Because it was all so sudden, Chihaya Tetsuya had only managed to book two rooms at a regular hotel near the [K-Arena].
One for himself, and the other for Wakaba Mutsumi.
But now, Mutsumi had been entrusted to Sakiko, so the other room was naturally vacant.
"We might as well cancel it."
Chihaya Anon held the other room key, unable to stop herself from pouting.
"Anyway, there's no way either I or Hoshino Ai are going to stay in the other room."
"No, we can't cancel it!"
Tetsuya quickly stopped Anon's suggestion.
"A lot of the guests here booked rooms specifically to see the [Summer Zodiac] live show. If someone else moves in next door and they hear Ai's voice... it could develop into a very bad situation."
"Ah... that's definitely something we need to be careful about! After all, the soundproofing in regular hotels like this is usually pretty average!"
Hoshino Ai, having taken off her mask, nodded repeatedly.
"I specifically asked the agency staff about other idols whose relationships were exposed. A few of them were actually caught because they were in a hotel with their boyfriends and someone found out!"
Anon couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
"Just how many idols have secret lovers...?"
"A lot. Being an idol is really stressful, after all. If you don't find other ways to relieve the pressure, it's really easy to break down."
Ai said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"And besides, idols are really just a group of ordinary girls who make a living through singing and dancing. It's only natural for girls this age to long for romance, right?"
"Well, that's true. Young girls are definitely interested in romance..."
Anon said, staring intently at Ai's face.
"But that's on the premise that you don't cause trouble for others!"
"Hmm~ You have a point."
Ai first nodded, then smiled sweetly and brought her face close to Tetsuya's.
"So, Tetsu, have I caused you any trouble?"
"...Well, while you can be a little willful at times, I wouldn't call it trouble."
Knowing full well that Ai was deliberately teasing him, Tetsuya couldn't help but avert his gaze and answer truthfully.
"If anything, I'm the one who will have to rely on you to promote my brand from now on, so... yeah, that's how it is."
"See? Your brother said so."
Ai turned back to the fuming, teeth-gritting Anon and flaunted her victory.
"That should leave you with nothing to complain about, right?"
"How could I have nothing to complain about! From the moment you showed up, I've been nothing but complaints!"
Anon said, forcefully pulling Tetsuya's arm.
"Right, Brother, you still owe me a kiss! I've taken my makeup off now, and there are no outsiders around. It's time for you to fulfill your promise!"
"..."
Having already prepared himself mentally for this, Tetsuya, though still embarrassed by Anon's demand for a kiss, didn't feel much resistance.
"Alright, I get it... In that case, Anon, close your eyes."
"It's just a kiss on the cheek, there's no need to close my eyes, is there?"
Anon pouted.
"I want to burn the image of my brother kissing me into my mind!"
"Sigh, but..."
"Brother!"
Faced with Tetsuya's hesitation, Anon decisively hugged his arm and launched her usual wheedling offensive.
"Please? I don't know why, but I always end up getting one-upped by her. Just side with me this one time!"
"I get it. Anyway, just a kiss on the cheek is fine, right?"
"Of course, I'd welcome a kiss on the lips too!"
"Don't make things difficult for me, Anon. You know I can't do that."
Tetsuya first shook his head with a wry smile. Then he pursed his lips, silently chanted "this is just a sibling kiss" ten times in his head, and finally, gently pressed his lips to Anon's cheek—
"...There!"
After a brief contact that lasted less than a second, Tetsuya immediately took a sharp step back.
Anon, on the other hand, blinked blankly at the kiss, which was lighter than a dragonfly touching water, before asking:
"Eh? Th-That's it? That counts as a kiss?"
"Of course it counts!"
A very clear crimson blush was now visible on Tetsuya's face.
"And you were the one who said you wanted me to do to you what I did to Ai! This is how I kissed her, too!"
"..."
Anon silently turned to look at Ai, who simply shrugged in silent confirmation.
If Tetsuya's kiss to her had been any more intense, Ai would definitely be provoking her right now with that infuriatingly smug look.
In other words... the kiss that had made her so jealous she could have ground her teeth to dust was really only on this level...
"It's so wholesome even a kindergartener would think it's fine... You can't even call it a kiss, it's just 'contact,' right?"
Anon couldn't help but stare blankly at the man in front of her, who no longer dared to meet her eyes.
"Brother, you're really getting this shy over a toddler-level kiss?"
"I did exactly as you asked, so why are you the one complaining now?!"
Faced with his sister's questioning, Tetsuya, already incredibly embarrassed, felt a wave of shame and indignation well up inside him.
"In any case, now you have no reason to complain!"
With that, Tetsuya immediately turned and walked towards the bathroom—
"I'm going to take a shower first! And I'll run a hot bath for you two. Wait for me for a bit!"
Then, without waiting for a response, he practically fled through the bathroom door.
"That's Tetsu for you. Even when he's that flustered, he still remembers to take care of people..."
Ai shook her head helplessly.
"So, you got the kiss you wanted. You should be satisfied now, right?"
"Well... should I say I'm satisfied... or that my expectations were dashed..."
Anon's expression and tone were full of lingering disappointment.
"I know a kiss on the cheek isn't supposed to be overly intimate, but that was just a little too light, don't you think?"
"That's why I let you demand a kiss from Tetsu. If it had been the kind of act that would make me jealous, I wouldn't have just stood by and watched."
Ai said, crossing her arms.
"But... Tetsu really is a bit too pure. If even a kiss of that level makes him shy, then the difficulty of seducing him in the future will actually increase because of it."
"Hey, what are you saying in front of his sister?"
Anon couldn't help but frown.
"You've already decided to work long-term as my brother's exclusive model, right? From now on, you have no more excuses to act willfully towards my brother!"
"I know. That's why I want to try seducing Tetsu so that he'll take the initiative with me."
Ai admitted with complete frankness.
"But from the looks of it now, while he might not have much resistance to temptation, it's really hard to achieve any effective results... What do you think?"
"...Mhm."
Although she hated to agree with this detestable person, faced with Ai's analysis, Anon had to nod in acknowledgement.
"My brother's body... is honest, that's for sure, but his common sense in that area is seriously lacking. You basically can't expect him to take the initiative..."
At this, Anon paused for a moment before looking at Ai suspiciously.
"But why are you telling me this? What good does it do you to share this kind of information with a rival?"
"That's because, besides me, you're the only one who can use their status to take the initiative with him."
Faced with Anon's confusion, Ai stated her purpose truthfully.
"We are indeed rivals, but you should also understand that to break through Tetsu's psychological defenses, one person's efforts are definitely not enough. To make our future 'conquest' easier, the first thing we should resolve is to destroy this overly thick, child-like 'virgin psychology' of his. So..."
Ai looked up and held her hand out to Anon.
"From now on, would you consider cooperating with me, Chihaya Anon?"