A youth story of a passerby at the end of the world

"what?!"

Making a nitpicking sound like a delinquent girl, just short of wearing a long pleated skirt, Hayasaka Ai showed him absolutely no respect, "Captain, have you lost your mind?"

"You must have performed on stage before, right?" Uesugi Genshin simply felt that the stage should be diversified to enrich everyone's spiritual life and avoid aesthetic fatigue. To each their own.

"I've done it before, but that doesn't mean I'll do it."

Pretending to be a hot girl at school was out of necessity. Now that I'm finally relaxed, why would I do something so tiring again? The refreshing feeling of taking off the mask makes me really not want to put it back on.

With her eyes closed, Hayasaka Ai turned around, tossing her golden ponytail, radiating an aura of not wanting to talk to him.

"What a pity, I was hoping to write a song for you." Leaning against a tree, Uesugi Genshin said casually.

"Write it down, let me take a look." Instantly, Hayasaka Ai turned her head back expressionlessly.

"You're not planning to go on stage and sing?" Uesugi Genshin shrugged.

"Think about it after you've read it; it might be a bad idea," she said casually.

"No, not at all. I've already thought of a name." He wagged his index finger, keeping everyone in suspense.

"Eh~, what's your name?" Hayasaka Ai asked, clearly intrigued.

“Let’s call it ‘Spring-Colored Lips’,” Uesugi Genshin suggested.

"About what?" Judging from the name, it seems to be about love or romance.

"A girl who wants to fall in love is dreaming, dreaming of being an invincible heroine in a world that only has her." He blinked and replied.

"..." After a short silence, Hayasaka Ai slapped the patrol list, which was already fully checked, on his chest. "The performance is about to start. If you don't go to the front now, someone will come looking for you."

Upon hearing Hayasaka's words, Uesugi Genshin looked ahead and, sure enough, they had already gone on stage.

"Let's go then."

Since the performance wasn't designed to cultivate fans, they didn't engage in idol-like interactions. Instead, they offered words of comfort, saying "thank you for your hard work," which sounded very pleasant. It was probably written by Shiyu.

Then the performance began. In addition to singing the songs that had received a good response last time, the performance also included songs that the publicity department had collected and submitted with suggestions.

There were songs from anime and popular songs. On stage, Toyohama stood in the middle of the group and could be seen very clearly.

As the music started, her movements were light and quick, giving people a sense of calm.

As a professional idol, his dancing skills are beyond reproach, given that the Japanese idol industry is an extremely competitive field.

Stop when you should stop, and move freely when you should move, fully expressing the music while maintaining the dance.

Her movements were graceful and fluid, yet she also possessed the cuteness expected of an idol.

This is a formation dance that emphasizes everyone moving in unison. It's not just Toyohama who stands out, especially since Hirokawa is in the center position.

However, Uesugi Genshin's eyes would always involuntarily look at her, perhaps attracted by her dazzling idol charm, or maybe he was a fan of golden ponytails.

Then, of course, there was the song that Uesugi Genshin specified. He used his vice president privileges for it, and was criticized by Hachiman for having no ambition whatsoever.

But what kind of pursuit is there, and is there still room for improvement?

He then asked Hachiman, in a suggestive manner, if there was anything he wanted to hear, and naturally, the two of them were both scolded by Yukinoshita.

In the end, his request was kept, and that's how he got this song, バブル (baburu), which means bubble.

It refers to Japan's bubble economy in the last century, the illusion of rapid economic development, with Tokyo alone supposedly buying up the entire United States—a dream that burst like a bubble.

It's a song with a mature style, and Feng Bin even joked that it was too old, but it sounds really upbeat. Originally, it was sung by an older man in a lyrical, noir-like tone.

But the girl's cover version made it even more energetic and sounded really cool.

Occasionally shedding her cute idol image and singing songs with a contrasting element would make her more popular.

Putting aside the principle of same-sex repulsion, girls may like cute girls, but they are more likely to like cool girls.

According to Shiyu, someone went to Shiromaru for relationship counseling because of the breakup with her boyfriend after the last performance.

...It's hard to say whose fault it is, but you can't reason with some girls who are angry and acting recklessly.

Therefore, Uesugi Genshin came up with this method to ease public opinion and the atmosphere.

The members of Sweet Bullet, who were giving it their all, were drenched in sweat and out of breath.

Even so, they were still quite dedicated, standing in a row with smiles on their faces, holding hands with their teammates.

"Thank you everyone!"

He bowed deeply to the audience, which erupted in applause and cheers.

As they looked up, their faces, illuminated by the bright afternoon light, radiated youthful energy, and their expressions were joyful—smiles of contentment and happiness.

If it weren't for their passion, they wouldn't have become idols. Unlike in other countries, this is a profession that requires extreme perseverance and dedication.

"Thank you for your hard work." Along with Yukinoshita, who was in charge of wrapping things up, Uesugi Genshin stood in front of Sweet Bullet as she returned to the preparation room and said together.

They returned the greeting with the same response, saying, "You've worked hard too."

"No, it was Kasumigaoka who worked hard this time," Yukino Yukinoshita shook her head, her fair and impartial personality making her unwilling to accept the other party's gratitude unjustly.

"Yes, Ms. Kasumigaoka, she's still busy. I'll go thank her later." Hirokawa Uzuki, as the team leader, smiled wearily.

Uesugi Genshin understood perfectly; a two-hour performance was indeed exhausting, and it was normal to be tired. Therefore, he said...

"Thank you, I'll take it with me. You guys go take a shower, your foreheads and necks are still covered in sweat."

"Really?" Hirokawa Uzuki touched it with her hand and exclaimed in surprise, even though she had just wiped it.

"If the fans saw this, they'd probably be disillusioned, since idols don't sweat," Uesugi Genshin joked with a laugh.

"How could I not sweat?" With a heavy sigh, Anong Yae kept fanning herself with her hand. With her short hair, she was probably the coolest in the team.

“Yeah.” Uzuki Hirokawa clenched her fist and complained in agreement, “I always feel really uncomfortable after a concert.”

"Hmm? Because the underwear gets soaked with sweat?" Uesugi Genshin immediately realized something.

"Oh ho, big brother knows a lot." Nakago Ranko, standing next to Hirokawa, bent over with her sexy body, blushing as she teased him.

Ah, after all, he was NoPan's idol, I still remember him vividly.

Her foot was stepped on again, but this time it was a heavy stomp, unlike the gentle trampling of the hempen.

"What are you suddenly saying?!"

He was yelled at by Feng Bin and Xiang Huo in a hurry, and he almost instinctively wanted to cover his ears.

"Well, well, what my brother said is true." The innocent Hirokawa Uzuki exaggeratedly slumped her shoulders, as if this fact really troubled her.

"Oh, didn't Kazuya hate this thing too before?" Vice-captain Anono Yae covered her mouth and chuckled.

“I remember now!” Little Okazaki Hotaru shouted, stretching out her hand. “Back then, Ranko said this was called ‘original flavor,’ and maybe we could sell it for money.”

"Yingying!!!" Nakago Ranko never expected to be betrayed like this. She was just joking!

I will absolutely not sell it for money! No matter how much!

The thought of being bought to do all sorts of things terrifies her, and she would definitely have nightmares at night. She said at the time that she just happened to see such news in a magazine.

“Maybe some idiots will actually buy it.” Mai raised her eyes and looked at someone.

"What are you looking at me for?" Uesugi Genshin chuckled, then made a proud expression to show that he would never buy this. His eyes lowered, as if he was about to say something.

"Okay~" Mai held out her palm in front of his face, while her other hand covered half of her beautiful face with distress. "You don't need to say anything."

To prevent her lover from making further outbursts, she decided to stop him in advance.

This person always seemed like a child in front of her, so immature.

"..." He hasn't said anything yet!

Then Uesugi Genshin looked down at his feet, immediately raised his head and whispered a reminder, "Toyohama, feet. Feet."

She's still stepping on her own foot! Did she forget or did it accidentally?

"Hmph~" With her slender arms crossed, Feng Binhe gently withdrew her foot and turned around. At the same time, her golden ponytail almost hit him, and he was very familiar with the scent of this shampoo.

I moved my toes a bit, and thankfully, apart from a little pain at first, Fengbin was still very light in terms of weight.

"Anyway," he cleared his throat and said, "you did a great job, and please keep up the good work next time."

"Yes!" Hirokawa Uzuki, as the leader of Sweet Bullets, answered on his behalf, quickly placing her hand on her forehead in a salute of assurance.

Despite her slender model figure and dignified face making Hirokawa Uzuki appear very mature, her personality was unexpectedly somewhat...naive.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself." Mai said gently with her arms crossed. "You should go back and get some rest."

"Then let's go thank Ms. Kasumigaoka first, and then leave," Yae Anno, as the steady Pillar Heart, answered on behalf of everyone.

"Yes, that's right. After all, Ms. Kasumigaoka has been busy with all the preparations for this performance." Hirokawa Uzuki turned around and agreed.

"I won't go." Feng Bin and Xiang smiled sheepishly. She had just been severely criticized that morning and still felt a little guilty.

Kasumigaoka is a completely different person in her daily life and at work.

"Okay, okay." Hirokawa Uzuki nodded, not taking it seriously. She knew that Kasumigaoka-san and Kowa lived together and had a good relationship. She would probably thank her privately.

"I'll go with you too." Mai thought for a moment, then followed Hirokawa, who was moving, to the door.

"Yes."

Only Uesugi Genshin and his sister-in-law remained in the room.

"I have to go to work now, you can go back first."

"Okay." Feng Bin and Xiang turned their faces away in a huff, their golden ponytails playfully pointing towards him again.

"What's wrong?" Uesugi Genshin chuckled and ruffled her hair, feeling its soft texture. "Want me to do a cheerleading dance for you?"

With a mischievous chuckle, he pulled a yellow light stick from his pocket, causing Feng Bin to widen his eyes in surprise and turn his head back.

"You were carrying this in your pocket?" She was completely taken aback. "I didn't see you take it out earlier."

"Because I was afraid that if I had taken this out, you would have made a mistake."

"Thank you!" she said, her voice tinged with gratitude, because she knew she might not be able to hold it in.

"So, do you want it?" He asked Feng Bin, who was standing in front of him angrily with her hands clenched into fists, only to be met with a fierce glare from her.

"It's fine if you don't want to jump." With a cute glint in her blue eyes, Toyohama Kazuka shook her head vigorously. "Don't ruin the image you have in my heart."

"What image do I have in your mind?" Uesugi Genshin asked, a little curious.

"...A lewd man who tells dirty jokes?" Fengbin Kazuka tilted her head, pinched her chin, and said after thinking for a moment. It wasn't so difficult to say bad things.

"Huh? Did I say that to you?" The person he talked about the most should be Hachiman.

"The first time you said you wanted to lick my feet." You gave him a look that said what you thought was right, and then looked down at yourself wearing short high-heeled boots and black stockings.

He's warned about lung fungus before.

“That’s absolutely not what I said,” Uesugi Genshin asserted, leaning back abruptly. “Alright, I’m going to work now, you should go back too.”

He and Yukinoshita were supposed to rest in the afternoon.

There's no rest this time, because they plan to leave for Tokyo tomorrow. So Yukinoshita needs to make arrangements with the others and complete the handover. Uesugi Genshin also has some things to do.

"That, that."

Just as I placed my hand on the doorknob, I heard Toyohama and Touka calling timidly from behind, their voices trembling almost imperceptibly.

"What?" Uesugi Genshin turned around and saw her with her hands entwined between her legs, her head lowered, her shoulders almost curling her body into a ball, looking so delicate.

She should be an arrogant and glamorous idol, but in reality, she's a stylishly made-up girl with a serious heart, as her teammates all know.

Seeing that she remained silent, Uesugi Genshin said softly, "Toyohama, please don't hesitate to say it. We are very close, aren't we?"

The general idea was to tell her not to mind saying it, even though her shy demeanor was quite cute, but it was based on the premise that she was struggling internally.

"Well, that... back then..." she stammered, her fingers moving from being intertwined to rubbing her palms together.

We finally had some time alone together.

With her last breath, she blurted out her final words, "Was your kiss back then serious?"

Ah, back then.