"Seele's not really planning on that…"
Amber might have some interest in idols, but that was more about enjoying watching them, not about becoming one herself.
The thought of standing on stage under everyone's gaze made her want to dig a three-bedroom apartment with her toes just from imagining it.
"Being an idol means you'll be the center of attention! And with your youthful, adorable looks, miss, you totally have the potential to be a top idol!"
The scout didn't give up right away and kept trying to persuade her.
But Gojo Satoru, who'd been watching from the side, spoke up to help: "Alright there, mister, Seele-chan already said she's not interested. Besides, she's still in middle school, you know~"
"Huh…?"
The scout froze for a moment, then showed an expression that said, 'I should've known.'
Yeah, no matter how young you look, you can't appear like a middle schooler once you're an adult… And more importantly, why is a middle schooler here on a weekday? Shouldn't she be in school?
But looking at Amber, he didn't get the vibe of a delinquent—just figured she must've taken the day off for some reason.
Realizing it was a lost cause, the scout felt incredibly frustrated but had no choice except to say, "If you're ever interested when you're older, please give me first consideration!"
As he spoke, he pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it over.
Amber felt too awkward to refuse, so she accepted it.
Just as the scout regretfully turned to leave, he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, making him instinctively look back.
What met his eyes was a girl with chestnut-short hair, her face brimming with bold charm and confidence.
She wasn't bad-looking at all—in fact, quite pretty—but… this was Japan, the East Asian country most obsessed with fair, youthful, and slender women.
The kind of girl who made you want to protect her was their ideal of popularity. Even the so-called Yamato Nadeshiko was becoming a preference of the older generation under evolving cultural trends.
"What about me? As an idol."
This chestnut-haired girl was definitely good-looking, but she just didn't match the scout's idol standards. He could only say, "Um… I'm kind of in a hurry…"
Having said that, he tried to leave, but the girl frowned, watched him pass by, and then grabbed him by the collar from behind. "What's the deal? Explain yourself properly!"
"Eek!"
Having his collar yanked made the scout feel like he'd run into a gangster. This short-haired girl's attitude and style totally screamed underworld vibes.
"Um… That gentleman seems really scared."
Even though she already knew Kugisaki's personality, seeing this kind of behavior right in front of her made Amber break out in a cold sweat. She couldn't help but reassess whether their personalities would really mesh well.
Kugisaki, who'd rushed over without a second thought after spotting the scout at work, finally turned her attention to the person the scout had been pestering.
One look, and she was utterly stunned. "Whoa!"
"…Whoa…?"
Amber hadn't expected to hear that sound again.
Taking advantage of Kugisaki's momentary distraction, the scout quickly broke free from her grip, then vanished into the crowd, escaping everyone's sight.
Kugisaki also realized her reaction had been a bit over the top, but she genuinely adored anything small and cute—whether it was a person or an object.
Despite Kugisaki's bold looks and confident, outgoing personality, she was only about 160 cm tall. She didn't mind it herself, but finding girls who were noticeably taller than her was actually pretty tough.
"What makeup are you using? That lip color doesn't look like lip gloss at all!"
Kugisaki couldn't be bothered with the escaped scout and instead took an interest in Amber.
"Um… I don't use makeup, not even lip gloss…"
"A natural beauty!? Seriously!?"
Kugisaki was a little envious.
"Huh? Is this girl the one we're looking for?"
Yuji's voice sounded not far away.
"The buttons on her uniform look like Jujutsu High's."
Fushiguro confirmed Yuji's guess. "Hello, I'm Fushiguro Megumi."
"I'm Itadori Yuji! From Sendai!"
Yuji introduced himself too.
Their voices made Kugisaki turn to look at them. Her eyes shifted between the two, taking in Yuji's abstract festival sunglasses and the ice cream cone in his hand, quickly forming an impression.
That pink-haired guy looks so rustic—I bet he ate his own boogers as a kid.
And what's up with the black-haired one? Only saying his name? I can't stand guys who act all full of themselves. And his name? Sounds more like a girl's name. His hairstyle's like a sea urchin too.
"…I've never eaten boogers…"
"My name was given by my parents…"
Two faint voices spoke up one after another. Kugisaki said flatly, "Huh? How'd you know what I was thinking?"
"You totally said it out loud on purpose!"
Yuji's eye twitched. He walked over to Amber, handed her the ice cream cone, and said, "Don't go corrupting Seele-chan, okay."
"Ah… so this little one is the auditing student you mentioned earlier?"
Kugisaki looked at Amber with understanding.
"Hello, I'm Seele Vollerei. Nice to meet you."
Amber took the ice cream Yuji offered and replied politely.
"I'm Kugisaki Nobara. Seele, you can just call me Nobara. The guys can call me Kugisaki."
Kugisaki first responded to Seele with a smile, then turned a blank face to Yuji, her expression puzzled. "But you two don't look like siblings at all."
"We're not blood-related."
Yuji explained, "Seele's school is actually the one I went to before transferring to Jujutsu High, so she's my junior. But since our situations are kinda similar, and I thought it sounded nice, I started calling her that."
"Mmm—"
Kugisaki nodded in understanding.
Once everyone was properly acquainted, Gojo Satoru finally stepped in, clapping his hands. "Alright! It's not often the whole grade gets together like this, and three of you are visiting Tokyo for the first time, so… let's go enjoy some sightseeing!"
"This is…?"
Kugisaki looked at the three.
"This is Gojo-sensei, a teacher at Jujutsu High."
Fushiguro, not bothered by her earlier comments, kindly explained.
"Oh!"
Kugisaki's eyes lit up. "If the teacher's taking us sightseeing, that means we get to shop for free, right!"
Team outings were usually paid for by those higher up, especially in Japan—if two people who weren't close ate together for work or other reasons, the senior would pick up the tab.
Yuji waved his arms excitedly too. It wasn't about the money for him—he just got pumped about going out together.
"Now then, I'll announce our destination: Tokyo's most eye-catching new hotspot in recent years, one of its bustling streets, famous for nightlife and attracting foreigners—that is—"
"Roppongi!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.