Ai: "Oh! Ado-San! Ado-San! Look, it's a bar! They sell food here too! That means Pochi-Chan wins!" she said proudly, as if it were her own victory.
Ado rolled her eyes.
Hitori shyly stood behind Ado, who, being the tallest and oldest of the three, gave Hitori a greater sense of security.
Once downstairs, Ai approached the bar and ordered some drinks.
Ai: "... Oh, yes, and give me a melon soda. And for Ado-San…? Wait... Ado-San! What do you want?" she asked.
Ado: "A regular cola is fine... and you, Pochi-San?" she said while patting the back of the pink-haired girl.
Hitori: "Eh? Me? I-I'm fine with a-anything..." she said timidly.
Ado: "Anything's fine, she said!" the girl shouted to her friend.
Ai gave her a thumbs-up and continued her order.
Hitori looked around, seeing many young men and women.
Wanting to feel a greater sense of security, she grabbed the guitar case hanging on her back and hugged it to her chest.
At that moment, while Ado had gone to check on why Ai was taking so long, a blonde girl approached Hitori.
"Ne... Ne... Is that guitar yours? Can you play?" said a friendly voice.
Hitori: "Eh?"
When Hitori turned, she saw a blonde girl with vermillion eyes.
Nijika: "Oh! Sorry if I scared you. I'm Ijichi Nijika. Sorry if it's sudden, but would you mind being our guitarist for a moment?" she asked with hopeful eyes.
Hitori panicked, knowing she should refuse, but being shy, she couldn't find the courage to do so.
In the midst of her panic, she felt a weight on her head from a pair of hands.
Ado: "Oh? What's this? Are you trying to steal my friend when I'm not looking?" said the girl with amused eyes.
Nijika: "Eh? No! I... I just..." the girl said nervously.
Ai: "Mooh～ Ado-San, you and your bad habit of intimidating people. Forgive her; she really is a good person..." said little Ai from the side, then handed Hitori a melon soda.
Nijika: "No... No. It's no problem, really. I should apologize for my boldness," she said nervously.
Ryo: "Nijika! I couldn't do the Shadow Clone Jutsu..." she said, somewhat sadly.
Nijika: "Oh! Let me introduce you to my friend and bassist of my band, Yamada Ryo," she said, pointing to the blue-haired girl.
Ryo made a couple of peace signs with her hands.
Hearing their names, Ai's star-shaped pupils sparkled as she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a sheet of paper.
Ai: "Let's see... Here it is! Yamada Ryo, Ijichi Nijika, and Kita Ikuyo..." murmured the girl as she read the paper.
Both girls were surprised to hear their names.
Pointing to herself, Nijika spoke.
Nijika: "Eh? Do you have some business with us?" she asked curiously.
Ryo: "I guess our fame has spread far enough," said the girl, striking a confident pose with her hand on her chin.
Ai nodded and handed over a card.
Nijika took the card and read it out loud.
Nijika: "We cordially invite you to join Strawberry Productions as one of our talents. Representative Hoshino..." The young woman couldn't finish reading because she immediately recognized the name, and her eyes widened.
Beside her, her friend was less subtle.
Ryo: "Wait! You're... Hmmm!" Her mouth was quickly covered by the blonde's hands.
Nijika: "Don't be an idiot and say that name in a place this crowded..." the blonde said with a dark expression.
Ryo nodded, slightly trembling.
Ai: "Hehe, I'm glad you recognize me. Now, about the recruitment... Ouch! That hurts, Ado-San," the little girl said while holding her head with her hands.
Ado: "Don't you think you should call the boss first before discussing this kind of stuff?" she said, a bit annoyed at how casually her friend handled business matters.
Hitori: "E-Even though I d-don't know much about these m-matters, I-I also think it's b-better to call the boss..." she said timidly, remembering that great figure and strong arms. Without realizing it, a faint pink blush appeared on her cheeks.
Ai sighed, raised her hands in defeat, and took out her phone.
*ring*
...
Amusement Park...
After getting off the water ride for the third time, Tadano and Shouko headed to the lockers to get their things.
Tadano noticed his phone and, seeing it was Ai, answered. Shouko was next to him, drying her hair with a towel Tadano had given her.
Tadano: "Tell me, little Star, what kind of trouble have you gotten into to remember your big brother?" he teased.
Ai: "Beeee... Who's in trouble? Ai is very responsible, obedient, and never gets into trouble!" After making a sound Tadano recognized as her sticking out her tongue, the girl exclaimed arrogantly.
*Bonk*
After the sound of an audible hit, Tadano could hear a lament on the other end.
Ai: "... I know, I know, stop hitting me..." she said in a pitiful tone.
*Cough*
Ai: "Tadano-nii, Ai found the people you were looking for at the Starry club... Ai is calling to find out what to do next..." she said in the tone of a soldier reporting a mission.
For a moment, Tadano could imagine little Ai in a military uniform, striking an exaggerated pose.
A light chuckle escaped him.
After composing himself and remembering whom the little Ai was referring to, Tadano spoke.
Tadano: "Alright, then ask them the following question..."
...
Ai approached the two girls and, with a slightly confused face, asked,
Ai: "Has Kessoku Band had their performance yet?"
Both girls seemed confused at first, then surprised that a famous idol like Ai-Chan knew the name of their unknown band.
The first to recover was Nijika.
Nijika: "No, our band hasn't had any performances yet... Today was supposed to be our first, but our guitarist canceled at the last minute, and we couldn't find a replacement. That's also why I approached your friend," she explained.
Ai: "Alright, give me a moment..."
After a brief conversation, Ai returned and called out to Nijika.
Nijika: "What's up, Ai-Sama..."
Ai: "Ai is fine, and about what I need, it might sound a bit strange, but my big... *cough* my company boss wants to talk to your sister. Would that be a problem?"
Although a little confused, Nijika agreed.
After a moment, she returned with a woman with long blonde hair and a small inverted triangle-shaped ahoge, just like her sister.
She wore a black long-sleeved blouse with an open neckline, a red sleeveless top underneath, a black choker, white pants with black stripes, and black sneakers.
Her name was Ijichi Seika, Nijika's older sister and the manager of the Starry club.
She had a somewhat confused face, but upon seeing Ai, she immediately recognized her. It also helped that Ai wasn't wearing glasses or a cap.
Seika was so shocked she dropped the beer can in her hand.
Quickly regaining her composure, she approached.
Before she could say anything, Ai handed her the phone.
Ai: "My boss wants to talk to you. Is that a problem?" she asked with a cute expression.
Seika took the phone, still dazed, and spoke.
Seika: "H-Hello?"
Tadano: "Good afternoon, Ijichi-San. I'd like to discuss an agreement with you..."
...
After a few minutes, Seika handed the phone back and nodded at Ai.
Despite having a serious expression, the corners of her lips lifted in a smile she couldn't suppress.
Ai picked up the phone and listened.
Tadano: "You're going to practice with those girls. Use the song you've been practicing with Pochi-Chan. You have permission to use your skill, but only to guide them with the notes. You'll have a performance in an hour. A post has been made on your social media, and people will be heading to the venue. For safety, your sister Yamai will also cover for you. Good luck..."
The call ended.
Ai was left speechless.
"Wasn't today my day off, right?" she thought.
She thought that, but the joyful smile on her face couldn't be hidden. Anything related to singing and performing always filled her with happiness.
She then gathered the girls, and they all started practicing.
...
Some time later, the venue was packed.
The girls were already on stage, and not far away was Yamai in her characteristic business suit.
The
crowd was buzzing with excitement. They had rushed over as soon as they saw the post on Ai and Strawberry Productions' social media.
Everyone was thrilled to know that an exclusive new song would be performed at a surprise concert.
Those who couldn't make it or were still on their way were watching the live stream.
Above the crowd, a small drone controlled by Agari circled, recording everything.
In a separate room, Nakanaka, with a laptop, was controlling the stream on various platforms.
*Chat*
Anon 4721: "Wow, a song from my goddess, I'm so excited!"
Your Dad 42: "The one above, you're not the only one. All 7,000 of us feel the same..."
The Last Immortal: "Say what you want, but I came to see if the brown-haired war goddess will give some dumb fan a beating!"
They Call Me Lei Feng: "Oh! You reminded me. In my lovely Ai's last concert, I was one of the lucky ones who saw the brown-haired war goddess use her fists of love to set that dumb pervert straight."
The Dog Food-Free One 15: "That's right! She looked so brave! Damn, just thinking about it excites me! You know what, screw it! I was saving this for later, but I'm going big now!"
"The Dog Food-Free One 15" sent a Super Rocket!
The Evil Banana: "Oh! You think you're the only one who can stand out here? Not on my watch!"
"The Evil Banana" sent 3 Super Rockets!
Your Dad 42: "Damn it! I won't be left behind!"
"Your Dad 42" sent 1 Super Rocket!
...
The battle in the chat continued for a while.
Nakanaka's golden-lensed eye gleamed with satisfaction.
Nakanaka: "Hehe, keep donating. Tadano-San promised me a reward if I could rack up lots of donations. Soon, my precious baby will get top-tier gear," she thought gleefully.
...
Author's Note: "Here's another chapter, hope you all enjoy it! Remember to drink plenty of water and that I love you all. Sincerely, your favorite depressed author."
----------------------- nwnr