Checkmate

The show today was amazing! And they’re doing fanmeets after every performance now! I’m so glad I’m stanning Ev3ns!

Totally. But Chihirocchi and Taochi aren’t taking pictures together anymore.

Yeah, and they seemed kinda off their game during the show today. Did something happen between them?

(Even their biggest fans are starting to notice. What should I do…?)

(Since Raito-san didn’t intend to get involved, Nayuki-kun and I tried to ask the two of them together… Tao-kun doesn’t really understand what the issue is.)

(And Chihiro-kun…)

Natsuyaki-kun, I don’t know what happened between you and Kinouchi-kun, but having conflicts like this is very unproductive.

Chihiro-kun, are you mad at Tao-kun? If you are, could you tell us why?

…It’s nothing.

That doesn’t seem to be the case. All of us have seen how unreasonable you’ve been with him lately.

Just leave me alone! It’s none of your business! And it doesn’t get in the way of our idol work anyway, so who cares?

(We didn’t really get anywhere with him… In reality, this conflict is really starting to affect their work too.)

*sigh* Natsuyaki-kun and Kinouchi-kun bumped into each other on stage again today. They’re acting awkward when they’re asked for pictures together too.

Is Raito seriously just going to sit back and watch again?

Nayuki-kun… Maybe we should try and talk to them again.

Raito’s amazing!! His fanservice feels so natural!

Literally! He’s so honest, and he never tries to butter you up or anything! And he’s so nice… I might actually fall in love…

Tch.

(We’ve gotten more fans since we started doing the fanmeets. People especially seem to like Raito-san.)

There’s a lot of people lining up to meet Raito-san again. He might not be done until the sun sets.

Must be nice to not know what he’s really like.

(Nayuki-kun’s always so harsh towards him…)

Uhh, Raito-san!! I’ll always be supporting you!

Thanks for being here. Sorry if the line was long.

I didn’t mind! I’m just really happy to talk to you!

I’m glad I was able to meet you too.

(Hmm, I understand why he’s so popular. Making his fans happy is like second nature to him…)

Raito-san, I really… Um, I-I love you!!

…Th-Thank you.

Um, uh, uh, I’m sorry if this is too much, but… Can I ask you for something?

O-Of course! Anything you’d like.

O-Okay! Can you please say “I’ll love you forever”?! Please! You don’t have to really mean it!

Ah, okay. Got it.

I’ll lo…

(Hm? Raito-san seems a little off.)

…H-Huh? I’m sorry. I’ll l… Uh…

That bastard…

(Should I jump in?)

Are you actually more shy than I thought…?! Th-That’s so cute! That makes me like you even more!

Huh? Oh, thank you…

I’ll always love you! Keep doing your best!!

Chief, I think Raito’s out of commission for now. Let’s end the fanmeet here. I’ll start wrapping things up.

Huh? O-Okay!

I have analyzed the audience data from the past few days. There is an influx in our amount of fans, primarily in the young woman demographic.

Not very surprising. Anybody would jump at the opportunity to lay their hands on a deity such as myself.

According to my research, an increase in the quality of our fanservice will lead to an increase in fans as well.

Yeah, and speaking of fanservice, you really nailed it today, Raitin! Your gap moe’s off the charts!

Huh?

Y’know, the thingy where you couldn’t say “I’ll love you forever”.

That was…

The poor girl was so deeply in love with you. But in comparison, you were, well…

Idols exist to show their fans a fantasy, even if just for a moment. You must return all the love you’re given… I’m sure you realize how important that is.

They would be crushed to find out that you’re a heartless monster who only takes and never gives.

……

Whatcha talkin’ about, Kugurinu? Sounds kinda complicated.

I’m talking about how you’re the perfect idol, nyuszi. Unlike a certain someone, you always return the love you’ve been given.

Hm? Oh, are we talking about fanservice? Yeah, that’s what an idol should do.

Yes, it’s very important. An idol who couldn’t do that would be a failure.

Raito-san? You still have some food left… You usually clear your plate. Are you full already?

Y-Yeah. I don’t have much of an appetite right now. There were some parts of our performance today that I messed up on, so I’m going to go practice them.

…One, two, three… And a turn here.

*sigh…*

(“I’ll love you forever”… It was such a simple request, but why couldn’t I say it? I didn’t even have to mean it.)

(No… Even so, I don’t think I could ever say something like that so lightly.)

(Could I really say something like that, knowing that I’d be lying?)

Idols exist to show their fans a fantasy, even if just for a moment. You must return all the love you’re given… I’m sure you realize how important that is.

They would be crushed to find out that you’re a heartless monster who only takes and never gives.

*sigh*

(Kuguri never said that I’m incapable of loving people, but…knowing him, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that he’s already figured it out.)

You’ve been in here for an hour. There must be something you’re desperate to forget about.

…Kuguri. It seems like you have something to say to me.

I could say the same about you.

I suppose you’ve figured out that I can’t love people.

(The only people who know this in our team are Nayuki and the chief… So did Chief…? No, that’s out of the question.)

My information network is far better than you would suspect. I know quite a bit about the people you’ve been involved with in your past.

Oh, so you just found out about it from my past associates.

Hmm…

What is it?

Oh, nothing. You immediately lost interest as soon as I mentioned your past comrades. I suppose you don’t care for them anymore, since you tossed them aside so easily.

……

But I did discover something very interesting. There were a lot of little discrepancies in your arrest warrant, you know.

Your gang, EDG3, originally used to be two different gangs before you merged them together.

You did that, despite knowing how risky it was to push two long-standing rivals together… Now isn’t that puzzling?

You left the gang for an extended amount of time, but you just so happened to be at the scene during that fateful incident, so…you were dragged into it.

Even though nobody there called for you. So I wonder who set this whole scene up.

……

There must have been a hand moving the chess pieces around the board that day.

So who was it? Who put you in checkmate? Who looked down at the scene from above and put all the pieces into place?

Shouldn’t that person be in jail instead of you?

Kuguri, you…

Oh, dear. Did I anger you? Ahaha, how wonderful. I’ve never seen the king with such a dreadful expression on his face.

…I’m going to take a bath.

Don’t bring this up to me ever again.

…The seams are starting to come apart. Now I just need to rip it all to shreds…

*sigh*

Oh, hello, little one. I didn’t know you were here.

Can you please refrain from making things hard on him? It’ll get in the way of your idol work.

You can just admit that you’re worried about your dear older brother.

…There’s no point in breaking him.

……

Even if you succeed, he’ll recover. That’s just how he is.

Consider this a warning. Good night.

*scoff*

You’re one to talk. You don’t even know what real despair tastes like.