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"Ow, that hurts."
Ritsu Tainaka rubbed her head where she'd just been smacked, glaring indignantly. "Akio, I can't believe you actually hit a girl on the head! You know doing that is the fastest way to end up without a girlfriend, right?"
Akio shot back dryly, "Like not hitting you would magically get me a girlfriend."
Ritsu froze. Uh—what?
He… actually had a point. For once, she didn't know how to argue back.
Mio Akiyama couldn't help it—she burst into laughter, bending over and nearly crying from how hard she was laughing.
"Mio, Akio's bullying me!" Ritsu whined.
"Serves you right." Mio wiped at the corner of her eyes, not showing the slightest bit of sympathy for her childhood friend.
It was like someone had stabbed Ritsu straight through the chest. She staggered back a few steps and stared at Mio in disbelief.
"Mio, you… you don't love me anymore? Then I might as well just die!"
Mio copied Akio's move and smacked Ritsu's head with a karate-chop hand strike.
"Drama queen. Shut it."
"Ow!" Ritsu grabbed her head again, practically in tears. Mio hit way harder than Akio—childhood friends don't hold back.
Akio coughed into his fist to break up the act and asked with a smile, "By the way, I never asked—were you two out shopping today?"
Mio nodded. "Yeah, we planned to stop by the music store for some parts, and then go see a concert."
"A concert? Whose?" Akio asked curiously.
Ritsu puffed up proudly. "Obviously Hoshino Ai's concert! What, jealous?"
Hoshino Ai?
Akio frowned. "That name… sounds really familiar. I think I've heard it somewhere before."
This time Ritsu was the one staring blankly. "No way… don't tell me you don't know who Hoshino Ai is? Are you even from Tokyo?"
"I'm a foreign exchange student, thanks."
Ritsu: …
Mio stepped in to explain. "Hoshino Ai is a member of the idol group B-Komachi. She debuted at twelve, she's nineteen now, and she's got over a million followers on Twitter."
"Even if you say that…" Akio still couldn't quite place her. "Got a picture?"
"Of course."
Ritsu pulled out her phone, scrolled, and shoved a photo in front of his face.
"See? This is Hoshino Ai."
Akio took a good look. She was definitely a dolled-up idol.
Her costume was mostly pink and red—a layered dress with pale blue stars on the bodice, a sleeveless under-layer, and a yellow collar pinned with a little winged heart charm. The skirt shifted from pink to deep pink to yellow in layers. A black corset cinched her waist, red gloves covered her hands, and bright red knee-high boots finished the outfit.
On the left side of her head sat a cute yellow bunny hairpin with a bow, smiling up at the camera.
But none of that was what stunned Akio.
What made him freeze was her long violet hair flowing past her waist… and those purple eyes, with a starry pattern glittering inside them.
That was when it clicked.
She was that idol. From Oshi no Ko. The one who's—well—the protagonist's mom.
Before ending up in this crossover world, Akio had never actually watched Oshi no Ko.
Couldn't blame him—Akasaka, the author, had scarred him with his previous work. Kaguya-sama: Love is War. It had started out all sweet and funny, then spiraled into chaos and even some abstract nonsense.
A perfectly good story… ruined.
After that, Akio swore off any new series from the guy. He hadn't dared to touch them. Who knew if Oshi no Ko would go off the rails the same way?
Still, the show had gotten really popular. Not quite on Kaguya's level, but close enough. Clips and analyses were everywhere online.
That's how Akio had seen Hoshino Ai's face—and learned that in the original story, she didn't exactly have a long future.
Of course, in this merged anime world, who knew what her fate would be? Maybe she'd still die, maybe not. Hard to say.
Not that he cared. He wasn't a fan, and he'd never even read the manga.
"Oh, right. I remember now," Akio said lightly. "Didn't expect you two to be her fans."
"Of course we are! She's cute, hardworking, and amazing." Ritsu grinned, elbowing Mio. "Right, Mio?"
Mio nodded, her face earnest. "She really is incredible. If only I could be like her."
Akio laughed warmly. "Don't sell yourself short, Akiyama. You'll definitely have your shot at that kind of stage someday. Same goes for you, Ritsu."
Ritsu smirked, sticking out her chest. "Ha! You know how to talk. Hear that, Miio? One day we'll be performing at the Budokan."
"Just don't forget to save me a VIP ticket," Akio teased.
"Of course!" Ritsu planted her fists on her hips and laughed like she was already booked for tomorrow.
Mio, on the other hand, blushed furiously, completely lost on how to respond. Sometimes she couldn't believe Ritsu's carefree boldness—didn't she notice all the weird looks people were giving them?
To keep Ritsu from embarrassing them further, Mio glanced at her phone and pretended to panic. "Oh no, look at the time! We're gonna be late!"
She grabbed Ritsu's arm, ignoring her protests, and started dragging her away. She tossed Akio a quick goodbye over her shoulder. "See you Monday, Akio!"
Akio could tell she was just flustered, so he let her escape, smiling as he waved. "See you Monday, Akiyama, Ritsu."
"See you Monday!" Ritsu called back, waving with her free hand. "And don't forget my meal! I want spicy stir-fried chicken, dry-pot potatoes, and shredded cabbage."
Akio: …
What a foodie. Still, thanks to her, he already knew where his next stop would be.
"..."
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