mandytl | romantic comedy - ( to every good kid, chapter 1 )

Location: Shopping District

< Times passes. Several days before "StarFes". >

Kaoru: ( Siiigh... I hate myself. I couldn't say it yet again. )

Kaoru: ( This is bad. Dad's pretty set on me completely quitting this whole idol thing after I graduate. )

Kaoru: ( I'll have to start helping out by paying courtesy calls to his connections. )

Kaoru: ( Well, I promised that it would end up this way right from the beginning. Being an idol's just the prodigal son's stupid past-time, a mere memory of my youth. )

Kaoru: ( So I insisted the same and didn't bother putting any real effort into it until this year. )

Kaoru: ( No doubt this'll cause some misunderstandings. But Dad, lately... I've started taking this more seriously. )

Kaoru: ( I really was just playing around at first. )

Kaoru: ( Now I'm crazy about it. Though it's not like I want to cause any problems for my parents. The possibility of betraying my family's expectations is pretty scary... it feels like I'm just going to make my Mom suffer up in Heaven. )

Kaoru: ( Anyway. It's not like they'll believe a careless guy like me saying something like "I want to keep being an idol because it's fun". )

Kaoru: ( No one would ever think I'd choose this path for my future. )

Kaoru: ( It'd save me time to just give up now before it all feels hopeless. )

Kaoru: ( My future would be set if I just gave in and started helping out with the family business like my older brother. )

Kaoru: ( Everyone else in my family's probably never even had to think twice about it. )

Kaoru: ( Even people on the outside would think it's the more sensible and obvious choice. )

Kaoru: ( You'll use up all your strength and drown if you go against the flow, after all. )

Kaoru: ( I know that. And I don't have a lot of time left to be complaining about what's eating away at me. )

Kaoru: ( I don't know what to do... sighhh. If only I had someone to talk to. )

Kaoru: ( Sakuma-san kind of pissed me off with the stupid trap he set so I don't want to rely on him. )

Kaoru: ( Doggie and the others... I want to maintain my cool, easygoing big brother image. )

Kaoru: ( If this scandal had actually been real, things would never be the same with them again... and I can't just go crying to some girls. )

Kaoru: ( I know they'll spoil me if we meet up, but it's not like that'll solve anything. I don't really want to burden them with my heavy problems either. )

Kaoru: ( I want them to keep smiling and having a good time. )

Kaoru: ( .... maybe I should depend on our producer? But Anzu-chan's got to be totally swamped right before the SS live. )

Kaoru: ( Sigh... it feels like I'm completely alone. )

Kaoru: ( You wanted me to think for myself, right... Sakuma-san. I understand now, even if I did anything to keep from listening to how right you were. )

Kaoru: ( I need to find the answers to solve my problems on my own. )

Kaoru: ( It'll be difficult right away, but someday for sure. )

Hajime: One-two, one-two.

Hajime: Phew... uuu, my arm's gone numb.

Kaoru: ( Huh? Is that Hajime-kun... ? )

Kaoru: ( Hmm. What to do... I don't want another weird photo of us to get taken, but it looks like he's trying to move some huge bags all by himself... )

Kaoru: ( Guess I should help him to make up for all the trouble that came out of that article. )

Kaoru: H-Hey! We sure are running into each other a lot, huh, Hajime-kun~? ♪

Hajime: Whyah? Eh, Hakaze-senp... ah?!

Kaoru: Whoa, whoa. That was close. These bags were about to drop... did I scare you~? Sorry for raising my voice like that.

Hajime: Ah, no, I'm fine~! I'm sorry for being so timid.... ?

Kaoru: Ahahah. Why're you apologizing? I'm the one who should be saying sorry for all the trouble the other day.

Hajime: Oh, it's fine. It was just another one of Sakuma-senpai's pranks in the end, right?

Hajime: I never thought someone like me would end up being affiliated with such a salacious story. It was a little confusing at first, but... I'm really glad everything turned out okay~. ♪

Kaoru: What a good boy... you're totally getting Christmas presents this year, Hajime-kun.

Hajime: Huh? No, uhm, I'm not a kid anymore, so... I won't get any presents from my Mom or Dad.

Hajime: And I don't want to burden my family and our finances.

Kaoru: Eh, really? That's unexpected... well, even I stopped getting presents a long time ago from parents who used to call themselves Santa-san.

Hajime: Fufu. That's right. You're a real adult... that's great. ♪

Kaoru: Ahahah. Though I'm still a brat in the eyes of society, it feels like I'm being forced to lately.

Hajime: Uhm... ?

Kaoru: Oh, sorry. Don't worry about it. Anyway, let me help you with those. It looks like a pain.

Kaoru: I have plans for my sister's.... husband to swing by with his car.

Kaoru: We'll drive you home. That'll let me make up for getting you caught up in such a weird situation.

Hajime: Eh? Are you sure? It'd be a big help, but my house isn't exactly the closest...

Kaoru: It's cool. Frankly, being around him is really awkward since I never know what to talk about...

Kaoru: So you'd be helping me out if you hitched a ride.

Kaoru: That way I can talk to you instead to kill time. How about it?

Hajime: Ah, in that case.... eheheh. Your older sister is getting married? Congratulations~ ♪

Kaoru: Thanks. They're still in the engagement phase, so if everything goes well he should be in the family register by June of next year?

Kaoru: They should just tie the knot already before one of them changes their mind, honestly.

Kaoru: They're from really refined households, too. I guess they believe in signs like that.

Kaoru: I have to go to some annoying dinner party with both families right after this too.

Kaoru: I told her husband we could hang out before that, so the two of us were out here shopping for something to wear.