However, Homura was indeed fearless and just throw caution to the wind. If it were an ordinary person, it's likely that with just a little manipulation from someone with ulterior motives, exaggerated news and gossip would have spread like wildfire, right?
To be fair, Nozomi understood this as well. So she looked at him inquiringly, and he didn't say anything but gestured to reassure her.
Ayano also thought about it, but she was well aware of Minamiya Family's power and influence. Any malicious matters hardly ever occurred, and even if they did, those ill-intentioned fellows would 'bitterly' condemn and reprimand themself publicly, lamenting their own worthlessness. Therefore, she had no worries at all.
"I can't wait! I wish the manga would be released today!"
Umi knocked on Honoka's head and said indignantly, "It's less than a week away! Honoka, why are you so impatient?!"
"Hehe..." Honoka embarrassedly touched the back of her head.
"Speaking of which..." Homura finally remembered the question he had intended to ask earlier but had overlooked it due to various reasons. "Honoka, do you know Kosaka Kirino?"
"Kirino? Why would Homura-kun ask about Kirino?"
Judging by her reaction... do they actually know each other?!
He looked at Kotori, and at this moment, she also remembered Kosaka Kirino, whom she had seen last time at the maid cafe. She instantly froze.
"Huh?" Honoka followed his gaze and saw the strange-looking Kotori.
"Hmm~?" Quite difficultly, Honoka looked at her skeptically, then looked at Homura, and then back at Kotori.
He secretly apologized in his heart. After all, he started this, but he couldn't entirely blame himself. Kotori's behavior was too suspicious!
"Kosaka Kirino?" Ayano muttered to herself, "Isn't she that girl who seems quite sharp-tongued that we met at the maid cafe last time?"
Homura and Kotori suddenly had a bad feeling...
"Kotori-chan should also remember, right?" Ayano seemed to recall something as well. 'Wait! Didn't I promise Kotori not to tell anyone about her working at the maid cafe?'
'Shoot! I completely forgot!' Ayano covered her mouth, but it was too late...
Kotori's round eyes kept darting around, continuously avoiding Honoka's gaze, not making eye contact with her. Cold sweat trickled down her face incessantly. Now others also realized that something was off. Umi joined forces with Honoka, cornering Kotori against the wall.
"...Kotori, you're not hiding anything from us, right?" Due to the lighting, they couldn't see Honoka and Umi's expressions clearly, but overall, it felt gloomy.
"No-Not really... Maybe..." Kotori inwardly complained about Homura for a moment, but she didn't plan to do anything to him either. After all, there would come a day when the truth couldn't be concealed anymore, and she had already mentally prepared herself!
"Really?"
Kotori lowered her head, playing with her fingers, and whispered, "Well... I just... took a part-time... job?"
"Why are you saying with a questioning tone?!" Umi stepped forward, shaking Kotori's shoulder. "You're hiding something from us after all! Kotori, if it's just a part-time job! What's there to hide?! What job exactly?!"
"Could it be... the maid cafe Ayano-san mentioned?" Honoka's reaction at this moment was unexpectedly quick! It surprised even Homura, showing that when it came to her friends, she could also display an extraordinary level of perceptiveness!
"Um..." Kotori reluctantly nodded, "I was dragged into it, tried on a maid outfit, and then ended up working there."
"It was when Homura-kun signed his first manga contract, Ayano-san and Homura-kun were at the maid cafe I work in. It was also around that time that we met. And, not long after, Kosaka Kirino appeared with Homura-kun's friends."
"Kirino is my cousin. She lives in Chiba, but why would she go to a maid cafe?" Honoka was puzzled.
"Let's not talk about that for now. You can ask her directly about it when you have the chance." Homura approached and said mysteriously, "By the way, have any of you heard of Minalinsky?"
"Well, since you've already admitted it, can I say it now?" He added, asking Kotori.
"Minalinsky?!" Hanayo exclaimed, "Could it be that Kotori-senpai is the legendary maid of Akihabara? Minalinsky?!"
"Yes..." Kotori quietly admitted.
"That's just too much!" Honoka shook Kotori in fright, "You should have told us about this sooner!"
"If you had told me, I would have come with you, and I could have had free juice!" She added.
Everyone was speechless. Her bizarre train of thought had returned.
"But... why you kept it secret?" Umi asked.
"...When Honoka-chan initially mentioned forming a school idol group, I wanted to change myself. Unlike Honoka-chan and Umi-chan, I had nothing remarkable."
"Nothing?" Honoka looked puzzled. Where did this conclusion come from?
"I couldn't lead everyone like Honoka-chan could, nor was I as reliable as Umi-chan..."
"Kotori! You are great just as you are! Have some self-confidence, please?" Homura couldn't help but interject, "Can someone with nothing become the legendary Minalinsky?"
"Umu, Umu!" Hanayo enthusiastically nodded when Homura had just finished speaking.
"Since you can become a legendary maid, your work attitude must be impeccable! Smiling, for example, is essential for an idol!" He continued.
"Umu, Umu!" Hanayo continued to agree, making Rin feel a little awkward.
"That's right! Kotori made all these costumes too!" Umi held her hand.
"Yeah, yeah! Kotori-chan is also good at singing and dancing!" Honoka also grabbed her other hand.
"You need to understand that the three of you are indispensable." Homura looked at them and said, "Without any one of you, this school idol group... Muse will never succeed."
"Even if Nozomi-senpai keeps making various plans and arrangements, it won't work. No... I can assure you that as long as any one of you is missing, she won't bother helping you."
Everyone looked over in an instant, and Nozomi just smiled without speaking up.
"So... Don't! Ever! Belittle! Yourselves! Understand?" Homura wanted to dispel the negative thoughts in the minds of the other members too. "Muse... it must be you nine, without any one of you, it wouldn't be Muse anymore..."
"If miracles had colors, they would definitely be the nine colors of Muse." Ayano suddenly walked forward and said while looking at the astonished girls. "This line was spoken by Homura himself before the performance started."
"You must understand the meaning behind this sentence, right? It's Homura's belief that you can create miracles." Ayano said without hesitation in her tone. "So... even if you don't believe in yourselves, please believe in Homura who believes in you!"
Kotori wiped tears from her eyes and smiled brightly. "Yes! I understand!"
"Heh~ I don't expect Homura-kun would say such words..." Nozomi's smile changed slightly, no longer a formal smile she usually used, but a genuine one that came from the bottom of her heart. "How much do you actually believe in us, Homura-kun?"
Homura just calmly smiled and raised his thumb toward her like a typical shonen protagonist. "I believe in you more than you believe in yourselves! Remember that!"
Because in my past life, you nine had already created miracles... So, even without me here, you will still become legends...
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