Arc-2 Ep-25

 “──Mikuri-chan. Did it suit your taste?”

“Yes. It was very delicious.”

“Really? That makes me very happy.”

Right now, I had finished dinner with Chie-chan’s family and was relaxing while drinking green tea.

“Sae-san is a good cook, after all.”

“Oh, stop it, please. Not in front of Mikuri-chan.”

Sae-san’s cooking was delicious enough that Tomoyuki-san could proudly boast about it. It was a mix of Japanese and Western home cooking, the kind that made you think, “This is a mother’s cooking.”

“Papa, don’t brag in front of Chie and the others.”

“I’m just stating the facts.”

“That’s exactly what counts as bragging.”

Watching the conversation between Chie-chan and her father, it was clear how close they were. She must be in the middle of adolescence, but she didn’t seem to be in a rebellious phase.

This was probably also because Tomoyuki-san was relatively young and handsome. If he were like my father, it wouldn’t be surprising if Chie-chan told him not to wash underwear together.

Incidentally, since I am male inside, I have no resistance to such things. Therefore, I can say that I have a harmonious family, getting along with both my father and my brothers.

“……Alright… Mikuri-san, let’s go to Chie’s room soon.”

“Yeah, got it. ……Thank you for the meal. It was delicious.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you ate it so happily.”

“Yes.”

“Mikuri-san, hurry up!”

“Alright, alright. Well then.”

“Okay. I’ll call you when the bath is ready.”

“Yeah. You go first, Mikuri-san.”

“Alright, alright.”

Urged by Chie-chan, I headed upstairs to her room. For a while, it would be just the two of us, alone.

◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆

“──As expected, the progression hasn’t changed much, has it?”

“Yeah. I think the management sees this as a classic idol concert.”

We were watching the comprehensive concert of Sistema Solare from two years ago on a portable DVD player. At that time, only up to the fifth generation had appeared, and Seven Satellite didn’t exist yet, so the duration was shorter than the end-of-year concert.

“I hope the concert that Chie and the others appeared in gets released soon……”

“It will be out by the festival. There are also the application tickets for the popularity vote included.”

“Yes. Last year it was in June. I pre-ordered and bought it.”

From CDs released this year onwards, the popularity vote application tickets are included. One ticket per single, two to three per album. One ticket per thousand yen is the basic unit. For digital music distribution, the number of tickets is determined by the total amount paid at once.

Core fans usually purchase in exact thousand-yen units and repeat the same songs to collect the tickets.

“This year, my family will probably buy, so I don’t need to buy myself.”

“Yes. Papa said he would buy several copies.”

“My family said the same. For listening, for saving, that sort of thing.”

Apart from my father and my younger brother in university, my two older brothers living at home as working adults might spend a large amount out of affection for their little sister.

To prevent that, it might be better to tell them to moderate their spending. While watching the DVD and chatting, there was a knock at the door.

‘……Chie. The bath is ready, so let Mikuri-chan go first.’

“Yay~ Mikuri-san, I’ll guide you, so get ready.”

“Understood. ……Chie-chan, will you join too?”

“……It’s a very tempting offer, but our bath is small, so I’ll pass.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Enjoy your bath slowly. While I will supervise papa.”

“Ahaha.”

I stood up, carrying the bath set prepared at home. Then, together with Chie-chan, I left the room and went downstairs.

◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆

“Phew…… I’ve taken the bath first.”

In the dressing area, I put on pajamas, holding the bag containing the clothes and underwear I had removed, and entered the living room of Chie-chan’s house.

There, the three of them were watching TV.

“Thank you very much. ……Mikuri-chan, was the water temperature okay?”

“Yes. It was just right.”

“That’s good to hear.”

While I talked with Sae-san, Tomoyuki-san glanced at me briefly but quickly looked away. After all, his beloved daughter was keeping an eye on her father’s behavior.

“Next, it’s Chie's turn to take a bath.”

“Yeah. I’ll get ready. Mikuri-san, do you want to come with me?”

“Before that, wouldn’t you like something to drink?”

“……I see. What would you like, Mikuri-san?”

“Um, then, may I have some water?”

At my request, Sae-san took a PET bottle from the fridge, placed it on a tray with a cup, and handed it to Chie-chan.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

“Well then, let’s go.”

“Yeah. Chiei-chan.”

Again, I went upstairs together with her. During that time, Tomoyuki-san didn’t join the conversation and kept his eyes on the TV.

◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆―――――――◆◆◆

“──It’s really tough.”

“Chiei-chan attends a private school, right? I guess that’s pretty strict.”

“Mikuri-san, you went to a public school, right?”

After Chie-chan finished bathing, the two of us talked about various topics. From Sistema Solare and the entertainment world, we moved on to school topics. Since her idol debut, her grades had dropped, and she had to work hard to get them back up.

“Yeah. Academically, it’s not too difficult, but when I start working seriously as an idol, I’ll have to take breaks, so I wonder how that will work out.”

“It seems that Chie-chan’s school is flexible regarding attendance.”

“Even in middle school, it’s different. Even though it’s the same compulsory education.”

“Yes… ……Yawn.”

As we talked for a long time, she covered her mouth and yawned slightly. Looking at the clock in the room, it was about time to rest.

“……Shall we call it a night? We have to go to the production tomorrow.”

“Ehh~ I want to talk with Mikuri-san more.”

“Well, there will be another opportunity.”

“Ugh… ……I guess I have no choice. I’ll look forward to the next sleepover.”

Though she pouted a little, Chie-chan seemed to accept it, probably thinking about tomorrow. Now, I wondered where I should sleep.

“Then let’s get into bed. Mikuri-san, do you want the far side?”

“The far side? Do we sleep together on that bed?”

“Yes. ……Is that not okay?”

With her cutely tilting her head and looking a little lonely, I couldn’t say no. No, there’s no way I would pass up the chance to sleep with a beautiful girl.

“Completely fine. But first, I’ll go to the bathroom.”

“Okay. Chie will go afterward too.”

Even though I experienced a sleepover at Nozomi-chan’s house, being invited to a bed by a beautiful girl was still overwhelming. I knew it didn’t mean anything like that, but those words secretly excited me.