My daily life is getting weird because I am caught between being in a band and being an idol.

"I don't bother to reason with you, you don't deserve to listen! Shura Armor, combine!"

Chapter 13 Two women and one man, in the park...

"I'm sorry to trouble you so much, Mr. Hiraishi!"

At this moment, Asahi was carrying Momoka, who was reeking of alcohol, on his back on the road home, while Nina kept apologizing to Asahi beside him.

"It's alright... but this guy is so young, drinking like this every day, his body won't be able to take it sooner or later."

"Seriously! I didn't drink that much at all! Hehehehe..."

Tao Xiang suddenly went on a drunken rampage, retorting in a loud voice, and then she suddenly swung her fist and smashed it down on Chao Yang's head.

The fist landed on the top of Chaoyang's head. Although the force wasn't great, the sudden movement still startled him. Fortunately, it didn't hurt, and Chaoyang wasn't angry about it; he just sighed helplessly.

Rencai, who was anxiously pacing around, quickly spoke up to stop her.

"Momoka-san, don't cause trouble for Mr. Hiraishi!"

Her voice was full of anxiety, clearly very worried that Chaoyang would be angry.

He quickly bowed and apologized.

"It's nothing. There's no need to be so polite...and..."

As Chaoyang spoke, he couldn't help but feel two soft objects gently rubbing against his back with Taoxiang's movements.

"...Actually, I didn't lose out either."

After saying that, he looked straight ahead, afraid that Rencai would find out what was going on.

Of course, Asahi was overthinking it. Nina knew almost nothing about that kind of thing and just thought Asahi was a naturally kind person.

"Have you finished everything for today?"

"Um... I went to the ward office with Momoka-san to complete the registration process, and then she came back to help me tidy up my house. After that, she took me for a walk around the streets... and finally... um... we just stayed at izakayas (Japanese pubs), until Momoka-san got drunk and got kicked out."

"You've worked hard too... Really, you're such a grown-up, a little bit of drinking is enough, instead of living a life of drunken stupor every day."

After saying "Thank you for your hard work" to Renna, Asahi turned his head and glanced at Momoka behind him. Momoka was fast asleep again, as if she was muttering something.

"...But I'm so happy to see what Momoka-san is really like..."

"She's not some big star, her life is probably just like ours... no, to be precise, she's worse off than most people. As for you, have you gotten used to life here? After all, this is probably your first time living alone, right?"

"Well, thanks to you and Momoka-san, Mr. Hiraishi, to be honest... it's much better than when I was at home."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Chaoyang was unsure whether he should ask Rencai about her family situation.

...Never mind, she'll say it if she wants to.

"...Speaking of which, what university did you want to apply to? The abbreviation for the five private universities in the same tier (March)? Waseda, Keio, and Sophia? Or the University of Tokyo, Tokyo Institute of Technology, and Hitotsubashi University?"

"Hey~~ Mr. Hiraishi, you've mentioned universities that are really difficult for me to get into, how am I supposed to answer that! But I don't really have any specific goals in mind... I just want a good university... Do you have any recommendations, Mr. Hiraishi?"

How is Aoyama Gakuin University?

Chaoyang answered immediately without hesitation.

"Huh? March?"

Renna crossed her arms and pondered her academic level with a troubled expression.

"...This is indeed a bit difficult for me...Why which university?"

"Because... isn't Seigaku supposed to have the most and most beautiful girls? You can introduce me to a couple later."

However, upon hearing this, Nina inexplicably became unhappy and pouted.

"If you want a beautiful girl, then take Momoka-san on your back with you. Anyway, she doesn't have a boyfriend... I guess..."

After muttering to herself, she suddenly quickened her pace and walked forward.

Seeing this, Chaoyang felt a pang of anxiety, realizing that his joke might have upset her. He had no choice but to carry Taoxiang on his back and quicken his pace to catch up, apologizing profusely.

"Hey, don't walk so fast! Sorry, I was just joking!"

When Nina heard Asahi's apology, she slowed down a little, but still maintained a dissatisfied expression.

"This kind of important matter concerning one's life is not something to be joked about!"

After saying that, Rencai even raised her middle finger.

However, Chaoyang immediately pressed down on her finger.

"...Girls shouldn't wear this kind of thing, did I teach you to do this while I was carrying this drunkard?"

"……Um……"

When Nina saw Asahi's expression suddenly turn serious, her heart tightened, and she immediately realized that her behavior might have been inappropriate. She had indeed been influenced by Momoka to habitually raise her middle finger these past two days, and now, faced with Asahi's serious expression, she suddenly felt embarrassed, and her face also showed some awkwardness.

Chaoyang sighed, smiled, and continued.

"Don't be nervous, it's just a normal chat. I'm not your elder or older brother, so don't overthink it. However, I have to admit that this is why I have a bad impression of rock music. Although it's your freedom, I don't want you to start adopting those rock trends after a short time here, dyeing your hair brightly colored and wearing revealing clothes. Individuality is important, but the premise is not..."

He was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly realized he had overstepped his bounds. After all, he and Rencai were just neighbors, and there was no need for him to lecture her. More importantly, he saw that her fists were clenched. This might actually make her resentful and even more rebellious.

To be honest, I have been treating Nina like a younger sister these past two days.

"Never mind, I've said too much. I'm sorry, let's just forget what I just said."

Chaoyang shook his head helplessly, trying to ease the slightly tense atmosphere.

"She just said she wasn't your elder, but her subsequent words contradicted herself. Nina, you don't like this kind of lecturing, right? I hope you don't mind."

They started looking back to fix things.

Rencai was indeed on the verge of exploding for a moment, but fortunately Asahi stopped her in time.

Just as the thorns of the purslane were about to be revealed, the purslane also came to its senses.

At that moment, Nina did indeed think of her father's words.

"...No, it's nothing, I was the one who raised my middle finger first."

He turned his head away, but his displeasure was already quite obvious.

"You really wear your heart on your sleeve; you're so obviously unhappy."

Rencai stopped and took a heavy step towards the rising sun.

"I'm not upset at all!"

Chaoyang stopped and smiled as he spoke to her.

"Sigh...it's clearly there."

"I don't!"

When Renna was almost touching Asahi's face, she angrily emphasized, her eyes full of resentment.

Chaoyang shook his head helplessly, and was about to say something when he was suddenly interrupted by Taoxiang on his back.

"It's so noisy! Don't disturb my sleep!!!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Momoka swung her fist forward, hitting Asahi squarely on the shoulder, and then landed another punch on Nina's head.

Both of them were stunned by the sudden attack. Before they could react, Momoka had already fallen into a deep sleep again, as if nothing had happened.

Asahi and Renna exchanged a glance and immediately clenched their fists, silently deciding to teach this "culprit" a lesson.

"Gurgle gurgle gurgle!!! I'm awake! Turn off the tap! Gurgle gurgle gurgle! Idiot, water's in your nose!!!"

Tao Xiang was jolted awake by the sudden flow of water and frantically tried to break free.

Chaoyang and Rencai took a detour to the park, unloaded Taoxiang from their backs, and led her to a pool with a fountain for drinking water. When the fountain was turned on, the water would gush upwards, and if it was at its maximum, it would sting a little when it hit a person's skin.

At this moment, Nina stood to the side, hands on her hips.

"Momoka-san, you've caused so much trouble for others today, you should accept your punishment!"

Chapter 14 Actually, I want them all!

"Seriously... I was having a sweet dream and you guys played this prank on me. ... Ugh, I'm all wet, really."

Momoka wiped her face and hair with a handkerchief made of rinsai.

"Whose fault do you think it is..."

Chaoyang said in an annoyed tone, but it was strange that even though he wasn't familiar with Taoxiang, he was now speaking to her naturally in a friendly tone.

"Yeah, Mr. Hiraishi carried Momoka-san all the way from the station to here, and you still hit him. And me too!"

Nina completely forgot the unpleasantness from earlier and formed a united front with Asahi.

After hearing Nina's explanation, Momoka scratched the back of her head and laughed awkwardly.

"Haha, is that so? I'm really sorry, I'll be more careful next time."

Just then, Nina walked up to Asahi, lowered her head, and spoke with a hint of shame in her voice.

"...And Mr. Hiraishi...I'm so sorry about earlier. He helped me so much...and I was giving him a sour look. I know he meant well, and he knew he cared about my feelings and apologized properly. Compared to him, I'm such an ungrateful idiot...He was the first friend I made in Tokyo..."

Renna's voice grew softer and softer, her expression increasingly ashamed, as if she were about to burst into tears. She bit her lower lip, trying to control her emotions.

Looking at her like that, Chaoyang's heart softened, and he bent down slightly and gently flicked Rencai's forehead.

"pain!"

Renna clutched her forehead and cried out in pain. Asahi straightened up, stretched, and said with a smile.

"Now we're even~ Since we're friends, this little thing doesn't matter. Besides, I don't dislike Nina's straightforward personality. At least it's not so tiring to be around her."

At this moment, Taoxiang suddenly interrupted with a mischievous grin, egging everyone on.

"You two have a great chemistry; you might even become a couple in the future."

Rencai's face flushed red instantly, and she immediately turned her head away, smiling awkwardly as she said...

"This, this is not right! Mr. Hiraishi is so kind... well, maybe Momoka-san would be more suitable..."

Chaoyang was somewhat exasperated by their teasing and quickly made a pause gesture.

"Am I some unwanted leftover product? You two are just passing me around like this, honestly. Even if I'm lacking in romantic prospects, I wouldn't date either of you, really. Alright, it's getting late, let's go home."

Chapter 15 A Little Interlude at Idol School

First Star Academy

"Uh, you, you guys... this is... uh, sorry, you're blocking my way."

Early in the morning, Fujita Kotone walked out of her dormitory room in a daze. Not fully awake, she rubbed her eyes and saw three girls standing there with their hands on their hips, blocking her way.

One of the petite girls, clearly the leader, crossed her arms, slightly raised her chin, and spoke in an unfriendly tone.

"...You've really kept us waiting. The other idol students are all up early in the morning doing vocal exercises and morning training, but you've been sleeping in until now. ...Fujita Kotone, right? If you don't want your secret to be exposed, come with us!"

After saying that, she turned and walked into the corridor. After walking for a while, she prepared to take Fujita Kotone to the rooftop to resolve the matter. They assumed that Fujita Kotone was already obediently following behind them.

Ugh, this is such a hassle first thing in the morning. I wonder what secrets I have that I'm afraid will be exposed... Oh well, I'll just ignore them.

Fujita Kotone muttered to herself, her expression still blank.

She thought about it carefully and realized there wasn't any secret she should worry about. Her poor grades had already been made public, and the school hadn't banned part-time work, so there was nothing to be afraid of. Ultimately, she didn't dwell on it and stepped into the opposite corridor to go to the cafeteria for breakfast.

The timid girl at the back of the trio, who had been walking for a short while, looked back and realized that Fujita Kotone hadn't followed. She panicked a little, cautiously nudged the girl in the lead, and whispered something.

“Sara-chan… Kana-chan… um, it seems she didn’t come along.”

"Um!?"

Satsuki and Kana immediately turned around and found that Fujita Kotone had already walked far away, completely ignoring their words.

Meanwhile, Fujita Kotone, who had already left the dormitory building, yawned as she flipped through her notebook, casually glancing at her part-time job schedule for the day.

Today's part-time job is... um, at a convenience store near the school? It's an hour-long cover during my lunch break. Tonight I'll go to the store manager's izakaya (Japanese pub).

Just then, the three girls from before ran up to her, panting, and blocked her way.

"Hey! Are you an idiot?"

"I'm so angry!" Sasa shouted.

"Aha?"

Fujita Kotone tilted her head, looking at them with confusion.