Akari saw that Takashi was ignoring her. She reached out and poked him with her index finger.
"You can't even sing. Why are you going up there?"
She clearly remembered Takashi saying himself that he couldn't sing.
'Wow, she actually remembers that so clearly?'
Takashi hadn't expected her to recall such a casual remark.
If it weren't for the system showing that her crush was someone else, Takashi might have suspected she liked him.
"What, I can't go up there just to embarrass myself?"
Hoshino Ai burst into laughter.
Akari shot her a glance before turning back to Takashi. "Are you serious?"
Takashi responded calmly, "Since someone has to make a fool of themselves, why can't that person be me?"
"Ahahaha!" Hoshino Ai clutched her stomach as she laughed.
'He's so interesting.'
He looked so cool, but the things he said were utterly self-deprecating.
And the way he said them was so matter-of-fact.
"Yes, just like that," the chief editor nodded in satisfaction.
That was exactly the effect he was looking for.
Now, go even further with it.
"This might end up online. If you can't sing, you should probably step down sooner rather than later."
Akari gestured toward the cameraman recording the event.
Takashi thought for a moment. "Actually, I've practiced a little since last time. After our last group outing, I went back and trained specifically. Turns out, I have some talent."
"How did you practice?" Akari asked, intrigued.
"Shower, music, sing."
Who hasn't imagined themselves performing a concert while showering?
"Not to brag, but I'm unbeatable in the bathroom—T0 level!"
His singing in the bathroom was ethereal, full of breath control—practically legendary.
Even that milk tea guy could only rank second in the Chinese music scene.
Akari covered her face. "...You're beyond saving."
Takashi was about to say something else when he suddenly felt a sharp, murderous gaze from somewhere.
He quickly shut his mouth.
Below the stage, Narii's fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles cracked.
You were supposed to sing, not flirt on stage.
"Wow, this contestant is amazing! They actually scored 87 points..."
By the registration deadline, including Takashi, there were only seven contestants.
Of the seven, four were underground idols.
One was a professional idol.
With so few participants, there was no need for an elimination round. The highest score would simply win.
Perhaps due to the scoring system being particularly strict, no one had broken the 90-point mark so far.
Even Akari had only managed 87 points—the current highest score.
"Alright, let's welcome our next contestant!"
Hoshino Ai turned to Takashi. "I'm going first!" She then confidently walked onto the stage.
Hoshino Ai wasn't at the level of a professional singer, but she didn't need to be.
Compared to this group, who had never taken a single vocal lesson, she was performing on an entirely different level.
Underground idols still had a long way to go before they reached the professional stage.
"Miss, you're all wrapped up so tightly. Could it be that you're a celebrity afraid of being recognized?"
The event host clearly knew who Hoshino Ai was but pretended otherwise, making a playful remark.
"That's right~" Hoshino Ai replied mischievously.
The audience gasped in perfect unison.
Hearing such synchronized reactions, Takashi was certain the event organizers had planted shills in the audience.
Still, upon hearing she might be famous, even the real audience members started guessing her identity.
"Then can you tell us your name?"
Hoshino Ai crossed her arms in an 'X' shape.
"If I lose and it gets out, I won't be able to show my face anywhere!"
Technically, she wasn't wrong, but Hoshino Ai didn't think anyone here could outperform her.
She was a professional. This was just a casual game for her.
This was a guaranteed win.
The host continued, "If you win, can you tell us then?"
"Then I'll be looking forward to it. So, Miss, what song will you be performing?"
Even though she was confident in winning, Hoshino Ai still chose her strongest song.
Her manager had made the final call on that.
"Alright, please begin your performance."
The host stepped aside to give her the stage.
The intro started playing, and Takashi felt it was oddly familiar—like he had heard it somewhere before.
Before he could figure it out, some of the audience members' DNA was already reacting.
They remembered the girl on stage, radiating dazzling energy, capturing everyone's gaze.
As the intro ended, Hoshino Ai parted her lips:
"無敵の笑顔で荒らすメディア (With an invincible smile, I dominate the media)"
"知りたいその秘密ミステリアス (I hide my secrets, making others see me as mysterious)"
"抜けてるとこさえ彼女のエリア (Even her clumsy moments are part of her charm)"
"完璧で嘘つきな君は (Perfect and deceitful, you are)"
"天才的なアイドル様 (A genius idol)"
Her voice blended seamlessly with the melody, as natural as breathing.
Her technique wasn't perfect, and her breath control had flaws, but her presence carried an undeniable charm.
[ Ding! High-quality target detected! First date rewards: Double points, 30% discount coupon x1, Skill: Power Cannon Ball! ]
[ Target: Hoshino Ai ]
[ Origin: Oshi no Ko ]
[ Crush: Kamiki Hikaru ]
[ Single, available for dating. ]
Takashi mentally complained.
Honestly, the moment Hoshino Ai sang the first line, he had already recognized her.
Even though he didn't follow anime religiously, even he knew who she was.
He first learned about her because she had gone viral at one point—his social media kept pushing clips of her.
He watched a few and became familiar, but he hadn't paid much attention.
Later, he learned about her due to her shocking storyline.
A sixteen-year-old giving birth, dead by twenty—no matter how you looked at it, it was a wild ride.
By twenty, Takashi wouldn't even have graduated college yet. She had already been reincarnated.
As soon as Hoshino Ai started singing, not only did Takashi recognize her, but so did the audience.
Her voice was simply too distinct.
Like that one famous singer—once she started singing, you just knew.
With the audience's cheers, Hoshino Ai became more immersed in her performance, improving as she went.
Her score never dropped below 90.
"... My true savior My saving grace"
As the song ended, the audience erupted into genuine applause.
The host returned. "Wow, I think I might know who you are now."
Hoshino Ai sounded surprised.
But her tone was so natural, it didn't feel like acting at all.
After chatting with her for a bit, the host finally announced, "Now, let's welcome our final contestant!"
Takashi walked onto the stage calmly.
He already knew exactly what song to sing.
Since Hoshino Ai performed 'Idol,' it was only fitting he sang her execution song.
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