Chapter 618

"Do you need any help?" Sakurajima Mai asked as she put the things down.

"No need. If that were the case, it wouldn't be entirely my work, would it?"

"How childish."

"It's just to prevent you from going back on your word and denying that mine tasted better."

"What's the point of me insisting on this... I understand. Futaba and I will go and rest then. Thanks for your hard work~"

"Oh, and one more thing! If a cute little girl rings the doorbell along the way, please open the door for her."

"Let's call the police, Sakurajima- senpai."

"..."

Chapter 559 Two Big Girls and One Little Girl

However, it could be said that it was expected. When he was halfway through cooking, Futaba Rio walked into the kitchen, tugged at his clothes, and looked puzzled.

"Your Hinomiya, things seem to be a bit complicated. Please come with me."

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Himemiya Chihaya turned off the stove and stopped wielding the spatula.

"You'll see once you come with me."

After saying that, she pulled his clothes and walked towards the living room.

"Hey! If it's not urgent, let me finish this dish first—once it cools down, it'll be hard for me to control the cooking temperature!"

"That doesn't really matter, right? Stop talking nonsense and come with me!"

Forced into the living room, he immediately spotted Sakurajima Mai sitting to one side, arms crossed and legs crossed.

And beside her, there Makinohara Shoko, who was feeling uneasy and wondering if she had come to the wrong room.

Upon seeing his figure, Makinohara Shoko visibly breathed a sigh of relief, gently patting her chest. "Sorry to bother you, Chihaya- san!"

"Oh, welcome, Shoko- chan." Himemiya Chihaya turned to Futaba Rio, asking her purpose, "What's up?"

"Can't you tell?" The person who spoke calmly was Sakurajima Mai, who was sitting next to her.

Himemiya Chihaya looked over again, and this time it only took a moment for him to understand what she meant.

"You mean Shoko- chan can't see Mai- san, right?"

Despite Sakurajima Mai having spoken, Makinohara Shoko maintained an expression as if she hadn't heard him, simply staring straight at him.

It makes sense when you think about it; she's neither from the vicinity of Minehara High School nor a relative of Sakurajima Mai, so it's understandable that she wouldn't see her.

"That's how it is." Futaba Rio nodded helplessly. "If I were to explain it to her myself, I'd definitely be seen as a weirdo, so I called you out."

"I see."

Seeing the strange way the two were talking to each other, Makinohara Shoko, puzzled, "Um, Chihaya- san, what are you two talking about?"

"You really want to know?" He narrowed his eyes slightly, harboring a wicked thought.

"If it's alright?" She tilted her head slightly.

Although she is still young, her every move exudes an inexplicable air of intelligence; this is probably her talent.

"What would Shoko's sister think if I told her that there are actually four people in this room right now, including Shoko's sister?"

"Did Chihaya- san accidentally stumble into some strange organization? Or is she just having a bout of Chūnibyō...? But you're way too old for that."

"Ouch..." He twitched his lips. "But unfortunately, it's true, and it's a strange phenomenon called 'Adolescence Syndrome'."

"The gist of the matter is..."

He explained the gist of the matter to her, and as expected, it left her with a head full of questions.

"Is this some kind of new joke? It's not very funny."

He didn't explain, but went back to the kitchen, brought out four sets of tableware, and placed them on the table one by one. "Shoko, how many sets of tableware are here?"

"Hmm? Of course, four sets." Makinohara Shoko answered decisively.

"Miss Mai?" He looked at Sakurajima Mai.

Sakurajima Mai immediately understood his meaning, stood up and walked to the dining table, saying helplessly in a voice that Makinohara Shoko couldn't hear, "Yes~ yes~"

She stood by the table and picked up a set of bowls and chopsticks.

Himemiya Chihaya then asked her, "How many sets are there now?"

Makinohara Shoko frowned in confusion, but still looked at the dining table. "Of course it's still... huh?"

The four sets of tableware that were just neatly arranged are now reduced to three.

Sakurajima Mai's Adolescence Syndrome is characterized by the fact that objects she touches become less noticeable and are erased from the memory of others.

"The other set was picked up by the older sister I just mentioned?" he explained to her.

"That famous actress, Sakurajima Mai?"

"Oh yeah, you do know that—you watch Morning Drama at your age?" His expression became subtle. "Before Ms. Mai retired from the entertainment industry, you should still be in elementary school..."

"Don't look at me." Sakurajima Mai rolled her eyes at him.

Meanwhile, Futaba Rio was worried about something else. "Is it really okay to involve such a young child? After all, it's this kind of..."

She was asking if letting children know about the existence of such supernatural phenomena would negatively impact their development.

"Futaba, haven't you always thought this was some kind of unproven scientific event?"

"So what if it is? I think it can be explained by scientific theories; it's just that the complete process hasn't been fully studied yet."

"Since it's science, there's nothing to hide, right?"

"..."

"Furthermore," he looked at Makinohara Shoko, who was questioning her existence and wondering if she had just imagined it, "Shoko's ability to learn is much stronger than that of ordinary children."

He asked her to come over today not only to have dinner, but also to see if she could actually see Sakurajima Mai. If not, he wanted to give her a heads-up.

Because she's also a potential Mirai case of the disease.

Of course, he could probably make sure she could see Sakurajima Mai right away, but he wasn't planning on doing so.

Firstly, it would be troublesome to be questioned by them, and secondly—it's more interesting this way!

In the time that followed, Makinohara Shoko experienced a rather peculiar period.

Himemiya Chihaya and Futaba Rio seemed to be talking to thin air from time to time, and the delicious food on the table seemed to disappear a little faster than she could perceive it.

If it were any other middle school student, they would probably be either overly excited or overly panicked, thinking that Ghost or spirits existed. But she remained calm and accepted it peacefully.

It's hard to believe, but this is probably the reality of the world.

"The world is so vast and amazing!" she exclaimed, sounding like someone who wasn't a first-year junior high student.

If possible, I hope I'll have more time to see scenery like this in the future...

After finishing their meal, with Sakurajima Mai's help, the two cleaned up the dishes and put them away.

Then he and the other two watched TV in the living room.

The program currently playing on TV is an idol show hosted by Makinohara Shoko.

"ア?ナ?タのアイドル(belongs to... your idol~)"

"サインはB チュッ(Password is B~~)"

"..."

As soon as they stepped into the living room, they heard a song that had just started playing on the television.

"..." Himemiya Chihaya admitted that her heart had indeed skipped a beat just now.

That was close, I almost thought it was...

Sakurajima Mai leaned against the back of the sofa, staring at the 85-inch TV screen. "Is this the really popular idol group right now? Their name is... B-Komachi?"

"It seems so." Futaba Rio's lips twitched, and she seemed a little restless.

For a woman with a science and engineering background like her, the passion for being an idol is simply too much to handle.

"Hmm?" Makinohara Shoko glanced sideways. "Was it Mai- san who spoke just now?"

"Yes, she's asking about this idol group."

"Oh, I see! This song is 'Sine wa B'! Don't you think Ai-chan, who's in the center position, is super cute?!" Makinohara Shoko, resting her equally cute face on her hands, was completely absorbed in the song.

"Ah~ that smile~ she's simply Angel ~~! Her singing is also great, and her dancing is adorable. Her popularity is currently skyrocketing!!"

"By the way, I'm also a fan of hers!"

That's my Ai-chan! Himemiya Chihaya thought to herself.

However, in today's society, are even middle school students idolizing celebrities? Isn't this trend a bit problematic?

"Is it very popular?" Futaba Rio frowned in skepticism.

"It's very popular." X 2

Sakurajima Mai glanced at Makinohara Shoko, who was speaking in the same voice as her, and continued, "But it seems like this kid is trending towards going solo lately, right? After all, her popularity far surpasses the others, and there's nothing we can do about it."

Himemiya Chihaya listened without saying a word, but strictly speaking, that wasn't quite the case.

Although Hoshino Ai herself, life goes on no matter what. But as her own charm blossoms and she awakens, she masters the skills, and with his deliberate support, her popularity and strength are now truly in a class of their own in the team.

Even if he doesn't make special arrangements, many endorsements and appearances will specifically request her to accept them.

Moreover, he and Yōkadō Sakuri are deliberately pushing her towards the entertainment and film industries, making it easier for her to break out of the mainstream.

Even if she didn't intend to disband, the rest of B-Komachi would only become background figures in her future.

However, with a top-tier idol like her leading the way, and given that their company has access to top-tier channels and doesn't need to pay hefty commissions to higher-ups, their compensation is at least much better than that of other idols.

It's common knowledge that in Japan, Japan are basically the floor tiles of the industry.

If they were still with their previous agency, Ichigo Pro, even if their songs topped the charts, after the upper management's cut and the agency's percentage, each of them would probably earn less per month than they would have earned honestly working outside...

Sakurajima Mai watched the program for a while and exclaimed, "This child is really amazing. She has a special charm in every gesture, and her movements are very fluid. She must work very hard in private."

Like a parent whose child has been praised, Himemiya Chihaya nodded repeatedly and readily agreed.

When performing, Hoshino Ai considers the perspective of everyone in the audience, striving to convey the best emotional performance from every angle, which is what makes her truly extraordinary.

On the contrary, she is much more friendly and relaxed in front of the camera, because she only needs to focus on the camera.

After watching for a while, Sakurajima Mai said in an ambiguous tone, "If only Kaori could also..."

After thinking about it carefully, she realized that it was indeed very stressful.

Forget about Hoshino Ai, she can't even compare to the girls in the group...

Toyohama Nodoka is Sakurajima Mai's half-sister and currently works as an idol in the group [Sweet Bullet].

Pfft~ What a name that sounds like a super sweet candy... That was what he thought when he first heard it.

Without outside help, that child's ultimate fate would probably be to work as a bartender in Roppongi, or become a Minato Ward, wandering through high society... No, no, that's a bit too realistic!

While it's true that Roppongi is home to many former idols who, after being swept away by the tides of time, have been forced to wander there.

As the saying goes, Underground Idol are like floor tiles; even in the entertainment industry, only a very few can make it big and stay popular for a while, let alone remain popular forever.

There's a lot of darkness and intricate layout inside...

Compared to these, playing in a band is still a decent profession where talent speaks for itself.

Of course, needless to say, in such a country and society, the pinnacle and the Celestial Dragon are people like him, pampered young noblemen from wealthy families who have been spoiled since birth.

If he were a bit more materialistic, he could place the order now, and when he returns to Tokyo, a top idol and a newly emerging, glamorous young actress would be waiting for him in his apartment...

Unfortunately, he was a good person who valued his integrity.

Even with his family background and the extent to which he was spoiled by his elders, if he really wanted to, even someone as successful and famous as Wakaba Mū Mu's mother would have to... have a bit of a taste for the extreme if he didn't want to be deliberately blacklisted and suppressed.

Okay, he admits he's a bit of a germaphobe, and besides, he's not the type to get easily aroused, okay?

Looking in the mirror every day can reduce most of your needs.

Speaking of which...

Halfway through the program, Makinohara Shoko suddenly spoke up, turning to look up at him. "Chihaya- san, are either Rio-san or Mai- san your girlfriend this time?"