LU Chapter 17

# Chapter Seventeen - "Sunrise Soup"

    "A-Another one?"

    "Just a teensy little one. It's no big deal. You'll barely even realize you're doin' it, okay?"

    "Asa, what is it this time? Did you forget your lunch again?"

    "O-Or need more fare for the train?"

    "Where have you been anyway? We had to cover for you on set."

    "That's what this is about! You see, Mr. Kumasawa called me with some very important stuff I had to get done for him. You know, cuz I'm his star idol and all. So that's what I was busy with, and now I need to run back to the dorm to finish it, but I need Minori to cover for me on set until I'm back cuz it's gonna take a little longer than our lunch break to get there and back."

    Asa had her workout kit with her and she was practically camped out near the main exit waiting for us. If she's telling the truth, then it isn't a big deal. But that's if she is telling the truth and our producer actually tasked her with some work she needs to finish instead of sneaking out to hang out with boys - like we're not supposed to know she does.

    "Wh-Why didn't he ask me? I'm supposed to be the leader…" Asked Aoi, sullenly.

    "It's nothin' personal. It's just stuff we had started before you an' Minori came onboard and it didn't make sense to dump it all on you half finished. Really, I'm doin' *you* a huge favor."

    "What exactly is in the bag, Asa?" I was quite skeptical of her story since, you know, she's Asa.

    "Don't worry about it. It'll take too long to explain and then I'll be even later getting back. Will you guys help me or not?"

    "S-Sure…"

    "Sigh. What do you need us to do this time?"

    "Easy peasy. You know how we look a little alike from a distance? I just need you to wear this until I get back instead of what you've got on now."

    At first I was confused. All of the staff from I MY ME working on the project had been given t-shirts to wear declaring us production crew - plain black with the company logo in bright pink on the front and back - so we were already dressed essentially identically to one another with black leggings and an extra layer of long sleeves under the provided uniform. It was when she shoved something furry into my hands that I realized she was referring to my wig.

    "You want me to imitate you? Why do you even have a blonde wig if you're already blonde?"

    "Found it in the costume shop. It's perfect. This way people will think they see me there, but if anyone questions you you can prove you're you. It'll be like we're both there. I should only be like, a half hour late at most. Thanks for doin' this! Love you girls!" Asa struck a pose and winked at us, then turned toward the door before quickly turning back. "Actually, I'll borrow this so you don't lose track of it. Thanks! Bye-bye!"

    Asa took off out the door to take care of her business along with my long purple wig, taken directly off of my head. Still confused over exactly what was going on I straightened out the blonde wig she had traded for mine and put it on. It completely ruined my alien princess cosplay - I even have on the purple contact lenses to go with it - but Asa is our groupmate, so this is the kind of thing I guess you're supposed to do.

    "How does it look?"

    "You look a little like Asa. It'll probably work, but I like your colorful ones better."

    "Me too." My school doesn't allow students to have 'unnatural hair colors', so every day I'm stuck with boring brown hair. Cosplay wigs are the closest I get to being able to create my own style. It makes me a little hard to recognize sometimes, sure, but it's a lot more fun.

    "Hey there! We were hoping to run into you!" As I continued to smooth out the mess of yellow hair with my fingers, someone called out across the lobby. I briefly wondered if it could actually be someone mistaking me for Asa already. Even with unexpected cosplay, that must be the highest level of flattery. It turns out instead that they actually were looking for me. Well, me and Aoi both. "Hey, Minorin. Cute wig! Do you and your friend have a moment?"

    "Hi, Aoi."

    "H-Hello, Kazue. What are you looking for us for? Did we do something wrong?" My friend was even more confused than I was, but both of the girls looked happy to have located us. I doubt they make the idols confront staff who've done things wrong anyway. Confrontation isn't really a big part of our training...

    "A few of us are taking some of the girls we know out to lunch as a special Friday treat for all the hard work everyone's done! We hoped you two would come along."

    Dam-Bi and I are in the same idol course at school and have a couple of our classes together as a result, even though she's a full year my senior. We aren't exactly friends, but we're definitely friendly, and I've only once had a negative interaction with her, which actually puts her far ahead of a lot of the girls we go to school with. Normally she's quite sweet and polite, and is always trying to learn more about everyone. Kazue is probably here for much the same reason, as she shares a class with Aoi at their own school.

    "You don't need to do something like that. We've been happy to work hard on the project. It's been kind of fun learning how things work behind the scenes."

    "Y-Yeah! It's really cool seeing one of my classmates up on stage like this! We're really happy to get to help out. We're learning a lot of stuff that'll help us once we debut!"

    "Well still, we've invited some other girls already and have a table reserved at a little restaurant my friends on this side of town told me about, so please come along with us? It's really chilly today so we're going to get shabu-shabu to warm us all up. Besides, we really feel like we owe it to you two in particular."

    "Why would you… Oh."

    *The auditions…*

    Dam-Bi looked down at her feet, and from the look of it it wasn't to admire her adorable knee-high boots. That's right. When Aoi and I went to audition for Interlunium things went rather badly and we were turned away before we could even perform. Asa likes to bring it up a lot like it's still bugging her, but Aoi and I are happy being in our new group. And since we wouldn't have met Asa and decided to form a group if that hadn't happened, we kind of owe it to Eimi for bringing us together. She was the anime villain we needed to face separately so that we would realize we needed to band together if we were going to stand a chance.

    "Oh, that. Dam-Bi, it's okay. It was really disappointing at the time, but we formed our own group right after, and we're even going to debut in not too long. So everything turned out okay in the end. No hard feelings."

    "B-Besides, Eimi was the one who was being mean to the girls you invited, and Kazue, you weren't even in the group yet."

    "Well yeah, but that's no excuse. If I were there I'm not sure I would have been of any use. If Dam-Bi couldn't do anything then I probably wouldn't have been able to either, so I'm just as guilty as if I were there."

    **"So, please forgive us!"** Both of the girls lowered their heads in contrition.

    "Please let us treat you to a nice lunch. It's been driving me crazy every day in class! You've been working really hard for us even though we'd understand if you held a grudge, and we're really happy you don't hate us. Hitori and Tomiko are coming too, so it'll be a little like a school lunch."

    "It's the least we can do, and it's supposed to be really good "

    "My bestie said it's really delicious, and she's a super picky eater so it must be true. Please come. We can even talk all about your new group!"

    "And eat a ton of meat!"

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