I Drink Every Night With a Lookalike of a Popular Idol on the Riverbank
That day, we were sitting on the riverbank as usual, drinking canned chuhai.
“Yosuke, you’ve got something there. Is it candy?”
“Yeah. I was working overtime and got hungry, so I stopped by the convenience store.”
I took a box of individually wrapped chocolate candies out of my bag. It wasn’t a new product. It was a classic that had been around for a long time.
As I casually looked at the box, I noticed something.
In the center of the box was a photo of an idol, along with a flashy logo reading, “Luminous Tears Collaboration Campaign Currently in Progress!”
“Oh…”
The person in the photo was Yunagi Nagi, wearing a sparkling outfit and flashing a perfect smile.
“This is Nanase’s…”
When I said that, Nanase peered into the box and said, “Eh?”
“Yeah, it’s true… they are collaborating. Did you become a fan?”
“I just picked it up randomly.”
I said that and compared theis Yunagi Nagi on the package with Nanase standing next to me.
The smile on her face in the photo was a perfectly calculated “product” smile, with not a single flaw.
The Nanase sitting next to me held a can of chu-hi in one hand, looking a little lazy, but natural.
“Is the real thing cuter?”
Nanase asked jokingly.
“Yeah. The person in the photo is also very beautiful, of course… but Nanase-san is cuter.”
That was truly what I felt from the bottom of my heart.
It was a simple, honest opinion, without any calculation or ulterior motives.
“…!”
Nanase-san said nothing, just blushed and looked down. Her reaction was so direct that I felt a little embarrassed too.
“Ah, no, sorry! What I meant was… well, she has visuals that rival an idol! It’s not meant in a weird way!”
As I hurriedly tried to cover up, she remained with her head down and said with a faint smile, “Fufu…”
“Well… thank you.”
Breaking the silence, she began rummaging through her bag.
“Oh, I bought a different flavor of that too.”
What she pulled out was another flavor from the same series.
And printed on the package was a girl with long black hair and a downtrodden atmosphere. I remembered what Narumi had told me before. Her name was… Asagiri Hiori, I think.
“Ah… I’ve seen her before. She has a really strong aura, doesn’t she?”
“…Well, yeah.”
Just as I was staring at the package,
“…What are you smiling at my face for?”
A flat, emotionless voice came from behind me.
Startled, I turned around to see someone who looked exactly like Asagiri Hiori standing there.
She was wearing a black outfit with lots of lace. Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying. It was a completely different outfit from the idol costume in the package—it was casual wear.
But that lazy atmosphere and sharp gaze… there was no doubt it was her.
“Eh… Ah, Asagiri… Hiori!? The real thing!?”
“…A fake.”
“But didn’t you just say ‘my face’?”
“…Then, the real thing.”
“Huh!?”
I let out a meaningless cry of confusion and excitement.
Why is she here? What’s going on?
“Hey, Yosuke! You must be surprised! This girl is my friend, you know!?”
Nanase said, her voice cracking.
“You sound more surprised than me…”
“Well, she suddenly appeared out of nowhere! Whether you’re a friend, a ghost, or an idol, if you suddenly appear behind someone, they’re going to be surprised!”
“Well… I guess that’s true.”
Asagiri-san appeared so smoothly that I didn’t even notice her presence. It’s no wonder I was surprised.
“But… Nanase-san is a celebrity…”
I looked back and forth between Nanase and Asagiri with a natural question in my mind.
“Could it be… Nanase is…”
I came to one conclusion.
Nanase laughed childishly and said, “Did you figure it out?”
“…What do you do for a living? Are you a stylist?”
My words made the two of them laugh.
Even Asagiri, who seemed emotionless, started laughing along with Nanase.
“…I’m an idol. Nanase isn’t, though.”
“Fufu… That’s right. That’s how it is. I work as an assistant stylist. And… I met Hiori through work… right?”
She looked at Asagiri as if seeking her agreement. Asagiri nodded slightly.
Stylist’s assistant…
I see.
If she knows Asagiri, she must also be in charge of Luminas Tears. She’s the one who sees the real thing up close. That’s why even the little details, like her casual clothes and mannerisms, end up resembling the real thing.
All the pieces fell into place in my mind with a satisfying click.
“Oh, I see! That makes sense! That’s amazing, Nanase-san.”
All the mysteries were cleared up, and I was completely satisfied with her explanation.
Nanase-san smiled with an irresistibly funny expression.
And next to her, Asagiri-san seemed to relax her mouth just a little. Maybe her nose was just itchy.
Nanase then began, “Speaking of which…”
“Oh, there’s something I’ve always wanted to try.”
Asagiri and I tilted our heads, wondering what it could be.
“Yousuke, Asagiri Hiori. Hiori, Aikawa Yousuke.”
Nanase introduced each of us by name, pointing at us with her hand.
“It’s like how they introduce themselves in Western movies when they’re the only one who knows both people…”
Nanase said, “Hmm, yeah,” and smiled. Asagiri also said, “Nice to meet you.”
“Um, nice to meet you too…”
This time, it wasn’t a look-alike, but the real idol I had ended up meeting.
Maiasa