When the Leader's Away (6)
As the practice room stirred uneasily at Iris's desperate plea, Ayane let out a silent sigh. 'This is hopeless.'
A strange sense of déjà vu washed over her. Back in middle school, she'd been through something similar once. Iris wasn't at fault this time, unlike then, but Ayane still couldn't help feeling she was a cunning one. She had no choice but to. When a girl pulled out all the stops like that, the response from everyone around was pretty much predetermined.
'Especially since Shin's on the line.' No one here would oppose Iris unless they were willing to give up on Tae-il first.
Ayane stared daggers at her, her face unmistakably sulky. Iris's features were flawless, right down to that moist gaze—she was just too pretty. 'She's really got me good.'
Fine, whatever. Might as well step up and offer help first. As she'd said before, Ayane was already stretched thin just keeping an eye on Rena and Sakuya. And who knew when, but once they properly debuted in the band scene, the odds of Izumi jumping into the fray were sky-high.
'That girl's got this innocent face, but her emotions are all out there—such a weird one.' Their first meeting hadn't shown much beyond simple joy, but after the concert? Ayane had no choice but to stay on guard; the girl wore her feelings on her sleeve.
Up on stage, when those crimson eyes scanned desperately for Tae-il, even Ayane had gritted her teeth a little. If she hadn't known Tae-il was just hurt, she might've lost it over Izumi's attempts at skinship.
'Already three rivals gunning for Shin. No, make that four if you count that seaweed-haired senior.' Turning Iris into an enemy on top of that? Insane.
Better to keep her as an ally. Ayane wasn't some brainless warlord like Lü Bu or Yuan Shu from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, making enemies of everyone around her. She wouldn't do that kind of shortsighted, pathetic crap even if you paid her a fortune. Well, unless you were handing over Tae-il—then maybe she'd consider it.
'Whatever. Might as well rack up some favor with Iris while we're at it.'
Was Tae-il wary of her footing the entire bill precisely because of this? If so, Ayane still figured getting close to Iris—family ties aside—could only be a good thing.
She gauged the mood quietly, then slowly opened her mouth. She'd help.
"Sure, I—"
"Ha! You've gotta be kidding me."
Rena cut her off sharply the second she spoke.
"Huh?"
Ayane froze, mouth agape, flapping her lips like a goldfish while sneaking glances around.
"You got no right calling anyone else an idiot from now on, you thick-headed bitch."
Her razor-sharp retort came with an edge that could slice steel. Everyone turned to stare at Rena in shock.
"Rena-chan...?"
Iris was the most surprised. Rena was her irreplaceable childhood friend, the one person she counted on as her staunchest ally.
"Is she just innocently naive like a total moron, or straight-up stupid...?"
Rena irritably swept her hair back.
"What? Get famous to break free? Iris, are you a complete fucking idiot?"
Rena's cold voice trembled. Iris easily recognized it as anger, which only confused her more.
"Don't you know what kind of family you come from?"
"I do."
"No, you don't have a clue."
The artists backed by the Arisugawas—why did they always bend to their whims so obediently? Simple. They couldn't defy them. And why not? Because the Arisugawas had the power to bring them to their knees.
"Iris, you've never once looked at the guest list for my exhibitions, have you?"
"W-Well..."
"Of course not. You wouldn't care."
"I do care about you, Rena-chan!"
"I know."
If anything, Iris had eyes only for Rena at those events. Regular folks just watched their friendship fondly from afar, but not the Arisugawa crowd. Their surveillance-laden stares, slithering like snakes, were more oppressive than even the otaku fans hitting on her.
"Sakuya."
To school the impulsive Iris, Rena pulled in Sakuya, who was watching blankly.
"Huh? What?"
"Who bugs you the most during tournament season?"
"Narrow it down?"
"Job-related."
"Reporters."
Sakuya answered without a second's hesitation. Now that she was famous with a huge fanbase, even crusty old hacks trembled before her. But back then? Not so much. The shameless way they hid behind the public's "right to know" made her skin crawl.
Why did people lose faith in humanity? Sakuya could say without a doubt: because of those scum calling themselves journalists.
"How were they?"
"As obsessive as me with number one spots."
Sakuya gave a wry smile. "Forget my skills being immature back then—their interviews and stalking were pure stress. It even messed with my performance."
Shedding rumors had worn her down. Reporters latched onto her for all sorts of reasons. Her looks. With crowds always around her, they spun stories linking her to other players without context. Scandals among promising young athletes weren't as explosive as celeb or political dirt, but still prime fodder. Especially stars like her, who drew fans like idols and boosted magazine sales.
Usually, reporters propped up star athletes, but Sakuya—cockily competing in multiple sports and on the bad side of association bigwigs—had no defenders. She was prime prey to chew up, spit out, savor, and devour.
"My middle school had zero Interhigh experience, so my handling was super amateurish too..."
When her skills weren't polished yet and she bombed in swimming and a few others, they pounced like starving hyenas, tearing into her for days.
"I hate to say it, but for some student comp, they wrote like they wanted me dead."
If her school had been a sports powerhouse or it was an international event, fine. But no—the injustice. Sakuya had endured every attack imaginable as public enemy number one. She'd thought her mentality was ironclad, but that taught her how twisted human malice could get.
"After going through it, I kinda got why celebs kill themselves."
A memory she never wanted to revisit. Just thinking about it made her shudder violently.
Rena, who'd endured reporters at a young age too, empathized fiercely.
"I hate reporters most. Yours were mostly rumors, but mine were based on truth—so it hurt worse."
"Truth-based...?"
"Modern artist risen on Arisugawa patronage. That artist was this girl named Honjo Rena."
They say mixing a little lie into truth fools people better than outright fiction. Spot on. The reporters hit Rena's weak spots dead-on.
"If I hadn't proved myself like you did, I'd have been the laughingstock of the 21st century."
She was so burned, she could've penned her own headline. "'Fearless Western Girl Underestimates Japanese Art World, Gets Her Comeuppance!' Something like that?"
"Ahaha. I get the vibe. You suffered too, huh, Rena."
Sakuya, who'd seen similar titles plastered in mags, laughed till she choked, clapping. "You could be a reporter!"
Rena recoiled. "Hell no. I'd die first."
"Anyway, media attacks using trash like that? It's the upper crust's specialty."
"Uh..."
Who Rena meant by "upper crust" was obvious. Iris went slack-jawed, speechless.
She tried to avoid family ties, but some things you couldn't ignore. Especially their pet journos and yellow press—Iris had no defense.
"Got it?"
Rena smirked at Iris's stunned face.
"If media was our only enemy, yeah, get famous and hit back, like you said."
All it'd take was time and effort. Artists build trust and fandom as the public recognizes their talent. Over time, that fandom becomes an unbreakable wall shielding them from the media horde.
"Problem is, your family ain't incompetent enough to let us grow that big."
They could succeed. Not some vague hunch like Tae-il's, but Rena believed in them. Just needed time.
Question was, would the Arisugawas sit idly by?
Luck had played a part in their growth, sure. But not all of it—otherwise, they'd have crumbled long ago. Pragmatic to the core, the Arisugawas obsessed over connections more than anyone.
"Know who gets invited to my exhibitions?"
"You said—I don't..."
"Now you do. All handpicked by the Arisugawa clan."
Business tycoons, politicians, local bigwigs—power players across the board.
"Say... no need for the family head Zenjiro to step in himself. One of those pathetic old cronies strutting under him whispers to an influential guest. Blocking some girl from debuting as an idol? Piece of cake."
Framed? Bad PR? Who cares. Tame the rebellious Iris, marry her off for a good deal—profit. Hell, they'd take a son-in-law if the terms matched.
"Fame for freedom?" Rena scoffed at naive Iris. "Yeah, right."
The whole premise was fucked from the start.
"But..."
Iris struggled to counter.
"But what? You gonna march home and declare that to your face? In front of your dad and the elders?"
"That's..."
"Yeah, no way. You freeze up in front of the family head—how could you even say it?"
Rena shut down her excuses preemptively. The mood turned hostile. Iris glared, lips pressed tight; Rena sneered back mockingly.
"Wanna hear the straight truth? You need help? I'd do it in a heartbeat. You're my friend."
"Rena-chan...?"
"If you really need it, I'd force it on you even if you hated me."
Gladly. Rena would sacrifice for Iris. It went beyond idolizing her—Ayane was right. Rena's life was saved by her. Half of it was already Iris's collateral. If Iris fell, so would she.
"But if you pull this reckless shit... I'll stop you with everything I've got."
Voice low now. Friend hitting the self-destruct? Doesn't matter how miserable you are—I'll shatter your limbs before you press it.
"Because we're friends."
Iris's eyes went wide. Calming down, she processed Rena's words. Finally...
Touched, she teared up at Rena's stern, slightly grumpy finale.
"Re-Rena-chan..."
As emotion swelled between them, Sakuya whispered to Ayane.
"You were about to naively agree earlier, right?"
"..."
"Rena saved your ass."
"Tch."
Ayane shot her a glare; Sakuya stifled a chuckle.
"You're so obvious, Katsuragi. Or should I say, Ayane?"
"..."
Embarrassing. Even without permission, Ayane stayed silent at the "yobiste." Sakuya took it as tacit approval.
With Rena's speech done, the room buzzed over Iris again.
"Waaah! Rena-chan's the only one for me! I'm so happy! Let's be friends forever!"
Touched, Iris bawled into Rena's chest.
"Now it's really just you, Rena-chan! Sniff!"
"Hey, don't blow your nose on my clothes, you pig!"
Smaller than her, Iris clung and wiped snot freely. Rena scolded, then sighed.
"Haa. You really just blurted that impulsively, huh?"
Always too action-oriented for her own good. Rena needed headache meds for this friend who never planned—just did.
"You're great otherwise, but..."
"Sniff? Huh?"
"Think and act with a plan. Don't rush and ruin everything. Okay?"
Rena's mature side shone; Iris buried her face higher, at the solar plexus this time—no snot zone.
"Waaah! Take me, Rena-chan!"
A tidal wave of shame hit late. Iris fake-cried dramatically, face surely beet-red like boiled octopus if she looked up.
"Enough."
Last indulgence over, Rena lifted her head. Ayane flinched at stares from her and Sakuya.
"Since it's out, why not lay all our hidden cards now?"
"Haha. You cool with that?"
"She spilled hers wide open—feels weird holding back. Like playing blind man's bluff, but awkward."
Not intentional, but Iris had shared a fatal secret. Rena was used to it; the other two would obsess over her engagement.
"Yeah, if we blab to her family now, band's toast."
"Don't you dare!"
Iris bolted up at Sakuya's teasing, yelling in horror.
"I'll curse you as traitors! Judas! Judas! Judas!"
"Then stop crying."
Rena shoved her head back down forcibly.
"Rena-chan, my nose hurts. Your chest's too flat."
"Wanna die?"
"Sorryyy..."
Rena smirked at wilted Iris, patting her head—fist-style.
"Ow, that hurts..."
"Shut it."
Anyone could tell it was meant to hurt.
"Anyway, this idiot showed her whole hand like a noob."
"Haha. Kinda cute, in an Iris way?"
"Not even."
Rena deadpanned; you'd change your tune cleaning up her messes, she added.
Anyway.
"Since Shin's not here, I'll say it: we need tighter bonds. Doesn't matter if it's camaraderie or friendship."
"One thing's sure—we're in the same boat."
"Nice idiom."
In the same boat. Basically, fate-sharing.
"If we don't agree and get along here, the boat sinks for sure. Right?"
"Can't argue. Look at her..."
"Wh-What?!"
Ayane bristled as eyes naturally turned her way.
"Nah, just..."
"Just what!"
"Our Ayane's amazing. Haha."
"That's such a brush-off! Sa-Sak..."
"Sak?"
"Sakuya..."
Turtle-neck vanish. Steaming red face. Barely audible whisper.
"Hahahahaha!"
Sakuya's booming laugh echoed through the room. Rena felt the weight lift from her chest.
"How do you have the face to look up?"
"Well..."
Iris fidgeted sheepishly under Rena's gaze.
"Felt like a once-in-a-lifetime show..."
"Fair."
Rena agreed. As Sakuya pounded the floor laughing, Ayane yelled to hide her blush.
"F-Fine! More importantly, hidden cards first...!"
"Creepy girl, you're good."
"Huh?"
"Your secrets are probably lame anyway. Am I wrong?"
"Hah?"
Ayane flared at being dismissed. Rena smirked openly.
"Pfft! As if you have anything worth hiding."
"Guh!"
Ayane wasn't "normal," but her background was vanilla compared to the others. Any secret would pale.
Dead on, she raised her voice desperately. Fights since ancient times favored volume over logic.
"Sh-Shorty, that's rude! Ayane's a proper lady with secrets not fit for polite ears too!"
"Bullshit."
"Eek!"
Rena seized control with curses, then spilled hers casually.
"First off, I do 19+ doujins as a side gig."
"Hiiik!?"
Ayane, recalling Rena's man-hate, freaked. Sakuya quit laughing, ears perked.
"You draw manga too, Rena?"
"Yeah. Did Comicon last winter. Not a wall booth, but sold out in under three hours."
To doubting Sakuya, Rena showed booth pics. Empty table, "Sold Out" sketchbook, smiling normie couple V-signing.
"Where are you?"
"Minor."
"Ah."
"They handle sales and distro. Family servants, FYI."
Rena nodded at Iris, who beamed V-signs. Sakuya ignored, probing cautiously.
"Um... might be rude, but..."
"What?"
"Circle name or pen name...?"
"Pen name? Easy. 'BigPie'."
People crave what they lack. Rena, envying Iris's assets, picked BigPie.
"Not super famous—only two years in."
"What...!"
Sakuya was floored. Was her fame skewing standards? 'My cousin Miki...'
Miki hustled cosplay sales at Comicon and still struggled for sellouts. Veteran with solid fanbase, too. Sure, pretty girl selling yaoi was niche. But this newbie BigPie casually claimed three-hour sellout.
Rena scratched her cheek nonchalantly. "Summer Comicon was busy, so just one collab bonus booklet..."
"Kyaaah!"
Sakuya squealed weirdly. Rena jumped.
"Wh-Why the freakout...?"
"Kyaaah!"
Speechless, Sakuya grabbed her shoulders. Strong enough to wield her like a weapon—Rena flailed like a toy, nauseous from the spin.
'Urp...!'
"For real!? You're that BigPie-sensei!?"
"L-Let go first...?!"
"Insane! Totally insane! Can't believe it! How!?!"
"D-Dizzy, stop sh-shaking...!"
"No way this happens...!"
Sakuya had ignored adult tales of small worlds. BigPie: comet-like newbie, no SNS, pure pixiv. Story meh, but art? Pro-level horniness. Monster rookie.
Struck perfectly, she'd begged Miki for physical copies.
"Not now! Signature first...!"
She rummaged her bag—notebook and pens inside.
"Rena! No, BigPie-sensei! Sign my notebook cover: 'To my dear Sakuya'!"
"You draw too...?"
"Please!"
Rena panicked at Sakuya's blazing eyes—admiration, passion, unspeakable feels. Hotter than her sports stares. Like predator eyeing Tae-il in Gunma; goosebumps rose.
"Hurry...!"
Whining, Sakuya got her wish. Signature? No biggie. But then she raged.
"'Honjou Lena'...!? That's not BigPie-sensei's sig! Why...!"
"Well..."
Rena never considered a BigPie sig.
"Nooo...!"
Sakuya wailed. Her cool delinquent mask shattered—pitiful. Rena blinked: Real life?
Quiet Iris poked Ayane slyly.
"What?"
"Just... spill a secret? Sakuya hyped my expectations sky-high."
Not a contest, but watching fired her up. Still, beating a true otaku Sakuya? No shot.
Sakuya spewed otaku lore at Rena—Japanese, yet alien to Iris.
"Ayane, can you top this?"
Too sudden another-level reveal? Iris figured only something wildly bizarre would faze her now.
"We, uh..."
Dizzying scene just watching.
"S-So, BigPie-sensei's next is BSS-mixed NTR!?"
"Just concept, not drawn..."
"Pl-Please! Heroine model me! Nude ok! Gold sun position—Tae-il! Deal!?"
"Fuck, suddenly don't wanna draw..."
"Why!"
Ayane squeezed eyes shut, pleading.
"Pretend today never happened..."
"Tempting?"
Including Tae-il's arm-wrestle flop, bury all cards and black histories like time capsules. Quite appealing.