"...Fish!"
"Nonsense! You clearly said idol development just now!"
Sato glanced at Ritsu with an amused smile. "Didn't you just say you didn't hear me clearly?"
"None of your business!"
Ritsu was being completely unreasonable, but her eyes were shining brightly.
"Come on, tell us! What's this idol development thing? Is it some kind of game? No way! You actually have the nerve to abandon all these beautiful girls to go play some game?!"
"Is your mouth a machine gun?"
This time, it was not Sato who retorted, but Mio.
The black-haired girl with long, straight hair sat nearby, looking at Ritsu with an exasperated expression after she had rattled off a whole string of words.
"What! I'm just curious!"
Ritsu shouted loudly, sounding like a quacking duck.
After everyone calmed down, however, their gazes eventually converged on Sato.
Sato easily understood what they meant.
He shrugged. "Real-life idol development."
"Real-life?"
Even Mio found this surprising. She asked curiously, "What's that about?"
Sato suddenly turned toward the cool, aloof girl not far away. "Yukinoshita should still remember what you told me before about Otonokizaka, right?"
"Otonokizaka?"
Yukinoshita Yukino slightly furrowed her delicate brows, her clear eyes filled with confusion.
She seemed to think for a moment before raising her eyebrows slightly. "You mean Otonokizaka being shut down?"
As expected of Yukinoshita. She could still remember something from so long ago!
Sato praised her inwardly, then nodded. "Yeah. What you mentioned casually before has happened."
Most of the people in the clubroom were hearing about this for the first time.
Although they were somewhat surprised, even more of them found themselves confused.
Nakano Azusa asked curiously, "Does this have anything to do with the idol development Senpai mentioned?"
"Of course it does."
Sato nodded first, then began explaining the origins and circumstances of the matter to everyone.
Everyone listened quietly, and the astonishment in their eyes grew stronger and stronger.
In order to save their school from the impending crisis of being shut down, several girls had decided to form a school idol group together and raise the school's popularity!
Wasn't this more inspiring than Boruto?!
"Wait! So you're abandoning us for other women?!" Ritsu suddenly cried out, standing up and pointing at Sato.
"What kind of ridiculous thing are you saying?!"
Sato's mouth twitched.
"Bang!"
A righteous fist landed on Ritsu's head, knocking her flat onto the floor.
"..."
Mio took a deep breath and calmly looked at Sato. "Continue."
Sato glanced at Ritsu, who had been punched onto the floor, and silently prayed for her.
"Kosaka Honoka's older sister happens to know me, so she asked me to help."
"Eh?!"
Yuigahama Yui jumped over from the Service Club's side and looked at Sato strangely. "But... why would she ask you, Sato?"
"There is naturally a reason for that."
Sato gave an ambiguous answer.
"What reason?"
Yuigahama Yui stared at him with curious, bright eyes.
"Smack!"
A slender hand landed on Yuigahama Yui's shoulder. She turned her head and saw Yukinoshita Yukino's somewhat helpless expression.
Yuigahama Yui immediately realized what she had done.
As a member of the extroverted social crowd, she was naturally good at reading the room. She immediately scratched her head and gave Sato an apologetic, sheepish smile before following Yukinoshita Yukino back to the Service Club.
"Anyway, that's how it is."
After Sato finished speaking, he exhaled a breath of stale air. Helping Kosaka Honoka and the others was not merely because Akane Kosaka had asked him to. If he could handle this matter well, it could also bring certain benefits to the development of the website.
"Though, come to think of it, I haven't really gotten involved in too much. I've mainly just been helping them with some general planning and giving them advice."
"Manager?"
The young lady, Tsumugi, tilted her head as she looked at Sato.
"Not quite."
Sato thought for a moment before shaking his head. An idol group's manager was more like a caretaker. They had to handle everything from rehearsals to logistics for commercial performances and so on.
"Then a mentor?"
Mio's expression became somewhat strange. Even she could not figure out what exactly Sato could possibly teach them.
"Maybe. So, sorry, but I won't have any time this Golden Week. Let's go out together another time."
"All right! It's decided!"
Suddenly, Ritsu's energetic and spirited voice came from behind them.
Everyone looked up and saw Ritsu standing by herself at the back. Her right hand was clenched into a fist, and she had no idea what she was pumping herself up for. There was not the slightest sign that Mio's punch had just emptied her HP bar.
"We're going with Sato!"
Ritsu looked at them and spoke excitedly.
Everyone: "..."
Nakano Azusa stood beside Sato and whispered, "I feel like if Senpai goes, he'll just be there to cause trouble..."
Sato could not help giving her an approving look.
As expected, the only junior in the Light Music Club was not only cute, but also a perfectly normal girl.
To be honest, he felt that the girls in the club were all somewhat abnormal in one way or another.
Ritsu was too wild...
Yui was too airheaded...
Mio was too shy...
The young lady was too curious...
"Ah! Azusa, how can you say that?!"
Although Nakano Azusa had spoken very quietly, Ritsu still heard her. She pulled Nakano Azusa into her arms and vigorously kneaded the girl's cheeks, giving her a full dose of the flat-chest treatment.
"Mmph... S-Senpai, let me go!"
"No! No! Azusa is just too fun to squish. No wonder Yui likes her so much. It feels just like hugging a cat!"
"Right, right!"
Yui enthusiastically agreed from the side.
It was not until Ritsu caught sight of Mio's raised palm again that she suddenly released Nakano Azusa. After clearing her throat twice, she looked pitifully at Sato.
"Just let us go with you. We can help too!"
"What kind of help?"
"We're a professional band!"
Sato's mouth twitched.
Come on, let's have some shame!