Chapter 32
[Rise Kujikawa: Sorry! There are more people than expected. I can’t come out to meet you right now, Yu-senpai.]
[Rise Kujikawa: Come backstage through the side entrance. My manager is waiting for you there.]
[Rise Kujikawa: I’m getting my makeup done!]
Yu looked at the message, then at Ren, who was buying takoyaki. Mona, inside the bag, was eyeing the takoyaki hungrily.
After the takoyaki was ready, Ren gave one to Mona, who devoured it in one bite, then meowed in pain from the heat.
“Here’s yours,” Ren handed Yu the other portion.
“Thanks,” Yu took the takoyaki.
They were standing near the concert venue, a long line of people stretching before them, most carrying fan merchandise, their excitement palpable. Some hadn’t even managed to get tickets, hoping to buy them from scalpers.
As students, even though it was a weekend, their private high school didn’t have Saturdays off, so they couldn’t arrive early.
By the time they arrived after school, the venue was packed.
Ren, unsurprised, waited patiently. Mona spotted the takoyaki stand, and Ren went to buy some, while Yu stayed behind to contact Rise.
“So?” Ren asked, holding the takoyaki stick. Mona, having finished his first one, was trying to snatch another.
Yu patted Mona’s head before he could succeed.
“Meow!”
“Rise said to meet her backstage. Someone will be there to escort us.”
Ren gave Mona another takoyaki, nodding. “Let’s go, then.”
“The concert is about to start.”
They walked towards the designated entrance, and the door opened from the inside.
A man in a suit and tie appeared.
“Inoue-san,” Yu greeted him. “Long time no see.”
“Oh, I remember you,” the bespectacled man nodded. “So you’re the friend Rise mentioned. Did you transfer to Tokyo?”
“No, I transferred to Yasogami High. I’m just back in Tokyo now,” Yu explained.
“Alright, come in.” Inoue led them inside, not surprised by the cat peeking out of Ren’s bag, as Rise had mentioned two people and a cat.
The backstage crew was busy with preparations. Some might have noticed the two high school students, but they were more concerned with their work.
“This is Rise’s first concert since her comeback, so everyone’s a bit nervous. We were worried about the turnout, but it exceeded our expectations, so we’re a bit unprepared,” Inoue explained as they walked. “Rise can’t just leave in this situation.”
“So she didn’t intentionally avoid meeting us.”
“Of course not,” Yu smiled. “I wouldn’t think that.”
“Good,” Inoue seemed relieved. “The dressing room is this way.”
“Wait here. Rise will be with you after she’s done with her makeup. I have some things to take care of.”
“Alright, Inoue-san. Please go ahead.”
Ren hadn’t spoken a word, acting like a shy high school student dragged along by his friend, obediently following Yu’s lead. Mona, too, had been quiet, not making a sound, surprising Inoue, who had initially been against bringing a cat backstage.
Cats were fragile creatures, easily startled. With so many people around, a stampede could be fatal.
He had only agreed after Rise’s repeated assurances that nothing would happen.
After Inoue left, Morgana breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the edge of the bag. “That was scary.”
“I didn’t dare make a sound with him staring at me like that.”
“It’s a concert venue. It’s not easy to bring a cat in,” Yu patted Mona. “You were well-behaved, so you got to come.”
Morgana’s eyes dimmed for a moment. “If I were human, it wouldn’t be like this.”
“I must be human. I just need to return to my original form…”
Ren handed him a takoyaki. “Don’t think too much. It’ll get cold. Do you still want it?”
Morgana’s attention immediately shifted to the takoyaki. “Yes!”
He took the takoyaki and started eating.
Yu smiled warmly, watching Ren feed Mona, sensing his care for the cat.
They were good friends.
Yu opened his own takoyaki, which he hadn’t touched yet, and offered one to Ren.
Ren had been feeding Mona and hadn’t eaten any himself.
“Ren,” Yu called out. “Open wide.”
Ren, knowing what Yu meant, opened his mouth and took the takoyaki. It was still warm.
“How is it?”
“It’s good,” Ren nodded.
Yu ate one as well, mentally dividing the remaining takoyaki between them. Thankfully, there was an even number.
He offered another one to Ren.
Rise entered the dressing room and saw this scene.
The two boys sat on chairs, Yu feeding Ren a takoyaki. Ren, petting Mona, took the takoyaki without hesitation, the atmosphere between them strangely… intimate.
Rise, with her Lovers Arcana intuition, instantly sensed the unusual connection between them.
Their actions were too natural, too casual. Yu fed Ren while eating his own takoyaki, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Rise: …
She frowned slightly, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes, which she quickly masked, reverting to her cheerful, bubbly persona.
“Yu-senpai!” Rise exclaimed. “You’re finally here!”
Yu smiled and waved. “Rise.”
Seeing Rise arrive, Ren stood up, resuming his guest demeanor.
“Hello.”
“Hello!” Rise walked towards him, hands behind her back. “Let me guess who you are. Yu-senpai mentioned meeting another Persona user in Tokyo, right? Ren.”
Ren simply nodded. “My name is Ren Amamiya.”
“Rise Kujikawa. You can call me Risette.” Rise extended her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Ren shook her hand politely, then asked, “Several of my friends are your fans. Could you sign an autograph for me?”
“Of course! As many as you want!”
Rise looked at Yu, who was holding Mona, watching them with a gentle smile.
…This guy, he really knew how to attract people.
“Yu-senpai, I forgot my pen. Can you get it from the next room?”
“Huh? Me? Why?” Yu blinked, puzzled. “I don’t know my way around here.”
“There are reporters outside. I have to stay in the dressing room until the concert starts,” Rise complained. “You can pretend to be a staff member. It’ll be less troublesome. The room is easy to find. Just go.”
“But…”
Yu was ushered out of the dressing room, the door closing behind him with a bang.
After three seconds of silence, Yu sighed. “But you didn’t tell me which room to go to.”
“Oh well.”
He started walking.
Not only was Yu bewildered, but Ren was as well. He had instinctively reached out when Yu was pushed out, retracting his hand as the door closed.
After standing there for three seconds, Rise turned around with a smile.
“Now, let’s talk, Amamiya-kun.”
Ren: …
Something was wrong. He seemed to have inadvertently offended the famous idol.
“I always thought my rival would be Marie, considering the unusual atmosphere between her and Yu-senpai,” Rise said as she paced. “But I didn’t expect it to be you. And a boy, no less.”
Ren: …
He understood. This was Yu’s romantic baggage.
How many people had this social butterfly charmed?
“There’s nothing going on between us,” Ren explained.
“You didn’t even deny it?” Rise was shocked. “You understood what I meant and said ‘nothing going on’ instead of ‘nothing between us’?”
“What stage are you two at?!”
Ren patted Morgana, who was staring blankly after hearing their conversation. He had become quite adept at choosing the most unexpected dialogue option.
“We’re considering marriage.”
Rise: …
“No way,” Rise stumbled backward, her eyes wide with alarm. “Marriage? You’re already considering marriage?! But same-sex marriage isn’t legal in Japan yet! And you’re still in high school! Are you planning to get married abroad after graduation?”
“Don’t lie! Please don’t do this!”
Ren watched the idol’s dramatic self-destruction, a faint smile playing on his lips.
This was surprisingly easy.
Yu’s friends were just as naive and trusting as he was, easily swayed by a few words, even a famous idol, radiating the same sunny disposition as Yu.
So this group was like a bunch of fluffy creatures basking in the sun, hugging each other?
He suddenly wanted to meet the rest of Yu’s friends.
“Calm down,” Ren soothed her. “You have a concert soon. Don’t ruin your makeup.”
“You’re so mean!” Rise pointed at Ren angrily. “I’m not going to cry!”
Just as Rise was fuming, the door opened, and Yu peeked in, holding a pen holder.
“I’m back…” Yu tilted his head. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing at all,” Rise instantly regained her composure. “Thank you for getting the pen, Yu-senpai… Wow! Why did you bring so many?”
Yu proudly held up the pen holder. “I searched several rooms and finally found some pens. I was worried they might not work, so I brought the whole holder.”
“…As expected of Yu-senpai.”
Ren: …
Rise, there was no need to force a compliment.
Rise sighed, taking a pen from the holder and signing three autographs, handing them to Ren with a smile.
Despite their less-than-friendly conversation (in her opinion), she still signed the autographs diligently, presenting them with a professional smile.
Ren looked at the autographs, finding her even more endearing.
“Well, the concert is about to start. I need to get ready. See you on stage.”
“Yes, see you on stage,” Yu waved.
After Rise left, Yu sat beside Ren again, watching him carefully put the autographs in his bag.
“What did you talk about while I was gone?” Yu asked curiously.
“Your love life,” Ren replied casually. “Like how Marie is a girl who creates a different atmosphere when she’s with you.”
Yu: …
He shouldn’t have asked.
Morgana, looking back and forth between them, couldn’t help but exclaim, “What’s going on with you two? Is the marriage thing real or not?”
“Why don’t I know anything about this?”
“When did you two get together?!”
