That Idol and the Secret Business Partner (2)
The girl was an idol, and she had become my secret business partner. (2)
Shining Butterfly—shortened to Bitnabi. A five-member idol group made up entirely of teenagers, currently sitting at the very top of the global music charts on Melli, the world’s biggest streaming platform. Within that group, she was the leader and the one who enjoyed overwhelmingly dominant popularity. Her stage name was Red Butterfly.
At just fifteen years old, she was a genius with flawless singing talent, acting ability, and breathtaking looks. She was the once-in-a-century prodigy who had taken a third-rate underground idol group and turned it into a worldwide phenomenon. True to her reputation, Red Butterfly’s choreography on stage was as free and graceful as a shining butterfly, exactly like the group’s name. Her sheer presence made people cheer “Bitnabi!” without even realizing it. As an idol, she was perfect in every way.
And that same perfect idol had appeared before me.
I had fled to an empty corner of the school during lunch to escape the crowd of kids bombarding me with questions about Primrose. I just wanted a moment of peaceful solitude. But the moment I let my guard down, she materialized right in front of me.
“You’re Haru, correct?”
She was still wearing the dazzling idol outfit she had worn on the auditorium stage an hour earlier. The same bright, full-faced smile she had shown during the performance now beamed at me.
“I’m Red Butterfly, leader of the Shining Butterfly group—often shortened to Bitnabi. You saved my life yesterday. Thank you so much! I’m truly grateful!”
“...”
When I stayed silent, she seemed to realize I had no intention of speaking and cut straight to the point.
“For some reason, monster attacks have become more and more frequent lately. With that in mind… would you be willing to become my bodyguard? I’ll pay you generously.”
“Those aren’t monsters.”
“Pardon?”
“They’re beings created with magic to look like monsters.”
“Created with magic… then that would mean…”
“It’s possible someone is deliberately targeting you.”
“Why would anyone want to attack me?”
“I don’t know, and I have no intention of getting involved in this kind of thing.”
“What?! Do you dislike me for some reason? Or… am I lacking something? If I am, I’ll work as hard as I can to improve!”
Her desperate expression made me pause for a moment before I answered.
“Couldn’t you just hire a different bodyguard?”
“They only come when I’m alone.”
“So they’re after you specifically.”
“Yes. That’s why I’m begging you like this! I’ll give you autographs with all my heart, and I’ll let you take as many photos of me up close as you want! I’ll treat you as Red Butterfly’s number one fan, so please… won’t you help me?”
“I’m a student at this school. I have classes to attend. I can’t follow you around all the time.”
“Then I’ll transfer here! To be honest, I’ve always felt sad that my activities kept me from having a normal school life. I’ve been wanting to start studying again anyway… and if it’s a place where you are, Haru, I think I could attend without worrying. So… will you accept my request?”
“Fine. If you stay near me, I’ll do my best to protect you. But honestly, I can’t make any guarantees.”
That time I had managed it through sheer willpower, but there was no guarantee I could keep doing so. That was why I was currently learning magic from Sorcia and Daisy using Primrose’s body. Since I had only just started, I wasn’t very good yet.
“I’m still a complete beginner, after all.”
“That’s perfectly fine. In return, I’ll keep the fact that you can use magic a secret.”
“...”
She must have figured it out from our little performance last time. She already knew I didn’t want to be found out.
“By the way, how much should the payment be? Would two million won per month be acceptable? Is that too little?”
“Leave it to me!”
The money hit my account immediately. A brilliant smile born of capitalism spread across my face.
“Woo-kyaaaaak! Fresh pork! This is real pork, not that fake soybean stuff!”
Hunya was overjoyed at the abundance of real meat. Meanwhile, Yu Daye’s eyes sparkled.
“Waaah~ For my big brother to give me allowance like this… at this rate I’ll have no choice but to become a maid who serves you and call you ‘Master’! Right, Primrose? So let’s wear matching outfits!”
She was practically vibrating with excitement over the pocket money.
“The maid outfit is a bit much…”
“Not flaunting your adorable charm? Could this be the shy little-sister character who’s planning to strike while her brother’s guard is down?”
“That’s… not it.”
“I see. Then perhaps a tsundere character…”
Yu Daye glanced slyly at Daisy.
“Ah, that role is already firmly taken, so it won’t work.”
“Y-you…! How dare you say that about me, a noble demon princess!”
Daisy looked ready to explode at Yu Daye, but then she shot me a glare that clearly said, This is all your fault! From my experience, this was about to turn into actual violence. I lightly tapped Daye’s head to stop her.
Daye looked at me and said, “After receiving a ‘boop’ attack from my brother, if I do anything more I’ll get so itchy I won’t be able to stand it unless I put on a maid outfit and say ‘Master, a little more please!’ So I’ll stop.”
“Good thinking, Yu Daye.”
“A little sister has to listen to her big brother! By the way, what title would you like me to use when I’m wearing the maid outfit? Plain old ‘Master’? Or something that reflects your tastes more, like ‘Master of my heart’?”
She said she’d stop but kept going anyway. She really is cute.
“Eeeeek! You erotic demon god Haru! What exactly are you teaching Yu Daye whenever we’re not around?!”
“Nothing in particular. She just became this cute while I was living normally.”
“Living normally is enough to make her like this?! Then every brother and sister in the world should be the same, but it’s only you two!”
“Allow me, the super adorable little sister, to explain! Once you taste the powerful flavor of big brother Haru’s love, you can’t help but end up this way! It’s a universal truth written in the World Little Sister Laws!”
“Daye just uses misleading expressions a lot. In reality, all I do is make sure she drinks her milk and cooks for her.”
“That’s right! Also, my brother washes all my clothes, including my underwear.”
“Don’t emphasize the underwear part. And I told you that once you’re healthy you’ll wash them yourself.”
It didn’t seem like she would get better anytime soon, but I still held onto the faint hope that someday she would do it on her own.
“Anyway, since my brother is doing it for me right now, every time I think, ‘Aah, Yu Daye has been completely seen by her brother, even her most secret parts.’”
“S-s-secret…! Haru, I’m going to kill you!”
Daisy radiated killing intent, looking ready to charge. I hurriedly waved my hands.
“Daisy, calm down! It’s the same feeling as when Yu Daye talks about taking her medicine or going to the hospital.”
It was the kind of thing that made her extremely uncomfortable with humans.
“R-really?”
At Daisy’s suspicious gaze, Daye stuck her tongue out cutely and went “Dehet~”
“It’s true. If we’re being more specific, I also know all of Yu Daye’s body measurements.”
“Die!”
Daisy grabbed the chair she had been sitting on and swung it at me.
“You two seem to get along well.”
When Sorcia smiled and said that, Daye beamed happily and replied, “Right?!” while Hunya let out a “Woo-kyak!” The sound made Daisy freeze mid-swing.
“You idiot flat-chested demon! If you keep attacking Haru, the speed of grilling the meat will slow down! Please be quiet!”
“What… flat…?”
“No chest!! Later even milk won’t come out!”
“I have a chest, you know! You damn Kasif, are you picking a fight?!”
“You mustn’t bully Hunya! Hunya must be loved! Hunya was born to be loved!”
“Hunya, you’re the one who started the fight, so why are you acting like I’m the villain bullying you?!”
“L-love… hehehet. This is pure, high-quality brotherly love!!”
“Daye, don’t react to words like that. Shh.”
“Uhet… I got scolded by my brother. The terrifying ‘boop’ knuckle time is almost here…”
I calmed down Daye, who kept saying strange things, and said, “Hunya, don’t get angry either. Here, say ‘aah’ and eat some meat.”
When I held out the meat, she snatched it and ate it quickly.
“Daisy, don’t get mad at Hunya for no reason.”
“Did you not hear what this kid just said?! She called me… me…!”
“She called you a cliff.”
“Die-land!!”
“What’s that??”
“Huh?”
“Even if you’re flat, it’s not a problem, right?”
To be honest, they were just a little smaller than average. Hardly a cliff.
“No matter where you go, there will always be demand. Whether you’re flat or whatever, Daisy, you’re plenty cute, so there’s no problem.”
“Y-you… what are you even saying?”
“My, my~”
Sorcia spoke in a singsong voice.
“Since Haru and Daisy seem to be getting along so well, why don’t you take this chance to remove Daisy’s knee-high socks?”
“Huh? Sorcia, where did that come from?”
“Wha—?! You perverted bastard! How dare you try to remove a demon woman’s sacred knee-high socks! It’s beyond evil! Pervert!”
“Daisy, I didn’t say anything.”
As I spoke, I wondered why she hated it so much and glanced at Daisy’s white knee-high socks. She quickly pulled down her skirt hem and declared,
“Hmph!! I won’t just stand by while you try to look during a moment of carelessness! I am the Hero of Truth, Daisy!”
First it was Hero of Dreams, then Justice, now Truth. Her hero title kept getting upgraded.
Even while covering her feet, I had no particular desire to see them. But why does she hate it so much when someone mentions removing her socks? I wanted to ask, but I had a feeling that if I didn’t already know she would yell, “How can you not know something so basic!” so I let it go.
Stimulated by the sock talk, Daye tried to move her uncomfortable legs to show her feet. I gently stroked her head to stop her.
“Kiheheheeh. I’m being bullied so much by my brother! At times like this, should I say ‘You’re the person I like most in the world~’ to calm my brother’s flames? Or should we cross the line that can’t be taken back!”
She spouted nonsense and enjoyed herself alone.
“Huhuhu, this is truly a happy human dinner table.”
“She said happy! She said happy! Ehehet… my love play with my brother…”
Yeah, yeah. Keep playing happily like that today, tomorrow, and forever.
While I was stroking Daye’s head, Hunya shouted “Meat!” at the top of her lungs, urging me to grill faster, so I focused on cooking again.
Once the meal was over, Sorcia handed Primrose what looked like a passport and ID card. On the surface it seemed like an ordinary card, but when I infused it with magic power, a hologram of four feathers symbolizing the Serena Union appeared. Below them were my photo and profile.
Age: 34. Gender: Female. Name: Primrose. Race: Synapse. Title: Mage of Destiny. The Serena Union seal shone brilliantly.
When the male me saw the profile floating in the air and said, “An ID that really feels like it’s from a magical nation… thirty-four?” Sorcia explained.
Other races live much longer, so their physical and mental growth is slower. At thirty-four years old, she would be roughly equivalent to a fifteen-year-old human in both body and mind.
I had never heard of the Synapse race before. When I asked what kind of race it was, she told me it was an extremely rare species that possessed both a tail like the Kasif and pointed ears like elves or demons.
I could understand the race part, but deciding someone’s age so arbitrarily still felt strange.
“Primrose, do you know how old you are?”
“No.”
“Then it’s fine, right?”
Yeah, I guess it is.