Although Hiko said it was still early, he still took Ai to a hall venue he had found beforehand: Orchard Hall at Shibuya Bunkamura[1].
According to the information, it had 2,150 seats, which wasn't a lot.
However, a performance was currently underway in the concert hall.
"Excuse me, are there still tickets for the next show?" Hiko asked the ticket seller.
"There are still some seats," the female ticket seller said after checking the computer in front of her.
"Two tickets, please, preferably A-class seats in the middle, together," Hiko said, relieved that there were still seats available for the next performance.
"A-class seats are 10,000 yen each. Two will be 20,000 yen," the ticket seller replied, not treating Saito Hiko with any condescension despite him being a child.
'20,000 yen… So expensive!' Hiko gasped at the price.
The ticket for that underground idol was only 1,000 yen, this was ten times as much!
But since he had already asked, and the tickets were ready, it would be too awkward not to buy them… Just as Hiko was hesitating, Ai tugged at his sleeve.
Hiko looked back at the girl in confusion.
"Hiko-kun, maybe we should forget it. The tickets are too expensive," Ai said softly after hearing the price.
'Forget it?' Hiko considered not buying them, but then he remembered he wasn't poor anymore.
'It's just 20,000 yen, isn't it? It's not like I can't afford it!'
Hiko shook his head, rejecting Ai's suggestion. He took out two 10,000 yen bills from his wallet, handed them to the ticket seller, and said calmly to Ai, "It's just 20,000 yen. Let's buy them."
Ai quickly grabbed the hand he was holding the money with. "If we're buying them, I'll pay for my share."
"Consider it my treat. No need to be so precise." Hiko knew Ai's finances weren't abundant, while he still had over 18 million yen in cash.
"If it were less than 1,000 yen, I might accept. But 10,000 yen? I can't let you pay for both of us."
Ai pulled back Hiko's hand, then took a 10,000 yen bill from her wallet, pressed it into his hand, and said firmly, "If these tickets were 1,000 yen, I might accept your treat. But these are 10,000 yen each. I can't let you shoulder it all, I must pay my share."
"If you insist, then let's get second-class seats instead," Hiko gave up trying to persuade her after seeing her resolve. He turned to the ticket seller and said, "Two second-class seats together, please."
"Second-class tickets are 5,000 yen each. Would you like two?" the seller asked politely, not looking down on him for changing to cheaper seats.
Ai didn't object this time and released Hiko's hand.
"Confirmed, two second-class seats together," Hiko said, handing over a 10,000 yen bill.
The ticket seller quickly processed the order, printed the tickets, and handed them to Hiko.
As soon as he finished, the doors opened and people began streaming out of the performance hall.
"Oh right, weren't we just here to observe? How did it turn into buying tickets to listen to music and watch others perform?" Ai asked, watching the departing crowd and recalling the original purpose of their trip.
"Because you can't get in without a ticket," Hiko twisted the facts.
"That… seems true," Ai said, glancing at the ticket checkpoint.
The crowd surged around them as the performance ended. Hiko took Ai's small hand and led her against the wall to avoid being swept away.
"The live performance was really great!"
"Right? It's a pity it only lasted a little over an hour."
"Hard to disagree. I wish it could've been longer."
"Even if it were, the lead singer couldn't possibly sing that long."
…Hiko listened to the passing conversations. Everyone seemed satisfied with the performance.
From their words, the artist performing there had strong singing skills. And judging by what they said, the show had been a solo performance, not a group act.
"Indeed, an artist performing in such a wonderful venue must be very capable," Ai exclaimed after hearing the passersby.
"I disagree," Hiko countered. "If the performer were truly that capable, she should be on a bigger stage, not stuck in a small indoor hall for just over two thousand people."
"And most of the people who pay to come here are die-hard fans. As long as their oshi [2]doesn't sing completely off-key, they'll wholeheartedly support them. Some extreme fans, even if their oshi commits a crime and goes to jail, will still insist it wasn't their fault, and instead blame…"
"Are you just belittling others to make me feel better about myself?" Ai asked, unconvinced by his reasoning.
"I'm just stating facts," Hiko said seriously.
"Now that the hall is empty, let's go inside and scout," Ai said, dropping the subject and trying to pull him toward the ticket check.
"Once the performance starts, there won't be time to come out for anything. What drink do you want?" Hiko resisted.
"Then I want strawberry milk," Ai said readily, accepting his treat this time. A can of drink wasn't expensive, she could treat him back next time.
"Let me see…" Hiko checked the vending machine but didn't find strawberry milk. "That flavor's too popular. It's out of stock."
Ai was silent for a moment, then said:
"Just buy me any sweet drink."
'Any…'
The word immediately made Hiko recall something he'd once read:
A man and a woman went out to eat. The man asked what the woman wanted, and she replied, 'anything.' The man really ordered randomly. But when the food came, the woman scolded him, pushing all the blame onto him…
So Hiko felt a little uneasy hearing the word 'anything.'
He thought back to Ai's lunch boxes over the past month and came up with an answer.
"We'll eat..."
But he cut himself short, suddenly realizing he'd asked about drinks, not food.
[1] The Bunkamura is a concert hall, theater and museum located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Located next to the Tokyu Department Store, it is operated by the Tokyu Bunkamura, Inc. of the Tokyu Group. Bunkamura opened on September 3, 1989, being the first large-scale cultural complex in Japan when it opened.
[2] Oshi (推し, lit. "Favorite") is a Japanese slang term used mainly for idols and actors, and refers to a person who is your favorite and that you focus most of your support on.