The final note of the song hung in the air for a moment, vibrant and electric, before being swallowed by a thunderous wave of applause and cheers. On stage, the three members of Mikuyi took a deep, synchronized bow. The professionalism was flawless; Hina's smile was warm and grateful, Izuwa's was cool and appreciative, and Ayumi's was blindingly bright. But I could see it. From my position in the crowd, I could see the laser-like focus in Ayumi's eyes as they remained locked on me- or more accurately, on Nami's hand, which was still loosely holding onto my arm.
"Wow, they're amazing!" Nami exclaimed, clapping enthusiastically. "Their live energy is no joke. I get why they're so popular." She finally let go of my arm to applaud with both hands, a small mercy for which I was eternally grateful. The release of her grip felt like shedding a spotlight.
"Yeah, they're… energetic," I said, already plotting my escape route through the dispersing crowd. The rehearsal was over. My job as a coerced audience member was done.
"We should try to get an autograph!" Nami suggested, her eyes sparkling with the thrill of the event.
"Absolutely not," I said, a little too quickly. "We have that lecture on socio-economic theory in thirty minutes. We can't be late."
"Oh, right," she said, her shoulders slumping slightly in disappointment. "You and your perfect attendance record."
Before we could make a move, a path cleared in the crowd as the three idols, now flanked by a couple of serious-looking staff members, made their way down from the stage. And their trajectory was aimed directly at us. It was like watching a heat-seeking missile lock onto its target. My blood ran cold.
"Onii-chan!" Ayumi's voice was sweet as honey, but it carried an edge that made the hairs on my arm stand up. She reached us first, her stage smile still plastered on her face, but it didn't reach her eyes. Those eyes were busy darting between me and Nami. "I'm so glad you came to watch! I saw you in the crowd."
"It was… fine," I muttered, trying to look as bored and unimpressed as possible.
Hina arrived a moment later, offering Nami a polite, curious smile. "Thank you for coming to support us. And for bringing Takeshi-kun. He can be difficult to motivate."
"Oh, it was no problem at all!" Nami said, bowing her head slightly. "You were all incredible. I'm Nami Tanaka, from Takeshi's class."
"Nami-chan, huh?" Izuwa drawled, her gaze sweeping over Nami from head to toe with an unnerving, analytical intensity. It was the look a predator gives a particularly interesting new creature in its territory. "You're the one who was holding my Onii-chan's hand so tightly."
Izuwa didn't call me Onii-chan. She was doing it purely to stir the pot, to stake a claim and create chaos. I could feel the atmosphere shift as a dozen different emotions- Ayumi's possessiveness, Hina's polite concern, Izuwa's malicious glee, and Nami's innocent confusion- swirled in the air around me.
Nami blushed, a faint pink coloring her cheeks. "Oh, that! I was just so excited, I had to drag him over. He was going to stay in the classroom and watch anime!"
Ayumi's smile tightened another notch. "Anime? Onii-chan would rather watch anime than see my very important rehearsal?" Her voice dripped with wounded melodrama. She took a step closer and, in a move of blatant territorial marking, looped her arm through mine, pressing herself against my side. "That's so mean, Onii-chan. I practiced so hard."
I felt like a piece of meat being fought over by impeccably dressed piranhas. "It was a good performance," I gritted out, trying to placate her. "Now, we really have to get to class. Come on, Nami."
I tried to pull my arm free, but Ayumi's grip was like a vice. "Nami-chan can go first," she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I need to talk to my dear brother about his priorities."
This was a nightmare. The remaining students in the quad were starting to stare, their phones subtly angled in our direction. We were a spectacle: the nation's top idol group having a weirdly intense public chat with two regular students.
Seeing my distress, Hina stepped in, ever the responsible leader. "Ayumi, we have a debriefing with the staff. Let Takeshi-kun get to his class. We can talk at home." She gently but firmly pried Ayumi's arm off of mine.
Ayumi pouted but relented under Hina's authoritative gaze. Izuwa just watched the entire exchange with a satisfied smirk, as if she had just finished a particularly satisfying game.
"Let's go," I said to Nami, grabbing her wrist- a poor choice of action, I realized a second too late- and pulling her away from the scene. I didn't look back, but I could feel Ayumi's glare burning into my back.
We walked in silence for a few moments, the buzz of the crowd fading behind us. "Well," Nami finally said, breaking the silence. "That was… intense."
"You have no idea," I sighed, finally letting go of her wrist. "Sorry about that. They can be a bit much."
"A bit?" she laughed, a light, airy sound. "Takeshi, your sisters are the most popular idol group in Japan, and they just had a very public, very weird family meeting because I held your arm. I think we're past 'a bit'."
I couldn't argue with that. I just grunted in response.
She bumped her shoulder against mine playfully. "So, 'Onii-chan'," she teased, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Is your little sister always that… protective?"
The question was innocent, but it hit the core of my daily struggle. "Protective' is one word for it. 'Territorial velociraptor' is another."
Nami giggled again. "I like you, Takeshi. Your life is way more interesting than I thought."
As we entered the lecture hall, I couldn't shake the feeling that my two worlds- the carefully constructed peace of my university life and the chaotic glamour of my family life- had just collided. And Nami Tanaka was standing right at the epicenter of the explosion. This was not going to end well. When I got home that evening, I knew an interrogation of the highest order was waiting for me. I just hoped I had the strength to survive it.