Chapter 187 - True End
The moment we stepped out of the station, a mist-like rain greeted us.
"Oh?"
I turned my palm upward, checking the rain's intensity.
It was nothing serious.
With this level of rainfall, there'd be no need to open an umbrella.
"Today's precipitation probability was 9000%, wasn't it? For a crazy forecast, it hit the mark."
"Yeah."
Rio gave an exasperated smile and took my hand. Her pale, slender fingers smoothly intertwined with mine, and in an instant, we were holding hands like lovers.
"I finally get to have Nakamoto-san all to myself."
"...What are you talking about?"
Side by side, we walked through the twilight city.
And then, after advancing a few hundred meters, I finally noticed.
This might be a pretty dangerous situation.
Right now, Rio is in her blazer uniform, with a thin dress shirt underneath. But beneath that, she's wearing a flashy pink bra, and as it gets wet, it's becoming more and more see-through.
Even though I told her to stop, she's left three buttons at her chest undone, and her appearance was shifting into something utterly indecent.
"Want to take shelter from the rain somewhere? Looking at you, my thoughts, which were just starting to come together, are about to get scrambled again."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you're a feast for the eyes in a bad way."
I pulled Rio by the arm and evacuated to a nearby karaoke box. I selected the ninety-minute course and completed the payment.
I didn't forget the all-you-can-drink option either.
"Listen, okay? Just because we're in a private room doesn't mean you can get all lovey-dovey. There might be surveillance cameras."
"I know. A friend of mine got suspended for hooking up with her boyfriend at a karaoke place. I know these places are dangerous."
"She got off with just a suspension? In my day, that would've been immediate expulsion."
"What's that? That's so Showa era! Nowadays, they even hand out rubbers in health and physical education class."
When I was a student, it was technically the Heisei era, but to think things have changed this much in just seventeen years.
I can't keep up with the times anymore, old man, I thought, feeling my age keenly as we headed to the designated room.
"Number seven, number seven, number seven..."
Isn't that it? Rio pointed with her left hand. Incidentally, her right hand was still linked with mine. In other words, I had paid at the counter while holding hands with a high school girl.
I don't even want to think about what the clerk thought of an act akin to flipping the middle finger at the Tokyo Metropolitan Ordinance.
Rio and I headed to Room Seven, located at the very end of the hallway.
I pushed the door open, and the two of us stepped inside together. At the same time, the lights came on, automatically brightening the room.
Modern civilization sure is convenient.
We sat down on the orange sofa, facing each other.
"What should we sing?"
Rio crossed her legs and said this while brushing up her hair.
The glimpse of her thighs peeking through the gap in her skirt was excessively alluring. But unfortunately, that's not why we came here.
"I'm good. You sing whatever you like."
"Ehh? Nakamoto-san isn't going to sing?"
"I want to sort out my thoughts a little."
"Hmm."
Rio turned her gaze to the upper left and recrossed her legs with a dissatisfied look. I definitely followed the brief flash of her panties with my eyes, but this is no time to be looking at such things.
"Is it that, after all? You've figured out who the culprit messing with the machines is?"
Rio stretched out her arm and grabbed the microphone in the middle of the table. When she takes a posture like that, the white valley from the collar of her dress shirt is in perfect view. It's so visible I can even observe the lace of her bra. If I tried hard enough, wouldn't I be able to see the tips of her chest too? I almost instinctively moved my face, but this is definitely not the time for that.
"Yeah. I've more or less got a lead. My head is completely occupied with that matter right now. I'm really in no state for karaoke. I'm filled with a fighting spirit that surprises even myself, and I have no interest in anything else. Seriously. Really. My libido in particular has vanished."
"Why are you emphasizing that so much? Were you thinking about something weird?"
"Let me hear your singing voice, Rio. A mellow song might clear my thoughts."
I folded my arms and shut my mouth to prevent any further slip-ups.
"What's that? I thought we'd finally get to do a duet, and you're telling me to be your BGM? Do you think I'm a CD or something? ...Me, as Nakamoto-san's CD... A human phonograph... A living tool for singing to boost concentration... Nakamoto-san's tool... ...Ugh."
Rio said, "I will gladly sing for you," and began operating the remote control.
I wouldn't know the kind of songs kids these days like anyway, so I closed my eyes without much expectation.
I turned my thoughts inward and quietly muttered in my head.
Every time my body touches Emily's, the time displayed on my smartphone changes.
However, there is someone who claims Emily isn't from another world, but has an American father. A Kyoto-dialect-speaking American, Rebecca.
...Both of them look completely white in appearance.
Could it be that the two of them are in cahoots?
Are both Emily and Rebecca from another world, and by vouching for each other as "this girl was raised in Japan," are they trying to make me let my guard down?
If that's the case, everything makes perfect sense.
In the first place, a white person speaking Kyoto dialect is way too suspicious. ...It might even be Elvish.
I recall a curious phenomenon caused by the specifications of the Language Comprehension skill back in the other world.
The common language of that world sounded like standard Japanese to my ears. However, the language considered a frontier dialect over there was translated into a regional dialect.
--Ancient Elvish sounded like the gentle, flowing Kyoto dialect.
The sight of pointy-eared ladies chatting with bows in hand, saying things like, "Goblins are best shot through the forehead, you know," was quite impactful.
...Rebecca might be connected to the elves.
Is she herself speaking Ancient Elvish, but it's being automatically translated into Kyoto dialect by the Language Comprehension skill?
"That settles it."
I feel a bit hesitant about cross-examining a young girl, but I can't think of anything else.
I'll settle this tomorrow.
I clenched my fist tightly and bit my lip.
Then, suddenly, a lighthearted accompaniment began to play.
A bright rhythm going cha-cha-cha-cha.
It seemed Rio was about to start singing. I decided to pause my thinking for now and focus on the song, opening my eyes.
"...Hm? This song..."
That's when I suddenly realized the melody sounded familiar.
A lively tune that maximally emphasizes a girl's cuteness.
This.
Isn't this a song from that smartphone game I used to play a lot?
That thing where you produce idols you pulled from the gacha and tap-tap-tap on your smartphone. It's a popular song from 'Idol Maker Princess Live.'
"Nakamoto-san, you like this kind of stuff, right? You're always fiddling with your phone playing these games."
Rio spoke loudly into the microphone. A screeching feedback sound, keeeeen, echoed.
Knowing Rio, I was sure she'd pick a rough song that delinquents would like, or something current high school girls are into.
"Weren't you not a fan of otaku-like stuff?"
"I want to match Nakamoto-san's tastes."
Her way of speaking is modern and she looks strong-willed, but she seems to be the type who takes on the colors of the man she's fallen for.
Obedient, or maybe masochistic.
Eventually, when the accompaniment ended, Rio began to sing in a clear, resonant alto.
"...Whoa..."
Surely, she must have been practicing where I couldn't see.
She sang the idol song with perfect pitch and even perfectly copied the choreography.
"...Amazing... She's giving off massive SSR character vibes!"
"I don't get the meaning of those words, but I can tell I'm being praised! Ehehe!"
Rio spun around on the spot and reproduced the decisive pose from the chorus.
Her skirt flipped up lightly, and the peach-colored fabric peeked in and out of view. I could even see where her panties were lightly digging into her plump butt flesh.
Ah.
I see.
I was born for this day.
A real, beautiful high school girl is performing the songs and dances of an idol game for me. Even though I didn't spend any money or use any gems, she's even showing me a live panty shot.
There's nothing as wonderful as this. All the pain and sorrow I've ever tasted was just a prelude to this moment.
I don't even care about the other world anymore. What's that? I've never even left Japan.
I've been in Japan my whole life, and after graduating from university, I became an entertainment producer.
I have the brilliant career of scouting this girl I met in town one day and raising her into a top idol.
"Nakamoto-san? Nakamoto-saaan? Hello? Why are you frozen up?"
Rio waved her left hand back and forth in front of my face.
"Ah... no, sorry. I was just remembering the first time I met you."
"First time, you mean that thing at the arcade? ...It's not a very good memory for me, though. Back then, I was all irritated because of Gondo."
"What are you talking about? I met you in a ten-pull gacha, didn't I?"
"What's a ten-pull gacha?"
"When I bought the Beginner Support Pack for three thousand yen, you came out, right? Have you already forgotten?"
"Forgotten or whatever, I don't have that memory in the first place... What is Nakamoto-san seeing?"
"Well, sit down."
"...?"
"Sit."
I patted the sofa with my left hand, pof-pof, urging her to sit next to me.
With a face that seemed to say, "What kind of drugs did he take?", Rio timidly sat down.
"You made me go through a lot of trouble."
"...That might be true. I'm reflecting on it."
"You made me use a ton of training items, and I ended up spending money on outfit collections too. I pulled and merged multiple copies of you for limit breaking. ...I was asked to do this back when I was working part-time, you know? You really are a woman who costs a lot of money."
"What do you mean, merging multiple copies of me?"
"And besides, your signature songs are difficult. On Maniac difficulty, it feels like you can't clear them unless you grow four arms. Just so you know, I've even used my Double Action Skill to get a Perfect on your songs. ...What am I doing, using a Summoned Hero's skill..."
"There are too many technical terms, I have no idea what you're saying."
I didn't really understand what I was saying myself, but my heart had completely become that of an idol game Producer.
"But you know, I don't regret raising you at all. Because you showed me the best live performance just now."
"W-was it really that good? I'm glad if you enjoyed it."
Rio blushed slightly and squirmed bashfully.
"I thought this kind of cutesy song didn't suit me, so it's pretty embarrassing singing it."
"It's true that cooler songs might suit you better. Attribute-wise."
"Attribute? ...Hmm. The image Nakamoto-san has of me is..."
"I told you to call me P, didn't I!?"
"I don't remember ever being told that!?"
I whispered to Rio, who was clutching the microphone in confusion.
"Remember, Rio. We swore we'd aim for the Budokan together, didn't we?"
When I sent her a passionate gaze, Rio looked down in embarrassment.
"Your face is so close... Why are you combining such incoherent words with such a cool expression...?"
"Rio. Remember the feelings from back then. You took my business card and had a face that said you weren't interested in being an idol. But through encounters with your friends and boosts from heavy spending, you became a top idol, didn't you? Every time you failed during a live show, I used my gems, and we overcame various walls with the power of money. This means you didn't really put in any effort at all. It's all the power of money. Damn, what's going on? ...But I am your assigned Producer, after all. It's a fact that your bouncing breast polygons healed me during my lonely part-timer days. I think I didn't end up committing suicide thanks to you."
"...I can't understand a single word... but... Nakamoto-san's feelings are coming through clearly...! You really are grateful to me, aren't you, Nakamoto-san...?"
"Yeah."
It's thanks to you, I said, and hugged Rio.
With tears welling in the corners of her eyes, Rio weakly hugged me back.
"I'm so happy. ...Even someone like me was able to be of use to Nakamoto-P."
"Don't say 'someone like you.' You're my pride and joy, my idol."
"...Yeah. ...Yeah."
I patted Rio's head, soothing her.
Rio narrowed her eyes comfortably, enjoying the sensation of my fingers.
"...Hey, Nakamoto-P. Can I have a reward... for successfully finishing the Budokan concert?"
"What is it? Ask me anything."
"...Well, um..."
"What?"
"...I want a deep kiss."
"Riho wouldn't say something like that."
"Who's Riho?"
"That's you. Didn't you know? The cool-attribute SSR idol. Riho Kagaya. I'm this girl's assigned Producer."
"Y-yeah. It's a name I'm hearing for the first time now, but it's my fault for not knowing, right. I'm sorry, I'm sorry for being a useless idol..."
"Don't worry about it. An idol's imperfections are also part of their charm."
"R-right. ...So, what kind of character is Riho? What would she say at a time like this?"
"She'd be a bit more dry. She does show affection in her own way, but she wouldn't use a word like 'deep kiss.'"
"Got it. I'll keep that in mind and try again."
"Yeah."
Pulling herself together, Take 2.
"...Hey, Nakamoto-P. Can I have a reward... for successfully finishing the Budokan concert?"
"What is it? Ask me anything."
"...Well, um..."
"What?"
"...I want you to kiss me."
"...I can't. If we do that, we'll no longer be just Producer and idol."
"...But, I... I don't want to hold back my feelings anymore."
"Riho..."
Rio closed her eyes and tilted her chin up slightly.
I--
"--Very well. Just for now, stop being everyone's idol. ...Become my idol alone."
"...Okay."
I closed my eyes and kissed Rio's lips.
The girl's tongue tasted of sweet in-app purchases.
"...We kissed, didn't we..."
When our lips parted, a silver thread stretched between us.
Rio's eyes were telling me. I want you to go all the way.
"...Of course, I intend to do just that."
In order to complete the True End of my assigned idol, I reached for the buttons on my own chest.