Tokyo: Idol Girls have absolutely no bad intentions!

"Because Yoshida-sensei first wrote a light novel, and then adapted it into a stage play. It's still ranked number one on 'Let's Become a Great Writer!'!"

Mori picked up the smartphone, swiped his finger across it, and then showed it to Ito.

Looking at the data above, Ito couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

"A popularity score of seven figures!"

The popularity rating on this light novel website only increases after a post is shared and commented on.

"It would be strange if you didn't recognize me, senior." Mori took back his phone and looked at Ito strangely. "Are you perhaps a 'NEET' who doesn't use electronic devices?"

"It's not that exaggerated," Ito waved his hand.

He just hasn't had time to learn about it yet, just like he doesn't know about the Tokyo Rock Festival, which is practically "common knowledge for young people."

"It's our turn, seniors."

They walked forward, and the ticket checker was a sweet-looking girl dressed in the same clothes as one of the characters in the poster.

"Thank you for supporting Yoshida-sensei's new work, 'Journey Through the Edo Yokai World'."

Her sweet voice rang out as she reached out and took the ticket from Mori's hand.

"Yoshida-kun?"

Ito had a feeling of familiarity from the beginning, but he was not truly certain until Yoshida spoke.

"Ah! Ito-kun, and..." Yoshida Nai said in surprise, glancing at Morikami Chinatsu beside her, "this student council junior."

"Hello, senior, my name is Morikami Chinatsu." Morikami greeted her politely.

"Hello Mori, my name is Yoshida Nai."

What's the deal with this human-machine interface?

"Why are you here? Are you working?" Ito asked.

"Yes... it's an unavoidable thing to do in order to buy cosmetics."

As she spoke, her gaze towards Ito suddenly turned fierce, "And then there's that guy who swindled a large sum of money from me."

"Senior, so that's the kind of person he is." Mori suddenly looked at Ito as if he were scum.

In order not to delay the people in line behind them, they quickly ended the conversation and hurried into the theater.

They were seated in the middle of the theater, with a great view and a comfortable distance.

When the performance began, the theater curtains fell, all the lights were turned off, and the surrounding chatter disappeared.

"It's about to begin," someone suddenly announced. (You can skip this part; it won't affect the plot.)

The curtain slowly rose into complete darkness, and the first thing that caught the eye was the shrine's vermilion torii gate, its wood grain gleaming warmly under the spotlight.

Mist billowed from the dry ice machine at the bottom of the stage, swirling around the base of the torii gate and making the "Kasuga Shrine" plaque appear and disappear.

The female protagonist, dressed in a black dress, appears on stage. She seems to be in a bad mood and keeps pouring out her heart to the deity.

After confiding her troubles, the girl seemed to feel a little better. She stood up, dropped 5 yen into the donation box, clapped her hands, and told it her wish.

"I hope to take myself to a place where my parents can never control me."

After the wish was spoken, the shrine's wooden door began to tremble violently, and the paper talismans pasted on it could not withstand the pressure and suddenly tore apart.

The girl was startled and took a step back, gripping the backpack strap tightly in her hand.

The wooden door opened, and at the same time, the girl's black hair was blown up by the airflow.

Some audience members gasped softly, completely captivated by the lead actor's performance and drawn into the character.

Inside the shrine, there is a screen depicting a man dressed in a dark-dyed hunting robe, with a fox embroidered in silver thread on the cuffs biting its own tail, and bells tied around its waist.

......

"So you were here." The moment the girl's fingertip touched the bell, all the fireflies suddenly gathered into the shape of a fox.

The mask of the man in the hunting robe fell off with a sound. He smiled and waved goodbye to the girl, tears streaming down his face.

When the curtain fell, there was a long silence.

The actors filed out as the curtain fell, the courtesan's hair adorned with cornflowers thrown by the audience, and the doctor's wooden box lay open.

They bowed to the audience hand in hand, and applause swept across the theater like a tidal wave. Suddenly, special lights illuminated the theater, and some people discovered that a fox or bell pattern lit up on the back of their tickets.

"Look, senior!" Mori held up the two tickets. "They have pictures on them!"

She handed the fox card to Ito, who examined it closely. Only under the theater lights did the originally blank back become visible.

"It's a black light pen."

Suddenly, a voice came from the back row. They turned around and saw Yoshida Nai greeting them.

"I wasn't planning on interrupting your date, but seeing your curiosity, I couldn't resist."

After Yoshida Nai's explanation, Ito understood the principle: the black light pen uses a special ink with alcohol as the main ingredient, which can be seen under infrared light and other lights.

"Senior, what are you doing here?"

"They gave me a ticket because of my part-time job." She waved her hand. "I was going to sell it, but the show had already started when they gave it to me, so I couldn't sell it."

Of course, it didn't sell. When Yoshida arrived, the stage play was only three or four minutes away from ending.

"Their acting is excellent, and the plot is great, but it just won't sell because it's already in theaters," Yoshida complained, clearly annoyed that others didn't appreciate its value.

If it can be sold, then we should be even more suspicious.

"By the way, Ito-san, are you interested in collaborating?" Yoshida Na raised an eyebrow at Ito.

"For example?" Ito became interested.

What do you think of the female lead?

"She acted very well, very hard-working, and completely immersed herself in the role." Ito looked at the girl in the black dress on stage.

"It's also very pretty, isn't it?"

Ito nodded.

"You know a very beautiful actress, don't you?"

"You mean Anna Takikawa?"

Ito turned his gaze to Yoshida Nai; Takikawa was indeed strikingly beautiful.

"I haven't even said your name yet, and you've already admitted it." A subtle smile appeared on Yoshida Nai's lips.

"If you say a very pretty girl, I might think about it for a while, but if you add the condition of actress, I only know Anna Takikawa."

Ito explained without saying a word, then continued, "So what does it have to do with her?"

Chapter 67 French Fries with Ketchup

“What if we put on our own stage play? We can use Anna Takikawa as the selling point, but Anna Takikawa doesn’t need to perform.” Yoshida Nai fiddled with the tickets in her hand.

"Isn't this a scam?" Mori couldn't help but ask.

“Calling it a scam is going too far, Chinatsu,” Yoshida Nai pointed at Mori with the ticket. “It’s like a concert by a famous musician, but it turns out to be just some unknown band playing his music.”

Ito nodded in agreement. He had attended concerts in his previous life, which resulted in a few college students playing some anime songs.

This kind of thing is utterly despicable...

"Okay." Ito Yuujin readily agreed, even though he was doing something utterly unscrupulous. "How exactly do we do it? And where's the stage play script?"

It allows you to quickly accumulate initial capital without spending much time and effort. Apart from the risk of having your account opened, it's all advantages.

Guilt?

Anna Takikawa should feel guilty first; she hasn't seen a single penny yet, and has been losing money the whole time.

“Actually—” Yoshida Nai deliberately prolonged the conversation, “I am also a writer myself.”

"..."

Ito and Mori's expressions both turned strange at the same time.

He suddenly realized that he couldn't take this money that went against his conscience.

"What kind of look is that?!" Yoshida Nai raised her voice. "I'm a seasoned literature enthusiast, for goodness' sake."

"for example?"

“Just… just those…” she stammered, “Dazai Osamu, Murakami Haruki.”

I don't believe it, I don't believe it at all, not a single word of it.

"Please name a work by Osamu Dazai within three seconds," Mori suddenly asked, holding up three fingers.

"Huh?" Yoshida Nai's expression turned panicked.

"Three, two—" Mori counted down, his fingers falling one by one.

"Bungou Stray Dogs!"

At the last second, Yoshida Nai closed her eyes and gave the answer.

The air grew quiet as the audience gradually left, making the hum of the air conditioner seem particularly jarring.

Mori and Ito exchanged a glance and sighed.

In particular, Ito still harbored a sliver of hope that the light novel plot of "the bottom-ranked hottie in the next class is actually a fake literary genius" had not yet come to pass.

"Senior, do you have anything else to do?" Mori broke the awkward silence.

"I need to return these clothes later, then I can go home from get off work."

"Okay." Mori stood up, holding the doll in her arms. "Ito-senpai and I will be waiting for you at the family restaurant."

Then she turned to Ito and said, "Let's go, senior, let's grab some afternoon tea on the way."

Watching them leave, Yoshida Nai couldn't help but shake her head, "Asada is in danger."

The family restaurant we went to wasn't far from the Tokyo Grand Theatre.

Ito sipped his hot cocoa and glanced at Mori, who was sitting opposite him.

She was intently examining the menu in front of her, with a blueberry au lait beside her.