Chapter 2: Capsule Planets

Late that night, while I was dead to the world, my phone buzzed on my nightstand.

I checked the message, rolled out of bed, and trudged over to the share house next door. The living room was pitch black.

Which room was I heading to?

Akahoshi Miku.

The gilliest, sweetest-looking member of the group.

“I’m the cute one singing, so you better get hyped! If I see anyone in the back with their arms crossed, I won’t forgive you!”

That was her stage persona—a bit haughty, a bit competitive. But inside her room...

The "haughty" Akahoshi was currently standing in the corner of her room, her eyes welling with tears. When she saw me, she looked at me with pure desperation and pointed a trembling finger toward the window.

“B-bug...”

I stepped toward the window by her bed. Stuck to the outside of the screen was a large drone beetle. I gave the screen a sharp flick with my finger. The beetle buzzed off into the night.

“See? All gone.”

“But... it was there...”

Akahoshi stayed rooted to her spot, stepping on the hem of her pajama pants. This was the truth: Akahoshi Miku was deathly afraid of insects.

I slid the window shut and pulled the curtains tight. “There. Now bugs can’t get in, and even if they land on the screen, you won't have to see them.”

“Okay...” She sniffled, finally making her way back to the bed. “I just wanted to save on the electric bill by using the breeze instead of the AC...”

“Don’t worry about that. President Meno pays the utility bills.”

Akahoshi crawled under the covers, looking utterly defeated. “Sorry, Manager. I’m always like this.”

“It’s fine.”

“Please don’t give up on me...”

“Don't get all gloomy! It's okay!”

“But... bugs...”

Normally so assertive and bold, Akahoshi Miku turned into a total "wimp mode" disaster the moment she encountered anything with more than four legs. I tucked her in and made sure she was settled.

“It’s okay. I’ll handle the bugs. Now, get some sleep or you won't be able to work tomorrow. Goodnight.”

In the end, it turned out a few more bugs had slipped in while the window was open. I was summoned back to Akahoshi’s room three more times before dawn.

The sun was just beginning to bleach the sky when my alarm went off. I was the first one up. Rubbing my bleary eyes, I headed back to the share house.

My next destination?

Tsukishima Mashiro.

The girl with the ethereal aura and the cool, serene eyes. Because of her pure, gentle appearance, the fans called her "The Angel."

She had an otherworldly quality to her, as if she didn't quite belong to this mundane reality. Even though we were the same age, I found myself calling her Tsukishima-san out of a strange sense of respect.

Her fans probably imagined her living a life of transparency, existing on a diet of mist and morning dew. Like a literal angel.

But—

“Wake up, Tsukishima-san! President Meno sent a message saying you have a solo gig today!”

I shook her shoulder. Tsukishima-san responded by scrunching up her beautiful brow and squeezing her eyes shut even tighter.

“Too loud...”

The cool-eyed angel...

“Five more minutes...”

The ethereal, otherworldly Tsukishima Mashiro...

“Five more hours.”

“Make it five minutes, at least!”

The truth was, Tsukishima Mashiro was a nightmare in the morning. She rolled over, turning her back to me as she tried to fuse her body with the wall. I grabbed the duvet to pull it back, but she gripped it with surprising strength, resisting me.

“Please, just get up!!”

I eventually won the tug-of-war. As the blankets fell away, Tsukishima-san reluctantly sat up. That would have been fine, except that in her half-asleep state, she immediately began sliding her pajama pants down and unbuttoning her top.

A flash of pale thigh and the curve of her chest caught my eye.

“W-wait! Stop!”

I spun around, averting my gaze. Tsukishima-san looked at me, a mischievous glint in her sleepy eyes.

“What? What’s wrong?”

She stood up, her pajamas hanging open, and drifted toward me.

“Hananome-kun, your face is all red. Do you have a fever?”

She leaned down, peering into my face.

“Are you okay? Why is your face so red? Hey, why? Why-why-why?”

Pressed by her white skin and the sight of her lingerie, I panicked.

“Just get ready and come out!” I shouted, practically diving out of her room.

A while later, a fully dressed Tsukishima-san emerged. Her hair was perfectly styled, her white blouse was crisp, and her skirt didn't have a single wrinkle. Standing there was the pure, transparent angel the world saw on TV.

“Sorry about this morning. I’m such a nuisance,” she said as she stepped into her shoes at the entryway.

“Well...”

Just as she reached for the doorknob, she looked back at me.

“Maybe starting tomorrow, I’ll let Hananome-kun help me take my pajamas off, too.”

“Excuse me?!”

“I’m counting on you.”

She gave me a look that could have been a joke or a serious threat—I couldn't tell. Maybe she wasn't quite the "pure angel" everyone thought she was.

My work wasn't over yet.

After a night of bug-hunting for Akahoshi and a morning of wrestling an angel out of bed, I headed back for a nap. I figured since it was summer vacation and there was no school, I could finally get some rest.

I was wrong. A massive crash, like a pile of wood collapsing, echoed from the share house.

The culprit?

Yakumo Aya.

The tallest girl in the group, usually seen wearing glasses. She was shy, reserved, and often hunched her shoulders as if trying to disappear.

“But Aya-chan’s potential is insane! If she just had some confidence, she wouldn't lose to anyone in singing or dancing!” My idol-obsessed sister had been very adamant about this. “Plus, her chest is huge. A lot of guys want to see her in a swimsuit. Capsule Planets doesn't do that kind of fan service, but still! Aya-chan can do way more than she thinks!”

When I entered her room, Yakumo Aya was buried under a pile of timber. Nails and hammers were scattered across the floor. I cleared the boards away, and Yakumo emerged, her face turning crimson with embarrassment.

“What were you trying to make this time?”

“A bookshelf...”

Yakumo had a goal: she wanted to build all the furniture in her room herself. She was a DIY enthusiast. However—

“Are you okay?” I asked.

Yakumo quickly tried to hide her hands. Her fingers were covered in Band-Aids. She’d clearly had a run-in with a hammer.

“Ehehe...” She gave a sheepish laugh, like a child caught doing something naughty. “President told me not to get hurt, but I failed again.”

“Do you want me to help you with the nailing?”

“Thank you so much.”

I listened to her vision for the bookshelf and set to work. Once the frame was done, we sanded it down together and applied the varnish.

After we finished, Yakumo took off her glasses and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve. She gave me a shy, radiant smile.

“That’s another piece of furniture we made together, Hananome-san.”

“Sorry if I’m being nosy.”

“No, no! This is... well, it’s actually really nice...”

Then, her expression clouded with worry. “I’m just too clumsy, aren't I? I really can’t do anything right...”

“It’s okay,” I said, giving her a peace sign. “You’ll get better. I can tell.”

“...You’re right. I’ll get better!” She beamed at me. “Next, I’m going to tackle a TV stand. If I can’t do it... well, you’ll have to help me again!”

She flashed a double peace sign back at me.

Looking at her, my heart skipped a beat. It wasn't just the "unprotected" vibe she gave off, or the way her "huge chest" (as my sister put it) was emphasized by her posture. It was her face.

Yakumo wasn't wearing her glasses. Without them, she looked like a completely different person. Her eyes were wide and bright—she looked incredibly glamorous.

When I asked why she wore glasses on stage, she told me she’d worn them since she was a kid and felt anxious without them. President Meno said it was up to her. I thought it was a bit of a waste; she was charming already, but without those glasses, she could steal the spotlight from anyone.

Just as I was thinking that, my phone buzzed.

“Is that Sorano-chan?” Yakumo asked.

I nodded. “I better go.”

I sent a quick “Stay where you are” message and sprinted out. Since my bike was still in the shop after the taxi incident, I ran to the station and hopped on a train. I got off at the destination and called her.

“What can you see around you? Yeah, tell me everything.”

Using her description of the scenery as a guide, I wove through the backalleys until I finally found a girl with a short haircut and a mask over her face.

Aoyama Sorano.

The girl with the most female fans in the group. She was sporty, cool, and a fantastic dancer. Normally, she’d be the "tomboy" of the group, but her features were so striking that she also worked as a model. She was supposed to be at a photoshoot today, but—

“Sorry,” she said, giving me a refreshing grin that was exactly like her public image. “I got lost again.”

Aoyama Sorano had a catastrophic sense of direction. She was the kind of girl who would try to board a Shinkansen and somehow end up at an airport.

“But we studied the route on Street View yesterday!” I sighed.

“I really thought I had it this time~!”

“So what happened?”

Aoyama-san showed me her phone. “I heard there was a Chocomin Panda pop-up store around here.”

Chocomin Panda was the latest mascot craze. Apparently, there was a limited-time shop selling exclusive straps.

“I tried to stop by before the shoot, and, well...”

She’d strayed from the path we’d studied, failed to find the store, and ended up completely lost.

“Alright, let's go buy it together.”

We found the store, but the line was massive. If she waited, she’d be late for her shoot.

“Go to your shoot. I’ll wait in line and get it for you,” I said.

“Hananome-kun, you’re too soft on us,” Aoyama-san joked. “You’re going to spoil us rotten!”

I sent her off to the set, went back to the store, and stood in line for hours. I managed to snag two types of the limited-edition Chocomin Panda straps. I could have gone home, but I knew she’d probably get lost on the way back, too, so I went to the shoot to pick her up.

When I arrived, the street snaps were just finishing up. Aoyama-san spotted me and waved.

“Hananome-kun! Let’s go home together!”

On the way to the station, I handed her the goods. She opened the bag, pulled out the straps, and squealed with joy. “Thank you~!!”

Then, she handed one of the two straps back to me. “This one’s for you.”

“Are you sure?”

“You’re always taking care of us.”

That effortless, cool charm was why Aoyama-san was loved by guys and girls alike.

“I think you’re a bit overprotective, though,” she added, puffing out her chest. “I know you go to wake up Mashiro every morning, even on off-days. She’s totally relying on you now. You should be stricter!”

She grinned confidently. “I mean, I’m happy you came to get me, but I can at least find my way back the way I came.”

She then turned left at the intersection with absolute confidence.

“The station is the other way, Aoyama-san.”

“......”

She wordlessly drifted back to my side, acting as if nothing had happened.

“I guess Maya is the only one who doesn't need you to look after her, huh?”

“True. I don't really do much for Yoruno,” I admitted.

Unlike the other four, Yoruno didn't have an obvious weakness. She was the perfect, flawless honor student. But—

“I wonder if she really is flawless,” Aoyama-san mused. “I mean, she’s the center, right?”

Being the center meant being the face of the group. People expected a lot from her. Aoyama-san seemed worried that Yoruno was pushing herself too hard.

“I thought maybe she’d show her weak side to you, Hananome-kun,” Aoyama-san said, giving me a knowing look. “I mean, it’s pretty obvious she likes you.”

“Huh?” I tilted my head.

Our eyes met for a second. Aoyama-san just went, “Hmm,” and looked ahead. “I see. Guess I was imagining things.”

We chatted about nothing important the rest of the way home. I’d played dumb, but I didn't know if Aoyama-san bought it. After all, Yoruno wasn't exactly hiding her feelings.

◇

First, you crush the world with your beauty...

Yoruno Maya was undoubtedly at the center of the new era. You couldn't walk through a station without seeing her cool profile on a monochrome ad, or open social media without seeing clips of her dancing on stage.

It hadn't been announced yet, but she’d already finished a shoot as an ambassador for a major luxury brand. Soon, the world would see her in high fashion.

But Yoruno’s true talent wasn't her looks.

Her visuals had paved the way, but... Yoruno Maya was an incredible singer.

Real artists had recognized it the moment Capsule Planets debuted, and eventually, the public caught on. Now, President Meno was flooded with offers for collaborations. But—

“Maya-chan isn't even trying yet,” the group's vocal coach told me.

She’d whispered it to me while I was escorting the girls to the practice studio.

“She’s adjusting her voice so she doesn't drown out the other members.”

Yoruno’s technique was so high that even the coach hadn't noticed she was holding back at first. But she’d caught Yoruno singing alone in the studio when she thought no one was around.

“If Maya-chan actually sang with her full power... half the professional singers in the industry might just retire out of shame,” the coach said. “But she won't do it. She treasures the other members too much. She has no interest in being a solo diva. That’s what makes her so cool.”

Everyone—the public, the professionals—saw Yoruno as this cool, capable leader.

But—

“Hananome-kun, what are you doing with your free time?”

Yoruno, her face hidden by a hat and oversized glasses, asked me this as we walked down the street after a job. She had a lot of solo work, which often left gaps in her schedule.

“Do whatever you want, Yoruno. I have to reply to some emails for President Meno, so I’ll just find a cafe.”

“Okay. I’ll go shopping then.”

She nodded and headed toward the station building. But as I wandered around looking for a cafe—

I realized Yoruno was trailing right behind me.

“Yoruno...”

“I—I mean, well, I might get lost like Sorano-chan! And, uh, and...” She stammered. “It’s better to be with my manager in case of an emergency...”

So, we walked together.

But Yoruno was close.

Aoyama-san was the type to get close to people, too—our shoulders often brushed when we walked. But Yoruno’s closeness was different. She leaned in, staying at a distance where our sleeves were constantly on the verge of touching. But the moment they actually touched, her face would turn beet-red and she’d start acting like a nervous wreck.

Since she was following right behind me today, every time I stopped for a red light, she’d bump face-first into my back.

“Sorry, you okay?”

I looked back. Yoruno was blushing, adjusting her glasses and fidgeting nervously.

This girl really, really likes me.

Usually, even if you like someone, you feel a bit embarrassed and try to hide it from others. But Yoruno didn't seem to have those brakes installed.

She was a cool, stylish idol. But when we were alone, she was like a little kid.

Once we were in the cafe, I sat down with the secondhand laptop President Meno had given me and started sending emails. Yoruno sat quietly in the seat opposite me. But the second I took a sip of my coffee or took my hands off the keyboard—

“Hananome-kun, you don't put much sugar in your coffee, do you?” she said brightly. “I put way too much in when people aren't looking.”

Now she was like a puppy. While I was working, she was in a "stay" position. The moment I closed the laptop, the puppy charged.

“Also, Hananome-kun, do you like beef and green pepper stir-fry?”

“That’s a pretty specific bit of info.”

“Your sister told me. She said even when you go to a ramen shop, you only order the chinjao rosu set.”

“I mean, I do have a tendency to do that.”

“I see. So Hananome-kun’s favorite food is chinjao rosu. Chinjao rosu, chinjao rosu...”

She repeated it over and over so she wouldn't forget.

Look, I’m a stoic guy, but it’s hard not to be happy when a girl like Yoruno takes such an interest in you. But at the same time, I wondered: Why me? President Meno said she’d liked me for a long time. Had we met somewhere before?

As I was thinking, Yoruno—now finished memorizing my favorite food—spoke up again.

“I also heard this from your sister...”

“You talk to her a lot, don't you?”

“Yeah. We go out together sometimes.”

“......”

My sister was really making the most of her connection to me.

“So, Hananome-kun, is it true that in middle school, you supported a masked singer named 'Leo'?”

I froze. “I don't know if you’d call her a 'singer.' To the rest of the world, she was just an anonymous girl uploading her songs.”

Back then, I’d been browsing video sites for music. A video had appeared in my recommendations—it was 'Leo.' It had zero views and had just been uploaded. I played it. And I fell in love with her voice instantly.

“Leo’s voice was incredible. Her sad songs made you feel truly sad; her happy songs made you feel pure joy. Every time she uploaded something, I was there to listen.”

I told her about how I’d leave supportive comments and how, when she released some indie merch, I’d spent all my allowance buying every single item.

“But the view count never went up past the number of times I’d watched it. And the total sales for the merch were exactly the number of items I’d bought.”

After about six months, Leo stopped uploading.

“She was never discovered by the world...”

As I sat there, getting a bit misty-eyed over the memory, Yoruno suddenly looked away.

“S-so...!!” she stammered. “What do you think Leo-chan is doing now?”

Yoruno started acting all fidgety. I thought about it for a moment.

“She’s probably still singing somewhere. With that much talent, there’s no way she stopped.”

“Yeah! I think so too!” Maya nodded vigorously. “Maybe Leo-chan became an idol or something!”

“Nah, no way. With a voice like that, she’s probably being more... stoic. Like, she’s in New York training to become a serious artist who only competes with her voice.”

“......”

Yoruno tilted her head, thinking, then clapped her hands. “Maybe Leo-chan is just a normal girl?”

I was the only one who responded to her videos.

“But she was encouraged by that one single fan! And for that fan’s sake, she thought she had to do something bigger, so she worked hard and became an idol!”

Yoruno said this, then turned shy, whispering something I could barely catch.

“When she was uploading music, Leo-chan was a middle-schooler, too. She checked the social media of the person who left comments and realized they were the same age... and she f-f-f-fell in love with him... but since she was just a middle-schooler, nothing happened...”

Maya’s eyes started spinning.

“But now she’s a high-schooler, and she had a chance reunion with him! And he was exactly how she imagined! She’s right there, right next to him, thinking 'I’m Leo! Notice me already!' and just... waiting for him...”

I seriously considered her "Leo became an idol" theory. But—

“No, I don't think Leo would become an idol,” I said. “The name 'Leo' has this vibe of a lone wolf, you know?”

Yoruno’s face clouded over. “Maybe she just picked Leo because she’s a Leo. I bet she wishes she was born a little later so she could be a Virgo instead.”

“I have a good ear, so I know. Leo’s voice isn't something you can achieve with a half-hearted attitude.”

“You think? Maybe she got good for a really stupid reason?” Maya countered. “Like, maybe when she was little, she was home alone a lot and felt lonely, so she played singing videos and sang along to the screen to distract herself, and before she knew it, she was good.”

“No, it wasn't like that. That voice was forged through a dramatic experience and raw talent. Something harsh happened to her that we can't even imagine—”

“I think she probably just tried to mimic Western rap or songs made with synthesizers that weren't even meant for humans to sing, and because she wasn't thinking about it, she just figured out how to do it.”

“Wrong. Leo is a more mystical girl. I can tell. I’ve listened to Leo more than anyone. I know Leo better than you do, Yoruno. Better than anyone in the world.”

“......”

Suddenly, Yoruno’s face went flat.

“Hananome, you’re really annoying.”

“Wait, without honorifics?! Just like that?!”

The "I love you" aura she’d been radiating vanished instantly. Something had clearly ticked her off.

“This isn't my Hananome. My Hananome isn't this much of a klutz.”

“Hey, come on, cheer up.”

I’d made an idol angry right before she had to work. I was failing as a manager. I tried to backtrack, thinking about where I went wrong. Of course! Yoruno was a top-tier singer herself. Praising another singer so much in front of her was insensitive.

“Look, I don't even listen to Leo much anymore!” I said, trying to fix my mistake. “Capsule Planets is the best! I’m not just saying that because I’m your manager! You guys are better than Leo. Let me say it again: Capsule Planets is better than Le—OW!”

Yoruno kicked me in the shin under the table.

“Weren't you acting all shy and nervous when you touched me earlier?!”

Yoruno glared at me with cold eyes. “Hananome, never say 'I have a good ear' ever again. It makes me want to punch you. A Maya-Punch.”

“What?! Why the sudden personality shift?!”

Is Yoruno Maya... one of those girls with massive mood swings? Like an emotional landmine?

“I’m mad now! I’m eating a parfait!”

Yoruno huffed and ordered a parfait. When it arrived a few minutes later, I saw my chance. “I’m going to the restroom,” I said, standing up.

I headed toward a table in the corner of the shop. A middle-aged, burly man wearing a beret was sitting there. I spoke to him quietly.

“You’re one of the guys from the other day, aren't you?”

The man tried to stand up, but I pressed down on his shoulder, keeping him in his seat.

“I have a nose for bad guys. I can smell the rot on you.”

The man instinctively reached for a fork on his plate of spaghetti. I slid the plate away with my palm before he could grab it. Realizing the fork was out of reach, he tried to kick my legs from under the table. I stomped down on his foot.

We struggled silently in the corner of the quiet cafe. The other customers were reading books and chatting happily, oblivious.

The grumpy Yoruno was now happily devouring her parfait.

Keeping an eye on her, I finished the struggle by pinning the man’s neck with my elbow and pressing him against the wall.

“I don't know the details, but I guess when an idol is this glamorous, they attract trash like you.”

Within ten seconds, the man passed out. His arms went limp. Since he was unconscious, he looked almost like a corpse.

This is definitely not 'normal.'

I looked around. Luckily, no one had noticed. I quickly folded his arms and pulled his beret down further over his eyes. From any angle, he just looked like he was deep in thought or taking a nap.

I scanned the room. Aside from a man with a slightly awkward neck angle, everything looked peaceful. A tranquil afternoon.

I nodded to myself.

“...Perfect. It’s totally normal!”

◇

We rushed out of the cafe.

Yoruno had spent so much time savoring her parfait that we were now cutting it dangerously close to her next gig.

"It’s all Hananome-kun’s fault!" she huffed, her cheeks puffed out. "I was so annoyed that I had no choice but to eat the whole thing!"

"You just wanted to eat it, didn't you?" I asked, a dry smile tugging at my lips.

"I did not!"

Despite her protests, Yoruno glanced down at the cute designer watch on her wrist.

"Oh no... what should I do? I’m going to be late!"

It was rare to see Yoruno so flustered. She was a serious, hardworking girl at her core. But—

"You’ll be fine," I told her.

I met her eyes and gave a small nod. "You’re fast on your feet, Yoruno. You’ll make it. I know you will."

Yoruno fell silent for a moment. Her frantic energy dissipated, replaced by a calm, steady gaze as she stared directly into my face.

"What is it? Something on my nose?" I asked.

"Hananome-kun... you say that a lot, don't you? 'You'll be fine.'"

"Do I? I guess it’s just a habit."

"I bet you wrote that in the comments for Leo-chan too, didn't you?" she mused. "Back when her view counts weren't growing and she was feeling discouraged."

I thought about it for a second before answering. "I might have."

"I’m sure you did," Yoruno said, finally averting her eyes. "Even with the rest of the Capsule Planets girls... whenever Hananome-kun says 'you’ll be fine,' they start to feel like everything really will be okay. It puts them at ease."

"Is that so?"

"I think the way Hananome-kun helps everyone is... well, it’s pretty great." She paused, looking off toward the horizon as she usually did when being honest. "So... make sure you keep looking out for them, okay?"

Even though she refused to look at me, hearing those words from her made me feel genuinely happy—enough to make me feel a bit self-conscious.

For the first time in my life, the thought occurred to me: Being useful to someone is actually a pretty wonderful thing.

"President Meno was praising you a lot, too," Yoruno added. "She said Hananome-kun has been doing a great job protecting our privacy."

"Huh?"

"You’ve been chasing off the reporters trying to sneak photos of where we live, right?" Yoruno gave me a small, grateful smile. "Thanks for that."

I hesitated for a beat before replying. "Right... Yeah, I guess I have been doing that."

The truth was, I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.

◇

That night, I stepped out onto the road in front of the girls' sharehouse and my own home.

A nondescript sedan was parked at the edge of the street.

The words Okuma Real Estate were printed on the side of the vehicle. I approached the car and rapped on the glass. The power window whirred down, revealing a tanned man with short-cropped hair in the driver's seat.

"I figured it was you," I said. "The one chasing off the press."

The man gave me a friendly, gregarious grin. "It’s what you call 'after-sales service,' Ittetsu-san. I’m the one who handled the rental brokerage, after all."

The man’s name was Okuma Shigeru. True to his name—kuma meaning bear—he was a massive individual, currently looking quite cramped in the driver's seat of his company car. He’d been wanting to buy a large van for a while, but apparently business wasn't profitable enough yet, so he remained stuck in a compact car that was far too small for his frame.

In reality, he was the one who had introduced Yoruno and the others to this sharehouse when they were looking for a place in Tokyo.

"I heard Yoruno was being chased by some nasty-looking characters," Okuma mentioned.

It seemed he’d heard from my sister about the day I jumped off the pedestrian bridge.

"It’d be a disaster if something happened to my clients. So, I’ve made it a point to stick around after work and keep an eye out for any suspicious types before I head home. Like this."

Apparently, chasing off the paparazzi was just a side gig.

"Did you know this road is actually private property? I can toss out anyone I don't like."

"Never mind that," I countered. "You never told me the tenants were idols."

"Oh, did I forget? My mistake," Okuma said with a perfectly straight, feigned-innocent face. "More importantly, Ittetsu-san... an idol manager, huh? You’re starting to take after your Father. The old man always did have a soft spot for the flashy entertainment business."

"Don't be stupid," I snapped. "The world isn't like that anymore. That era is over."

"You think so?"

"I’m just working a normal part-time job. Doing things the normal, honest way."

Okuma had played with me often when I was a kid. Even back then, he was a stout, hulking man who was always smiling. The only time I’d ever seen him without a grin was at my father’s funeral. I remember him helping carry the casket, thick tears streaming down his face.

"They’re good kids, aren't they?" Okuma asked, his eyes drifting toward the light leaking from the sharehouse windows.

"Initially, when I heard they were idols, I tried to set them up in a high-security apartment building. There was a property with an entire floor vacant."

President Meno had been on board, thinking of the members' safety. But the five girls, led by Yoruno, had all shaken their heads.

We don't need to live somewhere expensive. Please use that money to do things that will make our fans happy instead.

"See, back then, no one expected them to blow up like this, right? So they told us to put their own comfort last," Okuma explained.

That was when Okuma made his decision.

"I realized this sharehouse was the only choice. After all, this building was built by your Father—a man who never stopped helping people, regardless of profit or loss. I wanted those girls to live here."

"So the reason it stayed vacant for so long was because you were being picky about the tenants?"

"............"

"Give me back that lost rental income!" I shouted, reaching into the car to jokingly throttle him.

Okuma took it with a nonchalant expression. "Now, now, isn't it fine? Anyway, I want those girls to be able to live here for a long time, so I’ll keep standing guard to make sure no creeps show up."

I thought back to what had happened to Yoruno that day.

"They weren't just 'creeps,'" I muttered.

"Is that so?"

"They were trying to force her into a taxi."

Initially, Yoruno had tried to take a taxi that was already waiting. However, an older woman in a hurry had cut in front of her. Then, another taxi that had been idling further away pulled up to the stand.

"They wanted her in that second taxi."

The men tailing her, the woman who cut in line, and the driver of the second taxi who engaged in that game of chicken with me—they were all in on it.

"I see. So they were trying to snatch Yoruno's body. How very troublesome," Okuma noted. "And," he continued, "their method... a kidnapping where the victim doesn't even realize they're being taken until it's too late. That’s a classic 《The Play》. We’re dealing with some real bottom-feeders here—people with the knowledge and experience to pull that off. Well, the flashy industries have always attracted the dregs of society. That’s just how the market goes."

"Has there been a string of incidents targeting idols lately?" I asked.

"I’m not exactly an expert on the industry."

As he spoke, Okuma began tapping away at his smartphone.

"I’ll send a message to Kotora. That guy is still mostly doing promos for regional amusement parks, but he’s technically with an ad agency. He might know something."

Okuma looked at me with a knowing smirk.

"I see, I see. So that's why you took the manager job. You’re planning to take down the bad guys before those young ladies even realize they’re in danger."

"It's just a part-time job. I just wanted some extra cash for summer vacation."

"Sure, sure. And I bet you haven't told Yoruno that she was almost kidnapped, have you?"

"There's no need to," I said firmly. "Yoruno and the others are having the time of their lives. I don't need to burden them with the ugly side of the world."

Okuma continued to grin at me.

"You’re really annoying, you know that?"

"Now, now," Okuma replied, sounding genuinely pleased. "Hananome Ittetsu-san... you really are Hananome Daitetsu’s son. I think I’ll take the liberty of following your lead. I have a feeling that as long as I’m with you, I won't have to worry about being bored."