Ryu was a very busy man. Aside from school, he had to shuttle between the Medical Center and the company, leaving him with no leisure time all day. His childhood friend, Miss Fujiwara Chika, however, was different. She had been living quite happily these past few days—though it seemed she was always in this state.
Chika was originally a subculture enthusiast and had always been interested in cosplay, but she suffered from a lack of opportunities.
Although her parents and grandfather loved her dearly, the Fujiwara family was very strict. Rules were rules, and dignity was dignity; they imposed controls on her grades, social life, and hobbies.
However, Chika was an expert at finding loopholes, exploiting gaps, and excusing herself. While it wasn't something to be proud of, perhaps this was simply the blood of a politician at work.
She had been extremely talented at the piano as a child and was originally supposed to develop towards a professional career, getting certificates to add a stroke of brilliance to her resume. But later, because Ryu's presence was too intense, her family felt that forcing her to compete with Ryu would leave a psychological shadow, so they stopped planning for her in that direction.
From then on, Chika's life began to become colorful.
To say that Chika learned to cheat from that time might be a bit of an exaggeration, but she did indeed find a certain "Cheat Code" from the attitude of her family and everyone around her towards Ryu. She smoothly integrated this into her daily life, greatly reducing the restrictions her family placed on her.
Whether it was Japanese Literature or Math, as long as she was in the same class as Ryu, her parents wouldn't demand she achieve a high rank.
Whether it was tabletop games or social apps, if she dragged Ryu along to play, they would feel it wouldn't cause any harm.
Gradually, everyone got used to it. The various constraints on Chika were invisibly relaxed, and by now, they had completely accepted the reality that her grades were only average. At most, they would just dock her pocket money as a warning.
Even a trendy online game like ALO, which should have been strictly prohibited by the Fujiwara family, was glossed over by Chika using the excuse of balancing academics and making friends.
—Ryu was the breakthrough point in her life.
No one taught her this; Chika probably didn't even realize it herself to this day. She had simply adapted to the situation and developed into what she was now... There was really no other explanation than it being her natural Dao.
Ryu perceived part of the truth, but since he sensed no malice in Chika's actions, he was happy to help.
For him, this childhood friend was extremely difficult to deal with.
They had spent so much time together, and their relationship could be called intimate. Ryu should have had plenty of opportunities to "farm gold coins" from her. Yet, in reality, after so many years, he had only harvested a single coin from Chika—not even as much as Rurikawa, whom he had only known for three years!
It was normal for the maid; after all, she didn't come from a blockbuster anime, so her destiny power might not be very strong. But Chika was, at any rate, a popular supporting character in a famous work. Such a paltry amount was just too shabby!
She gave off a slippery feeling, like an eel that one didn't know how to handle.
Ryu had basically despaired of Chika by now, feeling that there was no good way to farm coins from her other than forcibly pushing her down. But considering her as a romantic partner always felt a bit weird.
Tsk, she clearly had such a lewd body, yet she had absolutely no sex appeal to speak of, this woman!
***
"Hum hm hum~"
Miss Fujiwara Chika, unaware that she had been evaluated by Ryu as having "absolutely no allure," was currently happily shopping with her besties.
—Asuna, Shirogane Kei, and Mieruko.
Perhaps due to her naturally optimistic nature, she could get along with anyone. Several girls with different backgrounds, ages, and personalities had been gathered together by her.
There was also a pink-haired girl clinging to Kei, affectionately linking arms with her. She looked quite similar to Chika and possessed an equally voluptuous figure, standing out like a crane among chickens amidst girls of the same age.
—Fujiwara Moeha.
The third of the three Fujiwara sisters. She was a classmate and close friend of Kei. Like Chika, she was cheerful and generous, but she seemed to have a higher EQ than her sister and was very good at reading the atmosphere.
Ryu evaluated her in his heart as a "belly-black girl even harder to deal with than Chika."
It hadn't yet turned to autumn, so the weather was still slightly hot. The girls wore light, fluttering long skirts, revealing glimpses of fair calves or thin silk stockings as they walked. Only Kei wore denim shorts, her straight, slender legs full of youthful vitality under the sunlight.
Their appearance, temperament, and posture were all impeccable, more naturally beautiful than any affected girl group. A group of five walking down the street naturally attracted quite a few gazes.
Kei and Mieruko had both happily accepted Chika's invitation for a very simple reason:
They really liked playing ALO.
For Kei, it could still be counted as a hobby, but for Mieruko, ALO was simply a spider's thread in the abyss, sustaining her tiny sense of happiness.
Because cyber ghosts wouldn't appear in virtual reality (and even if they did, they wouldn't haunt her), Mieruko would go in to hide whenever she wanted to escape reality, and her sleep at night had become more peaceful.
Originally, the price of professional cosplay costumes was not low, representing a considerable expense for these two girls of average means. But Ryu proposed to provide them with COS costumes, so the financial issue naturally ceased to exist.
To avoid damaging the girls' self-esteem, Ryu specifically established the title of "Special Guest." Anyone who went to the event venue as a COSER, whether professional or amateur, could receive a subsidy. It was a return for specially coming out in the scorching summer to boost the game's popularity.
Chika and the others naturally took the highest level of subsidy, directly cashing it out into a set of "custom-made COS costumes"—they were the family and friends group, after all!
This time, they went out to the streets to purchase the rest of the necessary items:
Cosplay wasn't just about changing into a set of clothes and a wig; there were also cosmetics, false eyelashes, chest binding cloth, chest pads... Cough!
A special note: the last two items were not needed by everyone; it depended on individual conditions.
Many skincare products were inconvenient to ask others to buy. After all, with this stuff, it wasn't a case of "the more expensive, the better." Only the girls themselves knew what brand and series suited their skin type.
Regarding this, don't look down on them just because they were generally only sixteen or seventeen; they were already quite knowledgeable. Especially Asuna and the Fujiwara sisters, who could enumerate the pros and cons of various domestic skincare products as if they were family treasures, making Mieruko and Kei nod repeatedly.
In Japan, makeup for girls was a "prominent study." It demonstrated female charm more than cooking or handicrafts and could almost be called a required course.
(It was even more severe in Korea; men had to wear makeup too.)
The standard in Japan and Korea was that "light makeup" counted as a "bare face"!
Many cute JK girls looked like they were facing the world bare-faced, but in reality, their technique was superb, painting a natural look that left no trace.
Of course, people like Asuna and Shirogane Kei belonged to the category of true natural beauties. They didn't need to spend much thought; they only needed to do skincare well to show their inherent beauty.
On this point, even the most unreliable Chika would achieve all-around protection with zero blind spots, especially when coming out under the big sun!
In many anime, there is the "High School Debut" plot point. That is, plain country girls and otakus who were inconspicuous in middle school would undergo a magnificent transformation at the start of high school, suddenly becoming trendy and beautiful.
—This implies that one must start paying attention to one's image in high school at the latest; otherwise, it becomes difficult to enter the small circles of the class.
Of course, the degree must be grasped well. Dressing oneself up didn't mean becoming a gyaru or a delinquent; meeting the mainstream standard was enough.
Don't be overly anxious!
Although it sounded troublesome, there were internal reasons for this, such as helping adolescents who were just awakening to romance build self-confidence.
School anime came out every year because Japanese high schools really didn't lack material, whether it was romantic comedies or passionate sports... Of course, there was also the accompanying dark bullying and melodramatic youth drama.
Chika and the others either came from high-status families or possessed exceptional looks and intelligence. They all belonged to the standard upper-class circles, so those negative factors couldn't affect them.
"...Wow, do we need to buy this much?"
Kei listened to Chika counting them off one by one, from basic moisturizing and locking toner and primer to lipstick, eyelashes, eyeshadow, and eyebrow pencils... her small mouth slowly opened.
She actually had quite a few skincare products herself. Although her family finances were troubled, her father and brother loved her dearly. They even prepared a special vanity for her at home. While not filled with light luxury goods, they were decent brands with guaranteed quality.
But before, she had focused on how to maintain her skin and hair quality. she hadn't really touched the world of advanced makeup, let alone professional-grade cosplay makeup!
"Kei-chan is surprised, right?" Chika giggled. "To get as close to the character's image as possible, COS makeup is actually more particular than the makeup in many movies—that's why live-action adaptations of manga look exaggerated."
"But if we have to buy so much, my allowance won't cover it," Kei scratched her cheek in distress. "I thought we just needed to buy false eyelashes or something."
"Of course, we don't need to be that serious." Chika hugged the slender Kei, rubbing against her like a pervert, not minding the heat at all.
"Kei-chan just needs to dress up a little bit. If you try too hard, it won't be good if you steal the spotlight from the professional players~"
"Chika-nee is exaggerating~"
Kei resisted and pushed Chika away, her face slightly red.
"Will it really look good? It won't be too eye-catching, right..."
"There will be many fans like us there; don't worry about it~"
Moeha hugged her from behind; Kei had just escaped the tiger's mouth only to fall into the wolf's den.
"Kei-chan's cuteness must be shown to the world more!"
"Moeha-chan, it's so hot~"
Mieruko couldn't help but smile: "You guys have such a good relationship; you look just like sisters."
"Ideally! I've always wanted an innocent little sister like Kei-chan~"
Moeha pressed against Shirogane Kei's back, immersed in the scent of shampoo mixed with a slight hint of sweat, taking deep breaths repeatedly.
"Because I'm the youngest at home, I really yearn to be an older sister~"
"I'm very happy you feel that way... but I'm afraid I'm the one acting as the older sister." Shirogane Kei pulled Moeha's small hands away with difficulty. "No matter how you look at it, I'm the more mature one, right?"
"Kei-chan's birthday is in August, right? I'm in June~" Moeha's eyes were hazy as she murmured, "Come, call me 'Onee-sama'—Ouch!"
Bang!
Chika showed no mercy, striking Moeha on the top of her head, forcibly waking her sister from her rose-colored atmosphere.
"Moeha, you really are... don't flip strange switches here~"
"It hurts... Big Sis, you're so mean... Brother Mamoru wouldn't treat me like this."
"It's precisely because he spoils you too much that I need to be stricter with you; otherwise, your sister is very worried about your future!"
—You don't have the qualification to say that, do you?
Everyone looked at the flighty Chika in unison, making her pause.
"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
"Nothing, just feeling that Moeha isn't the only one being spoiled by Kuse-senpai."
"?"
Chika was puzzled, but as they passed a promotional sign where several small idols were distributing flyers on the street, her attention was immediately drawn away.
The word "idol" had become similar in meaning to "star" or "actor" in the neighboring great nation, but in Japan and Korea, the birthplace of idol culture, the gold content was actually not high.
Before the bubble economy burst in the last century, idols were relatively rare existences. But due to the economic downturn, both Japan and Korea chose to vigorously develop the entertainment industry. Since then, idols had become products on an assembly line.
Various boy groups and girl groups were like fast food from the Golden Arches; new products appeared every week, and various personas could be custom-ordered to satisfy public tastes.
Amidst the sifting of the waves, not many could make it big. And even if they reached the top of the idol circle, if they couldn't transform in time, they would inevitably fade into the crowd—they didn't earn much, far less wealthy than their peers in the neighboring great nation.
Excluding businessmen and politicians, the ones who made the most money in general industries were actually sports stars. Their status was also far higher than idols, like Son of Korea and Ohtani of Japan.
Sports stars could win glory for the country, after all!
Becoming famous through Messi and Ronaldo versus becoming famous through a girl group were two completely different things!
Especially in Korea, where feelings of inferiority were heavy, a gold medal there was truly a death-exemption medal.
Underground idols personally distributing flyers on the street like this might be inconceivable in the neighboring nation, but in Japan, it was truly a common sight.
Before they made a name for themselves, they occupied the same ecological niche as street bands, or even lower... Small bands could act abstractly and play twisted internal politics, but if an idol group dared to cause trouble, they would be gone by tomorrow!
"Thanks Welcome to come and play"
"Thank you."
Chika skillfully accepted the flyer, nodding in greeting. She hadn't intended to stop, but the content on the flyer made her pause slightly.
"ALO... isn't this the flyer for 'Fairy Dance'?"
Brightly colored illustrations, familiar characters, and impactful fonts—this was undoubtedly the large-scale offline event Ryu had mentioned!
Are they starting to promote it vigorously already?
At this moment, Mieruko's surprised cry came: "It's the '[Back Street Girls]'! My friend likes you guys super much and even took me to see a live show... Ah, are you promoting ALO? What a coincidence~"
[Back Street Girls]?
Chika's brain spun for a moment; it sounded vaguely familiar.
There were quite a few of these underground idols. Generally, their fan base was limited, but the proportion of hardcore fans was high. Sometimes they particularly hit the tastes of certain people; perhaps Mieruko's friend was one of them.
"That's right, we are promoting that A... game!"
The brown-haired center holding the flyers stood with hands on hips, speaking with full vigor, simply and clearly.
"Our manager said that since it's a rare chance to connect with a big enterprise, we must perform well!"
In fact, they were doing volunteer promotion for free; one could say they were very dedicated.
"It must be hard on you in such hot weather."
Mieruko said cheerfully: "I will go to the venue that day too. I'll definitely cheer for you then!"
"Oh oh, thanks!"
The center gave a thumbs up: "I won't forget this friendship, oh lovable young girl!"
"Hehe, your way of speaking is still so interesting, just like an old man~"
Mieruko covered her mouth and giggled, thinking this was a characteristic of the "[Back Street Girls]"—after all, enforcing a persona was very important these days.
In fact, the "old man style" they occasionally revealed did indeed make some people find them interesting, turning them into fans.
"Call your friends along too when the time comes; everyone should... Hmm? Aiko? What are you dazing out for? Don't stare at people; although she is indeed very beautiful—can't you see she's troubled?"
"Ah, sorry!"
The black-haired girl with long straight hair wearing a miniskirt suddenly woke up with a start. Taking a deep breath, she hurriedly bowed in apology, almost parallel to the ground.
"I was distracted, I'm sorry!"
"Eh? No need to be so agitated; it's not a big deal." Asuna was startled and also bowed down. "Please don't mind it."
"...Okay."
The dignified and heroic-looking tall girl bit her lip, saying "calm down" to herself several times in her heart. Only then did she lift her face, which now wore a bright and cheerful smile.
"Please accept this. I hope you can have a wonderful experience."
"Thank you, I'm looking forward to it too." Asuna lifted the strap of her bag and accepted the flyer with both hands.
She must be working very hard. That look of suppressing some impulse... is she about to get heatstroke?
Looking at the other party's forced smile, the naturally kind Asuna couldn't help but feel a trace of pity, solidifying her thought to cheer for them when the time came.
"Excuse me, you are Number Four... Miss Aiko?"
"Yes." The black-haired girl curled her toes tight, and her left hand hanging down quietly clenched into a fist behind her back.
"I am Number Four. Just call me 'Ai-chan'~"
This sentence had become smooth to say, but a sudden wave of nausea just now nearly made her throw up.
"Ai-chan~" Asuna was gentle and generous as always. "My friends and I will definitely go!"
—To the current "her," that smile was simply more blinding than the midday sun.
Watching those girls leave, Number Four, Ai-chan, was lost in soul and spirit all afternoon. Her performance was very sub-par, and she was scolded severely by the manager upon returning, which she could only endure silently.
Her companions began to comfort her. Ai-chan was moved to tears but refused to speak of her inner turmoil—although they shared joys and hardships, some things simply couldn't be told to others.
However, her mood, which was supposed to gradually calm down, was stirred into huge waves again upon seeing the performance outfits for training:
"What is this?"
"Training clothes."
"That's not right. No matter how you look at this... it looks like a swimsuit."
"The exposure isn't that high~"
At most, it was the level of a racing swimsuit—her companions didn't think much of it.
Of course, due to the design, there was indeed a little bit of temptation...
"We are going to stand on stage to attract popularity for them; how can we do that without showing some assets!"
Number One, the Center, frowned. As the "Big Brother," she usually took good care of Number Four. Even though Number Four wasn't originally her underling, as fellow fallen people, she should lend a hand out of duty.
But this didn't mean Number Four could do whatever she wanted. One had to know that the entire group was under the control of the "Group Leader." Their money and personal safety had absolutely no guarantee; they had to do their utmost to complete the tasks from above to survive.
It was time to let Number Four know the cruelty of this industry!
"We are idols! And an underground group without much of a name at that.
"This time, the partners are [Rect] and the Kuse Group, promoting a hugely popular work... Although our slot isn't very high, there will be a lot of exposure. Being a little extreme at a time like this won't do any harm!"
"But..."
"There's also a specially choreographed 'Fairy Dance.' We have to practice until we know it by heart these next few days!"
"I'm saying..."
"This is a big client. If we fail, the Group Leader will definitely kill us!"
"..."
Wait, you're saying you want me to wear this, dance a gaudy dance, and pose seductively to other men in front of THAT woman?
Realizing what she was about to face, Sugou Aiko's pupils instantly dilated. The darkness locked deep in her spirit suddenly lost control. In a flash, the world turned upside down, and she knew not where she was.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!"
"Aiko! What's wrong with you, Aiko!"
"Quick, call the manager!"
"No, call an ambulance!"
________________________________________
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