"You managed to poach her that quickly?"
Rin Ito returned to Karen's side after leaving the dressing room. She was immediately taken aback by the sheer speed of his "scouting" ability.
"Naturally."
"Well, I've got some results on my end, too." Karen shook her phone at Rin. On the screen were the profiles of Tomori Takamatsu and Mutsumi Wakaba.
Mutsumi Wakaba was the daughter of celebrities; she was already a constant target for paparazzi and gossip magazines, so getting a detailed file on her was trivial. However, Rin was less interested in the fluff and more concerned about her mental state.
While the investigation hadn't focused on psychiatry, the description of her "cold and indifferent" personality suggested she hadn't yet reached the full-blown mental collapse of her later stages.
Right now, she was likely on a dangerous edge, much like Kaguya used to be—cold, isolated, and unapproachable.
There was likely still a chance to save her before she formed Ave Mujica.
As for Tomori Takamatsu, she was the rare "commoner" in a band full of rich girls playing house.
While there were no gossip rags written about her, an average family has very few defenses against a data breach. With the power of Karen's checkbook, Tomori's life story was quickly delivered to Rin's phone.
Although people around her had labeled her as "not quite human" since childhood, Tomori's mental health seemed much more stable than Mutsumi's.
She was eccentric, isolated, timid, and insecure, but at least she didn't look like she was about to explode from suppressed pressure.
"She has a reservation at the planetarium tonight?"
Rin's eyebrows shot up. The perfect opportunity to make contact.
"Can you book me a seat right next to her?"
"No problem." Karen gave Shion a look, sending her to handle the logistics. Rin sat back to watch the performances on stage while plotting his approach for the evening.
By the time the thirty bands had finished their sets, it was late afternoon. Rin, Karen, and Shion sat with the Kessoku Band girls, waiting for the final verdict.
On stage, the special guests sumimi appeared alongside the host.
"The time has come to announce the results! Ladies, which band do you think has what it takes?" The host tossed the question to the idol duo.
This part wasn't scripted, but for seasoned idols, such banter was second nature. However, Mana Sumida was slightly worried... Uika looked a bit... off. Still, she couldn't say anything on a live stage.
"Hey, Uika, which band do you think will make it to the 'Unconfirmed Riot' main stage?" Mana turned slightly toward her partner.
"They were all incredible bands. It's so hard to choose."
Mana breathed a sigh of relief. At least Uika's acting skills were holding up.
The two engaged in a bit of back-and-forth with the host until a staff member walked on stage to hand over the final result envelope.
"Alright! I'll let our guests announce the winners."
The host's words made Nijika and Kita clench their fists in nervous anticipation.
"Nijika... it hurts. Why are you squeezing my hand so hard?" Ryo's hand was going numb. As expected of a drummer's grip!
Nijika ignored her, eyes glued to the stage.
"Leave it to me~!" The energetic Mana glanced at the card. "The first band moving on to the final stage is... SIDEROS!"
"And Beast Rhea~!" Uika followed up smoothly. "The judges struggled until the very last second. Mana and I were almost at our limit! Thank you to every band for your spectacular performances tonight~"
The results were in. The name Kessoku Band was not called.
In truth, they had expected this.
They had been at the bottom of the popularity polls online. Although they played brilliantly today, they were well aware of the gap between themselves and the top-tier competition.
Nijika finally released Ryo's hand. Ryo flexed her fingers, which were buzzing from the pressure.
"You didn't win the slot, but you played amazing today... How about Karen takes you all out for a celebration tonight?"
"YES!" Ryo agreed before anyone else could react. A celebration hosted by the Okiura heiress meant premium ingredients and expensive treats! Just the thought of it made her mouth water.
Kita and Bocchi nodded in agreement. But Nijika...
She turned a questioning gaze toward Rin. Ryo, Kita, and Bocchi were only thinking about food, but Nijika had noticed a discrepancy in his words.
"You said Karen is taking us... what about you?"
"Tch, tch, tch... They only care about the meat. At least Nijika cares about me... And after I even went to sumimi to get you guys some signed merch." Rin reached out and ruffled the little angel's hair, specifically playing with her signature ahoge. "I've got some business tonight. I might be a bit late."
Karen knew the gist of Rin's plan. After the crowd dispersed, she didn't take the girls straight to dinner. Instead, she helped buy Rin some time.
She took them to her regular high-end beauty salon for "maintenance" and massages, dragging out the clock as much as possible.
As for Rin... he grabbed a quick snack to line his stomach before heading to the planetarium. Shion had used her "monetary magic" to ensure his seat was directly adjacent to Tomori's.
Rin arrived early and was the first to take his seat. He had never been to a planetarium before, but tonight, the stars weren't the main attraction—the girl watching them was.
Soon, a girl with short, violet-gray hair sat down next to him. Seeing Tomori Takamatsu in the flesh for the first time piqued Rin's curiosity, but he kept his cool. He didn't initiate a conversation; he simply sat quietly, staring up at the semi-circular dome.
Tomori was tiny, barely five feet tall. She wore dark gray culottes, a denim jacket, black socks, and sneakers. The outfit and her short hair gave her a slightly tomboyish appearance.
The denim jacket hid her curves, but it couldn't fool Rin's expert eyes. Beneath that jacket was no "washboard" chest; she was hiding quite a significant "treasure."
Her mouse-gray hair and darting, nervous gaze made Rin feel as though he were sitting next to a frightened little animal.
She wasn't the "Gugu Gaga" meme penguin he remembered from his previous life; her first impression was more like a timid little mouse.
Sensing Rin's occasional glances, Tomori grew bashful. However, Rin wasn't staring; he was simply letting his gaze drift over her in a non-threatening, seemingly accidental manner.
The lights dimmed, and the show began. Tomori focused all her attention on the starry dome. It wasn't until the show ended and the lights flared back up that Rin finally spoke.
"Excuse me... are you the vocalist for Crychic?"