That one sentence landed like a boulder dropped into the sea, instantly stirring up waves of excitement. The entire crowd of fans grew restless—if it weren't for the security guards stationed by the stage, they probably would've rushed forward already.
After all, having supper with an idol—that's the dream of countless fans.
"Usagi, look at me! Pick me!"
"Just give me a chance!"
"Look my way, Usagi!"
Amid the rising clamor, Yae Usagi simply cleared her throat gracefully and said, "There's only one spot. To be fair… I'll be auctioning off this opportunity to you all. Don't worry, all proceeds will be donated to charity!"
"Donated to charity?" Lucas let out a cold chuckle. "Yeah, more like 'donated to cherry girls.'"
"And now, the chance to have supper with Usagi…" Yae Usagi raised five fingers and said sweetly, "starts at five million Mora!"
"No way," Yae Miko said, clicking her tongue. "Someone's actually going to pay five million Mora just to eat with someone?"
"If it were you, someone might offer fifty million," Lucas said coolly. "Just watch."
Sure enough, the moment Yae Usagi finished speaking, voices from the crowd started calling out their bids.
"Six million!"
"Six-point-five million!"
"Seven million!"
Honestly, it wasn't just Yae Miko who was surprised—Lucas himself was a little stunned.
To put it bluntly, with that kind of money, you could visit Pleasure Street a dozen times over. Spending it all on a single supper date? It just went to show how incomprehensibly powerful an idol's charm could be to their fans.
"Well? What are you standing around for?" Yae Miko flicked the back of her hand against Lucas's chest and smiled. "Hurry up and place a bid."
"Me?" Lucas pointed to himself. "I'm not interested in overpriced suppers."
"I know you're not. Eating with her doesn't hold a candle to eating with me." Yae Miko's tone softened. "But this is a great opportunity to get close to her. If we can make contact, we might get more clues."
"But I—"
"Twenty million Mora!"
Before Lucas could even finish, a crisp voice cut through the air, silencing the crowd. Yae Miko, still wearing her fox mask, was holding up Lucas's arm with a playful grin. "Our young master here is willing to offer twenty million Mora for the chance to have supper with his idol."
The two of them, of course, were Yae Miko and Lucas. The latter hadn't expected Yae Miko to pull this kind of stunt—and now, backing out was clearly not an option. He could only grit his teeth and shout, "Bu—Usagi, I love you!"
The crowd looked around at each other, stunned. But no one continued bidding. Not because they didn't want to, but simply because… no one else could afford it.
"Looks like no one's going higher." Yae Usagi's expression could barely contain her delight. Clearly, even she hadn't expected someone to be foolish enough to offer that much. She nodded. "In that case, congratulations on winning this special opportunity!"
Lucas wasn't exactly strapped for cash—but it still stung. That amount could've paid for a lifetime's worth of late-night meals.
Around him, the other fans shot him looks of all kinds—envy, jealousy, resentment, pity…
And for the first time, Lucas got a taste of what it felt like to be one of those wealthy guys. Though the price… was steep.
"Relax," Yae Miko whispered by his ear. "That twenty million Mora? I'll pay you back with interest."
Lucas knew full well—that kind of money was pocket change to someone like Yae Miko. But the way she said it made him suspect she had something else in mind for how she'd "repay" him.
…
Half an hour later, backstage at the theater.
Lucas had just arrived and was about to enter when he was stopped by a female security guard.
"Something wrong?" Lucas smiled. "I'm the one invited to supper with Usagi."
The woman remained expressionless. "Just a routine search. Please cooperate."
"Search for what, exactly?" he asked casually.
"Recording devices, listening bugs, that sort of thing," she replied a bit impatiently. "Can we hurry this up? I doubt you want to miss out on your idol time."
To her, this mask-wearing guy in front of her was probably just another lovestruck fool completely smitten with Yae Usagi.
"Of course." Lucas nodded.
The guard patted him down thoroughly. Then her gaze fell on his mask. "Please remove your mask so I can inspect it."
Without hesitation, Lucas removed it and joked, "Careful. It bites."
The guard frowned and reached out. But the moment her fingers touched the mask, it dissolved into a pool of black sludge—latching directly onto her face.
She began to struggle, trying desperately to pull it off, but it was useless. Within moments, the mask had sealed tightly to her features. If not for the faint seam at her jawline, you wouldn't even know it was a mask.
"I'll leave things here to you," Lucas said, patting her shoulder. "Don't let anyone else in."
"Yes," the woman—or rather, the Hannya Mask—nodded. "Leave it to me."
Indeed, this was one of the Hannya Mask's abilities: to temporarily control someone's body by attaching itself to their face.
Of course, it came with limitations. First, it had to make direct contact. Second, the stronger the host, the harder it was to take control.
But for a run-of-the-mill security guard? Child's play.
Lucas pushed open the door—and sure enough, he saw Yae Usagi seated at a table, where a few simple dishes were already set out.
He couldn't help but grumble inwardly. For all that money, couldn't they at least prepare something fancy?
"Whew, what a relief," Yae Usagi said with a playful grin. "I was worried I'd be stuck having supper with some greasy perv. Didn't expect it'd turn out to be such a handsome young man."
"You flatter me," Lucas replied with a relaxed smile as he sat across from Yae Usagi the Vixen Idol. "This midnight snack is… really something."
Naturally, Yae Usagi could hear the teasing in his tone and giggled. "You're not… seriously here just to eat, are you?"
Before Lucas could even answer, he felt something nudge against his shin. Glancing down, he saw that at some point, her foot had slid over to press against his pant leg, her toes slowly tracing little circles.
"I'm guessing…" she said with a sly smile, "you're not actually one of my fans, are you?"
Lucas was a little surprised, but kept his cool. "If I weren't a fan, why would I spend twenty million Mora just to sit here with you?"
"Come on," Yae Usagi scoffed softly, her voice honeyed. "I can see it in your eyes—you're not like the rest of them."
"Oh?" Lucas asked casually. "What's different?"
"The way those fans look at me," she said with a little smirk, "it's like a pack of starving beggars catching a whiff of roasted meat—rushing forward just to get a sniff. But you… even if there's appreciation in your eyes, there's no hunger."
"Calling your own fans beggars..." Lucas frowned slightly. "That's a bit much, isn't it?"
"Hmph. In my eyes, they're worse than beggars." A flash of disdain crossed her gaze. "At least beggars get something out of licking boots. Those people lick me like dogs and then pay me for it. It's disgusting."
Her words stirred something like anger in Lucas's chest.
No matter what you thought of their behavior, those fans truly admired her. They hadn't done anything wrong. And yet, this woman clearly saw them as nothing more than a money-printing machine.
Still, Lucas was here for information, and picking a fight wouldn't help. So he merely smiled and said, "The food's not important. Got any wine?"
"What, already trying to get a girl drunk?" Yae Usagi leaned on one arm and smiled. "I figured you'd have something a little more creative. But sure, I'll drink. Just don't think I'm some lightweight. A few guys who tried to take advantage after getting me drunk ended up in the infirmary."
"Now I'm interested." Lucas shrugged. "Tell you what—if you manage to get me drunk, I'll give you another twenty million Mora."
The moment she heard "twenty million Mora," her eyes lit up. She quickly said, "Deal. Let's drink."
She reached for the bottle, about to pour, but before she could, Lucas suddenly grabbed her wrist. A small pill dropped from her sleeve into the palm of his hand.
"No wonder you don't get drunk. Hiding sobering pills?" He crushed the pill into powder with a smile. "Tsk tsk. That's cheating, you know."
"Nonsense," she said smoothly, showing no sign of panic. "That's just for keeping my body in top form. Don't worry—I'll match you drink for drink."
It was, in fact, a sobering pill—just something she kept on hand in case of emergencies. Her alcohol tolerance was genuinely decent; at least good enough to handle one guy.
In her mind, Lucas clearly wasn't one of her usual fans. He hadn't fallen head over heels for her beauty despite spending such a ludicrous amount. That kind of composure meant he had to be someone important—wealthy, powerful, or both. Spending big to dine with her likely meant he was after something.
Which made this a rare opportunity.
She'd already arranged for the female security guard to record the whole evening in secret. Once Lucas was drunk, she'd get some compromising shots and use them to blackmail him.
Classic honeypot trap.
Of course, Lucas, after so many rounds of simulator experience, had long since become an expert at reading situations. It was clear this woman had an agenda, so he figured he might as well play along and see what she was really after.
Half an hour later—
Without even realizing it, the two had already emptied several bottles.
Thanks to his Trait [Never Drunk], Lucas could drink endlessly without the slightest buzz.
But Yae Usagi, while no lightweight, was still just a mortal woman. By now, her cheeks were completely flushed, like peach blossoms in spring—exquisitely tempting.
Lucas wasn't the least bit drunk, but to make her drop her guard, he sent a burst of inner force surging to his face, reddening his cheeks. His voice slurred as he muttered, "Didn't… didn't think… you'd hold your liquor this well…"
"You're impressive too," she said, lazily tugging at her collar to expose more skin, throwing him a sultry glance. "The more I drink… the warmer I feel."
Lucas chuckled internally and reached for a piece of chicken with his chopsticks. But just then, Yae Usagi suddenly grabbed his hand and, eyes hazy, whispered, "Forget the chicken."
"Then what should I eat?" Lucas asked, voice thick and wavering.
She lifted his chopsticks, opened her mouth, and gently bit down. "Eat me."
The meaning was clear.
Lucas grinned. "And here I thought that twenty million Mora was just for dinner."
"It is," Yae Usagi replied coyly. "But give me another twenty million Mora, and this mouth? It's yours tonight."
That's some ridiculous price inflation.
Lucas couldn't help but think: What's your mouth made of? Gold-plated teeth and a tongue worth its weight in Mora?
"Sounds… like a bargain," Lucas said, eyes tracing over her body. "Can I buy… other parts?"
"Of course you can," she purred, narrowing her eyes. "But you'll have to unlock them step by step."
Geez, even pig farm gacha games aren't this predatory.
Still… as the saying goes—if you want to catch a big fish, you've gotta use some juicy bait.