My fiancée Yukino

Yukino agreed, saying, "The popularity of the group B-Komachi was basically carried by Ai Hoshino alone, so it was expected that they would disband later."

Yukino doesn't know much about idols and doesn't feel comfortable commenting on them. What she's saying now is all based on information she's seen on TV and online.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the living room was exceptionally lively.

Volume 1: Chapter 245 Hoshino Ai's Future Path (1/2)

Ai Hoshino's daily life is very monotonous. Apart from going out for work and practicing at the company, she spends most of her time alone in her apartment reading and watching TV, and she rarely goes out with others.

She might have been able to do that when she first debuted, but now that her popularity has skyrocketed, she's basically said goodbye to leisurely going out shopping on her days off.

Not to mention, like now, a large group of people are sitting together chatting.

Since it was the first time they had met, Hoshino Ai was a little reserved, and then her gaze involuntarily fell on the two Ragdoll cats that were strolling in the living room.

Noticing Hoshino Ai's gaze, Mai smiled and went over to pick up the little coffee and placed it on Hoshino Ai's lap.

"Come here, let me give you a hug. This child is called Coffee, and he's very well-behaved."

Hoshino Ai's face flushed slightly. She reached out and scratched the kitten's chin. Seeing the kitten comfortably squint its eyes and not seem afraid of strangers, she said happily, "You're so well-behaved!"

"Right? She's very well-behaved!" Mai said, picking up the other little snowball as well, and started chatting with Hoshino Ai about the cats.

"Are you here to work today?"

Hoshino Ai nodded: "Yeah, I filmed a few more scenes for the commercial. It wasn't a big job. I just didn't expect the president to come along. He even said he wanted to introduce me to some friends and we could have dinner together."

Seeing Hoshino Ai's cautious demeanor, Mai smiled and patted her head, saying, "It seems you don't socialize much in private, right? That's probably why Yue-nee thought of bringing you here. You're in for a treat today! We've got some truly unique ingredients that you can't find anywhere else. Not only meat, but also desserts!"

After hearing this, Hoshino Ai was very happy.

Qi blinked. "The president told me about it on the way here, but he didn't say what it was."

Yang Nai then joined in, laughing and saying, "You'll see soon enough, umm, she's definitely even cuter up close, especially those eyes. Tsk tsk tsk, she's already like this at fifteen, imagine how she'll be when she grows up! She'll be captivating every man!"

Hoshino Ai lowered her head shyly: "No, I'm not that pretty."

"Is this child lacking in confidence?" Yang Nai looked at Nangong Nayue curiously. "She doesn't look like that on TV."

Taking a sip of tea, Nangong Nayue calmly said, "It's normal. The idol profession is all about acting. They portray an image that fans like on stage. Fans don't know what they're like in private, and they have no way of knowing. As for Ai, because of some things that happened when she was young, she does lack confidence and affection, and sometimes she tries too hard to please those around her. Well, she's gotten a bit better since joining the company, but perhaps because her popularity has increased too quickly, she hasn't made many friends. The relationships among the members of the group are also quite average now because of the uneven popularity."

Mai nodded knowingly: "As expected, it's pretty much what we guessed before. After all, everyone in an idol group wants to be the most dazzling one. But this kind of thing requires a lot of talent."

As expected, Ai Hoshino's mood soared when she talked about the other members of the group.

She always thought that once the group's popularity increased, everyone could continue to perform happily on stage, but she never expected that others would talk about her behind her back.

This was something that Hoshino Ai, who had always been innocent and simple-minded, found very difficult to accept.

Nangong Nayue wasn't surprised at all: "That's normal, that's human nature. But when you're not capable enough, greed and jealousy will only make you fall further behind those who are more outstanding. So I've already thought about Ai's future development. I'll let her go solo in the second half of the year. Besides singing and participating in TV shows, she'll also be involved in dramas. Mai, when you're acting together, I'll ask you to take good care of her."

Mai nodded happily: "Okay, no problem, leave it to me."

As for whether she might cultivate someone who could affect her status in the entertainment industry, that's not within Mai's considerations. She's just going to learn and act in TV dramas step by step, and she's absolutely confident that she's no worse than anyone else.

Looking at the somewhat dejected little girl, Yang Nai couldn't help but sigh, "I feel like we should take it slow. After all, she's only 15; she has plenty of time to develop. By the way, is she still in school?"

“Yes.” Nangong Nayue nodded. “I do have requirements for the cultural studies of the company’s artists. However, because she is quite busy with work, she can’t go to school most of the time. I have arranged private tutors for her. Her academic performance is okay. I wouldn’t say it’s top, but she should be able to go to Toyonosaki High School next year. Shiyu, you will be a senior in high school next year. I would appreciate it if you could take care of her while she is at school.”

"Sigh... Toyonosaki? I understand, no problem." Utaha said with interest, resting her chin on her hand. "But next year, Ai's popularity will be even higher, right? Will she still be able to attend school normally?"

"Why not? With a little effort, I can communicate with the principal at Toyosaki's side. I have those connections."

With Nanami Nagatsuki's connections in Tokyo, it's manageable that the school will keep a close eye on things, especially to prevent those brats from bothering Hoshino Ai.

Having popular idols enroll can be quite helpful for a school, especially given the declining birth rate in recent years, which makes it even more necessary to find ways to recruit students.

Nanami Nagatsuki believed that Toyonosaki would not refuse her request.

At 5:30, the kitchen door opened, and Luo Bai came out carrying two plates of food.

"Dinner's ready! Everyone go wash your hands, we can eat now."

"Oh! It smells so good!"

Yang Nai was the first to rush out, and looking at the two plates of food in front of Luo Bai, he asked, "Are these all made with the meat of hungry birds?"

"That's right, one is sweet and sour pork ribs, and the other is braised pork. I really didn't expect the meat to be this good."

At that moment, Shinobu Kocho and Kanao arrived, bringing with them four prepared dishes.

After all the dishes were served, everyone sat down together.

Smelling this aroma, which she had never smelled before, Hoshino Ai became even more puzzled: "What kind of ingredient is this?"

Volume 1: Chapter 246 Hoshino Ai Worried About Calories After Dinner (2/2)

After sitting down, Luo Bai introduced, "It seems that Miss Na Yue hasn't told you yet. She should tell you everything this time. The main meat ingredient today is a large hungry bird we encountered in Chiba Village. It weighed three tons, and the meat we got after dismantling it totaled about 1.5 tons. The shell and bones of this hungry bird still make up a large part, but the amount of meat is still quite good."

"kindness?"

Hoshino Ai listened, blinking her exceptionally captivating starry eyes, "Hungry bird? What's that?"

"Food animals from another world."

Holding her chopsticks, Nangong Nayue, who was contemplating which dish to eat first, said, "This world is home to all sorts of wondrous creatures, and there are even other worlds. The Hungry Bird I mentioned earlier is a creature that accidentally came to us from another world. It's a special kind of food. An adult Hungry Bird can be six meters long and weigh about three tons. Before, Luo Bai and the others captured a group of whole roasted pigs whose entire bodies were made of roasted meat, which was also a rare delicacy."

"Huh? Another world? Special creatures?"

Hoshino Ai, feeling a bit overwhelmed, looked at Minamiya Nagatsuki and asked, "President, is all of this true? So, you know all this, doesn't that mean...?"

Nangong Nayue nodded, poured Hoshino Ai a glass of juice, and said, "That's right, that's exactly it. Every country in this world has a Guardian Organization, and I am the organization manager for the Tokyo area."

Sitting in the main seat, Luo Bai said with a smile, "Don't be fooled by how casually she talks. The Witch of the Gap is a world-class powerhouse. Even the dragons living in Chiba right now, apart from Quetzalcoatl Lucoa, are no match for her."

Hoshino Ai stared wide-eyed at the seemingly harmless company president beside her, her mouth agape in disbelief.

After taking a sip of juice, Nangong Nayue calmly looked at Luo Bai and said, "I don't deny my own strength, but you're not bad either. Besides, your superpowers are still growing. As for your future strength, neither I nor Shinto Hozumi can say for sure."

"I'll pass. I don't plan to be any kind of guardian. I'm happy with a peaceful life."

With his hands shrugged, Luo Bai picked up his chopsticks and said, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore, let's start eating."

"I'm gonna start now!"

Everyone picked up their chopsticks and reached for the dishes they wanted to eat.

Hoshino Ai looked left and right, then picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs and curiously put it in her mouth.

The sweet and sour flavor, accompanied by an incredibly rich meaty aroma, exploded in her mouth, causing Hoshino Ai to widen her eyes immediately and raise her hand to cover her mouth.

The aroma was so captivating that she...

I almost screamed.

The others, having already eaten roasted whole pig and bristle cake, weren't as extravagant this time, but they were still thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Taking a bite of the large meatball, Hiratsuka Shizuka said with a satisfied expression, "It's so good! No meat can compare to this taste! Sigh, what will I do if I can't eat it anymore?"

Luo Bai said with a smile, "Who knows, we might be able to go to that world in the future. We can still get some of these low-level ingredients regularly. When that happens, we can invite Hiratsuka-sensei over for a meal."

Hiratsuka Shizuka nodded in satisfaction.

"Yes, you are indeed my student. I am very satisfied with you."

Because the food was so delicious, Hoshino Ai gradually relaxed completely, eating and chatting happily with everyone.

The atmosphere here was something she hadn't experienced in a long time, and she really liked it.

Sensing the change in Hoshino Ai's mood, Nagatsuki Minami nodded slightly.

It seems that the purpose of bringing her here today has been basically achieved.

After dinner, everyone was stuffed and sat side by side on the sofa. Those who couldn't fit sat on the floor, shoulder to shoulder, each holding a cup of hot tea.

After taking a small sip of tea, Hoshino Ai said with a satisfied expression, "It's so delicious! This is the first time I've ever had such delicious food."

But then a look of frustration appeared on her little face.

"Ugh... I feel like I'm going to gain weight."

Shinobu Kocho smiled and said, "Don't worry about that. Although you've eaten quite a bit of meat, given your usual training volume as an idol, you won't gain weight."

Nangong Nayue looked at Kocho Shinobu and said, "Shinobu, can you teach her the breathing technique? This can also improve her physical fitness. When she goes solo in the future, she will need a lot of physical strength to hold concerts and the like."

“Sure, if Miss Yue asks.”

Shinobu Kocho readily agreed, nodding and saying, "However, learning the breathing technique will take some time. Is her schedule flexible enough?"

"Don't worry, there's not much work in July. There are only two TV show recordings left, and filming for a drama with Mai. The rest of the time is very free. I'll send you her schedule later, and you can arrange things for her as you see fit. I'll have someone bring her to Chiba, so you don't need to go to Tokyo."

"Okay, then there's no problem."

Then, Shinobu Kocho gave Hoshino a brief introduction to the Demon Slayer Corps' breathing techniques, leaving Hoshino completely bewildered.

"This...this is such an amazing thing, can I learn it too?"

"Sure," Shinobu Kocho said, patting Ai Hoshino's head. "Breathing techniques are something all Demon Slayer Corps members have to learn. Yukino and the others have already learned them. Of course, I'm happy to teach anyone I trust. You were brought here by Nagatsuki-san, so of course I'm willing to teach you. So, would you like to learn?"

Hoshino Ai nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, I want to learn!"

"Then arrange a time to come regularly."

After watching TV and resting for a while to digest our food, it was time for dessert.

After taking out the preserved, processed cake, everyone received a piece and enjoyed it to their heart's content.

Adding cream and fresh fruit elevates the cake's flavor to another level, making it even more delicious.

Ai Hoshino can savor both happiness and trepidation.

Although she can learn breathing techniques later, that's something for later. In the next few days, she still needs to increase her exercise to maintain her figure.

But with such delicious food, hard work is worth it.

After finishing half a piece of cake, Yukino looked at Luo Bai and said, "There's still quite a bit of cake left. I'd like to send some to Yuihama tomorrow."

"sure."

Luo Bai smiled and agreed, "Then I'll deliver it to the Hikigaya family. It's okay if Hikigaya Hachiman doesn't eat it, but Komachi's share still needs to be given."

Volume 1: Chapter 247 Delivering Ingredients (1/2)

Besides the cake, some of the hungry bird's meat also needs to be shared.

Of the 1.5 tons of meat, Luo Bai received about 100 jin (50 kg), which is a lot and enough to eat for a long time.

After dividing the cake into portions, Luo Bai also took out some meat and gave some to the Yuihama family and the Hikigaya family, and then some to the Yukino family and his own family.

Yukino and Haruno will deliver Yukino's portion to her family tomorrow, while Luo Bai plans to ask Madoka Kakuzu to help transport it back to his parents so they can enjoy it too.

As for Shiyu's share, she can take it back with her when she goes back.

At eight o'clock in the evening, it was getting late, so Nangong Nayue said goodbye and left with Hoshino Ai.

Before leaving, Hoshino Ai happily exchanged contact information with everyone.

Looking at the large number of new friends on her phone, Hoshino Ai felt even better.

Looking at everyone, Hoshino Ai smiled genuinely and said happily, "Everyone, I had a great time today, thank you. Can I come back again sometime?"

Everyone was naturally very welcoming. Luo Bai said with a smile, "Don't forget you're coming to learn breathing techniques. Have dinner here then."

"Yes, I'll be there!"

Looking at the cars that had arrived below, Nangong Nayue said to everyone, "Then we'll be leaving now. Contact us if you need anything."

Without letting anyone see them off, Nanami Nagatsuki took Hoshino Ai down the elevator and then got into the company car to return to Tokyo.

On the bus, Nangong Nayue looked at Hoshino Ai, who was holding her phone and smiling, and she was in a good mood as well.

"Although you had a lot of fun today, don't slack off in your practice over the next few days. Once you've finished all your work this month, you can have a good rest next month."

Hoshino Ai immediately nodded seriously and said, "Yes, I understand!"

Nangong Nayue was never worried about Hoshino Ai's attitude. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Well, you'll be on vacation in August. You don't usually have any activities on your own. It seems that Luo Bai and the others will choose to go to another world and find a deserted island for a vacation. If you want to go, you can come along too."

"Huh? Another world? Can I go there too?"

Hoshino Ai looked at Minamiya Nazuki with excitement.

"Sure, I'll talk to them about it later. Bringing one or two more won't hurt, and you all got along well today. Um... there's one more thing. Next year you'll be going to high school. Do you want to go to Toyonosaki High School or Soubu High School in Chiba? Anyway, Chiba and Tokyo aren't far apart, so it won't take much time to travel back and forth for work. Next year the group disbands, and your popularity will likely skyrocket after you go solo, but I'll still prioritize your studies. It's unrealistic to be an idol forever. My career plan for you is to become a well-rounded entertainer who excels in both singing and acting."