Man, what is going ON. AU it is.

The pink-haired girl stood out even in the regular clothes that the rest of the staff wore. Not because she had a distinctive style, or she did anything other than what she was asked. But, well, there was a reason why even Ari and Meimei stole glances at the girl whenever she entered the room to leave or pick something. Which at least meant that Ai wasn't the only one that hadn't managed to stop doing it after a bit.

"Didn't they have a bigger fit for her?" Ai murmured after walking closer to the two idols that were staring, snapping them out of their focus and outright startling Ari as she became red and covered the lower half of her face with her hand.

"Ai-chan! I didn't see you there." Ari looked away, toward Meimei's feet. Making Ai chuckle, given that people did that to take some tension off an awkward conversation sometimes.

"I'm here~" Ai replied before stealing a glance at the pink-haired girl on the other side of the room. "What do you think about our new staff member?"

"Yeah, Ari. What do you think about her?" Meimei's voice might've sounded teasing, but her expression was a little more on the annoyed side instead.

"Ah, well… We talked a bit the other day. She seems nice." Ari looked like she'd rather be anywhere but having this conversation. Something that Ai didn't really understand, but it wasn't like she understood her co-idols that much. Still, maybe she could help a bit?

"That's right. You did come the other day." Ai turned to Meimei, her smile unblemished as she did so. "Have you talked to her, Meimei?"

"What? No way. We're all busy." The girl looked away, smiling like she was being asked something obvious.

"Well, I guess so…" Ai saw the girl in question leave the room, letting Ai give the other idols her whole attention now. "There will probably be more opportunities to know her, right?"

"Yeah, yeah." Meimei nodded vigorously, but she didn't sound very interested in the topic.

"Have you talked to her, Ai-chan?" Ari sounded calmer now. And regarded Ai with cautious curiosity rather than any normal interest.

"Eh? Not really." Ai shrugged.

"Yeah, figured as much." Ari nodded to herself.

"Why is she here, though?" Meimei looked away, still a little irritated. "Would've thought if one of those people came here, they'd be looking for Nino-chan's spot."

Ai opened her eyes a little more, keeping her smile in place while Meimei spoke.

Would it annoy her more if she didn't reply, or if she told her that they'd found no one that was interested in working with them?

"It's honest work?" Ai suggested, tilting her head and placing a finger on her chin in wonderment.

"She worked retail before." Ari sighed, visibly shivering for a moment like she had remembered something scary. "She'd probably take anything to get out of there."

"Ah… Understandable." Meimei looked at the closed door, sounding a bit guilty now.

"Yeah. Life's really hard when you don't have enough money, huh." Ai nodded to herself. She had experienced that, after all. So at least she understood this much. Not everyone could get scouted into an idol group, after all. And even Ai herself had weighed her options back then. Wondering if it was something she wanted to risk attempting.

And the rest is history, of course.

"Yeah…"

"Sounds about right." Meimei shook her head, disengaging from the conversation by taking a couple of steps away. "Well, good for her!"

"Did something happen with Yuigahama?" Ari asked once Meimei had moved away, looking for the other idols while Ai was left without knowing what else to say.

"Eh?"

"Just wondering." Ari crossed her arms, but it didn't feel like she was getting on Ai's case or anything. More like, she was getting relaxed? It was a strange position, but one that didn't feel accusatory.

Ai knew very well what that looked like.

"Nope." Ai had to will herself to open her mouth again, going against old habits which would've cut the conversation short. "I didn't really see her when Hachiman-san's friends came, she didn't participate with you guys and Gotanda-san?"

"She watched us when Miyako-san was done with her." Ari scratched her shoulder while tilting her head a bit. "She's nice."

"She looks nice."

"Those guys were alright enough too." Ari looked at the ground, furrowing her brows for a moment. "Guess I overreacted a bit."

"Hmm?" Ai blinked and narrowed her own eyes, trying (and failing) to follow Ari's train of thought. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing. It's just…" Ari sighed, now looking a bit uncomfortable. Not wanting to look straight in Ai's direction. "I imagined things would turn out… Uglier, I guess."

"Ah… Uh-huh." Ai still didn't get it, but the way Ari talked felt… Nice. Good, even. Like Ai could relax a bit more around her green-haired co-star. "That's pretty lucky."

"I guess…" Ari sighed before regarding Ai. "You were, at least. Genuinely, honestly lucky this time around."

"Hmmm… Yeah." Ai didn't like the somber tone that her co-star had adopted, but she couldn't deny that they shared the sentiment. Not in this particular instance of luck, at least. "I hope my fortune hasn't run out."

"You'll be fine." Ari scoffed, sounding more normal now. "Just, y'know, be careful."

"Right!"

"Hmm? Where are you going?" Normally, the girls didn't ask such things. So it actually took Ai by surprise when Ari did. Making her stop in her tracks and looking at the green-haired idol with some confusion.

"I'll go talk to the new girl?"

"Oh, okay." Ari didn't look like her question had been answered either. "Is everything okay?"

"No." Ai gave Ari the benefit of a serious look now. "One of her friends took a knife for me."

"Right, sorry." Ari's mood dropped immediately. "Shouldn't have asked."

"It's not like anyone would want to think about it." Ai pointed out.

"True…"

Having said her piece, Ai spun around and walked out of the room. Waving at Kyun before leaving and looking around for the tell-tale sign of the pink-haired girl. Careful to not get in the way of the people coming and going because of Strawberry Pro's other projects. Most people noticed her before getting too close, but not all of them were in a position to move to give her room. And she was still dressed up in costume, so she'd rather not cause an accident.

Now then, pink-hair and big boobies. Pink-hair and big boobies, pink-hair…

"Ah, there you are!" Ai strode to the girl's side as soon as she found her. Startling the her into standing straight, making Ai realize that she, just like Hikigaya, was actually taller than Ai herself.

"Gah! Oh, sorry. I didn't see you approach…" The girl chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of her head while Ai positioned herself a step back so she wouldn't have to look up too much to look at the girl's face.

Oh, no. She's actually big in more ways than one!

"Sorry! Didn't mean to spook you."

"It's fine! I just thought a supervisor would yell at me for slacking or something for a moment!"

"Uuuuhhh…" Ai scratched the spot to the right of her nose with her left hand. "Tough bosses, huh."

"Yeah, yeah." The pink-haired girl chuckled awkwardly while scratching the back of her head. "Sometimes you just gotta catch a breath before going back to giving it your 100%, y'know."

"Right! People that aren't on-site often forget that." Well, at least Ai could understand that. Be it in dancing, singing, or, apparently, in more mundane jobs, having a rhythm and moments to let your body relax to go back to doing effort was mandatory. And something that Ai understood very well by her own experience. "Don't worry, it's your first day. Right? I don't think people will be too mean about it. You'll grow into your role just fine."

Not that she knew what the girl did or anything. These were simply words that she had heard when a new member of B-Komachi joined in. Learning to fall in line in choreographies, accounting for the rest of the group, and even knowing when to ignore the lyrics a bit to be able to play lip service to the crowd… They all required practice. It was just that Ai didn't really know what to say to this girl, working a normal job, but it felt like she had to at least make an effort of saying something.

"Miyako-san said the same." The pink-haired girl chuckled, less awkwardly this time. And looked a bit surprised after a moment of silence, when Ai thought that the conversation would halt into an awkward stare contest. "Ah! I'm Yui, by the way. It's so cool to meet you in person, Ai-chan-san!"

"Thanks! You're as cool as Hachiman-san said!"

"Ehehehehe… Hikki didn't say that."

"…"

"But thanks! Did he actually tell you about me?"

"Yeah, a little." Ai's voice wavered slightly, but she got back her bearings before she could start doubting her own words. "High school friends, right?"

"Yeah! Clubmates, that's where we met." The girl let out a satisfied sigh, probably remembering the moment with fondness. Leaving Ai to remember her own first meeting with Hikigaya.

She wasn't jealous. Not at all.

"Sounds nice." Ai murmured with gritted teeth.

"Eh… Not really, haha…" The girl tilted her head awkwardly. "Hikki was… A very different person back then."

"Oh, is that how it is?"

"Yeah. But, y'know, we were teenagers." The pink-haired girl waved Ai off. "It was kind of fun, all things considered. Although there were, like, a ton of problems we had to deal with."

"Eh…"

The girl relaxed and started walking, still looking at Ai while doing so. Which made the idol unwittingly take a step forward alongside the girl. Like she'd been pulled from an invisible string while the big boobed girl kept talking.

"Yeah! We were in this small club that was meant to get the students some help with stuff. So it was really about hanging out and sometimes helping out." She explained while eyeing her surroundings from time to time, making sure to be heading in the right direction. "And sometimes there were tough spots, and… Well, we argued."

"Isn't that normal? That usually happens pretty much with all the people we know." Or at least that was Ai's understanding of relationships. Especially given how often the people around her tried to argue. She knew this wasn't normal, not everyone was surrounded with critics and people that didn't like them. But, well, Ai wanted to think this didn't mean that she was the only one.

"Yeah, yeah. It's just…" The girl's smile was sad, like she had found something precious but lost. Only to realize that it didn't work anymore. Perhaps an old watch, or a toy. "We really haven't grown up that much."

"Hmmm…" Ai pouted a little. Even though the girl wasn't looking at her, it felt like the right expression to make. "Didn't you say that Hachiman-san was completely different back then?"

"Hmm, I guess…"

"Then, you've grown up. Isn't that good?"

"I guess?" The girl scratched the lower side of her chin. "It's just… It all gets fuzzy the more I think about it."

Fuzzy?

"What do you mean?"

"Like… I don't know." The girl chuckled with a tiredness that hadn't been there before. "Like, if I focus my gaze into it, it'll just… Disappear."

Ai didn't know what to say when the girl stared at her feet while still walking.

"I guess I've stopped thinking about what's important."

"Really?" Ai asked more to let the girl know that she was listening than because she was interested.

"Yeah. Too many urgent things, so little time…" The pink-haired girl released a defeat sigh. "I'm so tired…"

"Ah…" Ai could understand that sentiment a little better. "As I said, take it easy. You're just starting out."

"Yeah… Yeah!" The girl corrected her posture, tapping her own cheeks repeatedly to fully wake up. "It's so much better I… I quit my last job before payday!"

"Errr…" Ai now didn't understand the sentiment at all. "I mean, good for you?"

"They won't pay me the days I worked…" The girl frowned for a moment, shaking her head and going back to her determined look. Bumping a fist up when she was fully hyped. "But that doesn't matter! Got a month in advance here, I'll just get 1/3rd less for the first three months… And it's still more than I made before!"

"Money is important, yes." At this point, it felt like it didn't matter what Ai said in return. As long as she did say something.

"I'll do my best!"

For some reason, that made Ai smile.

"Girls like us just need a chance to show everyone that we're made of sterner stuff, huh."

"Yes!" The girl spun on her heel, startling Ai, and hugging the idol with so much force that Ai felt the girl's boobies being squeezed against her chin and neck. "We're gonna make it!"

"Y-Yeah…!" Ai didn't know where to place her hands, so she just let the girl hug her while she tried holding onto her balance by tip-toeing.

"Thanks, Ai-chan-san!" The pink-haired girl released Ai and basically bounced in place. Completely fired up in spite of the small circles under her eyes. "You're right! I'm strong, and cool, and I just need to hang on a bit more!"

"Right!" This time, it was easier to get her bearings back.

"Okay, so now I'll go to storage." The girl pointed sidewise with both index fingers. "I'll stop taking your time now."

"Oh, don't worry. We're on break." Ai made an 'okay' sign with her left hand. "That's why I can look for you."

"Oh, of course! Hehe…"

"And, well… Sorry about the other day. I just…" Ai motioned with both hands, trying to look cute while she scrambled her brain for something to say.

"Oh, it's fine! I'm… I'm used to it, haha…" The girl tried to make an expression, a negative one, but it died out just as fast as Ai noticed it. "And I get it! Miyako-san explained the whole deal of gravure idols and stuff. It's my bad for misunderstanding."

"No, no! Really, I should've known better." Ai waved her off, hoping that none of the other idols would randomly come out and see the newbie apologizing to Ai. That'd probably sink her image even further… Probably. "It's my bad, really."

"Well, if you say so…"

"Yeah! Hachiman-san scolded me about it too."

"Hikki did look incredibly pissed off, yes." The girl tilted her head to the side, like she was wondering if that was the reason why he'd looked like that.

It was in Ai's best interest to let her think that was the case.

"Yes… Maybe take a picture with me? Show him we're good?"

"Ah… Is that fine? You often charge for these sorts of things, right?"

"Don't mind it~ it's for someone important, after all."

"I…" The girl smiled softly at Ai. "Yeah, that happens."

"What does?"

Instead of answering, the pink-haired girl got out her phone. Quickly turning it around with her thumb to get it in a selfie position. Kicking Ai's training into place as she got close and made a double peace sign, the 'demurest' of her default poses. At least the one that came to mind.

The device had seen better days. The screen was cracked, probably from being dropped sidewise, and the case had lost most of its color. Leaving only the shapes and some scraps and random pigmentations here and there, transforming what probably had once been a cheerful and trendy decoration into a plastic shell that barely had any identity beyond protecting the phone itself.

Sometimes, looking at fans' phones was the only way to spend time while pictures were taken. She'd heard the girls talk about that before, comparing some. Being surprised. Ai didn't know what to think of this particular one, nor did she have someone to share said thoughts. So she just… Stared. Avoiding looking at herself while the girl took the picture.

Ai bumped onto the side of the girl's chest with her shoulder while musing these things.

"There! Thanks a lot!" The girl turned around, giving Ai only a moment before she smiled cleanly at the idol. "I hope this makes him relax."

"I think the same." Ai nodded. "Don't be afraid to come to me if you need something, okay? I'll help."

"Ah, you don't have to…"

"It's fine. I want to make things right, after all."

"'Make things right'?"

"Ah, y'know…" Ai made circles in the air with her fingers. "Help clean up my mess and stuff."

"Clean up your…? Ah, well…" The girl looked away, visibly unable to say what was on her mind. "Y'know, it's okay."

"Is it? I thought you and Hachiman-san were friends?"

"I mean, it's not like it's your fault or anything." The pink-haired girl waved her hands nervously. "How could I possibly tell you I wish Hikki wasn't there for you?!"

"I'd… Think you'd care more about him than you do me."

"Well, yeah! Of course! If it was up to me, I'd hope it never happened!" The girl looked surprised, like Ai was the one saying something outrageous. "But that goes for you as well. I hate that it happened to Hikki but… I don't think that it's okay that it happened to you."

"But if you could save one of us…"

"What's with that? Instead of choosing to remove you or Hikki, why not think that it's better if the attacker was removed? You didn't do anything to deserve that."

"…"

"Gosh! It's… Haha…" The girl fixed her hair a bit, looking away while gather her thoughts. "It's a very heavy subject, huh. But… Yeah. The bad guy is… Well, the bad guy. And that's that."

"I see…" Ai looked away, her cheerful expression softening while she thought about how little the girl in front of her knew. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it! It's… It's alright. I know how heavy these sorts of things are." The girl placed her fingertips together, holding her hand in front of her stomach. "Take your time. It's the best you can do, let things find their place."

"That's… What I'm doing, really." Ai's thought came to Hikigaya, to Nino. "I'm distracting myself, trying not to think too much about it."

"Well, yeah. Can't stop living our lives." The girl nodded while placing a hand on Ai's shoulder. "Miyako-san said that security is tighter now, so you can rest assured that everyone's looking out for your well-being."

Ai nodded. She wasn't being told anything that she didn't already know, but the way this girl said it did make Ai believe it a little more.

"Thanks. You're… Pretty nice."

"I'm trying!" The girl cheered but released Ai's shoulder. "You never know who needs some kind words in their day."

Ai's smile became easier to hold for a moment. Thinking about how Hikigaya had insisted that Ai should give this girl… Yui? A chance.

"Yeah." She shook her head while chuckling a bit. "You never know."