"After all, when you think of idols, it's the photo session, isn't it!"
After the stage was over, I thought we were going to start the clean-up work, but suddenly, Kitaraku-senpai said something like that.
As I tilted my head at the unfamiliar words, he told me.
"Many people would like to take pictures with their idols, you know."
"I-I see…"
However, since this is the first time I've heard about this today, I'm wondering how Lexia-san and the others will react…
"I don't know what that photo thing is, but I think it's good, isn't it?"
"Hey, don't be so quick to accept something you don't understand."
"But they've prepared it for us, you know? Besides, it's a social event with our audience, isn't it? They came today, so we have to ensure they have a good memory of the event!"
Lexia-san's words were the deciding factor, and to my surprise, a photo session was held.
I had expected that most of the audience would be male idol-loving fans, but since the venue was mainly junior high schools, many of the audience were girls, and they enjoyed taking pictures with Lexia-san and the others.
At first, Lexia-san and the others did not seem to understand what photography was all about, but soon they understood, and they began to devise various ways to entertain their audience, posing in idol-like ways.
"U-um! Can I take a picture with you?"
"Hmm? It's okay. Come on, come closer."
"Hiyaaaahh!"
Luna gallantly pulled the girl audience's hand and held it as if to take a picture with her.
Another member of the audience took a picture with Yuti and Merl.
"Um… Can I have a photo with both of you at the same time?"
"Affirmative. No problem."
"Fufu. Then, please come between Yuti-san and me."
Kaede, on the other hand, is…
"Can I have a photo with you, please!"
"W-with me?"
"Yes!"
While being pressured by the girls, she smiled somewhat shyly and took a picture.
And Lexia-san is…
"Look, you should look more graceful!"
"L-like this?"
"Ara, that's great! Keep it up, and let's take the picture!"
For some reason, she was taking pictures while instructing the audience on how to pose.
As the photo session progressed smoothly…
"U-um…! I really enjoyed your performance earlier! So, uh…!"
It was a boy, probably a junior high school student, who seemed to be trying to tell Lexia-san and the others what he thought of the stage, but perhaps because he was nervous, his words were not quite coherent.
However, there were still others in the audience waiting in line to take pictures, so we couldn't spend much time on this boy alone.
Lexia-san and the others were seriously listening to the boy's impressions, and even I would like to let them continue the conversation, but…
"Hey! How long are you going to make me wait!"
One of the audience, who was waiting for his turn, said so impatiently.
I immediately responded and approached the irritated audience.
"Excuse me, could you please wait a little longer…?"
"A little more, you say… I'm already, kuh…"
"?"
The man was about to raise his voice for a moment, but for some reason, when he saw my face, he instantly became quiet.
I-I don't know, but let's continue for the time being.
"I am very sorry. Lexia-san and the others are taking a little time because they value their time with you all, but… your turn will be coming up shortly."
"I-I see… then, well…"
"Thank you for your understanding."
The audience pulled back his words when I said that.
I was relieved to see that he was a kind man, and I approached the boy who was expressing his passion for Lexia-san and the others.
"Excuse me. Thank you very much for enjoying the stage this time. However, we have time on our hands this time, so please come back another time."
I told the boy as gently as I could so as not to make him uncomfortable.
The boy looked surprised for a moment when he saw me but soon became apologetic.
"I-I-I'm sorry! I was so nervous, I just…"
"No, no. That means you enjoyed it so much, and we are very grateful for that. Then, in the end, let's take your picture."
"Sure! Let's take a picture."
After finishing the photo with the boy, it was the turn of the audience, who had been waiting for his turn.
"Well, that… if possible, can I have a picture with that staff, too?"
"Huh? M-me?"
I was surprised, and the audience covered his cheeks.
"I-'m glad you looked me in the eye and listened to me even though I was behaving badly like that… Is it no good?"
"N-no, it's not that I can't do it…"
The only thing is, when I was tilting my head and wondering if it was okay for me to be in the picture, for some reason, Lexia-san was nodding her head profoundly.
"I understand… I understand…! You are attracted by Yuuya-sama's kindness, and it makes you push for it, right? But I'm Yuuya-sama's number one fan!"
"What are you competing with…?"
"Defeated. I lost to Yuuya…"
"What are you talking about?"
Amidst the tsukkomi from Luna and Yuti, he ended up taking a picture with me in it as well.
Despite this little incident, everyone was able to finish the photo session with smiles on their faces.
＊＊＊
Lexia-san and the others had left earlier, and Yuuya was helping to clean up after the stage.
As Kitaraku watched the stage, he was thinking about what to do next.
"I think it's fair to say that today's stage was a great success, don't you think?"
"Right… I didn't expect such a good stage performance."
The President of Star Productions was a little excited.
Even from the point of view of the President, who watched a wide variety of entertainers on a daily basis, Lexia and the other girls looked fantastic on stage.
"If you add to that the visual appeal, the singing and dancing, and the great personality… I can't see any reason why they wouldn't sell well. At first, I wasn't sure what would happen, but if this is the case… we can take these girls in."
The company's President said this in a somewhat probing manner, to which Kitaraku laughed.
"Hahaha! You'll have to ask them about that."
"…I can't stomach that. What are your plans for the future?"
Asked this by the president, Kitaraku stared off into the distance.
"Well… first of all, we will continue to plan around those five members, but we may increase the number of members or create another idol group, and so on."
"I see. Of course, we can help you with that, can't we?"
"If you want to help us, then by all means."
"I won't allow you to come all the way out here and say goodbye."
"Hahaha, that's scary. Also, since this stage was a success, I thought we could make use of the girls for the open campus as well…"
"Come to think of it, the idea behind the project was to increase the number of students applying to Ousei Academy. Now that I think about it, I think it's pretty messed up… but I wonder if it's okay. Unlike other schools, Ousei Academy focuses more on the inside, right? If there are too many applicants suddenly, it will be a lot of work…."
"Well, I'll let the teachers do their best."
"It's so refreshing to leave everything to others. "
The next plan for the Kitaraku is to start looking at the open campus.
＊＊＊
"Phew… it's getting all late…"
I was finally on my way home after the stage was cleared out.
In the midst of all this, the image that came to my mind was that of Lexia-san and the others.
"They were all so beautiful…"
I could see Lexia-san and the others shining brightly as they danced on stage, as well as all the hard work they had put in up to this point.
People who can work hard toward a single goal were just that amazing.
"…On the other hand, I'm…"
Lexia-san and the others had come to study abroad in order to bring back as much of this world's technology and culture to the Kingdom of Arcelia.
Even Kaede was working hard in club activities as well as practicing for this idol stage.
Everyone was living their lives with some kind of goal in mind.
But I don't have any goals at the moment.
Since I went to the other world, I had experienced many things, but I hadn't thought about what I want to do in the future.
"What's going to happen to me in the future…?"
I involuntarily look up at the sky in vague anxiety about the future.
As I was walking around thinking about that──.
"Eh?"
Suddenly, the sky turned red.
It was not the color of a sunset or anything like that, but literally, the sky turned bright red.
"What happened?"
Moreover, the sky was not the only thing that had changed.
The surrounding buildings were the same as usual, but for some reason, there was no sign of life in the area.
While I was puzzled by this mysterious phenomenon, a voice called out to me from behind.
"──I found you."
"Eh?"
I turned around in a hurry toward the voice and was absolutely stunned.
Because there I found──.
"I'm going to defeat you."
──The me who I was before the level-up, was standing there.