CH 10

Act 1 - The Hungry Idol Part

3-2 

Well, whatever.

"For now, eat your lunch. Whether it gets cold or not is irrelevant at this point, but the sooner you eat it, the better." (Rintaro)

"Haa, okayy. Then I'll give you a proper food review to see if you can take care of Rei or――――Oh my⁉ What's this fried stuff!?" (Kanon)

"Your reactions are really prompt, yes......" (Rintaro)

She was reacting too promptly after putting it in her mouth. In a way, I'm sure I'll get a worth food review from this guy.

"This is more than I expected. The hamburger steak was surprisingly tender, but it didn't lose its shape. And the demi-glace sauce tastes even more perfect than the store-bought stuff. So this is something Rei will want to keep on hand." (Kanon?)

"Your food review is a complete turnaround, yes......." (Rintaro)

"I'm just telling you the truth." (Kanon?)

I guess the three of them, each with their own unique personality, is one of MilleSta's strong points. Kanon and Mia alone are so different from each other, and the reaction of Rei was completely different from the two. She was already eating with all her heart. She didn't even look aside, just concentrating on the lunch in front of her. It's a little scary, though.

"W-well? I'll give it a pass! I'd trust you to take care of Rei!" (Kanon)

"Give a pass, huh...... The first thing you have to say is it's delicious, am I right?" (Rintaro)

"I-It's not like I'm complimenting you, okay!? Wha⁉ You want me to say it more? Okay, I'll tell you! It's delicious! It's as good as the best beef ribs at a high-class Yakiniku Restaurant." (Kanon)

"I've never had it, but I know what you mean....... I see. I'm glad it's good." (Rintaro)

"I rarely give out compliments to anyone other than these two! You should be grateful for it! And, thank you for making it for me! I hope I didn't leave anything unsaid!?" (Kanon)

"I thought you were a tsundere, but you're so honest, yes!" (Rintaro)

By looking at her, I'm pretty sure that was definitely her character. Or, is it a fraud? No, I don't think she meant that way.

"Rintaro, thank you. It was very delicious." (Rei)

"You've already finished...... Can you move this afternoon after devouring so much so quickly?" (Rintaro)

"I'm fine. I can already feel the digestion process starting. Rather, I feel energized and revitalized." (Rei)

"What's going on with your body, really?" (Rintaro)

Despite my efforts to cut down on the oil, there was no way that digestion could have started so quickly. Rei's body must be special. I'll try not to go any further into it.

"...... Well, I'd better be off now. I've done my job, haven't I?" (Rintaro)

"Oh, you're already going to leave. Although if you like, you're welcome to watch our lessons." (Mia)

"Lessons?" (Rintaro)

"Yes. We're going to go through the performance for the next show from the beginning." (Mia)

"That's going to be long and tough, right?" (Rintaro)

"Yes, It is, maybe will take two hours, but it's not often that you get to see us perform up close, don't you think? And for me, it makes me feel better to have an audience watching us." (Mia)

"That's true, but ......" (Rintaro)

I gave a sideways glance to Rei.

――――Why are you always looking at me with a face full of expectations?

As a result of my position, I was vulnerable to Rei. If I refuse here, it will be easy for me to leave, but if I do...... then Rei will make a sad face.

"Okay, okay......, while there is a chance." (Rintaro)

"That's great. We'll do our best to make it feel like a real show." (Mia)

Mia happily walked up to the speaker and began to operate it in a way that an amateur would have no idea what she was doing. Kanon, who was sitting next to her, let out a sigh.

"Do you know? The price of our concert tickets is quite high, and the resale tickets cost more than double that....... Of course, I don't condone the resellers, but the tickets are so valuable that there are still fans who will buy them. You're in a great fortune, you know." (Kanon)

"That being said, it certainly feels like a big gain......." (Rintaro)

"I mean, if you're not losing your life, it's a big gain! Come on, hurry up sit down right here." (Kanon)

"Okay, okay." (Rintaro)

Kanon grabbed me by the shoulders and made me sit down on the spot. I was sitting in a position where I could see the three of them from the front. It's certainly a special seat that any fan would absolutely want.

It's not a loss, it's a gain. The words struck me unexpectedly. There's nothing to do when I get home anyway, so let's just give up and enjoy this situation.

"Rintaro." (Rei)

"What is it......" (Rintaro)

"Please watch." (Rei)

"...... Yeah, okay." (Rintaro)

As if satisfied with my words, Rei stood in the middle of the studio. She then made eye contact with Kanon and Mia, who were standing beside her, and gently closed her eyes.

One, two,

As Rei counted, the three of them jumped up in unison. At the same time, their song started playing from the speakers. It was their debut song, which even I knew.

(I knew...... It's completely different.)

Their atmosphere was completely different from earlier.

There should be no difference in height between us, and they should be right there――――within arm's reach, but for some reason, they seem so far away.

I felt as if I was on the stage.

When Rei, standing in the middle of the stage, turns herself, Kanon and Mia turn to match her.

What surprised me was that the movements of the three of them, who were supposed to be completely different in type, were perfectly synchronized for this moment.

And they were doing it while singing.

And yet, somehow, their individual personalities were clearly visible.

As a layman, I can't say much about them, but I'm sure this is what makes them top-notch.

The three members of MilleSta sang and danced their way through a variety of songs, from intense songs to moist ballads to bright and cute songs, they did it perfectly.

At the same time as they made their final poses and bowed, the three of them let out a big breath.

This seemed to be the end of the concert itself.

Rei looked at me as I applauded unconsciously.

"......How was it?" (Rei)

"As you can see by the applause....... it was amazing. I have a great experience." (Rintaro)

"I'm glad to hear that." (Rei)

A bead of sweat ran down Rei's cheek as she smiled in relief.

She danced and sang. The sweat showed how hard those must be.

"Hmph! I hope you're feeling a little more respectful now!" (Kanon)

"Yeah, I have more respect now than I did when I first came here." (Rintaro)

"......What? It's a little creepy when someone praises you so openly." (Kanon)

"What do you want me to do......?" (Rintaro)

If she looked dissatisfied with my praise, I'm losing my face here.

I left Kanon alone for now and turned my attention to Mia.

"'Umm...... Thank you, Mia. It's been a really good experience." (Rintaro)

"I'm glad to hear that. If you bring me a lunchbox, I'll show it to you again anytime. That's how much I like your cooking." (Mia)

"What's so great about a normal person's lunchbox......? I don't really understand." (Rintaro)

"I wonder why. But, it made me feel really warm." (Mia)

"From my handmade lunchbox?" (Rintaro)

"Yes, it is. When you're a student and an entertainer at the same time, you get stressed out little by little. It's fulfilling and fun now... but sometimes I envy those who are living a normal high school life." (Mia)

"......Aah, I see." (Rintaro)

"You know what I mean? Your lunch box reminded me of how it feels to be "just a normal high school student". So, I'm very grateful for that." (Mia)

At Mia's assertion, Rei nodded and Kanon silently turned her head away.

It seems they both feel the same way, because they don't even deny it.

It finally made sense to me why Rei liked my cooking.

"Well, since you're here, why don't you exchange contact with me? You've already been in touch with Rei, haven't you?" (Mia)

"I have......Well, I don't mind that much." (Rintaro)

"Un un. Ah, by the way, the contact I'm about to exchange with you is private, not professional, so don't ever share it with anyone, okay?" (Mia)

"Don't worry, I won't do it." (Rintaro)

We each took our smartphones out and exchanged our LINE contacts.

Amid all the names of my classmates, a slightly alien name blended in.

"Hey! If you two exchange each other there, I'll be the only one left out! You have to exchange with me too!" (Kanon)

"Okay......There's no particular reason for us to LINE each other, right?" (Rintaro)

"There's a point in exchanging these things, you know! Like, it's a relief to know that that you can contact someone anytime." (Kanon)

"Well, that's true." (Rintaro)

In the end, I exchanged LINE contacts with Kanon, and two idols were added to my list of new friends.

Even so――――Ugawa Mia and Hidori Kanon...... Aren't these their real name?

"With this, it's done. I can keep you company during class or at night, so send me a funny story or something." (Mia)

"I'm not going to put any effort into it. Don't expect too much." (Rintaro)

I stood up, straightened my clothes, and grabbed their lunchboxes. They ate it all up so beautifully. Those now became so light.

"Hey, Rei. What are you going to do today? If it's the usual, I'll make dinner and wait for you." (Rintaro)

"Yeah, I'd like that." (Rei)

"Okay. Then, once again, I'll take my leave here." (Rintaro)

If I stay here any longer, I'll just get in the way. So, I turned my back on the three of them and headed for the exit of the studio.

"Rintaro-kun." (Mia)

"What is it?" (Rintaro)

"See you again." (Mia)

"......Yeah, see you." (Rintaro)

See you again, huh.

I left the studio, confused by Mia's words that strangely stayed with me.

There was one thing that I had decided to do after today's experience. I should probably tell Rei about this as soon as she gets home.

I hope she'll accept it――――

"Have you two thought about "it"?" (Rei)

"Yes. I thought it was fine. What about you, Kanon?" (Mia)

"......I was a little against it at first, but now I know that he can be trusted....... So, isn't it fine already? I don't think it's a problem either." (Kanon)

"――――Thank you. I'll talk to him about it later tonight." (Rei)