From her perch on the couch at the Strawberry Productions office, Kana resisted a frown.

"It sure is nice to meet ya, Miss Arima," politely greeted Minami Kotobuki, a pink-haired gravure model who was in the same class as Ruby at Yoto High. "I… I'm still not sure about this whole idol thing, but I look forward to working with you as another new member of Strawberry Productions!"

Kana had underestimated Ruby Hoshino. It was one thing for Kana to have been overwhelmed by compliments from Ruby, her brothers, and Frill Shiranui before she succumbed and accepted Ruby's proposal to join B-Komachi. But for Ruby to convince a decently successful model she just met on their first day of school? To persuade Kotobuki to burn bridges with her old agency and join Strawberry? To get Kotobuki to take her first foray into the idol world by following in the footsteps of the group who had hosted the idol that had dominated the scene a decade back?

The hunger in Ruby to get the new B-Komachi off the ground was definitely potent. Kana can respect that.

Still, if Ruby was going to use any of the charisma she must have learned and inherited from her mother to poach new blood into her idol group, she could have at least warned Kana beforehand… or maybe it was Kana's fault for immediately accepting Ruby's offer without waiting for more official paperwork and clarification on how Ruby planned on organizing B-Komachi.

Because it was going to be Ruby Hoshino's B-Komachi. Kana was under no illusion that any other members in the group weren't going to be used to uplift the centerpiece of Ruby, just as the original B-Komachi had ultimately catered to Ai. It may not happen overnight, intrigue may still persist for other girls in the group, but people will be looking at Ai Hoshino's daughter first and foremost.

They'll definitely be looking at Kotobuki more than Kana if she joins. Her entire job was being good to look at…

Truthfully, Kana would've had a harder time resisting the feelings of inadequacy when looking at the beautiful model in front of her if not for the humble, nervous air Kotobuki exuded. It wasn't a false humility designed to garner sympathy. Kotobuki was legitimately doubting her potential as an idol, embarking into unfamiliar territory.

Already playing the reliable senpai for the Hoshinos siblings (and even for Frill Shiranui after exchanging contact information with her), Kana stood up and gave Kotobuki a weary if welcoming smile. "It's alright to be a little anxious. I had my own doubts when I first delved into professional singing, and the only time it's come up since has been the occasional trip to a karaoke club."

Kotobuki chuckled, her nervousness slightly waning. "That's still more than me. The last time I sang anything was last summer for a friend's birthday party."

She hasn't even been singing on the side? The way Ruby had been talking, she was planning on B-Komachi making their official reveal within the month, but she hadn't taken the time to appraise Kotobuki's singing ability?

Unless… Unless that was the point Ruby was going for…

Right on cue, Ruby burst into the office space through a door with a spring in her step. "Mama will be here soon!" she announced. "The idol class she's teaching is almost done. Then she'll have the rest of the day to devote to us!"

Shuffling her feet, a blushing Kotobuki asked, "Is it really alright for me to be here, Ruby? Singing and dancing are still, y'know, not really in my wheelhouse."

Kotobuki's face only grew more red when Ruby turned those starry, mesmerizing eyes at her. "Don't you worry, Minami! The story we'll be selling with the new B-Komachi is perfect!"

Ruby did a dramatic flourish that landed her at the center of the room. "I, Ruby Hoshino, am the direct successor and inheritor of a prior idol's cherished name. Kana Arima is the talented actor who has dabbled in music with proven singing talent but mostly untested in the real meat of idol work. Minami Kotobuki has the looks but is otherwise a complete rookie, yet still ready and willing to throw herself into the business to broaden her horizons and show that she's so much more than just a pretty face. What self-respecting idol fan wouldn't want to see this cute, motley crew climb their way to the top?"

To be fair, Kana could see herself checking out a movie on idols about such a premise, if not personally interested in following such an idol group in real life.

"An image resembling underdogs should help us as we start out," Ruby added. Kana easily preferred it when Ruby became absorbed in her passions like this. The sparkling star here helped erase the annoying underclassman who still made fun of Kana about baking soda. "Give it time. We'll be all training side-by-side together, so don't you ever feel alone or doubt yourself as we get up to speed on what it takes to be an idol!"

It was evident Kotobuki was still on the fence even after Ruby's latest sales pitch. Kotobuki's nervous twitching and the way she held limbs close to her body said as much.

"The Idol Festival's four months away," Kana said pointedly, wanting to draw more attention to the realities they had to face if they wanted to get anywhere as big as the original B-Komachi in the modern age. "I assume that will be when you want us to have her first live performance. We'll need to build up our B-Komachi's name and skills before then, if we don't want to come off as wholly riding off the coattails of the original group. Which means a music video or two, getting our YouTube channel posting regularly, actually having a YouTube channel…"

Kana saw Kotobuki gulp. "Idol Festival… performing live… how many–"

"We still have a lot going for us," Ruby insisted, a light glare sent in Kana's direction. Really, it was Ruby's fault for spontaneously recruiting someone with this much self-doubt about being in this business. "I'm only half-exaggerating about the underdog bit. Strawberry still knows plenty of composers and choreographers, and we have a whole catalog of old material from the first B-Komachi's run we can use until we establish more of an identity for ourselves! Pre-recorded videos, and live streams, too, also shouldn't be a problem. I've been helping Cobie on his channel for years. The technical stuff like that is easy. We really just need to iron out the kinks on the talent side between the three of us."

Ruby dove in close to Kotobuki, grasping her hands and letting the model uncontrollably blush at the attention. "Minami, I know you're scared, but life's too short to not take risks and follow your dreams. Maybe you're not sure idol stardom is the dream you want. It will still give the confidence and discipline you'll need to figure out what you actually want to do in your life. So, be an idol with me, with Kana, and nothing else will seem as tough or arduous once all three of us are at the top."

Okay, even Kana was a little enamored by Ruby's speech. Her belief in overcoming fear and achieving success was real, palpable. A conviction in her actions which Kana could see repeated in Cobalt's dumb if earnest lifestyle, Aqua's seamless ability as an actor, and even parts of Ai doing her best to shine in Director Gotanda's film all those years ago.

Yes, despite the hurdles that Kana kept running into between all of the Hoshino siblings ever since reuniting with them, there was a lot to gain from being around them.

Aqua had skills as a professional performer she hoped to shamelessly steal and learn techniques from. Cobalt and Strawberry Productions in general had a wide network of connections, in the online space and more traditional entertainment venues, that should bring Kana plenty of new acting opportunities. Then there was Ruby, her personality a little irritating to Kana here and there, but undeniably passionate in her work and empathetic in others' struggles.

The idol gig was temporary. The relationships she'll make from it will last her the rest of her career.

While Ruby and Kotobuki were still holding each other close, Kana heard the door to the room open again. She turned and–

Kana froze as she stared at the bizarre creature entering. An otherwise normal womanly figure casually strolled, her head completely covered by a strange mask. Was it supposed to be a bird chick? It was just a yellow sphere with a flat texture, plus two black slips for eyes and what looked like a small orange protrusion that had to be the beak.

The stranger soundlessly stared back at Kana, and it was positively unsettling. Straight out of a horror movie playing up the creep factor contrasted by a childish get-up.

Her own voice failing her, Kana let Kotobuki be the one to break the silence. "Oh! That's Pieyon, ain't it?" she said as she turned away from Ruby and eyed the weirdo.

Kana subtly stepped around the other girls, using them as a barrier between her and the freak. "Who?" Kana asked.

"A YouTuber who works with Strawberry… I thought Pieyon was a male body builder, though?"

Ruby burst out in laughter, darting forward to capture "Pieyon" in a crushing hug that was eagerly returned. "It's not Pieyon, sillies! It's Mama!"

This was Ai Hoshino?

Twirling around with Ruby in her arms, the masked Ai and her daughter struck a pose, the bright countenance on Ruby hardly matching the expressionless face of the bird mask.

It didn't bother Kotobuki, who gave a deferential bow. "It's nice to finally meet ya, Miss Hoshino."

Admittedly a little clumsily, Kana moved quickly to do the same, lowering her head. "Y-Yes! It's been so long, but I'm happy to be working with you again, Ai." Then she internally cringed at using the former idol's first name. It was her original stage name, but it still felt wrong to act too familiar with the mother than with her kids right off the bat.

Inquisitively, Kotobuki asked, "Is it alright for us to call you Ai, Miss Hoshino?"

Through the bird facade echoed a cute chuckle. Separating from Ruby, Ai finally removed the mask and showed her true face.

Geez, she's aged gracefully. Kana has seen Ai in videos and pictures over the years. Throughout it all, she's hardly changed from that mature, beautiful young woman Kana had worked with on Director Gotanda's acclaimed film. Even now, Ai could easily pass off as Ruby's twin sister, the difference in eye or hair color notwithstanding.

"I am Ai, after all," she said happily with a playful wink. "Saying my name is what it's used for."

Feeling her own heated face flush up, Kana tried to discreetly suck in a large breath and blew it out through her nose to calm down. Older and more aware of herself than as a cocksure child, Kana felt far more self-conscious about making a good impression on Ai than during their only time prior working together. The embarrassment from calling Ai a freak in her own thoughts wasn't doing any favors for Kana's mental state either.

"So, I heard my sweet Ruby's new best friends are looking to start up B-Komachi again with her!" Ai wiggled her eyebrows. "You girls really think you have what it takes?"

It was a good-natured jab from Ai, not a real challenge. Kana decided to match the energy to overcome her own embarrassment. "I do have a larger discography than Ruby, so…"

A jealous Ruby pouted. "You started putting out songs years earlier than me. It only makes sense." She was playing along, too, not seriously offended.

Ai snickered. "I hope that diligent little child star hasn't stopped being a go-getter." She bent forward at an angle as she leaned closer to Kana. God, the eyes from Ruby, and an innocent air reminiscent of Cobalt… How could the brooding, sardonic Aqua be her son? "I miss the sun hat. It looked adorable on you. Anyway, my daughter isn't as disciplined as you, Kana-chan. The talent's there. The work ethic can use a little more work. I'm technically B-Komachi's manager, but I'm hoping you can help keep things running smoothly as we kick things off."

"Mama!" Ruby whined. "I've been working hard on this!" She sidestepped to Kotobuki and lightly shook her. "Look at Minami! After you, she's the prettiest out of everyone in this room! And I'm the one who scouted her."

Equal parts flattered and sheepish, Kotobuki wordlessly nodded her head.

Okay, this was a dynamic Kana can work with. She let herself laugh aloud before popping a question that had been itching at her ever since Ai made her appearance today. "So, Ai! Is… there a reason why you were wearing the bird mask?"

A look of epiphany appeared on Ai's face as she snapped her fingers. "Ah, that's right! Pieyon was supposed to give you gals tips on marketing yourselves through the internet. Instead, he's taking a nap right now. Miyako's also making sure the bump on his head isn't too bad."

He was injured? First Aqua and Cobalt, now this Pieyon character. Was it a common thing for people at Strawberry to get hurt at some point during their tenure?

The subsequent questions must have screamed loudly on Kana's and the other girls' faces. Ai looked half-mischievous, half-guilty as she gave a slanted smile. "Pieyon was helping me clean up after the last idol class when I put on one of the spare masks we have for him. The idea Miyako and I were cooking up was for me and the new B-Komachi to appear in disguise on Pieyon's channel before revealing ourselves. The man behind the mask is a big idol fan, so I thought it'd be fun for him, too! But, it was the first time I put the bird mask on in front of him… and I think it just hit him that one of his favorite idols was dressing up in his costume. I even had the suit with the fake abs and muscles one of his guests wore in his Halloween special to go with the mask."

Kotobuki frowned. "He passed out? Do idols really have that kind of effect on people?"

Boy, the stories Kana could tell the clueless model, of both the graciously kind and the absolute creeps that can spring up in one's fanbase. Ai must have truckloads of the same kind of stories, too.

But more importantly… "I've honestly never heard of Pieyon," Kana confessed evenly. "If the idol group announcement is supposed to involve integration with Strawberry Productions' other talents, wouldn't appearing on Cobalt's channel make more sense?"

Ruby vehemently shook her head. "We're planning on supporting each other, obviously, but if B-Komachi makes their debut on Elemental Orel, Cobie's fans will only see me as Ruby the executive producer, who revised the scripts and helped edit his videos. It won't have the same effect as a surprise reveal of me as a B-Komachi successor somewhere else. We can do more direct projects together with Cobie down the line. Pieyon's got a larger following, too, so announcing ourselves on his channel should go sufficiently viral."

Ai nodded proudly in agreement. "Cobie's also busy with his odyssey for love, so his schedule's too packed to slot in more productive creative collaborations with B-Komachi for a while."

Odyssey for love? That's what she's calling him and Aqua going on that silly dating show?

What horrible timing, Aqua deciding to do a job like that after going out of his way to butter Kana up with praise to get her to join Strawberry Productions. She should've known better that compliments and flirting came easily for him, the brother of someone who had his own lengthy history wooing girls. Granted, Kana didn't get the feeling Aqua was being dishonest when flattering her, and it was obvious to Kana how Aqua was putting on an act for the sake of the show from the clips she's seen of episodes already aired. It just sucked there wasn't time to slot in their respective work schedules to meet up more often outside of school, let her get to know more of the real Aqua.

Ai was putting down the mask as Ruby stepped around to stand beside Kana and Kotobuki. Kana took her lingering thoughts on Aqua and threw them in a corner, refocusing on the important stuff in the here-and-now. The former idol star shone her sparkling smile at her students.

"Since we're all here, I'd like to get some clarification on a few things," Ai said, finally sounding more mature than her old ditzy idol self. She pointed at her daughter. "I know why Ruby wants to be an idol; she wants to make people feel loved like how I used to do for folks, before I had to devote all of that love to my precious children." Ruby nodded affirmatively. Ai next pointed to Kana. "Kana-chan needs the good press she'll get from being an idol for more acting gigs."

Said so bluntly, Kana might have suffered a similar spiritual blow as when Ruby or Director Gotanda had bluntly noted how the prodigy child actress hadn't been in as many projects in her teen years. With Ai, Kana took it in stride, helped by the immediate follow-ups.

"All three of my kiddies see something special in you, Kana-chan," Ai continued. "I won't say I knew you would become idol material back when we first worked together, but I did pick up on you being a more versatile actor than creepy Aqua at the time." Even Ai calling her eldest son creepy as a child hardly phased Kana. "It's my honor to be teaching the girl who inspired my son to become an actor the ins and outs of being an idol."

Kana took the compliment and thanked her.

Damn it, Kana was blushing again. For God's sake, everyone in this family…

Then Ai pointed to Minami Kotobuki. "I don't think Ruby told me your exact reasons to be an idol."

"... To try something new?" was Kotobuki's meek response. She rushed to give a more concise answer. "Sorry, Miss Ai. I was kinda caught up in Ruby's big speeches about gaining more experience beyond modeling."

Ruby ambushed Kotobuki with a hug from the side. "And she'll do great! I guarantee it!"

Ai gave them a sympathetic smile.

"There's the cynical saying," she began, "I'm sure you've heard before: never meet your heroes. For idols, the successful ones never have their fans ever get dragged down by such cynicism. They promise their fans unconditional love, make them feel valued, happy, and cherished every time the faintest thought of their idol enters their mind. Followers and worshippers will dream endlessly about you…"

Ai's smile dimmed ever so slightly. "Of course, an idol fan's worship has the nasty risk of turning into an obsession. If you've seen Cobie's face, then you might get an idea of what I'm talking about."

She was already acknowledging the near-tragedy that ended her career, huh?

Kana considered it a near-tragedy in spite of what Ai's fanatical followers would say because she and her family were still alive and well after the incident. Kana won't pretend to fully know what had gone through the Hoshinos' heads after being overtly assaulted, but the spark and happiness in Ai hadn't been completely erased as her delusional naysayers claimed.

"Strawberry has excellent contacts in private security and the police, so stalkers are pretty easy to spot on our talents' trails and get rid of," Ai added confidently before getting more somber again. "However, providing unconditional love to complete strangers is probably, almost certainly, totally impractical."

Kana had to run Ai's words through her head a second time to realize how it sounded. The veteran idol was discouraging the prospective idol her daughter had recruited?

"If you don't have the right motivations, I mean," Ai amended as Ruby's and Kotobuki's faces fell. "Whatever natural talent people might say you have, idol work is still work, making a living. As busy as I was in the original B-Komachi days, I had to pick out the things from my day to cite why the work was worth doing. I loved the love fans expressed when I played out the idol routine for them, but I loved my children more, so I had to stop being an idol to make them feel loved first and foremost."

Ai tapped a finger over her lip, contemplating. "Well, I guess the proper thing to define for you girls is conviction. Your motivations can vary while still doing your job as an idol. You can love giving and receiving love like I did and how Ruby wants to, want to open avenues in your career like Kana-chan, or improve your own skills like Miss Minami. The question is do you have the conviction, the willingness to commit to see things through? Will all the rewards and risks that entail?"

With absolutely zero doubts, Kana can say that she had the conviction to ride the idol train through its entirety.

In a teasing tone, Ai said to a silent Kotobuki, "I bet Ruby only told you about the rewards. The risks are important, too, though"

Defensive, Ruby said, "Of course I was going to tell her about that stuff, too!"

"No time like the present, Ruby!"

Now Ruby was the one blushing with embarrassment. She gave Kana a look, as if asking her to lend a helping hand, before deciding to pull Kotobuki aside and give her another inspirational spiel. Kotobuki let herself be dragged along for the ride.

Kana was about to step in and add her own advice, ingratiate herself more with who would be her closest two co-workers for the foreseeable future, when Ai held her back by the shoulder.

"Hey, Kana-chan," she said before tilting her head. "Oh, can I call you Kana-chan?"

"Of course!" It was only practical to begin cultivating a close relationship with the veteran of the entertainment business before Kana.

In a conspiratorial whisper, Ai quietly asked, "Who do you think is more handsome? Aqua? Or Cobie?"

Kana blinked.

Ai leaned back and winked again. "Just kidding. You don't have to answer." Then she pouted. "Ugh! Why'd you have to join B-Komachi after Aqua decided to go on a dating show, Kana-chan? It'd be a lot simpler if my kiddies' childhood friend waltzed back into their lives a little earlier." The smile returned. "I'm holding it to you to still be a good influence on my boys again, and to my sweet little girl! Don't forget that."

B-But… they weren't really childhood friends at all… And… And was Ai just outright saying… she approved of…

"Will you, Kana-chan?"

"I won't!" Kana was compelled to reaffirm. "You can count on me!"

This family, seriously…

"... and that's how I learned that romantic love isn't necessarily the same as sexual love. Sexual love might even be the reason a romantic love fails! Which is why I always tried to focus more on finding romantic chemistry with people as the Blue Rose. And what I plan on doing in LoveNow!"

Cobie proudly finished his speech by closing his eyes, crossing arms, giving a self-assured nod of his head, and dropping himself down on his chair.

Was he expecting an applause from his audience? The LoveNow cast and crew alike had been fairly absorbed by Cobalt's sudden monologue. Now that it was over, they weren't sure how to respond.

Aqua was still processing it. Middle school-age Cobie getting propositioned by a high school girl and nearly dragged into her apartment was… uncomfortable, but unfortunately not out of the realm of possibility given his often too colorful history with romance.

In all likelihood, Shin's growing promiscuity in the wake of the deteriorating relationship with his father might have been the catalyst for another one of Cobalt's tremendous misunderstandings. Cobie hadn't made any direct mention of Shin in his recounting of events, but the timeline would track. Aqua can recall eavesdropping on the arguments between Shin and Kumada over the phone. He had also seen Shin with more than one girl around his arm every time he visited Tokyo as the years passed. Cobalt had to have learned the wrong lessons by just watching Shin throw himself at girls, and jumbled those lessons with everything else he was taught by Aqua, Ai, and the rest.

Although a part of Aqua regretted not fostering a closer relationship with Kumada's son, it was an acceptable loss as Aqua's true family and his ultimate goal required more of his time. Sure, Aqua can concede Shin wasn't particularly the best role model Cobie could have attached himself to, but for all his faults, for all of Ruby's petty complaints about him, Shin never tried to intentionally hurt Cobalt or dismiss Cobalt's want for friendship. Shin was even there during the Blue Rose days at times to help keep Cobalt safe from potential predators or inevitable heartache. Cobie was practically the little brother Shin never had.

Hopefully, Shin apparently having an official girlfriend will help temper his more lamentable traits… And, with any good fortune Aqua's family was owed, help paint a reasonable picture of what a viable long-term romance looked like to Cobalt.

Had Ruby known that Chiyo's paranoia about Cobie cheating on her stemmed from seeing him with this Ayane person? That could help explain Ruby's insistence to shadow his Blue Rose adventures thereafter, beyond her natural concern for their brother. Although, that would mean Ruby would have hid this information from Aqua and Ai after all this time… They'll need to schedule an entire evening with the family for Cobalt to explain the finer details of this story.

Aqua supposed he should be thankful for Sachi Kamiya being there that night to prevent anything uncouth from happening to his little brother.

Yet why of all places was the reunion between him and Kamiya a dating show?

Was this some hilarious ironic joke played by the unseen gods watching over them? A convenient opportunity seized by Kamiya to get closer with the currently single, girlfriend-seeking Elemental Orel? As much as a surprising guardian angel Cobalt may have made her out to be, she was still a stranger who needed to be vetted just like every other cast member on this show.

Cobalt opened his eyes and snapped his fingers, the spitting image of Ai doing the same when suddenly remembering something important. "Oh, I also learned later more about how to better differentiate platonic love, too. See, there were times when I had a crush on–"

The LoveNow director cut in. "We're taking our lunch break!" he announced. They were still in the same classroom where they had begun filming since this morning. Cobalt's speech had taken up a lot of time. Even the crew hadn't found it in themselves to interrupt him. Kaburagi had already left. "We'll pick things up in the courtyard for the next round of filming," the director added before snapping his fingers at Cobie. "Orel, the next time you feel like reciting a 'life lesson', run it by me first. We clear?"

"You got it, Mister Director!"

People started filtering out. Aqua overhead questions if any of Cobalt's extended diversion was usable. His reputed personality as Elemental Orel featured a child-like innocence, even if his animations had their share of mature themes depending on the video. Cobalt being so unafraid and blunt on matters of sexual attraction would definitely shatter that image for the willfully ignorant stubbornly holding onto that incomplete depiction. Even now, the LoveNow cast was looking at Cobie differently. Not in disapproval or distaste, thankfully. They were still reevaluating their impressions of him.

Except for Sachi Kamiya, who only looked on with amusement at Cobie throwing questions at her about her life.

Both of their positive outlooks were enough to get the rest of the cast back to similar spirits before long. Kamiya was already familiar with band member Kengo Morimoto and traded familiar banter with him. She somehow convinced Cobie to hold off his questions for the moment, so he resumed his talk with Sumi. On their way to the alternate room where they would have their lunch meals, Kumano inserted himself into their conversation. Mem-Cho targeted Aqua. To allow himself space to continue observing Kamiya, he pulled the quiet Kurokawa toward Mem-Cho's sights.

It took a minute for Aqua to find an opportune time to approach Kamiya with a reasonable degree of privacy. There were no cameras in the space sectioned off in the school library for them, and the other teens mingled toward their own discussions. Kamiya made herself comfortable on a chair by a line of windows. The only hiccup was Cobie leaning close to her as he showed her something on his phone.

"And this is when I went to a botanical garden with Luna!"

"Wow. You had a real pretty catch there, shorty."

"Yeah! It's too bad we couldn't keep it. I didn't know you weren't allowed to fish in–"

Resting his side against a bookshelf, Aqua cleared his throat to make his presence known. "Cobie," he said in his character voice, "think you can do me a solid and get me a soda?" Aqua tossed him his wallet. "Get your own while you're at it. My treat. I think I saw a vending machine–"

"I saw it, too. You can count on me!" Cobalt gave a mock salute, which Aqua mirrored. He hopped to his feet, However, Cobalt hesitated as he looked back to Kamiya. "Do you want anything, Sachi?"

She shook her head, sipping from a straw dipped in her drink. "Nah, I'm good."

"Okay." Still, Cobalt hesitated, his leg twitching. "Do you want to go with me and see if you want anything anyway?"

Kamiya replied before Aqua could get another word in. "Don't keep your brother's throat dry on my account."

"Ah, that's a good point." Cobalt saluted again. "I'll be right back, Aqua!" Then he finally left.

Yup, Cobie had a crush on Kamiya. No doubt about it. He wasn't even using any of the finesse he had learned to be more tactful about conveying his infatuation. All that was missing was a blatant confession. It wouldn't be the first time Cobalt confessed to a girl he barely knew and was still completely enamored with, naively so.

The cameras weren't rolling, but Aqua decided to keep doing his character to have an easier time ingratiating himself with the cast. He can tone it down as they get to know each other better, give them less whiplash as he reveals more of his real personality off-camera. For now, Aqua slid himself into Cobalt's chair. The other cast members gave him and Kamiya looks, some giving knowing smiles, but otherwise kept their space, a respectful distance away to be out of earshot. They might be thinking they'll get their shot to get closer to Crown Nightshade as LoveNow continued filming.

"So," Kamiya drawled out, giving Aqua an easygoing grin. "Mister Aqua the Actor himself. I've heard tons about you from Orel's vlogs. Nice to finally meet you in-person."

"The pleasure's all mine," Aqua returned. "I have to admit, it's a little surreal to add a face to Crown Nightshade." He winked. "Not that I'm complaining one bit."

Kamiya raised an eyebrow. "Is it Crown Nightshade you really give a hoot about? Or is the thing that looks so interesting to you actually the girl who inadvertently turned your little brother into the Blue Rose?"

She was unphased by Aqua's flirtation but did seem to recognize that Aqua hadn't been letting her out of his sight since Cobalt had jumped at her. He gave a nonchalant shrug to convey some irreverence. "If there's anything about me you've picked up from Cobie's videos, then you know how he needs me to reign him in sometimes. You can't blame me for eyeing up the lady responsible for turning Cobie into a serial heartbreaker." Aqua added a small laugh. "You don't know the months of stress my family and I could've been spared if you hadn't helped spurn his first break-up."

Kamiya snorted. "Please. You can't blame me for that. The way I hear it, Chiyo had her own issues to sort out, and Clayman was the one who gave Orel the wacky advice."

So Shin did have a role in the break-up with Chiyo? Why hadn't Cobalt directly mentioned him in the recounting earlier?

Kamiya set aside her drink and gave Aqua a level look. "I'm sorry for things not working out for Orel. I really am." She used a serious tone, until letting the end of her lips curve slightly. "I'm not here to snuggle up with Orel either, if that's the image floating in your head."

Aqua resisted his own snort. "Could've fooled me. We all saw how Cobalt lunged at you when you walked into the room earlier."

"We also listened to Orel give his dissertation on how he sees love. A hug alone doesn't spell romance for him, and it doesn't for me."

She was teasing Aqua, clearly, yet also speaking honestly. "Might not just be romance you're fishing for," Aqua said in his own teasing voice with an undercurrent of bite in his words. Kamiya should be observant enough to catch the challenge, to deny his accusation or embrace it.

According to Cobie's story, Kamiya was also in high school at the time of the separation with Chiyo. Publicly known facts about Crown Nightshade's life suggested she had dropped out of school recently, now at the age to start college yet instead deciding to stick with her current work in entertainment media. The difference in age between Cobalt and Kamiya wasn't big enough to be a concern, but Aqua had the obligation to gauge her true intentions toward his brother.

Kamiya changed the topic instead of rising to Aqua's bait. "You know, you're not like how Melt said you were."

The frown Aqua wore came naturally as he considered the name. "Melt Narushima? From Sweet Today? I only worked with him the once. You know him?"

"Yeah. We went to the same high school. Ended up in the same agency, too. He can be a petty guy, but you're more… aggressive than he made you out to be."

Aqua hadn't realized he had made a significant impression on the amateur actor for him to be gossiping about the experience.

Or did Kamiya seek out Narushima rightly because of his recent association with a Hoshino? To get closer to Cobalt through his family?

"I was doing the job I was hired for when I met Narushima," Aqua said evenly, allowing more of his real self to slip through the cracks. "My priorities are different when my brother is involved."

Kamiya tilted her head, the look on her face calculating and making judgments as she continued to stare Aqua down. "… I gotta say, the overprotective big brother angle with this too-cool-for-school vibe you're going for doesn't really flow well."

Aqua's frown deepened. She was outright calling him out now? "Excuse you?"

She shrugged. "Just my two cents. It's your prerogative what persona you want to play. It doesn't mean I'll play along."

"What are you–"

Cobalt made his noisy return, shoving open the doors to the library as he slid along the floor, skating around tables and the other cast members. He came to a stop by Aqua and Kamiya with three bottles pressed between his arm and his chest. "Here you go, Aqua! I also got one for you, too, Sachi!"

Aqua didn't take his eyes off Kamiya as she smiled at Cobie. It wasn't a predatory smile. It was… the same kind, relaxed grin she had been wearing since introducing herself. "Tell me something, Orel," she said as she upped the volume in her voice, drawing the eyes of the other cast members.

"Yeah, Sachi?"

"Remember that jingle you played back in last year's channel anniversary video?"

Aqua recalled shopping with Cobie on the hunt for a new guitar for that video. Cobalt nodded enthusiastically at Kamiya. "Yeah! I got to work with Sakaki again on that! She knows a lot more about music stuff than me…"

Kamiya unscrewed the cap on the bottle Cobie gifted her and pointed a finger at Kengo Morimoto across the room. "Our boy Morimoto knows a pretty swell acoustic version."

Cobie gasped and turned his attention to the band member in question. "You do, Kengo?"

"Yeah," Morimoto confirmed. "The vocalist in my band is a big fan of Sakaki. I was going to ask you…"

Cobalt gave one last look at Kamiya, who gave him a gentle push forward.

That was all Cobie needed to turn away from his crush and throw himself into interrogating Morimoto. Everyone else became absorbed by Cobie's ruckus, soon bombarding him with their own thoughts about the viral anniversary video.

Diverting his little brother's focus from one thing to another was a common practice for Aqua and his family to keep Cobie from doing something particularly stupid or poorly thought out. Friends of the family like Director Gotanda or Yura Katayose also made use of this tactic. For how little Kamiya personally knew Cobalt, she was readily able to do the same with only a few words and gestures. She didn't seem bothered or unpleased by Cobalt's attention, but she was clearly sending him in another direction, giving herself breathing room.

She wasn't engaging in the latest group conversation drawing the rest of the cast. Still on the sidelines, Aqua flatly asked Kamiya, "What was that supposed to be?"

He got a smart smirk sent his way. "The name of the game we signed ourselves up for is falling in love. LoveNow expects it to be romantic love. It's not a game I have much interest in playing. I originally took this job for work reasons more than anything, so I'm rolling with a more common type of love: friendship."

Cobalt had dozens of friends already, and hundreds of thousands of fans. He wanted to fall in love, find a genuine romantic partner, and it was Aqua's job to help him. "If being here was originally a career move," Aqua quietly but sternly said, "is the new reason to make sure Cobalt doesn't fall in love?"

"Of course not. Weren't you just listening? I'm here to make friends. Even you, Aqua. I wouldn't mind making a friend out of you. That being said, people like who they like. If Orel ends up finding a sweetheart, more power to the happy couple."

"That's precisely the thing I'm hoping for, too."

"So you say."

"So it is."

What was Kamiya's angle? A fan of Elemental Orel, she had lent him meaningful advice to Cobalt a few years ago, and was open to forming a real friendship with him now that they've reunited. Yet… something about her attitude toward Cobie didn't feel right to Aqua. She was… deliberately sending jabs at Aqua, flaunting her own quick affinity with Cobalt, as if…

Taking a sip from Cobalt's gifted drink, Kamiya swallowed and said, "Stop me if I'm getting it wrong. Aqua the Actor… has an agenda. You make things happen. You gotta be proactive and plan things out to get what you want. You want to make Cobalt happy. I, on the other hand, want to let Orel be happy."

A dark feeling pulled from the pit of Aqua's stomach. "I hope you realize," he said lowly, "that emphasizing the different names in Cobalt and Orel is a trait consistent with… to put it mildly, overzealous fans who had no place in interfering with Cobalt's real life." Cut from the same cloth as the monster who Aqua wanted to eradicate from Cobalt's head with no surviving traces left behind. Not every friend innocent Cobie made was a person worth even breathing the same air as.

Kamiya let no discomfort show as she met Aqua's glare with. "I'd say I have the right amount of zeal than you."

The truth of the matter suddenly hit Aqua.

Sachi Kamiya believed she understood Cobalt better than his own brother.

If not romantically interested, or even sexually interested, in Cobalt, she still wanted to insert herself between him and Aqua. Be a friend, an older mentor figure to Cobalt.

Not quite the same as Cobalt's previous Blue Rose predators, or the mentally unsound fanatics of Elemental Orel… No, this was its own brand of unpleasantness, for someone to genuinely want to befriend Cobalt while seemingly trying to cut Aqua out of the equation. As if Aqua would just submit to the whims of a presumptuous outsider seeking to associate with his little brother, who Aqua still needed to properly make amends to.

"There was a time before," Kamiya went on, "when I watched a good kid stay in a bad situation because I didn't think there was any more I could do for him. Then he got hurt, and couldn't be fixed."

Had Aqua been a lesser, more impulsive man, he would have slapped Kamiya outright. "What exactly do you think you're insinuating about me and my family?"

Kamiya was bold enough with her position to carelessly shrug. "A little birdie asked me to keep an eye out. I'm still testing the waters. Same as you… But I'll give you this much. I think you have the opposite problem as the kid I used to know."

"That problem being?"

"His parents pretended to care. You care too much, which can be its own can of worms to unravel."

Cared too much? On what basis did this stranger make this senseless judgment? Who was this supposed 'birdie' feeding Kamiya erroneous information to make grossly false assumptions? To think she had any right to interfere in their lives?

Before Aqua could find the right words to say aloud, Kamiya left her chair and joined the talk about Cobalt's channel and Morimoto's music preferences.

Aqua will have to put his evaluations for Mem-Cho, Sumi, and Kurokawa on hold. Sachi Kamiya clearly required his full attention.

What the heck was Akane doing here?

She felt so out of place in LoveNow. It wasn't as if it was the first time she was on-camera for a job, but there was no concrete script she could lean on. No dialogue to peer into for deeper motivations behind a character's choice of words. No elaborate commentary or narration to better paint the picture of tone and atmosphere which the characters were operating under. The half-hearted suggestions from the director and other production members granted Akane a lot of freedom in portraying her character, but if she was staying true to reality, then her real self hardly felt like a compelling character for reality TV.

Akane didn't mind at all socializing with the others in the cast, but as today's filming came to an end, she isolated herself on a bench in the courtyard to go over her notes again. She had a lot to sort through.

Most of her cast members were already preoccupied with their own business. Morimoto had left early to meet with his band, around the same time as when a lot of the film crew had trickled out, too. Kumano, Sumi, and Mem-Cho were chatting under the shade of a tree by their own bench. Kamiya and Aqua had disappeared somewhere. Aqua was probably still around, since Akane could see Orel speaking with the LoveNow director from where she sat.

Now, what to do for the next filming sessions?

She lost track of time, delving deep into her notes, until she heard a voice break her concentration.

"Hey!"

Akane lifted her head. Orel was behind her, leaning over her shoulder to look down at her notes.

"You carry around a notebook and jot down tons of notes, too, Akane?"

He hadn't noticed her writing all day? Maybe he was too busy talking up Sumi and Kamiya to notice. Akane did barely talk with Orel today in comparison to everyone else.

"Oh, hey Orel," Akane politely greeted. She was grateful when Orel leaned back and sat at the other end of the bench, giving back her personal space. "Yeah, it's something I do to help keep me grounded when I'm feeling a little lost during the production. You do the same with your notebook, don't you?"

"Yup!" He pulled out the pad from his back pocket and patted it with his other hand for emphasis. "I made lots of notes today! Lots of people here give great advice! Not just about starring in a reality TV show, but about other stuff in life, too! Sachi's already told me plenty today about the best place to get a tattoo, and Nobuyuki was nice enough to show me and Yuki a few dance moves I didn't know were physically possible for a human to do! There's so many cool things I'm learning, so many interesting facets of people I want to remember. I gotta write down as much as I can to jog my memory later."

That was nice. He… wait. "… Why do you care about getting a tattoo?"

"The last tattoo artist I knew got arrested because of his business with the Yakuza."

Business with the what? Wasn't that the plot of one of his stop-motion videos?

"He didn't just paint pictures on people, though," Orel explained without any change in his calm facial expression. "He was the best non-musical independent artist I knew! But then he stopped taking commissions after he went to prison, so I've been looking for someone else who can follow a similar style. Sachi's been a big help today on that front!"

"... I see…"

Meeting Elemental Orel and seeing how he acted in-person was… not shocking, per se. His eccentricities just took a second to get used to.

Akane had been more consciously aware of the Blue Rose back in middle school. The gossip about him had spread even to her Lala Lai co-workers. She could faintly remember watching the charity livestream as it aired when it revealed how popular YouTuber Elemental Orel was the progenitor of the Blue Rose myth, too. The mystique of the Blue Rose had faded in Akane's social circles thereafter, but she ended up subscribing to Orel's channel for more of those interesting animation videos.

A juvenile if charming personality shone through in Orel's behind-the-scenes videos. A part of Akane had unconsciously written it off as a caricature designed to appeal to children. Her expectations were shattered upon meeting and seeing the real deal. She only wished the real Orel didn't keep stunning her into silence with his unabashed honesty about… as he would probably say, his wacky adventures.

"So!" Cobalt said as he laid those striking blue eyes on her. "What kind of notes are you taking, Akane?"

… You know what? Orel has had a more varied career than Akane. He's done voice acting in various mediums, acted in live-action opposite his brother, produced animation videos with other YouTubers and even bigger names in entertainment, and won the hearts of an infatuated audience with his performance in a musical role for live theater that one time. Past Orel's weird way of interpreting some things in the world, he might have tips about how to help with Akane's current plight.

With that in mind, Akane confessed, "It's my first time having a major part on a TV show, let alone reality TV where we're encouraged to act like our real selves. It's pretty different compared to my other jobs, so I'm still trying to find a good niche to stick to and enrich the show."

Orel considered her self-doubt as patted his chin with the top of his own notebook. "Did the director not give you more direction?"

Akane quickly glanced around to confirm the director wasn't nearby. "No, actually. He was supportive but a bit too vague for me to get a feel for how to act the next time we start filming."

Orel hummed. "Do you really have to only be your real self?" he asked.

And it was a good question, the more Akane repeated it in her head.

"Aqua told me to be louder and more outspoken than usual to make myself more immediately likable to the people watching from home," Orel elaborated. "That's why I hugged Sachi when I did instead of asking permission to suddenly glomp her. I also just really wanted to hug her, but I still gave it more thought than I usually would. People's natural selves don't always come off great on-camera without them adding a little showmanship."

"Showmanship," Akane repeated, spelling out the word on the next page of her notebook. "That sounds like something good to aim for… An exaggerated performance of my real self, then? Dialing up my personality traits so they're more easily recognizable by the audience?

"Yeah!"

It sounded very simple now that Akane had it clearly spelled out for her… but what about herself could she exaggerate to stand out? Being polite and professional on-set was second-nature to her. Industry connections aside, she always sold herself primarily on her acting ability, not her networking ability or personal charisma. Akane surrendered herself to her roles completely and immersed those watching her just as much as she was immersed herself while plunging into the depths of her characters. She… She never quite tried to intricately analyze herself…

Acting was her field of expertise, but she wasn't the sole actor on this show. There were only so many fun facts or trivia she could use as conversation pieces without getting too technical and possibly boring the audience.

LoveNow revolved around romance, so Akane could always show more interest in the topics the boys introduced, playing up her own curiosity and lust for knowledge. Only it would be toward facilitating good scenes for the show instead of delving deeply into research for a role. And she would have to embellish her own reactions in the conversations they shared.

Although Akane hasn't actually dated anyone before in her personal life… she has played the part of a romantic partner in previous jobs, had her preferences when reading or watching other stories with characters engaged in a romance. She also of course had her own private fantasies of what it would be for herself like to date and fall in love…

But… Akane wasn't sure how much to project her true self into this role, exaggerated or not.

"Are you interested in finding a real boyfriend, Akane?"

She blushed at Orel's forwardness. "Well… I mean…"

Orel smiled his endearing wide smile. "If you think focusing on showmanship is a pain, and you want to find something real and long-lasting, then I think it's okay to not go the showman route. It'd be much simpler if it all felt more natural. But! If you're not too invested in finding a boyfriend, and you want to make some good TV, then showmanship is a good route!"

There was certainly more thought put into Orel's ideas than the LoveNow director's half-baked feedback. "That's the writer and director in you talking," Akane said, reminded of a few anecdotes and advice Orel had given online to other aspiring YouTubers, "isn't it? Better to show something cool and more obviously intriguing than following more boring or awkward beats of real life."

"… Huh, that is what I'm saying." Orel lost his smile and absently blinked his eyes. "I never thought about it like that."

"That fiction is more interesting than real life?"

"No. Lots of my stories and characters I create are based on my real-life adventures. I make them more digestible for an audience that isn't just me, and not to dox people, but I've never really thought about real life being boring." Orel spread his arms out in front of him, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air. "Life and all the people in it are too interesting for that!"

Orel's brightness was certainly infectious. "Well," Akane said, "there's a reason you suggested I be more of a showwoman, right? So you must already know that people's tastes in interesting stories can vary."

"Yeah, but…" And Orel was brought down from his high spirits again. "... exaggeration makes things more interesting. It doesn't mean you should feel like you have to avoid being your real self… Unless you're in an acting role, I mean. Sorry, my thoughts are kind of everywhere right now…"

Uh-oh. Did Akane break Orel? "I'm not actually trying to find a real boyfriend," she clarified, choosing her stance at least on that front. "I haven't decided if I'm going to hide how I really am while on-camera."

Orel hummed again, opening his notebook and penciling in a new entry. "I think I get it. In your specific case, you just want to do a good job, come off as good on TV"

"Exactly."

Maybe Akane can follow Aqua's lead and play a partially fabricated character? She definitely knew about Aqua's acting chops and noticed the subtleties between his on-camera performance and his regular self off-camera. In some ways, meeting Aqua for the first time had its own whiplash after seeing snippets of him in Orel's videos.

Suddenly, Orel loudly closed his notebook. "I think I know how to help you, Akane!"

Before she could get a word in edgewise, Orel left behind a trail of dust as he dashed across the courtyard.

He brought back with him a faintly flustered Yuki Sumi, finding her footing as Orel waved a hand over her. "Yuki can give you more advice!" he declared. "She's pretty good at overexaggerating subtleties in what I've seen her do today!"

A good sport at being conscripted to help Akane, Sumi steadied herself and made herself comfortable on the bench. "You're too kind, Orel."

"Thanks! And you're welcome!"

Expressing her own gratitude, Akane said, "You're a gift from God, Orel."

Orel frowned. "You mean a present from God?"

Oh, shoot! Akane got the line wrong. It was from one of his videos. "Ah, my bad."

"It's alright!" The smile was back with a vengeance. "Now, I gotta run. I need to find Sachi and ask if she's available to have dinner at my house tonight."

Akane was pretty sure it was a real crush Orel had on Sachi Kamiya. That might make things a little awkward as filming progressed, having to play out the reality show romance when one of the cast already had a huge bias toward someone right at the start. The premise was supposed to involve strangers developing romantic ties with each other, have more build-up.

Then again, Orel's antics and Kamiya's chill demeanor might be something Akane can latch onto to facilitate interesting scenes, showcase her own character as equally compelling.

It could be fun, too, diving into the goofy banter that had helped Orel make a name for himself online.

"I'll see you guys next time!" were Orel's parting words as he ran off again. "See ya, Yuki! Good luck, Akane, in getting into the role you choose!"

Akane and Sumi waved back. Akane added a few extra notes about rewatching Orel's videos, and to research the prior work her fellow cast members have done in the past. Her own knowledge of their careers should also enable opportunities for Akane to insert herself into more scenes on the show, not solely just with Orel.

Relaxing against the bench, Sumi fluttered her eyebrows at Akane. "So… I never thought I'd be lucky enough for the Blue Rose to set me up with someone as beautiful as you, Kurokawa."

She was kidding, doing a humorous bit. Akane couldn't stop herself from giggling. It was like Aqua's confidently cheesy flirtations, except Sumi was naturally joking instead of doing a distinctly crafted performance.

"Too much?" Sumi asked playfully.

"A little," Akane admitted between chuckles.

"Exactly what I was going for!"

Between Sumi's sense of humor and Orel's eager advice, maybe LoveNow won't be so bad after all.