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Sorry for delay.
Word's counted -- 1200
Enjoy..
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Aki sighed deeply, rubbing his temples as he slouched back on the plush sofa. In front of him stood the entire group: the manager, Ai Hoshino, Takamine, Fuyuko Niino, Watanabe, Meimei, Ari, and Kyun—all looking defeated. The room was heavy with tension, and everyone's faces mirrored their concern.
"So, you're saying we don't have enough songs to perform?" Aki asked, his voice laced with frustration.
The manager, looking exhausted, nodded apologetically. "Yes, we were supposed to perform ten songs, but we're down to just two..." He sighed deeply, feeling the weight of the blame. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't overlooked those details..."
Aki shook his head, trying to piece together the situation. "You don't have to blame yourself. It's also partly my fault. I didn't think the previous investor would pull such a stunt."
"What should we do, Shijo-san?" Ai asked anxiously, her eyes wide with worry. The rest of the girls nodded, looking to Aki for guidance.
"Hmm..." Aki pondered. "Are those two songs your original compositions?"
"Yes," the manager replied. "But the other eight... They're owned by the previous investor. We can't perform them."
Aki sighed deeply. "So, that jerk's holding a grudge for taking B Komachi away from him, huh? He really pulled the rug out from under us."
He leaned back in his seat, frustrated. "It's like he's some kind of melodramatic villain from a TV show or something," Aki muttered. "Honestly, I wish that guy from Oshi no Ko Episode 1 was in charge instead of that bloated jerk..."
The manager spoke again, "There's just over an hour left before the show starts, and fans are already arriving. We can't cancel the show now. It would destroy B Komachi's reputation before we even get started."
"But...!" Meimei hesitated, "How are we supposed to entertain them with only two songs?"
Aki suddenly straightened up, a new idea forming in his mind. "Don't worry about that," he said confidently. "You already have two songs, so I'll give you three or four more to sing. Rehearse them as best as you can in the time we have, and I'll sing them for the audience if I have to."
The girls' eyes widened in surprise. Not only was Aki going to provide them with new songs, but he was also willing to perform himself. They all knew Aki could sing—his voice was incredible—but the crowd came to see idols, not a male solo act.
"Wait, boss," Takamine interjected, worry etched on her face. "Can you really find three or four songs and rehearse them in just an hour?"
Before Aki could respond, a small voice piped up from beside him, breaking the tension. "Wait a minute!" Yuki, who had been quietly observing the whole time, finally spoke up, her small hands on her hips. "I don't know what's going on here, but Aki-ni, you've been ignoring me this whole time!"
Aki blinked, momentarily stunned by the interruption, then let out a chuckle. "Oh, sorry, Yuki-chan. I totally forgot there was a little prankster next to me. For a second, I thought you were just a decorative flower pot!" He teased, a playful grin spreading across his face.
Yuki puffed her cheeks in mock anger. "A flower pot?! I'm way cuter than any flower pot, thank you very much!"
The tension in the room broke, a few chuckles escaping from the group. Even the manager allowed himself a small smile.
Ai smiled gently at Yuki. "Thank you for lightening the mood, Yuki-chan."
Yuki beamed, proud of herself. "No problem! But seriously, Aki-ni, can you sing...? I hope you don't make the audience run away."
Niino chuckled, leaning over to ruffle Yuki's hair. "Yuki-chan, Aki's really good at singing. If you heard him sing, you'd always fantasize about him."
But before Niino could pat her head, Yuki jumped away, scrunching her nose. "Don't come near me—you smell!"
*Emotional damage*
Niino's knees buckled dramatically as she collapse. "My dignity… robbed by a kid… right in front of everyone…" She looked up at her boss, only to find him laughing along with the others. That was a double blow, and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes.
"Hahaha, Niino! Oh, please, if you don't know how to handle kids, learn from me," Ai teased, stepping forward with a grin. "Yuki-chan, did sister Niino scare you?"
"Get away! You also smell!" Yuki exclaimed, scrunching her nose again.
"Puaaahaaaha!" Watanabe laughed even harder. "Wow, the expert just got exposed! Haha, go take a shower, Ai; you smell bad."
Niino didn't miss a beat and shot back at Ai. "See? Even a kid can tell! You'd better get that fixed, Ai."
Ai turned to Niino, still smiling her usual sweet smile, but there was a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Should I spank you, Niino?"
Those words alone were enough to make Niino shiver in her shoes. Now, she was oddly quiet, but both girls subtly sniffed themselves, trying to detect if there was indeed an unpleasant odor. Aki noticed their awkward behavior but didn't smell anything unusual, so he just chuckled.
"Now, now, Yuki, you don't have to be so rude," Aki said gently, walking over to where she stood and scooping her up in his arms. He carried her back to his previous seat and set her on his lap. "Here, let me wipe your nose with a tissue."
"Is it itchy?" he asked as he carefully wiped her nose.
"No, I'm fine. I didn't inhale much," Yuki sighed, looking a bit relieved.
"Here, hold this handkerchief," Aki said, handing her a soft, clean handkerchief. "If you feel any discomfort, just cover your nose as a temporary measure, okay?"
"Um, thanks, Aki-ni," Yuki mumbled, taking the handkerchief gratefully.
The other girls watched their interaction silently, not wanting to interrupt. The more observant ones began to piece together why Yuki had acted the way she did earlier—jumping away from Niino and Ai, standing far away from them. The less perceptive ones were still confused.
Seeing the puzzled expressions on some of the girls' faces, Aki decided to explain. "Niino, Ai, don't be mad at Yuki. She has asthma, and she didn't mean to insult you. Your perfume and makeup powders are a bit strong for her. That's all, right, Yuki?"
Yuki nodded, still sitting comfortably on Aki's lap. "Yeah, it's not that you smell bad. It's just… hard to breathe."
"Oh, is that so?" Niino sighed in relief. "I thought you were talking about my body odor. I even tried to smell myself…" She blurted out, her expression comically innocent.
"..." "..." "..."
Ai sighed, trying not to embarrass herself at Niino's bluntness. "You're such a goof, Niino."
Meanwhile, Misa, Suzuna, Selly, and Kamiya had arrived about half an hour ago, accompanied by Shikimori.
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