One week later, B-Komachi's new single Dissonance was released, soaring to an astonishing No. 2 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart—the highest debut ranking the group had achieved in its three-year history.
"The reason is actually pretty simple," Hoshino Ai remarked, effortlessly kicking off her slippers before curling up on the sofa, hugging the Strawberry Rabbit plushie beside her.
"Idols aren't just about selling sex appeal or backroom dealings, you know? For a lot of teenagers—or, well, people going through their chuunibyou phase—what they really like is that rebellious energy. You know, defying the world, rejecting authority, believing they're one-of-a-kind. Sexual fantasies are just one subset of that."
"Novelty is key, and the song itself is solid too."
Kitagawa Ryo nodded thoughtfully before asking, puzzled, "Where'd you learn all this, Ai?"
"What, Ryo doesn't believe I'm capable of saying something so—cultured?" Ai shot him a playful glare, resting her chin on the plushie's head as she fiddled with its long ears.
"I learned it at the theater."
"At first, I thought idol fans and theatergoers wouldn't overlap much. But when you were the lead, I saw so many young people in the audience, all completely mesmerized by your performance."
"That's when it hit me—performers on stage are projections of the audience. People are used to projecting their own emotions and preferences onto the stage."
She lifted the plushie to cover her face.
"Besides, the theater industry and the idol industry are fundamentally the same. Whether your acting's good or bad, packaging and promotion are what really matter. Even a once-in-a-generation genius could fade into obscurity if they don't know how to market themselves. On the flip side, with the right packaging, even mediocre talent can become the talk of the town overnight."
"I know things, you know? After you got famous, tons of other troupes started pushing child actors as their selling point. Some even rode your coattails to minor success. And those few success stories just fueled more people's desperation."
Here, she waved the plushie's right paw emphatically.
"But now, all of them are washed up."
Then, she peeked out from behind the rabbit with half her face visible.
"Just like how some idols can smile and say 'I love you' on stage, and fans will eat it up, while others can give a cold stare while throwing a heart sign, and fans will still love it. Because in their eyes, it's all part of the act. At the end of the day, it's all about image."
After finishing her little speech, Ai hugged the plushie again and stretched out a hand toward Ryo with a grin.
"And thus concludes today's lecture by Hoshino Ai, currently active super-popular beauty idol. Don't forget to pay your tuition!"
"…How about ice cream?"
"One Orange Bear, please!"
"We're out. Ruby took the last one."
"Then Strawberry Rabbit?"
"That's even more out."
"So there's only one option left?"
"Or, hear me out—there are other brands of ice cream. We still have that huge stash you brought over last time."
Ryo walked to the kitchen and pulled out a tub of Häagen-Dazs from the fridge.
"Here. Your beloved Häagen-Dazs."
Ai made a slightly disgusted face.
"Meh—not as good as—"
"I seem to recall you used to dream of 'Häagen-Dazs freedom.'"
"Because back then, it was the only brand I knew."
She paused, biting back the words that followed.
When she'd filled out that idol profile questionnaire for fans, under Favorite Food… that was the only presentable brand she could think of.
She still remembered how laughably sparse that profile was now.
Favorite clothing brand? Only knew Uniqlo.
Favorite book? Hadn't read any—wrote Secret.
Dream travel destination? Back then, her world was just the hazy memories of home and the orphanage's four walls. So, again—Secret.
She'd even been teased by Memei and the others for being a "secrecy fanatic." It's not like it's a big deal to share some of these things, they'd said.
Why 'secret'? Because I didn't even know myself.
Shaking off the memories, Ai grinned.
"But if you asked me now, I'd definitely say Strawberry Rabbit and Orange Bear!"
"Because you starred in their ads?"
"Hmph~ Secret."
She pressed a finger to her lips and winked at Ryo.
She didn't want to lie anymore, but she also knew some things couldn't be said outright.
Her honest words had helped her reconcile with Meimei and Watanabe Seiko in B-Komachi, but that didn't mean sincerity was an invincible weapon.
It was only now that Ai truly understood what secret meant.
A real secret stays buried deep in your heart. But if you tell someone outright that something's a secret…
What you're really saying is, Guess what it is.
But it wasn't time for the answer yet.
That night, Ai dug out her old profile again.
With emotions she couldn't quite name, she began rewriting it.
[Favorite Food: Orange Bear and Strawberry Rabbit]
[Dream Travel Destination: Want to visit Miyazaki Prefecture again]
[Favorite Book: The Tale of Genji]
[Favorite Clothing Brand: Everything he's given me]
Finally, Ai added a question that hadn't even been on the original form.
[Favorite Person]
She twirled her pen, hesitating to write it down. Eventually, she laughed at her own theatrics—the answers above had already pointed to it.
Secret (for now).
With that, she set the pen down and got ready for bed.
A gentle night breeze slipped through the window, softly sealing away the girl's thoughts.
Over Three Years Later
"Starting today, Ruby's a grade-schooler!"
Kitagawa Ryo personally fastened the bright red randoseru backpack onto his little sister. These ultra-durable, shockproof, all-purpose survival backpacks had become something of an urban legend over the years—so much so that even in his past life, Ryo had heard about tourists flocking to Japan just to buy one.
"How do I look, Onii-chan?"
Now seven years old, Kitagawa Ruby 's hair had grown much longer, adding morning braiding duty to Ryo's routine. But seeing his doll-like sister bouncing around in her backpack, her ponytail swaying, filled him with pride.
"Ruby's the cutest girl in the world."
Having just turned fifteen, Ryo had shot up in height over the past three years. Crouching to Ruby 's level, he patted her head without restraint.
But Ruby still seemed unsatisfied. She leaned in, tilting her head to present her right cheek—clearly angling for a kiss.
Before she could voice her demand, however, Ryo's phone rang.
"—Sorry, sorry! Things have been crazy lately. I almost forgot today's Ruby's first day!"
"You haven't left yet, right?"
At the familiar voice, Ryo smiled.
"Can't be helped. You are a legit, fully booked, ultra-popular idol now."
"Ryo, that sounds like you're making fun of me. And you forgot beauty."
"Right, right. Currently active super-popular beauty idol."
(A twenty-year-old hag calling herself a 'beauty idol'…) Ruby grumbled internally.
Over the past three years, Hoshino Ai and B-Komachi's meteoric rise had become one of the hottest topics in the idol world. Unlike traditional idols, they'd pivoted with Dissonance, releasing follow-up singles like The Silent Majority and Black Sheep—all carrying that same rebellious, anti-authority, individualism-driven theme. The trend had resonated deeply with teenagers.
Ai's Twitter followers had recently surpassed 1.2 million. Under the management of Ichigo Pro, B-Komachi had not only completed nationwide tours but was now preparing for a Tokyo Dome concert—a clear sign of their unstoppable momentum.
The only silver lining for Ruby was that as Ai's fame grew and Ryo transitioned from child to teen actor, their interactions had inevitably dwindled. The days of Ai casually lounging on their couch, eating ice cream, were long gone.
To most outsiders, Ryo and Ai were just acquaintances from their LALALAI Theater days—nothing more.
And many of Ai's newer fans didn't even know she'd once been a stage actress. They'd been drawn purely by the idol Hoshino Ai.
"Ai-neechan!"
As Ryo handed her the phone, Ruby quickly shifted gears, greeting her with saccharine sweetness.
"Mhm! I'll do my best at school!"
"I'm still practicing dance, but my style's different from yours. I wanna be a traditional idol."
"I'll watch your performances! But it's getting late, so I'll hang up now. Bye!"
With that, she ended the call before Ai and Ryo could exchange another word.
"Onii-chan, can you pick me up after school today?"
"Probably not, but I've already talked to Abiko's dad. You're at the same school, and our places are close, so he'll bring you both back."
"Getting to walk home with a friend—how's that sound?"
Ruby 's lip twitched imperceptibly.
"So… happy."
She really regretted pointing at Abiko that day. Though they had become good friends, Ruby couldn't shake the feeling that her motive had been *I'm only friends with you for your cat—*er, brother.
Ever since Abiko had found the perfect male model in Ryo (for hands, feet, everything), she'd been eyeing him like a subject to sketch.
At this rate, Ruby wouldn't even be surprised if Abiko someday asked, Can your brother model nude for me?
Vowing to keep her little artist friend in check, Ruby obediently climbed into Mr. Izaki's car.
After seeing his sister off, Ryo headed to his agency in another car.
This year marked Ryo's tenth anniversary in the industry.
More importantly, the long-term contracts his father had signed on his behalf were finally expiring.
Unlike a decade ago, when Kitagawa Susumu had dragged him around for auditions, Ryo was now flooded with endorsement offers. To manage the influx, his agency was assembling a full-fledged personal team.
It was almost unbelievable—despite being a top-tier star, Ryo's "team" had consisted solely of Mr. Izaki for years.
While that had barely worked before, now that Ryo was older, the floodgates had opened. Shows, ads, films, and dramas that had previously been off-limits were now clamoring for him.
"We're planning to build you an elite team," the agency explained.
"Mr. Izaki will remain head agent, but we'll also assign an executive agent, PR manager, assistant, personal manager, stylist, hairstylist, makeup artist, photographer—about twenty people in total."
The idea was overwhelming. Ryo had grown accustomed to working solely with Mr. Izaki—their relationship transcended the typical artist-agent dynamic.
Suddenly being surrounded by a small army would take some adjusting.
Fortunately, the agency had considered his preferences. For key roles like assistant and personal manager, Ryo would have the final say.
That was why he was visiting the agency today.
Saitou Miyako touched up her makeup in a compact mirror, eyeing the other candidates warily.
While a management team and their artist were mutually dependent…
Everyone wanted to work with a star—especially when that star was Kitagawa Ryo.
In the entertainment world, information traveled fast. Insiders often knew the real personalities behind the glamour—sometimes even gossiping in private groups.
As the wife of Ichigo Pro's president, Saitou Miyako had married Ichigo Saitou partly for the chance to mingle with handsome young actors. Yet somehow, their agency's biggest success had been a female idol group.
But—
Thanks to her connections and industry experience, she'd made it here today… as a candidate for assistant.
Given that their own Hoshino Ai was close with Ryo, she clearly had an advant—
Just as Miyako was daydreaming, someone slid a business card into her hand.
Attached to it was an obsequious, almost desperate smile.
"Hello, hello!"
The woman knew everyone here was either well-connected or highly skilled—the cream of the crop when it came to artist management.
So her smile grew even humbler as she pulled out a photo.
"Have you heard of my daughter, Arima Kana?"
"Yes, yes—that child actress."
"She's… not doing great now, but she will be famous."
Miyako's hand was abruptly seized. Forcing a smile, she replied,
"Uh-huh…"
"With the right team, Kana could be bigger than Kitagawa Ryo!"
The woman's smile remained, but something in her eyes unsettled Miyako.
She glanced at the photo—a little girl no older than four, wearing a cap.
Suddenly, she felt a pang of sympathy for this child she'd never met.
After reluctantly accepting the card, Miyako watched the woman scurry to the next candidate.
This one, however, wasn't as polite.
"Security? This woman isn't even an applicant—I've never seen her before."
Guards quickly arrived and, after confirming she wasn't on the list, escorted her out.
Just as Miyako thought the ordeal was over…
The woman spun around and flung a stack of photos and cards down the hallway in one last-ditch effort.
At that exact moment, Ryo opened the door to call in the next candidate—
Only for a photo to land squarely on his face.
[Arima Kana].
------------------------------------------------------------
From now on I will be more active on patreon.
I already uploaded 35+ chapters there.
So, if you guys want early chapter you will found it there.
My patreon: patreon.com/Fanfable