"Ai-chan!!"
"Ai-chan!!"
As B-Komachi took the stage, the atmosphere inside the STARRY live house instantly became frenzied. The audience uniformly waved their glow sticks, screaming "Ai-chan!" It was almost impossible to hear the cheers from any other member's fans.
This sheer dominance in popularity made B-Komachi feel like a one-person act centered on Hoshino Ai. The moment Hoshino Ai stood on stage, the other members seemed to fade into backup dancers.
"She truly is Ai-chan, she's incredible!" Behind the small bar, Nijika felt the terrifying popularity, her eyes filled with admiration. Only those who have been on a stage truly know the grueling training required to shine flawlessly like Hoshino Ai.
Hitori stared blankly at Ai on stage, her eyes reflecting the dazzling, confident radiance emanating from the idol. "So powerful!" Being able to confidently enjoy the audience's attention on stage was practically the template for the socially anxious girl's daydreams!
Ryo observed the interactions between Ai and the other members on stage and noticed a few clues. "But her personal popularity is too high for the group... the team's atmosphere will get weird."
"But this world is just that cruel. No matter how hard ordinary people try, they can't catch up to the pace of a genius."
"Well, that's something the managers will have to coordinate." Nijika and Ryo discussed in low voices.
On stage, as one song ended, Ai turned her gaze toward Asa, who was peeking over the bar. "Asa-kun, you were watching oneechan nicely..." Ai gave a sweet, doting smile that instantly drove her fans into a frenzy of screams.
"This next song was composed by my little brother..." Ai's voice carried through the speakers. The few girls behind the small bar were briefly stunned, then immediately spun around to look at the little shota who was barely tall enough to clear the bar counter by standing on a stool.
"Asa-kun, you can write songs?" the girls asked in shock.
Asa scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. It wasn't "writing songs"; they were just popular songs from his past life that he had hummed. "I just hummed it casually, and Ai-neechan thought it sounded good, so she arranged it." Asa answered honestly.
As the rhythmically vibrant intro began, the three girls' bodies jolted.
"It is good!" Ryo grabbed Asa's little hand and said seriously, "That's what the great geniuses throughout history said, too! Our Kessoku Band will hire a teacher to commission songs specifically. The payment will be one Bocchi-chan!"
"Eh, me?"
"Ryo, don't joke around with Bocchi-chan and Asa-kun!" Nijika ended the roughhousing with a mock karate chop. "Alright, the performance is almost over, and the next band is up. We need to go help clean up."
"Asa-kun, stay here and be good. We'll be right back!" The three girls scurried towards the backstage.
At that moment, a beautiful woman in a white dress with purple hair walked up to the bar. Her pale purple, alluring eyes fell on Asa, and she offered a gentle, friendly smile.
"Little brother, could I please have an Americano?"
Asa looked up at the slightly familiar face before him and paused.
....
Shimokitazawa is a compact area, yet deeply beloved by young people. It's filled with trendy and unique shops worth exploring. The mixture of cafés and bars, theaters and live houses creates a unique street atmosphere. Stylish handsome men and beautiful women are everywhere, which also makes Shimokitazawa a hunting ground for playboys and playgirls.
Kamishiro Rize was one of them. Except, others hunted for romance.
She was a Ghoul. She hunted for lives. Especially the lives of men!
"Lately, there have been too many boring people. They don't even whet my appetite."
Rize walked down the streets of Shimokitazawa, surveying the mundane surroundings. She preferred to wear simple, pure white dresses. Her waist-length purple hair and black-rimmed glasses adorned her stunning, yet faintly seductive face. Pure and alluring simultaneously, a simple white dress was enough to steal the attention of most men.
However, she had recently grown tired of these ordinary mortals. Even her food, her prey, she wanted to be more refined and pure. That way, when she revealed her true nature as a Ghoul and smeared their fresh blood on their face, the contrasting look of shock and despair would add a great deal of spiritual pleasure and flavor to her meal.
She casually walked into a live house. The crowd was packed, wildly waving glow sticks and cheering for the girl on stage.
"More vulgar people," Rize scoffed, turning to leave.
As her gaze swept the room, she suddenly spotted an extremely handsome little shota standing obediently at the drink bar not far away. She stopped in her tracks. Her beautiful eyes were locked on the little shota. That innocent face had a purity that seemed untouched by the world's filth.
Rize's heart stirred. She had never eaten tender grass before.
Taking delicate steps, she walked over and spoke gently. "Little brother, could I please have an Americano?"
"Sure, one moment." The little shota's movements were quick. He soon set down an Americano.
Rize leaned against the bar, displaying her voluptuous figure, and slowly brought the coffee to her red lips.
"Mmm..."
As the coffee hit her palate, Rize's beautiful eyes widened slightly. This was the most delicious coffee she had ever tasted, far superior to the brews made by those people at the Anteiku shop. It was almost comparable to the taste of human blood.
"Fascinating, another new discovery!" She finished the coffee sip by sip. "What did you put in this coffee? It suits my taste perfectly!" Rize let out a soft sigh of pleasure and walked around the bar, seemingly wanting to investigate further.
"Onee-san, that's a trade secret!"
"Besides, Onee-san, you haven't paid yet!"
Asa looked at the woman before him, his eyes calm. Trying to dine and dash?
Hmph! You monster! I can tell with one look that you're not human!
What can you do with ten seconds of Time Stop? Asa was starting to feel the urge to test it out!