I leaned back, the final stack of paperwork checked off with a satisfying flourish. "Done already? That was quick." Today's load at Hololive Production was light, leaving my afternoon wide open. A-chan had waved me off, saying I could head home, but I lingered, unsure how to spend the sudden freedom.
"Morning, Reiji-san!" "Hey, Reiji-kun, morning!"
Two voices broke my reverie. Tokino Sora, her long hair adorned with a red ribbon, and AZKi, her black-and-pink locks catching the light, approached with large paper bags in hand.
"Morning, you two," I said, eyeing them. "What's up? Got a recording today, right?"
Sora nodded, ribbon bobbing. "We were filming a cover song, but equipment issues pushed it to tomorrow."
AZKi stepped forward, opening her bag. "We got checked gifts from Soratomo and Pioneers. Wanna build these with us, Reiji-san?"
Inside were Gunpla boxes—Strike, Freedom, Strike Freedom, even a Skygrasper. "All Seed," I noted, impressed. Probably inspired by their stellar Gundam Seed cover video, one I secretly looped. But then I saw the labels. "Wait, all RG? Seriously?"
Real Grade kits matched HG's 1/144 scale but boasted intricate internal frames and nearly double the parts. Not beginner stuff.
"Are RGs that hard?" Sora asked, tilting her head.
"Not hard, just tedious—lots of tiny parts," I said. "But the result's killer. I built a Wing Gundam recently, and it was awesome, despite mixed reviews."
"Then let's build them together!" Sora urged. "We'd mess up alone, and it'd be rude to our fans not to try."
"I love all the Seed Gundams," AZKi added softly. "I want to do them justice."
Hard to argue with that. With my day free, I caved. "Alright, let me grab tools—"
"Why not your place?" Sora interjected. "You've got everything there, right?"
"Yeah," AZKi said, "you stocked up after Fubuki and Mio."
I froze. "How do you know that?" I hadn't told a soul about my new tools.
Sora grinned sheepishly. "Roboco left a camera at your place. We can all watch the footage on our phones."
What?! A hidden camera? That explained Roboco's weird vibes last visit. "You're spying on me? And you saw me… uh, doing stuff?"
AZKi blushed, mumbling, "Only two or three times a week…"
"Don't say it!" I snapped, mortified. No wonder everyone's been acting strange, some eyeing me like prey!
"It's fine, Reiji-san," AZKi stammered. "No one's judging…"
"Guys have needs," Sora teased. "I wouldn't mind helping—"
"Stop! Your idol purity's crumbling!" I groaned. Forget it. I'd deal with Roboco later. "Let's just build."
Meanwhile, in another studio, Roboco, the short-haired, bespectacled bot-girl, sneezed cutely. "Achoo!"
"Roboco-senpai, you okay?" her junior asked.
"Y-yeah, just a chill…" Roboco shivered, a bad feeling creeping up.
At my apartment, we washed up and set up. Sora took the RG Strike Freedom Gundam, AZKi the RG Freedom Gundam—Kira Yamato's iconic Seed machines, their blue wings a standout. Freedom had beam cannons; Strike Freedom's Dragoons detached for remote attacks. Popular and easier to find, but RG's complexity was daunting.
"Start cutting parts," I said. "Internal frames are fiddly—don't clip what you don't need."
Sora grunted, snipping carefully. "These are tiny."
AZKi frowned at a toe part. "This cut's bumpy…"
I handed her a design knife. "Shave it slowly with this. Too fast, and you'll nick yourself or the part."
I demonstrated, smoothing the bump, then showed sandpaper. "Start with 400-grit, then 600, 800 for a clean finish. Add a Gundam Marker in a matching color, wipe lightly, and the cut's gone."
"Wow!" Sora marveled as her part gleamed. "It's perfect!"
"Barely noticeable now!" AZKi beamed.
Their excitement was infectious. I'd felt that rush too, first time I tried it. "Keep going."
Hours later, after a grueling build, we finished. Freedom and Strike Freedom stood on action bases, posed dynamically.
"RG takes forever," I said, stretching. "But damn, they look alive."
"Totally!" Sora agreed. "Like they could move."
"The High-MAT Full Burst is so cool!" AZKi squealed.
"Glad you're happy," I said. "It's 7:30 PM, though. Getting dark. Time to head home."
"Eh?" they said in unison.
"What's 'eh'? It's not safe for idols to stay out late."
Sora grinned. "I told my family I'm staying over."
"Same," AZKi added. "Papa said you're trustworthy."
What?! "You planned to stay? I'm a guy! Your parents are okay with this?"
"They're fine," Sora said, blushing. "They even said I could… stay forever."
"Papa trusts you with me," AZKi murmured.
What kind of parents? Even if they're cool, the boss would—wait, he's oddly hands-off about me and the idols. "Fine, stay. Take the bed, I'll take the sofa—"
"No way!" they chorused.
"Let's sleep together!" Sora said, all innocence.
My brain crashed. A guy with two idols in one bed? Scandal city! "If I get… urges, you'll help?" AZKi mumbled.
"Don't dig up my shame!" I yelled. "Idols shouldn't say that!"
After thirty minutes of pleading, I caved. Bedtime found me sandwiched between them, their arms clinging to mine. No rolling over, just soft warmth—thrilling yet mortifying.
Why are they so defenseless? I thought, forcing my eyes shut. They're idols! Forget today, just sleep.
As I drifted off, they whispered.
"Hey, Azu-chi," Sora murmured.
"What, Sora-chan?"
"I'm not losing—to you, Fubuki, or anyone."
"Neither am I," AZKi replied.
Confirming I was out, they hugged my arms tighter, drifting into happy dreams.
Next morning, I stormed the office, nabbing Roboco. "How many cameras did you plant, junkbot?" I growled, iron-clawing her.
"Owowow! I'm sorry, Master! I'll remove them!" she wailed.
I banned her from my place for three months. She begged, but I let it slide—guess I'm soft.
Then Fubuki appeared. "Rei-kun, it's unfair Sora and AZKi got to sleep over! I wanna stay too! I'll help with your… stuff—"
"Shut up!" I roared.
The cameras were gone, but the sleepover footage sparked chaos. Fubuki and others demanded their turn. And please, everyone, forget my private moments!