CHAPTER 31
"Onii-chan!" Rin's voice pulled Renge from his thoughts the moment he stepped through the door, surprisingly early for once.
"Yes, Rin?" Renge answered, setting his bag aside.
"I just made a DikDok account earlier today..." she started, her eyes tracking him with a very specific, predatory glint.
(Hmm... Is she suggesting what I think she is?)
"...So, I want to do a collab with you!" she finished, her hands clasping together in a silent plea.
(I knew it!)
Renge exhaled a long, weary breath. He turned to her, forcing a soft, sympathetic smile onto his face.
"Rin, I want to. I really want to."
"But?" she prompted, her eyes narrowing as she sensed the incoming 'no.'
"I need permission from management first."
"Permission? To collab with my own twin brother?" Rin's voice climbed an octave with every word. "What? What the—? What? Seriously? What kind of backward nonsense is this?!"
Renge didn't argue. He simply bypassed her and slumped onto the couch, the exhaustion of his double life finally catching up to him. He leaned his head back, closing his eyes as the rhythmic sound of her complaints washed over him like background noise.
"Onii-chan!" she shouted, stomping her foot to get his attention.
"I know, I know," he muttered, not moving an inch.
"Do something!" she snapped before bursting back into their shared bedroom, the door clicking shut behind her.
(What am I even supposed to do?)
Renge crossed his arms, staring at the ceiling as the clock ticked. Minutes bled into an hour. He pondered and paced in his mind, trying to assemble the right words to use as an excuse. He ran mental simulations, playing out every possible way Mio might shut him down if he actually asked.
Ding.
A sudden buzz from his phone shattered his train of thought. He reached for it, seeing a notification from the manager of the maid cafe.
Minami: Tomorrow we should celebrate your first real idol success.
Minami: Everyone will be here...
Minami: Friends only!
Minami: So the cafe will be closed.
(She's such a good friend,) Renge thought, a genuine smile tugging at his lips as he read the messages. Before he could even type a response, a simple idea flickered in his mind.
Renge: So.
Minami: You're coming, right?
Renge: Yes!
Minami: Great.
(Maybe I should just call her,) he decided. He hit the dial button, and Minami answered almost instantly.
"Yes, Renge-chan?"
"Question... what if..."
"What if?" she prompted.
"What if I wanted to ask a favor from my manager? What should I tell her?"
Minami didn't answer immediately. The line went quiet for a long beat. Then, her voice returned, sounding a bit confused.
"Okay, what kind of favor do you want to ask?"
"No... no... no—"
"But I'm your manager," she reminded him.
(Dang it. I asked the wrong person the wrong way.)
"But, say... I need to ask a favor from a manager that isn't you?" Renge clarified quickly.
"Oh! You mean your manager from the agency?" A short beat followed. "Just ask."
(Just ask, eh?)
"Thanks," Renge murmured, the simplicity of the advice taking him by surprise.
"Anyway, be sure to come tomorrow... we're celebrating your first real taste of that idol fame."
A soft chuckle escaped Renge's mouth.
"Thanks... really."
The next day, Atelier Karina Maid Cafe was indeed closed. The usual bustle of customers was replaced by a private gathering for the staff. The reason for the party was clear: Renge—or rather, the viral success of his idol group's MV—was the center of everyone's attention.
"The view count finally hit 120,000," one of the maids noted, checking her phone.
"It didn't go up as fast as I expected today, though," another added, leaning against a table.
"Probably because the initial traction came from the TV audience last Sunday," a third chimed in. "It's leveling out."
"Enough with the speculation! Just enjoy the party!" Minami commanded, her voice cutting through the analytical chatter.
Everyone cheered, the sound echoing through the empty cafe.
"Hosting a whole party just for me? This is crazy, Minami-san," Renge said, standing amidst the festive decorations.
Minami winked, a teasing glint in her eyes.
"It's a small price to pay, Renge-chan. Your success is going to bring me a wave of new customers once the word gets out."
The two laughed, clinking their glasses before chugging their drinks.
The celebration lasted the entire day, a rare moment of relaxation for the crew. It only wound down when Renge's usual shift hours came to an end. He traded the warmth of the cafe for the evening air, waving a final goodbye to the staff.
"See you tomorrow, everyone!"
He stepped out onto the street, but he didn't head home. Instead, he headed straight for the Inferno Talent office for the meeting Mio had called.
"Before you begin your rehearsal, there is one thing I want to say," Mio began, her voice echoing in the sterile conference room. "Having a lot of views does not guarantee success."
The idols nodded. Miyu seemed to already understand this, while the other two exchanged looks of slight confusion. Kiyomi raised his hand.
"But... a hundred thousand views means we're already famous. Isn't that success?"
Mio immediately burst into amused laughter.
"That's funny, Sakura-chan. There is a massive difference between entering the industry and surviving it."
"They're different?" Renge asked.
"Anyone who goes viral can enter showbiz. But how many of them actually stay?" Mio shot back. She waited for an answer that never came, then snapped her fingers. "Exactly!"
"Cerb-3ros is in its early viral phase," Mio claimed. "But it's not because of your talent alone. It's because of the engineered drama created by Aurora Prism."
(So that's why Haruka challenged Sakura-chan,) Renge thought, the pieces clicking into place.
"We're going to take advantage of it!" Mio continued. "On Sunday afternoon, you will be performing at the Shinsei Department Store in the Central District. The following day, the same store in the Southern District. On Tuesday, the Eastern District."
Renge groaned, his face tightening with dissatisfaction. He slammed his hands onto the table as he stood up.
"From a proper stage to a TV station—that's a clear path of growth," he argued. "Now you're lowering us to performing in department stores?"
"What's the problem with that?" Mio asked coolly.
"It's a downgrade of our image!"
Mio scoffed, waving him off. "Image? You have none."
"What? But we have the views—"
Mio tapped her chest once, then exhaled slowly.
"Listen. Just because you have views doesn't mean you have demand."
"People need to directly ask for us to perform on their stage if we want to be successful, Renge-chan," Miyu chipped in, her voice quiet but firm.
(So, if we can create demand, people will ask us to perform on bigger stages...)
Suddenly, Renge remembered Rin's words about the DikDok collab.
"What if we do a collab with a DikDoker?"
"Our agency only manages LuvTubers and models," Mio said. "Unfortunately."
Renge's expression lit up, sensing an opening.
"Well, you see... I actually have a twin sister."
Kiyomi and Miyu turned to Renge instantly, both of them realizing exactly where he was going with this.
"She's planning to start a DikDok, and I thought we could—"
"Rejected," Mio cut him off instantly.
"Wait, why?"
"Renge-chan, Cerb-3ros has an image to maintain."
"Yes, but she's literally my sister!"
"According to the agreement which you yourself signed," Mio said, her tone turning ice-cold, "your name—and your very identity—is now the property of the agency."
Renge's expression froze in shock.
(Property of the agency? Me?)
"That's the right response," Mio said, seeing the realization hit him.
She clapped her hands once, ending the discussion without further explanation.
"Alright, girls. Time for rehearsal!"
Cerb-3ros returned to their usual routine. They moved through the choreography exactly as they had practiced a hundred times before, every step precise, every tone hitting the mark. Yet, despite the technical perfection, Miyu sensed a crack in the foundation.
As soon as the session ended, Miyu caught Renge's eye.
"Renge-chan, come here for a second," Miyu called, his voice low.
He led Renge away from the others, slipping into an empty storage room where the staff rarely ventured. The air was still and smelled of floor wax and old equipment.
"What is it, creature of light?" Renge replied, his voice dripping with exaggerated, theatrical flair to mask his mood.
Miyu didn't play along. His expression remained stone-cold serious.
"Enough with that for a second."
Renge's shoulders slumped slightly.
"Fine. What is it?"
"You have something weighing on your mind?"
"What makes you think so? Actually—it's pretty obvious, isn't it?"
"Mhm..." Miyu nodded slowly. "Your movements were technically great, yes. But they lacked your usual spark. It's because of Rin, isn't it?"
Renge sighed, leaning against a stack of crates.
"My sister wants to collab with me for her first DikDok video. She's... she's relentless."
"I see. Is that all?"
Renge blinked, a bit taken aback. (What? What do you mean 'is that all'?)
"Do you know how to make Mio-san change her mind, Miyuko-chan?"
Miyu shook his head, then leaned in close, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper against Renge's ear.
"No. But I know how to convince the Producer."
Renge stiffened.
(The Producer!?)
Miyu leaned back, a cryptic wink flashing across his face as he pulled away.