Chapter 119: A New Goal

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Translator: Soafp

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In the end, on the way to school, I had no choice but to give Kokoa-san a brief explanation of what had happened.

That said, I left out almost everything involving Ayano-san and limited it to the story about the debt connected to the yakuza.

“So that means… if Ren-sama wants to earn even more money, then I have to work even harder as an idol, right?”

“No. Just keep doing what you’ve been doing. That’s more than enough.”

She was already working harder than anyone else.

If she pushed herself any further, I was afraid she’d really collapse.

Watching her from up close, I honestly wished she’d take it a little easier.

Kokoa-san smiled brightly.

“But I think… I’ve finally found another goal as an idol!”

With those words, she stepped off the train before us.

It was the brightest smile I’d seen from her in quite some time.

Maybe having one of her biggest worries resolved had lifted a weight off her shoulders.

Nodoka intertwined her fingers with mine as she asked,

“So… does that mean Kokoa-san’s nightmare has been avoided now?”

“I think so… but it’s probably too early to be one hundred percent certain.”

As far as I knew, the only route through which Jirai-chan Syndrome had been connected to methamphetamine was through the yakuza tied to the agency.

By buying only the rights to Jirai-chan Syndrome, I’d at least severed that connection.

Still, I couldn’t say for certain how Kokoa-san had originally obtained the drugs.

Whether it had truly been through the yakuza was still impossible to confirm.

Airi spoke up.

“At the very least, we’ve cut off the connection between Miyoko-san and the yakuza, haven’t we? Even if it doesn’t prevent that nightmare, nothing good ever comes from getting involved with organized crime.”

“That’s true. They could’ve used Ayano-san as a hostage to force Kokoa-san into doing who knows what.”

Realistically, though, I couldn’t say we’d completely severed ties with the yakuza.

The agency had effectively sold me its core asset without obtaining the creditors’ consent, leaving plenty of room for legal disputes.

Of course, I intended to hire a lawyer specializing in that area before anything happened.

“The three of you aren’t allowed to leave my side for a while.”

““Of course.””

Nodoka and Airi answered immediately, hugging my arms tightly as if to prove they had no intention of letting go.

Yui, on the other hand, blinked in surprise.

“Huh…? M-Me too…?”

“Of course. There’s a chance they could come after you as well.”

That was exactly what worried me most.

What if that former president handed me over to the yakuza next?

If that happened, it wouldn’t just put me in danger—it could put all of them at risk as well.

Of course, if something that serious were really going to happen, I should receive another prophetic dream beforehand…

Yui’s expression softened.

“S-So… you’ll protect me too, Ren… Even though this isn’t really something to be happy about… somehow… it makes me incredibly happy…”

I had no idea how to respond.

Everything involving Kokoa-san had been so overwhelming that I’d kept putting things concerning Yui off.

I knew that wasn’t fair to her.

At that point, Airi asked,

“But Ren-kun, are you going to tell Burn-san?”

“Hmm… Yeah, I should at least let him know. And Ayano-san’s guardians too.”

If someone left the group now, it’d be a major financial loss after buying Jirai-chan Syndrome.

Even so, given the circumstances, I couldn’t blame any of them.

To put it coldly, as long as I could convince Burn-san and keep Kokoa-san from retiring, we’d still be able to recover.

“What about the media and the police?”

“First, Ayano-san is the biggest victim here. I’ll ask whether she wants to file criminal charges. If she does, I’ll support her while moving forward with the acquisition.”

If Ayano-san chose not to press charges, things would become much more complicated.

On the other hand, if she actively wanted to, I’d make sure she had an experienced lawyer.

…Legal fees alone were going to cost me a fortune for quite a while.

“As for the media, I’m thinking of leaking the story little by little once the acquisition is finalized.”

“So you’re intentionally separating it from the timing of the criminal complaint?”

“Yeah. If we suddenly announce the transfer, it’ll attract a lot of public attention. Leaking it then will make it spread more easily, and people will be more likely to understand why it happened.”

If the criminal complaint came immediately after the transfer, people might misunderstand the sequence of events and assume it was just a talent-poaching dispute.

Only if it became known that the police had already begun investigating beforehand would our actions appear justified.

That was how I saw it.

“Oh, right, Yui.”

“Yes?”

“Could you ask Ayumi-san for a favor? I’d like her to introduce me to some journalists.”

If we wanted any control over when the story broke, we’d need to establish contact with the media beforehand.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have any connections with reporters.

And connections weren’t something money alone could buy.

“Understood. I’ll contact her right away.”

“Thanks.”

Yui smiled again.

Every time I saw that expression, the guilt inside me grew a little heavier.

---

After school that day, we stopped by the light music club again to practice for the cultural festival.

Even I had to admit we’d improved dramatically compared to the first time we played together.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought so.

Takagi spoke first.

“I think we’re basically done at this point. More importantly, Fukagawa… you’re completely different from last week.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It’s like… all the hesitation disappeared from your voice. Did you finally sort out what was bothering you?”

This guy was surprisingly perceptive.

It had helped me out more than once.

Smiling faintly, I answered,

“Something like that. I haven’t solved everything yet, but I think I’ve figured out the direction I need to take.”

“That’s important. Not knowing what you should do is the hardest part.”

He was right.

I’d thought this before—despite looking carefree, Takagi was actually a thoughtful guy.

The club president lowered the bass she had been holding.

“Oh, that reminds me. The costumes arrived. Want to try them on?”

“Sounds good. Let’s put them on right away.”

“…Why are you answering for me, Airi?”

By now, seeing Nodoka, Airi, and Yui hanging around the clubroom had become completely normal.

The other club members had gotten used to it too.

The president quickly handed us the costumes, still wrapped in plastic.

“Okay, boys first. We’ll step outside for a bit.”

“Ara, Ren-kun. We could always help dress you ourselves.”

“Fukagawa… is that the kind of thing you normally do…?”

“No!”

“Isn’t that only natural? Ren-kun is the master of a harem, after all.”

“Airi, why do you always ruin my attempts to deny it?”

While Takagi, Airi, and I joked around, the boy on electric guitar quietly set his guitar down with a frustrated groan.

“Damn it…! I’m absolutely, positively not jealous…!!”

“First wipe away your tears. Fukagawa lives in a completely different world than the rest of us.”

Before I knew it, Takagi had thrown an arm around the guitarist’s shoulders.

Meanwhile, the club president and the other girls left the room wearing exasperated expressions.

Without another word, I opened the garment bag and changed into the costume.

A few minutes later, the girls returned.

“President.”

Airi suddenly extended her hand.

“You’ve got good taste.”

“Hehe. Right?”

The two of them clasped hands firmly in an enthusiastic handshake.

It was as if they’d suddenly reached some mutual understanding.

Was this… female friendship?

Meanwhile, Nodoka and Yui were busy taking pictures of me with their phones.

“Ren looks amazing like this!! Hey, Ren, next time we go shopping, let’s buy more clothes like these!”

“I had no idea. This slightly delinquent look suits you really well.”

Takagi and the guitarist clicked their tongues in unison.

“Look who’s here—the superstar model.”

“Seriously… this is exactly why vocalists are the worst.”

The sheer amount of jealousy in their muttering was unbelievable.

The club president picked up another garment bag.

“Alright, girls’ turn! Boys, out! Out! If any of you peek, I’ll kill you.”

“President, there’s nothing worth seeing anyway.”

“Takagi… want me to make an example out of you?”

“Sorry.”

Following her orders, we all left the clubroom.

I thought only Takagi and the others had come out with me, but somehow Nodoka, Airi, and Yui followed as well.

Nodoka and Airi immediately clung to one arm each.

“You’re absolutely not allowed to peek!”

“That’s right. The only girls Ren-kun is allowed to peek at are me and Nodoka.”

“I’m honestly starting to wonder whether you trust me or not.”

Somewhere behind us, I heard another synchronized click of tongues, but chose to ignore it.

A few minutes later, we returned to the clubroom.

The club president greeted us with an innocent smile and a peace sign.

“Well? How do I look?”

“Oh, President. Clothes really do make the woman.”

“Takagi, I’m going to kill you.”

The girls’ costumes were black frilly mini dresses.

The design was cute and suited them well…

…but wasn’t it completely different from the boys’ outfits?

Thinking that, I let out a small, amused smile.

At the time, however, I had no idea.

I never imagined that those black mini dresses…

…would become the catalyst for the next nightmare.