Translation: Chelly
Editing/Proofreading: Henry, Scarlet
Chapter 8
Part 2
“I’m Yuu Okita.”
After we entered Anju’s house, I introduced myself.
“So you’re Yuu-kun! Once again, I’m Anju Majima.”
“I-I know…”
Anju’s eyes widened in surprise as I said this.
“Huh? Why?!”
“I was a fan of Ripqle.…”
“Oh, really?! I’m glaaad!”
I instinctively backed away when I saw Anju trying to take my hand.
When I did that, she was visibly embarrassed and said, “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, um, I’m sorry too… I’m… afraid of women….”
I saw the bewildered look on her face.
“Huh? But aren’t you two in a relationship…?”
“No, it’s…”
“Yeah, we’re dating.”
Akira cut me off just as I was about to respond.
“Yuu is fine with it as long as the physical distance is not too close.”
“Ah, I see, well… I’m sorry? Is this a safe distance?”
“Yes. I apologize for causing you concern….”
“It’s okay. To each their own.”
I couldn’t help but sigh in relief when I saw Anju smile softly.
“Man, idols are so kind… including Mao.”
When I tried to express myself, both girls stared at me.
“What’s that?”
Akira tilted her head.
I replied, my gaze falling to the floor.
“Um… you know… my gynophobia… not many people understand it.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yeah… more often than not, it’s made fun of. That’s why I try not to tell anyone else as much as I can.”
I nodded as I reflected on the past.
Until recently, when I revealed my gynophobia, I was often mocked or told, “Are you kidding me?”
As more of these things happened, it became more difficult to tell others.
I couldn’t change my mindset immediately, and I wasn’t sure if I could explain every detail to others and still gain their understanding.
All I could do was avoid contact with women.
“It’s reassuring to know that when I’m open and honest like this, you don’t mock me and instead say, ‘To each their own.’”
When I said that, Anju, who was sitting across the table from me, nodded with a tender expression.
“I won’t mock you. Really, there are all sorts of people out there. …Idols are expected to be fair to everyone.”
Anju continued her speech with a gentle expression on her face.
“They’ve all been through a lot in their lives, and they’re the ones who found us. By taking care of each of them, they will also take care of us. In this way, the idol establishes a trusting relationship with their fans….”
Anju looked shocked and put her hand over her mouth after saying that much.
Then she waved both her hands dismissively and smiled.
“But, coming from a former idol, that doesn’t sound very compelling, does it?”
Her face was bright and cheerful, but her voice trembled a little.
Sensing the melancholy in her words, I raised my voice unconsciously.
“Th-that’s not true!”
I rose from my seat.
“You’re dedicated, polite… and your idol activities were very fun. I admired you! I was shocked when… I learned you were retiring.”
As I said that, I realized I had said something embarrassing in the heat of the moment, and my words faded gradually.
I sat down quietly, embarrassed.
But Anju, staring at me with her round eyes, blushed.
“He-he, I haven’t received such a direct compliment in a long time… Thanks.”
“N-no…”
“Hey, don’t get all mushy on him, will you?”
A steely gaze then pierced me from the side.
“You said that I’m the only one you like….”
“Huh, no, I mean as an idol…”
“I’m aware of that, you idiot!”
Akira’s mood had suddenly changed.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.…”
Anju interjected, looking a bit uneasy.
I was relieved to discover that their relationship hadn’t changed even though they were no longer together.
“B-but… can I tell you something right now?”
Anju inquired, her hands fidgeting on the table.
I knew what she would say, as did Akira.
The air suddenly changed.
“When Akira-chan told me she got a boyfriend… I honestly couldn’t believe it.”
“…Yeah.”
“Akira-chan is a ‘pro,’ right? And now you’re saying you have a boyfriend… Oh, and Yuu-kun? I think he’s an attractive guy… But don’t you think it’s a little abrupt?”
Anju was implicitly saying, “Are you two really in a relationship?”
Akira nodded as if she understood what she was saying.
“I’d like to say that… we’re really dating.”
When Akira said that, Anju twitched her body and gave Akira a severe look.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“…Anju, you’re not the one who should have retired.”
“Th-that’s…”
“If that hadn’t happened, you and I could have climbed to the top.”
“Akira-chan, I’m through with that….”
“So you’re saying you don’t care anymore? No way. You were just talking about idols with a twinkle in your eye.”
“…!”
Anju choked on her words.
“I… want to get rid of anyone doing terrible deeds in the industry.”
“…Oh, no.”
Anju’s gaze fell to the table.
“I can do it. I know I can.”
Akira said this to encourage a fidgety Anju, then looked at me.
“For idols, having a boyfriend is the most taboo of taboos. So I had to make it happen and get the agency to do their best to cover for me. Then I’d be a ‘troublemaker’ in both name and deed, wouldn’t I?”
“Akira-chan… are you.…”
Anju raised her head and looked at Akira with concern.
The latter nodded somberly and responded.
“Exactly. Like you, Anju, I need to be invited to ‘prostitution’.”
“No, you can’t do that!”
Anju slammed the table and stood up.
Akira and I were both startled. Akira certainly didn’t expect Anju to raise her voice like that.
“You don’t have to do that, Akira-chan! It’s fine! Even if you’re alone… you can be at the top of your game… Wh-why are you acting this way now?! It doesn’t make sense!”
“It does!!”
Akira shouted back. Anju flinched this time.
“Don’t you think I was unjustly robbed of my precious partner…? The idol industry is a shithole where such things are allowed to go on. I know idols are supposed to share their dreams with others! But that doesn’t mean their dreams should be exploited!”
“…!”
Akira kept speaking frantically. Her voice was tense as she locked her gaze on Anju.
“What about your dream?! What will become of our dream?!”
“But… that’s… I’m not…”
An idol anymore.
Before Anju could say those words…
“We’re going to do it, aren’t we?!”
Akira exclaimed.
“You and me, together!! Didn’t we say we’d be performing at the Budokan?!”
Anju’s eyes widened as she heard Akira’s words.
“Akira-chan… that promise….”
“How could I forget…? Since… since the day you retired… I’ve been thinking about it…!”
I took a deep breath and remembered.
They won first place in an idol popularity poll while still performing as Ripqle. Then an interviewer asked them.
“To put it simply, what are your goals?!”
Akira and Anju blinked at each other as if they were little kids.
“To perform live at Budokan!!”
They said so innocently.
I’m sure the fans agreed they could do it… together.
I, for one, never doubted it.
“I want to make sure, Anju, that you can return with peace of mind. That’s why… this gamble is so crucial.”
“…I see. Yeah…”
Anju looked at Akira with watery eyes.
“Hey, Akira-chan…”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you feel that way. But…”
Anju’s eyes welled up, and she slumped for a moment.
When she looked up again, the look on her face took both my and Akira’s breath away.
“But if you cease to be an idol, I’ll never forgive you for the rest of my life.”
“…!”
Those were unexpectedly strong words from someone who had previously been so modest.
“I really enjoyed working with you, Akira-chan. But more than that… I fell in love with the ‘idol’ Akira-chan. That’s why….”
With tears in her eyes, Anju stopped momentarily.
“I’ll never, ever… return to the idol world without you, Akira-chan.”
Akira sighed in response to Anju’s words.
“…Yeah, that’s a promise.”
She then extended the pinky of her right hand to Anju.
Anju finally smiled when she saw this.
“Pinky swear.”
Anju linked her pinky to Akira’s.
Then they both giggled.
Akira exhaled deeply as she leaned back against the back of the chair.
“Sigh, I was so nervous.”
“N-nervous?”
When Anju tilted her head, Akira’s lips pursed, and she cast an upward glance at her.
“…I’ve never seen you make such a scary face.”
“I-I don’t think I looked that scary.”
“You were! Right, Yuu?”
“Huh? Ah, y-yeah…”
I nodded my head in agreement.
Indeed, I had never seen Anju with such a grave expression on her face. It was as if she was about to swallow Akira whole.
Who knows, maybe Anju was just maintaining a “cheerful persona” on stage and in her activities.
“Sorry to interrupt this moment, but…”
Akira was hesitant to say anything and cast a subdued gaze at Anju.
“Once I got over my nervousness, I really wanted to smoke…”
Anju raised her eyebrows and said, “Jeeez,” when Akira said that.
“You still smoke? I told you to stop.”
“That’s impossible. I can’t imagine not having alcohol and cigarettes in my life.”
“You know it’s bad for your health… Go out on the balcony if you want to smoke. I probably won’t be moving out, but I’m keeping this place clean, so I can get my security deposit back in full just in case.”
“Roger, I’ll use your balcony.”
Akira dashed over to the balcony.
The door was shut, and I heard a “ding” and the sound of a Zippo lighter being ignited a few seconds later.
Anju and I were left alone in the living room, and there was a brief awkward silence between us.
“Er… Yuu-kun, right?”
“Ah, y-yes. That’s right.”
Anju was the first to speak.
“Do you like Akira-chan?”
She inquired with a gentle smile.
For a moment, I couldn’t think of anything to say.
I’m sure she’s figured out that Akira and I aren’t really dating. I think she asked me that because she wanted to know if I had “romantic feelings” for Akira.
And if that’s the case, there’s only one thing to say.
“I like Akira… ‘as an idol.’”
Anju’s eyes widened as I nervously said that, but she quickly nodded, looking relieved.
“…I see.”
She smiled and nodded her head repeatedly.
“You know, that girl, she’s strong and upright to the core… I look up to her.”
“I… see what you mean.”
She fiddled with her clasped hands on the table and continued to speak with sincerity.
“However, her bravado makes me super nervous at times.”
I sensed a protective aura around her as she looked toward the balcony.
“She seems to think that she can do everything on her own. Even though that’s not true.”
“It looks that way….”
I was sure that what Anju was saying meant more than just words.
Especially for her, who was forced to retire due to “adult circumstances[1]…”
“That’s why, if you’re a true fan of hers… make sure you intervene if she’s about to do something risky.”
Anju then looked me in the eyes.
“I hope you’ll help Akira-chan continue her idol career in the way she deserves.”
My heart ached as I heard Anju’s words.
The two Ripqle members still have strong feelings for each other.
As a fan, I was overjoyed to witness that fact.
“Yes… As a fan of Akira, I’ll do my absolute best.”
Anju’s eyes were misty as if she was overcome by emotion. She then abruptly stood up.
“Huh…?”
While I was still stunned, she circled the table and approached me.
“Thank you!”
Then she hugged me tightly as I sat down.
“…?!”
My thinking came to a halt as if my mind had short-circuited.
My face pressed against Anju’s stomach, and something heavy and soft was resting on my head.
Her “softness” permeated my entire body.
The unexpected event froze my thoughts and body, but my brain gradually grasped the situation and said, “Move!”
“Mmm… mmmm…!”
As I struggled, her stomach pressed even harder against my face, and I couldn’t breathe.
“Ah?! I-I’m sorry! I forgot about your gynophobia!”
Anju let go of me as she screamed.
“Phew…! Oh, no, um, i-it’s okay….”
My face flushed hot.
Like a broken robot, I shook my head from side to side stiffly.
“I’ve always been told that I’m overly affectionate… I know it’s bad, but I can’t help myself… Besides, Yuu-kun, you’re adorable, like a younger brother…”
“Annnjuuu???”
“Huh?!”
The door leading to the balcony was open, and Akira stood with a demonic look on her face.
“I knew you liked guys who lean toward the herbivorous type[2], but…”
“I-it’s not what you think, Akira-chan…”
“Hooow come you’re so quick on the trigger?”
“It’s a misunderstanding.”
A terrified Anju was waving her hands dismissively.
Then Akira’s sharp gaze shifted to me, which startled me.
“Also, what the hell are you doing? You always reject me when I approach you but… why are you so docile and meek with Anju…?”
The apparent “jealousy” in her eyes perplexed me.
True, Akira and I are pretending to be “lovers,” but that doesn’t mean she has to get all worked up over something like this… I thought.
At the same time, I couldn’t help but wonder why, when Anju hugged me, I didn’t dismiss her as much as I did when Akira barged into my house.
Anju and Akira were both feminine enough, and there wasn’t much difference between them. Besides, this was my first direct conversation with Anju, and my body should have rejected the idea more strongly than it did…
Is it possible that my involvement with Akira has made me more accustomed to women…?
That’s what I was thinking.
“I knew it was the boobs. It’s the boobs, wasn’t it?!”
Akira yelled.
“Huh?”
Anju and I both raised our voices simultaneously.
“Since our time as Ripqle, I swear it’s those big boobs…!”
Akira glared at Anju’s chest. Then she pressed her index finger against Anju’s chest as hard as she could.
I quickly averted my gaze. It wasn’t something I should be looking at.
“I’m also well-endowed, but because my size is constantly compared to yours, I’m labeled ‘the short one with no chest’ on message boards!”
“I always warned you not to look at message boards because they’re full of antis!”
Anju tried to calm Akira down as she got all worked up.
“Shut up! Just because you don’t get called mean things all the time doesn’t give you the right to lecture me!”
“I’ve also been called a ‘pretentious airhead Holstein[3],’ you know.”
“You’ve been looking at them! You’ve been looking at message boards!!”
I smiled as I watched them squabble once more.
It would be great if these two could perform together again on stage.
I pondered such a thought as I listened to their loud voices.
[End of Chapter 8]
[1] Otona no jijou, which literally means “adult circumstances,” is a Japanese slang that serves as a euphemistic and intentionally vague explanation for things that are usually taboo or situations that are difficult to say. It’s mainly used by the media and is often heard on variety shows.
[2] Soushoku-kei danshi, which literally means “herbivore men” or “grass-eater men,” is a term used in Japan to describe young men who express little interest in getting married or being assertive in relationships with women.
[3] Holsteins are large cattle with color patterns of black and white or red and white. They are known as the world’s highest-producing dairy animals.
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After Sleep Club 
Thanks for the great chapter
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Thanks for translating this
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