---
*Cough*
*Cough*
The sweet moment was interrupted by the awkward cough of a staff member.
Staff Member 3: "Excuse me, Wandering Musician-sama, the commercial breaks are almost over. It's time for you to go out with Ai-sama..." said the staff member respectfully.
Quickly changing his expression, Tadano stood up and nodded at the staff member.
After the staff member left, everyone quickly got moving.
Yamai began helping Ai to fix her clothes, which were a mess after playing with Kaguya. Tadano was being assisted by Kaguya and Hayasaka.
...
Tadano: "Alright, are you ready, my little star?" he said, extending his hand to Ai.
Ai: "Hm!" she nodded firmly and took the young man's hand before leaving the dressing room.
Kaguya watched with shining eyes as the young man walked away.
Hayasaka secretly took several photos for Kaguya-sama's hidden collection.
Yamai sighed disdainfully at the other girls' actions. Although she might have softened up lately, she still had her guard up somewhat against Kaguya and Hayasaka; for some reason, she didn't like them. As for Chika, she wouldn't be worried about an idiot with giant breasts. She already had enough with Agari.
...
In the offices of Strawberry Productions...
*Sneeze*
Kaede: "Is something wrong?" she asked the green-haired girl curiously while holding documents in her small hands.
Agari: "No problem, Kaede-sama!... I just think a certain harpy is speaking ill of me..." she muttered under her breath while typing on a laptop.
Kaede: "Hm?... well, it doesn't matter. According to the current documents, things are going well, and that's good," she said with a big smile on her face.
Agari: "Uh... it's partly due to your help and my data collection, but..." she said, a bit uncomfortable.
Kaede: "But?" she asked, tilting her head.
Agari: "The master's sister... the young lady of the Shinomiya family, Kaguya-sama, has been secretly helping the master's partner, Mr. Ichigo. Would this be inconvenient for you, Kaede-sama?" she asked, not daring to lift her head.
Kaede: "Hmmm... It's not a problem. If she wants to help, let her. In fact, I hope she helps more. The faster my beloved's influence grows, the happier I'll be..." she said sweetly.
Agari: "Then..."
Kaede: "But... keep an eye on her maid, and also, I want you to try to investigate Shouko-chan's mother's past," she said seriously.
Agari: "I understand the part about the maid, Hayasaka, but why also Komi-sama's mother?" she asked curiously.
Kaede: "Those two have something in common that catches my attention, and my grandmother told me to be careful with them. I tried to get more information, but she refused to give it to me, even when I used my tricks... Tsk, Grandma is getting more skillful," she said, pouting.
Agari: "Understood, Kaede-sama. I'll keep that in mind."
Kaede: "By the way, ask Nakanaka for help with this. She can be a strong ally for you, being so good with technology, and it seems she doesn't get along very well with Yamai," she said with a playful smile.
A question mark formed in Agari's head, but she nodded at Kaede's request.
Kaede: "Well, I think that's all. I'll play a bit more in Hitohito's office and then go home to study. Grandma has been getting more intense with my training lately," she said as she headed for the door.
As she approached the door, it was opened by a tall, strong man dressed in military gear. On his chest was the logo of the Otori Group.
Bodyguard: "Are you done with your business, young lady?" the man asked respectfully.
Kaede: "No! I want to play a bit more, although you can start preparing the car... Oh! And I want a strawberry cake!" she added as if struck by inspiration.
Bodyguard: "As you wish, young lady..." the man said respectfully. He then turned and barked orders at two other men dressed similarly.
Not long after, one returned with a beautiful piece of strawberry cake, adorned with lovely decorations, and handed it to Kaede. She happily ate it while playing in Tadano's office.
In the hallway, a man and a woman were trembling with fear. They were none other than Ichigo and Miyako. They had been going about their business as usual until this dominant young lady arrived. Ichigo recognized her immediately and greeted her with his usual frivolous tone. But upon seeing the group of tall, strong men with threatening appearances behind her, he quickly changed his attitude and offered her the utmost courtesy he could muster. Miyako was scared the entire time and didn't dare look at Kaede much. Kaede, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to how terrifying her subordinates might appear and happily entered to check out what was inside until she was greeted by Agari. Ichigo silently prayed for his brother to arrive quickly. If he didn't, both he and Miyako wouldn't be able to bear it...
...
Back in the studio.
Host: "Hello, everyone, and welcome back... FWAA, that was quite a performance, wasn't it? Hehe, well, here we have the star of the moment, Hoshino Ai-san!"
Ai: "Hello! Hello! Hello, everyone! Ai is very happy to be here!" she said cheerfully, waving her hands at the audience and cameras.
*Roar*
The crowd roared with joy.
Host: "Hehe, she's undoubtedly a very charismatic girl, but you know, she's not alone. Today, she's accompanied by her mentor, whom everyone knows very well... The one and only Wandering Musician!"
With a strong round of applause from the crowd, Tadano entered the stage and sat near Ai.
Tadano: "Nice to meet you all∼" he said with a kind smile, greeting everyone.
From the crowd, a scream came from the female members of the group, not much different from the group that supported Ai. A group of them wore jackets and bandanas, as well as a large banner with the words "Wandering Musician" written all over it. Leading them was an energetic Najimi, who roared with passion.
Najimi: "YOSH! LET'S DO IT AGAIN, GIRLS!"
The girls nodded and screamed again.
Najimi nodded happily and stuck her tongue out at the group supporting Ai.
Tadano: "..."
Ai: "..."
They both shared a thought.
"As expected of Najimi."
Host: "Ahem... well, continuing, why don't you tell us more about..."
The host decided to ignore the brawl that broke out among the audience and continued with the interview. They talked about many things regarding Ai, but it was mostly a way to showcase her to the public so that everyone could get to know her. Then it continued with a Q&A session for both Ai and Tadano. They answered the necessary questions and skillfully avoided the unnecessary ones, thanks to rigorous training from Nene and Kaede, who didn't want them to have awkward moments.
Host: "Alright, and to wrap up... Ai-san, why don't you tell us about those images that appeared in your song... were they just part of the music video, or is there something more..." she asked with curiosity.
Ai: "Oh! That's the new project by TH-sensei. The name of the manga is Naruto!" she said while making hand gestures to express how incredible it was.
Host: "Oh! So it's a collaboration... Uhmm, TH-sensei... Oh! You're talking about the creator of the manga that's been a sensation among young people..."
Ai: "Yes! Shingeki No Kyojin!" she exclaimed.
Host: "Oh! So Ai-san is also a big fan of TH-sensei's work..."
Ai: "Yes! Ai would love to ride one of those 3D maneuvering devices; they look so cool!" she said while doing some flips.
The crowd laughed happily at the young idol's cute behavior.
Host: "I see... what do you think about it, Wandering Musician?"
Tadano: "Oh... I also follow his projects, and since I was interested in the idea of this new project, I suggested that Ai do this collaboration. I've already seen the drafts in advance, and I can assure you it will be a success."
Ai: "Yes! Ai loves them!" she said cheerfully.
Tadano: "So much so that sometimes you forget to practice because you're reading it..." he said teasingly.
Ai: "GHA! Sensei, you can't say that in public! Ai is being slandered! Slandered, I say!" she said, pointing her finger accusingly, her expression full of grievance.
Everyone laughed at her antics.
...
The interview was a success, and praises for Ai poured in all over the internet, as well as anticipation for TH-sensei's new work. Minano at Gongon Publishing saw for the first time how orders kept coming in to the point where she had to make everyone in the office work overtime. Although very tired, she was happy that her publishing house had such a lucky star as that young man.
...
Tadano: "I'm home..." he said in a tired voice.
Jeanne: "Hito-chan!"
Hitomi: "Onii-chan!"
Both women jumped on the young man and knocked him down.
Jeanne: "You looked so handsome on TV; no doubt my baby inherited my good genes," she said proudly.
Hitomi: "Hehe... Onii-chan, since you're so close to Ai-chan, could you get me an autograph? Right? Right?!" she said while pulling on his clothes.
Tadano: *Sigh*
Tadano began to regret having told these two that he was the Wandering Musician.
*Tadano's POV*
That started a few days ago...
My mother knew I had a side job from talking to my father, but she didn't know what it was. And after my multiple "nightly escapades," as my adorable little sister likes to call them...
My mother started to worry and pout every time I came back.
So the day before, I decided to confess my other identity to her.
To my misfortune, Hitomi was nearby, and with how bad my mother is at keeping secrets, Hitomi ended up finding out too.
Those were the worst two hours of my life with screams, demands, and tears from Hitomi and an embarrassed expression from my mother.
Tadano: "Anyway... I'm hungry, Mom, is there anything for dinner?"
Jeanne: "Oh? Weren't you going to cook?" she asked.
Hitomi: "Yes! Yes! Onii-chan has to cook, or your sweet little sister will starve to death... Oh! By the way, I want fried tofu!" she said while sitting on the couch to play with her phone.
Tadano: "..."
Shinomiya: "Poor you..."
Nagisa: "x2"
Tomoya: "x3"
Ignoring the inconsiderate guests in my head, I headed to the kitchen.
My mother seemed to sense my mood because she followed me to help.
---
**Author's Note:**
I know I've been slow with updates, but I've been dealing with writer's block and had to discard several drafts. On top of that, my free time has been limited, so you can imagine the situation. As an additional note, I might publish a new fic where I'll channel my darker side that I don't want to mix into this one. Feel free to read it if you're interested. I want to clarify that this doesn't mean I'll abandon this fic; it's just that sometimes the author feels like writing darker plots, and since I don't want that to spill over into this fic, I'll gather it in another fic as a way to vent.
That said, remember to drink plenty of water, and I love you all.
Sincerely, your favorite depressed author.
--------------------------- nwnr