Glossy, well-maintainted hair. A Baby Face.
A Lovable-airhead personality.
"You're right." Ruby said, gazing at Kana in realization.
Ruby clutches her hand in excitement.
"Speaking as a veteran idol chaser... Girls like her get ridic popular with otaku."
"Both your perspective and that analysis are kind of nasty." Aqua replied in a dry tone.
Aqua (thoughts):
"The story so far — we want to recruit Kana Arima for an idol group."
Aqua to Ruby:
"If she's be popular, that's perfect. Why not ask her?"
"Well yeah, but...Look. Loli-senpai and I have some extremely unpleasant history, remember?" Ruby said, in a guilty tone.
"No."
Aqua, not taking her excuses.
Ruby pouts:
"COME ON! SHE'S SUPER MEAN TO ME!!"
Aqua looks away, still dry of her excuses.
"Sure, because you keep saying "Crypto-genetics"
Aqua pulls his phone out.
"I'll get her out here. Just try talking to her. Then if you still think you can't get along, call it off."
Meanwhile on the room 2-G
Kana simply scrolling through her phone, reading the comments on the last episode of Sweet's today.
Comments:
"Funky Ponkichi: after a rewatch, it's obvious that Kana Arima's acting is the head and shoulders above the rest."
Kana blushed, flustered by the comment.– smirking, being proud of herself.
"Eheh!"
Comment 2:
"Tarako: That stalker dude was super-creepy and a took of sudden turn-off. But when I took a good look at him, he's pretty handsome. Not sure how to feel about that."
Kana eyes widened, remembering Aqua's face in that specific scene—Kana holds her cheek, blushing.
Suddenly, a notification popped up.
Aqua messaged:
"I've got something important to ask you. Can you make some time after school?"
Kana jumps off, don't know how to react — flustered, doubt, etc. all at once.
Kana scratches her cheek, wondering
"What's this about...? What could it be...? 'Something important ' like it's a big deal...?"
Kana enters the bathroom, brushing her hair.
"huuuh? Could this be what I think it is?" geez, what'll I do... Ahhh."
After School.
Kana walks to their meeting place, shyly brushing her hair, blushing.
"Sorry, did you wait—"
Ruby, crossing her arms.
"Wait long? Yeah, sure we did"
Kana's expression changed into annoyance in just seconds.
"Huh!? Well, you can just wait forever in—"
Kana's expressions softens, looking away slightly.
"Didn't you have something to ask me? Why is your sister here?" talking to Aqua.
"Because it's ruby's question." Aqua replied.
Kana sighed, annoyed.
"Haah, I got worked up for nothing."
Kana sat on the bench, scrolling through her phone.
"... So? What's the question? I've got places to be. You've got twenty seconds."
Ruby looks at Kana, disappointed.
"No such thing as tact with you, huh..."
Ruby then turns to Aqua, demanding.
"Onii-chan! If I ask her to be an idol now... It'll be like I'm telling her, 'You're Idol-Level Cute' right? That ticks me off!"
"It's weird where your pride kicks in."
Aqua replied, pretty disturbed.
"You want to start working ASAP? Don't you? Is this any time to be stubborn?" Aqua, referring to Ruby.
Ruby looks down, embarrassed.
"... Good point. You're right."
Ruby confronts Kana, trying to stay firm.
"Kana Arima-san. Would you become an idol with me?"
Kana tilts her head—confused.
"An idol? Where is this coming from?"
Ruby:
"Ichigou Production is putting together an idol unit. We're looking for members."
Ruby turns her head away slightly.
"I heard you were freelance, so, well...I'm scouting you."
Kana eyes widened, considering the words of Ruby.
"... Are you serious?" looking down.
"Waaay, way serious." Ruby replied confidently.
Kana:
"Give me some time to think."
Kana's thoughts:
No... That's not even... If I start working as an idol... I'll lose all 'young-actor' jobs. I'll end up working mostly 'Idol' jobs. And idol's burn out fast."
"If I don't make it there, I'll lose both jobs. If we're self-produced the risks is too much great."
Kana looks up at Ruby. Seeing her resemblance with Ai.
"Only...Ruby Hoshino... There's something about her. She really reminds me off that genius Idol, Ai."
Meanwhile on Ai's perspective.
Ai— watching Ruby, Aqua and Kana from afar, behind a tree. Listening to their conversation.
"My Ruby-chan? She's recruiting an idol member? Is the Ichigou Production's gonna start another Idol group??"
She turns her head back to the three.
Kana:
"I'm sorry, but —"
Aqua:
"Please, Kana Arima." he said with a pleading voice.
Aqua kneels down, begging Kana.
"Be an idol with my sister."
Kana was flustered, raising her head higher.
"...But... I'm not that cute..."
Aqua, with a bold tone.
"No, you are."
Silence
Aqua:
"I'm not saying this on a whim either. You're a lot cuter than the average idol. You're also someone I can trust with my sister."
Ai and Kana were both shocked.
Ai and Kana, intertwined thoughts:
"D-d-d-did he just call her/me cute!??"
Kana all flustered, trying to reason.
"B-but..."
Aqua — In a straight face.
"Please be an Idol."
Kana:
"I-I CAN'T!!"
Aqua:
"Please."
Kana shouts, desperate, trying to escape her feelings.
"I SAID I WON'T!"
"I'm asking you because I trust you, Kana."
"GEEZ!" Kana—All flustered around.
"I DON'T CARE IF HOW OFTEN YOU SAY IT! IF I CAN'T DO IT, I CAN'T! IT'S NOT JUST GONNA HAPPEN ALL RIGHT!??"
A few minutes later, on evening.
Kana— stumping the official agreement of membership.
Miyako:
"Welcome to Ichigou Pro. We're glad to have you on board."
Kana cries
"LOGICALLY, I KNOW, I SHOULDN'T, SO WHY... WHY AM I ALWAYS SUCH A–"
"Let's give it our best, senpai." Ruby—assuring Kana with words.
Meanwhile on Akira's house in the mountains.
Ai clutches her hands, trying to persuade Akira.
"COME ON AKIRA-SAMA!! I WANNA MENTOR THEM!! I WANNA MENTOR THE IDOL GROUP RUBY IS IN!"
Akira sighed — not glancing at her, still typing on his laptop.
"It's not an easy task, the risks of being exposed are high and we don't know how–"
Ai falls to the ground— clutching his shirt tightly. Akira turns his head slightly at Ai.
"Then I'll be A-san! Pwease! Pweasy pwease! Just... Let me mentor them!"
Ai said— her eyes, all pleading.
Akira squinted, clearly irritated — but not at her.
More at the situation. At the risk. At himself for even considering it.
He looked down at Ai, who was still clinging to his shirt like a child begging for candy.
Her eyes sparkled, determined... desperate... nostalgic.
Akira let out a long, controlled sigh — almost like a groan — and leaned back on the floor, supported by his arms.
"You're unbelievable…"
He muttered, a slight twitch in his brow — frustration clashing with something softer in his voice.
Ai smiled.
Victory twinkling in her eyes.
"So... is that a... yes?"
She asked with a grin, sitting on the floor mat.
Akira exhaled again, sharper this time — but emphaty won over him.
"No. That's a 'we'll talk logistics and security before I regret this'."
Ai smiles— she runs up to him, hugging him to the floor.
"Thank yew, thank yew, thank yew!!! You're the best Tōsan, Akira-sama!"
Akira laid, sighing— restless of thoughts.
"This is probably the worst decision I've ever made."