I Drink Every Night With a Lookalike of a Popular Idol on the Riverbank
“Oh, it’s Yosuke. Hey there.”
“Nanase san. Good evening.”
When we met at the riverbank, we called each other by name and smiled a little.
A few days had passed since then, and although it was still a little awkward, a comfortable routine was beginning to form. On days when work ended early, we would buy alcohol at the convenience store and head to the riverbank. That was our routine.
“Nanase-san, how often do you come here… You’re always here, aren’t you?”
“That ‘always’ is from Yousuke’s perspective, right? From my perspective, it’s every few days.”
“So, you come here every day…”
“Well, I’m not waiting for anyone in particular. If you feel like coming, that’s fine. I might suddenly stop coming one day, too.”
“Well, I guess so…”
Recognizing once again the fragile nature of our relationship, where we only know each other’s first names, I sat down next to her with a lemon-flavored canned chu-hi.
I didn’t mind the time spent just watching the river flow by without talking about anything in particular. In fact, it had become an important time for me to slowly relax my tired mind from work.
Today, in addition to the canned chu-hi, I had also bought some snacks to munch on, so I opened the bag and put some in my mouth.
I noticed Nanase staring at my snacks from beside me, so I turned the bag toward her.
“Want some?”
“Um… I’d love to, but…”
“Yamaneko?”
“Well, that’s fine. I’ve decided not to eat snacks for about a week.”
“Dieting?”
“I’d rather say ‘maintaining my figure.’”
Nanase puffed out her cheeks and said that.
“But you’re drinking alcohol…”
“Well, but this is just artificial sweeteners and low in calories, right?”
Nanase pointed at my can with her chin, as if to say, “We’re drinking the same thing, so you should understand the product’s characteristics.”
“Then I’ll eat it secretly later. Sorry for bringing something weird.”
“No, eat it, eat it… Actually, just one bite. Is that okay?”
Nanase seemed unable to resist the temptation, lowering her eyebrows and looking up at me with a sly smile.
“Well… if Nanase-san says so.”
When I showed her the bag again, Nanase-san’s eyes lit up, and she said, “Thank you,” took a piece of candy from the bag, and ate it.
“Mmm… this is delicious. What is it?”
“Doritos. It’s a snack made from fried tortillas.”
“Hmm… the powder on this kind of snack is delicious… even my fingers taste good.”
Nanase smiled as she said this and licked the powder off her fingers.
Then, she reached for the bag again, but her hand stopped abruptly.
“Ah… I have to resist…”
Nanase said this and closed her eyes tightly. I felt sorry for her, so I folded the opening of the snack package and put it in a plastic bag.
“Ugh…”
“I feel bad. I like dried squid. Maybe I’ll get that next time.”
“No, it’s healthy. Are you being considerate?”
“Not at all. I don’t bother being considerate of people I happen to be with.”
“Hmm. That’s fine. You’re the god of consideration.”
Nanase smiled and said that.
Nanase and Yunagi are different people. But sometimes, when I let my guard down, they seem to overlap. That’s how similar they are, I thought.
“Um…”
I was the first to speak.
“Nanase, are you… do you have any problems because you look so much like her?”
I knew it was a sudden question.
In response to my question, Nanase widened her eyes in surprise, then smiled softly.
“Hmm. It’s tough, you know…”
She muttered quietly. At first, she was smiling, but her expression gradually turned serious.
“When the real person suddenly changes their hairstyle, I see it on social media and think, ‘Oh!’ Then I have to rush to make an appointment at the salon the next day.”
“You’re not going to copy them, are you!?”
“Oh… right. But they’re professionals who are used to being seen, so I want to use their styles as a reference!”
Nanase-san nervously adjusted her hat. Under the hat, her beautiful black hair was neatly tied up, and if she let it down, she would look exactly like Yunagi
“Also, I can’t eat whatever I want. The real person says, ‘A vegetable-centered healthy diet,’ so even if I want to eat rich ramen or something, I have to resist.”
“…”
“The hardest part is… not being able to act on my own.”
Nanase hugged her knees tightly.
“If I were to do something like walking while using my phone or eating standing up, someone might post it online saying, ‘Yunagi was doing that.’ That could damage the real person’s image…”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“So I always feel like someone is watching me… Sometimes I feel like I can’t breathe… Maybe that’s how she feels. I can understand that feeling sometimes.”
The term “look-alike” has a somewhat comical and unrealistic ring to it. I never imagined that such worries were hidden behind it.
“I see…”
That was all I could manage to say.
“I had no idea. Being a look-alike is such a burden… I truly admire you.”
When I said that sincerely, Nanase looked up and stared into my eyes. Her eyes seemed to be slightly moist.
“And Nanase… even though you’re a fan of Yunagi, you’re so concerned about her reputation… You’re the one who’s really considerate.”
When I said that, Nanase suddenly stumbled.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well… you’re right. I wonder why I’m being so considerate. I’m just me.”
“Yeah. That idol probably doesn’t lick her fingers after eating candy.”
“Well, you never know… she might just do it.”
“What about yogurt or ice cream lids?”
“Maybe she licks them secretly, hiding from the other members.”
“What about the tip of a Papico?”
“Maybe she eats the tip before the main part. Right hand on the main part, left hand on the tip.”
“What about the last piece of potato chips?”
“Hmm. Maybe she eats the whole thing.”
“Idols are human too, after all…”
Even though it’s similar, it’s the anti-fan’s claim, so it’s probably best to take it with a grain of salt, but it was a strangely realistic way of putting it.
“Well… in that sense, there aren’t many people around here, so I don’t have to worry about it. I could even lick my elbow and no one would notice. Except for Yosuke.”
“I don’t think elbows taste good!”
Nanase joked, “Elbows are salty, aren’t they?” and took a sip of her canned chu-hi. She must have almost finished it, because she tilted her head back and drank the last drop like a trumpet, which was an uncharacteristic sight for an idol. Well, Nanase isn’t really an idol, though.
“Yosuke, talking to you made me feel better. Thanks.”
Saying that, Nanase smiled softly.
It was a natural, beautiful smile, like the moon peeking out from between the clouds.
Seeing that smile, I felt a little bit relieved.
“Anytime. Complaints or anything.”
“…Hmm. Well…when we meet again. If we set a time, it might feel like a burden.”
“That’s true. Let’s just do it when we feel like it.”
“Hmm. Yeah.”
Her soft reply faded into the night breeze.
A peaceful silence fell between the two of us. But it wasn’t just silence anymore.
The taste of the canned chu-hi felt a little sweeter than usual, like the artificial sweetener had been turned up a notch.
Maiasa