"Come back, I won't do anything," Hiko said to Ai, who was standing some distance away, feeling the eyes of everyone in the room on them.
"You're not trying to trick me into coming back just so you can lay your hands on me, are you?" Ai asked, still not moving.
"No. When have I ever made a promise and not kept it?" Hiko extended his hand toward her. "If you keep acting up, people will start getting annoyed."
"So far, that's true," Ai thought, recalling that everything Hiko had promised since they met, he had followed through on.
Even the stage performance opportunity, something he didn't originally have to give her, was now about to come true.
Thinking of this, she walked back to him.
"Damn it," a man who had been watching their interaction in the hall cursed under his breath.
At that moment, music began to play on the stage.
All the surrounding lights went out, and three girls dressed in blue sailor uniforms walked out from behind the stage, quickly taking their positions.
As the music started, the stage lights began to shift in rhythm.
[Chorus]
Sera fuku wo nuga sanaide (Don't take off my school uniform)
Ima wa dame yo gaman nasatte (Not right now, please be patient)
Sera fuku wo nuga sanaide (Don't take off my school uniform)
Iya yo dame yo konnatokoroja (I don't like it, it's no good in a place like this)
[Pre-Chorus]
Onnanoko ha itsudemo (Girls are always like)
"Mi mi do shi ma" ("I know all about it")
O benkyou shiterunoyo (They are studying)
Aa mainichi (Ah, every day)
[Verse 1]
Tomodachi yori hayaku (I'm ahead of my friends)
Etchi wo shitaikedo (I want to have sex)
Kisu kara sakini susume nai (But I can't go any further than kissing)
Okubyou sugiruno (I'm too nervous)
Shuukanshi mitaina (Like in the magazines)
Etchi wo shitaikedo (I want to have sex)
Subete wo ageteshimaunoha (I would give you everything)
Mottainaikara (But it'd be a waste…)
Agenai (So I won't)
[Chorus]
Sera fuku wo nuga sanaide (Don't take off my school uniform)
Sukato mademakurechaudesho (Are you moving to roll up my skirt?)
Sera fuku wo nuga sanaide (Don't take off my school uniform)
Mune no ribon hodokanaidene (Don't untie the ribbon on my chest)
[...]
Saito Hiko recognized the song the moment he heard the familiar melody and lyrics.
The song was "Don't Take Off My Sailor Uniform."
He hadn't known about it originally, but after Ichigo founded Ichigo-Pro, the two had once chatted during a visit, and Ichigo had mentioned the Onyanko Club, the first major female idol group in idol history.
Because two of their songs, "Don't Take Off My Sailor Uniform" and "Teacher, Teacher", had become almost standard repertoire for underground idols, Ichigo had shown Hiko a video of their performance.
That performance had left Hiko with an uncomfortable feeling, the members were too young.
So when he heard the song now, he immediately recognized it.
However, as he watched the movements and listened to the singing on stage, his overall impression was very poor.
First, in terms of sound, they completely failed to convey the song's tone or emotion... bad review.
As for the performance itself, the atmosphere was flat due to the small number of people, and their movements were stiff and uninspired... bad review.
The stage lighting changed too often and didn't match the song's mood... another bad review.
After evaluating the performance in his mind, Hiko glanced at the audience beside him.
About a dozen people had gathered, waving glow sticks in rhythm.
They looked like devoted fans.
Indeed, even if the singing, dancing, and lighting were all terrible, you could still win over fans through other means.
Hiko quietly observed his surroundings, deep in thought. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ai glancing at him. Leaning closer, he whispered, "What is it?"
"The lyrics they're singing…" Ai said softly, taking the chance to speak. "They're too embarrassing…"
"They are," Hiko replied calmly, "but they're still singing with smiles."
Ai felt embarrassed precisely because she understood the lyrics.
But she was the only one who felt that way.
Hiko's heart remained still as water.
Meanwhile, the men around them were enthusiastically waving their glow sticks in time with the suggestive lyrics.
"See? That's how effective this kind of song can be." Hiko gestured with his chin for Ai to look around.
Following his cue, Ai turned to look at the men nearby, who were eagerly matching their movements to the rhythm of the stage performance.
The lyrics, the cheering, and the atmosphere below the stage all made Ai feel strangely detached from reality.
"Is this what real underground idols are like?" Ai asked softly, still feeling a sense of disbelief.
They were nothing like the glamorous idols she'd seen on TV.
"Not all idols take this route," Hiko said, shaking his head. "But it's one of the fastest ways to attract fans."
"After all, not many men can resist the contrast of a dignified, beautiful idol singing suggestive songs."
"Can't you resist it either?" Ai asked curiously.
"Do I look like I'm being enticed by them?" Hiko gave her a skeptical look. "If I'd been staring at them, I wouldn't have noticed you looking back."
"Don't look at me like that…" Ai felt as though his gaze was questioning her intelligence.
"What do you think of their performance?" Hiko asked quietly, leaning close to her ear. "Don't answer too loudly, or their fans might beat you to death."
He had a feeling Ai's opinion might not be very kind, so he preemptively advised, "Just whisper it in my ear."
Following his instructions, Ai leaned closer and whispered, "The song didn't sound very good, and they just stood on stage singing with almost no choreography, that part wasn't good either. The lyrics clearly had an ambiguous tone, but the lighting wasn't soft at all, completely failing to enhance the mood."
She mentally compared the performance movements with the choreography Hiko had designed for them.
"They're just covering the song," Hiko explained quietly. "Originally, it was performed standing still with microphones, so it doesn't have the kind of coordinated movement or choreography I created for your group."
Hearing that, Ai suddenly changed the subject. "Have you seen other idols perform this song before?"
Hiko looked at her, momentarily confused, and clarified, "My uncle showed me a video once, I only watched it that one time."
"You asked for my opinion," Ai said, clasping her hands behind her back and looking at him. "So what do you think of the three idols performing right now?"
To avoid being overheard, Hiko leaned close and whispered, "I think this performance is terrible. The only redeeming part is that they're singing "Don't Take Off My Sailor Uniform" while actually wearing sailor uniforms. If not for that gimmick, this whole performance would've been a disaster."
He spoke honestly, without sugarcoating his opinion.