As Hiko was being led by Ai, he advised her, "If you're going to ask someone a question later, it's best to buy a ticket first, then ask your questions."
"Why do I need to buy a ticket?" Ai didn't understand the connection between the two things.
"While you don't necessarily have to buy a ticket, if you do, her attitude will definitely be much better. If you don't, she might pretend not to know anything, or say it's a secret and she can't tell you," Hiko explained.
"So there's an unwritten rule like that, I've noted it down." Ai expressed understanding, but considering the thickness of her wallet, she asked Hiko, "What's the usual price for a ticket?"
"That varies from person to person. However, underground Idols without much fame definitely won't sell tickets at too high a price. Otherwise, if the price goes up, fewer fans will be willing to buy them," Hiko wasn't sure how much the other party would sell them for.
"I hope it's not too expensive..." Ai led Hiko in front of the cardboard girl, took a deep breath, and calmed herself.
"Buy one, please!" At that moment, the cardboard girl poked her head out of the cardboard box. She wore pink cat ear accessories on her head, and her hands, which extended outside the box, were adorned with pink cat paw gloves. In her left hand, she held a black concert ticket with a pattern printed on it.
The cardboard box had some Kanji and English words printed on it, seemingly her group name and her stage name.
It also stated: (Ticket: 1000 yen.)
"Um, I'd like to buy a ticket," Ai said directly after approaching.
"Are you really buying one?" The cardboard girl looked up at Ai with a surprised expression, then noticed the two of them holding hands, and said, "Aren't you buying two? Not with your friend?"
Ai didn't respond to the cardboard girl's words. She simply pulled a 1000 yen bill from her wallet and handed it to the cardboard girl. "Um, could I also ask you something?"
"Thank you." The cardboard girl took the bill, retreated into her cardboard box, pulled out a new ticket from inside, and then presented it to Ai with both hands. "Here's your ticket!"
"Give me one too." Hiko, seeing the situation, had no choice but to speak up, adding at the end, "I just want to participate in activities with you."
As he spoke, he also took out his wallet, pulled out a 1000 yen bill, and handed it to the cardboard girl.
"Thank you very much." After handing the ticket to Hiko, the cardboard girl gave Ai a bright smile and said, "Go ahead and ask. If it's something I know and doesn't involve privacy, I can tell you."
"You're an underground Idol, right?" Ai began asking questions after receiving permission.
The cardboard girl nodded, "Yes!"
"Is it because you haven't signed a contract with an agency that you have to sell tickets yourself?" Ai asked again.
"Because no agency has taken an interest in me," the cardboard girl replied.
"But, you're so cute, why hasn't an agency taken an interest in you?" Ai asked curiously.
"I don't know why no agency has approached me. Maybe I'm not good enough, which is why no agency members have come to find me," the cardboard girl's tone became sad.
"But I'm not outstanding either, and I'm still young, yet a talent scout told me I have the potential to be a C-position. Why is it that you, who are so cute, haven't been approached by an agency? I clearly don't know how to do anything either, but they said that," Ai recalled the situation when the president first recruited her, upon hearing the cardboard girl's words.
"Why is that?" Ai asked cluelessly.
"A piece of advice, you really shouldn't say things like that in front of other underground Idols in the future!" The cardboard girl felt a rush of blood to her head upon hearing Ai's words and kindly warned her.
The cardboard girl looked at Ai's bare face, comparing it to her own made-up appearance...
"I'm very sorry, Ai, she's completely clueless about social etiquette." Hiko added from the side, "So she speaks too directly, please don't mind her."
"It's okay!" The cardboard girl replied with a forced smile, "Idols don't get angry at their fans!"
"But we're not your fans... Mmm... Mmm..." Ai, hearing the cardboard girl's words, immediately pointed out her mistake.
However, when Hiko heard Ai say the words "not your", he immediately sensed trouble and quickly covered her mouth with his right hand, blocking her last words.
Ai struggled, wanting to break free, but the difference in strength caused her to fail.
"Sorry for disturbing your valuable time." Hiko led Ai away from the cardboard girl's location before releasing his right hand from her mouth.
After letting go, he felt a slight dampness in his palm, which he assumed was from covering Ai's mouth just now.
"What are you doing! I still had so many things I wanted to ask her!" Ai said the moment she was released.
"Her expression had already darkened. If you kept asking, she would have gotten upset," Hiko told Ai about the situation he had observed.
"But I already spent 1000 yen! I only asked a few questions, and I still have so many things I want to ask." Ai showed a disappointed expression, then looked up at Hiko, suddenly remembering something, and asked, "Hiko-kun, do you have mind-reading abilities that can see through people's hearts?"
"I wish I did," Hiko glanced at Ai before answering.
"I'm asking you a question, why are you looking at me? Trying to read my mind?" Ai noticed Hiko's gaze.
"Not at all," Hiko answered without hesitation.
Then he looked at the ticket he had just bought and saw the date and address written on it:
Performance Time:
February 27th, 17:05
Location: Shibuya Music Street...
"Tomorrow is the 27th. Are you planning to come watch her performance tomorrow?" Hiko asked Ai.
"At that time, I'd like to come and watch, but tomorrow I also have to see you, depending on what time your practice ends." Ai shook her head. "This is a ticket bought for 1000 yen, so I definitely have to come and watch. And by then, I might even meet that underground Idol, and I can take the opportunity to ask more questions."
"Since there's no performance now, we should hurry and find a suitable venue, otherwise it will be very late." Ai looked up at the sky filled with the evening glow.
"No rush," Hiko took out his phone and checked the time.
17:24
"Even if we choose a suitable venue, the time to go back will be delayed. Otherwise, taking the train from Shibuya would be a disaster." Hiko knew that the rush hour was approaching; it was best not to take the train, or you would be squeezed into meat paste. "You don't want the train to be too crowded, do you?"