Chapter 496: Back in Japan – Hope and Prodigy |
The lounge for the Project MirAIs girls in at Myth Inc. HQ. Late evening.
There, sitting on a sofa, Hope stared with wide eyes at the wall monitor, watching as Aoko and Alfi performed live.
The roaring crowd, the Alfis in the front row spinning light sticks like they were actually lightsabers and making a show on their own...
The Ki-Sama in the back striking dynamic poses in beat to the music, like that old DS game, Elite Beating Agents...
And then Aoko and Alfi themselves, singing, dancing, and flirting without missing a single beat and claiming the entire stage.
Rin walked over and handed Hope a heated up plate of nachos and a soda. "Here, Hope-chan! Snacks!"
"O-Oh. Thank you, Rin." Hope took the plate and soda. But her eyes were still glued onto the screen, watching Alfo and Aoko perform. "...That's not CG or animation, is it?"
Yuri hopped into the seat next to Hope and said, "It's not. Pretty crazy, right?"
Hope kept staring and then said, "...But it's not Asako or Alphy either...? Unless it's make up...?"
Yuri rolled her eyes and said, "Not much of a secret when Chi-chan is using it right now." She looked at the screen and watched what was DEFINITELY Rhea Davinki but dressed as a gyaru hopping around in the crowd and blending in. "...Honestly, how did she even get that over there?"
Suzume walked down from the upper level, carrying a teapot and tea cups. After setting them down on the table nearby, she said, "That would be Shu. Apparently, they made a deal where Shu would keep an eye on Chi-chan's IDOL body as they make their way across Europe to promote Shu's UFC fight."
Rin's eyes sparkled and she said, "That's smart! Shu gets to pretend to be a bodyguard on the plane and Chi-chan gets to pretend that Rhea is a real person!"
Hope held up her hand. "Um... Question. What's the IDOL body you're talking about?"
Yuri pointed at the screen and said, "That. John and Titor made realistic body doubles for our avatars. Chi-chan apparently uses Rhea all the time. Shu connects to hers to stream while overseas. Mine is in my closet. Rin-senpai's is..." Yuri paused and looked at Rin. "...Where IS Hana right now?"
At that time, there was a noise from upstairs.
Yuri froze. "...Senpai..."
Rin giggled. "Well, I can't help it if Hana is curious about things too~"
"SENPAI!"
Hope let out a nervous giggle and said, "So... Um. This isn't a Freddy's situation, is it? Because I'm not sure I can handle rogue animatronics..."
Rin shook her head. "Don't worry, Hope-chan! Hana's not an animatronic!"
At that time, a girl with orange hair, a yellow star hairband, and an idol uniform walked down the stairs, humming to herself. When she saw Hope, she waved and spoke in a voice eerily like Rin's. "Hope-chan! Nice to meet you!"
Hope froze. Then she looked at Rin. Then Hana. Then Rin. "W-W-Wait. But... B-B-But...?!"
Yuri covered her face. "Yes. I know. Senpai scared us too..."
Rin puffed her cheeks out and said, "Hana isn't scary!"
Hana jumped down the rest of the stairs, landing with a light thud on her feet. Then she jogged over and said, "That's right! I'm cute!"
Hope looked between Rin and the VERY MUCH REAL AND 3D Hana standing next to her. "...Oh my god." She stood up and hesitantly reached out a finger to poke Hana's cheek. "...You're WARM. How?"
Hana giggled and pulled Hope into a hug. "You're the best kouhai!"
Hope tensed but hugged Hana back, confusion clear on her face. "You're... welcome?"
Hana giggled again and let Hope go. Then she grabbed Rin's hand and said, "Come on, Rin! We need to practice for the interview!"
"Oh! Right!" Rin jumped up and said, "Let me know if something happens! Bye~" After that, she left with Hana.
Hope just watched the door after they left. Then she said, "...But...? Rin? Hana...? Aren't they the same person?"
Suzume poured a cup of tea for Hope and said, "They are. But according to Mister John, Rin-senpai had a psychotic break at some point. Then when she connected into Hana's IDOL body, a split personality was formed and runs inside it all the time."
"...What?"
Yuri sighed. "We've all decided to just pretend that Hana is Rin-senpai's twin sister. It makes things easier. It's probably best you do the same, Hope-chan."
"...O-Okay?" Hope slowly shifted her gaze back to the concert, nibbling on some nachos to distract herself from the fact that her senpai was actually clinically insane and had such a pronounced psychotic break that it turned what should have just been a robotics prop into a sentient being...
'...Maybe it will make sense when I finish reading the handbook...'
Hope HAD started looking through it. But she didn't get a chance to go in depth yet...
While Aoko and Alfi took a moment to talk to the crowd on the livestream, Yuri looked over at Hope and said, "Have you thought about your concept and what you'll be streaming yet, Hope-chan?"
"Huh? Me? Um..." Hope ate another nacho chip and said, "A little. I want to do music." She watched as Aoko and Alfi got ready to perform their next song and smiled. "Being on a stage like Alfi and Aoko... it's been a dream of mine."
Suzume poured herself a cup of tea and said, "That is a wonderful dream." She let out a warm smile and said, "It is certainly different from us, at least..."
Yuri blinked and said, "Huh. You like ACTUALLY want to perform?"
Hope paused. "Huh?" She looked at Yuri and said, "Do you... not like performing?"
"I mean, it's not like I HATE it." Yuri walked over to the fridge to pull out another soda and cracked it open. After sipping on it, she said, "I just prefer streaming."
Suzume sipped on her tea and said, "I agree. I rather enjoy telling fortunes with my esteemed guests on my streams. Singing and performing is enjoyable, but it is not quite my forte..."
Hope's eyes widened. "You mean..." She pointed at the screen where Aoko and Alfi were singing their next number. "You don't like being on stage like Aoko and Alfi?"
Yuri shook her head. "Nah. If anything, I've been trying to sell John to do a live cooking show for me... Performing is fun, but not my thing."
"But you're so good!" Hope shook her head, still in disbelief. "You, Suzu-chan, Chi-chan... even Shu! And then Hana, Alfi, and Aoko..." She placed her hand on her chest and said, "...You all don't like to perform...?"
Suzume sipped on her tea and said, "Well, our senpais definitely do. At least, Rin and Alphy enjoy it. Asako... Well, as you can see, if Alphy is performing, then she enjoys it as well. But she is also more of an 'entertainer' than an idol."
Hope pursed her lips, mulling it over. "...I can't believe it..."
Yuri sipped on her soda. "Well, believe it. We might be called an idol company, but there's a reason that the internet jokes about us being a comedy show instead. We might be GOOD at being idols... mostly because John himself is ridiculous good at singing, dancing, and teaching it..."
"HE IS?! Mister John?!"
Yuri paused, an amused look on her face. "You didn't know? The first time that 'Jenny' performed, it was just John in drag."
"WHAT?!"
===
America, around 6 AM. Los Angeles.
John stepped off his private jet and walked through the airport gates, flanked by Claud and Seth, from LEGENDS security company, who were both dressed in full security detail.
As they moved together, Seth glanced at John. Then at Claud. After that, he said, "You know, Boss. If you spiked your hair like Claud here, you could pass for him."
John chuckled. "You mean if Claud wore his hair down he could pass for me." He reached up to adjust his tie and said, "Despite my generic name, I'm not a copy, you know?"
Claud chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Boss. But run it by me again? We're taking you to a hospital to visit some girl?"
"Mmhm." John pulled out his phone and watched the video on it. An unexpected audition from a young woman who John thought would have given up on her dreams. "We're off to help an 'eerie child' who's been plagued by nothing but bad luck. And maybe even introduce 'Hope' into her life."
Seth raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to mean something? Because Claud and I are both out of your Wutanese Animation stuff."
Claud rolled his eyes. "Really, Seth?"
"What?" Seth adjusted his long silver hair and said, "You can't tell me you still don't get flashbacks about the Wutanese war in the east where shinobi jumped out of the woodworks and stole our gear."
John paused. "Wait. Say that again?"
Seth smirked. "That again."
"...I swear to the heavens..."
Claud sighed. "Ignore him, Boss. Seth's been bored out of his mind patrolling at Hoshigawa Academy. But anyway, there was a portion of China and Japan that called themselves Wutai at some point. We were part of an elite mercenary team to end the conflict. Wutai ended up folding anyway because of the cultural differences, but- Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Just for the record, the name JENOVA doesn't mean anything to either of you, right?"
Seth slowly turned to look at John.
John quietly considered pulling out a sword to stab Seth. Just in case.
And then Seth said, "Nope. But the look on your face, Boss... Pft."
"...I'm having Takashi deduct your pay. Goddammit..." John sighed. "Come on. Let's get going before something ridiculous happens."