A guide to survival in a heavy girl's world

After hearing what Sankaku Hatsuka said, Hoshino Ai immediately nodded obediently to show that she understood.

But before turning around and leaving, she still asked Chihaya Aine one last question——

"The night before yesterday...did Zhe sleep with you in his arms?"

"Eh? Hug me?"

After hearing this, Chihaya Aine couldn't help but reveal an extremely bewildered expression.

"What does it mean?"

"…It seems that there isn't one."

The smile on Hoshino Ai's face, who had already received the answer, suddenly became brighter.

"Then there's no problem on my end... I wish you all the best in your performance."

After saying that, without waiting for Chihaya Aine to respond, she immediately turned around and left the backstage with Sankaku Hatsuka.

Just like that, the first greeting from Hoshino Ai ended with Chihaya Aine's silence.

Chapter 60: Growth from that night

It was not until Hoshino Ai's back completely disappeared that everyone present finally came back to their senses from the chaos that was like a storm.

"...It really is coming for us."

Or to be more precise, it was directed at Chihaya Aine alone.

Because when the two were talking, Hoshino Ai didn't even look at these "irrelevant people".

From the very beginning, she had never cared about anyone except Chihaya Aine.

Thinking of this, Nagasaki Suyo couldn't help but let out a breath slowly.

Ever since the moment Hoshino Ai appeared in front of her, she hadn't been able to utter a word.

Her stunning appearance made it difficult for her to muster the confidence to compete with it, not to mention the huge gap in status and popularity.

She had never felt such a strong sense of oppression from her peers, and it was hard for her to imagine how much psychological pressure Chihaya Aine, who was targeted by her, was under at this moment.

As soon as she thought of this, she immediately turned her gaze to Chihaya Aine, trying to confirm her current condition.

As expected, even though Hoshino Ai had completely left, Chihaya Aine was still unable to recover from her daze.

“Aine…”

On the other side, Takamatsu Touma looked at Chihaya Aine with a worried look.

Compared to others, Takamatsu Touma, who is more delicate and sensitive, also felt the pressure that made her feel difficult to breathe while Hoshino Ai put pressure on Chihaya Aine.

“Are you okay…?”

Gao Songdeng couldn't help but ask.

On the other side, Chihaya Aine, who had been standing there in a daze since the beginning, finally came back to her senses as if waking up from a dream after hearing Takamatsu Touma's call.

But the first question she asked after she came to her senses made everyone stunned:

"Tell me...after we become a popular band, can we become as confident as her?"

"……Eh?"

After hearing Chihaya Aine's question, Takamatsu Deng was stunned for a moment, then he stammered and replied:

"Well...at least I probably can't talk to myself like she does..."

"Yeah, that's true. I probably can't be a stalker as confidently as she does."

Chihaya Aine rubbed the back of her head.

"This is the first time I've met someone more self-centered than me..."

“Aine…”

Takamatsu Deng was very surprised by Chihaya Aine's reaction.

"You're not being stubborn, are you? She just said so many harsh words to you..."

"Well, maybe that's a bit excessive."

A wry smile appeared on Chihaya Aine's face.

"But it's undeniable that what she said were irrefutable facts. Whether it was my failure studying abroad, my half-baked nature, or my vain personality... she hit the nail on the head."

Although she felt very ashamed to have her scars exposed in public, she had to admit that what Hoshino Ai said was not an attack or slander, but the complete truth.

Because of this, she was completely unable to utter a single word of rebuttal in the previous confrontation.

“Aine…”

"But even if she hadn't said it, my brother would have already pointed out my shortcomings to me one by one, and I've realized it myself a long time ago!"

Chihaya Aine patted her chest and said:

"It's precisely because I failed studying abroad that I want to start over in Haneda. It's precisely because I'm a half-baked person that I'm working extra hard to prove my efforts through this live performance. As for vanity... ahem, that's definitely my problem. From now on, I will try to reduce the amount of personal information I post on social media."

Having said this, she couldn't help but bow her head slightly to the crowd with some embarrassment:

"I'm sorry, everyone. Because of me, our first live performance was targeted by Ai Hoshino..."

"..."

On the other side, after hearing what Chihaya Aine said, Nagasaki Motoyo couldn't help but look at her with great surprise.

She originally thought that Chihaya Aine would be as devastated as she was by the appearance of Hoshino Ai. However, instead of being devastated, Chihaya Aine showed strength and determination far beyond her expectations.

"So, what do you think about her denying your identity as 'sister'?"

Nagasaki Suyo asked.

"You probably can't easily agree with this part of the statement, right?"

"Hmm? Doesn't that mean she's simply jealous of me?"

In response to Nagasaki Motoyo's question, Chihaya Aine tilted her head with a strange look on her face.

"No matter how useless I am compared to my brother, the fact that I'm Chihaya Tetsuya's sister won't change... and it's because my brother is so outstanding and handsome that I like him so much!"

"But... well, the fact that I'm a younger sister and I'm too different from my brother is definitely a problem. So, in order to change that, I need to work harder... and I need everyone's help."

Having said that, she raised her head and looked at the people around her.

"Maybe I can't beat Hoshino Ai on my own, and maybe even if I spend more time on my own, I won't be able to reach her level. But with everyone's help, we might actually have a chance to become a band that surpasses Hoshino Ai! So, please give us your guidance from now on!"

After saying that, she bowed deeply to everyone.

“………………I was wondering what you were going to say.”

Shiina Riki was the first to respond to the sudden bow.

"In the end, isn't what we need to do still the same? We need to focus on making this live a success and use it as a starting point to continue working towards our mainstream debut."

"That's true, but if it weren't for my negligence, Hoshino Ai wouldn't have suddenly targeted us..."

"About this, Su Shi has already said it, right? Although the pressure of appearing after them will be great, they will also bring us a larger audience base. In other words, their arrival is also an opportunity for us."

Shiina Riki, who had originally felt quite pressured about this, now officially made up his mind.

"Now, we have to make this Live a success no matter what!"

“…Well, I’ll try my best too!”

Gao Songdeng also nodded.

"To prove to Chihaya-san... that Aine is definitely a good sister worthy of him!"

Just like that, with Chihaya Aine's unexpected positivity and everyone's unanimous approval, their state not only did not decline, but became even more focused.

However, at the same time, in order not to dampen everyone's hard-earned morale, Nagasaki Motoyo had another discovery that she hadn't told anyone else.

(Hoshino Ai might not be the only one who wants to target us...)

Given Hoshino Ai's personal strength, if it was just her own decision, today's surprise performance should have been her solo show. However, in reality, it was the complete "Summer Zodiac" that showed up.

Not only that, the reason Chu Hua interrupted Xingye Ai just now was not to mediate the increasingly tense confrontation, but simply because of time constraints...

What exactly was her thinking behind her decision to appear with Hoshino Ai? Perhaps only she herself knows...

Moreover, the last question that Hoshino Ai asked before she left was probably not as simple as everyone understood.

"Chihaya Tetsuya's meeting with her later...I'm afraid it's going to be quite extraordinary."

Looking in the direction where Hoshino Ai left again, Nagasaki Suyo fell into deep thought.

Chapter 61: The spotlight helps focus the attention of the two people

It turns out that the sudden guest appearance of Summer Zodiac affected more than just Aine and the others. All the bands that appeared before them also became victims of the built-up expectations.

Except for the band that performed before "Summer Zodiac", they directly acted as the accompaniment band for "Summer Zodiac" for the convenience of connecting the performances, and judging from their reactions, they seemed to be very happy about it.

"After all, this is almost equivalent to free publicity. Even if it's just a background role, it's still a rare opportunity."

Shoko Toyokawa said this as she looked at the band on the stage who started to adjust their equipment after finishing their performance.

"They will probably be the only beneficiaries of today's Live."

“…The atmosphere has changed.”

Chihaya Tetsuya said as he looked around.

Before Summer Zodiac was about to begin, everyone was just looking at the stage, as if they were watching a normal show. While the atmosphere wasn't dull, it wasn't exactly enthusiastic either.

At this time, while the band on stage was adjusting the equipment, the audience who came for [Summer Zodiac] began to whisper to each other, and their originally indifferent expressions became more and more excited.

Just like the clouds that begin to emit low thunder before the rain, the entire live house was caught up in this subtle resonance.

"This is just a surprise operation that was announced less than a day ago..."

Toyokawa Shoko pursed her lips slightly.

“If it’s a live show in May… it’s hard to imagine what the scene will be like.”

The venue was packed, the atmosphere was warm, and the expectations were rising infinitely.

In this situation, if Hoshino Ai suddenly revealed her relationship and announced her graduation...

A biting chill instantly swept through Shoko Toyokawa's heart.

Even in this small livehouse, she had already witnessed the far-reaching impact of Summer Zodiac's popularity. If it were put on a larger stage, the "destruction" she caused would probably really sweep across the entire idol industry... and even the entertainment industry.

Thinking of this, she immediately turned her head to look at Chihaya Tetsuya, as if preparing to warn him.

However, the moment she turned her head, her expression was involuntarily stunned.

“…Once you come to a live show, even if you were just a bystander before, there’s a good chance you’ll become a fan because of everyone’s inspiration.”

Chihaya Tetsuya looked ahead with a smile on his face.

“It makes me look forward to it.”

"Chihaya-nii..."

Toyokawa Shoko blinked blankly at first, then she couldn't help but speak:

"Well, although I think I don't need to remind you anymore at this point, Hoshino Ai came here for you."

"I know, but no matter what, I still have to watch her live before I can meet her."

Chihaya Tetsuya said:

"So before that, why not concentrate on enjoying today's live show? As for what happens next, we'll talk about it after we meet."

"…………"

After hearing what Chihaya Tetsuya said, Toyokawa Shoko's inner anxiety instantly cooled down.

That's right, before the two of them actually meet, everything in the future is still unknown. And before that, all her worries will only be fruitless fantasies.

And... the next ones to appear are not only Hoshino Ai, but also Hatsuka, who has a close relationship with her, and a new band formed by her former [CRYCHIC] companions.

For her, even without considering the existence of Hoshino Ai, today's Live itself is quite important.

boom!