Chapter 02

His Prologue

[Ryosuke's POV]

Hello!

My name is Ryosuke Yamada, and—not being conceited—I am quite popular in Japan, thanks to my idol career. I’m a member of Johnny’s idol group, Hey! Say! Jump. I’m sure you all have ever heard about Johnny and Associates, right, because the agency is a tycoon in the entertainment industry. Johnny and Associates, or J&A for short, homes many good looking and talented guys, and fortunately I’m one of them. Oh, I’m still 22 by the way, turning on May 9th this year.

I’m professional, seriously not exaggerating since many had witnessed that. I could do everything my job demanded. As an idol, I’m demanded to do fanservices such as telling the crowd with convincing “I Love you” or “Aieru”. I could be flirty and seducing if I was asked to. However that’s only reserved for fans and cameras. Contrary to my idol image, my normal life is way too different. It’s like earth and sky, totally opposite. I guess by now, my fans have already realized that of my characters.

However, there is a secret no one but me—and Kamisama—know about. Oh and you the readers, too.

During those times I switched into idol mode, I got encouragement by imagining a certain someone in my head. Those ‘I love you’ and the other cheesy lines I said on stages or in front of cameras… my fans might skin me alive knowing this, but… the truth is… those words and acts were not for my fans. There, I said it eventually! Aargh, sorry, really… I wanted to be honest, that all this time, I had been imagining a certain girl with a pair of doe eyes and chubby cheeks while acting like some Romeo out there. Mirai Shida. Mi-chan, my one and only girlfriend. She had been the one to whom I had been aiming with those sweet words and acts. Why did I do that? It’s simply because I couldn’t tell her directly. Well, you could call me a coward or plainly too shy, but… it’s not like I didn’t try, mind you. I had tried many times, but… every single one ended up as a big failure!

Not even once that I succeeded to tell her those sweet words. Instead of fluttering her, whenever I stood before her with that intention, I got cold sweats pouring out my skin, and all the words I had arranged in my head suddenly vanished. Mi-chan does have that effect on me, but please, it’s only between you and me, okay? Don’t tell her that, ever!

Mi-chan often teased me because I always got the part to do such embarrassing fanservices. Don’t get me wrong. I do love my fans. I appreciate their existence since because of them I manage to get this far. Being an idol is not as easy as people expected, and fans have always been an encouragement.

Nah, what would be Mi-chan’s reaction then if she found out that all the fanservices I had been doing were actually for her? She is an incredible actress and she could understand that what I did for fans is part of my professionalism. If she found out the truth, wouldn’t she think that I’m unprofessional? That would make me lose my face in front of her!

Well, the real me is actually shy, and it is even worse with girls. Strange isn’t it, since I have an older sister and a younger sister in my family? I almost never talked to any girl in high school even though my class was dominated by them—except Mi-chan of course. I didn’t feel comfortable talking with women, but with Mi-chan I felt different. I guess Mi-chan is an exception.I myself don’t even know why I have that trait. Was it because of what had happened in Horikoshi back then? Aargh, I don’t know! For me, women are just difficult to be understood. In this point, Mi-chan is no different. It is difficult to understand her, too!

Back then, I used to see Umika Kawashima and Suzuka Ohgo, too, since they acted as the decoy so that my meeting with Mi-chan would not be noticed, and not be labeled as ‘dating in school’. You knew Horikoshi’s rules, right? Slowly I could converse with Umika, all thanks to Mi-chan, but I still couldn’t get over the awkwardness to talk with Suzuka. Umika was calm and cheerful so that eventually I could be more at ease talking with her, but Suzuka was different. I didn’t know if it was just me, but it felt like she emitted a dark aura. True or not, she has such an intimidating presence for sure; at least that was what I thought.

Umika and Suzuka took turn in accompanying Mi-chan since they were just as busy as we were being entertainer, though I wished that it would only be Umika doing the role of Mi-chan’s chaperone. I honestly forced myself to overcome my fear whenever it was Suzuka who came accompanying Mi-chan to meet me. I struggled to look composed, though inside I was trembling. I had dignity to be preserved, you know. Moreover it was in front of Mi-chan. I wasn’t sure, but it seemed like Suzuka disliked my relationship with Mi-chan, and rather obvious that she wanted me to get away from Mi-chan. I once be the victim of her intimidating glare, but no matter what she did, Suzuka would never succeed in separating me from Mi-chan. Nope. Never ever! So, Suzuka, just give you’re blessing to us already!

Anyway, while Mi-chan had Umika and Suzuka to be her chaperones, I also had my bestfriends doing the same. Guess who! Of course it was Chinen and Yuto. I never forced them to come with me. They volunteered to help me, taking turn also to accompany me meeting Mi-chan. Even though they said they were helping me, I believed there was anothe