eh¡­¡­¡­..?¡± There should have been no plans for someone to come this early in the morning. It is not yet time for the courier to arrive. A chime rings, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. ¡°Rin, it¡¯s ringing.¡± And there is one person in front of me who has no sense of crisis at all, and yet is leading the situation into crisis. ¡°Not that!!! Go hide somewhere else!¡± The way I forced Mia san, who still doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, to come to my room and say ¡­¡­ is out of order! For now, I hide her in my room and hurry to the front door. Visitors are impatient or ringing unusually often. ¡°Yees! Yess! I¡¯m coming!¡± At any rate, I open the door at the very least, keeping in mind not to let them in the house, even by accident. I¡¯m trying to make the inside of the house as invisible as possible, of course. As the door slowly unfolded, a familiar face appeared from below. ¡°Senpai! Good morning!¡± ¡°It¡¯s you¡­.¡± ¡°Eh, aren¡¯t you being rude!? You¡¯re obviously in a bad mood!¡± There was Azusa, her cheeks puffed out. The morning was 100 percent full of energy. ¡°What is it, it¡¯s early in the morning.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already 8:30! Isn¡¯t it too late to get up?¡± ¡°I was up an hour ago myself.¡± For the time being, I was watching to see what the other party would say, and thinking of excuses not to let her into my house in case of all kinds of situations. If she asked me to eat breakfast with her, I already did. It would be something like this. Yes, it¡¯s perfectly correct. But then I realized a fact. ¨CMia¡¯s heels are left at the front door!!! There is indeed no excuse for this. Fortunately, the location is still just barely a blind spot from Azusa. As long as I don¡¯t open the door any more strangely, I¡¯ll be fine. Okay, perfect. ¡°¡­¡­ senpai, you¡¯re sweating?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah? Well, it¡¯s hot. It¡¯s a hot day.¡± ¡°It¡¯s February though¡± ¡°Haha, for me, it¡¯s hot and humid all year round. Always summer, huh! Ha-ha-ha.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± She gave me the eye. No, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m a better liar than that. ¡°S-S-So, what can I do for you?¡± When I asked her why she had come, Azusa¡¯s clouded face cleared up and she answered. ¡°No, I was going to take out the trash, and I was wondering if you¡¯d like to join me!¡± On the right hand side, combustible garbage. It was packed inside. ¡°Oh, yeah, okay.¡± Apparently, she doesn¡¯t even ask to be let into the house. At least for the moment, I am relieved and indicate my understanding to Azusa. The garbage area of the apartment is outside the apartment. It is not inside the house by mistake. ¡°Yeah, I was just getting full of trash too, so it was just as well. Just give me a minute.¡± ¡°Roger that!¡± I watch Azusa salute me, then lock the door to the house before going to get the garbage bags. It¡¯s a measure to prevent Azusa from opening the door in case she does. I am just somewhat anxious, so I don¡¯t waste any time and immediately go to get the garbage bag. I just checked on Mia san in her room, but she was sleeping peacefully on the bed again, so I guess she is fine. All I had to do was wake her up again. ¡°Hey, thanks for waiting.¡± I Go outside while matching the heels of our shoes. Azusa was politely waiting right by the door. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes !¡± I was accompanied by Azusa there, and I was completely caught off guard and did not hang the door of the house. I thought it would be all right because I would be back soon. Azusa, who had been checking her cell phone, finishes typing her message and puts the phone away, and the two of us head for the elevator. As the two of us were getting off the elevator, which had mirrors in vain, Azusa broached the subject. ¡°By the way senpai, I heard that Mia Brooks came to Japan.¡± ¡°Buhaa!!!¡­¡­¡­..Aaah is that so?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but raise my voice at the sudden mention of Mia san¡¯s name, but it was as close as I could get to fooling around. I can¡¯t help but feel that Azusa¡¯s mentioning Mia san¡¯s name at this point in time has a deeper meaning, but that¡¯s just me being overly conscious of it. There is no way Azusa would know that Mia san is at my house, and Mia san is a very timely topic in Japan right now. It would be of no particular significance. ¡°Senpai, What kind of person do you think Mia san is?¡± ¡°What is it, so suddenly?¡± ¡°Welll¡± Hmmm, what kind of person is she? Someone who has the audacity to walk into the bathroom, but is surprisingly new to the world.. but that might be too specific!! ¡°Well, she¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t she? I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never met her.¡± I said something bland for now and then lied. I should not have had to tell a lie, but somehow I wanted to appeal to her innocence. I really don¡¯t know why. ¡°So, why all of a sudden you¡¯re talking about it?¡± I ask her while taking out the trash for me and Azusa. The elevator was still on the first floor when we returned, as no one else seemed to use it. ¡°Hmm. Well, yeah.¡± When the elevator stopped at the floor where my room was located, Azusa followed behind me for some reason. Huh? Azusa¡¯s room was one floor above mine, right? ¡°Well, simply put, it¡¯s an affair investigation.¡± I suddenly noticed Azusa¡¯s mysterious look on her face. This trash outing is a trap!!. I run to my room, talking to myself in my mind about something I¡¯ll never be able to put into words. It was not a sprint, but an all-out dash. ¡°Mia san!!¡± There is one pair of women¡¯s shoes in the foyer that I don¡¯t know. With the white sandals, I¡¯m down to two candidates in my mind. Kotoha or ¡­¡­. I toss my shoes into place and hurry to my room. I could see that Azusa was following behind me, but as she was coming slowly, I thought I might be running out of time. Still driven by impatience, I open the door to my room. ¡°Aah¡­.¡± Mia san was there, of course. But her eyes were already popping open and she was already staring at the other woman. On the other hand, the woman on the staring end looks a little surprised. At least she didn¡¯t even react to my opening the door, her eyes were glued to Mia san¡¯s. ¡°Oh, Rin. Welcome home.¡± ¡°Well, you see, ¡­¡­, there¡¯s a reason for this. ¡­¡­¡± Mia san called out to me, but I brushed it off and started making excuses to the other woman. That¡¯s when the woman on that side finally notices my presence. ¡°Good morning, Nagishiro san.¡± There she was, still in her white coat, Harushita san. CH 71 The tingling air. Their gazes were clashing so sharply that I felt a sense of danger that they might unravel at any moment. ¡°Uh, Harushita san? Why are you here ¡­¡­¡± Harushita san looked nervous. I didn¡¯t even know if she was angry. I didn¡¯t understand the emotion there. Harushita san pulled out her cell phone in front of me as if to say that was the answer to my question. ¡°Actually, I knew Mia san¡¯s manager. Well, I got to know her before she made her debut.¡± Hearing this, Mia san turns her attention back to her phone with a grim look on her face. And I couldn¡¯t help but peel my eyes back at the message that was floating in there. ¡°[I wonder if Suzu has picked her up by now.] !? that woman is going to get her ass kicked today¡­¡­¡± ¡°Mia san. I¡¯m getting a vibe that I probably shouldn¡¯t be getting, but ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s called ¡°murderous intent. It was the eyes of a girl who really wanted to murder her manager. That was the type of person I was not supposed to see, so I turned my attention back to Harushita san and she continued her explanation. ¡°Then I got a call yesterday.¡± ¡°W-Why?¡± ¡°[Mia is staying at Nagishiro¡¯s house, but if she is not back by morning, I will call you one more time and ask you to go to his house to check on her.]¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come by yourself!!¡± Thanks to this, Harushita san and Azusa found out that Mia san stayed over at my place and spent the night with me No, it may be rather guilty, if you recall in a light-hearted way that this happened, but ¡­¡­. ¡°So Azusa knew about it?¡± I asked Azusa, who entered the room late, why she was not happy. ¡°Of course. Suzu san called me today and asked me to help!¡± ¡°I¡¯m prepared for nothing. ¡­¡­¡± The fact that Harushita san did not rush in alone was a true indication of her character. You don¡¯t miss the prey you¡¯re after. Oh, was I the prey? ¡°S-So, senpai.¡± ¡°W-What is it?¡± Azusa was throwing questions back and forth in an unusually biting manner. It was obvious that this one was overtly nervous. Although she tries not to be conscious of it, clearly Azusa¡¯s gaze is constantly on Mia-san. When I turned my attention to Harushita san, she seemed to be trying to talk to Mia san as an equal in her own way, but every part of her back and shoulders seemed to be stiffening. Mia san, on the other hand, was hostile, but did not seem nervous at all. Harushita san and Azusa are superstars in Japan. To exaggerate a bit, they are so popular in Japan that there is no one who does not know them. But that¡¯s only in the island nation. overseas, there are probably more people who don¡¯t know them. But on the contrary, every being here knows Mia san from overseas Her popularity is so outstanding that she is quite apart from ordinary superstars like Harushita san and Azusa. That is the difference in their attitude now, and it is not surprising that Harushita san and Azusa cannot hide their nervousness. ¡°So, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± Hostile and threatening to ¡°shirk¡± at any moment, Mia san cut in, not hiding her irritation. ¡°Who are you people? Why are you at Rin¡¯s house?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Rin, shut up.¡± Yes, sorry. Seriously, I¡¯ll shut up. I thought I was going to die. ¡°We are Nagishiro san¡¯s ¡­¡­ business partner. He writes the music and we sing it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the same way! Rin senpai and I have known each other for more than 3 years now!¡± Harushita san, and to take advantage of this, Azusa explains Azusa really does look like a small person, but she is going to say what she wants to say at least for the moment. ¡°Rin¡¯s, business partner ¡­¡­?¡± She looks dubious, but Mia san¡¯s eyes change from hostile to questioning. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± It was not a question of weighing the other party, but a simple question. At least that¡¯s how it looked to me. To this, the girls nervously reply with a few words. ¡°My name is Harushita Suzune ¡± Harushita san said clearly. ¡°I¡¯m Ikuta Azusa ¡­¡­,¡± Azusa fumbled. Hearing this, Mia san is somber, as if remembering something from it. No, it was not so much quiet as somber, and she was groaning something like, ¡°Hmmm,¡± or ¡°Uh¡± It¡¯s that feeling of almost being able to remember, of being almost up to your throat, but not being able to get the next bit out. She lies on her bed with both index fingers on her temples, thinking in circles. The sight of this confuses me, Harushita san, and Azusa. I was not smart enough to understand what the hell was going on. Then she eureka! had a flash of brilliance that was almost good enough to make her jump out of bed and say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Ah! ¨CThat Suzune and Azusa!¡± ¡°¡±¡±¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-Eh?¡±¡±¡± Which, I wonder, is that? We looked at each other, but neither of us had any idea what was going on, and if anything, the girls seemed more confused than I was. Mia san had successfully tucked away the negative aura that had appeared earlier, and instead appeared to be sparkling and in a good mood. She takes the liberty of taking Harushita san¡¯s and Azusa¡¯s hands and shaking them. ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear you, I hear you! I hear your songs! Well, only the ones Rin wrote.¡± ¡°Umm¡­.¡± ¡°Is that so!?¡± Harushita san was still bewildered by her flip-flop, and conversely, the honest Azusa was happy to accept her words as they were. Azusa even seems to have a hearty feeling in her cheeks. ¡­¡­ ¡°No, I knew Rin¡¯s music would be great!¡± ¡°Yes yes¡± Azusa is completely on the same wavelength, and they are excited to share their feelings with each other. As for me, I¡¯m itching to hear it. ¡°I know Suzune has only sung two songs, but she sang them! Her debut song was great.¡± ¡°Debut song¡­.¡± Harushita san has only retired from show business once, so her debut song is separate, if I may say so. ¡­¡­ Perhaps she is unaware of such trivial matters. ¡°No, I never thought I¡¯d be talking to that Mia san!¡± Azusa is bouncing around happily. And it seems that she is fixed by Mia san¡¯s hand. She seems to be enjoying herself like a fish out of water. As for me, I don¡¯t want to see a nasty atmosphere between someone I know and someone I just became acquainted with. I think it was good to see this kind of trend. Somehow the fact that she spent the night with me is also going to be a non-issue. Good, good, good. And just as I was thinking that, Mia san dropped a bomb. ¡°¡ª-I can sing better than you, though.¡± I could feel the air getting heavier with each mishap. Azusa¡¯s body stopped laughing, and Harushita san, on the contrary, laughed dryly ha ha ha. ¡®¡¯Um, ¡­¡­ Mia san? what about that?¡± ¡°Mia San. Are you mistaken about something?¡± But I guess the two of them getting into a fight was also calculated by Mia san. Or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that Mia san had planned for this to happen and said something challenging on purpose, and in fact, it did. Mia san says with a smile on her face. ¡°No, no, no, no, I¡¯m not mistaken about anything. I like your songs, of course, but ¡­¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be like that.¡± It sounds like a very arrogant and condescending act, but the fact that the person who said it is Mia Brooks changes the complexion of the situation. Words backed by confidence. Attitudes backed by achievements. So Mia san says with conviction. However, it was a source of struggle for Harushita san and her colleagues. ¡°All right. Then let¡¯s play the game.¡± ¡°A game?¡± Harushita san, who is more competitive than I thought, makes a suggestion. I¡¯m not sure if she even anticipated the suggestion, but Mia san listens with the corners of her mouth hanging open. ¡°Two weeks from now, on February 14. On that day, myself, Ikuta san, and anyone else who has ever received a song from Nagishiro san will participate in a live concert called [Valentine¡¯s Day Live.]¡± Hearing this, Azusa makes an ah-ha face. Maybe she understood what Harushita san was saying. Harushita san continues, as Mia san listens in silence. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to be there. We¡¯ll settle it there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting.¡± Mia san is in full battle mode. Not bathhouse mode. Her demeanor His demeanor is that of an artist, and it¡¯s hard just to be in the same place with her. ¡°So how are we going to play the game?¡¡Of course you¡¯re going to sing Rin¡¯s song, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡± And there, Harushita san looks at me. What, me? ¡°How about having Nagishiro san write a song by the day before the event and upload it to YouTube? then How about having the six of us sing it on the day of the event?¡± Azusa and Mia san nodded in satisfaction at these words. ¡°Eh, that¡¯s seriously interesting, Oh, but I still won¡¯t lose!¡± ¡°Good. It would be nice if I could sing Rin¡¯s song too.¡± Two people in high spirits. No, but please wait. ¡°No, um Harushita san?¡± ¡°You can do that, right?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see, February 14th is only about ten days away.¡± ¡°Then I leave it to you¡± With that, she leaves the room, and Mia san and Azusa follow her lead. I was the only one in the room. ¡°Umm¡­.¡± Write a song in 10 days? Oh, isn¡¯t that bad? Yes? Well, for now. ¡°I¡¯ll go get some energizer. ¡­¡­¡± The 10 days of hell will now begin. CH 72 Not long after that, the university went on spring break, and I was stuck at home composing music. I¡¯ve got seven days left until the live concert on Valentine¡¯s Day. I had to make a general outline of the song soon, but I was still having trouble deciding on a plan. Since it is Valentine¡¯s Day, I think a song about love would be good, and that much has been decided. ¡­¡­ conversely, that is all that has been decided. When it comes to love, is it a song about a lost love or a one-sided love, about youth or about the sordid patterns of adults? There are a variety of choices. I used to make decisions based on my mood and what I wanted to create, but now that I am forced to create songs, such feelings have become rare. However, only a vague desire to write songs remained smoldering. ¡°Hmmm, not this one either¡­..¡± I am struggling while thinking about the melody of the song. I can¡¯t decide whether to use a major or minor key, and I can¡¯t decide on the direction to take. By the way, a major key is a bright song, and a minor key is a dark song. As my mind wracked with questions, I received a call on my cell phone shortly after noon. Apparently, the sender is Harushita san. [Why don¡¯t we go down to the live venue now?] I blinked at the unexpected suggestion. What kind of a blast of wind is it that Harushita san would say such a thing? First of all, Harushita san and I are not even that close. Although she came to my house on occasion, she was not as close to me as Kotoha, Mirei, with whom I share a radio, or Azusa, who lives on the floor above my room, or even Shizuku, with whom I have talked a lot since the previous incident. She was the most businesslike of all the women I was involved with, and while she was interesting to talk to, she was not the type of person who tried to get involved more than necessary. When someone like that invites me out, I am tempted to imagine a deeper meaning, but probably not. That would be something that would also be useful for the job. ¡°I understand.¡± When I sent a reply, I received a simple e-mail saying, [Then at 2:00 at Tokyo Station] I have to laugh a little at the fact that this kind of thing also shows her personality. If it were Azusa, it would be something like, [I¡¯ll be at Tokyo Station at 2:00, but I won¡¯t accept it if you are late¡­¡­ (angry face mark)]. I wonder if Azusa will be okay with such a tone, even though she will no longer be a JK soon. that person wouldn¡¯t have sent a similar text to the manager, would she? I looked at my watch and saw that it was already around one o¡¯clock. It will take some time to get to Tokyo Station, so I need to hurry up and get ready. I left home with only the bare necessities. Just before 2:00 pm. Harushita san appeared at the Marunouchi South Exit ticket gate of Tokyo Station. Just 2 o¡¯clock would be the key point. ¡°Hello, Nagishiro san.¡± ¡°Ah, um, hello.¡± For some reason, I am embarrassed to be greeted in a well-mannered manner, and look away as I return the greeting. Black tights under a long khaki skirt. Her slender legs are slightly visible. And on top is a coat and scarf. Both are in bright colors, but she wears them well. It is as expected. The disguise was very elaborate, with round brown-rimmed sunglasses, a mask, and a knit cap. It was no exaggeration to say that her skin was almost completely uncovered. ¡°Well, shall we go then?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡± Then she walks away. We enter the station and then descend deeper and deeper into the station, so deep that it makes no sense. So, yes. It is our JR Keiyo Line. Why is it really this deep? I don¡¯t know, but maybe there is something against Chiba. The Sobu Line is no longer in Tokyo Station, apparently. I have never used it. Harushita san, who probably doesn¡¯t think about such trivial matters, takes the lead in going down the escalator, and I follow her. I don¡¯t come to Tokyo Station very often, so if I get lost, I¡¯m done. ¡°But then again, Valentine¡¯s Day Live is at Makuhari Messe, isn¡¯t it?¡± Unable to bear the silence, I ask for confirmation. Harushita san then nodded her head and added an explanation. ¡°It¡¯s been a tradition for generations. It¡¯s been going on for a few years now.¡± Valentine¡¯s Day Live, as the name implies, was a live performance by female artists on February 14. Incidentally, a month later, there will also be a White Day Live, this time with male artists filling the stage. The candy companies that proposed Valentine¡¯s Day probably never imagined it would become such a big event. Well, for those who have never received Valentine¡¯s Day chocolates, this is a great event. Incidentally, there is a theory that boys who don¡¯t get Valentine¡¯s Day chocolates are the type of people who dot the classroom, so they don¡¯t tend to come to these gigs. They reach the platform thinking in vain. The train arrived just in time, so I quickly boarded it. It was a weekday afternoon, so it wasn¡¯t crowded, and we were sitting two in a row in a long line of regular seats. I really wanted to sit apart from her because it was awkward to sit next to her, but Harushita san intentionally made room for me so that I could make room for her, so I had to excuse myself next to her. ¡°Oh, um, speaking of which.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Harushita san listens to my incomprehensible Japanese without making any comment, and she listens back to me honestly. ¡°Why did you invite me to the preview? I mean, isn¡¯t a preview a rehearsal or something right before?¡± When I ask, Harushita san turns her head down and answers. ¡°No, well, yeah¡± Although I had my doubts about her brusque reply, I waited silently and Harushita san continued. ¡°I proposed this match, didn¡¯t I?¡± The conversation will be about a match that was decided about three days ago. This time, I mean the match that will take place at the Valentine¡¯s Day concert. Since then, the details of the match were conveyed to me, who was in a position to be at least a concerned party. The content is the last part of the concert, i.e., all six of us together at the end singing a song I wrote. The song is something I¡¯m going to put on YouTube the day before, and I probably won¡¯t have it ready until the day before, so the girls practically don¡¯t have time to practice. How will the girls interpret the songs and how much will they delight the audience and enliven the venue? That is the point of contention. If it¡¯s simple singing ability or the ability to get the fans excited, Mia san is honestly one of the best, but she and I have known each other the shortest. So it was decided that anyone could win depending on how they perceived the song. However, since all six of them sing in unison, it was difficult to make a judgment, so the final decision was to be made by me. This is a lot of pressure. It would be easier to judge if one of them was unquestionably great, but I don¡¯t think that will be the case with these six. They are all superstars in their respective fields. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve put Nagishiro san on a bit of a tight schedule, so I thought I¡¯d help him out until the song was completed.¡± It¡¯s a little tough, nothing to sneeze at. ¡­¡­ Still, I guess it is her way of taking responsibility. ¡°Maybe you haven¡¯t done much with it.¡± ¡°Eh, why¡­.?¡± I¡¯m thrilled when she guesses what I¡¯m going through right now. ¡°Nozaki san, a composer, once told me, The beginning is the hardest part of composing. The beginning is the hardest part of composing.¡± ¡°Haaa, so it¡¯s that person¡­..¡± She¡¯s the one who came to my house once before. She was quite beautiful, but she was a single around 30 person who somewhat resembled Professor Omori. Perhaps all unmarried 30¡¯s people are hungry for marriage. ¡°She said something like, [Surprisingly, you get inspired when you go out and stimulate yourself.] ¡° ¡°I see. I see. Veteran indeed.¡± Come to think of it, I felt very refreshed when I went to a public bath before for a change of pace. I didn¡¯t even get around to composing a song at that time because it was so far out of my mind (80% Mia san¡¯s fault), but it doesn¡¯t seem like the wrong direction to go in. The simple reason why I was not able to do it myself, then, was that I was in a hurry to meet a looming deadline. I didn¡¯t have the idea of going out when the deadline was approaching. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. No, thank you so much.¡± ¡°No, no. You don¡¯t have to thank me for that. ¡­¡­!¡± The always cool Harushita san denies it, waving her hands in the air as if seriously embarrassed. Apparently, she doesn¡¯t like to be thanked very much. But for some reason, that attitude tickles my fancy. ¡°I really appreciate the TV and the cell phone. I really don¡¯t know how to thank Harushita san.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay! It¡¯s okay, please stop ¡­¡­!¡± Having discovered an unexpected side of Harushita san, we arrived at Kaihin Makuhari Station, the station we were looking for. ¡°Ooou¡± There does not seem to be any particular event going on right now and there are no waves of people forming, but on the contrary, that was refreshing. Kaihin Makuhari Station was very open and empty of people, and the blue sky seemed wider than usual. ¡°Shall we go then?¡± From there, it is a surprisingly long distance to the Makuhari Messe Event Hall. After 15 minutes of hustling and bustling walking, we arrived at the event hall. We enter there through the entrance of the concerned parties. The security guard looked at me suspiciously, and when Harushita san showed him her ID or something, he looked even more suspicious, then seemed convinced. Well, I¡¯m not Harushita san¡¯s boyfriend, okay? It¡¯s just a job, okay? First, I was taken backstage. It was daytime backstage, but it remained dark, and yet there was a sense of tension, even though there was no particular event going on. ¡°Harushita san, have you done it here before?¡± ¡°I think I Have. The turnout here is relatively high compared to other places, so it¡¯s not too much.¡± I think the capacity of this hall was less than 10,000 people. I see that the Budokan has a capacity of about 15,000 people, so I guess this is about the same as the Budokan. I don¡¯t know much about live music, but still, 10,000 people seemed like a lot by itself. ¡°Shall we go to the stage then?¡± ¡°What, can I even go on stage?¡± ¡°I have permission.¡± It was something a little unsettling to say. What? Are you sure I¡¯m okay? A different kind of tension was surging through the air, but Harushita san was moving forward at a brisk pace. It was kind of tense, like going to a place in school where you¡¯re told, [You can¡¯t go there.] They won¡¯t get mad at me, right? Still, as we proceeded, we eventually saw the stage. It was a spectacular view. It is open on all sides, and yet, on the contrary, everything seems to be converging on us. Just standing there, my legs started shaking on their own and my hands started sweating. -Harushita san suddenly grabbed my hand from the side. ¡°Eh?¡± It was all too natural. I can¡¯t help but look to the side. ¡°What do you think of this stage?¡± Harushita san, whether she knows of my confusion or not, lightly squeezes my hand. But strangely enough, even though I was nervous about the idea of holding hands with Harushita san, it was pleasant. Maybe it was because the hand in my right hand was smaller and less dependable than I expected. Maybe it was because it was shaking in small increments. ¡°Are you nervous ¡­¡­?¡± Return a question with a question. Harushita san seemed nervous, at least to me. ¡°¡­¡­ haaa. Well, I¡¯m nervous.¡± Then Harushita san looked into the distance with a bored look on her face. Before I knew it, she had taken off her mask and sunglasses. ¡°I mean, perhaps you thought someone like me was used to being on stage and not nervous?¡± ¡°Yeah, well.¡± ¡°No, of course not.¡± She may have been anticipating my reaction, but she returns it before I can finish. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep the day before, and I get so nervous before the show that I feel like I¡¯m going to throw up.¡± If you think about it, it doesn¡¯t seem to be directly related to the reason why you are nervous. I interpreted it as her remembering the concert and tried not to interrupt Harushita san¡¯s conversation. Then she tells the story ¡°Because there are 10,000 people, and 10,000 people will see you. Of course, if I fail, 10,000 people will witness it, and that¡¯s why I can¡¯t fail.¡± Failure in front of 10,000 people. I couldn¡¯t imagine what that would be like. I couldn¡¯t even imagine. ¡°But ¡­¡­ gradually became one with the audience. That¡¯s what makes me feel so good.¡± Harushita san tells me as she recalls. The profile of her eyes closed makes you wonder how long her eyelashes were, and it makes you wonder how out of place they were. The corners of her mouth were slightly upturned and it looked like she was laughing or singing. ¡°Hey, Nagishiro san?¡± Her eyes suddenly widen and she turns toward me, making me impatient. My image was clearly reflected in her clear eyes. Harushita san happily clasps my hand tightly and leads me to the front of the stage with it. ¡°Someday, that¡¯s the kind of experience I want. Would you like to join me?¡± The words were intense and conciliatory, and made me fantastically envision the two of us standing together on stage performing live. CH 73 ¡°Gy-Gyuee¨C¡­..¡± Making a sound like a dying duck, I had arrived at the Makuhari Messe Arena, the venue of the Valentine¡¯s Day live concert, with my fellow otaku Sawamura The time is 4:00 in the afternoon. The start time is 5:00 p.m., so there is still more than an hour to go. ¡°Why are there so many people here ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°No, of course that is a fact¡± Sawamura, by the way, seemed surprisingly unconcerned. As one would expect from a former good-looking guy. No, I don¡¯t think it has anything to do with being good-looking. ¡°I might be down before the gig starts, ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I hope you will be strong, that I do. As you can imagine, I don¡¯t have enough time to fully enjoy this concert solo, that I don¡¯t.¡± Indeed, I looked around. There was a group of high school girls in uniformed clothes, and a group of college-aged men spinning towels of the bands performing today. In other words, we were a little less excited than those around us. This was not because of the heat of the crowd, but rather because we were not of the same caliber as the others. What was perhaps surprising was that the male-female ratio was not that clear. I thought there would be many male fans since it was a Valentine¡¯s Day concert, but there were many female fans as well. It was true that Mirei and Kotoha had many female fans. ¡°Huh?¡± Overwhelmed by the crowd of people in the arena that had mobilized such a large number of people, I looked around and happened to spot someone I knew there. ¡°Kasugai¡­..san?¡± ¡°¡­..Ehh!?¡± I found Kasugai san being swallowed and swept away by many people, and without thinking, I reached out and helped her out. She was being swept away in an interesting way, ¡°Donburako, donburako, donburako.¡± (TL/N : an onomatopoeia representing that a heavy and large thing bobbing up and down in the stream of water.) ¡°N-Nagishiro kun, is it? Why are you here!? ¡°That¡¯s my line. I didn¡¯t expect Kasugai san to be here. ¡­¡­¡± Surprising, but not unexpected. This is because I had never had the impression that Kasugai san would participate in such an enthusiastic event. If anything, she seems more like she would be at a museum or art museum. ¡°wait, what¡¯s going on? What¡¯s going on here?¡± I thought it would be awkward for Sawamura to see me talking with a girl, but before I knew it, he was gone. He was so friendly that it was almost disgusting. ¡°Ah, uh, ¡­¡­ I¡¯m actually here with my younger sister¡± ¡°Heee, so you have a sister.¡± I guess this is not another surprise ¡­¡­. If Kasugai san has a brother or sister, it is probably an older brother or a younger sister. I don¡¯t disagree with that. ¡°And this sister of yours is ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ I¡¯m lost. ¡­¡­ I¡± ¡°Kasugai san, lost !!!¡± Don¡¯t the older ones usually lead the younger ones? the older sister is the lost one. ¡­¡­ ¡°No, no! I didn¡¯t want to get lost.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one like that. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, no! It¡¯s not that. I just couldn¡¯t read the map. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Kasugai san slumped down on the spot after saying that. Apparently, she is the type of person who cannot read a map. I guess it was good that she did not have a poor sense of direction. Seeing Kasugai san about to start crying, I indeed took pity on her, so I held out my hand. ¡°Then let¡¯s go together now to that rendezvous point.¡± When I said this, Kasugai san looked at me strangely at first, but shortly thereafter, a flower blossomed on her face. ¡°Yes! Please !¡± Maybe she was alone and anxious all the time. ¨CI know what you mean. I get lost a lot too. I left the luggage and location with Sawamura, who had just returned, and we headed to Kasugai san¡¯s sister¡¯s place. £ª 30 minutes before the show. The atmosphere in the waiting room was a bit tense. One of the many waiting rooms. It was mainly a place for the performers to relax. £¨What¡¯s with the air? Oh no, oh no, why is Mia san in the same waiting room?) Haruka Kisaragi, who belonged to the group, was terribly flustered. She is in the same idol group as Azusa, ¡°Shanponika!¡± But that is not unreasonable. Haruka is a timid girl who is even shy to the other members of the same idol group, Azusa. Or rather, she thinks, without patronizing her, that it is thanks to Azusa that ¡°Shanponika!¡± has come this far All members knew that Azusa was the immovable center, and yet no one complained about it. In fact, they even welcomed her. I think this is because of Azusa¡¯s personality. In fact, Haruka also loves and respects Azusa and has no negative feelings toward her. However, if anything, she feels a sense of guilt. She is aware that azusa alone bears the entire burden of this group. In fact, when she was the victim of stalking about six months ago, it became difficult to continue our activities. Well, to put it simply, she knows that she and Azusa are not on the same level. She knows and is proud of the fact that she is a higher being, and that is exactly what she is competing with Shirakawa Kotoha and Harushita Suzune, who are here. ¡°Hey, Azusa¡­.¡± ¡°Hnn, what is it?¡± When her voice echoes in the room, it is as if it alone brings life back into this room. Haruka asks her to drop the volume even more. ¡°Why is the atmosphere like this!? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the atmosphere before a live show¡­¡­¡± It¡¯s not the same as nervousness, it¡¯s a swarthy air to say the least. Or rather, Haruka thinks that she is the only one who is so nervous among the members who seem to be here in the first place. In response to Haruka¡¯s question, Azusa answers with a troubled laugh. ¡°Maybe everyone can¡¯t spare it¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Spare¡­?¡± So Haruka feels uncomfortable about Azusa saying this. What exactly is it that they cannot spare? ¡°Well, the fact is I can¡¯t spare it either. ¡­¡­¡± It is true that when she looks into Azusa¡¯s eyes, she seems to have stayed up a little later than usual, and her eyes are a little dimmer than usual. However, when she is on stage, she is strangely more lively than anyone else. But, as said, Haruka does indeed look tired when looking at the other performers. ¡°Why can¡¯t you spare it?¡± ¡°Hmmm, well, that¡¯s the thing. ¡­¡­¡± So Azusa also drops the volume. ¡°You know that I sing at the end?¡± ¡°aah, yeah.¡± I believe the schedule was for the representatives of each member to collaborate together at the end. Haruka is not at all jealous that Azusa will be there, and is genuinely looking forward to it. It¡¯s just that the members are the members. ¡°So I found out yesterday what song we¡¯re going to sing¡± ¡°Yesterday!?¡± Haruka was tempted to blame the management for not having decided on a song to perform on such an important stage. But as if anticipating this, Azusa hastily adds, ¡°We had to decide on a song.¡± ¡°No, no, no. Or should I say, ¡°Yesterday made¡± to be more precise? ¡°Huh!?¡± She almost had a stroke. How is it possible to sing such a song that was just created yesterday? She still wanted to resent the management for failing to coordinate the schedule. ¡°So what¡¯s wrong with that song?¡± She asked if there was any story behind the song. If it was just that the song was written yesterday,She thought Azusa would understand it completely in a day. It doesn¡¯t seem that exhausting. Azusa¡¯s ability to do so is outstanding. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing.¡± Azusa looks troubled, as if to say, ¡°Oh dear¡± ¡°You wrote a hell of a song, didn¡¯t you, ¡­¡­ Senpai?¡± ¡°Senpai?¡± Haruka was a little unconvinced by Azusa¡¯s blurred answer, but it was almost time for the show to begin. ¡°Shanponika! Stand by, please!¡± The clear voice of the staff flies in. So Haruka, and Azusa, too. Then the other three members of ¡°Shanponika!¡± who had been as dejected as Haruka until then, changed their minds and hearts. They were the first to take the lead among this impressive lineup. Haruka and her team leapt onto the stage with renewed enthusiasm, determined not to let half-hearted enthusiasm get in the way. CH 74 It is time for the concert to begin. The thought of standing still for more than three hours made me feel exhausted, but I had forgotten about that by the time I got here. The lights were dimmed. The 10,000 people in the hall fell silent for a moment, and then cheered. I was one of them, of course, and waited for the next one, unable to contain my excitement. Soon pop music began to play. ¡°Oh, the first one is [Shanponika!] I see.¡± Sawamura has apparently studied the song so much that he can recognize it just by hearing the intro. I guess he¡¯s a fan now. I took out a penlight from my backpack and set it on yellow, the color of Azusa¡¯s image. ¡°Let¡¯s go~¡± When Azusa called out to the group, spotlights lit up the stage, and there stood the five-member idol group, each in a different pose. Each one of them was already smiling and moving happily. The movements propagated from the two at the end to the center, and finally, Azusa struck a decisive pose. ¡°¡±¡±!!¡±¡±¡±¡± In an instant, the voltage of the venue turned to the max. It was a spectacular sight to see the audience, who had been waiting in idleness until a few minutes ago, respond to the songs in unison. As it was, Sawamura and I, and all of us, were filled with euphoria as they finished singing one song on the stage ¡°We are a five-member idol group, Shanponika!¡° From there, the leader of the ¡°Shanponika!¡± group MC¡¯d as they prepared for the next song. Incidentally, surprisingly, the leader of ¡°Shanponika!¡± is not Azusa, the most popular and the center of the group. I once asked why, and was told with a hearty ¡°I¡¯m not cut out to be a leader!¡±. No, that¡¯s not something to brag about. When I recalled such an old exchange, I also remembered that Azusa had been the victim of a stalker at the same time. The fact that six months have passed since then and she is now happily and joyfully dancing on stage may be a miracle considering the incident. ¡°Azusa, you dropped the fluffy thing on the end of the microphone on the way out!¡± ¡°What? How do you know?¡± ¡°Because I picked it up!¡± Azusa was being teased on stage. She seemed to be laughing from the bottom of her heart, and even the entire venue was filled with laughter. ¡°Well, that was a great song, wasn¡¯t it? ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Are you crying!¡± Wasn¡¯t that where I was supposed to cry, flow-wise? I mean, how much lingering feeling do you get from that? By the way, I wrote that song as a solo song for Azusa, and they sang it in ¡°Shanponka!¡± So I am a little embarrassed when I am praised for it, even if it was unintentional. By the way, I had announced on the radio with Mirei that I had changed my composer name from Kazashiro Rei to Nagishiro Rin, but this was not widely known, and even the well-informed Sawamura did not know about it. As expected, the fact that a composer¡¯s name has changed does not seem to matter to the public at large. As it is, few people are likely to associate it with Kazashiro Rei when it is composed in Nagishiro Rin. Well, that being that ¡°Then let¡¯s go for the second song!¡± The second song following the energetic shouts. When the song started to play, each member moved from the back stage to the front of the audience. The distance between the audience and Azusa and the other members of the band naturally became closer, and I could feel the voltage rising on my side of the stage. ¡°Azusa-dono!!!¡± Then, by coincidence, Azusa came in front of us who were near the center of the stage. The distance between us and her was very close. I could almost reach her if I stretched out two or three hands. I didn¡¯t have that many hands. Up close, Azusa completely hid her usual pomposity and charmed us with her overflowing aura, freshness, and cute voice. I have seen her on stage once or twice, but this was my first time to see her this close up. So, once again, I am reminded of that talent of hers more than before. ¡°Woww!!! Azusa¡ª!!¡± I don¡¯t think my voice will reach her, but I¡¯ll support her nonetheless. Well, I¡¯m saying that because I¡¯m already bonded to this heat, and I was feeling the same way. Then her eyes met mine for a moment. She may have been looking behind me, but she assumed that her eyes met mine. And there, Azusa waved her hand in my direction. Yes, indeed, can I assume that she waved this toward me? ¡°Azusaaaaa!!!¡± ¡°Azusa dono!!!!¡± And there was another guy next to me who thought the same thing. Oh, I knew I was mistaken¡­we were. Azusa smiles and goes off in the other direction again. I was shouting once more, feeling somewhat sorry for her even though I should have seen her all the time. I lied I screamed at least 10 times. ¡°That was definitely directed at me, that it was!¡± ¡°What? it was me¡± After the ¡°Shanponka!¡± stage was over, Sawamura and I had a friendly fight. As if we were competing for ownership of the home run ball, we are fighting over the memories of our live performances. ¡°Phew¡­..This is so cool huh, Live¡± ¡°Yes it is¡± They played about five songs in about 40 minutes, but it was not enough. The stage of ¡°Shanponika!¡± stage was so attractive that I was absorbed in the performance. ¡°I wonder who¡¯s next.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m looking forward to it, that I am.¡± Even though the artists had been announced, there was no information about the set list. Then Kotoha, Shizuku san, and Mirei, in that order, continued the live performance. Kotoha is an actress and sang in a way that blended in with the world of the song. Shizuku sang prettily, using her natural voice and volume. Mirei played the guitar in front of 10,000 people, which was also a great success. I¡¯ve been to Kotoha and Mirei¡¯s live performances a few times, so I knew about it, but after all, I was forced to reconfirm that it was amazing. The song was as good as I thought it would be. It was the first time for me to see Shizuku san perform live, but she sang so well that I thought CD recordings were coming out of her throat. And yet, all three of them know how to enliven the audience, so they never get bored, and in fact, the audience gets more and more absorbed in the show. I think that many people come to the concert today because they are not looking for a specific genre of artists, but I think that this concert will probably turn them into fans. It was so complete that I already thought this concert was a success overall. The members are so awesome that it just keeps getting more and more enjoyable. And next. ¡°Harushita san, huh?¡± In fact, she was the one I was looking forward to the most. I had heard her songs, albeit only a little, since she was at the height of her popularity, and I would be able to see Harushita san, who is such a distant presence in my mind, perform live up close. I couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of live show it would be like, and I doubt that anyone else could either. It has been about a year since her return, and this is Harushita san¡¯s first live performance in a long time. ¡°Hello !¡± Harushita san, a former idol, is now a legitimate artist. Her main focus is singing rather than dancing. Even so, her charm must have been cultivated during her idol days, and above all, it is refreshing to see her in a different light from the way we usually see her. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, I¡¯m Harushita Suzune !¡± That¡¯s where the most excitement was here. Apparently, many fans may have come for Harushita san. Sawamura was crying next to me. ¡°uuu¡­..I never thought I would see you again ¡­¡­!¡± You¡¯re crying super hard. Seriously, you¡¯re ruining a good face. ¡°Um, that¡¯s it. Sorry to keep you waiting so long.¡± Harushita san apologizes with a humble bow, and the crowd said ¡°That¡¯s not true! I¡¯ve been waiting for you! and ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you!¡± Hearing this, Harushita san responds a little shyly, but still happily. ¡°Hehe ¡­¡­ Well, thank you very much. It is because of all of you waiting for me like this that I was able to come back here.¡± Her serious gaze sucks my consciousness into hers. Even though it is a distance from here to the back stage, my attention is focused on her. ¡°Then there¡¯s one other person who actually inspired me to come back.¡± I thought she turned to me and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡± It might have been an illusion. But there was enough weight there to make me think so. ¡°Anyway, I never thought I¡¯d be on stage again.¡± In the stillness of the room, her words melted into the audience¡¯s hearts comfortably and poignantly. It was as if she was preaching to the audience, and everyone listened to her words, took them at face value and accepted them as she said them. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m so happy to be here. I feel it more than anyone else.¡± The crowd cheered as if they were scheduled to be there. The entire audience¡¯s voices surrounded this venue, and Harushita-san was in the middle of it. She¡¯s like a speaker. A politician. The audience here is so fascinated with her that she is almost dangerous, like a leader of fascism. But it¡¯s not dangerous. They were all trying to bring it to her, with good intentions only. After tearing up at that, she laughs and says ¡°I¡¯ve talked a little too long. Let¡¯s get to the song now.¡± Then she calls out the song. ¡°Then I¡¯ll sing. Rendezvous of Sadness.¡± Then began a stunning performance. CH 75 ¡°Harushita san was amazing ¡­¡­¡± After Harushita san¡¯s concert was over, my mouth was unconsciously full of unspoken praise. It was unintentionally leaking out of my mouth. ¡°Fufu, yes¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why are you so good at it?¡± If he is going to be good at something, he should be a little more confident. I don¡¯t even want to give him a hard time if he says it while crying. I mean, he cries too much. On stage, Harushita san was sweating and waving to fans with a look of accomplishment on her face. ¡°Thank you very much!¡± The audience cheered with a voice so regretful that it almost even screamed. In fact, this was the second time this scene had occurred. And she had just finished singing in response. When Harushita san¡¯s song ended, I felt an indescribable exhilaration in my heart. It was proof that I had been able to immerse myself in the live performance to such an extent. During the song, I was waving my towel, forgetting about myself, and even though Sawamura¡¯s towel hit me in the face several times, I didn¡¯t care about that anymore. ¡°But isn¡¯t this the end?¡± The feeling of having done it all seemed to be with everyone in the audience. There was clearly more chit-chat with the friends who had come along earlier, giving the appearance of the end of a live performance. Frankly, wouldn¡¯t it be a mistake to do a live show after this? That¡¯s what I was thinking. I thought it would be a mistake to have yet another artist play after this. Perhaps it was because the feeling of freshness from the earlier concert had not left me, that I had forgotten who the next artist would be. And everyone had forgotten that as well. What changed the atmosphere was a sudden change in the venue. bang With a sound like a circuit breaker tripping, the lights in the venue were turned off. The purple lights that had been on to reflect the aisles of the stage were all out. People hurriedly put away their cell phones. The lights from the cell phones stood out in the darkness. All the penlights were also turned off, and the venue was enveloped in total darkness. ¡°Eh what¡¯s wrong!?¡± ¡°What is it ?¡± ¡°Malfunction?¡± Various speculations turned into a bustle. No one had any idea what was going on. ¡°What is it, is there trouble?¡± ¡°No. ¡­¡­¡± But I had a hunch. This was not a malfunction, but something that had been planned. And that¡¯s as it should be. Because if I think about the next artist who comes up, she won¡¯t have a normal way to appear. ¡°This is probably ¡­¡­¡± I make a guess, then look around. To dim the lights completely means that you don¡¯t want to reveal your location. Not wanting the location to be obvious means that the way you appear is different from the norm. ¡°So it¡¯s not from the stage, but from ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, from behind you, for example.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-wha? A voice I had heard before flew in from behind me. It was not Sawamura¡¯s voice, nor was it Kasugai¡¯s, of course. The voice was a strange voice, a voice that seemed to resonate at the bottom, a voice so strange that even the smallest voice could reach the entire hall. I turned around and saw a person standing there, her face wrapped in a oversized hoodie. ¡°M-Mia san!?¡± ¡°Correct.?¡± Mia san says in a bell-like voice, and at the same time takes off the hood on her head. Then, as if bursting from a hoodie, a flash of golden light shone into my eyes. I gasped at the sight of her hair, still shining in the dark. Sweat trickled down my spine as I saw her eyes fixed on me. That moment was definitely just the two of us. She was looking at me and I was the only one looking at her. It was such a strange feeling, as if this place was cut off from the hustle and bustle of the city. Time passed slowly, and I felt as if I was in another dimension. It was strangely comfortable, and I enjoyed the time there, forgetting that I was at a live concert. I was enjoying myself even though I was doing nothing. I even had a feeling that it would go on forever. But I knew that such time would not last. The space suddenly collapsed. The space between the two of us collapsed because the spotlight was on Mia san. ¡°Ah¡­..¡± At the same time, the song began to play and Mia san disappeared onto the stage. The hoodie she left behind as a souvenir fell on my head, either by accident or necessity. Everyone was excited about Harushita san¡¯s show, and everyone felt as if they were the primary participant. The audience seemed to be at their highest voltage, bringing as much heat as they participated. In contrast, Mia san¡¯s live performance is in stark contrast. Probably none of the people in this venue were trying to follow Mia san or anything like that. They were just overwhelmed. A powerful stage performance. The dancing was top-notch, and if I may say so, the singing was top-notch. It was so overwhelming that I could only come up with a few words like that. Everyone was a mere ¡°spectator,¡± but they were made to realize just how powerful she was. And yet, after the show is over, I feel a sense of release, or perhaps satisfaction, more than anyone else. Even that Sawamura could not speak, only his mouth was agape. ¡°This is the world? ¡­¡­¡± The song was in English, so we didn¡¯t get the full appeal of it. We don¡¯t understand the meaning of the lyrics, so the immersion there is usually reduced. Still, so much for the performance. Is this who Harushita san and others are fighting today? If so, there is too much, ¡­¡­ too much difference. ¡°Arigato! I love Japan~!¡± Those last words would have been ominous for me and for all artists in Japan. Even if she didn¡¯t mean it that way, being in Japan, I associate it with a future where ¡°she will take away our popularity here¡±, too. ¡°Amazing¡­..¡± Finally, after some time, Sawamura began to speak to his satisfaction. There were no tears there as before, but his expression had clearly changed after Mia san¡¯s concert. ¡°Oh, is it over already, that it is?¡± ¡°Yeah, it felt like a moment to me, too.¡± ¡°Is it so¡­¡­¡± I said that there was a sense of satisfaction afterwards, but what was more than that was a sense of emptiness that it was already over. Looking at Sawamura¡¯s face with regretful regret, I think all the audience members must have been thinking the same thing. ¡°Are we going to go on to the last performance of this ¡­¡­¡± I wonder what Azusa, Mirei, Kotoha, Shizuku, and Harushita san are thinking in the waiting room. In the face of this overwhelming difference in ability, will the girls still be able to give it their all? Rin was thinking about this as she watched Mia san¡¯s back as she left the stage. £ª Meanwhile, in the waiting room, Suzune and the others who were watching on the TV set provided were letting out a sigh. ¡°I knew she was amazing ¡­¡­ Mia san.¡± Surprisingly, it was Suzune who uttered those words. Kotoha says teasingly, as if she didn¡¯t expect Suzune to make such a statement. ¡°What? So we¡¯re not going to finish it today?¡± The last song was, of course, the closing song of the concert, in which all the members sang together. When so many members sing together, those who lack confidence and ability are likely to stand out. This was a statement made with that in mind. ¡°No way¡± Conversely, Suzune returned with a challenge. Her face was smiling, and yet she had an aura about her that made Kotoha take a step back. Seeing this, Azusa shrugged her shoulders and said. ¡°Actually, the person who hates to lose the most out of all of us is Suzu san, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Mirei and Shizuku agreed. They had spent a certain amount of time with Suzune and understood her personality from a woman¡¯s intuition. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t intend to lose either.¡± When Shizuku says it uninhibitedly, everyone here can feel the air tingling. It seems that Suzune is not the only one who hates to lose. ¡°Don¡¯t just drop out on your own like that, okay?¡± Kotoha said. ¡°I won¡¯t let a chibi beat me,¡± Mirei said. ¡°I¡¯m not a chibi! Shizu san, I know it¡¯s hard for you to fight with this group,¡± said Azusa in a provocative tone. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. There is no way I can lose to you guys,¡± she sneered. And alone Suzune was concentrating. With the superstar she sees through the TV reflected in her eyes. CH 76 The live concert was scheduled to end at 21:00. There were about 20 minutes left until then. But I¡¯ve seen many people mistakenly believe that the concert is over now that all the performers have come out. But in fact, from here on out, the stage will be more spectacular than anyone has yet imagined. ¡°Rin dono. There is still time, that there is, but what is the meaning of this?¡± Sawamura has a subtle intuition and is quick to notice such things. Well, let me tell you one thing, that it is very noisy, that it should be. ¡°H-How would I know?¡± But as you can imagine, I couldn¡¯t be so wild about clearing up the story, so I just neatly covered it up. I feel like I¡¯ve been lying all year. Like about pornographic books. When I was thinking about such a stupid thing, I suddenly felt calm. Or rather, I became. ¡°Ah!¡± I still have the hoodie that Mia took off!! If someone sees something like this, but it smells really good!! I need to do something about this before my perverted taste comes out. But I can¡¯t throw it away. ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t bring a backpack or anything, so there¡¯s nowhere to hide it. Wearing it would be out of the question. What would I do? Should I just open it up and deliver it to the lost and found? But there might be someone who might get under my skin and steal it because of this good smell! After much deliberation, I decided to make a phone call. Of course, it¡¯s for Mia san. I don¡¯t think she will even notice, but if I am lucky, maybe the manager or someone will pick up the phone. ¡°Sorry sawamura. I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a standard phrase when Koan kun goes to cheat on his sister. I see that Rin dono is also ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! Shut up you otaku!¡± Good grief, this is why I hate brats with intuition (culprit). Well, putting all that aside, I left the arena with my cell phone in hand. ¡°Well of course she won¡¯t answer¡­.¡± Well, if she doesn¡¯t answer, I guess I¡¯ll just have to successfully mislead Sawamura and deliver it to her in the waiting room after the concert. But I don¡¯t think it would be easy to go to the waiting room after the concert, and I don¡¯t think it would be good if someone saw me hand it over. With this in mind, I called three times, praying for someone to answer the phone, and fortunately the call was connected. ¡°¡­Hello?¡± It was apparently Mia san¡¯s manager who answered. She responded in a slightly quizzical voice. ¡°Um, this is Nagishiro. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Nagishiro kun? Wait a minute.¡± ¡°No, um, just a minute!¡± The manager ignored me and put the call on hold, even though there was absolutely no need for Mia san to switch since I was just returning the hoodie. My tension reaches a maximum as I listen to the delightful tempo of the classics I¡¯ve heard. This makes it sound like I¡¯m calling Mia san because I couldn¡¯t wait for the show to end!? ¡°Yes, hello?¡± ¡°Um, this is Nagishiro. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Eh, Rin!?¡± Mia san was on the other end of the phone and she was shouting loudly. I guess the manager also interjects pranks in vain, like not telling her my name. ¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, in such a busy time.¡± ¡°Oh, no problem. I¡¯m having a little trouble here, too, so I have time.¡± ¡°O-Oh, I see. ¡­¡­¡± Without a hint of emotion, Mia san¡¯s voice over the phone sounded nervous. Apparently, she has gotten into some pretty serious trouble. No I¡¯m nervous for another reason. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering if you¡¯re okay with that ¡­¡­?¡¡Any equipment trouble?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that the girl who was supposed to play the piano at the concert got a little tired from the heat.¡± ¡°Because of the heat?¡± Is there such a thing as collapsing from the heat this winter? Maybe that¡¯s how much heat this concert has. Everyone was in short sleeves from the middle of the show. However, hoodies are a trivial matter when the field is in such a difficult situation. It is not good to add more trouble at a time like this. ¡°So what was Rin¡¯s errand?¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t anything important. I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡± ¡°Okay, bye.¡± ¡°Mia san, who are you talking to?¡± And there I heard a pleasant voice over the phone. It was definitely Azusa. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It can be anyone.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to hide it, is it ¡­¡­ Rin kun?¡± Then, a voice emanated from a very close place. Was this Kotoha? ¡°W-What if it was?¡± Mia san is extremely flustered because she has been pointed at the right place. I still can¡¯t grasp her character because she reacts in an age-appropriate or rather girlish way at times like this. ¡°Give me that¡± Then it would be Mirei. Her voice became distant at the same time as Mia san¡¯s voice said, ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Mirei?¡± ¡°Ah¨C, it¡¯s Rin senpai!¡± Then, as if in response to my voice, Azusa responded. It might be that the speaker was turned on. ¡°You look like you¡¯re in some kind of trouble, are you okay?¡± ¡°well. I don¡¯t know, maybe I¡¯ll have to go without musical accompaniment at the worst.¡± Azusa responds in a no-nonsense voice. She has a relaxed attitude that would not be a problem even in such a situation. Well, maybe this group can do acappella. I was about to hang up my cell phone when I made such a calculation. The dark clouds were beginning to gather. ¡°¨COh, by the way, Rin. Rin can play the piano too, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ eh?¡± It was an abrupt proposal. How abrupt? So abrupt that even over there the air froze. ¡°Oh, Nagishiro kun can play the piano?¡± ¡°I had never heard of it before.¡± Shizuku san and then Harushita san reacted that it was unexpected. ¡°No, well, I can play lightly. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, Rin, could you come to the waiting room?¡± ¡°What? You just made a decision in a split second?¡± ¡°The staff is relieved to have found an alternative.¡± ¡°Stop filling the empty!¡± I haven¡¯t even received a formal request yet, let alone an approval. ¡­¡­ I mean. ¡°I¡¯d never be able to perform in front of that many people.¡± I couldn¡¯t play piano in front of more than 10,000 people. With my ability, I would have screwed up and ruined the concert. But I could never do it, I was about to repeat myself, when Mia san interrupted me. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I can cover for one person¡¯s mistake.¡± ¡°Mia san¡­..¡± Her voice is not Mia san¡¯s usual joking voice, but serious. ¡°In general, the members here aren¡¯t that soft. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Then Mia san says to Mirei and the others as if testing them. I felt an out-of-place happiness at Mia san¡¯s words as if she was acknowledging them. Mia san, whom I had thought of as a monster, recognized Mirei and the others, at least to a certain extent. Instead of indicating a response to it, each of the girls sent another word. ¡°Rin kun is the one who wrote this song, right? You should take responsibility.¡± ¡°I want to hear Nagishiro kun play the piano.¡± ¡°Senpai, it¡¯s not cool if you¡¯re so sullen!¡± ¡°Rin. get a grip.¡± These are encouraging words. Behind these words was the confidence of the girls that even if I made a mistake, they would pull it together. Then there is Harushita san, the last one. ¡°Then let¡¯s have him come in early.¡± What a mood-destroying clerical thing to say. Then I made up my mind. ¡°I understand. I¡¯m on my way.¡± I¡¯m nervous. My hands are already sweating profusely, and to be honest, I feel really lame. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able to give a proper performance at this rate. But at the same time. There was a certain uplifting in the pure instinct. CH 77 My sister was excited. ¡°Onee, Something definetly will happen !!¡± She excitedly tells me, but I was quite tired, if I may say so myself. Of course, all the gigs were a lot of fun when they were playing, and even though it was difficult to ride the wave of the crowd, I was able to enjoy myself by myself. Before I came to the concert, I thought I would hate it, but when I actually came to the concert, I was glad I did. I realized once again that it¡¯s not good to not like anything without trying it. So I was a little grateful to my sister for bringing me here. ¡­¡­ I think it¡¯s indeed over now. ¡­¡­right? ¡°A-Are you sure there¡¯s more ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± I didn¡¯t even know why my sister said it so confidently, but she must have some idea in her own way. Unlike me, my sister is smart, so she is probably right. But I¡¯m so full of it already. It¡¯s hard to even stand up anymore, and it¡¯s ¡­¡­ hot ¡­.. At that moment, I heard cheers from the audience near the stage. At the same time, a spotlight illuminated the stage, and I saw about six figures there. Six people shining in the light. The blonde in the middle ¨C Mia san ¨C stands out the most, but all the other girls are also very cute. Each of them wore a different color costume, with Mia san in blue and Harushita san next to her in white. Ikuta san¡¯s yellow, Shirakawa san¡¯s black, Mia san¡¯s blue, Harushita san¡¯s white, Mizuno san¡¯s light blue, and Tatsumi san¡¯s red were all colorful. They were all vivid and picturesque. No matter how many times I see it, it¡¯s still pretty and beautiful. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m a shady person, so they look even more radiant to me. My sister looks ecstatic¡­¡­ is this person ¡­¡­ okay? The appearance of the six of them means that this must be the finale of the concert. This makes me feel a little relieved that it is finally over, perhaps from fatigue. I was secretly hoping to meet Nagishiro kun after the show, but I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯m a little sad, or I¡¯d like to meet him. I¡¯m a little sad, or I¡¯d like to see him,¡­¡­. No, no, what am I thinking!? He¡¯s here with his friends! But maybe we¡¯ll be on the way home together,¡­¡­ or something, but I have my sister here, so there¡¯s nothing to see,¡­¡­¡­¡­. Don¡¯t have any weird expectations, let¡¯s just go home after the concert. It¡¯s almost time to go home, and my mom told me not to stop by. At a time when I was feeling a bit depressed after what should have been a much more enjoyable concert. ¡°Now, to wrap things up, representatives from each of our organizations will collaborate on one song.¡± Harushita san said. The audience was already excited by that. My sister next to me was also excited, saying, ¡°This is a collaboration among these members!?¡±, so it must be something that happens rarely. I have seen most of them on TV several times, and even those I have never seen before, I have at least heard their names. I have learned them all from ¡­¡­ today, though. I think it¡¯s a rare thing to have such a group of people collaborate on something that couldn¡¯t be done on TV. It¡¯s cool that the best from various fields are gathered here. That means even I, who am not that interested in the arts and only get my information through my sister, so perhaps people here are even happier. My sister was about to ascend. ¡°So, about the song¡­..¡± Harushita-san, who is subtle and subtle. The fans are in an agitated mood, saying ¡°ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh¡± Then take a breath and speak slowly. ¡°In fact, for today¡¯s occasion, we asked a pretty big-name composer to help us out!¡± ¡°¡±¡±Yeeeeeeeaaaayyyy¡±¡±¡± It¡¯s a great ¡­¡­ groove. Not very easy to follow ¡­¡­. Too bad. Composers, huh? I can at least recognize the composer of a song I liked a while ago, but other than that ¡­¡­ I don¡¯t know a ton and can¡¯t seem to get excited about it. I think it was Kazeshiro san. I¡¯m not familiar with the composer, so I can¡¯t get excited about it, and I feel a little disappointed. If I had done more research beforehand, I would have been able to get even more excited about this kind of thing. And I have good news for those of you who have been thinking that. ¡°What¡­¡­¡­.. it¡¯s Kazashiro Rei san!¡± ¡°¡±¡±ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!¡±¡±¡± What a coincidence, it was someone I knew. Or should I say that he was a famous person whom even I knew? ¡°I knew it. If it were a member of this group, yes, that¡¯s right.¡± My sister seemed to be making calm remarks, but this one was clearly pleased. For the star-shaped earrings are dancing as if riding on my sister¡¯s wiggle in excitement. ¡°he changed the name, though.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Yes, he did.¡± A deliberate conversation begins on stage. It must have been a prearranged arrangement. ¡°Well, this is the first song he¡¯s written since he changed his name, so¡­¡± And while the artists were connecting conversations like this, preparations were underway at the venue. A large piano is out and set up, and a man in a hoodie is getting ready. His face is hidden by the hood, but he is probably a very skilled pianist. The piano is set up in a fairly prominent position. ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯re ready to go.¡± Mia san received the ok from the management to start putting it all together. ¡°Then listen okay!.¡± And from there, Mia san mentioned a name that would never have come out of her mouth. ¡°Written and composed by Nagishiro Rin, [Red and White Mebius.]¡± When I heard the name, I didn¡¯t know what it was anymore, so I stopped thinking and stood there for a while. £ª The song, which was arranged with last-minute persistence, flows out as it was recorded. It lacks momentum because I could only make something really simple, but it¡¯s a ballad, so it¡¯s okay. Or, for that matter, what is this piano position!? Obviously, it¡¯s not the kind of thing that a mere understudy would do! It¡¯s something that shouldn¡¯t be done! And then I start playing the piano. I felt as if my sound was the only sound flowing out to the audience, and my nerves were about to explode. My fingers were trembling and my legs were shaking for no reason. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my mouth, or rather, my stomach was going to regurgitate something and I was going to throw up. My heart was about to burst out of my mouth, or rather, I was about to vomit something back up from my stomach. It¡¯s not funny. But only a little. I felt comfortable with my face hidden by Mia san¡¯s hoodie. When Mia san suggested that I wear it, I wondered what would happen, but every time Mia san¡¯s scent faintly tickled my nose, I felt relieved. I feel a little more relaxed. And just as I was thinking that, Mia san winked at me. This is where the singing starts. First, Mia san took a solo. £ª I had almost let go of my consciousness for a moment, but finally came back to myself at the beginning of the song. Let¡¯s put aside the incomprehensible for the moment and focus on the song for the time being. The first part was Mia san¡¯s. I was surprised that she didn¡¯t sing a single emotional song in the previous live performance, but I think that Mia san¡¯s charm is more fully expressed in ballads. The best way to get the most out of your voice is to use it as an emotional package. The song, which began with lyrics expressing a painful lost love, captivated the audience as Mia san sang. Probably everyone is feeling the same way, feeling the pain and suffering. And it was Harushita san who took over as it was. Here is a lyric about a girl who, after having her heart broken, falls in love with another boy, and she is unsure of her own lightheartedness. She blames and wonders if she is really in love, and her emotions become mixed up, wondering if she is rejected because she is like that. Harushita san sang such lyrics with great power. Her emotion of self-blame and lamentation came to overwhelm the audience with energy. In contrast to Mia san¡¯s calmness earlier, she expressed even more emotional changes, and I was at a loss for words. The intensity of these two singers sucked me into the song at once. Then, the emotion that was on the verge of exploding before the chorus, bursts forth in the chorus. The piano sounded angry, and the voices were all the singers letting their emotions out to each other. It is as if there are six main characters in the song. They are all competing against each other, but somehow, the music is not noisy, but rather, it is moving forward. Each member expresses with their whole body without any choreography, and rubs against the sound with all the strength they have in their body. In the face of such an overwhelming performance, I couldn¡¯t help but reveal my inarticulate feelings. ¡ª¡ªAmazing That¡¯s about all I can say, but even so, it was truly amazing. There was an emotion there that I cannot put into words. I was moved by the fact that music can express so many things, and can move people¡¯s emotions so much. I was moved by this fact, but there was a feeling inside me that overtook me. ¡°Eh? Why¡­..?¡± I found myself with tears welling up in my eyes. £ª The tempo of the second number is a complete change from the previous one, full of a sense of speed. The protagonist runs away from her ugly feelings, which she does not want to see. She recalls various events and everything sticks in her mind like an icicle. The actor duo of Kotoha and Shizuku sang there beautifully. It was like a musical, like a mirror of the main character. Then there is Mirei and Azusa. Their completely different tones harmonized and created a chemical reaction that could be described as perfect. It was interesting to see two people who usually quarrel with each other so much in this way in tune with each other in music. ¡°Haaa, Haaa¡­!!¡± The tempo of the piano kept increasing and my body felt tired, but it felt good. The singers were showing me that I can still perform, that I can still do more. They never stopped, they could not stop. It was definitely the highest peak of the day. In the second chorus, each of the six members sings in their own arranged way. And yet, they maintain a perfect balance, and rather than getting bored with the song, they change it up. And they¡¯re not all just singing whatever they want, they¡¯re all putting themselves out there so as not to ruin the atmosphere. Maybe they are thinking about what happens next. ¡°I knew it, these guys are the best. ¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m gonna get it all out. I¡¯m gonna get it all out! I¡¯m gonna put it all out here! I got up, kicked off my chair, stood up and knocked all my strength into the keys. I was twitching from the tips of my fingers, but I couldn¡¯t care less. I¡¯m going to give it all I¡¯ve got so that I can burn out, so that I can burn up. I¡¯m going to follow them as hard as I can so they don¡¯t shake me off. I¡¯m going to stick to them and not let them go. Spinning sounds as if squeezing them out. As they continued to play selflessly, I could see the venue crackling with excitement. The audience was in a whirlpool of excitement as the six members shone under the lights. The scene was similar to what Harushita san and I had seen before the concert, but different. At the time, the space was empty. It was just a big container with a lot of seats. It was bleak. But now, there were people, waving towels, holding up penlights, and cheering. They were shining much, much brighter than at that time. At that moment, my eyes suddenly met Harushita san¡¯s on stage. She was singing with a smile and passion that I had never seen before, and her face was so beautiful and yet ¡­¡­ somehow made me happy. [But ¡­¡­ gradually became one with the audience. That¡¯s what makes me feel so good.] I finally realized for myself what Harushita san had said at that time. ¡ª- So this is live, this is music. Yes, indeed. This is going to be fun. I thought of that as I looked at the ceiling of the arena as I played out the last notes on the piano. CH 78 I was sitting on the piano, completely burnt out after the concert, when I heard Mia san¡¯s MC¡¯s voice bringing me back to consciousness. ¡°How did it go, guys?¡± ¡°I love it!¡± ¡°Turn around!¡± ¡°One more time!¡± ¡°one more time, I wonder if it¡¯s possible¡­¡­. my pianist is already ¡­..?¡± Then Mia san looks at me. Um, please don¡¯t look at me or anyone else who stands out on stage. It¡¯s very conspicuous. Please, please forgive me. ¡°My¡­¡­?¡± And it was Kotoha who raised her voice of rebellion even though she was on the stage there. Don¡¯t get involved in such unimportant expressions. I¡¯m not in the mood for it. I¡¯m going to cry. Just as these dark clouds were gathering, the staff member on the intercom sent instructions to me. [We¡¯re about to wrap things up, and I hope you¡¯re heading into the finale on a good note.] I thought the instructions were very vague, but I was sure the members here could handle it easily. The staff must have sensed the unpleasant atmosphere and sent me instructions at the right time. Thank you, staff san! I was thinking ¡­¡­. ¡°Ah, then!!¡± Azusa, who had taken the trouble to put a flash of her voice into the microphone, comes toward me. Ah, what? What is it? Am I the only one who already has a bad feeling about this? ¡°Then let¡¯s have our surprise guest make an appearance here!¡± I was starting to sweat ¡­¡­ lazily. It was coming out of my back in a dribble and I wanted to run away. However, Harushita san sensed Azusa¡¯s intention earlier than that and before I knew it, my retreat was cut off. She took my back!? Did she use some kind of shrinkage technique on me!? Harushita san pushed me back, Azusa pulled me by the arm, and I was made to stand at the very front of the stage. On the way to the front of the stage, Mirei pulled off the hood that I had put back on at the end of the song, and there was a crowd of people who were mysteriously excited. I mean, I wanted to smack Shizuku san, who was laughing hysterically on the side from a while ago. No, I¡¯m not going to hit her, though, because I¡¯m dealing with a girl. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to introduce our special guest, Nagishiro Rin san!¡± Whooo¡ª-!!!!! I felt like I couldn¡¯t stand it. With all this excitement, it would be entertaining if I were the last one to appear. ¡­¡­ If I were you, I¡¯d send a message. No, well, I just don¡¯t want to stand here. While my legs are shaking, Kotoha jokingly puts a microphone on me as if it were a hero interview. ¡°How was your first show?¡± ¡°Well, ¡­¡­, well, it was fun. ¡­¡­¡± The voice of the audience again shouts woohoo !!!! I guess that¡¯s the reaction no matter what now, I know I¡¯m going home. But when I look behind me, I can¡¯t turn back because Harushita san is looking at me with a nice sweat and a nice smile. By the way, Mia san has lost her place and is sulking. It¡¯s a hassle over there. Seeing no way out, I gave up and turned my attention to the crowd. Thousands, maybe more. It was a strange feeling to be standing out like this in front of that many people. I wondered if this was really the right place for me to be standing. Then I suddenly remembered the friend I had left behind earlier and fearfully checked where I was at first. I lied to Sawamura that I was in the bathroom for a bit, but he would know that I was here. ¡­¡­ Surprisingly, I could see the faces of the audience from the stage side. I¡¯ve often heard people say that they notice when their parents or someone they know is there, and it seems to be true. As I was looking at them from a bit of a distance, I suddenly came across the face of someone I knew. Kasugai, san¡­¡­.Kasugai san!? Oh, I see, she came today¡­¡­¡­¡­ I was kind of insanely embarrassed. Was it because someone I knew had found out that I was writing a song, or was it some kind of guilt for having hidden it from them? Whatever it was, this made it awkward for me to see Kasugai san. Oh, and Sawamura is there too, ¡­¡­ and if you want, he¡¯s not surprised and is making good job marks ¡­¡­. ¡°How do you feel now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed to be identified by my acquaintances ¡­¡­, no, I feel a great sense of accomplishment. I had a really good time.¡± Watch out, I was so close to telling some personal information And by the way, I am angry at everyone on stage, including Azusa, who put me in this situation. That¡¯s why Shizuku san was laughing too much. ¡°¡­¡­So, what was the theme for this song?¡± However, Kotoha¡¯s unexpectedly serious voice asking me a question made my consciousness shift to a more serious line. It seems that this was not a stalling exercise, but something she really wanted to ask. So I¡¯ll pause for a moment and give it some serious thought, and then I¡¯ll give a response. ¡°Well, ¡­¡­ to put it simply, destroy the values of love?¡± ¡°Destroy the values of love?¡± Harushita san was the one who responded to those words. She looked a little doubtful. As expected, there is not enough explanation, so I will supplement it. ¡°You know, for example, in the lyrics, it¡¯s basically said that being easily distracted is a bad thing, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to have an affair or cheat on your partner. It is cheating on your partner.¡± But, I continued ¡°For example, students. I think they are stuck in a certain mold. There¡¯s a certain way of thinking that love has to be this way.¡± It is not good to be attracted to a different person of the opposite gender immediately after being dumped, you should not fall in love with someone who has a boyfriend or girlfriend. It is disgraceful to be dumped by confession, and great to have a boyfriend or girlfriend. ¨CIdols are not allowed to fall in love, and so on. The last one clearly exists, but I vaguely thought the others had such values as well. This was something I had felt in my school years. I know friends who have actually fallen victim to these values. ¡°But I think love is not such a crippling thing ¡­¡­. So I wrote a song about it.¡± Maybe it¡¯s not good for me to say this, since I don¡¯t have a good girlfriend, but I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m not wrong. ¡°Heee, I didn¡¯t know that. ¡­¡­¡± Kotoha nods in agreement. ¡­¡­ huh, did I say something a little cool?¡¡Lame, maybe lame? I mean, it¡¯s embarrassing to talk about my thoughts and stuff like this in front of 10,000 people! I¡¯ll never do it again. Was it a desire to change the serious atmosphere of the venue, or just curiosity? ¡°Yes, well, then!¡± Then along came the usual young Mia san. Not betraying this premonition, she asked this question in a clear voice. ¡°so, Which of these women do you prefer?¡± At that moment, the stage turned into a battlefield. The audience immediately noticed that a tingling, stinging atmosphere had been created. But on the other hand, even though a clearly seething atmosphere filled the stage, the audience was not letting that air leak out in a single woo-woo moment. So I was unaware of the strange tension that was dominating the battle on this stage. Hey, can someone stop this ¡­¡­? ¡°I¡¯m curious about that. who is it?¡±¡± Kotoha gets on board and asks the same question again. Heartily, it seemed as if everyone except Harushita san was in the front of the room. ¡°Aah, umm¡­.¡± In a desperate pinch. There is nowhere to run. In front of the public, you are forced to make a decision that makes no sense. ¡°How are you doing, Rin kun?¡± ¡°Senpai?¡± ¡°Rin, you know what I¡¯m talking about, right?¡± ¡°Well, well, well. ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Come on, come on, come on?¡± My conclusion is ¡­¡­. ¡°I-I think you are all beautiful and pretty and lovely.¡± It was, to get through it by saying things that were neither poisonous nor medicinal. Needless to say, the air in the hall froze at that moment. CH 79 At any rate, that concert was a success. I could say so with confidence. ¡°Yeah yeah, ooooo¡± The people who came to the concert were probably the source of the information, and I felt a palpable sense of relief as I checked the information being posted on the Internet. ¡°God Live.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a legend.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t there be a live DVD or something like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to go again.¡± There was a lot of good feedback across the board, mostly from each of the artists, mainly from Mia san¡¯s show. I think it is fair to say that there was a lot of Mia san, but it was nice to see a lot of other impressions as well, and that there was no bias. Everyone would have properly gotten other fans and made it their own. However, the most common comment was about the last collaboration. They were singing different parts of my song, you know, the one. ¡°The last one gave me goosebumps.¡± ¡°It¡¯s here to make you cry.¡± ¡°Nagishiro Rin, you¡¯re a genius, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡­¡­No, these comments are more about making me cry ¡­¡­ . Well, it was mostly comments like [thanks to the artist], and yes, that was the part I agreed with, so I ignored it for now. ¨CNo, I mean, I should pat myself on the back a little bit, right? Speaking of which, what happened to the game that was being played there? ¡°Well, let¡¯s call it a draw this time, shall we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a statement from someone who thinks they are better than you.¡± ¡°To add to that, it¡¯s also a statement from a shy person who doesn¡¯t want to easily compliment the other person.¡± ¡°Irreverent.¡± ¡°Well, well, well, Mirei san, ¡­¡­. Mirei san agreed with me, so that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s have the match another time, shall we?¡± (((I knew she was the most competitive of the bunch.))) There was a conversation like that, and it went off without a hitch. Well, these people don¡¯t get along until the very end, do they? Well, perhaps you have to have enough individuality and confidence to clash with each other that much to make it big in this world. So, the gig was a success! Good luck next time! ¡­¡­.I thought it would be¡­¡­ Apparently, the reputation of that gig had spread to many places. Furthermore, ¡°Kazashiro Rei¡± had changed its name and had started taking on new work. It seems that before they knew it, it had happened (to someone else), and the program producers were in a state of flux. And as it is now, the job is getting to me, and that¡¯s that. Incidentally, I am almost certain that the story I just told you is based on information from Kotoha, who visited my house about a week after the concert. The reality was that I had a huge amount of job offers coming my way. A request to create a newly written song for a new drama via Kotoha, a request to provide the opening song for an anime via Shizuku san, Azusa and her friends¡¯ ¡°Shanponika!¡± to create a new song for a new drama, a request to compose an artist¡¯s debut song for another famous actor, and so on. ¡­¡­ If you think I¡¯m just going to get a bunch of work as a composer, you¡¯re wrong. I was asked to write an essay, to do an interview for a weekly magazine, and to appear on television in a documentary program. Many of these requests were clearly out of my job description as a composer. To top it all off, I was even asked to be a regular on a music program. What I mean is that ¡­¡­ it¡¯s impossible. ¡°I wonder what I should do. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you just have to clean them up one at a time?¡± Azusa, who has just come to my room on Saturday and Sunday, replies in a light voice while frantically cooking lunch again. By the way, today¡¯s lunch is ¡°Azusa¡¯s special fried rice¡î¡±. What is that last star? Is it suggesting that I will become a star? Stop it, it¡¯s scary. ¡°You can¡¯t just put them away one at a time with ¡­¡­ this amount of stuff.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Azusa responds as if nothing is wrong, even though I am in trouble because the amount of work is impossible to handle. She seems to be saying that it is more difficult to make fried rice than to handle such a large amount of work. Oh, let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t see that, sugar¡­.., and not salt. I¡¯ll be the one suffering in an hour anyway. I don¡¯t care about that now. ¡°Azusa, how long have you been doing this job?¡± I tried to shift the conversation to distract me from the reality I did not want to see. Then she counted as she turned on the IH. ¡°Well, I was a freshman in high school, so it¡¯s been almost three years.¡± ¡°Three ¡­¡­3 years, and you¡¯ve been doing this amount of work?¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t start to become popular until right before Senpai gave me a song, so I didn¡¯t work on it for the first six months.¡± ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s great enough.¡± It was really amazing you can¡¯t do this kind of work for two and a half years with half a mind. I¡¯ve already failed at it without even trying. ¡°Hey, do you have a solution that I can do?¡± ¡°Ummm, yes, I do. ¡­¡­¡± When I ask in a light-hearted manner, Azusa stops mixing the contents of the frying pan and thinks slowly. It¡¯s going to burn, but, well, the only thing that will suffer is the following after an hour. ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to take it so seriously.¡± I felt bad for Azusa, who was taking me seriously, so before I could try to follow up on my earlier statement, her mouth was open. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you just focus on your job?¡± ¡°Narrow down the job? When I answered her question with a question, Azusa returned her attention to the fried rice again before answering my question. ¡°Look, if you just want to write songs, for example, you can refuse to do TV appearances and that kind of thing.¡± ¡°Oh, ¡­¡­.¡± I see¡­surely, I should reduce my workload? ¡°But isn¡¯t it rude to narrow it down? I¡¯m just a beginning composer, ¡­¡­?¡± I thought, and when I mentioned it, Azusa turned her gaze from the kitchen to me. I was getting a look like, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°W-What¡­¡­?¡± ¡°No¡­I¡¯m just wondering how you can think that after all the work that you have turned down ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°is that bad! See, choosing is kind of a big deal! rejecting everything is kind of¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­..Well, if that¡¯s true at a hundred steps, that¡¯s fine. But Senpai, do you still think of yourself as a beginner?¡± Azusa asks me a question with a different angle. But it was surprising for me to hear her say that. ¡°Eh, I¡¯m just starting out, you know? I just made my debut as a composer, and I¡¯m still inexperienced.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s almost a scam to say that you just made your debut as a composer. I don¡¯t know if you are inexperienced or not, though.¡± ¡°No, you call me a fraud.¡± ¡°Because isn¡¯t that a scam? Azusa Ikuta, Mirei Tatsumi, Kotoha Shirakawa, Suzune Harushita, Shizuku Mizuno, and Mia Brooks. How can someone who has provided songs for so many artists be anything but a scam?¡± ¡°Uu¡­that¡¯s¡± It¡¯s frustrating that Azusa has somehow broken the argument. I was surprised that Azusa also hit me where it hurts. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re just starting out or not. Anyway, I think you have the right to choose your job.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Still, I was somewhat unconvinced. I thought my background and how many years I¡¯ve been doing this kind of thing was important in this kind of industry. I¡¯ve only been in the business for a few months, so there¡¯s a chance that I could be frowned upon from somewhere, or worse, I could even be dried out of the music or entertainment industry. ¡­¡­? Seeing me like this, Azusa brought me a plate of food with a scowl on my face, even though the food was ready. ¡°For example, Haa san.¡± ¡°Kotoha?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s not supposed to perform with idols shorter than her.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± What? Isn¡¯t that going to cause quite a few idols to drop out?! She¡¯s over 170 tall, and if she wore heels, she¡¯d be about the same height as me. ¡­¡­ ¡°I mean, we all have those [NG]¡¯s.¡± (Not good) ¡°Even Azusa?¡± ¡°I was requested by the office. ©–©– san, for example, is NG.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something I didn¡¯t want to hear!¡± I¡¯ve been told something fishy. Hey, I¡¯m in shock. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s not enough to make enemies. I think the people who asked you to do this are just taking a chance.¡± I was so feminine that even Azusa got on my nerves. She said one such word that blew my enthusiasm away. ¡°If Senpai had an enemy, I, Mire san, and Haa san for example would not keep quiet about it. To tell the truth, I don¡¯t know what those two would do, and I don¡¯t know what I would do if someone did something strange to Senpai.¡± The words were very reassuring and dependable, yet they also brought a strange feeling that Azusa was a senior in this industry after all. The person who said those words, Azusa, seemed unwilling to say them and frowned. But on my part, I felt somewhat refreshed. Though I still felt guilty for making Azusa say something nasty to me. So, I, too, was unwilling to be a constant nuisance to Azusa, Mirei, and the others. So, I made up my mind and made up my mind. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll do it all!¡± ¡°Did you hear what I just said?¡± Azusa said with a disappointed look on her face, but her mouth was smiling. It was a motherly smile, like that of a mother caring for a helpless child. I declare to Azusa. ¡°No! I¡¯ll try everything once! And if it¡¯s a job I don¡¯t like, I¡¯ll turn it down right away! This way I won¡¯t complain, and it¡¯s the most ¡­¡­ selfish thing I can do, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ is a little bit manly, isn¡¯t it ¡­¡­! ¡°What do you mean ¡°a little bit¡±? What do you mean, I am a man, but I am only a little manly?¡± After a short laugh, Azusa scooped up some of her own fried rice with a spoon and began talking. ¡°¡­..Senpai, this fried rice.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­, it¡¯s so bad.¡± ¡°Dumb-ass. I know that.¡± I was so proud of myself that I decided to try the fried rice, but it really tasted so bad that I was afraid of losing my spoon. To be more specific, without juice, the taste was so bad that I almost lost my life, not to mention dropping my spoon. I shouldn¡¯t talk to Azusa while she¡¯s cooking. Yeah. CH 80 Early March. The cold of winter is still persistent, and it is the time of year when I miss the sunshine of spring. Today was a rare day to be interviewed. ¡­¡­ with Mia san. ¡°Mia san, didn¡¯t you go back to the U.S. ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be back until April or so.¡± Mia san crosses her legs beside me in a relaxed tone. Today, she was wearing very short shorts, exposing her thighs and beyond. She didn¡¯t seem to pay any attention to this, but to me it was a sight for sore eyes. My gaze immediately went in that direction. ¡°? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. ¡­¡­¡± As expected, I cannot say ¡°Please put away your legs because they are so erotic¡± in front of the person in question. I mean, where would you put away such long beautiful legs? I mean, why is the distance between the people next to each other so small? Is it the angle of view of the camera? The distance is about the size of a rice ball. If I move my hand a little, I can¡¯t help but feel Mia san¡¯s silky hair tickling my cheek, which is a little itchy. Above all, it smells really good. ¡°¡­¡­Fufufufu, that¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°Good job, Mia.¡± Mia san and her manager were having some kind of sneaky conversation I didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel that they were talking about some stupid thing. Incidentally, it is also Mia san¡¯s manager who will be doing the interview. Since this interview will only be published in an article, it seems that it is the same no matter who asks the questions. If that is the case, they decided that it would be better to have a manager who is familiar with the subject matter. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Well, all of this is what Mia san told me. ¡°okay do you get it? The rest is on schedule. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll do as you say, and please give me a vacation like you promised.¡± ¡°Okay okay, then please¡± I have a feeling it¡¯s really a bad thing!? Why are they sneaking around in front of me!? Hey, is there something you can¡¯t tell me about it? The manager sat down and put the voice recorder on the desk. The air was somewhat tightened by this action, and a sense of tension ran through my body. ¡°Well, I¡¯m looking forward to working with you.¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± ¡°Please¡± Then the interview began. She asks detailed questions about my interactions with Mia san, starting with a discussion of how I got my start as a composer. ¡°What is it about Mia san that appeals to you?¡± ¡°hmmm I think the volume of her voice is attractive. And yet, I don¡¯t feel like she sings wildly, and her resonant voice draws me in at once.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s what you mean when you say that you like Mia¡¯s voice. ¡­¡­ memo memo ¡­¡­¡± Hmm?I feel like I¡¯m off on some nuance. ¡­¡­? I mean, why is Mia san twisting her body next to me? ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Anything.¡± Hmmm¡­ I think. Mia san¡¯s appeal as an artist is difficult to describe in words. ¡°The live performance was amazing. I felt like I was transported into Mia san¡¯s world, which is a strange sensation. It was very comfortable, but also moving. ¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not good at words, but that¡¯s pretty much how I felt.¡± ¡°Oh, so Mia¡¯s song got you hooked and you felt really good. ¡­¡­ memo memo.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s obviously been maliciously altered!?¡± I sense malice, especially in the choice of words. ¡°I see¡­Rin¡­.I see you thought so. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, no !? That¡¯s not what I thought.¡± ¡°No ¡­¡­?¡± Mia san looks sad. She seemed to have tears in her eyes, if not in her heart. ¡°Is it not ¡­¡­! No, no, no, I really loved hearing you!¡± ¡°¡­¡­ yay ¡­¡­¡± Mia san was relieved, and I was relieved, too. I mean, Mia san is kind of cute right now. ¡°¡­¡­Nagishiro¡¯s words made Mia¡¯s face flush¡­¡­memo memo¡± ¡°You¡¯ve had enough, you know that?¡± The manager had a little, or rather a lot to say. It definitely looks like she is enjoying this interview. ¡°By the way, how does Nagishiro feel about Mia?¡± ¡°eh, What is this?¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s just another question I was told to ask by the publisher.¡± I was a little suspicious, but once I was told that, there was no way I was going to argue with her. About Mia san¡­.. ¡°she¡¯s a little younger than I thought she would be¡± ¡°What?!¡± When I said what I thought, Mia san became very shaken up. ¡°I agree with that.¡± ¡°Even you!¡± In addition, the manager has been following her and Mia is terribly depressed. Uu,uuu¡­.She dropped to her knees, feeling as if she were about to burst into tears. ¡°You both looked at me like that. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I mean, it¡¯s more surprising that you didn¡¯t think I was ¡­¡­¡± When I said that, Mia san puffed out her cheeks in protest. She probably doesn¡¯t realize that the fact that she doesn¡¯t try to hide such feelings makes her look childish. No, that is one of the beauties of this situation. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to imply that you were young badly¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Really?¡± Mia san gave me a skeptical look. Apparently, she was quite depressed by being told she was too young. I rub her back and continue speaking. ¡°At first, I thought Mia san would be more difficult to get to know. You know, she looked so cool, like a superstar.¡± That was the impression I had when I first saw her on TV. ¡°But when I met her, she was very easy to talk to. I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but when I first met her in the sauna, I didn¡¯t think she was such a great person.¡° I miss those days when I only thought that there were strange foreigners. I think I¡¯m a bit too foolish, though. ¡°But she¡¯s a very honest person, very genuine in her singing, and very open to talking to me.¡± Well, her personality caused her to get involved in a lot of unpredictable things. Like suddenly staying over at my house, or getting involved in a game of artists. I¡¯ve been subjected to many things like annoyances. ¡°Still, being able to hold on to that kind of childhood spirit is not an easy thing to do, so ¡­¡­ I think Mia san is an amazing person.¡± When I said that much, Mia san looked up. Her expression was tearful, but she looked happy, with a smile on her face. ¡°So in that sense, Mia san, I think you¡¯re wonderful.¡± ¡°R¡ªRinn!!!!!¡± ¡°Hey, Mia san?!¡± Mia san suddenly jumped on me and pushed me down. But the only thing on Mia san¡¯s face was innocence, and I felt innocent too. I knew that what I saw in front of me was just a 19-year-old. She was just a 19-year-old who was successful. I felt cheered up by the thought of it. ¡°¨CHohoho, in other words, Nagishiro is in love with Mia¡¯s childish side, ¡­¡­ memo memo.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t write it that way because it makes me sound like a pedophile!?¡± But the manager ruined everything. CH 81 What usually comes to mind when one hears the word ¡°Japanese culture¡±? Samurai warriors with chomage. Various wooden temples and shrines. It is not difficult to imagine that the majority of people imagine these things. However, I know that certain people will certainly respond this way when asked this question. [Manga and Anime] They are what we call Otaku Otaku cite manga and anime as the pride of Japanese culture. They consider them to be the only form of entertainment like no other in the world, and they consider them to be more interesting content than anything else. Otaku turn the economy around. Otaku do not hesitate to spend money on their favorite characters. Of course, I don¡¯t think about the auspicious thing of turning the economy around. They simply invest as much as they like in what they like. And then, they think about how they can use the money to do a second season of the show. ¡­¡­Now, why am I able to talk about otaku so much? -and that¡¯s because I¡¯m an otaku, of course. ¡°Oh, man. Yeah, it¡¯s so good. This anime is too good, ah, Ginga tan is so cute.¡± I was watching the third episode of the first season of an anime, relaxing in front of the TV at home and muttering something like this. ¡­¡­No, I wasn¡¯t muttering. I was [buhi]. What do I mean by ¡°buhi¡±? By the way, my favorite character is Ryuga chan, a silver-haired heroine. I knew that a silver-haired heroine was righteous. I don¡¯t really care, but I like boyish girls next. No, I really don¡¯t care. ¡°Oh, man, it¡¯s really great.¡± ¡°Your vocabulary is a real bummer, though¡± I calmly tutted, and then took a break as I entered the ending of the third episode. I have seen this anime dozens of times and although I haven¡¯t been able to spend any money on it, I can say that it is one of my favorite anime at one or two levels in my life. Recently, I¡¯ve been able to work and get paid, so when the money is transferred to me, I¡¯ll contribute a little. Just a little bit, okay? However, nothing I was looking at today was for fun, or like I wanted to look at it again. In fact, I¡¯m looking at it today for a good reason. ¡­¡­ This reminds me of an earlier conversation between a producer and a director. ¡°Well, I was thinking of having Nagishiro sensei compose the theme song for [Meteor¡¯s Ecstasy.]¡± ¡°Eh, that [Meteor¡¯s ecstasy] ?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I thought it would be a fitting title for Nagishiro sensei¡¯s ani-song debut?¡± ¡°Nono, that¡¯s¡­..[Meteor¡¯s ecstasy] is a very big title that I¡¯ve been playing since I was in middle school. I¡¯m afraid¡­.it¡¯s my pleasure. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°So, could you please take care of it? Nagishiro Sensei.¡± ¡°Of course !!¡± At the time, I was jumping up and down with joy, as if to say, ¡°I can¡¯t believe the day will come when I can be involved in animation?!¡±. I wondered if I would be able to meet the animators or the voice actors. It was like an otaku¡¯s fantasy come true. But after a few days, when I was able to calmly think about the facts, I felt tremendous pressure. ¡°No ¡­¡­, this is something I can¡¯t mess up, ¡­¡­.¡± Of course I¡¯ve never thought about failing, but I can see a future where what I make is called a failure. I see a future where I get slammed on the message boards and slammed on Twitter ¡­¡­ yeah, that¡¯s the future. Well, that is why I have been studying the anime to improve my understanding of the anime and to continue the lineage of the theme songs. In that sense, I am watching anime. ¡°¡­¡­ yea, I knew it, Ginga tan is really cute, BuhiBuhi¡± ¨CI watched anime in order to study seriously. ¡°Excuse me!¡± Her cheerful, pitchy voice brings me back to reality from the anime world. She comes into my room, which was originally open, and puts some snacks on my desk from a plastic bag, probably from a nearby convenience store. ¡°You¡¯ve bought a lot again, Shizuku san. ¡­¡­¡± Yes, Shizuku san was scheduled to come to my house today. Shizuku san looks so embarrassed by my pointing this out to her. ¡°¡­¡­ No, because I¡¯m a little hungry? No choice, no choice.¡± She is already a person who is making excuses completely, as she opens the bag of chips while chanting to herself. By the way, even though it¡¯s snack time, no matter how you think about it, it¡¯s not the amount of sweets you eat for lunch. ¡°More importantly, Are you making any more progress?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Shizuku san asks as she licks her fingers, which are smeared with chips. It¡¯s a little erotic. ¡°Eh, umm, well it¡¯s so so¡± ¡°Ah about that! I had to ask you something important first!¡± Like a storm, Shizuku san was unconventional, or rather, her stories changed so often that it took a lot of energy just to keep up with her. She asked me seriously as she sat upright on the sofa with a pout. I thought it must be important, so I cleared my throat and waited quietly, too. ¡°Nagishiro kun¡­.¡± ¡°¡­..Yes¡± ¡°¡­..Who is your Oshi?¡± ¡°..yes?¡± Hmmm, my brain pauses for a while. It took me a while to figure out what was being asked, or rather, I couldn¡¯t figure it out. Seeing me like that, Shizuku san added a few words. ¡°S-O ! I¡¯m asking who your Oshi in [Ryu Eku] !¡± ( Ryu eku is the alias for Meteor¡¯s ecstasy ) ¡°Aah¡­¡­so it¡¯s that kind of thing¡­.¡± No, you didn¡¯t say that, Shizuku san. ¡°Of course it¡¯s ginga, right? Of course ginga is the cutest, right?¡± Shizuku san asked me with her heart pounding in her chest. There was no doubt there. This is because the voice actor who plays the voice of Ginga is Shizuku san. In addition, it is also Shizuku san¡¯s career-making work. Many fans may still associate the name ¡°Mizuno Shizuku¡± with Ginga. She is a quiet person who speaks in a whisper. She is cool and expressionless, but sometimes shy and embarrassed, with a hint of cuteness. As a rookie voice actor, Shizuku san did a great job of portraying such a character and rose to the top. Since then, she has been playing more and more major characters such as the hero and heroine. I didn¡¯t disappoint her, and I had named the character she was guessing. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s ginga¡± Being the first heroine, Shizuku san probably has more attachment to Ginga than other characters. When I said this, her expression softened as I looked at her. ¡°I-Is that so? W-Well, of course! Ginga is the number one heroine, you know!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no doubt about it. I mean, if you ask me what my favorite character is in all of anime, I would probably mention Ginga tan, excuse me, Ginga chan. Seriously, she is the best. Ginga chan is my wife.¡± ¡°Ah, Umm¡­..Yeah, yes¡­.!¡­¡­W-Wife¡­.¡± Despite her words, Shizuku san is very shy. Where did her confident attitude go? Her face is flushed and her voice is slurred. She is like a little child, with a tiny body and attitude, curled up on the sofa, hiding her face. She was curled up on the sofa with her face hidden in the hollow space she had created by sitting on the floor. The most important thing to remember is that you can always find a way to make a child look like a little animal. ¡°¡­What is it, smiling like that?¡± I guess such feelings were showing on her face, because Shizuku san pointed out to me in a slightly angry tone. It was cute that she seemed to be sulking, but I knew that if I let it out, I might make her even angrier, so I held my ground. Or maybe it was just in my face. ¡°Then, Let¡¯s get back to the animation then! Let¡¯s hear all the behind-the-scenes stories, if any!¡± I changed the subject, meaning to put her in a good mood, and turned to the TV, and at that moment, Shizuku san put her face to my ear. And then, as if in a whisper, a word. ¡°[I love you¡­¡­]¡± It is a line from the second season of Meteor Ecstasy, episode 11, when Ginga first expresses her fondness for the protagonist. As if to resemble that time ¨C no, the same tone of that time was whispered in my ear. ¡°¡ª¡ª-!?!?!¡± My head boils with agitation. I got confessed from Gingatan!? Eeeehh!??! ¡°Fufufufu!¡¯ Then I came back to myself when I saw Shizuku san¡¯s face with a look of triumph on it. Yes, the voice actor who plays the voice of Gingatan is right next to me. ¡°Wait, Shizuku san !?¡± ¡°Daahahaha!! Evil will perish!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I did anything wrong.¡± ¡°No questions asked!¡± Then she took the liberty of bringing a sports drink from my refrigerator at my house and drank it with amusement. ¨CBut her ears were bright red, so I decided not to say anything more. CH 82 ¡°It¡¯s summer! It¡¯s the sea! It¡¯s a festival!¡± ¡°It¡¯s spring, it¡¯s land, and it¡¯s an amusement park. ¡­¡­¡± We are slightly out of sync with each other¡­¡­but Shizuku san, the person who said that, didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°Look, there¡¯s a swimming pool there!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the amusement park we¡¯re going to today.¡± Harushita san pointed this out to quiet Shizuku san, who was in such a high state of tension. However, that didn¡¯t reach Shizuku san. ¡°No~, I haven¡¯t been to an amusement park in ages!~¡± Shizuku san is dressed in shorts, sunglasses, and a red cap, but it is spring and the cherry blossom season is almost upon us. It is not yet the season for fireworks. ¡°Rin, Where is this¡­.?¡± On the other hand, Mirei, who has been sticking next to me since the bus, asks me what¡¯s scaring me. ¡°No, nowhere. It¡¯s Nagashima.¡± ¡°Nagashima.¡± Mirei is apparently not thinking straight. Her body is stiff and her voice is even quieter than usual. Incidentally, this one was also dressed like an innocent girl with sunglasses and a straw hat, but inside she was something close to a recluse. This is because Mirei does not leave the house very often. If she does go out, it is only to buy food or to go to the studio in her manager¡¯s car. It seems that she has no tolerance for places like this, where everyone is talking about ¡°¡±Kyaaa!!!!!¡±¡± As I was thinking about this, I heard another shout from the roller coaster. Mirei, overreacting to it, jumped up and down. ¡°Rin¡­.let¡¯s go home¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to show such weakness.¡± Where was the usual haughty, uptight Tatsumi Mirei ? Well, the sight of her clutching the hem of my clothes without hesitation is, of course, a hit with me as a boy. I¡¯m not the kind of guy who gets a thrill from seeing other people in a state of weakness. ¡­¡­ ¡°Well it¡¯s okay, the roller coaster. Doesn¡¯t it sound like fun?¡± But it was Harushita san who saw her in that weakened state and was intrigued by her tastes. She points toward the roller coaster, which is falling almost headlong at an angle of about 80 degrees, and says it looks like fun. ¡°Uu, I knew that thing is¡­¡± While shielding that roller coaster from Mirei¡¯s view, I let out my thoughts. Falling at that angle, ¡­¡­ eh, aren¡¯t you going to die? ¡°Nagishiro san, are you not good at that kind of thing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m bad at it, but as expected, I don¡¯t think anyone would want to ride that thing. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, of course I¡¯ll let you tag along.¡± Oh, that. Harushita san is such an S. I finally realized it, Lucky. I¡¯m not lucky. I can¡¯t be happy to have an S so close to me. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mirei. I¡¯m here for you.¡± It would be nice for the two of us to take a relaxing ride on the Ferris wheel. Yeah, I think we¡¯ve got an itinerary for today. ¡°Why in the world did this happen? ¡­¡­¡± As Mirei laments her visit to the amusement park, she recalls how it happened a few days ago. £ª It was, I think, when I was meeting with Harushita san at Saize as usual to discuss a song. ¡°I won tickets to an amusement park on a show the other day.¡° After the meeting was over and we had settled down, Harushita san said something like that to me. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Two.¡± ¡°Hmm. ¡­¡­¡± Would it be better to go with Sawamura? But Sawamura would be more excited to go to a sacred place than an amusement park. No, but that place is a sacred place, too. I wonder if Sawamura would be more excited to go there than to an amusement park. ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll take it without reservation, but ¡­¡­ are you sure?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone to go with.¡± Her quick response made me sit up and take notice. I feel like I¡¯ve asked something I¡¯m sorry about. She probably doesn¡¯t think anything in particular. Maybe it was because I talked about something like that, but the sight of Harushita san silently sipping water in front of me made me feel lonely. ¡°Then would you like to come with me?¡± Maybe that¡¯s why I was talking like that. The moment I said it, I regretted it. It was as if I was asking her out on a date. Harushita san¡¯s eyes were dazed. She couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. No, I¡¯m also very surprised, so forgive me. So in my embarrassment I had to add the following words. ¡°S-See? Let¡¯s go with Azusa and the others!¡± As I hurriedly added, Harushita san seemed to have regained her composure, and she looked relieved ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you meant ¡­¡­. Well, yes, I don¡¯t think Nagishiro san is brave enough to ask a woman out on a date.¡± -No, I was relieved in a bad way. What¡¯s with this guy, she swears at every chance she gets. And since she says it so nonchalantly, it¡¯s hard to make a comment. ¡°Well, but if you don¡¯t want to go with me, I¡¯m going to invite some friends!¡± I was relieved to see that she didn¡¯t seem to have misunderstood me. In addition, the forlorn look Harushita san had shown me earlier had disappeared, so I said so as if to deceive her. ¡°No? I¡¯m coming okay?¡± Harushita san said so with a puzzled look on her face. What is she talking about? She looked as if she recognized the creature in front of her as an extraterrestrial life form and said something like that. ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ªHa?¡± So this time it¡¯s me who is surprised. I never thought Harushita san would say such a thing. ¡°I actually like amusement parks. I¡¯m the type of person who does two laps on a roller coaster.¡± There aren¡¯t that many of that type in this world. I mean, please don¡¯t say that in a way that sounds like a housewife making two trips down the street to the supermarket. And I don¡¯t like roller coasters. ¡°Then please keep gathering people together again. Oh, and I will pay for the tickets for Nagishiro san and those who are missing.¡± Before I knew it, I was playing the role of organizer in gathering people for the event. ¡°Then I¡¯ll look forward to it!¡± However, after seeing her smile at the end, I could not leave it at that. £ª After that, when I checked the schedule, I got an appointment with Shizuku san and Mirei. Incidentally, Azusa and Kotoha¡¯s schedules were not available at all, so they had to give up without a fight. ¡°If you touch Rin senpai, you¡¯ll never get away with it! Ugyaaa!¡± ¡°Oh my goodness, Rin kun. I¡¯m not sure what to expect. Of course, you¡¯ll make it up to me, right?¡± I also tried to reach out to Mia san, just in case, but as expected of a very popular singer, her schedule was filled to the brim. She has about a week left before she returns to the U.S., but apparently she doesn¡¯t have a single day off. I heard that her manager had screwed up her schedule. That is why we are at an amusement park. We will take the Shinkansen to Nagoya Station and then a 40-minute bus ride from there. The plan is to stop by the nearby ¡°Nagashima Onsen Yuami no Shima¡± in the evening before returning home. ¨C It¡¯s a day trip, you know? There¡¯s nothing sleazy about it or anything like that, okay? However, it was also true that I had a somewhat bad feeling. I was not at all confident that I could come with this group of people and leave safely. They are all troublemakers. ¡­¡­ At the entrance, you will be given a paper band to wrap around your left wrist. This allows you to ride any of the rides as many times as you want without paying. ¡°Okay, then we¡¯re off!¡± With the mighty Shizuku san leading the way, we entered the amusement park. CH 83 ¡°I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯m going home.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve come this far, so let¡¯s just hold on for the ride. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving. ¡­¡­¡± After about 30 minutes of waiting in line, Mirei started to get frustrated when it was our turn after one or two more rounds. I felt sorry for her because she had tears in her eyes. I¡¯m also a bit nervous. And so. ¡°Sounds amazing.¡± ¡°Wow, sounds like fun!¡± The sound is incredible. The sound of metal friction is tremendous, and the sound of the coaster rattling on the rails makes you feel as if it is about to break down. Will we crash? Will the train come off in the middle of a revolution and fall down? Or maybe the safety belt comes off and I¡¯m the only one going down. ¡­¡­ is falling down confirmed? ¡°A-Anyway. Let¡¯s put these crazy berserkers in front of us to make it a little less scary by half. Better in the back than the front, apparently.¡± Mirei nods in agreement. It seems she heard me. By the way, the two berserkers did not hear me and were discussing how many times to ride the steel dragon. I think these guys are idiots. ¡°Yes, then the next customer, please get ready!¡± I followed the attendant¡¯s instructions and left my valuables in my locker. By the time I got around to taking off my hat and sunglasses, I thought that perhaps Mirei and others would be exposed, but, well, even if they were, it would be okay because we are not here in a date format. It¡¯s not one-on-one, so it shouldn¡¯t be like when Shizuku san went down in flames. But it did go unnoticed, perhaps because there was not too much Mirei¡¯s dominance. ¡°Yes, then make sure you fasten your safety belts~¡° The seatbelt is wrapped around the waist, and the upper half of the body is on a safety lever that comes down from around the shoulders. Yes, this doesn¡¯t seem like it would fall off, but I feel like there¡¯s a little bit of leeway to be secured by the lever and still have room to fall off. ¡­¡­ ¡°Mirei, are you okay?¡± After all the action, I could afford to worry about my neighbor. Or rather, I¡¯m more worried about Mirei. So I turned to the side, and sure enough, there was Mirei, her face pale and her body not moving in any way. ¡°Hey, Mirei. Mirei?¡± I call out to her, but she doesn¡¯t respond to anything. She just stares blankly into the void. No belt and no lever is indeed a bad idea. ¡°Sorry !!¡± I hastily call the attendant, who rushes over to me smiling. ¡°She seems a little nervous, so would you mind replacing this?¡± ¡°Yes, no problem!¡± The attendants work through the manuals in a brisk manner. ¡°Ha. Where am I?¡± ¡°Hey, we are going to start okay?¡± There, Mirei finally regains consciousness, checks her current state and the state of her surroundings, and then turns pale once more. ¡°¡­..Ueeehnn¡± That¡¯s when she started crying. Like an unruly baby. ¡°Moueeeeeeeehnnn !! I¡¯m leaving, I¡¯m going home!!!!¡± ¡°Calm!? It¡¯s no use crying about it here!?¡± She was still wailing without listening to me, but then the attendant brought her face close to hers in a calm manner. Then she whispered something in her ear. ¡°¡­¡­The man next door, he¡¯s your boyfriend, isn¡¯t he?¡¡Then you can hold your boyfriend¡¯s hand or arm when you are scared. See, you can move your arm a little. And ¡­¡­ your boyfriend will be thrilled to¡± ¡°(Nod Nod)¡± Then, for some reason, Mirei, who had been crying so much, regained her composure and managed to get back on her feet. It seems that she was indeed unable to get rid of her fear, but she was able to look forward and prepare her mind. What did she say? she is sending some kind of good job mark to Mirei¡­ Incidentally, the two in front of me seemed to be unable to contain their excitement anymore, and Shizuku san, for example, was ready to raise her hands. Are you suicidal or something? In case Mirei¡¯s crying might have been annoying, I apologized to the couple behind me, who were about 30 years old, but for some reason they encouraged me to ¡°take care of your girlfriend ~ it¡¯s totally fine!¡± She¡¯s not my girlfriend, she¡¯s not my girlfriend. ¡°Then here we go!¡± The steel dragon was then launched. The ride started out slowly and gently, then climbed uphill for a tremendous distance. At the beginning of the climb, I could see the other attractions and could afford to think, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a roller coaster,¡± but when it got too high and I couldn¡¯t see anything but the sky, I honestly wanted to cry. Really, I¡¯m still glad I had the people I knew¡¯s head in front of me, otherwise I would have cried. I mean, I was sobbing. ¡°M-Mirei, are you okay?¡± I¡¯d like to say I¡¯m not totally okay with it, but I¡¯m not. Mirei was probably even more nervous than I was. I looked to the side and saw Mirei with a determined look on her face, as if she was ready to close her eyes and get through this. She seemed to have made up her mind as well. Then it¡¯s time for me to be the man. While I was ticking my way up, I took deep breaths to get into a rhythm. And the top. The bright red rail that had been visible all this time was no longer visible, and despair swept over me all at once. The next view I saw was of the train falling straight down, reversing up and down from earlier. ¡°Nooo¡ª¨C!!!!!!¡± ¡°Kyaaa¡ª!!!!¡± ¡°Fuuuuu¡ª-!!!¡± The three of us (Harushita san seemed to be quietly enjoying herself) fell down with each of us screaming. By the way, my scream was the most feminine one, Kyaaaa Mirei grabbed my hand at that moment, and I involuntarily squeezed it back. ¡°Nooooooooooooooo!!!!!¡± I am falling at a tremendous speed. Somewhere, I felt my internal organs suddenly rise to the surface, and a cold sweat broke out. It is the kind of feeling you get instinctively when you think you might die. From there, there are two big mountains. Instead of slogging up them as before, it lets the speed take you straight up and fall down all at once. As the name suggests, it slides on rails that look like the skeleton of a dragon. The whirling, zig-zagging descent and ascent were repeated in detail, giving an exhilarating sensation. I had the sensation of cutting through the wind. For a little while, really just a little bit, I understood how people enjoy roller coasters. ¨CBut I still couldn¡¯t understand why people would enjoy throwing their hands up in the air on that steep hill. And the whole time after we got off the attraction, Mirei was holding my hand. CH 84 After lunch, we went our separate ways. By the way, lunch was curry rice called white whale curry. It was cute that the white rice was shaped like a whale, but I was disappointed that the white whale itself was a roller coaster and did not have a good image. Also, I got a little tipsy from the steel dragon. The group was divided into two groups: the scary group of Shizuku san and Harushita san, and the ladylike group of me and Mirei. The first group seemed to be going on a roller coaster ride and other similarly exciting attractions, and were eager to get going. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± And Team Relaxation, as the name implies, has not even decided where to go yet. We were meeting with a map of the amusement park spread out on top of the restaurant. ¡°Do you want a simple roller coaster around here?¡¡Something a little younger.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m an adult.¡± Yes, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s all from the field. No, not that. ¡°You were so freaked out by the steel dragons earlier.¡± ¡°Hmm. Hmm. I-I don¡¯t know.¡± As she says this, she¡¯s remembering the scene again, but she¡¯s about two steps weaker. She¡¯s hunched over, and her legs are trembling. ¡°Hey, Because the ones that don¡¯t go as fast are more fun.¡± ¡°W-well, If R-Rin says so, I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯ll go out with you.¡± Mirei¡¯s strength to the utmost was kind of cheeky. She is a child. She is a competitive person. But if I pointed that out further, it might make her angry and put her in a bad mood, so I kept my mouth shut. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s try this ¡®Corkscrew¡¯ next¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± We decide on a destination and get out of our seats. Being alone together like this, it feels like a date, but for me, it¡¯s more like a parent-child relationship. Of course, Mirei is the child. ¡°Hey, get me some churros over there.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a good eater.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± I knew She was still a child, I thought, but I was somewhat nervous about the hand that was being held. £ª ¡°What about them?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± This time we are waiting by the ¡°storm,¡± and as I look at Nagishiro san and Mirei, who are walking together in the distance, I turn to Suzune san. She has the dexterity to think about the next roller coaster ride while waiting for the attraction she is waiting for. I guess she likes it so much. She reacts to my words by looking at the map. ¡°Look, are they dating or something?~¡± ¡°Aah¡± When I supplemented, she finally seemed to get the meaning and lowered her map to think about it. Suzune san is a good person who thinks carefully even in such unimportant chit-chat. I think she¡¯s a little, or rather a lot, on the ¡°S¡± side, though. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°You mean they¡¯re not together?¡± ¡°I mean, Mizuno san doesn¡¯t think they are dating either, does she?¡± ¡°Well, you know. But looking at that, I don¡¯t know.¡± The two people I pointed to were holding hands and chatting amiably. I wonder if it is my imagination that the two of them seem to be closer than when they came to the amusement park. I think It¡¯s not my imagination. ¡°Are you jealous?¡± ¡°That¡¯s of course. I¡¯m not sure how much I like amusement parks, but if she keeps Nagishiro san all to herself that much, I¡¯m going to feel bad.¡± When I said it matter-of-factly, Suzune san seemed surprised and blinked her eyes. ¡°Hnnn ? Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. ¡­¡­¡± Indeed, her eyes do not seem to be condemning, but rather favorable. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone so open about themselves.¡± ¡°Is that so~?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I could, at least not by myself.¡± When you said that, I felt like I was doing something embarrassing. But still, that¡¯s no reason not to say it. ¡°Because if you say it like this, it will also be a restraint, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Restraint¡­ me?¡± I can¡¯t help but laugh at Suzune san¡¯s shocked expression. It makes me feel strangely relieved to think that even someone as star-studded as Suzune san makes this kind of face, though, so I guess I¡¯m not quite at that level yet. ¡°What, did I say something funny?¡± ¡°No, no, no. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d react that way.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even like Nagishiro san.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then why do you need to keep me in check?¡± I really didn¡¯t seem to understand. Oh well~ if I don¡¯t know, well, I don¡¯t have the obligation to tell ¡°Look, we¡¯re almost there!¡± ¡°Just a minute?¡± ¡°Come on, come on, come on. We¡¯re running out of time.¡± ¡°Come on! You can try to fool me, but it won¡¯t work! I¡¯ll ask you when we get off.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± When I pushed Suzune san¡¯s back and urged her to move forward, she seemed to give up, deciding to ask me later. Well, I¡¯m not going to tell you. ¨CIt¡¯s just too much for me. To tell her that the best match for Nagishiro san is Suzune san, no matter how I look at it. And because I thought it was unfair that the person responsible wasn¡¯t in love. Someday, when Suzune san falls in love with Nagishiro san, I will tell her. I decided so and put it in my heart. I wonder when the seal will be broken. Maybe it won¡¯t come. It might be better if it doesn¡¯t come. My rivals are already strong opponents. But strangely enough, I could easily imagine a future where Suzune san would be a love interest. Oh, by the way, after getting off the attraction, Suzune san firmly seemed to have forgotten what we had talked about and talked at length about her impressions of the attraction. I knew she wasn¡¯t interested in men. £ª ¡°How was it? Did you have fun there? ¡°Rather, did you have fun on the roller coaster ride?¡± ¡°No, it was a lot of fun. right suzune san?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only been on the white whale twice. ¡­¡­¡± Harushita san was extremely sad, but it was already around 6:00 p.m., so she had to give up on the roller coaster ride. I mean, how much do you like it, this person? ¡°Then let¡¯s all take a ride on the Ferris wheel at the end.¡± So I suggest a ride on the Ferris wheel. What I can tell you is that the Ferris wheel is my favorite part of the amusement park. ¡°Well it¡¯s nice~¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°U~¡­¡­White whale¡­¡­¡± Only one person was lamenting like a child ¡­¡­, but, well, maybe there is something about this amusement park that regresses us into toddlers. Then, hey, could it be that the most mature person is Shizuku san? No, she¡¯s a little bit younger than she used to be, so yeah, I guess not. ¡°Well, everyone looks good, so let¡¯s go.¡± With Harushita san nodding reluctantly, the four of us headed for the ¡°Giant Ferris Wheel Aurora.¡± The Ferris Wheel Aurora was the most conspicuous attraction in Nagashima, as seen from the bus on the way to the hotel. When the four of us went to the Ferris wheel and tried to ride it together, we were met with some strange looks. It was true that it is not usual for one boy and three girls to come to a Ferris wheel. Don¡¯t worry, attendant. We¡¯re all just friends. So please don¡¯t look at me like I¡¯m the worst kind of guy. After overcoming such hardships, we boarded the Ferris wheel. I am sitting next to Shizuku san, with Mirei in front of me and Harushita san on the diagonal. It is a little, or rather quite small, and there is almost no distance between me and Shizuku san next to me. I manage to get the soft touch of the girl on my right hand and manage to drive it out of my head so that I am not conscious of it. Mirei in front of me was also so close that our legs would have touched if I had not been so close. Mirei¡¯s supple legs looked so entrancing that I hurried to look out. I was still in the middle of the dance. ¡°Hmm, there¡¯s some kind of black cloud~¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a passing shower.¡± There are thick pitch black clouds in the distance. I just hope it doesn¡¯t rain while I am in the open-air bath. ¡°Hey, look down there. There are so many cars.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like people are trash.¡± ¡°Mirei, what do you have against people?¡± The Ferris wheel slowly spun around as we talked about trivial things. It was completely dusk. Behind a group of black clouds, the orange-burned western sun was waiting for us. ¡°Haaa, that was a fun day~¡± Shizuku san dropped a mumble into the silence. As if in retrospect of today¡¯s events. ¡°I haven¡¯t been here in a while, so I might have overstretched my wings.¡± ¡°No, no. Me, too.¡± Shizuku san and Harushita san look satisfied. Both of them may have always liked this kind of leisure land, but they were probably too busy with their work to have a chance to come. ¡°How was Mirei?¡± Shizuku san talks to Mirei. She looks a little worried. But Mirei, looking unfaithful, replied in a whisper. ¡°¡­¡­ wasn¡¯t too bad.¡± Seeing this, I bit back a smile. It was like Mirei not to say, ¡°Good,¡± but apparently Mirei was also enjoying herself to her satisfaction. ¡°But I hate roller coasters. I hope they die.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have to die, you don¡¯t have to ¡­¡­ ride them. ¡­¡­¡± She started to say something disturbing, so I stopped her from going any further. If the people at the amusement park heard that, they would cry. ¡°How was it, Nagishiro san?¡± Then, unexpectedly, Harushita san asked me a question. Pure eyes, straight and calm. I felt like I had to answer seriously, so I took it seriously before answering. ¡°I had a good time, too. I have been here before while I was a college student, but it was more fun than that time.¡± Maybe it was because I was following the flow at the time. But at the time, I had a somewhat narrow-minded view of things, and when I saw other people getting excited at the attractions, I looked down on them as ¡°children¡±. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t honestly enjoy myself even though I had come to such an interesting place. ¡°I wonder why.¡± Why had my thinking changed since then? I didn¡¯t have an answer for that, even through the day. I don¡¯t think I even cared much about it. And the answer was held by someone else, not me. ¡°I think it¡¯s because Nagishiro san started working.¡± ¡°Work?¡± Harushita san said so with satisfaction. Harushita san is not the only one. Shizuku san and Mirei also nodded their heads, apparently thinking the same thing. I was the only one who didn¡¯t know the answer. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. You used to come here to kill time, right?¡¡You had nothing to do, so you decided to have some fun. That¡¯s what you were doing, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Yes, it was summer vacation at that time, but I had no plans, so I went out to play as if to fill up my schedule. ¡°But not this time. You forced yourself to clear your schedule and make that appointment to come here.¡± I made a schedule to come. The words seem to be stating the obvious, but they are not as obvious as you might think. It was not to fill the schedule. ¡°Isn¡¯t the occasional playtime exceptional when you¡¯re short on time?¡± With those words, I knew why I was the only one who didn¡¯t know the answer. Simply put, I had always been a man of leisure, but the girls had always been busy. ¡°But this time it felt fun. right?¡± In other words. Harushita san seemed proud of herself. ¡°Welcome, Nagishiro kun.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± But the two who took the last word were the ones who had been looking for an opportunity all along. ¡°Oh, hey! Don¡¯t take people¡¯s words out of their mouths.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this longer than you.¡± ¡°Shut up, amateur.¡± Three people arguing amicably. These three may have become somewhat closer to each other after working together at this amusement park. ¡°Um, so what does that mean?¡± But I was not following the conversation, so I asked again. Then Harushita san answered, this time with her heart pounding. ¡°It means you¡¯re finally one of us.¡± Harushita san said, lying on her eyes, as if borrowing someone else¡¯s words. The gulf that had existed between me and the girls. Harushita san told me that the gap between us had been filled. ¡°It¡¯s only been a month. Is it that easy to close the gap?¡± Even as I ask the question, I am happy. I was happy because I felt like I was being acknowledged somehow, which is why I was skeptical. That¡¯s how I felt. ¡°No, what are you talking about? The difference hasn¡¯t narrowed, has it?¡± But she tells it as if to say, what a stupid thing to do. Oh, that¡¯s funny. I thought they said I was supposed to be one of them or something. I¡¯m starting to feel like crying. But Harushita san, perhaps satisfied with my quizzical look, offers an explanation. ¡°We are finally on the same stage.¡± The same stage. For some reason, that word made me think of that scene in Makuhari. Was I able to go to that place, or was I able to see the same scenery as these guys? ¡°It¡¯s kind of a bummer.¡± Despite saying so, I feel a definite sense of excitement and elation. Is it because I want to see that view again? Whatever it is. ¡°I¡¯ve got to work harder.¡± I am not yet competent and time is not enough. These women have walked longer than I have. They have been living in that hellish world for a long time. ¡°That¡¯s what I mean.¡± Harushita san chuckled like a teacher after class and shifted her gaze outward again. The Ferris wheel had reached its peak. CH 85 ¡°Hey, hey, this rain is bad indeed. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I just heard that they¡¯re going to stop all buses for the day.¡± It happened just as I was thinking of taking a long, relaxing breath and heading home after a day at the hot springs. By the way, the hot springs were ¡°Oh, I made a mistake¡­¡­!¡± There was no such thing. As expected, that kind of thing is only two-dimensional. Let¡¯s forget about Mia. ¡°If we take the first flight tomorrow, it looks like we can get back to Tokyo after midnight. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to give up if there are no buses¡­¡± Shizuku is the one with the optimistic mindset. Optimistic, or should I say quick to change her mind? ¡°I¡¯ll call the manager just in case.¡± Mirei is also calmly contacting the people she needs to contact. It seems that everyone is better accustomed to this kind of response. ¡°I¡¯m off tomorrow, so that¡¯s not a problem for me, but not for Harushita san and the others.¡± These people don¡¯t have that many days off, so it is indeed not like they are off two days in a row. ¡°I called my manager and she told me to come home slowly this afternoon. She said can¡¯t help it under the circumstances.¡± ¡°I was surprised that she was so tolerant. Doesn¡¯t he get angry with you, saying things like, [You need to be a little more aware of your job?]¡± ¡°No, not at all. Today was my day off, and if there had been no trouble, I would have been able to come home tomorrow, so I am not at fault.¡± I genuinely wondered if that was the way it was. It seemed to me that his attitude lacked enthusiasm for her work, but what Harushita san said was very theoretical and I had nothing to argue with her about. First of all, the manager was not angry either, so I guess that¡¯s the way it is. ¡°Well, she¡¯s really angry if I¡¯m unwell. I can manage my physical condition to some extent.¡± ¡°Is that how you draw the line?¡± I wonder if they get angry if you neglect nutritional management. It is a very strong world ¡°I¡¯m okay, too.¡± ¡°I had to delay the recording time too~¡± Both Mirei and Shizuku seem to have gotten the confirmation. Incidentally, everyone here is dressed in yukata, as yukata are available even if you are only using the bath. Mirei and Shizuku have long hair, so they put it in a bun and put it in one. The unusual atmosphere made me feel a bit nervous. It¡¯s like the night of a school trip, when you suddenly see girls you don¡¯t know in their bathtubs, you get a weird feeling. Not in a perverted way. It¡¯s like a strange feeling of high spirits, or a sense of being special. Harushita san has a bob, though that¡¯s a no-no because it shows parts of her that don¡¯t fit in her yukata. What do I mean by ¡°no no¡±? No, it¡¯s still no good. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go get a room.¡± I go to the reception to escape. I¡¯ve taken two rooms, and I better get to bed as soon as possible. I am tired to begin with. Being tired is not an afterthought. ¡°Excuse me¡± I went to the receptionist at the front desk, explained the situation, and negotiated with her to see if I could somehow stay the night. The receptionist, who seemed to have a good personality, responded in a cheerful tone of voice. ¡°So, do you have a room for one and a room for three?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We only have rooms for two people. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­.¡± What should I do? I¡¯m stuck. Moreover, the receptionist looks very apologetic, which makes me feel sorry for her as well. What am I gonna do? I guess I¡¯ll just have to take a room for two by myself, right? It¡¯s a bit of an expense, but it¡¯s the only way. ¡°Well, excuse me. That¡¯s fine, can I have the two rooms, please?¡± ¡°Yes, please wait a moment so I can check.¡± Sigh, I let out a sigh in my mind. I never thought it would come to this. As expected, heavy rain was unexpected, but I should have paid more attention to the forecast. But the three of them didn¡¯t seem too bothered by it, and that¡¯s probably the only thing that helped, since they were looking at the souvenir section. ¡°Thank you for waiting.¡± As I watch Mirei and the others in a daze, I am eventually approached by the receptionist. However. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guest. We have no rooms available¡­¡­ because everyone is staying here after today¡¯s torrential downpour.¡± ¡°H-Haaa¡± ¡°Only one room is available¡­¡­!¡± ¡°E-Eeeeehhh!!!??¡± I just had to shout it out. T-That can¡¯t be true¡­ ¡°Rather than that, there are a lot of customers who have just been introduced, so we can¡¯t let one person use the double room, that¡¯s the current situation is¡­¡± S-Such ¡­¡­. I guess I¡¯m going to have to decide to stay camping¡­.. Well, yes, it¡¯s like a person who stays all morning in a family restaurant or something and does something, and other customers can¡¯t get in while the seats are taken during the busy season. I understand that kind of logic as much as it pains me. I understand it, but ¡­¡­. Wild camping, huh? ¡­¡­. ¡°U-Understood. Then I¡¯ll take one room please. ¡­¡­ I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t meet your request.¡± I can¡¯t begrudge the receptionist for being a nice person. If there was someone a little more belligerent with a bad attitude at the reception desk, I would have said something back to her, but I¡¯m probably too scared to do that. Although a bit uncomfortable, I went to Mirei and the others and explained the situation to them. ¡°¡­ that¡¯s what happened¡­ For now, the three of you should go to this room¡­¡± Tearfully, I hand the card key to Harushita san. If I had that, I could have slept in a soft bed too. ¡­¡­ ¡°What are you going to do, Nagishiro san?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to find some hotels around.¡±¡±Are you going to look for a hotel in the rain? And I¡¯m sure all the hotels are full. ¡°Ugh, ¡­¡­, that¡¯s ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What are you going to do if you can¡¯t find it?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to stay in the wild around there. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Are you nuts?¡± ¡°No,¡­¡­, we don¡¯t have a choice. ¡­¡­¡± I¡¯m the one who gets blamed so much. Oh, I don¡¯t know what you call this kind of thing. Oh, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m a crybaby. Or maybe it¡¯s not against the rain, but it¡¯s against the wind. I mean, why do I have to be told that much? When I looked at Harushita san with this in mind, she said, as if exhaling a sigh of dismay ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not sure I can do this.¡± ¡°So ¡­¡­. You¡±ll have to stay here, won¡±t you?¡± The one who fluttered it like that was the card key I had just given her. ¡ªEh ¡°W-Wait, what is going onnnnnn??¡± ¡°I-I need an explanation. ¡­¡­¡± As expected, it is not me but Mirei and Shizuku san who are panicking about what they are going to say. They turn red in the face and ask Harushita san for an explanation. ¡°What are you two upset about?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not upset you know!?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. ¡­¡­¡± Harushita san, who shrugged her shoulders and said, was the calmest of them all, and she was the only one who was calm. ¡°¡­¡­Eh, what do you mean!?¡± Harushita san sighs as I belatedly realize what she means, but eventually she opens her mouth. ¡°Of course it¡¯s impossible to sleep in the open on a day like this.¡± Mm, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡­. ¡°Then why are you two upset? Did you imagine something lewd?¡± ¡°W-Why do you think that¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t. ¡­¡­¡± Harushita san is so tired. She sighs so deeply ¡­¡­. ¡°I don¡¯t know how Nagishiro san could do such a thing. It¡¯s that indecisive Nagishiro-san who didn¡¯t settle that match, you know?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not a compliment at all, is it ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a compliment. I¡¯m just saying that your indecisiveness, or rather, your bad luck in direct speech, will work in a good way this time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t deadball me with a 160-kilometer fastball, ¡­¡­.¡± I wanted to cry. I knew to some extent that she thought of me that way. I mean, this person still held a grudge about that Valentine¡¯s Day concert, didn¡¯t she? ¡°For the most part, even if this person has that carnal side. As long as I¡¯m around, I won¡¯t let that happen.¡± ¡°Well, I see. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°T-That makes sense. ¡­¡­¡± And the sheer force of Harushita san¡¯s persuasive power makes it impossible for anyone to say anything. It makes me feel as if my own ideas are rather dirty. But later, when I think about it calmly, I think she had a point. This night was to be a night with three super-duper beautiful girls. CH 86 I remember. I think it was three hours ago, after we had been in the hot spring, that Harushita san said. [I won¡¯t let you do that as long as I¡¯m around.] She said confidently If Nagishiro Rin ever touches a woman, she will surely defeat him herself, she said behind her back. I could see her determination that she would never let any mistake happen in her presence. That, Harushita san. ¡°Hnnfufu¡­.Pochii¡­.¡± Ummm¡­..I¡¯m not Pochi, I¡¯m a human, not a dog. And you have such a simple sense of naming your pet Pochi, Harushita san. ¡­¡­ Well, that¡¯s OK. What is important now. Why is this happening? That¡¯s ¡ª¡ª¨C I don¡¯t get it either. ¡°How did this happen?¡­¡± I spilled my mumblings into the pitch-dark room. But no one seems to be listening, and the words melt away into the darkness. Suuuuu, suuuu. Perhaps this is Mirei and Shizuku. They seem to be completely asleep. Now, what happened? I¡¯m still not ready to accept reality in any way, so I try to remember what happened before I went to bed. The room had twin beds about the size of a double, and there was plenty of room for the three women to sleep in the beds. Just to be safe, I asked the staff to put the twin beds together, and that is where Harushita san and the others must have slept. ¡°The beds were so soft and comfortable,¡± Shizuku san said as she lay down on the floor. After that, I remember seeing the three of them lying in a river just before lights out. I, on the other hand, had my futon brought out and laid down on the floor away from the bed. I was very grateful to the people at the Inn for their kindness and service, saying it was an apology for the lack of room. It¡¯s hard to sleep on a couch, you know. Well, so at first I was nervous about sleeping in the same room as Harushita san and the others, but after the lights went out, I easily heard no more noise, so I was able to calm down and sleep slowly too. It seemed that I was the only one who was nervous, and the girls were probably more weighted down by tiredness. Anyway, the lights went out and shortly after I fell asleep too. It should have been ¡­¡­. I felt something unfamiliar on my body and woke up to find Harushita san sleeping in front of me. That is how I came to be in the state I was in earlier. If I were to describe it more concretely, Harushita san had somehow entered my futon, mistaking me for a pet or something, and was holding me like a pillow. ¨CI mean it¡¯s kind of painful!? What do Harushita san¡¯s dogs always feel when they spend the night? Her arm is around my back, and my kryptonite is just entering Harushita san¡¯s soft zone, which is not good. I call out to her in a small voice. ¡°Oh, um, ¡­¡­. Harushita san ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Mnya mnya ¡­¡­.¡± She seems to be having a pretty good dream. Her usual iron mask is easily peeled off, and she is sleeping with a smug look on her face. She looks very satisfied. ¡°Haa¡­..¡± I can¡¯t bear to forcibly wake up someone who is sleeping so happily. But that doesn¡¯t mean I can go back to sleep like this. I would rather get up. ¡°Let¡¯s try to escape first.¡± It would be closer to getting out if I raised my body, but if I did so, I might possibly kick Harushita san in the face with my foot. There is a risk of waking her up, and if she gets a scratch on her beautiful face, it would be a big problem. So, I try to escape down there. I wriggled and moved back a little by little, a little by little, until finally I came to a point where my face was in line with hers. In the darkness, Harushita san softly tickled my face. I took a break there. I exhaled and saw Harushita san¡¯s face at a position where we may or may not bump into each other. ¡°¡ª¡ª!?¡± I gasped for air. I¡¯m lucky I didn¡¯t bounce for nothing thanks to the tension. If she woke up in this state now, I would be beheaded¡­. You¡¯re not going to wake up or anything, are you ¡­¡­? ¡°Hnnn¡­¡­..¡± A breath leaks out, which directly stimulates my eardrums. I shiver at the sound of her lustrous breath, but am relieved to see that she was not awake. But the restraints on my body became even tighter, and I was stuck like a stone. Staring blankly at the ceiling, I counted prime numbers: 2, 3, 5, 7, ¡­¡­. ¡°H-Hnnn¡­.¡± ¡°Eh, wait!?¡± Even though I was dismissing her annoyance, Harushita san attacked me further without even noticing me. When I thought she let go of my arms from her embrace, she now put her face on my chest. But, on the contrary, it means that the restraints until a while ago have been lifted! This is my chance!! ¡°Okay, now¡­¡± Pochi tries to escape from the house, but he is guarded tightly by her legs. This is probably how Pochi always tries to escape from Harushita san¡¯s house. The countermeasure was perfect. Not that¨C! Harushita-san¡¯s bare feet are tangled up with mine !! Slick and slightly muscular. Her legs are a little cold and supple, but they grab me and don¡¯t let go. And it rubs against me in vain. Is it cold? And what¡¯s worse, she is sleeping with my breastplate as a pillow, looking relaxed, even though she has put so much effort into her lower body. Hey, please stop that angelic sleeping face. I can¡¯t wake you up. So, to summarize. ¡°So the escape just got even harder. ¡­¡­¡± It is no longer possible to escape. Mission Impossible, I¡¯m told, is the only way to give up. Since when did I become an undercover spy? And as I am wondering what I should do, Harushita san is chasing after me. ¡°Hey, Harushita san!?¡± Harushita san, who is on my left side, has both of her legs entangled with one of my right legs. And from there, she started to rub her body against my leg. What is it?! Is she possibly a cat Or is she a very friendly cat?! It would be fine if she were a cat, but unfortunately, I was dealing with a human being. And a beautiful girl at that. As one would expect, no man would react in any way. ¡°well, I can¡¯t do this anymore!¡± Sensing that I was in danger, I forcibly removed Harushita san from the futon. Then I deftly lifted her up and placed her between Mirei and Shizuku. Of course, my intention was to consider one of them as Pochi. ¡°Haaa, Haaa¡­¡± Tired of all the things I was doing, I adjusted the futon again and lay down. The biggest bomb of the day was unexpectedly Harushita san. Thus, after a day of work, we were able to return to our respective jobs after a successful vacation. By the way, after that, I was too tired to sleep because Harushita san¡¯s scent was firmly on my futon. Because, hey, I felt like Harushita san was next to me ¡­¡­. The problem would be that her body heat was still there, strangely enough. As a result, I had a blast sleeping on the bus and Shinkansen on the way home. Harushita san, who had a good sleep at the expense of my sleep, was back to her usual calm demeanor, chatting and laughing with Mirei and the others. -like a perk, like a bummer. It was a petit trip that ended with such a feeling. CH 87 It is April and college has started, but I have almost finished taking most of my credits, so I only go to college two days a week. On the other hand, what was increasing was the number of jobs. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Today I was scheduled to be a guest on a radio broadcast. The location was where I had done radio with Mirei before, but today it was not with Mirei¡¯s radio but with Nozaki Haruka san, a composer in the same profession. She has been on a lot of TV appearances because of her good looks and she is also popular on the radio. Come to think of it, she was on TV when I was featured on TV before. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here again today, Nagishiro sensei!¡± ¡°Long time no see, Miki san. It¡¯s been a while.¡± This 00 broadcasting station is like a home ground for me, and all the people are very friendly to me. I sometimes get nervous about radio, which is something I am not used to, but just by coming here I can relax a little. ¡°Nozaki sensei hasn¡¯t been here yet, has she?¡± ¡°Well~! That person is always the type to have a meeting beforehand!¡± Before a radio program, there is a meeting. The meeting is to confirm the direction of the radio program, to confirm the flow of the program after being given a script, and to confirm the content of the new corner that is sometimes established. Normally, this is done by the producer, the broadcaster who writes the radio script, and the performers, but apparently Nozaki sensei has already had a meeting with them. ¡°Excuse me¡± I visit a small conference room with linoleum flooring. Then, apart from the producer and broadcaster I was close to, there was another person. And she¡¯s an acquaintance of mine. ¡°Kasugai¡­¡­san?¡± ¡°Ah, hello. ¡­¡­ !! Nagishiro kun. ¡­¡­¡± Kasugai san bows many times She is dressed so tightly in a calm-colored cutter shirt and a tight skirt underneath that she floats around in this company. I mean, the last time we met was at a concert¡­¡­. ¡°Why is Kasugai san here?¡± I didn¡¯t want to be talked down to myself, so I asked about her, and the producer, Manabe san, explained to me about her. ¡°She¡¯s here as a sort of training program.¡± ¡°Training?¡± When I looked at Kasugai san, I saw that she was lying on her face in embarrassment. Combined with her small stature, she looks like a squirrel, but she is not. ¡°What training?¡± I simply asked, and this time Kasugai san answered in a quieter voice. ¡°Well, ¡­¡­, I¡¯m actually interested in being a broadcaster. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± When I showed my surprised face, the producer and broadcaster present laughed. Kasugai san¡¯s face blushed even more. ¡°Oh, sorry. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, no! It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not that kind of character after all. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s enough~¡± That¡¯s where the producer waits. ¡°I¡¯ve got a meeting now, so you two can talk about that after the radio show.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry¡± ¡°S-Sorry¡­:¡± When we both apologized, the broadcaster said, ¡°Huh, you guys are so close.¡± Kasugai san was not the only one who blushed even more at this. ¡°But I never expected to see Kasugai san in such a place.¡± The time was past eight o¡¯clock at night. I had just finished a radio recording and came to a family restaurant for dinner with Kasugai san. It was a family restaurant, but it was the usual Saize. By the way, I am eating squid-ink spaghetti, and Kasugai san is chomping down on a small mouthful of doria. ¡°Um, well, I¡¯m sorry. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing?!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. ¡­¡­!¡± I guess ¡°apologize¡± exists in Kasugai san¡¯s action commands, not ¡°fight¡± or ¡°run away¡± at the very beginning. But it doesn¡¯t seem to work for me. ¡­¡­ ¡°So you¡¯re thinking of becoming a broadcaster and you¡¯re studying there now, is that correct?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, that¡¯s right!¡± Kasugai san shakes her head like a hamster. Thanks to this, her hair is disheveled up and down, but she probably doesn¡¯t notice. ¡°No, really, I didn¡¯t expect to see Kasugai san there. I was so surprised.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to apologize for making me suprised, then everyone who sets up a surprise should apologize. ¡­¡­¡± By the way, the thing I dislike the most about surprises is the sleeping surprise. The reason is that I have actually experienced it many times. Mainly to Kotoha, Azusa, and especially Azusa. They never apologize, though. ¡°Come to think of it, what made you decide to become a broadcaster?¡± So, back to where we started. That¡¯s what I wanted to hear the most. ¡°Umm, oh, not much, no trigger or anything like that. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°So why did you become a broadcaster? Do you listen to the radio a lot?¡± ¡°No, not much of that either. ¡­¡­ Oh, but I did listen to the radio show that Nagishiro kun was doing before!!¡± ¡°Well, even if you say it so cheerfully, ¡­¡­¡± And that¡¯s the one that I don¡¯t have very good memories of, isn¡¯t it? Mainly the one where Mirei asked me a lot of questions, right? Did she hear that one? ¡­¡­ Without digging too deeply into that story, let¡¯s get back to it. ¡°Then why did you decide to become a broadcaster?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡­¡­¡± then, Kasugai san turned her head down. It was as if there was something she did not want to say. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s not a problem¡± I don¡¯t want to pry too hard and make her hate me, so I muddle through my tea while drinking a Coke. But Kasugai san was not satisfied with herself. ¡°M-Maybe because of that show. ¡­¡­¡± She began to speak slowly. Some of the intonation was out of sync, but that was probably because she had the courage to begin speaking. ¡°Was that gig at ¡­¡­, possibly on February 14?¡± ¡°Yes! Yes, it was.¡± Valentine¡¯s Day Live. For those who attended that concert, it will be impossible to forget that day. For me, it was even more so. ¡°But live? What does live have to do with radio ¡­¡­?¡± Maybe it would be a reason like, ¡°I wanted to get close to that famous person over there.¡± But I had a feeling that Kasugai san would not be the kind of person who would want to work for such a reason. First of all, she would not have become a broadcaster if she only wanted to get close to them. Wondering, Kasugai san starts talking again. This time in a voice with heat. ¡°You were standing on stage at that time, weren¡¯t you, Nagishiro kun?¡± ¡°What, me? Well, well¡­¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s how it all started.¡± I am not sure what the story is, but Kasugai san continues ¡°When I saw Nagishiro kun standing on stage that day, ¡­¡­ I felt some kind of frustration.¡± ¡°frustrated?¡± ¡°Yes. I felt frustrated when I saw Nagishiro kun shining even though I didn¡¯t make any effort.¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kasugai san laughs to herself. ¡°I learned that there were people who were college students just like me, but who were taking on so many challenges, and who were getting results and becoming famous. And because it was someone close to me,¡­¡­ I became even more frustrated and impatient. ¡­¡­¡± The fact that someone in the same situation as herself is more active than she is is proof that she, too, has that much opportunity to shine. That is why Kasugai san regretted not having done anything about it. ¡°So I decided I had to make a change. So I decided to try my hand at something I¡¯ve always been interested in.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. ¡­¡­¡± Her energy is very different from mine. Whereas I was just writing songs because I liked them, she made her own decisions and started working on her own. ¡°Well, I¡¯m just starting out though. ¡­¡­!¡± Kasugai san broke into a smile. It was a very impressive smile, different from the lowly Kasugai san I had seen in the past. ¡°I¡¯ll help you, too..!!!¡± So, wanting to help in any way I could, I was saying these things out loud. ¡°Eh¡­.!!¡± ¡°Ah¡± And regret after saying it. What a mess and embarrassing thing to say. ¡°But, umm, but I don¡¯t think I can be of much help !!, so don¡¯t say that, but, um, anyway, I want you to talk to me about anything!¡± ¡°Fufu¡­.I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to find a way to help. Thank you, Nagishiro kun.¡± It was still my bad to end up with a comedic ending. ¡­¡­ CH 88 And the following week. ¡°Today I am going to include one of the corners suggested by Kasugai san, so please pick one.¡± It seems that she has been able to work at the radio station successfully, and has created something called an original corner from Kasugai san. Incidentally, today¡¯s radio show was me being invited to be a guest on the radio by Azusa, a very successful idol. The broadcaster handed me a sheet of A4 paper and I checked its contents. How well do singers and composers understand each other? ¨CA game of guessing what each other is thinking. Like favorite foods. We¡¯ll get to know the real face of Nagishiro Rin, whose private life is shrouded in mystery! ¨CBecause it is difficult to get to know the real face of Nagishiro Rin on the radio, we will ask a few questions and dig deeper. Challenge the limits of Nagishiro Rin! ¨CNagishiro-kun will be challenged with a variety of subjects. Improvising music, for example. About 10 other items were listed in bullet points, and all of them were ingenious but not out of the radio highways. Kasugai san must have studied and worked hard to create them. ¡°Yes. I think it¡¯s very well done.¡± ¡°Yeah! I thought it was pretty good, too, and we decided to adopt one of them.¡± ¡°Just ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Just?¡± The corner itself is well done. I understand that very well. ¡°You don¡¯t have to focus so much on me ¡­¡­¡± Every corner has my name on it, and even though Azusa is supposed to be the main personality, the content is centered on me. ¡°I mean, listeners generally come to see Azusa in the first place. Even if I were to go so far out on a limb, no one would come to listen.¡± ¡°eeeh, I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s like a Senpai monopoly!¡± While I was saying this, Azusa next to me said while looking at Kasugai san¡¯s proposal. By the way, Azusa, unlike Nozaki san¡¯s pattern, seems to hold the meeting with everyone just before the meeting. The reason seems to be that there is not enough time. ¡°So, if I¡¯m on my own, I won¡¯t get any listeners.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in demand though!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking what you want!!¡± Azusa looks at me excitedly. No, even if she has such sparkling eyes. ¡°N-No! I think there are, yes, people who care about Nagishiro kun¡¯s story!¡± However, there is one person who offers Azusa a helping hand. She was the one who came up with the idea for this project. ¡°According to the information I found on Twitter there are even people out there who seem to be looking for Nagishiro kun¡¯s backstory!¡± ¡°What? Wait, I¡¯ve never heard of it before.¡± ¡°By the way, her name is Mizuno Shizuku, apparently.¡± ¡°So the enemy is in this family¡­..!!¡± I mean, I don¡¯t have a backstage account. I have a regular account on my front page where I do a lot of searching. I just don¡¯t tweet or like. ¡°And, well, that¡¯s how popular Nagishiro kun is!¡¡So it shouldn¡¯t be a problem!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, uh, ¡­¡­¡± I was pushed too hard by the sheer volume of heat. Kasugai san leaned forward from her desk and desperately appealed to the public. Apparently, things were not looking good. I looked at the faces of the broadcaster and producer as a last resort, but they gave me a crazy fresh smile as a lead-in. Okay, let¡¯s make the next project, let¡¯s get to the broadcaster¡¯s annual income, shall we! ¡°Then let¡¯s do it!¡± Before long, Azusa was in charge of the event, and Kasugai san¡¯s proposal was accepted. ¡°Yes, and the next corner is ¡­¡­! We¡¯re going to dig deeper into our guest, Nagishiro Rin san¡¯s corner!!.¡± ¡°umm, the name of the corner is different from the one written in the script. ¡­¡­¡± There were four people in the booth: me, Azusa, the broadcaster, and a novice broadcaster. Since Azusa is a one-person radio station, there were no assistants. ¡°Yes, well, first question! Is Nagishiro Rin your real name?¡± ¡°I was completely ignored¡­¡­ Yes, it is my real name.¡± ¡°Yes, next, the second question. How did you become a composer?¡± ¡°I got into composing music because I was addicted to it. No ¡­¡­ big reason. ¡­¡­¡± In this way, questions were posed from questions that had been thought up by the staff at first. Azusa, who never went out of control in such a situation, but always thought about the program and proceeded with it, had a sense of stability. Unlike Mirei, ¡­¡­. ¡°What was your least favorite subject in high school?¡± ¡°I took world history, but I couldn¡¯t remember anything because of all the katakana. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I understand! There are too many katakana and nanchara nansei~¡± ¡°There are so many nanchara nansei¡± (I don¡¯t understand what nanchara nansei, ¤Ê¤ó¤Á¤ã¤é¤Ê¤ó¤»¤¤ means..) The questions will focus on the obvious, but still be easy to get into the conversation. We know from our preliminary research that many of Azusa¡¯s listeners are students. Oh dear, it¡¯s coming along nicely. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get down to the deeper stuff here!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Okay, first of all, what type of woman do you like?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not in the script.¡± Funny, it¡¯s kind of like a surprise birthday project. I wondered why I was the only one with a different script, so I looked at Kasugai san¡¯s script and saw that ¡°additional!!¡± was handwritten in red line. Why is such an important note not written on mine? By the way, Kasugai san has a serious gaze, while the broadcaster next to her is laughing. Damn. Okay, I¡¯m going to show some maturity here. ¡°Yes, so what is your favorite type?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.I like people who are kind.¡± Uwaaaaaaa, I¡¯ve done it!!. I said the most bland answer that comes in first place. What¡¯s with the ¡°gentle¡± type? Is there anyone who likes someone who isn¡¯t kind? M ? My answer was clearly a cop-out, but Azusa would not let me get away with it. ¡°What kind of kindness do you mean by kind people? There are many kinds of kindness, such as spoiling me and being kind! I¡¯d also like to know what type of face you like!¡± Extremely natural. I am in a tight spot. I¡¯m limited to a few words and then I¡¯m forced to talk about my facial preferences, which is a flow. I¡¯m impressed by Azusa¡¯s genius in reading the situation. Wait, don¡¯t praise my partner, just get me out of this !! ¡°Y-Yes, ¡­¡­. I often get sloppy, so I need someone to gently scold me¡­¡­¡± Azusa is coming to the front. Please stop, it¡¯s just like Harushita san that push people into a corner like that and enjoy it. It¡¯s not Yukinoshita san, it¡¯s Harushita san. If you haven¡¯t read Oregairu, please read it. (wow, an honorable mention) Not. ¡°T-Type¡­¡± I had never thought of it that way. It wasn¡¯t that I liked some part of a face, I never liked someone in a specific part of their face. I had no choice but to search for the files of my unrequited love who had scattered in the past. In addition, the compressed files have been decompressed to black history, but I¡¯ll leave that aside. I think about the commonalities of the people I have fallen in love with. Hmmmmm ¡°Someone with narrow eyes, maybe?¡± As soon as I said that, I could feel the air in the booth harden. Azusa was staring at me with her round, pointed eyes, and Kasugai san¡¯s normally narrow eyes were rounded to a perfect circle in surprise. The broadcaster was sensitive to the atmosphere and kept her eyes downcast toward the script. Oh, what? Did I do something wrong? ¡°People with narrow eyes ¡­¡­ like Suzu san, Haa san, ¡­..¡± And Azusa was muttering something in a part of the microphone that could not be picked up. Somehow, I thought I saw a little bit of Azusa in the black part. Anyway, it¡¯s a bad atmosphere. I have to do something to change it. ¡°¡­¡­ Well, well! The girl I had a terrible crush on in high school had big eyes, though!!!¡± Let them cut the flesh and break the bones. In that spirit, I exposed my black history, and for all intents and purposes, it did a lot of damage to my marrow. It¡¯s a real shame ¡­¡­ to say my past unrequited love on the national airwaves. If a hole goes in, I want to turn it into a black hole before I go in. ¡­¡­ CH 89 Ever since Kasugai san and I started working together on radio, we have been spending more and more time together in the university. However, we only have the opportunity to come to the university once a week. We had generally taken the same classes together since our first year, so it was not unusual for me to have classes with Kasugai san. However, it was only because we had the same classes, and we had nothing in particular to talk about or to engage in discussions with Professor Omori in between. However. ¡°You guys are getting along great these days.¡± When the two of us visited the professor¡¯s college residence and were sipping tea together that the professor had served, the professor unexpectedly said something like that to me. ¡°No, we just talk more. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re really getting to know each other that well. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°What? I thought you¡¯d become a being that flirts around and embraces without regard.¡± ¡°F-flirts¡­.!?¡± Kasugai san overreacts to the professor¡¯s joke. When I thought her face turned bright red, I stopped thinking, ¡°So, is she that intolerant? ¡­¡­¡± However, that state proves our cleanliness more than anything else. Well, originally the professor didn¡¯t seem to be suspicious either. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you guys are dating or not.¡± ¡± We¡¯re not dating, though. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t leave me alone.¡± ¡°And as usual, your courtship behavior is as indiscriminate as ever.¡± If me and Kasugai san were to get together, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t leave the professor alone. ¡­¡­ You didn¡¯t admit it from the beginning. I mean, that¡¯s just jealousy. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t like the idea of Nagishiro having a girlfriend.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being honest, professor. I mean, sincerely.¡± Apparently, the professor is very jealous. Her language has become slightly rougher. But we¡¯re not even dating ¡°After finishing their job hunting, the seniors started marriage activity in the circle. ¡­¡­ They found a good job because they are in a good university, and they used it to get married. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sensei, please calm down. Is that a true story?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never forget it. I¡¯ll never forget that damned fox. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Please calm down. You are using words that a university lecturer should not use.¡± ¡°Hmmm. Well, but that¡¯s OK. He¡¯s still unmarried, it seems! Ha-ha-ha-ha! ¡°And she¡¯s the worst competitor!?¡± It was just a complaint. I guess there is a reason why unmarried people are unmarried after all. No, it¡¯s just bad luck. ¡­¡­? ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t say anything bad. You should go out with Kasugai.¡± ¡°And you were so rude at the end! And you have no coherent story to tell, which is not the way you would expect from a university professor.¡± ¡°Going out¡­.¡± Kasugai san, really, please don¡¯t take this idiot professor¡¯s words seriously!? Your physical strength won¡¯t last! ¡°Well then, excuse me! Come on, let¡¯s go, Kasugai san!¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. ¡­¡­!¡± The professor is becoming much more insistent, so I take Kasugai san¡¯s hand and leave the room. ¡°See, I knew they were good friends.¡± The professor said that in a quiet voice at the end, but that probably sounded like a sore loser too. We are not dating !! ¡°That¡¯s a total mess. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it was. ¡­¡­¡± Kasugai san and I ran away and came to Misudo, which is located a short walk from the terminal station. Because of its delicate location, few people use it. However, there were people around, such as a professor tapping away at a keyboard or a high school student staring at a reference book, and the sound was never ceaseless. ¡°Professor Omori is a beautiful enough person. I guess she hasn¡¯t been able to get married because of that kind of personality. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s hungry for marriage. ¡­¡­¡± Is she what is called ¡°cute when she is silent¡±? I guess so. She is popular among students. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just it. What are you up to these days?¡± Now it is Golden Week. I had not been working on the radio recently, so I had no idea what kind of work Kasugai san was doing. As I was sucking my iced coffee through a straw, Kasugai san answered with a doughnut with whipped cream on her nose. ¡°T-These donuts ¡­¡­ are so delicious ¡­¡­!¡± It was about donuts. Apparently, she was impressed by the taste of her first doughnut ¡°Is it that ¡­¡­ much? No, they¡¯re delicious.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know doughnuts could taste so ¡­¡­ good!¡± Kasugai san chewing a donut with a happy face. It was like a hamster eating sunflower seeds. ¡°Oh, but you have cream on your nose.¡± ¡°What?! Where?!¡± ¡°On the tip of your nose.¡± ¡°Ehh?¡± Kasugai san panicked and tried to take it, but she couldn¡¯t move it because her hands were blocked by the donut. She was so frustrated that she closed her eyes, but it didn¡¯t help. ¡°I¡¯ll get it, I¡¯ll get it. Stay still.¡± ¡°Eh¡± Seeing Kasugai san¡¯s open-mouthed surprise, I wiped her nose with a napkin. You don¡¯t have to be so surprised. ¡­¡­ ¡°Yes, I got it.¡± ¡°T-thank you. ¡­¡­¡± Kasugai san¡¯s face turns red like an apple and she turns over. ¡°What, did I do something weird ¡­¡­?¡± Why, I asked, did she get scared? Some kind of horrible nervousness comes over me that I might have done something embarrassing. ¡°No, nothing. ¡­¡­¡± There is a certain fear of being left thinking one way or the other, a fear that is hard to grasp. So I did my best to ask, and Kasugai san said in a small voice, perhaps having received my thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s like ¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m sorry, what did you say?¡± ¡°Ummm¡­¡­.Like we are dating¡­.!!!¡± ??? Eh? ¡ª-Ah ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ well, I¡¯m sorry¡­ ¡­¡­!!!!¡± I¡¯m so flustered that I unintentionally correct respectful manner. I apologized flatly. If it had been a place, I would have gotten down on my knees. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that you need to apologize or anything, it¡¯s ¡­¡­. Rather, it¡¯s ¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± I was clearly flustered. Kasugai san was in a hurry to comfort me, which was the only thing that helped. ¡°Well, I¡¯m really embarrassed ¡­¡­¡± I haven¡¯t been this embarrassed since I confessed and got dumped in high school all those years ago. Stop, don¡¯t dredge up your black history. ¡°Um, well, anyway, we should probably get out of here. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, ¡­¡­. Five more to go and then we¡¯ll leave. ¡­¡­¡± Kasugai san was calm and true to her appetite. CH 90 ¡°Nagishiro Sensei.¡± Mid-May. At a certain place in Tokyo. I was puzzled by the sudden request. ¡°I¡¯d like to request a song for one of our Vtubers.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Vtuber?¡± I knew of its existence. Broadcasters mainly based on YouTube. They build up a character and behave accordingly to get listeners excited. This is a very popular profession that has attracted many fans by playing games and singing songs. The difference between this and a regular YouTuber is that the person does not show his/her face. A separate avatar is provided and the actual person is treated as the person inside. Most of the time, there is an image of a beautiful girl or a beautiful man speaking. To that Vtuber ¡°Am I going to get involved ¡­¡­?¡± It was a strange feeling, not an evasive one. I¡¯ve seen Vtubers themselves, and I watch their feeds once or twice a week. Perhaps that is why I thought it was not a place I would get involved in. ¡°I really like Nagishiro sensei¡¯s music, too, Also, that V girl said sensei¡¯s music is good, too.¡± Standing in front of me is the president of the office that has the largest number of Vtubers in Japan. He is a man, probably quite young. He is a charismatic man, however, who was one of the first to take notice of this industry. (Ayyy ma man Yagoo) The president has a tremendous aura about him, and since I had never experienced a tie-up with the president in a spacious president¡¯s office, my legs were shaking in small tremors. ¡°I was wondering what you think about that. If Nagishiro sensei is going to make it for us, it would make a great topic.¡± ¡®Well, I don¡¯t think so¡­..¡± ¡°Hahaha. You seem to be very good at modesty.¡± The president was smiling with a very fresh face, and it seemed that he liked me. Though his open and honest smile made me suspicious of him in some ways. ¡°So, would you accept ¡­¡­?¡± The president of the company asked me straight out with a tightened face. That meant a job offer. ¡°U-uh, ¡­¡­. If it¡¯s okay with you, then I¡¯m in your care.¡± I am very grateful because I have to get the job myself. I have no particular reason to refuse. ¡°Thank you. ¡­¡­! I¡¯m in your care too¡± Then I hold hands with the president. Oh, that¡¯s so cool, it¡¯s like some kind of male friendship. It¡¯s been less than 10 minutes since we met. ¡°¨CSo, may I call the Vtuber girl I¡¯m asking for?¡± ¡°¡­¡­? Is she coming?¡± Eh, she¡¯s coming? Oh, are we allowed to meet off-line for that kind of thing? Huh, huh? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s all right. It¡¯s what she wants. But not with pictures or anything like that.¡± ¡°No, I mean, well¡± Oh, I¡¯d rather not see her!? Oh no, the beautiful girl of my dreams will be destroyed¡­¡­! Oh no, I¡¯m not disillusioned or anything, but it changes the way I look at her¡­¡­! ¡°Hey, come on in~¡± Then the door opens and a girl walks in. Oh, apparently a female Vtuber. And she was quite a beautiful girl. She had a short cut that suited her well, and her eyes were curly, the so-called small animal type. She was small in stature, but her legs were slender and she was a normal beautiful girl. ¨Cand for me, it wasn¡¯t the first time we met. ¡°Sen¡­.pai¡­?¡± Sweat gushes down my back. I can¡¯t keep my mouth shut. My heart beats fast. It rings a bell. ¡°Hi, long time no see. Nagi kun.¡± The person in front of me was not a Vtuber or anything to me. But she was a senior in high school, and ¨C she was the one I confessed to and was dumped by. ¡°Eh? What?¡± ¡°Ah, well, it looks like an emotional reunion for now, so I guess I¡¯ll be excused.¡± And the president mercilessly leaves me behind. I tried to speak up to keep him back, but for some reason it got stuck in my throat. Kyuuu, bang. With a desolate sound, I grasp the current situation. A Vtuber with whom I had a crush in high school? And she¡¯s become so beautiful since then? And she asked me to write a song for her? It took a while for my brain to comprehend the content, which would have made me dizzy if I had put it in writing. I was so overwhelmed that my senpai smiled at me with a face that seemed to have plenty of time to spare. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Nagi kun? Are you that surprised?¡± When I told her honestly, she nodded her head in satisfaction. Her expression had not changed since that time and she looked very attractive. ¡°Senpai ¡­¡­ why ¡­¡­ Vtuber?¡± I was so upset that the question that came out of my mouth was this. ¡°You must be surprised.¡± ¡°What, since when ¡­¡­? I mean, which Vtuber¡­¡­?¡± Questions abound. Looking back, the questions were endless. And senpai answered just that one question. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you who.¡± Then senpai fixed her throat and put her face close to my ear and mumbled in a cat-like voice. ¡°¡®This is Nagare Asuka. Nice to meet you?''¡± The voice is that of a very popular streamer with the highest number of channel subscriptions of any Vtuber. It was my favorite streamer¡¯s voice. CH 91 ¡°I guess I¡¯m old enough to have a drink with Nagi kun.¡° Senpai sounds as nonchalant and interminable as she did back then. The two of us had come to a bar about ten minutes¡¯ walk from the station. Of course, it is an introduction from senpai ¡°Though senpai are more senpai than me. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s a funny thing to say.¡± senpai is rolling ice cubes around in a rocks glass, gazing blankly at the scene. I wonder if Kotoha is the only person I know who looks this good with alcohol. Senpai has become even more beautiful than she was in high school. ¡°And how did you know about this place ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I can only do so much for a change~. Oh, and of course I¡¯ll pay for it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay for it, of course!¡± ¡°I make a lot of money, you know~, being a Vtuber is pretty profitable.¡± I don¡¯t know how much a Vtuber¡¯s annual income is, but I can imagine it¡¯s a pretty dreamy amount. I mean, I don¡¯t think ¡°Nagare Asuka,¡± who is at the forefront of the Vtuber world, would be able to fit into an ordinary salaryman¡¯s amount of money. ¡°Oh, but Nagi kun, you must be making a lot of money, too~. You know, you seem to be quite successful, right?¡± ¡°Senpai, did you know that? ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t the president tell you? I offered Nagi kun to do it myself.¡± I can¡¯t help but look behind the scenes at senpai who smiles innocently. The two of us here are not just seniors and juniors in high school, but the person who dumped me and the person who was dumped. The one who dumped me probably doesn¡¯t think anything of it, but as the one who was dumped, it¡¯s difficult for me to maintain composure. So, to prevent that from being dug up, I wander around and touch the outside of the core with great care and attention. ¡°When did senpai know I was, you know, writing songs?¡± ¡°Since when? I¡¯ve known since the beginning.¡± The beginning. What do you mean by beginning!? Senpai has always been short on words, which is oddly troubling. ¡°When you say first, do you mean since ¡­¡­ I haven¡¯t done it under that name yet, ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. When you were uploading your songs on YouTube, I thought, [Oh, this voice is Nagi kun¡¯s].¡± I was kind of happy to see senpai say so. I was strangely embarrassed that she remembered me and my voice. I wondered if I still liked her. I felt an uncool emotion appear within me and change the subject. ¡°Was senpai already a Vtuber at that time?¡± ¡°I started when I was 20, so I guess I wasn¡¯t doing it very subtly yet.¡± ¡°I-is that so¡­.¡± Ha, I can¡¯t keep talking. ¡­¡­ I thought I would never be alone with senpai again, so my hands are sweating. By the way, my back is soaked. ¡°Perhaps you are nervous, Nagi kun?¡± As if she could see right through me, Senpai tilted her face slightly and asked me. ¡°W-well ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Well, what are you nervous about?¡± ¡°Oh, well, a lot of things. ¡­¡­¡± Senpai were always like this. She knows the answer, but she tries to get the answer from my mouth. I really think she has a bad personality. She¡¯s definitely an S. ¡­¡­ ¡°On the contrary, Nagi kun, did you know I was doing V?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°When you saw my face just now, you looked surprised as if you were looking at a dead person.¡± I think that is indeed not surprising. How many times in your life does it happen that a Vtuber you know is someone you know? No, I don¡¯t want it to happen more than once in my life. I can¡¯t handle it. ¡°But you didn¡¯t recognize my voice or something?¡± ¡°I thought you sounded like her, but I wouldn¡¯t have guessed senpai was a Vtuber.¡± When I honestly said what I thought, senpai smiled with a happy face. Her cheeks seemed to be a little flushed, perhaps from the effects of alcohol. ¡°¡­.well?¡± ¡°Nooo, nothing?¡± nothing? It was not the face of that. It was a look that said, ¡°Go ahead and ask me a question,¡± with lots of chuckles. And it is my bad habit not to leave her alone when she makes a face like that. I asked her again, and this time she responded with a heckling smile. ¡°Nooo, I¡¯m so glad you remembered me.¡± ¡°!!¡± My heart beats faster and my face gets hot. I feel my heart pounding. I can¡¯t look at senpai¡¯s face properly. But calm down ¡­¡­. senpai say this kind of thing to everyone. I was told something like this in high school and I misunderstood and was rejected. Don¡¯t repeat the same mistake, Nagishiro Rin. You¡¯ve grown up since then. ¡®Well, that¡¯s ¡­¡­.I had a connection there in high school, so I do reminisce from time to time.¡± ¡°What do they remind you of?¡± But these things are not for me. I dig a solid grave and put myself at a disadvantage. ¡°Like, memories from high school? Clubs, anything like that?¡± ¡°Anything in particular?¡± ¡°No, you know¡­ ¡­¡­. Like, when we were borrowing and lending books, or talking.¡± ¡°When it was just the two of us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡­¡­..it wasn¡¯t ¡­¡­ Please don¡¯t say strange things!¡± No, you have it right. That¡¯s all I can remember. Still, our relationship has already ended. No, in the first place, from senpai¡¯s point of view, it has not even begun. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to senpai¡­..¡± I feel the thorn in my words unconsciously, and I fall into self-loathing. It is because I am such a narrow-minded man that I was rejected by senpai. I could not match senpai. ¡°We¡¯re just senpai and Kouhai.¡± The smile fades from senpai¡¯s face, as if she did not expect to be told such words. She looks surprised and her mouth is gaping open. I feel my heart tighten at the sight of her face. ¡°Is¡­..it really that?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± But senpai started to say something unexpected. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about Nagi kun for the past four years, okay?¡± I wonder if she is drunk. She closes the gap between us, and her smooth hand touches my leg. ¡°Sen¡­.Pai!?¡± ¡°Hey Nagi kun¡± From there, the voice stuck to the mousy ear. ¡°¨Ctry it out, go out with me?¡± CH 92 ¡°Would you like to go out with me, just to try it out?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Senpai¡¯s outlandish statement made me lose my train of thought for a moment. Who¡¯s with who? Me with senpai? ¡°What are you saying ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Look, just try it out. If it doesn¡¯t fit, just throw it away.¡± Senpai continued to second-guess with a light tempo. In contrast to the suspended thoughts, senpai spoke quickly, spinning one word after another. But the words generated considerable rejection. That is not the issue. I don¡¯t think we should be dating on a trial basis or anything like that. I thought that the relationship between a man and a woman should be healthier than that. In the first place, didn¡¯t my senpai reject me because she didn¡¯t want to have an easy relationship with me like that? ¡°No, umm¡± ¡°Hey, what do you think? I think it¡¯s a rather nice property, me.¡± Senpai who tilted her face at me was indeed cute. She was mature and cute, but still had a certain openness about her that made her easy to talk to and get along with. Her clear eyes were unblemished, and if you looked down a little, you could see a big bulge in them, which made her very feminine. I know this is not a good criterion, but she has money and is financially well off. From an objective point of view, I might say that she is a ¡°good property.¡± But. The senpai I knew, the senpai I fell in love with, was not like this. She was not the type to talk about going out with someone so casually, nor was she the type to say ¡°just to try it out¡±. ¡°Hey? How is it?¡± senpai was waiting for my reply with her face bright red. It felt a little hot in the bar. However, I was sure that I was sweating differently. It seemed that alcohol was circulating in both of our bodies. That said, I knew I should never allow a relationship to develop by taking advantage of senpai¡¯s drunkenness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, senpai. I can¡¯t go out with a senpai.¡± Senpai is just temporarily floating around. She just mistook feeling nostalgic after seeing me for the first time in a long time for a little romantic feelings. In other words, it is not that Senpai has romantic feelings for me. So I must reject her. If I were to lean on senpai¡¯s mistake, it would ruin all the precious memories I had with her. Therefore, I had to put my refusal into words. Firmly determined, but feeling guilty, I refused, and after that, senpai looked at me with a pouty face for a moment. ¡°Aha, Haaa Hahahaha¡± It sounded like a pleasant laugh. A laugh that seemed to go right through the top. I was glad we were the only ones in the restaurant, but the master looked at me with a puzzled look on his face. ¡°S-Senpai? Senpai?¡± ¡°Oh no, Nag kun is so serious, isn¡¯t he? I see.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I can¡¯t keep up with my thoughts. What¡¯s happening!? Eh, are you kidding? ¡°Did you do that on purpose?!¡± ¡°No, no, I didn¡¯t mean to offend you. I was just a little drunk and wanted to make a joke.¡± ¡°There are some jokes you can tell and some you can¡¯t !?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Senpai who accidentally sticks out her tongue while clasping her hands together. When she makes a gesture like that, I¡¯m in trouble because I can¡¯t get angry at her either. ¡°Oh no, but maybe I really want a boyfriend too, making jokes like this.¡± And then senpai suddenly said something like that. ¡°Even senpai want a boyfriend or something huh¡± I said what was on my mind, and senpai looked at me with a surprised look on her face. ¡°Eh, did I say something to offend you?¡± ¡°¡­.no? I was just wondering what you meant.¡± ¡°I meant exactly what I said. You don¡¯t have any trouble with men, do you?¡± When I got to that point, I noticed that senpai was puffing out her cheeks. ¡°What? You sound like you¡¯re flirting¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that!!¡± I have found out here that senpai becomes strangely troublesome when she drinks. No, really troublesome. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re a beautiful woman, so if you want a boyfriend, you can have as many as you want.¡± ¡°What, you sound like I¡¯m playing around with men!¡± ¡°You¡¯re really troublesome, aren¡¯t you, senpai?¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡°bothersome¡±? You don¡¯t have to talk like a heavy woman.¡± ¡°No one said it like that!¡± If I were a listener, I would never want to know the reality of a popular Vtuber like this!? ¡°Nagare Asuka¡± seems to be quite innocent, so it would be hard if she gets a heavy female attribute. No, it¡¯s scary to think that there might be a demand for it among a certain group of people. ¡± Senpai is getting quite drunk now, so it¡¯s time for us to go home. I mean, doesn¡¯t senpai have another streaming today?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s right. The most important thing to remember is that you should not be too drunk.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the office.¡± ¡°What?¡± Eh. Eh. Why office? Why? ¡°Look, I¡¯m going to announce that I¡¯m going to ask Nagi kun to write a song for me on today¡¯s broadcast.¡± ¡°Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go to the office.¡± ¡°No, eh, wait, senpai¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll pay you.¡± No, don¡¯t give it to me! I mean, don¡¯t try to buy me a drink without my permission! ¡°Yes, then let¡¯s go?¡± And so, with the confession left in limbo, the two of us went to the office to deliver a major announcement. I was unaware at the time that this was creating a new firestorm. CH 93 (Marika = Mario Kart) ¡°Good morning~, Nagi kun~¡± ¡°Senpa¡­¡­¡­¡­ senpai!?!?¡± The next morning, I woke up normally and was eating toast for breakfast when Senpai attacked me. It¡¯s like a lie. ¡­¡­ This is 8:00 in the morning. ¡­¡­ ¡°W-w-why are you here?¡± ¡°Hmm? Well, I followed Rin kun after yesterday.¡± ¡°Why did you do that?! I mean, do you know the room number of the apartment?!?¡± ¡°No, I saw you checking the mailbox for the room number.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a crime?!¡± I mean, what the hell should I do in this situation!? As expected, I didn¡¯t expect this kind of situation, did I? ¡°Nagi kun~ open up~ It¡¯s so cold!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already May right? It¡¯s almost summer in spring?¡± ¡°I¡¯m cold.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a liar!!¡± But I didn¡¯t know what she would do if she stayed in front of my door any longer, so I decided to let her go inside peacefully. Senpai said, ¡°Thanks,¡± and took off her socks. ¡°Um, why are you free to do as you please like in your own home?¡± ¡°What? Because this is Nagi kun¡¯s house, right?¡± ¡°right? It¡¯s not! What do you mean?¡± ¡°Oh, well, don¡¯t worry about the details.¡± Can I be concerned that it is not detailed at all? Or rather, can I sue you? Also, bare feet are strangely erotic, so can I ask you to stop? Seriously, it¡¯s very hard for a man to feel that a beautiful girl like Senpai is barefoot at home, so can you please stop it? And as I was thinking about this foolishness, I noticed that senpai was rummaging around in my room. ¡°Nagi kun, do you have any plans for today?¡± ¡°What is it? Well, nothing in particular.¡± ¡°Then, Nagi kun.¡± When I called out to her as such, she handed me the famous Nintendo-Switch controller. ¡°Let¡¯s play games! Game.¡±¡± ¡°W-What?¡± I had no idea what was going on, but senpai was setting up the system in a very efficient manner. It seemed that she was connecting the game console she had brought into my TV. ¡°I didn¡¯t think Nagi kun would have a game, but I¡¯m glad I brought it. Here, why don¡¯t you sit down, Nagi kun?¡± ¡°Sit down, I mean, it¡¯s my house. ¡­¡­¡± And it¡¯s right next to Senpai, where Senpai is tapping the board. As I said, it would be impossible for me to take that position. However, it doesn¡¯t look like senpai will allow me to do so, so I move a little away and sit beside her. It is the least I can do to resist. ¡°¡­¡­. Oh well. So what do we do anyway? Marika? Do you want to play Marika?¡± ¡°You really want to play Marika, don¡¯t you? ¡­¡­ Well, that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°No, actually, we¡¯re going to have a Marika tournament in our office~. I wanted to practice.¡± With that said, Senpai quickly starts up Marika. Marila, by the way, is a racing game based on the very popular ¡°Mario¡± series. Unlike ordinary racing games, it is a game in which various items can be acquired along the way, and even beginners can overturn a car by a small margin. I don¡¯t know about Marika on the Switch either, but I¡¯ve played Marika on previous consoles many times, and I¡¯m actually somewhat confident about it. ¡°I can¡¯t go easy on you just because I¡¯m dealing with a senpai, can I?¡± ¡°Oh~, that¡¯s right. fufu, come at me.¡± That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to start Marika with a man¡¯s will from now on!! ¡°Hey, Nagi kun~, don¡¯t stick so close to me~?¡± ¡°Ah, I-I¡¯m sorry, Ah, don¡¯t throw your shell at me!!¡± ¡°F-Fufuu~n¡± ¡­¡­That was it. I was so bad at it. I had played it so well that senpai was intentionally coming back to me from the front of the pack, but I didn¡¯t feel like I could win at all. It is no longer a competitive world, where even after all these attempts, before I know it, she is still a lap ahead of me.. ¡°Oh, I fell again!!¡±¡± ¡°Well, you really don¡¯t have any sense. I¡¯d like to know how you were so confident.¡± ¡°Damn ¡­¡­!!!, I can¡¯t say anything back ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Also, I¡¯ve never seen anyone move with Kurt before.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been told that by Sawamura, too!!¡± And then there is Senpai at the end of the road, which is the story at the beginning of this article. It is by no means an in-game story. Because in the game, I cannot even catch up with senpai. ¡°Oh, well~, what should we do about the penalty game?¡± ¡°What? This is the first time I¡¯ve heard of this!?¡± ¡°Would you like a 10-day pass to live with Nagi kun or 100 days house arrest at my house?¡± ¡°Stop pretending you¡¯re giving me a choice, but you¡¯re not!¡± ¡°Okay, then I understand. Let¡¯s go on a date.¡± ¡°D-d-d-date!?¡± Senpai¡¯s ramblings know no bounds. And by the way, senpai is now in the third lap of the game by herself. The rule, by the way, is that the first to complete three laps wins. In other words, the penalty game is just around the corner. ¡°A date, right? You know, with me, you won¡¯t get burned by some voice actor like you did before, right?¡± I¡¯m being pushed around by Senpai, who goes at her own pace. I feel like I¡¯m back in high school. ¡°Ah, or I could do radio with Nagi kun? See, I saw you doing it before, right? It seemed like you were just making out with a girl.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that malicious way of talking ¡­¡­. It¡¯s radio, so it¡¯s normal for us to be talking nicely together.¡± ¡®Well, I get along well with male listeners, too!¡± ¡°What kind of sore loser are you ¡­¡­¡± Senpai shows a thumbs up, but I have no idea what it means at all. Also, she can¡¯t even wink ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve reached the finish line.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather give it to me than take the first place unimpressively!?¡± But it was a bit of a relief to be able to talk normally with senpai like this. I was wondering if it would be awkward for me to be honest because I was stuck in my mind about yesterday and the confession I made in high school, but it was not like that. Perhaps senpai is trying to make it easier for me to talk to her, but it never happened. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s go outside. I¡¯m going to buy some clothes, so follow me~¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even hide the fact that I¡¯m going to be your baggage handler!¡± No, just Senpai living her life the way she likes it, here. CH 94 ¡°Look, Rin kun The train is coming.¡± ¡°Wait, sorry I didn¡¯t think there was any more money in the watermelon. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Come on, come on, don¡¯t worry about that. Come on.¡± Senpai takes my lagging hand and runs into the train. Shortly thereafter, the door closed with a whoosh. ¡°Haaaa Haaa¡± ¡°Nagi kun, are you okay? You look a little out of breath.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little out of shape.¡± ¡°I see. There¡¯s an empty seat over there. Come sit with me.¡± Senpai takes my hand and leads me to a seat. The only two seats that were empty were the ones that had just been exposed to the sun. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, senpai.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just taking you out to do my thing today.¡± She smiled as she sat down holding my hand and looked up with her other hand. My hand was sweaty from running, but Senpai¡¯s hand was cool, and I thought about how girls¡¯ hands are different from guys¡¯ hands. ¡°By the way, Nagi kun, where do you always buy your clothes and stuff?¡± ¡°Oh, me? I get cheap ones from Amazon ¡­¡­¡± How do you know? ¡­¡­. I¡¯m scared. No, but I definitely think there is a phenomenon that when I am alone in a clothing store, I am definitely approached. I want to give this phenomenon a name. I mean, there are definitely people who buy from Amazon for the same reason, though ¡°Nagi kun has always been a bit of a suck communicator.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not! look, You¡¯re talking to me properly like this!¡± ¡°Nagi kun ¡­¡­. A suck communicator is a person who can talk with people he gets along with but can¡¯t talk with people he meets for the first time.¡± She looked at me so pitifully. But I couldn¡¯t say anything back to her because she is a frank person who can talk to anyone. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s rather like the word ¡°suck communicator¡± was created to refer to you, Nagi kun.¡± ¡°There are many people who can¡¯t speak as well as I can!!¡± ¡°Ah, Onee san~! This side is vacant~¡± However, in spite of my desperate resistance, Senpai found an old lady standing there and went to talk to her. The other woman, a gray-haired woman with a cane, was supporting herself with both hands on a pole by the boarding gate and looked as if she was in pain. When Senpai saw the elderly woman, she moved before she thought. ¡°Oh, my. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re calling me onee san. I¡¯m an old woman.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true~. Please come this way.¡± The elderly woman sits down with a smile on her face as senpai makes an aggressive gesture of escorting her. With her meek demeanor, she is able to enter the other person¡¯s heart, and easily allows herself to be taken in. That¡¯s the kind of woman she is, Senpai. ¡°Then excuse me¡± Somehow, I also felt awkward with the old lady sitting next to me, so I got up from my seat and went next to senpai, and she gave me a ¡°well¡± look with a surprised expression on her face. ¡°Are you two dating?¡± ¡°Wow~, do we look like that~?¡± ¡°You two make a perfect pair.¡± ¡°P-Pair!?¡± It seems that this old lady has really let senpai get the better of her. And I was caught in the middle of it. Well, the old lady is happy to have been given a seat, and Senpai seems to be enjoying herself, so I guess it¡¯s okay. ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t want to disturb you two too much, so I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Roger~. Take care, onee san!¡± Bowing to the granny who saw us off with warm eyes, senpai and I got off the train. I wondered what the old lady meant when she winked at me at the end. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed in that respect either, have you?¡± ¡°Hmm? What?¡± I meant to say something about the action taken by senpai, but senpai really didn¡¯t seem to know what I was talking about and was buying juice from a vending machine. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Really? Then, let¡¯s go~¡± And I look at the Senpai who has not changed. I was intensely curious as to why Senpai decided to become a Vtuber. Then I came with senpai to a slightly more expensive clothing store in a large shopping mall. Being a holiday, the place was crowded with people. ¡°Hey, Nagi kun, where are you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right next to me. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, no, no, I just wanted to try it once. A lost child game.¡± Let¡¯s leave aside Senpai¡¯s unintelligible hobbies. It was difficult to get used to a place that was clearly out of place. I couldn¡¯t help but notice at first glance or the clothes of the people who came to these places. I wonder if I really have the right clothes to be in this kind of clothing store. If I need proper clothes to come to a clothing store, how can I come to this store? It¡¯s not for first-time customers, no matter how you look at it. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m going home. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go, Nagi kun.¡± ¡°Eh, wait¡± I tried to resist, but¡­. I ended up spending more time in the jeans, slacks, and shirts section than I did in my own clothes. Senpai would buy clothes that she liked right away. ¡°Are you okay? Is it heavy?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not heavy, but the paper bag is digging into my hand and it hurts. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a place to sit down. Let¡¯s take a break.¡± We sit on a bench-like area near the ice cream shop. ¡°Taha~, well, crowds are already tiring, aren¡¯t they? ¡°I feel like I was brought here because of senpai¡­ ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Is that what you say to someone who bought you clothes?¡± ¡°I said I would pay for it, but you paid for it yourself!?Don¡¯t talk nonsense to me!¡± We were exchanging silly stories for what seemed like the millionth time since we met again, when suddenly there was someone who interrupted us. ¡°¨CHojo senpai, perhaps?¡± There, a classmate from high school. CH 95 ¡°Uh, could it be Hojo senpai?¡± His blond hair was waxed to the side, and his muscular legs were visible through his sloppy half pants. He had cat-like pointy eyes, slightly upturned corners of his mouth, and upturned eyes that seemed to express his confidence with his entire body. ¡°Uh, Takasaki kun, is it ¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, you remembered! Oh, you remembered me! well, I¡¯m a bit of a stand-out, aren¡¯t I?¡± The obvious difference in temperature has me and senpai puzzled, but Takasaki didn¡¯t seem to notice it at all. If he had noticed, he would have had a mentality of steel. ¡°Are you alone, senpai?¡± ¡°N-no ¡­¡­. I¡¯m not alone.¡± ¡°Ah, by the way, I¡¯m here with a friend. I¡¯m here with a friend, by the way. I think that person went somewhere else.¡± Saying something like, ¡°No, I ain¡¯t listening,¡± won¡¯t work with this race. I guess those skills are cultivated to talk to anyone, yes, probably. By the way, if someone waves at me, I¡¯ll take a look and see if it¡¯s directed at me or not! That would be too shady of me, for what it¡¯s worth. Takasaki steadily closes the distance to senpai, showing his white teeth. ¡°I¡¯ve got some time, so why don¡¯t you come with me? Come on.¡± ¡°No, I told you I¡¯m not alone. ¡­¡­¡± ¡°Come on, it¡¯s just for a minute.¡± ¡°Wai¨C¡° Seeing Takasaki trying to forcefully pull senpai¡¯s hand away, I come to my senses and understand the current situation. Then, without thinking, I grabbed Takasaki¡¯s hand. ¡°¡ª-Aaa?¡± ¡°Hey, can you leave it at that¡­?¡± The strong figure, a foot taller than me, was looking down at me. I tried to hold back the urge to sit up and say something to him so that he could hear me again. ¡°I told you that senpai has something to do today. Stop it.¡± ¡°Huh? Who the hell are you? What right do you have to talk to me like that?¡± But my classmate, whom I hadn¡¯t seen in a while, apparently didn¡¯t remember me. I guess this guy doesn¡¯t care about the shady guy at the end of the class. There was no reason for him to remember me. ¡°Ah? Y-You¡­¡± But Takasaki stared at my face as if he was somewhat caught in the moment. He seemed to have come to a conclusion after checking the parts of my face one by one, as if he was scanning them. ¡°You¡¯re not the Nagishiro from high school, are you? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I told you, I¡¯m here with my friend.¡± At that point, Senpai, who had been flustered by the sudden events until now, seemed to have finally regained his breath and said to Takasaki. But he snickers at those words, too. ¡°No way! Someone who is even Hojo senpai is hanging out with such a mung bean?¡± Sorry about the sprouts. I mean, that snide remark is quite annoying. Of course, I can¡¯t say it back. Takasaki looks at me and senpai repeatedly in turn, then answers with a nod of her head. ¡°This guy is not good enough to be next to senpai. so, senpai, come with me? Leave this piece of shit behind.¡± Takasaki interrupts to cover up between me and Senpai and takes her hand once again. ¡°Hey, hey, if you have someone like that, you¡¯ll lose your dignity as a senpai. I¡¯ll lead you properly, so please don¡¯t worry.¡± Then he smiled sickeningly and tried to pull Senpai along with him. I tried to grab Takasaki¡¯s back again, thinking that senpai would be in danger if I didn¡¯t, but my fears were unfounded. ¡ªPoshin (SFX) ¡°¡ª¨CHee?¡± A dry sound rang out in the middle of the mall, causing a commotion around the area. After a quiet silence, a crowd of people gathered around. People gathered to see what was going on, people who were curious to see what was going on, and I was in that mass of people. I open my mouth with a pop and look at senpai¡¯s face. ¡°Okay, will you please stop that, Takasaki kun?¡± ¡°Eh, What, ¡­¡­?¡± Takasaki touched his own blushing cheeks and still looked at Senpai with an expression that said he didn¡¯t know what had happened. ¡°I wonder who you are, talking so freely and openly about whatever you want.¡± And I, like Takasaki, was stunned by the actions and words of senpai I had never seen before. ¡°First of all, you don¡¯t get to decide who¡¯s better or worse than who. You don¡¯t even know ¡­¡­ Nagi kun well.¡± ¡°H-Haa? I¡¯m not a good person to decide who is better or worse than him. It¡¯s pretty obvious who¡¯s better than him !!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± In the words of senpai who does not say whether yes or not. As expected, Takasaki flinched. Indeed, I had never seen such an angry senpai in my high school years. ¡°¡­¡­ I don¡¯t even feel like talking to you. If you have time to look down on others, I suggest you improve yourself.¡± ¡°Nah!?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, Nagi kun¡± ¡°Wait, Senpai¡± ¡°Come on, quickly.¡± I hurriedly followed behind senpai, who was quickly wading through the crowd. ¡°Hey, wait a minute.¡± But this time, he grabbed my arm. I jerked up and turned around to see an angry-looking Takasaki there. ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°¡ªHa?¡± I lost track of what he said for a moment and tried to ask him again, and the next thing I knew, he had a fist in my face. ¡°¡ªBufu!?¡± ¡°Nagi kun?!¡± I heard Senpai¡¯s voice in the distance. Then there was a shaking sensation in my brain, and then a rush of pain. ¡°You little fish, don¡¯t get cocky!¡± Only Takasaki¡¯s roar is oddly audible. Did I get hit, did I? Senpai, is she all right? Senpai?¡¡Oh, yeah. Aah she¡¯s okay Reality catches up with my brain one step later, and then relief. ¨Cthen the sense of crisis came rushing in. I have to protect Senpai. ¡°You see? You know which way is up, don¡¯t you?¡¡Senpai?¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯t come here, ¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to take you and eat you, you know. Well, I might eat ¡° ¡°Hii¡­¡­!¡± I see a frightened Senpai and involuntarily reach for Takasaki¡¯s leg. ¡°Don¡¯t ¡­¡­! Don¡¯t ¡­¡­ touch senpai¡­¡­!!!¡± ¡°Ah? I can¡¯t hear you!¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± My stomach was gouged out so hard that I could taste iron in my mouth. There was numbness at the tips of my hands, and his vision became blurred. ¡°Sen¡­.Pai¡­.¡± ¡°Enough already! Nagi kun, you don¡¯t have to do this! ¡°Senpai¡­¡­ senpai¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about me, I don¡¯t care!¡± Oh, it¡¯s about time. ¡­¡­ After all, I¡¯m just miserable and dying, huh¡­¡­. And it¡¯s bad enough that I only feel satisfied by myself. ¡°Kakakakaka! This is a real blast!¡± My consciousness snapped at the end of Takasaki¡¯s sneer. ¡°¨Cwhat are you doing here?¡± CH 96 ¡°¡­.Hnnn? Huh¡­.where?¡± ¡°Ah, Nagi kun !!¡± When I awoke with the strange white ceiling in my vision, I felt a jolt in my chest with a familiar voice. ¡°Ugh~~, senpai, it hurts!¡± ¡°Aaahhh, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the tension strange?¡± I was surprised to see senpai groaning with tears spilling down her cheeks. It was the first time for me to see senpai in such a mess, so I couldn¡¯t quite grasp the situation. ¡°Nagishiro san, you¡¯ve been asleep for quite a while.¡± As if reading my feelings, a quiet voice, in contrast to that of senpai, came to me, and I involuntarily turned my head in that direction. ¡°Harushita san?¡± ¡°Good evening. It seems like it¡¯s been ages since we¡¯ve met.¡± ¡°Why are you here¡­¡­?¡± Harushita san was sitting in a pipe chair reading a book in a position where she could see out the window. The sunset was just half-lighting her face, and she looked somewhat mysterious. ¡°What ¡­¡­, you look dumb¡­¡­ Did you hurt your head too? Or are you dumb to begin with?¡± ¡°I know that last one is a simple abuse!!!¡± I screamed loudly, but it quickly fizzled out with a keening sound in the room. I felt like an idiot for shouting. No, just plain stupid. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± But it seems that she did not intend to end the conversation with just a silly talk, and Harushita san asked me with a surprisingly serious face. The condition of my body. So I raised my hands and twisted my body. ¡°¡­¡­ hurt so much here and there, I don¡¯t know where it hurts, I guess.¡± ¡°I see. ¡­¡­¡± Her eyes were downcast and her face was somber. It didn¡¯t seem that serious to me, but I guess it¡¯s normal for the injured person to be more optimistic at times like this. But that¡¯s where my optimism was unexpectedly canceled. ¡°¡ª-Takasaki!? Where is he?¡± The person who had inflicted the wound, Takasaki, was completely oblivious. ¡°Senpai! Is Senpai injured somewhere¡­¡­¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. Thanks to you, Nagi kun.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. ¡­¡­¡± Hearing this, the thread of tension that had been holding me for so long broke. Even though I was unconscious, I was apparently still tense. ¡°Really, it¡¯s all thanks to Nagi kun. ¡­¡­¡± But Senpai was spilling such mumblings with a look of guilt on her face. ¡°Nagi kun has always helped me ¡­¡­ now and in the past.¡± ¡°¡­¡­the past?¡± I caught the end of her sentence, and she looked at me with a determined expression on her face. ¡°I have to seriously talk about this¡± Then senpai turned her attention to Harushita san. Harushita san shrugged her shoulders and gave a look of disappointment, then put away her chair and walked out with her bag in hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be back later. Let me know when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Harushita san walks out the door with a rattling sound. Then it was just me and Senpai in the hospital room. £ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª ¡°I wonder where should I start¡­¡± ¡°Where?¡± What is senpai trying to talk about and why is she trying to talk about it at this point in time? All I want to hear is what¡¯s going on right now, and that¡¯s not what Senpai wants to talk about. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t move from here anyway, so talk all you want.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­¡­¡± From there, Senpai began to speak slowly. The story of how we met, me and Senpai in high school. £ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª£ª High school is already more than 4 years ago for me, isn¡¯t it? I met Nagi kun in the fall of my sophomore year, so maybe five and a half years. ¡­¡­ not much, just a lot of memories I don¡¯t want to remember. I definitely don¡¯t want to go back to my high school days. Before I entered high school, I always dreamed about it. I thought there would be so many fun things waiting for me in high school, so many friends to meet, so many events to attend. I imagined a rainbow-colored everyday life and was excited. But after three months, I knew it was a mistake. Because it wasn¡¯t fun at all. Maybe it was the fact that it was a higher education school. Everyone was restraining each other, and they were only concerned about what others were looking at, what others thought of them, and so on. When the tests came back, they would find a student with a lower score than them and feel relieved, or a student who couldn¡¯t study would appeal in terms of athletics to affirm themselves. I noticed that there was a pervasive atmosphere in which everyone had to feel superior in order to survive. And worse, it became more and more pronounced as the exams approached, that is, as the school year went on. By the time I reached the second grade, everyone¡¯s mind already looked like a desert. No one knew what they were studying for, what they were laughing for. I didn¡¯t know ¡­¡­ what I was living for. They lived kicking others to the curb just to quench their thirst. And of course, me too. I¡¯ve had someone I¡¯ve been dating since the middle of freshman year. You probably don¡¯t know about this, Nagi kun, but I don¡¯t think you need to be so surprised. ¡­¡­ His name is Masato Shinkawa, and yes, he¡¯s that handsome guy from the basketball team. He confessed to me and I had no reason to say no, so we went out. That¡¯s all there is to it. And like other students, he made a habit of kicking others down. Whenever we talked together, it was always about boasting or complaining. He was always bragging or complaining about how he had beaten someone or how he had done something. I listened to him with a smile. I could listen to what he said for as long as I wanted, even if the content itself was not interesting. Maybe it wasn¡¯t because I liked him, but because I felt comfortable listening to other people¡¯s stories of failure. He seemed so accomplished, but I was a child too. But I think it was the summer of my sophomore year. Suddenly it all seemed ridiculous. I didn¡¯t want to be walking down the road with someone else, I wanted to think that there was something decidedly different about me from others. I also lost interest in him, as if he represented the mundane, and we soon broke up. I noticed that everyone else had the same face, and I thought of myself as a special person who noticed that I was different. So I started hanging out with my friends less and less, and by the fall there was no one around. I also quit club activities, so I finally stopped talking to anyone. But I was content with that. I thought it was better to be a solitary person than to live with lowly people. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be lonely. I didn¡¯t like the Youtubers that everyone liked because they seemed kind of snobby in their own way, and I didn¡¯t listen to famous Jpop. I started reading cool books and listening to Western music. I didn¡¯t even realize that this was a behavior that was unique to adolescence. Such a misunderstood woman who thought she was special is the ¡°Hojo Asuka¡± Nagi kun met. The woman you were longing for was just like that. ¨CAnd you, who appeared in front of me, were the ideal person I had in mind. I know you probably don¡¯t believe me when I say this, Nagi kun. See, I knew it. But no matter what Nagi kun thought, you were my admiration. The first time I saw you was in the library. I¡¯ll never forget it. I was looking for a desk to read at when I saw a strange boy. A boy who was pointing an earphone at his cell phone and fiddling with it, grinning all by himself. I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you doing?¡± I was so surprised that his face turned bright red and he started to make excuses that he couldn¡¯t even tell me. I thought he was a very strange boy~, so I teased him and asked him about various things, and he immediately tried to escape, saying, ¡°I¡¯m Nagishiro, a first-year student¡± It was really funny at that time~. I thought to myself, ¡°There is a boy like this in this high school?¡± Because only the world Nagi kun sees is rainbow-colored. There was definitely something around Nagi kun at that time that I had dreamed of. The view I had dreamed of before entering high school was there. From then on, it was just as you know, Nagi kun. I wanted to see you, so I went to the library all the time, talked a lot, and got scolded by the librarian. We always talked about hobbies of Nagi kun, what kind of music you like. What kind of music he liked, what he usually did, and so on. We talked about such trivial things for a long time until the sun went down. Well, sometimes Nagi kun¡¯s eyes were on my b***s, which seems to have been his habit since then. So after school became more and more fun. Every day, I came to school looking forward to that time only. Even during class, I watched the clock all the time. So sometimes when Nagi kun didn¡¯t show up, I would get very unhappy and depressed. I even had the worst fantasy that he didn¡¯t like me, and when I heard that he didn¡¯t show up for some unimportant reason the next day, I would get a little irritated and hit a little harder. That¡¯s how much I only had Nagi kun in those days. ¨CUnlike Nagi kun. Nagi kun had my involvement as part of a fun routine, but I only had Nagi kun for real. And as I found after-school with Nagi kun more and more enjoyable, I hated going to school more and more. Some people say that having fun makes you work harder, but it was different for me. The classes seemed more faded, the usual routine seemed more trivial, and the air seemed more gray. Moreover, the more I looked forward to spending time with Nagi kun, the shorter the time we spent together seemed. Back then, going to school was a pain in the ass. Nagi kun made it possible for me to go to school, but Nagi kun made it hard for me to stay in school. I didn¡¯t know what to do. But I couldn¡¯t choose the idea of distancing myself from Nagi kun. I knew how to solve the problem, but I didn¡¯t choose it. I was such a cowardly woman. This made me feel self-hatred and made me feel even worse about myself. Then came your confession. I bluntly refused the words of ¡°I love you,¡± which you had the courage to say to me. The reason was easy to put into words. I was afraid that you would find out about me. I was afraid that you would know that I am terribly empty, false, and mediocre. I realized how childish I was and how mediocre I was by then, you know. Through you. So there I was able to reject you for the first time. It would be utterly terrible. Even talking about it myself, I want to laugh at how selfish I am. Thus, I neglected your confession, and I had a certain satisfaction in doing so. That I was now able to let myself through, even at the expense of what was most important to me. ¡ª- and I regretted my actions. After I graduated from high school.