Chapter 71: Wrap Party ③

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

---

Kokoa's words made my eyes widen in surprise.

Unlike the lightning incident, I had thought she hadn't noticed anything this time.

Maybe she was sharper than she looked.

“Well, it was probably just a coincidence though!”

““……””

Nodoka and Airi both looked like they wanted to say something.

I glanced at them, silently telling them to stay quiet.

After a moment, Kokoa spoke again, this time more softly.

“Did you see the news about last night's train accident?”

“Yeah… I saw it on the morning news.”

“That station… it's one I use a lot. And the man in his thirties they said died… we weren't super close or anything, but… we talked sometimes.”

From what she described, whenever she hit a wall in her idol work, that man would give her thoughtful advice as an adult, helping her through tough times.

Even though he must have been exhausted himself from working long hours, he still listened seriously to her complaints.

“…I don't know why, but I keep thinking… maybe that man became my substitute. Like he took my place… There's no proof or anything, though.”

I couldn't confirm it. But I couldn't deny it either.

Most likely, her intuition was right.

Even if it was just the result, I had chosen her life over his.

“Ah, this got really dark, didn't it? This isn't like me at all!”

“Well, having a darker side kind of fits the whole ‘jirai-kei' image, doesn't it?”

“Now that you mention it, you're right!”

As an idol, she probably carried more worries than she could handle.

Even just the tension with her group members must have been weighing heavily on her.

“Kokoa… I might not be able to replace that man, but… if it's me, I can at least listen whenever you're having a hard time.”

“Huh? Is it really okay to ask something like that from my sponsor?”

“I don't know about other sponsors, but I don't mind. I want to support you.”

Maybe it was because she was younger than me.

Or maybe it was because I'd seen how hard she worked.

Either way, she felt much closer to me now than before.

To be honest, I still didn't fully get the whole “jirai-kei” concept, but I did want her efforts to be rewarded.

For a moment, Kokoa looked surprised.

Then she smiled quietly—before suddenly giving me a mischievous look.

“Geez, Ren-sama… so this is how you flirt with girls? I was wondering how you managed to win over such cute girls like Nodoka and your ‘secretary,' but now it all makes sense!”

“…That's kind of rude.”

---

Keeping Kokoa in my room any longer would've been strange.

But we couldn't just send her away either.

In the end, we all decided to go out together.

Originally, the plan was a love hotel with Nodoka in the afternoon, then yakiniku at night.

But that changed—we looked for a place open during the day and decided to eat first.

…Naturally, Nodoka was visibly pouting.

I leaned closer and whispered into her ear so Kokoa wouldn't hear.

“We'll go to the love hotel today for sure, so don't sulk.”

“I-I'm not sulking! And it's not like it has to be a love hotel…”

Her face turned bright red as she glanced at me from the corner of her eye.

She seemed oddly focused on my lips.

So that was the real priority—making out, huh.

“Hey, don't just go into your own little world! Flirting is fine, but play with me too!”

Kokoa scooted closer and lightly grabbed my sleeve.

Airi immediately brushed her arm away and slipped between us, wrapping herself around my arm.

“Kokoa, girls shouldn't casually touch a guy like that.”

“Wait, but you're literally clinging to his arm!?”

“Well, Ren and I live under the same roof and share everything.”

“Doesn't he have a fiancée!? Nodoka, don't you think this is weird!?”

Ah… the engagement cover story was starting to fall apart.

I was trying to figure out how to handle it when—

Nodoka suddenly put her hands on her hips.

“Well, I mean! A high-spec guy like Ren obviously wouldn't be satisfied with just one girl! As the main wife, I'm just keeping him where I can see him… I'll overlook a little cheating!”

“Oh? So that's the confidence of the main wife?”

“W-Well, yeah!”

‘Keeping him in sight while overlooking it’… the logic didn't really add up, but since Kokoa didn't question it, I let it slide.

Kokoa grinned playfully.

“Then can I apply too? As Ren-sama's second mistress?”

“Oh? Kokoa, you still haven't given up on that ‘pillow talk' strategy? You're more persistent than I thought.”

“I've never done anything like that! It's just a joke! Your eyes are scary!!”

Normally, anyone would be exasperated by Nodoka's explanation.

But Kokoa really was a strange girl.

Maybe she just saw me as a sponsor and didn't think any of this concerned her.

Eventually, we arrived at a yakiniku restaurant near the station.

We were shown to our seats and started deciding drinks and sides.

Everything was going smoothly… until—

“No way, you always start with salted tongue! Starting with sauce is weird!”

“Nodoka, there's no ‘rule' for yakiniku! But if you think of yakiniku, it's gotta be kalbi! If you don't start with kalbi, it doesn't feel like yakiniku!”

“Kokoa, you don't get it. Yakiniku is about grilling meat. The meat is the star. Covering it in sauce right away is unacceptable.”

“Huh? The sauce is what makes yakiniku! It goes perfectly with rice! It doesn't hide the meat—it completes it!”

“Salt or sauce, can we just start with tongue first?”

None of them were backing down.

…These three were seriously intense when it came to food.

Then Nodoka took charge.

“Alright, let's do this. Since Ren's paying anyway, let him decide.”

“Good idea. Ren, salt, right?”

“Ren-sama, yakiniku means kalbi, right?”

“…Seriously?”

All three of them stared at me.

The pressure was insane.

“Let's start with tongue. Then kalbi after.”

“So you're a sauce person, Ren?”

“Ehh? Ren-sama, you don't understand the appeal of starting with kalbi?”

Nodoka nodded in satisfaction, but Airi and Kokoa looked displeased.

“I just enjoy both salt and sauce.”

“Impressive, Ren. When forced to choose one, you choose both.”

“Wow, rich people really think differently! I'll work hard to become an idol who can also say ‘both!'”

I only suggested a compromise… why was I getting judged this much?

Then Nodoka added fuel to the fire.

“Starting with tongue means Ren prioritized us over Kokoa! So she's last!”

“Ehh? That's so mean, Ren-sama! I want to be your favorite too! I don't want to be second!”

“If anything, you're third. Or maybe fourth?”

“Why does my rank keep dropping!? I'm seriously going to turn into a full-on yandere at this rate!?”

At this rate, Kokoa really might explode like a landmine.

So I quickly placed the order to defuse the situation.

---

We left the restaurant completely full.

Even though they had argued over yakiniku preferences, both Airi and Kokoa looked satisfied in the end.

Kokoa smiled brightly at us.

“It's a shame to leave, but I have to head to my lesson now, so I'll take off here!”

“Yeah, I had fun today. Let's do this again sometime.”

“Yup, I had fun too!”

Thinking about it calmly, I had just been eating yakiniku together with an idol whose popularity was rapidly rising.

From a fan's perspective, it must've been an unbelievably enviable situation.

“Oh, right! I almost forgot!”

Kokoa suddenly took out her wallet and held out a few bills to me.

“What's this for?”

“It's the taxi fare I borrowed! Actually, returning this was one of the reasons I came today.”

“Ah…”

She had snuck out of the hospital before, but didn't have money for the ride back, so I had lent it to her.

To be honest, I never expected her to pay it back.

But this was just like her—surprisingly responsible.

“Well then, Ren-sama, see you next time!”

“Yeah.”

Kokoa got into the hired car and left.

It felt like a storm had just passed through.

Alright… time for us to head home too.

Just as I let out a breath, Nodoka suddenly intertwined her fingers tightly with mine.

“H-hey… now that there's no one else in the way…”

Her face flushed red as she fidgeted, twisting her body slightly.

Then, in a halting voice, she spoke.

“L-let's go already… to the… l-love hotel…”

—For some reason, it was incredibly erotic.