Where I am ?

Today Was Not Her Day

Nijika had informed her that she needed to deal with some family matters alongside her sister, so she wouldn't be attending practice, and the Starry would be closed.

Ryo was grounded for spending all her weekly savings in under ten minutes and was at home reflecting on her actions.

Kita had to visit some relatives and couldn't join either.

That left Pochi-chan as the only one remaining.

Without her friends to lean on, she regressed a bit into her shy, withdrawn self.

To make things worse, she had forgotten the visor Tadano had given her at home.

For Pochi-chan, that visor was her lucky charm—it was truly magical for her. Just wearing it filled her with confidence and a sense of purpose. She couldn't explain why, but it made her feel like she was fighting for a righteous cause—or at least, that's what she thought.

She had grown so attached to it that she wore it not only during concerts at the Starry but also whenever she felt anxious.

The problem was that the night before, she had a little sleepover with her sister and her small dog, Jimihen.

Unfortunately, at some point, they knocked over her alarm clock, and it didn't go off the next morning.

When she woke up and saw the time, Pochi-chan panicked and rushed out the door, running as fast as she could to school.

And why was this such a problem, considering classes started at noon?

Well, one had to remember that Pochi-chan lived relatively far from school, and it would take her a long time to get there by train.

In her rush, she forgot to bring the visor.

This wouldn't have been such a big deal on a normal day—she would have just sat quietly at her desk, praying for the day to end quickly.

Unfortunately for her, when she arrived at her classroom, she was greeted with the surprise that her class was conducting a trial run of their maid café.

That's right! Her class, like Tadano's, had decided to run a maid café. And to make matters worse, she had been assigned as one of the waitresses, complete with a costume to wear. They had even made her practice some strange dances to add flair to the food service.

Pochi-chan was horrified—not only was she dealing with her near-nonexistent communication skills, but now she had to wear this embarrassing outfit. In her honest opinion, it was far too tight, especially in the chest area.

Unable to endure such a stressful situation, Pochi resorted to the second-best thing she knew how to do besides playing guitar: run away. She quickly slipped away when no one was paying attention and hid in an empty classroom.

Who would have thought?

Not long after she arrived and had barely loosened the top of her dress to avoid feeling strangled every time she took a breath, one of her boss's friends entered the room along with a woman she didn't recognize.

Even more surprising—who would have guessed that the unknown woman turned out to be her boss?

While Pochi wasn't the smartest person in the world, even she knew she had stumbled upon information she wasn't supposed to know.

Adding this to her overactive imagination, Pochi envisioned all kinds of dark scenarios in her mind.

With trembling steps, Pochi left the classroom...

Recording Studio

Yamai smiled fondly as she watched the young girl on the screen before her.

In the recording, Ai was promoting a set of markers and a limited-edition sneaker line.

"They're surprisingly varied for a stationery company," Yamai remarked, slightly surprised.

"Hehe… We're trying to break into the footwear market, and we're confident that with the help of the popular star Ai-chan, we'll be able to gain a strong foothold in this market," said a representative of the brand, rubbing his hands together.

Yamai glanced at him sideways.

"Once these recordings are complete, our contract will be settled. For further collaborations, please contact the company directly," she said sharply, giving the representative a pointed look.

The man was momentarily at a loss, his face full of confusion.

"Y-Yes, of course! We'd be delighted to work on a new collaboration," he stammered quickly.

Cold sweat ran down his back, realizing he had been exposed before he even spoke.

One had to remember that "Ai-chan" was the most popular star in the market right now, and the line to collaborate with her was extremely long.

The man had hoped to use a few tricks and flattery to gain some advantages, but who would have thought he'd be caught before he could even open his mouth?

"It's good to hear that. With that said, I see Ai-chan has finished her recordings, so we'll be leaving. Any follow-up matters can be handled over the phone. Goodbye…" Yamai said with the composed tone of a businesswoman, glancing at the brunette woman in a suit beside her.

The woman nodded and followed Yamai closely.

As they walked, Yamai noticed the woman looking slightly restless.

"You can ask if you want, Nagisa-san. In a way, you're part of him, so I don't need to hide anything from you," Yamai said kindly.

Nagisa nodded and asked, "Even if he seemed a bit suspicious, was it really necessary to say those things?"

Yamai smiled at her question and, in a somewhat smug tone, replied,

"Hehe, it might seem that way to the untrained eye. But if we pay close attention to his body language, we can see it clearly. Miyako-san, who's more immersed in this world, taught me to notice these things, and I've accompanied her before while she dealt with other collaborators. Fufu~ I can consider myself a bit of an expert now!" Yamai said proudly, puffing out her already ample chest.

Nagisa clapped in admiration, praising Yamai.

Before long, the group of three reunited and returned to the agency.

In the car, Ai, with a big pout on her cute face, complained about her heavy workload.

She envied Tadano, who could relax at school while she juggled her packed schedule.

She swore she'd make him miserable and demand the most expensive milk tea from the shop.

Yamai and Nagisa smiled with maternal fondness at Ai's childish behavior.

Author's Note:

"Well, here's a chapter. I know there's a lot to say, but I'll write it in the next one. That said, remember, I'm not dead yet, and I won't abandon this fic. With that in mind, don't forget to drink plenty of water, and know that I love you all.

Sincerely, your favorite depressed author."