Chapter 56: Mama, I Want to Be an Idol
While Aqua was busy saving a depressed young girl, the trio of Hikaru Hoshino was currently eating at a fried chicken shop near the school gate.
It was still early, and weekday mornings were always hectic. Students had already entered the school with backpacks, greeting the sunrise to begin their day of learning; corporate drones had reached their workstations, preparing to repeat their daily grind. Only the "drifters" with nothing to do would wander the streets and order a late breakfast at a fast-food joint.
There were very few people in the shop—or rather, there were no other guests besides Hikaru's group. No sane person would want a calorie bomb first thing in the morning.
"What do you two want to eat?"
Hikaru looked up and asked. Opposite him sat Ai, wearing a pale purple short-sleeved shirt paired with a deep blue spliced long skirt. Ruby was clad in a yellow sleeveless dress, looking like a giant golden badminton birdie from a distance.
"Hmm~" Ai looked a bit troubled. "The President usually doesn't let me eat this stuff... I'll just have an egg tart then."
Ruby, usually the most enthusiastic about food, seemed a bit lost this time, keeping her head down as she brooded over something.
Noticing Ruby was distracted, Ai asked with concern, "Ruby, is something on your mind lately?"
Ruby stammered, unsure of what to say. Hikaru's words from the morning had revealed the truth: the Doctor's death was no accident. This left her head "buzzing" even now, making it impossible to stay calm. She could only mourn the Doctor while simultaneously plotting how to avenge him.
Hikaru glanced at her. "She probably realized she's gained a lot of weight lately while dancing. We'll get her an egg tart too."
"As for me," Hikaru chuckled, "one Cheese Pork Sausage Panini, one Chicken Wrap, and an order of Meat Floss Fritters with Preserved Egg and Pork Porridge."
"Got it, I've noted that down." The waiter looked up, revealing a young, earnest face. "Senior Hikari."
"Huh? That voice..." Hikaru was shocked. "Teppei Nishikawa? Why are you here?"
"I don't have many scenes to film in Miyazaki, and I usually have nothing to do. The agency hasn't found any suitable work, so I found a part-time job myself." Teppei Nishikawa scratched his head. "I didn't expect Senior Hikari to remember my name. I'm truly honored."
As he spoke, he gave a rustic smile: "After all, I haven't appeared for nearly twenty or thirty chapters."
"Please enjoy your meal, Seniors. I'm going to go clear the other tables."
Teppei Nishikawa arrived with a tray and immediately left with another. Putting on an apron, he began wiping down the empty tables and chairs in the shop.
The aroma of delicious food woke Ruby up a little. She watched Teppei's busy back and asked in confusion, "Isn't he the male lead of the movie? Why is he working part-time as a waiter?"
"That's the speech of a young lady who doesn't understand the hardships of the world," Hikaru said. "It's not that easy to make it as an actor. In this industry, only those at the very top live glamorous lives; most people are just barely scraping by."
"Take Teppei Nishikawa, for example. Before Gotanda picked him, he never had a leading role; he spent most of his time as an extra. Although he's been on a few variety show segments through his agency's connections, the response was mediocre and failed to make a splash."
"No fame means no resources. No resources equals no income. If you don't take on several part-time jobs, how can you survive in a bustling metropolis like Tokyo?"
"If it's like this for unknown actors, it's even worse for rookie idols. Those who can't support themselves often end up as hostesses in izakayas. Glamorous in their stage outfits by day, forced to entertain big bosses with smiles by night."
"Idol is a profession that sells dreams and hope. Unfortunately, most of them have neither dreams nor hope."
Ai fell into silence. She hadn't experienced this herself, but she thought of the others around her. Everyone who had joined B-Komachi together, worked hard together, and practiced together—after traveling through the long river of time, she was the only one left. What were Nino and the others doing after leaving the group? Was their career as idols all those years meaningful to them?
"Even so, I still want to be an idol." Ruby's voice rang out abruptly, carrying an unquestionable firmness. "Even if an idol only represents a false beauty, I want to pass that beauty on!"
"Pass it on to everyone who believes in me!"
In Ruby's magenta left eye, a brilliant star appeared.
She could still recall the impact Ai's performance had on her when she was lying in a hospital bed. That beauty was once the motivation that kept Sarina alive, forming the light of her life alongside the Doctor's companionship.
Even if the hope sold by idols was a lie, it must be the most beautiful lie of all.
"Just focus on being a trainee and building your foundation first," Hikaru lightly flicked Ruby's forehead. "You don't need to worry about your debut. Even if many idols starve to death, it won't be the turn of Ruby Hoshino."
"I'd hate it if, when the time comes, you can't even sing the songs I write for you."
Ruby: "..."
"I don't know what Akane went to the school for, but since Aqua is following closely behind, there shouldn't be any big problems."
He still wasn't entirely at ease leaving everything to Aqua—especially since he was only four years old. If he ran into human traffickers, he wouldn't even be able to guarantee his own safety. However, Hikaru wasn't overly worried because Aqua possessed an adult soul and was carrying a phone.
The three sat by the window, waiting for Aqua's return. With nothing to do, Hikaru found Teppei Nishikawa and asked for a tabloid, flipping through it with interest.
"2018: Top Ten Singers with the Worst Voices!"
Hikaru read it carefully and breathed a sigh of relief.
*Good, I'm not on it.*
"Choose the Gravure Idol with the Best Butt in Your Heart!"
Sensing a gaze from Ai, Hikaru immediately flipped to the next page.
However, upon seeing the headline of the next page, he gasped in horror.
"The Love-Hate Entanglement of Hikaru Hoshino (Hikari) and Ai Hoshino That You Didn't Know!"
Hikaru read the entire article nervously, only to find it contained zero substance. The entire piece cited only two points: first, they shared the same surname, and second, Hikaru Hoshino had written two songs for Ai Hoshino.
Interspersed were long-winded romantic stories involving "dog-blood" melodrama that Hikaru couldn't even stomach; anyone could see they were fake.
*The fact that such fake news can make the papers... society is truly going downhill.*
However, while the news was fake, one point was true.
Hikaru sighed, a trace of unshakable worry in his eyes.
If he and Ai continued to stay this close...
It was only a matter of time before their relationship was discovered.
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