On this day, just after [Summer Zodiac] finished recording the song [Idol], they were called back to the agency by their manager.
The moment the two of them walked into the office, their eyes were immediately drawn to the unfamiliar girl standing before them.
She had brown, shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. As for her features, they were neither bewitchingly captivating like Hoshino Ai's, a sight that was hard to look away from, nor were they coldly beautiful like Misumi Uika's, to the point of making one feel inadequate. Instead, she possessed a kind of approachable and sunny cuteness that made one feel inexplicably cheerful upon seeing her.
"Well then, this is the new member I told you about who will be joining [Summer Zodiac]. Mana, come and say hello to them."
"Yes!"
The girl, whom the manager called Mana, first responded with a vibrant voice, then bowed deeply to the two before her.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Senpais! My name is Sumita Mana. I look forward to working with you!"
"Calling us 'senpai' is too distant. Since we're partners in the same group, you can just call me Uika."
Faced with this incredibly friendly newcomer, Misumi Uika had no intention of pulling rank.
"In exchange, may I call you Mana?"
"Yes! Of course, you can!"
An incredibly radiant smile blossomed on Sumita Mana's face.
Seeing that smile, Uika instantly understood why the manager had brought her into the group.
Unlike Hoshino Ai's meticulously calculated acting, this girl's innocence and cuteness were perfectly natural and gentle. Her energetic and sweet voice, her unpretentious and sunny demeanor—all of it perfectly embodied the concept of the "girl next door."
For the currently imperious [Summer Zodiac], this warm and comforting presence was perhaps exactly what they were lacking most.
Meanwhile, Hoshino Ai studied the girl for a moment before turning to the manager.
"Her face is certainly cute, but is this really okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"Joining [Summer Zodiac] at this critical moment... isn't the pressure going to be far too much for her?"
Ai raised a very reasonable objection.
"The fans will inevitably compare her to us."
"You don't need to worry about her skills," the manager said, her expression unchanging.
"Since the agency dared to have her join you, it means she certainly possesses qualities that are in no way inferior to yours. You can confirm this for yourself in your upcoming work."
"Is that so? Then I have no objections."
Ai nodded, then gave a nod to Sumita Mana.
"Welcome aboard."
"Mhm, thank you for worrying about me, Hoshino-san!"
Sumita Mana once again replied with a brilliant smile.
"I watched your recent live concert from start to finish. The way you both carried yourselves on stage was truly inspiring! I will do my best to follow your examples, Senpais, and work hard not to drag down this glorious group, [Summer Zodiac]!"
"...Mhm."
Faced with Mana's completely undisguised gratitude, Ai subconsciously avoided her gaze.
She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but she felt that the frankness and purity of the girl in front of her were very similar to that of a certain man she knew so well...
If the other party were a shrewd person with a few tricks up her sleeve, Ai had plenty of ways to put her in her place. But against someone so unreserved, sincere, and kind, she found herself at a loss for how to react.
Fortunately, this was just a brief meeting; she and Uika had other work to attend to.
And so, after a simple greeting with their future partner, the two of them left the agency...
...
After Hoshino Ai and Misumi Uika had left, the manager silently took out a slip of paper.
"Mana, this is for you."
"?"
Sumita Mana took the slip of paper curiously. On it was written only a string of phone numbers.
"Manager? Excuse me, what is this...?"
"It's the phone number of a man named 'Chihaya Tetsuya'. He is your group's exclusive costume designer, and also the magic charm that can keep Hoshino Ai... no, that can keep both of them in line. The moment they get into any dispute that you can't mediate, just dial this number and put it on speaker."
The manager said.
"As soon as they hear his voice, they'll quiet down instantly, no matter how much of a fuss they're making."
"Eh..."
Mana looked at the slip of paper in her hand with utter disbelief.
"This Chihaya-san... is he really that incredible?"
"A large part of [Summer Zodiac]'s success today is because of him. You'll understand what's so special about him when you start working on jobs related to him."
With that, the manager gave Mana another pointed look.
"...In a way, you and he might get along very well."
"???"
"It's nothing. In any case, now that the introductions are over, you can officially begin your work."
"Roger! It's for the promotional photos, right?"
Sumita Mana nodded with great seriousness.
"I'll do my best!"
"..."
Looking at the incredibly earnest and energetic Sumita Mana, the manager gave a silent nod.
(This might be asking a lot of this kid, but to maintain the stability of the group, I'll have to trouble her for a while.)
Recalling the behavior of the other two during the introductions, the manager sighed to herself.
(After all, in this world, there's probably nothing more troublesome than jealous, bickering women.)
...
"What do you think of this new girl, Mana?"
On the way to the recording studio, Misumi Uika asked Hoshino Ai.
"Do you think she'll be able to fit in with the group?"
"...Probably."
Ai replied without looking up.
"As long as she doesn't get involved with Tetsu for no reason."
"Is that so? I, on the other hand, think she won't truly be a part of [Summer Zodiac] until she starts dealing with Tetsuya-san."
Uika said with a hint of a smile.
"Speaking of which, it seems you've been deliberately avoiding Tetsuya-san lately... Did something happen between you two?"
"..."
Hoshino Ai immediately clammed up, choosing to remain silent.
Uika didn't find this strange and simply shrugged her shoulders.
"Alright, looks like I'll have to ask Tetsuya-san myself."
"You've become quite annoying lately."
Ever since Uika had discovered she was keeping her distance from Tetsuya at the party, Ai had been constantly prodded by her.
"What about that band of yours? Can't you hurry up and go over there?"
"I'd like to, but we still haven't managed to recruit our final member."
Uika shook her head helplessly.
"But, it's good to be able to focus on this for now. After all, if Tetsuya-san really wins the finale spot at the [TGC], then we'll have to compete with you properly for that one and only, most important position."
"..."
Hoshino Ai's expression changed instantly. She turned to Uika and said in a serious tone.
"I will absolutely not give that position up to anyone."
"Same here."
Uika smiled as she looked back.
"Thanks to Tetsuya-san's encouragement, I want to try and experience it for myself... what it feels like to be the one and only protagonist."
In their quiet stare-down, the eyes of both girls were filled with an unyielding obsession.
Until that "mediator" officially arrived, this head-to-head relationship would likely continue...