This isn't a takeover of chief93's fanfic. You guys may already know me as his co-author. Let me tell you this, I am just a certain guy that liked his idea and wanted it to bear fruit. Now, he has things he wants to take care off on his own. The reason why I am continuing this story is that I want to honor what little time we had and finish this story arc and two more girls in his name. So without further ado, I will now begin the world an Idol only knows.


The World an Idol Only Knows

Flag 2.5: Tour

So it is finally happening? I didn't think that I would be moving out of my comfort zone so soon in my life. But, I do not find fault with any of it. It was only a matter of time.

"Alright everyone! Let's wrap this up and call it a day!"

Somehow, I made it into a world I barely knew. No, more like entered in without any warning. Who knew that showbiz could be such a tiring job?

"Where do you want me to put the sound system?"

Now, I find myself slowly learning things… I had no idea that this is what it was like.

"You can move it into the RV, Katsuragi-kun!"

Through the eyes of the stars who perform on the stage.

..

Earlier that day…

I got up and met with Okada, Kanon's manager. I told my mother that someone hired me to become their helper. When she asked who employed me, I gave her a silent stare.

If my mother knew that I am working with an idol, then I might be stressed along the way. So, I told her that it was something that a classmate invited me in, who was also giving me a good deal in the matter.

My mother smiled and gave me a hug for some reason before I finally left.

Originally, we were to meet up at the studio in Narusawa, which meant taking the early train. But I received an e-mail from the fake 3-D idol to meet up at their commercial shooting here at Maijima Studios instead.

So I took a bus to get there. The 3-D idol was already on the front door of the building waiting for me, along with her manager for some reason.

I contemplated whether I should show myself to them but the fake idol approached me before I could even make a decision.

"Good Morning! Katsuragi-kun!" She greeted me quite energetically and full of enthusiasm. Not how I usually start my day.

"G… Good morning," I still find it hard to greet someone, especially if the girl I am talking to has sinned far too many times against me. But I digress, this girl hired me so I am going to stay professional about it.

"You are early today, Katsuragi-kun." Okada said as she finished talking to her phone. She looked slightly annoyed when she came over to me. I wanted to ask her what was wrong when suddenly the door to the building opened.

"Sorry about that everyone! Here is your entrance I.D.!" A slightly aging middle age man with graying hair and wearing a beret came out and greeted us. He looked to be around his late forties. He gave us identification cards as he led us inside.

"I trust you have prepared everything for Kanon's tour director," Okada said as we made our way to an elevator.

"Why of course, mademoiselle! We hath prepared everything for the fine lady at the studio! We will be pleased to know if everything is to your liking!" I blinked. The way he spoke sounded strange and out of context.

"Ah, Katsuragi-kun. This is our director here in Maijima City. He is a French national that retired here and now owns the studio. If you find his Japanese weird then please don't mind." I turned to the fake idol who was giving me a nervous smile as I turned my gaze to the director. It actually explains why I almost didn't understand much of his speech. The tone was different to what I am used to and the way his voice bends made my mind go blank for a second.

"We are here, everyone!" The director said with a laugh as the elevator door opened.

Inside was the studio, it was a wide and spacious enough to give a lot of room to work on. The farther end of the studio was mostly devoid of anything other than cables and wires leading to another room. While on the other side are cameras, a sound system, motion capture cameras, a table filled with snacks, a water dispenser, and green screen which I know is used to make CGI.

"Kanon-chan and Katsuragi-kun," Okada called me out from behind as I notice the fake idol with her. "Come with me."

Without any hesitation, I ran towards them as Okada opened a door and led us inside. The room is filled with clothes of different types, the kind which you see worn in commercial ads. I look to Kanon who gave a smile as she held my hand.

"This is my dressing room, Katsuragi-kun~ You can have your break here with me once we are done with the commercial~" I slightly blush at the way she held my hand before I yanked it away.

"I thought that we- excuse me, I mean I was going to help out with your tour? Why am I here with you inside a studio so early in the morning rather than on the road?" I asked the fake idol as I fixed my glasses up.

"I can explain that," Okada step forward as she held a clipboard. "The sponsors for Kanon-chan are picking up a RV for her to use in our travels."

I raised my eyebrow to that and Okada caught on with my confusion.

"The company wanted to fly to the city we are going to have our concert on. But the sponsors wanted us to ride on a vehicle, bearing their mark to advertise them, during the whole tour." Okada said while releasing the breath she held.

I massaged my temple at that. I thought that we were going to ride on a plane and book a hotel to get ready for the concert but the fake idol's sponsors had to make things more difficult for us. This whole thing is redundant of them.

"Is there anything else that I should know?" I asked as I removed my hand and turned to the manager.

"The RV will be ready tonight, while the others will take a flight to get to the concert and prepare ahead of time." Well, at least the other working hands will be busy while we wait for them. "Other than that, I have a job for you to do as we make stops along the way."

I gave a sigh before she continued, "We will be going to Tokyo and we will be taking the long road while bringing some of our equipment there to cut off expenses. You will also be handing out fliers about the concert. Do you get things so far?"

I mentally rolled my eyes as I nod my head. "Is there anything else you want me to do?"

Okada put a hand to her chin as she thought of what to order me. It didn't take long before she gave an answer, "Just make sure that no one gets near the RV as we go."

And with that she left the two of us inside the room. If I didn't know any better, I believe that the manager completely forgot that I was a boy. The stress of making this tour happen must be getting to her.

"Ano," I turned around and immediately turned around only to have blood rush to my face.

"WHY ARE YOU UNDRESSING!? I AM STILL HERE!" I yelled as I try to control my blush.

"S-sorry, I wanted to change into my outfit. The two of you were taking too long so I thought I should go ahead but I forgot to get the costume on the hangers."

Suddenly, thunder struck in the background as all of my signals flared up to eleven. A certain feeling that I have rising into my chest… the danger lingering in the air… I have felt this before(in games)!

"C-Can you p-please hand me the blue one with the light yellow skirt?" She said while blushing behind a foldable paper screen.

Yup, every fiber in my body recognizes this death flag when it sees one.

"C-can't I just call someone else? M-maybe your manager?" I stuttered as I tried to pull excuses out of my ass.

"N-No! I-If you come out now… then everyone will think you are a pervert who waited for me to change!" I-I can't deny the possibility that this may cause a misunderstanding.

"F-fine!" I yelled as I try to regain my composure. I went to the open closet filled with clothes and looked for the dress she wanted. A blue one with a light yellow skirt combination, was it?

"Is it this one?" I asked as I brought out a blue blouse and a light yellow mini-skirt.

"Ah, yes! Give it to me here!" She yelled as she moved back behind the folding screen and reached her hand out.

I mentally blushed but physically remained calm. Although I knew, I am facing a death flag… I must approach this with extreme caution. Any wrong move and I may end up being fired or worse, hounded by the fake idol's many fans and get burned in a stake!

"Okay," I slowly moved forward cautiously. My head switched back and forth from the door to the hand that begged for the dress. I gulped, as I slowly got closer. When I finally came into arm's reach of her, I stretched my hand out and gave her the dress.

But, by some cruel twist of fate, I slipped on the spot which caused me to panic and grab the nearest thing to stop my fall but failed.

I hit my head on the ground, which made me disoriented. My vision was blurry but I noticed that something soft was on my chest. Suddenly, more thunder sounded in the background as my vision slowly returned to me.

I was facing the ceiling.

When I looked down… what was on my chest… I immediately regretted it.

"Auu~ Katsuragi-kun, I didn't think you were clumsy."

" !%^#%*"

I immediately got up, hand her the dress and ran out the door as fast as my legs can carry me. I slammed the door shut behind me as I draw short-quick breaths.

"You okay there kiddo?" I raised my head from the ground and found myself staring at the director. I gave a tired smile as I replied, "Everything is fine sir, nothing to worry about!"

And with that I ran to the other side of the room and bump into Okada. She was looking for me because I was supposed to follow her out of the room. I didn't really want to give any retort of the sort and just plainly apologized for my misdemeanor.

The day continued and the commercial was a success. The RV was parked and ready for us to use but I need to bring the sound system with us, which meant carrying the heavy tool from the studio to the elevator and all the way to the vehicle.

"Good job today, Kanon-chan!"

"Congrats on a successful commercial, Kanon-chan."

"Good luck with your tour Kanon-chan,"

And behind me, the staff are showering the fake idol with praise even though all she did was act a few lines and pose for the camera. I didn't really have the time to look at the commercial as I was playing my games in the background, which Okada didn't notice.

I got onto the elevator, I pressed the button and waited for the door to close until a hand cut in and stopped it from closing.

"Wait for me, Katsuragi-kun~"

If I didn't know any better, I would say that this fake idol is somehow obsessed to get close to me.

"Just get in!" I ordered as she got inside while I pressed the button again to close the door and lead us down the hall.

"Ne~ Katsuragi-kun," The fake idol called out as I stood still. I was carrying the sound amplifier with me so I had to. "Would you think… that I did well on the commercial?"

Why is she asking me about this? Didn't they shower you with praise not too long ago?

"I don't know, weren't they praising you with compliments earlier on how good you were?" I asked as I wished the elevator would move down faster.

"…"

She became silent all of the sudden, which irked me. The fake idol was usually talkative for some reason so not hearing any form of retort from her is discomforting. I turned my head to the side and looked at her. She was smiling at me… though it felt unusually hollow, the kind that I only see with Yanderes- OH CRAP!

"I saw you playing your games during the commercial," I visibly gulped as I moved my eyes away from her. "Ne~ Katsuragi-kun~"

Suddenly, I felt shivers go down my spine once. However, this feeling was different to the one I had before, I currently stuck on an elevator with a dangerous individual mere inches away from me with no escape. In other words, I'm about to die by the hands of the fake idol.

"Are games… more interesting… than looking at me, Katsuragi-kun?" Suddenly I noticed the background turned black then turning gray as it moves to the center. On the ashen background was the fake idol, now a menacing existence ready to take my life.

"Ne~ Katsuragi-kun?"

A huge surge of electricity passed through me as cold sweat dripped into my clothes. My throat was dry and I couldn't move my eyes away from her. I was too afraid of what would happen the moment my eyes moved away from her small frame.

*Ding*

I never thought I would say this, but I was glad to hear that familiar sound of a bell ringing through my ears. A beacon of light opened and shined a new path for me. I immediately made my escape and went for the door, while still holding the audio device in my hands. I turned around after taking a few quick short breaths.

"I-I wasn't looking because I was too cautious around you!" I yelled as I tried to make up excuses. "I-I still remembered about what happened in the changing ro-!"

I immediately clamped my mouth shut as blood rushed to my face. The fake idol stood there, a blush on her face as well.

"Ah, yes… p-please forget about that." She said as she moved her eyes away from me. "I'll see you in the RV later, Katsuragi-kun!"

And with that, the angel of death was sated… for now. I thought for a moment there I was about to meet my end inside that rectangular sized coffin. I released a sigh as my legs turned to jelly.

"Why did I ever accept this job!?"

..

Okay, somehow, I really regret accepting this job. Want to know why?

Well, my curious lost lambs, the reason why I am regretting this job is not because of the fake idol. Understandably, I can tolerate her… somewhat. The manager is kind enough to actually let me work in the industry in exchange for games so it wasn't her either.

No.

Why am I regretting accepting this job?

"Sponsored by Krayon*" Read the ad on the side of the giant vehicle.

Is because the sponsor of Kanon is none other than that failing company that I promised to burn to the ground! They have fully revived and have now set their sights on being sponsors for the fake idol. Of course, this is nothing else but a way to rake in some cash for their greedy pockets.

"Why must it be them?" I harshly whispered to myself as Okada, the manager, and the fake idol went inside the vehicle.

"Katsuragi-kun," I gave a long sigh before I turned my head to the manager. "You can put that sound system inside. Also, you will be coming with us!"

I froze for a moment there. Did I hear that right?

"Umm… excuse me, manager. But what did you mean by coming with you?" I asked a bit shakily.

"Hmm? Weren't you informed? The reason why I hired you is that you will be our roadie*! Kanon-chan actually recommended you, which was unexpected of her, and decided to humor her and check on you. You weren't a big fan of her and you are her classmate so I took you in."

Internally, I can imagine the collective minds of my person flipping tables on what I just heard. I was never informed of this! How the heck was I suppose to know!? Unless…

"Teehee~" The fake idol gave me a playful smile before turning the curtains.

This girl… she seriously won't stop making me her fan. I. AM. NOT. GOING. TO. LIKE. THIS.

..

Inside, the RV isn't actually bad. There was free wifi, the furniture is nice and soft, a sink and fridge for food, two bunker beds, and a rest room for when we need the toilet. I took the front sit with the manager while Kanon is on the back doing something with a piece of paper.

"Say, Katsuragi-kun?" During this time, I was actually playing my PFP since I had nothing to do. The manager didn't mind but I paused my game just so that I can hear her out. "What is your relationship with Kanon-chan?"

"Classmates?"

"That isn't a good answer, and did you just say that with a question mark in the end?"

I slightly turned my gaze to the right, "Maybe,"

The manager sighed as she turned her eyes back to the road.

"Listen, Katsuragi-kun, Kanon-chan, she… doesn't have any friends to rely on."

I shifted my eyes slightly to the left and gave a humming sound.

"So… if you don't mind, can you be her friend?"

I returned to my game and went to a save point and turned it off right after. I slightly stretched as I kept my eyes on the road.

"That's not for me to decide, manager. Only the fake- I mean, Nakagawa-san can decide that."

"I see…"

It took five minutes before our conversation started again, during that time; I continued my conquest of another girl.

"Do you want to know why I am telling you this?"

I shook my head. I am not concerned for the fake idol.

"Let me tell you then, you see, Kanon-chan is originally a part of an idol group called Citron which tried to promote their lead singer."

I rolled my eyes, I blatantly told her no but she continues to give me this unneeded information.

"Really?" I said just to make her think that I was interested. "Is that how she became an idol today?"

It was silent for a few moments. I actually had to lower the sounds my PFP was making to make sure that I was hearing right.

"Partially,"

"Partially?"

"Yes."

I landed on a save point and turned off my PFP once again. This time I am giving my full attention to the manager.

"Interested this time?" She asked with a smirk as I rolled my eyes. "Well, Citron is comprised of three girls, their lead singer was not Kanon-chan… she was the supporting cast for someone else."

"Someone else?" I asked curiously, as the manager nodded.

"Did you know that Kanon-chan had longer hair before her debut?" I shook my head as the manager smiled. "Well she did, and when she had it cut off, along with removing her thick glasses, she suddenly stood out."

Thick glasses? So she wore glasses too.

"Because of that, the company that was supposed to promote the lead singer promoted Kanon-chan instead. And in the end there was a-" She suddenly stopped talking. It was if she went too far into the conversation.

I remained silent for the rest of the drive. I never asked her to continue as this involved the fake idol's private life. I have no right to enter her world when she doesn't even know mine.

"Sorry…" was the last thing manager said before driving the rest of the way to Tokyo.

..

The next day, we stopped at a filming shoot, which will help promote the fake idol on her tour to Tokyo. Apparently, she isn't well known outside of Maijima so promoting herself with a short film will help rake in a crowd… or so they hoped.

Honestly, in my opinion, the whole shoot was a complete disaster. The director who came in from Tokyo was harsh and often yelled at the fake idol. It didn't help when she keeps failing a single line every time during the shoot so the development team thought of a solution. They asked for the fake idol to tape a pre-recorded audio of her voice using the lines and they would do the rest.

To say the Director wasn't pleased was an understatement as they had to resort to using CGI instead of Live action. He said nothing, however, as Okada stared daggers towards his direction.

"The director yelled at me…" The fake idol cried depressingly as I continued to play games in the background and tried to ignore her.

"It wasn't that bad," I lied hoping she would go away.

"You messed up a bit… but the guy made it worst by pointing it out." It isn't part of my job description to cheer up the fake idol… however, I don't want this tour to be cancelled due to her depression and leave me with nothing for all the hard work I had done.

"Uuu…" She continues to cry even though this is the biggest break of her career. I heaved a sigh, I normally wouldn't do this but the 'real' decided that I should comfort her… and give her some positive reinforcement by giving a little advice.

"Did you know that it takes one thousand hours for voice actors to make a recording for a single game?"

"…huh?" She stopped crying for a while, which was the whole point of this conversation as I went on.

"They do hours and hours of recording for the lines of each individual character in a game. All of them, given a unique trait and quirk which allows them to seem real in both manner and sound." While doing this, I nonchalantly gave her one of the earpieces I was using so that she can hear the voices of the girls I am trying to conquer.

"Why… are you telling me this?" She asked curiously, as I slightly turned the volume up.

"Because I am telling you it is not your fault that you missed a single line." I can feel her gaze to my right as I ignored it and continued to play. "Like how you messed up in a line, voice actors too need hours of recording to give a certain character the proper feelings to make them feel alive."

I chose to use this chance and show her a bit of the world, which I reside in. I clicked a button and the scene on my PFP change and music started playing in the background.

"The atmosphere you give," I told her as a soft melody played as the girl appeared with tears in her eyes. "The feelings your character has,"

Then we hear her voice, it was soft but filled with emotion. The one I have heard so many times that I cannot get enough of it. "The feelings you want to portray in your own voice,"

And with that, the girl confesses her feelings for me. "And most certainly, the words you want someone to hear the most."

I turned to Kanon as the music stopped playing for a moment and the screen turned black.

"The words you want someone to hear the most?" She asked completely mesmerized by the game as it turned back on showing a grandeur scene where the girl kisses the player.

"The player,"

The screen turned black once again as the credits roll down.

"Like how each heroine is different from one another, their words, their feelings, and their love for the player is brought out for only them to hear. This is what it means to be a heroine." I told her as I reached a save point and turned off the game.

I put away my PFP as I turned to Kanon who was no longer in tears. A brief smile appeared on my lips before disappearing completely. I reach my hand out to her, hoping that she would hand me back my earpiece. Instead, she gave me her hand.

"T-thank you… Ka-, can I call you Keima-kun?" She asked suddenly as she stood up. I didn't really think it through but I gave a nod so that we can move on from here.

"Keima-kun," She said with a small smile as she leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you."

She left me there stunned as I place my hand onto my cheek. I noticed that the earpiece that I wanted from her is now in my hands as well, which I almost forgot.

"Having a little fun there, Katsuragi-kun?" I jumped slightly from the intruder to my left. I turned and came face to face with Okada, the manager.

"W-What?" I asked a bit incredulously.

"I saw what you did there. You cheered Kanon-chan up; I'd say you even might've scored a few points in her heart." What I would give to be out of this situation I am in right now. My face was turning red so fast it might as well be a tomato.

"D-Don't be ridiculous! I-I don't have any feelings for Kanon!" I yelled out as I try to calm myself.

"Kanon? Since when did the two of you were on a first name basis?" And just like that, the blush which I tried to contain further intensified.

"S-Shut up! I-I didn't call her that!" I said as I turned away.

"Whatever you say, Katsuragi-kun."

That day, Kanon- I mean, the fake Idol went with the development team and recorded her lines for them. At first, she seemed nervous as she often stuttered her lines. But, when she reached that one line that she kept messing up, her gaze shifted towards me and her voice changed. Her voice stopped chattering between her teeth and we can hear her clearly. The director was at a loss for words when she reached the end of the recording. Heck, most of us didn't think that she would do it so well on her first try.

With this, we could have ended it there but the fake idol insisted to try again. It took a few tries and she finally managed to reach the goal she desired. The dev team actually praised her for her work. They told her how the way she acted was so real that they almost forgot that it was a voice recording and not a shooting.

The dev team then told the director if they should show the making instead of a short commercial. The director, the manager, and the dev team made a small arrangement and argued for a bit, on how they should promote the fake idol.

In the end, they all agreed to the dev team's plan and allowed for a short behind the scenes moment where Kanon was making a recording of her voice. It also premiered one of her new songs in the background, which was, actually eye catching. It will probably be enough to get the attention of some of the fans from Tokyo, and probably garner new ones, excited and go to her concert.

The fake idol was all smiles that day as the director apologized to her and complimented her for a job well done. The manager and I couldn't help but be glad that the main star is still up for the challenge ahead as we head out to Tokyo Dome for the live concert.

..

We finally reached Tokyo and booked a room for the three of us to rest. Unfortunately, Okada had to drive us all the way here from Maijima which was difficult considering that she is the only one who has a license to drive.

We took a few stops at some shops to eat breakfast and often we stopped by on terminals to take a few hours of rest before continuing. One time, I had to do an emergency parking when I noticed that the vehicle was moving weirdly making me choose poorly on my game console.

Anyways, the room we were in wasn't too bad. There is a Tv with a lot of different channels. The Hotel is close to a gaming shop, which I personally liked. The beddings and bathroom were very western despite our eastern culture. Overall, the place is the perfect living quarters that the three of us have ever lived on.

Sleeping in a moving vehicle was actually unappealing to say the least. I would constantly shift from my bed and often times I would fall down from my bunk. It didn't help when I often had to keep one eye open if the fake idol decides to bother during the nights.

"So, is everyone good to go?" Okada asked as she had us change out of our usual clothes.

To my surprise, the manager actually bought me a change of clothes and these aren't just normal ones too. They are the type of clothes you usually see with a few popular models on magazines. Fashionable is the word that describes what I am wearing right now.

I was wearing a light-blue hoodie over a white t-shirt, baggie gray pants, and a pair of navy blue sneakers. These weren't the usual clothes I would wear but they were the only ones available.

Kanon wore a red ruffled jacket under a white tank top, which showed the curves of her breast. She sported black skin-tight leggings, which defined the lines of her legs while wearing black strap-on boots.

Okada switched her now exhausted business attire for a new one.

"Do I really have to wear this?" I asked out curiously since I feel so out of character.

"We'll be doing a lot of work, Katsuragi-kun." The way the manager said it made me cringe from the inside.

"But first, we are going to go and work with Kanon-chan's regular schedule." I actually looked up from that. I turned to the fake idol who was surprised to meet eye contact.

"Fuweh? Umm… I am actually scheduled today to go to a morning broadcast studio and introduce myself. We are also going to advertise my concert there to get some of my fans to come."

"Is there anything else I am supposed to know?" I asked with a bit of a groan. I noticed the fake idol look away guilty which raised alarms.

"Fake Idol- Nakagawa-san, what are you trying to hide?" I asked as I approached her slowly.

"Umm… there is more to it… I have a shooting after the morning broadcast around noon. Then during the afternoon, there will another shooting near the pool." My veins on my head nearly popped as I heard that.

"So you mean to say, you will be dragging me around Tokyo for the whole day?" I asked, a shadow cast between my eyes.

"Yes,"

I sighed, this was actually within my expectations… because this is the fake idol's standard. She is going to drag me to pretty much everywhere she goes. Well, at least I won't need to do much.

"Let's go you two, the morning broadcast has already started. Our scheduled meeting isn't too far behind."

And with that we started the day by going to a studio building where they televise about morning tv. Kanon was introduced a little after the world news. The morning cast introduce and welcomed her on stage as the crowd cheered.

To my surprise, there were a lot of the fake idol's fans among the audience. I took this opportunity to hand out fliers to them. But this only caused them to cheer more. The cheering died down once the crowd was satisfied and the day went on.

After we ate lunch, I just ate a clubhouse sandwich prepared by the staff in the shooting. This time however, the fake idol came to me, concerning about her problems. At first, I listened in hopes that I can quell her worries before they escalated. But by the time we reached the final scheduled shooting of the day I noticed a pattern.

A very disturbing pattern…

During lunch all the way the end of the final shooting, the fake idol has me listen to her worries thirty-six times. What made it disturbing is that most of them were mundane worries.

How she was worried about her hair not combing down, the fact that she can't swim despite being near only a pool about four feet deep, and the times when she just wanted to… talk.

She, whenever there was a break in-between shoots, talks to me. Asked me about my hobbies, the things that I like, and the food that I eat. She generally asked everything concerning my life.

Then, I noticed something change, between us… I felt that… I can really relate to her.

She has also taken a liking to display the wardrobe they give her for me to see. I told her that she shouldn't do these things 'cause I will see her wearing them during the shoot. But, she persisted that it was important to get my opinion about the clothes she wears.

This marked the end of our day. Tomorrow, is where things truly begin…

Author's note:

Okay, this is something I have been working on for a while now. To tell you the truth, chief93 and I plan to have a tour using three areas. I ended up sticking to one and that is Tokyo.

Also, the next chapter is going to be about Kanon this time. Or Keima? Yeah, switching between point of views is tough. Anyways, this portion is actually our original goal. Whoops, better not go into detail until I reach the next chapter.

Hope this gets some of the old fans to pick this story up again and follow it. Like I said, I am going to work and finish this story in honor of my friendship with chief93. Feedback is greatly appreciated.