!!! Spoiler Alert !!!
Important Note: This chapter is based on the events and dialogues between Ai Hoshino (Ruby Hoshino) and Fuyuko Niino (Kana Arima) from chapter 136 of the Oshi no Ko manga series.
(The film sequences mentioned in that chapter are treated here as events that truly happened in the universe's past.)
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As the stage lights went out one by one, the thunderous applause slowly turned into a low murmur. The audience, still under the spell of the breathtaking performance they had just witnessed, left the hall with heavy steps. The members of B-Komachi retreated to their dressing rooms to rest after the show. Yet between Ai and Nino, an unseen but heavy tension had built up. Throughout the performance, Ai had felt the sharpness in Fuyuko's gaze—a sharpness so strong that even the stage lights could not dim it.
Ai thought to herself:
Maybe Fuyuko will drop by my dressing room, she mused, but didn't linger on the thought.
Under the dim corridor lights, Fuyuko walked with silent steps. The echoes of interview voices filled the air as she clenched her teeth and whispered:
"Don't take what's mine too..."
Her steps quickened, leading her toward Ai's dressing room.
Inside, Ai sat alone. Her long hair spilled over her shoulders, her stage makeup still intact. She slowly ate a cup of date-flavored ice cream in her hand. That peaceful moment was shattered by firm, heavy footsteps. The door swung open and Fuyuko entered. She was still wearing her stage costume, and a dark shadow flickered in her eyes.
Fuyuko shut the door behind her and spoke in a hard voice:
"We need to talk."
Ai lifted her head and looked at her. Tired, but with her usual fake smile, she replied:
"Of course, Nino."
For a while, Fuyuko said nothing. The air in the room thickened. Finally, she took a deep breath and let the words spill:
"Ai. You're so lucky. Compared to you, I'm nothing."
Ai was taken aback. She could see the storm bottled up in Fuyuko's eyes. She had seen emotions like this in others before—but this felt different.
Ai spoke instinctively:
"What do you mean? I wish I could be like you instead..."
Fuyuko cut her off abruptly.
"Stop it! You're lying!"
Her voice was loud enough to echo down the narrow hallways of the dressing rooms. Other members peeked through their doors, curious about the commotion.
Takamine whispered:
"The voices are coming from Ai's room... and it's Fuyuko's."
The others leaned toward their doorframes, quietly listening.
Fuyuko raised her voice:
"If we stopped random people on the street and asked, 'Who's cuter?' everyone would say Ai. Same with the fans. Who's more attractive? Who would you want to date? They'd all pick you!"
Then, she took a deep breath and screamed with anguish:
"Ai! Ai! Ai! Ai! Ai! AAAAAAHHHH!"
Her cry was so raw, so piercing, it shook the corridors and nearly reverberated throughout the entire stadium.
Kyun couldn't hold back anymore.
"I'm going in."
But Watanabe stepped in front of her, speaking firmly yet calmly:
"Kyun, stop. If we interfere now, it'll only make things worse."
Kyun glared back.
"But what if it gets out of control?"
Watanabe shook his head.
"Some things can only heal once they explode. There are things they need to say to each other."
Takamine added softly:
"Maybe this will be good for our 'untouchable idol.' Who knows—maybe she'll come down from her pedestal, even just a little."
Kyun hesitated, then reluctantly pulled back into her room.
Inside, Fuyuko's sharp voice still cut through the silence. Ai was stunned. She had never seen this side of Fuyuko before.
Ai:
"Yes, maybe people love me... But to stay perfect in their eyes, I'm tearing myself apart."
Fuyuko clenched her fists, her voice trembling:
"You don't really care about me, do you?"
Ai, almost whispering:
"I'm trying to care."
Fuyuko:
"Liar! Can't you see I'm doing everything I can? I work harder than anyone, practice more than anyone!"
Her fists shook as tears streamed down her face.
Fuyuko:
"I hate you."
The confession was so raw, she could barely breathe.
Fuyuko:
"I hate you so much, I want you dead!" she shouted, then flung the door open and stormed into the corridor, blind to anyone in her way.
The other members looked at each other in shock. Just when they thought it was over—
Ai suddenly stood up, grabbed her date ice cream, and hurled it at the door. A splattering sound echoed as something sticky hit the surface.
The girls couldn't see what it was, but they heard a strange plop.
Ai, caught between shock and the weight of Fuyuko's long-suppressed emotions, shouted with a mix of grief and fury:
"Are you all making fun of me?!
I hate everyone! To hell with all of you!"
Silence followed.
Meimei tilted her head and whispered:
"...Date ice cream?"
Takamine turned to her, confused.
"What?"
Meimei shrugged with a faint smile:
"There's always date ice cream in Ai's dressing room."
Watanabe nodded knowingly.
"That alone... is a kind of answer, isn't it?"
The girls exchanged quiet, understanding looks before retreating back to their own rooms.
Tears still streamed down Ai's cheeks as she leaned against the dressing room wall. The heavy weight she carried in her chest seeped into the night.
And that evening, everyone went home burdened with what had happened, struggling to fall asleep as they faced the new day that awaited them.
To Be Continued...