Chapter 269 - Ayako’s Hint Blog
“——Nakamoto-san, this.”
Between recordings.
As I was taking a break drinking water, a female staff member whose expression had changed came rushing over.
I vaguely remembered she was still new, having just graduated from university.
I flashed a friendly smile at the younger staff member and replied.
“Is there some kind of trouble?”
“No... it’s not exactly that.”
The new staff member clouded her innocent face and held her smartphone screen out to me.
“What’s this? A blog?”
“The person running this is a high school girl, but she’s hinting at a relationship with a comedian.”
“Huh. Why would she do something like that?”
“Maybe to keep other women in check, or to feel a sense of superiority?”
“I see.”
I took the smartphone and skimmed through the blog’s contents.
...The admin’s profile said she was a high school girl living in the Kanto region. An avid book lover, and troubled by her large chest.
She checked every show that a certain young comedian N appeared on, and for some reason kept repeating reviews from her own perspective.
‘N-san kind of bombed today, huh. Geez. You can’t show jokes like that in front of anyone but me.’
‘Wow... he actually wore that watch. He’ll put on anything I say looks good on him.’
‘N-san, you left your hat in my room. Maybe I’ll just wear it myself.’
“There are rumors going around in some circles that this N-san might be you, Nakamoto-san...” the female staff member said, furrowing her brow.
I made a face like I had absolutely no connection to a girl named Ayako Otsuki and declared firmly.
“This is just this girl’s delusion, isn’t it?”
“I think so too. Girls who are idol fans often convince themselves they’re the girlfriend and post weird stuff.”
“Right?”
“But it’s rare for someone to do that to a comedian... and besides, you’re engaged to a high school girl, Nakamoto-san... so I guess it’s inevitable that some people might suspect she’s a real lover.”
“There’s no way that’s true. I’m all about Rio right now.”
Leaving a refreshing “haha ha” laugh, I headed to the restroom.
As soon as I entered a stall, I pulled out my smartphone from my pocket and pushed the call button... then stopped my finger.
Wait.
Which Ayako-chan is this?
There are two suspects.
Ayako-chan who’s at my apartment, and Ayako-chan who’s at the Otsuki household.
It’s definitely one of their doing, but which one...
“...It’s the Otsuki household.”
This is just a hunch, but I’ve gotten pretty close to the Ayako-chan I’m living with, so I don’t think she’d do something I’d seriously hate.
That means I should suspect the more distant one.
At this time of day, she should be at school, but I called her anyway without caring. For things like this, a phone call is more effective.
After waiting a few minutes, I heard Ayako-chan’s voice, out of breath.
‘...W-what is it, all of a sudden?’
“Sorry. Were you in class?”
‘...I barely made it to break time.’
“So you’re in the classroom now?”
‘...I ran to the bathroom.’
“Good judgment.”
She must have sprinted there. That’s probably why she’s panting.
‘...Um, I’m happy you called, but... I’d prefer it if you called after school...’
“I saw the blog.”
‘...What do you mean?’
“You’re running that, aren’t you? The hint blog about Comedian N.”
‘...I’m sorry.’
Bingo. So it was this Ayako-chan who was the culprit after all.
“Stuff like that is a problem, you know.”
‘I’m sorry... I’m so, sorry...’
“If it got out to the public that I’m going in and out of your room, Ayako-chan, I’d be finished. A smart girl like you should understand that, right?”
‘...I’m sorry...’
Ayako-chan’s voice was already almost completely tearful, starting to become hard to make out.
“Why did you do something like that?”
‘...Because I hated you getting along with other girls... I wanted to show that you’re mine...’
“So it was a warning.”
I heard her sniffle and say, “Yes.”
It seems my regularly dating and doing lewd things with this Ayako-chan too has backfired.
“What’s so unsatisfying about it? I told you I’d sleep with you when you turn eighteen, didn’t I? I only say stuff like this to you, Ayako-chan. Rio and Ange are still sixteen, so you can lose your virginity before them, you know?”
‘...But that’s the same for the other me, isn’t it...’
“Huh?”
‘...The me who’s living with you, Nakamoto-san... she also turns eighteen on the same day as me, and she can have sex with you too...!’
“Well, that’s true, but...”
‘I hate that, I really do...!’
What a pain.
It makes me want to just give a sloppy response.
“Then I’ll sleep with you both at the same time.”
‘...Huh?’
“When the Double Ayako-chan hits your birthday, I’ll book a hotel and have you both lose your virginity together. That’s fair, right?”
‘...Can you even do that? ...You only have one of those things, Nakamoto-san...?’
“I’ve got the Double Action Skill, you see. Think of it like the magic you learned.”
‘...Is that how it works?’
She seemed relieved; I heard a sigh.
It looks like Ayako-chan’s rivalry is mainly directed at her other self.
“I think I can pretty much resolve the anxieties and dissatisfaction you’re holding onto, Ayako-chan. I’ve always been like that, haven’t I?”
‘...Yes...’
“Good girl. Well then, delete that blog, okay? I’m hanging up now.”
‘...Ah, wait! Please wait!’
“What?”
‘...You’re angry, aren’t you?’
“I’m not angry.”
‘Liar... Your voice sounds upset... You’re scary today, Nakamoto-san...’
“I told you, I’m not angry.”
Damn, a harsh tone slipped out.
As expected, Ayako-chan started properly whimpering, and the only words I could barely make out were “Please don’t hate me...”
‘...I’m no good at anything, I’m stupid... if you hate me, Nakamoto-san, I’ll...’
I’m stupid. I’m a useless girl. Please don’t hate me. Please don’t abandon me. Repeating words like that, Ayako-chan was sobbing.
Probably because this Ayako-chan doesn’t live with me, she’s becoming more and more self-deprecating and unstable.
On the other hand, that other Ayako-chan has completely stabilized emotionally, and aside from her strong sex drive, she’s like a pure young wife.
Even though their genes and memories are almost identical, a relationship you could call identical twins, just having different environments makes this much of a difference.
Humans are strange, I thought with a peculiar feeling, as I offered words of comfort.
“I’m not angry.”
‘...Really?’
“Yeah.”
Actually, listening to Ayako-chan’s completely weakened voice, it’s also true that I felt a strange excitement.
Maybe because I’m usually being pushed around by the other Ayako-chan, it felt kind of fresh.
I didn’t think I had any sadistic tendencies, but...
“I’m not going to hate you over something like a blog, Ayako-chan. I originally started going to that used bookstore because of you, you know?”
‘...’
I felt Ayako-chan’s breathing get heavier.
What’s this?
Did she get aroused just from that?
Why are high school girls always so horny?
‘...Um... I don’t know if this will make up for it, but...’
“What is it?”
‘...I’m going to do it, starting now.’
“Do it? Do what?”
‘...I think you’ll understand from the sound...’
“So what are you doing?”
‘...Thinking about you, Nakamoto-san... by myself... so... if it’s okay with you... please listen until the end...’
“Ayako-chan!?”
Damn, I don’t get it.
What the hell is she going to do!? Maybe the world is in danger, so I should probably listen in just in case!?
I plugged earphones into my smartphone, put one in my ear, and returned to the studio.
I spun a convenient lie, saying, “The producer told me to film while listening to music all day today,” and convinced the staff.
And so.
For the rest of that day, I completed the recording with Ayako-chan’s voice as my background music.
From that, I learned that Ayako-chan seems to be top-notch material as an instrument too.