Although she had already decided not to use the business card, she still thanked him and introduced herself.
"My name is Sakurakoji Talent. You can just call me Talent. I'm probably around your age, so you don't have to be so polite."
"Huh? Mr. Talent is around my age? Are you a high school student too?" Inoseri Nina looked stunned, her gaze toward him full of disbelief.
"More or less. Though I'm not actually attending classes." Sakurakoji Talent nodded.
No way?
Inoseri Nina screamed internally. They were both high school students, so why was he so mature and composed? He practically seemed like he came from a different world. Was this normal in big cities? Big cities were terrifying!
She couldn't help sinking into deep self-doubt until the train announcement rang out.
"We will soon arrive at Shin-Kawasaki Station. Passengers getting off..."
Seeing that she was still standing there blankly, Sakurakoji Talent couldn't help reminding her, "Hello, Miss Nina. You can get off in a moment."
"Huh?" Inoseri Nina snapped back to her senses and asked in confusion, "But the announcement said Shin-Kawasaki. We haven't reached Kawasaki yet, have we? Isn't Kawasaki the next stop?"
"No, no. The JR Yokosuka Line doesn't have a stop called Kawasaki." Sakurakoji Talent shook his head. "If you don't get off here, the next stop will be Yokohama."
"I see!" Inoseri Nina suddenly understood. "Thank you, Mr. Talent! Thanks to you, I won't miss my stop again!"
"Well, let's leave the station together. Do you need me to accompany you to the place you rented?"
"No, it's okay! I can manage! Thank you for your concern!"
"I see. Then that's fine. Do your best from here on."
"Yes!"
After getting off at Shin-Kawasaki and leaving the station, Inoseri Nina returned the power bank to Sakurakoji Talent. After watching her leave, he checked his phone. It was just about time for dinner.
There were still more than three hours until the next fixed scene. It looked like he would have to wander around and kill time. Who knew how long he would have to drift around outside? Judging by the weather, it might even snow or rain later.
He looked up at the sky. Although Tokyo was very close, one side was snowing while the other had yet to show any signs of it, though dark clouds seemed to be pressing down overhead.
In any case, now that things had come to this, he should eat dinner first.
Speaking of food... Sakurakoji Talent half-lidded his eyes and gave a soft hum, thinking of a good idea. It looked like he could refresh another location before the evening performance.
Half an hour later, guided by the map on his phone, he arrived at the chain restaurant nearest Kawasaki Station. Its sign had an eye-catching yellow-and-green color scheme, with the words "Yoshinoya" written prominently across it.
Pushing open the glass door and entering the small restaurant, the first thing he looked at was not the tables and chairs inside, but the kitchen in the back, where staff were bustling about nonstop.
With just one glance, he spotted two familiar figures, one tall and one short, both wearing masks.
Once he confirmed the location, he walked inside and approached the register.
"Welcome. What would you like to order?"
"One large Beef Bowl, plus a bottle of Happy Water."
"Understood. We'll prepare that for you right away. Please find a seat first."
Though she was somewhat surprised by his appearance, the short cashier with curly black hair quickly entered his order and gestured for him to sit down.
Seated at the long central table near the kitchen, Sakurakoji Talent occasionally glanced inside. The two women were both wearing indescribable green uniforms and green caps, silently working at their respective tasks.
He wanted to go up and speak to them, but he didn't have any particularly good topic to bring up.
Could he only wait for an opportunity?
Before long, the other girl, tall with short hair and slightly brown skin, brought over his order and gently placed it in front of him.
"Here is your meal. Please enjoy."
"Thank you."
The lines at the corners of Sakurakoji Talent's eyes softened as he returned her words with a warm smile, which seemed to leave her briefly stunned.
"No, not at all!" But she quickly recovered, gave a slightly hurried bow, and left.
Interesting. Watching her retreating figure, Sakurakoji Talent smiled faintly, though he couldn't understand why she had reacted like that. It couldn't be because she had never seen a customer smile at her, right?
Focusing on the drink and Beef Bowl before him, he elegantly picked up the long black chopsticks and slowly brought the beef mixed rice to his mouth.
Well, it was just average. The taste of ordinary fast food.
Image: "Majestic Little Sis", location: "Images/1755867819-100446961-113756490.jpg"
The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies: You're the One Selling Me CDs, Right?
"Thank you for your patronage!"
After paying for his meal, Sakurakoji Talent patted his slightly full stomach and walked out of the restaurant amid RUPA's friendly farewell.
He hadn't followed Majestic Little Sis's example and given the kind, adorable waitress a polite response. Somehow, it felt like something was missing.
It wasn't even eight yet. Going to watch Miss Momoka's performance now would still be a little too early, so Sakurakoji Talent put away his phone and prepared to spend the remaining time on a Kawasaki pilgrimage—or rather, with so little time, he could only make it to the Tama River and look at his old Tokyo home across the bridge.
Other than scattered streetlights, there was practically nothing along the Tama River at night. Only the modern bridge in the distance was dotted with lights like sparks.
Behind it lay a prosperous metropolis filled with hundreds of millions of dreams, a true city that never slept. It formed a stark contrast with the darkness on this side.
One river and one bridge divided this land into two clearly distinct halves.
Sakurakoji Talent felt somewhat sentimental. If he had been born with a different identity in this life, what city would he be in now? What job would he be doing? What purpose would have him running everywhere?
"Ah, it's about time. I can head over now."
His walk had ended, and so had his reflections on reality. No matter what, thinking about those things now was meaningless. He only needed to take care of what was in front of him.
With twenty minutes left until ten, he arrived at the square outside the Central East Exit in front of Kawasaki Station. Seeing that the protagonist had yet to appear, he leaned against a glass wall, closed his eyes to rest, folded his arms, and waited for the plot to begin.
Perhaps he really was tired after walking around for most of the day, because he nearly fell asleep for real. In the end, a burst of amplified guitar sound woke him.
Opening his rosy eyes and covering his mouth as he yawned, he looked toward the source of the sound.
The guitarist with chestnut-gray long hair wore a simple black hoodie and black pants. She was neither fashionable nor as pretty as ordinary girls. Yet her lovely features and crisp movements gave her a particularly gallant presence. Standing before the microphone, she adjusted the blue Electric Guitar in her hands. From what he could tell, it was likely a Psychederhythm Psychomaster.
Oh, wasn't that Miss Momoka? Still out selling at this hour of the night? Sakurakoji Talent propped up his chin and waited for her performance with a faint smile.
After finishing the sound check, Kawaragi Momoka stood before the microphone and took a deep breath visible to everyone around her. Then, after a short and simple guitar melody, she began to sing.
"Far too white, far too long~ The answer is probably nothing more than common sense concerned only with appearances, even if my fingertips tremble~"
Her clear, moving singing voice accompanied the direct, unwavering guitar, as though it could break through the dimensional barrier and carry people into another world. Compared with Majestic Little Sis's version, it had a different kind of charm.
It was still the classic Empty Box. So good. Sakurakoji Talent gave it a thumbs-up from the side.
Come to think of it, aside from this song, Sakurakoji Talent had no idea what other songs Miss Momoka had written by now. Surely she wasn't going to sing Empty Box here for one or two hours straight, until Majestic Little Sis followed the sound and found her? He couldn't help thinking that.
However, that thought was quickly flung to the back of his mind because—
The corner of his eye suddenly caught a flash of familiar, vivid red among the crowd. Looking closely, Sakurakoji Talent froze. Standing there was none other than Miss Inoseri Nina, whom he had parted from only a few hours ago. She was currently listening to Kawaragi Momoka's performance with an intoxicated expression, her eyes sparkling with starlight and full of fan-like admiration.
No, why were you here?
Logically, shouldn't you have seen the message at 10:40 p.m. and then rushed over? You shouldn't have shown up until after eleven at the earliest.
But after a moment of confusion, he immediately understood where the problem lay.
Was this my fault?!
Because he had helped her avoid missing her stop a second time, then used the power bank to solve the problem of her phone dying and causing her to see the message late, she should have already gotten her key and moved her luggage into her new home.
Damn it! His lips twitched slightly as he bit the nail on his left thumb, his face wearing an expression of miscalculation.
He had planned to build up Miss Momoka's favorability before Nina arrived. It seemed he could only do it in front of her now. You forced my hand!
"You're Miss Kawaragi Momoka, right?"
When one song ended and the quiet interval before the next began, Sakurakoji Talent inserted himself at the right moment, interrupting with his voice.
"Huh?" Kawaragi Momoka turned her head toward the unfamiliar person speaking beside her, her expression confused. "I am. And you are?"
Her first reaction was to be a little startled by his outfit. After all—what normal person wore pitch-black sunglasses at night?
"I'm your devoted fan!" Sakurakoji Talent took off the sunglasses he had been using as an eye mask and explained with a hint of excitement, "That Empty Box just now was incredibly good!"
"Thank you." Kawaragi Momoka looked calm, not overjoyed just because he claimed to be her fan.
That kind of reaction only applied to newcomers who had just entered the industry. For an old hand like her, someone about to burn out and quit, it no longer mattered. Though she was surprised by Sakurakoji Talent's looks after he removed his sunglasses, she wasn't especially excited.
"I happened to be in Kawasaki today, and then I happened to see a post on SNS saying you would be performing here today. I think it was fate!"
Hadn't he been using this excuse a bit too often lately? Sakurakoji Talent showed nothing on the surface, but reflected inwardly.
Would it cause trouble if he kept lying about being everyone's fan? He probably wouldn't get struck by lightning, right? It should be fine. There was no rule saying someone could only have one idol. Having several was normal.
Still, rather than worrying about being struck by lightning for that, he felt he should be more careful about the real-life beating he might receive if someone discovered he had stolen their line.
"I see." Kawaragi Momoka smoothly pulled a square case from her bag and said that classic line. "Then can you buy a CD?"
"Of course." Sakurakoji Talent agreed with a faint smile. Then he took out his wallet, pulled out more than ten brand-new Yukichi bills at once, and handed them to her. "Please give me a hundred first."
"???" Kawaragi Momoka stared blankly at the enormous sum that had suddenly appeared in her hands. For a moment, she was speechless, so startled that she couldn't say anything. Her previously calm and composed mood was instantly shattered, and she looked at Sakurakoji Talent as though he were some kind of monster.
No? Bro? What were you doing?
She had only wanted to jokingly use CDs to tease those fake street fans unwilling to pay. Yet today, had she encountered a true Diamond Dust-level diehard fan?
"Um, I don't have that many CDs on hand right now..." Kawaragi Momoka said vaguely, staring at the huge sum in her hands as her heart stirred fiercely.
Why! If she had known this would happen, why hadn't she prepared more stock in advance?!
"I see. What a pity," Sakurakoji Talent said with some regret. "But that's okay. I'll buy however many you have. Consider the rest of the money a tip in support of that song you just sang. I really loved it!"
"Huh?" Kawaragi Momoka, who had assumed he would take back the money, was stunned again. No, was he really this generous?
She stood there uncertainly, not knowing whether she should accept the money or refuse it.
Fortunately, at that moment, Inoseri Nina, who had been standing in the distance, found an opening. She jogged over in small steps and joined the fray.
"Um, are you Miss Kawaragi Momoka?"
"?" Kawaragi Momoka looked toward the second person to approach her that night. "Yes, I am. And you are?"
"I'm your fan, desu," Inoseri Nina said, unusually awkward. "A Diamond Dust... Miss Momoka fan!"
"I see, you too..." Kawaragi Momoka wondered whether she had struck it lucky tonight. Otherwise, why had she run into two fans so quickly? Normally, there were nights when she would not see more than a few.
Could it be that heaven knew she would retire after tonight, so it had sent them to see her off one last time?
"Um... I really, really love Miss Momoka's songs."
"I came from the countryside to Tokyo today... no, Kawasaki, because that song encouraged me."
"I see."
Kawaragi Momoka responded automatically in a somewhat dazed manner, but Nina took it as disbelief.
"It's true! Really... I've probably listened to it on repeat more than a thousand times." After explaining earnestly, Inoseri Nina lowered her voice again.
"After seeing your SNS, I found out you would be singing here today. I think it was fate."
"..."
Kawaragi Momoka looked back and forth between Sakurakoji Talent and her, her gaze mixed with a trace of suspicion. Why were both of their lines so similar? They weren't teaming up to set her up, were they?
Sakurakoji Talent clasped his hands behind his head, looked off to the side, and whistled as though none of this concerned him.
"So? Are you here to buy a CD too?" Kawaragi Momoka asked Inoseri Nina.
"Ah, yes! Of course!" Inoseri Nina hurriedly took out her wallet, preparing to pay.
"Wait, wait! I was joking! All the CDs here have already been bought by this gentleman!" Kawaragi Momoka hurriedly stopped her, pressing down her hand as she tried to take out money.
"Huh?" Only then did Inoseri Nina look at the third person present—fandoms were terrifying. Then her eyes widened in disbelief. "You're... Mr. Talent?"
"Hey! We meet again, Miss Nina." Sakurakoji Talent waved with a faint smile, as though he had only just noticed her.
"Mr. Talent! Why are you here?!"
"Probably for the same reason as you?"
Before you continue