I Drink Every Night With a Lookalike of a Popular Idol on the Riverbank
At the office where Luminous Tears is based, a figure quietly approached my desk.
“…Kuroda-san. I need to talk to you.”
Asagiri Hiori. Within the idol group Luminous Tears, she is an extremely unique presence.
She has pale platinum blonde short bob hair, skin that is unnaturally white, and eyes that always look sleepy and listless. Her eyes, which appear reddened as if she had been crying, are what is commonly referred to as “landmine makeup.” She wears clothing dominated by black, adorned with lace and ribbons. Her demeanor is unstable, as if she might break at any moment, like a fragile young girl.
But I know.
Beneath her fragile, downtrodden, landmine-like exterior, she hides a calm, sharp observational eye and logical thinking that surpasses anyone else in the group.
She is a contrast idol. That is why she continues to attract a passionate fanbase.
Hiori stares at me with her unreadable eyes.
“What is it?”
“…Nagi. Lately, my MP consumption efficiency has been poor. Buffs also wear off quickly.”
MP. Buffs.
I translate her unique language.
It boils down to something like, “Mental exhaustion is severe, and concentration doesn’t last.”
“Hm… I see.”
“…After work, she rushes straight home. Before, she used to play games with me. It was the same during the music special the other day. She was just staring at her phone in the green room, smiling to herself… That’s a debuff.”
Hiori’s calm report.
The content matched the concerns I had been harboring lately.
I was already aware of the existence of that man by the riverbank, Aikawa Yosuke. A temporary outlet for Nagi’s mental stability. Having made that judgment, I am currently adopting a wait-and-see approach.
However, Hiori’s report, which observed Nagi’s condition more accurately than anyone else, slightly shook that judgment.
“The destination is probably there, isn’t it?”
I stand up.
“…Do you know something?”
“Are you coming too, Hiori? It might be faster if you see it with your own eyes.”
“…Sure, why not.”
Hiori nodded reluctantly, but without refusing.
◆
That night.
Hiori and I were on the opposite bank of the problematic riverbed.
We held professional-grade high-performance binoculars. Hiori sat cross-legged beside me, lazily gazing across the river.
The two of them appeared.
On the other side of the lens. Sitting on the riverbank, enjoying a can of chu-hi, were Nagi and Aikawa Yosuke.
I furrowed my brow deeply.
There had been a radio recording session until 30 minutes ago. It takes 30 minutes by taxi from the studio to here. In other words, she came to meet him as soon as she finished work.
There was that much passion there.
And yet.
What was that man doing?
He wasn’t trying to seduce Nagi, nor was he touching her body. He was just drinking canned chu-hi like an idiot and nodding along.
(This is strange…)
I was confused.
His attitude was too ordinary…
“…Could it be that he really doesn’t know Nagi’s true identity? Even if that’s the case, there’s such a beautiful girl right in front of him. Why doesn’t he make a more aggressive approach…?”
This relationship, which was too platonic, uneventful, and lukewarm.
To me, it felt strangely unsettling.
“…Hiori-san. How does that look to you?”
As I handed her the binoculars and asked, Hiori peered through them, never taking her eyes off the other side of the river, and replied.
“They’re making funny faces at each other.”
“…Funny faces?”
“Yeah… Well… From what I can see, they’re just friends. Just chatting. Oh, Nagi is hiding her face with her hat.”
“Just chatting with a friend? Did she come all the way back from the live broadcast just for this?”
“Yeah… It’s inefficient. A waste of MP.”
Hiori’s blunt assessment.
(Yes, it’s inefficient. Too efficient. That’s why something’s going on…)
That only strengthened my suspicions.
◆
A few days later, during lunchtime, I was at the entrance of the office building where Aikawa Yosuke worked, which I had researched beforehand. I followed him as he emerged among the office workers coming out for lunch.
He entered a café near the office that had a lunch menu, and sat across from a woman at the same table, as if they had been waiting for each other.
I hurriedly entered the store and took a seat nearby.
My manager’s caution was instantly raised to the maximum level.
Across from him sat a lively-looking woman with flashy chestnut-colored hair.
At the sight of her, my spine froze.
“So, I didn’t get selected for Naginagi’s handshake event! Isn’t that crazy? I’m the oldest member!”
The vast fan database in my mind begins searching at high speed.
Chiaki Narumi.
One of the most enthusiastic fans since the formation of Luminas Tears. Her fan club membership number is in the double digits. She is a respected figure within the fan community. I have seen her at events several times myself.
Judging by the lanyard holding her employee ID card around her neck, the two seem to work for the same company.
In other words, the oldest fan of Luminous Tears and Aikawa Yosuke are colleagues.
(…Is that how it is?)
In my mind, the dots have connected in the worst possible way.
It’s not a coincidence.
He’s not just an innocent bystander.
He has a direct connection to the most core fan base of Nagi.
And he’s hiding that fact.
(Could it be… Chiaki Narumi was using him to obtain information? This isn’t just a fan. It’s more calculated and meticulous… a new type of stalker…)
My view of Aikawa Yosuke has completely changed.
From an innocent civilian to a calculating and dangerous potential threat.
I quietly took out my smartphone.
Then, taking great care not to be noticed by anyone, I took a photo of Aikawa smiling with a kind face.
Immediately, I called the name of the investigator I was familiar with from my phone book.
Aikawa Yosuke.
What are you hiding behind that kind smile of yours?
I will reveal everything.
◆
“Hey, Yosuke. Isn’t that person on the other side looking over here?”
Nanase glanced across the river and said that.
“Hmm… I hope it’s not some weird stalker…”
“Hmm… Maybe they’re using binoculars? Maybe they’re bird watching?”
“Your eyesight is too good!”
“My vision is 2.0.”
Nanase pointed to her eyes and smiled.
“Hey, Yosuke. Let’s make a funny face at that person.”
“Why are you provoking them like that…”
“If they’re watching us, it’ll scare them off, and if they’re not watching, we’ll just be showing off our funny faces to no one, and those funny faces will just float away like soap bubbles. We have nothing to lose.”
“If they get angry as a result of the intimidation, we’ll lose big time…”
“No, it’s okay, it’s okay.”
Nanase took the lead and started making funny faces at the other side of the river.
I joined in and made a funny face with pursed lips, looking at the other side of the river.
The result of the funny faces was the same. It was unclear what we were looking at.
“…So, what do you think?”
“Haha… I don’t know.”
“What if it’s a stalker? Even if it’s just a look-alike and an ordinary person… No, maybe it’s dangerous?”
“Well, if it comes to that, I’ll use Yousuke as a sword, so it’s okay.”
“Not a shield!?”
“Well, that would be too much. I’d feel guilty.”
“What’s the difference between a sword and a shield!?”
Nanase chuckled and pulled her hat down over her face, hiding it from the other side of the river.
“Well, it just means I’m relying on you that much.”
With only her mouth visible, Nanase smiled and placed a can of chu-hi between the two of us.
Maiasa