"So Rinse is really going to give someone chocolates?" After that surprising conversation, Ishi now found himself in his room hanging out with Otoya. Of course Koto was also a part of this as well.
"I wonder who it's going to be?" The young boy asked. Not only was it yet to be confirmed if she was going to go through with it, Rinse had yet to also give them any hints. "I would be really happy if she gave it to me."
"Or maybe she'll give it to me." Otoya would've thought that all his moves had to have had an effect. Not to mention that out of their entire school to have gone on a real date with the idol. Even if it was only thanks to Ishi.
"Sheesh, I was worried everyone was going to get this annoying." Ishi commented as he sat on his bed. The other two were sitting on the ground by the window.
"But wasn't it your idea?" While Koto wasn't there for the conversation, he was informed of the news by his friend in Seyuki. "I'm surprised you're the one who even came up with it."
"It was only meant as a joke." He responded. Ishi was certain she'd decline the idea given she was an idol. Weren't they not allowed to date anyway? "If anything, I'm more surprised she actually has someone in mind."
"Well, she's always hanging around with the two of us." Said Otoya. "Surely at some point she needed to see my charm." Ishi rolled his eyes over the statement. That boy really had some level of arrogance he needed to grow out of. But given that there was a girl who fell for him, he couldn't help but feel a little bad about the ordeal. How could one compete with an idol?
"She also lives next door to us. So maybe she's gotten so used to being with me that she's fallen in love." Koto also had that insane attitude. It was worse with that boy since he somehow got it in his head that the only reason the girl hadn't confessed to him was that he was only a first year.
While they were chatting, the boys heard a knock on the window. Everyone who wasn't Ishi was concerned that a bird hit it until he pointed out that was how the girl would contact him when they were home. They opened up the curtains and there she was holding that trusty broom.
"Oh, I didn't realize you two were here." He commented as they opened up the window to greet her.
"Yeah, we were just talking about the valentine's day special event you got going on." Ishi replied, not getting off from his bed. So he wasn't looking at her as they spoke. "Are you really going through with it?"
"I've been thinking about it too." That was what she called for him in the first place. "I want to do it, but I'm a little worried about how everyone else would feel about it after I'm done."
"You're worried that all the boys are going to get jealous after you confess your love, right?" Otoya assumed somewhat correctly her fears.
"Actually, what about the talent agency?" Ishi was able to ask the question that was bugging him this entire time. After all, shouldn't someone like her avoid potential scandals with dating as an idol?
"Actually, the producer says we're free to date whomever we want." So that answered why she was not worried about her job status. Though the reputation hit was still a possible concern given her wild popularity.
"Now that that's taken care of." Koto didn't care too much about the finer details of her profession. All that mattered to him was who she was going to give the chocolates to. "Just a hint, that's all we're asking for."
"I really don't want to give it away." She didn't want to give any of them an idea of who the boy could be. After all, not only was the one she was thinking about right here, said boy also was very perceptive. He'd most likely figure it out if her hint gave away just enough information. "Try not to worry about it too much."
"Good luck telling these bozos to do that." Ishi informed her. If anything, things were going to be quite interesting for anyone but him at school. For the boy, this was going to lead to more irritation, especially with their high school graduation coming up soon. "I really regret coming up with the idea in the first place."
"I'm actually really happy you came up with it." She told him, hanging her arm over the window as she imagined things in her head. "It's not something I'd ever think of, but it's an opportunity I couldn't let pass up."
"Then does that mean who you give it to…"
"Is someone you really, really like?" Otoya's and Koto's eyes lit up from her words. That meant there was a chance, even if slim for the two of them. Though considering they were among the only boys part of her friend circle gave them a good shot. At least, as long as it wasn't some guy that caught her eye and she was too shy to actually talk to.
"Geez, I can only take so much of this." Before she was able to give her answer, Ishi interrupted the pair and grabbed the two boys by the ears to show off his grievances. "It's getting late, so how about you go home, and you go back to your room?" Given that they were in his room, he was the one that had the final say about who got to stay in it.
"Have a good night, Rinse." Koto said as he retired back towards his room.
"Yeah, I'll see you in class tomorrow." Said Otoya.
"Those two really are a handful for you, aren't they?" Rinse giggled after the display of force he showed them.
"Only just because they won't let go of the silly notion of being with you." He responded. It was all he had to contend with ever since she arrived next door.
"Speaking of being with me, how come you're not more curious about who I'm going to give the chocolates to?"
"It doesn't matter to me who you pick." He answered. "I'm just excited for when it's all over so everyone can shut up about it."
"But, if I confess to someone else, then we probably won't be able to hang out too much anymore." That wasn't a problem for him. Once they were done with school, he partially expected the two to drift apart. After all, she was an idol and he was a guy trying to keep his head down.
"Just focus on what you want here." He gave her a piece of advice. A bit funny considering he was a boy with nearly not experience in being in a relationship. "You can't make everyone happy."
"Yeah, I guess a lot of people are going to be upset when this is all over."
"You want to back out now?"
"N-no…" Even if her spirit had resolution, there was hesitation in her voice. "I'll try my best."
"I get that you're an idol…" He paused when he considered just who he was talking to. Sure, Rinse most likely cared a lot about being a hit idol. After all, it paid the bills and was certainly a lot of fun for someone like her. Yet there was more to it than just simple fame for her.
She was someone that always performed to the best of her ability, no matter how she was feeling. So to her, the best part was making sure that people could say that it was an enjoyable show. The girl was a people pleaser to the fullest extent of the phrase. "Look, you have to make sure you're in order before you can help people."
"That doesn't really look like something you do." She noted that he always had that grumpy look before coming to the aid of someone else.
"It's only because if I help out, it ends up benefiting me in the end." It seemed simple to him, but it was understood that things weren't so cut and dry between their circumstances. "I guess that's enough about it. At the end of the day, it's your decision."
"Yeah…" She mulled over what he advised her to do. There seemed to be something in his words that provided clarity of the kind of girl he would truly love. And it wasn't what he already told them multiple times. "Just a quick question, but what's your favorite chocolate? I saw those girls ask about Otoya's and Koto's, so it made me curious."
"I prefer coffee and toffee flavor." Unsurprisingly he would like more mature flavors. "You weren't asked by anyone to ask me that, were you?"
"No, but what if I was?"
"Tell that girl I'm not interested." Ishi assumed that it was possibly the one girl who stood him up on valentine's last year. If there was any reason to hold disdain for the holiday, then that would be a good one.
"I thought you said you don't hold grudges?" It was something that he brought up often when people wronged him. What made this so different?
"It's not that I hate her." That would also be hard to do considering he still had no clue up until this day. "Look, I know I have a bit of a reputation, but if someone gets scared away from it, then maybe they're just not the one for me."