What Is an Idol, Anyway? / Please Take Responsibility for This

"Therefore, Suzune must be careful not to let the other party use Horikita-senpai's and your own name and influence to do something bad by artificially creating information gaps."

After Kitagawa Ryo's analysis, Horikita Suzune nodded thoughtfully. She had indeed been focusing on various matters outside the Student Council lately, and had somewhat forgotten the possibility that the enemy was within her own ranks.

After discussing these matters, Horikita Suzune also shared her plans for the next few days:

"After the club activities are over, it should be time for each class to promote their work. But this is definitely my first time doing a campaign speech, so it's impossible not to be nervous. I'll probably have to trouble Honami. She's much more popular than me, so if she goes with me, at least I won't have to worry about being booed off the stage."

"Honami is indeed quite popular, but that's probably limited to the First Year. She doesn't know many familiar students among the upperclassmen. For the second-year students, I'll have Asahina Nazuna accompany you. As for the third-year students... I feel like Horikita-senpai coming out would just be a source of resentment, at least for the students outside of Class A."

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was hesitating, Amasawa Ichika, who had been focused on eating, suddenly suggested another candidate:

"There are actually some students who are familiar with us, and whose popularity and connections are definitely not a problem among the third-year students."

She held a spoon in her mouth, tilted her head slightly, and said the name as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Isn't that Airi?"


Chapter 498: What is an idol?

"Airi?"

"Yeah, wasn't Airi a really famous and popular idol before? I remember when she first entered the school, she caused a sensation and a lot of discussion throughout the whole First Year. It wasn't just limited to the freshmen; a lot of the second and third-year students came to watch too, okay?"

Although Amasawa Ichika's words seemed to make a lot of sense, and Horikita Suzune was even somewhat tempted, Kitagawa Ryo quickly shook his head:

"Not really."

"Airi stopped being the idol Shizuku a year ago; she's just Sakura Airi now."

Unlike most people who only know Sakura Airi as a former famous idol who suddenly graduated and enrolled in ANHS Education, Kitagawa Ryo knew exactly what she was thinking from the beginning.

Just like what he just said, Sakura Airi is now simply Sakura Airi. She has abandoned the name and identity of idol Shizuku. Rather, it's more accurate to say that she chose to attend Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School for this very reason from the very beginning.

That's why, during the 'name tag ripping' challenge in the Uninhabited Island Special Exam, he took the initiative to ask for a name tag with her real name on it, and told her that compared to the merchandise she had given him in the past that was signed 'Shizuku,' he wanted something with the name Sakura Airi more.

Amasawa Ichika is absolutely right. Sakura Airi does enjoy unparalleled fame throughout the entire ANHS, but this is only in the eyes of idol Shizuku; it was never something Sakura Airi herself wanted from the beginning.

Frankly speaking, if she really wanted to inherit this identity, then the title of "King of Popularity" in Class 1-A wouldn't have been given to Ichinose Honami or Kushida Kikyo. But Sakura Airi chose to deliberately keep a low profile, which took a whole year to diminish the halo around her.

"Therefore, I cannot allow Airi to reclaim the identity she so painstakingly gave up."

At this point, Kitagawa Ryo himself was somewhat helpless.

It can only be said that although he and Karuizawa Kei are among the most popular figures in the drama genre, actors are inherently less popular than idols, especially among teenagers.

"Oh, I see. No wonder I always felt that Airi looked a little uncomfortable when students wanted her autograph."

After listening to Kitagawa Ryo's explanation, Amasawa Ichika nodded thoughtfully.

After all, she had no connection with Sakura Airi before enrolling in the university. Although they became much closer after forming a duo on the Uninhabited Island last year, she didn't actually know much about Airi's past.

"This is the first time I've heard of this either."

On the other side, Horikita Suzune was also a little surprised. After all, she and Sakura Airi didn't have much interaction, or rather, it seemed that besides Kitagawa Ryo, Karuizawa Kei was the only other person who got along particularly well with Sakura Airi.

"She was under a lot of pressure. To be honest, I never expected to become so popular. When I first met her, she was just a timid little girl. Although I was the one who initially brought Airi into the entertainment industry."

"If you started out with a positive mindset of being interested and wanting to achieve results, then you would have felt a bit overwhelmed later on. In that respect, enrolling in ANHS was indeed the most appropriate choice. After all, even fans can't stop their idols from wanting to go back to school to complete their studies, which is a perfect reason. Plus, ANHS has a fully enclosed management structure, which saves a lot of trouble."

As he spoke, Kitagawa Ryo's own tone became unusually rambling:

"So sometimes I think that this simple daily life on campus is probably the best medicine for Airi. Although time is never the only medicine, the best medicine is always contained within time."

"... I don't quite agree with Liang's idea."

As if suddenly remembering something, Horikita Suzune hesitated before asking Kitagawa Ryo:

"I saw a dispute involving Airi at the beginning of last year's semester in the Student Council. At first, I thought it was Ryo's doing, but I quickly dismissed it because Ryo would never do something like using a close friend as bait. So, that incident was Airi's plan all by herself, right?"

"Um."

When Horikita Suzune suddenly brought up something that happened almost a year ago, Kitagawa Ryo was taken aback for a moment, but he immediately nodded in affirmation and then understood what she meant.

"In the very first month of school, he quickly devised a plan by leveraging his own resources and exploiting a loophole in the rules. By pressuring the school administration, he obtained an enormous amount of Private Points that no student in the entire grade could even imagine. I don't think this is something a Student Council who wants a peaceful campus life would do."

At this point, Horikita Suzune herself was also somewhat moved.

The fact that her first thought upon realizing she was being followed was how to exploit this unexpected event to gain the greatest benefit and ultimately succeed demonstrates a level of mental fortitude and competence far exceeding that of ordinary people.

"Ryo might be right, but you're so sure of your own opinion that you've subconsciously overlooked other aspects. Or, more likely, Airi also realized Ryo's thoughts, which is why she chose this kind of life as a compromise. She definitely wanted to do as much as she could at first, otherwise she would never have done something like threatening the entire ANHS School with her own strength."

As a member of the Student Council, Horikita Suzune had been amazed more than once by the composure and ability that Sakura Airi herself displayed in that incident. In the style of a mystery novel, it was the most perfect crime that only she could have committed; it wouldn't have been possible without any of the elements.

"Ryo might think that Airi most wants to get rid of is her past identity as an idol, but if you ask me, there might be a deeper underlying logic, just like what that incident showed--"

"That is, when necessary, she can use her past identity and everything attached to it as a bargaining chip and a weapon without any psychological burden."

Horikita Suzune didn't specify the so-called "necessary time" in her words, but simply stared intently at Kitagawa Ryo for a while.

Karuizawa Kei started working towards the 20 million yen transfer fee from the second semester, and Ichinose Honami's progress was almost in sync with hers. Shiina Hiyori was still saving Private Points with Shiina Hiyori Kitagawa Ryo at this time.

But long before all of them, someone had already pre-deposited a full ten million Private Points for Kitagawa Ryo, and not a single point has been touched to this day.

It was almost as if it were expressing some incredibly strong thought to him:

Please feel free to use... me.

"My idol..."

Back in his dorm room, Kitagawa Ryo murmured the word as he lay down on the bed, casually grabbing Hotaru next to him and lifting her high against his chest:

"Hotaru, what exactly is this?"

The pure white kitten just meowed twice in annoyance, broke free from his hands, and jumped in front of the computer. Skillfully, it continued to type out what it wanted to say with one finger, indicating to Kitagawa Ryo to recall the automatic simulation experience that happened last year, which actually contained the relevant answers.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that the parallel world belonging to Kitagawa Ryo's universe revolves entirely around the professions of idol and Actor, and even allows her to witness the precious settlement scene of her sister's victory, which she hasn't seen in a long time.

Kitagawa Ryo himself was clearly not very interested in the parallel world simulation that Hotaru had initiated without his permission. Perhaps it was because he had completed all four heroine chapters in this world, and he hadn't encountered anyone he knew in that other world.

That's why he basically never looks back at that life, since it's meaningless and would only affect his self-perception and daily life on that timeline.

However, since Hotaru had said so, Kitagawa Ryo had no choice but to try and find the answer he wanted by following the points she had chosen.

Then, he actually found the answer that made his head spin.

An idol is someone whose work and profession, once they truly realize their feelings for someone, become impossible to genuinely love. Because after that, every time they say or sing something like "I like you all" or "I love you" to their fans on stage, even though they know it's a lie, they still feel an overwhelming sense of fear.

Just like the story of the boy who cried wolf, the more similar lies you tell, the more afraid you will become, even if you finally want to tell your true feelings to the person you love, whether those words are true or not, whether they will seem inadequate, and finally how to show your affection and love to that person alone.

"... Isn't this a bit too extreme?"

Having found the closest answer through another chapter of his life, Kitagawa Ryo felt his mood grow increasingly heavy.

"Meow--"

Ying simply licked her paw pads lazily, stretched her body against the floor, and let out two soft cries, as if to comfort him.

Anyway, we've encountered even more extreme cases before, so relax.

With a long sigh, Kitagawa Ryo sat up in bed again and rummaged through his desk drawer. He found a name tag with Sakura Airi, which he had neatly arranged on the inside. It was the one he had gotten back from his teacher during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam.

As a former idol, Sakura Airi's signature has a habitually taken on a deliberate, carefully designed quality, but the strokes of her handwriting still reveal a girlish playfulness that left Kitagawa Ryo somewhat dazed.

If it weren't for Horikita Suzune's reminder tonight and Hotaru's special lesson, he probably would have continued to be so self-righteous in thinking that this was the lifestyle Sakura Airi wanted. But after his mindset suddenly shifted, many things that he used to think were normal suddenly became quite different.

The real reason the other party Chosen One to graduate and enter Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School at the height of their career; the reason behind their use of feigned retreat and personal bait to extort ten million Private Points from the school during their first month of enrollment; and the fact that they haven't reacted at all before and after his class transfer...

Holding Sakura Airi's name tag, Kitagawa Ryo unconsciously drew back the curtains and opened the window, fully enjoying the cool evening breeze brushing against his face. Tonight was a clear night with a bright moon and few stars.

The full moon on the horizon is shining brightly.

The girl's thoughts, like its mind, were mute.

Is it Horikita Suzune or Sakayanagi Arisu?

For the students in Class 1-A, this is probably the question they have been thinking about the most for the past month or so, without exception.

With the conclusion of the Mixed Training Camp Special Exam, the class's factions were finally clearly defined for the time being: the girls preferred Sakayanagi Arisu, while the boys supported Horikita Suzune.

However, this is not absolute. Just as there might be one or two boys who support Sakayanagi Arisu, there might also be girls who prefer Horikita Suzune.

However, after Kitagawa Ryo transferred schools and left, almost everyone had a new person to support. After all, his departure was a fait accompli. Therefore, even Sudo Ken Sudō, who was the most supportive of Kitagawa Ryo, chose Horikita Suzune to cheer him on.

But there are always exceptions, which is why it is said to be 'almost'.

Sakura Airi didn't care about any of that.

Rather, she simply hoped the Student Council election would end as soon as possible, regardless of who the final winner was.

Because of this, Tsukishiro Kitagawa Ryo, who was forced to take the blame for the Student Council by Acting Chairman Tsukishiro Tsuneshige, was able to return to the Drama Club, allowing the club, which had been stagnant for quite some time, to resume its previous activity rhythm.

After all, this was the last Matoba for Kitagawa Ryo to spend time with and greet each other after Kitagawa Ryo transferred classes.

Karuizawa Kei was his most compatible and dazzling partner on stage; Ichinose Honami was willing to start from scratch to earn 20 million points and transfer classes without hesitation for him; Sakayanagi Arisu took over his mornings; Horikita Suzune enjoyed his evenings all to herself; Shiina Hiyori Horikita Suzune from Class 1-D to routinely go to his class for lunch...

Just as Sakura Airi lowered her eyes again, preparing to pack her schoolbag and leave the classroom after school, a familiar voice stopped in front of her.

In fact, the boy who once told her he would use the sugar in desserts to glue her lips and teeth together so that his lines wouldn't escape her mouth was the one most capable of prying open her lips.

It only takes one sentence.

"Airi, sometimes now..."

"Have!"

Oh, so half a sentence is enough.

Chapter 499: Please take responsibility for this.

After successfully arranging to meet Sakura Airi outside the classroom, Kitagawa Ryo did not immediately strike up a conversation with her. Instead, looking at her face, he naturally thought of the OAA information he had reviewed before coming.

Since the OAA System was originally designed to assess students' performance using quantitative data, and to allow students to track their progress and receive positive feedback, it also records various data for each student upon enrollment. Without compromising personal privacy, it also includes comments from interviewers and subsequent feedback from OAA System over time.

Sakura Airi's data when she first enrolled in school was as follows.

Academic ability: D+

Intelligence: C

Judgment: B

Athletic ability: B

Coordination: D

Interviewer's comments: This is a rather unique student. She has been active as a professional idol, which has resulted in her grades being at the bottom and her academic level being relatively low. However, her years of performing on stage have made her physical fitness stand out among her peers. Nevertheless, there are concerns about whether she can get along well with her classmates. She has been temporarily assigned to Class D, and we look forward to seeing how she develops.

However, just six months later, when the OAA System was officially launched, the other party's data had already changed to this:

Academic ability: B (74)

Physical ability: B (75)

Flexible thinking ability: A (94)

Social contribution: A-(83)

Overall ability: A-(81)

Finally, as the third semester was drawing to a close, the other party's data on OAA was updated again:

Academic ability: B+ (79)

Physical ability: B+ (77)

Flexible thinking ability: A (90)

Social contribution: A(88)

Overall ability: A-(83)

Undoubtedly, judging solely from the data, Sakura Airi has made significant progress in all aspects compared to when she first entered the university. Her academic abilities, which were once considered a weakness, have been fully strengthened, her physical fitness is slowly but steadily improving, and her social contributions are steadily increasing due to the flourishing of the Drama Club. However, her ability to think flexibly has declined instead of improved.

According to the OAA System, flexible thinking ability is calculated and evaluated based on factors such as the number of friends, interpersonal status, communication skills, and the ability to use wit. This also explains a certain psychological change that occurred in Sakura Airi during the second and third semesters.

She became increasingly weary of sorting out and maintaining her interpersonal relationships, especially when Kitagawa Ryo transferred to another class and Class 1-A fell into chaos. Despite having the ability to make a difference and compete, she quietly chose to retreat, which is why the school deducted her score for flexible thinking.

Even so, a score of 90 still puts her among the top students in the entire Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School. After all, as Amasawa Ichika said, Sakura Airi, or rather, idol Shizuku's influence was never limited to just one grade. She even had a large number of fans among the school's faculty and staff, which was the reason for the stalking incident.

Of course, it was precisely because of that embarrassing incident that the school could only keep their distance from Sakura Airi.

Kitagawa Ryo thought this was a good starting point, so he quickly started chatting with Sakura Airi a friendly tone about the OAA ratings.